Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Example for Free

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay BMS is a key component of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. To ensure safe and reliable operation of batteries, BMS needs to have various functions such as battery status monitoring and assessment, charging and discharging control, balancing and so forth. The fire accidents of electric vehicles (particularly pure electric vehicles) since 2013 result in consumers’ concerns about the safety of electric vehicles. Compared with HEV, PHEV and BEV have more complex battery system structure, which requires more excellent battery endurance and safety; therefore, PHEV and BEV need more mature and reliable BMS. The BMS industry will benefit from the expansion of the electric vehicle market. Throughout the global BMS market, traditional auto parts makers represented by Denso and Preh have seized opportunities by virtue of their important positions in the vehicle supply chain. As Toyota’s most important parts supplier, Denso has provided battery management modules for Prius, Camry Hybrid and other models. Preh mainly offers BMS for BMW I series pure electric vehicles. View Complete Report @ http://www. chinamarketresearchreports. com/114890. html . Meanwhile, the battery vendor LGC has established cooperative relationship with GM, Ford, Volvo and many other enterprises by providing power battery packs and related BMS to them. As for automobile companies, Tesla performs remarkably with advanced BMS technology. In contrast, professional BMS firms develop relatively slower due to technical and financial factors. In the first half of 2014, China produced 20,692 new energy vehicles and sold 20,477 ones, higher than the figures in 2013. In 2015, Chinese new energy vehicle market capacity will be quickly released, especially plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and mini pure electric vehicles will witness faster growth, which will drive the rapid development of the Chinese BMS market. In the Chinese BMS market, there are three types of enterprises: First, third-party BMS vendors, such as Epower Electronics, GuanTuo Power and LIGOO New Energy Technology. Among them, the products of Epower Electronics are used most widely and adopted by Changan, Dongfeng, BAIC, Foton, JAC, Zotye and so on. China Market Research Reports 1 Second, battery system packaging companies represented by Guoxuan High-tech and Winston Battery. Guoxuan High-tech serves JAC and Ankai Automobile with battery modules and BMS. Third, vehicle manufacturers, including BYD and BAIC BJEV. BYD integrates batteries and BMS with electric vehicle R D, and shows advantages in terms of cost and efficiency. Overall, China BMS industry still lags behind foreign countries in technical specifications and business models. To narrow the gap, some companies hope to make progress by mergers and acquisitions. For example, BAIC BJEV enhances battery system performance and technological strength via the cooperation with SK, Atieva and other enterprises; Zotye meets its demand for BMS by holding Jieneng; Desai masters some share of Epower Electronics in order to upgrade its technology from consumer electronics to electric vehicle BMS. Purchase a Copy of this Report @ http://www. chinamarketresearchreports. com/contacts/purchase. php? name=114890 . The report includes: †¢Overview of global and Chinese electric vehicle market (including overview, market size, output, sales volume, etc. ) †¢Overview of global and China BMS industry (embracing status quo, forecast, market size, BMS supporting, etc. ) †¢Major vendors in global BMS industry (involving revenue, revenue of subsidiaries, revenue structure, net income, R D, products, supporting for vehicle plants, latest developments, business in China, etc. ) †¢Major vendors in China BMS industry (comprising revenue, revenue of subsidiaries, revenue structure, net income, R D, products, supporting for vehicle plants, new projects, etc. ) †¢Main enterprises in BMS chip industry (including revenue, revenue structure, net income, BMS chip solutions, etc. ) Table of Contents 1 Overview of BMS 1. 1 Definition of Battery System 1. 2 Definition of BMS. 1. 2. 1 Definition 1. 2. 2 Classification 2 Overview of Global BMS Market 2. 1 Overview of Global Electric Vehicle Market 2. 2 Status Quo and Development Trend of Global BMS Market China Market Research Reports 2 3 Overview of Chinese BMS Market 3. 1 Production and Sales Volume of Chinese Electric Vehicle Market 3. 2 Chinese BMS Market Size 3. 3 Status Quo and Development Trend of Chinese BMS Market Explore All Market Intelligence Research Reports on Automotive Transportation For Further Information Contact [emailprotected] com . China Market Research Reports S.

A Life Foolishly Lived :: Personal Narrative Essays

A Life Foolishly Lived I've never quite understood the whole racism thing. I grew up in suburbia, but in the part of town considered the black neighborhood. When I was younger black kids were no different from everyone else, and I was happy that way. It wasn't until middle school and my encounters with Joey that I became aware of a difference. I was young and impressionable, and totally bought into what anyone who would consider me "cool" was saying. Joey was a 30-something-year-old quadriplegic man who lived near me. I was considered a nerd and felt desperate for guidance of some sort. Joey became my mentor. Before the accident that left him in a wheelchair, he was a rocker, and I spent hours by his side listening to his stories. "I tell you, Owen, I had it all. And the girls loved me," he would tell me, while I emptied the bag of urine strapped to his leg. Even though he never graduated from high school, had no job, would get drunk and stoned all the time, and lived with his parents, I wanted to be just like the person he used to be. He'd had girlfriends and lived the rock-and-roll lifestyle, but that ended when he was pushed off a porch and snapped his neck. He attempted to continue his old life through kids in the neighborhood. Joey would tell us how he used to make pipe bombs, so naturally we had to make a bomb and blow up a chunk of the street. But we didn't have the know-how or the supplies to make a pipe bomb, so a gallon of gasoline would have to do the trick. Sadly, we picked a bad place and set a man's lawn on fire. The police and firemen were on my street that night, putting out seven-foot high flames and asking questions. Even though nobody knew exactly who blew off the gas bomb, most had an idea. I'm sure people in that neighborhood could think only of Wheelchair Joey and his gang of misled youth. Joey listened to heavy metal and sported Charles Manson and Confederate flag t-shirts. Before I knew it, I was doing the same. He convinced me to wear the flag shirt in school the day we watched "Roots" for Black History Month. We laughed when I told him about the reactions I got, and then he congratulated me with a beer and some vodka mixed with juice.

Choosing a Career in Botany

Choosing a career in botany ensures a person a wide choice of career opportunities, a fair salary, and an exciting life. If you prepare yourself with a good education and a positive attitude, you†ll be well on your way to becoming a successful botanist. Anyone can find enjoyment and fulfillment in a career field as fun and beneficial to others as botany. If you like nature and being outdoors, you might enjoy a career as an ecologist, taxonomist, conservationist, forester, or even a plant explorer. With a job in one of these fields, you might find yourself doing exciting traveling to all types of new and beautiful places. If you take well to mathematics, maybe you should look into a career in biophysics, developmental botany, genetics, modeling, or systems ecology. If chemistry is more your thing, you should enjoy working as a plant physiologist, plant biochemist, molecular biologist, or chemotaxonomist. If you like designs and microscopy, you would probably find plant structure interesting. If microscopic organisms appeal to you, you should look into microbiology, phycology, or mycology. If you are artistic, ornamental horticulture and landscape design might be right up your alley. If you worry about feeding the hungry, you should study plant pathology or plant breeding. At some larger universities, you can even study specific types of botany, each with its own department. These departments include argonomy (field crops), microbiology (microbes like bacteria and fungi), horticulture (fruits, ornamentals, and veggies), and plant pathology (diseases pertaining to plants). If you are a people person, you might even be interested in teaching botany or providing public service. After hearing the endless list of career opportunities, you have probably found one that appeals to you. But how should you prepare for your new career in the wonderful world of botany? Well, first you should keep in mind that four years of college and a Bachelor†s degree are the bare essentials for most of the careers aforementioned. If you have these requirements, careers as laboratory technicians or technical assistants in education, industry, government, museums, parks and botanical gardens are all readily available. However, there are great deals of other positions where a Master†s or Doctor†s degree is essential. For most teaching and research positions in universities and colleges, a Ph. D. is vital. For those of you still in high school, its never too early to plan ahead. When selecting your courses be sure to include college preparatory classes including English, mathematics, foreign language, physics, chemistry, biology, social studies and humanities. You should also participate in science fairs and clubs. Try getting summer jobs and/or internships having to do with biology. Try looking for jobs in parks, plant nurseries, farms, experiment stations, laboratories, camps, florist shops, or check with your local landscape architect. Try adding camping, photography, and computers to your list of hobbies. You should also get information on colleges and universities offering a good education in botany. If you are interested in botany, it should be for your genuine love of the science, not the money. Back in 1993, students graduating with Bachelor†s degrees received starting offers of about $24,000 a year. Those people with Master†s degrees were offered salaries starting at $30,650. Botanists in civilian positions were given an average salary of $35,084. Those who were federally employed received an average $41,754. Careers in botany offer individual freedom, varied work, pleasant surroundings, inspiring coworkers, and travel opportunities. The availability of jobs is good. Some fields can be competitive, but jobs are usually available for well-trained scientists. So no matter where you come from, how smart you are, or what your background, there is a career in botany for you. Everyone can find delight with this field of careers. So next time you wonder what to be when you grow up, or think about how you hate your job, remember, a career as a botanist may be just what the doctor ordered. Choosing a Career in Botany Choosing a career in botany ensures a person a wide choice of career opportunities, a fair salary, and an exciting life. If you prepare yourself with a good education and a positive attitude, you†ll be well on your way to becoming a successful botanist. Anyone can find enjoyment and fulfillment in a career field as fun and beneficial to others as botany. If you like nature and being outdoors, you might enjoy a career as an ecologist, taxonomist, conservationist, forester, or even a plant explorer. With a job in one of these fields, you might find yourself doing exciting traveling to all types of new and beautiful places. If you take well to mathematics, maybe you should look into a career in biophysics, developmental botany, genetics, modeling, or systems ecology. If chemistry is more your thing, you should enjoy working as a plant physiologist, plant biochemist, molecular biologist, or chemotaxonomist. If you like designs and microscopy, you would probably find plant structure interesting. If microscopic organisms appeal to you, you should look into microbiology, phycology, or mycology. If you are artistic, ornamental horticulture and landscape design might be right up your alley. If you worry about feeding the hungry, you should study plant pathology or plant breeding. At some larger universities, you can even study specific types of botany, each with its own department. These departments include argonomy (field crops), microbiology (microbes like bacteria and fungi), horticulture (fruits, ornamentals, and veggies), and plant pathology (diseases pertaining to plants). If you are a people person, you might even be interested in teaching botany or providing public service. After hearing the endless list of career opportunities, you have probably found one that appeals to you. But how should you prepare for your new career in the wonderful world of botany? Well, first you should keep in mind that four years of college and a Bachelor†s degree are the bare essentials for most of the careers aforementioned. If you have these requirements, careers as laboratory technicians or technical assistants in education, industry, government, museums, parks and botanical gardens are all readily available. However, there are great deals of other positions where a Master†s or Doctor†s degree is essential. For most teaching and research positions in universities and colleges, a Ph. D. is vital. For those of you still in high school, its never too early to plan ahead. When selecting your courses be sure to include college preparatory classes including English, mathematics, foreign language, physics, chemistry, biology, social studies and humanities. You should also participate in science fairs and clubs. Try getting summer jobs and/or internships having to do with biology. Try looking for jobs in parks, plant nurseries, farms, experiment stations, laboratories, camps, florist shops, or check with your local landscape architect. Try adding camping, photography, and computers to your list of hobbies. You should also get information on colleges and universities offering a good education in botany. If you are interested in botany, it should be for your genuine love of the science, not the money. Back in 1993, students graduating with Bachelor†s degrees received starting offers of about $24,000 a year. Those people with Master†s degrees were offered salaries starting at $30,650. Botanists in civilian positions were given an average salary of $35,084. Those who were federally employed received an average $41,754. Careers in botany offer individual freedom, varied work, pleasant surroundings, inspiring coworkers, and travel opportunities. The availability of jobs is good. Some fields can be competitive, but jobs are usually available for well-trained scientists. So no matter where you come from, how smart you are, or what your background, there is a career in botany for you. Everyone can find delight with this field of careers. So next time you wonder what to be when you grow up, or think about how you hate your job, remember, a career as a botanist may be just what the doctor ordered.

The End of the American Civil War Essay - 2366 Words

The End of the American Civil War The purpose of this paper is to show the events surrounding the end of the American Civil War. The two sides which were at war was the union and the confederacy. Which was basically the United States separated into 2 sections going at war with each other. In this document, I will speak about those people who were involved on the battlefield towards the end of the war. The war started in 1861 and was beginning to end by January of 1865. By then, Federal (Federal was another name given to the Union Army) armies were spread throughout the Confederacy and the Confederate Army had lost a lot of men. In the year before, the North had lost an enormous amount of lives, but had more than enough to lose†¦show more content†¦He knew that the Federal forces (union) held more than a modest advantage in terms of men and supplies. This in mind, Grant directed Sherman to turn around now and start heading back toward Virginia. He started making preparations to provide assistance to Sherman on the journey. General John M. Schofield and his men were to detach from the Army of the Cumberland, which had just defeated the Confederates at Nashville, and proceed toward North Carolina. His final destination was to be Goldsboro, which was roughly half the distance between Savannah and Richmond. This is where he and his 20,000 troops would meet Sherman and his 50,000 troops. Sherman began the move north in January of 1865. The only hope of Confederate resistance would be supplied by General P.G.T. Beauregard. He was putting together an army with whatever supplys he had left, but at best would only be able to get about 30,000 men. This would be no challenge to the combined forces of Schofield and Sherman. Shermans plan was to march through South Carolina. His men would march in two ranks: One would travel northwest to give the impression of a press against Augusta and the other would march northeast toward Charleston. However the one true objective would be Columbia. Shermans forces arrived in Columbia on February 16. The city was burned to the ground. The Confederates claimed that Shermans men set the fires deliberately, systematically, and atrociously.Show MoreRelatedThe End Of The American Civil War2028 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"The US Civil War was incontrovertibly the bloodiest, most devastating conflict in American history, and it remains unknown - and unknowable - exactly how many men died in Union and Confederate uniform† (Nasaw, 2012). At the end of the American Civil War, in 1865 slavery was abolished, the military was greatly enhanced, and the great nation of America became whole again with the North and South being brought together. In the mid 19th century, the United States of America was experiencing an eraRead MoreReconstruction : The End Of The American Civil War1824 Words   |  8 PagesReconstruction was to be what took place following the end of the American Civil War. To most scholars this is true. However, to truly understand the magnitude of reconstruction, one must take the path less traveled as Eric Foner did in his book, Reconstruction; America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. What is that? 1863? Yes, Foner believes that reconstruction officially started then with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Why, you may ask. The reasoning behind this premise is simpleRead MoreSlavery And The Civil War1706 Words   |  7 PagesAbraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand.† In the 1800s, the American nation was slowly becoming a house divided against itself. The United States were no longer united, mainly over the issue of slavery. In fact, many hi storians believe that, â€Å"From the nation’s founding, the issue of slavery threatened to tear the United States apart.† (â€Å"The Civil War† 1). The issue of slavery was always kept at bay through the utilization of various compromises; however a permanentRead MoreThe American Abolitionists Book Review Essay1214 Words   |  5 Pages Written by Harrold Stanley, American Abolitionists is a book that scrutinizes the movement of abolishing slavery in the United States. It examines the movement from its origin in the 18century in the course of the Civil War and the elimination of slavery in 1856. American Abolitionists book focuses on the American Abolitionists who struggled to end slavery and advocated for equal rights for all African Americans in the United States. Harrold mainly focuses his book on the abolitionist movementRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War905 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Civil war occurred about seventy-eight years after the American Revolution, and has many of the same characteristics of a revolution. In both wars, the American people fought for what they believed in and the way of life that they wished to live. However, the two wars differ from each other, as the soldiers that fought in the Civil War fought a new American Revolution that could have split the new world. The Confederate soldiers in the Civil War fought to keep their way of life withoutRead MoreThe Civil War : The United States909 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil War was one of the most pivotal and significant moments in the history of the United States of America. Therefore, its impact of the Civil War was tremendous, and in many ways has shaped the way the United States has evolved into the present. The Civil War brought lots of beneficial changes to America including economic, agriculture, military, and people’s lives. During the Civil War, women stepped out of their domestic domains to help or support their husbands in the field, or other soldiersRead MoreAmerican War And The American Civil War1551 Words   |  7 Pagesdecide to leave the American Union and create their own Southern Confederacy. This tore our nation apart. The American Civil War had begun and the very people that were once neighbors had each other’s blood on their hands. Many American lives had been lo st. The American lives lost in the Civil War even exceeded the number of American lives lost during World War I and World War II. We were divided. The North wanted to reunite with the southern states and destroy slavery and end it for good, but theRead MoreWars And Changes During The United States Essay1181 Words   |  5 PagesWars and Changes in The United States The United States of American is a superpower in the world. Although it just have almost 240 years’ history, it experienced more than 200 wars. As a saying does, â€Å" Bad times make a good man†, the United States never lack of great leaders. For example, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt were the three well-known presidents in the U.S. history. Additionally, wars and conflicts changed the United States directly and indirectly. ForRead MoreThe American Civil War Essay662 Words   |  3 PagesThe Civil War was a war between the North and the South after several states in the south seceded after Lincolns Presidency. The war first started off as states rights but as the war went on and progressed the war was fighting to end slavery. African Americans had an important impact on the Civil War. There was individual African Americans who made an important impact in the civil war. For example Frederick Douglass he was known for being a escape slave and a good public speaker for his effortsRead MoreA Brief Note On The American Civil War1375 Words   |  6 PagesCollege European Involvement in the Civil War Jillisa Halverson History 151 Instructor: Dan Anderson December 5, 2015 The American Civil War represents a significant period in United States history. In this essay we will explore foreign involvement in the Civil War. We will specifically look at the roles of France and Great Britain played and how they used military positioning in Canada and off the US coast to affect the war. Finally, we will look at which foreign entities

The Mystery That Was Jay Gatsby - 1272 Words

The Mystery that was Jay Gatsby â€Å"I carry on a little business on the side, a sort of sideline, you understand† (Fitzgerald 87). In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this is the closest Jay Gatsby comes to revealing how he actually made his fortune. And even here, he doesn’t reveal much, but Nick Carraway assumes it’s something illegal when Gatsby goes on to say, â€Å"It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing† (Fitzgerald 88). Gatsby is a mysterious man. Because he is evasive and even untruthful about his life and wealth, everyone around Gatsby makes up their own stories about him. Gatsby’s background is so unfathomable, it is speculated that he acquired his money by playing a part in illegal activities including fixing the 1919 World Series and Prohibition. Jay Gatsby’s is a rags-to-riches story that on the surface appears to be the fulfillment of the American Dream. Born James Gatz, he comes from the Midwest, specifically North Dakota. His parents were unsuccessful farmers. He was determined to be leave poverty behind. He first became the personal assistant of Dan Cody, who he happened to meet on Lake Superior. Cody gave him his first taste of wealth, and he liked it. They traveled around the world three times and stayed together for five years. After Cody died, Gatsby went into the military. It was during that time that he met Daisy Buchanan, a rich socialite. He fell in love with her, but because he was not wealthy, Daisy’s family did not approve of theirShow MoreRelatedEssay The Character of Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby526 Words   |  3 PagesThe Character of Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby Time tells us that success often comes with a price. Often money will create more problems than it can solve. The richness of a person’s soul can be hidden in the folds of money. Such is the case of Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is constantly altering in the readers mind due to the various puzzling events that transpire in the novel creating a level of mystery. First off, Gatsby is a man who feels secure in his privacy and allows very few peopleRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald901 Words   |  4 PagesGreat Gatsby and one of his short stories â€Å"Winter Dreams†. Each tell a cunning tale of romance and â€Å"the one who got away†. These two tales provide a glimpse into the lives of the rich and poor in the dazzling â€Å"Jazz Age†. However, these two stories have their differences, and they each have similar points for the reader to discover. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels there are numerous differences and similarities that bring out the best of the plot, setting, and imagery. The Great Gatsby is aRead MoreFitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Parallel between Jesus of Nazareth and Jay Gatsby711 Words   |  3 PagesThe Great Gatsby:  Ã‚   Parallel between Jesus of Nazareth  and Jay Gatsby In his critical essay, â€Å"The Mystery of Ungodliness†, Bryce J. Christensen writes about the parallel that F. Scott Fitzgerald creates between Jay Gatsby and Jesus of Nazareth from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Christensen explains that Fitzgerald once wrote a letter to his friend, John Jamieson, explaining that he was going to write the story of Jay Gatsby’s youth, but he did not because he wanted to maintain theRead MoreThe Great Gatsby1141 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby Paper The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, Nick Carraway. Nick tells the story of a man named Jay Gatsby, who is his neighbor in the West Egg. Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby as a man who everyone wants to know and copy but deep down are very envious of him. Gatsby trusts few people and those whom he trusts know his life story. To everyone else, he is a mystery. Everyone seems obsessed with Jay Gatsby. For this reasonRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1720 Words   |  7 Pagesthem prosperity in life. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald delves into the American Dream and it’s demise. Fitzgerald focuses on the character of Jay Gatsby to materialize the false image that the American Dream created in the 1920’s. Gatsby is the protagonist of the novel, and is famous for throwing massive parties regardless of the secret life that he lives. The narrator, Nick Carraway, dives into Jay Gatsby’s li fe and the vision of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby’s pursuit of the American DreamRead MoreThe Great Gatsby : Wealth And Happiness1291 Words   |  6 Pagesseen in The Great Gatsby, wealth and happiness are two major themes portrayed over and over again by Fitzgerald’s characters. Many of the characters in the story gain wealth believing that with riches, they can soon gain happiness. Yet time and time again the characters find themselves forlorn and empty, seeking out alcohol and secret lovers to fill the vacant space where happiness should be. Even with all their money, they seem to never achieve true happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on SeptemberRead MoreThe Villain Of Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1056 Words   |  5 PagesThe Villain of Gatsby Here’s the thing about stories; they’re all different, but they’re all the same. Now, everyone knows how they’re different. Different letters make up different words which make up different sentences. It’s this difference that allows for multiple stories to be told. The other side of stories is much less understood. They’re all the same. This can be seen through the examination of archetypes, most importantly the hero vs the villain. It can be seen in every tale imaginableRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby957 Words   |  4 PagesJay Gatsby is scrutinized over and over for his role in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. His actions and character traits result in his character being deeply investigated by many literary scholars and critics worldwide. To the reader, Gatsby is a somewhat mysterious man for most of the novel. Other characters discuss Gatsby and speculate about how he became wealthy until Fitzgerald revea ls towards the end of the novel that Gatsby is a crook and makes all of his money as a part of Meyer Wolfsheim’sRead More Jay Gatsby is a Sympathetic Character in Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby597 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him. Initially, Gatsby stirs up sympathetic feelings because of his obsession with wealth. Ever since meeting Dan Cody, his fascination for wealth hasRead More Hamlet and The Great Gatsby1134 Words   |  4 Pagesaccomplish. One could already relate the two main protagonists of Hamlet and The Great Gatsby just by looking at the titles of the novels! Hamlet and Jay Gatsby are two characters, who can easily be overanalyzed without truly researching into their own stories and unveiling just who these two gentlemen are, for they are enigmas, and can be scrutinized into being more similar than one may think. Hamlet and The Great Gatsby each have stories within stories within stories. Characters in both synopses are

Minimum And Livable Wage Term Paper - 3050 Words

MINIMUM AND LIVABLE WAGE TERM PAPER 1 Minimum and Livable Wage Term Paper Ben Berlin Xiaotong Huang Nikki Iloka Santos Rugel Loyola University - Compensation 413 Historical Overview Since its inception, minimum wage has been a controversial topic among economists. The United States passed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal minimum wage law, in 1938 and has increased its wages and who it covers at sporadic intervals. Minimum wage can be defined as the smallest amount of compensation an employee receives for performing labor (depending on the industry). Since the federal government decided a minimum wage, it is illegal and a labor crime to pay any employee less than the federal minimum wage (Neumark and Wascher,†¦show more content†¦Roosevelt endorsed a series of economic programs called the New Deal. Before the FLSA came along, the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) was the most important statute to help the U.S. recover from the Great Depression. The NIRA provided many provisions for the later statutes and the FLSA of 1938 is the one law that provides for a federal minimum wage (Congressional Digest, 2013). According to the FLSA, the coverage of the minimum wage is divided into enterprise coverage and individual coverage. At the company level, the organization must have more than two employees and more than $500,000 in annual profits. At the individual level, if the organization does not have more than $500,000 annual profits, employees will still be covered if they are individually engaged in interstate commerce. Interstate commerce means that the individual must have products that can be shipped out of the original state, in order to create more jobs and stimulate more than just the local economy (promoting trade) (Bradley, 2013). Throughout this paper we will delve into the history of minimum wage policies within the United States, explore its positive and negative side effects, and take a unique perspective on how heightened unemployment rates can be directly tied to raises in the minimum wage. Minimum Wage Policy The United States has a plethora of labor laws in place to help clarify the rights of workers, employers, and even labor unions. Federal

Human Resources Issues in Mining Free Essays

Human Resource Strategies 660 Monday, Trimester 1 2011, 18th April Assignment 3 HR Case Analysis at Workplace Word Count:2500 I. Introduction The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008 affected lots of industries including the miners. Employment in mining is particularly vulnerable to a cycle of rapid expansion and contraction, as changing economic circumstances cause demand and prices for certain commodities to rise or fall. We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resources Issues in Mining or any similar topic only for you Order Now Eventually the GFC resulted in lots of labour cutbacks in the resource industry (Australian Government, 2009). The key human resources (HR) challenges facing the West Australian mining industry for the next few years are considered to be: replacing retirees; the retention of key talent; growing the talent pool training and development; and keeping staff motivated (Dickie and Dwyer, 2010). On the other hand the WA Chamber of Minerals Energy (CME, 2006) identified a number of HR strategic issues for the WA resource sector like; skills shortage, employee attraction and retention, flexible workplace practices, indigenous employment opportunities and community-regional services. The company I work for decided to go through downsizing in order to reduce the operating costs during GFC. This article aims to delineate several HR issues as a result of global downsizing process in the organisation. The main focus will be sudden redundancies, decrease in motivation, labour shortage, health and safety issues and recruitment of new employees. Since several HR issues are interrelated to each other, with the purpose of this article, the main focus will be mainly on downsizing policy and its short and long term effects in the organisation. II. The Downsizing Policy and Its Effects Organizational downsizing is a prevalent strategy designed to improve organizational performance while selectively decreasing costs. It refers to â€Å"an organizational decision to reduce the workforce in order to improve organizational performance† (Kozlowski et al. , 1993). Therefore stemming from the desire to become more efficient and effective, firms in both the private and the public sectors has adopted downsizing strategies (Cameron, 1987). Furthermore, the increasingly dynamic and competitive workplace and the trend toward globalization have prompted many firms to downsize (Appelbaum et. l, 1999). The GFC created considerable uncertainty, in the mining industry. In addition to the recruitment and retention issues, organisations were faced with trying to keep staff motivated at a time when more job losses were predicted and budgets became getting tighter (Dickie and Dwyer,2010). My current employer decided to go through global downsizing as a response to GFC. Fifty per cent of the employees were made redundant and number of the projects was tremendously decreased due to the limited budget. The HR department played an active role in that period to manage the downsizing process. One of the strengths during this process was keeping good communication between HR and the upper level managers. The process was completed with collaborative work between HR and management. The professional assist received from consultants involved improvement the employees’ self awareness levels, increase their motivation and confidence as well as creating effective CVs. However during downsizing process several HR related issues started to rise in the company. The employees who remained in the company lost their trust and motivation. Besides due to loss of skilled labour the productivity decreased and the incident numbers dramatically increased. The turn-over rates were high and the team dynamics were damaged. Eventually the sudden decision given by upper managerial level due to economical downturn resulted serious HR issues in the company. The downsizing process and its long and short term influences for this case study is summarised in Figure 1 below. Global Downsizing Global Financial Crisis HR Issues Redundancies Survival syndrome in remaining employees Increased turn-over records Skills Shortage Increase number of injuries in the company Management of HR Issues Aggressive recruitment policy (overseas transfers, secondments , graduates) Employee Engagement Survey Re-evaluation of salary packages and staff benefits Job Analysis and Talent Assessment Improved Graduate Development Program Maintaining trainings and developments Improvement in Health and Safety System Figure 1. The HR Issues of company. II. A. Survival Syndrome Since company mainly focused on those who lost their jobs; the employees who remained in the company suffered more after redundancies. Employee resentment and concern, loss of morale was high among the remaining employees. The labour shortage created several issues for employees like job burnouts, working longer hours, increased pressure, and role overload and decrease morale. Unfortunately the bad influence of downsizing on the psychology of remaining employees was not well managed by HR department of the company. Brockner (1992) defines ‘the survivor syndrome’ as impact of downsizing on the remaining employees. There is considerable evidence that remaining employees feel shocked, embittered towards management, fearful about their future and guilty about still having a job whilst colleagues have been laid off. Such employees are more likely to have lower morale and increased stress levels, be less productive, and less loyal with increased quit levels. According to study 70 percent of senior managers who remained in downsized firms reported that morale, trust, and productivity declined after downsizing those who lose their jobs may seem the most affected by downsizing, it is more likely that the employees who remain suffer the more negative effects (Appelbaum et. al, 1999). Eventually the HR was not able to create good strategy to keep the remaining employees’ motivation high during downsizing process. Shook and Roth (2010) explained that failure to identify employee issues in the pre-downsizing due diligence phase creates a chaotic workplace atmosphere and increases employee fears and stress levels. These change events affect career uncertainty, fear, and stress in employees. Employees have long-term memories of their old comfortable culture and they fight to keep it. Employee resistance includes a variety of passive as well as aggressive techniques. Culture change may take years to complete and can be difficult to manage, even when HR is fully engaged and supported. These transitions are more difficult to manage when HR is not involved. In fact, culture change may never be fully realized without HR support because of the human resistance (Szabla, 2007). Furthermore due to limited professionals the remaining staff started to have difficulty to maintain the work and life balance. The consequences of imbalance between work and personal or family life were visible at the workplace. The emotional exhaustion, cynicism and burnouts were common. Unfortunately The HR department was not fully aware of the situation until the employee turnovers increased and also effectiveness decreased. With shortages of professionals and an active economy the pressures on existing employees looks set to rise and therefore this is an area which needs to be benchmarked and revisited with a view to adopting best practice throughout the sector (Wilkinson, 2008). II. B. Skills Shortage On the other hand downsizing affects employees’ affective commitment to the organization both directly and indirectly. However, its indirect impact is much stronger (Lee and Corbett, 2005). Apart form the short term sudden effects the long term effects of the downsizing started in the organisation. Working with less force resulted in company to have inadequate supply of talent, increasing number of health and safety incidents at workplace and delays in production due to limited talented labour force. Especially after the recent mining boom, the company decided to increase the number of production activities in spite of limited skilled labour. It is a big challenge nowadays to find the specialised professionals in the mining industry. Apparently the HR division and management team chosen to concentrate on short-term needs rather than the organisation’s long term eeds during GFC. Sheaffer et. al (2009) claim that whereas downsizing affects the short-term performance of larger and established companies positively, it generally affects long-term performance inversely. A common mistake for HR managers is to concentrate on short-term replacement needs rather than on the organisation’s long-range HR requirements. Such a non-strategic approach causes management to be caug ht unawareness by changes in employee availability and quality of labour, creates a series of short-term dilemmas. Stone also adds that of the right numbers of qualified and skilled employees are not available, an organisation may not be able to meet its strategic business objectives (Stone, 2010). The mining companies are now beginning to acknowledge that the current supply shortage is already impacting the productivity, efficiency and profitability of their operations. The shortage of skilled workers in combination with high turn-over rates are among the top factors impacting industry growth, either by stopping or delaying projects that would otherwise proceed, or by significantly adding to the cost of new projects (Schultz and Grimm, 2008). During boom times, mining companies find it difficult to attract staff, even though huge salaries are on offer. This highlights a challenge quite unique to mining; namely, attracting highly skilled people to the remote location of most mine sites (Ednie, 2004). Eventually the skills shortage is still one of the biggest issues in the organisation. Since most of the experienced (high-cost) employees were made redundant company faces challenges in finding the experienced professionals. The HR department started the recruitment process however the mining market is still sparse of skilled professionals in specific roles. This is one of the biggest challenges for the HR department. II. C. Health and Safety Issues Poor occupational health and safety (OHS) performance equates with poor human resource management (HRM), and poor ethical, legal and social responsibility (Stone, 2010). Since the mining boom hit the market recently the mining organisations increased their production activities in order to compete among the resource market. However the number of the staff stayed same while the number of projects was tremendously increasing. This lead to enhance health and safety related incidents at work place. Specifically in this case during the downsizing process most experienced staff with extensive safety culture made redundant. This created a big gap in management of health and safety issues in the company. When employees leave, they take valuable process knowledge, customer and supplier relationships and a host of organizational know-how with them (Schultz and Grimm, 2008). The inexperienced new employees (i. e graduates, overseas staff) have difficulty in implementing the high quality safety standards due to their sparse knowledge about the safety system of the organisation. Therefore increased emphasis on HR management is particularly important to the development of safety culture in the organisation. On the other hand once the crisis in the division was more visible due to increased number of incidents and low quality work the HR department started to take active role in collaboration with upper management. The pro-active recruitment strategy implemented in order to attract more skilled employees. Moreover â€Å"global employee engagement survey† was performed in order to evaluate the current employee’s satisfaction and asses the major HR related issues at that time. This survey added tremendous value to the group to define the major problems in the organisation. The HR department in collaboration with upper managers performed well by initiating extensive survey and also by following up the survey results. III. Improvement in HR Strategies Successive HR planning is essential in order to solve any HR issues at the workplace. During the downsizing process HR department has an important role. Chadwick et al. (2004) indicates that downsizing is more likely to be effective in the longer term when accompanied by accompanied by practices that reinforce the contribution of HR to financial success (e. . , extensive communication, respectful treatment of redundant employees and attention to survivors concerns over job security). Levin (2009) identified three broad priorities in Australian businesses: (1) Retention strategies. (2) Downsizing or â€Å"Right sizing† activity will continue. (3) Organisations need to continue to invest in their people. I n a downturn economy, HR practitioners need to be emphasising to their organisations that it is necessary to do the right thing for the long-term value and sustainability of the business (Levin,2009). This includes recognising the link between leadership and performance, and hence ensuring that leadership talent is retained, developed and, most importantly, allowed to lead through the tough times (HRL, 2009). Based on the literature survey several strategies are proposed in this section to manage the previously defined critical HR issues: A. Investment in HR systems in the organisation: Especially during the global decisions the HR should be in collaboration with all levels of management. Alignment between the business and human resource management (HRM) strategy is the key factor of success for organisations (Wylie,2005 and Wang and Shyu, 2008). Implementing proactive HRM practices and succession planning programs should be one of the targets. B. Gap Analysis: Clear understanding of the problems is severe in HR practice. In order to manage the ‘survivor syndrome’ HR should focus on motivation of remaining employees. The department can make detailed gap analysis and survey in order to assess the staff morale and expectations. This should be followed by upper management actions. C. Optimising Human Capital: Mining companies needed to communicate the reasons for staff redundancies and budget cutbacks and engage their staff in decisions going forward in order to generate trust among their remaining workforce so that they could remain competitive once the economy improved. HR should create serious strategies in order to make people connected to the organisation (Dickie and Dwyer, 2010). D. Talent Assessment: The employee talent assessment in collaboration with HR and line managers will address the current skills gap in the organisation. This will also give good understanding about the skills and expectations of the current staff. E. Training and Career Development: Developing a collaborative, cross-industry strategy for training/educational programs and employer-provided training to facilitate the availability of a skilled labour force is one of the retention strategies. Company should actively support and enhance the people skills and relational abilities of all employees through training and development programs (Dickie and Dwyer, 2010). With this perspective well structured graduate and mentoring program also can be attractive especially for the Gen Y workers. F. Focus on improvements in leadership: Training managers to actively manage retention in their areas also adds value. Besides the leadership competencies of the management should be improved ino der to solve the current challenge. Pick et. al (2010) proposes action reflection learning (ARL) methodology as an HR tool to improve the skills of leaders in the organisation. G. Improvement in Health and Safety: The current safety culture should be measured by HR. Sexton et al (2006) describes Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) as an HR tool which helps to measure the team work climate, job satisfaction, perceptions of management, safety climate, working conditions and stress recognition. Also learning from incidents as well as improved safety system should be managed by HR. On the other hand visible leadership and supervising on sites should be maintained to assist the new employees. H. Growing the Talent Pool: Since it is a big challenge to attract the best employees in the market, employee benefit offerings such as full medical, dental, profit sharing and wellness programs could be effective. Attractive packages in a work culture with a family-oriented atmosphere need to be developed. Recruitment strategies should be improved to persuade the skilled specialists in the market. I. Communication: The mostly effective companies have two-way communication between senior leaders and employees. A good communication plan on how to deliver HR initiatives would be beneficial (Dickie and Dwyer,2010). IV. Conclusion Since mining operations operate with a finite resource, often remote locations, require specialised skills, with high capital intensity and are subject to political, social and environmental global issues. Downsizing policies will be choice of the organisations in the market with plunging commodity prices and falling demand (Dickie and Dwyer,2010). Strong HR strategy creating a link between leadership and performance is a key factor to cope with these trends in the resource sector. References Appelbaum, S. H. , A. , Everard, and L. T. S. , Hung. 1999. Strategic downsizing:critical success factors. Management Decision, 37(70): 535-552. http://www. emeraldinsight. com. dbgw. lis. curtin. edu. au Brockner, J. 1992. 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