Michael Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg, who at present enacts different roles such as entrepreneur, politician, and philanthropist, occupies an important position in the present American society. As the mayor of New York he has established his reputation as a shrewd politician.(Boyd 2006) As the founder of Bloomberg companies, he has exhibited his talent of building a great business enterprise though innovation and patience. As philanthropist, Bloomberg has donated huge amounts of money to the deserving people and institutions.These different qualities have enhanced, to a great extent, the prestige of Bloomberg as one of the great figures in the modern United States of America. In spite of the fact that Democrats dominate New York political scene, the Republican candidate Bloomberg was able to obtain reelection as the city’s mayor. This exhibits and proves the popularity of the man. Based on this popularity, one can expect that Bloomberg’s domination in the New York political scene would co ntinue for a few more years.After emerging as one of the important personalities of the USA, Bloomberg has showed his interest in charitable and philanthropic pursuits. Bloomberg showed interest in donating funds to the deserving educational institutions, and he donated millions of dollars to educational institutions in order to improve the financial condition of the educational institutions. Bloomberg’s father inspired Bloomberg to keep aside a particular potion of his income for charity purposes. Bloomberg states that: â€Å"†¦my family taught me private philanthropy when I was very young. Every year, my father received a publication listing contributors to his favorite charity.† (Bloomberg 2001, p. 240)   Bloomberg belonged to the American Jewish family, and he supported the Jewish establishments through charity.In the year 2003, Bloomberg gave away $136 million to nearly 650 groups. In the year 2004, Bloomberg contributed $139 million to nearly 840 groups. T hese details show that over the years, Bloomberg has not reduced his philanthropic interest. It is also important to note that he has distributed donation fund to different institutions. The donation recipient groups belonged to various categories such as: arts, museums, parks, ethnic minorities, children, medical research, schools, abortion rights, and gays. This detail shows that Bloomberg has been trying to help different sections of the population.Many of these groups had to face financial crisis due to the political policy of the New York administration headed by Bloomberg. In order to solve the problems of these different groups, Bloomberg has donated huge amount of money, from his personal financial reserves, to the deserving institutions. (Noon 2004)   Although one can argue that these donations helped Bloomberg to obtain reelection, one cannot question the sincerity of the man while assisting the people and institutions to overcome their financial problems.The charitable interest of the man indicate that he has been following the examples of other business magnates such as Bill Gates and others who have established philanthropic trusts. The newspapers have reported that Bloomberg can be considered as one the top philanthropist who has already donated millions of dollars to the various institutions. Bloomberg has taken special interest in developing educational institutions such as Johns Hopkins University.   (Noon 2004)Michael Bloomberg was born in the year 1942 in Medford, Massachusetts. His father was an accountant, and one can notice the influence of the father on Bloomberg’s interest as the latter showed interest in mathematics and study of technological advancements. He became the president of High School Slide rule club. While he acted as the president of this club, Bloomberg acquired the leadership qualities essential for him to emerge as a great entrepreneur in his later days. He went to Johns Hopkins University to study engineering . He was able to obtain his degree in engineering in the year 1964.Later, he went to Harvard Business School. In Harvard, he obtained the important lessons of becoming a great businessman, and it seems that he implemented most of these lessons when he established his own company a few years later. He obtained his MBA degree in the year 1966. These details indicate that his childhood experience and high quality of education which he obtained from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Business School inspired him to achieve great things in his life and this eventually resulted in the emergence of the Bloomberg companies. After obtaining his MBA degree, he moved to New York to obtain gainful employment. (Pearson 2006)Bloomberg’s father was working in a dairy as an accountant, and he was working all the seven days per week. This shows that Bloomberg belonged to the family of middle class hard working parents. Obviously, Bloomberg might have contemplated concerning his future. The family value of hard work is found in Bloomberg, as it is due to his hard work that he was able to emerge as one of the great personalities of the USA. (Bloomberg 2001, p. 210) Bloomberg mentions in his autobiography that he enjoyed the company of his sister Majorie.His interaction with his sister also played an important role in determining the character of Bloomberg’s personality. Bloomberg mentions that: â€Å"Majorie, and I would sit across from each other, with my parents at the opposite ends of the table. My father described what he did at work that day†.(Bloomberg 2001,   p. 211) This statement shows that the family members regularly discussed personal and official issues. Since Bloomberg was the eldest son of his father, Bloomberg was inspired to imbibe the workaholic nature of his father. Concerning his father and sister, Bloomberg makes the statement that: â€Å"†¦my sister is focused and deliberate. My father was direct and to the point as well.† (Bloomberg 2001, p. 215)  Through his hard work Bloomberg was able to excel in his education and business, and eventually he was able to emerge as one of the richest persons in the world. In Johns Hopkins University and B School he obtained necessary education which was assisted him in establishing reputation as a shrewd businessman. Through his hard work he was able to reach one of the top positions in the Wall Street.Through his innovative business strategy, Bloomberg has been able to emerge as one of the most successful American businessmen. He is the founder of different companies which provide service in different sectors such as: securities, journalism, media, marketing, and so on. These companies have established their own reputation as representing the business strategy of Bloomberg.Bloomberg was able to learn the tricks of his trade when he worked for the Solomon Brothers which ultimately requested Bloomberg to leave the company after paying handsome compensation of $1 0 million. After this event, Bloomberg established his own group of companies. He found that the traders of securities needed a system wherein all the data would be available to them at a single place. Bloomberg used his technological and business knowledge in order to discover a system called ‘Bloomberg’, and this system provided all relevant information required by the securities’ traders and other businessmen.(Elstein 2005)Bloomberg has established a competitive business organization based on his appetite for taking risk and grasping market opportunities. Bloomberg has been able to establish a global financial news organization which has been able to give competition to the companies such as Reuters and Dow Jones. Bloomberg believes in providing service to the elite classes in the society, and consequently, he has not concentrated on providing service to the common people by using the internet medium. He does not believe that internet-based companies would be able to give competition to the Bloomberg boxes.Bloomberg also argues that branding of a product plays an important role in its sale.   For example, the Bloomberg brand has been responsible for the increased sale of the goods and services produced by the Bloomberg group of companies. These details show that Bloomberg believes in the use of a particular market strategy which is the combination of technological innovation, customer service, and branding. Using these strategies, he has been able to considerably improve the fortunes of his company. (Schrage 1998)During the course of long years of entrepreneurship, Bloomberg has evolved his own set of philosophy of life. Bloomberg believes in setting broad targets or goals, and he does not bother about the functioning of his subordinates as long as they delver the goods. He believed in the result rather than the method of achieving a particular goal. Bloomberg is a great workaholic and believes that one who works more than others can a chieve success in his life. Bloomberg believes in the principle that one should never look back after taking a particular decision.For example, after he decided to leave the Democratic Party and join the Republicans, he did not reflect on this decision. He believed in the philosophy of going into any contest after obtaining the advantage when compared to the competitors. Using this principle, he has been able to obtain success in his business and political life.Bloomberg also argued that the principle of loyalty is very important particularly in the business arena as the different companies always compete with each other. He believed that a company or an organization requires the direction of the leader, who, through his vision and mission can inspire the subordinates to achieve greater success in their lives. By following these different principles, Bloomberg has been able to improve his personality. His life can act as model for the younger generation entrepreneurs who wish to emu late him and establish their own successful business organizations. (Avlon 2005)ReferencesAvlon, John. (2005)   New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Warrior, philosopher†¦leader?Radical Middle Newsletter. 2 July 2006. Bloomberg, Michael. (2001) Bloomberg by Bloomberg. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Boyd, Herb. (2006). New York Amsterdam News. 97(2), 1-2.Elstein, Aaron. (2005). New York Mayor has a Plum in the Financial News Pie. Crain’s NewYork Business. 12(8), 19.Noon, Chris. (2004). Bloomberg Extends Philanthropy List in 2004. Forbes.com. 2 July 2006.Pearson, John. (2006). Michael Bloomberg. Our States. New York.Schrage, Michael. (1998). Michael Bloomberg. Adweek Western Edition. 48(46), 8-9.

Construction Technology Example

Construction Technology Example Construction Technology – Essay Example Media Footbridge Introduction The Media footbridge is a pedestrian walkway linking Trafford situated in the South to the new Media Development in Stafford situated in the North. The swinging footbridge cuts across the Manchester Ship Canal next to Salford Quays. The Media city is a fast growing region with offices for prominent broadcasting corporations like BBC, which will play a great role in molding the future of Salford Quays. The construction proposal was from Peel media while a collaboration of Gifford, Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and Bennett Associates were allotted the role of work on site survey and come up with a favorable design. The bridge is not only a footbridge but also a symbolic landmark anonymous to the Media City and Trafford Wharl. This paper focuses on the environmental, ecological, geotechnical, and hydrological considerations that designer and constructors of the Media Foot Bridge Salford, Manchester had to have in mind when deciding on the construction technolo gy to use. Development proposal endeavors to address the geotechnical restriction of the location, and allow pedestrians to access to the Media City Development, Imperial War Museum link to the present Lowry Bridge boosting access to the Manchester Ship Canal. The footbridge has a wharf at Manchester Ship Canal such that it can open or close when swung. Piers at every quayside offer access ramp to the bottom of the bridge. The most important part of the designing process was to decide how the bridge would open for transient vessels. The exact location of the site is Salford, within Manchester in an area currently under industrial use. The land encompasses the Manchester Ship Canal, Salford Quays within which a media City is being developed and Trafford Quay, which is currently under little significant utilization (Curran & Thompson, 2010, p. 5-6).Designing of such a bridge was vital since a fixed bridge would meddle with the public right of navigating over port Manchester, which wou ld require statutory authority. However, this opening bridge is appropriate since no controversies would arise and it construction only requires permission for planning. Peel Holdings, the client behind this project required the bridge to be greatly visible to act as a pointer to the region, maximise connectivity, as well as be distinctive, and thrilling (Bain Wright Partnership Limited, 2009, P. 16-19) The Manchester Ship Canal required the designers to consider the development potential of restraining docking of big vessels and the clearance amid the underside of bridge deck. The construction of the planned bridge does not necessitate evaluation by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as it does not fall under any of the two schedules of the EIA groupings. However, the planners had to confirm that the bridge passed test such as ability to cope with floods, was ecological friendly, and built in proper grounds. Archaeological Desk Study and Desk study of Water Quality Impacts w ere among the reports prepared to support the construction.Geotechnical results after location exploration showed the ground consist of Made Ground comprising of gravely clay and of about 1.0 and 5.0 drift deposits of organic sediment and thick gravels. The gravely clay encompasses of brick rubbles, concrete, ember, glass. Below the drift deposits was sandstone bedrock, approximately 13 meters under the ground level. The site also had evidence of other compound such as lead, and other hydrocarbons with similar chemical composition range of extractable petroleum. This called for proper care in order to reduce ground disturbance as well as appropriate disposal of both the ground and the canal silts. The bridge was designed in a manner to reduce its impact on existing structures such dock walls south of the site. Permo-Triassic Chester Pebble Beds Formation lying on Carboniferous Upper Coal characterizes the underlying ground. (Bain Wright Partnership Limited, 2009, P.4-10)Ecologically the site mainly comprises of short perennial vegetation common in urban settings. Assessments proved that construction of the bridge would not affect the role of the Manchester Ship canal as a wildlife strip. However, mitigation measures were recommended to ensure that the construction did not cause pollution. The designers were required to consider drainage aspects as well as treatment of wastewaters to diminish pollution. The site is reasonably far from Trafford Ecology Park thus no serious impacts were projected (Bain Wright Partnership Limited, 2009, p 17).The bridge received approval from Technical Approval of Highway Structures for fulfillment of features such as design suppositions, loading, as well as the analysis techniques. Construction Design and Management (CDM) assessed the risks the construction could have on the health and safety of constructors, user, and all those involved in the designing. The assessment was done throughout the designing and construction process t o ensure the project did not put the health or life of anybody at risk (Curran & Thompson, 2010, p.4).Hydrological results showed a key aquifer beneath but the site does not fall under a groundwater protection region. The water height of water in the canal is about 21.37m AOD. Flood risk assessment demonstrated that groundwater heights are above base of canal thus no anticipated pollution and had no residual flood jeopardy. Foundation not expected to expose underlying silt peat deposits (Bain Wright Partnership Limited, 2009, P. 16-18)In conclusion, the construction of Media Foot Bridge Salford posed no danger on environment, was ecologically friendly, and put into consideration the welfare of the society. The important role the development would play overweighed on the minimal risks it could possibly pose to the life of residents as well as the environment. The bridge design reduces its impact on existing structures such as the already present dock walls south of the site.Bain Wrig ht Partnership Limited 2009, Trafford Wharf Promenade: Planning Statement.Curran, P & Thompson, S 2010, Media City Footbridge, Salford Quays. Viewed 06 May 2012

Your Offices Hot and Cold Temperatures

Your Offices Hot and Cold Temperatures Far too many office workers know the daily routine. The workplace either feels like you are in the middle of the blazing desert without a twig to stand under for shade or like you’re at the North Pole without an igloo to cut the icy wind. That’s because office temperatures are based on a 50-year-old formula that involved the resting temperature of a 40-year-old man who weighed 145 pounds. Working when you are uncomfortably hot or cold can be a challenge, but there are tips that can help you make it through the day and feel more comfortable.Layer Your ClothingIf you’re feeling like Bob Cratchit working for Ebenezer Scrooge, try layering your clothing to stay warm. Men already frequently do this by wearing a suit and adding a vest as an extra layer. Women often wear dresses to work, but if you wearing a pantsuit with an added vest, you can look chic and stay warmer. If you are still cold, bring a sweater and add an extra pair of socks and a wooly scarf.Get Somethin g to DrinkYou can help cool yourself down or warm yourself up by getting something to drink. Hot coffee, tea, or even a cup of soup can take away that frosty chill. When you’re feeling hot, opt for a drink with ice, cold fruit juice, or chunks of frozen fruit.Get Out of the OfficeStep out of the office for a few minutes to warm up or cool down if there are areas in the building where it is more comfortable. Just walking will warm you up some. Going out to lunch is another option, even if it’s just for a quick bite in a place with a more comfortable temperature. This gives you the ability to reenergize yourself for the rest of the day.Watch What Fabrics You WearYour choice of fabrics in a business environment can affect whether you feel too hot or cold indoors. When you feel too warm, wear breathable fabrics such as cotton, linen, or silk. The light weight and breathability lets the moisture evaporate from your skin faster because these fabrics allow better air circulat ion.Additional Options to Cool Down or Warm UpYou’ve changed your clothing and are sipping like mad on hot or cold drinks and it still isn’t enough, it’s time to go into emergency mode. If you are too hot, unplug all unnecessary equipment around you because those little machines put out heat. Unplug your lamp, too. Bringing in a small fan can be helpful to keep you cool. If the cold has you shivering, ask your boss if you can use a small space heater and get a pair of fingerless gloves for frosty hands.Sometimes you have to make small accommodations to work in a great job, and adaptability is also useful to find that perfect job. Using a job search site helps by doing the search for you. After you enter your qualifications and job interests, TheJobNetwork works around the clock to find matches for you and notifies you right away. That way, you don’t miss any opportunities and are able to be among the first in line to apply for the position. In addition, y ou can perform job searches on the platform yourself.Searching for the job you want was never easier. When you sign up for job match alert, you’re on your way to a new career.

Outline and discuss the evolution of CSR, including its history, role Assignment

Outline and discuss the evolution of CSR, including its history, role in the financial crisis and prospects for the future - Assignment Example J. Maurice Clark argued in 1916 that â€Å"if men are responsible for the known results of their actions, business responsibilities must include the known results of business dealings, whether these have been recognized by law or not† (Clark, Abramovitz, & Ginzberg, 2009, p. 83). This paper critically examines the concept of CSR, its implications for both business and communities and the drivers for CSR. Analysing and understanding the concept of CSR is crucial because it focuses on the development of a sustainable future. CSR is important because it affects all facets of businesses and, in turn, businesses are vital because they generate much of the welfare and wealth in society. By itself, CSR is ever more critical to firm value and societal stability. Hence, fundamental to the notion of CSR is determining where businesses belong in the society. By dealing with environmental issues, corporate ethics and governance, and other concerns, society builds a progressive framework w herein companies operate (Nakajima, 2011). Framework is progressive because the perfect combination of business objectives and societal demands is continuously changing. Although businesses are mainly in charge of generating wealth and motivating growth in society, they do not operate single-handedly. Governments are important because they develop and establish the policies and limits through which businesses and society function. Furthermore, nongovernmental or non-profit organisations are tasked to generate social goods without satisfying the obligations of a government agency or pursuing profit. However, in the absence of innovation free enterprise demands, economic and social growth deteriorates (Alexander, 2010). In the absence of the powerful wealth-generating mechanisms of business, the resources necessary to activate non-profit organisations and government agencies wither, eventually diminishing people’s quality of life. Businesses generate numerous societal goods. Ye t, they also bring about serious harm, as economic crunches, industrial mishaps, increasing unemployment rate, and environmental problems reveal. The governments then respond with regulatory policies to limit the worst unethical practices of businesses (Pedamon, 2010). Between the severe damage and general good businesses generate, consequently, resides interest in the legitimate role of businesses in society, particularly as technological advancement and globalisation widen the influence and power of major corporations. Economist Milton Friedman claims that â€Å"Few trends could so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible† (Aras & Crowther, 2010, p. 327). Yet, in contrast, companies are more and more pressured to operate with a multiple-stakeholder perspective (Alexander, 2010)—recognising the needs and demands o f various stakeholders, such as customers, shareholders, and employees while fulfilling responsibility for communities and the broader environment wherein they conduct their business. Implication of CSR for Business Although there are various ways to view the advantages of CSR because they are interconnected, they mostly involve the following: first, enhanced reputation; second, more positive and stronger ties with communities; third,

Environmental Legislation of the European Union Essay

Environmental Legislation of the European Union - Essay Example The essay "Environmental Legislation of the European Union" talks about the EU Environmental legislation which addresses issues like water and wastes pollution, noise pollution, air quality, thinning of the ozone layer and acid rain. The institution for European Environmental Policy approximates the body of EU environmental legislation totals to over 500 Decisions, Regulations, and Directives. According to the Commission and Document, environmental legislation comes into power as soon as it is printed in the approved Journal of the European Union. The main aim of this legislation is that it will set out the environmental policies or goals that are needed to be attained by the member states. Major areas of this environmental policy include the Water Framework Directive is a type of a water policy, aiming for coastal and ground waters, lakes, and rivers to be of good quality, the Habitat Directive entails the protection of natural habitats and biodiversity, and lastly the Birds Directi ve. The environmental legislation of the European Union should be centered on a particular agreement article or articles which are placed in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) or the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) that is denoted as its legitimate base. The legitimate or legal base recommends the legislative process and the type of directive that can be implemented. The main purpose of the environmental policy of the European Union is to make sure that the environment is taken care of efficiently.

Why are modern political parties almost always catch-all in character Essay

Why are modern political parties almost always catch-all in character - Essay Example However, in the recent times this code of ethics and beliefs has been bypassed so many times in so many nations by such a large number of political parties that a new phrase had to be developed; catch-all political parties. However, it was believed that the catch-all party’s principles posed risks against democracy.1 In today’s day and age, almost all political parties fall in this category. What has caused this profound change in the working of the political lots, this is analyzed below. Historically political parties have generally shown strict adherence to their code of ethics and beliefs, henceforth referred to as Ideology. The political histories of some of the world’s greatest democracies such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are replete with struggles in the name of political ideologies which would make the modern political actors seem novice. Take for instance the battle fought for slavery on America’s political grounds, in the decade prior to the US Civil war (1861-65). There was nothing greater in the minds of the northern republican politicians than the goal of abolition, while the southern democrats were willing to pay any price to defend their right to retaining slavery, as they had (mis)believed was embodied in their glorious constitution. The will to struggle for an ideology was strong enough for them to risk losing half their country. Despite all this, it was the ideology of ‘equal human rig hts’, so much propounded by the northern republicans that finally emerged victorious. It has been more than one and a half century since those events have passed and a lot has changed since then. Especially a great change has been witnessed in the character of the political parties. In the modern era have been born the catch-all political parties; parties that have expanded their appeal base so far and wide that their voters do not necessarily share their ideologies. The birth of

Gate Keeping Essay Example for Free

Gate Keeping Essay There are many processes a newspaper must go through before it can be sold in a newsagent and lots of people are involved in making just one article. The process that makes this article is called Gate keeping. To begin with, the news is first caught hold of by the news agencies, who then sell the stories to the news media. The copy taster then makes a quick selection of stories they consider news worthy to the paper they are working for, although they only dismiss the obvious non news worthy stories as they dont hold a great deal of responsibility. What they consider suitable they send off to the news editor. It is the news editors job to make a definitive judgment if which stories will be followed up and which ones will not. They decide what angle to take on the story according to what perceptions they want to portray to the reader. They then select, in their own opinion, reporters and photographers they consider suitable to create the story. However, if the story took place in another county, a foreign news editor will be assigned to this job instead. Photographers and reporters work on the same time scale. They decide how to display the information, and it is their job to research the story before working on it so that they have their facts clear (this also comes into importance when the story is handed to the sub editor). This might include going to the site the event took place, going to interviews, searching the library or the internet. The reporters will then write up the story taking into consideration what the news editor has suggested to them. Their copy must be given to the news editor before the deadline. The news editor will then check it, and make sure it has taken the correct angles and spins. If it has not they will give it back to the reporter with suggestions of how to make it more news worthy. The photographers discuss with the head photographer what photos will be best suited to the story. They then research the story, and their prints must be developed and handed to the picture editor by the deadline stated. It is the picture editors responsibility to crop and enlarge the photos, to best fit the story. Everything is then handed to the sub editor who will then correct spelling and grammar, write eye catching headlines and captions, check that the story is within the law, i.e. so no one can take legal action against the newspaper. They also decide the layout of the article, making sure words dont overlap pictures etc. Everything is then handed to the editor who then writes an editorial and is in charge of advertising. Designers are employed to create adverts and work on features. For smaller articles in the newspaper, a features editor is employed. Therefore a newspaper begins at a news agency and end up at a newsagent.