Why Captain Vere executed Billy Budd for killing Claggart Essays

Why Captain Vere executed Billy Budd for killing Claggart Essays Why Captain Vere executed Billy Budd for killing Claggart Paper Why Captain Vere executed Billy Budd for killing Claggart Paper I feel that in order to understand why Captain Vere executed Billy Budd for killing Claggart, we need to understand who Captain Vere was. He was an intelligent, guileless, clear-thinking, and just man. He was fully devoted to his duty in the British Navy as commander of the Indomitable. He ruled his ship by the book and expected everyone on board it to adhere to the naval code, even those who were impressed upon it. The book tells us he was a sailor of distinction even in a time prolific of renowned seamen. It also gives us a peek into the reason behind his demeanor; He had seen much service, been in various engagements, always acquitted himself as an officer mindful of the welfare of his men, but never tolerating an infraction of discipline; thoroughly versed in the science of his profession, and intrepid to the verge of temerity, though never injudiciously so. He was a confident leader who was often ridiculed, behind his back, by his fellow officers because of his pedantic streak. They compared it to Kings yarn running through a coil of navy rope, which symbolized his meticulous attention to detail, knowledge of the naval code, loyalty to his country and unwavering sense of duty. I feel his pedantic streak is the most important part of understanding Captain Vere and his decision concerning Billys situation. Captain Vere opposed the political opinions of his day, because he believed they were detrimental to the good of humankind. He also believed in a monarchial society with one person in charge of deciding what is best for everyone. I think these feelings influenced his decision to execute Billy. Captain Vere knew that Billys actions were innocent. He knew Billy did not mean to kill Claggart and that Claggarts accusations toward Billy were false. Regardless of whether Billy meant to kill Claggart or not, he struck an officer of the British Navy, a crime which is punishable by death itself. Captain Vere is faced with the most important decision of his time as the Indomitables commander, but he wastes no time deliberating over it. I believe he called the drumhead court in order to officially record the incident, according to protocol. He had already decided that Billy would have to die for his actions, according to the Mutiny Act. He describes his feelings about Billy killing Claggart as Struck dead by and angel of God! Yet the angel must hang! Captain Vere was in a very tense situation. At the time Billy killed Claggart, the Indomitable was alone after giving chase to a French frigate and failing to capture it. Also Claggart had impressed upon Captain Vere the possible talk of mutiny among the sailors. Even though Captain Vere knew that Claggarts accusations of Billy being involved in a conspiracy were false, he had no way of knowing about the other men. I believe that Captain Vere feared the consequences if word got out that Billy had killed Claggart. After all Claggart was the ships Sergeant-at-Arms, it was his duty to keep the men in line. Without Claggart the disgruntled men may very well commit mutiny. Knowing this Captain Vere makes his decision based upon the situation at hand. If Billys action goes unpunished the men may see a weakness in Captain Vere, which could be a key opportunity for a mutiny. Knowing that mutinies have badly-shaken the already depleted British navy, Captain Vere is not about to let this happen aboard the Indomitable. Despite his feelings for Billy, he must make an example out of him to keep from showing weakness. A separation from the main fleet during wartime elevated Captain Veres power and responsibility to god-like status. He is solely responsible for the Indomitable and all crewmembers on board. Captain Veres strict adherence of the naval code restricts his mind from being persuaded by the drumhead court to wait until the Indomitable rejoins the main fleet before deciding Billys fate. He persist that the crew of the Indomitable owes allegiance to the King and not to nature. As I said earlier, I feel that Captain Veres pedantic streak is the reason behind his harsh decision. His by the book demeanor takes control of the situation. Captain Vere lets his devotion to duty and loyalty to the Kings navy override what he knows is morally right. Captain Vere performed the duties of his position in the Kings navy precisely and according to the naval code. Immediately following the meeting of the drumhead court he confined Billy and placed a guard by the door to watch him. He calls all the crew to the deck and informs them of the event and that Billy has been tried and convicted and will be executed the next morning. Then he proceeded to give Claggart a proper burial, according to naval code formalities, as the crew watch. Captain Vere then went to Billy to discuss the charge against him and tell him the punishment for his crime. The next morning, after Billy has seen the Chaplain, Captain Vere reassembles the crew to the deck to witness Billys hanging. Billy is executed and the crewmembers are dismissed. After Billys body is prepared for burial the crew is called to the deck one last time to witness Billys burial. Captain Vere followed naval code protocol exactly. Every action was textbook perfect. Captain Veres pedantic streak came through at a time when attention to detail was most crucial. Billys last words were God Bless Captain Vere! I believe Billy saw Captain Vere was looking out for the good of the entire ship and maybe even the entire British navy. A good leader always puts the welfare of the whole above the interest of one person. This is exactly what Captain Vere did. He chose to sacrifice Billy for the welfare of the Kings navy. I feel that Captain Vere did exactly what he had to do. By executing Billy, he proved to the crew that he was totally committed to his duty and to the King. He did what every great leader has to do to win the loyalty and support of his subordinates; He led by example.

General James Wolfe in the French and Indian War

General James Wolfe in the French and Indian War Major General James Wolfe was one of Britains most famous commanders during the French and Indian/Seven Years War (1754-1763). Entering the army at a young age, he distinguished himself during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) as well as aided in putting down the Jacobite Rising in Scotland. With the beginning of the Seven Years War, Wolfe initially served in Europe before being dispatched to North America in 1758. Serving under Major General Jeffery Amherst, Wolfe played a key role in the capture of the French fortress at Louisbourg and then received command of the army tasked with taking Quebec. Arriving before the city in 1759, Wolfe was killed in the fighting as his men defeated the French and captured the city. Early Life James Peter Wolfe was born January 2, 1727, at Westerham, Kent. The eldest son of Colonel Edward Wolfe and Henriette Thompson, he was raised locally until the family moved to Greenwich in 1738. From a moderately distinguished family, Wolfes uncle Edward held a seat in Parliament while his other uncle, Walter, served as an officer in the British Army. In 1740, at the age of thirteen, Wolfe entered the military and joined his fathers 1st Regiment of Marines as a volunteer. The following year, with Britain fighting Spain in the War of Jenkins Ear, he was prevented from joining his father on Admiral Edward Vernons expedition against Cartagena due to illness. This proved to be a blessing as the attack was a failure with many of the British troops succumbing to disease during the three-month campaign. The conflict with Spain soon became absorbed into the War of the Austrian Succession. War of the Austrian Succession In 1741, Wolfe received a commission as a second lieutenant in his fathers regiment. Early the following year, he transferred to the British Army for service in Flanders. Becoming a lieutenant in the 12th Regiment of Foot, he also served as the units adjutant as it assumed a position near Ghent. Seeing little action, he was joined in 1743 by his brother Edward. Marching east as part of George IIs Pragmatic Army, Wolfe traveled to southern Germany later that year. During the course of the campaign, the army was trapped by the French along the Main River. Engaging the French at the Battle of Dettingen, the British and their allies were able to throw back several enemy assaults and escape the trap. Highly active during the battle, the teenage Wolfe had a horse shot from under him and his actions came to the attention of the Duke of Cumberland. Promoted to captain in 1744, he was shifted to the 45th Regiment of Foot. Seeing little action that year, Wolfes unit served in Field Marshal George Wades failed campaign against Lille.  A year later, he missed the Battle of Fontenoy as his regiment was posted to garrison duty at Ghent. Departing the city shortly before its capture by the French, Wolfe received a promotion to brigade major. A short time later, his regiment was recalled to Britain to aid in defeating the Jacobite Rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart. The Forty-Five Dubbed The Forty-Five, Jacobite forces defeated Sir John Cope at Prestonpans in September after mounting an effective Highland charge against the government lines. Victorious, the Jacobites marched south and advanced as far as Derby. Dispatched to Newcastle as part of Wades army, Wolfe served under Lieutenant General Henry Hawley during the campaign to crush the rebellion. Moving north, he took part in the defeat at Falkirk on January 17, 1746. Retreating to Edinburgh, Wolfe and the army came under the command of Cumberland later that month. Shifting north in pursuit of Stuarts army, Cumberland wintered in Aberdeen before resuming the campaign in April. Marching with the army, Wolfe took part in the decisive Battle of Culloden on April 16 which saw the Jacobite army crushed. In the wake of the victory at Culloden, he famously refused to shoot a wounded Jacobite soldier despite orders from either the Duke of Cumberland or Hawley. This act of mercy later endeared him to the Scottish troops under his command in North America. The Continent and Peace Returning to the Continent in 1747, Wolfe served under Major General Sir John Mordaunt during the campaign to defend Maastricht. Taking part in the bloody defeat at the Battle of Lauffeld, he again distinguished himself and earned an official commendation. Wounded in the fighting, he remained in the field until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the conflict in early 1748. Already a veteran at age twenty-one, Wolfe was promoted to major and assigned to command the 20th Regiment of Foot at Stirling. Often battling ill-health, he worked tirelessly to improve his education and in 1750 received a promotion to lieutenant colonel. In 1752, Wolfe received permission to travel and made trips to Ireland and France. During these excursions, he furthered his studies, made several important political contacts, and visited important battlefields such as the Boyne . The Seven Years' War While in France, Wolfe received an audience with Louis XV and worked to enhance his language and fencing skills. Though wishing to remain in Paris in 1754, the declining relationship between Britain and France forced his return to Scotland. With the formal beginning of the Seven Years War in 1756 (fighting began in North America two years earlier), he was promoted to colonel and ordered to Canterbury, Kent to defend against an anticipated French invasion. Shifted to Wiltshire, Wolfe continued to battle health issues leading some to believe that he was suffering from consumption. In 1757, he rejoined Mordaunt for a planned amphibious attack on Rochefort. Serving as quartermaster general for the expedition, Wolfe and the fleet sailed on September 7. Though Mordaunt captured ÃŽle dAix offshore, he proved reluctant to press on to Rochefort despite having caught the French by surprise. Advocating aggressive action, Wolfe scouted the approaches to the city and repeatedly asked for troops to execute an attack. The requests were refused and the expedition ended in failure. Louisbourg Despite the poor results at Rochefort, Wolfes actions brought him to the attention of Prime Minister William Pitt. Seeking to expand the war in the colonies, Pitt promoted several aggressive officers to high ranks with the goal of achieving decisive results. Elevating Wolfe to brigadier general, Pitt sent him to Canada to serve under Major General Jeffery Amherst. Tasked with capturing the fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, the two men formed an effective team. In June 1758, the army moved north from Halifax, Nova Scotia with naval support provided by Admiral Edward Boscawen. On June 8, Wolfe was tasked with leading the opening landings in Gabarus Bay. Though supported by the guns of Boscawens fleet, Wolfe and his men were initially prevented from landing by French forces. Pushed east, they located a small landing area protected by large rocks. Going ashore, Wolfes men secured a small beachhead which allowed the remainder of Wolfes men to land. Having gained a foothold ashore, he played a key role in Amhersts capture of the city the following month. With Louisbourg taken, Wolfe was ordered to raid French settlements around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Though the British had wished to attack Quebec in 1758, defeat at the Battle of Carillon on Lake Champlain and the lateness of the season prevented such a move. Returning to Britain, Wolfe was tasked by Pitt with the capture of Quebec. Given the local rank of major general, Wolfe sailed with a fleet led by Admiral Sir Charles Saunders. To Quebec Arriving off Quebec in early June 1759, Wolfe surprised the French commander, the Marquis de Montcalm, who had expected an attack from the south or west. Establishing his army on the Ile dOrlà ©ans and the south shore of the St. Lawrence at Point Levis, Wolfe began a bombardment of the city and ran ships past its batteries to reconnoiter for landing places upstream. On July 31, Wolfe attacked Montcalm at Beauport but was repulsed with heavy losses (Map). Stymied, Wolfe began to focus on landing to west of the city. While British ships raided upstream and threatened Montcalms supply lines to Montreal, the French leader was forced to disperse his army along the north shore to prevent Wolfe from crossing. Not believing that another assault at Beauport would be successful, Wolfe began planning a landing just beyond Pointe-aux-Trembles. This was canceled due to poor weather and on September 10 he informed his commanders that he intended to cross at Anse-au-Foulon. A small cove southwest of the city, the landing beach at Anse-au-Foulon required British troops to come ashore and ascend a slope and small road to reach the Plains of Abraham above. Moving forward on the night of September 12/13, British forces succeeded in landing and reaching the plains above by morning. Plains of Abraham Forming for battle, Wolfes army was confronted by French troops under Montcalm. Advancing to attack in columns, Montcalms lines were quickly shattered by British musket fire and soon began retreating. Early in the battle, Wolfe was struck in the wrist. Bandaging the injury he continued, but was soon hit in the stomach and chest. Issuing his final orders, he died on the field. As the French retreated, Montcalm was mortally wounded and died the next day. Having won a key victory in North America, Wolfes body was returned to Britain where he was interred in the family vault at St. Alfege Church, Greenwich alongside his father. Death of Wolfe by Benjamin West. Photograph Source: Public Domain

Finding proper article from the daily press or other sources n writing Essay

Finding proper article from the daily press or other sources n writing 2 pages report about article - Essay Example This brief paper discusses some of the important issues in international trade relations. The world economy is in a recession brought about by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States which started sometime in 2007 but later spread worldwide. Because of it many developed countries are facing financial and economic crises as a consequence as seen in the sovereign debt crisis in European countries such as the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) which undermined the euro currency and unity of the European Union. It is a crisis of unprecedented proportions which had adversely affected world trade in general. Recent news reports as seen in the international media point to a lingering crisis that had defied easy solutions. World trade today is conducted mostly under the WTO supervision but there are many trade blocs now in existence that grant special most favored nation status (MFN) to some countries that trade with each other. This is a violation of the WTO rules that state countries should let free trade prevail through its non-discrimination policy in place. An example of a specific trade bloc is the so-called G-20 (or group of 20) consisting of the twenty most economically powerful countries of the world. However, this group failed to produce a single plan of action that will adequately address the Great Recession in contrast to the Great Depression of 1933. The world today is facing similar challenges in world order as economies are facing stubbornly high unemployment rates such as the U. S. and Europe. A G-20 meeting held in Seoul (South Korea) last year to address the most pressing issues failed to come up with a solution as member-countries could not agree on what steps to take. This is a dangerous situation which had frayed international trade relations because of some massive international trade imbalances of some countries (China and Germany in

Demonic Possessions and exorcisms Research Paper

Demonic Possessions and exorcisms - Research Paper Example al demonic possession, where demons supposedly took control of their victims manifesting evil characteristics and abilities not associated with the persons hosting such evil spirits. In the last half of the 20th century, an epidemic of a personality disorder called dissociative identity disorder (DID) emerged, which is primarily characterized by the presence of two or more personalities or alters that compete in taking control over the same person. A comparison of their respective symptoms, causes and treatment indicate that DID and demonic possession are almost identical. Demonic possession, both individual and collective, is a significant part of the Judeo-Christian faith in Europe and the Middle East and documented cases were noted up through the 1700s with isolated cases emerging in the 1800s up to the present. 1 The Old Testament refers to demonic possession sparingly but the New Testament is replete with it, such as Jesus casting out ‘unclean spirits.’ In Luke 8:30, for example, Jesus exorcised the demons called Legion and cast them into a group of pigs. Some other biblical passages on the subject are: Luke 9:38-43, where an epileptic boy is said to be possessed by a demon; Luke 11:14 a person is made mute because of demon; Luke 13:10-13, a woman was possessed by a demon who crippled her for 18 years, and; Matthew 15:21-28, a woman pleaded with Jesus to cast a demon from out of her daughter. 2 In the Middle Ages, the Church became preoccupied with demonic possession suspecting anyone exhibiting out-of-the-ordinary behavior of being possessed by the Devil. During the Inquisition, people believed to be possessed by demons were arrested, tried and executed if found guilty. The Catholic Church issued a procedure for exorcising demons in 1614 included in a document called Rituale Romanum, which can be performed by a priest alone while the Protestant Reformation discarded the idea of demonic possession. 3 The known symptoms of demonic possession are: sharp

Operations and strategies of Bell Canada Enterprises

Operations and strategies of Bell Canada Enterprises BCE Inc. is Canadas largest telecommunications company for almost 25 years. It is established by Charles Fleefore Sise in 1880. This company provides wireline voice, wireless communications services, Internet access, data services and video services to residential and business customers. It headquartered in Quebec, Canada and employed 50,102 people. The subsidiaries included Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Telebec, and Northern Tel. (Company Profile, 2009) BCE Inc. operates in three segments: Bell Wireline, Bell Wireless and Bell Aliant. Bell Wireline provides telephone services mainly in Ontario and Quebec. They are included local telephone, long distance, internet access and information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and other communications services. Bell Wireless provides wireless voice and data communications products and services across Canada. Bell Aliant provides local telephone, long distance, Internet, data, video, wireless and other ICT services for customers in Canadas Atlantic Provinces, and in rural areas of Ontario and Quebec. BCE also provide telephone service to the customers in Alberta and British Columbia throung its Bell West unit and northern territories through Northwestel (Company, 2009). BCE provides high-speed Internet services to more than two million customers in Canada under the Bell Internet brand through digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. The company set a clear goal for themselves- for Bell to be recognized by customers as Canadas leading communications company and instituted a strategy to deliver a dramatically better customer experience, while attaining a competitive and cost -efficient operation structure. (Annual Report, 2009) Current Business Current Products, Services and Operations Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE, Bell) is the largest communications company in Canada providing a number of different services to people all across the country. BCE has three main segments in operation Bell Wireline, Bell Wireless, and Bell Aliant providing different services to people to make their life easier and more efficient. Bell provides wireline voice and wireless communications services, internet access, data services and video services to residential, business and wholesale customers (Reuters, n.d). The company has a number of other interests which include CTVglobalmedia incorporated, Skyterra Communications inc. and entities that operate the Montreal Canadians and the Bell Centre in Montreal. The company recently acquired The Source Electronics and the remaining part of Virgin Mobile Canada (Reuters, n.d). Bell continues to be an ever growing company that continues to lead the way in the field of communications in Canada by continuing to expand its products and services. Bell Wireline provides telephone, data and other communication services to residential and business customers in Ontario and Quebec but also offers services to businesses in Alberta and British Columbia. With the sale of local telephone, and long distance services under the Bell Home phone brand with internet service under the Ball Internet brand. The company also provides home television service to its customers under the Bell TV brand. Bell provides all necessary wireline services for any business or resident that decides to go with the company (Reuters, n.d). Bell Wireless provides wireless voice and mobile communication products to residents and businesses across Canada. With the sales of cell phone services being the biggest part of this segment of the company through the operations of Bell Mobility and Virgin Mobile Canada, along with wireless product sales from The Source (Reuters, n.d). BCE currently owns approximately 44.1% of Bell Aliant a segment of the company that provides local telephone, long distance, Internet, data, video, wireless, information technology (IT) services and products and other ICT services to residential and business customers in Canadas Atlantic provinces (Reuters, n.d). The company competes with a number of other providers to deliver services to Eastern Canada as it continues to grow the brand throughout Canada. Current Sales and Marketing Strategies Marketing, is a branch of the business where the company generates interest within the general public of their product. This area of business hooks, and latches on to the customers with the purpose of making the consumer a customer for life. Marketing is a vital component of the company and it is one of the main reasons companies can grow and expand. Bell Canada Enterprises owning one of Canadas largest telecommunications provider; competing with Rogers needs to have great marketing ploys to attract and keep customers. With the introduction of the internet companies are able to target a broad number of people with cost effective methods. A few examples of ways consumers are targeted over the internet are E-mail marketing, search engine marketing, online campaigns, online media planning placement and social media optimization. To keep customers another cost effective technique is mobile marketing. Everyone uses e-mail communication which is slowly edging out the pre-historic snail-mail (reference of using postal service). The e-mail is a great tool because it requires no cost to send; the message is sent instantaneously; and users can always keep their sent mail to refer back to. This provides company with a great way of communicating with current and potential customers. Bell Canada uses this to sell its product by e-mailing current customers on new products being offered, and emailing consumers on new products and promotions. It allows Bell to reach a mass amount of people without exercising major costs. Search engine marketing is another way a lot of companies advertise. Everyone who owns or has access to a computer uses a search engine at least once a day. This makes placing ads on these search engines a great opportunity to generate public interest and attract consumers. Placing ads on search engines can be expensive but the exposure the ads gain provides a good cost to benefit ratio. Bell also contacts consumers via telephone (home-phone). They use call-centers to call house-holds and market their products. Telemarketing however annoying it may seem when getting a call during dinner time is proven effective. With the recent boost in cellular usage a less annoying but as effective way to reach customers is via SMS messaging. SMS messaging is cheaper, because it cuts the costs of employing call centers . However the SMS can only be delivered to already existing customers. Which does not get the company new customers but it does help them promote packages and products. Social media presents a huge marketing opportunity for firms. Bell Canada uses this as aan opportunity to garner public attention of their products by having their own Facebook page. Also they run ads on facebook to broadcast themselves to the young and old who use facebook. Social media is not just limited to Faceook and MySpace it also includes Youtube. Youtube allows Bell to run ads for free; it is the single most cost effective way for Bell to gain consumer exposure of its products. It is limited to whoever searches for Bell on Youtube but the fact that its free to upload videos makes the cost to benefit ratio very appealing. Bell just doesnt post commercials on Youtube it also advertises on Youtube as-well. Marketing has evolved over the years. In the past it was just running ads on t.v, telemarketing, banners and flyers that got the job done. Today the internet has put those archaic methods to a limited use. Bell has changed its marketing techniques with the time and uses the internet to its full marketing potential. Current Finance and Accounting Strategies The management of BCE Inc. established a system of internal controls to assure the accuracy and completion in all material respects of the financial statements and the assets are properly accounted for and safeguarded. This is supported by an internal audit group that reports to the Audit Committee, and includes communication with employees about policies for ethical business conduct (Annual Report, 2009). The process of reporting financial statements is under the supervision of the President and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of BCE to provide assurance regarding the reliability and the accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for internal and external purposes. External auditing companies such as Deloitte Touche LLP, Independent Registered Chartered Accountants, have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, deficit and cash flows. They also conducted their audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The audits include examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation (Annual Report, 2009). Overall, BCE has effective internal control over financial reporting. Current Technological Strategy BCE is the largest communications entity in Canada, providing nationwide, reliable networking services to businesses and residents. To achieve this status, BCE has continued to push forward with leading edge technological advancements and strategies, covering a whole spectrum of services available, such as high speed and wireless internet communication, satellite television and local and long distance calling. A fundamental business step in attaining a successful company is first having a solid information and communications technology (ICT) strategy (BCE, 2010). Bell Canada Enterprise base their ICT strategies on being able to support government and enterprise establishments. They develop their products on connecting businesses to other businesses as well as customers. BCE also continues to upgrade internally, by investing 10% of their revenue into resources and development, to further their own effectiveness as well as recruit top talent to the company. They invest another roughly 3 billion dollars annually into their network, operating and business support systems. Another area incorporated in the technological strategy is Bell Canada Enterprise regularly works together with other leading technological companies to co-construct more innovative technologies which strengthen services the company provides, as well as increase productivity within. All enterprises today must be environmentally aware and continue to implement green issues in their technological strategy. Bell Canada Enterprise now bill customers through the internet, and by doing so they have eliminated 16.6 million pieces of paper and 468 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, values that continue to grow. BCE also donates one dollar to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for every new client registration (BCE, 2006). Bell Canada Enterprise continues to grow, helping businesses nation wide, and by upgrading their own resources, they are further capable of providing the services they offer. The next direction the company is beginning to take is investing and developing VoIP (voice over internet protocol), which is far from the final frontier of communication that BCE will develop and provide to the ever-growing business world. Bell Canada Enterprises Five Year Projections Heading into the future Bell Canada Enterprises wants to continue to be the largest communications provider in Canada. In order to accomplish this, a five part imperative strategy has been put into place that will help maximize subscribers and revenue while improving on the reliable, consistent services that are already being offered to its customers. The five parts of this strategy include: Improving customer service, Accelerate wireless, leverage wireline momentum, invest in broadband networks and services, and achieve a competitive cost structure. Improving customer service is BCEs top priority as in order for the company to remain competitive, delivering excellent reliable customer service is must. That is why the company is executing programs such as Same Day Next Day service which enables the company to try and fix any problems with its wireless or wired service from its office first. If that fails they will send someone to the location within 24 hours to solve the problem. The better training of call centre, field service and channel teams enables them to be more efficient when dealing with customers and help provide the customer with the answer they are looking for. Accelerating wireless is another top priority as there is expected to be a continued grow in data usage. That is why the company is investing heavily into state-of-the-art broadband networks, devices and services that can provide the fastest service offered on the market. This provides the leverage the company needs to attract businesses and residents to its services allowing the company to expand. However, speed and reliability dont provide all the necessary leverage as to achieve maximize subscribers and revenue the company must offer competitive prices. This is done by building the most cost-effective company possible and maximizing efficiency and productivity of everything that is done within the company. Corporate Strategies Globalization and Adaptation In todays business market, globalization is essential for an enterprise. For a company to turn maximum profit, it must be able to reach and appeal to a number of different clientele, as well as exchange resources and technology. As the top communications provider across Canada, there are few areas nationally that are not covered by BCE thus, BCE has currently begun to touch other areas of the world. Bell Canada Enterprise has grown to become the monopolistic communications provider throughout Canada by continuing to buy resource technology from smaller companies such as Northern Telecom, and joint-fund more research together (Canadian Journal of Communication, 1993). Through this purchasing of technology from other companies, or of the companies themselves as a whole (the purchasing of Virgin Mobile), then applying these resources and ideas within their own networks, BCE has been able to adapt to changes in technologies as they are discovered. As smart technology has been released by companies such as Apple and R.I.M, Bell has been able to make these phones compatible on their wireless and mobile networks. They have also continued to keep up with the television business, making their Bell Direct TV satellite frequency serviceable to advancements in high definition televisions. Building off the their ability to reach most of the nation through television, Bell Canada turned their eyes off of Canada, and to the entire world during the recent 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games. Bell retained the exclusive rights to be the partner of the Vancouver Olympics, built the network which broadcast every telecast of the games, making Bell the sole providers of every Olympic image seen on televisions throughout the world (Bell Canada Enterprise, 2010). Having completed projects and adapting to these changes, Bell can only continue to prepare to make new technologies compatible on their networks, and build off their success in delivering television signals to the entire world. With the demand for entertainment and convenience constantly growing in the economy, Bell will continue to globalize, in order to stay ahead of the game. Corporate Responsibility Adaptation and Projection Corporate responsibility have been a central element of Bells operation since the companys founding 130 years ago, and it remains a primary commitment of every member of the Bell Canada Enterprise team today (Corporate, 2009). Bell uses a diversity strategy to maintain a high standard of corporate responsibility. They comply with the employment equity requirements to aim for the four federally designated groups in recruiting, retaining and promoting (See Fig 1- Senior Management Positions BCE). The four federally designed group included women, visible minorities, aboriginals and people with disabilities. For the seventh consecutive year, BCE received a perfect 10/10 rating from Governance Metrics International in its 2009 global corporate governance study (Corporate, 2009) All employees must review the BCE Code of Business Conduct regularly and complete an online training course to ensure that they understand the contents. Moreover, BCE require all directors, officers and vice-presidents to declare annually that they obey principle and rules of the conduct code and support the standards (Corporate, 2009). Their objective for 2010 is to remain a leader in corporate governance and ethical business conduct by maintain best practices, transparency and accountability to their stake holders (Corporate, 2009) BCE is a very responsible and active company by making a significant investment in the local communities. Through the annual program of Walk for Kids Help Phone, they have raised more than $18 million in eight years. This funding are used for providing service, information and counseling to young people. In addition, employees and retirees collect school supplies for kids in need through the program of Backpacks for Kids. Since 2004, this program has contributed more than 17,000 backpacks to schools and community. In 2009, Bell Canada and Bell Aliant together contributed more $13 million in charitable donations. Employees and pensioners committed more than $2.1 million in charitable gifts and logged nearly 43,000 hours of volunteer time (Corporate, 2009). Their 2010 objective is to contribute to the well-being of society through their community investment programs. Business Strategies Technological Projection and Adaptation As technology continues to advance, BCE must continue to keep up with these developments to entice customers to their market. With demand for specific products changing day to day, Bell strives to stay the principal communications enterprise in Canada. Bell has recently released that they will be changing their internet service to the new Fiber to the Node-based (FTTN) broadband internet service, to provide a next generation internet experience. The fiber is driven to a node roughly 3,000 feet near the location, then a copper-based VDSL2 connection is used to connect the internet service to a customer. This idea will differ from the current fiber broadband service, in which the fiber is carried to the side of the customers home (Bell Sympatico, 2010). Bell currently runs on a 3G wireless network, but with the growing technology, BCE is upgrading to a HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) network, which will set the foundation for their eventual upgrade to the faster 4G LTE wireless network. The 4G network is the future of broadband mobile data speeds and multimedia for personal devices (BCE, 2010). Human Resources Projections and Adaptations Bell Canada Enterprise governs its business by putting into place strong policies and systems to guide the activities of the company in the right direction. This has been done by making sure that everyone within the company from the lowest level to the highest one maintains their ethical standards and practices while continuing to exceed the requirements and expectations of the public and the shareholders. This high standard is not limited to the employees of the company, but is also upheld for the people that do business with the company. The company seeks quality products and services from its suppliers while expecting them to act responsibly within the marketplace while also respecting the environment. The demand for high standards and the implementing of strong policies and practices has allowed the company to continue to grow through the years and will help lead the company into the future. Even with this high standard the company has maintained that a successful company is one when the employees are happy with where they work. Believing that work shouldnt just be a place to go every day but be more of a place you want to go and be actively involved in. This is done by creating a dynamic working environment by encouraging its employees to never stop learning and engaging in the decision making of the company. This creates a sense of company pride that is expected to show through in all work that is produced by the company whether it is with helping a customer to the improvement of broadband service. In doing this the company has scored a perfect 10/10 from rating agency GovernanceMetrics International in the global corporate governance study. Bell has also been a leading company in diversifying the work place with Bell Aliant leading the way in this department. With the hiring of a diverse workforce Bell Canada Enterprises has been able to connect to Canadas multi- cultural society. This has lead to Bell Aliant being recognized as one of Canadas Best Diversity Employers in 2009, as part of the Canadas Top 100 Employers project. Marketing and Advertising Projections and Adaptations As we have discussed earlier marketing is a key component of a companies growth. Bell Canada Enterprises which faces fierce competition from the likes of Rogers Communications, so it needs to keep energizing old and potential customers. In Chapter ____ we talked about current and sales marketing strategies. These strategies were mainly related to the internet and social media advertising. This trend will definitely continue in the future. The advertisement of future products and plans will greatly be induced in social media outlets. Companies are quickly realising the amount of useful information sites such as Facebook have. Facebook and Myspace as well as other social media sites contain a host of information on the users likes and dislikes; tastes in fashion, technology, and food. People on these sites often posts problems they are having with current corporations dealings. If one reads BCEs Facebook page it is full of complaints that current customers have with the companys telecommunications branch. Now this may seem like terrible a terrible publicity but one must consider that the only people who go on Bell Mobilitys Facebook page are current users. So this helps Bell realize what its doing wrong and fix it. BCE and other companies use crawlers to gather information from peoples profiles. They then use this information to send personalized ad campaigns to the consumer. SWOT Analysis Strengths One of BCEs biggest strength is the fact that it is already established itself as a major name in the telecommunications market. It is no up-start company vying for notoriety. Just about every Canadian citizen knows that Bell Canada is a telecommunications company. It is second largest in terms of subscribers for wireless operations and owns a majority of the network access lines in major residential areas. It is one of the nations leading digital television providers with 1.8 million subscribers. The number of internet subscribers are 2.1 million which is the most of any company. Bell holds a chokehold in telecommunications coverage in Toronto and Montreal which are major populous areas. BCE also owns a 44.2% stake in Bell Aliant which is the major telecommunications provider in Atlantic Canada. According to industry analysts, total wireless subscribers in Canada are supposed to increase to by 6million users by 2013. Overall the branding of BCE and its longevity thus far will keep B CE in a prominent position in the telecommunications market. Weaknesses We discussed how Bell is a major force in the Canadian telecommunications market which is also its biggest weakness. The figure of a growth of 6 million represents a total 29.5million people on cell phones by 2013. Canada only has a population of 33.3 million; this is not enough for major growth to occur within the company. Also the companys wireline segment has decreased. This accounts for about 55.8% of the companys revenue. If this segment decreases then profits will conversely decrease in the future. Opportunities BCE has invested its money in promising areas in order to capitalize on future opportunities. These future opportunities include in the broadband high-speed internet market which is rampantly growing. It is increasing rollout of its FTTN and pans to add a HPSA network alongside EVDO. The DTV market is also growing and Bell is already a strong player in this market. BCE owns a 100% stake in Virgin mobile expanding its coverage beyond Canada. It has also bought out the retailer The Source which sells electronic goods with over 750 high traffic locations across Canada. Threats BCE faces threats from all aspects of its business environment. Notable threats are from Rogers wireless and TELUS for wireless services and internet. Industry Analysis The wireless telecommunication industry is defined as an industry is including cellular (mobile) phones, pagers and any other wireless or cellular telecommunication service. Revenues are based on payments to operators of all of these services for subscriptions and usage (Industry, 2009). The Canadian telecommunication is an increasing industry with total revenue of $14.8 billion and a compound annual growth rate of 11.3% during 2005 to 2009 (See Fig 2). In addition, it generated a total economic value the total value of direct GDP contribution, output multiplier and consumer surplus of $39 billion for the Canadian economy (Industry, 2009). This is a very intensely competing industry due to the low level of service differentiation. Companies are competing each other through brand awareness, functionality and value pricing to attract more customers. Competition will increase as a result of new technologies and services in the future. Competition will also increase to the extent that n ew firms enter the market if additional radio spectrum is made available for commercial wireless services (Industry, 2009). The market will become more intense as it approaches higher saturation. Three leading companies in this industry are Rogers Communication, BCE Inc., and TELUS Corporation. Rogers accounts 37.2% and BCE Inc accounts 30.6% share of the market (Industry, 2009). Based on the financial ratios in 2009, BCE Inc. did not have great financial situation when compared to Rogers and TELUS. From the Fig 5 on Appendix A, Bell had pretty low profitability ratios, which means investors did not earn as much money in comparison with Rogers and TELUS. In addition, Bell had the lowest return of assets ratio among the two top competitors means that it earned less money per dollar of assets. Consequently, Bell did not utilize its assets to net income as effectively as its competitors. However, Bell had well control on its costs in the industry. It was able to convert its sales into actual profit effectively. Based on current ratio, Bell was unable to pay off its obligation on time. A current ratio with 0.69 means that for every dollar of current liability, Bell only had $0.69 of current assets (FP Infomart, 2009). In another word, Bell did not have the ability to turn its product into cash more easily. When compared with the industry, Bell had weak and unstable financial situation. The Price/Earnings ratio indicates that Bells shares were selling at a price that was 12.25 times its earnings per share. The P/E ratio is lower than the industry ratio, means that the investors are paying less for each unit of net income. However, Bell had a higher dividend yield than its competitors and the industry. Generally, big figures of dividend yield will attract more investors to invest in a company. Therefore, Bell has more investors than Rogers and TELUS, which means more capital, will be brought into the company and result higher revenue.

Unions in Canada

Abstract Unions have been struggling in Canada’s current economy. The rate of workers joining unions is on a downward slide, noticeably so in the public sector, despite the fact the unions helped to stabilize and grow the economy in the past. Due to the current economic turmoil, unions have had to resort to strategies that will allow them to lower operating costs and compete with global competitors. Although unions are facing difficulties, they are still of benefit to workers.History of Unions in Canada and their Effects on the Economy Unions have been apart of Canadian history since the early 1800’s. Records show tradesmen in the Maritimes having unions during the war of 1812 despite such organizations not being legalized in Canada until 1872 (Maple Leaf Web). Approximately 31% of all workers in Canada belong to unions (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada)(Canadian Labour Congress).The public sector – including schools, hospitals, and crown corporations â €“ have a unionization rate of 71%, while in the private sector the rate is 16% and falling (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2012). Historians have credited the growth in Canada’s middle-class to unions because they offered higher wages and job security, which allowed for members to have extra income to spend on commodities such houses, clothing, cars, etcetera. This increased the demand for those items, and helped grow and stabilize the economy (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada).Although unions were of benefit in the past, membership has been on a 30-year decline (Figure 1) and the usefulness of such organizations has come into question due to unionized workers pay and benefits lagging behind workers who are non-unionized (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2012). This report will cover the history of unions in Canada, and their impact on the Canadian economy. The factors covered suggest that unions are still of benefit at the present. History of Unions in Ca nada The Canadian union movement was influenced by Britain and the United States (Class Net)(Maple Leaf Web).British tradesmen brought over the tradition of the organizations and caused several British unions to open branches in Canada. However, unions weren’t legalized in Canada until 1872 after the Toronto Printers’ Strike (workers were protesting for nine-hour work days), and the first national labour organization was the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada (TLC), which was formed in 1873 (Maple Leaf Web). Early legislation of unions was derived from the British structure, while the current legislation has been developed from post-World War 2 United States unions (Class Net).Members have historically been those in the trades – electricians, miners, construction workers, etc -, nursing, teaching, journalism, artistic fields, and athletics (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada). Unions and the Economy In the past unions helped stabilize and grow the econo my by decreasing the divide between rich and poor. In current economic times, unionization rates have fallen (Figure 1) causing the pay difference between unionized and non-unionized workers to grow (Figure 2) (Mine Mill 598).This has resulted in workers not having the excess income to spend to help the economy recover, or the money to pay extra taxes to support public services such as schools, roads, and health care. Despite this difference, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW) has stated that even workers who have never belonged to a union have benefited by their existence, and that Canada is one of the top five most prosperous countries in the world because of them (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada).The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) states that union members earn almost $7 per hour more then non-unionized workers, and that number increases to $7. 95 per hour for many women. They also state that 88. 5% of members receive benefits not related to wage, such as prescription drugs and dental plans, and that 92. 3% of large workplaces have pension plans, where as only 68. 4% of non-unionized workplaces have them. For small, non-unionized workplaces, 31. 1% offered health-related benefits, and only 12. 5% had pension plans. In small workplaces that were unionized, those numbers climb to 47. 6% and 34. % respectively (Canadian Labour Congress). However, due to global rivals in various fields of work operating at lower costs, Canadian unions have begun to implement two-tier wages; a technique that was used in the 1980s and 1990s. It involves workers under new contracts to start a lower wages then previously contracted members. New workers will be on par with existing workers after 10 years, though some industries – the auto manufacturing industry, for example – have fought to ensure new workers never converge with current employees wages. It is believed such strategies will be common in the future (Globe and Mail, 2012).Conclusion Unions were extremely beneficial for workers when they were first introduced due to the bonuses they offered, increased wages, job security, and the effects such extras would have on the over all economy. In the current economy unions are viewed as unneeded, which has stemmed the decline in unionization rates and prevented the organizations from being as useful as they could be. Unions are facing struggles in the current economy, but despite such troubles they are still of use in the present because their impact reaches further then just their members, and helps to stabilize the economy.References Maple Leaf Web. History of Unions in Canada. Retrieved From: http://www. mapleleafweb. com/old/education/spotlight/issue_51/history. html United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW). Facts About Unions. Retrieved from: http://www. ufcw. ca/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=49&lang=en#link3 Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). Union Advantage. Retrieved from: http:// www. canadianlabour. ca/about-clc/union-advantage Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC). (2012). Unions on Decline in Private Sector.Retrieved from: http://www. cbc. ca/news/canada/story/2012/09/02/unions-labour-canada-decline. html Class Net. History and Development of Unions in Canada. Retrieved from: https://classnet. wcdsb. ca/sec/StB/Gr12/History/law/Shared%20Documents/Labour%20Law/(A)HistoryandDevelopmentofUNIONSinCanada. pdf Mine Mill 598. (2009). Unionization Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: http://www. minemill598. com/PDF/editorials/UNIONIZATION_FactSheets_Sept2009. pdf Globe and Mail. (2012). Two-Tier Wage Scales on the Increase in Canada.

Canada Ancestry