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Dialogic Communication

Over the years, human beings have gotten by through the exchange of opinions and ideas through communication. Because communication occurred regardless of whether in a public or private environment, so it was referred to as a dialogue. However, dialogic communication can be defined as an approach to communication that focuses on promoting a dialogue between a speaker and their audience. This, in turn, ensures that mutual understanding and respect between both parties is guaranteed. In any situation where in which two or more people gather in order to converse, having the right attitude is critical, and this is especially true in dialogic communication.

As such, the following dialogic attitude is required to facilitate a true dialogue. Firstly, a true dialogue necessitates that participants are open-minded, ensuring that no conflicts might arise by thinking that an individual’s ideas are greater than others. During a dialogue, we should be ready to accept any criticism that may occur during the exchange. Through this, we are not only able to obtain new ideas but also improve our own, ensuring that we are able to respect our opponents regardless of their opinions (Valenzano et al., 2016, p. 56). Secondly, in any given dialogue, we should ensure that we maintain a high level of genuineness; this means that we should not only show respect to the other party, but we should also be true to ourselves, our ideals as well as our ideas. According to the book Communication Pathways, genuineness may be defined as being direct, honest, and straightforward regarding our beliefs and thoughts. Regardless of whether the other party is genuine, our dogma remains intact (Valenzano et al., 2016, p. 56).

Being able to be sensitive in any given dialogue is still considered a good attitude when in a debate or dialogue. By being sensitive to others’ feelings and accepting our human diversity, we can maintain a cordial relationship with others during our dialogues (Valenzano et al., 2016, p. 57). when undertaking any dialogue, we should ensure that we can agree with each other in a show of respect. By being agreeable, we recognize that the person is not the argument; thus, we don’t associate a person’s character or identity with a particular stance on an issue. Lastly, having ethical integrity is crucial in any dialogue. Having moral values that cannot be compromised is key in ensuring that a dialogues environment remains respectful (Valenzano et al., 2016, p. 58)

Most debaters have identified that having the correct attitude and behavior in a debate is vital as it ensures that the debate dialogue is carried out easily and without any complications. Taking into consideration the above information, we are going to look at the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and then former Vice-president Joe Biden, who at the time were both vying for the presidency. The debate was successful, despite the fact that the participants possessed some of the known dialogic behavior. As a moderator of the debate, Wallace possesses a dialogic behavior in which he asks clarifying questions to the participants. This can be seen through his statement, ” My first question to both of you tonight: Why are you right in the argument you make, and your opponent wrong, and where do you think a Justice Barrett would take the court” (Staff & TODAY, 2020).

Right at the beginning of the debate, both former President Trump and now President Joe Biden seemed to possess a non-agreeable stance concerning the issue of the appointment of Justice Barrett into office. At this stage, the former supports his stance by pointing out that the appointment was based not only on the people’s will but also on his presidential mandate (Staff & TODAY, 2020). The latter dismisses his claim saying that regardless of his views as the president, the nation had a law to be followed. Through this, we can observe a supportive behavior basis in which the former seeks to control and the latter a defensive behavior that aims towards a problem orientation.

Secondly, a lack of respect between the participants is seen during the debate when both of them interject as either part answers questions. As such, this violates the behavior essential to forming a good dialogue; each participant must allow his counterpart to complete his statement. This can be seen during the dialogue

“TRUMP: — Joe. The hundred million people are wrong. I don’t know where you got that number. The bigger problem that you have is that you’re going to extinguish 180 million people with their private health care —

BIDEN: That’s not true.”(Staff & TODAY, 2020).
Through this statement, we can see that former president Trump is a strategist who supports his statement, unlike his counterpart President Biden who jumps straight into a defensive manner with his statement. Through his response, we assume that the latter is spontaneous. (“Dialogic communication (Chapter 3),” n.d.)

As participants in any dialogic debate, owning up to your words is crucial as a debater. It is, however, for this reason that we consider the presidential debate a failure due to the fact that both of them, despite being leaders not only in their respective homes but also in the country, don’t seem to fathom the weight of their words. This can be seen when they throw insults around.

13:25 TRUMP: You just lost the left. You just lost the left. You agreed with Bernie Sanders on a plan.

13:31 BIDEN: Folks, do we know what this clown is doing? (Staff & TODAY, 2020)

Through these remarks, we can observe neutrality as a defensive behavior showcased by the latter. By insulting Trump, Biden shows a lack of empathy required to make up a successful dialogue. (“Dialogic communication (Chapter 3),” n.d.).

Throughout the debate, despite both debaters disrespecting each other, due to their respective ideologies, they both displayed a well-established debate. For most of the debate, they both give complete attention to each other as they both seem to answer each other’s questions. For this reason, superiority can be seen in debates where Trump alleges that there is a clear distinction between the rich and the poor because he pays more taxes than them.

In conclusion, political debates are an eye-opener in which participants try to demonstrate their grasp of their citizen’s conditions and a means by which those problems can be solved. Political debates are important in democratic societies as they provide a platform for diverse perspectives to be heard and exchange of ideas. However, the nature of these debates can sometimes be adversarial and unproductive, leading to the polarization of society rather than constructive dialogue. The ability to have open dialogues in society is crucial for exchanging ideas. Still, it can be hindered by various factors, such as a lack of critical thinking skills, confirmation bias, echo chambers, and misinformation. Individuals must have access to accurate and diverse information and engage in respectful dialogue to form informed opinions and contribute to a healthy political discourse.

References

Dialogic communication (Chapter 3). (n.d.). Quizlet. https://quizlet.com/234128346/dialogic-communication-chapter-3-flash-cards/

Staff, U. T., & TODAY, U. (2020, September 30). Read the full transcript from the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/30/presidential-debate-read-full-transcript-first-debate/3587462001/

Valenzano, J. M., Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, & Parcell, E. S. (2016). Communication pathways (2nd ed.). Fountainhead press.

Justification Aspect of Biblical Theology

The Bible is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and the primary source of theological beliefs. Biblical theology studies the Bible, focusing on its teachings, themes, and structure. It is a crucial aspect of the Christian faith and has been used to shape the beliefs and practices of the modern church. The concept of justification is a central tenet of biblical theology, which asserts that an individual’s faith in Jesus Christ results in the forgiveness of sins and right standing with God. This research paper will explore the justification aspect of biblical theology and argue that it is an essential element of the Christian faith.

Justification is an essential aspect of biblical theology and a cornerstone of the Christian faith. It refers to the process by which God declares a sinner righteous based on their faith in Jesus Christ. This doctrine is central to the gospel message and is closely tied to the themes of sin, grace, and salvation in the Bible. The Bible teaches that all people are sinners and are, therefore, under God’s judgment. However, through faith in Jesus Christ, believers can receive forgiveness for their sins and be declared righteous in the eyes of God. Justification is a one-time event in which a person is declared righteous, but the process of sanctification, or becoming more like Christ, continues throughout the rest of their life.

The believer is subject to substantial repercussions as a result of justification. It gives the believer a sense of assurance in their redemption and a basis for their identification with Christ, both of which are derived from their relationship with Christ. Christians are not typically characterized by their wickedness but rather by their innocence in Christ as a result of the process of justification. The life of a believer is marked by an increase in serenity, joy, and hope as a result of this change in identity.

Believers are also helped to comprehend the nature of sins and the extent of God’s grace through the process of justification. It demonstrates the seriousness of sin and the absolute requirement for a Savior. At the same time, it stresses the kindness and compassion of God, who sent Jesus to die for our transgressions and to offer a means for us to be pronounced righteous. This highlights the fact that God sent Jesus to die for our sins.

The study of justification is also crucial for the modern church. It helps the church to understand the gospel message and to apply it to their lives and their communities. By meditating on the doctrine of justification, the church can grow in its understanding of sin, grace, and salvation and can live out the gospel in a way that brings glory to God.

In conclusion, justification is an essential aspect of biblical theology and a fundamental element of the Christian faith. It provides comfort, assurance, and a foundation for the believer’s identity in Christ. The study of justification is crucial for the modern church and helps to deepen the believer’s understanding of the gospel message. Through justification, the believer can experience the love and mercy of God, and live out the gospel in a way that brings glory to Him.

Artificial Selection

According to this case of a farmer selecting only the best egg-laying chickens to reproduce and restrict the poor producers, I think it is an example of artificial selection because he decides which traits should evolve. In contrast to natural selection, artificial selection is initiated by individuals based on their needs (Li et al., 2019). As a result, it acts vastly with positive results even for a short period.

Recently, the artificial selection process has been aided by the emergence of better breeding mechanisms and companies specialized in investing in breeding (Leenstra et al., 2016). The domestication process has been designed to equip the chickens with the capabilities to acclimatize to their exposed environments. This is achieved through genetic alterations realized by every subsequent chicken generation.

Improving the chickens’ adaptability to the environment is crucial in improving their overall welfare. From a broad perspective, adaptation is associated with interactions between the animals’ environment and genes. According to Li et al. (2019), these complex interactions enhance heritable variance in chicken’s trait values; for example, among the laying chicken, social constraints have an impact on heritable variance attributed to cannibalism. The genes control the chickens’ reaction to stressors and environmental factors.

Due to farmer involvement in the domestication of the chickens, their genetics and phenotypes are shaped, leading to the adoption of similar traits. Through artificial selection, the farmer understands the cognitive capabilities of chickens (Li et al., 2019). This has had a crucial impact on production over many years. Arguably, artificial selection allows chicken to acquire a high capability of future productivity. It enables them to resist diseases and all unfavorable conditions in the environment. They acquire improved health hence reproducing at a higher right and efficiently.

References

Leenstra, F., Ten Napel, J., Visscher, J., & Van Sambeek, F. (2016). Layer breeding programs in changing production environments: A historical perspective. World’s Poultry Science Journal, 72(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0043933915002743

Li, D., Li, Y., Li, M., Che, T., Tian, S., Chen, B., Zhou, X., Zhang, G., Gaur, U., Luo, M., Tian, K., He, M., He, S., Xu, Z., Jin, L., Tang, Q., Dai, Y., Xu, H., Hu, Y., … Li, M. (2019). Population genomics identifies patterns of genetic diversity and selection in ChickenChicken. BMC Genomics, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-5622-4

IKEA Case Study

IKEA has consistently beaten its rivals by adhering to a single mantra: provide high-quality goods at affordable costs. And this is the method they use.

1. What are IKEA’s competitive priorities?

Selling things at the lowest prices is IKEA’s primary competitive strategy. The method used, however, borders on insanity in its level of precision. IKEA’s primary concern when deciding whether or not to sell a product is whether or not doing so would result in a lower total cost of production. For instance, unlike its rivals, all prices are established during the design phase (Yu, 2019).

2. Describe IKEA’s process for developing a new product.

Price Picking

To kick off a product’s lifecycle at IKEA, the cheapest available option is chosen as its initial pricing (Robert & Chase, 2018). From here on, all the subsequent design phases will be based on this, ensuring that costs remain minimal at all times. That is why we built a diverse staff of product developers full of new perspectives and ideas.

Manufacturer Selection

When deciding on a vendor or manufacturer, IKEA looks for ways to save costs first and foremost. With this in mind, IKEA has set up a dedicated department to oversee these partnerships for as long as twenty years (Yasuhiro & Yoshiteru, 2015). IKEA also requires all its suppliers and manufacturers to adhere to stringent regulations to maintain low prices.

Product Design

After a price has been decided upon, manufacturers and suppliers compete for the business, with the lowest bidder winning the contract.

Shipping

IKEA’s cost-cutting strategy includes free shipping as a critical component. That is why it is taking measures to prevent air transport (Robert & Chase, 2018). So, items must go through multiple revisions to improve their transportability.

Selling

The product’s presentation at the shop is crucial after it arrives. Stores like IKEA do not just stock products on shelves and hope a client would purchase something; instead, they cultivate an atmosphere that makes a customer want to buy anything. An overview of these five stages of product development is shown in the diagram below.

3. What are additional features of the IKEA concept (beyond its design process) that contribute to creating exceptional value for the customer?

Two additional aspects of the IKEA idea also provide remarkable benefits to buyers. The company’s low pricing does not make the buyer feel devalued. They instead make the customer feel that they are an integral part of the product’s creation and promotion. Secondly, Reduced resource consumption, elimination of child labor, and a milder effect on the environment are all beneficial side effects of the cheapness mandated by the regulations (Roger & Chase, 2018). Each of these is important to the company’s clientele and shows how it does business.

Conclusion

IKEA’s business procedures exemplify how a firm may be optimized around fundamental ideals that do not change. IKEA may seem excessive to some, yet it may serve as a model for innovative businesses and products.

References

Blanck, T. (2015). How IKEA Saves Millions Through Packaging Optimisation. Chainalytics. Retrieved 1 March 2020, from https://www.chainalytics.com/ikea-save-millions-packaging-optimization/

Robert, J., & Chase, R. (2018). Operations and supply chain management. John Wiley & Sons.

Yasuhiro, M., & Yoshiteru, M. (Eds.). (2015). Lean management of global supply chain (Vol.

12). World Scientific.

Yu, R. (2019, February). Core Elements of IKEA’s Successful Product Design. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1168, No. 3, p. 032118). IOP Publishing.

Strategies to enhance personal Public Speaking skills

Public speaking entails delivering information orally to a live audience, using either formal or informal language (Mauriello, 2020). Forms of public speaking include persuasive, educative, demonstrative, and entertaining speeches. The art of public speaking has strategies to become effective. According to Lancaster (2017), these strategies include grouping arguments into three, repetition, balance in statements, metaphors, exaggeration, and rhyme. Therefore, in this paper, I will discuss how these strategies can work for me, whether or not some of the presented strategies are useful and practicable in my attempt to become a better public speaker, my experience with public speaking, how becoming a more confident public speaker can benefit my future, and finally the hardships I have or may encounter while trying to be a more confident public speaker.

Public Speaking enhancement strategies

Grouping arguments into three can work for me by making my speech captivating, more persuasive, and trustworthy to my audience. Additionally, the strategy of repetition, repeating the first clause thrice consecutively, can work for me by conveying my emotions to my audience. Moreover, the strategy of balance in sentences can work for me by attracting my audience to my thoughts and speech sentences due to their positivity. Using metaphors can work for me by enabling my audience to understand complicated ideas in speech easily. It can also make my speech enjoyable. Besides, exaggeration can work for me by helping make a point to my audience and allowing them to reflect on the things we naturally do. Finally, rhyme can work for me by making it easier for my audience to grasp and understand my speech rather than using long words and sentences. It can also work for me by making my speech enjoyable to my audience.

All the presented suggestions are valuable and viable for my becoming a better speaker. They make speeches more persuasive, credible, easy to understand, and enjoyable. My experience with public speaking is benign, neither good nor bad, because I have good articulation, intonation, and pronunciation of words and sentences, passing accurate messages to my audience. Although, I need more confidence during speech delivery. For this reason, sometimes I wear masks or shades during speech delivery, thus making my audience judge me differently and making assumptions about my traits. Becoming a more confident public speaker can benefit my future by earning me a living. Public speaking can be turned into a career, as various careers today involve speaking. Therefore, being a more confident public speaker can earn me a public speaking job because nobody would want to hire a public speaker who is less confident.

Benefits of Strong Public Speaking skills

Additionally, becoming a more confident public speaker can benefit my future by exposing me to great life opportunities like traveling, therefore, gaining intercultural experience. For example, If I work in an international organization, everyone knows me for being a confident public speaker. This can grant me a chance to represent the organization in various business trips and meetings out of the country. Being a more confident public speaker can also benefit my future by enabling me to deliver clear messages to my audience in speech deliveries, therefore, enabling them to totally understand my messages. Besides, being a more confident public speaker can benefit my future by making me a trustworthy public speaker in future. Being confident is a big sign of self belief, and if I believe in myself during speech delivery, my audience will automatically believe what I say , thus achieving the goal of persuading people to reason with me. Finally,being more confident in speaking can benefit my future by building my curriculum vitae which may increase my chances of getting employed in organizations whose work is centered on speaking.

Public Speaking Challenges

However, as a result of trying to be a more confident public speaker, I may encounter difficulties like, being afraid of pronouncing words incorrectly. This may especially happen when giving a speech written by somebody else. For example if the writer of that given speech uses long and difficult words. Due to the fear of incorrect pronunciation of the words, I may lack enough confidence when reading them. Additionally, I may get anxious due to the fear of using incorrect grammar and sentence structure in some sentences, this may make me lack confidence when speaking out some sentences. Moreover, it may feel awkward to be the center of attraction while delivering a speech, especially to a big audience, this may make me tense therefore loosing confidence. Lastly, I may get worried about missing what I want to say. The worries may make me rush with the speech so as not to forget my speech thus disrupting my confidence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, public speaking is the act of delivering information to a live audience in oral form. Types of public speaking include persuasive, educative and entertainment speeches. Essentially, the strategies to be an effective public speaker are: grouping arguments into three, use of repetition, balanced sentences, metaphors, exaggeration and rhyme. The mentioned strategies can work for me by making my speech enjoyable, persuasive and trustworthy. Personally, I think all the suggestions presented are viable and useful for my attempt to become better at public speaking. Actually, my experience with public speaking is benign. Basically, becoming a more confident public speaker can benefit my future by earning me a living, exposing me to greater opportunities in life; like traveling, enabling me to deliver clear messages to my audience, thus persuading it to think my way, getting credibility from my audience and finally, building my CV. However, I may encounter difficulties like, being afraid of pronouncing words incorrectly, especially when delivering speeches written by other people, additionally, I may feel uncomfortable to be the center of attraction, especially when delivering speeches to a big audience, and lastly, I may feel worried about forgetting the content of the speech.

References

Lancaster S. (2017). Speak like a leader [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bGBamfWasNQ

Mauriello, T. P. (2020). Developing your public speaking skills. Public Speaking for Criminal Justice Professionals, 213-222. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003047957-16

Corporate Governance

Firms are usually governed and regulated by a set of laws, customs, and procedures known as corporate governance. It deals with the distribution of power among the management, board of directors, shareholders, and other stakeholders of an organization. The board of directors is in charge of corporate governance, and it has as its main objectives to make sure that the business is run in a way that is both ethical and sustainable, that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations, and that it is managed to protect the interests of its shareholders and other stakeholders. The development of procedures to guarantee impartial and efficient supervision of business operations and performance is another aspect of corporate governance. This development of procedures is done to ensure that any possible conflicts of interest or poor management are detected and dealt with and that the business is run in a way that is consistent with its long-term goals. The main objective is to safeguard the company’s long-term prosperity while safeguarding the interests of its shareholders and other stakeholders.

General Electric’s Corporate Governance Practices

General Electric Company is known for being a leader in corporate governance, and other businesses look to it as a model for best practices. Corporate governance is given top priority by the organization, which fosters a culture of accountability, openness, and responsibility. Over 300,000 people work at General Electric, a multinational conglomerate with operations in a number of sectors, including aviation, energy, healthcare, transportation, and finance. The organization, which has a history of innovation and is a leader in its industries, is committed to innovation, sustainability, and corporate responsibility while concentrating on streamlining operations and enhancing financial performance.
This report seeks to analyze a corporate governance report of General Electric Company considering its sizable overseas operations. The critical points of the auditor’s report, the company’s primary strategic concerns, how the company has attempted corporate governance, and any pertinent connections between corporate governance and auditing will all be considered in the company’s corporate governance analysis. The corporate governance data from the company’s 2021 annual report will serve as the foundation for the analysis.

Strategic issues

Any business may experience strategic issues that significantly impact how efficiently it can accomplish its objectives. These concerns may be general in scope and cover various business-related topics, including market position, rivalry, the regulatory environment, technical improvements, and economic situations. For a company to be successful in the long run, it can be crucial to comprehend and effectively solve these problems. General Electric Company’s 2021 annual report highlighted the following concerns:

Competition in maintaining market position: General Electric is taking substantial steps to ensure its growth in the upcoming years. The organization is actively taking steps to strengthen its focus in this sector because it recognizes the significance of digital solutions in the current market. This entails creating a strategic plan to spur future growth and investing in fresh goods, solutions, and skills to keep the company competitive. By doing this, General Electric is setting itself up for success in a constantly shifting market.

Capital Allocation: Capital allocation is a crucial component of General Electric’s strategy. The business concentrates on investments in high-yield markets, including renewable energy, digital solutions, and other technologically innovative fields. By doing this, GE is setting itself up to take advantage of the growth prospects in these sectors and produce significant profits for its stakeholders.

Restructuring: General Electric is going through a significant reorganization process to increase productivity and cut expenses. This entails lowering employee numbers, streamlining processes, and selling off non-core enterprises. These initiatives are meant to increase the company’s cost-effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and agility to better adapt to the shifting market dynamics.

Regulatory Compliance: General Electric is dedicated to adhering to applicable laws, regulations, and regulatory obligations. This includes emphasizing corporate governance and social and environmental norms. The business is aware of how crucial these standards are to keeping the confidence of its stakeholders and guaranteeing a safe and sustainable future. General Electric demonstrates its commitment to producing value for its stakeholders by approaching these issues responsibly.

Strengthening the Balance Sheet: General Electric is dedicated to bolstering its balance sheet and concentrating on growth. This entails selling off non-core companies, lowering debt, and enhancing cash flow. The business understands the importance of a solid balance sheet for long-term development and stability. General Electric is ensuring that it has the financial resources necessary to maintain its current growth and success rate by adopting these actions.

Technology: Because technology is a field that is evolving quickly, General Electric needs to continuously develop and spend money on research and development to be competitive. As the market and customer expectations evolve, the business must be proactive in creating new technologies that enhance its goods and services. A long history of scientific advancements by General Electric includes energy, aviation, and healthcare advancements. To keep up its position as a pioneer in these fields, the corporation must continue to make research and development investments.

Economic circumstances: To succeed, General Electric must adapt its plans and operations to the continuously changing global economy. Economic conditions can significantly impact General Electric’s companies, especially in sectors like aviation and energy that are strongly correlated with the state of the world economy. For the company to preserve its profitability and long-term performance, it needs to quickly adapt its operations and strategy in response to shifting economic conditions.

Analysis of the General Electric’s Corporate Governance

General Electric (GE) has adopted a proactive approach to corporate governance to ensure that its board of directors and management team is acting in the best interests of its shareholders. The corporation’s Board of Directors is in charge of establishing and regulating its corporate governance procedures. The board consists of independent, seasoned members who bring a range of viewpoints and experiences to the table. To make sure that the company’s corporate governance rules and practices are still effective, the board constantly analyzes and assesses these viewpoints. A variety of policies and processes designed to improve transparency, risk management, monitoring, and developing a strong compliance culture have been adopted by the General Electric Board of Directors to support effective corporate governance.

Creating a strong and independent Board of Directors is one of GE’s primary goals. A board of independent directors oversees the company’s operations, reviews and approves management decisions, and ensures legal and regulatory compliance. The board can also oversee management effectively and provide advice where necessary. The General Electric Board of Directors has also developed a yearly self-evaluation procedure to assess its performance and those of the committees it has delegated authority towards. This broadens the board’s duties and makes it easier to ensure it acts in the shareholders’ best interests.

General Electric works with its shareholders to understand their viewpoints and ensure that their interests are considered when making decisions, in addition to strengthening the duties of its Board of Directors. This step improves stakeholder involvement and fosters closer ties between the business and its stakeholders. General Electric has implemented a thorough risk management approach to provide efficient risk management and oversight. This program identifies, monitors, and manages risks to guarantee that the business runs responsibly and sustainably. The company has also built a robust ethics and compliance program to ensure its employees uphold the highest ethical standards. This program promotes a robust compliance culture and aids in preserving stakeholders’ confidence.

Finally, General Electric has implemented several steps to improve transparency and guarantee that shareholders have access to timely and accurate information. This is part of regular reporting on the business’s performance and continual interaction with stakeholders. General Electric is demonstrating its dedication to ethical corporate governance and generating value for its stakeholders by implementing these actions.

To sum up, General Electric’s corporate governance standards are an example for other businesses to imitate since they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to generating long-term value for shareholders. The company has developed a culture of responsibility, transparency, and accountability as a result of placing a high priority on corporate governance. This culture has helped the company achieve its objectives and conduct business in a way that is consistent with its mission and values. General Electric has set the bar for corporate citizenship with its dedication to moral and ethical business practices, demonstrating the value of putting corporate governance first for long-term success.

Highlights of the Auditor’s Report

The General Electric Annual Report for 2021 is a significant report that summarizes the business’s financial performance for that year. The unaltered view of the company’s financial statements is one of the report’s main highlights. This section shows that there were no substantial misstatements in the financial statements giving stakeholders confidence that the data being presented is accurate and trustworthy. The company’s financial statements were presented consistently and openly following US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). As a result, stakeholders comprehensively understood the company’s financial performance and could base their judgments on the information given.
The company’s dedication to preserving effective internal control over financial reporting was also noted in the report. This system is created to offer a reasonable level of assurance regarding the accuracy of financial data and the creation of financial statements that follow US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The organization has put in place practical safeguards to identify and stop serious misstatements, assuring the integrity of the financial data contained in the annual report. The report emphasizes that the financial statements of the company are adequately prepared and in line with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in all material areas. This guarantees that information regarding the company’s financial performance is accurate and comprehensively available to stakeholders. The report also mentions that the business complied with relevant rules and legislation. This displays the firm’s dedication to conducting business that complies with legal and regulatory standards and gives stakeholders confidence that the firm is acting responsibly and ethically.
In other words, the General Electric Annual Report for 2021 is a thorough report that offers valuable details regarding the company’s financial performance. Highlights from the report show the company’s dedication to truth and transparency in financial reporting, including the unaltered opinion on the financial statements and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Relevant Links between Corporate Governance and Auditing

The relationship between corporate governance and auditing should be apparent. While auditing entails verifying a company’s financial records and other information to ensure they are true and comply with current rules and regulations, corporate governance refers to the procedures and processes used to control and manage an organization. Given that auditing is a crucial component of corporate governance, the two are intimately intertwined. The correctness and dependability of a company’s financial accounts, which are essential to corporate governance, are assured by auditors. Internal control systems, a crucial component of corporate governance, are also evaluated by auditors for efficacy.

In order to ensure the accuracy and trustworthiness of General Electric’s financial reports, the interaction between its corporate governance and auditing is crucial. While auditing is an essential component of corporate governance because it provides an unbiased examination of a company’s financial information and aids in the discovery of any inconsistencies, corporate governance establishes the rules for a company’s administration and helps to ensure that its financial statements are truthful and reliable. The Corporate Governance Principles that General Electric (GE) has put into place form the cornerstone of their governance architecture. The corporate governance portion of the annual report provides a detailed explanation of these principles as well as the company’s procedures. As a tool for transparency, this part explains the company’s approach to corporate governance and the steps taken to assure its effectiveness. Board of Directors and Finance and Audit Committee make up General Electric’s corporate governance structure. The company’s financial performance and compliance with pertinent laws and regulations are frequently assessed by the Finance and Audit Committee. The external auditors are in charge of giving independent assurance of the truth and integrity of the financial accounts, and the Audit Committee is in charge of overseeing them. If any problems are discovered, the external auditors must notify the Audit Committee, which will subsequently compile its findings and forward them to the Board of Directors.

It is essential that the Board of Directors is kept informed of any possible problems with the financial statements through this process of review and reporting between the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors. Additionally, it is essential for the board to be able to handle these problems and preserve the integrity and dependability of the company’s financial reports. The Board and the Audit Committee’s close cooperation demonstrates the value of corporate governance and auditing in assuring the quality and dependability of a company’s financial information.

Conclusion

In conclusion, General Electric (GE) must adopt proactive and strategic measures to stay ahead of the curve in order to maintain its market share and remain competitive. This necessitates a sizable investment in research and development (R&D) in order to produce cutting-edge products that can adapt to changing market demands and consumer wants. The business must also uphold the greatest standards for environmental and labor protection, as well as all applicable laws and regulations. This exemplifies General Electric’s dedication to ethical business practices and its duty to its stakeholders.
A complete set of guidelines and procedures have also been established by GE to guarantee the accuracy and dependability of its financial statements. This act shows how strongly committed the company is to good corporate governance and this involves the existence of a Board of Directors and an Audit Committee that actively monitor the work of outside auditors and assess the business’s financial performance. In order for General Electric to continue to comply with all applicable rules and regulations and for its financial statements to fairly depict its financial position, a strong corporate governance framework is necessary.

To reduce the risk of major misstatements in its financial statements, GE should also work to improve its internal control over financial reporting procedures. This can be accomplished by continuing to monitor and evaluate internal controls, regularly training staff members, and promptly putting best practices in financial reporting into practice. The company will further solidify its position in the market and boost stakeholder confidence by focusing on honesty and reliability in financial reporting and adhering to corporate governance.

Analyzing the Success or Failure of the Reconstruction Era

The Reconstruction era was the period following the Civil War that focused on reintegrating former Confederate states and free people into the United States. As the Civil War approached in 1865, President Lincoln began making plans to change the social, economic, and political aspects of the racist American society. The Republicans were intent on improving private property, increasing food production, improving public infrastructure, and ensuring better medical care and housing. Furthermore, reconstruction entailed transforming aspects of Southern society and politics. This meant that the reconstruction era was focused on restoring the Union, enacting progressive legislation supporting freed slaves’ rights, and changing Southern society. For instance, during the reconstruction era there was the amendment of the United States to accord African Americans their right to vote. However, in 1865, President Andrew Jackson enacted the Black Codes, which were intended to control the behavior and labor of former slaves and other African Americans. Because the codes were oppressive, this sparked outrage in the North, resulting in the formation of a radical wing of the Republican Party.

Despite the plan to make the reconstruction era transformative, it was a complete failure due to White resistance. For example, during the early years of Reconstruction, the new state governments were led by inexperienced leaders who were fueled by corruption and greed. This resulted in the collapse of most state governments and Southern Whites failing to comply with new Black legislation. As a result, the Ku Klux Klan emerged, with the goal of maintaining white supremacy and scaring away Black voters and any white who supported Black-passed laws. The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski as a social club in 1865, at the start of the second phase of post-civil war reconstruction (Alexander, 2014). Despite the fact that the reconstruction era was focused on creating a more economically stable society, the Ku Klux Klan caused violence in the South. Since Black participation in the South resulted in election victory, the Ku Klux Klan launched an underground campaign of violence to reverse all radical restoration policies and restore white supremacy in the South.

Furthermore, the Reconstruction era was a complete failure because, after the Confederates were granted the right to vote, the Redeemers who won office were intent on undoing the social and economic reforms. For example, Southern Democrats and Whites emphasized restoring the Old South by enforcing Jim Crow laws that advocated for segregation. As a result, the effects of Jim Crow laws, such as the black codes, made it difficult for formerly enslaved people to gain economic independence. Furthermore, segregated facilities such as public transportation made it difficult for Black citizens to travel, and other separate but equal doctrines limited educational opportunities for Black children(Benedict,2006). The Supreme Court backed such actions, which resulted in the 14th and 15th amendments only working at the federal level. Even though the Radical Republicans had been fighting for equal rights for nearly a decade, everything was upended. As a result of the elimination of Reconstruction programs, the primary goal of the reconstruction era of restoring the economy and establishing a more united America was not met (Shelton,2014). Finally, the struggle to restore Southern society, government, society, and economy was a failure, demonstrating that it was a tragic failure.

References

Alexander, C. C. (2014). The Ku Klux Klan in the Southwest. University Press of Kentucky.
Benedict, M. (2006). Preserving the Constitution: Essays on Politics and the Constitution in the Reconstruction Era. Fordham University Press.

Shelton, J. V. (2014). Reconstruction Delayed: How Presidents and the Southern Civil War Prolonged the End of Reconstruction (Doctoral dissertation).

Marketing Course Reflection

In the marketing world, challenges exist, especially when marketers have to evolve with the changing technological advances. They must align with changing consumer behavior as they seek better ways to understand their preferences, attitudes, and motivations. Participating in this course provided a unique glimpse into the future of marketing. A key takeaway from this marketing course was that integrating psychology and neuroscience in marketing is relevant in digging into the minds of consumers and comprehending how they think and react in particular situations. By understanding the human mind, marketers are better placed to anticipate changes in consumer behavior and introduce strategies that enable their activities to be more successful and effective than before.

My excitement about neuromarketing tools was unmatched, primarily since I have been a victim of subconscious stimuli and purchased products and services I was unaware I needed or wanted to begin with. I was surprised by using emotions, pattern recognition, and memories to articulate decisions and judgments. For instance, encountering small emotional rewards whereby the marketer conditions a consumer by using minute emotions through television advertisements that are entertaining or have narratives was enlightening. It underlined the necessity of content creation whereby influencers position products and services in their daily lives, taking care not to emphasize their marketing activities. Instead, the consumer is unconsciously linked to the brand, service, or product by focusing on the qualities of their lifestyles or personalities. Therefore, this approach that focuses on context over content is attuned to the laziness of the mind and allows emotions of delight, intrigue, or excitement to creep in.

As a budding entrepreneur interested in developing skin care products, understanding how social media influences our sense of identity and personality is critical. We spend many hours on online platforms, and creating artificial images of ourselves has become the norm and a deceiving way to engage people in our circles. As a marketer, this aspect offers merits and demerits. On the one hand, one can tailor advertisements to fit the online profiles and engagements they achieve on the platforms. However, if they are false, the marketer is ineffective in securing authentic engagements necessary to achieve sales and profit. Such findings and perspectives warrant an intense engagement with social media marketing to flesh out the fake profiles or identities and outline the unique behaviors that reveal the authentic self.

In the era of big data, marketers are increasingly encouraged to use data collected to understand and respond to consumer needs. Such methods can provoke customers in ways that encourage purchases, upsell and inspire brand loyalty. I would apply biometrics in my marketing campaigns, especially since it facilities automated data collection. Gone are instances when brands use self-reported data, which offers cases of bias and denies brands opportunities to capture and collect raw data. In the beauty industry, understanding the instantaneous reactions to a product or service is necessary. Arguably, beauty is external, and the need to create a superficial perspective of a person’s face or body takes precedence. In my experiences with beauty products, one may have to hold their morals or ethical perspectives on what is considered beautiful since consumers desire to look good and portray attitudes or moods that make others envy them. Thus, using biometric-based marketing would be the best strategy to achieve this.

Biometric marketing is lucrative for my future business because it helps set up viral content that aligns with consumers’ reactions to external stimuli such as acoustics, verbal and visual. For instance, a marketer can identify or recognize certain emotions without seeking consumer information regarding their feelings. Therefore, if a marketer discovers that a certain video, ideology or phrase creates excitement in consumers, they can use this tactic to stimulate desire and awareness, ensuring that they entice their brands, services or products into the subconscious mindsets of consumers. As a marketer, segmenting, targeting, and positioning are necessary to achieve the desired objectives. Using biometric marketing is enticing because it allows deeper information about a consumer and how best to engage them. By understanding the emotional states of a consumer towards particular offerings, it is easier and more effective to establish promotions geared towards individual consumer profiles or personalities, confident that they will make purchases or interact with the brand. However, it would be necessary to establish ethical frameworks for collecting such data to ensure data integrity and protect consumer privacy.

Having examined the workings of multisensory marketing, I was intrigued by its novelty in creating and triggering multiple sensations in consumers. The approach is similar to overloading the mind with messages that align an individual’s conscious and subconscious thoughts to a brand, service or product. As the course outlined, its influence on behavior, judgment, and perception is consistent with establishing positive brand associations that cut out the superficial effects visual advertisement has on individuals. When marketing beauty products, one may want to create consumer perceptions that continually resonate with positive associations with a brand. When you think of Sephora or Fenty Beauty, positive perceptions immediately crop up since the latter makes you think of Rihanna and her flawless beauty. In contrast, the former makes you imagine the unique black-and-white store designs that stretch the consumer’s imagination. Thus, for my future business, I would focus on packaging beauty products, ensuring they capture different layers of the characteristics they offer. In such dynamics, establishing a creative design and layout for the physical stores, website, and product packaging is a worthwhile proposition to ensure that customers are bombarded with positive associations about the brand. Therefore, by considering the recall and familiarity of sensory branding, there are opportunities to trigger emotional responses and attachments in consumers when they think of a certain brand, service, or product.

Overall, this marketing course has provided me with better insights regarding the adoption of psychology and neuroscience in marketing, which provides deeper insights into consumers’ minds. A key question, however, is the implications of neuroscience marketing to ethics. My interest in the beauty sector underlies a moral framework whereby pursuing superficial traits such as physical beauty may cross the line. We have witnessed instances where brands have manipulated consumers into believing that a certain product or service will make them look younger, whiter, or darker, depending on their fancy. Neuroscience marketing allows an even more intimate comprehension of consumer needs. Diving into consumers’ subconscious needs and wants blurs the lines of reasons between influencing consumers or manipulating them into making purchases. This concern can be dealt with by performing more research on neuroscience marketing, especially its implications for the privacy and rights of consumers. By achieving a semblance of legitimacy in applying these marketing strategies, marketers can build trust with customers and establish authentic and transparent marketing processes that underline a sustainable framework for themselves and the consumers they serve.

Gulf of Mexico Annotated Bibliography

Rabalais, N. N. (2011). Troubled waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Oceanography, 24(2), 200-211.

The author addresses the issue of environmental problems and challenges experienced in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. According to the author, the spilling of crude oil and methane gas that resulted from mechanical and safety failures in the Macondo well has been the main cause of pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. The author further argues that the oil spills greatly impacted the environment, with most lives of human beings and microbes being affected. Moreover, the gushing crude oil also resulted in a decrease in water quality, the loss of most wetlands, and the creation of the largest hypoxic zone in the United States. The book also addresses the remedies that can be incorporated to enhance the restoration of the Mexico ecosystem.

Dias, L. A., Litz, J., Garrison, L., Martinez, A., Barry, K., & Speakman, T. (2017). Exposure of cetaceans to petroleum products following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Endangered Species Research, 33, 119-125.

The article addresses the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the cetaceous species and the actions to be taken to address this issue. According to the authors, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill greatly affected the cetacean species’ life and habitat by flooding their environment. Moreover, the author also addresses the cetaceans’ inability to avoid oiled water, nullifying the previous thought that these species can avoid oiled water. As a result, a conclusion is made that there is a likelihood of direct exposure of petroleum to other organisms, thus the need to consider other animals during response activities.

Li, K. Sidorovskaia, N.A., Guilment, T., Tang, T.,& Tiemann, C.O.( 2023)Investigating beaked Whale’s regional habit division and local density trends near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site through acoustics.

The article explores the use of acoustics to investigate regional habitat division of beaked Whales and the local density trends within the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site. To enhance this, data was collected in the Cayon valley, and a multistage algorithm developed to aid in the classification of the different species of beaked whales. The authors points out that the beaked whales still feeds on the areas after the spills thus he needs to understand the potential effects of the spills on these species nad the conditions of these habitats.

Li, K., Sidorovskaia, N. A., Guilment, T., Tang, T., & Tiemann, C. O. (2021). Decadal assessment of sperm whale site-specific abundance trends in the Northern gulf of Mexico using passive acoustic data. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 9(5), 454.

The article explores the use of passive acoustic monitoring method to study the regional population of sperm whales in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, the authors also assess the negative impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill through the use of acoustic data in the Cayon area and conclusions made after comparing the sperm abundances before and after the oil spillage. The results acquired proves that acoustic monitoring is effective in understanding population changes in sperm whale and the effects of environmental stressors on their habitats.

Ackleh, A. S., Chiquet, R. A., Ma, B., Tang, T., Caswell, H., Veprauskas, A., & Sidorovskaia, N. (2017). Analysis of lethal and sublethal impacts of environmental disasters on sperm whales using stochastic modeling. Ecotoxicology, 26, 820-830.

The authors explore the effects of environmental disasters on sperm whales through stochastic modeling. To enhance this, the author uses matrix population methods to understand how survival reductions and fecundity impacts the recovery process of the sperm whale population. By doing this analysis, the authors seek to provide an insight into the connection between the disaster magnitude and the probability of population recovery to the normal population prior to the disaster.

References

Ackleh, A. S., Chiquet, R. A., Ma, B., Tang, T., Caswell, H., Veprauskas, A., & Sidorovskaia, N. (2017). Analysis of lethal and sublethal impacts of environmental disasters on sperm whales using stochastic modeling. Ecotoxicology, 26, 820-830.

Dias, L. A., Litz, J., Garrison, L., Martinez, A., Barry, K., & Speakman, T. (2017). Exposure of cetaceans to petroleum products following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Endangered Species Research, 33, 119-125

Li, K., Sidorovskaia, N. A., Guilment, T., Tang, T., & Tiemann, C. O. (2021). Decadal assessment of sperm whale site-specific abundance trends in the Northern Gulf of Mexico using passive acoustic data. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 9(5), 454.

Li, K. Sidorovskaia ,N.A., Guilment, T., Tang, T.,& Tiemann, C.O.( 2023)Investigating beaked Whale’s regional habit division and local density trends near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site through acoustics .

Rabalais, N. N. (2011). Troubled waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Oceanography, 24(2), 200-211.

Leading Causes of Death in the US

What are the top ten leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Nations Center for Health statistics? Based on what you have learned in Health Financial Management, Provide a real-world solution on how health service managers can reduce mortality rates in healthcare organizations.

In the United States Health Care Delivery system, there is a wide variation in health care cost and quality. According to the Nation Center for Health Statistics, many deaths have occurred due to some of these top ten leading causes of death in the United States (Heron, 2021). Deaths from these causes accounted for 74% of all deaths in the United States over the previous five years (Vincent & Hannah, 2019). Over the previous five years, the major causes of death in the United States have remained largely constant. The Nations Center for Health Statistics reports that the top ten leading causes of death in the United States are: Heart disease, Stroke and cerebrovascular diseases, Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Covid-19 (Ahmad & Anderson, 2021), Unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle crashes), Diabetes, Suicide, Influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and Chronic lower respiratory disease. These diseases account for almost one-third of all deaths in the United States.
Cancer and heart disease have held the top two rankings as the leading killers in America for more than ten years, respectively. Together they accounted for over a quarter of all deaths in the United States over the previous five years. Heart disease and cancer cover more than half of the causes of death that may cause death in America.

Health financial management is a process whereby health services are planned, designed and priced to provide society with the greatest possible value. It utilizes policy and procedures in hospitals and other healthcare systems. Health financial management deals with budgeting, pricing, cost control, revenue enhancement, and chargeback methods (Stadhouders et al., 2019). Health services managers are continuously engaged in this process. They make effective healthcare decisions using performance measurement, cost accounting, and budgets. They manage healthcare facilities’ financial performance using different budgeting and pricing methods.

The health services manager is required to understand how the costs are determined. The cost of providing the service is defined as a percentage of the total charges that are sent to patients. Health services managers should also be able to manage their facilities by developing appropriate strategies and policies to help them make effective decisions to improve their facilities operations. It may be possible to increase the quality-of-care delivery systems to the point where it lowers hospital mortality through effective leadership (Ginter et al., 2018), solid information, a performance improvement plan based on strong local evidence, and a community-wide approach.

The mortality rate is a key performance indicator used in finance to express how well healthcare systems perform. Health services managers can reduce the mortality rate in healthcare organizations by 1) Using a performance improvement plan, B) Applying a community model, 3) Using an outcome-based payment model, 4) Changing the quality of care, 5) Implementing various payer-based payment model in order to improve the quality of care. 6) Changi the current pricing structure 7) Implement a Health information technology application to maximize impact on reducing mortality rate 8 ) Apply more financial models in order to manage cost effectively 9 ) use risk analysis, other financial models, and other methods to manage cost-effectively through these methods mortality rate can be reduced in health care organizations.

References

Ahmad, F. B., & Anderson, R. N. (2021). The leading causes of death in the US for 2020. Jama, 325(18), 1829-1830.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2778234/?ltclid=

Ginter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2018). The strategic management of health care organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3qVFDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Health+Financial+Management+health+service+manager+can+reduce+mortality+rates+in+healthcare+organizations.&ots=4UHuslrXLJ&sig=wPBQSj3Ad1CG3RYiGLF1tUPdOtg

Heron, M. P. (2021). Deaths: leading causes for 2018.
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/104186

Stadhouders, N., Kruse, F., Tanke, M., Koolman, X., & Jeurissen, P. (2019). Effective healthcare cost-containment policies: a systematic review. Health Policy, 123(1), 71-79.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851018306341

The top 10 leading causes of death in the United States (no date) Medical News Today. MediLexicon International.
Medically reviewed by Vincent J. Tavella DVM, MPH — By Hannah Nichols on July 4, 2019
Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282929#heart-disease