The article I found is called GM, Ford Step Up Efforts to Reduce Costs in Europe. GM’s Opel subsidiary in Germany has become the largest European employer and wants employees to work longer without a raise. The Jaguar unit in the United Kingdom is planning to cut productions by 15,000 cars. Jaguar is being effected by the US dollars weakness against the British pound and the euro, which undercuts the profits for European companies that export mist of there products to the US. Opel wants to move its company out of Germany to lower wage regions because they have high labor cost. The want to extent their workweek from 35 hours a week to 40 hours a week and they want to freeze works pay. Mercedes Benz was thinking about giving their workers a 2.8% raise but didn’t do it instead they are making their workers work longer hours with no additional pay. The general workers union in the United Kingdom called the production cuts “a tragedy” but said that they have received assurances that there would be no job cuts as a result of production cuts.
This article touches upon many topics we had discussed in class, one is job design. The companies have had to come up with a plan to cut losses. They had to ask themselves what will be done, who will do it, how will it be done, and where will it be done. Their biggest goals here are productions and cut down on losses. In the case of Opel, the answers to those questions are simple. Producing cars is what will be done, factory works will do it, its will be done by extending the workweek from 35 hours a week to 40 hours a week without additional pay, and it will be done in eastern Europe or a lower wage region. This will lower their costs and they will still be able to produce the same about if not more cars.
Another topic this article touched on is need for location decision. The key here is cost of doing business. They need to look at long term commitments and cost; identifying locations were lower wage regions are, adding new factories and the move. The first stage is to minimize transportation costs, labor factors and regional taxes, regulations and trade barriers. Opel wants to move to another place they have to see the advantages and disadvantages of bringing raw materials to their new factory.
Many potential adopted parents have experienced heartbreak, anguish and other problems that can be associated with adoption. There is an imbalance in the Nations foster care system and the system needs to be strengthening and the quality of services improved.
Henry Ford and his engineers designed several automobiles, each one designated by a letter of the alphabet: these included the small, four cylinder Model N (which sold for $500), and the more luxurious six-cylinder Model K (which sold poorly for $2500). In October 1908, ...
The United States recession (which lead to a world recession), began in 1997 and significantly impacted the United States automobile industry during the recession period. The United States automobile industry is still reeling from the effects of the recession throughout the period of economic recovery that continues today. According to Chu and Su, “In this credit-driven recession, one of the hardest hit sectors was the automotive industry, along with the housing and financial markets. Chrysler and General Motors were pushed into bankruptcy; and 276,000 jobs in the automobile and parts industry were destroyed, a whopping 36 percent of the total employment in the sector”.
The automobile industry began with Henry Ford’s production of the Model T in the early 1900’s. With the creation of the assembly line, cars became cheaper and quicker to produce, thus making them affordable for many people. There were originally 500 auto manufacturers. By 1908, there were only 200; and in 1917 only 23 remained. This vast reduction was due to large amounts of consolidation within the industry.
Diamant, Anita. “Is It Safe to Adopt A Child?” McCalls (Jan 1994): 96-99. Rpt. in Family. Vol. 5. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton, FL: S.I.R.S., Inc., 1994. Art. 22.
Wind, Leslie, Devon Brooks, and Richard Barth. "Influences of Risk History and Adoption Preparation on Post-Adoption Services Use in U.S. Adoptions." jstor.org. National Council on Family Relations, Oct 2007. Web. 3 Nov 2013. .
The adoption process involves many individuals other than just the child. Legally, there are approximately seven million registered adoptions. Additionally, non-recorded adoptions also take place, increasing the number of orphans who are united with new families. Parties directly involved include the adoptive parents, the biological parents, and probable siblings. Later in life, as the adoptive child potentially marries, the effects of their adoption story will more than likely also directly touch the spouse and their children as well. Numerous adoptions in the United States prove that their biological parents do not raise a large percentage of children. Consequently, adoption remains a significant aspect of American culture and social structure (Fulghum, 71).
Winkler, P. 2007. Domestic and international adoption. Social Work 52 (2): 189-190. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 10, 2011).
Oak, Manali. "The Effects of Adoption." Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, n.d. Web. 21 Mar 2011. . (Oak)
Ford’s production plants rely on very high-tech computers and automated assembly. It takes a significant financial investment and time to reconfigure a production plant after a vehicle model is setup for assembly. Ford has made this mistake in the past and surprisingly hasn’t learned the valuable lesson as evidence from the hybrid revolution their missing out on today. Between 1927 and 1928, Ford set in motion their “1928 Plan” of establishing worldwide operations. Unfortunately, the strategic plan didn’t account for economic factors in Europe driving the demand for smaller vehicles. Henry Ford established plants in Europe for the larger North American model A. Their market share in 1929 was 5.7% in England and 7.2% in France (Dassbach, 1988). Economic changes can wreak havoc on a corporation’s bottom line and profitability as well as their brand.
Being an adoptive parent can be as fulfilling, or even more so, than being a birth parent, and more individuals need to consider adopting children as a valid life choice. Adoption has been chosen by 7092 individuals or couples in 2013 (InterCountry Adoption Statistics). However, even with those adoptions, “an estimated 20,000 young people ‘age out’ of the U.S. foster care system” (Foster Care Resource Center). With more couples being able to adopt, that number could eventually be reduced to zero.
York Times said, "Adoption is a wonderful option that works out so wonderfully for so many people. But it's not easy. It's not simple" (Klien 1).
Adoption is metamorphosing into a radical new process that is both sweeping the nation and changing it. But this process is not an easy one, there are many steps to go through. Through research it is made a lot easier. Adoption is a also a highly visible example of a social institution that has benefits from and been reshaped by both the Internet and the exponential growth of alternative lifestyles, from single to transracial to gay. It is accelerating our transformation into a more multicultural society; even as it helps redefine out understanding of “family.” The process includes three main steps including a type of adoption, the techniques for location a baby for adoption, arranging a successful adoption, the steps at the hospital, and lastly the legal issues in adoption.
The American Automotive Industry, popularly known as the U.S. Automotive Industry is one of the most rapidly evolving industries in North America. It is generally oligopolistic with a few players who in the past have been known to avoid price competition among themselves. The industry consists of industries manufacturing vehicles, car parts, replaceable parts and those engaged in assembling parts into complete models. However, the most dominant players in this industry are the vehicle manufacturers. The players design various models, produce the various parts that each model needs and assemble them into a finished product before availing them to the market. General Motors, Chlysler and Ford motors, dominate the U.S. Automotive mobile. They are popularly referred to as “The Big Three”.
Carpentry is an enormous part of our world and has had an effect on just about everyone. Without carpenters we wouldn't have our schools, roads, hospitals, hotels, etc. I believe that carpenters do not get as much credit as they should for all they do for our world.