Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Carpenter Bees and How to Get Rid of Them

Carpenter bees can be a real nuisance. They resemble large bumblebees and can be found buzzing around dwellings and other structures where they like to build their nests. Every year, they cause millions of dollars in  damage to dwellings by tunneling into decks, porches, and other wood structures. They can also be aggressive, especially during mating season, and will fly very close to human beings and even bump into them. Fortunately, they rarely if ever sting people and their nests can be removed. Carpenter Bee Basics There are several species of carpenter bee in the United States, but the most common one is the Virginia carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica). These bugs are found throughout the Southeast but range as far as Connecticut to the north and Texas in the west. Carpenter bees range in size from about 5/8 of an inch to 1 inch and look very similar to bumblebees, but theyre not the same.   Bumblebees (genus Bombus) nest in the ground, usually in abandoned rodent nests, and live in social communities. Carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) are solitary bees that burrow into wood. You can differentiate the two by examining the dorsal (upper) side of the abdomen. If its shiny and hairless, its a carpenter bee. A bumblebee, by contrast, has a hairy abdomen. Both are considered beneficial insects because they are  excellent plant  pollinators. Therefore, you should avoid eliminating these insects unless absolutely necessary. Carpenter bees usually live for about one year. Each new generation is hatched in the late summer, emerging from nests in August and September to grow and feed, pollinating flowers as they go  before  settling in for the winter and hibernating. Survivors emerge in April and May to mate. The female carpenter bee excavates a tunnel for her offspring. In each brood chamber, she stores food and lays an egg. Having reproduced, adult carpenter bees die off in July, leaving the new generation to continue the cycle when they emerge a month or so later. Most people encounter carpenter bees during April and May when theyve just emerged to mate. During this time, male carpenter bees tend to hover around nest openings, looking for receptive females. It can be rather unnerving being around them, as the males will also hover aggressively around people who approach the nests. They may even fly right into you. Despite this tough act, male carpenter bees cannot sting. Female carpenter bees can sting, but almost never do. How to Identify Nests If you see a bee emerging from a hole in the ground or within a structure, thats a good indication that youre looking at a carpenter bee nest. To be certain,  look at the entrance holes. A carpenter bee makes an entrance hole slightly bigger than her body, or just about  ½ inch in diameter. The first inch or two of the tunnel is usually made against the wood grain. The bee will then make a right turn and extend the tunnel another 4 to 6 inches in the direction of the wood grain. Carpenter bees will often eliminate their waste before entering their nest, so you might see yellow stains on the surface of the wood, just below the entrance hole. Stavros Markopoulos / Getty Images Though they burrow into wood, carpenter bees dont eat wood like termites do. Since their nest tunnels are limited in size, they rarely do serious structural damage. However, because such excavation requires a lot of energy on her part, a female carpenter bee will often prefer to refurbish an old tunnel to digging a new one. If carpenter bees are allowed to tunnel in the same structure year after year, however, the cumulative damage can be significant.   How to Control Carpenter Bees Your best defense is a good offense. Carpenter bees prefer to excavate untreated, unfinished wood. You can prevent carpenter bees from nesting in the first place by painting or varnishing your homes exterior. If an infestation has occurred, you will need to use an insecticide to eliminate the carpenter bees. Many professionals recommend sprays or dust, which can reach the interior surface of the entrance holes. Apply the pesticide at dusk, when carpenter bees are less active.   For the insecticide to work, the bees much come in contact with it as they crawl through the entrance hole of the nest. Apply the appropriate insecticidal dust in the spring, just before adults emerge to mate. Once you see the bees emerge, wait a few days before filling in the nest holes with wood putty or filler. If you didnt apply the insecticide before the spring adults emerged, you will need to treat the nests in the spring, and again in late summer, when the next generation of adults is foraging. In the fall, seal the nest holes with steel wool, then close off the hole with putty, wood filler, fiberglass, or asphalt.   A professional pest control service is your best choice, especially if you have a large infestation because theyll have specialized tools that can reach deep into crevices. However, if you want to do it yourself, any name-brand insecticide formulated to kill flying insects should work. If youd prefer to use a natural remedy, there are several, including boric acid,  Diatomaceous earth, and citrus spray. You can also contact  your local extension office  to find out which insecticides are effective and legal for use on carpenter bees in your area. Sources Bamabara, Stephen and  Waldvogel, Michael. Residential, Structural, and Community Pests. North Carolina State University. July 2009.Houseman, Richard. Carpenter Bees. The University of Missouri Extension.  Jacobs Sr., Steve. Carpenter Bees. Pennsylvania State University. January 2014UC Davis staff. Carpenter Bees Management Guidelines. The University of California. June 2014.13 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees. HomeRemedyHacks.com. 27 January 2015.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Domestic Violence And The Silent Epidemic - 1233 Words

Every 9 seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten. Domestic violence is a serious problem not only in the U.S., but across the globe. It is known as the silent epidemic because so many victims, majority women, suffer in silence. According to statistics, 85% of domestic violence victims are women. Additionally, statistics show that one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and that an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year (www.NCADV.org). In order to help individuals who are suffering from domestic violence, it is important to first understand the causes and effects of it. There are many theories on what actually causes abuse in relationships but a common theme is power and control. â€Å"Abusers may feel this need to control their partner because of low self-esteem, extreme jealousy, difficulties in regulating anger and other strong emotions, or when they feel inferior to the other partner in education and socioeconomic background† (What Causes Domestic Violence?). Domestic violence can also be due to a cultural belief where the men with traditional beliefs believe that men are superior and that they have the right to control women. Another perspective is that domestic violence is actually a learned behavior rather than genetics and is shaped by early childhood experiences. Men who as children witnessed their parents’ domestic violence are more likely to engage in domestic violenceShow MoreRelatedDiscrimination Against Islamic Women Essay1118 Words   |  5 Pagesas a necessity and something that must be adhered to. 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Sunday, December 15, 2019

The-Impact-of-Mergers--Acquisitions-on-It-Governance-Structures Free Essays

958 The Impact of Mergers Acquisitions on IT Governance Structures: A Case Study Pauline O. Chin Florida Atlantic University, USA George A. Brown Technologies Consultant, Jamaica Qing Hu Florida Atlantic University, USA Chapter 2. We will write a custom essay sample on The-Impact-of-Mergers--Acquisitions-on-It-Governance-Structures or any similar topic only for you Order Now 32 ABSTRACT Developing information technology (IT) governance structures within an organization has always been challenging. This is particularly the case in organizations that have achieved growth through mergers and acquisitions. When the acquired organizations are geographically located in different regions than the host enterprise, the factors affecting this integration and the choice of IT governance structures are quite different than when this situation does not exist. This study performs an exploratory examination of the factors that affect the choice of IT governance structures in organizations that grow through mergers and acquisitions in developing countries using the results of a case study of an international telecommunications company. We find that in addition to the commonly recognized factors such as government regulation, competition and market stability, organizational culture, and IT competence, top management’s predisposition toward a specific business strategy and governance structure can profoundly influence the choice of IT governance in organizations. Managerial implications are discussed. Copyright  © 2008, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. The Impact of Mergers Acquisitions on IT Governance Structures InTRoduCTIon The business environment has become increasingly complex and competitive due to the rapid advances in technology and globalization of the world economy over the last two decades. In order to survive and to compete on a global scale, organizations have sought to increase their market share through mergers and acquisitions (MA) both locally and internationally. In a publication by the Bureau of Census (2002) on mergers and acquisitions in over 41 industries for the year 1998, it was reported that there were 3,882 cases of U. S. companies acquiring other U. S. companies. These data also indicated that there were 483 cases of foreign companies’ acquisitions of U. S. companies at an estimated value of US $233 billion, and 746 cases of U. S. companies acquiring foreign companies at an estimated value of US $128 billion. The trend toward mergers and acquisitions has been clearly demonstrated within the telecommunications industry worldwide (Oh, 1996; Ramamurti, 2000; Trillas, 2002; Wilcox et al. , 2001). Over the last several years, telecommunications companies in North America, Europe, and Asia have looked toward acquisitions and mergers for their survival and growth. During the last decade there has been an increasing number of local and foreign investments in the industry (Oh, 1996; Ramamurti, 2000), due primarily to the deregulation of the telecommunications markets as well as the move toward total or partial privatization of telecommunications companies within developing regions (Gutierrez Berg, 2000; Melody, 1999). Foreign investments in developing countries within Latin America and the Caribbean have increased tremendously over the last 20 years due largely to changes in the regulatory policies within these regions. Historically, companies in Latin America and the Caribbean were owned primarily by the local states. This changed dramatically in the mid-1980s to 1990s as the increasing economic and financial demands on the industry forced companies in the region to look toward foreign investments in order to stay competitive. Gutierrez and Berg (2000) reported that between the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, 14 out of the 24 telecommunications firms in the region privatized their companies. This strategy is also credited with setting into motion the current trend in a majority of the region’s telecommunications companies toward increased partial or total privatization (Gutierrez Berg, 2000; Ramamurti, 2000). As a consequence of this massive privatization and merger-and-acquisition movement in the telecommunications industry, the role f IT in these organizations has changed significantly over the last decade. The traditional relationship of IT providing support services to individual departments within an organization has evolved into one where IT now plays a broader role in achieving the overall strategic goals of the organization via a focus on global enterprise-wide support that encompasses not only multiple departments, but often different countries and cultures as well. As a result, IT governance in the dynamic and complex business environment has been pushed to the forefront of critical issues facing the management of these organizations, in spite of the fact that little research exists on IT governance that attempts to identify and explain the multiple factors that may affect the choice of IT governance structures in the context of mergers and acquisitions in developing regions. In order to address these issues, this article examines the evolution of a governance structure within a global telecommunications network organization, based on a framework developed from the extant literature on corporate and IT governance theories and practices. The article addresses the general research question: In the process of integrating foreign subsidiaries into the host company, what are the factors that influence the choice of IT governance structure? The primary purpose of the article is to contribute to a broader understanding 959 2 more pages are available in the full version of this document, which may be purchased using the â€Å"Add to Cart† button on the publisher’s webpage: www. igi-global. com/chapter/impact-mergers-acquisitions-governancestructures/9761 Related Content Information and Communication Technology and Good Governance in Africa G. Onu (2007). Encyclopedia of Digital Government (pp. 1026-1034). www. irma-international. org/chapter/informa tion-communication-technology-goodgovernance/11628/ Internet Voting: Embracing Technology in Electoral Processes Andru Riera, Jordi Sanchez and Laia Torras (2002). Electronic Government: Design, Applications and Management (pp. 78-98). www. irma-international. org/chapter/internet-voting-embracing-technology-electoral/9997/ Identifying Barriers to e-Government Services for Citizens in Developing Countries: An Exploratory Study Subhajyoti Ray (2011). International Journal of Electronic Government Research (pp. 79-91). www. irma-international. org/article/identifying-barriers-government-services-citizens/56100/ The State of Mobile Government in Turkey: Overview, Policy Issues, and Future Prospects Mete Yildiz (2008). Electronic Government: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 236-248). www. irma-international. org/chapter/state-mobile-government-turkey/9708/ The â€Å"Quicksilver Initiatives† as a Framework for e-Government Strategy Design in Developing Economies Kelvin Joseph Bwalya, Tanya Du Plessis and Chris Rensleigh (2012). Handbook of Research on EGovernment in Emerging Economies: Adoption, E-Participation, and Legal Frameworks (pp. 605-623). www. irma-international. org/chapter/quicksilver-initiatives-framework-government-strategy/64874/ How to cite The-Impact-of-Mergers--Acquisitions-on-It-Governance-Structures, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Impact of Unethical Management Practices on Society

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Unethical Management Practices on Society. Answer: Introduction This report has been providing the brief description about the ethical issues and ethical dilemma. It has been focused on the ethical issues with the one business ethical problem i.e. unethical management behavior. The impact of unethical management behavior on the society has also been described in this report. Before starting, it is important to understand about the ethics in the business. Ethics can be described as the doing right activities and the practices for the welfare of the organization as well as society. In present time, unethical business and management practices can be seen in the various organizations and practiced by various people. Consequences of unethical business practices not only impacts on the business but also affects the society and community in which the organization is operating (Zuber Kaptein, 2014). The society depends so much on the organization as a source of goods, services, employment, and to some level to help in environment protection. When a busi ness decides to misuse the ethical values, that business will fall and will affect the society in many ways (Withanage, 2010). Along with this, those persons who works in the unethical business, they lost the meaning of getting employment. The customers who come from the society will be removed of the products and the services. This shows that how extreme the unethical business can go. Impact on Society It is the sad truth that now almost every company is involved in the unethical behavior for their personal benefit. There are many organizations which are adopting unethical behaviors to maximize the profit. In the present business environment, there is no lie between right and wrong. Those workers who have high moral standards are helpless. They cannot do anything against unethical behavior which they notice in their colleagues. Along with this, due to legal insignificance, the unethical conducts remain unpunished. An employee who is working with the organization having unethical practices, dishonest and fault conducts has directly affected the society. Workers who are involved in the unethical practices are responsible for their actions directly or indirectly (Moore, et al, 2012). Although, they may not found guilty by the court or law but it is understood that they may face stress in terms of mental and physical stress due to immoral actions. When a company is found guilty in doin g unethical practices, the workers of the company face many questions under investigation. If the workers are found to be involved in those false practices then thy may be get blacklisted for their professional career (Welsh Ordez, 2014). There are many workers in various organizations who are involved in the unethical and false practice and they do not know the cause of unease or other health issues. The unethical behavior and practices have the strong impact in the lives of employees who are working in such organizations (Tonus Oru, 2012). Further, the unethical management behavior can harm the society by many other ways. The unethical behavior can harm the sales of goods and services. The customer many deny or boycott to buy the products from those companies due to unethical behavior. Due to business dishonesty, the investors may also deny to buy the share of the companies as investing in the dishonest organization will give poor returns in the result. Immoral dealings and the unethical practices creates mistrust in the society. Along with this, workers face lower productivity, conflicts and cripple in the organization (Kish-Gephart, Harrison Trevino, 2010). Ethical dilemma Ethical dilemma can be described as a moral situation in which a choice has to be made by the person between two unwanted options. The ethical dilemma can be understood by the example. The ethical dilemma in the organization may arise due to various factors such as conflict of personal values, organizational goals versus social values and failure of personal character etc. business dilemma happens when the decision maker in the organization face the choice between two options (Andreoli Lefkowitz, 2009). For example, in an organization the new technology has launched which is very beneficial for both organization as well as client. But in that technology, there are less number of workers is required. Now decision maker is in now ethical dilemma i.e. either he provides the better services to the clients by the new technology or be loyal towards the employees of the organization. In this situation, neither clients nor employees deserve to suffer. Recommendations To reduce the unethical practices, there are some recommendations for the organizations: The seniors and the top management of the organization should cross check the decisions of organizations but they should also be legally correct. In the case of ethical dilemma, there should be the win-win situation. It is not wrong to adopt new technologies as the overall aim of the organization is customer satisfaction. But at the breakdown situation of technology, employees can be used. There should be a code of conduct in the written format for both employees as well as managers. The code of conduct will outline the unethical behavior and measures of the people within the organization (Kaptein, 2011). Conclusion This report has been focused on the unethical management practices in the organization. The impact of the unethical practices on the society has also been analyzed. From the above discussion, it has been observed that the society depends so much on the organization as a source of goods, services, employment, and to some level to help in environment protection. So, when an organization does unethical practices then the organization lost its trust among the consumers. Along with this, those persons who work in the unethical business are also responsible for their actions directly or indirectly. The unethical behavior can harm the sales of goods and services. There might be the condition of ethical dilemma, in which the organization can adopt unethical practices for its personal benefits. In the above given example, company can terminate the employees due to new technology for the personal benefit. So, to overcome from this type of situation, there must be code of conducts for the welfa re of the employees as well as society. References Andreoli, N., Lefkowitz, J. (2009), Individual and organizational antecedents of misconduct in organizations: Journal of Business Ethics, 85 (3), 309-332 Kaptein, M., (2011), Toward effective codes: Testing the relationship with unethical behavior: Journal of Business Ethics, 99 (2) Kish-Gephart, J. J., Harrison, D. A., Trevino, L. K., (2010), Bad apples, bad cases, and bad barrels: Meta-analytic evidence about sources of unethical decisions at work: Journal of Applied Psychology, 95 (1), 1 Moore, C., Detert, J. R., Trevino, L., Baker, V. L., Mayer, D.M., (2012), Why employees do bad things: Moral disengagement and unethical organizational behavior: Personnel Psychology, 65 (1), 1-48 Tonus, H., Oru, I., (2012), Unethical behaviors and their management in human resource management: A content analysis of a company's personnel regulation: Turkish Journal of Business Ethics, 5(10), 173-181 Welsh, D. T., Ordez, L. D. (2014), The dark side of consecutive high performance goals: Linking goal-setting, depletion, and unethical behavior: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 123 (2), 79-89 Withanage, A. J., (2010), Motivated to be unethical: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 5 (3), 55-69 Zuber, F. F., Kaptein, M. M. (2014), Painting with the same brush? Surveying unethical behavior in the workplaceusing self-reports and observer-Reports: Journal of Business Ethics, 125(3), 401-432