Running Head Quattroporte Inc Foreign Based

Running Head Quattroporte Inc Foreign Based As executives with the Canadian-based software company, Quattroporte Inc, we were charged with identifying the most suitable location for opening a foreign-based subsidiary to process sales outside of North America. Offshoring will help maximize profits for our organization which is in a period of hyper growth. As part of this study our team will be looking at the jurisdictions of Ireland, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. To analyse the suitability of the aforementioned jurisdictions we will be discussing issues of globalization, tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, trade regulations, regional trading arrangements, international factor movements and multinationals, foreign exchange and risk strategies, international/regional banking factors, professional services support, taxes, capital flow/repatriation of profits, IP rights, political and policy direction, and country risk/freedom. Selection criteria will be explained and weighed for each jurisdiction. Results of this analysis will yield information which will inform managerial decision-making in establishing our foreign-based subsidiary. IRELAND Background Over time, Ireland has become a significant offshore jurisdiction. A full-fledged member of the European community, it has managed to attract significant international business commitments through its attractive taxation reductions. Lying to the West of Great Britain, having gained independence from the latter in 1922, this English speaking country of 3.5 million (1.2 million live in Dublin) is governed by a democratically elected parliamentary government. Population 4.7 million Labour force 2.1 million Unemployment rate 14.6% Public debt 118% of GDP. Communication Ireland possesses a modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay. Transportation Ireland benefits from an extensive network of airports (16), railways (3,237 km), roadways (96,036 km), waterways (956 km), and a merchant marine (31). Government Ireland is a republic and has a parliamentary system of government. The head of state is the elected President of Ireland who serves for a 7-year term. Ireland also has a prime minister (called the Taoiseach) who is nominated by the House of Representatives (called Dà ¡il Éireann) and then appointed by the president. Besides the lower house, the House of Representatives, there is also an upper house, the Senate (or Seanad Éireann). Ireland is a member of the European Union and one of the original 11 countries to adopt the euro as its currency in 1999  [1]  . Ireland is politically stable and their government is well on its way to reduce planned reductions of public servants. Economy Since 2008, Ireland has suffered from a significant debt-laden bust following the Celtic Tiger boom which had been predicated on debt and an unsustainable housing bubble. Although they experienced a significant drop in economic activity following the 2008 financial crisis, the Irish government has made significant efforts to rectify the situation. This has included the establishment of a National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) in 2009 and across-the-board cuts in spending  [2]  . Half of the top 50 banks and 20 insurance companies are hosted in Ireland. In 2008 the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) investments were equivalent to 11 times Irelands GNP. The Irish Stock Exchange hosts about a quarter of international bonds. Taxation Since October 1999, all Irish companies are liable to Irish corporation tax (regardless of where they are controlled or owners country of residency), they are no longer tax-free entities and must therefore pay Irish corporation tax, register with Internal Revenue Commissioners, and file annual tax returns. They have also established an extensive network of tax treaties which include the provision of exchange of information. This makes it important to ensure that management is based somewhere fiscally neutral. The following three principal elements make Ireland stand out as a tax haven  [3]  : Corporate Taxation in Ireland is set at 12.5% on profits for all trading companies (non-trading income is taxed at 25%). A 25% corporate tax rate relates to passive income whereas capital gains tax is 30%. Near-absence of transfer pricing rules (source of loopholes in international tax) lets multinationals artificially relocate their profits away from Ireland, usually via transfer pricing mechanisms, to lower-tax or zero-tax jurisdictions. As such, large portions of multinationals profits are sheltered from Irish tax. Membership in the European Union grants Ireland political stability and special access to European markets, membership has also kept it tax haven blacklists (e.g. Caymen Islands and Bermuda), and many countries that would apply withholding tax on interest paid to traditional tax havens do not apply them to Ireland because its classified as onshore. Relationships with International Bodies Overall, Irelands place within the European Union, weak rules on transfer pricing, and broad network of tax treaties make it particularly attractive for offshoring. Case in point, according to a recent study, 60% of companies pay no to virtually no corporation tax. Effective tax rates were estimated at 7.3% in Ireland compared with 37% in France and 26% in Canada  [4]  . This has resulted in other European countries crying foul play and also triggered beggar-thy-neighbour policies. They still have much work to do to implement better financial transparence. Intellectual Property Protection Ireland ranks 7th on the Global Intellectual Property Index (GIPI)  [5]  . Ireland is a common law jurisdiction with an independent and efficient court system, a wide range of legal protections for the creators/owners of Intellectual Property Rights and the possibility of obtaining generous state grant assistance with research and development projects. Isle of Man Background The Isle of Man is an internally self-governing dependency of the British Crown and the people are British citizens. It is not formally part of the United Kingdom but is within the British Isles. The Isle of Man has its own currency the Isle of Man pound (Manx) that runs at par with the UK pound. Douglas is the Capital city and the largest town and the entire island is very small at 570 sq. miles. The primary language for business is English. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.6% and the standard of living is high with a life expectancy of 80.76 years and has a very low crime rate. Population 85,421 Labour force 41,790 Unemployment rate 2% Public debt Nil. Communication The Island is known to have a world-class telecommunications infrastructure and offers a full range of services including voice and data communications. Transportation The Isle of Man is very small and has therefore very little transportation infrastructure. It has one airport, a small railway (63 km), roadways (500 km), and a sizable merchant marine (98). Although 321 ships are registered in the Isle of Man, 223 of these are foreign owned. Government The head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor. The executive head is the Chief Minister. The capital contains both the government offices and the parliament chambers. (Tynwald). The Isle of Man is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating government in the world. It is a dependency of the Crown so is able to set many of its own laws except on issues of defense, foreign affairs and consular services. Isle of Man contributes financially to the UK for these services and protection. Economy The Isle of Man has a very impressive track record regarding its economic success. The Isle of Man has been a remarkable economic story in the past three decades and has benefited from 28 years of continuous economic growth as quoted from an Ernst and Young Report, Isle of Man: Economic Report dated May, 2012. The GDP of  £3.2 Billion ($4.9bn US) is very high for a population of only approximately 85,000 people  [6]  . The Isle of Man also enjoys full and free access of Industrial and Agricultural goods movement with the European Union under Protocol 3 of the Treaty of Succession. Isle of Man has been successful in diversifying its economic base away from Agricultural to more diverse selection including financial services, aerospace and information communication technology (ICT). Taxation The Isle of Man sets its own taxes independently of the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man has no separate corporate, estate or inheritance or gift taxes. Income tax is levied at relatively low rates and VAT (Value added tax) is applied in a very similar manner as the UK. Companies are subject to income tax and not a separate corporate tax. Income tax is often zero unless they are engaged in earning profits from Isle of Man land e.g. rental income or property development or from banking then the rate of tax is 10%. Residents of the Island pay up to 20% of their total income to a maximum of 120,000 in tax which has proven attractive for the very wealthy. Capital gains tax is zero  [7]  . Since many view the Isle of Man as a tax heaven there are certain risks with this location. For example the Subsidy towards VAT has been removed by the UK to the Island in the amount of  £200 million yearly which has a big impact on their ability to keep taxes at zero. Also, there can be a negative connotation from working out of an area that is known to be a tax heaven. Relationships with International Bodies The Isle of Man became recognized as part of the WTO under the United Kingdoms ratification agreement in 1997. Also OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) recognizes the Isle of Man as a member under the United Kingdom. Other bodies such as FATF, FSF and the IMF all have the Isle of Man in good standing with high levels of controls and protections in place. IMF had done a detailed assessment of the Isle of Mans regulatory and anti-money laundering framework in late 2002 and determined that Isle of Man had a high standard of compliance with all assessed areas  [8]  . Intellectual Property Protection The Isle of Man has a modern system of copyright protection. Computer software is protected in the same manner as prescribed in EC directives. The Isle of Man does not have its own trademark register but the UK system extends to the Island. UK trademarks are protected under Isle of Man civil law. Similarly, UK Patent law extends to the Island and Isle of Man law protects UK registrations. The UK ranks in 2nd place on the Global Intellectual Property Index (GIPI) slightly behind 1st place Germany  [9]  . GIBRALTAR Background Strategically significant, Gibraltar was relinquished to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. This led to the British garrison being declared a colony in 1830. In 1969, Gibraltar was granted autonomy by the UK which led Spain to close their border and sever all ties. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held talks aimed at establishing a temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. This move was however rejected by most Gibraltarians following a 2002 referendum. Tripartite talks have continued since 2004 with the hopes of resolving current disputes and developing cooperation agreements dealing with such things as taxation, communications, customs services, and other contentious issues. In 2009, a dispute over territorial waters gave rise to sporadic non-violent confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. Of particular importance is the non-colonial constitution which was enacted in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognizing Gibraltars right to regulate its tax regime. The UK is however still responsible for looking after matters of defence, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability  [10]  . Population 29,034 Labour force 12,690 Unemployment rate 3% Public debt 7.5% of GDP Communication Adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities. Transportation The Isle of Man is very small and has therefore very little transportation infrastructure. It has one airport, few roadways (29 km), and a small merchant marine (13). Although 267 ships are registered in Gibraltar, 254 of these are foreign owned. Government The monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor. Economy Gibraltar adheres to the common law charter and its workforce is highly-educated. The Gibraltar Pound serves as the official unit of currency (in monetary union with the UK pound sterling). No foreign exchange regulations are in effect and complete freedom exists to move funds in and out of Gibraltar as well as the ability to convert funds to any other currency. Taxation The overall corporate tax rate is 10%. Companies pay tax on income that is accrued and derived in Gibraltar. If it can be proven that said income is not accrued and derived in Gibraltar, the income is non-taxable. The company can apply to the Commissioner of Income Tax to have this confirmed in an advance tax ruling (subject to certain conditions and restrictions). Furthermore, there are is Capital Gains Tax in Gibraltar  [11]  . Relationships with International Bodies As a member of the European Union, Gibraltar is subject to almost all European Law. Gibraltar can already take advantage of European Union directives that facilitate cross border business within the European Union in respect of insurance, banking and investment services. Gibraltar licensed or authorised financial institutions can provide services throughout the EU and EEA without having to seek separate licenses or authorisation in the host Member State. This is known as the passporting of financial services. Intellectual Property Protection A companys trading name, product/service brands, associated strap lines, logos and other aspects of get-up or brand image can be protected as registered trademarks. A trade mark must have been previously registered in the UK prior to being registered at Gibraltar Companies House. Patents must also have been previously registered in the UK prior to registration with Gibraltar Companies House. Recommendation To come to a recommendation we compared each jurisdiction using the eight risk factors identified in Table 1. As such, each factor was assigned a value from 1 thru 5, 1 being very low risk and 5 being very high risk. This risk analysis allowed us to identify which jurisdiction provided the least amount of risks based on the selected criteria. Such data provided valuable insights into the relative stability of the economies as a whole, their ability to keep taxes low, the repatriation of funds back to the head office and highlights known risks associated with each country. Table 1: Risk Assessment for jurisdictions Ireland Isle of Man Gibraltar Economy Low Risk (2) in recession following collapse of the real estate bubble high unemployment Low Risk (1) strong GDP; low unemployment Low Risk (1) strong GDP; low unemployment Government Low Risk (2) Low Risk (1) Low Risk (1) Taxation Low Risk (2) Low Risk (1) Low Risk (1) very straight forward Repatriation of profits Low Risk (1) Low Risk (1) Low Risk (1) very easy and straight forward Relationships with International Bodies Low Risk (1) Low Risk (2) some countries are disagreeable with its territorial legal status High risk (4): major territorial ownership and political disagreement with neighbouring Spain Intellectual Property Protection Low Risk (1) Low Risk (1) UK rules Low Risk (2) UK rules + Gibraltar registration Technology Infrastructure Low Risk (1) Low Risk (2) adequate but not excellent Low Risk (2) adequate but not excellent Costs of setting up merchant account with internet low cost credit card transactions processing Low Risk (2) competitive internet based rate but more expensive than offshores Low Risk (1) Competitive internet based rate Low Risk (1) Competitive internet based rate Total Risks Summary 12 10 (Lowest) 13 Best Choice We also looked at other factors including GDP, unemployment rates, and various tax rates (corporate tax rate, capital gains tax, and stamp tax) to determine overall suitability (see table 2). Once again, the Isle of Man stands out due to its 0% tax rate and sound economic indicators. Table 2: Summary Stats We also looked at some financial considerations in dollar amounts. As such, Table 3 provides some financial data on the impact of taxation if our company made a profit of $5M or $55M and we show the after Corporate tax amount resulting from such calculations. We also added a column to show the impact on profits if we remained in Canada and did not use a subsidiary. As you can see the Isle of Man has a distinct advantage over all other competitors and with no Repatriation costs it has a substantial benefit over the Canadian market place as well. Table 3 Impact of Taxation on Corporate profits Corporate Profits (approximate) Ireland Isle of Man Gibraltar Canada Profits $5,000,000.00 $4,375,000.00 $5,000,000.00 $4,500,000.00 $3,900,000.00 Profits $55,000,000.00 $48,125,000.00 $55,000,000.00 $49,500,000.00 $42,900,000.00 CONCLUSION Opening a foreign-based subsidiary to process sales outside of North America can be very beneficial given that Quattroporte is looking at international trading. By establishing such a subsidiary, we will be able to circumvent withholding taxes on outgoing payments of dividends, interest and royalties. The routing of dividends through jurisdictions with favourable double tax treaties can help our organization avoid many such tax retentions. The key issues we looked at were: Zero to very low withholding taxes on dividends. No taxes in the jurisdiction of the holding company. Zero to very low withholding taxes on dividends (paid from holding company to shareholder). Although not a crucial immediate issue we should also consider whether our company would be subject to any tax on a future disposal of the subsidiary, or whether there would be any tax on a disposal of the holding company shares. It will also need to be considered whether Canada has any special provisions that apply to dividends from tax haven jurisdictions given our intent to locate to such countries. When identifying the most suitable location for opening a foreign-based subsidiary, we have found that the Isle of Man with its array of tax benefits, stable government, strong economy, and myriad of corporate and financial services will ultimately save our organization money, increase profits and streamline the operating costs of our business.

Psychological assessment tools

Validation history, strength and weaknesses: One of the criticism of the gung scale Is that It used graded responses that may be confusing to elderly patients ,and so they may require assistance from the examiner to complete the form. Another problem with the test is that the mean score for elders Is significantly higher than that for younger subjects, with many normal elders assessed as false positive. It also misses depression in the elderly if it takes the form of multiple somatic complaints. Many authors have advised that it should NT be used for either research or clinical assessment of geriatric depression.Despite the concerns over the use of gung self depression scale in elderly , it still continues to be used for research especially in Europe,where it has been noted to revel sex and differences In in scales factor structure in the elderly population-the scale has also en translated to many languages including Arabic, German ,Portuguese and Spanish. 2. Millions clinical multir acial inventory. In 1969, Theodore millions undertook the test construction of the mimic. It contained 11 personality scales and clinical syndromes. Alt was revised both in 1989 and 1994.The millions clinical multiracial inventory is used to asses patient with a suspected or known psychological disorder to refine the diagnoses. The test is designed to be used specifically with adults. While it is developed mainly for use with mentally ill population. Scope: It is sometimes used for patients without a known psychological disorder. It can sometimes provide onsite into personality traits that can help people in psychotherapy NAS other settings. The MIMIC contains a total of 28 scales broken down into 24 clinical scales(personality and clinical syndrome scale).The 14 personally scales include; schizoid, avoiding, depressive ,dependent, histrionic, narcissistic,c antisocial, sadistic, compulsive, negativism,masochistic, psychotically, borderline and paranoid. The clinical scales include; anxiety, comparators, bipolar, hysteria, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, PATS, thought disorder, delusion disorder, and major depression. The mortifying indices include disclosure scale (x) , the desirability scale (y), and the debasement scale (z). Items: There are 175 true or false questions ,which ar designed to be completed in half an hour.The test closely coordinates with the ADSM . Patients' raw scores are converted to Base Rate (BRB) scores to allow comparison between the personality indices. The Base Rate scores are essentially where each score fits on a scale of 1-115, with 60 being he median score. Conversion to a Base Rate score is relatively complex, and there are certain corrections that are administered based on each patient's response style The Disclosure scale is the only scale in the MIMIC-III in which the raw scores are interpreted and in which a particularly low score is clinically relevant.A raw score above 178 or below 34 is considered to not be an accurat e representation of the patient's personality style as they either over-or under-disclosed and may indicate questionable results. A base rate score of 75 or greater on the Desirability or Debasement scales indicate that the examiner should proceed with cautioner the Personality and Clinical Syndrome scales, base rate scores of 75-84 are taken to indicate the presence of a personality trait, or (for the Clinical Syndromes scales) the presence of a clinical syndrome. Scores of 85 or above indicate the persistence of a personality trait or a clinical syndrome .Validation History and psychometric properties: Theoretical-substantive validity[edit] The first stage was a deductive approach and involved developing a large pool of items; the number of items was reduced based on a rational approach according to he degree to which they fit the theory as well as elimination of items based on simplicity, grammar, content, and scale relevance. Internal-structural validity[edit] Once the initial i tem pool was reduced, the second validation stage assessed how well items interrelated, and the psychometric properties of the test were determined.Internal consistency is the extent to which the items on a scale generally measure the same thing. Cockroach's alpha statistics range from . 66 (Compulsive) to . 90 (Major Depression). Test-retest reliability is a measure of the stability of the measure, or the change over time. The higher the correlation, the more stable the measure is. Based on 87 participants, the test-retest reliability of the MIMIC-III (5-14 days later) ranged from . 82 (Debasement) to . 96 (Comparators) with a median coefficient of . 91 . These however, no long-term data are available. External-criterion validity[edit] The final validation stage includes convergent and discriminative validity of the test, which is assessed by correlating the test with similar/dissimilar instruments. Positive predictive power is the likelihood of being right given a test positive, w hich ranged from . 30 (Masochistic) to . 1 (Dependent). Sensitivity, or the proportion of individuals that have a condition that are correctly identified ranged from . 44 (Negativism) to . 92 (Paranoid). Strength and weaknesses; the test is brief in comparison to other personality inventories and it has a strong theoretical basis.Some psychologists prefer to give it because the administration and scoring are simple, and it has a multi-axial format. The organization of the scales was confirmed by factor analysis and correlations done with third-party tests further confirm the validity of the scales. Internal consistency and alpha coefficients for the est., as well as test-retest reliability, are all good. 3. BECK'S ANXIETY INVENTORY The Beck Anxiety Inventory (ABA), created by DRP. Aaron T. Beck and other colleagues. It is a 21 -question multiple-choice self-report inventory that is used for measuring the severity of an individual's anxiety.The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a well accept ed self-report measure of anxiety in adults and adolescents for use in both clinical and research settings Scope: Though anxiety can be thought of as having several components, including cognitive, somatic, affective, and behavioral components, Beck et al. Included only two components in the Basis original proposal: cognitive and somatic. [2] The cognitive subspace provides a measure of fearful thoughts and impaired cognitive functioning, and the somatic subspace measures the symptoms of physiological arousal.Because the somatic subspace is emphasized on the ABA, with 15 out of 21 items measuring physiological symptoms, perhaps the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of anxiety are being deemphasized. Therefore, the ABA functions more adequately in anxiety disorders with a high somatic component, such as panic disorder. On the there hand, the ABA won't function as adequately for disorders such as social phobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder, which have a stronger cogni tive or behavioral component.

Ilm Motivating to Perform Essay

Introduction In the following assignment I am going to describe the value of formal and informal performance assessments within ***** and identify ways that will ensure that it is a fair and objective process. Following this I will highlight the factors that influence how people behave in the workplace, and how I would apply a recognised theory of motivation to my team, to improve their performance. I will explain why feedback is important to improve communication and the performance in my team and compare the effectiveness of different types of feedback used in the workplace. Performance Assessment Performance Management is a continuous process that involves informal and formal reviews as required. As Plachy and Plachy explained ‘Performance review occurs whenever a manager and an employee conï ¬ rm, adjust, or correct their understanding of work performance during routine work contacts.1’ this is the best way to manage performance. The objective of a performance review is to improve the performance of the individual which will in turn improve the performance of the company. Performance reviews are very effective to both individual and the organisation. It can identify an individual’s strengths and areas of development and indicate how their strengths can be used within the company and how to overcome the individual’s weaknesses. This can also improve communications by giving staff the opportunity to talk and their ideas and expectations and how well they think they are progressing. Currently *****is going through a lot of procedural changes. There are no formal systems for appraisals currently with ****** but they are looking at introducing and implementing Formal Performance and Appraisal Reviews. When implemented each employee will have an appraisal three times within a 12 month period. This will be with a member of HR and the employee’s line manager. Currently we have very little is the way of formal appraisals, It is important to have formal appraisals annually once introduced as it shows the employee what their strengths and weaknesses are, in finding this we can then turn the weaknesses into their strengths enable the management team to improve the team and KPI’s. This said personally as a Team Lead I do try to have regular informal appraisals with my Team Members. This is beneficial to them and also to myself as it gives the opportunity to identify and deal with issues which they may have. We can agree and set new objectives which can be achieved or even exceeded. On each informal appraisal I make point of recognising the achievements which were made during the last period, by doing this I feel that the team member knows the work that has been done is appreciated and good work is always noted. This will create motivation and they will want to develop and achieve more. Performance appraisals should be based on trust and mutual respect. An appraisal works best when the team lead and employee know each other and there is mutual respect between the two. Team Motivation There are many different factors which influence how people behave at work and it can depend on the type of work that they do. The environment that people work in is very influential of how people behave at work as they are going to feel a lot better if the environment that they work in is nice and if they like it. If people are not going to get along with one another at work then they are not going to be happy when they are working, therefore they may not perform to the best of their ability and may struggle to meet the demands that ***** has in place. If you have happy workers, then you are going to have a successful organisation. It may be that the employees are not happy with certain factors and motions that are in place at the work place and therefore they are not going to feel passionate about what they are doing and therefore will be less productive. If I was to apply one recognised theory to my team I would choose Job enrichment. The focuses of job enrichment is giving people more control over their work and where possible, allow them to take on tasks that are typically done by supervisors. This means that they have more influence over planning, executing, and evaluating the jobs they do. I would do this by rotating roles on a periodic basis, this will give employees the opportunity to use and gain a variety of skills. I would move employees through different types of jobs that allow them to see different parts *****. This would enable them to learn what different areas in the company do and how each task affects their own work. I believe by doing this it will also increase communication among teams which will in time break down the current silo effect we currently have within ******. ‘Treat people the way they are and they will stay that way. Treat people the way they can become and they will become that way. 2’ – Johann Wolfgang Communication in the workplace Communication skills are important because the way we interact with employees affects how well employees receive the feedback given. A supervisor who can communicate work directives and employee feedback clearly, in a manner that motivates employees instead of alienating them is a more effective leader. Feedback is a main part of the communication process. We may misunderstand the receiver and therefore not fully understand the task or information that has been given, if we did not have some type of feedback from the other party we may never know whether what was done was correct and was completed in the way intended. As a Team leader, part of my role is to give feedback. Feedback is important to individuals and teams. They want to know what they are doing well and where they need to develop. Positive feedback When giving positive feedback full recognition and credit should be given to let employees know that the Team Leader appreciates them. Positive feedback on good performance is a strong motivator, employees are more likely to accept and respond to constructive criticism. When an individual takes pride in their work they need to be recognised and told that they are performing well. This is effective as the employee will want to work harder as they feel they are recognised and appreciated and will want to progress. Negative/Corrective Feedback Corrective Feedback is used to highlight what has been done wrong and indicates where the employee needs to spend their effort, This offers an insight into where and how the individual can improve. When receiving negative feedback the employee tends to remember the bad points and ignore the good this can demotivate them and make them feel insufficient. That said Corrective feedback can give the individual the information they need to correct this and take their performance to the next level. Conclusion To Conclude I have described the value of formal and informal performance assessments within *******.I explained the value of each and identified ways that will ensure that it is a fair and objective process. Following this I highlighted the factors that influence how people behave in the workplace,  and how I apply a recognised theory of motivation to my team to improve their performance. I have explained why feedback is important to improve communication and the performance in my team and compared the effectiveness of different types of feedback used in the workplace. References 1. Title – Performance Management: Getting Results from Your Performance Planning and Appraisal SystemAuthor – Roger J. Plachy and Sandra J. Plachy 2. Title – Faust Author – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832

Augustus and the Augustan Age of the Roman Empire

During the Viet Nam War, the U.S. witnessed how little it means for Congress to have the power to declare war when the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the President, can order troops to engage in police actions. In recent decades weve watched military dictatorships the world over wreaking havoc on civilians in the name of the martial law. And in Imperial Rome, the praetorian guard installed Claudius as the first of the militarily-elected emperors. Having power over the militia means having the power to ignore the will of the people. This was as true with Augustus as it is today. To the extent that Augustus didnt abuse his powers, he was a good leader, but his consolidation of not only military power but also the tribunitian and proconsular in the hands of one man set the stage for the end of popular freedom. The Roman historian Tacitus, from the early imperial period (A.D. 56?-112?), enumerates the powers Augustus swallowed: [Augustus] seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians. Indeed, he attracted everybodys good will by the enjoyable gift of peace. Then he gradually pushed ahead and absorbed the functions of the senate, the officials, and even the law. Opposition did not exist. War or judicial murder had disposed of all men of spirit. Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially. They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old rà ©gime. Besides, the new order was popular in the provinces. (1. 2)-- From The Annals of Tacitus The peace Tacitus refers to is peace from civil war. The bait evolved into what the satirist Juvenal later describes as panem et circenses bread and circuses. The other actions led to the fall of Romes form of republican government and the rise of the single head of Rome, the princeps or emperor. Vice Like leaders today, Augustus sought to end vice. Definitions then were different, though. Three of the problems he faced were: extravagance, adultery, and declining birth rates among the upper classes. Previously, morality had been an individual or family matter. Augustus wanted it to be a matter for legislation, complete with tax incentives for those who married and had children. The Romans didnt want to change their behavior. There was resistance, but in A.D. 9, the law now referred to as lex Julia et Papia passed. Powers originally delegated the pater familias were now matters for the princeps -- Augustus. Where earlier a husband was justified in killing a man he found in bed with his wife, now it was a matter for the courts. Lest this seem humane and evidence of concern for the rights of individuals, the father of the woman caught in adultery was still allowed to kill the adulterers. [See Adulterium.] Augustan Age Sources The Oxford History of the Classical World, edited by Oswyn Murray, John Boardman, and Jasper GriffinA History of the Ancient World by Chester StarrBiography of Horace and selected Odes in translationLegal Status In The Roman WorldThe Ancient History Bulletin 8.3 (1994) 86-98 Leges sine moribus, by Susan Treggiari.Horatian Meters Augustus was impartial in his harsh judgments. When his daughter, Julia, his child by Scribonia, was caught in adultery, she suffered the same fate as any other daughter -- exile [See Dio 55.10.12-16; Suet. Aug. 65.1, Tib. 11.4; Tac. Ann. 1.53.1; Vell. Pat. 2.100.2-5.]. Literature Augustus was restrained in his personal use of power. He tried not to force people to do his will and left at least the appearance of choice: Augustus wanted an  epic poem  written about his life. While its true that he eventually got one, he didnt punish those in his literary circle who turned him down. Augustus and his colleague, the wealthy  Etruscan  Maecenas  (70 B.C.- A.D. 8), encouraged and supported members of the circle, including  Propertius,  Horace, and  Vergil. Propertius didnt need the financial input, but more than that, he wasnt interested in writing epic. His shallow apology to Augustus was on the order of I would if I could. Horace, son of a freedman, needed the patronage. Maecenas gave him a Sabine farm so he could work at leisure. At last, as unencumbered by poverty as he was now burdened by obligations, Horace wrote the and Epodes Book 4 to glorify the emperor. The  Carmen Saeculare  was a festival hymn composed to be performed at the  ludià ‚  saeculares  (secular games). Vergil, who likewise received remuneration, kept promising to write the epic. He died, however, before finishing  The Aeneid, which is considered an ambitious attempt to join the legendary history of Rome with the glorious and noble present embodied in Emperor  Augustus. [See Horace and Augustus, by Chester G. Starr.  The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 90, No. 1 (Jan. 1969), pp. 58-64.] Tibullus and  Ovid, two later writers in Augustus literary circle, were under the patronage of Messalla, rather than Maecenas. Independently wealthy, highly successful Ovid, who was considered the embodiment of Augustan poetry, mocked everything. He was irreverent towards the new morality, even going so far as to write what could be viewed as guidebooks to adultery.  Eventually, he went too far and was exiled by Augustus to Tomi where Ovid spent the rest of his life pleading for recall. [See  DIR Augustus.] A Hard Act To Follow Augustus, living under the shadow of his adoptive fathers assassination, was aware that the appearance of dictatorship could spell his doom. As he amassed power, Augustus took care to make it look constitutional, but all the while, power was accruing in the hands of one man -- rich, popular, smart, and long-lived.  He  was a hard act to follow and with the reduction of power in the Senate and people, the time was ripe for autocracy. The two passages quoted on the preceding page, the Asian Decree, which calls Augustus the bringer of overwhelming benefaction and Tacitus evaluation of him as a man who used bribes, judicial murder, and absorbed the functions of the senate, the officials, and even the law, could hardly be more different, yet they equally reflect near contemporary attitudes towards Augustus.