Reagent Definition and Examples

Reagent Definition and Examples A reagent is a compound or mixture added to a system to cause a chemical reaction or test if a reaction occurs. A reagent may be used to tell whether or not a specific chemical substance is present by causing a reaction to occur with it. Reagent Examples Reagents may be compounds or mixtures. In organic chemistry, most are small organic molecules or inorganic compounds. Examples of reagents include Grignard reagent, Tollens reagent, Fehlings reagent, Collins reagent, and Fentons reagent. However, a substance may be used as a reagent without having the word in its name. Reagent Versus Reactant The term reagent is often used in place of reactant, but a reagent may not necessarily be consumed in a reaction like a reactant. For example, a catalyst is a reagent  but is not consumed in the reaction. A solvent often is involved in a chemical reaction - it is considered a reagent, but not a reactant. What Reagent-Grade Means When purchasing chemicals, you may see them identified as reagent-grade. What this means is that the substance is sufficiently pure that it may be used for physical testing, chemical analysis, or for chemical reactions that require pure chemicals. The standards required for a chemical to meet reagent-grade quality are determined by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and ASTM International, among others.

French and Spanish Influance essays

French and Spanish Influance essays The French and Spanish responded differently to the culture and economy of the Native Americans. Even though both countries traveled to the New World for riches, their ways of obtaining the riches could not have been more different. The Spanish decided to conquer and enslave the Indians. The French traded peacefully with the Indians and changed both the Indian culture and their own culture to gain confidence with the Indians. The type of Spaniard, which arrived on the New World before 1750, was either a monk or a conquistador. The job of the conquistadors was to capture Indian cities and then loot them of all their riches. After the capturing and looting of cities, the conquistadors would usually enslave all the surviving Indian people to earn money for the conquistador. The Spanish government did not mind this because they got one fifth of all the profits of these settlements known as The Royal Fifth. Because of the lack of Spanish women, the conquistadors intermarried with the Indians creating a new race called Mestizos. In Spain, being a Mestizo or having Native American blood in your veins was looked down upon. The social hierarchy consisted of pure blood Spanish being at the top and pure Native Americans being at the bottom. This created a natural block against any people with Native American blood holding a high position in Spain, which was probably one of the main reasons Indian slavery was never put into question by the Spaniards. The monks of Spain were no better then the conquistadors. The monks only goal was to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism. These servants of God destroyed the Indian temples and built churches where they once lay. No part of Indian culture was allowed to be retained by the Native Americans. The effect of this was the Indians did not accept Catholicism but they also lost ties to their own culture. The French had a more peaceful approach to the Indians. The f...

Quantitative and qualitative assignment wk3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quantitative and qualitative wk3 - Assignment Example The need for undertaking simultaneous changes, in this case, is to ensure that other problems that might arise after implementation of a particular solution is foreseen and planned for if or not sorted in the first step. In any market niche, survival of a particular business highly depends on the handling of challenges and constraints faced (Pettie,  2010). It is crucial in any business to understand the structure of formation of the network through a good understanding of several terminologies used in network theory or rather network analysis. A tree refers to the interconnections of the sub-graphs in a system without the nodes in the system containing complete loops. A spanning tree, in this case, is that part of the tree that contains all the vertices and is in the form of a complete tree on itself. A particular tree, for instance, has various spanning trees that extend in different directions. On the other hand, minimum spanning tree refers to the sub-graphs that have the least summation in terms of weight and lengths. These are crucial parameters in various aspects of a particular business and thus the success of the business partly depends on good understanding of the

Constructivism and post-structuralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Constructivism and post-structuralism - Essay Example Definitions of constructivism frequently stress the dual character of social and material world. Social constructions, in this conceptualisation, must refer back to and hook up with a pre-existing materiality. Adler argues that the material world shapes human interaction and vice versa. Jeffrey Checkel says that 'the environment in which agents/states take action is social as well as material'. These descriptions invoke a duality of the social and the material and thereby claim an existence independent of representations for the material realm. Peter Katzenstein, Robert Keohane and Stephen Krasner stress that constructivists insist 'on the primacy of intersubjective structures that give the material world meaning'. This takes us on to a second key element of constructivism, namely intersubjectivity. According to Adler, constructivism's 'importance and its added value for the study of International Relations lie mainly in its emphasis on the ontological reality of intersubjective know ledge and on the epistemological and methodological implications of this reality'. He devotes an entire section to elucidating intersubjectivity as collectively shared knowledge which both empowers and constrains actors and also defines social reality. The upshot of Adler's portrayal of constructivism is, as the title of his article suggests, that it has a justifiable claim to the 'middle ground', which he construes as situated between rationalism and poststructuralism. Adler identifies 'seizing the middle ground' as the key.

Gender Equity Issues in Antigone Essay Example for Free

Gender Equity Issues in Antigone Essay In our present day, many believe they should be treated fairly regardless of their race, religious beliefs, or gender. When gender equity is put on the table as the main discussion we may find women to have more aggressive opinions and views rather than men. Some will suggest this is due to the thousands of years women have been limited to certain rights that men are so freely able to obtain. Greek men are born and viewed as the superior being while women face limits on their freedom and justice. They are, however, given restrictive rules and laws that do not apply equally to their counterpart. According to one analysis of Antigone, â€Å"women individuality were violated and hidden while they were subjugated by a man’s desire†(Karim, 2012). In Antigone, Sophocles changes the script of many before him, as he displays his main character, Antigone, a courageous and respectful woman, who has great beliefs in the Gods. Antigone is quick to put her family before the law as she goes against the king’s order. Antigone can be looked upon as a great leader of society except there’s one problem; she is a woman which has great effects on the actions she wishes to take. Even though Ismene, Antigone’s sister, understands her decision she goes along with the king’s order to keep from disobeying the law. Antigone feels that the king, Creon, is being unjust when he doesn’t allow her to give her brother, Polynices, a proper burial. Creon becomes devastated when he finds out that it’s a woman who has publicly defied him. â€Å"There are factors, such as, catastrophes, wars, and events that have effects on the culture, history, and politics of one society. However, sometimes domestic issues can also cause great debate and reflect large concerns governing society and culture† (Rokem, 2006). Antigone’s rebellious act upset gender roles and threaten the Greek culture. Women in the Greek Society In Ancient Greece it was very common for men to have a dominant role. Men were highly involved in politics and it was very rare to see women engage in jobs that were thought to be more suited for men. Women stayed in the home and if they worked they normally held jobs as maids or servants. Men looked for wives who didn’t speak much but instead kept to their cleaning, weaving, and caring for the children. Women were forbidden to go against the beliefs of men and if they spoke out against a man then harsh consequences would follow. The Consequences Antigone Will Bare In Sophocles’, Antigone, Creon sees Antigone as a threat to his society. He hates that a woman is going against his first order as king. He makes it clear that Polynices is not to be buried but will remain on the field of battle to rot. When Antigone, a woman, buries her brother, Polynices, Creon is devastated. Creon feels Antigone is trying to rule over him. She is thought of as disobeying Creon and the law he has set forth. He wants to make an example of her and punish her for going against his law and his gender role. Creon: The Male Role Throughout the play, Antigone, Creon displays his feeling of women time after time. He doesn’t hold back his beliefs that men are dominant and should never be over powered by any woman. Creon states to Antigone, â€Å"while I live, no woman shall rule me† (Sophocles, Jebb trans). Creon feels that Antigone is out of order by defying him. He hates that Antigone is breaking the law but he also hates the fact that as a woman she is going against him. Creon Creon: The Male Role doesn’t care that his son, Haemon, has asked Antigone to marry him. Once Antigone breaks the law and confesses her beliefs to him, Creon will not approve of her as a wife for his son. He has to terminate her womanly courage and sentence her to death. Many women in the kingdom probably felt the same as Antigone but they dare not express them to a man. Ismene even felt that Antigone was being treated unjustly but she remained in her woman role and would not stand with Antigone. At one point she couldn’t understand why Antigone was reacting in such an unlawful way. Ismene Beliefs as a Woman Many readers may feel that Ismene was nothing more than a coward. Some may ask how she could stand by and allow someone to disrespect her dead brother. Unfortunately, Ismene beliefs and actions were those of many women in their society. It was expected of Ismene, as a woman, to follow the word of man and his law. Ismene is willing to defy the Gods in order to respect the laws of man. She is afraid of Creon and she allows herself to be governed by him. She is like all other women in her society who know their boundaries. Ismene kept her inner thoughts to herself. She was upset that no one else in the town would not stand and support Antigone’s decision. Ismene displays her feelings of being a woman to Antigone as she says, â€Å"Nay we must remember, first, that we are born women, as who should not strive with men; next, that we are ruled of the stronger, so that we must obey in these things† (Sophocles, Jebb trans). Ismene beliefs are common in comparison to other women in her society but Antigone was not going to stand by and allow men to defy the Gods, even if it meant death for her. A Courageous Woman The character, Antigone, was an interesting and dynamic role due to her personal traits. Antigone held her personal convictions tightly and her beliefs in the Gods tighter. She held her allegiance first to the gods rather than to the mortal institutions of man. Antigone was not just a rebellious role but was much different than other docile women of her day. Despite being a woman, Antigone is not afraid of disobeying Creon’s law nor is she afraid to tell Creon how she has no respect for him. Antigone was being punished for following the Gods which were of higher statue than Creon’s law. She stated, â€Å"I have longer to please the dead than please the living her: in the kingdom down below, I’ll lie forever. Do as you please and dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor† (Sophocles, Jebb trans). She will not defy the Gods to please Creon and takes her death sentence lightly. Creon hates that Antigone won’t go against her beliefs. She knows she is being used as an example to show other women how to not act. It takes the Gods to interrupt Creon’s death sentence to Antigone. Unfortunately, it comes too late and before Creon can release Antigone she has already taken her own life. Thoughts of Antigone Antigone is a reminder of how women were mistreated in previous societies. Even though the play ends tragically, Antigone will never be forgotten as a woman who stood up close to her beliefs regardless if she was cast away by an authoritive male figure. She didn’t care if she had to stand alone but she was willing to die rather than obey man’s law and dishonor the Gods. Karim (2012) suggests, â€Å"routine fundamental subject of burial of the dead created conflict relative to law, religion, and culture. It also generated critical debate on a woman’s status. † Thoughts of Antigone Antigone was a role model to other women because she remained true to her religion by going against the culture and law of her society.

The Bond Girls Essay -- essays research papers

The Bond Girls Whenever there is a Bond film, there is always a Bond girl. She is as indispensable as the gadgets, the car, the chase and the villain set on overtaking the earth. They have always been in the centre of controversy; they have always been branded as beautiful women (often with sexually overt names) who need Bond and ironically, Bond cannot complete his mission without them. They always seem to have perfection in everything they do. However, this portrayal of women can be somewhat unrealistic. Some may want the representation of the ‘Bond Girl’ to stay as it is but others may want the portrayal of the ‘Bond Girl’ to depict the modern idea of ‘girl power.’ I for one think that this representation of women is harmless, partly because it is only a fictional character. It is a representation to be regarded only in entertainment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this essay, I am going to look at and analyse the Bond saga looking especially at how the ‘Bond Girls’ in particular are shown and how their characteristics and qualities have changed over the decades. The James Bond series was created to boost up Britain’s prospects of being noticed as a powerful country with their own hero armed with fast cars, girls, gadgets and gimmicks. Over the years the audience grew to love this hero who they called ‘Bond, James Bond’ with his callous persona, dead-pan humour armed with good looks and a sexy voice to go with his trademark saying. In reality, Britain was falling rapidly from the world stage. The first ‘Bond’ film, released in 1962 was ‘Dr. No’. It was created with a meagre  £90.000 budget and featured Sean Connery (then a virtually unknown actor) who was to play Bond’s character for the remainder of the decade with the exception of 1969’s release of ‘In His Majesty’s Secret Service’ featuring George Lazenby. Throughout the years of Bond, every film has been popular despite the changes in actors, directors and producers. The films gave the audience a visit back to the propaganda-filled forties. It also gave the audience a sense of diversion through all the action and the sense of satisfaction at being able to predict the finish. Every Bond film has followed the ‘Bond formula,’ which helps the audience become aware of the chain of events that occurs in the Bond movies. His character, although quite old, is still popular with younger generation. I t... ...suggests that she has been through some sort of rough activity. The font used in the postcard is big, gold, in use of capitals, which alludes to luxury and wealth, and the symbol of the gold gun suggests wealth and action. The gold colour connotes glamour and sexiness. The writing and name of the title; ‘the world is not enough’ suggests that the characters are not happy with what they have and therefore they want more. The world cannot give them what they yearn for. Whatever’s changed about the Bond Girls, they still have to be racy, active, sexy and uncomplicated. I think perhaps that this is what has made them more accessible and acceptable to women. I think these changes have occurred because women’s’ role in the society have changed over the years. Until recently, women were the weaker sexes compared to the dominating males. Women were passive and were just happy being portrayed as such. However, over the years, more and more women fought for their rights and nowadays want equality with men. More women have taken up occupations, which before were considered to be men’s jobs. The depictions of women in films have changed in time with society to ensure the films popularity.

Political and social changes in Rome as a result of the wars

The most obvious were the increased role of the senate, the influx of wealth that arrived in Rome and the introduction of Hellenize. It is believed that these changes were not just the beginnings of the downfall of the republic, but of the entire Roman Empire. Indeed, Assault, writing in the first century BC states that although â€Å"every land and sea lay open to her. It was then that fortune turned unkind and confounded all her enterprises. The senate was already a powerful body in Romeos government, these events, forever greatly increased its power. Constitutionally, the senate was an advisory body; the Alex Horniness, passed in 287, gave the power to make decisions to the Continuum Plebes. In practice, however, the senate was the governing body of Rome and It ruled unchallenged throughout the second century. This power was obtained through Its successful control over Romeos wars of expansion. In fact, the crisis caused by the Second Punic War helped the senate's rise to power m ore than any other single factor.The senate consisted of ex-magistrates who had an enormous amount of experience in government. These senators took control of Rome and showed real leadership, particularly after Canaan. They provided loans, slaves for the army and food and arms, thus ending the war successfully and increasing their prestige. The Influence the senate held over the magistrates was another factor In their Increased power. Even though Roman magistrates were not obliged to seek or follow the senate's advice, they would usually submit all important issues to the senate before showing them to the assemblies.The senators would have been able to keep a tight control on the actions of the magistrates even if they didn't volunteer heir plans. The senate could find another magistrate to veto any unsatisfactory motion they put forward. The Alex Villa Annalist was passed in 181 as a check on any over-ambitious magistrate, It gave the senate the power to control the actions of cons uls and procrastinates such as Gossip Africans who ruled unchallenged in Spain for 10 years.The influx of wealth that arrived in Rome led to the deterioration of traditional values. The booty and riches from the successful wars against Hannibal and Macedonia allowed the upper classes to spend lavishly on food, houses, works of art and other expensive goods. This led to a gradual decline In morals as their wealth led to increased greed and laziness. The upper classes â€Å"treated their wealth as a mere plaything† according to Assault.There were attempts from the conservative faction of the senate, specifically from Coat the Elder, to limit the extravagance of the ruling classes. The laws they put in place were, however, very difficult to enforce and, unsurprisingly, quite unpopular. An example of this is the Poplar law which was passed In 215. It attempted to restrict the amount of Jewelry and expensive clothing o the civilized society he expected of Rome, especially during o ne of the most taxing wars in Romeos history.As the nobles of Rome competed for popularity among the masses, they poured more and more money into the public games. This is another example of the deterioration of the moss moratorium as the new events became more violent and brutal, this had an adverse affect on the character of those who watched them. The money that flowed into Rome as a result of these wars was therefore a huge factor in the deterioration of the traditional Roman way of life. The wars with Greece exposed the Romans to the cultural influences of the Hellenic world.Perhaps the most important outcome of the wars of expansion was the introduction of Hellenize to Rome, the extent to which the Romans were affected by the Greeks is shown in the writing of Horace who states that â€Å"captive Greece had captivated her barbarous conqueror†. Greek culture influenced many things about Roman daily life but the most predominant aspects were religion and education and the reaction to those changes was twofold. Plutarch says that many upper class citizens were happy to see their sons educated in Greek culture and religion, two of these philistines were Gossip Africans and Flamingos.The conservatives, such as Coat, were worried that the ambitions of the younger generations were tainted by Greek learning and that their new ideas would undermine the existing customs in Rome. The result was a widespread blend of traditional Roman values and the new Hellenic ideas which produced a Graces-Roman society. The wars of expansion were a massive event in shaping the political and social structure of Rome. This is shown through the increase in the power of the senate, the influx of wealth that flowed into Rome and the introduction of Hellenize to Roman society.

Andrew Lang, Ballad of a Worldly Wealth Explication

In the poem Ballad of a Worldly Wealth, Andrew Lang shares his opinion of wealth and what people use it for. It can be either useful, or just corrupt you. â€Å"Money maketh evil show† he says, meaning that if you use it in the wrong way it can show your evil side. It brings you worldly things, but it can’t bring you everything. Such as family, friends, or love. All it can give, it physical things that you won’t be able to take with you when you leave this world.He uses a lot of repetition to make the idea clear of what he means, and his belief of money. I feel like the meaning goes deeper than that also. You can either be rich in heart and be happy or you can be rich with physical things and fall into greed and darkness. In the poem he says, â€Å"Money maketh sin as snow. † I interpret this as him saying money can make everything right in some people’s eyes. Lang could have possibly got his idea from a book in the bible, 1 Timothy verse 6. For mon ey is the root of all evil. † He uses a lot of words that help to set his tone, and the emotion in the poem. The words he uses have a lot of the same sounds such as maketh, taketh, youth & truth. I found that many of the words in the poem were hard to understand because we do not talk in this form of language anymore. An example of these words would be â€Å"while the tides shall ebb and flow. †

Art Essays

Art Essays When you are writing an art essay, you observe closely different art products such as paintings, sculptures, dramas, and symphonies in order to understand them, respond in your essay, and relate individual texts to each other and to your objects under discussion. Art itself is a very complicated term. To be sure that the subject of your art essay is an artwork, consider these 9 criteria of artistic product: There should be an artist (or more than one) There should be the process during which an artist shows his craftsmanship, talent, genius Before the process has started there should be inspiration. After the process started – devotion with heart, head, and soul There should be a basic reality known to the world or not known, outward or inward, realistic or fatalistic, of which the final product forms a true copy of this basis reality (or immediate reflection) The final product, which is generally perceived as original, unique or new and therefore attractive and compelling The final product, which stands the passing of the time and taste The final product, which appears to the most sincere personal feelings of observer The final product, which enriches the observer with new personal feelings and thoughts The final product, which ultimately appeals to the philosophical nature of the observer as a human being In art essay assignments teachers will require you to become an intelligent observer and art-critic. In order to succeed in writing good essay you should know the art elements, principles of design, and present you thoughts logically and in a coherent way. Ask yourself the following questions when you are writing your essay and do your best to answer them. Which criteria of artistic product might be applicable to this painting? Why is this art, for what reason? Where does this work fit into the history of art? Does it remind me of any others I have seen, and in what way? Can I make any connection between this piece and others? What do I know about the artist? Is there anything about his or her background that would influence my reaction to this work? Does this work fall into any particular theme in the history of art? If so, how does it echo or contradict other works done in the same theme? When and where was this work made? What else was going on in the world at the same time? What are the characteristics of the culture from which it emerges, and how does the work reflect those characteristics? What is the form of this work? What is the work made of, and how is it organized? What is the content of this work? What do I know about its iconography? Is there a recognizable subject, and, if so, how is that subject treated? Are there symbols, and can I decode them? What are the depth devices used by the painter? Is depth the only device in order to create the illusion of reality? What lines can you see? What may be the effect of these lines? What kind of linear techniques were used? What about light and value? What about positive shapes and negative shapes? What elements? Does this work seem unified, and is there enough variety to sustain interest? How has the artist balanced the composition? What is the focal point or points, and how did the artist create them? What roles do proportion and scale play, and how are they handled? Do I sense a particular kind of rhythm? Are the materials of this work important to its type of expression and its overall effect? Does this work seem well crafted? If so (or if not), does it matter? What iconography aspects are in the painting? What might have been the  purpose if this painting if there is any? What feelings, memories, or associations does this work evoke in me? Does it make me feel happy, angry, sad, frightened, disgusted, uplifted, inspired, depressed? Can I imagine the artist felt the same way? Do I feel any sense of kinship with the artist? Do I like it? Could I live with this art? When you will answer all these eighteen questions thoughtfully and carefully you will receive great academic paper, which will surely deserve a good grade. If you need custom art essay of high quality you can order essay from our company.

What is the difference between Platos and Aristotles idea essays

What is the difference between Platos and Aristotles idea essays Aristotle believed that for something to be real it had to have a substance and a form or a body and a soul. Aristotle found no difference between matter and form, relying on nature to explain itself. He believed that each person can see form differently. What makes a table a table? The way Aristotle saw it was to look at fifty different tables and you would see what makes a table a table. He believed that form and matter can only be separated in a mental exercise, not in reality. He believed that in order to learn the forms of things we had to study and examine them. He saw that in our minds we can make the distinction between tableness and wood and then combine them both into a concept of a wooden table. Form gives matter a structure to follow and matter gives form the stability. For example, wood is only a matter until the form of something gives it individual form and the form of something needing the matter to express itself. Now Plato on the other hand believed that reality is permanent and our senses cant be trusted. Plato maintains that there is a world of ideal forms, as we see material reflections of perfect forms. He constructed a mathematical system of explaining processes. He believed in a theory of forms. That is, that there are perfect ways things should be that we as humans can see but can never achieve. For example, anyone knows what a perfect circle looks like, yet we can never draw an absolutely perfect circle. Thats when Plato began to realize that real figures in geometry cannot be accurately or fully represented in this world. While talking about forms of the circle we can then refer to Figure 2.1 on how each table in the world, in all different shapes and sizes can be considered a table because to a greater or lesser extent it is in a form of a table. What Plato was trying to express was that he believed that the form of a table existed in a world of perfects forms. What h ...

Team Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Team Work - Research Paper Example This paper discusses some of the most common types of behavior within a team, namely, quietness, talkativeness, cynicism, formalism, fence-straddling, idealism, dominance, and structuralism. These behaviors could either be helpful or detrimental to the team. The ultimate outcome of these behaviors for the team depends upon the leadership and the members themselves. Knowing the Behaviors of Team Members The silent individual in the team could be performing peaceful, thoughtful listening, which can be positive, or indifference, which can be detrimental because it takes out from the team the ability to acquire the insights and gain the respect and participation of the members. So the question is how to identify whether the person is engaging in thoughtful listening or indifferent behavior? The assessment has to be derived both from the signals given by the individual and on the reactions of the other team members (Longo, 2010). Nonverbal cues of participation and reflective listening mu st be focused on. The same types of signals in the other direction must also be taken into consideration. The phase of group development, the nature of the tasks and objectives, and the circumstances within the team all contribute to the evaluation of the silent member. If listening is positive, then an individual who is listening is not much of an issue. Silent individuals are usually keen observer. If it is vital to encourage involvement from a silent member, there are a number of techniques to accomplish this (Longo, 2010). A particular technique is to ask the member open-ended questions or those requiring an opinion or details. Another technique is to provide cues of expectations to the silent member about his/her involvement in discussion of topics to which s/he appears largely interested in. On the other hand, talkative individuals could be classified into two: the talkative ones who have little to say and the talkative people who have much to say. Usually, the team leader sho uld make an attempt to determine how the other members of the team perceive the talkative member. If the belief of the team is that the chattiness is helpful, then the team leader may have to address his/her reactions and ask the rest of the group whether these reactions are suitable (Xiao, Parker, & Manser, 2013). If the team seems obviously irritated or disturbed by the talkativeness, then the leader should consider dealing with the behavior. The team’s role in provoking talkativeness has to be looked at. Chatterboxes are helpful to teams because they bridge gaps and help advance activities; they become unhelpful when they unproductively dominate energy and time and discourage other members from taking part. There may be times wherein talkative members obviously have to be interrupted or stopped. This must be carried out with much care and sensitivity. It is possible to say to a talkative person that silence is needed with a positive gesture and with consideration for his/h er feelings. Likewise, critics can be categorized into two. The first kind truly takes pleasure in challenging or questioning everything, asking for clarifications. This is a highly valuable position, particularly in a team that tends to finalize all issues hastily or too early. The second kind of critic merely acts to serve his/her own needs instead of the team (Chuang, Jackson, & Jiang, 2013). In certain instances, a

Sears Auto Center Scandal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sears Auto Center Scandal - Research Paper Example This forced the administrators to begin to apply massive expense cuts throughout the company. Â  Many of the expense cuts directly impacted how work was performed by the auto service center at Sears locations. The salesmen and auto mechanics received a decrease in fixed wages and were instead offered a commission-based wage system that provided additional payment for specific types of parts sold and installed, as well as demanding a specific amount of these parts sold during a working shift. Employees began to concentrate on ways to make the most money instead of concentrating on the best quality for the customer. As consumers began to file formal complaints, a California audit and inspection was performed on Sears chains to discern the work involved. It was determined by government officials that the quality of work was below approved standards and the company’s employees were purposely misleading the consumers. Â  While the CEO of Sears issued statements contradicting these inspections results, the company issued changes in wage programs and earnings for the salespersons at Sears but did not change the commissions-system for auto mechanics. Chuck Fabbri, a Sears auto mechanic, wrote a letter to the U.S. Senate telling the truth about Sears’ wages program for auto mechanics and the dangers that it creates for consumers. These actions were performed by upper-level management at Sears to increase overall profits for the company as well as to provide increased earnings to company shareholders. The community was negatively impacted by these decisions because consumers were taken advantage of and misled. The government placed a 3-year probation on Sears and the company settled on nation-wide class-action cases amounting to multi-billion dollars worth. Â