Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essays -- Affirmative Action Es

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, an opportunity to ‘equal the playing field’ by providing a broader context by which to measure an applicant or prospective employee. In the end, however, this goal is not realized. Instead, superficial ‘quotas’ are established and the discrimination that was once placed on the minorities now turns the other way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the arguments against affirmative action is that it injures white men and violates their rights. If were to take a closer look at the affirmative action laws, we can see why this would be true. For example, let’s take a hypothetical situation of two males, one white and another individual who happens to be a minority, both sending in college applications to Harvard to compete for admission. Unfortunately, the university only has one available spot and must decide between the white individual and the minority. The white male has slightly better grades and quite a few more volunteer hours, while both of them excelled in sports and completed two foreign languages. Under the current affirmative action policies, the minority would probably get the final position because of the perceived need for ethnic diversity in the college atmosphere, despite the fact that he did not have the stronger academic credentials. Would this be considered just? In this case n ot only would affirmative action be serving an injustice to the white individual, but it would also help create a loophole by indirectly establishing a legal form of discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The counterpoint to this argument is that although affirmative action creates a larger obstacle for white men to achieve, such measures are necessary in order to break the cycle of de facto employment and school discrimination. However, this does not seem to be a valid counterpoint. If we take a look at another hypothetical situation we can see why it is not ... ...† However, this argument is not compelling, as the best way to increase productivity and improve the economy is to hire on merit. Hiring based on something other than objective merit may result in economic inefficiency and a less qualified staff. If minorities have a qualified resume and are available, they will meet the criteria of the employer. Once again, it is more effective to treat the disease itself, rather than to stoop down to the same level and discriminate to treat the symptoms. In athletics, for example, in spite of past discrimination blacks have excelled, not because standards were lowered but because barriers were eliminated. Now more than ever blacks comprise the largest ethnic group in professional sports and have come to dominate some of the most lucrative sports such as football and basketball, and are now using their earned social capital to give back to their communities to help others along the way. This is a prime example of how minorities can be help ed without lowering the standard by which others are also measured by. To improve our standards as a whole, we must remove the ball and chain on minorities, rather than adding a heavier ball and chain on whites. Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essays -- Affirmative Action Es   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, an opportunity to ‘equal the playing field’ by providing a broader context by which to measure an applicant or prospective employee. In the end, however, this goal is not realized. Instead, superficial ‘quotas’ are established and the discrimination that was once placed on the minorities now turns the other way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the arguments against affirmative action is that it injures white men and violates their rights. If were to take a closer look at the affirmative action laws, we can see why this would be true. For example, let’s take a hypothetical situation of two males, one white and another individual who happens to be a minority, both sending in college applications to Harvard to compete for admission. Unfortunately, the university only has one available spot and must decide between the white individual and the minority. The white male has slightly better grades and quite a few more volunteer hours, while both of them excelled in sports and completed two foreign languages. Under the current affirmative action policies, the minority would probably get the final position because of the perceived need for ethnic diversity in the college atmosphere, despite the fact that he did not have the stronger academic credentials. Would this be considered just? In this case n ot only would affirmative action be serving an injustice to the white individual, but it would also help create a loophole by indirectly establishing a legal form of discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The counterpoint to this argument is that although affirmative action creates a larger obstacle for white men to achieve, such measures are necessary in order to break the cycle of de facto employment and school discrimination. However, this does not seem to be a valid counterpoint. If we take a look at another hypothetical situation we can see why it is not ... ...† However, this argument is not compelling, as the best way to increase productivity and improve the economy is to hire on merit. Hiring based on something other than objective merit may result in economic inefficiency and a less qualified staff. If minorities have a qualified resume and are available, they will meet the criteria of the employer. Once again, it is more effective to treat the disease itself, rather than to stoop down to the same level and discriminate to treat the symptoms. In athletics, for example, in spite of past discrimination blacks have excelled, not because standards were lowered but because barriers were eliminated. Now more than ever blacks comprise the largest ethnic group in professional sports and have come to dominate some of the most lucrative sports such as football and basketball, and are now using their earned social capital to give back to their communities to help others along the way. This is a prime example of how minorities can be help ed without lowering the standard by which others are also measured by. To improve our standards as a whole, we must remove the ball and chain on minorities, rather than adding a heavier ball and chain on whites.

A Case study of Intel Essay

Introduction In this case, I’ve studied the globally known semiconductor manufacturer, which is the Intel. The purpose of the study is to analyze the objectives and strategies used by Intel, SWOT analyzing and discuss major issues or problems that the company faced. About: Intel Corporation is the biggest semiconductor manufacturer in the world and has changed the global marketplace radically since it was founded in 1968. The first handheld calculators and PCs (Personal Computers) were developed through the innovation of Intel’s microprocessors. In the early 70’s increased competition from Japanese semiconductor manufacturers had dramatically reduced the profitability of this market this made Intel to shift the company’s focus to microprocessors. From the late 80s until the late 90s Intel had a 10-year period of unprecedented growth as the primary hardware supplier to the PC industry, supplying microprocessor to IBM. Intel’s product line of Pentium processors had become a household name. Today at least 80% of Intel’s processors are used in PCs globally. Their product line consists of: chipsets, motherboards, flash memory used in wireless communications, networking devices, laser printers, industrial machinery, and cellular phone base stations. Mission: Delight our customers, employees, and shareholders by relentlessly delivering the platform and technology advancements that become essential to the way we work and live. Values: Customer Orientation Results Orientation Risk Taking Great Place to Work Quality Discipline Objectives: â€Å"Extend our silicon technology and manufacturing leadership Deliver unrivaled microprocessors and platforms Grow profitability worldwide Excel in customer orientation† Major issues and Problems: 1. Dust would contaminate the circuits during manufacturing. Solution: Intel developed â€Å"clean rooms† for keeping dust out of the process. Recommendation: I agree with the decision of the company to develop â€Å"clean rooms†. Now that they already have these rooms, they can now have a product that would work 101% at its best for the consumers. . 2. Etch circuit lines on silicon wafers, without having the etched lines fracture and break as the water was heated and cooled repeatedly during the manufacturing process. Solution: To â€Å"dope† the metal oxide with impurities, making it less brittle. Intel subsequently went to some lengths to keep this aspect of the manufacturing process secret from competitors for as long as possible. Recommendation: Intel is so intelligent and optimistic for its products. With this problem at that time I am pretty sure only Intel thought of this wonderful solution. With this, the challenge now is to maintain this technique or process to constantly produce â€Å"quality† products. 3. Intel underestimated Japanese threats in terms of technology which resulted to dropping off DRAM; one of their flagship product. Solution: Intel did not risk investing a new fabrication facility at a cost of $600 million that might affect the operation of its other products especially the microprocessor. Recommendation: Intel should’ve been more conscious and aware of the possibilities and facts that new entrants and competitors will always be a threat for the company. With its decision, it is kind of frustrating for the fact that the DRAM was once the best innovation and product of Intel. But the company left with no choice but to exit the DRAM business. I wouldn’t risk my other products to get affected by this mistake. 4. The company exited its struggling communication chip business. The workforce was cut by 20,000, while costs were reduced by $3 billion. Solution: The company did not lose sight of the need to produce processors for mobile devices. In mid-2008, Intel introduced a new line of low-power consumption chips called atom. Intel has also been making moves into the graphics chip business. Recommendation: Persistence and perseverance for your product should always be present in the company. I just commend Intel for being so flexible and how quick they are in satisfying the ever changing demands of the consumers. Study Key success factors for Intel: Management Intel placed top priority on their people, and encouraged openness, fairness, and responsibility, Intel was able to take full advantage of its workers. Mistakes The most talented and brightest people that were employed were given leverage when mistakes were made so that they would be encouraged to develop breakthrough technologies. Hard Work Moore and Noyce refused to shy away from their inexperience and being willing to do what work they needed. Also admitting their limitations, they were able to seek out qualified employees to help build the company. Competition They learned that the key to entrepreneurial success was by being in a constant state of awareness and fear of your competitors, entrepreneurs can become proactive instead of reactive, seizing new opportunities as they present themselves instead of letting them pass them by. Exclusivity By specializing and focusing on a niche market, Intel was able to not only stand out from the crowd, but to become market leader in the industry. Competitive Advantage: Expertise in Manufacturing Highest standards in high-quality clean production The company invests vast sums in R&D and manufacturing It designs quality products It is able to leverage its manufacturing capability. This means it can increase production to bring product to market in large volumes. Increasing volume and getting the product onto the market as quickly as possible are important elements in creating and maintaining a competitive advantage. It has a regular cadence (or rhythm) to the development of new products or improvements to existing ones Analysis SWOT: Strengths Intel is a globally recognized brand name and has strong brand loyalty from its consumers. Intel was the pioneer in microprocessors for PCs and memory devices. Intel is a global technology corporation and the world’s largest producer of semiconductor chip, based on revenue. Intel presently has around 80% of the microprocessor market share whereas AMD has roughly 17% of the market. Intel distinguished itself from a ‘commodity’ like position and established itself as the ‘brains’ of the computer industry Weaknesses Intel has been accused of using divisive strategies in defense of its market position against its competitors. Intel had uses its market dominance to unfairly stifle competition Since 2000, Intel could not maintain the position as the dominant supplier of microprocessor in the industry. Retail prices are higher compared to competitors. Opportunities Product development and markets penetration in the existing markets is also a good opportunity. Advancement in technology also provides the opportunity to offer new products. Offering more diversification with their products in related and unrelated business such as: security devices, broadband and cellular industry. Backward and forward integration may reduce the cost, improve the quality and service. Threats Advancement in technology obsoletes the manufacturing facilities and products. The strong price war is going on between PC producers. Many competent PC makers are using inferior performance IC’S. Changing customer taste and preferences along with the reduction in brand loyalty is a major threat. Currency changeability in different countries create problem for the business of the company. The company is facing strong competition to sustain its market share. Intel Corporation is facing strong political instability, regulation and tariffs in different countries. Product specialization of Intel can become a big threat. Having a limited product line Intel runs the risk of being forced out of the market by a better product. The fast development of cell phones and other mobile gadgets can perform the same tasks as PCs and is having a major negative impact on the PCs market. Conclusion Technology Strategy Intel began in memory production and development in 1968 Competition with Japanese firms with larger economies of scale reduced Intel’s market share (see functional map of Intel’s DRAM market share) Intel’s development of the microprocessor (first designed in 1970) led to more and more R&D being assigned to this branch of the company Technology strategy change came from the middle of the company, DRAM was still pursued from senior managements perspective until 1986 Microprocessor development allowed Intel to sustain its revenue increases In 2001, Intel produced microprocessors with integrated Wi-Fi In early 2000s, Intel invested heavily in semiconductor production facilities to achieve overwhelming economies of scale Also in early 2000s, Intel launched several products into non PC markets for their semiconductor technology, most of which were unsuccessful Intel’s technology strategy has changed from a focus on DRAM, to a focus on microprocessors, and then on to heavily specialising in the field of microprocessors to achieve overwhelming productivity that has enabled Intel to sell their logic products at competitive prices to companies producing things other than PCs Product/Market Strategy Aggressive marketing strategy in 1980 (Project â€Å"CRUSH†) coincides with IBM’s entry into the PC market, this repeats with Project â€Å"CHECKMATE† to secure more IBM contracts Intels primary buyer shifts to Compaq in 1986 because IBM would not commit to 80386, Intel can effectively play the big buyers (see functional map of buyers revenue) against each other, Intel’s higher revenue (see functional map) suggests more power lies with Intel â€Å"Intel Inside† marketing strategy to engage with the end user in 1990 lead to big gains in revenue 1990-1995 (see functional map of Intel revenue) Developed pricing strategy to increase premium on new chip designs to reduce demand when production was being ramped up, this extra profit also helped to cover start-up costs (see functional map, price of different processors) Marketing strategy moved away from PCs in late 1990s, early 2000s as the prices of semiconductor products came down Diversified buyers as Intel produces chips for different types of products, e.g. phones, TVs, communications equipment Intel’s product/market strategy has changed from having buyers only in the PC industry to having buyers in many different industries that rely on semiconductor products. Its current efforts are to increase its market share in these non-PC areas. Development Goals Development goals from 1968 to early 2000s remained constant, be the first to market with the best product This goal was not achievable in DRAM, but was achievable in microprocessors Practically, the development of the company had shifted towards the ‘logic’ side of the business before the official stance changed, so Intel was well positioned to take advantage of conditions within the industry (using clever marketing and buyer manipulation) to emerge as the star player As the PC market for semiconductors matured, other industries opened up that required logic, in the early 2000s Intel was trying to develop into a supplier for many different industries, and in some cases selling directly to consumers Intel’s goals have changed from dominating the PC semiconductor industry to diversifying their products and buyers to participate in more markets. Bibliography and References http://news.softpedia.com/news/Intel-Says-Its-Back-With-a-Vengeance-66998.shtml http://news.softpedia.com/news/Intel-s-Branding-Plans-Desconspired-12675.shtml http://www.docstoc.com/docs/61656370/Marketing-Strategy-for-Intel http://essaysforstudent.com/print.html?id=78018 http://essaysforstudent.com/Business/Intel-Pestel-Five-Forces-Analysis/75349.html http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/is-intel-pricing-itself-out-of-the-tablet-pc-market-with-new-atom-z670-processor/5271?tag=content;search-results-rivers http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/bios/lcrone.htm   

The Failure Of War By Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry, in his essay ‘The Failure of War,’ claims that ‘modern war does not work as a solution to any problem except retribution,’ and that it promotes a vicious cycle of violence and other social problems. Supporters for war will claim that war answers the dilemma of national defense. But the agnostic, in return, will solicit to what level the cost even of a triumphant war of national defense—in life, wealth, material, foods, health, and liberty—may amount to a national overwhelm. National defense by way of war constantly entails some quantity of national defeat. Militarization in defense of freedom downsizes the freedom of the apologists. There is a crucial contradiction between war and freedom.In a contemporary war, fought with modern armaments and on the modern scale, neither side can bound to â€Å"the adversary† the harm that it does. These wars ruin the humanity. Modern war has not only made it unworkable to kill â€Å"opp onents† without massacring â€Å"non-warriors,† it has made it ineffectual to destroy your foe without spoiling yourself. Modern wars have usually been fought to end war; they have been fought for the sake of peace.To Berry most appalling weapons have been prepared, seemingly, to maintain and assure the peace of the world. â€Å"All we want is peace,† we utter as we increase inexorably our aptitude to make war. Yet in the last part of a century in which we have fought two combats to end war and numerous more to prevent war and keep peace, and in which scientific and hi-tech evolution has made war ever more horrifying and less manageable, we still, by policy, confer no contemplation to nonviolent approach of national defense. We stick to the discouraging paradox of making peace by producing war.Capital chastisement sinks us all to the same level of primal aggression, at which an act of brutality is rebuked by another deed of aggression. What the justifiers of thes e feats overlook is the fact—fixed by the history of quarrels; steer clear of the history of war—that belligerence raises violence. Operations of violence committed in â€Å"fairness† or in assertion of â€Å"rights† or in resistance of â€Å"peace† do not impede violence. They set up and justify its prolongation.The most hazardous fallacy of the parties of violence is the notion that endorsed violence can put off or control illegal violence. If we devote to these small irrationalities the enormity of worldwide relations, we make, predictably, a few much larger idiocies. In â€Å"foreign† wars, we do not explicitly experience the harm that we wreak upon the rival. We pay monies to sanction the war, but that is nothing new, for we shell out war levies in era of peace as well.Quite the reverse, war is the great solution and opening of our corporate economy, which keeps going and prospers upon war. And thus great costs are engrossed in our fixa tion on war, but the overheads are â€Å"externalized† as â€Å"tolerable losses.† Romantic separatists, which are to say most protectors for war, always contain in their public speeches mathematics or an accounting of war. The supportable price, at last, is suchlike is paid.It is straightforward to see the likeness between this accounting of the cost of war and our normal accounting of the price of improvement. Now with less fret (to date) it is observed world subjugation by global capitalism. Nevertheless its political means are milder than those of Leninism, this lately internationalized capitalism may attest even more harsh to human mores and communities, of liberty, and of environment. To Berry people would be less incongruous if the leaders would believe in good faith the verified surrogates to violence.

Legalization of Marijuana in Some States is Wrong

Legalization of Marijuana in Some States is Wrong The US of Marijuana: A Democracy That Stands Wrong As of spring 2016, several states in the United States of America have legalized the possession, production and the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Marijuana, or Cannabis, is one of the most widely used drugs in the world, only behind alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine. The substance is a psychotropic or psychoactive  drug that gives its user a â€Å"high† or â€Å"stoned† feeling and alters their conscious perception, giving them a heightened mood, relaxation and an increase in appetite. In some parts of the world, including many American states, a person can get prescribed â€Å"medical marijuana† for their ailment, such as cancer, a sleeping disorder – the list goes on and on. But looking at the facts from a Democratic standpoint, it’s evident that the legalization of marijuana in some states is wrong. Cannabis Is Highly addictive For one, on a federal level, marijuana is still considered illegal. This is quite true. Under the Controlled Substances Act, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means that the federal government views cannabis as highly addictive and having no medical value (even though this could change in the near future). It’s strange how the buds of a plant, a gift from God that heals people’s ailments and disorders, can be illegal. Nonetheless, if a state legalizes marijuana, which the Federal Government of the United States of America does not allow, technically, it is still illegal and therefore wrong from a democratic standpoint. Now, this may not be the case a year from now, two years from now, 10 years from now, but soon each state in the United States of America will be legal, under Federal Government laws, allowed to produce and sell marijuana – whether for medicinal or recreational purposes. But until then, it is still illegal, wrong. Secondly, the legalization of marijuana in some states is wrong if, on a state level – and states in America have a lot of power on their own – a majority of the voting public did not vote in favor of the legalization of marijuana. It is wrong if the state government imposes the legalization of marijuana if the citizens of that state do not want the plant legalized for medicinal or recreational purposes. If this were the case, it would be essentially wrong. It’s that simple. Of course, the opposite is happening: the governments of many states have already legalized marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes – this will only continue to spread. This has been the will of the people in those states to have marijuana made legal in some regard. They have voted for this, so it is right. If imposed on the people, it is wrong. Get more information here: Obtaining a Law Degree Law Essay Writing Smoking in Public Places Should Be Banned Contributing Factors of Student Suicides Violence against Female University Students Cannabis Industry Should NOT Involve Minors Third, and lastly, the legalization of marijuana in some states is wrong when the cannabis industry involves minors. In these states, a person under the age of 18 should never come in contact with, use or be involved in the production or manufacturing of cannabis; if this does happen often and become a problem, then the legalization of marijuana is certainly doing wrong. No industry should negatively influence or exploit children. This violates human-rights laws and practices. Also, one more thing a person could argue about the legalization being wrong is if the company doesn’t pay it taxes to the federal and, or, state government. We see businesses in states like Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska – which have legalized the selling, usage, and production of marijuana for recreational purposes – paying their taxes to the federal government, even though the industry violates a federal law. Either way, the legalization of marijuana in some states is wrong if m arijuana-based businesses involve minors or sell to minors or dont pay its federal and state taxes. Even though these aforementioned points indicate what is wrong with the legalized marijuana industry in some states, many people in quite a few states feel that legalization is definitely a step forward. In fact, there is talk about several states passing the legislature this fall, laws that would legalize or decriminalize cannabis for either medicinal or recreational purposes. Legal cannabis is righteous to many people; but, once again, the legalization of marijuana in some states is wrong when a business in the cannabis industry involves minors, or doesn’t pay its taxes to the state and federal governments, or when a state passes legislation (because it’s still illegal in the eyes of United States Government), especially when against the will of the people.

The Holy Land

The Holy Land The region generally encompassing territory from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and from the Euphrates River in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba in the south, was considered the Holy Land by medieval Europeans. The city of Jerusalem was of especially sacred significance  and continues to be so, to Jews, Christians and Muslims. A Region of Sacred Significance For millennia, this territory had been considered the Jewish homeland, originally encompassing the joint kingdoms of Juda and Israel that had been founded by King David. In c. 1000 B.C.E., David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital; he brought the Ark of the Covenant there, making it a religious center, as well. Davids son King Solomon had a fabulous temple built in the city, and for centuries Jerusalem flourished as a spiritual and cultural center. Through the long and tumultous history of the Jews, they never stopped considering Jerusalem to be the single most important and holiest of cities. The region has spiritual meaning for Christians because it was here that Jesus Christ lived, traveled, preached and died. Jerusalem is especially sacred because it was in this city that Jesus died on the cross and, Christians believe, rose from the dead. The sites that he visited, and especially the site believed to be his tomb, made Jerusalem the most important objective for medieval Christian pilgrimage. Muslims see religious value in the area because it is where monotheism originated, and they recognize Islams monotheistic heritage from Judaism. Jerusalem was originally the place toward which Muslims turned in prayer, until it was changed to Mecca in the 620s C.E. Even then, Jerusalem retained significance to Muslims because it was the site of Muhammads night journey and ascension. The History of Palestine This region was also sometimes known as Palestine, but the term is a difficult one to apply with any precision. The term Palestine derives from Philistia, which was what the Greeks called the land of the Philistines. In the 2nd century C.E. the Romans used the term Syria Palaestina to indicate the southern part of Syria, and from there the term made its way into Arabic. Palestine has post-medieval significance; but in the Middle Ages, it was rarely used by Europeans in connection with the land they considered sacred. The profound importance of the Holy Land to European Christians would lead Pope Urban II to make the call for the First Crusade, and thousands of devout Christians answered that call.

Cender, Race, Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cender, Race, Health - Essay Example Q2: The author vehemently criticises the discriminative behaviour towards the minority groups and communities living in the contemporary American social set up and declares it strictly against the provisions of the statute of law and constitution as well. He submits the very fact that inappropriate health opportunities have drastically affected the health and life expectancy of the racial groups in minority, particularly the African Americans, who have been undergoing the hatred and antipathy of the white majority since the colonial era of nineteenth century, which has eclipsed the overall health statistics of the US population. Q3: The chapter under-study wide opened new horizons of information regarding the social norms, mores, values and traditions existing in the US culture. The level of hatred in the minds of the white Americans against the African Americans is really surprising. It is really astonishing to note that the country that pretends to be the torchbearer of human rights, maintains such humiliating and nefarious cultural traits in it. Health of the individuals is of especial concern particularly in the advanced and civilized countries of western world, but the prejudiced behaviour against the African Americans and non-Hispanic whites serves as black mark on the very face of the USA. Anyway, many things like social stratification and class conflict, described by the author with reference to the American society, is not very much surprising. Q4: The issues raised by the author in the article contain reality in them. I personally experienced the circumstances, when the black community had to tolerate so many unpleasant events while interaction with their environment consisted of white-skinned majority, yet they never gave up struggle for winning equal status, identical with the any stratum or racial group of US society. I have witnessed the wonderful command of the black

An analysis of the financial crisis and collapse of Lehman Bros Essay

An analysis of the financial crisis and collapse of Lehman Bros - Essay Example An analysis of the financial crisis and collapse of Lehman Bros. Many of the investment strategies designed to improve the liquidity position of major banks and ensure asset growth had lost the majority of their value and companies such as Lehman Bros. were unable to find appropriate buyers for many derivatives that were backed by the high volume of home mortgages granted to higher-risk consumer segments prior to 2007. As aforesaid, the inter-dependency within the international banking system led to a crisis when asset values on certain derivatives plummeted, when major banking institutions could no longer successfully meet their debt obligations, and even sizeable financial bailouts both internal and from government were insufficient in sustaining banking operations. The main contributors to the financial crisis of 2007-2010 was not largely attributable to improper or lax regulatory forces, it was a product of poor banking leadership and inappropriate investment strategies within the financial institutions’ business models. This essay describes the catalysts for what drove the financial crisis, focusing specifically on the role of Lehman Bros. in facilitating the problem. Research has identified that the mechanisms creating the financial disaster included the derivatives market, investor and executive-level behaviour in the financial markets, poor auditing systems responding proactively to observable or quantitatively-supported market trends, and the growing consumer adoption of adjustable rate mortgages being offered by major banking institutions. ... The main contributors to the financial crisis of 2007-2010 was not largely attributable to improper or lax regulatory forces, it was a product of poor banking leadership and inappropriate investment strategies within the financial institutions’ business models. This essay describes the catalysts for what drove the financial crisis, focusing specifically on the role of Lehman Bros. in facilitating the problem. Research has identified that the mechanisms creating the financial disaster included the derivatives market, investor and executive-level behaviour in the financial markets, poor auditing systems responding proactively to observable or quantitatively-supported market trends, and the growing consumer adoption of adjustable rate mortgages being offered by major banking institutions. The Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) Consecutive and recurring drops in the national interest rate in the United States and the United Kingdom occurring between 2001 and 2006 in an effort to stave off a perceived, impeding economic recession created a favourable environment for home ownership. When the Federal interest rate is lowered, it affects the published prime rate by which financial lenders establish an appropriate interest rate on home mortgages. In 1982, the prime rate in the United States was set at a record of 19 percent (Fedprimerate.com 2013), a period where the country was emerging from a period of intense inflation increases and previous economic recession. Home mortgages generated between 1982 and 2000, therefore, were significantly profitable for lending institutions as they were able to justify loan generation to diverse consumer