National Security and Science and Technology policy Essay

National Security and Science and Technology policy - Essay Example This exceedingly complex mission requires a focused effort from our entire society if we are to be successful. To this end, one primary reason for the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security was to provide the unifying core for the vast national network of organizations and institutions involved in efforts to secure our nation." (http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_home5.jsp, para 2) United States history tells that war prompted the creation of most U.S. government science agencies. The integration of an applied Research and Development programs were essential elements in addressing and supporting the agencies' missions. Elements of fundamental science allows breakthrough of these unlimited opportunities. (http://www.issues.org/18.2/ bonvillian.html, para 18) Thus, R&D, as an integral part in the science and technology policy, has become a major factor in attaining the US national security. The role of science and technology in the nation's security was launched when Thomas Jefferson was commissioned to Lewis and Clark two centuries. Since then, territorial expansion and the industrial revolution continued to drive U.S. science and technology policy throughout the 19th century. The country's unforgettable experiences in the two World Wars and their aftermaths were the primary factors that influenced the government's realization of science and technology in the 20th century which soon became the turning point that lead to the revolution of science and technology and the importance of its research and development programs. (Marburger, 2005) The birth of the National Science Foundation in 1950 was the result of the country's attitudes towards the government's role in science and technology. Larger and more advanced Department of Energy laboratories were existed and established under the Atomic Energy Commission. Military services were at the same time provided with an official research office in 1951. At that time National Institute for Health (NIH) had existed for twenty years, wherein National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) were established eight years later. Some reorganizations occurred after 1960, notably the metamorphosis of the AEC into the Department of Energy and more recently the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, but since 1960 the federal framework has evolved very little. (Marburger, 2005) Presidential science advisors were appointed by the government to take the responsibility in overseeing adherence to a presidential policy that insists on competent, objective, balanced, and open advice. Their roles moreover involves in creating strategies on implementation and enforcement of these policies. (Branscomb, 2005) Some of the most significant roles of science advisors in the US federal government involved national security. During the war they linked the President and top

Leadership and Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership and Performance Management - Essay Example In addition to that, recession also added to their demise. Heavy operating costs allowed other competitors with lower costs to capture North American market which was GM’s territory earlier. While assessing some of the decisions taken by GM’s leadership, it was found that closure of GM’s hybrid cars unit along with layoffs and prior faulty acquisitions added to GM’s expense list which had no means to be satisfied. 1.1 Key Findings GM has faced problems due to its highly bureaucratic culture and sluggish approach towards development and innovation. Its slow performance in the recent years has its roots in its earlier catastrophic decisions that were taken in 1970s and 80s but had a long-term impact on the organizational performance which ultimately leads to a government bailout in 2009. GM has made several bad investments in the vehicle models that were not answering consumer’s requirements and also were competitive to each other which further result ed in slow growth of the company. GM had various brands at its portfolio which required major expenses in terms of research and development for proper brand management. Failure to keep up with consumers’ demands ultimately lead to slow sales of these brands which affected cash inflow in turn (Maynard, 2009). Instead of ensuring that consumers’ demands for compact and energy-efficient cars is met, GM under the leadership of Wagoner, shut down EV1 electric cars program. With lower vehicle sales, the operating expenses and manufacturing costs increased greatly as a result of which GM was forced to increase its prices. The burden was passed onto the consumer which act as a deterrent for GM’s sales. As a result of this program’s shutdown, billions were lost in terms of research and development. Furthermore, there was a major recall from the roads which made GM compensate the lessees for the losses incurred. The already manufactured models were crushed which no t only failed to recover original manufacturing costs but also added to it due to extra expenses incurred in terms of amortization. Failure to capture the niche market on timely basis allowed Japanese cars to capture a major North market share which was the territory of GM earlier (Hartung, 2009). Shutting down hybrid cars program had a major impact on GM’s profitability. But most importantly, it affected the brand image greatly. It strengthen GM’s persona of being a giant and slow enterprise incapable of understanding consumer’s requirement and respond to it accordingly. Due to global recession and GM’s series of bad decisions especially poor brand management, faulty investments and shut down of hybrid cars, GM filed a loss of over $ 30 million dollars. These losses include major amounts in terms of lowered share prices and also exceptional operational expenses. After filing these losses, GM filed for bankruptcy and was later bailed out by US government. 1.2 Evidences One of the major evidences that indicated GM’s catastrophic decision making failures was GM’s financial statements and other reports published on the subject matter. According to Hargreaves (2008), â€Å"General Motors reported a huge second-quarter net loss Friday of $15.5 billion, after restructuring and other charges, as the automaker's run of troubles continued. The automaker lost $27.33 per share in the quarter, compared to a