Sunday, January 26, 2020

Business based analysis of Nestle

Business based analysis of Nestle Nestle, the largest FMSG Company is working all over the world with more than 500 factories in 86 countries making up of most of the continents. Henri Nestle set up Nestle in Switzerland customers are provided with more than 500 products by Nestle. Nestle was entitled by Henri Nestle. The logo of the company consists of his family coat of arms, the nest with a mother bird protecting her young. The symbol of the company is associated with its care and attitude to lifelong nutrition. The Nestle nest bears the meaning of nourishment, security and sense of family that are important to life. Hr activities at Nestle Recruitment: The current report is that innumerable employees are engaged in Nestle,. Nestle hires most of the employees through a method. An opportunity of employment comes when some employees want to resign or there is an urgent need. But in case of these three situations the head of the department must have to obtain consent of the managing Director (MD). The Divisional Head fills up a Recruitment and Budgeted Form if the request is approved. Performance Appraisal: The corresponding manager or supervisor evaluate or Judge the Job performance of an employee by a method like performance appraisal, employee appraisal, and performance review or development discussion. The employees are given importance at their work place as the Nestle Company is absolutely dependent on the quality of its employees performance. The company pays incentives to its employees to encourage them to give better performance. Compensation Benefit: Compensation is a main thing of Nestle Real Rewards package, which forces the top performers to give their best. The philosophy of Nestle is to afford and keep up disciplined compensation programs that keep up a long term relationship with employees at the time of judging their performance. Nestle promise to offer compensation packages including base pay, short and long term incentives and benefits,. Nowadays they are competitive in market. P2. Objective of the Organization HRM The protection of its employees is Nestle first priority because employees are the asset of this company. To maintain the global corporate standard Nestle focuses on the need for safe working environments. Nestle has resolved to provide a safe working environment for all their employees, contractors and visitors and they are trying to implement Health and safety practices and programs at all working places objectives of the organization are We provide a safe work place to owe employees. We lessen risks of our employees and contractors and visitors and take care of their injury or illness. We meet all requirements like health, safety, legislative etc. We establish and monitor new purposes to decrease work related injury or illness. We develop an efficient injury management system which helps the affected employees return to work. We supply information, provide training to employees and contractors to make them aware of their roles and responsibilities in decreasing the risk of work place injury or illness. We are encouraged a safety and Health management from our suppliers and contractors. We discuss on Health and safety matters with employees and other stakeholders. Method of HRM at Nestle: The Nestle group in the area of interpersonal relations and its management style and the corporation values of those areas are stated by the Nestle. Their respect demands specific attitude that is worthy to be highlighted in the present policy. For taking any advice and decision Nestle depends on its employees. So Nestle has a Democratic Leadership Style. If the company is able to attract employees and develop its growth continually, they will easily achieve a long term success. This is a primary duty of all managers. The principle of the Nestle policy is to hire staff with personal attitude and professional skills because it will make them able to consolidate a long term relationship with the company. Hence the potential for professional advancement is an important standard for recruitment. So a clear communication of these principles and values are necessary for beginning the recruitment process. In Nestle people are dealt with respect and faith. There is not intolerance, harassment or discrimination in the management and this principle is applied and maintained at every stage and situation. Nestle management does not work in complexity and they are honest in behaving with customers and employees for excellent communication. The Nestle is improving continuously for their sincerity in work, dialogue and transparency. No effective delegation and improvement of knowledge are possible if all information is not conveyed to those who need to do their work properly. To communicate means not only to inform but to listen and to engage also in dialogue and all employees are given right to communicate with their superiors or co-workers. If there is any difference of opinion or any dispute between employee and the superiors the possibility must be offered for a fair hearing. The HR staff of Nestle will help to remove disharmony impartially and give them opportunity to express their opinion freely. P3. HRM Models The source approach to HRM gives importance on an employee to be resourceful who increases performance by using motivation, communication, leadership to increase commitment and loyalty. The soft model considers that if satisfaction is increased it will be the only way to go about in the management against various estimated methods possibly used in the hard model. Best Practices approach of HRM: The approach, inspired partly by Jeffrey Pfeffer (1998) is based on the idea of a set of best, universal HRM practices as per their situation that adopting them lead to superior organizational performances. Some of the best practices Pfeffer (1998) are employment security, selective hiring, self manager teams, High compensation contingent performances training to afford a skilled and motivated workforce, reduction of status differentials and sharing information. P4. THE OBJECTIVE OF HR/MANPOWER PLANNING: Manpower planning is done to balance and develop the organizations ability to meet its goal by developing Strategies that will contribute its optimum contribution of human resource. The line manager and staff manager take the responsibility of Manpower planning. The line management gives the estimate of manpower requirements and staff manager works on selection and recruitment related to line manager to whom man power is vital. Organizations HR Planning and development: What the employee requires can be understood by an effective mechanism called HR planning. HR planning can manage the changes in the organization like growing decrease in requirements of employees. HR planning implements new recruitment and hold skilled and efficient staff by understanding easily the needs of future Workforce Planning Workforce planning is a process which is designed to foretell what, when how much can bring about in talent management. It is an integrated and forward looking process. It provides action plans to the managers to work in a prescribed way. This process helps the managers to avoid or decrease problems of people to take advantage of talent opportunities and to develop the talent pipeline. It builds a competitive advantage over other firms. Goals of Workforce Planning: Workforce planning cuts down labor costs quickly and does not impact on productivity negatively. It makes the leaders and managers prepared for future openings. It fills up sudden vacancy immediately and keeps up a flexible contingent workforce. It moves talent proactively to increase the return on talent. It has target retention activities on talent. It has target retention activities on key talent. Man Power Planning: According to Steiner, manpower planning is a strategy for the acquisition, utilization, improvement and preservation of an enterprises human resources. It refers to setting up job specifications or the quantitative requirements of jobs determining the number of personnel required and improving sources of manpower. The diagnostic approach: Source: www.wikipedia.org This approach helps to understand why manpower problems cause. It is possible by using the combination of qualitative planning techniques and qualitative techniques. Manpower planning is mixed into the total process of management of the employment relationship by identifying the more complex factors. Organizational structure, job design and work practices can be damaged by the effect of the diagnostic approach. Links between strategy, structure and people can be made by Human Resource planning HRP Forms and develops the rationalized and diagnostic approaches to manpower planning. Training and development of Nestle: It must be admitted that the company culture has learning. All employees try to upgrade their skills and knowledge continuously. So employees are willing to learn to be recruited by Nestle. Training and development is done on-the-job. Every manager has a duty to guide and train employees for their progress. Formal training programs are arranged with purpose of improving pertinent skills and competencies. Besides, these programs perform individual development. As a result one cannot get reward by attending programs. Manager of Nestle measures progress which can be achieved by training programs. The purpose behind this is to motivate employees by providing attractive but realistic career that helps them develop their skills over a long-term period within the area of economic reality and a changing environment. The act of mentor is done by each manager for his employees. Formal assessment of Nestle is done once a year on a standard basis. It gives feedback on past performance and future potential. Other related aspects concerning a staff members performance are provided feedback. P5. Objective Evaluation of the Organization Human resource function has significance with the onset of global competition. Human resource managers and corporate planning managers think more strategically and step by step. How intense competition impacts upon employment stability can be addressed by them. Implementing cost savings policies regarding employment and thinking with executives on the process of supporting corporate activities are not the same things. To stop downside of global competition the human resource managers should be more active and recruit and keep up efficient workforce. Planning should be done from the very beginning to stop bloating of organization. Human resource managers should identify human resource strategies like flexible dynamic employees are attracted, selected and then trained and motivated to be more productive than the competition. Human resource managers are not administrators but strategic partners. None but they can act will to help top management particularly in a climate of economic uncertainty. Inspire of being Human Company Nestle has most of the above mentioned qualities seen in the managers of present time. The role of HR at Nestle is changing for certain factors. The HR managers at Nestle focus on following qualities along with professional skills and practical experience. The HR managers should develop and motivate employees by addressing the issues that help others to improve in their work and their ability. The managers should be curious and broadminded and interested in other culture and lifestyles including continuous learning and sharing knowledge and ideas freely with others. P6. Performance Management: The function of performance management is to ensure the fulfillment of goals in an effective and efficient manner. Moreover, it watches performance of organization and process of production, employees etc. Performance Management at Nestle: Line managers and HR assess formally once in a year and get feedback. Subordinate managers can interrogate for an unfair evaluation. The HR department has enlisted specific key performance indicators. Remuneration structure and promotion criteria consider individual performance. HR staff must help the management in elaborating training programs. Sufficient training programs are developed at the level of every working company that capitalizes on the availability of local regional or global resources of the group. Some training programs improve the language skills of the employees. These programs also try to consolidate corporate cohesion as well as to promote networking throughout the group. They develop and share best practices of the different management disciplines practiced in the group. E-learning programs are alternative to formal training programs. Competency profile mapping: Competencies are accumulated by totalizing success factors important for obtaining good results in a particular job or in a particular company at nestle. Success factors are made up of knowledge, skills and attributes that are stated in case of particular behaviors and are exhibited by efficient performers in those works. Attributes include personal characteristics, features, motives, values or ways of thinking affecting an individuals behavior. Competencies in organization can be divided into two categories- personal functioning competencies that include broad success factors untied to a specific work function or industry. These competencies often notice leadership or emotional intelligence behavior. Functional/Technical competencies involve specific success factors within a given work function at nestle. P7. Critical Analysis of HR PERFORMANCE The performance of an organization must be analyzed for the development. This analysis makes revaluation of existing strategy possible and easy to understand the faults so that organization can rectify them at once. Recruitment, training and development of employees caliber have been done with high standards. HR Management provides best working conditions with suitable growth opportunities. Employees must maintain rules and regulation of the country. HR Management keeps the record of the best performing employees and gives them opportunities for growth. This analysis proves the best performance standard of HR dept. in the present market. It is clear that Nestle emphasizes on personal achievement and the pay structure HR has planned for its employees and the company also mixes practices like Job Enrichment and Job enlargement, to motivate employees and to break the monotony of their Job tasks. An example of Job enlargement is the correspondent who acts both in sales and brand manageme nt department. Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs: In the year 1950 people accepted the theories of motivation by Maslow. These theories state the process of satisfying peoples requirements in the workplace. The theory explains that dissatisfaction can be created by unsatisfied needs. The hierarchy generally appears to be a pyramid with each level consisting of a certain class of needs. According to Maslow bottom needs of the pyramid are basic needs which are concerned with existence their needs must be met before a persons moving to the next level. Physiological needs: Food, shelter and clothing are the three elementary things essential for man to live on this earth. Only the workplace can satisfy these needs. Safety needs: These needs are concerned with physical survival. Some security needs are high standards of health and safety in the workplace. Job security absence of bullying sufficient rest period pension and sick schemes these needs are fulfilled at Sainsburys. Love and belonging: The work together in a group means to give and receive affection and friendship. The working part of a team, social Facilities and working friendship can satisfy the needs in the workplace. The employees at Sainsburys work together and feel part of a team. Self Esteem: In the workplace all the members should respect each other and feel valued. They should have confidence and self respect. Businesses can offer rewards for achievement or promotion. Self Actualization: All people are offered training challenges and opportunities to develop each individual needs. They should achieve their full potential. Performance related pay (PRP) Performance related pay in an extra payment system added to the base pay. The employees get this payment according to the standard of their performance. Besides, this payment is given to a company after considering how it is performing in financial context. Some forms of PRP are strategic pay, flexible pay, and variable pay. Strategic pay is a pay design process starting with business strategy and organizational design. It disputes against an assumption that certain best practices must be mixed with a companys approach to pay. (Lawler 1995) Flexible pay is that kind of payment system where the pay of the employee is tied to the market situation. In this system the pay of an employee depends on customer satisfaction, customer retention and repeat revenue. The employees will be paid according to their skills and experience rather than job based. This will deploy employees to any projects where their particular skill is required. Variable pay is offered to the employees with financial incentives after they whom their favorable behavior to the business strategy of a company. Heery (1996) recommended importantly that the proportion of pay which is contingent on performance should go up as a proportion of total remuneration. Suggestion for Nestle Communication strategy: There must be an effective communication strategy in Nestle and the employees should be educated and trained about the changes occurring in the organization. Through open to use meetings and bulletins can help to do this. Effective Training and Development: Training and development play a huge role in the practices followed by Nestle. It is an inseparable part of the corporate strategies. In house, trainers conduct most of the training programs. External trainers are required for some specialized training programs., All the employee get the scope of going abroad for training and having an idea of global markets. Entrepreneurship strategy: Every employee should be an entrepreneur who can think ideas independently and realize them by using existing resources and support of the organization to build new kind of product and service. Recruit purposefully: The reason of the expected global shortage of workers is that the baby boomers are choosing to act for short time as their retirement savings have been decreased. If the market comes back fully there can be a mass exodus as the boomers leave the workforce. Company making severe staffing cuts and do not keep their HR people connected to potential hires will be caught severely short staffed. Now savvy companies can hire talented people who have been downsized by other organizations. High HR operation cost should be reduced. The decision making process could be enhanced by leverage of real time information for HR decisions.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Chapter 5 Homework

Jazzlynn Ben Chapter 5 Problems Dr. Ennis 5. 1. You were asked to investigate extremely high, unexplained merchandise shortages at a department store chain. You found the following: a. The receiving department supervisor owns and operates a boutique carrying many of the same labels as the chain store. The general manager is unaware of the ownership interest. — It is a red flag warning so it is a fraud because there is a conflict of interest situation which should have alerted the auditor to the possibility of fraud. b.The receiving supervisor signs receiving reports showing that the total quantity shipped by a supplier was received and then diverts 5% to 10% of each shipment to the boutique. –There is a false representation so this is a fraudulent act. c. The store is unaware of the short shipments because the receiving report accompanying the merchandise to the sales areas shows that everything was received. –There is intent to deceive as indicated by the effort s to conceal the act so this is also a fraudulent act by the supervisor of receiving. It is not due to an act by the buyers. d.Accounts Payable paid vendors for the total quantity shown on the receiving report. –It is unrelated to the investigation so this is a weakness in the system of internal control. e. Based on the receiving department supervisor’s instructions, quantities on the receiving reports were not counted by sales personnel. –The receiving supervisor is advocating a system of a weak internal control so this is an indicator of fraud. Required Classify each of the five situations as a fraudulent act, a fraud symptom, an internal control weakness, or an event unrelated to the investigation.Justify your answers. 5. 2. A client heard through its hot line that John, the purchases journal clerk, periodically enters fictitious acquisitions. After John creates a fictitious purchase, he notifies Alice, the accounts payable ledger clerk, so she can enter them in her ledger. When the payables are processed, the payment is mailed to the nonexistent supplier’s address, a post office box rented by John. John deposits the check in an account he opened in the nonexistent supplier’s name. Required a. Define fraud, fraud deterrence, fraud detection, and fraud investigation. Fraud- Any and all means a person uses to gain an unfair advantage over another person. †¢ Fraud Deterrence- Actions that are taken to discourage the perpetration of fraud. †¢ Fraud Detection- Identifying the indicators of fraud sufficient to warrant recommending an investigation †¢ Fraud investigation- Performing the extended procedures needed to determine whether fraud has occurred, as suggested by the indicators. b. List four personal (as opposed to organizational) fraud symptoms, or red flags, that indicate the possibility of fraud.Do not confine your answer to this example. o High personal debts or great financial losses o Bragging about exp loits o Collectors and creditors appearing at the place of the business o Strong desire to beat the business c. List two procedures you could follow to uncover John’s fraudulent behavior. 1) Trace all of the payments back to the supporting documentation. No record of the receipt of the goods would be listed in the receiving department, as well as the purchasing department. 2) Inspect the documentation supporting the release of a check to a vendor. . 6. An auditor found that Rent-A-Wreck management does not always comply with its stated policy that sealed bids be used to sell obsolete cars. Records indicated that several vehicles with recent major repairs were sold at negotiated prices. Management vigorously assured the auditor that performing limited repairs and negotiating with knowledgeable buyers resulted in better sales prices than the sealed-bid procedures. Further investigation revealed that the vehicles were sold to employees at prices well below Market value. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3Three managers and five other employees pleaded guilty to criminal charges and made restitution. Required a. List the fraud symptoms that should have aroused the auditor’s suspicion. ? Management’s justification for departing from established policy. ? Departure from the established policy of requiring sealed bids to dispose of vehicles being salvaged. ? Vehicles, in fact, have been repaired before they were sold for salvage. b. What audit procedures would show that fraud had in fact occurred? ? Review thoroughly of sales documentation, identifying persons to whom sales were made at â€Å"negotiated prices. ? Evaluate the adequacy of proceeds obtained in negotiated sales. ? Review maintenance records for charges associated with salvaged vehicles. Case 5-1 1. How does Miller fit the profile of the average fraud perpetrator? How does he differ? How did these characteristics make him difficult to detect? 2. Explain the thr ee elements of the opportunity triangle (commit, conceal, convert), and discuss how Miller accomplished each when embezzling funds from Associated Communications. What specific concealment techniques did Miller use? 3.What pressures motivated Miller to embezzle? How did Miller rationalize his actions? 4. Miller had a framed T-shirt in his office that said, â€Å"He who dies with the most toys wins. † What does this tell you about Miller? What lifestyle red flags could have tipped off the company to the possibility of fraud? 5. Why do companies hesitate to prosecute white-collar criminals? What are the consequences of not prosecuting? How could law enforcement officials encourage more prosecution? 6. What could the victimized companies have done to prevent Miller’s embezzlement?

Friday, January 10, 2020

The “Boundaryless” Career

The â€Å"Boundaryless† career serves as the status quo for 21st century career literature. (Dany,Francoise 2011) Based on the development of information and technology, researchers see the requirement to develop a more useful employment model for the â€Å"new organization era†.Contrasting with the previous career concept, now workers are more independent and more responsible for their own future. Although the definitions of the â€Å"Boundaryless† concept seek to explain modern career concepts, some researchers do criticize the theory as being difficult to operationalize (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) due to its ambiguity, and multiple definitions. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)In this paper I will critically analyze the theory of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and some of its criticisms, and at the same time attempt to cross reference the essay along with my own career development plans. Today labor market changed greatly and careers are becoming more complex and uncertai n. (Walton, P.304)The strengthening economics, forces organization to become more flexible with employment policy while the definition of career slowly changes to a lifelong learning process (Arnold, John1997), and the concept of the traditional job or job security are becoming obsolete. (Arthur&Rosseau,1994 Sommerland,Julie2007) Career can be understood differently by people from different back ground, culture or country.For those differences, still most individuals share a similar drive for a career. At any point in life we associate with career, example my education aim to master in business management studies is part my career. For an established definition, career is a sequence of work experiences over time-unfold (Arthur, Rousseau P.3).The notion of career offers a vantage point from which to understand the evolution of relationship between organization structure and strategy, as well as the relationship between individual and his/her behavior. (Inkson,Kerr 2012) Career can al so be described in two different ways.The subjective career or the psychological dimension and the objective career or also can be understand as the physical dimension of career. (Arthur,MB 2005) Since I started my career my focus is to work in an environment that I am comfortable to learn and continually seeking for new challenges.In the 21st century â€Å"new career† theory, these two aspects act as an important factor for worker’s decision about their own career. (Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) Most my transition between companies I made  were made to get closer to my career objective and in the same time being able keep my life style as much as possible, which really help me to balance out my physical and psychological demand for my career path.The â€Å"new career† literature has become a hot topic for researchers, and two concepts particularly grab the attention. The two modern career concepts are â€Å"Boundaryless† career and â€Å"Protean† career. Protean theory focus on achieving subjective success through self-directed vocational behavior while â€Å"Boundaryless† focuses on crossing both objective and subjective dimension of career at multiple levels of analysis including organizational position, mobility, flexibility, the work environment. (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006, Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) As the present backdrop, â€Å"Boundaryless† career became an uncontroversial description of the way things are. (Arnold,John 2011)In 2011, â€Å"Boundaryless† career is one of the leading â€Å"new career† theories, in terms of published scholarly articles. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) Although, according to some recent research and criticism, scholars emphasized physical mobility across organizational boundaries at the cost of neglecting psychological mobility and its relationship to physical relationship. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) That is simply because Physical mobility is easier to measure than psychologic al mobility.However, despite the assumption of increasing mobility across organizations boundaries have rarely been analyzed in the career literature (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010). Contrary to much of the rhetoric mobility between employers has not been increasing during the 1990s and 2000s. (Arnold,John 2011)Evidence from several countries suggests that most people still have long term employment setting and significant increase in mobility across organization boundaries (Inkson,2012) also in patterns of career mobility in the U.S.A and that key workers can still count on organizations for their career (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010)The evidence also suggest that the type of career mobility commonly associated with â€Å"Boundaryless† has been present in the U.S.A and other countries in period considered to be dominated by hierarchical careers with organization. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) From evidences and my own experience, I am certain that modern day worker still do seek for a secure job and a traditional like culture for the future.Other criticisms found on Arthur and Rousseau’s â€Å"Boundaryless†Ã‚  career as being problematic (Arnold,John 2011, Rodrigues 2010) as well as inaccurate labeling, loose definition, over emphasis on personal agency, normalization of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and poor empirical support for the claim dominance of â€Å"Boundarlyless† career. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)My experience during the economic recession, many people including myself needed to be mobile and act for own interest to get the best opportunity out in the competitive market. Then again in normal economic situation it seems to underestimates the degree of stability and the desire for stability in industry and employment.In conclusion as the new social contract between employers and employees seems to be propelled by the globalization process and by rapidly improving information technology (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006). Research and theory on â€Å"Boundaryless† career has been responsive to changes in the economic and organizational context of the past 25 years (Inkson,Kerr 2012)The author argues for the need for a new career concept to grab the suitable policies for the modern workers who are changing in technologies and security disorder caused by the dynamic change. (Arthur&Rousseau P.4) Criticism suggest that the â€Å"Boundaryless† career offers confusion and ambiguity regarding whether the concepts provide description of how career are these days, especially concerning which particular boundaries are crossed.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Private School Scandals and Controversies

Every school, public or private, has had its share of unpleasant news. With many private schools and boarding schools having histories that span hundreds of years, its highly likely that in some fashion, each school has some skeletons in its closets. Public schools have scandals, too, but private schools tend to be the focus of the media because of their independent status and tuition rates. What kind of scandals happen at schools? Everything from bullying and hazing to sexual misconduct and embezzlement scandals. Each school will handle the scandals in their own way, but the goal is to protect the victims, the other students, and faculty at the school, and the schools reputation.   The most recent headlines have involved sex abuse scandals at private schools, and with many of these institutions dating back hundreds of years, very few have squeaky clean pasts.  Many of these scandals that hit the media are the result of past actions being brought to light years later, in some cases decades later. The schools that handle these cases the best are those that provide support for their students and alumni and work to ensure that their campuses today are safe and supportive for students.  Background checks, particularly for staff and faculty, are common practice in most schools today. Even the best schools are sometimes met with controversy. Its the way a school deals with these crises that is the best measure of its competence. The best ones recognize how important it is to deal with bad news promptly. They know that the Internet, including social media, and cell phones will spread rumors as quickly as you can text your classmates. They also know that members of the media are lurking just waiting for some juicy morsel about an elite school to surface, so they can fan the flames of indignation and mock self-righteousness. Scandals are not limited to private schools, though, and can be found at schools of all kinds, including public schools and even top colleges and universities. The safety of students is the utmost concern of school officials, and most schools take swift and serious action when transgressions are discovered. Heres a brief look at some incidents which have occurred in private schools over the years. June 2017:  The Boston Globe  reported on Phillips Exeter Academy and its protests by students because of the lack of response to accusations of racially insensitive comments by faculty.  May 2017:  New York Post published an article about a student at Kent School in Connecticut, who alleged abuse by her French teacher, who she claimed seduced and abused her repeatedly.April 2017:  USA Today reported on the investigations into Choate Rosemary Hall and its four-decade long history of abuse involving more than a dozen teachers.  March 2017:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Philips Exeter uncovered instances of sexual misconduct from five former faculty members.June 2016: Top Administrators Fired at William Kochs Elite Private School:  According to the  New York Times, Billionaire William Koch fired the head of school at Oxbridge Academy and declined to renew the contracts of the athletic director and the football coach. The moves came after a sexual harassment complaint and an internal inves tigation into accusations of kickbacks, grade-changing, excessive spending and violations of the rules governing high school sports.May 20​16:  Boston Globe Releases Article, Private Schools, Painful Secrets:  This article focuses on sexual abuse at private schools in New England. Including Fessenden, Deerfield, St. Georges, Taft, Exeter, Thayer, and Concord.May 2016:  New York Time Reports on Sex Abuse at Private Schools:  Focuses on private schools in New England, including St. Georges, Taft, Exeter, Thayer, and Concord.  January 2016/October 2016:  In January, Connecticut newspapers reported on an  evacuation  of a dormitory at Cheshire Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut, after gasoline was found on campus. No one was hurt and students were allowed to re-enter the dorm that same night. In October, however,  reports from local papers revealed  that two juvenile boys were arrested for attempting to manufacture bombs in the woods near the main campu s.  Headmaster Scandals:  This article from  Town Country  outlines five private school scandals involving heads of schools. From murder and mysterious finances to drugs and abuse, these ordeals read like a script from Hollywood.  Parents Sue Conserve School Trustees:  Read Conserve School Changes From 4 Year High School to 1 Semester Model to understand how the economic downturn of 2009 has wreaked havoc on one private schools endowment to the point where the trustees are changing the schools business model. The parents of current four-year high school students were not happy with that decision and have sued the trustees.Five Hockey Team Members Expelled from Milton Academy:  Milton Academy rocked by expulsions  is a Boston.com story detailing how five members of the Milton Academy hockey team were expelled for receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old sophomore girl.Parents Sue Miss Porters School Over Expulsion:  At a Prep School, the Gloves Are Off  details what happened when a prestigious Connecticut girls school expelled a senior student.School for Scandal:  Groton was rocked by accusations of sexual abuse and hazing in a  2002 story reported on ABCNEWS.Rector of St. Pauls School Retires:  The Rector of St. Pauls School, Concord, New Hampshire,  retired  after an outcry regarding what many alumni considered to be  excessive expenditures  on renovations to the Rectors housing as well as a lavish compensation package for himself and his assistant.  In the fall of 2004 St. Pauls also had to deal with a  drowning  and a hazing incident in addition to all the controversy over excessive spending and the investigation by the New Hampshire attorney general.Sex Scandal Hits Selwyn House:  I wrote  about  this story  in May 2008. This incident hit home as this Montreal boys school occupies the building which was Westmount Senior High School when I attended it in 1960-61.Counterfeit Currency Scheme Uncovered at Lower Can ada College:  It seems that internet gambling debts forced some LCC students to print money to cover their balance.Academy X:  Horace Mann teacher Andrew Trees was fired for his fictional account of life in a private school,  Academy X.Death of Student at The Hill School:   Suicide scatters grief and guilt in every direction. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the close-knit world which is a boarding school  community.  The headmaster and staff dealt with this very sad incident with compassion and sensitivity.Upper Canada College Teacher Found Guilty of Sex Charges:  It was a sad day for UCC when former master Doug Brown was found guilty of sexually abusing 18 former students. One of those students released a memoir article in 2013 that appeared on the  Toronto Life site.Incoming Students at The Landon School Caught in Embarrassing Activities: Incoming Landon boys apparently were creating  a list of girls  they knew in a bizarre sort of draft selection process . Naturally the girls parents were upset.    Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski