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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The essay discusses the issues of environmental sustainability and how the principles of this concept can be applied to improve the performance of businesses. The authors provide several methods of applying the sustainability principle to businesses, including the introduction of a new brand."The essay discusses the issues of environmental sustainability and how the principles of this concept can be applied to improve the performance of businesses. The authors provide several methods of applying the sustainability principle to businesses, including the introduction of a new brand." | The essay discusses the issues of environmental sustainability and how the principles of this concept can be applied to improve the performance of businesses. The authors provide several methods of applying the sustainability principle to businesses, including the introduction of a new brand.
"The essay discusses the issues of environmental sustainability and how the principles of this concept can be applied to improve the performance of businesses. The authors provide several methods of applying the sustainability principle to businesses, including the introduction of a new brand." | “Clarke: Transformation for Environmental Sustainability” by Laszlo, McCabe, Aheam and Ghatde Problem Solution Essay
Table of Contents
1. Issues
2. Alternative Solutions
3. Analysis of Solutions
4. Recommendations
5. Works Cited
Issues
Despite the fact that the tidal wave of environmental concern, which started in 1990s, seems to have died down in 2010s, the recent introduction of the sustainability principle into not only management of various natural environments, but also the field of business and economics, has provided the premises for an innovation approach in the company operation.
The latter presupposes that environmental sustainability should be integrated into the company’s principles in order to facilitate improvement in the organisational performance rates. In their article “Clarke:
Transformation for Environmental Sustainability,” Laszlo, McCabe, Aheam and Ghatde address the specified concept, outlining the key problems that a 21 st -century entrepreneurship traditionally has and identifying the methods, which the sustainability principle will allow for integrating into the corporate strategy in general and the strategy of Clarke’s company in particular.
Among the key issues faced by the latter, such problems as the problems with the transition to the triple-bottom line, the need to establish the business as a safe and harmless company and a change in the business model (Laszlo et al. 22–25) must be mentioned.
Alternative Solutions
According to what Laszlo et al. suggest, in order to meet the new requirements listed by EPA and, therefore, produce the goods that contain the so-called “green chemicals” (Laszlo et al. 22), it will be necessary to resort to the sustainability principle, which, in its turn, presupposes a range of rapid and impressive changes in the company’s organisation structure, performance and
Analysis of Solutions
The authors of the article provide several methods of addressing the lack of sustainability within the company. To be more accurate, they suggest that the company should switch to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach (Laszlo et al. 23).
Table 1: Pros and Cons
Solution Argument in favour Argument against
Introduction of a new brand (Natular) * Toxicity rates of the new product were considerably lower than those of the predecessors; * Unreasonable princes may have thrown the target audience off;
* The product would make the company look more environmentally friendly * The bureaucratic nature of the target audience may have slackened the process of product promotion
Carbon footprint reduction * Improvement in the company’s reputation; * Necessity to reconsider the production process;
* Contribution to environmental sustainability * Increase in costs for new and more expensive equipment
Usage of renewable resources Encouragement of recycling and, therefore, reduction of costs for the raw materials Possible drops in the quality of the raw materials and, thus, of the product
* Promotion of healthy lifestyle among the staff; * Dissatisfaction among the staff due to the lack of comfort in transportation;
Usage of bicycles and hybrid vehicles * Premises for developing a new set of values directed at the physical and emotional wellbeing of the staff carried out with the help of introduction of healthy lifestyle principles; * Drops in the speed of the product delivery, as well as the transportation of raw materials and, thus, the overall reduction in the speed of the production process
* A stronger emphasis on the company’s environmentally friendly policy.
Name change * Allowing the customers know that the company is moving in the right direction; * Necessity to create a promotion campaign from scratch;
* Creating the room for a fresh new start * Need to deal with numerous rivals and come up with a groundbreaking approach
Recommendations
It is obvious that the organisation has gone a long way to becoming a more environmentally friendly company with a set of strong moral values.
Regardless of the fact that the firm had to sacrifice a range of potentially profitable resources for the sake of its new image, it still managed to come up with a viable strategy, which will help it last quite long, shining among its competitors, who are less environmentally aware and far not as safe as Clarke’s company.
At present, it can be recommended that the company should identify the avenues for cutting the losses for choosing an environmentally safer approach. As it has been stressed above, the costs for providing the staff with the transportation methods that are less polluting are very high, and a reconsideration of the company’s logistics may be the answer to making the company’s costs smaller.
To be more exact, a choice of different partners for carrying out transportation can be suggested; in addition, the current routes can be changed so that the consumption of petrol could be reduced a few notches.
Finally, the company’s policy should become the focus of its next promotion campaign. With the introduction of a new brand product into the market, the firm must come up with a promotion campaign that will help make the product more popular and memorable among the target audience.
It should be born in mind that the promotion campaign is going to be quite costly; therefore, modern media should be used as the key tools for making the product popular. With the integration of social networks and direct advertisement, the company is going to benefit from a shift towards sustainability greatly.
Works Cited
Laszlo, Chris, Katey McCabe, Eric Aheam and Indrajeet Ghatde. “Clarke: Transformation for Environmental Sustainability.” Leading Change . Ed. Will O’Brien. Worcester, MA: Clark University. 2014. 21–38. Print.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The essay discusses the effects of music on the brain and mood, and how it can be used to relax the mind. It first establishes a theoretical background on the effects of music on the brain and mood, and then reports on the positive effects of classical music on the brain and mood. |
The essay discusses the effects of music on the brain and mood, and how it can be used to relax the mind. It first establishes a theoretical background on the effects of music on the brain and mood, and then reports on the positive effects of classical music on the brain and mood. | Classical Music: Influence on Brain and Mood Research Paper
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Literature review
4. Impacts of music on the brain and mood
5. Conclusion
6. References
Abstract
Music is found in both traditional and modern societies. Its roles have not changed significantly amid changes in lifestyles and state of technology. Music serves to entertain, overcome certain emotions, express some emotions, and relax the mind.
Through music, people can change their moods from sadness to happiness without realizing it. It has positive effects in relieving stress, which suggests that it influences the brain and its processes. Music drives people’s moods so that when shifts from one state to another occur, they feel relaxed and relieved.
Through it, people can go about their daily chores energetically. This paper reports on the positive effects of music on both the brain and mood.
Introduction
Different people have disparate music preferences. However, some music genres make individuals to react both emotionally and physically. Music constitutes an essential element of people’s lives. Individuals react towards music without realizing.
For instance, when one hears his or her most favorite music, he or she starts singing along or even dancing without even realizing it. This aspect suggests that music influences the brain significantly. When sad, listening to one’s favorite music can change the mood to happiness.
Depending on the genre, music shapes people’s moods accordingly. For example, listening to blues may create a romantic mood amongst its listeners. This paper discusses the effects of classical music on the brain and mood. It first establishes a theoretical background on the effects of music on the brain and mood.
Literature review
Music plays important roles in the lives of people. Historically, it was highly appreciated as it formed part of the primitive ancient civilizations’ lifestyles. Similarly, it forms part of the modern civilizations’ lives. Similar to language, music is universal in the sense that all societies and communities have differing music genres, which are powerful tools that speak louder than words (Yehuda, 2011).
Indeed, sound does not tell lies so that music possesses a legitimate authority. Many philosophers and psychologists are intrigued due to the effects of music on emotions, brain, and moods of people. Therefore, they endeavor to unveil its implication on the human body. Music can be traced at infancy stages of human development
. Yehuda (2011) posits that infants have an innate psychological behavior for music in terms of depicting awareness of it and the expression of musical behaviors. This assertion suggests that music in rooted in nature of people.
People possess predispositions for ‘musicking.’ Gilboa, Bodner, and Amir (2006) maintain that music constitutes a biological adaption, which is developed through evolution. The authors deploy concepts of music in describing initial communications between mothers and their babies, and thus it forms the annotation used by people while speaking expresses their authentic emotions (Gilboa et al., 2006).
Consequently, music constitutes a manifestation of emotional communications amongst people. Miell, MacDonald, and Hargreaves (2005) report positive impacts of music on people’s bodies by discussing its therapeutic effects in Greek myths and beliefs.
For instance, Yehuda (2011)notes that music helps in “restoring both the soul and the body to a state of equilibrium, arousing or soothing as needed, to temper excess or deficient emotion and creating the sensation of pleasure through movement” (p. 86). The Greeks also believed that music helps in inducing the catharsis, which purges the soul of emotional turmoil.
This assertion suggests that since ancient times, people have appreciated that music has the capability of penetrating souls and bodies. Various productions for human behavior underscore the existence of the perception that music produces healing effects. For instance, King George I suffered from troubles of tension handling coupled with failure of the capacity to recall.
On searching “the biblical account of King Saul, he considered Saul to have suffered the same problem” (Yehuda, 2011, p. 86). King George quickly realized that King Saul deployed a specific type of music to overcome his problems. Therefore, he directed Fredrick Handel to create a piece of music that would produce similar effects to those realized by King Saul through music. Handel composed the ‘water music’, which king George loved incredibly.
Music comprises a symbolic language, which does not refer to particular associations. Nevertheless, Miell et al. (2005) posit that its structures help in conveying certain meanings to the people’s brains.
The authors further state that music “can act as a powerful sensory stimulus, thus engaging the brain in retraining neural and behavioral functions that can be applied to non-musical context in everyday life, such as therapeutic needs” (Miell et al.,2005, p.78). This aspect suggests the likelihoods for the music to impact people’s brains and moods. This likelihood is discussed in the next section.
Impacts of music on the brain and mood
Music compliments everyday lives of all people. Individuals listen to music to make their mornings better, ensure that they relax after work in the evening, or even enhance their motivation at work. Students find music valuable during study time, while surgeons conduct their intricate procedure with glamorous background music.
This aspect implies that people deploy music as a mechanism of enhancing their moods (Janssen, Broek & Westerink, 2012). This positive effect of classical music in enhancing people’s moods has significantly become important over the last 20 years following the rapid explosion of new technologies, which have facilitated the digitization of music.
People now can listen to classical music while on their cars, doing household chores, reading, and doing almost any other activity. When reading a book, people prefer relaxing classical music. When doing hard jobs, energizing classical music is perhaps highly preferable. This aspect implies that different music genres suit different situations depending on the required specific type of mood arousal (Janssen et al., 2012).
Music influences people’s mood by affecting various factors, which promote or trigger certain moods. One of such factors is stress levels. Different people have disparate levels to which they can withstand stressing environmental conditions effectively.
Factors such as personality types, the emotional stability attributes of different people, and more importantly personal temperaments may determine this ability (Kumar & Sharma, 2011). Exposure to stressing environmental conditions has negative consequences to both psychological and physiological health of people.
Stress may have the implication of low satisfaction with life, and thus lead to incapacity for people to work both effectively and efficiently. At organizational level, stress correlates positively with burnout, which constitutes an important factor for high labor turnover (Adhia, Nagendra & Mahadevan, 2010).
In clinical settings, stress entails one of the risk factors for cancer, hypertension, and diabetes among other chronic ailments. If classical music can help to alter people’s moods, then it implies that listening to one’s favorite lyrics can help to shift the mind from environmental stressors.
Music has the capacity to reduce stress and increase it depending on the classical genres played. For example, music reminiscent of sorrows in life may increase stress associated with certain encounters in life. However, many psychological studies on impacts of music focus more on positive effects of music than negative consequences.
The goal of psychology is to produce healing effects on an individual, rather than worsening the situation. Although stress may have some positive implications on people, its management mainly concerns dealing with its negative consequences in all lifestyles.
Stress management highlights the deployment of psychotherapeutically designed techniques for reducing and keeping stress levels under check to ensure proper functioning of people’s brains in theireveryday work. Music can alter people’s attitudes.
Indeed, any psychotherapeutic technique that alters people’s attitude produces healing effects. For instance, yoga is one of the techniques for managing stress and its historical roots and principles hinge on Hinduism philosophy.
For instance, the karma yoga, which is one of Yoga types, aids in controlling stress through the development of appropriate attitudes in relation to work environment coupled with enhancing the ability to respond positively to professional anticipations for managers and employees in any organization, the industry of operation notwithstanding (Kumar & Sharma, 2011).
In workplaces, the alleviation of stress entails the use of strategies like the minimization of demands, thus raising people’s ability to deal with changing cognitive appraisals, psychological, and behavioral responses. Deploying music in managing stress constitutes a palliative approach to dealing with internal psychological process among individuals.
It has the capacity to reduce distress coupled with tension (Yehuda, 2011).As argued before, music influences people’s mood by reducing stress. Excessive stress levels beyond an individual’s stress threshold may induce common illness such as aches and pains, inflexibility, and lack of mental relaxation.
Stress truncates to uncomfortable life through the reduction of joy by conditions as insomnia and headaches coupled with backaches. These challenges constitute the symptoms of major epidemic illness like osteoporosis. Stress also correlates positively with vata derangement , which is associated with reduced instability and flexibility upon excessive rise of air related to various aspects of the body (Treven, 2010).
High levels of vita air have the implication of causing people to have mood swings due to lack of focus and rajasic mental state. Major symptoms for this condition include insomnia and anxiety. Classical music produces positive effects on these conditions by countering incidences of mood swings. To this extent, by influencing moods, classical music enables people to live happier lives.
Burnout constitutes a response to interpersonal coupled with emotional stressors within work environments. It has inefficacy, disparagement, and mental and emotional fatigue as its main aspects (Adhia et al., 2010). In particular, work-related burnout has negative implications on the effectiveness of an organization and its workers’ health.
Research in organizational management identifies burnout and discusses its complexity in affecting work relationships, which leads to organizational conflicts. In organizational settings, the relationship between stress and burnout suggests that classical music can offer holistic solutions that can foster stress elimination through influencing people’s moods (Adhia et al., 2010).
Music techniques deployed in dealing with stress entails listening, imagery, muscle relaxation, and preferred listening among others. Brain plays significant roles in relaxation. If music can result in positive effects in terms of enhancing relaxation, then it implies that it has effects on the system that controls functionalities of the body.
Yehuda (2011) supports this assertion by evidencing the psychiatric effects of classical music on prisoner patients. The author reports that the treatment for psychiatric conditions for the patients indicated significant improvements in terms of relaxations, alteration of moods, and thinking processes about one’s personality and abilities (Yehuda, 2011).
This aspect shows that music affects people’s moods, which is preceded by influencing the brain on a given stimuli, thus invoking certain mood changes. Studies conducted through survey for participants in parenting magazines in the US context evidence that people cognize the roles of music in the reduction of stress and alternation of the mood.
Yehuda (2011) posits that participants in the surveys frequently cite the capacity of music to change their moods. Despite the view that the conclusions by Yehuda (2011) depended mainly on institutions, a growing body of literature supports such findings.
He lists various researches in the fields of education, therapy, and psychology by registering positive effects of music on stress management coupled with changing moods for children and adults (Yehuda, 2011). Mood has the capability of inducing anxiety among people. Classical music acts as anxiolytic treatment strategy, which is essential in the reduction of anxieties (Janssen et al., 2012). Classical Music affects people’s mood via sympathetic resonance.
Time utilized in medical examination is highly relaxing by playing patients soothing music (Yehuda, 2011). Indeed, music has positive impacts on differing clinical settings. However, only few nursing and medical researches study the roles of music in clinical settings.
However, based on psycho-physiological literature, specific types of music reduce anxiety levels coupled with improving respiration and heart rate without negating the increment of temperature (Janssen et al., 2012). Indeed, Yehuda (2011) recommends classical music genres deployed traditionally to relax the mind and reduce anxiety experienced by students waiting to take tests in learning institutions.
This aspect implies that music can help in changing an examination mood, which helps in the elimination of fear for an examination. Such moods result from over concentration on test, which brain plays central roles in maintaining focus on the subject. Thus, since music changes an examination mood, it also suggests that it helps in shifting the focus of the brain from over-thinking on the awaiting test.
In this context, music affects the brain of not only students waiting to sit for a test, but also on anxieties in all contexts. Despite the fact that classical music has sedative effects so that its lowers anxiety, it is perhaps inconclusive to infer that people respond in the same manner to sedative classical music.
Response to music depends on factors like familiarity, training, the presently experienced mood, and the preferences for different music types. Consequently, determining the effects on music on an individual’s mood requires an understanding of neuropsychological relationship between emotional process and musical responses. This understanding can lead to the development of a thorough knowledge on implication of music on brain-mood emotional structure.
People, amid their cultural inclinations, have the capacity to identify emotions associated with specific types of music, which can change moods on top of inducing and controlling emotions. This aspect makes it possible for the music to be deployed in enhancing people’s well-being, distracting patients, lowering stress levels, and handling unpleasant symptoms.
Yehuda (2011) notes that music “seems to effectively reduce anxiety and improve mood for medical and surgical patients, especially for patients in intensive care units and those undergoing aversive procedures” (p. 90). In addition, it creates a soothing environment for people with terminal conditions as they undergo lenitive care. These aspects influence the alteration of moods since every feeling has an associated mood.
Music makes people smile, excited, dance with the rhythm, and cry. Playing classical music may bring back into life a past memory. It changes the mood instantaneously.
The main question, which has elicited diverse investigations, is on how listening to music coupled with rhythms may help people to improve their life experiences so that they can live fulfilling lives while dealing with situations such as stress and anxiety in some scenarios.
Classical music may affect people’s mode in differing ways, but the primary mechanisms involve the rhythm coupled with tone elements. When listening to classical music rhythm, one’s heart synchronizes alongside the playing music. Slow heartbeat followed by increasing diastolic pressures notifies the brain about the possibility of a bad thing or depressing experience.
Fast beats accompany excitement. “Dreamy rhythm coupled with occasional upbeats may create a mood of love or joy” (Kumar & Sharma, 2011, p. 18). Similarly, tones of classical music help in defining the mood in the context of the music, which is assimilated into the individual listening to the music.
A strong “key may signify communications that are cheerful and soothing to the brain of the listener, while low keys indicate soft lamentations coupled with sighs (O’Donnell, 2013, par. 17).These aspects influence the brain by directing the people’s psych to feel the things communicated to them.
However, determining the manner in which classical music affects the brain and the mood does not constitute a simple endeavor. Researchers across the globe heavily engage in the task of determining the applicability and validity of these discussed possible ways in which classical music may impact or cause mood changes.
For example, a research conducted by the Missouri University researchers argued that in certain situations, music has the capacity to alter the mood of the listeners and increase their happiness within a period of two weeks (O’Donnell, 2013). In the research, the participants were instructed to make attempts of feeling happier while listening to neutral music or a high upbeat music.
Listeners for upbeat tone were found happier than for neutral music. The music therapy indicated that cheerfulness could also be contributed by listening to music of the right tune and rhythm (O’Donnell, 2013). Considering the potential positive effects of classical music on the mood and the brain, the music can be adapted to influence people to behave in certain ways.
For example, one can increase his or her energy for the day chores by listening to upbeat music early in the morning as he or she prepares for work. Such music can help in awakening hormones related to just get up and get ready. By encouraging this kind of activities coupled with the brain’s response associated with it, the mood for work may increase, which also helps in fostering one’s productivity all day long.
Depression and anxiety act together to lower one’s mood. In a bid to decrease the effects of anxiety, listening to soothing music such as classical music accompanied by meditation is crucial. However, the overall outcome may also depend on the selected tune of classical music.
In this context, Janssen et al. (2012) note, “Pioneers in the field of music, tones and mood are creating more and more pieces aimed at not only speaking to the brain, but actually directing it to achieve changes you would like to feel” (p. 261). Such music arrangements produce a particular rhythm, which then the brain follows to induce a predetermined mood.
From the above augments, scholars studying the effects of music on the mood and brain contend that the impacts on music on mood and brain depend on the type and genre of the music. Amid its positive effects in managing stress and its related moods, music can also induce stress, intolerance, and anxiety (Yehuda, 2011).
Classical music can be used as a weapon or a strategy of ensuring that people behave in a particular manner. For instance, in the past, music has been used in Britain and Australia to induce a mood of intolerance. Classical music effectively compelled teenagers to walk away from a railway station when they became bored by it.
The US military also use “combination of high amplitude rock and happysmiley children’s songs that are reported to break the will of the hardest terrorist” (Yehuda, 2011, p.90). Thus, music can change reasoned decisions. Such decisions involve the use of brain in determining appropriate cause of actions.
Considering the view that different music genres have different effects on the brain and the mood, an emerging question is what music should one listen to -classical music, rock, or blues. A study conducted at Penn State University indicated that students listening to any kind of music experience joy, relaxation, optimism, and calmness (Yehuda, 2011).
While some researchers at the university recommended that students listen to soothing music like classical music, others noted that even the hardest music like rock produce positive effects on the student’s mood. However, irrespective of the genres that make one happy or emotionally energetic, there is also sad music.
Bachorik, Bangert, Loui, Larke, and Berger (2009) discuss one of the studies on the impacts of sad and happy music on people’s mood after listening to them. People listening to happy music feel happiness as an outcome while those listening to sad music feel sad afterward. The specifically worrying aspect in the research findings is that sad or happy music triggers different thoughts.
People listening to sad classical music remember mainly of bad experiences that they have encountered in their lives. Bachorik et al. (2009) reckon that they also experience challenges in successfully doing simple chores.
The mind reacts in diverse ways to both gloomy and cheerful classical melodies. In fact, few words of either kind of music have the implications on one’s mood. For instance, “listening to a very short piece of music, one can judge or interpret neutral expressions as matching either sad or happy moods” (Bachorik et al., 2009, p. 359).
Facial expression changes when listening to a specific type of classical music, which indicates the capacity of the listened music to change the mood of an individual. Classical music affects the mood and brain in terms of felt and perceived emotions. This assertion suggests that people can understand emotions associated with classical music, but they might not feel them.
This aspect may explain why some people may find sad classical music enjoyable as opposed to depressing. Opposed to the actual life situations, listening to sad classical music does not arouse a feeling of an eminent danger. Consequently, it becomes possible to perceive related moods without essentially feeling them.
The effect of classical music on the brain is outstanding. O’Donnell (2013) observes that classical music playing at 60 beats per minute activates right and the left side of the brain in a simultaneous manner. This trend helps in increasing learning coupled with information retention capacity.
The information studied sets the left-brain into action. On the other hand, the played classical music activates right part of the brain. Playing classical music instruments constitutes one of the activities aiding inactivation of the left and right sides of the brain, and O’Donnell (2013) claims that it enhances the information processing ability.
Conclusion
Music has had historical connections with all societies across the globe since the civilization of humanity. All cultures possess music in their traditions. Modern history evidences the influence possessed by music on societal civilization. It aided Jefferson in writing the declaration independence as he could play the violin to help in figuring around the necessary wording for some parts of the document.
Even though music comprises different genres, the available research indicates that all genres have effects on the people’s mood and brain. For instance, classical music creates a relaxation mood, anxiety, and a happy mood depending on the rhythm and the tone. Upbeats create the mood of happiness.
Low beats and low tones create the mood of sadness and sorrow. Such classical music may be referred to sad music, which this paper has argued that it reminiscences past bad feelings and experiences after listening to it. Thus, it is possible to change one’s mood by selecting the rhythm and the tone of classical music to suit the desired mood after listing to it.
References
Adhia, H., Nagendra, R., & Mahadevan, B. (2010). Impact of Adoption of Yoga Way Life on the Reduction of Job Burnout of Managers. The Journal for Decision Makers, 35 (2), 21-33.
Bachorik, P., Bangert, M., Loui, P., Larke, K., & Berger, J. (2009). Emotion in motion: investigating the time course of emotional judgments of musical stimuli . Music Perception 26 (4), 355–364.
Gilboa, A., Bodner, E., & Amir, D. (2006). Emotional communicability in improvised music: The case of music therapists. Journal of Music Therapy, 43 (1), 198–225.
Janssen, J., Broek, E., & Westerink, L. (2012). Tune in to Your Emotions: Robust Personalized Affective Music Player. User Adaptation International Journal, 22 (5), 255-279.
Kumar, J., & Sharma, K. (2011). Karma Yoga: A Philosophical Therapeutic Model for Stress Management. International Journal of Education and Allied Sciences, 3 (1), 15-22.
Miell, D., MacDonald, R., & Hargreaves, D. (2005). Musical Communication . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
O’Donnell, L. (2013). Music and the Brain . Retrieved from www.cerebromente.org.br/n15/mente/musica.html
Treven, S. (2010). Individual methods for reducing stress in work settings. Interbeing, 4 (2), 1-5.
Yehuda, N. (2011). Music and Stress. Journal of Adult Development, 18 (3), 85-94.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Sigmund Freud's theory of personality was based on his observation and case study approaches according to which the patients' experiences help in understanding the human personality. In his theory, Freud focuses on the role of unconscious motives, instincts, and drives in determining the human personality. |
Sigmund Freud's theory of personality was based on his observation and case study approaches according to which the patients' experiences help in understanding the human personality. In his theory, Freud focuses on the role of unconscious motives, instincts, and drives in determining the human personality. | Classical Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud Report
Table of Contents
1. The Driving Force behind Personality according to Freud
2. Elements of Freud’s Theory
3. The Role of Society and Developmental Stages
4. Individual Differences in Personality
5. Conclusion
6. References
Psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud is traditionally discussed as the most popular personality theory. Freud’s theory was based on his observation and case study approaches according to which the patients’ experiences help in understanding the human personality. In his theory, Freud focuses on the role of unconscious motives, instincts, and drives in determining the human personality.
The Driving Force behind Personality according to Freud
Freud discusses instincts as the main driving forces to motivate people and affect their behaviors. People usually do not understand what instincts drive their life because instincts are the part of the human unconscious. Sex and aggression are two instincts which motivate the human behaviors (Feist & Feist, 2009, p. 29). Sex is associated with the life instinct, and aggression is associated with the death instinct.
Drives and instincts are connected with the human personal experiences, and the id associated with the human unconscious nature is oriented to pleasure and satisfying the sex instinct and to satisfying the aggression instinct (Schultz & Schultz, 2012, p. 61). As a result, the individual’s main goal is to address these instincts during the life and to reduce tensions associated with personal experiences and anxiety.
Elements of Freud’s Theory
Freud’s psychoanalysis is based on the idea that all individuals can be analyzed according to the levels of mental life, provinces of the mind, and instincts or personality dynamics. According to Freud, all individuals have three levels of mental life which are unconscious, preconscious, and conscious (Feist & Feist, 2009, p. 34). At the unconscious level, Freud determines such common personality dynamics as instincts and anxiety.
These forces are not identified by the individual, and they are the part of the person’s id. Following the concept about the provinces of the mind, all individuals have the id, the ego, and the superego as the parts of their mind (Hall, Lindzey, & Campbell, 1998, p. 38).
If the id is based on the human instincts and anxiety as the main force to motivate the people’s life, the ego is associated with the individual’s reality vision and control principle, and the superego is associated with the person’s ideal vision and expectations.
The Role of Society and Developmental Stages
Freud states that the society forms the personal experiences at different stages of life, and these experiences are the fundament for developing the person’s painful complexes. Freud determines such personal development stages as Infantile Period (0-5 years) divided into oral phase, anal phase, and phallic phase; Latency Period (5-12 years); and Genital Period (12-adulthood) (Hall et al., 1998, p. 52).
The role of experiences is most significant during the Infantile Period, when the individual’s personality forms most actively. Freud’s stages are based on the idea of the individual’s psychosexual development as the core to determine the aspects of the person’s behaviors.
Individual Differences in Personality
To accentuate the individual differences, Freud utilizes the concepts of the id, the ego, and the superego with references to individual experiences which can cause the developing of these parts of the mind.
According to Freud, all people have commonly structured the id, the ego, and the superego, but experiences, fears, complexes, and drives which cause their development influence persons differently, depending on those individual events experienced during the childhood (Feist & Feist, 2009, p. 38).
Furthermore, all individuals choose different defense mechanisms to protect them from pain. Such defense mechanisms as repression, displacement, fixation, sublimation, regression, and projection can be combined by an individual differently, according to the personal needs and inclinations.
Conclusion
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis is based on the idea that all individuals are motivated by such instincts as sex and aggression, and they try to cope with such a drive as anxiety. All individuals have three levels and three parts of mind such as the id, the ego, and the superego, but the combination of forces to motivate the persons’ behaviors and the used defense mechanisms can be different.
References
Feist, J., & Feist, G. (2009). Theories of personality . New York, NY: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.
Hall, C., Lindzey, G., & Campbell, J. (1998). Theories of personality . Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Schultz, D., & Schultz, S. (2012). Theories of personality . New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Climate change and corporate world response essay discusses the trend the world is taking towards responding to the global climate change. Large corporations are increasingly realizing that global warming is real and affects every person, society, institution and nation. The author of the statement makes it clear that the recent reports in some of the world's popular newspapers are really surprising. | Climate change and corporate world response essay discusses the trend the world is taking towards responding to the global climate change. Large corporations are increasingly realizing that global warming is real and affects every person, society, institution and nation. The author of the statement makes it clear that the recent reports in some of the world's popular newspapers are really surprising. | Climate Change and Corporate World Response Essay
It is surprising to note the current trend the world is taking towards responding to the global climate change. Large corporations are increasingly realizing that global warming is real and affects every person, society, institution and nation. The author of the statement makes it clear that the recent reports in some of the world’s popular newspapers are really surprising.
According to the author, a number of large corporations in the modern world are realizing that they cannot make profits without proper and effective measures to deal with the problem. Moreover, the author notes that the current efforts by some of the large companies in the world to help in reducing the impact of global warming have a negative impact on shareholders.
The resources needed to reduce global climatic change are no doubt huge and not the task of a single corporation, but a combined effort by all societies, institutions and corporations alike (Gelbspan 34).
Nevertheless, it is surprising to note that some large corporations are using global warming (climate change) as an opportunity to make profits, attempting to utilize the idea of providing products and services that seek to manage the symptoms of the problem but benefiting from the deeply rooted causes of the situation.
Thus, it is clear that the author has based the argument on three important observations – corporate realization that climatic change is real, the economic impact of using corporate resources to manage global warming and the corporate utilization of opportunities posed by global warming to make profits.
This response takes into account the three observations to develop a comprehensive analysis of the problems. In addition, it takes into account evidence from modern reports on corporate behavior, which have appeared in newspapers, such as New York Times, to reflect on the situation.
First, it is worth noting that the author is concerned with corporate response to the climatic change, than to the phenomenon itself. Citing several newspaper and corporate reports in the recent past, the author notes that the current response to the problem has changed significantly (Ives A17).
Citing the example of Coca Cola corporation, the author argues that a number of corporations have come to the realization that global warming is not a theoretical notion, but a real phenomenon that affects their profitability (Davenport A23). For instance, Coca Cola lost a profitable operating license in India because of a serious shortage of water.
It is clear that the company was taking little, if any, efforts to conserve water resources in the region. The author seems to argue that the company was not aware or ignored the fact that it was set to lose if little or no efforts are made to conserve water resources as a part of protecting the environment.
In a broader sense, the company is an example of many corporations that tend to ignore the issue of global warming, assuming that it is a theoretical notion or a problem that cannot have a significant impact on their business.
Thus, the author uses the Coca Cola experience as an example to portray the fact that corporations will be the biggest losers if global warming and other aspects of climatic change are ignored. In addition, the author argues that global corporations are the major causes of the problem, yet they do not know that they are also the biggest losers if they do not make efforts to cope with the problem.
Citing the examples given in the New York Times, the author further moves to a relatively new argument, claming that the current and future efforts by corporations to take an active role in fighting global warming are not only difficult, they also affect the corporate practice. For instance, the author argues that the cost of dealing with the problem is high, making corporations reduce the value of their shareholder’ equity.
From an in-depth view, it is worth noting that the author wanted to show that the corporate worth of causing global warming is not significant, but the impact on corporate business is unbearable. In other words, the author wanted to say that companies have always ignored the idea of taking an active role in reducing the problem of global warming.
In fact, it has been shown that multinational companies are the biggest perpetrators of global warming, yet they are not aware that they are the largest users of the natural resources.
From this view, the author points out that that the biggest users of the natural resources are the largest cause of the global warming problem and eventually the biggest losers. It is clear that the author’s point of view on the matter is that the corporate world should take the leading role in dealing with the problem of global.
The third major issue discussed in the commentary concerns the corporate use of the opportunities that global warming has presented to make profits. The author seems to be concerned with a number of organizations that are increasingly pretending to manage the impacts of climate change, yet they are out to make money.
For instance, the author gives the examples of Bayer and Nephila Capital, which have started making plans to use the impacts of global warming to make profits. For example, Bayer has announced that it was developing various products to help the world population deal with the impacts of global warming.
It has set up plans to develop such products as eye and nose ointments, that will help people alleviate allergies that are likely to result from the changing in tree and plant cycles, and quality mosquito nets to help population deal with malaria when mosquitoes start moving to areas that are increasingly becoming warmer, thanks to global warming.
On its part, Nephila Capital is trying to trade water resources, pretending to be protecting sources, yet it is out to make huge profits. These cases provide clear examples that some corporations are aware that climate change is real, yet they want to help in treating the symptoms of the problem but retain the cause, which will most likely lead to profitability.
A deep analysis of the statement reveals that the corporate world has already realized that global warming is not a scientific hypothesis but a real phenomenon. While some have decided to take a leading role in dealing with the problem, others are busy setting up plans to take the advantage of the problem to make more profits (Revkin A7).
In addition, some organizations realized that they cannot take a leading role in managing the problem, because their profitability and net value is likely to reduce. Thus, the statement provides the readers with the dilemma associated with the corporate realization that global warming is real and effective. The author seems to raise the question “with the realization that global warming is real, what should the corporate world do?”
Works Cited
Davenport, Carol. “Industry awakens to the threat of climate change.” The New York Times , 23 Jan 2014, A23. Print.
Gelbspan, Ross. Boiling Point: How Politicians, Big Oil and Coal, Journalists and Activists Are Fueling the Climate Crisis—And What We Can Do to Avert Disaster . New York, Basic Books, 2013. Print.
Ives, Mike. “Slowly, Asia’s Factories Begin to Turn Green.” The New York Times , 7 Jan 2014, A17. Print.
Revkin, Andrew. “Industry Ignored Its Scientists on Climate.” New York Times , 23 April 2009, B7. Print.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The essay discusses the problems encountered by a conflicted couple and how they can be supported. The paper focuses on the experiences of Walter and Pam, and it includes three sections. At first, one should identify the strengths and weaknesses of their relations. Secondly, much attention should be paid to the personalities of both partners, especially the way in which their character traits affect their interactions. Finally, it is critical to develop a strategy for supporting this couple. |
The essay discusses the problems encountered by a conflicted couple and how they can be supported. The paper focuses on the experiences of Walter and Pam, and it includes three sections. At first, one should identify the strengths and weaknesses of their relations. Secondly, much attention should be paid to the personalities of both partners, especially the way in which their character traits affect their interactions. Finally, it is critical to develop a strategy for supporting this couple. | Clinical Analysis: Conflicted Couple Case Study
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Identification of the key areas
3. Personalities
4. Action plan
5. Conclusion
6. Reference List
Introduction
This paper is aimed at discussing the problems encountered by a conflicted couple. In particular, it is necessary to focus on the experiences of Walter and Pam. This analysis will include three sections. At first, one should identify the strengths and weaknesses of their relations. Secondly, much attention should be paid to the personalities of both partners, especially the way in which their character traits affect their interactions.
Finally, it is critical to develop a strategy for supporting this couple. Overall, the methods, which can help these people, should reduce the impact of differences in their character traits; moreover, they should improve the conflict resolution techniques of this couple. Much attention should be paid to empathetic listening and the use of the Bible because these approaches can make Walter and Pam more resilient to various stressors.
Identification of the key areas
One should first note that background of these people does not throw much light on the nature of their problems. For instance, both of them come from Protestant families with many children. Additionally, these belong to the same age group.
Certainly, there are some differences in the income level. Walter earns twice as much as Pam. This is one of the issues that may contribute to the inequality of partners, and this risk should not be overlooked. Nevertheless, this issue is not one of the top concerns for this couple.
It is possible to identify several strengths in the relationship between Walter and Pam. One of the main positive aspects is the high level of commitment to the marriage. Both partners believe that this marriage will be their last one, and they want to preserve these relations. Moreover, they are ready to take steps in order to improve them. Thus, it is possible to say that both partners may be willing to accept the suggestions of a counselor.
Moreover, they will be ready to change some aspects of their behavior in order to address potential problems. Furthermore, Walter and Pam are not afraid of expressing their feelings to each other. Moreover, they can do even at the time, when they have some significant disagreements.
Both of them describe each other as good listeners and this skill is critical for conflict resolution (Darling & Cassidy, 2014, p. 251). These partners have an opportunity to identify possible emotional problems on time. Moreover, while communicating with one another, these people can pay full attention to each other’s concerns.
One should also mention that these partners involve each other in decision-making and setting new goals. Moreover, they accept the idea that each of them can assume new roles and responsibility if it is necessary.
These attitudes can be regarded as one of the strengths because partners, who are not affected by gender stereotypes, are better able to resolve conflicts (Payne, 2010, p. 129). Such partners are usually more flexible, and this quality is important for addressing potential disagreements.
Moreover, it is important to mention that both partners do not have any significant disputes regarding the management of financial resources. Nevertheless, Map and Pam are both concerned about their future economic security. This issue can be particularly relevant to people who are aged above 50. The problem is that they become more sensitive even to minor conflicts.
Apart from that, one should mention that both partners take interests in the same recreational activities. This shared interest can be viewed as a common value which can be useful for the restoration of their relations. Both parents also enjoy spending time with each others’ relatives or friends.
One should also keep in mind that both partners have similar spiritual beliefs and this similarity may be important for the recovery of their relations. It should be noted that religion involves a set of values, attitudes, and worldviews (Bubenzer, D., West, 1993, p. 13). By emphasizing these shared elements, a counselor can strengthen the cohesion of these couples.
Finally, it is important to mention that both Walter and Pam are ready to support one another as they grow older. They admit that the quality of their lives can be impaired because aging. However, this awareness of possible challenges can be important for the resilience of both partners in the future.
Moreover, a similar perception of health issues is one of the factors that can mitigate the problems related to their sexual lives. This is why these common attributes can be viewed as one of the strengths.
Nevertheless, there are some important weaknesses that should be considered. First of all, both partners want each other to become more open; this issue is particularly relevant if one speaks about the expression of feelings. This is one of the issues that should be considered by a counselor because this lack of communication and unwillingness to discuss disagreements can impair their ability to cope with emotional challenges.
Furthermore, it is important to mention that both partners tend to have disputes over many unimportant issues. Moreover, these disputes often involve mutual accusations, rather than conflict resolution. This is one of the main problems that should be identified, because accusations and the feeling of guilt can make people less satisfied with their marriage. Moreover, it is rather difficult for them to overcome the effects of disputes.
Moreover, one should bear in mind that Pam accuses Walter of taking excessive control over her life. Therefore, it is vital to understand how this control manifests itself. It is important to remember the lack of empowerment make a person feel less self-sufficient.
It is also critical to pay much attention to the sexual life of this couple. Both partners are not satisfied with their sexual life. In particular, Walter and Sam believe that each of them lacks affection. This is one of the details that can be identified.
In this case, the only positive aspect is that both partners can discuss these problems openly. This is one of the central areas that should be addressed because sexual dissatisfaction is one of the reasons why many spouses choose to end their relations. In turn, it is necessary to find way of changing their attitudes to this problem.
Personalities
To some degree, the character traits of Walter and Pam are important for describing the problems that these partners experience. This analysis can be based on the results of the SCOPE (Social, Change, Organized, Pleasing, Emotional Steadiness) test. These data can be used for explaining the behavior of partners and some typical responses to external and internal stressors.
It should be noted that Walter is an introvert who often prefers to be alone. Such people do not always prefer to share their experiences with others. In contrast, Pam is an extrovert who prefers openness and social interactions. Moreover, such individuals can easily establish relations with other people.
The main issue is that people like Pam can perceive introverts as very reclusive or detached individuals (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 1998). This is one of the reasons why she may believe that Walter is unwilling to share his experiences with her.
As a rule, this perceived detachment can produce negative on her emotional experiences. Thus, this difference can contribute to conflicts among couples. This is one of the issues that can be singled out.
Additionally, it is critical to consider Pam and Walter have different perceptions of change. In particular, Walter is less open to new ideas or experiences, in contrast, Pam readily accepts them. In some cases, such difference can lead to some disagreements. Nevertheless, this difference can be a positive force.
In many cases, people like Walter can be strongly attracted to women like Pam because they value their free thinking and openness. By focusing on this aspect, a counselor can revitalize their relations. In particular, it is necessary to demonstrate that such differences do not necessarily lead to a conflict between spouses. This is one of the messages that a counselor should convey.
Furthermore, both Pam and Sam can be described as dependent and flexible people. Therefore, such individuals are less like to accuse one another of irresponsibility. Moreover, such people usually value consistency and goal-oriented behavior. The main advantage is that these qualities enable people to meet the expectations of one another.
This similarity can be viewed as one of the forces that can mitigate the impact of their conflicts. Nevertheless, Pam should take into account that high degree of organization can be confused with perfectionism. It can adversely affect a person who is more vulnerable to stress (Seaward, 2011, p. 46). This is one of the pitfalls that should be avoided.
Apart from that, one should speak about the tendency to be pleasing. This characteristic is related primarily such aspects as conflict avoidance and cooperation which profoundly affect the relationship between couples. Walter is more willing to express his concerns, disagreements, or dissatisfaction. Such individuals want to be assertive. The problem is that these people can be described as extremely authoritative.
Moreover, other people cannot easily adjust to such behavior. Thus, the impact of this factor should not be disregarded by the couple. In contrast, Pam scores average on this scale. Such individuals do not usually enter into conflicts with other people. This is one of the reasons why they tend to avoid discussing controversial issues or questions.
Such people do not understand why some people can become irritated at some minor details. Admittedly, they do not always want to turn a blind eye to a problem or a dispute. As a rule, they eventually express their opinions on the most urgent problems; moreover, occasionally they can also express disagreements about minor issues. This is one of the details that Pam should take into consideration.
Finally, one should speak about such a quality as emotional steadiness. Walter can be described as a person who can be easily upset. As a rule, such people are less resilient to stress. They can pay close attention to the details that appear to be unimportant to other people. Additionally, such people can react more emotionally to conflicts or disagreements, even if these disagreements do not merit much attention.
This is why it is difficult for him to overcome past disappointments. In turn, Pam may believe that she can be mistreated for no virtually reason. Furthermore, this character trait can make Walter more susceptible to sexual problems.
These are some of the main problems that can be identified and a therapist should find a way of addressing these problems. To some degree, it is necessary to find a method of changing his perception of potential disagreements. This is one of the tasks that should be accomplished.
On the whole, the discussion of the SCOPE results indicates that some character traits of Walter and Pam differ significantly. In some cases, these differences can be transformed into one of the possible strengths. For instance, one can speak about their attitudes towards change.
Moreover, there are some important similarities that should be taken into account. For instance, both Pam and Walter can be described as very organized individuals. Nevertheless, it is important to find ways of reconciling differences, related to stress management and openness. Yet, there are techniques which can be adopted to minimize the impact of these distinctions.
Action plan
It is possible to apply different strategies that can assist this couple. One of the techniques that can be applied is active listening. In order to apply this method, a counselor should provide feedback while listening to the couple. In particular, he/she can do it by restating or rephrasing their words. In this way, one can make sure that the opinions of both partners are not misinterpreted.
This is one of the precautions that should be taken. Overall, this approach can be successfully adopted if a counselor is willing to place oneself in the position of the couple. It is critical to consider such issues as their age, religious background, and their major concerns.
Under such circumstances, a counselor should become impartial and avoid taking sides with one of the partners. This method is beneficial because it enables a therapist to gain the trust of this couple (Furman, 2010). Furthermore, this approach will enable Pam and Walter to discuss their interpersonal conflicts from different perspectives (Furman, 2010).
In this case, the main task of a counselor is to highlight the importance of openness. In particular, they should bear in mind that lack of intimate relations of openness is a great concern for both of them. Apart from that, Pam and Walter should pay attention to the importance of empathetic listening.
For instance, they should learn to consider the viewpoints of one another, since this approach is important for conflict resolution; moreover, this method enables people to avoid mutual accusations that significantly impair their relations (Hawkins, 1991). Overall, such sessions can be held once a week.
They will be held during four weeks and this number of meetings will be sufficient for developing the coping skills of Pam and Walter. In the long term, these people will strengthen their family. This is one of the main goals that should be attained.
Additionally, in this case, a counselor can rely on the Biblical values while trying to assist Walter and Sam. This approach is particularly beneficial because both partners accept the importance of religion in their lives (Gibson, 2008). For instance, a therapist can lay stress on forgiveness as one of the main priorities for the partners.
These people should keep in mind that this quality can help them overcome a great number of minor conflicts that significantly impair the quality of their marital relations. It is possible to refer to several Biblical passages emphasizing the importance of forgiveness. For instance, one can mention Parable of the Prodigal Son which throws light on two important aspects.
In particular, one should speak about the willingness to recognize ones errors and the ability of a person to ask for forgiveness. Additionally, this parable show how a person should respond to the short-comings of other people. So, this Biblical passage can be rather helpful.
By focusing on such a virtue as forgiveness, a therapist will be able to minimize the impact of various disagreements that this couple struggles with. This is one of the details that can be distinguished.
Moreover, it is important to consider such an aspect as humility which is critical for the restoration of this marriage. In this context, this Biblical value can be described as the acceptance of changes that take place in the life of a person, even if these changes are not welcomed by a person. Again, one can also refer to some parts of the Bible. For instance, one can refer to the Book of Job.
This value can be important for the partners’ satisfaction with their marriage. This argument is particularly if one speaks about the problems related to sex.
Walter and Sam should take into account that these problems can be partly explained by their age, rather than lack of affection. Therefore, these people should not blame one another for these problems. It should be noted that the feeling of guilt is one of the factors that impairs their emotional well-being.
This emphasis on Biblical values requires the use of local resources, especially the cooperation with a local church. As it has been said before, Walter and Sam report that they rely on their faith at the time when they pass through a period of crisis.
Overall, the participation of in the religious life of the community can benefit this couple. This particular method can change the partners’ perceptions of the problems that they encounter. They will not perceive them as a threat to their emotional well-being. These are the main rationales for the use of this technique for the needs of these people.
The strategies identified in this section can assist this couple. They can reduce the impact of differences in character traits. More importantly, this approach can be used to minimize the perceived impact of their disagreements which do not merit much attention in many cases. These are the main benefits of this approach.
Conclusion
On the whole, this discussion indicates that a conflict within a family can be attributed to many factors. Much attention should be paid to the character traits of the partners and their perceptions of one another. The interventions which have been recommended lay stress on empathy and openness since in this way, Pam and Walter can better withstand stressors and conflicts.
In turn, the use of Bible is particularly suitable for the needs of these couple because these people can derive consolation and moral guidance from many Biblical passages. This technique can improve significantly improve the experiences of both Pam and Walter. These are the main arguments that can be put forward.
Reference List
Bubenzer, D., West, J. (1993). Counselling Couples . New York, NY: SAGE.
Darling, C., & Cassidy, D. (2014). Family Life Education: Working with Families across the Lifespan . New York, NY: Waveland Press.
Furman, F. K. (2010). Compassionate listening as a path to conflict resolution. Journal for the Study of Peace and Conflict, 16 (2), 24-38.
Gibson, D. (2008). Relationship Betrayal and the Influence of Religious Beliefs: A Case Illustration of Couples Counseling. The Family Journal, 16 (4), 344-350.
Goldenberg, H., & Goldenberg, I. (1998). Counseling today’s families . New York, NY: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.
Hawkins, R. E. (1991). Strengthening marital intimacy . Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
Payne, M. (2010). Couple Counselling: A Practical Guide . New York, NY: SAGE.
Seaward, B. (2011). Managing Stress: A Creative Journal . New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The strategic review of the Clipboard Tablet Company led to the conclusion that the company should continue to focus on research and development to improve its products. The review also found that the company should consider developing a more specific marketing strategy for each of its products, based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. |
The strategic review of the Clipboard Tablet Company led to the conclusion that the company should continue to focus on research and development to improve its products. The review also found that the company should consider developing a more specific marketing strategy for each of its products, based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. | Clipboard Tablet Company Diagnosis Analytical Essay
Table of Contents
1. Strategic Review
2. Organizational Diagnosis
3. Input Diagnosis
4. Output Diagnosis
5. System Feedback Loops
6. Reference List
Strategic Review
Clipboard Tablet Company operates in the communications industry. It manufactures and markets computer tablets. It has had three main products namely, X5, X6, and X7. The earliest model, namely X5, has been in the market for more than 7 years. Model X6 and X7 have been in the market for more than 6 and 5 years respectively.
Company strategic review seeks to determine the capacity of an organization to meet its target business requirements and goals. For the Clipboard Tablet Company, this strategy helps in the identification of past and the present state of the performance of X5, X6, and X7. This plan leads to an illustration of the company strengths, threats, existing opportunities, and more importantly, its weaknesses.
The information aids in the prioritization of areas that require change or attention. Different sensitivities of the Clipboards Tablet Company’s products imply that it has to market and price its products differently.
For instance, for the success of X5, its marketing has to be done as a low cost product while X6 needs to be marketed as a high performance product. This different promotional tactics can aid in segregation of the company’s markets. The strategy leads to the creation of different brand equities for different products.
The promotion strategy that was deployed by Joe Schmoe as the ex-company’s chair involved setting a financial plan for investigations and establishment of recommendable charges for X5, X6, and X7, which were somewhat constant between 2012 and 2015.
X5 traded at roughly $300 with an approximate $8,000,000 financial resources in research and design. X6 went for $ 430 with a research and design budget of $8,160,000. Finally, X7 was placed in the market at a price of $190 with a budget allocation of $7, 920, 000 for research and design.
Irrespective of the sales levels and price fluctuations of the tablets, Joe Schmoe planned to maintain a budget for research and design constantly at $24, 000,000 over the years from 2012 to 2015. This observation suggests a strong belief of the company in the strategy of product improvements through research and design to drive sales.
In fact, this strategy was effective in the extent that the company’s overall profitability increased from 10% in 2011 to 26% in 2012. However, the strategy does not reflect strengths of each of the products in the market.
For instance, even though X6 customers mainly worry about its performance as opposed to price fluctuations, no budgetary allocation, especially for placing the products in the market as high performance product, was considered by the marketing VP. Clipboard Company could have increased its profits margin by increasing prices for X6 by positioning and creating brand image of high performance in its potential consumers.
Different success strategies are effective for a given period and for products at different phases of their life cycle. This claim also applies to the case of utilizing research and design as a strategy for increasing profitability of an organization. For instance, Clipboard Tablet Company had an increase of 40 percent in sales of its X5 brand in 2011 to 2012. As a result, the company earned a profit margin of $139,504,962.
This figure was an increase by 16% to settle at 30% profitability increase up from 14% in 2011. The total costs for the organization also raised by 30 percent. These changes were also accompanied by changes in the company’s market saturation for X5. It increased from 15 percent in 2011 to 27 percent in 2012. This increase highlights a product that is approaching the maturation phase in its life cycle.
X5 also acquired immense success since its repeat customers doubled in 2012. Upon considering that the performance of the X5 brand was at its peak, Clipboard Tablet Company could have considered it beneficial to reduce budgetary allocations for its research and development in 2013. However, as revealed before, its budgetary allocation for research and development has remained constant.
This observation evidences a weakness in the change of strategy to improve profitability of the organization since cutting down research and design budget would have resulted in higher profit margins for model X in 2013.
Market research theory suggests that ensuring customer connections and their retention requires the creation of a dialogue that is sensible with the customers. Holt and Quelch (2010) assert, “The importance of brand in a business strategy affirms a paradigm of calculating its economic value called brand equity” (p.73). Brand equity encompasses a long-term investment that an organization has to manage effectively.
It measures the economic worth of an organization. Without effective management of the brand equity for Clipboard Tablet Company, it is practically impossible to gain optimal profitability.
Organizations that are globalizing their brands face the problem of seeking various ways of improving their brand equity. This challenge is particularly significant for an organization that is attempting to position its products that have varying customer appeals such as the case of Clipboard Tablet Company.
Upon considering that Clipboard Tablet Company customers value different characteristics of products while making purchases, it implies that the organization needs to create different brand equities, inventories, and loyalties. Unfortunately, the strategy deployed by the marketing VP has no clear indication of these aspects.
For instance, the budgetary allocation for X7 is equal to budgetary allocation of X5 for 2012 to 2015 ($7,920,000), yet X5 customers are concerned only with the product prices. X7 customers are also interested with the performance of the product and not its price.
While this situation sounds as a weakness for the company, it is an opportunity, which can help in redefining the company’s success. Clipboard Tablet Company can reduce budgetary allocation for X5 in research to improve its performance, especially by noting that it has reached the maturity phase as discussed before.
The savings on X5 can be channeled to further research and development of X7, which was introduced in the market in 2012, and is still in the growth phase. For X7, apart from investing in the product research and development to improve its performance, the strategy of investing in the emerging new cost-cutting production techniques can also change the company profitability equation.
In fact, the marketing VP for the company set the price of the products at $190, yet customers needed less costly products of superior performance. This claim suggests that the success of the X7, now and in the future, depends on exploration of low-cost strategy in production so that the company can position it as a low-cost brand without compromising its performance expectations.
Although investing in high-tech low-cost production technologies is expensive, X6 serves as a major strength for the company in terms of availing financial resources. Its customers are insensitive to prices. Thus, with little investment in research and development for its performance, the company can raise its market price without harming its demand.
Organizational Diagnosis
Organizational analysis involves a comprehensive approach that details both inside and outside forces that interact with an organization. Holt and Quelch (2010) state that it leads to the development of a clear understanding on organizational weaknesses, threats, opportunities, and strengths whilst laying a foundation of understanding their environmental implications on the success of an organization.
In an effort to develop the capacity for reproducing the approach for 2016, a promotion model is applied to help in predicting and assessing the outcome of every item in the four years starting from 2012. The main objective of forecasting rests in the need for maximization of profits in a bid to increase the performance of Clipboard Tablet Company.
This ambition can be accomplished by harmonizing of overheads and merchandise costing strategies (Clancy, Kreig & Wolf, 2006). Over the four years, beginning 2012 and ending in December 2015, the company experienced higher growth in terms of total sales, profit, and revenues.
However, marketing performance of different products experiences fluctuations due to changes in marketing saturation while the different products transcend from one phase to another in the product development cycle.
In 2012, Clipboard Tablet Company sold X5 at 285 dollars, X6 at 430 dollars, and X7 at 190 dollars. It allocated its costs for X5 at 33 percent, X6 at 34 percent, and X7 at 33 percent. Through the sales of 3,102,177 dollars, it gained annual revenue amounting to $1,055,294,575 dollars. While research and design costs stood at $784,720,740, its profits margin rose by 26 percent or $270,573,835.
Among the three models, X5 recorded the highest sales (1,647,592), thus garnering an annual revenue amounting to $469,563,809 and profits of $139,504, 962 or 30 percent of yearly sales revenue for X5. X7, which was introduced in the market for the first time in 2012 recorded a 73% drop of sales from 165,586 compared to a loss of 0% in 2011.
In summary, in 2012, both X5 and X7 recorded an increase in profit margins while X7 was on a decline. These findings represent the growths phase for X5 and X6, with X5 getting nearly in the maturity phase for product development. X7 was at the infancy phase.
In 2013, the prices for X5, X6, and X7 remained as in 2012. The company allocated its costs for X5 at 34 percent, X6 at 33 percent, and X7 at 33 percent. Compared to 2012, all the products recorded positive profit margins in 2013 with a clear indication of future growth. Total company sales rose to 4,517,754. By selling 2, 145, 622 units of X5, the product yielded 34% profit, a 4% increase compared to 2012.
Upon selling 2,134,931 units, the profit for X6 model increased by 3 percent. X7 trailed with sales of 237, 202. However, during this year, it recorded a loss of 30%. This finding showed a significant stride towards obtaining positive figures for X7 sales.
In 2014, the company decided to take advantage of customer sensitivity in terms of the prices of X7 in the effort to boost its sales volumes. It changed the price from $190 to $170 or a 10.5% decrease in the previous year’s price. The cost allocations and prices for X6 and X5 did not change.
The effects of these changes encompassed a reduction of the total sales and profits that had been derived from X5 and X6 sales, which were then in the maturity phase about to start declining in terms of sales volumes. However, their decline was enough to encourage positive sales growth for X7.
Decreasing the price of X7 is inconsistent with Joe Schmoe’s strategy of maintaining the prices and cost allocation for design and development constant from 2012 to 2015. The overall profits were at 30%, as derived from sales of 4,630,914 units of X5, X6, and X7. This figure translates to $1,608,712,408 in terms of year revenue.
X5 profits margin decreases form 34 to 32% while X6 improves from 31% to 32% using 2013 as the reference year. In terms of total sales for each product, X6 and X5 are declining while X7 is shooting to register a 0% in profitability. In this case, it has reached the break-even point, meaning that the total cost of its production and marketing is equivalent to its total dollar sales.
In 2015, the company will eliminate X5 from the market, as its market will be saturated (94%). Very few people (394,921) out of the installed capacity (6,640,079) will be in need of the product. More resources are committed to research and development of X7, which has a market saturation of 4% in 2014, although it is expected to be 5% in 2015 with only 972,506 customers being served in 2015 and 16,867,494 yet to be served.
Since customers are sensitive to prices, it will continue to sell at $170 while X6 will sell at $430 by January 2016 with the cost for each being set at 50%. Since the market for X6 will also be saturated (93%) in 2015, more profits for Clipboard Tablet Company, and hence its performance, would come from the sales of X7.
The total number of units sold for X7 will be 479,872. This outcome will generate 21% profitability. This observation clearly shows that X7 will then start to take the place of X5 in generating revenue for Clipboard Tablet Company.
Upon considering the marketing information relating to years 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, X6 prices seem higher than other products on offer in the market. In 2012, the sales were in the phase of rapid growth of product development life cycle, with many potential customers not purchasing the product. X5’s performance coincided with other products in a similar category. The gain in collective earnings stood at $ 352,144,973.
In 2013, the growth in market saturation for X7 began, with over 95% potential customers not buying it to imply a below par performance when compared to the competing products that are already available in the tablet market. Combined gain for this year in terms of income was close to $ 850,000,000 while that of 2014 was roughly1, 300,000,000.
Promotion information for 2015 indicates that clients will be remunerated equivalent charges for the company’s items compared to the rival goods in the relevant lines. However, productions of X5 will be stopped as the cumulative score hits 1,473,237,118, which is the highest in comparison with all other years starting from 2012.
In 2016, apart from aligning the prices of the X6 and X7 with market prices to increase sales, balances in allocating cost will also constitute essential strategies for ensuring continuous sustainable profitability. Since the total cumulative sales score for 2015 will be 1,315,627,937, which is higher than all the four years, as the new marketing executive for Clipboard Tablet Company, I have done better in relation to Joe Schmoe.
Input Diagnosis
The input diagnosis for Clipboard Tablet Company looks at the input for the different models that are used to arrive at the total profits. The input in organizations determines how the organization performs after the subtraction of all the incurred costs. For the Clipboard Tablet Company, input decisions are critical in enhancing the company’s success.
The main input in any business enterprise is the capital where entrepreneurs invest significant amounts of money to ensure that they arrive at the final targets.
Clipboard Tablet Company and its many brands made a number of inputs, which contributed to the current and expected returns, including the available capital in the organization. The costs incurred by this organization are also those that are used by the organization to generate the final profits.
During the period starting from 2014, Clipboard Tablet Company had a stable input in the form of costs and capital. The company invested most of the money obtained from the previous years in the organization. It used this money to expand its operations.
The input into this organization may be divided into fixed and variable costs. All the brands of the organization had their respective fixed and variable input costs, which contributed to the general costs in the organization. 2014 has some of the most variable of these costs. The variable cost for this year stands at 946,707,952, which is significantly large for an organization of this size and nature.
The variable costs in an organization are the costs that fluctuate based on some controlling variables. They determine the overall organizational profit. The variable costs in Clipboard Tablet Company include the cost of marketing and advertising that the organization incurred over the described period.
The marketing and advertising costs in the organization were significantly large for 2024, with this situation contributing to the overall unpredictable costs. The organization also had variable costs in the form of overheads. The performance of the local and international markets contributed to the alteration of the variable costs, including overheads in the organization.
The variable costs in an organization are dependent on the prevailing economic conditions in addition to other factors, and hence the changes seen between 2014 and 2015. An organization’s performance may be accessed through the difference between the input and output costs. These costs contribute to the calculation of profit in these organizations. There is evident change between the variable costs in 2014 and 2015.
The efficiency of an organization may also be assessed using the variable costs that the organization posts with respect to how they are distributed among the various products and services in the organization. The dawn of 2015 saw changes in variable costs, with a reduction of over 450,000,000. The company had variable costs of 478,445,847 during this year. These costs were mainly being distributed between X5, X6, and X7 brands.
The management was able to reduce the variable costs for the three brands, with the greatest of this reduction occurring in the X6 model. The variable costs for this model were at 277,976548, with those projected for 2015 being 144,566,341. The change in variable cost for this model indicated that the performance of the brand between 2014 and 2015 was set to improve.
The other brands also experienced significant changes in their variable costs, with the X6 model having variable costs of 650,116,782. The cost reduces to 307,489,042 for 2015, with this change reflecting the performance of the brand and the prioritization in the organization.
The last model of X7 that the organization produced also recorded a significant change in the variable costs. This model is the only one in the organization that had a positive change in these costs. The variable costs for 2014 were 18,614,622, with the year that followed having costs of 26,390,464.
The positive change in this amount may be explained by the desire of the organization to market the brand. The X7 model has the least input in the form of variable costs among the three brands. The reasons behind the few charges may be explained by the prioritization that the organization has put on the brand.
Fixed costs in an organization also form part of the input. While these charges are constant, variation occurs between the different products in the company. For example, Clipboard Computer Company is one of the organizations with fixed costs that vary between the different brands.
The organization had a fixed cost of 150,000,000 for 2014. The costs remained constant for the year that followed, indicating stagnation in the market and the organization. The fixed costs in any organization may indicate the performance of an organization. They may be used to gauge its future success.
Predictably, the fixed costs for the different brands in Clipboard Computer Company remain the same for the period of two years. The X5 model had a fixed cost of 75,000,000 in 2014, with the same cost reflecting in 2015. The variable cost for X6 was constant for 2014 at 37,500,000, with expectations of the same for 2015.
The X7 model had a fixed cost of 37,500,000 for 2014. These costs remained the same for 2015. The X6 and X7 models have similar fixed costs for the two years. However, this similarity is not evident on the variable costs of the two models.
The other costs in the organization that may be described as part of the input are the R&D costs. These costs also contribute to the assessment of input within organizations. The R&D costs within Clipboard Computer Company remain constant for 2014 and 2015. The cost is 7,920,000 for the two consecutive years.
The constant R&D costs are not only reflected in the company as a whole, but also in the individual brands within the organization. However, the company has managed to restrict the R&D costs in the organization to make the organization more profitable and manageable. Any organization that is willing to achieve the same should target on reducing the R&D costs while they operate.
The total costs that the organization hopes to incur increase from 2014 to 2015. The expected total costs for 2015 are 71,810,464, an increase from the previous year’s total costs of 64,034,622.
The bulk of these costs go to production where the organization spends significant sums of money in the procurement of the raw materials and other components. Clipboard Computer Company also spends significant sums of money in advertising and marketing of its products. The assessment shows that the organization is well positioned in terms of costs. Although the input is increasing, it is adequate to assure profitability.
Output Diagnosis
Business management executives require skills in decision-making processes for them to arrive at strategic decisions that enhance the performance of their organizations. Over the last five decades, scholarly research has recognized the importance of strategic decision making in organizational success.
Strategic decisions are “important in terms of the taken actions, the committed resources, or the set precedents” (Eisenhardt & Zbaracki, 2006, p.17). The Clipboard Tablet Company has had significant performance in the different brands that it produces.
The output diagnosis for this organization can be made based on the revenue that the organization generated over the past few years and the current year of operation (Homburg, Artz, & Wieseke, 2012).
However, the actual performance of an organization is only measured through the profitability that it attains, or in the accomplishment of the set organizational objectives for a given period. Clipboard Tablet Company has had significant improvement over the years in terms of revenues and profits that have been collected over the past five-year period.
The most consistent model in this organization is the X7 that has had a relatively slow but continuous increase in the collected revenues. Two of the other products in the organization recorded a major increase in their revenues between 2011 and 2013, with revenue collection beginning to drop over the same year for the X5 model.
The revenue for this model will continue to drop even in 2015, with the value reaching the one that was originally attained in 2011. The revenue collection for the X6 model continues to increase until 2014, despite a reduction in the rate of increase for the revenues between 1013 and 2014. The brand X6 has a reduction in revenue collection after 2014, with a sharp decline occurring in this period.
The other output whose assessment contributes in the output diagnosis is the profit within the organization over the same period. T
he company records a growth in profit that corresponds to the revenue collection. The three different products from this company generate different profits for the organization, with each of the products having independent changes in the profit growth. The revenue collection for each of the different products closely resembles the profitability of these products, including the income from the least performing model X7.
The most profitable of the three products in 2011 was the X5 model followed by X6. This order changes between 2011 and 2012, with a tangential increase in profitability taking place for X6 between 2012 and 2013.
The profitability for the X5 product takes a dip in 2013, with a slowdown in profitability being evident in the X6 model after the same year. X6 profitability reduces after 2014, with profits from X5 also taking the same path. The only consistent profitability among all brands between 2012 and 2015 is the X7 model whose profitability continues to rise after 2012 until 2015.
Between 2014 and 2015, the profitability of Clipboard Tablet Company reduced. The profits for the year 2014 were 488,298,787, compared to the profits that were recorded in 2015 at 194,198,305. The respective profitability is 30% and 23% for the two years. As previously stated, the most profitable brand was the X6 model for 2014 and 2015.
However, the model’s profits changed from 320,769,459 for 2014 to those obtained in 2015, which stood at 127,652,006. Therefore, the model saw a marked reduction in profitability over the same period, with this observation indicating that the organization needed to increase marketing for the product.
X5 continued to perform poorer in 2014 compared to previous years, with the performance reducing through 2015. The profits that this model generated in 2015 were 47,189,707, which was a drop from the previous year’s performance of 167,258,894. The profitability of the X7 brand was dismal for the years of analysis. However, there was an increase in the profitability of this product between 2014 and 2015.
The brand made a profit of 19,356,593 for the organization in 2015, which was an improvement from the performance of the previous year, which stood at 270,435. Despite the performance of these different models over the indicated period, the prices remained constant for the three brands.
The other measure that was used to assess the output of the organization is the sales volume in the organization for the various products. The product with the most significant sales volume was X5 for the period between 2011 and 2013, with this volume increasing over the same period. However, the sales volume for X6 overtook those for X5 in 2013 when the former model’s sales volume plummeted.
The increase in sales volume for X6 was short-lived, with a reduction occurring after 2014. The brand with the least sales volume over the discussed period is the X7 product whose sales volume remained low for the period under investigation.
The performance of the organization based on the sales volume, the revenues, and profits provides a positive outlook for this organization. An organization’s performance may be gauged by the output that it generates over a given period.
Therefore, the performance of Clipboard Tablet Company can easily be deduced from the sales volume, the profits within the organization, and the amount of collected revenues. All these values are important in arriving at the final profitability of the organization.
The profitability of Clipboard Tablet Company over the five years of assessment demonstrates that the organization performed well between 2011 and 2014. The company continued on positive performance for this period due to the large sales volume and revenues. The revenue generated by an organization allows external parties to calculate the estimated profits of the organization.
These earnings are used to project its future profitability (Homburg et al., 2012). The future performance of Clipboard Tablet Company is in question, following the organization’s recent performance between 2014 and 2015. If the company continues in the downward trend in revenue collection and sales volume, the profits will continue reducing and eventually lead to loss generation.
The output analysis shows that there is a need to change the existing frameworks within the organization to ensure continued positive performance in this organization. The output analysis also reveals that the different brands perform differently, with the X7 performing significantly poor compared to the other models.
However, this brand provides the key to the future performance of Clipboard Tablet Company because of the increase in sales and revenue observed for the brand compared to the reducing performance of the other models. The organization should focus on products that perform well in the market and/or whose future looks promising. Therefore, the company should invest in the marketing and advertising of the X7.
System Feedback Loops
The system feedback loops in an organization are important guides in the future performance of this organization. The desired output within an organization determines the system feedback loops, with organization altering their performance to achieve specific outcomes (Homburg et al., 2012). The output in a system is used to influence future output from the same system (Unni, Sarala, Taras, & Tarba, 2013).
In the case of Clipboard Tablet Company, the feedback loop should focus on maximizing the output of the organization in terms of revenues, sales, and profits. The organization’s output in the areas discussed above should be used in the system feedback loop to ensure a positive performance in the subsequent years.
The output value for Clipboard Tablet Company in terms of profit is 167,258,894 for 2014. This output value if used in a feedback loop to alter the performance of the organization for the next year should ensure that the organization’s output stabilizes or improves. The reverse is true, with the organization performing significantly poor because of a reduction in the output value.
For 2016, the organization’s managers should implement a feedback loop that allows the organization to position itself in a profit-making situation. Between 2014 and 2015, the system feedback loop should provide a negative feedback that will allow the organization to act in a manner as to control the profitability of the organization.
Positive feedback in a feedback loop ensures that the output in an organization is encouraged, including ensuring that the organization generates enough output to assure profitability in the following years. On the other hand, a negative feedback loop will discourage poor performance through institution of measures that are aimed at curtailing the poor performance.
The negative feedback loop that should have been used in the Clipboard Tablet Company to ensure a return to original values of profitability includes improved marketing and advertising. The organization should have an elaborate campaign to aggressively market the various brands under production. The other plan will be to make the organization more successful through the provision of better pricing of different products.
Negative feedback entails dissuading the organization and its stakeholders on negative performance and reduced output. Clipboard Tablet Company should mainly utilize negative feedback to improve its performance on various products such as the X5 and X6.
The market for these products may improve with adequate advertising and marketing, with changes being made in the administrative activities towards the production of these models. The organization should also embark on a sensitization campaign for the public and a reduction of inefficiencies, which lead to poor performance.
The other negative feedback methods that are applicable in the organization above include the provision of incentives to employees and other stakeholders on the improvement of the organization’s performance. In organizations where performance and profitability have reduced significantly in the past, managers often alter their staff to compensate for the drops in the profits and other outcome measures.
The commonest negative feedback method is a reduction of the workforce where organizations engage in mass retrenchment of employees. This method leads to improved performance through the reduced operations cost of the organization (Homburg et al., 2012). Many organizations have managed to improve their performance through the institution of negative opinion in their systems feedback loop through a reduction of employees.
Positive feedback is not applicable for some of the organization’s output such as the profits. The organization continues to perform poorly for 2014 and 2015 in terms of profit. Positive feedback is not a way of altering this performance.
The application of a positive reaction in the systems feedback loops occurs where the desired outcome is achieved. The organization is only left with the option of encouraging stakeholders to continue with this performance. The only area where positive performance may be applied is in the output for X7. This model is consistent with the output, despite the volumes reported being low.
The organization should embark on ways to improve the performance of x7, including marketing it as the company’s main brand. Such positive feedback could increase the output for this model, while at the same time guaranteeing the positive performance of the organization.
When positive feedback is applied in the system feedback loop in organizational performance, the outcome is encouraged (Homburg et al., 2012). The results of positive feedback often include the positive performance of the organization in question, but these are not always a guarantee.
The system feedback that should be used at Clipboard Tablet Company should entail both the positive and negative feedback. The application of both feedback pathways should ensure an improved performance in this organization in terms of output.
The output in these organizations is mainly in the form of sales volumes, profits, and revenue. When these outputs are considered individually for the different models, managers in the organization have a chance to target the different aspects of the outputs to improve on the organizational performance.
The company continues to perform well because there is profitability, despite the indications that the future will have reduced profits or even losses. Therefore, the actions in the system feedback loops as discussed above need to be taken in the near future if the organization is to improve in performance. The feedback systems in place at the organization have been effective over the past few years.
However, there is a need to change these systems, as they seem to have been overtaken by time based on the performance for 2015 and 2014. The change of system feedback loop may be done through changes in management and other stakeholders.
Judging from the performance of Clipboard tablet Company over the last three years, it is evident that the organization needs to change the tactics that it applied in the system. System feedback loops are not fixed. They should vary based on the desired performance of an organization.
When organizations desire encouraging performance from a previous positive outcome, positive feedback should be employed. However, negative feedback is mostly applied where organizations report negative outcomes (Homburg et al., 2012). These measures are adopted as part of the resolutions within the organization.
Clipboard Tablet Company has effective system feedback loops, which are effective only for a short period. The organization has had significant success in the application of these loops. Therefore, it should ensure that they help it achieve the best results for the future.
The other level of feedback loops that the organization should experiment with is the institution of marketing and advertising for all he products. Clipboard Tablet Company can reverse the profitability trends for the last few years by applying the feedback loops.
Reference List
Clancy, K., Krieg, P., & Wolf, M. (2006). Market New Products Successfully . Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Eisenhardt, K., & Zbaracki, M. (2006). Strategic Decision Making. Strategic Management Journal, 13 (3), 17-37.
Holt, A., & Quelch, T. (2010) How Global Brands Compete. Harvard Business Review, 7 (3), 68-75.
Homburg, C., Artz, M., & Wieseke, J. (2012). Marketing Performance Measurement Systems: Does Comprehensiveness Really Improve Performance? Journal Of Marketing, 76 (3), 56-77.
Unni, P., Sarala, M., Taras, V., & Tarba, Y. (2013). Organizational Ambidexterity and Performance: A meta-analysis. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 27 (4), 299-312.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The text compares the price elasticity of demand for carbonated drink and petroil. It finds that the price elasticity of demand for petroil is inelastic, but that the price elasticity of demand for carbonated drink is elastic. It concludes by noting that the cross price elasticity between carbonated drink and petroil is zero. |
The text compares the price elasticity of demand for carbonated drink and petroil. It finds that the price elasticity of demand for petroil is inelastic, but that the price elasticity of demand for carbonated drink is elastic. It concludes by noting that the cross price elasticity between carbonated drink and petroil is zero. | Coca Cola and Exxon Mobil: Comparing the Incompatible Essay
What Is the Price Elasticity of Demand for Petrol? Is It Elastic or Inelastic? How about Carbonated Drink?
Judging by the fact that there are very few alternatives for petrol in the present-day and that for cars which run on petrol no other fuel can be used, it can be considered that the price elasticity of demand for petrol is inelastic. However, as Suneja explains, with the invasion of the diesel-engine cars, the demand for petrol can possibly drop and, therefore, become more elastic.
As for carbonated drinks, such as Coca Cola, it seems that the demand is not quite stable. On the one hand, fizzy drinks have nice flavors and are necessary elements of any children party, or even of a pleasant pastime for adults. However, it is still needed to keep in mind that many fizzy drinks taste much the same, with some recurrent flavors.
Of course, Coca cola stands out with its original formula, but its rival, Pepsi, is always there, which prevents Coca Cola to fix inelastic prices. The final argument in that chain is the fact that carbonated drinks are not indispensable to life. Hence, the price elasticity of demand for carbonated drinks is and will most likely stay elastic.
What Is the Income Elasticity of Demand for Carbonated Drink and Petrol? Which One Has the Higher Elasticity?
As for the income elasticity of demand, or the ratio between the change in quality of the goods and in the income of the consumer, as Jain and Khanna define this phenomenon (Jain and Khanna 46), it can be considered that the income elasticity of demand for the petrol is considerably lesser than the one for the Coca Cola.
Indeed, if considering the reasons that make people buy petrol and Coca Cola, one must mention that petrol, as it has been mentioned above, is used for a very specific reason, i.e., for using a car. Without a car, the life of an average citizen seems hardly comfortable, since a number of journeys will take considerably more time and will depend on other reasons than the schedule of the given citizen.
Hence, a car is an integrate element of an average man or woman’s life. Judging by the above-mentioned, one is likely to buy petrol even if his/her incomes drop. Likewise, even if the quality of petrol decreases, there will be no other substitute. Compared to petrol, Coca Cola is much less important, it has a number of rivals, and, thus, in case of a change in quality, people can simply stop consuming it or choose a different brand.
What Is the Cross Price Elasticity of Demand between Coke and Pepsi?
Since cross price elasticity can be defined as the ratio between the change in quantity of Coca Cola divided into the change in price in Pepsi and vice versa, the cross price elasticity of the two will make 0,7 (McEachern 116).
What Is the Cross Price Elasticity between Carbonated drink and Petrol?
As there is no palpable dependency between the two goods, they presumably have zero price elasticity.
Which Business Is a Better Business and If You Are Going to Invest in Stocks of These Companies, Which One Will You Prefer and Why?
As it has been mentioned, there has always been the need in petrol. Even with diesel engines, it seems that there is high demand for the given fuel. Hence, petrol production appears to be the most preferable for stocks investment.
Works Cited
Jain, Rohit and Op Khanna. Business Economics. New Delhi: FK Publications. 2008. Print.
McEachern, William A. Economics: A Contemporary Introduction . Stamford, CN: Cengage Learning. 2011. Print.
Suneja, Vivek. Markets: A Multidimensional Approach to the Market Economy . New York, NY: Routledge. 2000. Print.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/coca-cola-and-exxon-mobil-comparing-the-incompatible/ | 141 |
Write the original essay for the following summary: The code of ethics in Valentino Company is a set of guidelines that help to promote honest and ethical behavior by employees. These guidelines are important because they help to protect the reputation of the company and its employees. | The code of ethics in Valentino Company is a set of guidelines that help to promote honest and ethical behavior by employees. These guidelines are important because they help to protect the reputation of the company and its employees. | Code of Ethics in Valentino Company Evaluation Essay
Introduction and background of the company
Valentino Company is a chain of restaurants specializing in the Mexican cuisine for people with hectic lifestyles. It provides a restaurant ambience and food, as well as meeting facilities in a setting that looks like a fast food business. The company began in 2009 with one restaurant, which has expanded into four restaurants. Valentino continues to enjoy a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness.
Part of that reputation comes from the maintenance of the highest behavior and operations standards by Valentino’s staffs in their dealings with all stakeholders, including customers. This paper brings out the main parts of the Valentino company code of ethics that continues to guide the company into prosperity and better brand value.
In regard to the code of ethics, Valentino understands that mistakes done by any of its staffs affect all other staffs that rely on the organization. Therefore, no one has powers to act outside the jurisdiction of the code of ethics within Valentino Company. Valentino recognizes that its biggest asset is the reputation of the business, more so its honesty and integrity standards for individual employees.
The code of ethics guides employees at all levels on how they must behave consistently. It relates to actions, working relationships, and attitudes of all employees. However, employees are still to take action at will whenever the code permits or when they are not working under its influence.
Guiding principles
The code of ethics needs the highest standards of honesty and business or personal ethics. Employees have to disclose fully, fairly, and in a timely way any information that goes into reports, company documents, and mandatory regulatory fillings to state agencies.
The code covers all communication that Valentino Company makes. The code borrows heavily from existing best practices of business ethics and existing laws and regulations for the restaurant chain business. The overriding principle is that every member of Valentino Company has to have the uppermost ethical standards because he or she is a representation of the company at all times.
Purpose of the code
The essence of the code is to establish accountability, comply with laws and regulations, provide a mechanism for preventing, and resolving illegal behavior and provide methods for communicating violations of ethical conduct.
Core values
The interest of customers will always come first because serving clients well leads to the success of the company. On the other hand, Valentino’s main assets are our people who are dedicated to adhere to the code of ethics.
The overlying goal of the business and the code is to improve the business and improve returns to shareholders. The code is one way that enables Valentino Company to provide opportunities for letting its members move ahead and impact the stakeholder community positively.
Training and education
Training of Valentino employees on matters of ethics shall happen annually at an employee job skills improvement workshop. In addition to that, recruitment training for new employees will also cover every aspect of the code of ethics.
Meanwhile, the company will place signage and distribute company documents, including brochures and ethic policy documents, to all employees to educate them on their rights, their duties, and the desired ethical code of conduct. The code of ethics will also be available on request from the human resource department to any employee.
There will be circulars and other official communications on any changes made to the code by the board of directors or senior management. Non-core training will rely on various communication channels already in place at the company premises, such as email, newsletters, and poster.
Definitions
The following are definitions of some terms used in the code. The board or company board refers to any organization member exercising the mandate of the board of directors for the parent company or any of its business units. The code refers to this document, which is the code of ethics. The executive refers to the employees who hold leadership positions in Valentino Company.
They include the Chief Executive Officer, the Vice Presidents, Human Resources Managers, and senior compliance officer. Managers refer to employees occupying a management position at any level in the company. The company or Valentino refers to Valentino Company and compliance officer is the person in charge of coordinating resources and implementation tasks of the code.
What employees it covers
All company employees, including the executive and the board of directors are covered by the code of ethics. Daily practices of the code will mostly affect managers and junior employees.
Implementation and communication
Employees should comply with laws of the state and that of the national government as they apply to the business. In addition, Valentino can come up with additional regulations to prevent or resolve conflicts or comply with external laws. Employees are also required to obey the internal laws.
Valentino is an equal opportunity employer. Therefore, all hiring, training, promotion and other human resources functions will happen without discrimination. Relevant officials of the company should not rely on religion, sex, color, national origin, age, disability, citizenship, marital status, and any other factor that does not relate to a person’s ability to perform a duty when making human resources decisions.
The code prohibits any form of harassment of any individual on the basis of any classification of harassment, including the classes of discrimination mentioned above. Those being harassed must report the issue and wait for a response within five working days.
Afterwards, they should contact the human resources department of the parent company. At the same time, employees should not report their colleagues in bad faith. When they do so, they will be violating the code and will be subject to disciplinary action.
All managers are accountable for the effective administration of the certain elements of the policy, like sexual harassment. When making a complaint about harassment, employees should speak to immediate managers unless they feel uncomfortable with that arrangement.
They should also inform the human resources department and make the report in a timely manner. Afterwards, the relevant manager or the executives at the human resource department will conduct investigations in relation to the circumstances of the incident and take a corrective action. Additional harassment or retaliation should also be reported for further action by those in charge.
All employees must exercise caution and retrain to collectively provide a safe workplace. They should identify potential dangerous situations and avoid them to prevent workplace injury due to violence or accidents.
Employees should not use aggressive language and verbal or physical abuse to instill pain, fear, and hostility in others. Those being threatened or witnessing a threat must approach any manager and report the matter immediately. When managers are involved in violation, the report should be made to the compliance officer and the human resources department.
How it will be enforced and reported
The company compliance officer is in charge of the actual implementation of the code and any queries that members of the organization might have in relation to the code.
Employees have to disclose any unreported relationships, activities, and transactions that seem to violate the code of ethics, as well as those requiring disclosure. Anyone with a question about the code should contact the company compliance officer, unless the code specifies another contact person for a particular matter.
Ethical violations should be reported to the compliance office using any available means of contact and could be done anonymously. Employees can rely on their employee handbooks for the right method of reporting violations. When making anonymous reports, all relevant information for facilitating a subsequent investigation must be provided.
The compliance officer and any other staffs working to implement the code of conduct will always work in a confidential way to protect identities of reporters. The company retains the right to discipline in any way that seems appropriate, all those who are confirmed to have violated the code of ethics (Stanwick & Stanwick, 2014).
Employees are free to use the ethics hotline number that is a toll-free line connecting direct to the compliance office. They can make reports anonymously using the telephone call. Another available option is to make a report on the company intranet by logging in with their employee credential and navigating to the ethics violation page.
Mission statement and other pertinent elements
Trust and reliability at Valentino Company comes from the interaction of every element of the business in line with the highest achievable standards of veracity. The mission statement of the business is to bring out the best artistic, humane, and technical abilities of organization members and partners in the quest of fulfilling customer needs.
The code of ethics for Valentino Company raises ethical expectations and legitimizes dialogue concerning ethical issues that already affect or may affect the company. It also acts as a preventive mechanism against misconduct on an individual or corporate level.
The Evaluation of the Code of Ethics
Stakeholders
Stakeholders of the company are all employees, their immediate families who receive company benefits through the employee, the customers who interact with the employees, and all bodies representing special interests of the industry or government.
The code mostly applies to employees and their immediate family members because they are in direct contact with the company resources and are well positioned to uphold the principles of the code. In addition, Valentino Company understands that it cannot operate without its customers and, therefore, values their satisfaction.
Customers can assist the company to identify inappropriate employee conduct. The market, which includes the bodies regulating trade and other rival companies, are also stakeholders because ethical violations by Valentino affect them (Bredeson, 2012).
Strategic ethical formulation
The code of ethics relies on broad categorization of business ethics matters that serve as guidelines for the actual instructions for employees. The categories covered in the code are violations to the code, compliance with existing laws, rules and regulations, conflict of interest, corporate opportunities, fair and ethical competition, and protection of confidential information.
Under each category, there are a set of instructions and explanations that should help employees know what to do and understand the reasons for doing so in relation to company performance and compliance with its organization culture and strategy (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2010).
The code provides the mechanisms for behaving appropriately by working together with other elements of the organization. It may offer explicit rules of conduct or provide suggestions on what an employee should do and the appropriate tools to use for any situation.
Strategic ethical implementation
Laws on ethical conduct of business mainly touch on antitrust practices and trade regulation (Stanwick & Stanwick, 2014).
They govern business against engaging in any illegal practices, such as price fixings, terms and conditions for trade, customer segmentations, refusals to do business or provision of services, and exchange of non-public information and sales. Laws against false advertising and dealing with illegal products or services aim to safeguard stakeholder interest and provide a level playing field in a given industry.
The essence of being non-discriminatory as a company is to comply with universal ethical principles of behaving with dignity and respect for humanity.
The company and all its employees would wish to deal with others in the same way that they would prefer others to deal with them in a fair manner. Monitoring of compliance and violations helps to ensure that Valentino is free of any artificial barriers to employee’s equal treatment.
Ethical monitoring mechanisms
The existence of a compliance officer within Valentino assists in the monitoring of violations and compliances with the code. The officer also informs other departments in the organization on the right way of dealing with emerging issues or implementation policies such that they do not provide loopholes for violating the code of ethics.
Reports on violations of any part of the code help to map out the areas that need attention in the company’s overall conduct. While individual reports may only touch on an employee’s conduct, they still contribute to the overall understanding of the ethical orientation of Valentino Company.
Employees will also fill checklists periodically to inform management about ethics compliance. Human resource management may also use focus groups and individual interviews to gather information related to ethics compliance.
Ethical performance
Success of the code of ethics would include a reduction in the number of ethical violations and compliance with laws, rules, and regulations of authorities. For the code to work, it needs the cooperation of all levels of leadership in the organization together with the participation of all employees.
The code should work as designed because it encompasses participation from all members of the organization (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013). It also provides room for improvement and will, thus, be able to adapt to the changing environment of the firm. Only the code of ethics will be made public, while its implementation details such as reporting and internal communications will remain restricted to qualified company employees.
Summary of the Code of Ethics and Evaluation
The code of ethics covers key ethical issues that face the company, which include harassment, handling of company information, confidentiality, and compliance with laws, rules and regulations. It explicitly puts every member of the organization under it, while it protects employee rights.
The core principle is to have everyone in Valentino Company behave and make decisions in a truthful way without causing harm to other members of the organization. The code clearly states its purpose and addresses the main issues. It also lays out the usable mechanisms for communication of the code to stakeholders, especially employees. It states the role of various leadership levels and departments in the company.
Therefore, it will work well in facilitating decision making. Lastly, it ensures that there is accountability and reporting by placing its implementation under the compliance office and the human resource department.
References
Bredeson, D. (2012). Applied busines ethics: A skills-based approach. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Brenkert, G. G., & Beauchamp, T. L. (Eds.). (2010). The Oxford handbook of business ethics. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, T. (2013). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases (10th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Stanwick, P. A., & Stanwick, S. D. (2014). Understanding business ethics. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/code-of-ethics-in-valentino-company/ | 142 |
Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The cognitive behavioral theory report assesses the use of the cognitive behavioral therapy model in managing ADHD. The report reveals that the cognitive behavioral therapy model is effective in managing ADHD as it focuses on procedures that enable victims to identify with their cognitive and behavioral disorders to promote their adoption of the required behaviors. |
The cognitive behavioral theory report assesses the use of the cognitive behavioral therapy model in managing ADHD. The report reveals that the cognitive behavioral therapy model is effective in managing ADHD as it focuses on procedures that enable victims to identify with their cognitive and behavioral disorders to promote their adoption of the required behaviors. | Cognitive Behavioral Theoretical Model Report (Assessment)
Table of Contents
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
2. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
3. Abusive families
4. References
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Aaron Beck founded the Cognitive Therapy Model in the 1960s, and it became a popular treatment for patients with depression. The cognitive behavioral therapy model indicates that the emotional factors in human beings are the main influences of behavior. This knowledge enables therapists to develop wellness-promoting measures against various disorders related to cognition and behavior.
Most therapists look to promote independence in their patients by developing therapy approaches based on enhancing the desirable behaviors. Current developments in cognitive psychology reveal that cognitive schemas in human beings are not linearly related to other systems in the body that might exemplify behavior.
This knowledge has been used in the CBT model to enhance the effectiveness of therapy by helping physicians to focus on the modes affected by cognitive and behavioral disorders. The CBT model focuses on procedures that enable patients to identify with their cognitive and behavioral disorders to promote their adoption of the required behaviors.
Therapists use the automatic thoughts approach to test the ability of patients to use logical analysis in different situations. Behavioral rehearsals enhance the social skills possessed by patients, and cognitive rehearsals enhance the ability to understand different ideas. Some therapists also provide behavioral homework for their patients to motivate the practical application of therapy sessions.
Promoting positive behavior and eliminating cognitive bias in patients is the main reason that psychotherapists use the different approaches in the CBT model. Every unique case requires a specific combination of the procedures in the CBT model and the development of the combined approaches depends on how the patients perform in cognitive behavioral tests (Corsini & Wedding, 2011).
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is one of the cognitive behavioral disorders that CBT helps to manage. The dysfunctional cognition associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder leads to the victim being overactive, unable to concentrate on one activity, and it the victim loses control over his or her behavior.
The 7 year old victim would portray anxiety, lack of attention in class, anger management issues, and overexcitement among many other symptoms. From the CBT model, ADHD is mainly viewed as a behavioral disorder; thus, physicians taking care of victims of ADHD use the CBT model to manage their behavior.
The main aim of using the CBT model is to ensure victims of ADHD are trained to assume the most desirable behaviors. One of the most common approaches to therapy for ADHD victims is using a reward-penalty approach. This approach entails rewarding the victim for portraying the required behavior, and placing penalties for their portrayal of the undesired behaviors.
CBT enables the victims to adopt the desired behaviors gradually, and it can be used to influence learning. ADHD has no treatment, but its management can enhance the wellness of its victims as well as improve their independence. The CBT model helps in the elimination of undesirable behavior associated with the lack of long-term attention (Walkup et al., 2008).
Abusive families
A family with abusive members provides a poor environment for children with ADHD to attain positive cognitive and behavioral development. Child-abuse has adverse effects on the ability of ADHD victims to control their behavior. Physicians and researchers in the psychotherapy field indicate that child-abuse leads to adverse cases of depression in children.
Depression is one of the symptoms whose management, through cognitive behavioral therapy for children with attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome, enables effective cognitive and behavioral development. The trauma associated with child abuse makes ADHD worse for children, and it may lead to complex situations portrayed by psychosis in the victim (Corsini & Wedding, 2011).
References
Corsini, R. J., & Wedding, D., (Eds.), (2011). Current psychotherapies (9th ed.) . Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole / Thomson Learning.
Pucci, A. R. (2010). Feel the Way You Want to Feel… No Matter What! . Bloomington: iUniverse.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/cognitive-behavioral-theoretical-model/ | 143 |
Convert the following summary back into the original text: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), as a counseling approach, takes into account an individual's beliefs, behaviors, and thought processes during a psychotherapy session. In this approach, a counselor works with a client to discover unconstructive personal behaviors and beliefs and replace them with realistic thought patterns.Culturally aligned CBT approach has been used to treat depression and different anxiety disorders in ethnic minority clients. In this paper, the efficacy of CBT in counseling ethnic minorities is investigated through a review of recent literature to identify the qualitative and quantitative research evidence for its use. | Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), as a counseling approach, takes into account an individual's beliefs, behaviors, and thought processes during a psychotherapy session. In this approach, a counselor works with a client to discover unconstructive personal behaviors and beliefs and replace them with realistic thought patterns.
Culturally aligned CBT approach has been used to treat depression and different anxiety disorders in ethnic minority clients. In this paper, the efficacy of CBT in counseling ethnic minorities is investigated through a review of recent literature to identify the qualitative and quantitative research evidence for its use. | Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Ethnic Minorities Evaluation Essay
Table of Contents
1. Overview
2. Quantitative Research
3. Qualitative Research
4. Program Evaluation Articles
5. Implications of the Research for Practice
6. References
Overview
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), as a counseling approach, takes into account an individual’s beliefs, behaviors, and thought processes during a psychotherapy session. In this approach, a counselor works with a client to discover unconstructive personal behaviors and beliefs and replace them with realistic thought patterns.
The aim is to alter specific thoughts and behaviors in order to transform a client’s feelings. Culturally aligned CBT approach has been used to treat depression and different anxiety disorders in ethnic minority clients.
In this paper, the efficacy of CBT in counseling ethnic minorities is investigated through a review of recent literature to identify the qualitative and quantitative research evidence for its use. It evaluates each study’s design, procedure, sample selection, and data analysis and interpretation to find out the degree of empiricism used in the research.
The evaluation has implications for CBT-based interventions applied to ethnic minority clients.
Quantitative Research
Most quantitative studies support the use of CBT to treat various anxiety, PSTD, and depressive disorders. In a quantitative research article by Dwight-Johnson et al . (2011), the efficacy of a modified CBT used to improve the depression outcomes of 101 Latino clients residing in far-flung areas in Washington was evaluated.
The research design involved a randomized control trial/study (RCT) of phone-based CBT applied to Latino patients receiving care in a community clinic (Dwight-Johnson et al ., 2011). The researchers used this approach to compare the effectiveness of CBT over standard care (antidepressant therapy) in promoting the outcomes of the subjects.
The RCT design was appropriate as the study sought for a cause-effect relation between phone-based CBT and depression outcomes.
The research site was a rural health clinic (called Yakima Valley Medical Center) serving Latino patients. The researchers trained bilingual locals to recruit patients exhibiting depression symptoms, but without any cognitive, mood, or psychotic disorders.
Randomized groups of the recruited patients received eight sessions of phone-based CBT in Spanish/Latino. A CBT workbook adapted to suit the Latino culture was sent to therapists involved in the intervention.
The intervention focused on strategies to improve “behavioral activation and eliminate negative thoughts” (Dwight-Johnson et al ., 2011, p. 939). The subjects’ depression outcomes were evaluated using a patient health questionnaire administered in two interview sessions (baseline and follow-up).
The study involved a convenient sample of 101 minority patients receiving care in a community-based clinic. The sampling technique used was convenience sampling, whereby the research assistants recruited eligible adult patients to participate in the study.
The subjects had to be Latino/Spanish speakers and patients with depressive disorders, but free of bipolar, cognitive, and psychotic disorders. These broad inclusion criteria ensured a representative sample as all eligible subjects from the accessible population could qualify to participate.
Additionally, the exclusion criteria used ensured that subjects with conditions (e.g., Bipolar) that may confound the outcomes of CBT were not enrolled.
The researchers used two statistical measures, namely, t-test and chi-square test to compare the depression outcomes of the two groups based on the interview data.
They created a model based on the assessment of the outcomes of the two interventions at four periods (a categorical variable), namely, “baseline, six weeks, three months, and six months” (Dwight-Johnson et al ., 2011, p. 941).
The results indicated that the ‘mean difference’ in depression outcomes between the group receiving standard care and the one under CBT for six months was 0.32. This implies that CBT, in combination with standard care, can enhance the outcomes of depressed minority clients.
However, this result was not statistically significant owing to the limited sample size used.
Ethnic minorities have an elevated risk of developing psychotic disorders due to discrimination. In an article, Rathod et al. (2013) assessed the efficacy of a CBT-based intervention modeled to treat psychosis in ethnic minority clients.
In this study, 33 subjects drawn from three ethnic minority groups in the UK, namely, African Caribbean, Black British, and Muslim communities participated in the research.
The design used was randomized controlled trial, whereby the subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, namely, the standard care (control) and CBT (experimental) (Rathod et al., 2013).
By comparing the outcomes of the two groups, the researchers were able to assess the efficacy of CBT in treating minority clients with psychotic disorders.
The study was conducted at two sites in the United Kingdom and involved subjects diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. The evaluation of their symptoms was done at the start of the CBT intervention, after the intervention, and at six-months after completing the treatment.
At each point, the researchers evaluated their outcomes using two assessment tools: “the comprehensive psychopathological rating scale (CPRS) and the insight scale” (Rathod et al., 2013, p. 321).
In addition to completing these scales, subjects in the CBT group filled a patient experience questionnaire to indicate their views about the treatment. The CBT group received sixteen sessions of cognitive-behavior therapy offered by a counselor while the standard care group received drug therapy.
In this study, both the subjects and the assessors were blinded, which reduced bias in comparative testing.
The sampling procedure employed in this study was purposive sampling. A sample of 35 participants was selected from two medical clinics based on specific inclusion criteria. Eligible participants had to be from the ethnic minority groups in the UK. Additionally, only patients with a diagnosable psychotic disorder were included.
Two participants who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded after the screening process. The remaining 33 were randomly selected into two subgroups of 17 (standard care) and 16 (CBT).
Data analysis involved intention to treat (ITT) and sensitivity assessments. The results indicated that the CBT (intervention) group had significantly reduced symptoms compared to the standard care group (Mean = 16.23 vs. 18.60), a difference of 11%.
The subjects in the intervention group had reduced delusions and hallucinations after completing the CBT sessions. Additionally, the CBT group reported high satisfaction with the intervention. These findings affirm the use of CBT to treat ethnic minority clients with psychosis.
A comparison between moderately and severely depressed individuals can give insights into the efficacy of CBT versus drug therapy.
A study by Saddique, Chung, Brown, and Miranda (2012) aimed at establishing whether the level of depression influences the effectiveness of CBT versus antidepressants in the treatment of depressed young minority groups.
The research design involved a randomized control trial of economically disadvantaged young black and Latina women. This design enabled the researchers to assess the post-treatment effects of CBT versus medication between the severely depressed and moderately depressed groups.
The sample comprised of women who were from diverse minority groups, uninsured, and having a diagnosable depressive disorder. Data collection occurred at six months and at one year. Baseline depression levels of the participants were obtained using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).
Participants diagnosed with depressive disorders (n = 267) were randomly selected into three groups: “CBT, medication therapy, and community referral” (Saddique et al., 2012, p. 998).
The medication group (n = 88) was given an antidepressant (paroxetine) while the CBT arm (n = 90) underwent eight sessions of therapy. The community referral arm (n = 89) received mental health education from clinicians. Data collected using the HDRS were grouped into different categories based on depression levels.
Analysis involved growth mixture modeling to compare the effects of CBT, community referral, and drug therapy.
The results indicated that, for the severely depressed arm, on average, depression levels were higher in the CBT group than the drug therapy group after six months (14.9 vs. 13.9). However, this differential effect was not statistically significant after one year.
For the moderately depressed arm, the depression levels were again higher for the CBT group than the drug therapy group. These results indicate that drug therapy is more effective than CBT in the treatment of moderately depressed women from minority groups.
However, CBT administered for over six months appears to be superior to drug therapy in improving the outcomes of severely depressed clients.
Group-based CBT is a common intervention for treating substance addiction. A quantitative study by Webb et al. (2010) investigated the effectiveness of group-based CBT for reducing tobacco addiction among African Americans.
The researchers hypothesized that abstinence would be higher in the CBT group than in the general education condition. The study design involved a randomized control trial of adult smokers categorized into two groups: the CBT and health education arms (Webb et al., 2010).
The effects of smoking are relatively high among African Americans compared to other ethnic groups. Health education interventions have been found to be less effective. Therefore, by randomizing the subjects to CBT and health education groups, the study was able to evaluate the efficacy of CBT for this demographic.
A convenient sample of 154 adult male and female participants (smokers) participated in this study. They were randomized into the general health awareness condition and the CBT group (Webb et al. , 2010). Both groups received six therapy sessions and continuous drug therapy.
The prevalence of abstinence was measured weekly for six months and the data treated to intent-to-treat analyses. The results indicated that post-counseling abstinence was significantly higher among the participants in the CBT group than in the general education subjects after seven days and six months.
This finding was consistent with the study’s hypothesis. The researchers concluded that group-based CBT is effective in treating nicotine addiction among African Americans.
Effective psychotherapy interventions must be culturally adapted to reflect the values and needs of the target minority population. In one study, Cachelin et al. (2014) investigated the efficacy of a CBT program modified to reflect the needs of Mexican American clients.
The research used a quantitative research design (cohort study) to assess the efficacy of the program in reducing binge eating among Mexican American women diagnosed with the problem. The approach allowed the researchers to compare the outcomes of the participants after undergoing CBT counseling sessions for three months.
A sample of 31 women drawn from the Mexican American population in LA participated in the study. A diagnosis of any binge eating disorder and Mexican American racial background formed the inclusion criteria.
The recruited participants went through eight counseling sessions based on a modified CBT program offered in a three-month period. The post-treatment variables measured included “binge eating, psychological functioning, and weight loss” (Cachelin et al. , 2014, p. 451).
The study used intent-to-treat analyses to evaluate the data. The results indicated better outcomes in terms of reduced distress, body weight, eating disorders. Participants were also satisfied with the intervention. This implies that a culturally sensitive CBT is effective in treating binge eating disorders among ethnic minority women.
Qualitative Research
The dropout rate among minority clients undergoing CBT treatment is usually high, which leads to low health outcomes. A study by Rathod, Kington, Phiri, and Gobbi (2010) aimed at exploring the cultural values and attitudes that affect the efficacy of CBT applied to ethnic minorities.
The study used a qualitative research design to explore the views and attitudes of the participants towards CBT therapy. The approach was appropriate for examining subjective views in order to gain insight into the patient-related factors that affect CBT outcomes.
The sample (n = 114) was selected from two medical centers in the UK. It consisted of three ethnic minority groups: Black British, African-Caribbean, and Asian British (Rathod et al., 2010). The participants were schizophrenics receiving CBT therapy in the two centers.
The researchers used semi-structured interviews and focus groups to explore the participants’ understanding of the program and the cultural factors that underlie psychotic disorders. Data analysis involved the thematic approach.
The results indicated that most participants held the view that CBT-based interventions that incorporate cultural values and beliefs were useful in treating psychosis. The authors concluded that individualization of CBT therapy requires counselors to understand client-specific and cultural factors that affect its outcomes.
Patient feedback indicates that a culturally structured CBT can increase the outcomes of ethnic minority clients. Jackson, Schmutzer, Wenzel, and Tyler (2006) compared the views of two patient groups under CBT therapy, namely, European Americans and Indians.
The aim of the research was to evaluate the relevance of cognitive behavioral therapy based on the patient ratings of the intervention. The researchers noted that minority patients had certain preferences for CBT and thus, an exploration of the views would inform a culturally suited cognitive-behavioral intervention.
A sample of 52 adult participants drawn from the American Indian and European immigrant population was selected for the study. Their views and opinions were collected using an instrument called the cognitive behavior therapy applicability scale (Jackson et al. , 2006).
In this study, the participants ranked their preference for particular aspects of the CBT that they believed suited their cultural context. The three domains that the study explored included active stance, in-session interactions, and formal relationships.
The results suggested that more European American participants preferred a CBT approach that emphasized on “in-session behavior and structured relationship” than American Indians (Jackson et al. , 2006, p. 512). On the other hand, both client groups preferred a CBT that required their participation.
Thus, in practice, an effective CBT intervention for American Indians should focus more on active participation than on formal therapeutic relationships.
The efficacy of CBT also depends on the cultural competence of the therapists. An observational study by Shen, Alden, Sochting, and Tsang (2006) explored the efficacy of CBT program prepared in Cantonese language and offered in English to Chinese immigrants.
The aim was to establish whether the CBT assessment procedures were the best for this demographic. The researchers hoped that this would give insights into the type of changes that could be made to the program to enhance depression outcomes of the Chinese clients.
The sample was selected from Chinese immigrants living in Vancouver (Canada) and suffering depressive disorders. Researcher observations indicated that the standard evaluation and treatment procedures were not the best for this population.
In particular, the adaption of the tenets of the CBT from its original version (Cantonese) to English was not optimal. Additionally, the program’s “cognitive modification strategies” failed to consider the beliefs and cultural practices of the Hong Kong immigrants.
The assessment of depression levels was not reflective of the Hong Kong cultural context. This affected the efficacy of the adapted CBT in improving the depression outcomes of Hong Kong immigrants.
Patients at risk of depression, such as adolescents, can benefit from CBT-based interventions. A qualitative study by Duarte-Velez, Bernal, and Bonilla (2010) explored the views of an adolescent lesbian Latino girl who was diagnosed with ‘major depression’ disorder.
The study examined whether a manual-based CBT was consistent with the adolescent’s “sexual identity, family values, and spiritual ideas” (Duarte-Velez et al. , 2010, p. 899). The aim of the research was to find out whether CBT was optimal for lesbian minority groups by assessing the participant’s views regarding the intervention.
Using the interviewing method, the researchers explored the role of CBT in improving individual acceptance of homophobia in the family context. The results indicated that CBT enhanced integration and personal acceptance of anti-homosexual views and actions perpetrated by family members.
Furthermore, CBT helped the participant to develop a sexual identity, which resulted in a decline in depression symptoms. One limitation of this study was the small number of participants used. A second limitation of the research was the use of only a female participant, which affected the external validity of the findings.
The validation of the CBT adapted for minorities is often problematic. An exploratory study by Bennett and Babbage (2014) examined the suitability of CBT for Aboriginal clients in Australia. They explored the belief that CBT should be modified to reflect the needs of the individual client in order to achieve positive outcomes.
The study examined aspects of the Aboriginal culture that were incongruent with the tenets of the CBT interventions. In particular, “kinship orientation and collectivism” were the key aspects of the Aboriginal culture that the researchers found to be important in a CBT intervention (Bennett & Babbage, 2014, p. 24).
This indicates that a CBT tailored to these values can yield positive outcomes for Aboriginal Australian suffering mental illnesses.
A comparable study by Weiss, Singh, and Hope (2011) explored the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of anxiety disorders in two immigrant patients. The study used a case study approach to assess the views of the clients on the efficacy of an individualized CBT intervention.
Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, whereby the clients rated the utility of the intervention in helping them overcome social anxiety disorder.
The findings suggested that a CBT protocol could be adapted to suit the needs of clients with diverse cultural backgrounds or non-native English speakers without changing many elements of the intervention.
Program Evaluation Articles
A few articles have evaluated culturally sensitive CBT adapted for the treatment of ethnic minority clients with different disorders. An article by Bennett-Levy et al. (2014) evaluated the effectiveness of “high and low versions of CBT” in treating Aboriginal Australians with mental disorders (p. 5).
The study employed a participatory research approach to collect the views of Aboriginal counselors regarding their perceived usefulness of a CBT program in treating Aboriginal Australian clients. Five trained counselors administered CBT therapy to clients in 10 sessions and evaluated its effect on patient outcomes.
In this study, the counselors evaluated the program based on three main aspects, namely, its usefulness for Aboriginal clients, adaptations that enhanced its efficacy, and specific elements of the program that were effective.
Data manipulation involved transcription and thematic analysis. The results indicated that CBT is a useful intervention for treating Aboriginal clients. Additionally, the counselors reported that CBT improved their counseling skills and wellbeing (Bennett-Levy et al. , 2014).
It also reduced burnout and improved the outcomes of the clients. The counselors found CBT to be a pragmatic, highly adaptable, and valuable approach for treating minority clients. Other aspects of the CBT that enhanced its effectiveness included its compatibility with low-intensity interventions and safety.
Thus, it can be concluded that CBT adaptations that reflect cultural contexts are effective counseling techniques.
Trauma focused CBT (TF-CBT) is another popular therapy for molested minors. Strasser (2015) evaluated a TF-CBT adapted for sexually abused minority children.
Child abuse victims suffer PTSD, shame, and multiple anxiety-related disorders. TF-CBT is founded on research evidence and thus, follows specific guidelines for assessing psychological disorders in abused children.
Strasser’s (2015) study evaluated the program based on the evidence-based criteria to determine if it is applicable to abuse victims.
The evaluation established that TF-CBT is an evidence-based approach. A bounty of research supported the use of this intervention for minors suffering from trauma. Additionally, TF-CBT was effective in reducing depression and anxiety in culturally diverse clients.
In particular, the program’s adaptations were found to be effective for treating trauma in two minority cultures, namely, American Indian and Latino. However, the researcher identified aspects of TF-CBT adaptations that limited its effectiveness. Its efficacy for treating anxiety and depression disorders dwindled after 12 months.
In addition, the program did not take into consideration the clients’ preferences and attributes, which limited its efficacy when treating trauma children with hearing impairment.
Implications of the Research for Practice
The purpose of the literature review was to determine the extent to which quantitative and qualitative research affirmed the use of CBT for counseling ethnic minority clients.
The synthesis of primary research has revealed that CBT varies in its effectiveness depending on client type, the nature of the disorder, cultural factors, and duration of the intervention, among others. These findings have implications for the application of culturally adapted CBT in clinical practice.
In recent years, CBT has gained acceptance as the best counseling approach for ethnic minority clients. The quantitative studies (RCTs) reviewed support the use of CBT adaptations to treat depression, psychosis, anxiety disorders, binge eating, and trauma among Latino, African American, American Indians, and Asian Americans.
Qualitative research also corroborates the application of CBT in counseling ethnic minorities. The evaluation of CBT adaptations indicates that the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy depends on how well it incorporates the cultural contexts, values, and preferences of the clients.
These findings have many applications in practice. The finding that the efficacy of CBT depends on how it appeals to cultural and personal factors of the client implies that the treatment of ethnic minorities should be individualized.
Cultural considerations should be incorporated into CBT techniques to create an individualized intervention that can improve the outcomes of the clients. CBT interventions modeled around Western cultural values may not be effective when applied to minority immigrant communities.
In particular, the structuring of therapeutic relationships and interaction approaches should reflect the culture and preferences of the client to achieve positive treatment outcomes.
The review indicates that ethnic minority groups benefit significantly from culturally adapted CBT. However, its efficacy is affected by factors such as the patient’s expectations and preferences, the program’s cultural responsiveness, and the cultural competence of the therapist.
Therefore, culturally sensitive CBT programs can be useful in counseling ethnic minorities with psychosis, depression, and anxiety, among others. These approaches are particularly important because ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the psychotherapy field.
This implies that Western perspectives are predominant in the CBT field such that some of the underlying philosophies are incompatible with certain cultural aspects of the minority groups. Thus, in practice, the perspectives of minority clients should be considered to improve the therapeutic outcomes.
From the review, it is evident that the efficacy of CBT depends, in part, on the cultural competency of the counselors. An awareness of the client’s cultural background and values can help counselors support culturally sensitive CBT interventions adapted for minority clients. This has implications for counseling training and curriculum.
Counseling programs that train students on culturally adapted psychotherapy interventions can enhance their understanding of the specific needs of ethnic minority clients.
The use of culturally adapted CBT has empirical support. The review provides qualitative and quantitative evidence for the use of CBT in the treatment of multiple disorders. This has implications for evidence-based practice (EBP) in psychotherapy. The evidence can help in therapeutic decision-making.
Thus, evidence-based CBT can help counselors in selecting the best CBT adaptation that can maximize the outcomes of a particular minority group.
The review also underscores the need for integrating culture into counseling strategies.
The minorities examined in the studies that benefitted from culturally sensitive CBT include Chinese, Latinos, and African Americans, among others. If cultural factors are not integrated into the development and implementation of counseling interventions for minority clients, their dropout rate will increase.
Additionally, a less culturally sensitive approach can prevent them from seeking counseling services. To enhance its efficacy, CBT should be structured around the specific cultural values of the clients.
References
Bennett, S., & Babbage, D. (2014). Cultural Adaptation of CBT for Aboriginal Australians. Australian Psychologist, 49 (1), 19-28.
Bennett-Levy, J., Wilson, S., Nelson, J., Stirling, J., Ryan, K., Rotumah, D.,…Beales, D. (2014). Can CBT Be Effective for Aboriginal Australians? Perspectives of Aboriginal Practitioners Trained in CBT. Australian Psychologist, 49 , 1-7.
Cachelin, F., Shea, M., Phimphasone, P., Wilson, G., Thompson, D., & Striegel, R. (2014). Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioral guided Self-help for Binge Eating: a Feasibility Study with Mexican Americans. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 20 (3), 449-457.
Duarte-Velez, Y., Bernal, G., & Bonilla, K. (2010). Culturally Adapted Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: Integrating Sexual, Spiritual, and Family Identities in an Evidence-based Treatment of a Depressed Latino Adolescent. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66 (8), 895-906.
Dwight-Johnson, M., Aisenberg, E., Golinelli, D., Hong. S., O’Brien, M., & Ludman, E. (2011). Telephone-based Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Latino Patients Living in Rural Areas: a Randomized Pilot Study. Psychiatric Service, 62 (8), 936–942.
Hwang, W., Wood, J., Lin, K., & Cheung, F. (2006). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy With Chinese Americans: Research, Theory, and Clinical Practice. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 13, 293–303.
Jackson, J., Schmutzer, P., Wenzel, A., & Tyler, J. (2006). Applicability of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy with American Indian individuals. Psychotherapy, 43 (4), 506-517.
Rathod, S., Kington, D., Phiri, P., & Gobbi, M. (2010). Developing Culturally Sensitive Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis for Ethnic Minority Patients by Exploration and Incorporation of Service Users’ and Health Professionals’ Views and Opinions. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 38, 511-533.
Rathod, S., Phiri, P., Harris, S., Underwood, C., Thagadur, M., Padmanabi, U. & Kingdon, D. (2013). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis can be Adapted for Minority Ethnic groups: a Randomised Controlled Trial. Schizophrenia Research, 143 (2), 319-326.
Saddique, J., Chung, J., Brown, C., & Miranda, J. (2012). Comparative Effectiveness of Medication versus Cognitive-behavioral Therapy in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Low-income Young Minority Women with Depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 80 (6), 995-1006.
Shen, E., Alden, L., Sochting, I., & Tsang, P. (2006). Clinical Observations of a Cantonese Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program for Chinese immigrants. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 43 (4), 518-530.
Strasser, A. (2015). Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: An Evidence Based Practice Applicable with Minority Children. Chronicles of Psychology, 3 (1), 11-19.
Webb, M., de Ybarra, D., Baker, E., Reis, I., & Carey, M. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral Therapy to Promote Smoking Cessation among African American Smokers: a Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology, 78 (1), 24-33.
Weiss, B., Singh, S., & Hope, D. (2011). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Immigrants Presenting with Social Anxiety Disorder: Two Case Studies. Clinical Case Studies, 10 (4), 324-334.
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Write an essay about: Cognitive Psychology – Decision Making Research Paper The text discusses the complex nature of human decision making and how it can be reduced to five distinct stages. These stages are situation, option, choice, act, and evaluation. |
Cognitive Psychology – Decision Making Research Paper The text discusses the complex nature of human decision making and how it can be reduced to five distinct stages. These stages are situation, option, choice, act, and evaluation. | Cognitive Psychology – Decision Making Research Paper
Introduction
Human decision making can be considered a highly complex process that involves numerous stages, factors and internal mechanisms despite its apparent instantaneous nature. Researchers such as Chen-Bo (2011) explains that decision making itself is a reactionary process based on an assortment of internal and external factors which cause an individual to make a choice (Chen-Bo, 2011).
This can range from something as simple as choosing what type of clothes to wear to more complex situations such as corporate planning and development. Despite the intricacies involved in the decision making process, it can actually be reduced into 5 distinct stages, namely:
Situation
The situation stage is considered the initial stage of the decision making process since it is where a person is presented within a particular choice. This is based off of the reactionary process described by Chen-Bo (2011) wherein an internal or external circumstance causes a person to make a choice.
Sijun et al. (2012) attempts to explain this particular stage in the decision making process by explaining that situations occur in an individual’s life on a daily basis and, as such, without situations occurring there would be no decision making processes at all due to the necessity of having things occur to actually have the need to make a decision (Sijun et al., 2012).
Sijun et al. (2012) points to the argument that in a perfectly static world the necessity of making a decision would not be necessary due to the unchanging nature of both people and the environment, however, since the world is dynamic, numerous situations occur on a daily basis thus necessitating the need to make a decision.
This validates the assertions made by Chen-Bo (2011) which states that decision making is a dynamic reactive process.
Option
When it comes to the option stage of the decision making process, Stewart & Hess (2011) states that all decisions made are done within the context of options that are limited by an individual’s knowledge about a particular situation (Stewart & Hess, 2011).
This means that when making a decision it is usually the case that it is based on how an individual interprets the potential results of the action that will be undertaken through the lens of past experience or prior knowledge about the potential results.
Choice
The concept of choice occurs when an individual finally makes a decision based on the available information they have regarding the results of a decision.
Act
The action stage occurs when an individual either acts on a decision or chooses to relegate it to an opinion of choice. As such, this can have an external reaction or be purely an internal thought process.
Evaluation
The evaluation stage consists of a slight examination of the action that was conducted for future reference in order to ensure that a person either follows on through with a similar action in the future due to a positive result or does not go through with a particular decision due to a past negative reaction.
What must be understood though is that the 5 steps to the decision making process that have been elaborated on here are applicable only to logical decision making. Illogical or risky decision making follows a slightly different pattern, during the option stage where people base their decisions on past experiences or gathered knowledge what is also included is a reward/risk factor.
In this particular case a person would view a potentially risky action based on the perceived benefit (i.e. reward) they would get for choosing a particular decision versus the potential negative consequences. Should the potential benefits outweigh the negative consequences it is usually the case that a person would perform what is defined as a risky decision.
Examples of this can often be seen in the case of entrepreneurs wherein the decision to start their own business is based on the potential reward of having no boss and being successful versus the potentially disastrous financial implication associated with a failed business.
Another way of looking at the risky decision making is from the perspective of Mannberg (2012), in his study it was noted that risky decision making is at times the result of ill-informed choices wherein people make decisions based on faulty knowledge or an incomplete understanding of the full ramifications of a decision once it is made (Mannberg, 2012).
As such, while this does not fall under the normal risk/reward factor that is normally associated with risky decisions, it is still a relevant aspect when it comes to determining how people make risky decisions in the first place.
Decreasing Risky Decision Making
When it comes to decreasing decision making, it is stated by numerous articles on the subject that the primary source of the problem comes from the risk/reward factor that is at the heart of any risky decision. If the risk/reward factor is taken out of the picture then it is likely that people would reduce the amount of risky decisions that they would make.
Unfortunately, such a situation can only happen in an ideal world. People are at times have a predisposition towards making a risky decision if they believe that their version of the potential outcome to a decision is the right one. As such Ivers et al. (2000) recommends that in order to reduce this inherent predisposition it is necessary to insert the concept of doubt to the decision making process (Ivers et al., 2000).
This can be accomplished by adding a considerable amount of time between the option stage and the choice stage in the decision making process. Ivers et al. (2000) explains that the more time a person has to think about a particular decision, the more likely they are of ascertaining a better view on the risk reward factor and doubt their initial assumptions.
In fact Ivers et al. (2000) explains that people are more likely to commit risky decisions when deciding on the spot as compared to decisions that have been internalized and reviewed over a long period of time. Thus, Ivers et al. (2000) recommends that sufficient time be added in the option stage in order to reduce the potential for risky decisions to be made. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the concept of anxiety.
Anxiety as described by Chiaburu et al. (2008) leads to the potential for risky decisions since people are being pressured into making a decision based on “getting things over with” rather than based on cool calm logic (Chiaburu et al., 2008).
As such, decisions made when an individual is anxious or stressed are likely to result in negative consequences since the person making the decisions is not doing so from a calm and centered position, rather, what is instead occurring is that they feel rushed, pressured and are attempting to merely make a decision for the sake of making a decision rather than doing so in order to produce a desirable outcome (Caruana, 2007).
It is based on this that it is recommended that prior to making any decisions it is important to first calm down and try to think properly. Only when a person is calm and well centered can they make a logical decision rather than one that is based on stressed and anxiety. The last recommendation when it comes to reducing risky decisions is to do so based on sound information (Borchardt, 2010).
As mentioned earlier within this paper, one of the main problems associated with risky decision making is that people often make a decision based on insufficient information resulting in them entering into a potential outcome that they did not initially expect.
As such, it is recommended that prior to making any decision it is important to get your facts straight in order to ensure that the outcomes to any decision are understood so that potentially risky decisions can be reduced.
Reference List
Borchardt, J. K. (2010). Overcoming Barriers to Effective Decision-Making. Contract Management, 50 (6), 54-61.
Caruana, R. (2007). Morality and consumption: towards a multidisciplinary perspective. Journal Of Marketing Management, 23 (3/4), 207-225.
Chen-Bo, Z. (2011). The Ethical Dangers of Deliberative Decision Making. Administrative Science Quarterly, 56 (1), 1-25.
Chiaburu, D. S., Marinova, S. V., & Van Dyne, L. (2008). Should i do it or not? an initial model of cognitive processes predicting voice behaviors. Academy Of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings , 1-6.
Ivers, H., McGrath, P. J., Purdy, R., Hennigar, A. W., & Campbell, M. (2000). Decision Making in Migraine Patients Taking Sumatriptan: An Exploratory Study. Headache: The Journal Of Head & Face Pain, 40 (2), 129-136.
Mannberg, A. (2012). Risk and rationalization—The role of affect and cognitive dissonance for sexual risk taking. European Economic Review, 56 (6), 1325- 1337.
Sijun, W., Beatty, S. E., & Liu, J. (2012). Employees’ Decision Making in the Face of Customers’ Fuzzy Return Requests. Journal Of Marketing, 76 (6), 69-86.
Stewart, D. W., & Hess, M. (2011). How Relevancy, Use, and Impact Can Inform Decision Making. Journal Of Advertising Research, 51 195-204.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The Cold War paranoia in Captain America and Batman movies was evident in the characters and plotlines. In Captain America, the protagonist is a symbol of hope and unity for Americans, while in Batman, the protagonist is a symbol of fear and division for Americans. The two movies offer a glimpse into the prevailing mood across the United States after the Second World War.Cold War Paranoia in "Captain America" and "Batman" Essay |
The Cold War paranoia in Captain America and Batman movies was evident in the characters and plotlines. In Captain America, the protagonist is a symbol of hope and unity for Americans, while in Batman, the protagonist is a symbol of fear and division for Americans. The two movies offer a glimpse into the prevailing mood across the United States after the Second World War.
Cold War Paranoia in "Captain America" and "Batman" Essay | Cold War Paranoia in “Captain America” and “Batman” Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Batman (1966)
3. Captain America
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Introduction
The prevalent mood across the United States after the Second World War was rife with optimism and unparalleled success. The middle class “rapidly expanded, unemployment was low, and the United States (the only country with a nuclear bomb) became the most powerful country on earth” (Burr par.14).
Unfortunately, this mood lasted for a short period of about four years before the Soviet Union started stockpiling nuclear bombs in 1949. Given that the United States was the only state with nuclear weapons by then, the Soviet’s decision to test its first nuclear weapons openly in 1949 caused tensions in the US.
The hitherto mood of success turned somber and Americans became paranoid due to the fears of a nuclear bomb being dropped from the Soviet Union. Americans started preparing for nuclear bomb attacks. The political environment was awash with speculations and conspiracy theories, with some politicians claiming that Soviet spies had infiltrated the American government.
The film industry thus sought to highlight the changing mood across the United States with film directors coming up with movies to underscore the situation.
Some of the outstanding superhero movies that underscored the Cold War paranoia include Captain America directed by Albert Pyun in 1990 and Batman, which was released in 1966. This paper explores these two superhero movies and their correlation with Cold War paranoia in terms of characters and the plotlines.
Batman (1966)
This movie is commonly referred to as Batman: The Movie and it is an adaptation of the Batman Television Series, with emphasis on the character, Batman, who featured extensively in DC Comics (Garcia 55). The movie’s plotline elicits fear, apprehension, and confusion, which characterized the Cold War paranoia.
When Batman tries to rescue Schmidlapp from a yacht, the vessel disappears and he comes out with his leg in a shark’s mouth ( Batman) . This form of unexpected events underscores the uncertainty that surrounded the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Americans did not know what to expect if either of the warring sides launched a nuclear attack against the other.
Batman and Robin later realize that the call claiming that Schmidlapp had been kidnapped was a set up by the United Underworld, which sought to eliminate Batman. This aspect underscores the many conspiracy theories that surrounded the Cold War. As the movie progresses, the plot exposes the view that everyone loses in a war.
Batman and Robin fail in their attempt to protect the kidnapping of the United World Organization’s Council, while the United Underground loses its missiles and submarines in the war. Similarly, both the United States and the Soviet Union lost substantially during the Cold War. Innocent civilians died as collateral damage on top of property destruction coupled with the death of thousands of soldiers involved in the war.
On the choice of characters, Batman represents the kind of a superhero that Americans wanted to be assured of safety from the threats of nuclear bombs from the Soviet Union.
Americans knew that the government could not protect them sufficiently if a nuclear war broke out because in a nuclear war, there are no winners as everyone loses (Burr par. 16). In addition, the use of Catwoman, under the disguise of Miss Kitka – a Soviet journalist, highlights the allegations of communist sympathizers within the United States at the time.
Captain America
This movie is an adaptation of the Marvel’s Comics Superhero. In the movie, the need to come up with a superhero to protect Americans from the threat of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union stands out. Even though the plot oscillates between Italy and the United States, fear and unpredictability come out clearly.
The Italian government eliminates Tadzio’s family before kidnapping him for experimental purposes as it seeks to make a fascist superhero ( Captain America) . However, one of the project masterminds, Dr. Vaselli, cannot stand the thought of using an innocent boy as a guinea pig and so she escapes to the United States where she kick starts a similar project. She successfully transforms one of the soldiers, Steve Rogers, into a superhero.
Even though the director of this movie does not mention the Soviet Union directly, the themes used point to the Cold War paranoia at the time. The idea of coming up with a superhero being was born out of the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of using nuclear bombs during the Cold War (Snellings par. 17).
The cloning of a superhero in Italy and the replication of the same in the United States can be taken to imply the making of a nuclear bomb in the US and the subsequent replication of the same by the Soviet Union. On the use of characters, the script follows that of Batman with superhero characters taking the center stage.
Conclusion
Fear, apprehension, and uncertainty characterized the Cold War era. Americans lived in ‘nuclear war preparedness’ as the Soviet Union was allegedly planning to drop a nuclear bomb anywhere in the US. Moviemakers sought to make films highlighting this feeling of uncertainty.
In addition, Americans wanted a form of protection, which could only come from a superhero as opposed to relying on government forces. Therefore, filmmakers used superheroes in their movies to meet the society’s expectations at the time, as shown in the movies, Batman and Captain America.
Works Cited
Batman. Dir. Leslie Martinson. Century City, LA: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 1966. Film.
Burr, William. Nobody Wins a Nuclear War” But “Success” is Possible Mixed Message of 1950s Air Force Film on a U.S.-Soviet Conflict, 2011. Web.
Captain America. Dir. Albert Pyun. New York: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, 1990. Film.
Garcia, Bob. “Batman: Making the Original Movie.” Cinefantastique 24.25 (1994): 55-58. Print.
Snellings, April. Captain America Trades World War II Action for Cold War Paranoia in ‘The Winter Soldier, 2014. Web.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The essay discusses the reasons why college students like to join music festivals in China. These festivals offer them the opportunity to express their feelings towards various issues within their immediate environment as well as entertain themselves. |
The essay discusses the reasons why college students like to join music festivals in China. These festivals offer them the opportunity to express their feelings towards various issues within their immediate environment as well as entertain themselves. | College Students’ Satisfaction of Music Festival in China Proposal
Table of Contents
1. Motivation: Why college students like to join music festival
2. Satisfaction: Are they satisfied
3. Relationship between Motivation and Satisfaction
4. List of References
Motivation: Why college students like to join music festival
According to Bissell and Dolan (2011, p. 63), music festivals are very popular among the Chinese college students. It is important to understand the reasons that make these festivals popular among these students.
Aquinas (2006, p. 67) says that one of the reasons why music festivals are popular among the students is because they offer them the opportunity to express their feelings. Music is an art that enables one to describe the feelings about things and people in a way that is unique (Harris 2009, p. 12).
Strong emotional feelings such as love, sadness, and disappointment can best be expressed through music. The music festivals offer them the opportunity to do this. These festivals also offer the students an opportunity to express their feelings towards various issues within their immediate environment.
It may be an appreciation to the administration on the positive things done to the students or complain to the authorities on what has been ignored or not done right. Adetule (2011, p. 45) says that this is the only forum that students are empowered to speak their mind to their schools’ administration and the nation at large.
The presence of media at such events makes it possible for these students to speak to the nation.
Flint (2012, p. 38) says that another reason why students like to join music festivals is to entertain themselves. After spending a lot of time in class, the music festival offers time for the students to destruct themselves away from books. They get to entertain themselves in such forums as active participants.
As DuBrin (2011, p. 90) notes, sometimes a student may have a talent in music. Not every student can be an academic giant. Others may be very good at acting, singing or dancing. In the current Chinese society, these are the careers that should not be ignored anymore.
In the past, such careers were considered a preserve for those who failed to excel academically (Yee 2006, p. 62). However, this is far from being the truth. Some of the best musicians in the world are individuals who excelled in their academics.
Moreover, music is turning out to be one of the best careers not only in China but also in the rest of the world. Some of the richest people in the world are musicians. According to Dwivedi (2006, p. 538), parents are also accepting careers in music.
During these festivals, these get to exploit their talents in music. It helps them to determine if they may have a future in the field of music.
Music festivals also help in creating new friendships and strengthening the existing bonds (Liu & Woo 2005, p. 84). Music festivals bring together students from various parts of China. At such festivals, they get to interact and share the social lives with students from all over the country.
Through this, they get to develop strong bonds that help in enhancing national cohesion. Given that most of the college students are youths, the idea of meeting new friends is always thrilling (Kline 2010, p. 47). Others attend such festivals due to the desire to gain publicity.
As mentioned before, in such festivals, especially at the national levels, there is always a heavy media presence. Some of the students join the festivals to gain publicity for various reasons. Others want this publicity to act as their launch to the music career given that they will have an audience of close to one billion people.
Others do it out of the peer pressure (Suryadinata 2012, p. 47). These are the major factors that have made music festivals very popular among the Chinese students.
Satisfaction: Are they satisfied
The level of satisfaction of the Chinese college students with the music festivals may be looked at by analyzing how well their interests are met. According to Ferch and Spears (2011, p. 44), one area where the interests of the students are fully met during such festivals is the need to interact with other students.
During such forums, students are always given the mandate to integrate with other students, share their personal views and understand one another despite their diversified background.
As Annabelle (2006, p. 855) notes, in such forums, teachers always avoid limiting the movement of students or the people they interact with as long as they stay within the confined places and do not engage in untoward activities. These music festivals are competitive forums where every participant seeks to emerge the winner (Floyd 2011, p. 37).
The ultimate satisfaction would, therefore, be when a participant or group of participants emerges the top or one of the top competitors. However, being a competition, only one participant or group of participants can occupy position one at any given time.
When basing the level of satisfaction on their performance, these college students will have varying feelings (Rees 2009, p. 117). Those who emerge the top in such forums come out highly satisfied. Those who performed dismally may be dissatisfied.
Some may feel that the process of selecting the best performers was unfair while others may feel that their opponents had an unfair advantage over them.
For those who want publicity in such forums, their satisfaction will be based on whether they got the attention of the media or not. Miller (2012, p. 48) says that other students are only interested in the social interactions in such forums.
This category of students is easily satisfied as long as they are able to meet new friends or interact with the old friends learning in other colleges.
Relationship between Motivation and Satisfaction
According to Schuttler and Burdick (2010, p. 60), there is a close relationship between motivation and satisfaction. As mentioned above, these college students have specific motivational factors that make them to be interested in the music festivals.
For satisfaction to be experienced there must be objectives that are to be met. In the sections above, these factors have been discussed. For instance, these college students are motivated to go to the festivals to win awards (Mittler 1997, p. 38).
They will be satisfied if they emerge winners and get the awards that motivated them to participate in the forum. Conversely, if they fail to win the much coveted award, then they will be dissatisfied (Liu & Mason 2010). For some students, their motivation is to make new friends from different parts of this republic.
Their satisfaction will only result from an enabling environment where learners are allowed to interact freely without any restrictions or close control from the relevant authorities. A section of the students feel that they have a career in music (Harper & Eimer 2010, p. 54).
They go beyond winning awards at these forums. For such students, their satisfaction will be seen when they succeed in getting a clear picture of what their future in music entails. Satisfaction only exists if the motivational factor is met.
List of References
Adetule, J 2011, Handbook on management theories , Author House, Bloomington.
Annabelle, M 2006, Notes from a Small Island: Researching Organisational Behaviour in Healthcare from a UK Perspective, Journal of Organisational Behavior , vol. 27. no. 7, pp. 851-867.
Aquinas, P 2006, Organisational behaviour: Concepts realities applications and challenges , Excel Books, New Delhi.
Bissell, G & Dolan, P 2011, Organisational Behaviour for Social Work , Cengage, New York.
DuBrin, A 2011, Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills, South-Western Cengage, Learning Mason.
Dwivedi, S 2006, Human Relations and Organisational Behaviour: A Global Perspective, Indian Journal of Industrial Relations , vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 536-538.
Ferch, S & Spears, L 2011, The spirit of servant-leadership , Paulist Press, New York.
Flint, B 2012, The journey to competitive advantage through servant leadership , West Bow Press, Bloomington.
Floyd, J 2011, Composers in the Classroom: A Bio-Bibliography of Composers at Conservatories, Colleges, and Universities in the United States , Scarecrow Press, Lanham.
Harper, D & Eimer, D 2010, Beijing , Lonely Planet, Footscray.
Harris, A 2009, Distributed leadership: Different perspectives , Springer, Dordrecht.
Kline, J 2010, Ethics for International Business: Decision-Making in a Global Political Economy , Routledge, New York.
Liu, J & Mason, C 2010, A critical history of new music in China , Chinese University Press, Hong Kong.
Liu, J & Woo, H 2005, New music in China and the C.C. Liu collection at the University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong.
Miller, K 2012, Organisational communication: Approaches and processes , Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Boston.
Mittler, B 1997, Dangerous tunes: The politics of Chinese music in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China since 1949, Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden.
Rees, H 2009, Lives in Chinese music , University of Illinois Press, Urbana.
Schuttler, R & Burdick, J 2010, Laws of communication: The intersection where leadership meets employee performance , John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken.
Suryadinata, L 2012, Southeast Asian personalities of Chinese descent: A biographical dictionary , Chinese Heritage Center, Singapore.
Yee, P 2006, Saltwater City: An illustrated history of the Chinese in Vancouver , Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: Aimé Césaire's Discourse on Colonialism is a moving examination of the cruelty, impassiveness, and dehumanizing consequence of colonization on both colonizer and colonized. |
Aimé Césaire's Discourse on Colonialism is a moving examination of the cruelty, impassiveness, and dehumanizing consequence of colonization on both colonizer and colonized. | Aimé Césaire’s Discourse on Colonialism Analytical Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Origins of Colonialism
3. Imperialism
4. European Colonialism
5. Liberalism
6. Impacts of European Colonialism
7. Conclusion
8. Works Cited
Introduction
The rise and spread of colonialism is one of the significant themes in world civilization. Colonialism is an old phenomenon that emerged during the ancient period in Europe. It can be divided into two phases. The first phase is called old imperialism. It occurred between the fifteenth and the nineteenth centuries. During this timeframe, European powers such as Britain and France conquered small states in Europe.
New imperialism began after 1870 due to the rise of capitalism in Europe. Indeed, the Europeans argued that they colonized America, Asia, and Africa to solve social, economic, and political challenges. Nonetheless, they wanted to achieve their economic ambitions.
Colonialism led to serious challenges in the world. Thus, various scholars such Walter Rodney, Karl Marx, Aimé Césaire, and Adams Smith have tried to analyze colonialism. “Aimé Césaire’s Discourse on Colonialism is a moving examination of the cruelty, impassiveness, and dehumanizing consequence of colonization on both colonizer and colonized” . This essay discusses the historical context of Césaire’s essay.
Origins of Colonialism
Colonialism has been analyzed from various perspectives. According to Césaire, the European civilization caused myriad challenges, which it could not solve. Thus, the Europeans had to seek external solutions to their domestic problems. Césaire argues that the European civilization was debauched because it could not solve the challenges it created. The following factors led to the emergence of colonialism.
Imperialism
Imperialism refers to the extension of social, economic, and political supremacy of a superior nation to an inferior one. Imperialism was an idea of superiority that was perpetrated by the Europeans.
Thus, the Europeans conquered the entire world based on the concept of superiority. The Europeans believed that they were the most civilized in the world. Thus, they had the moral obligation to extend their civilization to other parts of the world.
Economic imperialism was caused by the rise and development of capitalism in Europe . Capitalism is an economic model that emerged after mercantilism. It began in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. Capitalism is an economic system in which citizens own the primary modes of production. In this economic system, people invest their resources to make more profits.
The Industrial Revolution began in England in the second half of the eighteenth century. Britain pioneered industrialization because of social, economic, and political stability. Nonetheless, other European countries such as France and Germany faced social, economic, and political upheavals in the eighteenth century.
Thus, between 1750 and 1850, Britain was the leading producer of manufactured goods in Europe. The strong economic position of Britain enabled it to dominate other European countries.
After 1850, other European countries such as Germany and France began to industrialize. Thus, the spread of the Industrial Revolution in Europe led to over production of manufactured products.
This led to lack of markets for manufactured goods since major European powers were producing their own products. Lack of markets led to trade barriers in Europe. Moreover, the spread of the Industrial Revolution led to competition for raw materials and investment opportunities.
Capitalism caused serious social and economic challenges in Europe. First, it led to over production of goods and investment of capital. Second, there was concentration of income in a few hands. Thus, majority of the Europeans did not have the purchasing power. The bourgeoisie also reduced the amount of wages they paid the proletarians . All these factors led to a serious economic recession.
Due to the economic decline, the capitalists advised their governments to introduce economic reforms to foster economic growth. They also pressurized their political leaders to acquire colonies to enable them access cheap raw materials, markets, cheap labor, and investment opportunities.
Thus, imperialism emerged as result of capitalism. Consequently, “imperialism has been defined as the highest stage of capitalism”. Imperialism led to the rise of colonialism in various parts of the world.
European Colonialism
European colonialism became intensive towards the last quarter of the 19 th century because of the following factors. European countries were interested in fulfilling their capitalist ambitions. Therefore, they colonized various parts of the world because they wanted cheap raw materials. They wanted to access more markets because of stiff competition in their domestic markets.
The capitalists were looking for better investment opportunities because they had extra capital to invest. They were looking for cheap labor to facilitate production of raw materials . In addition, they wanted to occupy strategic territories such as India, Egypt, and the African seaboard to secure important trade routes. All these factors led to colonialism.
Liberalism
After the French Revolution, the spread of the ideas of equality and liberty led to nationalism in Europe. Thus, there was a serious struggle for nationalism in Europe in the 1870s. For example, the unification of Germany in 1870 and Italy in 1871 led to political upheavals in Europe. Before the rise of Germany, England and France were the most dominant political powers in the European continent.
Thus, the rise of Germany interfered with the balance of power in Europe. For instance, the rivalry between France and Germany led to the Franco Prussian War. After this war, France began to acquire overseas colonies because it lost two provinces to Germany. This event marked the onset of the serious scramble for colonies among European powers.
The desire to spread the European civilization was another factor that led to colonialism. The Europeans wanted to propagate their culture based on the idea of cultural imperialism. Indeed, the Europeans felt that they had the best civilization in the world. Thus, they deemed other races barbaric. Socially, “the Europeans wanted to spread Christianity”.
Impacts of European Colonialism
A part from the causes of colonialism, Césaire also highlights the consequences of colonialism on the subjugated. He wrote the Colonial Discourse in the last days of colonialism. Thus, Césaire’s manuscript demonstrates the practice of colonialism and its outcomes. Colonialism had the following consequences on the colonized.
Economic exploitation was the main reason for the European colonialism. The Europeans exploited precious raw materials such as gold, diamonds, and iron in the conquered territories. These raw materials were exploited to fulfill the economic ambitions of the Europeans.
During the colonial period, the colonized became proletariats who offered cheap labor to the Europeans. Indeed, forced labor was rife during the colonial period. It led to economic under development of the colonized. Land alienation became endemic in the European colonies.
Hence, the colonized experienced serious economic challenges . The colonialists imposed heavy taxes on the colonized, but they did not provide public services to them. Moreover, the Europeans disrupted the indigenous modes of production such as trade, agriculture, and industries. Therefore, European colonialism led to under development in the colonies.
European colonialism led to social challenges in various societies. For example, they conquered various territories through military attacks, which led to massive loss of lives and destruction of property. Therefore, various scholars have criticized the brutality of the Europeans during the colonial period.
For instance, Césaire contends that the Europeans were uncultured because they were inhuman during the colonial period. Moreover, the Europeans introduced racial segregation in various territories. For example, the practice of apartheid in South Africa led to immense suffering of the natives.
Colonialism led to cultural alienation of the vanquished. For instance, the Europeans undermined various civilizations in the world because they believed that they were the most cultured. Thus, they compelled the colonized to espouse and practice their culture. In this case, colonialism led to cultural erosion in various societies. For example, the British colonization of India led to the destruction of the Indian civilization.
Cultural erosion was witnessed in Africa and Asia. The Europeans claimed that they wanted to solve social challenges such as witchcraft, incest, and illiteracy. Nonetheless, they were interested in spreading their own cultural practices and religion. For example, “they wanted to spread Christianity”. Thus, they undermined other religious practices and rituals.
Colonialism led to serious political challenges in various parts of the world. The colonialists disrupted indigenous political structures in the colonized territories. They introduced authoritarian systems of administration in the conquered territories. During the colonial period, the colonized did not participate in political administration.
Furthermore, they did not have rights. Hence, the Europeans undermined the dignity of the colonized. The Europeans applied the policy of divide and rule, which led to the rise of ethnicity in various societies. Today, ethnicity is a major political challenge in many developing countries. In the postcolonial era, many political challenges such as authoritarianism have been witnessed in the former European colonies.
Conclusion
Colonialism was a manifestation of the challenges that occurred in the European civilization. Césaire asserts that the European civilization failed to surmount the challenges it created. Thus, it was a debauched civilization. According to Césaire, European imperialism led to the rise and spread of colonialism in the world. The Europeans felt that they were the most cultured; hence, they conquered other races to civilize them.
The Europeans masqueraded as philanthropists who were interested in improving the social and economic conditions of the colonized. However, they used treachery to colonize and exploit other races.
Therefore, Césaire is one of the critiques of the European colonialism because it failed to improve the social, economic, and political conditions of the conquered. Undeniably, colonialism led to the spread of racism, violence, and poverty in the world. It also destroyed many civilizations.
At present, “the Europeans have not been able to find lasting solutions to the problems of the proletariats and the bourgeoisies”. Moreover, they have not been able to deal with the effects of colonialism. Thus, colonialism was the historical context of Césaire’s essay.
Works Cited
Césaire, Aimé and Joan Pinkham. Discourse on Colonialism. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2001. Print.
Fanon, Frantz and Richard Philcox. Black Skin, White Masks. New York: Grove Press, 2008. Print.
Lenin, Vladimir. Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
Memmi, Albert and Susan G Miller. The Colonizer and the Colonized. London: Beacon Press, 2000. Print.
Rodney, Walter. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. London: Black Classic Press, 2011. Print.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/colonialism-2/ | 148 |
Provide the full text for the following summary: The essay discusses how taxation policies and education policies can be used to combat smoking. It is argued that taxation policies will force cigarette manufacturers to increase the prices of their products, which will in turn discourage people from smoking. Education policies, on the other hand, will help to educate people about the dangers of smoking, which will also help to reduce the number of people who smoke. |
The essay discusses how taxation policies and education policies can be used to combat smoking. It is argued that taxation policies will force cigarette manufacturers to increase the prices of their products, which will in turn discourage people from smoking. Education policies, on the other hand, will help to educate people about the dangers of smoking, which will also help to reduce the number of people who smoke. | Combating Smoking: Taxation Policies vs. Education Policies Problem Solution Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. What the Theory Says
3. Canadian Examples
4. Conclusion
5. References
Introduction
Cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use are directly responsible for at least one-third of all cancer deaths annually. One reason why smoking has endured, in spite of its dreadful death statistics, is that cigarette is highly addictive and comparatively not expensive to buy. It is vital to fight this trend to ensure that the deaths emanating from smoking are reduced drastically.
Contextually, the dangers posed by smoking are numerous. Not only are the smokers at risk but also non-smokers. This is a considerable provision in the realms of health; hence, the efforts created by the government to curb this trend should be supported fully. Smoking kills, both directly and indirectly.
Canada, as a country, is no exception in this trend following the massive deaths it registers annually due to cancer and other related diseases (The Lung Association, 2012). In this regard, there is need to reduce the mentioned deaths for the benefit of the nation. Most families have been rendered hopeless due to cancerous attacks.
In addition, most children have been orphaned due to deaths caused by smoking, and societies are losing lots of funds on tobacco-related problems. Despite the economic gains registered from tobacco, its health concerns are devastating. Hence, it is vital to agree that there is need to reduce the smoking rates within the society. There are 2 different types of policies in the Canadian context.
This incorporates taxation policies and education policies. In fact, the government should impose high taxation provisions on cigarette manufacturers. This will eventually hike the prices of cigarette sticks in the market hence discouraging smokers.
Education, on the other hand, tends to sensitise the public against smoking (CBC News, 2011). The government, policy makers, and people in general are the concerned stakeholders in the fight against smoking. This paper seeks to reveal how the smoking phenomenon can be combated through “Taxation Policies” as well as “Education Policies”.
What the Theory Says
There are credible theories on how the two policies can be enhanced to help in the fight against smoking. This is a considerable provision when scrutinised critically. By applying the concept of elasticity of demand and supply to discuss (theoretically) how each type of policy (taxation and education) impact cigarette smoking, several ideologies emerge that indicate the possibility of attaining success in the fight against smoking.
First, high taxation provisions will force the cigarette manufacturers to increase the prices of their commodities due to increased operational and business costs. Consequently, the prices of cigarettes will increase forcing smokers to cut down on their demands for cigarettes. Eventually, there will be reduced smoking trends in the country.
Additionally, by increasing the taxation provisions, the supply of cigarettes will reduce (since most manufacturers might quit the industry) while the demand will increase. Consequently, the prices of cigarettes will also increase due to high demands.
Nonetheless, due to “demand, supply, and price” elasticity, high prices will discourage buyers who will consequently reduce their smoking rates following the high cost of cigarettes imposed on smokers indirectly by the government. The desires of those with purchasing power in regard to cigarette business will drastically reduce due to high taxation provisions.
Hence, high taxation quest will help in reducing the aspects of smoking within the Canada and beyond (CBC News, 2011). Only the few individuals who will be able to afford the prospected high costs of cigarette will smoke. Nonetheless, the majority will reduce their smoking trends. Educational programs executed to sensitise the youth and other vulnerable groups have also been put in place by the Health Canada.
Canadian Examples
In the last decade, smoking rates in Canada reduced drastically from 25% to 22%. The Canadian Health has forced cigarette manufacturers to put graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging. This is meant to draw the Canadians’ attention to the devastating health repercussions of using tobacco products. This has been done to complement the high taxation provisions set for the cigarette manufacturers.
Additionally, most states in Canada have adopted smoke free by-laws to help in curbing the menace (Health Canada, 2002). Additionally, the Health Canada’s legislative, regulatory, as well as policy efforts regarding the tobacco control have been promoted by the Tobacco Act (1997).
Other new regulations enacted as at June 2000 have also been operational. Such legal Acts have been staged to control manufacture, trade, tagging, and advertising of tobacco merchandise in Canada. They also promote the education of the youths on the health consequences of smoking. Educational programs executed to sensitise the youth and other vulnerable groups have also been put in place by the Health Canada.
Chart 1: % Canadian smokers daily by sex and aged 12 or older (2001-2011)
Chart 2: % Canadian smokers by age group/sex/household population aged 12 or older (2011)
Conclusion
The Canadian government fights to reduce the rates of smoking within the country. The government proposes to enact high taxation policies and educational policies to help in curbing this menace. Health Canada has managed to involve the public in the fight against smoking. Youths are under educational programs to ensure proper knowledge regarding the dangers of Smoking.
References
CBC News. (2011). Anti-smoking efforts in Canada and abroad . Web.
Health Canada. (2002). A Framework for Action . Web.
The Lung Association. (2012). Smoking & tobacco – Quitting smoking. Web.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/combating-smoking-taxation-policies-vs-education-policies/ | 149 |
Convert the following summary back into the original text: The text discusses the implications of the increase in the number of diverse cultural workforces in the Atlanta area of operations for General Electric (GE) Energy. It also talks about the communication and motivation techniques that the company has adopted to improve communication between its employees. |
The text discusses the implications of the increase in the number of diverse cultural workforces in the Atlanta area of operations for General Electric (GE) Energy. It also talks about the communication and motivation techniques that the company has adopted to improve communication between its employees. | Communication Effectiveness in the Management of Virtual Teams Proposal
Introduction
Various organisations currently operate at the global business interface that is characterised by intense competition, dynamic changes in consumer needs, emerging trends of new products, changing technology, and different cultures.
Such businesses strive to maintain operations that are geared towards striking a balance between the influences of the above factors. Most multinational businesses usually establish subsidiary branches in numerous countries across transnational borders with a view of expanding their market bases by attracting international consumers.
For this reason, implementation of virtual teams of different employees from culturally diverse origins becomes a crucial interplay in the involved businesses since they facilitate communication amongst diverse consumers, employees, and subsidiary firms.
Currently, many businesses are adopting virtual management whereby managers do not necessarily need to maintain physical contact with their employees. The research proposal aims at investigating effective communication and motivation techniques in the management of in virtual teams across transnational borders.
Background
According to Huang, Kahai, and Jestice (2010), virtual team management is a phenomenon that surpasses the limitations of time and space boundaries that are experienced in visual interactions.
Misunderstanding of cultural differences, marginalisation, language barrier, team disunity, and mistrust are some of the issues that are associated with virtual team management.
For instance, the GE Energy, an electricity management company in Atlanta recently faced an increasing number of diverse cultural workforces in its areas of operations. This situation led to the development of programs such as the GE Connect and WebEx to provide an insight into ‘Working in Virtual Teams’.
The GE Connect and WebEx software adds a phone tab to the GE WebEx connects. The system can command the computer to manage call dials, history, waiting indicators, media, and instant messaging among others.
Employees who do not understand common communication languages such as English among other dialects can successfully interact with their colleagues using the system to improve their communication.
This situation is an implication of a need to conduct more research on the techniques and solutions to the challenges that arise from the management of virtual transactional teams due then unavailability of a common language.
Literature Review
A virtual team refers to a group of individuals who interact using internet platforms and profiles rather than maintaining face-to-face communication (Chen, Chen, & Chu 2008).
On the other hand, a transactional virtual team is an organised group of persons who carry out various activities that are related to trade despite time, boundaries, and space limitations (Chen, Chen, & Chu 2008). Virtual teams have become increasingly important for transnational companies.
They provide a framework for addressing challenges that result from modern rationalised organisations owing to the distribution of workforce. Capece and Costa (2009) posit that the advancement of technology and globalisation has led to an increased flexibility in organisations as they seek to gain competitive advantages over the rival companies.
The premise of virtual teams is to address the location and accessibility of employees due to the unrelenting workforce demographics in the modern world. As a result, the embracement of such teams helps organisations to gain access to diverse expertise and quality-improvement systems whilst promoting workplace interactions.
In this proposal, qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and participant observations were deemed suitable for the research in question.
The interviews will be used to gather demographic information that will be used to design parameters such as the average age, level of the awareness of cultural diversity, and comparison statistics among others (Creswell 2013). The methods will be guided by respondent characteristics such as feelings, beliefs, perceptions, and ideas among others.
Such aspects will guide the researcher to design appropriate interview schedules. Information concerning the communication techniques and patterns of the organisation will be gathered through textual analysis and archival research (Rawbone 2015).
Both purposive and snowball sampling techniques have been deemed appropriate for the selection of the participants. Purposive sampling will ensure the maximisation of rich information while the snowballing technique will help the researcher reach the respondents by asking them to recommend their colleagues (Punch 2013).
Regardless of the perceived effectiveness of virtual teams in the management of contemporary organisations, various problems have been identified. At the outset, the physical dispersion of persons around the world leads to the development of diversity issues that hinder smooth communication.
Diversity management has been deemed one of the most significant challenges in running of organisations. Leaders who have been habituated to the outmoded organisational frameworks encounter a number of management difficulties.
The organisation of the new teamwork also requires the leaders to assess the ability of the traditional management approaches to meet the necessities of the virtual programmes. This tendency to shift from the traditional to new forms of leadership poses an enormous risk to the organisation.
Overton, Hills, and Dixon (2007) also affirm that language barrier is a crucial problem that leads to communication shortcomings in the event of adopting virtual teamwork management. There is a tendency to interpret context differently as individuals perceive ideas, values, and beliefs uniquely.
For instance, Overton, Hills, and Dixon (2007) reveal that the difference between high and low context cultures has been evidenced to interpret information differently.
Embracing Effective Communication and Motivation in the Management of Virtual Teams
A research conducted by Overton, Hills, and Dixon (2007) in the UK on the integration of effective communication techniques into organisational activities revealed that it significantly improved the delivery of a range of skills such as leadership, management, and understanding of foreign languages among others.
It was affirmed that the techniques were applicable to the management of virtual teams to foster the learning of different languages for effective communication. According to Nash and Kallenbach (2009), effective communication tools can be used efficiently to ensure proper management of the virtual teams.
This technique can also be used to increase outreach programmes to rural communities or places that are hard to reach within a given time such as companies with international branches.
The only issue of concern raised in the study was that most of the adults were unaware of such techniques being embraced in current systems of management (Aragon & Johnson 2002).
Companies that support effective communication significantly lead to the improvement of employee motivation. Employees who strive to understand other languages make the use of effective communication and other resources that are based online. Literacy is among the key strengths that are created through electronic communication.
The web can provide an excellent means of developing skills in the wake of digital technology (Mishan 2005; Wagner and Konzma 2005). According to Scott and Wildman (2015), most businesses use virtual teams to grasp larger market shares besides overcoming geographical barriers (Scott & Wildman 2015).
Bachmann (2006) attested that communication enables people of different cultural backgrounds to develop shared models besides creation of group identities. It is highly believed that collective perceptions of other people, living environments, information, or the world create a mutual understanding among the members of particular groups.
A survey that was completed by researchers such as Yip and Dempster (2005) identified that communication via the internet compelled many companies to run virtual teamwork.
These studies failed to mention the aspect of embracing cultural diversity and understanding among employees since it was limited to electronic communication (Davis, Fletcher, & Absalom 2010).
Technology plays a critical role in conveying information between individuals through virtual organisations (Siebdrat, Hoegl, & Ernst 2009).
Virtual teams with diverse cultural backgrounds can be managed efficiently using robust cybernetic information channels with a view of diminishing the ethnic, racial, and/or geographical gaps that exist between the members of the teams.
Dekker, Rutte, and Van den Berg (2008) recommended that companies should implement up-to-date technology with a view of establishing and maintaining virtual teams. Language complexities, cultural misunderstanding, and marginalisation always affect communication.
Lockwood (2015) recommended a need for training staff in communication, leadership skills, and different cultural issues that affect the management of teams across transnational borders.
Embracing Clear Understanding of Different Cultures for Coexistence in Virtual Team Environments
Culture is a combination of values, norms, beliefs, and orientations that exist in a given society. They are transmitted from one generation to the next (Leidner, Alavi, & Kayworth 2010). On the other hand, cultural diversity is a mix of people having different national and linguistic characteristics.
According to Erez (2010), culture is a conception that is passed from one generation to the next. It comprises aspects such as beliefs, art, knowledge, laws, customs, and habits that are exhibited by a person within a particular society.
Most people use culture as the backbone for communication and develop knowledge about particular attitudes towards life. Earley and Mosakowski (2000) posit that respect for cultural diversity brings about the appreciation of heterogeneity in the values and norms of people from different backgrounds.
This situation brings people together either face-to-face or virtually. Wildman and Griffith (2015) mention that businesses are currently faced with challenges of virtual team management that affect efficiency. They recommend that leaders should be knowledgeable on tools for exploring cultural diversity.
The leaders must be well conversant with interpersonal cues, cultural differences and diversity inclusion. Lastly, they attested that virtual communication and mutual leader-follower relationships are paramount to the active contribution towards improved business performance (Wildman & Griffith 2015).
Globalisation has resulted in increased virtual teams across transnational borders. Intercultural communication and interaction are essential due to the ever-increasing globalisation that has led to the movement of labour across national, regional, and continental boundaries.
Embracing management with clear communication technology has led to the emergence of virtual communities who share information on different cultural values, beliefs, norms, and languages among other characteristics (Zakaria, Amelinckx, & Wilemon 2004).
A research that was conducted by Alpaslan et al. (2004) revealed that poor understanding of other people’s cultures and languages accounted for inadequate performance in cybernetic communication. This situation led to misunderstanding and distrust amongst individuals and groups in the organisations.
However, the creation of forums to educate the employees on embracing different cultures proved to be efficient in appreciation of virtual teams (Whatley, Zaitseva, & Zakrzewska 2009).The study does not clearly indicate how communication should be implemented in such situations.
Motivation, Good Leadership, and Trust
Motivation is also a crucial factor that has been proved efficient in addressing issues that arise from the management of virtual teams. Individual enthusiasm is an aspect that enhances morale and liveliness in communication.
Virtual interactions are enhanced through motivation with a view of alleviating glitches that arise from monotonous environments (Holton 2001). A deeper comprehension of subjective motivational factors should be considered because each person gets motivated in different ways.
Different cultures also have features that derive individual motivation. Such factors are paramount to the formation of sound virtual teams that are prepared with a broad base of knowledge about their cultures and those of other individuals.
Cifuentes and Murphy (2000), posit that other factors such as attention, confidentiality, satisfaction, and relevance among others are components of the sources of motivation. If they are embraced appropriately, they can improve a person’s engagement in virtual discussions that close the gap between varying cultural teams.
An individual belief in the ability to achieve personal goals is significantly improved where organisations encourage motivation and autonomy. However, the researchers have not highlighted communication as a crucial element for the achievement of such objectives; hence, it ensures that the individuals are satisfied and open-minded.
Maintenance of enthusiastic workforce ensures relevance and improved confidence (Cifuentes & Murphy 2000). This situation can be achieved through active involvement in learning or projects that encompass the performance of employees from different cultural backgrounds.
Both employees and managers should be encouraged to show enthusiasm for intercultural activities with a view of acquiring various competencies that practiced by diverse groups.
However, communication is crucial for the achievement of such objectives; hence, the parties involved should be in a position to speak a common language (Cifuentes & Murphy 2000).
Leadership is another aspect that has underpinned efficient control and management of virtual teams. According to Malhotra & Majchrzak (2004), virtuous leadership in an organisation ensures the definition of clear goals and role in an attempt to realise quality outcome. Shachaf and Hara (2006) revealed that virtual team leadership helped in the efficient management of employees in organisations where diversity inclusion was highly regarded. Another aspect of leadership is ensuring the provision of mentorship and clear definition of responsibilities amongst diverse team members.
Collaboration refers to the engagement and participation of people in a group to solve an issue based on a mutual agreement (Bjørn & Ngwenyama 2009). Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer (2015) have attested that virtual teams are becoming popular in work environments.
They result in the development of new techniques that are in line with the demands of the global market. This situation leads to increased work efficiency.
However, leaders are cautioned to consider issues that can arise due to cultural differences and to embrace collaboration among the members of virtual teams to get the success of the organisation.
Communication is crucial in bonding the employees; hence, robust communication channels should be developed in various entities that embrace virtual team management (Miloslavic, Wildman, & Thayer 2015).
Shachaf and Hara (2006) posit that leadership and trust are two factors that must go together when handling employees in virtual teams. People have unique and vast views, cultural differences, and technical skills among other factors. The researchers have failed to show how leaders engage employees in commitment to instil a sense of trust.
Therefore, leaders should ensure that individuals who are included in the virtual teamwork show commitment to duty by instilling a sense of trust in them with a view of winning their attention (Shachaf & Hara 2006).
Jarvenpaa, Shaw, and Staples (2004) also attested that trust that was built among virtual team members and their leaders led to efficient work processes and quality outcome due to improved motivation, collaboration, and collective problem solving strategies that dependent on trust.
It was perceived that trust reduced indistinctness and doubt in social viewpoints. A problem of how the trust is build is evident from such comments since effective leadership and management must be embraced.
Carter et al. (2015) in his article on Leadership for global virtual teams for the facilitation of team processes attested that leadership through collaborative interaction is paramount to the efficient management of businesses at the global level.
As a result, global organisations require the development of virtual teams through effective management. They have attested that technology in communication has been used successfully to link virtual teams through proper leadership.
They have further mentioned the importance of understanding cultural background of employees, nationalities, team dynamics, and communication technology to address issues that arise from virtual team management (Carter et al. 2015).
Carte & Deines (2013) also attested that team leadership results in improved networking among individuals who are both within and outside the teams. Performance and team development are fundamental functions of decent leadership (Bell & Kozlowki 2002).
A primary challenge that virtual teams experience is the realisation of efficiency during the implementation of concerted goals. The researchers have not elaborated the realisation of efficiency can be achieved.
A better way of ensuring that leaders accomplish such tasks is by the sound institution of self-management and performance standards among the various parties that are involved in teamwork (Hunsake r& Hunsaker 2008).
Effective leaders should ensure that trust exists together with increased and efficient goal setting techniques that take into account the expectations of employees. They should also give room for continuous feedback to allow competencies and encourage cultural appreciation.
Furthermore, Gazor (2012) posits that wise leaders use physical meetings to solve various challenges. However, in situations where geographical differences hinder communication, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing offer the best solutions.
In conclusion, the essay has reviewed various pieces of literature on the possible communication solutions to the issues associated with virtual teams in the effective management of organisations. Leadership roles are paramount to the appropriate handling of productivity issues that arise in diverse physical work environments.
Communication has been seen as a crucial factor in the management of virtual teams across transactional borders.
To ensure effective implementation of information communication and technology networks amongst employees in different physical locations, an understanding of diverse cultural values, consumer behaviour, and dynamic innovation is highly encouraged.
Statement of the Problem
Although virtual team management has ensured smooth running of global businesses, a plethora of challenges is still encountered. One of the primary challenges that are experienced is technology disparity. A sizeable gap is seen in the advancement of technology between the developed and developing nations.
A research that was conducted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (2006) explicated a number of ways such as stimulation of international technology transfer and learning among others than can be adopted by developing countries to narrow the gap.
While many companies appreciate the introduction and embracement of virtual teams in their organisational systems, many questions have been left unresolved. How do individuals of different languages and from varied culture share a common goal, understanding, and knowledge without face-to-face meeting?
How can such people develop trust among themselves? What kind of technology should the managers use successfully among these people? Such questions among others need to be addressed since they form the basis of the challenges that arise from the management of virtual transactional teams.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) encompasses communication equipment that is used in chatting sites, e-mail, websites, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing among others (Capece & Costa 2009).
The interconnection between various employee groups in diverse geographical landscapes is greatly hindered due to poor communication and communication channels (Song & Liu 2013).
The world’s population appreciates the improved development of electronic information transfer that has ensured smooth organisation and distribution of duties (Cheshin et al. 2013).
Improved technology has resulted in the development of robust communication means that have ensured quick response to various organisations, which have embraced decentralisation due to the existence of virtual teams.
Nowadays, teams can conform and establish collaboration through electronic communications channels that are remotely located. However, there is still a need to exploit the varied opportunities that arise from international interactions.
Although communication channels such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing among others means exist, other issues such as cultural diversity, understanding of different languages have not been fully addressed (Piccoli, Powell, & Ives 2004).
The contemporary world is characterised by fast development virtual teams with varied cultural, personal, and functional origins. If such topographies are not handled effectively, they can cause problems such as conflicts, disunity, and mistrust in organisations.
The differences can be heightened due to the existence of geographical differences, poor communication, and lack of motivation, misunderstanding, and failure to appreciate the significance of cultural diversity and movement of labour across transnational boundaries (Piccoli, Powell, & Ives 2004).
Virtual teams can only perform well if proper management that embraces proper communication, motivation, appreciates cultural diversity, and creates collaboration based on the common goals of virtual teams among others.
A majority of the studies have revealed that communication is the sole factor for the efficient management of virtual teams (Piccoli, Powell, & Ives 2004).
For instance, Taha, Ahmed, and Ale Ebrahim (2009) upheld such views by mentioning that advanced communication technology has enabled international business leaders to manage teams in distant work environments.
The development of technology, especially in the twenty-first century, is a timely framework for the passage of information from one party to another by teleconferencing, videoconferencing, e-mailing, social networking, and online chatting.
Although the aforementioned underpinnings are highly regarded, virtual team management requires a consideration of factors such as cultural diversity, respect, trust, and motivation among other aspects (Taha, Ahmed, & Ale Ebrahim 2009).
The researchers failed to mention how to incorporate such factors in communication to solve issues of virtual transactional teams.
Incorporation of such factors in communication promotes the realisation of a common goal and understanding of the values, beliefs, and attitudes of diverse cultures. Another problem that should be addressed is how a company will ensure appropriate handling of the above-mentioned communication factors.
According to Geister, Konradt, and Hertel (2006), educating employees on the use of the videoconferencing or teleconferencing techniques alone is not satisfactory move towards the realisation of harmonious virtual teams.
For instance, the existence of communication channels in organisations that embrace virtual teamwork does not necessarily mean that the employees have a common language that enhances the flow of information (Abbott, Gilbert, & Rosinski 2013). In such circumstances, how does the company resolve the underlying virtual team issues?
Other research works indicate that motivation among the employees results in the apt formulation of solutions in diverse work environments. Geister, Konradt, & Hertel (2006) attested that group motivation is significant in the creation of collaborative workforce where individuals come from different cultural origins.
This set of circumstances enables them to identify and appreciate various values, beliefs, and attitudes among other aspects of the cultures of their colleagues.
The researchers limited their studies to virtual team motivation and never embraced factors such as effective communication and understanding of cultural diversity to solve problems of virtual transactional teams. According to Keller (2008), motivation encourages attention, confidence, relevance, and individual satisfaction.
However, the research holds that enthusiasm only serves as a solution to managerial problems that are associated with virtual teams rather than examining the effects of other elements such as cultural diversity.
It proofs that there is limited information on the methods (effective communication and embracing cultural diversity) to resolve the poor understanding of cultural differences that exist in virtual transactional teams (McArdle & Anderson2001).
Research Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate effective communication, motivation, and understanding of cultural diversity to solve issues that arise from virtual team management across transnational borders.
Hypothesis
H0: Embracing effective communication, motivation, and understanding of cultural diversity do not help in solving problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transnational borders.
Main Research Question
1. Does effective communication, motivation, understanding of cultural diversity solve the problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transactional borders?
Study Objectives
1. To determine whether the proper implementation of effective communication, motivation, and understanding of cultural diversity solve problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transactional borders
2. To examine various motivational and leadership techniques that leads to collaboration among individuals of different cultural origins in the virtual teams
Limitation of the Study
The study will focus on the investigation of effective communication and understanding of cultural diversity to solve the problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transactional borders. It will be limited to qualitative research design and analysis.
The results will be used to illustrate a problem of communication, poor motivation and misunderstanding of cultural diversity in virtual teams to ensure that people understand the problem.
The results will then be used to create awareness embracing effective communication and understanding of different cultures in organisations that practice virtual teamwork rather than the implementation of the plans. As a result, the findings will be based on the generalisation of the available information.
Variables
Various characteristics that will be measured include dependent variables such as the type of motivation, communication, trust, interactions, and leadership among others. The independent variables will cover the issues that are associated with virtual teams such cultural diversity among others.
Methodology
Research Design and Sampling plan
Since the study focuses on investigation of effective communication, motivation and understanding of cultural diversity to solve communication problems in virtual teams across transnational borders, the research will entail a qualitative research design (Mahoney 2010).
The nature of the research proposed guarantees investigation techniques thus its findings will be used to illustrate how effective communication can the understanding of cultural diversity in virtual teams are essential. It will be conducted in the various companies in the USA.
Managers of the selected companies will be identified to seek contact information that will be useful in the facilitation of the research.
Data will be obtained from the focus groups and interviews among other qualitative methods. Interview schedules will be subjected to the employees and managers of selected global companies that have organised virtual teams.
Sample Size and Sampling Strategy
25 respondents will be selected randomly from each of the multinational companies. 20-percent of them will be from the managerial levels. The four companies to be included will be identified through secondary sources of data such as journals and articles on multinational co-operations based in the USA.
The contacts their managers will be contacted using information available about their contact managers or phone numbers indicated in the secondary data.
Research Instruments
The interview schedule will be semi-structured to ensure detailed information capture. The respondents are expected to understand the both the instruments easily since they will be written in simple English (Cooper & Emory 2002).
Respondents’ feelings, beliefs, perceptions, and ideas will also ensure that the researcher uses the interview schedules.
Some of the questions that will feature in the interview include the following.
1. What do you understand by the term electronic communication?
2. Does the company embrace robust communication techniques?
3. Does your company use electronic communication in educating virtual employees on common language for your business?
Rationale for the Selection
The USA was selected as the study area because the country has many multinational companies that embrace diversity inclusion and virtual team management.
Rich information on the communication problems will be obtained from multinational companies that have established numerous subsidiaries in different geographic locations worldwide. This strategy will set a framework for studying the management of virtual teams in diversity.
The chosen sampling design is also appropriate since the study will focus on the qualitative data. The research after evaluation will further analyse the implementation of motivational techniques and effective communication in ensuring effective communication among virtual teams.
Data Analysis for Demographic Variables
The demographic variables that will be considered in the study include age, education, virtual learning environment, blackboard usage, video and audio podcasts, and cultural background among others. The variables will be analysed using univariate analysis or tables.
The results will be easily compiled using the SPSS version 21. The univariate analysis will indicate details about age distribution frequencies, central tendencies (mean, mode, and median), and dispersions such as range, standard deviation, and variance (Bradley, Curry, & Devers 2007).
Data Analysis for Study Variables
Inferential statistics will be used to elaborate then inferences from the study. Tests that will be conducted include the t-test, Chi-Square test, and one-way ANOVA among other multivariate methods (Bradley, Curry, & Devers 2007).
Ethics for the Research
This research will be conducted after seeking permission various multinational companies that will be selected for the study. The respondents will be issued with consent forms to participate willingly in the study. Upon their acceptance, they will be engaged in the research (Miller et al. 2012).
As aforementioned, the research will seek to investigate effective communication and motivation techniques in the management of in virtual teams across transnational borders. It will focus on seeking ways to alleviate the challenges that are encountered in the management of virtual teams with a view of increasing organisational efficiency.
Review of Five Journal Papers relevant to the Topic
‘Leadership for Global Virtual Teams: Facilitating Teamwork Processes’ by Carter, Seely, Dagosta, De-Church, and Zaccaro
In their article, Carter et al. (2015) posit that competition, complexities, and structures of organisations in the global scene have undergone tremendous change. However, with increased and sophisticated means of communication, linking virtual teams has become easier.
This situation has resulted in effective management of business operations. Carter et al. (2015) further affirm that managers must ensure a deeper understanding of cultural backgrounds, nationalities, communication technology, and team dynamics to resolve hitches the that arise from the management of virtual teams (Carter et al. 2015).
‘Structuring Successful Global Virtual Teams’ by Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer
According to Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer (2015), teams have become paramount to efficient production in organisations. They further attest that teamwork results in increased the work handling capacity. It also provides new techniques that align with the demands of the global market.
However, Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer (2015) posit that leaders should consider issues that can arise due to cultural differences. Resourceful collaboration among the members of virtual teams is required for the success of any organisation.
However, communication is a crucial factor in creation and maintenance of bonds among employees. Robust communication channels should be developed by implementing advanced technological systems.
Therefore, managers should ensure that methods such as videoconferencing and teleconferencing are implemented for success in management of virtual teams (Miloslavic, Wildman, & Thayer 2015).
‘Leading Global Teams Means Dealing with Different’ by Wildman & Griffith
Wildman and Griffith (2015) attest that the current global business is faced with challenges that affect efficient virtual team leadership. Leaders must have the right knowledge and tools to explore cultural diversity with a view of alleviating challenges that are related to the embracement of virtual teams.
Wildman and Griffith (2015) claim that leaders should be aware of interpersonal cues, diversity inclusion, and appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures.
Factors such as virtual communication and mutual leader-follower relationships are paramount to the active contribution towards improved business performance (Wildman & Griffith 2015).
‘Culture, Communication, and Conflict: A Review of the Global Virtual Team Literature’ by Scott & Wildman
Scott and Wildman (2015) view virtual teams as the most modern techniques used in various organisations to capture large market shares, meet vast needs of consumers, and overcome geographical barriers.
In a research that was conducted prior to publishing of the article, Scott and Wildman (2015) found that the primary issues that dominated their findings regarding virtual information included cultural diversity, effective communication, and conflict management. Scott and Wildman (2015) mentioned that teleconferencing, video conferencing, and e-mailing were the feasible solutions for communication issues among the virtual teams. Understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity also play a critical role in the management of virtual teams (Scott & Wildman 2015).
‘Virtual team management: what is causing communication breakdown?’ By Lockwood
This article holds that flexibility in organisations and ICT improvement resulted in effective management of virtual teams in global businesses. Lockwood (2015), states that most executives experience management drawbacks due to language, cultural, and geographical barriers.
Language complexities, cultural misunderstanding, and marginalisation are threats to the development of collaborative virtual teams.
As a result, Lockwood (2015) affirms that there is a need for training staff in communication, leadership skills, and different cultural issues that affect the management of teams across transnational borders.
Appendix
Time Schedule for the Activities
Based on 13-week project the following timeframe is scheduled for various activities
Activity Time and Date
Draft proposal to supervisor Early May 2015
Submission of the proposal Early May 2015
Approval of proposal End of May 2015
Delivering request letter to research office Early June 2015
Data collection and completion Early June to end of June 2015
Data analysis and completion Early July 2015
Review findings with supervisor Early July 2015
Review final draft report with supervisor Late July 2015
Submit final report to supervisor Early August 2015
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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: The image restoration theory refers to a set of strategies designed to help organizations and/or individuals to restore positive public image. This theory underscores the different strategies that individuals, organization, and countries among others use when faced with the possibility of image destruction.The theory of image restoration is based on the premise that an organization's or an individual's reputation is at risk whenever there is a possibility of image destruction. The theory provides a set of strategies that can be used to restore positive public image. | The image restoration theory refers to a set of strategies designed to help organizations and/or individuals to restore positive public image. This theory underscores the different strategies that individuals, organization, and countries among others use when faced with the possibility of image destruction.
The theory of image restoration is based on the premise that an organization's or an individual's reputation is at risk whenever there is a possibility of image destruction. The theory provides a set of strategies that can be used to restore positive public image. | Communication Strategies: Image Restoration Theory Research Paper
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The image restoration theory refers to a set of strategies designed to help organizations and/or individuals to restore positive public image. This theory underscores the different strategies that individuals, organization, and countries among others use when faced with the possibility of image destruction.
When image is threated, the reputation of the victim is at risk, and thus the image restoration theory offers a solution to this problem. At times, organizations and individuals face threats to their reputation, and in such cases, they have to invoke the image restoration theory’s provisions to restore their reputation.
Generally, organizations tend to enhance their cooperation with the media in times of crisis, thus creating a single information center to avoid rumors spreading to the public. Other strategies incorporated in dealing with conflicts that are likely to damage the reputation of an organization include denial, blame shifting, and mortification.
This paper seeks to analyze the key elements of the image restoration theory and explain practical examples of organizations and states that have used the theory successfully to restore positive public image. The paper shall specifically analyze the Middle East case, the Firestone’s image restoration campaign, and The ValuJet’s crisis.
A cross section of researchers has devoted considerable time and resources attempting to identify efficient strategies to improve the theory. Therefore, theory may be highly effective in the future following the implementation of research findings.
Some of the key resources for this paper include works by William Benoit who is credited for being one of the founders of the theory. Others include Timothy Coombs, Joseph Blaney, and LeAnn Brazeal among others as listed in the reference list at the end of this paper.
Introduction
Currently, the society cannot overstate the significance of image. In most cases involving threats to reputation, individuals and organizations respond by applying various strategies in defense of their image. This paper explores the theory of image restoration as a tool of solving strategic conflict in corporations.
The paper also seeks to advance the current concept of the theory of image repair through the evaluation of whether strategies of image repair, sources of information, communicative agents, and the phase of a crisis influence the nature of reporting news.
In a bid to achieve this objective, the paper will incorporate content analysis of tourism in the Middle East, Firestone, and the case of ValuJet Flight 592 in the evaluation of the case of the BP’s oil spill in 2006.The paper begins with a research of the theory of image restoration. In the last part of the paper, the paper will discuss the future research in relation to the theory of image restoration.
Literature review
According to Benoit and Hanczor (1994), image entails perceptions of individuals or organizations as revealed by the audience. Benoit (1995) contends that perceptions shared by audience arise from the actions and words of the messenger. With reference to the BP’s oil spill, it is evident that apart from the public entities, private organizations are subjected to accountability.
From the aftermath of the scandal, the significance of image repair emerged as an integral part of managing organizational conflicts. According to Blaney, Benoit, and Brazeal (2002), undesired activities of an organization can contribute to the damaging of the company’s reputation and image.
Benoit (1997) further contends that the perception of the audience contributes to the damaging of an organization’s reputation. Research shows “the prevalence of the proportional relationship between the extent of damage to the reputation and the responsibility held by the person or organization responsible for the damage” (Benoit, 1995, p. 79).
With reference to the response to crises and image repair, most researchers rarely recommend casual research. In the 1990s, Benoit (1995) formulated the concept of image repair theory, thus encouraging most researchers to formulate strategies of image repair in relation to his context.
According to Englehardt, Sallot, and Springston (2004), approaches to image repair entail descriptive analysis of rhetorical cases. In such cases, authors are inclined to the benefits or failures of a particular strategy, thus providing insufficient and biased information for decision-making.
The trend prevails because casual studies highlight “a variety of issues that affect the ability of an organization to rescue it image and reputation following a crisis (Coombs, 1998, p. 187). The two factors are crucial, especially when considering the strategy to use in repairing image of the affected company (Coombs, 1998).
Coombs and Holladay (2002) support this argument by adding that the reputation of an organizationis another significant factor that influences the strategy of image repair. In a study of tourism in the Middle Eastern countries, Avraham (2013) holds that perceptions of the people contribute to the deterioration of the image of tourism in the region.
However, the media in the Middle East focuses on adverse subjects such as war, conflicts, and terrorism, thus confirming and compounding the people’s negative perceptions towards the region. The researcher attributes crisis in the region’s tourism to negative image, stereotypes, and conflicts (Avraham, 2013).
Further, Avraham (2013) highlights the significance of media in correcting the reputation and image of the tourism sector in the Middle East. With the aim of expanding empirical research on crisis and image of an organization, Avraham (2013) advocates the consideration of factors such as culture in relation to stereotypes and media coverage to impact strategies of image repair.
Blaney et al. (2002) use the case of Firestone to highlight the concept of image restoration in an organization. The researchers note that Firestone attributed its crisis to the actions of Ford, which affected its reputation and image.
However, shifting blame to Ford contributed to the application of inappropriate measures of image recovery, thus failing to address the prevailing problems at Firestone. Although Firestone resorted to using the approach of bolstering as a mitigation measure, inadequate finances contributed to the failure of the approach (Blaney et al., 2002).
These studies highlight the significance of the contingency theory in the management of conflicts that affect reputation of an organization. Coombs (1999) defines the contingency theory as the dynamics that operate both inside and outside an organization and influence an accommodative stance.
The BP oil spill crisis
The BP’s oil spill crisis started in 2006, but climaxed with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred toward the end of April 2010. Following the explosion and sinking of an oilrigoperated by BP in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 11 people perished in the accident that also contributed to polluting the sea.
As one of the largest spill accidents in the petroleum industry, it attracted the attention of different sections of society, with the media playing an active role of reporting on the crisis. The federal government of the United States approximated that the explosion discharged five million barrels of crude oil into the sea (Ifill, 2014). However, it took approximately 90 days for experts to contain leakages.
However, sources from media indicate that the well continues to leak even to date despite prior reports from the government that the experts had contained the situation (Ifill, 2014). BP responded by implementing various measures to protect wetlands, estuaries through floating booms, dispersants, and controlled burns among other methods.
However, by the time the situation was under control, extensive damage had happened to the wildlife and marine habits, which contributed to adverse effects on tourism. Investigations conducted in 2011 revealed faultyoilrigs covered with defective cement as the cause of the accident.
Furthermore, the accident was attributed to insignificant industrial practices and policies of the government that failed to ensure the implementation of adequate measures of safety. Apart from adhering to criminal charges toward the end of 2012, BP cooperated with the federal government in monitoring the company’s safety practices.
Following the sanctions, relatively high level of interests from the media and environmental agencies continued at the company. Even to date, the media scrutinizes and reports various events related to this crisis (Ifill, 2014).
Theoretical Framework
In a bid to counter the image destruction that was posed by the spill, BP employed the image repair theory in its communication strategies. In most cases, companies use both image repair and the contingency theory for the communication of crises and management of conflicts.
According to Burns and Bruner (2000), in public relations, the theory of image repair is embedded in the context of politics and social science. In the course of developing the theory, researchers identified five strategies in relation to the repair of image and restoration of a company’s reputation (Burns & Bruner, 2000).
Benoit and Pang (2008) supported these claims by identifying strategies of image repair to include corrective actions, denial, reducing offensiveness, mortification, and evasion of responsibility.
Firestone’s image restoration campaign
Firestone Corporation is a tire manufacturing company situated in the US. The company is believed to be the major contributor of about 271 deaths (Blaney et al., 2002). The deaths posed great challenges to the company’s reputation to the extent that its top managers had to intervene to restore its image.
The deaths were believed to be caused by structural deficiencies in the company’s tires (Hwang & Cameron, 2009). In efforts to save the company, the CEOs employed certain strategies described herein.
Mortification
The company’s officials partially accepted liability for their irresponsible act that caused mass deaths. On several occasions, the company apologized to its customers and especially to the family and friends of the deceased (Benoit & Pang, 2008).
Apologizing to the concerned individuals is an effective way of regaining trust from customers and the company employed this tactic to achieve its purpose (Hwang & Cameron, 2009). Masatoshi Ono, the then CEO, at one instance was recorded apologizing to the public following the accidents that claimed lives of pedestrians.
Even after Masatoshi retired from office, the subsequent CEOs embraced the same tactics by apologizing publicly on behalf of the company and promised to put strict measures to avert the recurrence of similar incidences in the future.
Corrective action
The company immediately replaced the defective tires with new ones in what was seen as a strategy to woo public trust (Blaney et al., 2002). The recalls were accompanied by press releases that emphasized the company’s mission of ensuring safety for its customers.
The recall was also followed by a campaign dubbed ‘making it right’ that underscored the company’s commitment to producing high-quality tires (Benoit & Pang, 2008). The campaign was initiated through direct adverts on the local media. Texts containing messages of corrective action were aired in local televisions and newspapers.
The messages emphasized the company’s mission as not only being making profits, but also maximizing the quality of its products.
Denial
The other strategy employed by Firestone in an attempt to restore its reputation is denial and shift of blame (Hwang & Cameron, 2009). The company’s management on several occasions denied having produced structural deficient tires and passed the blame to its customers by asserting that the accidents occurred due to carelessness on the part of the users (Blaney et al., 2002).
Ford Explorer was specifically identified by Firestone as the cause of the accidents since it recorded a larger number of accidents as compared to other users. Firestone CEOs asserted that the accidents would be prevented if the tires were inflated properly.
Middle East countries
Crises can affect a country’s reputation negatively. Crises may be either short-term or long-term depending on the length of time taken (Blaney et al., 2002). Crises take many different forms ranging from ethnical and religious wars to terrorist attacks that have increased in the recent past.
Terror attacks have had an increasing trend over the past few decades. In countries most affected by the attacks, their reputation may diminish amongst the public. A case in point is the Middle East’s terror attacks that have recurred from time to time.
Media coverages on the attacks and their recurrence have affected the countries’ reputation negatively, which requires strategies to restore public image. Statistics indicate a great decrease in the annual tourists in the affected countries, thus leading to decreased income from the tourism industry (Benoit & Pang, 2008).
The fall of the tourism industry in the Middle East countries is linked to the poor security in the country, which is caused by the recurring terrorist attacks. However, marketers from the Middle East have come up with a number of strategies aimed at restoring the region’s positive public image.
They have specifically adopted the conceptual framework of the multistep model for altering place image, which comprises three major components, viz. source, message, and audience. In most cases, terrorists target western tourists to earn international media coverage.
Terrorism directed to westerners is harmful to the tourism sector. The entry of terrorists into the media prompted experts to formulate strategies aimed at cutting down the attacks. The Middle East has unique landscapes and it hosts about three different religions.
The west is specifically the main tourism client of the Middle East and terrorist attacks may thus affect the sector adversely. The assumption that Arab countries are violent and inhuman has destroyed the image of the Middle East. In addition, there is an assumption that Arab nations are intolerant and they hate westernization.
An attack in one country is taken as an attack in every country in the Middle East (Avraham, 2013). This generalization has negative impacts across the entire region, thus making the tourism sector less resourceful. The Middle East policymakers adopted three major strategies, viz. “source-focused strategies, message strategies, and audience-focused strategies” (Blaney et al., 2002, p. 381).
Source-Focused Strategies
The Middle East, after recognizing the role of the media in destroying its image, has come up with strategies aimed at mobilizing journalists to join hands with marketers and policymakers in restoring a positive public image (Benoit & Pang, 2008). Among the steps taken under the source-focused strategies is to cooperate with the media, regulate media coverage, and block some media companies that are in defiance with the set regulations.
In order to foster positive relations with the media, government officials regularly come into direct contact with journalists to report on the progress of events as they unfold. This move is meant to ensure uniformity of the news aired by different media houses and deter the media from airing news based on rumors.
In some countries within the region, strict rules regulate the media. Journalists are barred from covering certain events that may destroy a country’s image. In the past, journalists have been arrested and even convicted for covering news perceived to be damaging a country’s image.
In other cases, the media is prevented from covering certain events that are perceived to be harmful to the country’s image. Media blockage has been evident in Palestine in the recent past. For example, in 2011, Palestine security officials deterred a journalist from the Associated Press from covering an event that involved locals celebrating an attack made on westerners (Avraham, 2013).
Message Strategies
Under this strategy, the involved parties have various unique ways of handling terrorism cases. One of the message strategies is ignoring or rather disregarding a crisis. In most Middle East countries, marketers have responded to terrorist attacks by disregarding their intensity and remaining silent on their effects.
Egypt has used this strategy in an attempt to restore a positive image of the country. Government officials in the country have disregarded terrorist attacks and even failed to report on the consistency of the attacks (Ifill, 2014). Limiting strategy is yet another message strategy used in trying to restore a country’s image (Benoit & Pang, 2008).
Under the strategy, an attack is shown as limited to just a certain area. The aforementioned strategy aims at encouraging tourists to visit other areas not affected by the attacks as opposed to generalization of insecurity.
Acknowledging a crisis is yet another strategy employed by the Middle East countries in an attempt to regain a positive image. The strategy involves recognizing a crisis and using the new era slogans to portray that the country has changed. Iraq employs this tactic in a bid to restore its image.
On several occasions, the country’s tourism department has emphasized that the country is now changed (Benoit & Pang, 2008). Another technique used by the Middle East is hosting international sports and cultural events (Benoit & Pang, 2008). Such events are meant to attract the attention of both the local and the international media so that they shift their attention from airing news on the attack that may have the effect of damaging a country’s image.
Various countries in the Middle East have successfully employed the aforementioned strategy in an attempt to restore a positive image. For instance, Yemen hosted an international soccer tournament [Gulf Cup] in 2010 to divert the attention of the international media (Avraham, 2013). The tournament portrayed the country as one that is peaceful as opposed to the perception that it is a battleground of terror attacks.
Audience-Focused Strategies
Audience focused strategies focus on creating a positive image to the audience. The strategy has the effect of eliminating the perception that the Middle East loathes the west (Avraham, 2013). Under the strategy, a country is portrayed as being similar to other countries in terms of human rights and democracy (Englehardt et al., 2004).
Marketers and policymakers in the Middle East have employed these strategies to show their willingness to work with western countries. For example, Tunisia demonstrated its willingness to work with the US and the western countries to preserve peace especially after its series of terrorist attacks.
Another example of a country that has successfully used this technique is Saudi Arabia (Benoit & Pang, 2008). The country launched a campaign against terror and demonstrated its close ties with the US after the 9/11 attacks (Benoit & Pang, 2008).
The ValuJet’s crisis
ValuJet started its operations in 1993 by offering more affordable airline services than its competitors (Benoit, 1997). The company, in its initial stages, was promising and it outshined other airline service providers such Delta Airlines (Englehardt et al., 2004).
The company was under scrutiny for safety issues even before the ill-fated ValuJet Flight 592 crash, which occurred in 1996, thus marking the beginning of the company’s downfall. ValuJet employed strategies similar to those employed by the firestone company in an attempt to restore a positive image. The strategies employed by the company are explained herein.
Mortification
The ValuJet’s executives expressed sorrow and sympathy for the families of the deceased immediately after occurrence of the accident. In a press conference, the company’s CEO apologized to the public for the damage caused by the accident. Even though the company did not fully admit liability over its recklessness, it was apologetic to the public and promised zero accidents in the future.
Shifting blame
Soon after the accident, the company worked hard to pass the blame to SabreTech, its maintenance company (Burns & Bruner, 2000). ValuJet claimed that SabreTech wrongfully mislabeled the oxygen cans thus causing inconveniences, which resulted in the accident.According to Benoit (1999), passing blame is one of the strategies applicable in the image restoration theory, and thus the company’s action was consistent with the theory.
Cooperation with the media
The company’s executives were quick to respond to the crisis through one-on-one interview over the media (Ifill, 2014). The quick response is consistent with the image restoration theory since it prevents the spread of bad rumors about the company and ensures that updates come from a central point.
According to Benoit and Hanczor (1994), cooperating with the media is a good way of protecting corporate image especially after such crises. The company’s CEO was the sole spokesperson during the incident, thus eliminating chances of negative rumors spreading to the public.
Conclusion
The image restoration theory denotes a set of strategies that can be employed to cut down the damage to the reputation of a certain organization or individual. William Benoit is credited for being one of the founders of the theory.
Currently, prominent individuals and companies are engaged in scandalous affairs and they will be forced to employ this theory in a bid to save their image. For instance, when the war in Syria ends, the incoming leadership will definitely use this theory to save it shattered image. Individuals are showing increased tendency of engaging in image-tarnishing behaviors and governments are in it too.
The Snowden case suffices to conclude that the future will be riddled with the application of image restoration theory. Currently, Russia is using this theory to save its image after the ornery invasion and occupation of Ukraine. Israel uses this image all the time to justify its invasion and occupation across the West Bank. Therefore, moving forward, this theory will be applied widely in the future.
References
Avraham, E. (2013). Crisis communication, image restoration, and battling stereotypes of terror and wars: media strategies for attracting tourism to Middle Eastern countries. American Behavioral Scientist, 57 (9), 1350-1367.
Benoit, W. (1995). Accounts, excuses, and apologies: A theory of image restoration strategies. New York, NY: New York Press.
Benoit, W. (1997). Image repair discourse and crisis communication. Public Relations Review, 23 (2), 177-187.
Benoit, W., & Hanczor, R. (1994).The Tonya Harding controversy: An analysis of repair strategies. Communication Quarterly , 42, 416-433
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: Subway is a US incorporated organization that operates in the fast-food industry. Mainly concentrating on sea sandwiches, the company expands through the area monopoly strategy. Doctor's Associate Inc. not only owns the fast-food supply chain, but also operates it. |
Subway is a US incorporated organization that operates in the fast-food industry. Mainly concentrating on sea sandwiches, the company expands through the area monopoly strategy. Doctor's Associate Inc. not only owns the fast-food supply chain, but also operates it. | Company Analysis: Subway Research Paper
Abstract
Subway Company is a leading fast-food chain of stores. It operates around the globe, but with its main offices in North America. The company is classified as a service sector organization that offers healthier foods as a replacement of pizza and hamburgers, which have been linked to problems such as obesity.
Its main goals entail producing customized foods that meet clients’ tastes and preferences. The company has experienced continuous growth since its inception in 1965. Its operational environment is competitive. Many organizations, which pose a threat of substitution, influence its strategic decisions.
The company has the potential to secure long-term success considering that its strategy of focusing on healthy fast foods aligns well with the growing consumer attention to the consumption of low-calorie foods.
Introduction
Subway is a US incorporated organization that operates in the fast-food industry. Mainly concentrating on sea sandwiches, the company expands through the area monopoly strategy. Doctor’s Associate Inc. not only owns the fast-food supply chain, but also operates it.
Subway constitutes one of the first growing single brands across the globe. As at the end of 2014, the organization had an excess of 43,000 different outlets in over 108 operational territories (Covert & Gibson, 2015). The company’s central offices are situated in Connecticut. Different operations centers support the functionalities of the company.
Rationale for Selecting Subway
Subway operates in a highly aggressive fast-food industry that has giants such as McDonald’s and Yum Food Company, which are constantly changing their growth and operational strategies to derive their competitive advantage from their people.
The process of analyzing the effective operational strategies of an organization, which can be deployed as a benchmark, is well accomplished by considering an organization that operates in a highly competitive environment. This assertion forms the rationale behind the selection of Subway as the company on which to base the analysis.
Indeed, it is interesting to identify why Subway remains such a successful single brand across the globe, considering that its competitors have been engaging in business partnerships to secure long-term business success, yet Subway is still able to withstand the competitive forces.
Brief History
Subway was born in 1965 when Fred DeLuca, its founder, sought the help of USD1000 from a friend, Peter Buck, to initiate what he called Pete’s Super Submarine.’ The location of the business was chosen to be Connecticut. In 1966, Peter and Fred registered a company called Doctor’s Associates Inc.
The main task of this entity was to manage the operations of the restaurants since its number of franchises continued to grow to the extent of penetrating the American market even deeper (Subway, 2012). The name of the company arose from the desire of Peter to pursue a course in medicine and the fact that Peter had a doctorate degree.
Hence, the name of the business was not in any way associated or linked with any medical school. However, in 1968, the organization got a new trade name, namely Subway (Subway, 2012).
Between 1965 and 1978, Subway mainly focused on the North American markets. Indeed, in 1978, it opened its first outlets in California. In 1984, Subway opened an outlet in Bahrain.
As Jargon (2011) confirms, “In 2004, Subway began opening stores in Wal-Mart Supercenters where it surpassed the number of McDonald’s locations in the US Wal-Mart stores in 2007” (Para.5).
This observation suggests that Wal-Mart has been critical in enhancing the growth of Subway in terms of helping it in the selection of strategic outlet centers. From 2007, Subway has always been ranked in the top positions in the list of the best-performing entrepreneurial franchises in the US.
For example, in 2012, it was listed number 2 in the best performing 500 franchises on the Entrepreneur Magazine . Indeed, at the end of 2010, Subway was larger than McDonald’s by about 1,012 outlets globally (Covert & Gibson, 2015).
The Type of market
Organizations operate in different types of markets. Economists identify ideal competitive, monopolistic aggressive, oligopoly, and monopolistic bazaars as the four chief souks in which an organization can operate.
The ideal competitive bazaar is marked by an increasingly high number of small business entities, which cannot determine prices of the offered products by themselves.
The cost of commodities is determined by clientele requirements and the conditions under which the various service providers operate. The monopolistic souk has only one seller within a given geographical area (McGuigan, Moyer & Harris, 2010). Subway’s market has many organizations that deal with fast foods.
Therefore, it does not certainly operate in the monopolistic or ideal aggressive market since many of its competitors are large-sized corporations.
Many vendors operate in oligopolistic markets. Every seller supplies large quantities of products that are offered on the market for sale. However, the high cost of entry limits the number of new entrants. The companies have control over the prices of products and services they offer. The products are similar and often not differentiated.
Since Subway offers differentiated products by the way of branding and customer experience, it does not operate in the oligopoly markets. Monopolistic rival bazaars possess a high number of retailers.
Although they offer products that serve similar purposes, the products are somewhat differentiated by either awareness of value, trade name, fashion, and/or place of offer among other aspects (McGuigan et al., 2010). Subway operates in the monopolistic aggressive bazaar.
Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) for Subway’s Products
Subway operates in a monopolistically competitive market in which different substitutes are only differentiated through branding and perception of quality and other aspects of the brand image. PED is obtained by dividing the change in the demanded quantity with change in prices.
A quotient of 1 indicates a unitary PED. A quotient of less than 1 indicates an inelastic PED while a quotient of more than 1 indicates an elastic PED.
The price elasticity of Subway products can be described as unitary elastic, which means that an increase in the price of one of the core products such as the foot-long Black Forest Ham results in a proportionate change in the quantity demanded.
Illustration
The price of Subway’s foot-long Black Forest Ham is $5. At this price, Jonathan is able to purchase 4 such products. If the firm increases the price of the product by 10% to $ 6.05 [cetiris paribus], Jonathan will reduce the quantity demanded to 3.6 units. Table 1 and graph 1 in the Appendix (a) illustrates the resulting changes.
The graph shows that change in price of the firm’s product makes consumers move along the demand curve (DD).
Income Elasticity for Subway’s Products
McGuigan et al. (2010) define income elasticity of demand as a measure used to determine the consumers’ response to changes in the level of their disposable income. As a fast-food company, Subway Company’s products can be described as normal necessities [foods and beverages].
Ghosh and Choudhury (2008) emphasize that normal goods have a positive income elasticity of demand. Therefore, an increase in the consumers’ disposable income is likely to increase the quantity of products that customers can afford to purchase from Subway.
The income elasticity of the normal products ranges between 0 and +1. Thus, if the consumers’ income increases by 10%, the demand for normal products changes by 4%. The implication is that the income elasticity for such products is +0.4.
Therefore, a change in the consumers’ income leads to a proportional change in demand for fast-food products. However, fast-food products are ranked amongst luxuries.
Hence, as shown in appendix (b), if consumers’ income increases by 10%, their demand for Subway’s fast foods will increase by 20%, which indicates that the income elasticity of the firm’s products is +2.0, which is greater than 1.
An increase in Subway’s fast-food product prices prompts an increase in the amount of supply and demand for the commodities. Changing of Subway’s product prices is influenced by the number of clients. In the past three years, the trend of price changing has been constant, especially during holidays when many people are out with their families.
At this time, Subway’s BMT goes for $6. It is crucial to understand that luxurious commodities such as sandwiches are elastic, unlike normal commodities whose prices have to remain the same for a long time.
Hence, if the price of its main product, namely the BMT, shifts from $5 to $6, because of its high demand, the supply will also increase as shown in the Appendix c.
Close Competitors
Subway operates in an industry in which other organizations engage in the production and selling of similar products to the extent that they serve similar purposes (Simon, 2007).
Its competitors include McDonald’s, Wendy, Yum Foods, and Burger King.
Through the adoption of appropriate promotional techniques and other mechanisms for building customer loyalty, Subway has developed the capability to cope with the competitive environment so that it comes just second after McDonald’s in terms of its ability to push its products into the market.
Indeed, its most powerful competitors who deal with similar products include Wendy and the Daily Queen.
Close Substitutes or Complements
In economics, all products have some associations in the form of complements or substitutes. A complement of product A is the one that is consumed together with it while its substitute commodity is the one, which is consumed in its place. For Subway, close substitutes to fresh salads are fresh vegetable salads that are offered by McDonald’s.
Yum foods’ and McDonald’s humbuggers act as substitutes for Subway’s sandwiches. Many business entities manufacture bread in the US and in other markets that are served by Subway’s bread. French fries and beverages such as Seattle best coffee form important complements for Subway’s products.
Indeed, coffee is a major complement of Subway’s products that are served in breakfast (Maze, 2013).
Changes in Demand for Subway’s Products
Growth in demand for Subway’s merchandise is influenced by different factors such as competition and the inability of target consumers to purchase due to financial hardships.
According to Maze (2013), in terms of revenues, Subway falls in the fifth position, making it far larger than “Panera Bread, Arby’s, Jimmy John’s, Firehouse Subs, Quiznos, Jersey Mike’s, McAlister’s Deli, and Jason’s Deli” (p. 42). However, no evidence indicates that these organizations are taking away the demand for Subway’s products.
Instead, there is an increasing commoditization of sandwiches so that they become easily available in places, including lifts and churches. This observation suggests an increasing access to the products. Such accessibility implies a rising demand.
While the aftermaths of the global economic crisis greatly influenced the incomes of Subway’s low-end consumers, economies in Subway’s market have greatly recovered by now. Therefore, the theory that low-end income earners struggle to eat remains invalid (Maze, 2013).
An assertion that the demand growth for Subway has reached its peak is also inconsequential. The company focuses on low-calorie foods whose demand is on the rise, as people have become more conscious about eating high-calorie foods such as hamburgers and French fries. Consequently, the demand for Subway’s products is growing.
Training of the Company’s Labor Force
Productivity of the labor force of an organization is critical in enhancing competitive advantage. In the fast-food industry, quality customer service is critical to increasing and improving buyer experience whilst reducing service rate times (Armstrong, 2009).
For Subway, further training of customers is important in reducing lead times and throughput time. This strategy can reduce costs by ensuring efficient utilization of the labor force. Training of Subway employees on how to increase customer experience can help to attract ‘repeat customers’ and new ones such that the sales level can increase.
Increased trade translates into increased economies of scale, which cut on the total costs of running the organization. In technological savvy operational environment, work is done with the aid of information processing systems (Dusanka & Aleksandar, 2013).
Since the technology keeps on changing, a room exists for training Subway’s employees on effective use of technological systems in increasing their productivity.
Profitability and Sustainability of Subway Business
Profits are computed from the knowledge of fixed and variable costs. However, although it is clear that a 12-inch sandwich costs $5, Rotelli (2013) reckons that the company is still privately owned and that it does not share particular numbers.
One way of computing Subway’s profitability is by identifying the profit margin on every product and then multiplying it by the total number of products. Profits for all product categories can then be summed up.
However, this step is not possible for an organization that is not required by law to make public filings of its financial statements. Indeed, stating profits for each Subway’s restaurant is incredibly difficult, as it varies depending on sales and location.
Although the company posted profits amounting to $16.6billion in 2011, and that the profits have grown over the years, specific numbers are required in determining the sustainability of the organization’s business.
Strategies for Increasing Profitability
Profits increase with increased sales (Camillus, 2010). This situation can occur upon the mitigation of various weakness and threats to an organization’s operations. Subway needs to mitigate the problem of high turnover to reduce the cost of replacing employees and training them.
It also needs to encourage uniformity in customer service in different stores to help in building long-term customer relationships. It needs to benchmark from McDonald’s and develop drive-thru restaurants.
Another important strategy entails increasing its focus on healthier foods by developing more commitments to reducing salt and fat levels and adding nutritious product lines to the subs. Instead of just waiting for customers in its restaurants, Subway can also focus on home delivery services.
This plan can help in increasing and expanding its target customers to boost its sales levels.
Company Strategy, Prices, Target Customers, Production, and Cost Advertisement
Subway’s growth strategy entails opening franchises as the main centers for pushing its products to the global market. Through franchises, the company sublets its rights and saves on administrative costs and overheads. In the franchises, the company offers healthy low-calorie foods to attract healthy eating cautious consumers.
Its pricing strategies vary from one product to another and depending on the location of its outlets. A 6-inch sub costs an average of $2.49 while a foot-long sub goes for $5.89 at a restaurant in Alberta. The organization also sells salads between $3.49 and $4.89 at the restaurant. To an average American worker, these products are highly affordable.
Subway targets people who do not carry home-cooked foods at work. It also targets people who wish to eat during breakfast and evening dinners. It has products that fit all demographic groups of people. Fresh raw materials are acquired from farmers and distributed to the franchises.
Although variations may occur, production takes place in-house, but consistent with Subway’s established standards to ensure uniformity. For the individual restaurants, fixed costs include rent, supply and logistics, the cost of insurance, and premise cleaning.
Additionally, the salary for each owner is in most cases consistent for every restaurant. The cost of purchasing may vary depending on demand forecasts at different times of the year. This claim means that it constitutes a variable cost.
Other unpredictable overheads include oil fees, worker wages, and different utilities that are connected to these expenses. Advertising is a major variable cost for Subway. It takes the second position in advertisement spending, after McDonald’s.
Maze (2013) informs that in 2012, Subway spent more than $516million in advertisement. Its advertisements feature its slogan of ‘eat fresh.’ It shows employees whom the organization refers as ‘Subway Sandwich Artists’ making fresh breads using highly clean ingredients.
New Markets and Strategies for gaining Market Share
Subway opens new stores not only in the US but also in other parts of the world, including Britain. The internationalization strategy of the company is evidenced by its opening of outlets in Brazil in 2009, Portugal in 2013, and even in Bahrain in 1984. During early 2000, the company also established another outlet in India.
Indeed, at the start of 2013, the company had close to 400 operational eating places located in almost 70 major towns across India. It also has restaurants in Russia and China among other nations. In fact, new markets are important for increasing the distribution density for Subway’s products.
While attempting to gain market share in new markets and in existing markets, Subway commits its resource to promotional strategies. It creates awareness of its products among its target customers. It places itself as an organization that offers high-quality and fresh products.
The Amount of Customer Purchases and the Most Successful Products
As revealed before, Subway does not provide specific statistics to permit the computation of the total amount of customer purchases since it is privately owned. However, submarine sandwiches account for most of the sales. Indeed, the sandwiches form Subway’s flagship product.
Its most successful sandwich is the BMT, which has acted as the company’s main source of revenue. Subway (2012) reckons that this commodity contains “pepperoni, salami, and ham” (Para.11). Although the BMT previously meant ‘Brooklyn Manhattan Transit’, it now means ‘better, meatier, and tastier’.
Although it is not highly profitable, Subway also makes pizzas on order. However, the product is not available in all the organization’s outlets around the globe.
Sources of Revenue
Subway generates its revenues from sales of its fast foods, specifically the BMT sandwich as mentioned above. Products that are meant for different markets are designed to meet the needs and preferences of a given market to ensure higher revenues.
For example, in the New Delhi restaurant in India, Subway does not sell pork and products from beef since they are inconsistent with the Islamic and Hindu faith. Rather, it sells vegetable-based commodities.
Recommendations and Conclusion
Subway’s franchise model of growth is instrumental in ensuring a reduction in its operations cost. The franchises offer high-quality foods in a fast manner without compromising freshness. Although the company has shown some steady growth since inception, it is recommended that it makes some changes.
For example, it loses customers due to lack of a drive-through. This situation makes customers who are in a hurry not to get into its outlets. Thus, it is recommended that Subway gets drive-through restaurants to become convenient for customers in a hurry such as in the case of Wendy, McDonald’s, and Dairy Queen.
It should also consider delivering meals at homes to boost its sales in a bid to raise its profitability.
Appendix 1
Price US$ Quantity demanded
5 4
6.05 3.6
Table 1
Graph 1: Price elasticity of demand (Subway Black Forest Ham)
Graph 2: Income Elasticity for Subway’s Products
Graph 3: Supply-Demand Curve
Reference List
Armstrong, S. (2009). Prediction of Consumer Behavior by Experts and Novices. Journal of Consumer Research, 18 (6), 251–256.
Camillus, J. (2010). Putting Strategy to Work. Quarterly Journal on Management, 2 (4), 83-105
Covert, J., & Gibson, R. (2015). Wal-Mart dumps McDonald’s for Subway as in-store restaurateur . Web.
Dusanka, L., & Aleksandar, K. (2013). The Impacts of MIS on Business Decision Making. TEM Journal, 2 (4), 323-326.
Ghosh, P., & Choudhury, P. (2008). Managerial economics . New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.
Jargon, J. (2011). Subway runs past McDonald’s Chain . Web.
Maze, J. (2013). Are competitors biting into Subway? Restaurant Finance Monitor, 2 (1), 41-47.
McGuigan, J., Moyer, R., & Harris, F. (2010). Managerial Economics: Applications, Strategy and Tactics . New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Rotelli, W. (2013). How Does Subway Profit From the $5 Foot-Long Deal? Web.
Simon, H. (2007). Rational decision making in business organizations. American Economic Review, 3 (4), 123-129.
Subway. (2012). Subway Timeline . Web.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The strategic analysis of Unilever Ice Cream & du Telecom Evaluation Essay discusses the competitive environment of ice cream and du telecom.- Ice cream is part of the company's food business that has to compete with other companies in the fast moving consumer goods segment-Ice cream is mainly retail buyers who shop from supermarkets and are increasingly taking on ice cream as a snack-The company is the biggest maker of ice cream in the world-Un main Unilever ice cream brands |
The strategic analysis of Unilever Ice Cream & du Telecom Evaluation Essay discusses the competitive environment of ice cream and du telecom.
- Ice cream is part of the company's food business that has to compete with other companies in the fast moving consumer goods segment
-Ice cream is mainly retail buyers who shop from supermarkets and are increasingly taking on ice cream as a snack
-The company is the biggest maker of ice cream in the world
-Un main Unilever ice cream brands | Company Strategic Analysis on Unilever ICE Cream & du Telecom Evaluation Essay
Background
The Unilever Ice Cream division operates in a highly competitive environment. Ice cream is part of the company’s food business that has to compete with other companies in the fast moving consumer goods segment. The company is the biggest maker of ice cream in the world.
Customers are mainly retail buyers who shop from supermarkets and are increasingly taking on ice cream as a snack.
Unilever Retail Industry Share (%)
Industry Rank and Share of Revenue (%)
2008 2013 Rank Share of Revenue
World 20.9 21.3 1 100
Australasia 33.5 36.5 1 5.8
Western Europe 30.1 31.0 1 42.7
Latin America 27.7 28.6 1 13.7
North America 21.5 20.9 2 19.7
Eastern Europe 11.4 15.5 1 6.3
Asia Pacific 6.5 9.4 2 9.5
Middle East & Africa 11.7 7.2 4 2.3
Figure 1: Euromonitor International-Statistics
The main Unilever ice cream brands in the UK are Ben & Jerrys, Carte D’or, and Walls. The following graph displays the market share of the respective brands in UK in 2013.
Figure 2: Ice cream number of users in UK (in 1000 people) (Statista 2015)
Figure 3: UK average purchase in grams per week per person (Statista 2015).
Meanwhile, du telecom operates in a young, growing industry. It also benefits from its association with the United Arab Emirates government by being owned by several state agencies. du is enjoying a persistent increase in mobile data revenues. The business segment contributes about 30% of the total company revenue.
The main challenge for du telecom is sustaining the cable infrastructure to provide 100% uptime on data business. Rivals like Etisalat and YahClick are already opting to use satellite links as backups. du has to keep up with changing technologies to remain relevant in its business (du 2014).
Figure 4: du mobile data revenue trend
Competitive environment applications
Five Forces du telecom in the UAE
The threat of new entrants in the UAE telecom market remains low because of the low population of the country and the high cost of setting up the required infrastructure. New entrants also try to avoid the associated cost of having to upgrade their networks when new technologies become common.
The industry in a duopoly served by Etisalat and du. However, there are smaller companies offering hybrid services in some specific telecom segments, such as data. Rivalry is very high as du tries to increase its market share to reach at least 50% of the market.
Currently, it has about 30% control of the market. In the industry, buyers can shift their service providers quickly, but du is doing all it can to sustain consumer loyalty by providing long-term contracts and increasing switching costs. Therefore, the bargaining power of buyers remains moderate.
Meanwhile, the bargaining power of the suppliers is low because there are many global and national companies competing for contracts and tenders to supply equipment and services to the UAE telecom industry.
In the UAE, telecom companies provide the same services, but they differentiate the services through customer care and market campaign presentations. Any changes in pricing by a rival will directly affect du telecom. Therefore, the threat of substitute products remains high.
Mapping strategic groups, Unilever in the UK
When mapping, Unilever uses demographics to divide markets and then follows through with the expectations of the particular age group segment. Ice cream flavours are made with the needs of the diverse customers in mind. Each company brand is for a specific market segment.
For example, the Calippo, an ‘ice lolly’, is for children.
Brands sold in the UK do not have to be launched in the country. In segmentation, Unilever also follows customer traits, where 29% are quality driven, 24% are individualistic, 19% are habitual shoppers, 14% are shelf stalkers, and 14% are conformists brand loyalists (Unilever 2013).
The performance of different brands in the UK follows consumer income levels, with Magnum as the best-selling brand because it targets adults.
The marketing and sales strategy for Unilever UK is defined clearly. The company concentrates on its biggest brands, but it also ensures small ice cream brands have the required presence in retail stores.
Packaging differs for all brands and the targeted price segment in the market. Brands focusing on impulse customers are mainly premium and mixed-priced. Those focusing on the take home market are available in all price variations, leading to the brand positioning structure displayed below.
Company strategy applications
Objective of du Telecom
The company aims to maintain a progressive dividend policy for the shareholders. The objective provides a reference point, which also serves as the main unit of performance measurement. The other objective is to provide consumers with the best offerings in the world in terms of handsets, network technologies, and overall consumer experience.
The company measures its commitment to this objective by evaluating the available choices offered to customers, the quality of its network compared to the rivals and industry standards, the innovativeness of its products and services measured by the frequency of upgrades, and the pricing of its products to reflect profit margins and market competitiveness.
One minor objective of the company is to comply with the Emiratisation programs of the UAE government. It involves the hiring of many UAE nationals as workers. The company judges its performance towards this objective by the number of job applicants who are Emiratis and the turnover of Emirati employees annually.
Objectives apply differently to functions and business units; the voice market segment pursues the call quality objective, while the customer care area aims to satisfy a higher number of customers (du 2015).
Unilever Mergers and Acquisitions
Unilever embraces mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of the emerging trends in the ice cream industry (Unilever 2013). It also does so to consolidate market share, reduce costs, and increase its economies of scale. The table below presents a summary of the company’s activities from 1959 to 1980 (Reinders 1999).
The motive was to improve its access to relevant resources, which were critical to its business expansion. Therefore, the choice of target depended on freezer cabinets, cold stores, and transportation demands (Jones 2002).
In 2014, the company finalized the acquisition of Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto in a move that would enable Unilever increase its offerings for the ice cream market (Boyle 2014).
Austria: Eskimo Canada: Good Humor
1959 Australia: McNiven Bros 1962 Italy: Spica
France: Gella Netherlands: VAMI
Portugal: Esquimea Sweden: Trollhatteglass
Australia: Streets
1960 Denmark: Frisko 1967 Italy: Eldorado
Singapore: Cold Storage
Australia: Sennitt
Denmark: Kronburg
1961 Netherlands: De Hoop 1971 Denmark: Sol Is
Sweden: Gille-Glass
USA: Good Humor
Brazil: Alnasa
1973 Ireland: Hughes Brothers
Switzerland: Gelber
1974 Italy: Chiavacci and Toserini
Spain: Frigo
1977 France: Motta
1978 Australia: Amscol
Acquisitions have happened within and outside Europe to make the company truly global and to enable it develop elaborate supply chains for the main ingredients of its ice cream brands. There are no notable mergers in the company’s history, which could be due to the company’s need to retain absolute control of its business.
Acquisitions are helpful in reducing the costs of operation. They also help Unilever to become diverse. The company targets small firms that are operating in single national markets, where it can easily dominate after acquisition (Jones & Miskell 2007).
Reference List
Boyle, M. 2014, ‘ Unilever buys Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto to bolster ice cream business ’, Bloomberg Business . Web.
du 2014, Q3 2014 year-on-year revenues exceed AED 3 billion for the second consecutive quarter. Web.
du 2015, Company overview. Web.
Jones, G. & Miskell, P. 2007, ‘ Acquisitions and firm growth: Creating Unilever’s ice cream and tea business ‘, Business History , vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 8-28. Web.
Jones, G. 2002, ‘ Unilever- A case study ‘, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge , 9 December. Web.
Reinders, P. 1999, Licks, sticks and bricks: A world history of ice cream, Unilever, London.
Statista 2015, Brands of ice cream in tubs and blocks ranked by number of users in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2013 (in 1,000 people) . Web.
Unilever 2013, 2013 annual report and accounts: Making sustainable living commonplace. Web.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the connection between a company's CSR initiatives and employee retention. It notes that while many companies have CSR initiatives in place, they often fail to involve their employees in these initiatives. The essay argues that involving employees in CSR can help to reduce turnover, as well as boost performance. |
The essay discusses the connection between a company's CSR initiatives and employee retention. It notes that while many companies have CSR initiatives in place, they often fail to involve their employees in these initiatives. The essay argues that involving employees in CSR can help to reduce turnover, as well as boost performance. | Company’s CSR Initiatives Relation to Employee Retention Proposal
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Statement of research question
3. Proposed methods
4. Reflections
5. References
Introduction
This research seeks to find answers to questions on how a company’s CSR initiatives affect its employee retention. The research questions that this research will address include the extent to which companies involve their employees in CSR initiatives, how involvement of employees in CSR activities affect their decision to stay, and the extent of variation in terms of involvement of low-level employees and executive employees in CSR activities.
The question of how company’s involvement in CSR and how it affects turnover and retention is remarkable since every company is interested in retaining its pool of talents. A well-researched response to the query that this proposal puts across will be used to solve the problem of employee turnover, which has been a major issue that faces companies in the Kingdom of Sound Arabia (KSA).
Statement of research question
Companies will also use CSR as a tool for internal marketing in a bid to pull the employees closer. When employees become good corporate citizens, their interest to turnover will be reduced.
This claim has been proven by companies such as General Motors and General Electric, which have deployed CSR in the KSA where it (CSR) is still seen as a programme for giving back some profits to the community, rather than upholding it for the sake of company employees.
The cost of carrying out CSR is low in relation to the cost that is incurred because of turnover. The proposal seeks to confirm whether communicating and integrating effective CSR within the workforce can have multiple benefits to the community, top employees, and the lower employees. To be inclusive in the survey, the target segment will comprise low-level and senior employees.
Concern of HR Manager with information-withholding by employees
Some employees may withhold information concerning their intention to quit or stay in an organisation. Withholding of information in fear of victimisation by the management will result in a distorted data and hence wrong results and analysis. Therefore, the HR will disclose the issue to the targeted employees that the gathered data will be used only for this research purposes and that employees should not write personal details in the questionnaires.
Findings of this research will help the organisation to boost its performance since it will elicit insight on the feelings of employees about involvement or failure to participate in CSR initiatives. Intentions of employees to quit or remain will help organisations to plan on retention strategies.
Theoretical framework
According to Glavas and Kelley (2014), the issue of corporate social responsibility in businesses can be traced back to 1953. From another perspective, Powell, Davies, and Norton (2013) reveal that a company that has good corporate citizenship programmes experiences low turnover rates.
According to a research by Jones, Willness, and Madey (2014), company’s involvement in CSR has been used in attracting potential employees while at the same time retaining the current ones in America. This research confirms that employees want to remain in a company that not only values corporate citizenship but also one that has an environment that is conducive for employees to thrive.
In his research, Mellat-Parast (2013) observes that although there has been an increase in companies’ involvement in CSR activities, only few of them in the KSA are reaping the expected benefits. Sanchez-Hernandez and Grayson (2012) assert that big companies such as General Electric and Cisco have adapted the application of CSR as a facet of internal marketing. From another angle, Girard and Sobczak (2012) reveal how secondary researches declare corporate citizenship a remedy for employee turnover.
CSR has worked in internal marketing in such companies since employees understand and own companies’ values. Moreover, Mellat-Parast (2013) says that employees want to be associated with such values for their personal growth. A CSR strategic plan should incorporate the needs of every employee.
A review of secondary researchers shows a positive relationship between CSR and customer retention (Bhattacharya, Sen & Korschun 2007). According to Mirvis (2012), the perspective of employees on a CSR initiative should be employed from the planning stage.
Employee involvement in CSR entails making them part of the decision-making team (Powell, Davies, and Norton 2013; Yim & Fock 2013; Rodrigo & Arenas 2008). Employees should be involved in the planning and execution of every stage of the CSR activities. This participation enhances their morale, citizenship, and loyalty to the company.
However, Girard and Sobczak (2012) affirm that banks in the KSA continue to ignore the plight of employee involvement since they pursue customers. In most organisations, the Chief executives (57%) and the managers (53%) make decisions on CSR.
Glavas and Kelley (2014) and Mushtaq (2013) claim that ignoring employees in the decision-making process results in high turnover. Most of the organisations in the Middle East run CSR programmes for customers and the society.
Korschun, Bhattacharya, and Swain (2014) assert that companies can enhance employee retention by involving them in CSR initiatives. Therefore, companies in the KSA can adopt this strategy. Michailides and Lipsett (2013) suggest that companies should consider money that is spent in CSR activities investment, rather than expenditure.
Corporate social responsibility assures a company of customer and investor loyalty since it lessens job turnover. Researches on employee behaviour emphasise the importance of increased involvement of employees in bonding activities such as CSR (Michailides & Lipsett 2013; Davies & Crane 2010).
Insights from this literature review forms a good foundation for this research to delve deeper into the issue of how CSR can help in solving the problem of job turnover.
Proposed methods
The study will adopt a quantitative survey method to investigate the impact of CSR on employee retention. This method is preferred to qualitative method since it involves the collection of data from a given population sample to determine the status of the population in reference to one or more variables.
Quantitative method attempts to describe things such as behaviour, attitude, values, and characteristics in an empirical way. Since employee retention is dependent on attitude and behaviour, this method will be well suited. Since quantitative method is suitable in answering questions about the status of a phenomenon, it will be feasible to understand the current application of CSR as a tool for guaranteeing employee retention by companies in the KSA.
The rationale behind the choice of quantitative method is that it studies individuals or objects as whole units and not in parts. The approach also provides an in-depth investigation with a view of understanding a certain issue more broadly.
Quantitative methods are also used in the preliminary and explorative studies that allow researchers to gather, summarise, present, and interpret information for clarification. The sources of data in this research will be employees in commercial banks in the central district of the Kingdom of Sound Arabia.
The choice of location will be based on how accessible the banks are to the researcher. This choice is informed by Singleton’s (2003) finding that the ideal setting for any study should be easily accessible to the researcher. Another basis for the choice of location is that secondary sources show that no similar studies have been carried out in this area.
Sampling of the target population will also be carried out to gather information concerning companies’ involvement in CSR activities and the impact that their participation has had on their employees. It will involve selecting representative company individuals or objects from a randomly selected group of companies and employees. The selected group must contain elements that represent the characteristics that one expects in the entire population.
According to Gay, Mills, and Airasian (2002), if a sample is well selected, the research findings can be generalised to the whole group population. Thus, it is fundamental for this research to select a small but adequately representative sample since it will save considerable effort, time, and finances. In this case, the study sample will comprise executive employees and low-level workers from commercial banks that are situated in this district.
The main instruments of research that will be used in this study will be questionnaires. In this case, a questionnaire will be prepared for the target groups, namely low-level employees and executive employees. The questionnaires will have both open- ended and closed-ended questions. In their research, Kombo and Tromp (2006) found that the closed form of questionnaires is easy to administer and fill.
They enable the researcher to cover a relatively wide range of information in a short period. Anonymity of the respondent will be highly regarded. Kothari (2008) also states that anonymity of the respondents elicits more and candid responses. Employees will be assured of privacy and use of the information that will be obtained in this research.
Reflections
When reflecting on the entire process of gathering data, analysing it, and coming up with methods of presenting it to the target audience, it is crucial to figure out any obstacles that might come into play. First, time limitation may affect the process of carrying out this research.
Time limitation will be a force because a comprehensive research involves various stages for example preparation of data collection tools, testing them for reliability, data analysis, and presentation. Since this research will work on scheduled time limits, this plan may have an indirect impact on its findings. The second perceived limitation is the inaccessibility of some targeted areas where the research is to be conducted.
A considerable number of the banks that will be studied in this research are located in the outskirts and hilly places where accessibility is a major challenge. This situation may limit the researcher’s mobility and ability to reach many banks. Accessing the relevant persons to give the right information may also be a force to reckon.
For example, accessing the senior employees of the bank may be limited based on their tight schedules. Banks also work with deadlines. This case may affect the amount of time that employees will be allowed to respond to questions. The third major limitation that the researcher will reflect on is financial aspect of carrying out the research.
Research has some financial implications since the researcher must meet the cost of travelling to the areas of study, preparation of questionnaires, printing, and packaging costs. Since the research will be carried out in a city, the cost of some of the services such as transport, food, and stationery may be high.
This situation will have an implication on the available budget for the research. The fourth limitation will be the limited disclosure of personal information by the targeted population. Ethical problems of personal information disclosure may limit the amount of information that employees will disclose.
The banking sector is characterised by secrecy of information. As such, employees may have a great influence on their willingness to disclose job-related information. Some employees may refuse to express their feelings about the company’s CSR activities.
For example, information about employees’ plans to quit or remain in the company may not be well shared. It may also be unethical to request employees to express their intentions of quitting their jobs in addition to the reasons that are triggering them to quit. Some of the employees may see disclosure of how CSR activities are handled by the management as compromising the authority of the administration (Ali et al. 2010).
Senior employees may also perceive it as compromising their loyalty to the management. The fifth obstacle that the research needs to reflect on covers personal issues such as the political ideologies of the researcher. The capitalistic ideology of the researcher may also come into play in a largely communistic society.
Variations in ideologies between different employees may also affect the results. Some of the targeted populations are deeply divided in terms of political ideologies of profit maximisation. Hence, they have shallowly embraced CSR. This situation may have an impact on their responses to in the questionnaire.
The ideology of the researcher may also indirectly affect the questions that he or she asks on the questionnaires. Biasness in political ideologies may result in incorrect information gathering and analysis. The outcome is a negative effect on the information that is deduced from the research.
Timetable
Activity Time
Research Proposal Development and Writing Nov – Dec 2014
Research Piloting Jan 2015
Preparation of Research materials and Data Collection Jan-Feb 2015
Research Data Analysis March 2015
Final Research Report Writing April 2015
Submission of Final Research Report for Approval May 2015
References
Ali, I, Rehman, K, Ali, S, Yousaf, J & Zia, M 2010, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Influences, Employee Commitment And Organisational Performance’, African Journal Of Business Management, vol. 4 no. 12, pp. 2796-2801.
Bhattacharya, C, Sen, S & Korschun, D 2007, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility As An Internal Marketing Strategy’, Sloan Management Review, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 1-29.
Davies, A & Crane, A 2010, ‘Corporate social responsibility in small-and medium-size enterprises: investigating employee engagement in fair trade companies’, Business Ethics: A European Review , vol. 19 no. 2, pp.126-139.
Gay, L, Mills, G & Airasian, P 2002, Education research: competence for analysis and Application , Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Girard, C & Sobczak, A 2012, ‘Towards a Model of Corporate and Social Stakeholder Engagement: Analysing the Relations Between a French Mutual Bank and Its Members’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 107 no. 2, pp. 215-225.
Glavas, A & Kelley, K 2014, ‘The Effects of Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee Attitudes’, Business Ethics Quarterly , vol. 24 no. 2, pp. 165-202.
Jones, A, Willness, R & Madey, S 2014, ‘Why Are Job Seekers Attracted By Corporate Social Performance? Experimental and Field Tests of Three Signal-Based Mechanisms’, Academy of Management Journal , vol. 57 no. 2, pp. 383-404.
Kombo, D & Tromp, D 2006, Proposal and thesis writing: An introduction , Pauline’s Publications Africa, Nairobi.
Korschun, D, Bhattacharya, B & Swain, D 2014, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility, Customer Orientation, and the Job Performance of Frontline Employees’, Journal of Marketing , vol. 78 no. 3, pp. 20-37.
Kothari, C 2008, Research methodology; Methods and techniques, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi.
Mellat-Parast, M 2013, ‘Quality citizenship, employee involvement, and operational performance: an empirical investigation’, International Journal of Production Research , vol. 51 no. 10, pp. 2805-2820.
Michailides, P & Lipsett, G 2013, ‘Surveying Employee Attitudes on Corporate Social Responsibility at the Frontline Level of an Energy Transportation Company’, Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental Management, vol. 20 no. 5, pp. 296-320.
Mirvis, P 2012, ‘Employee Engagement and CSR: Transactional, Relational, And Developmental Approaches’, California Management Review , vol. 54 no. 4, pp.93-117.
Mushtaq, N 2013, ‘Paramount Role Of Corporate Social Responsibility In Retaining Employees And Corporate Reputation: An Extract From Pakistan’s Banking Sector’, Journal Of Business And Finance , vol. 1 no. 3, pp. 126-138.
Powell, M, Davies, P & Norton, D 2013, ‘Impact of organisational climate on ethical empowerment and engagement with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)’, Journal of Brand Management, vol. 20 no. 9, pp. 815-839.
Rodrigo, P & Arenas, D 2008, ‘Do Employees Care About CSR Programmes? A Typology Of Employees According To Their Attitudes’, Journal Of Business Ethics, vol. 83 no. 2, pp. 265-283.
Sanchez-Hernandez, I & Grayson, D 2012, ‘Internal marketing for engaging employees on the corporate responsibility journey’, Intangible Capital , vol. 8 no.2, pp. 275-307.
Singleton, A 2003, Approaches to Social Research , Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
Yim, F & Fock, H 2013, ‘Social Responsibility Climate as a Double-Edged Sword: How Employee-Perceived Social Responsibility Climate Shapes the Meaning of Their Voluntary Work?’, Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 114 no. 4, pp. 665-674.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The paper compares the cities of Istanbul and London in terms of their built environments, politics, cultures, inhabitant's experiences and identities. It finds that both cities have inherent tensions that affect their local politics, but that London has been more successful in bridging the gap between the rich and poor. The paper also finds that both cities are cultural centres freely taking on imported cultures, and that London's society is characterised by its openness and coexistence of Victorian architectural influences alongside modern architecture. |
The paper compares the cities of Istanbul and London in terms of their built environments, politics, cultures, inhabitant's experiences and identities. It finds that both cities have inherent tensions that affect their local politics, but that London has been more successful in bridging the gap between the rich and poor. The paper also finds that both cities are cultural centres freely taking on imported cultures, and that London's society is characterised by its openness and coexistence of Victorian architectural influences alongside modern architecture. | Comparing Istanbul and London Compare & Contrast Essay
Anthropology of the City: Comparing between Istanbul and London
In comparing the cities of Istanbul and London, the paper will be restricting its focus to few notable features touching on politics, culture, inhabitants’ experience, and identities. The comparison does not have a given time period limit for review, but it mostly gives an overview of the city’s development and its orientation today.
London plays a significant role as commercial capital of the UK, while Istanbul is regarded as a cultural capital of Turkey mainly for its importance in maintaining the coexistence of different traditions, and its rich history of being part of the Greek and Ottoman empires.
It also plays important commercial roles in Turkey, mainly as a centre for investment and tourist attraction.
Differences and similarities between Istanbul and London (built environments, politics, culture, inhabitant’s experience and identities)
Both Istanbul and London have inherent tensions that affect their local politics. In Istanbul, it is the Islamic influence against the traditional left ideology that is common. In London, it is the poor and the rich who characterise the local politics.
London on the other hand has been a city with a huge gap between the rich and poor, which makes it one of the biggest arenas for its development in the recent century; however, much of its present development especially physical space and iconic infrastructure was all build after the Great Fire of 1622.
Just like Istanbul, the policies promoting coexistence of people end up influencing London’s growth and development culturally and socially. The 19 th and 20 th century rulers of London saw politicians use the rich-poor gap as the basis for reforms towards providing services and coming up with programs for the needy (Gray 5).
Overall, the key characteristic of Istanbul is its generosity for pluralism encompassing Islamic justice, which lets non-Muslim groups to live in peace being surrounded by the growing influence of Islam culturally, politically, and socially (Keyder 49).
Today’s Istanbul has relevant contemporary technologies and thrives as a cultural economy, with music, art, and media being the most thriving sectors. Its present culture is integrating well with the global culture and people living in the city are now exposed to global concerns through their media stations, literature, and art.
On the other hand, charity was a means of gaining reputation and influenced the growth of London’s culture, as much as tolerance and Islamic justice influenced the coexistence of different migrant populations in Istanbul.
Both cities are cultural centres freely taking on imported cultures, as they are both integrated in the global economy. London’s society is characterised by its openness and coexistence of Victorian architectural influences alongside modern architecture. Similarly, visitors to Istanbul are welcomed by domed mosques that give the city its splendour.
Moreover, both cities are tourist and historic attractions for their iconic architecture, local experiences, class co-existence, or religious co-existence and the development of the past centuries.
London is more planned in its construction and public spaces, as compared to Istanbul. However, both cities have characteristic narrow streets in most of their neglected neighbourhood.
In terms of built environments, London has elaborate policies that have shaped its development, while Istanbul’s development ceased to conform to centrally planned outcomes after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of Turkey.
Istanbul’s population was 50,000 after the Turkish conquest, but it went on to become very populous after its rulers pardoned expelled communities and tribes and urged to come back to the city to return it to its former glory.
It was the modernisation reforms by the ruling elites that also contributed to its popularity as a destination for migrants. Its 18 th century influences in architecture exist side by side with the 20 th century influences (Celik 378).
Istanbul began as a colony of Byzantium and was an early settlement of the Greeks. Turkey was founded in 1932 and took on the city as its capital for a while, before later shifting the capital to Ankara (Keyder 48). Nevertheless, Istanbul continued to grow both commercially and culturally. Istanbul has a characteristic ancient town plan.
The city has fragmentations of small distinct cells. There are a number of dead ends on the streets. Some roads are not very straight, even when they ought to be based on their features.
With the lack of a central administration, the development of the city does not follow a laid out plan with specific allocations for proper social institutions and facilities. To a visitor from North American cities, Istanbul would seem like an unorganised urban centre.
Reputation has been a worthy issue for pursuit by the elites and politicians in London. This is one of the key reasons why rulers, elites, and religious leaders in London have had an urge to catalogue charity promoted by the culture of commemoration over the years (Merrit 91).
Becoming a significant figure in London’s city life called for the expression of charity to its social problems and the establishment of charities by merchants marked the beginning of celebrating the integration of the nation.
For example, within religious politics in the city, Catholics accused Protestants of bringing on a destructive reform due to their diluted sensitivity to charity (Merrit 93). Other than charity, nothing else seems to have a religious origin and influence to present day London.
Most of London in the past and today is characterised and known about the city, where lechery was no sin and corruption was rife.
Today London is known for its openness, allowing people from all cultures and backgrounds to express themselves as they fit. It is a centre for education, social life, art, entertainment and commerce. Its restaurants serve cuisines from all over the world, and its population are mostly urbanised and globalised.
To some extent, the same is also true for Istanbul though expressions still matter as a social identity because dressing identifies a person’s political and social orientation. Today, most residents of Istanbul prefer to keep aspects of westernised culture, but still retain elements of Islam to assert their identities in both spheres (Secor 10).
Recently, cultural practices, fashion, and art have become polarised within the cityscape, with new expressions strictly promoting their Islamic or traditional left colouring (Keyder 58). It is the polarity of expression that plays a huge part in enriching the overall residents’ experience of Istanbul.
Istanbul is filled with mosques, and the first thing that hits a visitor is its calls for prayer coming from loudspeakers mounted on the mosques. This happens five times a day and has become part of the city’s identity. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims in the city take to the streets to pray and then fill restaurants in the city to break their fast.
Finding non Islamic cuisines is possible, but hard, with pork being a really hard meal to find around the city. Clothing and fashion are not conservative in any way. However, there are some strict neighbourhoods that restrict flamboyant expressive dressing.
Even then, the overall criticism of nudity in the city is higher than many western cities. Other than religious activities, typical days in Istanbul are similar to life in other cities, with very few people readily expressing their Islamic characteristics (Keyder 53).
This makes Istanbul very different from London, because a visitor in London is unlikely to see any routine behaviour of people and public calls for prayer across the city.
Although it lacks the same features as Istanbul highlighted in the earlier paragraph, London also has its uniqueness that makes it different from any other city. Since the 17 th century, the city has been characterised by Victorian terraced houses. As its population increased, housing the rising middle class was necessary.
It led to the development of town blocks by the municipality, most of them being built after the WWII. It was also in the 17 th century that the characteristic London coffeehouses emerged. Men no longer had to gather in Taverns to do business.
Merchants, professionals, and intellectuals thronged to coffeehouses to do what they would, otherwise, do in other socializing places. The biggest influence in the growth of the coffee houses was the ability to have shops that only attracted particular clients.
The culture changed with the growth of tea as a favourite Briton’s drink. This was a reflection of the growing importance of London as a merchant’s city and a consumer of imported goods (Koenigsberger 174).
Tea houses and coffee houses, as well as taverns can be found throughout London, as are some of its daily attractions for residents and visitors alike.
Coming from the ruins of the Great Fire, London has continued to impose order and rule of law in its affairs; promoting freedoms of individuals, but also restricting public conduct and social life through class separation and centralised planning, especially for housing and the provision of public amenities by both public and private institutions (Eade 104).
The London culture over the years shows a fear of degeneration and the bourgeois London culture always suspecting the motives of individuals promoting selfhood and other fractured forms of identity. This has been the underlying cause of class politics in London (Newland 89).
The 20 th century London and present day London are characterised by a commuting population, with elaborate transport and communication systems and infrastructure. This was partly caused by the confinement of residential populations in pockets on the city’s fringes (Eade 103).
For Istanbul, the present structure of the city and key experiences of its inhabitants were initiated during the Ottoman Empire, which encouraged co-existence for the sake of lifting the glory of the city as a commercial and cultural centre. Eventually the city became the gateway to both worlds and linked European civilisation to the East.
Detached homes have the characteristic inward look that aims to keep home affairs private. While houses are outward looking, they are enclosed with perimeter walls and have a private sky view on their courts.
There are centralized transport systems; however, they are not as elaborate as those of London and commuting is less organized and not very routinized as London’s. This is explained by the differences in the scale of commercial activities between the two cities.
Turkey’s economic policy that encouraged foreign direct investments was also instrumental in lifting the glory of Istanbul, making it a part of the leading city network.
It now has, and is, home to many cultural activities and events, such as competitions, concerts with renowned singers, and designers presenting their art in Istanbul (Beaverstock, Smith and Taylor 448).
Consequently, the city is evenly built up, which is not the same as London, where the East lags behind other parts of the city in terms of catching up with the globalised culture and being attractive for the elite to live in.
Art, the media, and films or novels describe an atmosphere of neglect and unproductiveness, where human and material waste gathered when talking about the eastern parts of London in the 20 th century.
However, East London is also an ever changing space culturally and has been used as a real identity of English, with its narrow streets, corner pubs, and working class occupants. It has always been resurgent, as newly formed after it is swept away due to irrelevancy (Newland 273).
Lastly, for present day occupants, the cost of living in London is about 112 percent higher than that of Istanbul, with consumer prices, rent, restaurant, groceries, and local purchasing power being the main drivers of the difference (Expatistsan par. 2).
Istanbul is endowed with a seaside beach and higher average temperatures than London. It is more of an education centre, as compared to London because it has about three times the number of universities.
It is also larger in size and has a lower population density, although the overall population of Istanbul is significantly higher than that of London. There are 13.4 million people living in the city, while London has only 8.1 million people (Versus par. 4).
Works Cited
Beaverstock, V. Jonathan, Richard G Smith, and Peter J. Taylor. “A Roaster of World Cities.” Cities 16.6 (1999): 445-458. Print.
Celik, Zeynep. “New Approaches to the “Non-Western” City.” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 58.3 (2000): 374-381. Print.
Eade, John. Placing London: From Imperial Capital to Global City. London: Berhahn Books, 2000. Print.
Expatistsan. Cost of Living Comparison Between London, United Kingdom and Istanbul, Turkey . 2014. Web., < https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/istanbul/london >
Gray, D. Drew. London’s Shadows: The Dark Side of the Victorian City . London: Continuum UK, 2010. Print.
Keyder, Çağlar, ed. Istanbul between the Global and the Local. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1999. Print.
Koenigsberger, Helmut Georg. Early Modern Europe 1500-1789 . New York: Routledge, 1987. Print.
Merrit, F. Johnson. Imagining Early Modern London. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print.
Newland, Paul. The Cultural Construction of London’s East End. New York: Rodopi, 2008. Print.
Secor, Anna J. “The Veil and Urban Space in Istanbul: Women’s Dress, Mobility and Islamic Knowledge, Gender, Place & Culture.” A Journal of Feminist Geography 9.1 (2002): 5-22. Print.
Versus. Istanbul vs London . 2014. Web. < https://versus.com/en/istanbul-vs-london >.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The two articles in question dwell upon such issues as division and stratification of the society (social, economic, cultural and so on). At the same time, the articles focus on different aspects of people's lives to reveal the division and analyze its causes and effects. | The two articles in question dwell upon such issues as division and stratification of the society (social, economic, cultural and so on). At the same time, the articles focus on different aspects of people's lives to reveal the division and analyze its causes and effects. | Comparing “Sociological Theory in the Classical Era” and “The Handbook of Economic Sociology” Essay
The two articles in question dwell upon such issues as division and stratification of the society (social, economic, cultural and so on). At the same time, the articles focus on different aspects of people’s lives to reveal the division and analyze its causes and effects.
Thus, Edles and Appelrouth (2014) concentrate on Durkheim’s theory of labor division while Smelser and Swedberg (2010) analyze consumption and its causes and effects. It is possible to note that the two articles provide valuable insights into the problem and they can be regarded as two facets of a multifaceted issue.
Thus, Edles and Appelrouth (2014) summarize the theory of Emile Durkheim. The theory is based on the assumption that there is a particular division of labor in the human society. At that, Durkheim sees two types of such division: mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity.
The researcher states that mechanical solidarity is a characteristic feature of ‘simple’ societies where all works are completed by all members of the society irrespective of their gender or status.
Whereas, organic solidarity is found in the vast majority of modern society. In such societies, different works are completed by different individuals or groups.
It is noteworthy that individuals (or groups of people) collaborate and they do not need to complete similar tasks as they form a complex system where different groups work in particular spheres and contribute to the development of the entire society.
It is necessary to add that the researcher stresses that labor division cannot be regarded as something negative. At that, it is noted that there can be extreme cases of such a division, which can negatively affect development of the society.
These extreme cases involve alienation of individuals who do not feel that they are a part of a larger group and work for the good of all. As a result, classes or even castes appear, which is a negative trend for a society.
It is possible to note that Edles and Appelrouth (2014) provide a good summary of major ideas of the theory. However, it would be beneficial for the article to have a broader perspective.
Clearly, the purpose of the writing was to make the reader acquainted with the theory, but it could become more understandable if it had more links with the modern times. Durkheim’s theory was developed at the end of the nineteenth century, but it is still applicable in modern settings.
However, the article does not link the theory to the present-day societies, which makes it weaker. At the same time, the article can be still seen as a very good explanatory or even background writing for the other article under consideration. Durkheim’s theory explains why social stratification occurs in modern societies.
As has been mentioned above, Smelser and Swedberg (2010) concentrate on the theory of consumption and the way sociology contributes to development of the theory. First, the researchers stress that economists often focus on consumption as a measure necessary to analyze production and distribution or rather the outcome of the two.
At the same time, Smelser and Swedberg (2010) note that consumption provides valuable insights into the stratification of the society. The researchers analyze the division in such spheres as economic status (labor), ethnicity and gender.
The researchers argue that consumption often reveals peculiarities of people’s social, economic status as well as their ethnicity and gender. Thus, it is clear that people have different buying preferences and researchers prove that these preferences are shaped by aspects mentioned above.
Interestingly, it turns out that consumption is closely connected with social activity and various movements (concerning racial or gender equality). The article in question combines elements of an overview of theories on the matter and a particular analysis of the nature of consumption.
It is possible to note that the article is very comprehensive and helps the reader understand a lot about consumption and various trends that have taken place in the society.
The authors show that consumption is closely connected with social stratification. Numerous real-life stories provide important insights into the issue and make the article credible and up-to-date.
Nonetheless, this article also has certain weaknesses. One of major downsides of the article is its superfluous comprehensiveness. The researchers try to provide different views on the matter and, at the same time, they seem to focus on the link between gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status and consumption.
This approach is quite confusing. For instance, it first seems that Smelser and Swedberg (2010) plan to analyze different theories concerning consumption.
There is a certain focus on the way consumption is seen within the scope of economic studies. The researchers try to prove that sociology provides more insights into the issue and economists ignore many important issues.
Nonetheless, it soon becomes clear that Smelser and Swedberg (2010) tend to focus on stratification of the society and the way consumptions makes it conspicuous.
This is somewhat confusing. The article could be improved through division of the two aspects of the issue. At least, the researchers can provide more explicit headings and rearrange the information provided to make the text easier to follow.
Comparing the two articles in question, it is possible to note that the major difference lies in the approach used. Edles and Appelrouth (2014) focus on a single theory and do not try to adjust it to the present-day setting. On the contrary, Smelser and Swedberg (2010) have a very broad perspective and mention numerous theories.
The researchers also tie their theory of consumption to the modern times. It is important to add that the two articles should be read together as they help the reader obtain a full picture of the issue.
Thus, Durkheim’s theory helps understand causes and effects of stratification of the society while Smelser and Swedberg (2010) show the way the stratification is manifested in people’s consumption.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the two articles provide important insights into the issue of the social stratification. The two sources have different approaches and this makes them a good supplement to each other. The articles in question have their strengths and downsides.
For instance, Edles and Appelrouth (2014) provide quite a narrow perspective while Smelser and Swedberg (2010) reveal many facets of the issue. It is possible to state that a flawless source would be a balance between the two.
Thus, the former should include some other theories and a link to the modern settings while the latter should be more focused on a particular aspect of the issue.
Nonetheless, the two articles provide the necessary knowledge on the social stratification as well as the nature of consumption, which is seen as one of the most significant features of the modern society.
Reference List
Edles, L.D., & Appelrouth, S. (2014). Sociological theory in the classical era: Texts and readings . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Smelser, N.J., & Swedberg, R. (2010). The handbook of economic sociology . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO standards (ISO 9000 series) have had substantial success in terms of acceptance in organisations worldwide, with available literature demonstrating that these continuous improvement approaches are often misinterpreted as being equivalent and addressing the same requirements. The present paper dwells on comparing and contrasting the two approaches. |
Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO standards (ISO 9000 series) have had substantial success in terms of acceptance in organisations worldwide, with available literature demonstrating that these continuous improvement approaches are often misinterpreted as being equivalent and addressing the same requirements. The present paper dwells on comparing and contrasting the two approaches. | Comparing TQM with ISO Standards Compare & Contrast Essay
Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO standards (ISO 9000 series) have had substantial success in terms of acceptance in organisations worldwide, with available literature demonstrating that these continuous improvement approaches are often misinterpreted as being equivalent and addressing the same requirements (Han & Chen, 2007).
The address this concern, the present paper dwells on comparing and contrasting the two approaches.
TQM has been defined in the literature as a management philosophy aimed at seeking excellence through organisation-wide continuous improvement, while the ISO 9000 is a series of quality assurance standards that have been developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation in Geneva with the view to ensuring that a basic quality system is in place to enhance and facilitate trade (Han & Chen, 2007; Oakland, 2003).
Consequently, the goals of the two approaches differ as TQM is to a large extent focussed on improving overall quality in an organisation with the view to meeting customer satisfaction, while ISO standards are generally focused on ensuring that a basic quality system is in place to be adopted by organisations for the sole purpose of facilitating trade.
The underlying principles of TQM include customer satisfaction, supplier satisfaction and continuous improvement of business processes, whereas those of ISO standards (ISO 9000 series) include customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, systematic approach to management, continual improvement, factual approach to decision making, and mutually beneficial supplier relationships (Oakland, 2003; Su, Tsai, & Hsu, 2010).
In a way, therefore, both approaches stress the importance of customers, suppliers, and continuous improvement of business processes; however, TQM has mechanisms in place to ensure these variables are achieved in an organisation’s attempt to enhance overall quality, whereas ISO 9000 registration does not in any way guarantee that the product or service quality of registered organisations is better than, or superior to, that of unregistered organisations (Han & Chen, 2007; Mezher, 2000).
Moving on, it is evident that although both TQM and ISO standards seek for continual improvement of business processes, the former largely deals with customer satisfaction and worker effectiveness geared towards increasing organisational competitiveness and cutting costs, while the latter requires business organisations to document their plans, specifications, procedures and activities with the view to eliminating wasteful and careless practices for optimal efficiency and effectiveness (Mezher, 2000).
Consequently, an organisation should first of all achieve ISO standardisation to achieve organisational efficiency and effectiveness, before embarking on improving its responsiveness to customer and supplier needs through TQM with the view to maximising the competitiveness of the organisation (Su et al., 2010).
Lastly, although both TQM and ISO standards are grounded on more or less similar principles and dimensions, available literature demonstrates that TQM implementation leads to better results in more aspects than ISO 9000 certification, leading scholars and practitioners to project an orientation that ISO standards constitute a first stepping stone towards the internalisation of a TQM system (Mezher, 2000).
However, it is generally felt that the inability of ISO standards to achieve better results is grounded on the fact that most ISO 9000 certifications are obtained as a reaction to external pressure (e.g., pressure from customers and suppliers or as a marketing tool, whereas most TQM implementations are triggered by easily identifiable internal processes that could be harnessed to improve quality (Han & Chen, 2007).
Overall, it is acknowledged that ISO standards are not enough for TQM as they deal with the initial requirements necessary for the organisation to achieve efficiency and effectiveness, such as resource management, product realisation and development, measurement, analysis, and continuous improvement.
The TQM is a far more elaborate continuous improvement approach that attempts to optimise the competitiveness of an organisation through organisational excellence and customer satisfaction (Han & Chen, 2007; Oakland, 2003).
References
Han, S.B., & Chen, S.K. (2007). The impact of ISO 9000 on TQM and business performance. Journal of Business and Economic Studies, 13 (2), 1-23.
Mezher, T. (2000). The transformation of Lebanese firms from ISO 9000 certified to TQM. Quality Assurance, 8 (1), 37-56.
Oakland, J.S. (2003). Total Quality Management: Text with cases (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Butterworth Heinemann.
Su, C.H., Tsai, A., & Hsu, C.L. (2010). The TQM extension: Total customer relationship management. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 21 (1), 79-92.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The report illuminates the similarities and differences of these research approaches and also discusses the best practice suggestions for the quantitative research approach. |
The report illuminates the similarities and differences of these research approaches and also discusses the best practice suggestions for the quantitative research approach. | Comparison and Discussion on Best Practice Suggestions Report
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Similarities and Differences of the Research Approaches
3. Best Practice Suggestions for Quantitative Research Approach
4. Conclusion
5. References
Introduction
Owing to the importance of research in enabling professional educators to think better, develop and understand educational principles, and make increasingly expansive and precise generalizations, there is a mounting need for educational researchers in every discipline to be knowledgeable on alternative research approaches if they are to make informed decisions about which approach to employ when embarking on a research study (Yilmaz, 2013).
Although many researchers continue to rely on qualitative and quantitative research approaches to undertake their studies, there is a third methodological tradition known as mixed methods research due to its propensity to cut across multiple methodologies and paradigms (Venkatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013).
The report illuminates the similarities and differences of these research approaches and also discusses the best practice suggestions for the quantitative research approach.
Similarities and Differences of the Research Approaches
Qualitative research is defined as a type of research that explains phenomena according to numerical data which are analyzed by means of statistical methods and techniques, while qualitative research is defined as an emergent, inductive, interpretive and naturalistic approach to the study of individuals, cases, important phenomena, social situations and processes in their natural settings with the view to revealing in descriptive terms the meanings that individuals attach to their experiences of the world (Yilmaz, 2013).
On its part, “mixed methods research is an approach that combines quantitative and qualitative research methods in the same research inquiry” (Venkatesh et al., 2013, p. 21).
The documented similarities underlying the three research approaches include (1) presence of a problem or research question to which the researcher seeks answers (2) reliance on a plan of investigation to guide research, (3) reliance on data analysis strategies to provide meaning to the collected data, and (4) capacity of research findings to lead to change in the various attributes of interest (Venkatesh et al., 2013; Yilmaz, 2013).
In this report, the significant differences between the quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research approaches are discussed based on their ontological, epistemological, theoretical, and methodological underpinnings.
In ontological underpinnings (nature of reality), the quantitative research approach is objective as it portrays that social entities exist in reality external to social actors concerned with their existence, while qualitative research is subjective as it holds that social phenomena are created from the perceptions and consequent actions of the social actors concerned with their existence (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2009).
While the quantitative approach views the social phenomena as having an objective reality that can be investigated in terms of generalizable causal effects and prediction, the qualitative approach not only considers reality as socially constructed but operates on the premise that the aim of scientific inquiry is to understand the phenomena of interest from the point of view of those being studied (Yilmaz, 2013).
In this sense, quantitative paradigms view reality as single and tangible, where the knower and the known are perceived as comparatively separate and independent; on the contrary, qualitative paradigms view reality as a multiple, socially and psychologically developed phenomenon, where the knower and the known are inexorably linked to each other (Gelo, Braakmann, & Benetka, 2008).
The ontological underpinnings of mixed methods research are in their initial stages of development.
In epistemological underpinnings (what constitutes acceptable knowledge in the field of study), it is essential to note that there are three distinctive epistemological orientations, namely positivism, realism, and interpretivism or constructivism (Yilmaz, 2013).
Both positivist and realist epistemological orientations are closely associated with the quantitative research tradition as they assume a scientific approach in the development of knowledge, with positivists perceiving the social science as an organized method for combining deductive logic with precise empirical observations of individual behavior, and realists believing that the social world exists as an objective truth independent of the human mind (Saunders et al., 2009).
In contrast, interpretivist or constructivist epistemological orientation is closely associated with the qualitative research approach as it claims that the social world is far too complex and multifaceted to lend itself to theorizing by definite “laws” in the same way as the physical sciences owing to the fact that the world is constructed, interpreted, and experienced by individuals in their interactions with each other and with broader social systems (Gelo et al., 2008).
On its part, the mixed methods approach is typified by “a practical/pragmatic attitude in that the research questions in empirical studies are given high priority, not philosophy of science, and in that qualitative and quantitative methods are used in combination for answering such questions” (Lund, 2012, pp. 155-156).
Drawing from this exploration, it is evident that all three research approaches are influenced by different epistemological orientations.
In theoretical underpinnings, it is quite clear that quantitative and qualitative approaches differ “in regard to the aims of scientific investigation as well as the underlying paradigms and meta-theoretical assumptions” (Gelo et al., 2008, p. 268).
These authors argue that, “while quantitative approaches are usually deductive and theory-driven (i.e., they observe specific phenomena on the bases of specific theories of reference), qualitative ones are inductive and data-driven (i.e., they start from the observation of phenomena in order to build up theories about those phenomena)” (p. 272).
Other differences arising from theoretical underpinnings employed by the two approaches include:
1. quantitative research is more appropriate for hypothesis testing, while qualitative research is more appropriate for hypothesis generation,
2. qualitative research obtains greater depth of the phenomena of interest to the study than quantitative research,
3. quantitative research often results in better objectivity and generalizability of findings than qualitative research (Lund, 2012).
As demonstrated by this author, “the basic rationale of the mixed methods strategy is that by combining qualitative and quantitative methods one can utilize their respective strengths and escape their respective weaknesses” (p. 156).
In methodological underpinnings, it is quite clear that all the mentioned research approaches differ in terms of how data are collected and analyzed.
Available literature demonstrates that, while quantitative research requires the reduction of phenomena to numerical values to facilitate statistical analysis, qualitative research involves collection of data in a non-numerical form (e.g., texts, pictures, videos), and mixed methods research uses both numerical and non-numerical formats in collecting and analyzing data (Gelo et al., 2008).
In research designs, quantitative research employs experimental and non-experimental designs, while qualitative research employs naturalistic designs such as case study designs, discourse and conversation analysis designs, focus group designs, grounded theory designs, and ethnographic designs.
On its part, mixed methods research employs any of these designs or combines two or more designs depending on what they study intends to achieve (Gelo et al., 2008).
Best Practice Suggestions for Quantitative Research Approach
Owing to the objective nature of quantitative research and its epistemological underpinnings as discussed in this report, it is advisable that the researcher engages a large and representative sample with the view to ensuring that study findings can be generalized across populations, settings, and times.
It is also advisable that the researcher adopts rigorous sampling procedures in the development of a representative sample for use in quantitative research, with available literature demonstrating that the researcher can rely on probabilistic sampling (simple random sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling), purposive sampling, as well as convenience sampling techniques to develop the required sample (Gelo et al., 2008).
To be able to get numerical data which can then be analyzed by means of statistical techniques to explain phenomena of interest, the best practice suggestions for collecting primary data in a quantitative research include tests or standardized questionnaires, structured interviews, and closed-ended observational protocols (Gelo et al., 2008).
Additionally, owing to the fact that the primary goals of quantitative research encompass prediction and hypothesis testing, it is always advisable that the researcher not only develops descriptive, comparative, and relationship-oriented research questions, but also uses a structured and predetermined research design (Echambadi, Campbell, & Agarwal, 2006).
The best practice suggestions for a quantitative research approach in data analysis include descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, while the best practice suggestions for data interpretation include generalization, prediction (theory-driven), as well as interpretation of theory.
Other best-practice suggestions for a quantitative research approach include
1. using multiple items whenever possible to strengthen measurement,
2. using stronger measures as instrumental variables,
3. ensuring that the topics selected for investigation have obvious practical utility (Echambadi et al., 2006; Fassinger & Morrow, 2013).
Conclusion
This report has successfully illuminated the similarities and differences of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research approaches, not mentioning that it has discussed some of the best practice suggestions involving the quantitative research approach.
As already mentioned, the knowledge of these research traditions is critical for upcoming educational researchers in that it enables them to make informed decisions on which approach to utilize when conducting a research study.
References
Echambadi, R., Campbell, B., & Agarwal, R. (2006). Encouraging best practice in quantitative management research: An incomplete list of opportunities. Journal of Management Studies, 43 (8), 1801-1820.
Fassinger, R., & Morrow, S.L. (2013). Toward best practices in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research: A social justice perspective. Journal of Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 5 (2), 69-83.
Gelo, O., Braakmann, D., & Benetka, G. (2008). Quantitative and qualitative research: Beyond the debate. Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, 42 (3), 266-296.
Lund, T. (2012). Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches: Some arguments for mixed methods research. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 56 (2), 155-165.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students , New York, NY: Pearson Education Limited.
Venkatesh, V., Brown, S.A., & Bala, H. (2013). Bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide: Guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in information systems. MIS Quarterly, 37 (1), 21-54.
Yilmaz, K. (2013). Comparison of quantitative and qualitative research traditions: Epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. European Journal of Education, 48 (2), 311-325.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: American airlines were able to maintain their prices for most of 2008, even during the recession. However, they were unable to reduce prices low enough to increase demand for international flights, which negatively impacted their performance. | American airlines were able to maintain their prices for most of 2008, even during the recession. However, they were unable to reduce prices low enough to increase demand for international flights, which negatively impacted their performance. | Competition and Oligopolistic Behaviors in the Airlines Industry Report (Assessment)
In a non-collusive oligopoly, firms often try their best to avoid price-based competition. An increase in the prices by one of the firms may not be followed by a similar reaction from competitors, although a decrease in prices would lead to price reductions by other firms.
This is explained by the kinked demand curve model under which a firm can maximise its profit. When the firm increased the price from P1 and others did not follow, the demand was D1, meaning that the price was kinked at P1 and the firm faced a more elastic demand than its competition in the market.
The failure of other firms to match its increase in prices resulted in a more elastic demand curve for American airlines. However, because it could afford to, it provided very attractive discounts, which ultimately resulted in more customers from rival airlines being attracted.
This is can be described under predatory pricing, where a firm lowers prices considerably, especially below cost to prevent others from doing the same. For a firm to do this, it must have the wherewithal to withstand the losses that may occur and evidently American airlines firm was cushioned against that by its huge capital reserves.
In 2008, the economy slowed down due to the recession and the demand for air travel followed suit. However, the carriers managed to keep up their pricing capacity for most of the year until September as demonstrated in the red line. There was actually a level of growth in 2008.
After this, there was a dramatic increase in the level of crisis and as major financial institutions went under. In fact, it was observed that the stock market nearly collapsed. Corporations reduced travel expenses significantly. This firm was left in a condition where its ability to match prices and capacity was diminished.
During the recession, airlines were forced to reduce their fares considerably to increase the number of passengers. As a result of flights being much cheaper during that period, more people opted to fly domestically.
However, it was more difficult to do the same because not all countries were affected by the recession in the same way as the US. As a result, it was competing with international airlines that could have matched its reduced prices. Thus, it was not able to reduce the prices low enough to increase the demand for international flights. This negatively impacted the performance of the firm.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/competition-and-oligopolistic-behaviors-in-the-airlines-industry/ | 159 |
Write an essay about: The essay discusses the phenomenon of compulsive buying behavior as a lifestyle, rather than a personality disorder. It argues that CBB is a response to societal pressure to consume more products, and that it varies according to demographic factors such as gender. |
The essay discusses the phenomenon of compulsive buying behavior as a lifestyle, rather than a personality disorder. It argues that CBB is a response to societal pressure to consume more products, and that it varies according to demographic factors such as gender. | Compulsive Buying Behavior as a Lifestyle Dissertation
Introduction
On April 1900, Paris held a world trade fair, which brought together people from different consumer markets to celebrate past technological achievements and gain an insight into potential futuristic developments.
The trade fair portrayed the potential of the then and future civilizations to deploy technology, creativity, and innovation to create more consumables to better the life of the future generations.
The trade fair set the foundation for availing more products and services in the marketplace. Primarily, products are availed in the markets for consumers to buy and the buying behaviors are subject to various factors.
The organizations’ ability to generate sales revenue is greatly influenced by their capacity to influence the consumers’ buying behavior. However, Grant, Clarke, and Kyriazis (2013) affirm that the consumer buying behavior is complex because it is influenced by internal and external factors.
The academic trend in studying buying behaviors views them as personality disorders. This approach holds that consumers purchase products compulsively due to anxiety or depression associated with not buying the same products.
This research takes a different approach of studying the consumers’ buying behaviors from what is in the current academic trend. Rather than studying buying behaviors as compulsive disorders, it studies them as lifestyles driven by societal pressures.
Without these behaviors, people are rejected from a given societal class. Compulsive behavior varies according to various demographic differences. For example, women are highly compulsive buyers as opposed to men. However, this conclusion is based on what the society considers as abnormal or normal.
For a considerable duration, some societies have conceptualized normality in terms of men’s behaviors. This perspective suggests that if compulsive buying behavior is more prevalent amongst women as compared to men, it is considered abnormal. This paper refutes such as a conclusion.
This paper’s aims and objectives are three-fold. It conducts a systematic review of the current literature on personality and personality disorders literature coupled with how they contribute to the compulsive buying behaviors. The second objective entails an investigation of whether compulsive behavior is a personality disorder.
Thirdly, it studies the possibility of compulsive behavior being a lifestyle as opposed to a personality disorder. The study has significant contributions to the academic research on consumer buying behaviors.
The dissertation overlooks different factors increasing the prevalence of compulsive buying behavior (CBB) or aggravating it. Stressing on some of these factors is necessary since it has not been projected in previous studies of compulsive buying behavior. Therefore, it sets forth a different paradigm of understanding CBB.
This aspect offers a different way for formulating policies and programs for industries for promoting their products by designing and marketing products and services to meet the lifestyles leading to purchases. Shopping is an essential component of daily life (Li, Unger & Bi, 2014).
However, purchasing without considering its consequences is impulsive, which may lead to anxiety and unhappiness. The main challenge arises when it becomes frequent and uncontrollable.
The paper is organized into four sections. Section 1 reviews the available literature on compulsive buying behaviors and their association with personality and personality disorders. Section 2 discusses the research methodology. Section 3 presents the results and findings of the research study.
Literature review
Compulsive buying behavior
Shopping entails an important aspect of all people coupled with the economy. While this aspect is a normal behavior, challenges emerge when people overindulge in it without paying attention to its consequences. More focus in buying behaviors has been on compulsive purchasing as it has negative consequences for individuals.
Neuner, Raab, and Reisch (2005) support this assertion adding that more focus on research on compulsive purchasing behavior is due to the view that it is more prevalent among consumers of all demographic differences.
Marketing research focuses on understanding the people’s shopping culture and sought after products and services so that its research and design can focus on these attributes to attract high sales. Indeed, much of the work on this topic has been conducted from marketing research perspective.
Dittmar, Long, and Bond (2007) suggest that people having compulsive purchasing behavior have high probabilities of experiencing strong buying desire, which overcomes the harms of the compulsion on financial coupled with social aspects of life.
Faber and O’Guinn (1992) add that such people do not possess the mechanism for differentiating between abnormal and normal buying behaviors. The question then remains as the origin of such behaviors. Some studies cite compulsive buying as a psychological problem.
Traditionally, psychologists have viewed personality as a distinction criterion for people’s behaviors.
Behaviorism encompasses one of the important schools of thought explaining why people engage in some behaviors and not others. The big five traits theory also explains the differences among people indecision-making.
Experimental analysis of people’s behaviors suggests that interactions with the environment influence one’s personality. However, Goodstein and Lanyon (2009) argue that internal thinking processes coupled with feelings are critical in influencing and structuring of people’s personalities.
Studying compulsive behavior from the perspective of behavioral psychology introduces some challenges depending on the psychological theoretical arguments used. For example, traditional psychologists tested how behaviors influence personality through animal experimentation.
They believed that animals and people shared similarities in terms of the learning process. However, as Goodstein and Lanyon (2009) argue, human learning processes are progressive.
The psychological behavioral theory explains the dynamic process of obtaining the new learning, which shapes one’s personality. After learning behaviors, Goodstein and Lanyon (2009) suggest that before inflexibility of the personality, people can experience emotional responses towards a given situation, thus causing a personality change.
However, as learning continues, it slows down the personality, thus causing stabilization. This assertion implies that people experience stable responses towards a give environmental stimulus (Stricker, Widiger & Weiner, 2003).
Influenced by this pedagogy, marketers deploy classical conditioning to enhance the consumption of their products. This aspect explains the divergent views on how conditioning influences behaviors. Neuner et al (2005) argue that emotions do not affect operant conditioning (behaviors).
Behaviors should be studied from paradigms of environmental influences. Psychological behaviorism holds that classical coupled with operant conditions play significant roles in influencing people’s behaviors (Pachauri, 2001).
Several factors may contribute to people’s emotional responses. These constitute the thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions affecting people’s emotional responses to the specific stimulus. Physiological behaviorism links emotions demonstrated by individuals with responses to the biological and environmental stimuli.
These emotions can be affirmative or negative toward different stimuli. For example, a positive pulse to a food stimulus or a negative emotion in response to the stimuli causes dislike and unwanted feeling. This aspect suggests that microtonal responses can help in increasing a purchasing behavior of a given products.
Li et al. (2014) define compulsive buying behavior as chronic tendency for purchasing products and services in response to negative conditions and feelings. The behaviors encompass an unconditioned response towards desires for goods or services and feelings of depression due to anxiety.
This aspect implies that the desire to purchase specific types of services or goods leads tithe development of compulsive behavior. The absence of these products or services induces stress or anxiety, which induces the compulsive buying behavior.
The five-personality dimension theory may also influence people’s behaviors, viz. the compulsive purchasing behavior. Indeed, Mueller, Mitchell, Claes, Faber, Fischer, and De Zwaan (2011) believe that personality plays important roles in influencing compulsive buying behavior.
Personality refers to “the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others” (Goodstein & Lanyon, 2009, p.291). It is measured by the traits that people exhibit. Research on personality in an organizational context has focused on labeling various traits, which describe employees and customer behaviors.
Some of the personality traits that have been established by various researches as having the ability to influence the behavior of people include ambition, loyalty, aggressiveness, agreeableness, submissiveness, laziness, assertiveness, and being extroverted among others.
Kihlstrom, Beer, and Klein (2002) posit, “Neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness comprise the big five personality traits” (p. 84). These traits can define factors characterizing consumer behavior as a personality type.
Literature considering roles of big five-personality traits theory in compulsive buying theory depicts incompatibilities in their results. However, consciousness encompasses an important trait, which can explain the differences in compulsive behaviors among different consumers.
Mueller et al. (2011) argue that although consciousness may be important in explaining differences in consumption behavior, which is important in predicting compulsive buying behavior, neuroticism does not relate to the behavior.
Borrowing from the work of Otero-López and Pol (2013), consumers fall into three groups, viz. high, medium, and low propensity in terms of their buying behaviors. According to Kihlstrom et al. (2002), the group “having the highest propensity possesses the highest levels of neuroticism and lowest consciousness” (p. 85).
The group also features the highest level of neuroticism, which includes anxiety, depression, and impulsiveness. Conversely, the group has relative to medium and low compulsive buying behaviors. Propensity groups have the weakest extraversion assertiveness, positive emotions, and self-consciousness.
Compulsive buying behavior: a personality disorder
Compulsive purchasing behavior encompasses an excessive dysfunctional consumption behavior, which aggravates people’s lives emotionally, financially, and mentally (Koran, Faber, Aboujaoude, Large & Serpe, 2006). Compulsive buying behavior manifests itself through psychological problems like depression and anxiety.
This aspect makes theorists like Faber and O’Guinn (1989) to consider it as a personality disorder. Personality disorder describes perennial maladaptive ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving amongst individuals.
However, Dittmar et al. (2007) argue that in defining compulsive buying behavior, it is critical to recognize that all disorders and perceptions of abnormality have cultural norm influences apart from considering disorders, which can be managed clinically.
The 2013 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) classifies disorders into five annexes. Personality disorders fall under annex 2 in cluster C.
This group comprises disorders like depression and schizophrenia. It also entails less maladaptive disorders characterized by anxiety and dependent personality or obsessive-compulsive disorders. In the manual, compulsive buying behavior does not appear.
Despite the non-inclusion of compulsive buying behavior in the list of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, many psychologists contend that it should fall under the anxiety personality category due to its characteristics of anxiety coupled with negative feelings amongst people suffering from it.
However, this contention attracts controversies. For example, Li et al. (2014) argue that the behavior encompasses an obsessive-compulsive disorder since it has symptoms similar to it. Black (2001) suggests that it becomes compulsive due to lack of impulsive control.
Studies like Faber and O’Guinn (1992) attempt to highlight the relationships between compulsive buying behaviors and personality traits coupled with family lifestyles. This aspect suggests that the literature on compulsive buying behavior mainly focuses on analyzing it as a personality disorder.
An important gap exists in the attempt to relate the behavior with people’s lifestyles.
The current research approaches the problem of compulsive buying behavior as a lifestyle problem rather than a personality disorder. In achieving this concern, it is also important to study it from the pedagogy of obsessive compulsion.
Indeed, studies based on self-reports indicate that compulsive buyers experience similar symptoms to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This aspect includes high anxiety and stress that eventually lead to buying unneeded goods with anticipation for the reduction of negative feelings.
The satisfaction of desires influences anxiety and stress levels for a limited period so that compulsive buying becomes a repeated action. This aspect suggests relationship between compulsive buying behaviors with obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
People suffering from compulsive disorders have possibilities of having experienced situations in life, which led to mistrusts of their priorities coupled with their abilities. The obsessive-compulsive disorder is conceptualized from the paradigms of pursuance of eliminating the anxiety and stressful thoughts in executing certain individual acts.
Similarly, experiencing anxiety, depression, and stress are typical symptoms of compulsive buying behavior leading to the development of the urge to engage in compulsive buying. Faber and O’Guinn (1992) argue that this behavior is an abnormal consumption behavior.
It is abnormal to the extent that after purchasing to reduce stress and negative experiences, people often regret due to its repercussions like ensuing financial challenges.
Black (2001) suggests that for persons with the compulsive behavior disorder, their attention and thoughts give rise to anxiety and compulsions to reduce discomforts associated with failure to purchase products and services they desire urgently.
Obsessions entail negative feelings experienced by people before they engage in compulsive behavior in a bid to reduce anxieties, which encompass feeling of guilt for not engaging in a given act. Amid the established relationship between obsessive behavior and compulsive behaviors including compulsive buying behavior, Koran et al. (2006) classify it under impulsive control disorder.
People become susceptible to impulsive control disorder when they cannot control different urges. Koran et al. (2001) assert that people with compulsive buying disorder often think about shopping as opposed to thinking about its consequences or the objective of purchasing products and services.
For example, if a woman purchases cosmetics and clothing in a bid to satisfy her self-esteem, she may do so without thinking about this objective. It is also impossible to recognize that the buying behavior subjects her to vulnerabilities of suffering from compulsive buying.
This aspect suggests the importance of developing an appropriate scale for measuring compulsive purchasing behavior so that individuals can know when developing the problem.
Faber and O’Guinn (1989) made one of the earliest attempts to develop a scale for measuring compulsive buying behavior. The scale aimed at differentiating compulsive buyers from non-compulsive ones.
Attempts have been made to improve on the scale by incorporating mechanisms for identifying the attitudes toward product categories, processes of acquisition, and post-purchase feedbacks like positive or negative emotions as remorse after spending.
The most recent edition of the scale assesses the spending patterns coupled with behaviors, emotions, and feelings of people towards the desired products and process of acquisition.
Indeed, finance management through cash or credit cards constitutes some of the good examples of progressive precision in conceptualizing the compulsive buying disorder.
The Faber and O’Guinn (1989) scale for differentiation of compulsive buyers from non-compulsive buyers has some limitations. It entails a binary approach to measurement, which introduces challenges of measuring the propensity of the behavior.
However, the scale is crucial as it forms the foundation for the development of scales for measuring people’s compulsive buying behavior. For example, Edwards (1993) developed a scale for measuring the behavior based on Faber and O’Guinn’s scale.
Through the incorporation of spending behaviors as the dependent variable, the scale permits researchers to rate compulsive buying behaviors depending on their propensity. It classifies consumption behaviors into non-compulsive, low compulsive, medium compulsive, and high compulsive (Edwards, 1993).
The compulsive spending model identifies five factors related to compulsive purchasing behaviors. These are the “tendency to spend, compulsion to spend, feeling about shopping and spending, dysfunctional spending, and post-purchase guilt” (Koran et al. 2006, p. 1810).
From the 1980s, there has been an incredible scholarly research on compulsive spending behavior among consumers. For instance, Koran et al. (2006) argue that more than 5 percent of Americans are dealing with compulsive purchasing behavior.
Kukar, Ridgway, and Monroe (2009) reckon that the trend has now increased by about 4 percent to stand at more than 8.5 percent. However, there is no scholarly contention on factors leading to the increasing compulsive buying behavior among the Americans and other people across the globe.
Almost all researches on this subject deploy personality disorder to construct their hypothesis. This aspect excludes many other factors like lifestyles, which may account for the increasing behavior.
Irrespective of the improvements in the mechanisms of detecting mental disorders, the conceptualization of the disorder is incomplete (Li, Unger & Bi, 2014). For example, the definition of normal and abnormal behaviors is not straightforward.
Gaps remain on what amounts to a normal consumption behavior (Freshwater, Sherwood & Drury, 2006). Parts of these gaps are due to the view that people’s behaviors are subject to culture and living styles, but not necessarily a mental disorder.
The latest edition of the DSM-IVTR is composed of five axes for diagnosis based on the Western masculine ideals for a ‘healthy” person. It is likely to define the normal typical behavior of people, especially women, from other cultures as the abnormal behavior (Neuner, Raab & Reisch, 2005).
In such cultures, their behaviors are considered as normal in all aspects as they fit within their norms and cultural value systems. This aspect suggests that what amounts to a normal behavior in a multicultural context is a contentious issue.
Compulsive buying behavior varies with respect to different demographic characteristics of people. For example, it varies according to gender with women having high prevalence levels for the behavior (Maraz et al., 2014).
This assertion confirms the validity of an earlier study by Neuner et al. (2005), indicating higher prevalence levels for the behavior among women as compared to men.
However, Koran et al. (2006) hold that compulsive purchasing transcends gender and it can be viewed as a common personality disorder affecting women and men in equal thresholds. These discrepancies may be accounted for by the perceptions of normal and abnormal behaviors.
For example, masculine purchasing behavior may be labeled normal while feminine purchasing behaviors are labeled abnormal. Methods and theories for measuring prevalence may also have prejudices in terms of what amounts to a normal behavior.
Amid the discrepancies of the prevalence of compulsive buying disorder, an important interrogative explains the different prevalence levels. Eren, Eroglu, and Hacioglu (2012) suggest that women are one and a half times more likely to experience anxiety disorders as compared to men.
The comorbidity of the disorder arises due to the women’s position in society, which is characterized by power imbalances. For example, discrimination against women exposes them to threats of chronic anxiety disorders.
Apart from gender, inconsistency in research on compulsive buying behaviors exists based on other demographical dimensions like age and income levels.
For instance, Black (2001) found a negative correlation between income and compulsive buying density. Conversely, Mueller et al. (2011) found “no relationship between income and compulsive buying behavior” (p. 1310).
Compulsive buying behavior varies according to the state of people’s development. For example, Koran et al. (2006) estimated that 6% of the Americans are likely to consume compulsively. In Germany 5 to 7 percent of the population engages in compulsive buying (Mueller.et al., 2011).
Does this suggest that in Eastern countries people do not buy compulsively? Arguably, inadequate research on such nations and cross-cultural differences among consumers may lead to the attribution of higher compulsive buying to Western nations than in Eastern nations like China.
Indeed, the current literature on compulsive buying documents minimal research based on developing countries like those located in Asia.
The few scholarly researches on this topic in developing nations deploy theories and scales used in similar studies in the Western nations like Germany and the US amid differing lifestyles and ways of doing business.
For example, Eastern nations and Western nations have differing methodologies for paying, differing approaches in making shopping decisions, and differing consumer cultures.
Stemming from the arguments developed in this section, it is important to study compulsive buying behaviors depending on cultural characteristics of the population and using a specific methodology applicable to a given nation or region.
Considering that the majority of the researches in this topic base their hypothesis on compulsive buying behavior as a personality disorder, this research seeks for an alternative explanation of the behavior. It studies it as lifestyle challenge facing consumers in China.
Methodology
Research design
This research seeks to explore the compulsive buying lifestyle amongst consumers. The study’s findings will provide insight into the consumers’ purchasing behavior. Therefore, the research is exploratory in nature.
Saunders, Thornhill, and Lewis (2009) accentuate that exploratory research design enable researchers to undertake preliminary investigations in areas that have not been characterized by intensive research.
Subsequently, exploratory research leads to the generation of new insights on the phenomenon under investigation (Blanche, Durrhem & Painter).
The research study is based on a qualitative research design, which acts as the framework that guides the researcher in answering the research question. The qualitative research design was selected in order to generate adequate data from the field in order to support the research study.
Moreover, the choice of qualitative research design was further informed by the grounded theory. Strang (2015) defines the grounded theory as ‘the discovery from data systematically obtained from social research with the aim of generating or discovering a theory’ (p.449).
Alternatively, the grounded theory design involves a systematic and qualitative procedure that enables researchers to develop a practical theory that elucidates the phenomenon under evaluation at a conceptual level.
By adopting the grounded theory design, the researcher will be able to understand the social and cultural factors associated with the research topic. Subsequently, the research study will be adequately enriched. Additionally, the choice of qualitative research design is further based on the need to generate gather relevant data from the field.
Andrew (2004) content that ‘qualitative research process involves emerging questions and procedures, data typically collected in the participant’s settings, data analysis that builds inductively and interpretations of the meaning of the data’ (p.46).
Therefore, the qualitative research design enabled the researcher to derive data from the natural setting hence improving its credibility and validity of the research findings. The concepts of validity and credibility are some of the critical determinants of the relevance of research findings.
Population and sampling
In order to improve the capacity of the research study to enhance the consumer behavior theory using the grounded theory design, the researcher appreciated the importance of effective identification of study population. The study population was comprised of individual consumers from cultural and social backgrounds.
The study population was comprised of consumers of American, Iranian, Chinese and Italian consumers. The decision to select respondents from diverse cultural backgrounds was informed by the need to understand the variation with reference to consumer behavior across different cultural backgrounds.
Consequently, the study’s capacity to further explain the impact of cultural and social dimensions between Westerners and Easterners consumers on compulsive buying behavior was improved considerably.
The researcher recognizes cost as a major determinant in conducting the research study. In an effort to minimize the cost of conducting the research study, the researcher integrated the concept of sampling, which entails constructing a subset from the identified study population.
The study sample was constructed using the simple random sampling technique in order to minimize the occurrence of bias in constructing the sample study. Using the simple random sampling technique, the researcher provided all the subjects in the identified study population an opportunity of being included in the research study.
Thus, the sample was representative of the target population. Integrating the sampling technique made the study to be manageable by minimizing the amount of time and finances required to undertake the study.
Furthermore, the simple random sampling technique made the study to be representative of the prevailing consumer behavior (Scott, 2011). The research sample was comprised of 14 respondents.
Fourteen [14] of the respondents were Chinese, 6 female and 4 male respondents. Conversely, two of the respondents were American men, while the others included one Iranian woman and one Italian woman.
Data collection and instrumentation
The researcher understands the fact that the data collected directly influences the research findings. Thus, to improve the research findings, the study is based on data collected from primary sources in order to generate research data from the natural setting.
The primary method of data collection mainly involved conducting interviews on the respondents included in the study sample. The researcher selected the interviewing technique as the method of data collection in order to conduct an in-depth review of the compulsive buying behavior amongst consumers.
Adopting the interviewing technique provided the researcher an opportunity to probe further on research topic hence improving the quality of the data collected.
Interviews with the selected respondents were conducted through telephone in an effort to minimize the cost of the research study. The telephone interview was based on a number of questionnaires were designed in order to guide the researcher in the interviewing process.
The questionnaires were open-ended in nature. Adoption of the open-ended questionnaires provided the respondents an opportunity to answer the questions freely by providing their opinion. Moreover, the open-ended questionnaires limited the likelihood of the researcher influencing the response provided by the respondents.
The researcher ensured that the open-ended questionnaires were adequately reviewed in order to improve the respondents’ ability to understand. The questionnaires acted as the data collection guide. During the interviewing process, the researcher reviewed the respondents’ demographic characteristics.
This was achieved by evaluating their age, gender, disposable income, social status, and family and relationship aspects. Moreover, the researcher reviewed the respondents’ buying behavior such as their methods of payment on purchases, amount of their shopping, and the reason for shopping.
In order to improve the relevance of the data collected, the researcher further assessed the respondents’ product usage behavior. This was attained by asking the respondents whether they used the products after purchasing and if not what they do with the product.
By reviewing this aspect, the researcher was able to generate insight into the compulsive buying behavior amongst consumers characterized by diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
For example, the researcher was able to evaluate the consumers’ decision to increase or decrease the purchase of a particular product and the motivation for such behavior. Integrating such aspects in the research process enabled the researcher to undertake an extensive comparison of the compulsive consumer behavior.
A recorder was used in storing the responses obtained from the field.
Data analysis and presentation
The data collected from the field was analyzed qualitatively. However, the researcher integrated different data analysis and presentation tools. The researcher adopted tabular data presentation by organizing the research data into rows and columns. The main data analysis and presentation tools adopted include graphs, charts and tables.
Furthermore, the researcher also adopts the concept of textual presentation, which entails using statements comprised of numerals in order to explain the research findings effectively. By adopting the textual presentation technique, the researcher has been able to present the collected research data in the expository form.
The researcher was of the view that integrating these tools would have contributed towards the effective analysis of the descriptive research data obtained from the field. Moreover, the aforementioned data presentation methods played an essential role in improving the target audience ability to understand and interpret the data collected.
Ethical issues
In the course of collecting data from the field, the researcher took into account diverse ethical issues. The objective of taking into consideration such aspects was informed by the need to improve the rate of the selected respondents participating in the research study (Finlay, 2006).
First, the researcher ensured that that the selected respondents were adequately informed that the research study was aimed at adding new ideas/insight to the consumer behavior theory. Thus, the purpose of the study is academically inclined.
Therefore, the researcher was able to obtain informed consent in addition to eliminating any form of suspicion from the respondents. Moreover, the researcher provided respondents with an opportunity to pullout of the research study without any negative repercussions.
Moreover, the researcher observed the participants’ privacy during the research. Additionally, the researcher desisted from any form of coercion during the study process. Consequently, the respondents contributed freely in the study.
Results and findings
The study showed the existence of significant differences in compulsive buying behavior amongst consumers of different cultural and social characteristics. One of the most notable issues on compulsive buying behavior is that it extends beyond culture.
On the contrary, the study showed that the consumers’ compulsive buying behavior is greatly influenced by diverse demographic characteristics. Amongst the most notable factors that lead to the development of compulsive buying behavior entails the consumers age, gender, mood, and level of disposable income.
The study further shows that these aspects influence the consumers’ compulsive buying behaviors irrespective of their cultural and social backgrounds.
Moreover, the study showed that individuals characterized by compulsive buying behavior mainly indulge in such a behavior due to external pressures, such as the perception by the society and family members.
Forty-five percent [45%] of the respondents of the respondents interviewed were of the opinion that they engage in compulsive buying behavior in an effort to avoid being ignored and isolated by family members and the society.
Conversely, 25% of the respondents were of the opinion that they engage in compulsive buying behavior in order to reduce work-related stress while 20% of the respondents said that their compulsive buying behavior has been motivated by the need to forget their financial loss or trauma.
Moreover, 10% of the respondents were of the opinion that they engage in such behavior in an effort to compensate or cope with the feeling of being humiliated, powerless or having a faded role. The graph below illustrates the variation in the respondents’ opinion on their motivation towards compulsive buying behavior.
Respondent opinion Rate of response
To avoid feeling ignored and isolated 45%
To reduce work-related stress 25%
To forget financial stress and trauma 20%
To cope with feeling of humiliation/powerless 10%
Discussion
Several studies confirm multi-dimensional aspects of compulsive purchasing behavior. Compulsive buying behavior is extensively influenced by personal and environmental characteristics. Faber and O’Guinn (1992) note that buyers can be grouped into different scales.
A Canadian measurement scale for compulsive purchasing behaviors identified three main dimensions of the behavior, viz. spending tendency, reactive aspects, and guilt after purchasing. The findings of the study conducted affirm that the compulsive buying behavior is not subject to the consumers’ cultural backgrounds only.
On the contrary, other individual traits are central determinants in the development of compulsive buying behavior. This shows that individuals’ personality is a critical determinant in the development of compulsive buying behavior.
Traditional behavioral theories postulate that individuals’ personality is due to the interaction between an individual’s personal characteristics and the environmental influences.
This finding is further supported by Faber and O’Guinn (1992) who affirm that compulsive buying behaviors mainly arise from five main personality dimensions. These dimensions include agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and imagination.
The research study showed that all the respondents characterized by compulsive buying behavior have a common factor that motivates them to engage in such behavior. One of the most common factors entails avoidance. Therefore, consumers develop such behavior in an effort to avoid situations that are unpleasant to the customers.
Some consumers engage in such practices in an effort to leave a potentially provoking situation. Williams (2009) emphasizes that ‘avoidance can also be a more subtle and include things like quickly leaving anxiety-provoking situations as soon as any anxiety is noticed’ (p.124). Therefore, some consumers engage in compulsive buying in an effort to avoid certain situations depending on their feeling. From the findings, avoidance can be categorized into three main levels, which include
1. Active avoidance; this form avoidance is aimed at distracting an individual’s compulsive buying behavior. This form of avoidance mainly targets avoiding unwanted emotions, memories, failures, and experiences that stimulate the development of compulsive buying behavior.
2. Compensate for control ; this form of avoidance is aimed at limiting the development of compulsive purchasing behavior due to pressure from different sources such as family and workplace amongst other sources of pressure.
3. Avoidance in an effort to cope with life problems
Conclusion
Understanding the consumer buying behavior comprises a vital element in organization’s marketing activities. First, understanding the buying behavior provides organizational managers insight on the most effective strategy to adopt in order to influence the consumers’ purchase decision-making process.
Organization’s marketing managers should appreciate the existence of differences with reference to consumer buying behavior. The study shows the consumers’ buying behavior is a factor of the consumers’ personality and the influence of the external pressures. This phenomenon is well illustrated by the compulsive buying behavior.
The behavior entails a compelling need to purchase a product or service in an effort to satisfy a particular need.
The compulsive buying behavior may have a negative impact on the consumer’s purchasing power because the consumer engages in excessive purchase of commodities aimed at addressing psychological needs such as anxieties and avoidance of negative emotions such as humiliation and ignorance.
Therefore, one can argue that the compulsive buying behavior is motivated by the need to entrench an individual’s social status or class.
Compulsive buying behavior stimulates consumers to make purchases without considering the consequences of their behavior including post-purchase guilt. Past research conducted in Westerns nations’ settings like Germany, Canada, and the US considers it as a personality disorder.
On the contrary, this research adopted a different paradigm. It studied the issue as a lifestyle problem. This goal has been achieved by comparison of purchasing behavior across consumers from Eastern countries such as China.
The study underscores the existence of similarity with reference to the factors stimulating development of compulsive buying behavior across consumers characterized by varied cultural and social characteristics. One of the reasons for the existence of compulsive buying behavior entails avoidance.
Consumers characterized by such practices are motivated by the need to avoid an unfavorable occurrence in their consumption patterns.
In summary, understanding the compulsive buying behavior is a fundamental element in improving an organization’s capacity to generate sales by exploiting the compulsive buying behavior.
For example, organizations should consider integrating effective marketing strategies that influence the development of compulsive buying behavior amongst consumers. One of the fundamental aspects that marketers should take into consideration entails the consumers’ personality.
References
Black, D. (2001). Compulsive Buying Disorder: Definition, Assessment, Epidemiology and Clinical Management. CNS Drugs, 15 (1), 17–27.835
Dittmar, H., Long, K., &Bond, R. (2007). When a better self is only a button click away: associations between materialistic values, emotional and identity-related buying motives, and compulsive buying tendency online. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26 (3), 334-361.
Edwards, A. (1993). Development of a New Scale for Measuring Compulsive Buying Behavior. Financial Counseling and Planning, 4 (2), 67-85.
Eren, S., Eroglu, F., & Hacioglu, G. (2012). Compulsive Buying Tendencies through Materialistic and Hedonic Values among College Students in Turkey . Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58 (1), 1370 –1377.
Faber, J., & O’Guinn, C. (1992). A Clinical Screener for Compulsive Buying. Journal of Consumer Research, 19 (3), 459–469.
Faber, R., & O’Guinn, C. (1989). Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenon logical Exploration. Journal of Consumer Research, 16 (2), 147–157.
Finlay, L. (2006). Rigor, Ethical Integrity or Artistry” Reflexively Reviewing Criteria For Evaluating Qualitative Research. British Journal of occupational Therapy, 69 (7), 319-326.
Freshwater, D., Sherwood, G., & Drury, V. (2006). International research collaboration: Issues, benefits and challenges of the global network. Journal of Research in marketing, 11 (4), 295-303.
Goodstein, L., & Lanyon, R. (2009). Application of Personality Assessment to the Work Place. Journal of Business and Psychology, 13 (3), 291-313.
Grant, R., Clarke, R., & Kyriazis, E. (2013). Modeling Real-Time Online Information: A New Research Approach for Complex Consumer Behavior. J ournal of Marketing Management, 29 (8), 950-972.
Kihlstrom, J., Beer, S., & Klein, B. (2002). Self and Identity as Memory . New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Koran, L., Faber, R., Aboujaoude, E., Large, M., & Serpe, R. (2006). Estimated Prevalence of Compulsive Buying Behavior in the United States. American Journal of Psychiatry, 16 (3), 1806-1812.
Kukar, M., Ridgway, N., & Monroe, K. (2009). The Relationships Between Consumers’ Tendencies To Buy Compulsively and their Motivations to Shop and Buy on the Internet. Journal of Retailing, 85 (3), 298-307.
Li, S., Unger, A., Bi, C. (2014). Different Facets of Compulsive Buying Among Chinese Students. Journal of Behavioral Addiction, 3 (4), 238-245.
Maraz, A., Eisinger, A., Hende, B., Urbán, R., Paksi, B., Kun, B., Demetrovics, Z. (2014). Measuring compulsive buying behavior: Psychometric validity of three different scales and prevalence in the general population and in shopping centers. Psychiatry Research, 225 (2), 326-34.
Mueller, A., Mitchell, J., Claes, L., Faber, R., Fischer, J., & De Zwaan, M. (2011). Does Compulsive Buying Differ Between Male and Female Students? Personality and Individual Differences, 50 (3), 1309-1312.
Neuner, M., Raab, G., & Reisch L. (2005). Compulsive Buying in Maturing Consumer Societies: An Empirical Re-Inquiry. Journal of Economic Psychology, 26 (4), 509–522.
Otero-López, J., & Pol, E. (2013). Compulsive Buying and the Five-Factor Model of Personality: A Facet Analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 55 (1), 585-590.
Pachauri, M. (2001). Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review. The Marketing Review, 2 (1), 319-355.
Saunders, M., Thornhill, A., & Lewis, P. (2009). Research Methods for Business Students . New York, NY: Prentice Hall.
Scott, S. (2011). Research Methodology: Sampling Techniques. Journal of Scientific Research, 2 (1), 87-92.
Strang, K. (2015). The Palgrave handbook of research design in business and management. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Stricker, G., Widiger, T., & Weiner, I. (2003). Handbook of Psychology: Clinical Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Williams, C. (2009). Overcoming anxiety, stress, and panic; a five areas approach . New York, NY: CRC Press.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The article discusses the morality in the virtual world and whether it is an addiction. It also talks about players as moral beings and product placement in computer games. | The article discusses the morality in the virtual world and whether it is an addiction. It also talks about players as moral beings and product placement in computer games. | Computer Games: Morality in the Virtual World Essay (Article)
Table of Contents
1. Is It an Addiction?
2. Players as Moral Beings
3. Product Placement in Computer Games
4. Are There Gender Differences?
5. Honour among Gamers
6. Reference List
Is It an Addiction?
The computer game industry is now one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Millions of people play various computer games. Clearly, children and teenagers are major users of these products but there are many gamers among adults as well.
There is a wide range of games and genres, each person chooses a game or even a virtual world to his/her liking. Some people are too absorbed by the virtual world and computer games become an addiction.
Nonetheless, it is rather an issue of the human psychology than of the product, as only certain people prefer the virtual to the real world.
Players as Moral Beings
It is necessary to note that ethics and morality of computer games have been a focus of scholarly research for a number of years (Ford, 2001). Researchers state that the virtual world is a moral world and, hence, players are moral beings.
This assumption is justified by the fact that there are some rules in games and players follow those rules, which creates a certain moral paradigm (Sicart, 2005). An example of such moral rules is the peculiarity of many games where players cannot destroy players of their team or other characters (for example, hostages) (Sicart, 2011).
Therefore, it is possible to state that players are moral beings that have a specific code of conduct and this code creates the bonds and makes up a community.
Product Placement in Computer Games
Obviously, being a multibillion industry, computer games are seen as a world of many opportunities for advertisers. Product placement has become quite a common thing for cinematography and television. It is clear that such type of media as computer games can also be of interest to advertisers.
Product placement is quite appropriate when it comes to advertising aimed at adults. However, there can be certain ethical issues related to advertising aimed at children. Clearly, in such games, product placement should be minimum and developers of games have to be very responsible (avoid advertising potentially harmful products).
Are There Gender Differences?
It is possible to note that virtual worlds that have been created are very diverse. They respond to needs and aspirations of different groups of people. Of course, there are certain gender differences in this sphere as well.
Sicart (2011) notes that the majority of virtual worlds are dominated by males, and females who also want to enter the world and participate in its creation may face certain difficulties (for example, some kind of discrimination, lack of support or communication and so on).
However, there are various worlds where females are dominating (Sims can be seen as one of the examples of the game for females). Males prefer action and creating stories (races, shooting, analysing positions) while females prefer storytelling and details (adventures, searching for details, creating worlds).
Honour among Gamers
Since it has been acknowledged that virtual worlds are moral, it is but natural to assume that there is honour among gamers. Sicart (2005) argues that there is a certain honour system among participants and co-creators of virtual worlds.
Each game (each virtual world) has a set of rules that are expanded by gamers and these rules constitute the honour system of the particular game. It is necessary to note that these sets of morals are often employed in the virtual world only as many people create alter egos when playing games (Ford, 2001).
At the same time, many morals can often appear in the real world.
Reference List
Ford, P.J. (2001). A further analysis of the ethics of representation in virtual reality: Multi-user environments. Ethics and Information Technology, 3 , 113-121.
Sicart, M. (2005). Game, player, ethics: A virtue ethics approach to computer games. International Review of Information Ethics, 4 , 13-18.
Sicart, M. (2011). The ethics of computer games . Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the use of computers in information gathering and how it has been both good and bad. It concludes by saying that while there are some drawbacks, overall the use of computers has been positive.The use of computers in information gathering has been both good and bad. While there are some drawbacks, overall the use of computers has been positive. |
The essay discusses the use of computers in information gathering and how it has been both good and bad. It concludes by saying that while there are some drawbacks, overall the use of computers has been positive.
The use of computers in information gathering has been both good and bad. While there are some drawbacks, overall the use of computers has been positive. | Computers and Information Gathering Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Discussion
3. Conclusion
4. References
Introduction
Computers are computing devices that are used in receiving, storing, transmitting, and retrieving information in a business. Computer application knowledge has become one of the best skills to acquire in the modern society.
Notably, computers are used in every sector for a variety of reasons. For example, gathering information, storing information that would be used for future reference, and making transactions in businesses. This paper assesses whether the application of computers in gathering information is good or bad.
Discussion
The utilization of computing devices in information gathering has a primarily good development in economics and business. According to Johnson (2011), utilitarianism rule states that a thing is good if it creates the highest value for the largest number of people. Computers have been used to gather information in organizations in a convenient way, reducing the time that would have been spent if a manual way had been used (Lane, 2004).
Nevertheless, their utilization in data acquisition has minimized errors that had been occurring because they are automatic. Data are computed with within the shortest period possible, increasing utility. Records about events would last longer when stored in computers than when they are kept in manual systems.
This implies that computer applications add value to human life, improving development. In addition, the application of computing devices in collection of data would enhance privacy in various sectors (Lane, 2004). They could gather information without an individual’s consent. As a result, people in an organization would be keen on what they would be doing to avoid being spied on by computers.
With regard to alteration of one’s behavior, gathering information through computers would promote good social interrelationships among companies, groups, and people. It is crucial to note that, due to fear of being spied on, people would do what would be right. Digital information has been used to come up with new products that are beneficial to society (Johnson, 2011).
For example, inventing new drugs that would be used to save lives is a brilliant idea. God Himself gave this duty when He commanded human beings to protect life. Therefore, from the evidence above, it can be said that the use of computers in collecting information has many merits.
On the other hand, it would be correct to say that application of computers in gathering information has led to negative impacts in firms. Kant argues that for something to be good, it must conform to the morality of the society where that act is being practiced. The application is contrary to this philosophy. Computing devices infringe on human rights, which are basic for survival (Arnold, Beauchamp & Bowie, 2012).
The right to expression is violated because citizens do not express themselves freely due to the fear of being spied on in the workplace. Moreover, people have used data stored in devices to sue individuals (Arnold et al., 2012). This is morally wrong because every citizen has a right to privacy and no one should access another person’s information without his or her consent.
Although drugs are invented through digital computers, accessing them is not easy because they are expensive to purchase and only rich people can afford them. This would mean that citizens would continue losing their lives, which would be against moral principles of fairness in which there should be equal treatment to all people (Johnson, 2011).
Conclusion
Basing our argument on utilitarianism and Kantian arguments, it would be vital to indicate that gathering of information using computers has both good and bad developments. For example, large volumes and different types of data are stored using computers. On the other hand, those who access personal information of individuals without their consent abuse their rights.
References
Arnold, D. G., Beauchamp, T. L., & Bowie, N. (2012). Ethical Theory and Business . New York, NY: Pearson Higher Ed.
Johnson, D. G. (2011). Ethics online. Communications of the ACM, 40 (1), 60-65.
Lane, F. (2012). The Naked Employee: How technology is compromising workplace privacy . New York, NY: AMACOM.
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Write an essay about: The concept of duration is used in order to determine the degree of price sensitivity of a bond over a given period of time. Bonds with shorter maturities may actually have longer duration and be more price sensitive to interest rate changes. |
The concept of duration is used in order to determine the degree of price sensitivity of a bond over a given period of time. Bonds with shorter maturities may actually have longer duration and be more price sensitive to interest rate changes. | Concept of Bond Duration Essay
Question: Explain the concept of duration and then comment on the statement, “it is possible that a bond with a shorter maturity than another bond may actually have a longer duration and be more price sensitive to interest rate changes.
Explain why a bond with a shorter maturity than another bond could have a longer duration; use examples
When investing in bonds, the measure of risk that is commonly used is the bond duration. In this case, a single number is used in depicting call features, final maturity, coupon and the expected yield of a bond. Hence, the concept of bond duration attempts to point out the degree of price sensitivity over a given period.
This implies that when there is a change in interest rate with the passage of time, it directly affects the yield margin or profitability of a portfolio or bond (DeCosta, Leng & Noronha, 2013). As a result, portfolio managers have to be very keen when floating their bonds into the market.
Duration can be computed using a number of methods. Nonetheless, it is vital to note that the most common term used is effective duration. It refers to bond duration over a given time. This duration may be short, medium or long term.
When the price of a security changes and then it is calculated as a percentage, it is referred to as effective duration. As already hinted out, this change also affects the yield or return of a bond.
For instance, the value of a bond or portfolio that has an effective duration of 3 years is anticipated to either increase or decline in market price with a margin of 3 percentage points. On the same note, a bond with an effective duration of ten years may either improve or weaken in value by a margin of ten percent.
The latter scenario is possible because bond yield is supposed to get better after a given period. In any case, maximum returns are only possible for long-term bonds.
Various situations also demand different methodologies for estimating the duration of a bond. This implies that different interest-rate scenarios influence changes in bond portfolios. Some of the common measurement of duration include total curve duration, spread duration, curve duration, bull duration and the bear duration.
On the other hand, the time taken by a bond portfolio to remain relevant is usually referred to as maturity. After the cessation of a financial instrument, the maturity level ends. The principal sum should then be repaid together with interest earned. This finite period indicates the maturity of a portfolio (DeCosta, Leng & Noronha, 2013).
It is indeed true that a bond with shorter maturity may have a longer duration. It may also witness significant changes when it comes to interest rates. When other external and internal market factors are kept constant, higher interest rates are accrued from bonds with longer maturities.
It is crucial to mention that a greater risk is carried by a bond with a longer duration. In other words, long-term bonds stand the risk of being affected by market forces such as inflation and changes in government policies. As a result, the payment values received from such bonds may decline against the expectations of investors.
The price of such long-term bonds can easily fall owing to the glaring risks in the market. The latter are more profitable than short-term portfolios. From the outset, it is evident that bonds with short maturities do not yield optimum benefits to investors.
Even if specific bonds are slated for short-term maturities, a very limited number of investors may be willing to release them out for trading. Even though the degree of risk increases with the time taken for a bond to mature, most investors are often ready to risk their investments for the sake of reaping higher returns.
In any case, markets can hardly be free from financial challenges even if investors rush for short-term bonds.
Portfolios that mature after a very short time tend to lock investors’ money. In addition, investors earn meager returns in such bonds. This expounds why liquidity risk is a major threat for investors who are keen in reaping maximum returns from the market.
The latter scenario also elaborates the reason why a bond with a shorter maturity might as well take quite a long duration before it is eventually released into the market for trading. For example, in the case of short-maturity bonds, there is minimal fluctuation of the dollar prices of the portfolios.
In this regard, an investment that is not in tandem with inflation is common in finances ploughed back for long-term bonds (Leibowitz, Bova & Kogelman, 2014). It is also a market tactic to extend the lifetime of bonds with short-term maturities.
For example, the monetary policy is often signaled by the Federal Reserve to act appropriately according to the changes in market demands. When the prevailing market conditions are restrictive, the Federal Reserve may institute strict measures that can consequently alter the behavior of professional portfolio managers.
Hence, the shortest maturities can be bought after selling the long bonds. Thereafter, matured bonds may be reinvested using the short maturities (Ajlouni, 2012).
Such an arrangement can easily lead to a situation whereby bonds with shorter maturities extend for a longer duration in the market contrary to the expectations of traders. The latter depends on the changes in interest rates.
References
Ajlouni, M. M. (2012). Properties and limitations of duration as a measure of time structure of bond and interest rate risk. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 6 (4), 46-56.
DeCosta, D., Leng, F., & Noronha, G. (2013). Minimum maturity rules: The cost of selling bonds before their time. Financial Analysts Journal, 69 (3), 45-56.
Leibowitz, M. L., Bova, A., & Kogelman, S. (2014). Long-term bond returns under duration targeting. Financial Analysts Journal, 70 (1), 31-51.
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Write an essay about: Poverty is a widely used and common concept in many spheres of socioeconomic development. Albeit a universal concept, many people have different conceptions of the term. In fact, Misturelli and Heffernan (2010) say the concept has different clusters of meanings and definitions. Other researchers believe the evolving nature of poverty contributes to its varied meanings.This paper builds on these arguments by reviewing different conceptions of the term. |
Poverty is a widely used and common concept in many spheres of socioeconomic development. Albeit a universal concept, many people have different conceptions of the term. In fact, Misturelli and Heffernan (2010) say the concept has different clusters of meanings and definitions. Other researchers believe the evolving nature of poverty contributes to its varied meanings.
This paper builds on these arguments by reviewing different conceptions of the term. | Concept of Poverty Definition Essay
Introduction
Poverty is a widely useful and common concept in many spheres of socioeconomic development. Albeit a universal concept, many people have different conceptions of the term. In fact, Misturelli and Heffernan (2010) say the concept has different clusters of meanings and definitions.
Other researchers believe the evolving nature of poverty contributes to its varied meanings. The discourse analysis of Misturelli and Heffernan (2010) was among the first research studies to document how the evolving nature of poverty gave it different meanings and definitions. Pantazis, Gordon and Levitas (2006) take a pragmatic construction of this argument by arguing that most people cannot define poverty in any way that they like.
The discourse, or subject areas, of these meanings provide the differences. This paper builds on these arguments by reviewing different conceptions of the term.
Poverty as a measure of low income
Since the 1880s, researchers have come up with three main conceptions of the term – “subsistence, basic needs and relative deprivation” (Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith 2013). Pantazis, Gordon and Levitas (2006) use the first criterion to define poverty by saying that it is “The Lack of income, access to good quality health, education and housing, and the exposure to poor quality living environments” (p. 30).
They say these attributes affect people’s well-being. In line with the same understanding, Pantazis, Gordon and Levitas (2006) say low income is an important component of poverty because it affects people’s well-being as well. Here, it is important to understand that short spells of low incomes do not necessarily affect people’s well-being.
However, long spells of low incomes are bound to have the reverse effect (ill-being). Although this discussion does not directly contribute to our understanding of poverty, it helps us to understand the views of other researchers who group low-income people as “poverty-stricken” people (Pantazis, Gordon & Levitas 2006).
This is false. In fact, unless the low income has a negative effect on the people affected, it is incorrect to equate low income with poverty. Nonetheless, this is one perception that outlines people’s understanding of the term.
The “Basic Needs” approach
Booth and Rowntree (cited in Pantazis, Gordon & Levitas 2006) are among the first researchers to explore the concept of poverty. They did so by studying the concept in the context of early 19 th century England.
Here, they opposed the commonly held belief that poverty meant the lack of financial resources (only). Instead, they expanded this understanding by saying that poor health, housing, and the lack of education (among other socioeconomic variables) also defined poverty (Pantazis, Gordon & Levitas 2006).
The United Nations (UN) also adopts a similar understanding of poverty by saying that the concept is “a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information” (United Nations Development Programme 2006, p. 5).
The main difference between this definition and other definitions of poverty highlighted in this paper is the broad understanding of the concept. Stated differently, other researchers use a narrow definition of socioeconomic factors (such as the lack of income) to define poverty, while the basic needs approach constructs poverty through a wider realm of factors that affect human well-being.
Poverty as an inescapable political act
Many researchers have often explored the relationship between poverty and politics (United Nations Development Programme 2006). Most of them say that poverty is an inescapably political act. Global institutions, such as the UN, also hold the same view.
For example, the UN has often argued that poverty rarely exists in “politically mature” democracies (such as Europe) (United Nations Development Programme 2006). Conversely, they argue that poor countries, which do not have “politically mature” democracies, report the highest levels of poverty.
This argument further stretches to social and political structures. For example, many researchers believe that poverty is a product of extreme capitalistic societies (Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith 2013). This view closely aligns with the Marxist school of thought, but the United Nations Development Programme (2006) defines it as the Anglo-Saxon preoccupation.
Proponents of such views say that capitalistic structures create significant wage differentials that limit people’s growth opportunities (Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith 2013). Therefore, people who are born in poverty find it difficult to escape this cycle because of structural limitations (caused by capitalistic systems).
The United Nations Development Programme (2006) expounds on this analysis by saying that political structures (representative of capitalistic societies) need an “industrial reserve army,” which owners of factors of production can use and dispose at their will. Since researchers have different reservations regarding the factuality of this view, its proponents argue that political structures created poverty by relating it to income (Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith 2013).
They also say that although poverty existed before the creation of these capitalistic structures, it was mainly limited to life-cycle changes (such as elderly people experiencing the highest rates of poverty) (United Nations Development Programme 2006).
The freedoms approach
Understanding poverty through people’s ability to live freely and valuable lives emerged from critiques of the income approach to poverty. Its proponents believed that reducing poverty to income deprivation was a shallow understanding of the concept (United Nations Development Programme 2006). Instead, they argued that poverty was a broad concept that included people’s liberties and their enjoyment of the same.
For example, the Sen’s capability approach uses the same premise to define poverty (United Nations Development Programme 2006). The UN has also used this approach to construct the human development index (United Nations Development Programme 2006).
This approach rejects income deprivation as the main proxy for understanding poverty. Comparatively, it proposes an alternative approach of constructing poverty as the deprivation of the freedom to live a valuable life.
Poverty as the lack of wealth
Researchers have defined poverty as the lack of wealth (or little wealth). Proponents of this view also define poverty as the inability to consume goods and services (low purchasing power) (Misturelli & Heffernan 2010). Additionally, this definition also includes no (or poor) access to quality services.
The subsistence conception of poverty emerged from Victorian England when nutritionists defined poverty as people’s inability to have an income that could maintain their physical health (United Nations Development Programme 2006). Although people had other needs, such as shelter and clothing, subsistence was the main proxy for defining poverty.
The United Nations Development Programme (2006) says, although this understanding is old, it has influenced scientific dogma for more than ten decades. For example, statistical figures used to describe the social conditions of different countries have often used subsistence measures to do so.
International agencies still use the same measure today. Past British territories used the same measure to rule their colonies. For example, former British authorities used the measure to determine the wages of black people in South Africa (during the apartheid era). They also used the same model to frame development plans in Asian colonies (United Nations Development Programme 2006).
How to measure poverty
Poverty measurement metrics mainly depend on the multiple definitions of the concept. Furthermore, different countries have varying measurements of the concept. For example, some European countries measure poverty by evaluating national statistics regarding the number of people who apply for social welfare support (United Nations Development Programme 2006).
Most of these measurement metrics relate to the construction of poverty as a lack of income. For example, Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith (2013) say many European countries use income metrics to define at-risk-populations of poverty. Others define poverty-stricken people as those that earn less than 60% of the national median of disposable income (Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith 2013).
Other measures of poverty align with the “basic needs” approach of poverty. However, this analysis is contextual because different parts of the world have different types of basic needs. For example, Europeans may define their basic needs as an annual holiday, quality food, and adequate housing (among other factors) (Vecernik 2004).
Therefore, here, it is difficult to define relative poverty as merely lacking enough resources to survive. In this regard, relative measurements make it difficult for statisticians to compare the rate of poverty across different regions.
Discussion
This paper shows that most definitions of poverty align with the “resource view” (gaining access to resources, or lacking them). This paper has also shown that some researchers define poverty as an inescapable political act. Although mature democracies have low levels of poverty, it is misleading to argue that such democracies do not suffer from poverty at all.
Furthermore, these countries still grapple with inequality challenges, despite their low levels of poverty. In fact, these countries use a relative definition of poverty (Talbot, Madanipour & Shucksmith 2013). An interesting finding about this analysis is that most professionals (“non-poor” people) developed most of the definitions of poverty outlined in this paper. In other words, their definitions of poverty are expressions of their training and educational skills.
In fact, such definitions reflect the power of development professionals to define poverty based on their perceptions. This is an unfair representation of the concept because poor people should have the power to define it.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this paper, safely, one could say that the definition of poverty depends on who is asking, how people understand it, and the type of audience. However, income is at the centre of the definition because, historically, people have used it to define the concept.
However, based on the varied views and constructs of poverty, and its relation to income, the latter is no less problematic than the concept of poverty itself. Nonetheless, based on an overall assessment of the findings of this paper, correctly, one could say that poverty affects income-deprived people who are unable to gain access to quality life determinants, such as quality food and shelter.
Therefore, a correct (or informed) understanding of poverty cannot merely depend on an abstract understanding of low income as the main proxy. Therefore, to understand the real measurement, or definition, of income, it is crucial to identify a specific income level, beyond which people experience deprivation.
References
Misturelli, F & Heffernan, C 2010, ‘The concept of poverty a synchronic perspective’, Progress in Development Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 35-58.
Pantazis, C, Gordon, D & Levitas, R 2006, Poverty and Social Exclusion in Britain , The Policy Press, Bristol.
Talbot, H, Madanipour, A & Shucksmith, M 2013, The Territorial Dimension of Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe, University of Newcastle, New Castle.
United Nations Development Programme 2006, Poverty in Focus , < https://ipcig.org/pub/IPCPovertyInFocus9.pdf >.
Vecernik, J 2004, ‘Who Is Poor in the Czech Republic? The Changing Structure and Faces of Poverty after 1989’, Czech Sociological Review , vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 807–834.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The concept of Route-to-market provides a simple but highly powerful and effective methodology for driving and enhancing profitable growth for organizations. Sullivan and Sheffrin (2012) state that the Route-to-market (RTM) is itself a strategy that determines the distribution channel that an organization must use in delivering its products or services to the target customers and achieve the desired profits. A strategy of this kind it used when the company is striving to accelerate growth in the market or reach |
The concept of Route-to-market provides a simple but highly powerful and effective methodology for driving and enhancing profitable growth for organizations. Sullivan and Sheffrin (2012) state that the Route-to-market (RTM) is itself a strategy that determines the distribution channel that an organization must use in delivering its products or services to the target customers and achieve the desired profits.
A strategy of this kind it used when the company is striving to accelerate growth in the market or reach | Route-to-Market Methods and Strategies Problem Solution Essay
Route to Market
According to Sullivan and Sheffrin (2012), the concept of Route-to-market provides a simple but highly powerful and effective methodology for driving and enhancing profitable growth for organizations. Sullivan and Sheffrin (2012) state that the Route-to-Market (RTM) is itself a strategy that determines the distribution channel that an organization must use in delivering its products or services to the target customers and achieve the desired profits.
A strategy of this kind it used when the company is striving to accelerate growth in the market or reach some objectives in its business. An important aspect of RTM is the process of determining how its key activities are managed in order to achieve the desired value for the company and the consumers.
For instance, RTM’s main activities include logistics, trade marketing, integration and distribution. According to Sullivan and Sheffrin (2012), it is the role of a producing company to determine the best option with respect to these activities.
In delivering the product using the RTM, the producer must perform an analysis of all the options available before embarking on the actual work of distributing the products. First, the issue of logistics provides a challenge to an organization, especially at the planning levels.
In the modern business concepts, developing the right logistic model holds the key to the successful target of the desired market (DeMott 2011). Various options are available for the company to choose. The company can choose to involve producer warehousing, transportation, depot warehousing or key account DD service. In all these cases, data plays an important aspect of the process (DeMott 2011).
Market information data plays a significant role in determining the right channel or combination of routes for the RTM model. According to Sullivan and Sheffrin (2012), the end market information provided by the company’s representatives in the market, distributors and other parties must be integrated within the company’s marketing strategy before reaching out for the customers in the end market (Blattberg Kim & Neslin 2011).
In the modern context, information technology and supply chain are the key components of the integration of data in the development and enhancement of the distribution chain, especially in new market ventures. While the supply chain provides the channel for the products to reach the desired destination, information technology plays a significant role in ensuring timely, reliable and accurate communication between the end market and the producing section, which enhances strategy development and maintenance for the RTM.
According to Blattberg Kim and Neslin (2011), distribution partnership programs provide a good option for start-up as well as established companies, especially in new market ventures. One of the main advantages of this method is the ability of a producer to access a wide and already established market using specific partners who are familiar with the new market (DeMott 2011).
In addition, it reduces cost and time needed to establish new outlet channels in new markets, especially when the company is trying to enter into and establish itself in new countries, regions or continents (DeMott 2011). The issue of risks is also an important factor that a company must consider when developing RTM strategies for new markets.
While some strategies like direct entry are effective in establishing company-customer selling procedures, it is important to note that they are equally risky and requires large capital and work force to establish (DeMott 2011). For instance, competition, poor knowledge of the market conditions and business culture, legal restrictions and other factors increase the risks of failing to achieve the desired outcomes in a new market.
With these considerations, it is important to examine the available options for the MS Technologies Limited and determine the RTM options that will fit the company’s products, size and industry in the target markets.
Analysis of RTM options available for MS Technologies Limited:
Direct RTM
A direct route-to-market is one of the most effective channels for accessing new markets. However, it is one of the most risky RTM strategies that are likely to affect the achievement of the market objectives. An important aspect to consider is that direct RTM is good for complex products that require the company to establish its own distribution and market centers in a new market.
In addition, it is good for making personal contact with the customers and creates awareness of the company’s products. However, it is an expensive, risky and time-consuming method. It is not effective for companies that need to benefit from selling relatively new products before any competitor enters the market because it takes time before the company can establish its distribution channels and sale outlets, especially in anew country where legal and promotional barriers are complex.
For MS Technologies Limited, the products are relatively new in most markets. While most people in Europe while most people are aware of the existence of electrical automobiles in their roads, few people have acquired these technologies, despite the current trend towards fuel and environmental conservation.
As such, MS Technologies Limited will need to venture into the market based on a combination of direct and other RTM methods as defined below in order to evade the risks involved.
Wholesale TRM Options
Wholesalers provide a good channel for producers to reach out for remote and distant markets. Wholesalers act as the producer’s representatives by stocking, promoting and selling the products. It is important to note that wholesalers are more likely to develop customer-company relationships in the market because of their wide experience.
In addition, the method is good for selling products of lower value that tend to have frequent price shifts. However, wholesale RTM methods attracts low profit margins (PM) due to the division of the profit between the producer and the wholesalers. Since both parties would like to maintain profits, items sold through wholesale method are likely to fetch higher prices, which can be a disadvantage to MS Technologies Limited when competitors establish their direct outlets in the target markets, especially in the UK.
Therefore, it is suggested that MS Technologies Limited consider using wholesale RTM method in combination with other methods in its European markets.
Importer RTM
Working with importers provides a company with a reliable, efficient, cheap and easy method of entering foreign markets. It is the easiest route for companies producing retail products. In addition, it requires a minimal control over branding. The producer does not have to have an in-depth knowledge of experience with the market because the importers will be required to make prompt payments before they are supplied with the products.
In addition, it is the role of the importers to distribute, appoint wholesalers or marketers, promote and advertise the products in their markets. In fact, MS Technologies Limited will use this method in the UK and Europe in general because the number of people willing to experience the relatively new electric car technology is increasing, which means that importers will be looking for the companies that produce the electric engines and other gadgets at the best price and quality (Balducci 2008).
Therefore, the importer method will be the main RTM strategy that MS Technologies Limited will apply in the UK and Western Europe because the tendency of the market to move towards the electric engine technology is relatively higher than in other markets such as Asia and Africa (Balducci 2008).
Strategic partnerships
According to DeMott (2011), strategic partnership is one of the most effective market entry methods for multinational organizations that are seeking to expand their markets to foreign nations where other local companies are willing to partner with multinationals to distribute and benefit from their unique products.
The application of multinational consultancy practices and system integrators is highly encouraged because both partners are likely to be looking for innovative solutions. In addition, the local partners are likely to have a desire to demonstrate to their local or regional clients that they have a significant influence on the availability of the product DeMott 2011). In most cases, the strategic partners will be looking for an absolute license to be the only dealer of the products in the market in order to achieve a competitive advantage over the competitors.
MS Technologies Limited will use this RTM method in the most of the western European nations like the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries because the competition between the local dealers in the electric car technology is likely to increase in the coming years (Balducci 2008).
In fact, Europe is one of the regions in the world that have a high rate of switching towards green technologies to reduce cost of fuel as well as the rate of carbon emissions (Davis, Diegel, Boundy & Moore 2013). Therefore, MS Technologies Limited will ensure that the competition between the local companies will be considered and the least number of strategic partners used in each nation to ensure that the partners do much of the advertising, wholesale and promotion of the products.
Online RTM
The final but most important RTM in the modern context is the use of the internet technology toreach out to a large market within a short time. The internet technology and the associated business frameworks such as the e-commerce are increasingly becoming popular marketing methods due to their ability to save time, costs and conduct business throughout the day (Blattberg Kim & Neslin 2011).
In addition, they reach a wider market than the other channels. Nevertheless, it is difficult to establish trust and draw traffic using this method due to the fear of fraud that is associated with the internet communication technologies.
However, MS Technologies Limited will not lose the chance to apply the modern technologies to reach out for the market. The online RTM method will be applied in all the regions the company is trying to reach. It will be used mainly for advertisement and communication with the partners, wholesalers, company outlets, importers as well as the individual consumers.
Potential Customers
In identifying the potential customers, a business must consider the target market, the uses of the product, the item that customers are looking for and how they are expected to use the product. According to Child and Faulkner (2008), the company must also seek to know the customer behavior in terms of how the choose products and why they prefer a product to the others.
Moreover, an analysis of the customer’s method of responding to the market changes and programs is imperative in examining and identifying the potential customers for a product. The 5-W model provides MS with an important program for identifying the potential customers for the electric motor engine. First, the company will need to know who its current and potential customers are (W1).
In addition, this represents the former customers (Stein & Sloane 2013). In this context, it is important to note that the company’s current customers are the automobile makers who are interested in producing small vehicles, mostly for the pilot studies before they decide to roll out a program mass production Child and Faulkner (2008).
However, most of the companies are implementing new systems to start the mass production of the electric cars because analysts predict a mass shift from the petroleum fuelled engines to green energy such as electric driven vehicles. As such, it is important to note that MS Technologies Limited must look for the potential buyers who will remain loyal to the company’s products in the future.
W2 represents “what the customers do with the product” (Stein & Sloane 2013). In this case, MS Technologies Limited produce products that seek to satisfy consumer demands for cheap, reliable, cost saving and energy efficient vehicles.
Currently, most of the customers at MS Technologies Limited are companies that use the products to fit into their electric automobiles before offering them for sale in the market. In the United Kingdom, electric driven automobiles have already hit the roads, with various consumers seeking to experience the product (Brons & Nemry 2010).
Although few people are familiar with these technologies, it is worth noting that the consumers are seeking to use the cars for personal and family use in order to cut the cost of fuel, reduce maintenance cost and improve their environment (Brons & Nemry 2010).
The issue of the location of buying the product is an important aspect of the customer identification procedure. The question “where” represents the customer’s convenient location of obtaining the product. In the UK and other European nations, customers are seeking to obtain vehicles within their neighborhoods, places of work and local cities or towns (Brons & Nemry 2010).
This means that the MS Technologies Limited must look for the partners, distributors and importers that will reach out for the consumers in their local neighborhoods or place of work. Thus, the company will look for the companies that are producing and distributing the electric vehicles at the most convenience location for the consumers (Stein & Sloane 2013).
The issue of “when” the customers are purchasing the product is important in determining the potential customers for MS Technologies Limited. According to Brons and Nemry (2010), most analysts predict an increased rate of growth in the market for electric powered automobiles in the next six years. It is expected the market will be growing by more than 20% by 2020 (Brons & Nemry 2010).
In addition, it is expected that Europe, North America and Japan will be the regions with the biggest markets for these technologies. Therefore, MS Technologies Limited will seek to collaborate with companies that are willing to sell or already establishing markets for these products in these areas.
With this in mind, it is important to note some of the potential customers that have been considered under the 5W model above. The corporations that are currently producing electric motor vehicles for sale in the European market are recognized as the potential buyers for MS Technologies Limited.
In Germany, the Robert Bosch GmbH of Stuttgart is one of the companies producing electrical drives for motor vehicles as well as other machineries. With a total global automotive production worth more than $40,000, the company is a potential customer for MS Technologies Limited (Brons & Nemry 2010).
Also in Germany are the Continental AG and the Mahle GmbH that produces powertrain electronics and powertrain engineering products respectively. In Spain, the CIE Automotive Company produces engine and powertrain components. It will be the target customer for MS Technologies Limited in the country. The Italian company Magneti Marelli produces powertrain transmission and systems in the country.
It is also a potential customer for MS Technologies Limited while GKN of the UK has similar products and is expected to roll out a number of other products that use electric engines. Therefore, the company is also a target customer for MS Technologies Limited (Brons & Nemry 2010).
In North America, the United States and Canada have a number of companies that have been listed in the top 100 producers and suppliers of OEM. Among them are the American Axle & Mfg Holdings (USA), Delphi Automotive (USA) and Magna International (Canada). They will be the initial target market for MS Technologies Limited.
Technology companies in South-East Asia, especially Japan and Korea, will be included in the first marketing phase alongside North American and Europe. In addition, some companies in these countries have been included in the top 100 companies that produce and supply OEM parts.
MS Technologies Limited will target Hyundai Mobis of Korea and Hitachi Automotive Systems of Japan as potential customers in the area because they produce and distribute powertrain systems in the region.
Potential Partnership Options
According to Child and Faulkner (2008), the need for large capital, technology, manpower and numerous legal restrictions in foreign markets means that modern companies are forced to venture into new markets based on partnerships with local or regional organizations to mitigate risks and reduce costs.
In this view, it is important for MS Technologies Limited to consider entering into the prospective markets based on partnerships as opposed to direct entry. However, it is clear that partnership exists in various forms and each may be suitable for one market but not for other markets (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2012).
Therefore, MS Technologies Limited is seeking to collaborate with the potential customers identified in the previous section in order to mitigate risks, reduce costs, improve the efficiency of market entry and reduce the time needed to reach the market (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2012).
Equity partnerships
Equity partnership is important for MS Technologies Limited because it will ensure that the two parties enter into a co-ownership business mission (Doz & Hamel 2011). In this case, both partners will be entitled to a proportion of the distributable profits of the venture (Child and Faulkner 2008).
MS and her partners will have some underlying interest in the business in which MS Technologies Limited will produce and export the product while the partners will stock, distribute, promote and advertise them in their countries or regions (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2012).
Joint ventures
Joint venture is the best partnership option for MS Technologies Limited when entering into the new markets. This partnership method is set for a given time through a business agreement in which two companies agrees to contribute equity in selling a product and thereafter share expenses, assets as well as revenues (Child and Faulkner 2008).
In the case of MS Technologies Limited, the company will seek to partner with the identified organizations through agreements in which MS will produce and export the products while the partners will carry out other activities in order to reach out to the market.
In particular, the company will establish joint ventures valid for 5 to 10 years starting 2015 in order to ensure that the products will achieve the optimal market growth predicted to occur between 2020 and 2025.
Strategic alliances
According to Doz and Hamel (2011), a strategic alliance is one of the most popular and effective partnering methods for multinational organizations seeking to venture into foreign markets. The partnership is based on an agreement between business organizations seeking to pursue a set of objectives at a given time (Child and Faulkner 2008).
It is worth noting that this method ensures that the parties are independent organizations and do not involve merges or acquisitions (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2012). Since MS Technologies Limited is a startup company, this method will provide it with a good foundation and platform for venturing into the already developed markets in Europe and South-East Asia through collaborations with the existing multinational organizations operating in these areas (Child and Faulkner 2008).
In this case, MS Technologies Limited will be involved in the production and exportation of the products while the partners will have the absolute rights for promoting, distributing and selling the products in their areas.
Noteworthy, the joint venture is a profitable form of partnership because it will allow MS Technologies Limited to utilize the already established marketing and distribution channels, assets and market images owned by the partners in these areas (Doz & Hamel 2011).
Therefore, the method is expected to reduce the costs and risks involved, including the cost of establishing marketing and distribution channels, promotion and advertising, warehousing and development of agreements with local wholesalers and retailers (Doz & Hamel 2011).
Potential distribution channels
As part of the conventional 4 Ps model of business, distribution channels play a significant role in ensuring that the relationship between a producer and the consumers is established to assist the producer achieve profitability and the consumers satisfy their needs.
A business to Business (B2B) model, which will initially be adopted in MS Technologies Limited, will ensure that the company can use either direct or indirect distribution channels (Lendrum 2009). Since the potential customers identified in the previous sections are companies, it is important to start with a B2B model.
In this case, direct distribution channels will include direct-catalogue and direct-internet models in which catalogues and the internet will be used to settle the contracts (Lendrum 2009). With these models and the identified partnerships, MS Technologies Limited will involve two major types of distribution channels- selective and exclusive distribution channels.
This means that MS Technologies Limited will rely on a few intermediaries to distribute the product upon arrival at the respective ports (Lendrum 2009). In some countries, MS Technologies Limited will use exclusive dealings in which the intermediaries will carry the products to the potential customers identified above while excluding others.
Business case and projections
Figure 1: Projected sales and cost of sales (short-term and mid-term).
Figure 2: Long-term projections.
Figure 3: Risk assessment matrix and summary and mitigations.
References
Balducci, PJ 2008, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Market Penetration Scenarios, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.
Blattberg, RC, Kim, B & Neslin, SA 2011, Database Marketing: Analyzing and Managing Customers , Cengage, Mason, OH.
Brons, M & Nemry, F 2010, Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles, Joint Research Center, Seville, Spain.
Child, J & Faulkner, D 2008, Strategies of Co-operation: Managing Alliances, Networks and Joint Ventures , Oxford University Press, Cambridge.
Davis, SC, Diegel, SW, Boundy, RG & Moore, S 2013, Vehicle technologies market report, National Technical Information Service , Springfield, VA.
DeMott, DA 2011, “Transatlantic Perspectives on Partnership Law: Risk and Instability”, Journal of Corporation Law vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 879-895.
Doz, Y & Hamel, G., 2011, Alliance Advantage: The art of Creating Value through Partnering , Harward Business School Press, Boston, MA.
Lendrum, T 2009, The Strategic Partnering Handbook, A Practice Guide for Managers , Nook Company, McGraw-Hill.
Stein, SK & Sloane, RK 2013, Using Customer Needs to Drive Transportation Decisions , TRM, New York.
Sullivan, A & Sheffrin, SM 2012, Economics: Principles in action , Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: Condoleezza Rice was the 66th US secretary of state who was born in 1954. She was one of the most trusted President Bush's close allies. She was the second woman to be appointed in the position of the US secretary of state, the second African American to hold the position, and she served as the national security advisor for President Bush during his first term in office. |
Condoleezza Rice was the 66th US secretary of state who was born in 1954. She was one of the most trusted President Bush's close allies. She was the second woman to be appointed in the position of the US secretary of state, the second African American to hold the position, and she served as the national security advisor for President Bush during his first term in office. | Condoleezza Rice Biography Research Paper
Table of Contents
1. Background
2. Positive aspects of Condoleezza Rice
3. Negative aspects of Condoleezza Rice
4. Conclusion
5. References
Background
Born in 1954, a political scientist, and the 66 th US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice was one of the most trusted President Bush’s close allies. She was the “second woman to be appointed in the position of the US secretary of state, the second African American to hold the position, and she served as the national security advisor for President Bush during his first term in office” (Mabry, Bumiller & Kessle, 2008, par. 8).
Prior to this appointment, she was a Stanford University professor for political science. After her appointment as the US secretary of state, Rice engineered the transformational diplomacy policy. The policy aimed at increasing democratic governments to execute their mandates responsibly.
A particular focus was on the Middle East region. Although she had her successes and failures, her policies and political opinions attracted public controversies.
Positive aspects of Condoleezza Rice
Rice’s policy during her tenure as the U.S. secretary of state perceived counter terrorism as essentially a preventive strategy rather than punitive one for enhancing national security. In 2005, she emphasized that Americans had to come into terms with the nature of the threat of terrorism. She argued that terrorism is different from ordinary criminal activities, which government takes reactive approaches to manage.
In case of terrorism, success in committing a crime leads to loss of thousands of lives of innocent people. To her, for such crimes, prevention is better than cure (Mabry, 2007). This view was important in ensuring that Americans felt secure coupled with developing sufficient trust in the capacity of the government to enhance their territorial integrity.
Rice was concerned with the capacity of intelligence community to cooperate coupled with sharing information necessary for prevention of terrorism. Arguably, this aspect was an important concern. Problems of security threats are critical since the modern world is dependent on information flow through interconnected network systems (Albanese, Jajodia, Pugliese & Subrahmanian, 2011).
In 2000, Osama Bin Laden argued that hatred coupled with hostility acerbated towards the Americans constituted a religious calling (Bloss, 2007). Rice reacted to this assertion by pushing for organization of intelligence agencies to ensure the curtailing of terrorism threat directed towards the US.
She insisted that cooperation amongst foreign intelligence agencies, the CIA, and the FBI was vital in ensuring that Osama Bin Laden would not succeed in executing an attack in the US. Arguably, reluctance to embrace this concern had the consequences of the US being caught unprepared by the September 11 attacks.
After September 11 attacks, the US embarked on intensive security surveillance as a strategy for mitigating potential threats such as those voiced by Rice in 2000. Consistent with Rice’s security policy inclination, since the events of Septembers 11, security surveillance was realized through the agencies of ‘preventative law enforcement’ (Bloss, 2007), which accords police an immense surveillance powers.
Consistent with Haggerty and Ericson (2000) arguments that surveillance assemblage is not a stable entity with its own fixed boundaries, the police surveillance expanded to incorporate other entities, which broadened the surveillance approaches coupled with operational approaches. The main aim was to ensure that information gathering was based on intelligence.
Prior to September 2001 attacks, terrorism attacks posing treats to security of the Americans were predominantly from Islamist groups. These threats had little political implications and they often resulted in low death tolls (Adams, Nordhaus & Shellenberger, 2011).
Furthermore, the recorded threats only occurred within battlefields in which the US was engaged in direct confrontation with perceived global security threats. In the events of September 11, it was imperative that the US needed to expand its risks surveillance system. Rice was aware of this need; hence, she contributed towards enhancing the security of the Americans by advocating for policies that minimized threats of terrorism.
Among the many measures included to enhance terrorism surveillance and counterterrorism strategies, which were critical and Rice incredibly supported them. They included denial of a safe operation environment for parties perceived to be terrorists, curtailing impacts of possible people likely to expose the US to terrorism threats and the reduction of accessibility to mass destruction weapons to organized groups (Bloss, 2007).
However, making these strategies operational culminated to launching attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, which political analysts considered expensive for the US economy.
Negative aspects of Condoleezza Rice
Rice faces criticism from the Democrats for having played significant roles in launching attacks on Iraq. Early March 2014 during a fundraiser for the Republicans, Rice blasted the administration of President Obama over what she termed as poor management and handling of the crisis in Ukraine. She argued that when the US walks away, a vacuum would be created only to be filled with trouble (Perr, 2014).
Considering the aftermaths of the Iraqi war, which started during her tenure in office, her comments during the fundraiser raised queries whether she is indeed a true patriot. What gains has the war on Iraq brought to the ordinary American citizen? Is it true that Sadam Hussein was the main threat to the security of the United States? Americans have paid immense price to keep the American military policing Iraq.
While the goal was to ensure lasting peace and the realization of a working democratic government, this concern has not been achieved to date. Should then the US consider intervening in the current Ukraine conflict as Rice suggests? Rice needs to tell Americans for how long the US will police the world at the expense of the American taxpayers’ money.
Rice’s stands on political issues are questionable. She played significant roles in misleading the Americans that Iraq had stocks of weapons of mass destruction. She warned against an oncoming ‘mushroom cloud’ that would destroy all Americans. This outcry convinced Americans on the need to invade Iraq in a bid to eliminate the threat. Unfortunately, until today, no traces of such weapons have been found.
Thus, the Iraqi foreign policy was ill advised. While preventative security surveillance was important as argued before, policies authenticating such surveillance needed to be evidence-based. Rice also condoned enhanced interrogation policy adopted by the Bush’s administration. This aspect raises the query on the capacity of the Rice’s policies to foster exemplary citizenship coupled with moral authority.
This query has attracted interest not only from political scholars, but also from the academic fraternity at large. For instance, a debate arose over Rice’s suitability to speak during the Rutger’s University commencement ceremony considering her roles in misleading the US on the necessity for sending troops to Iraq to destroy WMDs only to return empty handed.
Studying Rice’s policy reveals contradictions of opinions. She benefited from affirmative programs when she was employed at Stanford University. As a provost, she opposed a policy designed to help in making decisions on tenures (Mabry, Bumiller & Kessle, 2008). As a proponent of the Scowcroft’s realism school of thought in her policy making career, Rice welcomed neoconservative agenda after the events of September 11.
However, Mabry, Bumiller, and Kessle (2008) state that when she became the secretary of state, “she jumpstarted multilateral diplomacy with the regimes in Pyongyang and Tehran” (par.2).
At one time, she is a Marxist and at the other, she is an idealist or realist depending on the circumstances of the situation. Mabry (2007) supports this argument by claiming that across her political career, Rice’s bosses interrogated whether she identified herself with their political philosophies.
Her view on the Iraq policy further illustrates her credibility challenges on political opinions and debates. She was an essential element involved in designing of the myth that articulated Iraq-based al-Qaeda Islamists to September 11 attacks. Until 2006, she argued that the Sadam Hussein’s administration had close links to Al Qaeda.
However, three years down the line, she denied this belief by claiming that no one argued that Hussein was involved in September 11 attacks in any way (Mabry, Bumiller & Kessle, 2008). This realization suggests lack of principle and unwillingness to accept failures of a government she served with loyalty.
Conclusion
In her tenure as the US secretary of state and the national security advisor for President Bush, Condoleezza Rice was concerned over the US’ homeland security. One of the pros of her policy inclinations was that she supported terrorism preventive strategies such as increased security surveillance.
This was appropriate to the extent that prevention of terrorism crimes saves lives of hundreds of Americans. However, I do not like her policies for lack of subscription to one school of political thought and her ill-advised foreign policies, especially on Iraq.
References
Adams, N., Nordhaus, T., & Shellenberger, M. (2011). Counterterrorism since 9/11: Evaluating the Efficacy of Controversial Tactics. Public Eye, 26 (2), 30-41.
Albanese, M., Jajodia, S., Pugliese, A., & Subrahmanian, S. (2011). Scalable analysis of attack scenarios. ESCORICS, 6879, 416-433.
Bloss, W. (2007). Escalating U.S. Police Surveillance after 9/11: An Examination of Causes and Effects. Surveillance and Society, 4 (3), 208-228.
Haggerty, K., & Ericson, R. (2000). The Surveillance Assemblage. British Journal of Sociology, 51 (4), 605-622.
Mabry, M. (2007). Condoleezza Rice. Foreign Policy, 1 (1), 22-28.
Mabry, M., Bumiller, E., & Kessle, G. (2008). Twice as Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power; Condoleezza Rice: An American Life: The Confidante: Condoleezza Rice and the Creation of the Bush Legacy . Web.
Perr, J. (2014). Nobody Could Have Predicted Condi Rice Would Attack Obama Over Ukraine . Web.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: This essay discusses the strategies that can be executed to alleviate deadline-related stress and conflict in the workplace. These strategies include negotiating early with their boss, taking all deadlines seriously, being accountable for the tasks they set to accomplish, and breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. |
This essay discusses the strategies that can be executed to alleviate deadline-related stress and conflict in the workplace. These strategies include negotiating early with their boss, taking all deadlines seriously, being accountable for the tasks they set to accomplish, and breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. | Conflict Management in Organizational Teams Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Strategies of meeting deadlines
3. Personally responsible
4. Conclusion
5. Reference List
Introduction
Meeting deadlines is an integral part of work life. However, failure to meet deadlines for projects by employees may result in mistrust between them and their employers, demotion, or loss of jobs.
Such aftermaths of deadlines cause stress on employees. This study presents the strategies that can be executed to alleviate deadline-associated stress and conflict in the workplace.
Strategies of meeting deadlines
To avoid the occurrence of intrapersonal and task-related conflict, employees can embark on the following strategies. First, Waller, Conte, Gibson, and Carpenter (2001) assert that employees can negotiate early with their bosses concerning unrealistic deadlines. This negotiation can be done when setting deadlines.
Employees should communicate openly with their supervisors on time allocation and availability of the required resources for a timely accomplishment of projects. According to Alper, Tjosvold, and Law (2000), employees should avoid negotiating for deadlines when they are due.
Secondly, employees should take all deadlines seriously to ensure personal accountability. Waller et al. (2001) further affirm that deadlines that are set for all tasks should be strictly planned for and adhered to. In most cases, employees are unable to meet deadlines for tasks that seem small or have a lot of time since they put them aside in the hope of accomplishing them in the future.
Procrastination of tasks should be avoided since it disrupts time management towards meeting deadlines. Alper et al. (2000) recommend that employees also need to be accountable for the tasks they set to accomplish and/or commit to deliver on time. Accountability ensures that workers plan for all the time they have according to the tasks that are ahead of them.
Personally responsible
They should be personally responsible for any perceived failure to achieve deadlines that are set for various tasks. Responsibility drives commitment towards accomplishing tasks on time. Thirdly, plans such as keeping a calendar on the desk and highlighting important deadlines help in avoiding deadline-related stress.
A calendar that indicates deadlines for various tasks should be displayed on a clearly visible point to remind the employee of the urgency of the task. This strategy enables the employee to prioritize tasks that are more urgent. Waller et al. (2001) assert that prioritizing ensures that tasks that are more urgent than others are accomplished first to avoid deadline stress.
The employee can also set alarm as a reminder of time lapse. In case they realize that they are embarking on a task at the expense of another urgent one, they can stop and work on it (the urgent task) to curb any deadline-linked stress. Fourth, Alper et al. (2000) confirm that employees should break the tasks into segments and set deadlines for each segment.
It is important for huge projects that take a long time to be subdivided into subtasks that are accorded different sub-deadlines. Setting sub-deadlines for subtasks enables the employee to accomplish the major project systematically in several smaller steps. Accomplishment of smaller tasks on time motivates the employees to focus on the next subtask, rather than complaining about the huge task (Alper et al., 2000).
Conclusion
Subtasks also ensure thoroughness of work since the employee is able to focus his or her attention on specific and detailed parts of the tasks. Conclusively, failure to meet tasks deadlines may result in conflicts between employees and employers.
Therefore, employees can adopt various strategies of meeting deadlines. Employees who negotiate for realistic deadlines take personal accountability for tasks, mark calendars for deadlines, and break huge tasks into sub-segments to avoid deadline-related stress.
Reference List
Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., & Law, S. (2000). Conflict management, efficacy, and performance in organizational teams. Personnel Psychology, 53 (1), 625-642.
Waller, J., Conte, M., Gibson, B., Carpenter, A. (2001). The effects of individual perceptions of deadlines on team performance. Academy of management review, 26 (4), 586-600.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The purpose of this paper is to analyze ethical decision-making dilemma in conflict management in the Florida Department of Health. The paper will address the most significant ethical decisions that have been made to tackle conflicts in the Florida Health Department. |
The purpose of this paper is to analyze ethical decision-making dilemma in conflict management in the Florida Department of Health. The paper will address the most significant ethical decisions that have been made to tackle conflicts in the Florida Health Department. | Conflict Resolution in the Workplace Term Paper
Abstract
Conflicts within the work environment are very common. They are caused by both internal and external factors. Well managed conflicts act as a medium for change and may have a positive effect on employees.
On the contrary, if conflicts are not managed well, they may have a negative impact on job performance and employee satisfaction. In the health sector, the performance and conduct of the employees are very important since they have an impact on the patient’s health and lives.
This paper will analyze ethical decision-making dilemma in conflict management in the Florida Department of Health. The paper will address the most significant ethical decisions that have been made to tackle conflicts in the Florida Health Department.
Introduction
Disagreements within work environment are unavoidable. If managed prudently, such disagreements can act as a medium for change and may have a positive effect on workers. On the contrary, if conflicts are not managed well, they may have a negative impact on job performance and worker satisfaction.
When disagreements are ignored by the management, it gives an idea that unacceptable job performance and unfortunate conducts are tolerable. Unacceptable job performance and poor conduct on the part of the employees can have an impact on the overall morale of the employees, which consequently can lead to low productivity (Maldonado, 2012, p. 1).
Well managed conflicts are most common in organizations and institutions that encourage open communication, teamwork, regular response and prompt resolution of conflicts. Open communication and teamwork promotes the flow of new ideas and reinforces work relations, which in the long run boosts employee confidence.
On the other hand, regular response and prompt resolution of conflict enhance job performance and employee satisfaction (Classen & Reiner, 2005, p. 5). In contrast, an environment that does not promote conflict resolution normally lead to poor conduct among staff members and unacceptable job performance (Rachels & Rachels, 2010, p. 25).
In addition, badly managed conflict encourages poor communication and bad behavior among the employees. Subsequently, poor conduct negatively affects employee confidence and the overall productivity of the organization/institution (Classen & Reiner, 2005, p. 5).
According to Harvey and Ventura (2005, p. 36), “conflict is not only an exasperation, but also cost money. The cost is in terms of time wasted, poor decisions and high employee turnover rate”.
Regardless of the negative effect of unhandled conflict, most managers tend to ignore the problem until it spreads to an extent that the personnel department is involved. Routine conflicts are viewed as minor differences between employees that do not warrant any action.
Regrettably, unresolved conflicts more often than not grow and spread like a bonfire, eventually affecting the employees’ job performance and satisfaction (Maldonado, 2012, p. 3).
In the health sector, the performance and conduct of the employees are very important since they have an impact on the patient’s health and lives. In addition, the principal challenge in the health care sector is the implementation of the processes that ensures that conflicts are managed in a fair and just manner (Maldonado, 2012, p. 1).
This paper will analyze ethical decision-making dilemma during conflict management, particularly in the Florida Department of Health. The paper will address most significant ethical decisions that have been made to tackle conflicts in the Florida Health Department.
Background of the study
The US healthcare sector is susceptible to pressures and tensions like any other sector. The overall well being of the employees in the world today is affected by numerous factors, which include intricate and multidimensional family demands, transport systems, economic demands, societal changes, and technological demands among others.
Given the present economic environment and the rate of unemployment, the number of individuals without health insurance coverage has tremendously increased. As a result, the demand for subsidized care from health institutions and healthcare staff is increasing day after day, forcing hospitals to cut back on their staff and resources (Craig, 2009).
Despite the above challenges, the quality of care provided to patients must meet the standard set by the Joint Commission on Healthcare in 2009. This has led to the provision of health care services in an environment that is prone to workplace disagreements. When such disagreements are not solved very fast, they may affect the quality of health care services provided to the patients (Craig, 2009).
This explains why most health care providers in the US have shifted their attention to civility and interpersonal skills. This is because they cannot control the amount of resources allocated to the health sector by the government, but can handle employees’ behavior and performance.
The Joint Commission on Healthcare gave hospitals authority to develop policies and procedures for conflict management. Unfortunately, the existence of these policies and procedures do not guarantee adherence on the part of employees (Schyve, 2009, p. 2).
Nonetheless, well defined and implemented policies ensure timely detection and resolution of conflicts among the healthcare workers. Such policies provide a proactive and steady response, encourage open communication, and support all-inclusive problem solving as a means of finding solutions (Craig, 2009).
Statement of the problem
In the current business environment, many organizations are seeking better cooperation between their employees because they are driven by the desire to better their services. Big companies or corporations normally have policies that define their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).
The CSR defines how the company interacts with the society (Hartman & Desjardins, 2014, p. 4). Business ethics is another important factor in service delivery. Generally, there are three types of ethics. The first form of ethics is descriptive ethics in which moral standards differ from one society to the other.
The second form of ethics is normative ethics, which describes the norms that are accepted in one society but are denounced in another society. The third form of ethics is analytic ethics which fosters the idea that the level of morality is comparative (Harris, Sapienza & Bowie, 2009, p. 407).
Business ethic is a combination of all the three types of ethics mentioned above. Business ethic is defined as the assessment of the manner in which people or organizations are expected to conduct themselves in the field of business.
To be specific, business ethic assesses the various limitations that hinder an individual or organization from satisfying self interest, or realizing huge profits when the activities of the individuals or the businesses influence each other. Business ethic is concerned with the various ethical principles or ethical problems that occur in different field of business.
In addition, business ethic checks on the behavior of the business or the behavior of the various stakeholders that run the business (Harris, Sapienza & Bowie, 2009, p. 408). Business ethic is normally applied in the health sector to ensure that hospitals are properly managed according to the ethical standards.
Ethics play the role of moderating the ethical behavior that cannot be regulated by the statutory laws. The government normally uses laws to enforce the required business ethical standards. Business ethics, on the other hand, are used by businesses to set up a standard of behaviors that are not captured by the statutory laws.
The development of business ethics has been enhanced by the rise of big business entities that do not pay more attention to the welfare of the surrounding community. In a nutshell, business ethics refers to the moral principles that govern the operations or regulations of a business (Harris, Sapienza & Bowie, 2009, p. 409).
Ethics and social responsibility are very significant values in business/institution management, especially in the decision making process. Ethical principles help the managers to make upright and beneficial decisions. Similarly, social responsibility assists in making decisions that improve productivity and ward off grievances from the stakeholders (Rachels & Rachels, 2010, p. 18).
For these reasons, business ethics and social responsibility play a crucial role in managing conflicts within an organization. However, organizations often experience ethical decision-making dilemma when managing conflict in the workplace (Chau & Siu, 2000, p. 367).
Conflict management and ethics in the workplace often interact in a complex system of power relations, hierarchical structure, and more often than not contradicting goals of competitiveness and fairness. Human Resource department oversees this interaction.
The main responsibility of the HR boss is conflict resolution and delivery of justice in the workplace. Nonetheless, the HR managers cannot be regarded as neutral mediators. Therefore, one of the ethical decision-making dilemmas facing many HR managers when managing conflict in the workplace is whether to adhere to the organization’s ethical standards, statutory laws or directive from the centres of power (Gramberg & Teicher, 2005, p. 2).
Conflict resolution in Florida Department of Health
Florida Department of Health (FDH) is a statutory agency responsible for safeguarding the wellbeing and safety of all people living in the state of Florida. This is achieved through an integrated state, county and neighbourhood programmes. The agency’s headquarters is in Tallahassee, Florida.
It is headed by a surgeon general who reports to the county administrator. The agency is responsible for nearly 70 county health departments. In addition, the agency has over 17000 employees scattered across the county (Florida Department of Health, 2014).
Like many other organizations, conflict management in the Florida Department of Health is handled by the HR department. The agency has an ethical code that guides conflict resolution. It provides the procedures for handling grievances within the agency.
It is also based on the conventional practices of conflict resolution, which focuses on fairness and justice. Joint Commission on Healthcare gives healthcare organizations authority to formulate their own policies and procedures for managing conflicts. However, the established policies and procedures must be in line with the statutory laws (American Health Lawyers Association, 2010, p. 1).
However, the agency’s code does not guarantee fairness and justice. The process suffers from the problem of neutrality and impartiality. According to the global mediation standards, individuals leading the mediation process should have no relationship or vested interests with the parties in question.
This cannot be achieved when the HR managers or staffs are the mediators as in the case of Florida Department of Health. Warnick (1993, p. 30) argues that neutrality is difficult to be achieved when the HR staff are involved in the mediation process.
He stresses that no other post in the organization requires extreme balancing of contradictory roles as that of the HR manager. The HR Manager in the Florida Department of Health normally assumes three roles during the mediation process: act as a fire fighter, solution hunter and intercessor. These roles are arguably unethical due to conflict of interest.
One of the most recent studies conducted on the agency confirms this. The study established that most HR managers are under pressure from their bosses to compromise the organization’s ethical standard during the mediation process. The study also established that ethical behavior is not only a rare function of personal value, but also dictated by external pressures.
Therefore, the fear of risking one’s present or prospective employment forces many HR managers to compromise the agency’s ethical standard during conflict resolution process. The study also established that the HR managers face numerous challenges in meeting the preconditions of neutrality. These challenges include inability to make informed choices and clash of interest with the superiors.
For this reason, the dilemma facing the HR managers is whether to adhere to the organization’s ethical standards or directive from the centres of power. This ethical decision-making dilemma during conflict resolution is not new.
In fact, a study conducted by Tyler in 1988 on workplace equality established that managers were basically focused on tasks or results and, therefore, their decisions were more to do with tangible goal achievement and less to do with justice (Gramberg & Teicher, 2005, p. 9).
The prioritization of financial gain over ethics is well explained by Chau and Siu (2000, p. 367). Chau and Siu (2000, p. 367) argues that the main goal of many organizations is capital gain. As a result, long-term commitment to impartiality is impossible to sustain.
Is it possible to tackle this quandary by prioritizing business ethics over economic gain? Vickers (2005, p. 32) argues that, even if the organizational ethical code was applied, there is no law that prompts organizations to do so.
Since, the Joint Commission on Healthcare gives healthcare authorities power to develop policies and procedures for conflict resolution, the HR managers are under no obligation to stick to them as long as he/she has support from “above”. Hartman and Desjardins (2014, p. 7) explain that many ethical decision makers are faced with major challenges in their course of ethical decision making.
These challenges include: big goals to be achieved, inadequate experience, inability to make informed choices, clash of interest with the superiors of the business, and lack of cooperation among the various stakeholders of the business.
Ethical decision making is mainly influenced by the business environment. Therefore, the decisions always change with the changing business environment. In addition, ethical decisions vary from one kind of business to another.
For instance, the kind of ethical decisions that are made in the healthcare sector is different from the decisions that are made in the industrial sector. The ability to make an ethical decision does not automatically stem from the desire to make the decision. This means that ethical decision making is a spontaneous affair rather than a planned one (Hartman & Desjardins, 2014, p. 7).
The solution to the ethical dilemma
An effective decision making model and an efficient code of ethics can help the agency’s HR managers make a sensible ethical decision. The decisions will be productive and justifiable. HR managers who make good ethical decisions are in a good position to market themselves as highly ethical professionals with great integrity (Harris, Sapienza & Bowie, 2009, p. 409).
One of the most effective models that can help to avert the above dilemma is the Fischer’s model for ethical decision making (Fischer, 2000). Dr. Marilyn Fischer explains that in order to make a good ethical decision a good question has to be asked.
The first step to take when making decisions is to identify the problem. Problem identification must consider three significant areas. The three areas include: the mission of the organization, the relationships among the colleagues and other stakeholders, and the level of personal integrity.
The mission of the organization should be considered in order to make sure that the decisions that are made do not violate the overall mission of the organization (Fischer, 2000, p. 13). It is also important to note how the decision made is going to affect the status of relationships that exist among the employees or between the aggrieved parties and the HR managers, or between the organization and the members of the society.
Lastly, it is very important to consider how the decision is going to impact on the individual’s personal integrity, for instance, whether it will lower or raise the integrity of the parties invloved (Fischer, 2000, p. 13). Fischer’s model of ethical decision making further implies that when making ethical decisions, an individual will always be guided by the culture of the business, the ethical codes that govern the business, the morals and the values of the business.
When the views of all the stakeholders are put into consideration, it becomes easier to make the best decision that will be highly welcomed by everybody (Fischer, 2000, p. 14). Decision making through Fischer’s model is very flexible in that it allows for mistakes.
However, the mistakes are only allowed after paying attention to the three areas, namely: the mission of the organization, the relationships among the employees, and the level of personal integrity. This is because it is easy to correct the mistakes and choose the right decision from many alternatives (Fischer, 2000, p. 13). Furthermore, ethical decision making is mainly influenced by the business environment.
For this reason, the decisions always change with the changing business environment. In addition, the ethical decisions vary from one kind of business to another. For instance, the kind of ethical decisions that are made in the healthcare sector is different from the decisions that are made the banking sector.
As already been mentioned, the ability to make the ethical decisions does not automatically stem from the desire to make the ethical decisions. This means that ethical decision making is a spontaneous affair rather than a planned one (Fischer, 2000, p. 13).
The alternative solution to the dilemma
The dilemma can also be handled through a comprehensive conflict management program. The agency needs to look beyond the conventional conflict management programs and code of ethics. The programs can be customized for specific healthcare institutions. One of such programs is the REDRESS program.
REDRESS is an abbreviation for Resolving Employment Disputes and Reaching an Equitable Solution Swiftly. The REDRESS program originated from the postal staff in Northern Florida. The program is aimed at managing disputes in a more effective and prompt manner. The program is currently gaining popularity across different sectors (Craig, 2009).
The recommended solution to the dilemma
The problem of neutrality and impartiality can be best tackled by a model that merges the elements of Fischer’s model and REDRESS program. Fischer’s model will ensure that the three critical areas in ethical decision making are incorporated into the model.
The three areas include: the mission of the organization, the relationships among the colleagues and other stakeholders, and the level of personal integrity. At the same time, the REDRESS program will ensure that neutral and impartial solution is reached promptly.
Conclusion
Conflicts within the work environment are very common. They are caused by both internal and external factors. Well managed conflicts act as a medium for change and may have a positive effect on employees.
On the contrary, if conflicts are not managed well, they may have a negative impact on job performance and employee satisfaction. In the health sector, the performance and conduct of the employees are very important since they have an impact on the patient’s health and lives.
For this reason, prudent management of conflict is very crucial. Like many other organizations and institutions in the US, conflict management in the Florida Department of Health is handled by the HR department.
The agency has an ethical code that guides conflict resolution. However, the agency’s code does not guarantee fairness and justice. The agency’s conflict resolution process often suffers from the problem of neutrality and impartiality.
According to the conventional mediation standards, individuals leading the mediation process should have no relationship or vested interests with the parties in question. This cannot be achieved when the HR managers or staffs are the mediators. The problem of neutrality and impartiality can be best tackled by a model that merges the elements of Fischer’s model and REDRESS program.
References
American Health Lawyers Association. (2010). Conflict Management Toolkit . Web.
Chau, L. L., & Siu, W. (2000).Ethical decision-making in corporate entrepreneurial organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 23 (4), 365-375.
Classen, R., & Reiner, D. (2005). Conflict, Collaboration and Change . Fresno, California: Centre for Peacekeeping and Conflict Studies.
Craig, D. J. (2009). Conflict Management in Healthcare: Transforming Conflict into Better Patient Care . Web.
Gramberg, B., & Teicher, J. (2005). Managing Neutrality and impartiality in workplace conflict resolution: The dilemma of the HR Manager. Working Paper 57/05.
Fischer, M. (2000). Ethical Decision Making in Fundraising . New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Florida Department of Health . (2014). Florida Department of Health: About us . Web.
Harris, J. D., Sapienza, H. J., & Bowie, N. E. (2009). Ethics and entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 24 (5), 407-418.
Hartman, L. P., & Desjardins, J. (2014). Business Ethics, Decision-Making for Personal Integrity and Social Responsibility (3 rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Harvey, E., & Ventura, S. (2005). What to do when conflict happens . Flower Mound, Texas: The Walk the Talk Company.
Maldonado, T. M. (2012). Managing Conflict from the Heart: Healthcare Leaders’ Approaches in Transforming Conflict in Better Patient Care (Master’s Thesis. Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, California).
Rachels, J., Rachels, S. (2010). The Elements of Moral Philosophy (6 th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Schyve, P. M. (2009). Leadership in healthcare organizations; A guide to joint commission leadership standards . Web.
Vickers, M. R. (2005). Business Ethics and the HR Role Past, Present and Future HR. Human Resource Planning, 28 (1), 26-32.
Warnick, S. (1993). HR doesn’t have to be a paradox. Personnel Journal, 72 (4), 30-34.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The text discusses how time constraints often get in the way of the continuing education practices of adult students. It also talks about how online e-learning courses have been attempted as a solution to this issue, but they have not been successful in completely resolving the problem. | The text discusses how time constraints often get in the way of the continuing education practices of adult students. It also talks about how online e-learning courses have been attempted as a solution to this issue, but they have not been successful in completely resolving the problem. | Consolidated Model for Teaching Adults Qualitative Research
As indicated in the previous section, time constraints brought on through extenuating factors such as family and work often get in the way of the continuing education practices of adult students. Not only that, a certain level of disengagement occurs as a direct result of such a constraint resulting in an increasingly lower level of student participation, which leads to an eventual withdrawal from the course.
One attempt in which various academic institutions have attempted to address this issue has been through online e-learning courses. This model of learning address the issue of time constraints as well as the issue of cost in continuing one’s education by having all the necessary course materials being placed online and having the students take up course modules at a more convenient location and pace (i.e., at home and at night when they get home from work).
This creates a greater degree of autonomy and freedom on the part of adult students, wherein they are better able to incorporate continuing education into their work-life balance. While this educational model may seem to have resolved the time constraint issue, this is far from the case. As explained in the preview section of this paper, adults utilizing online e-learning courses still suffer from the same time constraints identified in the more traditional continuing education setting.
This can encompass situations such as having to work on a report for work, being too tired from work to read through the necessary course material as well as having to contend both with deadlines set by the online teacher and those by their company. It should also be noted that studies such as those by Cordie, Wilke & Medina (2008) have identified that adult learners at times have a negative view in regards to online e-learning courses (Cordie, Wilke & Medina, 2008).
Cordie, Wilke & Medina (2008) explains this by stating that some adult students are merely so used to the traditional face to face setting of teaching that when presented with the lack of a “familiar face” in online courses, they tend to develop a certain degree of disengagement and lack of interest in the course material. Such aspects in adult education have been covered in the preview section of this study; however, there are two essential aspects that were missing, namely: changes in information internalization by present-day adult learners as well as a lack in sufficient compartmentalization.
Information internalization refers to the manner in which students are able to learn based on differences in demographics. Studies such as Conte (2012) show that adult learners simply find it easier to adapt to the face to face educational setting since this is what they are used to (Conte, 2012). Unfortunately, this brings up the issue of time constraints once again since a large percentage of adult students at the present simply cannot combine continued education utilizing face to face interaction with external constraints such as work and their family.
However, studies such as Cruce & Hillman (2012) have also shown that the current predilection of information to be supplied in short, easy to read blurbs and articles has also impacted adult learning (Cruce & Hillman, 2012). Cruce & Hillman (2012) explains that adults at the present have a prediction towards learning and internalizing small articles of information in large amounts as compared to large articles of information in small amounts.
This is a direct result of the impact of the internet and social media, which significantly affected the manner in which news and information are being presented and how people are now used to and prefer this method of information internalization. Unfortunately, online methods of education fail to take this into consideration and present adult learners with long sets of text to internalize.
This creates a considerable degree of discouragement on their part since not only is the teaching method different from the face to face interactions that they are used to but the manner in which they are asked to study is different from the way in which they internalize information at the present which predominantly consists of plentiful but short pieces of information.
This is where the concept of compartmentalization enters into the picture; as described by Jordan (2012), compartmentalization involves having to “chop up lessons” so to speak in a manner that can be easily internalized. While this has been implemented to a certain degree in various online courses, the manner in which this has been accomplished is insufficient compared to the time constraints and method of learning that is suitable for adult learners (Jordan, 2012).
It is based on this that the Consolidated Model for Teaching Adults will incorporate the current Coursera model of online teaching with a greater degree of subject compartmentalization so as to create a teaching model that is easily internalized in “bite sizes pieces” with a means of measuring progression being incorporated into the teaching approach.
The Coursera teaching model can be seen in use on coursera.com, which is a recently popularized online learning portal where students can take up a wide variety of University courses for free. This teaching model has resolved the discomfort of adult students in the lack of face to face teaching from teachers by providing pre-recorded video-based teaching sessions wherein the students can clearly see the teacher’s face and creates the “feel” of a face to face lesson.
Not only that, through the implementation of student forums on each course, adult students are able to get a similar (albeit digital) form of social interaction with not only the teacher but with other students who are taking up the course as well. Combined with having all the lesson material being made available online as well as the videos that can be watched whenever it is convenient for the student, the Coursera teaching model has seemingly helped to resolve a lot of the problems related to continuing education among adults.
The one factor though that is missing from the Coursera teaching model is a lack of sufficient compartmentalization. This is where the Consolidated Model for Teaching Adults will differ itself from the Coursera model. The COMTA model incorporates aspects of the Coursera model involving the use of videos to simulate face to face teaching, the implementation of a forum for students and the teacher to enable the exchange of concepts and ideas as well as having all aspects of the lesson online.
However, one significant difference would be that lessons will be compartmentalized into short, easy to internalize segments that are no longer than 5 to 10 minutes in length with readings that have been cut to ensure only the more relevant sections are present. Each reading should reach a length that can be finished in 5 minutes as well. On the side of each lesson will be a progression bar showing how much the student has accomplished.
By implementing this particular method, adult learners are thus able to quickly incorporate lesson ideas and concepts while at the same time, measure the amount that they have accomplished relative to the rest of the course. The last and most important aspect is the removal of time constraints on the lessons. The one advantage of Coursera over other teaching models is the use of peer review wherein students who are taking the short course will be evaluators of the papers and submitted work of their fellow students.
By incorporating this aspect into the course model and implementing automatic online quizzes at certain junctures of the lesson that can be taken at anytime, this enables adult learners to take a course at their leisure since it will be other students that will evaluate their work and, as a result, the same time constraints that limit other online courses will not be present.
The most important aspect that should be remembered is that once time constraints, inconvenience and the inability to provide a face to face experience has been addressed, this would enable adult learners to be more encouraged to take up and finish a continuing education program. Thus, the COMTA model with its emphasis on automated processes, compartmentalized teaching, forum conversations and no paper deadlines would resolve the problems of adult learners when it comes to learning in an easy and convenient fashion.
Utilizing a Qualitative Research Methodology
What is Qualitative Research?
Merriam (2009) in her book “Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation” explains that qualitative research is a type of exploratory research than in that it tries to examine and explain particular aspects of a scenario through an in-depth method of examination (Merriam 2009, 3-21). While it is applicable to numerous disciplines, it is normally applied to instances which attempt to explain human behavior and the varying factors that influence and govern such behaviors into forming what they are at the present (Merriam 2009, 3-21).
Thus, it can be stated that qualitative research focuses more on exploring various aspects of an issue, developing an understanding of phenomena within an appropriate context and answering questions inherent to the issue being examined. This makes it an ideal research method to be utilized in this study since it would enable the researcher to examine the differing needs of adult learners in both face-to-face and e-learning.
The following are the possible qualitative research methods that will be utilized in this study:
Narrative Analysis
Based on an examination of the types of qualitative studies by Merriam (2009), one possible approach that could be pursued is the use of a narrative analysis in presenting information to readers. Merriam (2009) states that a narrative analysis is actually one of the oldest methods of analysis that makes use of experiences and methods of communication with others in order to better understand the various facets of particular situations and external events (Merriam 2009, 32-50).
As explained by Merriam (2009) this method of qualitative analysis utilizes a variety of methods of examination, not limited to biological, psychological, or linguistic approaches and, as such, can utilize several different perspectives in order to explain a particular issue (Merriam 2009, pp. 33-50). Such an approach can be seen in the case of the article “Beyond Content: How Teachers Manage Classrooms to Facilitate Intellectual Engagement for Disengaged Students” wherein Schussler (2009) interspaces her views with that of the student’s utilized in the study in order to identify specific problems in intellectual engagement and what could possibly be done to resolve them (Schussler 2009, pp. 114-121).
Document Analysis
Despite the effective methodology shown by the Schussler (2005) study, another possible method of qualitative research would be to rely almost entirely on document analysis. As explained by Merriam (2009), a research study that relies almost entirely on academic literature without other methods of external data collection runs the risk of being confined primarily to the results exhibited by the research studies utilized (Merriam 2009, pp 135-165).
This can result in a study that is severely constrained in terms of the number of factors that it is capable of encompassing, especially in situations where the research subject that is being examined is focused on a narrowly specific topic (Merriam 2009, pp 135-165). On the other hand, relying purely on academic literature in order to investigate a particular study does have its advantages since it reduces the amount of time need during the initial stages of preliminary research and enables the research to more effectively justify the results presented by indicating that they had already been verified by previous researchers (Merriam 2009, pp 135-165).
Comparison between Narrative Analysis and Document Analysis
Merriam (2009) explains that narrative research combines direct quotes, views and perspectives from the research subject utilizing biological, psychological or linguistic approaches (though it can, of course, encompass even more approaches) and blends them with various types of academic sources in order to create a written output that is best described as an academic narrative since it seemingly seems to be an elaboration on the experiences of those writing and those being examined (Merriam 2009, pp 32-100).
It is somewhat of an informal method of presentation; however, it is an ideal method if the purpose of the research is to showcase the views and experiences of both the author and the research subjects through the lens of a variety of academic methods of examination (Merriam 2009, pp 32-100). Considering this study’s focus on differing learning methods (face to face and online studies) and adult learners, this in effect makes a narrative analysis an ideal method of examination since it will utilize the perspective of adult students to answer the research questions of the study.
In comparison, when looking at chapter 7 of her book, Merriam (2009) elaborates on document-based research by stating that document-based methods of analysis primarily concerns itself with an examination of various academic texts in order to draw conclusions on a particular topic (Merriam 2009, pp 139-165).
While each method of analysis does have its own level of strengths such as in the case of a narrative analysis that enables a researcher to utilize learning and adaptation approaches in order to examine various types of data, it should be noted that a document analysis is far easier to do and has a higher degree of academic veracity as compared to narrative-based research which can often result in mistaken conclusions (Merriam 2009, pp 32-165).
Use of Narrative and Document Analysis
After examining the pros and cons of using either narrative or document analysis in this study, it was decided that using both approaches would be the best way of addressing all the issues of the study. Document analysis will be able to help combine the information from various academic sources into a cohesive whole while narrative analysis will address the perspectives of the adult students.
Theoretical Framework
Introduction
This section elaborates on the use of attribution theory as the primary framework of examination utilized by the researcher in order to check the information gathered through narrative and document analysis. This theory was chosen due to its ability to examine the opinions of the adult learners in order to properly interpret the data and create viable solutions and recommendations.
Attribution Theory
Attribution theory centers around the derived assumption of a particular individual/group of people regarding a particular process, product or service based on their experience with it. It is often used as means of investigating consumer opinions regarding a particular product and to determine the level of satisfaction derived from its use. By utilizing this particular theory as the framework for this study, the researcher will be able to correlate the opinions of adult students regarding their current learning experiences.
This particular theoretical framework helps to address the research objective involving different needs and if any relationship exists with the differences found between online and f2f modes of learning. Utilizing attribution theory, the research will design the investigation in such a way that it delves into the opinions of the adult learners in order to better understand what factors affect their learning experience at the present.
The needed information will be extracted through a carefully designed set of questions whose aim is to determine how a particular student’s experience with a teaching method (i.e., f2f or online) affects the way in which they are able to manage time, internalize the subject material and finish the course. However, it should be noted that while attribution theory is an excellent means of examining the opinions of interviewees, it is an inadequate framework when it comes to determining the origin of problems in certain cases.
Reference List
Conte, N. (2012). First-time-users’ impressions of continuing education using the internet. Quality Assurance In Education: An International Perspective, 20 (4), 372-386.
Cordie, A., Wilke, R., & Medina, A. (2008). Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Online Course, Making EE Relevant for Diverse Audiences. Conference Papers — North American Association Of Environmental Education , 1.
Cruce, T., & Hillman, N. (2012). Preparing for the Silver Tsunami: The Demand for Higher Education Among Older Adults. Research In Higher Education, 53 (6), 593-613.
Jordan, S. (2012). Student engagement with assessment and feedback: Some lessons from short-answer free-text e-assessment questions. Computers & Education, 58 (2), 818-834.
Merriam, S. (2009). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation, John Wiley & Sons.
Schussler, D. (2009). Beyond Content: How Teachers Manage Classrooms to Facilitate Intellectual Engagement for Disengaged Students. Theory Into Practice 48 (2), 114-121.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The essay examines the definition of constructivism in international relations, and how it challenges realism and liberalism. It also discusses the strands of constructivism and how they challenge realism thinking in the field of international relations. |
The essay examines the definition of constructivism in international relations, and how it challenges realism and liberalism. It also discusses the strands of constructivism and how they challenge realism thinking in the field of international relations. | Constructivism Definition Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Interests and identities
3. Levels of constructivism
4. Strands of constructivism
5. Challenging realism and liberalism
6. Critique of constructivism
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
9. Footnotes
Introduction
In the field of international relations, constructivism stands for the belief that crucial features of international relations are collectively and historically conditional, rather than predictable effects of human nature and other vital elements of world politics. Nicholas Onuf came up with the term “constructivism” to represent theories that emphasize on the socially constructed nature of international relations.
Theorists like “Nicholas Onuf, Richard Ashley, John Ruggie, and Friedrich Kratochwil contributed greatly to the development of the modern constructivist theory”. 1 However, Alexander Wendit is renowned for his work in promoting social constructivism in the area of international relations.
Constructivism mainly tries to show how vital elements of international relations are socially constructed as opposed to the suppositions of Neoliberalism and Neorealism. In other words, constructivism attempts to show how interactions and some enduring processes of societal practices shape the elements of international relations.
Alexander Wendit posits that the constitutions of human interactions are determined mainly by collective dreams and not by material forces. Moreover, he claims that nature does not give birth to the interests and identities of purposive actors. Wendit asserts that these interests and identities are hatched by mutual dreams.
Interests and identities
As constructivists oppose the findings made by Neorealists on how anarchy contributes to the actions that international actors portray, they try as much as possible to distance themselves from the neorealism’s primary materialism. Constructivists believe that the essentials of self-help system barely preside over the international actors. 2
Hence, to analyze and understand how international actors behave, it is imperative to put into consideration their interests and identities. Just like the state of the international systems, “constructivists perceive such interests and identities as not dispassionately entrenched in material forces (like dictates of human temperament that fortify Classical Realism)”. 3
Instead, they believe that such interests and identities hinge on dreams and collective constructions of such dreams. In other words, “the significances of objects, actors, and ideas all emanate from social interaction.” 4
Martha Finnemore has played a critical role in determining how global organizations contribute to the courses of the collective construction of actor’s insights of their interests.
In her book, National Interests in International Society , Finnemore tries “to come up with a general approach to learning state behavior and state interests by scrutinizing a global structure, not of influence, but of social value and meaning.” 5 Martha claims that interests are widely created through social relations and they are never out there waiting for the actors to discover them.
Levels of constructivism
Constructivism can be perceived under two levels. The first level is the individual inner state level. Mainly, constructivism focuses on the inner qualities of particular states and communities to their possible behavior as well as interests. All constructivists concur that national interests are tricky. Unlike in realism, constructivism does not take state interests for granted.
Constructivism does not rule out that state’s interests might be materialistic in nature. However, it posits that the interests do not necessary have to be materialistic and may emanate from cultural values. Constructivism and liberal theories relate to a certain degree. Nonetheless, constructivism is the source of all theories that focus on cultural and other perception-based variations between countries.
In a bid to understand constructivism, one ought to have a clear understanding of rationality. Rationality is a comparative occurrence in constructivism. What may appear irrational to one state may be rational to another country. Rationality depends on “how different communities or countries perceive their ends and approaches to employ in realizing those ends.” 6
Where culture is the foundation of approaches and ends, then it is possible to witness very diverse thoughts of “rationality” across the globe. In addition, there are two types of rationality. In most cases, people submit to the instrumental rationality, which stresses on the sound harmonization of approaches and ends. This type of rationality overlooks the material interests, such as self-preservation.
According to Max Weber, another type of rationality focuses on values. Weber calls this type of rationality “the “value-rational” behavior and it delves on ideas, norms, and values.” 7 The rationality may be individual, physical, and material well-being in the chase for a higher objective.
For instance, one may end up dying in the hands of the riot police during a protest, and the outcome perceived as value-rational since it meets the individual’s objective of achieving liberty or fairness for his or her people. Looking at the same incidence from the instrumentally rational dimension, the incidence may appear irrational.
Value-rational practices of an individual may appear instrumentally rational to another individual or group of individuals, like if people use a demonstration as an avenue to oust a repressive regime. At times, it may be hard to come up with a clear distinction between the two forms of rationality.
The second level on which constructivism “operates on is the systemic or structural level.” 8 At this level, scholars like Wendt claim that countries partake in social relations that develop meaning regardless of the prevailing material environment.
For instance, “the United States engages in a very diverse social relationship with France and the Great Britain relative to Iran and North Korea…these social relationships allow the United States to see the intentions by Britain and France to come up with nuclear weapons as less harmful relative to the intentions by Iran and North Korea.” 9
Realists would claim that the United States ought to respond uniformly to the intentions by all these countries to come up with nuclear weapons. Wendt claims that the establishment of inter-subjective understanding and meaning determines if the countries in question are in a cooperative or contentious relationship.
Hence, at the systemic level of constructivism, the prevailing relationships amongst countries and communities generate interests and opinions.
Strands of constructivism
There are numerous strands of constructivism, which range from those that emphasize on interpretative character of social science and turndown scientific-model of theorizing to those that accommodate the use of experimental theoretical insights in coming up with explanations for international relations.
Largely speaking, as an extensively debated theory of international relations, constructivism has been split into two major strands, viz. the European and the North American strands. 10 The two strands differ mainly because of the questions asked in the effort to understand international relations and the approach they use in answering these questions.
The North American strand stresses on the role of identities and social norms in molding international relations and shaping the results of foreign policy. 11
Intellectuals that seek to understand contributory relationships and mechanisms between norms, actors, identity, and interests follow this strand of constructivism. Theorists like Alexander Wendt, Nicholas Onuf, Emanuel Adler, and John Ruggie fall under this strand. This strand underlines the conventional constructivism in the United States.
On the other hand, the European strand focuses significantly on the role of language, social discourse, and linguistic constructions in establishing social reality.
Scholars that are mainly interpretivists dominate this strand. These scholars are not concerned with understanding the effects and causes of changes in identity as the conventional constructivist. 12 Instead, they focus on investigating the chances of prospects for such changes as well as the factors that lead to the changes using inductive research methods. Theorists like Ted Hopf and Freidrich Kratochwil fall under this strand. 13
From a different dimension, constructivism, as developed during the 1990s, has been split into three distinct forms. These forms include holistic, systemic, and unit-level. Alexander Wendt’s writings exemplify systemic constructivism. The writings mainly focus on the relationship between single state players.
They focus on what happens between the players rather than what happens within the players. Systemic constructivism is believed to distance itself from countries’ home politicking and its function in molding or changing their interests and identities. 14 On the other hand, unit-level constructivism is the antithesis of systemic constructivism.
Peter Katzenstein reinforces the ideas of unit-level constructivist theory. Unit-level constructivism delves on the countries’ home political kingdom. In other words, it focuses on the interactions between domestic lawful and common norms, and interests and identities of countries, and thus their state security policies.
Holistic constructivists “come at the meeting point of unit-level and systemic constructivism.” 15 This form of constructivism attempts to bridge the rift between domestic and international norms by explaining how national interests and identities are established.
Friedrich and Ruggie’s writings epitomize holistic constructivism, which underscores the constructivism form that seeks to bring together the locally established communal identities of nations and their globally driven collective identities. In so doing, it tries to establish a cohesive analytical system that perceives local and global as two facades of a solitary political and social order.
Eventually, among the different strands of constructivism that focus on international relations from nuanced dimensions and thus upholding conflicting directions, the constructivist theories of Richard Lebow deserve due thought. Portraying a naturally cultural and psychological consideration on global politics, Lebow comes up with a culture-based theory of international relations. 16
He develops his theory based on hypothetical formulations of key human intentions and identity establishments. He categorizes these intentions and identity establishments as appetite, reason, spirit, and fear. Moreover, he comes up with a political paradigm that attempts to describe the varied modes of political organization and governance.
The model attempts to explain the varied modes of governance and political order dating from the primordial Greece to the recent Iraq war.
Challenging realism and liberalism
During the constructivism seminal period, neorealism was the principal talk of international relations. Hence, most of the constructivism’s initial hypothetical works focused on taxing particular fundamental neorealist suppositions. Neorealists are causative structuralists.
This assertion implies that they believe in the notion that most of the critical content of global politics is elucidated by the construction of global systems, an assumption that was first coined by Kenneth Waltz. In particular, international politics aspects are mainly subject to the anarchy that is prevalent in the international system. International system is short of dominant authority.
Instead, it comprises of numerous autonomous states. 17 According to neorealists, such a system compels countries to behave in definite ways. The countries in question can turn to no one, in particular, to guarantee them of their state security.
The manner in which anarchy compels them to adopt certain behaviors in an attempt to maintain their state security it elucidates most of the international relations, according to neorealists. Due to this aspect, neorealists are predisposed to taking no notice of elucidations of international relations at the state or unit level.
Constructivism as one of the social theories stresses on the collective construction of global affairs contrary to the claims by Neorealist that resolutions or behaviors of egoist actors influence and shape international politics. According to neorealists, egoistic actors use utilitarian calculations to follow their interests in an effort to cut down on their losses and maximize on their profits. 18
Consequently, realists believe that international relations are materialistic in nature as parties attempt to benefit materially from these interactions.
Even though some intellectuals claim that constructivism is gradually establishing a novel convention in the international relations theory, it still stands out as one of the authentic major alternative to international relation theories that are conventionally entrenched like neoliberalism and neorealism.
Moreover, constructivism is one of the unique approaches to international relations that emphasize on the ideational, intersubjective, and social feature of global politics. The main hypothesis of constructivism is that the global system is collectively constructed, which implies that the international system entails the ways in which people relate with each other as well as how they think.
Constructivism challenges realism, which claims that international relations depend on national security and material things. Moreover, constructivism challenges liberal internationalism, which exposes the mutuality of global actors and their actions within institutional boundaries.
Wendt uses the concept of intersubjective meaning to elucidate the relationship amongst countries. Nevertheless, the concept’s application is not restricted to arcane debate of international relations theory. In spite of the intersubjective meaning coming out as a threatening intellectual term, its meaning is rather insightful and straightforward.
It refers to “mutual understanding and the credence about importance, meaning, and temperament of things” 19 . Intersubjective meaning may be shared among numerous parties. Individuals encounter intersubjective meaning in their day-to-day activities. An intimate relationship between lovers is one of the best examples of intersubjective meaning.
“Passionate meaning and ideas imbue the relationship between lovers, for identities to change, the actors ought to continually reconstruct and update the intersubjective meaning.” 20 Based on Wendt’s hypothetical perspective, countries initiate their relationships with a plain slate.
At the beginning, nothing prompts them to collaboration or to variance. 21 The starting relations are crucial, as they are responsible for establishing the intersubjective meaning between the involved states. 22
For the interaction between the United States and Iran, one may assert that the intersubjective meaning was set on a negative path when Iran surfaced from the uproar of the massive uprising in 1978. The Image that Iranians had towards the Western imperialism led to the establishment of a country that was against everything attributed to the United States and the West in general.
Constructivism perceives international relations as a subject of relation that is molded by the participants’ actions and identities. Moreover, it sees international relations as controlled by persistently changing prescriptive institutional structures.
Unlike realism, constructivism holds that national goals like economic development and ontological security, which are materialistic in nature and immaterial goals like standing and international recognition are engendered by their collective corporate identities or by how they perceive themselves relative to other participants in the global community. 23
In situations where liberalists and realists perceive international players as intrinsically pre-social “atomistic egotist” whose interests are established “before social relation” and who instigate such a relation exclusively for material benefit and “deliberate purpose,” for constructivists players are inherently “collective” beings whose interests and identities are the outcomes of inter-subjective social configurations.
In disputing the claim that the international relations configurations are collectively established, the constructivist theory challenges the rationalist and materialist support of the traditional mainstream international relations theory.
Constructivism theory (which has varied foci and forms and thus some people view it as an approach to the analysis of global politics) posits that these configurations influence players’ interests and identities instead of just their behavior. 24
The disparagement between constructivists and neorealists’ points of view is principally resulting from their views of the temperament of configuration. In simple terms, while neorealists perceive universal configurations as made entirely of distribution of material capacities, the constructivists maintain that they also comprise collective relations that are themselves established by three features.
These features are actions, material resources, and mutual knowledge. This aspect underlines the reason why “constructivist theorists promote a sociological structuralism and vehemently oppose micro-economic structuralism.” 25
What constructivists imply by social construction of the global politics is that it is established through a course of contact between states, individuals, and non-state players and the configuration of their wider environment. In other words, constructivists believe that international relations come because of a collective constitution between configurations and participants.
According to neorealists, anarchy is one of the determining factors of international relations. They posit that anarchy makes conflict and competition eternal strong promises, and hence the international relations a further conflictual than diplomatic environment. 26
On the other hand, constructivists believe that anarchy alone is insignificant since it can hardly result in a prearranged condition of associations among the state players. Instead, what makes sense for constructivists is that anarchy may lead to the establishment of varied social configurations and arrangements and conflictual and cooperative environments based on the players collective identities.
Wendt posits that anarchy depends on what the public makes out of it. He posits, “The state of global anarchy seems to be conflictual if countries portray a conflictual attitude towards one another and it appears cooperative if countries cooperate with one another.” 27 Consequently, based on Wendt’s postulation, one may claim that there is no pre-established nature of global anarchy.
Instead, the involved nations establish the prevailing nature of global anarchy based on how they relate with one another. Therefore, with such a perception in mind, one ought to focus on the actions of the involved states, which on the other hand depend on their interests and identities to have a clear picture of what constitutes cooperation and conflict in international relations.
Following the constructivist believe in variable character and the anarchy debate, constructivism maintains the perception that nations’ interests and identities in international relations are also prone to change. Just as “anarchy is short of a constant nature and is subject to players’ interests and identities, interests and identities are also short of such stability and fixity and are subject to states’ practices and actions.” 28
Constructivists do not underrate the role anarchy that plays in international relations. Hence, they attribute the nature of a collection of states to the inevitable requirements of anarchy.
Nevertheless, what is of great significance to them is to learn how the roles that some states play in international relations help in addressing the challenges of national interests and identities. With palpable focus on, and proclivity towards the sociality of global politics, constructivism relative to neorealism rests appropriate weight on collective interactions in the global system.
More appreciably, the connotation of material capacities in language of influence hinges on the foundation of social relations and mutual understandings. This aspect implies that mutual understandings give meaning to social relations. Constructivists maintain that the reality of the global system is not distinctive from the “human ideas” of it and socio-cultural perspectives of international relations.
They castigate international relations theorists that are science-oriented since they overlook critical sociological aspects. According to the constructivists, “social configurations that are neither unchanging nor fixed mold the preferences and identities of global actors.” 29
Critique of constructivism
Constructivism exhibits shows some strong aspects. It offers a hypothetical platform for cultural elucidation of global politics. It elucidates why a country may be in a good relationship with one state and be in a bad relationship with another in the absence of the loyal material veracity of the world.
Moreover, constructivism facilitates in the explanation of the noticeable distinctions in actions and attitudes across various countries and communities including actions that may appear irrational. 30 Nevertheless, constructivism has some flaws. It hardly gives adequate authority to the material veracities of the world. Systemic constructivism is ill-fitted to tackle ambiguity.
Realism would propose that a country that assumes a constructivist point of view towards the world is inexperienced. A country may befriend the other with intentions to benefit from it when the right time comes. Today, the primary issue is to determine if nations can address uncertainty, anarchy, security challenges, and base interactions without turning to material considerations.
Conclusion
Constructivism’s significant and wide-ranging sway, which was mostly palpable in 1990s and early 2000s, possibly emanates from the fact that all that constructivism states appear as reasonable arguments. Constructivism’s insights apply to personal encounters in life. Individuals’ interests and identities keep on changing with time.
For this reason, “countries perceive the global environment as a cooperative or conflictual aspect”. 31 Constructivism’s stress on the agential capability of countries in making global systems and influencing its path allows it to evade the snare of determinism into which most of the conservative international relations theories fall.
Moreover, “constructivism establishes a bridge between neoliberalist perceptions and neorealist ideas by analyzing the temperament of global anarchy based on practices and decisions made by different countries”. 32 Repeating Weber’s sentiments, one may assert that constructivism offers something for everyone.
Nevertheless, this does not imply that the constructivist theories that focus on international relations do not have flaws.
Poststructuralists, for instance, focus on its “state-centrism” and claim that constructivism, especially the conventional strand, falls into a similar snare like the one it claims that neorealism falls into in its arguments, 33 viz. while neorealists regard and adopt the organization of global anarchy; constructivists regard and adopt the state itself.
Bibliography
Adler, Emanuel. “Seizing the Middle Ground: Constructivism in World Politics.” European Journal of International Relations 3, no. 3 (1997): 319-363.
Checkel, Jeffrey. “Social Constructivisms in Global and European Politics.” Review of International Studies 30, no.1 (2004): 128-136.
Finnemore, Martha. National Interests in International Society . New York: Cornell University Press, 1996.
Guzzini, Stefano. “A Reconstruction of Constructivism in International Relations.” European Journal of International Relations 6, no. 2 (2000): 147-182.
Jackson, Patrick. “Bridging the Gap: Towards a Realist-Constructivist Dialogue.” International Studies Review 6, (2004): 337-352.
Moravscik, Andrew. “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics.” International Organization 51, no. 3 (1997): 134-158.
Pouliot, Vincent. “The Logic of Practicality: A Theory of Practice of Security Communities.” International Organization 62, no. 1 (2008): 76-92.
Ruggie, John. “What Makes the World Hang Together? Neo-utilitarianism and the Social Constructivist Challenge.” International Organization (CUP) 52, no. 4 (1998): 855.
Searle, John. Mind, Language and Society: Philosophy in the Real World . New York: Basic Books, 1998.
Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy is What States Make of It: the Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization 46, no. 2 (1992): 399–403.
Footnotes
1 Emanuel Adler, “Seizing the Middle Ground: Constructivism in World Politics,” European Journal of International Relations 3, no. 3 (1997): 335.
2 Stefano, Guzzini, “A Reconstruction of Constructivism in International Relations,” European Journal of International Relations 6, no. 2 (2000): 176.
3 Adler, p.336.
4 Ibid
5 Martha Finnemore, National Interests in International Society (New York: Cornell University Press, 1996), 34.
6 Guzzini, p.149.
7 Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, “Bridging the Gap: Towards a Realist-Constructivist Dialogue,” International Studies Review 6, (2004): 337-348.
8 Adler, p.347.
9 Adler, p. 345.
10 Jeffrey Checkel, “Social Constructivisms in Global and European Politics,” Review of International Studies 30, no.1 (2004): 131.
11 Andrew Moravscik, “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,” International Organization 51, no. 3 (1997): 141.
12 Vincent Pouliot, “The Logic of Practicality: A Theory of Practice of Security Communities,” International Organization 62, no. 1 (2008): 78.
13 Guzzini, p.162.
14 Finnemore, p.37
15 Ibid, p.48.
16 Jackson, p. 342
17 John Ruggie, “What Makes the World Hang Together? Neo-utilitarianism and the Social Constructivist Challenge,” International Organization (CUP) 52, no. 4 (1998): 855.
18 John Searle, Mind, Language and Society: Philosophy in the Real World (New York: Basic Books, 1998), 123.
19 Jackson, p.349.
20 Ibdi, p.349
21 Adler, p.362.
22 Alexander Wendt, “Anarchy is What States Make of It: the Social Construction of Power Politics,” International Organization 46, no. 2 (1992): 401.
23 Guzzini, p.176.
24 Pouliot, p. 83.
25 Ruggie, p. 859
26 Guzzini, p.177
27 Wendt, p.403
28 Searle, p.127
29 Adler, p. 360
30 Moravscik, p.158.
31 Checkel, p.136.
32 Ibdi, p.139.
33 Wendt, p. 400.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The essay provides an analysis of the consumer needs and trends in the United Arab Emirates by examining the various market surveys that have been conducted in an attempt to assess the demand for banana puree. The results of the survey indicate that there is a high demand for banana puree in the UAE, which can be attributed to the fact that the country has a cosmopolitan population with consumers who value high lifestyle. | The essay provides an analysis of the consumer needs and trends in the United Arab Emirates by examining the various market surveys that have been conducted in an attempt to assess the demand for banana puree. The results of the survey indicate that there is a high demand for banana puree in the UAE, which can be attributed to the fact that the country has a cosmopolitan population with consumers who value high lifestyle. | Consumer Needs for the Banana Puree in the UAE Report (Assessment)
Introduction
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is currently a cosmopolitan region with consumers who value high lifestyle. This set of circumstances has arisen from the increased revenue that is derived from oil export, excellent infrastructure, and vigorous workforce from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Various studies underpin the fact that the agricultural sector in the UAE only contributes to a minimal percentage of the revenue. The primary sources of revenue in the country dairy, poultry, seafood, and minimal production of fruits and vegetables. As a result, there are minimal food processing plants in the region.
Due to the limited foodstuff production in the region, there are amplified opportunities for foodstuff and beverage importation in the country. For instance, expanding tourism industry in the UAE has also escalated the demand for more agricultural products in the hotels and restaurants.
This essay provides an analysis of the consumer needs and trends in the United Arab Emirates by examining the various market surveys that have been conducted in an attempt to assess the demand for banana puree.
Marketing Strategy and Plan for a New Food Product in the UAE Market
Businesses that realize high sales volume and considerable competitive advantages have unique characteristics that revolve around the marketing strategies that are implemented.
According to Melotti, such strategies encompass crucial processes such as creation of customer value, business a situational analysis, and development of the product among others (72).
Creation of Customer Value
Various steps that will be conducted to ensure that a perfect value for customers is created are explained below.
Comprehension of Value Drivers for the Customers
The top management will engage both the middle and front line managements to conduct surveys with a view of understanding the viewpoints of the product’s new consumers. This research will entail talking to the consumers and observing their actions and behaviors towards the newly developed banana puree.
The data from the research conducted will be interpreted to ensure better understanding of consumer preferences and the opportunities that are available (Smith and Colgate 10).
Value Propositioning
Effective value propositioning ensures that consumers spend a lot of time acquiring more information about a company’s product. This practice is usually essential for the products of a company that is new in the market.
Value propositioning is understood as a promise of a quality value that will be delivered to consumers (Smith and Colgate 15). Value propositioning will be conducted to ensure customer relevancy and benefits. This process will also be used to inform the consumers about the uniqueness of the new food product.
The management will ensure that simple and correct business language is adopted in the survey with an aim of soliciting sufficient information on what the customers fell about the product (Huber, Herrmann, and Morgan 41).
Features that will be considered include images with simple explanations to provide more information about the product. Briefly, the feature will elaborate the benefits, target customers, and uniqueness of the product.
The cost of the product will be reasonable to capture a sizeable market in the UAE. It will be advertised through various media sources to ensure that information reaches many customers (Smith and Colgate 15).
Identification of customer segments where more values can be created with higher qualities compared to the competitors
Employees and the management will collaborate with consumers in the launch of the product to gather adequate information about their perceptions. The information will be used to compare the product with those of competitors in the market environment (Smith and Colgate 15).
Customer segmentation will then be accomplished by separation to identify those with specific needs. The features that will be considered include demographic, financial, geographical, and business information. This situation will lead the company to identification of the class of customers who will be targeted first.
Creation of Price
The management will establish a win-win price whereby the customers will get higher values of the product. Customers with perceptions of being offered greater values are projected to pay more for the new product (Smith and Colgate 17).
Investing in the Customers
The enterprise will invest immensely in the few loyal customers and segments that can be served with the required convenience to ensure higher returns (Smith and Colgate 16).
The Strategic Planning for the Market
According to Huber, Herrmann, and Morgan, a marketing plan is an organization’s blueprint that defines its marketing activities (41). It guides operations such as strategic planning and tactic points (Huber, Herrmann, and Morgan 41). The strategic planning that the company will embrace is market-oriented.
This position will be accomplished with an aim of getting more returns and ensure improved growth of the business. The strategic plan for the market will entail the following features.
Situation Analysis
The current market situation is favorable for the performance of the food product in the UAE. The market base is relatively broad. This set of circumstances will maintain low competition since there is little feasibility of similar products in the near future.
New market entrants in the food market are still minimal; hence, competition is almost non-existent (Bhuiyan 746). Examining the company’s technology, there is progressive innovation of various food products including the banana puree.
Replacement of old with new technology has minimized the errors that arose from using obsolete equipment in the production processes (Bhuiyan 746). The company’s profit feasibility has been done to ensure the progress of business activity in the market.
The current revenue margin is above the expected value. This situation guarantees successful introduction of the banana puree in the UAE market.
A SWOT analysis that has been conduct to determine the suitability of the business indicates that the strength of the product will be realized in direct sales to consumers. Another advantage will be the cost of the product that will be maintained at an affordable price.
Product responsiveness is also projected to be high amongst the consumers (Bhuiyan 746). Weaknesses that are currently experienced in the business environment include relatively increased workloads that are likely to affect the completion of the project adversely.
Therefore, employees will be overworked, a situation that can bring about dissatisfaction and increased turnover rates. Another issue that is being addressed is how to minimize the inventories in the company (Bhuiyan 748).
The opportunity that has been noted is the increased spending on foodstuffs among the consumers in the UAE. Such spending is an opportunity to venture into the business by introducing more foodstuffs in the market.
There is also amplified proliferation of knowledge on various agricultural foodstuffs among the consumers due to increased use of internet. Online platforms have created an opportunity to reach more consumers. This situation will ensure seizure of a larger market share (Huber, Herrmann, and Morgan 41).
Despite such advantages, the company’s primary threat is the developed companies that offer similar food products. As a result, the company has no alternative other than designing a unique product that surpasses the expectations of consumers.
Various aspects of sale forecasting that the management will embrace include feasible markets, technique of generating revenues, costs of operations, and estimation of demands (Huber, Herrmann, and Morgan 41).
Cost analysis will be conducted by focusing on the design and quality of the product, implementation of communication channels, and proper scheduling of processes. The identification of costs will be accomplished through cost estimation and quantification among other methods.
Developing the Market Strategies
Product
According to Bose, any item that is offered in a market for satisfying a consumer’s need is known as a product (510). Products are either tangible or intangible. Tangible products encompass physical goods. On the other hand, intangible products are services, experiences, events, and ideas among others.
The unavailability of banana purees in the UAE has created an opportunity to offer such products in the country. The product will be characterized by binding qualities such as excellent packaging that will use environmental friendly materials.
Packaging will also have detailed information about the convenience and usage of the products as well as the expiry date (Berthon et al. 261).
Pricing of the Product
Pricing of the new product will be based on various factors that include the costs of all expenses incurred during production, marketing, and advertisement. Another aspect that will be considered before estimating the price of the foodstuff is internet usage (Bose 510).
This exercise will enable the company to view the prices of the closest rival companies that offer similar products. Discounts, introductory offers, and coupons will also be taken into account to ensure that the consumers are successfully enticed.
This price will be determined to fall between the cost of production and consumers’ average bid. An example of pricing technique that will be used is the costs plus whereby the total costs of production will be calculated first. The price will then be added to the cost with an aim of establishing a reasonable profit percentage (Bose 510).
Distribution and Promotion Strategies (Market Mix)
Continuous advancement in technology in the UAE market has improved communication significantly.
The company has invested heavily in technology; hence, promotion of the product will be accomplished adequately through processes such as advertisement, public relations, direct and indirect sales, direct mails, sponsorship, and the company’s brand name (Berthon et al. 261).
Internet marketing techniques will be applied whereby online selling of the product will be done using banner advertisements, videos, blogs, and social media.
The distribution strategies that will be used include vehicles and distribution agencies among others. Retail stores will also be used to sell the products to customers who are unable to reach the location of the company or hypermarkets that offer the products (Berthon et al. 261).
Conclusion
The essay has elaborated the marketing research on consumer needs for the banana puree, a new product that will be introduced in the UAE market. It is noted that United Arab Emirates is an upcoming market for the product due to the minimal agricultural production that is practiced in the region.
The culture and lifestyle of the consumers in the region also portray cosmopolitan behavior whereby significant investments and returns are based on the revenues from oil export.
An added advantage to the opportunity is the improved growth of the tourism industry that has led to the sprouting of many hotels. This situation is a viable opportunity for the banana puree.
Works Cited
Berthon, Pierre, Leyland Pitt, Kirk Plangger, and Daniel Shapiro. “Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy.” Business Horizons 55.3(2012): 261-271.
Bhuiyan, Nadia. “A framework for successful new product development.” Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management 4.4(2011): 746-770.
Bose, Ranjit. “Competitive intelligence process and tools for intelligence analysis.” Industrial Management & Data Systems 108.4(2008): 510-528.
Huber, Frank, Andreas Herrmann, and Robert Morgan. “Gaining competitive advantage through customer value oriented management.” Journal of consumer marketing 18.1(2001): 41-53.
Melotti, Marxiano. “Heritage and Tourism. Global Society and Shifting Values in the United Arab Emirates.” Middle East-Topics & Arguments 3.1(2014): 71-91.
Smith, Brock and Mark Colgate. “Customer value creation: A practical framework.” Journal of marketing theory and practice 15.1(2007): 7-23.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: This essay discusses the consumer motivation for staying in 5-star hotels in China. The motivation can be either pull or push. Pull motivation is when the consumer is attracted to the hotel because of its reputation or location. Push motivation is when the consumer is forced to stay in the hotel because of its convenience or price. | This essay discusses the consumer motivation for staying in 5-star hotels in China. The motivation can be either pull or push. Pull motivation is when the consumer is attracted to the hotel because of its reputation or location. Push motivation is when the consumer is forced to stay in the hotel because of its convenience or price. | Consumers’ Motivation and Satisfaction of 5-Star Hotel in China Proposal
Introduction
In the course of the last couple of decades, rising levels of consumers in China have become weary of going to chain hotels known for accommodating a huge number of customers (Erkutlu & Chafra 2006).
5-star hotels are the superior luxury hotels that realize intimate and high anticipations for global guest services and intensive guest care (Gunasekaran & Anandkumar 2012; Jang & Wu 2006). They integrate the aspects of intimate plan, personal or deluxe setting, and quality services (Van Hartesvelt 2006).
The majority of consumers have started inclining to 5-star hotels. From around 1980s, there has been intensive development of 5-star hotels in China to offer a more intimate experience (Jiang, Gretzel & Law 2014). This study will be carried out to analyze the motivation and satisfaction of 5-star hotel consumers in China.
The analysis of consumers’ impetus and satisfaction to stay in the 5-star hotels will give practitioners in the hospitality sector ideas for the planning of services and products, in addition to effective customer communication.
Problem Statement
There are limited studies on 5-star hotels. The comprehension of the motivation and satisfaction of consumers is a vital concern in the hospitality sector. 5-star hotels in China have considerably surpassed other luxury hotels in every aspect.
Hospitality professionals have found that consumers are still motivated to cater for 5-star hotels regardless of the difficult financial times.
The failure to comprehend the motivation and satisfaction that drive consumers to 5-star hotels could make the hospitality practitioners misunderstand the requirements of consumers and fail to design the services and products for the 5-star hotels successfully, which could decrease the motivation and satisfaction of consumers thus leading to the collapse of the 5-star hotels.
For instance, 5-star hotels could fail to build on the requirements of the consumers and design the marketing and advertisement policies in accordance with the motivation and satisfaction of the consumers.
Purpose of the Study
The rationale behind this study will be the analysis of the aspects of consumer motivation and satisfaction of 5-star hotels in China. In this regard, the study will present vital and realistic aids for enhanced cordial reception.
Attributable to the deficiency of studies regarding consumer motivation in 5-star hotels in China, this study can be deemed significant in building on research in this field.
Objectives
* To analyze the motivation of consumers in 5-star hotels in China
* To analyze the satisfaction of consumers in 5-star hotels in China
* To establish the pull and push motivation aspects of consumers in 5-star hotels in China
Research Question
* What influences the motivation and satisfaction of consumers in 5-star hotels in China?
Literature Review
Motivation denotes a situation that propels a person toward some kind of accomplishments that result in satisfaction (Hsu 2014). Motivation and satisfaction have been greatly employed in the studies of consumer drive to 5-star hotels and many studies have discussed the push-pull theory in the explanation of motivation of consumers (Law, Wu & Liu 2014).
Push aspects denote the drive for people to take part in touristic actions or the inward igniters that impel the consumers to prefer a given 5-star hotel (Johanson 2008). Pull aspects denote the forces that draw tourists to select a particular service or product in tourism (Prayag & Ryan 2011).
Many researchers have described 5-star hotels through the identification of their unique aspects, for instance, private possession, small size, plan oriented to interrelate with guests individually, and nonexistence of replication, with most of them focusing on different topics or ambience (Yang, Wong & Wang 2012).
Through highlighting of stylistic distinctiveness, high values, and personal dealings with consumers, 5-star hotels have determined an exclusive identity in the hotel sector (Pereira-Moliner et al. 2012). The significance and development of 5-star hotels in China have been progressive from the 1990s (Gross & Huang 2011).
The hospitality sector in China has undergone remarkable advancement from 1978, when monetary reform was instigated (Mandabach et al. 2014). The advancement of the 5-star hotels has epitomized the swift financial shift of the nation at large (Xie & Heung 2012).
In accordance with the details from the China National Tourism Administration, there are more than 15,500 star 1 to 5 hotels in China, and they keep on increasing gradually (Zhou et al. 2014). The contemporary hotel industry has been advancing for over 3 decades (Qi, Law & Buhalis 2013).
At around 1980, global hotel groupings ventured the Chinese market thus creating management deals, in addition to joint ventures (Zeng & Ryan 2012).
In the course of the last decade, 5-star hotels have been saturated in the major metropolis across China, for instance, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai; therefore, greater efforts are being undertaken to start 5-star hotels in small metropolitans, for instance, Xiamen.
Strong competition in the hotel industry in China has made the 5-star hotels take part in differentiation and aim niche market sections (Zhang, Guillet & Gao 2012). This has resulted in the creation of themed, boutique, and holiday resorts, in addition to different other kinds of accommodation to satisfy new consumer needs.
Gu, Ryan, and Yu (2012) assessed the advancement of the 5-star hotels in China from 1980 in the major metropolis and attributed the progress to consumer motivation and satisfaction.
Nevertheless, Gu, Ryan, and Yu (2012) affirm the inadequacy of research concentrated on the hospitality sector in comparatively small metropolis in China that particularly contemplates 5-star hotels.
In accordance with Guillet, Zhang and Gao (2011), 5-star hotels in China have three fundamental aspects that encompass style, dissimilarity, kindness, and intimacy.
The second aspect is exceptional and tailored service that associates the consumers and hotel personnel while the third is the targeting of consumers that are in their early 20s to around 50s, with medium to high wages.
Methodology
The aim of this study will be the analysis of the satisfaction and push and pull motivation aspects of consumers in 5-star hotels in China. The study will employ the primary means of data gathering and qualitative process of analyzing the data.
Data Collection
The data for this study will be collected from two 5-star hotels in China, Shangri-La Hotel, Fuzhou, and Golden Flower Hotel, Xian.
The management of each hotel will be requested to send electronic mail invitations to 200 individual, Chinese clients over 18 years of age and that stayed in the hotel for a minimum of one night in the course of the last one year. The invitation will explain the aim of the study, and a reminder will be sent after two weeks.
After one month following the invitation, the customers that will have confirmed participation will be treated as the sample for the study.
Following the identification of the sample for the study, open-ended questions will be prepared as they seek responses that the interviewer may not anticipate and are usually longer with respect to the experience of the participants.
The open-ended questions will give a chance for the participants to answer the inquiry in an essay format hence generating many details devoid of limitation. The significance of the survey method will lie in its evidently bringing out the aspects of motivation and satisfaction of consumers in the two hotels.
Before carrying out the interview, the participants will be given a rationalization on the reasons behind the interview, the application of the questionnaire, the strict confidentiality with which the shared responses will be treated, and the choice of participation.
Prior to getting down to respond to the questions, the participants will be asked to inquire where they might need further details regarding the study. The duration for answering the questions will be about an hour.
The participants will be informed of the application of a tape recorder with the intention of enhancing the exactness of data and ensuring a safe and lasting record. After the interview, the recorded information will be transcribed to create a reliable source for reference, in addition to validation.
Results, Findings, and Data Analysis
The effectiveness of the data analysis will be reliant on the kind of questions employed and the responses from the participants. The qualitative technique of analysis will be carried out where descriptive analysis of the nominal data will assist in the assessment of satisfaction and motivation of the participants in the 5-star hotels.
Discussion and Conclusion
Discussion
5-star hotels are a comparatively novel section of the hotel sector, particularly in China. Though the push-pull theory will be employed in the analysis of motivation and satisfaction of consumers in this study, only a small number of studies have employed this theory in 5-star hotels.
As this study affirms, previous studies have not concentrated on the motivation and satisfaction of consumers in 5-star hotels; hence, this study will play a key role in filling this research gap. The findings from this study will offer valuable implications that may profit the hospitality study from the viewpoint of the 5-star hotels’ consumers.
Nevertheless, though this study will offer significant contributions to research in the hotel industry, it is not without a limitation. Though the sample size for the study could be large enough, the results might not be generalizable to all 5-star hotels in China considering that just two hotels will be used in this study.
In this regard, the implications and elucidations anchored in the findings might be limited. Therefore, future research should focus on cluster analysis, which will allow the analysis of a huge number of 5-star hotels and consumers and disclose greater influences of motivation and satisfaction for the consumers.
Conclusion
This study will be carried out to analyze the motivation and satisfaction of consumers in 5-star hotels in China. The existence of 5-star hotels, in addition to their swift development across the globe, has been of significance to both the hotel industry and researchers.
The primary method of data collection coupled with the application of open-ended questions will greatly enhance the analysis of the motivation and satisfaction of consumers in 5-star hotels in China.
The results of this study will offer practical information concerning the factors of motivation and satisfaction of consumers, which will aid hotel managers in the planning of their marketing strategies.
Reference List
Erkutlu, H & Chafra, J 2006, ‘Relationship between leadership power bases and job stress of subordinates: Examples from boutique hotels’, Management Research News , vol. 29, no. 5, pp. 285-297.
Gross, M & Huang, S 2011, ‘Exploring the internationalisation prospects of a Chinese domestic hotel firm’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 261-274.
Gu, H, Ryan, C & Yu, L 2012, ‘The changing structure of the Chinese hotel industry: 1980–2012’, Tourism Management Perspectives , vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 56–63.
Guillet, B, Zhang, H & Gao, B 2011, ‘Interpreting the mind of multinational hotel investors: Future trends and implications in China’, International Journal of Hospitality Management , vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 222-232.
Gunasekaran, N & Anandkumar, V 2012, ‘Factors of influence in choosing alternative accommodation: A study with reference to Pondicherry, a coastal heritage town’, Procedia–Social and Behavioural Sciences , vol. 64, no. 24, pp. 1127–1132.
Hsu, C 2014, ‘Brand evaluation of foreign versus domestic luxury hotels by Chinese travellers’, Journal of China Tourism Research , vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 35-50.
Jang, S & Wu, C 2006, ‘Seniors’ travel motivation and influential factors: An examination of Taiwanese seniors’, Tourism Management , vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 306–316.
Jiang, J, Gretzel, U & Law, R 2014, ‘Influence of star rating and ownership structure on brand image of mainland China hotels’, Journal of China Tourism Research , vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 69-94.
Johanson, M 2008, ‘The outbound mainland China market to the United States: Uncovering motivations for future travel to Hawaii’, Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management , vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 41–59.
Law, R, Wu, J & Liu, J 2014, ‘Progress in Chinese hotel research: A review of SSCI-listed journals’, International Journal of Hospitality Management , vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 144-154.
Mandabach, K, Stringam, B, Xingya, M, Leeuwen, D & Gerdes, J 2014, ‘The impact of online traveller ratings with the willingness of the traveller to recommend hotels for five selected cities in China’, Journal of Tourism Hospitality , vol. 3, no. 134, pp. 2167-0269.
Pereira-Moliner, J, Claver-Cortés, E, Molina-Azorín, J & Tarí, J 2012, ‘Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: Direct and mediating effects in the hotel industry’, Journal of Cleaner Production , vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 82-92.
Prayag, G & Ryan, C 2011, ‘The relationship between the “push” and “pull” factors of a tourist destination: The role of nationality an analytical qualitative research approach’, Current Issues in Tourism , vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 121–143.
Qi, S, Law, R & Buhalis, D 2013, ‘Who booked five-star hotels in Macau? A study of hotel guests’ online booking intention’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management , vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 76-83.
Van Hartesvelt, M 2006, ‘Building a better boutique hotel’, Lodging Hospitality , vol. 62, no. 14, pp. 32-44.
Xie, D & Heung, V 2012, ‘The effects of brand relationship quality on responses to service failure of hotel consumers’, International Journal of Hospitality Management , vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 735-744.
Yang, Y, Wong, K & Wang, T 2012, ‘How do hotels choose their location? Evidence from hotels in Beijing’, International Journal of Hospitality Management , vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 675-685.
Zeng, B & Ryan, C 2012, ‘Assisting the poor in China through tourism development: A review of research’, Tourism Management , vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 239–248.
Zhang, H, Guillet, B & Gao, W 2012, ‘What determines multinational hotel groups’ locational investment choice in China?’, International Journal of Hospitality Management , vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 350-359.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : In order to achieve competitiveness in the labour market, British Petroleum should consider revising their people management practices.British Petroleum should revise their people management practices in order to achieve competitiveness in the labour market. | In order to achieve competitiveness in the labour market, British Petroleum should consider revising their people management practices.
British Petroleum should revise their people management practices in order to achieve competitiveness in the labour market. | Achieving Competitiveness in the Labour Market Report
Executive Summary
Human resource management plays a crucial role in an organisation’s quest to achieve competitiveness with regard to human capital. This report evaluates people management as one of the core elements in human resource management. The report focuses on British Petroleum [BP], which operates in the oil and gas industry.
In the course of its operation, BP is facing challenges arising from changes in the business environment. Some of the changes that the firm is currently experiencing relate to labour force trends, workplace communication, technological forces, and changes in the employment law.
In a bid to survive in such an environment, it is imperative for the BP’s management team to be proactive in adjusting its HRM strategies in line with the prevailing internal and external environmental changes. The report illustrates some of the aspects that the firm should consider in its people management practices in order to achieve the desired competitiveness in the labour market.
Introduction
British Petroleum is one of the leading public limited companies in the UK’s oil and gas industry. The firm was established in 1909 and it has penetrated the global market successfully. By the end of 2013, BP had established operations in 80 countries. BP ranks fifth amongst the largest companies in the world with regard to total sales revenue and sixth with regard to market capitalisation.
An evaluation of previous studies and reports show that firms in the oil and gas industry are facing diverse macro and micro-environmental forces. Some of the macro-environmental forces include legal and technological forces.
For example, oil and gas producing companies are experiencing tight environmental regulations due to the high rate of global warming, which is leading to climate change. Additionally, these companies are experiencing a threat arising from the high rate of technological changes.
These macro-environmental forces are beyond the organisational managers’ capacity to influence or control. On the other hand, micro environmental forces originate from an organisation’s internal operations, and thus they are within the organisational managers’ capacity to control. An example of an internal force includes employee resistance to change and conflicts.
Additionally, the emergence of information age has led to growth in the level of knowledge within the labour market, as evidenced by diverse institutional forces on aspects related to employment standards, employee safety, and health and labour relations amongst others.
The macro and micro-environmental forces have significant impact on internal stakeholders such as employees. Aguilera and Dencker (2004) assert that organisations are comprised of people, who are allocated diverse duties and responsibilities. Therefore, people are considered as one of the environment inputs in an organisation’s success.
Individuals in the different levels of management have diverse powers and responsibilities according to their job description. However, the success with which an organisation achieves its desired goals is subject to the extent to which individuals in the different levels of management interact with each other, hence leading to the creation of synergy (Aguilera & Dencker 2004).
In a bid to achieve the desired synergy, it is imperative for organisational managers to integrate effective power relationship and people management strategies and policies. This report evaluates the major changes taking place in BP’s internal and external environments with specific reference to labour force trends, employment relationship, technological changes, workplace communication, and developments in employment law.
Discussion and analysis
Labour force trends
Developing effective people management skills is a fundamental aspect in managers’ quest to execute their duties effectively. People management skills increases the productivity of an organisation’s workforce, hence the firm’s long-term performance.
One of the issues currently facing BP is the high rate at which employees are seeking employment opportunities that align with their career path of development. Moreover, BP is facing a challenge emanating from the change in the employees’ perception and demand with regard to job satisfaction.
Currently, employees are increasingly focusing on the overall job environment and not solely on monetary gains in making the decision to stay in the organisation. One of the issues that employees are focusing on entails the concept of work-life balance.
Employees are demanding a high level of flexibility in their job. McNall, Masuda, and Nicklin (2010, p.63) assert that many ‘organisations have begun to offer flexible work arrangements to help employees balance work and family demands’. This trend has arisen from the high rate of globalisation and information explosion because of development in information communication technology. These trends have greatly opened up the labour market.
Currently, the labour market is characterised by a high degree of mobility. Subsequently, employees are seeking for good employment opportunities even in organisations that are beyond their national boundaries. McNall, Masuda, and Nicklin (2010) argue that employees are increasingly basing their decision to stay in a particular organisation on the likelihood of progressing through their desired career path.
Competing firms are increasingly exploiting this market trend by adopting the concept of poaching in their human resource management practices. This scenario presents a challenge in BP’s quest to survive in an industry characterised by intense competition.
Previous studies have identified human capital as one of the greatest sources of competitive advantage in organisations. In its quest to achieve competitiveness with regard to human capital, BP’s management team has an obligation to adopt effective people management strategies and skills in their strategic human resource management practices.
Some of the practices that the firm can integrate include effective human resource planning, employee development, effective job analysis, implementing effective reward management strategies, and nurturing optimal employee relations.
McNall, Masuda and Nicklin (2010, p.1359) further emphasise these sentiments by asserting that managerial ‘practices need to be aligned with environmental demands so that desired work behaviours arise’. Failure to adjust the organisation’s human resource strategies with the prevailing employee needs will affect the BP’s competitiveness in the labour market.
Workplace communication
Effective communication is a fundamental element in an organisation’s efforts to develop a collaborative working environment. Baines (2009) emphasises that workplace communication should be considered as an investment rather than a cost item.
Ryan, Windsor, Ibragimova, and Prybutok (2010) assert that organisational performance is subject to the degree of collaboration amongst the various internal stakeholders such as employees.
Moreover, Turner, Qvarfordt, Biehl, Golovchinsky, and Back (2010, p.1) argue that workplace communication ‘enables collaborators to foster ideas, build a common round, and develop complex interpersonal relationships’. Subsequently, the level of information and knowledge sharing increases significantly. The diagram below illustrates the relationship between workplace communication and knowledge sharing.
Source: (McNall, Masuda & Nicklin 2010)
Incorporating effective workplace communication is not an option. Therefore, it is imperative for organisational leaders to foster effective information flow in order to improve their firms’ performance. One of the ways through which this goal can be achieved is by adopting open communication channels.
Abram, Cross, Lesser, and Levin (2003) contend that workplace communication is essential in nurturing a high level of employee involvement.
However, it is imperative for organisational managers to monitor the open communication channels in order to improve the level of trust, which is critical in organisational growth. The model below illustrates how an organisation can nurture a high degree of employee involvement through workplace communication.
Source: (Thomas, Zolin & Hartman 2009)
Workplace communication in BP is undergoing significant changes arising from a number of factors such as the emergence of diverse communication platforms and global issues. These changes have had significant impact on BP’s workplace communication strategy.
In order to create the desired level of synergy, organisations have an obligation to nurture a high level of trust amongst employees in different departments in order to sustain workplace communication. Moreover, the significance of effective knowledge management has improved the need to effective workplace communication.
In addition to the above changes, workplace communication is affected by the high rate of diversity in the workplace. Organisations are increasingly becoming culturally diverse due to changes in the labour market. For example, in its quest to nurture a strong workforce, BP sources for its human capital from the global labour market.
Furthermore, the firm has adopted the policy of non-discrimination of employee based on their demographic characteristics. Subsequently, the firm has experienced a significant increment in the level of diversity in its workforce, which has led to remarkable communication challenges in its internal communication climate.
Some of the communication challenges that the firm is experiencing relate to language barriers coupled with social and cultural differences. These challenges have significant effects on the firm’s efforts to nurture effective interpersonal connection amongst the top management and lower level employees.
Employment relationship
The relationship between employees and employers is fundamental in organisations’ operation. Lack of such relationship may affect the employees’ morale and productivity adversely. This assertion arises from the view that the success of the organisation is dependent on the contribution between employees and employers.
Cornelissen (2011) asserts that the employment relationship is characterised by the concept of psychological contract between the two parties. Upon joining a particular organisation, employees assume that they will be treated honestly and fairly.
Additionally, employees expect employers to observe justice and equity, and thus communicate effectively regarding possible changes and developments. Moreover, employees are of the perception that their loyalty will be reciprocated through various avenues such as assurance of job security and recognition.
Organisations in the oil and gas industry are increasingly focusing on improving their performance in order to survive in the turbulent business environment. Subsequently, the firms are increasingly adopting project-based approach in their quest to achieve the desired level of growth.
For example, the intensity of competition in the oil and gas industry is pressurising BP to increase its investment in offshore oil and gas exploration. However, the firm’s success in such projects will be influenced by the relationship developed between the firm and its employees. This assertion underscores the importance of integrating effective employee relations strategies.
Employee engagement
The firm’s success in a competitive business environment will be subject to the level of employee engagement developed. It is imperative for BP to develop a high level of employee involvement in the decision making process. This move will play a fundamental role in minimising the likelihood of the firm experiencing a high degree of resistance from employees in its quest to implement diverse organisational changes.
One of the ways through which the firm can achieve this goal is by eliminating bureaucracy with regard to internal communication. For example, the firm should ensure that employees and supervisors interact freely. Nurturing effective employee involvement will aid in developing positive perception regarding the firm’s policies and decisions (Leat 2011).
Employee motivation
The effectiveness and efficiency with which employees execute their duties is affected by their morale. Subsequently, it is imperative for organisational managers to nurture the level of motivation. One of the ways through which this goal can be achieved is by assigning employees challenging tasks to give them an opportunity to grow. Moreover, delegating tasks will develop a sense of relevance in the firms’ operations.
BP should consider adopting the concept of delegation in its HR management practices in order to provide employees with an opportunity to progress through their career, which can be achieved by assigning some of the managerial activities to low-level employees.
Subsequently, employees will feel trusted, which leads to an increment in the level of their commitment towards the organisation. Moreover, employee motivation can be achieved by incorporating an effective reward system that integrates both monetary and non-monetary gains and benefits as illustrated by the diagram below.
Source: (Leat 2011)
Conflict management
The existence of conflicts between an organisation’s employees and top-level managers cannot be eliminated. Such conflicts may affect employee relations adversely. Currently, employees in different economic sectors are demanding higher levels of remuneration in order to enable them meet their financial obligations.
On the other hand, organisations are facing financial constraints arising from the changes in the economic environment. Failure to balance the employees’ needs and organisational constraints may dent a firm’s image. Subsequently, HR managers have an obligation to manage such conflicts through a win-win strategy (Leat 2011).
Technological changes
Innovations in information communication technology have led to significant changes in organisation’s human resource management practices. For example, development in information technology has led to the emergence of diverse web-based communication platforms such as social networks [Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and wikis].
Turner et al. (2010) assert that different communication platforms and mediums support specific information context and expressiveness. Additionally, the various internal communication tool adopted is characterised by unique strengths and weaknesses.
In an effort to develop a strong workforce, it is imperative for a firm to adopt an effective employee recruitment and selection strategy. Currently, organisations are increasingly using social networks in recruiting employees by posting job description and job analysis on social media platforms.
This trend has arisen from the efficiency of communicating through social networks in reaching a large number of potential job candidates. Moreover, advertising job vacancies on social media is relatively cost effective compared to using conventional mediums such as newspapers.
Additionally, social networks have remarkably improved the effectiveness with which organisations undertake workplace communication. Thus, in its quest to transform itself into a competitive firm in the oil and gas industry, it is essential for BP’s management team to select a mix of the most effective communication tools.
Development in employment law
The employment environment is undergoing significant developments with regard to the legal aspect. Currently, organisations are facing an increment in the level of diversity within the labour market. In an effort to ensure equality in the workplace, different legislations are adopting strict regulations in an effort to eliminate discriminative practices amongst employers.
For example, governments are formulating legislations such as the Disabilities Act, the Race Relations Act, and the Faire Employment Act in an effort to protect job candidates with diverse physical challenges (Inagami 2008).
Employers are required to provide equal employment opportunities to all job candidates irrespective of their demographic characteristics such as race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs amongst other variables.
Therefore, firms are required to eliminate any form of discrimination in their recruitment practices. Failure to adhere to the set employment laws may lead to huge legal costs in addition to damaging an organisation’s image.
Conclusion and recommendations
Developing effective people management skills is fundamental in organisations’ quest to develop sufficient competitive advantage. This analysis shows that BP is facing diverse challenges emanating from the business environment. Some of the challenges that the organisation is currently facing relate to technological changes, new labour force trends, workplace communication, employment laws, and significance of employee relations.
Despite these changes, firms have an obligation to survive in the long term. This analysis shows that the effectiveness with which a firm survives in the long term is dependent on the success with which it formulates and implements effective people management strategies and practices.
The above analysis shows that integrating effective people management practices in the BP’s strategic human resource management practices will increase the likelihood of developing sufficient competitive advantage with regard to human capital. Subsequently, it is imperative for the firm’s management team to focus on the following aspects.
1. The firm should nurture a high level of employee involvement and engagement in order to improve their job satisfaction.
2. BP should invest in employee training programs in order to assist employees achieve their career development objectives.
3. The firm should adopt an effective internal communication strategy [top-bottom and bottom-up] in order to improve the level of engagement amongst employees.
4. The firm’s management team should constantly review the employment laws in order to eliminate the risk of non-adherence.
Reference List
Abram, L, Cross, R, Lesser, E & Levin, D 2003, ‘Nurturing interpersonal trust in knowledge sharing networks’, Academy of Management Executive , vol. 17 no.4, pp. 64-77.
Aguilera, R & Dencker, J 2004, ‘The role of human resource management in cross-border mergers and acquisitions’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 15 no. 8, pp. 1355-1370.
Baines, G 2009, Meaning Inc: the rise of the 21 st century company , Pearson Education, New York.
Cornelissen, J 2011, Corporate communication; a guide to theory and practice , Sage, New York.
Inagami, T 2008 , New developments in employment discrimination law , Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, Tokyo.
Leat, M 2011, Employee relations , Edinburg Business School, Edinburg.
McNall, L, Masuda, A & Nicklin, J 2010, ‘Flexible work arrangements, job satisfaction and turnover intentions; the mediating role of work-to-family enrichment’, The Journal of Psychology, vol. 144 no. 1, pp. 61-81.
Ryan, S, Windsor, J, Ibragimova, B & Prybutok, V 2010, ‘Organisational practices that foster knowledge sharing across distinct national cultures’, International Journal of Emerging Transdiscipline , vol. 13 no.2, pp. 131-158.
Thomas, F, Zolin, R & Hartman, J 2009, ‘The central role of communication in developing trust and its effect on employee involvement’, Journal of Business Communications , vol. 46 no. 3, pp. 287-310.
Turner, T, Qvarfordt, P, Biehl, J, Golovchinsky, G & Back, M 2010, Exploring the workplace communication ecology, FX Palo Alto Laboratory Incorporation, San Francisco.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the aspects of knowledge management with references to the level of community and society. The field of the KMS is constantly changing, and it is important to focus on the research of Swift, Balkin, and Matusik in the area because they contribute to understanding the knowledge exchange as influenced by such individual factors as intrinsic motivation and goal orientation. |
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the aspects of knowledge management with references to the level of community and society. The field of the KMS is constantly changing, and it is important to focus on the research of Swift, Balkin, and Matusik in the area because they contribute to understanding the knowledge exchange as influenced by such individual factors as intrinsic motivation and goal orientation. | Contribution of Swift, Balkin, and Matusik’s Research to the KMS Field Case Study
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the aspects of knowledge management with references to the level of community and society. The field of the KMS is constantly changing, and it is important to focus on the research of Swift, Balkin, and Matusik in the area because they contribute to understanding the knowledge exchange as influenced by such individual factors as intrinsic motivation and goal orientation.
The researchers conclude that explicit knowledge is shared under the impact of individuals’ preferences when tacit knowledge is less dependable on the factor.
Knowledge plays the key role in the modern economy, business and market relations. As a result, the focus on the knowledge management (KM) as the approach to store, coordinate, share, and exchange the intellectual resources, practices, and strategies is important to contribute to the organisation’s growth and development (Dalkir, 2011, p. 5).
The purpose of this assignment is to discuss knowledge management at the societal level, while focusing on describing new ideas presented in the research literature on the issue of utilising the knowledge management systems (KMS) and emphasising on the research’s contribution to the field of the KMS.
The importance of this assignment is in the fact that the field of the KMS is constantly changing, and it is necessary to pay much attention to the trends in the sphere. In their research “Goal Orientations and the Motivation to Share Knowledge” (2010), Swift, Balkin, and Matusik concentrate on studying the role of the motivation in the knowledge exchange process.
The researchers start with discussing the role of the motivation factor and the social exchange theory, focus on costs and benefits of sharing the knowledge in organisations, pay attention to the role of the goal orientation, and create the model to discuss the relationship between motivation, goal orientation, and the process of sharing the knowledge (Swift, Balkin, & Matusik, 2010, p. 378).
In spite of the fact that the researchers focus only on the aspect of the goal orientation to affect the knowledge exchange, the authors’ contribution to the field of the KM is significant because they provide the model to demonstrate how an individual factor, goal orientation, and a vision of the knowledge value can influence the process of sharing the knowledge.
The Main Idea of Swift, Balkin, and Matusik’s Research and Representation of KM Concepts
In their research, Swift, Balkin, and Matusik focus on discussing the role of the goal orientation associated with the factor of motivation in affecting the exchange of knowledge in organisations. The researchers state that motivation is important to influence the employee’s communication and sharing knowledge because of the role of connected benefits and costs, and goal orientation plays the key role in affecting the exchange of knowledge.
However, different goal orientations have various effects. Thus, the employees’ performance goal orientation guarantees less focus on sharing the information when the employees with learning goal orientations are more willing to exchange their explicit knowledge. The exchange of tacit knowledge is realised according to the other rules, and intrinsic motivation does not play the important role in this case (Swift et al., 2010, p. 386).
The researchers actively operate such important KM concepts as knowledge sharing or exchange, explicit and tacit knowledge, publicly and privately operated knowledge, and characteristics of the knowledge.
Swift, Balkin, and Matusik pay much attention to discussing the idea of knowledge sharing as a result of the cost-benefit analysis and as the process affected by the person’s intrinsic motivation and learning goal orientation (Swift et al., 2010, p. 387). The researchers also use the traditional definitions of explicit and tacit knowledge which differ in codification and add to the discussion of private and public knowledge.
Differences in the Traditional Vision of KM and Researchers’ Ideas
Although Swift, Balkin, and Matusik focus on the traditional division of knowledge in tacit and explicit, the researchers also discuss these types of knowledge in relation to their private or public character. Furthermore, the authors are inclined to accentuate such important elements of knowledge management as people and culture, while paying less attention to process and technology (Swift et al., 2010, p. 388).
Thus, the article provides the discussion from the perspective of an individual and his role for sharing knowledge in the organisation as a result of which it is possible to receive definite benefits.
Updating the Dalkir Text
Referring to Swift, Balkin, and Matusik’s research, it is possible to update Dalkir’s text in relation to the discussion of the role of tacit and explicit knowledge in organisation and information related to their exchange.
Thus, the authors note that the explicit knowledge can be shared without the impact of an individual’s motivation and goal orientation because it is the exchange of codified knowledge oriented to receiving individual and corporate benefits.
Tacit knowledge is shared by those employees with learning goal orientation in comparison with performance goal orientation (Dalkir, 2011, p. 7; Swift et al., 2010, p. 386). This information is important to improve the classification of knowledge and to revise the approach to KMS, influencing people’s performance.
The Research’s Contribution
It is possible to state that the research makes the great contribution to the field of knowledge management because the authors focus on distinguishing between performance and learning goal orientation as the factor which can influence the whole process of sharing knowledge.
Knowledge exchange contributes to forming and developing organisational communities, and it is necessary for managers to know what factors and aspects can influence the person’s desire to share tacit and explicit knowledge (Argote, McEvily, & Reagans, 2003, p. 572).
Swift, Balkin, and Matusik use the new approach to discussing knowledge characteristics, and analyse the role of motivation in the knowledge exchange context. As a result, it is possible to pay attention to the individual contribution to the KMS which can be affected and regulated with references to different goal orientations.
Application of the Research’s Conclusions
The conclusions of the research can be used by human resource (HR) managers and knowledge management department in order to improve the KMS and make an emphasis on the individual factor and role of motivation in the organisational community.
Thus, the researchers conclude that the learning goal orientation is more appropriate for sharing the explicit knowledge, and differences in goal orientation can influence the whole exchange of the information in the system.
Following these conclusions, HR managers can improve the selection process and focus on hiring employees with the high levels of learning goal orientation (Burgess, 2005, p. 324; Janssen & Prins, 2007, p. 235).
KM can focus on forming the culture and organising the KMS with references to this particular feature in order to increase the effectiveness of the organisation in relation to the work of such system’s elements as people, process, culture, and technology.
Results of Analysing the Research
Having analysed the research, it is possible to focus more on gaining the information about the factors and aspects which can influence the employees’ preferences and behaviours in relation to sharing the information (Lu, Leung, & Koch, 2006, p. 8).
Furthermore, it is necessary to state more clear connections between motivation to share the knowledge, goal orientation, and received benefits in order to develop management practices oriented to increasing organisational effectiveness.
Conclusion
The article “Goal Orientations and the Motivation to Share Knowledge” written by Swift, Balkin, and Matusik provides the important information on differences in the individual’s motivation and goal orientation which can influence the knowledge exchange process in the organisation.
The researchers contribute to the field of KM while proposing more additions to the classification system of knowledge and while focusing on the role of the individual factor in affecting the KMS.
References
Argote, L., McEvily, B., & Reagans, R. (2003). Managing knowledge in organizations: An integrative framework and review of emerging themes. Management Science, 49 (4), 571-582.
Burgess, D. (2005). What motivates employees to transfer knowledge outside their work unit? Journal of Business Communication, 42 (4), 324-348.
Dalkir, K. (2011). Knowledge management in theory and practice . New York, NY: The MIT Press.
Janssen, O., & Prins, J. (2007). Goal orientations and the seeking of different types of feedback information. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 80 (1), 235-249.
Lu, L., Leung, K., & Koch, P. T. (2006). Managerial knowledge sharing: the role of individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors. Management and Organization Review, 2 (1), 5-41.
Swift, M., Balkin, D., & Matusik, S. (2010). Goal orientations and the motivation to share knowledge. Journal of Knowledge Management, 14 (3), 378-393.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/contribution-of-swift-balkin-and-matusiks-research-to-the-kms-field/ | 174 |
Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The essay discusses a case study of a large firm with many divisions and operating in different locations which was focused on adding controls and reducing the risks associated with the offsite storage of the company's records. The firm lacked the effective business intelligence solution to control the offsite storage of the company's records, and it had no developed strategy in order to reduce possible risks associated with the offsite storage. The BIS experts' task was to develop specific requirements for "a consistent approach for records ownership, metadata quality, and records labeling" for the company. |
The essay discusses a case study of a large firm with many divisions and operating in different locations which was focused on adding controls and reducing the risks associated with the offsite storage of the company's records. The firm lacked the effective business intelligence solution to control the offsite storage of the company's records, and it had no developed strategy in order to reduce possible risks associated with the offsite storage. The BIS experts' task was to develop specific requirements for "a consistent approach for records ownership, metadata quality, and records labeling" for the company. | Controlling the Offsite Storage Report (Assessment)
Introduction
A large firm with many divisions and operating in different locations was focused on adding controls and reducing the risks associated with the offsite storage of the company’s records.
Statement of the Problem
The firm lacked the effective business intelligence solution to control the offsite storage of the company’s records, and it had no developed strategy in order to reduce possible risks associated with the offsite storage.
Objectives
The stated objectives were to assess the technology options available in the firm for improving the controls and assess the used strategies and approaches to reduce possible risks associated with the offsite storage. Furthermore, the BIS experts’ task was to develop specific requirements for “a consistent approach for records ownership, metadata quality, and records labeling” (“Case Study 3”).
Areas of Considerations
The problem associated with the offsite storage records was in the fact that the company had many offsite storage vendors. Furthermore, different methods of storing and retrieving records were used in the firm. In addition, the “limited controls for adding new users, inconsistent data requirements for records, and lack of clear ownership for records” were identified as the areas for considerations while focusing on the problem to be addressed (“Case Study 3”).
From this perspective, it was important to focus on assessing the available technology options and approaches to reduce offsite storage risks. Furthermore, it was necessary to revise the requirements to storing the data offsite and to provide the effective strategy to add controls and contribute to reducing the offsite records storage risks.
Alternative Courses of Action
It is important to focus on two possible courses of actions appropriate for the resolution of the discussed case. The first course of actions is proposed as the primary because it is developed by the BIS experts. The company was proposed with such solutions to the problem as the use of offsite inventory for vendors according to the firm’s requirements formulated for the offsite storage (“Case Study 3”).
The second solution was based on conducting the assessment of technology options while comparing them with the set requirements. The appropriate technology solution to address the requirements was chosen. Thus, the requirements were defined and set as regular for the company.
The next step was on developing, testing, and presenting the new technology to offsite users of the records’ storage. Finally, a regional rollout approach was developed by experts to address the problem of controlling the work activities and workload.
The alternative course of action reflects the main steps performed by the BIS experts, but it is more focused on the formulation of requirements and on the issue of the data security. Requirements should include compliance, security, accessibility, convenience, consistent work, completeness, accuracy, and validity.
If the company has multiple offsite storage vendors, it is necessary to focus on using one effective back up plan to store and share the necessary information with the help of the most appropriate system (Howson Secrets to Making BI 58).
The first step is to decide on the requirements and standards followed to add controls and the next step is the encryption of the data to guarantee the security and the development of protocols if there are “limited controls for adding new users” (“Case Study 3”). It is also necessary to focus on the data organization and classification to reduce possible risks.
In addition, such stage as reporting on the operations with the offsite records can be discussed as necessary because of informing about any risks or non-allowable operations (Boyer et al. 12). The next step is the guarantee of following the same standards and the guarantee of interoperability of systems to improve the process of storing and retrieving records.
Analysis of Each Alternative Courses of Action
It is stated that the solution proposed by the BIS experts “resulted in consistent user access controls, records labeling, and categorization of contents” (“Case Study 3”). Still, it is necessary to analyze two courses of actions in order to conclude on their effectiveness to add controls and reduce offsite data storage risks.
The first course of action is rather effective to provide the fundament for the further improvement of controls and risk mitigation strategies (Howson Unlock the Value of BI 37). The second course of actions is effective to address the problem at the current stage, while providing reasonable steps associated with the development of the alternative BI strategy.
Conclusion
Thus, data security is one of the most important issues associated with the offsite data storage risks and adding controls strategies. It is important to state that the company can benefit while choosing the alternative course of action because it provides clear steps to perform while adding controls and mitigating risks.
Recommendations
In order to avoid risks associated with the offsite records storage and use effective control strategies, it is necessary to follow some recommendations:
1. The first step is the implementation of assessment and testing strategies for evaluating the work of stated controls and security standards.
2. The monitoring of the BI system should be regular.
3. The next step is the creation of the BI policy followed in the company.
4. The important step is the development of the control framework for offsite storages based on standards and experts’ support.
5. The company should address the issue of common standards and interoperability in relation to the process of storing and retrieving records.
Works Cited
Boyer, John, Bill Frank, Brian Green, Tracy Harris, and Kay Van De Vaner. Business Intelligence Strategy: A Practical Guide for Achieving BI Excellence. New York: Mc Press, 2010. Print.
Case Study 3 . 2008. Web.
Howson, Cindi. Successful Business Intelligence: Secrets to Making BI a Killer App. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print.
Howson, Cindi. Successful Business Intelligence: Unlock the Value of BI and Big Data . New York: McGraw Hill, 2014. Print.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/controlling-the-offsite-storage/ | 175 |
Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The 21st century business environment has significantly transformed. As a result, there are myriads of ethical issues and dilemmas that managers face on a daily basis.The 21st century business environment has significantly transformed. As a result, there are myriads of ethical issues and dilemmas that managers face on a daily basis. | The 21st century business environment has significantly transformed. As a result, there are myriads of ethical issues and dilemmas that managers face on a daily basis.
The 21st century business environment has significantly transformed. As a result, there are myriads of ethical issues and dilemmas that managers face on a daily basis. | Coping with Ethical Issues at Workplace Analytical Essay
Employees and boards of directors in an organization are linked together by a business manager. The latter acts as the point person when it comes to important matters affecting the operations of a company or business entity. The 21 st century business environment has significantly transformed. As a result, there are myriads of ethical issues and dilemmas that managers face on a daily basis.
Needless to say, they are supposed to confront such issues so that their organizations can run smoothly and profitably. It can be a challenge to deal fairly with everyone at workplace bearing in mind that employees are different both in terms of character and work input.
To begin with, the 21 st century managers regularly face the issue of ethical responsibility while discharging their duties. The subject of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has formalized the query about ethics in business. Modern business organizations are duly expected to give back to the communities they serve in a number of ways.
For example, they should not merely focus on profitability at the expense of polluting the immediate environment. Contemporary organizations ought to be responsible to society even if the ideals of the free market economy prevail.
As it stands now, there is a growing push for managers to adhere to corporate social responsibility even if it will cut down their profits. Awareness in regards to ethical issues is a priority for the modern-day managers. This implies that they should be fully conversant with several ethical issues while managing various business portfolios.
In the case of corporate social responsibility, the 21 st century managers sometimes find it economically burdensome to conform to the demands of both local communities and government authorities especially when they are compelled to forego growth agenda.
A case in point is the issue of environmental protection. The green energy revolution demands heavy emitters of greenhouse gases to reduce their emission quotas. As much as it is ethically sound to adhere to such restrictions, managers find themselves at crossroads because the revenue base might be concurrently affected (Pomering and Johnson 433).
Non-market issues can be swiftly addressed by various ethical perspectives. Some of the issues include employment practices, environmental regulation and product safety. When corporate social responsibility is addressed using an ethical approach, the role of government on environmental regulation is assumed.
One of the most profound ethical perspectives that can be used to address the above ethical challenge is utilitarianism. Our way of thinking is strongly influenced by this ethical approach. For example, the perspective addresses the social efficiency criteria for corporations that produce in bulk. The benefits of actions and economic costs should be weighed appropriately when any corporate social responsibility is undertaken.
The second ethical challenge for modern managers is discrimination. It is the moral responsibility of managers to address all arising cases of discrimination at workplace. Even in the 21 st century, sexual orientation, gender, ethic origin and race are still key launch pads for discrimination in organizations (Tackett, Claypool and Wolf 9). This explains why several lawsuits on workplace discrimination have been heard in courts across the globe.
Worse still, such accusations are usually very serious. In any case, the entire organization may be charged in a court of law for failing to stop issues related to workplace discrimination.
In order for managers to be abreast with such an ethical challenge, they should take proactive steps to learn and avoid every element of discrimination in organizations that they manage. For instance, managers should employ relevant factors such as ability and experience when hiring workers.
The best ethical perspective that can be used to describe this ethical challenge is moral rights as proposed by Kant. This perspective focuses on individual and moral rights. In regards to reversibility of this perspective, it denotes that whatever is done to one person can be comfortably applied across the board without any complaint because it is deemed to be fair.
If everybody is expected to act in a particular way, then the principle of universibility applies (Sharma and Sharma 93). In other words, every individual or employee at workplace should avoid discrimination. The Kantian moral rights perspective also attempts to expound the significance of affirmative action against equal opportunity.
It is vital to mention that workplace discrimination may also be aggravated by affirmative action. Equal opportunity and a level playing ground are prudent in eliminating all elements of discrimination within organizations.
It is indeed true that the primary purpose of laws that govern the corporate social responsibility is to deter major players in the business world from executing certain operations that may be injurious to both the physical environment and human life. One of the main concerns in the operations of business organizations in the modern world is pollution.
The latter has led to environmental degradation coupled with destruction of biodiversity. Pieces of legislations have played enormous role across the globe in ensuring that the corporate world adhere to the set standards of safe operations.
In any case, the legal vein is a common feature that runs through the long history of CSR worldwide. Most jurisdictions have come up with positive law regimes to control or deter negative activities of business organizations. There are rare cases when organizations take voluntary initiatives to either give back to society or preserve the environment in lieu of their profit margins (Pies, Beckmann and Hielscher 269).
During the better part of the 19 th century, most corporate organizations adopted a trend whereby individuals used business institutions to benefit themselves at the expense of communities. A lot of emphasis was laid on the optimization of profits regardless of the devastating impacts.
In any case, the concept of corporate social responsibility is a rather new development that came into existence after several laws were introduced. Legislative chattering paved way for social corporate responsibility in the business world.
The assertion by John R. Boatright cannot be doubted. In recent times, business organizations have blatantly hijacked the concept of social corporate responsibility in marketing their respective portfolios (Arnold 102).
In addition, John R. Boatright’s position can be supported by the fact a corporation exists within the confines of the law. Therefore, its operations are guarded by the law. Unless certain deterrent measures are put in place, business organizations might easily go against safety precautionary measures (Byrne 501).
Responsibility is vital in the operations of business organizations. The wider society and key stakeholders usually expect corporations to abide by the set laws and regulations when running their businesses. Hence, a socio-legal approach is required whenever addressing the issue of corporate social responsibility.
The challenges faced by the modern globalized world may be reduced substantially if business organizations stick to certain standards. This explains why legislation is enacted to make sure that these organizations stick to safe operations.
There are two unique ethical perspectives of corporate social responsibility. These include the business roundtable and Milton Friedman theories. According to Friedman, profit maximization should be the main focus of business organizations. However, the same corporations ought to adhere to primary rules of society. Second, principals of an organization are the shareholders (Svensson and Wood 303).
On the other hand, agents are represented by the shareholders. They are usually supposed to optimize the wealth of shareholders. Besides, social good is only possible through the gains made by an organization. Hence, social corporate responsibility should be implemented through the profits made by an organization.
The process of making and maximizing profit margins should fall within the best interests of the communities being served. It is also undemocratic for managers to utilize organizational resources in promoting societal goals.
In the case of business roundtable ethical theory on corporate social responsibility, it is proper for a business organization to make private profit alongside serving the public’s interest. Since corporation is a lawful entity, there should be rules governing its operations (Arnold, Beauchamp and Bowie 67).
From the above discussions and ethical theories, it is evident that laws are established to deter corporations from infringing the basic rights of communities they serve. For example, business organizations are supposed to adhere to strict environmental laws and regulations when it comes to the generation and disposal of waste materials.
It is also crucial to underscore the fact that corporations are established through legal provisions and that is why their operations are within given legal frameworks. For managers in the 21 st century era, it is necessary for them to learn how to cope with the emerging ethical issues at workplace so that their organizations do not lose public reputation or run into losses.
Works Cited
Arnold, Denis, Tom Beauchamp and Norman, Bowie. Ethical theory and Business . New York: Pearson, 2013. Print.
Byrne, Edmund. “Business Ethics should Study Illicit Businesses: To Advance Respect for Human Rights.” Journal of Business Ethics 103.4 (2011): 497-509. Print.
Pies, Ingo, Markus Beckmann, and Stefan Hielscher. “Value Creation, Management Competencies, and Global Corporate Citizenship: An Ordonomic Approach to Business Ethics in the Age of Globalization.” Journal of Business Ethics 94.2 (2010): 265-278. Print.
Pomering, Alan, and Lester Johnson. “Advertising Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives to Communicate Corporate Image.” Corporate Communications 14.4 (2009): 420-439. Print.
Sharma, Richa, and Malvika Sharma. “Some Reflections on Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility.” Asia Pacific Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research 3.2 (2014): 89-96. Print.
Svensson, Goran, and Greg Wood. “A Model of Business Ethics.” Journal of Business Ethics 77.3 (2008): 303. Print.
Tackett, James, Gregory Claypool, and Fran Wolf. “Economic Versus Moral Based Pedagogies for Business Ethics.” Journal of Business and Educational Leadership 3.1 (2011): 3-14. Print.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The case study focuses on the core concepts of knowledge management by conducting a case study on human resource training at a McMulla Retailer Store in New York. The training and development director at this firm was informed of this problem, and they realised that the problem was majorly because of the limited knowledge of the attendants. The management then organised a training programme to address this problem. |
The case study focuses on the core concepts of knowledge management by conducting a case study on human resource training at a McMulla Retailer Store in New York. The training and development director at this firm was informed of this problem, and they realised that the problem was majorly because of the limited knowledge of the attendants. The management then organised a training programme to address this problem. | Core Concepts of Knowledge Management Case Study
Introduction
According to Schneider (2009, p. 73), knowledge is one of the most important factors in any organisation in the current society. With the increasing level of competition, firms are under pressure to have a knowledge management system that can enable all the stakeholders to share relevant information within the shortest period possible.
There has been an effort by many organisations to shorten the process of data collection, its analysis, and the storage of the information that comes out of the analysis. For this to be achieved there is need to have an effective data management system. Such systems would ensure speedy collection and analysis of data, and their stored within the organisation.
This efficiency in the management of knowledge would define success of firm and its ability to manage environmental forces. Understanding the core concepts of knowledge management is important in the current business environment. This research focuses on the core concepts of knowledge management by conducting a case study on human resource training at a McMulla Retailer Store in New York.
Case Study
McMulla Retailer Store has been very successful in the retail industry because of the ability of its management and its employees to change with changes that take place in the environment. However, the firm recently realised that most of its employees at the local stores are unable to meet the expectations of the clients who visit the facility.
In the past, most of these attendants ensured that the shelves were properly arranged in order to make them attractive. However, this trend has changed. The customers currently want engaging attendants who can tell them about new brands or improved products that can meet their needs in the best way.
This means that the attendants must be quick to identify customers who need their engagement even without verbally requesting for it. This has been blamed for the reduced rates of sales at this firm within the first quarter of 2014.
The training and development director at this firm was informed of this problem, and they realised that the problem was majorly because of the limited knowledge of the attendants. This case study focuses on the training programme that was organised by the management to address this problem.
The human resource management was able to realise that the information management system that was in use within the organisation was not effective enough. Employees working within the stores could not access relevant information that this firm had been gathering about the changing customers’ practices.
In the training programme, the first activity was to integrate a communication system within the organisation and train all the employees, especially the attendants, how to access and use the information within the organisation.
One area that this firm highly encouraged its employees to focus on was in the field of social media. Facebook and Tweeter are the best media that an organisation can mine data about the changing tastes and preferences of the customers. In fact, Wallace (2007, p. 117) says that firms can directly engage with its clients and ask them how they would want to be served.
Another area of training that was taken with the employees is on how to protect the intellectual knowledge of the organisation. Any strategic knowledge that has been created by the employees of the firm has to remain a property of the organisation, and every member of the firm should ensure that it is not stolen by rival firms.
It is important for the employees to use their own unique capacities to develop and effectively use their tacit knowledge in order to improve their performance. They can come up with unique ways of handling their tasks effectively in a way that other employees may not. For this to be possible, the management had to relax the policies that require a standardised behaviour when addressing various tasks.
The management must allow a room for creativity among the employees. It is only through this that the employees can use their special knowledge in various fields.
As King (2009, p. 84) says, explicit knowledge can be shared effectively among members of the organisation as a way of promoting their performance or informing them of new trends that are taking place in the market. Developing a free flow of such knowledge through data management system would be the appropriate way of achieving this.
The third area of training that the employees underwent was effective communication of employees of the organisation at different levels. It was realised that in most of the cases, employees of junior ranks found it difficult to communicate with the senior officers at this firm. The policy of reporting to the immediate supervisor was making the process of efficient communication even more complex.
When a message comes from one supervisor to another, Easterby and Lyles (2011, p. 54) says that it always get distorted because of a number of reasons. The supervisor may not like the information in its original context. For this reason, they would distort the information to suite their desires. It means that by the time the information would be reaching the intended audience, the original meaning would be lost.
In most of the cases, the information would never reach the intended audience. Communication is an important tool, and as Marsch (2010, p. 79) notes, it should always be treated as such. In order to address this problem that was raised by the employees, the human resource management unit developed a social networking system that incorporated all the employees.
All the employees were trained on how to access the system either through their phones or personal computers using a unique password. This enabled them to share any information with various departments without having to follow the bureaucratic system that had previously been in use.
However, this does not mean that the supervisors and mid-level managers became ineffective in receiving and transmitting information from superiors to the junior employees or vice versa. The new system was only meant to create a social forum where people would communicate easily within an organisation for the benefit of everyone.
During the training, the trainers were keen to determine the intelligence of the trainees in order to define the best training strategies. According to Al-Shammari (2012, p. 89), some learners have high capacity of grasping information irrespective of the manner in which it is delivered. On the other hand, some of the employees had limited levels of intelligence.
For this reason, they need to have a practical demonstration of what is taught in order to grasp the knowledge. Having this information in mind, the trainers organised two sessions of training. The first session involved training the employees in a classroom setting.
Using experts working for the organisation and other consultants hired for this purpose, the employees were trained on effective knowledge management within the organisation. They were also trained on the relevance of protecting the organisation’s knowledge management system as the employees of the organisation.
They have a responsibility to the organisation and all its stakeholders to protect the system from any access by individuals with malicious intentions. After the class work, there was a final session that was conducted on the training sites. All the trainees were subjected to on-site training process in order to enable them put into practice the theoretical knowledge they learnt in a classroom setting.
In knowledge management process that was carried out during the training process, it would be important to use Karl Popper’s Three Worlds Theory. The figure below shows Popper’s physical world, subjective reality, and objective knowledge.
During the training process, the reality of this theory came out very clearly in the three worlds. In the first word, there was the physical store that the trainees needed to know how they could improve its layout to appear more attractive to customer than it had been before.
In the second world, there was the training that was to be done by the outsourced experts on the supermarket attendants. In the third world, the trainees would have acquired the right knowledge and would be expected to apply it by improving the conditions o the stores.
The training process was determined to have a positive impact on the employees’ output. One of the factors that helped in improving the output of the employees was that employees were able to determine the importance of knowledge management within the organisation. They realised that information is an important component of an organisation that cannot be treated casually.
After the training, it was evident that employees made concerted efforts to share the information as a way of enhancing their knowledge in handling tasks (Dalkir 2011, p. 76). The attendants easily accessed the information collected from the field about the changing tastes and preferences of the customers.
Currently, the employees of McMulla Retailer Store at New York are more engaging with their customers than before. They are willing to spend more time with clients to explain various issues of brand and new arrivals. This will definitely improve the performance of this firm in the future.
Glossary of Key Terminologies in Knowledge Management Concepts
Term Definition
Data Wilde (2011, p. 51) define data as facts and statistics which are collected for the purpose of analysis.
Data management system A collection of data in a database that is easily accessed in case there is need for analysis.
Information A refined or analysed data that is ready for consumption.
Information management system Al-Shammari (2012, p. 113) defines information management system as a computer-based system that is used to manage information within an organisation.
Social media Website application that enables its users to create and freely share content (Marsch 2010, p. 90).
Intellectual asset These are intangible assets, especially a creation from one’s knowledge, skills or experience.
Tacit Knowledge Wilde (2011, p. 89) defines tacit knowledge as that which cannot be easily transferred from one person to another verbally or through writing.
Explicit knowledge Refers to a codified knowledge that can easily be transferred verbally or through writing.
Communication The art of exchanging or imparting information between two or more individuals.
Intelligence The inherent ability to acquire and then apply skills and knowledge.
Knowledge management An efficient way of handling information.
Knowledge management system A series of practices and strategies used to create and manage information.
List of References
Al-Shammari, M 2012, Customer-centric knowledge management: Concepts and applications , Information Science Reference, Hershey.
Dalkir, K 2011, Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice , Elsevier, Burlington.
Easterby, M & Lyles, M 2011, Handbook of organisational learning and knowledge management , Wiley, Chichester.
King, W 2009, Knowledge management and organisational learning , Springer, London.
Marsch, M 2010, Micro-Bargaining as Enhancer of Knowledge Management: A Comparison between Mexico and Germany , Rainer Hampp Verlag, Mering.
Schneider, K 2009, Experience and knowledge management in software engineering, Springer, Berlin.
Wallace, D 2007, Knowledge management: Historical and cross-disciplinary themes , Libraries Unlimited, Westport.
Wilde, S 2011, Customer knowledge management: Improving customer relationship through knowledge application , Springer, Heidelberg.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The text discusses the underlying issues concerning the organization's culture, including its legend, rituals and ceremonies, language and socialization of new employees. |
The text discusses the underlying issues concerning the organization's culture, including its legend, rituals and ceremonies, language and socialization of new employees. | Corporate Culture of Vintage Tourism Ventures Evaluation Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Company Legend
3. Company Rituals and Ceremonies
4. Company’s Organizational Language
5. Socialization of New Employees
6. Conclusion
Introduction
In the contemporary super-competitive age, organizational culture is increasingly becoming an important domain in the way business is being conducted owing to its substantial impact on firm performance and competitiveness, employee job performance, as well as employee job satisfaction.
Using a hypothetical company referred to as Vintage Tourism Ventures, this paper purposes to discuss some underlying issues concerning the organization’s culture, including its legend, rituals and ceremonies, language and socialization of new employees.
Company Legend
The company “Vintage Tourism Ventures” will be established against the backdrop of a maturing tourism industry, which provides numerous tourism packages to the youth and the working class, but fails to consider the elderly and pensioners as major consumers of tourism products.
Customers within this group of the population (the elderly and pensioners) require to be showered with warmth and compassion owing to their advancing age, not mentioning that they need to be treated with respect and utmost integrity.
Additionally, it has been decided that potential customers for the company need to be entertained in a pleasurable and stress-free environment not only to leave long-lasting impressions about the company but also to instill happiness in their sunset years.
The company will be developing around these cultural variables (demonstration of warmth, compassion, respect, integrity and happiness), implying that employees are expected to treat the customers with big smiles and affection.
It is expected that the company will make a niche for itself in the tourism industry in the foreseeable future, as employees and other relevant stakeholders will have the capacity to know what is expected from them when it comes to treating the elderly customers and maintaining the company’s cohesiveness for enhanced performance and competitiveness.
As a matter of fact, the company expects to be identified with affection, compassion, happiness, and integrity.
Company Rituals and Ceremonies
The company will employ birthday parties and happy hours not only to establish team unity and allow employees to feel appreciated by the management but also to provide a more enjoyable workplace experience in the line with its projected culture and ethical principles.
Happy hours will be held on weekends and will be dedicated to employees who will complete individual accomplishments for the company and contribute to the steady growth of the customer base.
The company will use birthday and other parties to encourage their workers to reach higher goals and also to show that it values employees as human beings, rather than as an impersonal means of production.
These rituals and ceremonies will be wholly funded by the company and will contain an element of compensation through monetary and nonmonetary rewards to show the commitment of the organization to its human capital base.
Senior leaders will use these ceremonies to underscore important variables of the company’s culture (e.g., warmth, compassion, respect, integrity, cooperation and happiness), and also encourage employees and management to have more opportunities for social interaction with each other away from the stressful office environment.
Company’s Organizational Language
It is a well-known fact that organizational language reflects a collective strategy among organizational members and is instrumental in reinforcing a company’s culture, particularly with regard to ensuring that employees exhibit or project patterns of behavior underpinned by values, attitudes and assumptions for optimal organizational performance and productivity.
Drawing from the main variables of the projected corporate culture (demonstration of warmth, compassion, respect, integrity and happiness), it is plausible to say that the organizational language will revolve around creating the happiest place on earth for pensioners to enjoy their sunset years with utmost peace and tranquility.
The organizational language of creating the happiest place on earth for pensioners to enjoy their sunset years through tourism and adventures will form the foundational element of the culture at Vintage Tourism Ventures, particularly in terms of ensuring that employees will be able to work in an environment that is full of warmth, compassion, respect, integrity and happiness.
It is only by working in such a fun-filled and respectful environment that the employees will have the capacity to joke with customers and guarantee their happiness.
Owing to the fact that the hallmark of an adaptive organizational culture is embedded in the capacity for employees to accept change and take on the challenge of initiating and implementing new strategies for organizational growth and competitiveness, it is essential to align organizational language with the prevalent culture to reinforce in employees the value of change in facilitating the improvement of the company.
Drawing from this elaboration, it should be the function of the company’s leadership to open channels of communication to ensure that employees are inculcated into an organizational culture that values warmth, compassion, respect, integrity and happiness.
Opening channels of communication between employees and management will also ensure that change efforts are not resisted when they arise.
Additionally, it should be the function of the company’s leadership to develop a learning environment that provides employees with the capacity to learn about the culture and language of the organization.
Lastly, it is essential for the leadership to provide employees with training opportunities in order to ensure internalization and comprehension of essential components of the organizational culture.
The discussed variables (opening avenues of communication, developing and implementing a learning environment, providing training opportunities) will be instrumental in ensuring that Vintage Tourism Ventures maintains productivity and competitiveness due to a strong adaptive corporate culture.
Socialization of New Employees
Socialization of new people into the company should commence by undertaking an orientation exercise aimed at ensuring that the employees not only embrace the corporate culture of the firm, but also understand all the cultural values, ethical principles, and expectations for behavior.
The orientation exercise should also introduce the new hires to the company’s vision and mission statements, not mentioning that it should assist the employees to understand the value of working together as a team in the realization of the company’s strategic and business objectives.
The next step in the socialization process should involve giving the new people a real view of the organization, particularly in the context of the company’s origin, pathways for the future, major functions or activities undertaken, as well as existing customers and customer base.
Lastly, management should ensure that the new people get to know the whole team by striving to help them establish constructive relationships with the rest of the staff. For example, a welcome party could be organized to provide the new hires with an opportunity to connect with other members of staff and share in their experiences.
Conclusion
This paper has discussed some of the underlying issues related to the establishment of a strong corporate culture for a hypothetical company referred to as Vintage Tourism Ventures.
Drawing for this exploration, it can be concluded that a strong corporate culture is to a large extent dependent on the company’s legend, rituals and ceremonies, organizational language, as well as how well new people are socialized into the organization.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: In the 2010s, consumers have become more attentive and companies have become more responsible.In the 2010s, consumers have become more attentive and companies have become more responsible. | In the 2010s, consumers have become more attentive and companies have become more responsible.
In the 2010s, consumers have become more attentive and companies have become more responsible. | Corporate Responsibility: McDonald’s and the US Society Expository Essay
McDonald’s has always been associated with the American way of life but it has also become a target of various accusations as it is believed that the food sold there is unhealthy. Numerous people sued the company and tried to prove that McDonald’s was the reason of their poor health conditions, obesity and some kind of addiction. For instance, Pelman v. McDonald’s is one of examples of such concerns.
Parents of a teenager who suffered from obesity tried to prove that McDonald’s was responsible for the girl’s health condition (Wald, 2003). However, it was decided that McDonalds could be only partially responsible for health problems as the food bought from the famous chain constituted only the fifth part of the girls’ diet.
Clearly, there are other examples of cases against the fast food chain and the question whether McDonald’s and other fast food chains have to be judged negligent for providing harmful food, failing to inform consumers about hazards and deceptive advertising seems to be unanswered. However, there is an answer to the question.
Admittedly, fast food has been a topic of a heated debate for a while and it has been acknowledged that it can have a harmful impact on people’s health if it is the basis of their diet and if there is lack of exercise.
There was time when the risks were not researched well enough and people did not realize that there can be detrimental outcomes. However, now numerous films and TV programs have been made and people are aware of the hazards. More so, the chains are forced to change their packaging and advertising, and even contents of their products removing some elements.
In the 2010s, consumers have become more attentive and companies have become more responsible. Hartman and DesJardins (2007) note that consumers are willing to buy from responsible companies. At the same time, companies are trying to show their readiness to respond to this and change their approach.
For instance, Kraft Foods changed their advertising and do not target at children from 6 to 11 ( Food fight , 2005, para. 3). Officials have also developed regulations concerning diets at schools, norms of advertising and so on.
Therefore, at present, it is impossible to state that fast food chains are negligent and fail to inform people about possible hazards. These arguments are no longer timely. Now people are responsible for their lifestyles and diets and it is their right to choose. Clearly, McDonald’s may change their message and add such concepts as exercise and healthy eating.
Fast food chains should also stop targeting at children and many chains have already done that ( Food fight , 2005, para. 3). Fast food chains have changed their menus and added a variety of healthier products. Therefore, McDonald’s and other companies are offering products and it is each person’s responsibility to make the best choice for him/her.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that fast food chains have been in the spotlight as they were accused of selling harmful products without informing people. Nonetheless, hamburgers cannot be seen as the evil that destroys people’s lives since they can be only a small part of the diet. Some people try to put the entire responsibility on others (fast food chains, in this case).
However, it is impossible to ban products even though excessive consumption of them can lead to serious health issues. It is better to teach people and raise awareness about hazards and the problem will cease to exist as there will not be demand and there will be no supply of these products.
Reference List
Food fight: Obesity raises difficult marketing questions . (2005). Web.
Hartman, L., & DesJardins, J. (2007). Business ethics: Decision-making for personal integrity & social responsibility . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Wald, J. (2003). McDonald’s obesity suit tossed . Web.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The essay compares the corporate social responsibility programs assumed by Shell and BP, with a close focus on the advantages and limitations of the strategies. |
The essay compares the corporate social responsibility programs assumed by Shell and BP, with a close focus on the advantages and limitations of the strategies. | Corporate Social Responsibility: Shell and BP Report
Executive Summary
Shell and BP are two of the global giants in the oil and gas industry, and they are compelled by their status to engage in the development of corporate social responsibility programs that portray them as corporate citizens. Shell has demonstrated a committed position to uphold this requirement of super large companies.
The company’s corporate social responsibility program is deeply enshrined in the enhancement of safety for the employees and consumers. Most critics claim that BP has always claimed to be a corporate citizen looking to enhance safety and sustainability in its business processes.
It is apparent from its recent disasters that there is room for improvement in its CSR. Companies in the industry are faced with numerous challenges, especially in the past several decades, because of the awareness of the global society of their contribution to environmental degradation.
The companies have been forced to develop corporate social responsibility programs to influence sustainable developments and to demonstrate their commitment to bringing positive changes to the society. Shell and BP have clearly spelled out codes of ethics that their human assets and business entities must follow in every activity.
Introduction
Corporate social responsibility is a concept that has been adopted by many companies across the world in the wake of globalisation. By definition, the concept entails the attainment of sustainable growth in business entities, whereby the companies develop programs that look to eliminate the negative effects of their business activities.
Corporate social responsibilities may also be oriented toward the attainment of the requirements of the stakeholders, or they may be designed to meet the legal requirements for licensure purposes.
Most companies implement corporate social responsibility programs on utilitarian grounds, whereby they strive to give back to the society and to protect the ecosystem for the benefit of future generations. Shell and BP are two of the largest multinational companies in the world.
They operate in the oil industry, which is one of the most controversial business field in the contemporary world owing to its contribution to environmental degradation.
The two companies have developed unique corporate social responsibility programs that have impressed many, but their contribution to the emission of greenhouse gases and oil spills attract criticism from people across the world.
Working in the oil industry required BP and Shell to assume a strategic plan of developing corporate social responsibilities that primarily focus on environmental sustainability. The production of safe energy, and the elimination of environmental hazards is the main focus of Shell and BP.
This report compares the corporate social responsibility programs assumed by Shell and BP, with a close focus on the advantages and limitations of the strategies.
Brief Information about the Two Contrasted Organisations
Shell is an Anglo-Dutch company that established its oil and gas business in 1907. The company is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, and it operates in over 100 countries. Shell was founded after the Shell Transport & Trading company in the UK merged with the Royals Dutch Petroleum company.
The merger resulted in the development of one of the largest companies in the world in terms of the size of revenue. Shell engages in all business activities within the oil and gas industry, including refining, production, trading, and distribution among many other activities.
The company has over 40,000 service stations across the world, where it retails oil products and gas. Shell has several subsidiaries across the world, including the Shell Oil Company in the United States, which is a major contributor to Shell’s revenue.
Shell’s tremendous growth has been actualised by the development of a business plan that entails the differentiation of business activities. Being in every business process within the industry has also ensured that the company standardises the prices of its products; thus, harnessing a larger global market share.
The company has a corporate social responsibility program that is deeply rooted in utilitarian ethics. Shell gives back to the society through sponsorships, and it has also developed a program to ensure it reduces its carbon footprint every year.
BP plc is a British multinational company headquartered in London. It is one of the largest companies in the oil and gas industry, and it operated in all business processes in the industry, making it a close rival to Shell and other super-major companies in the business.
Since its establishment in 1908, BP has seen exponential growth in its business performance. Despite the company being one of the largest companies in the oil and gas business, BP has faced numerous challenges with relations to safety and environmental hazards.
The company has paid numerous heavy fines to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It continues to fund efforts to reverse the effects of some of its recent oil spills in different parts of the world.
Safety is one of the weakest areas that BP has to improve in, despite the numerous efforts to develop sustainable business approaches. BP has a corporate social responsibility program that focuses on environmental and social sustainability.
The expansion of BP has been fuelled by its opportunistic business model, and it is expected to keep growing despite its environmental and safety challenges.
The Business Ethics
Most of the companies operating in the oil and gas industry recognise that observing the business ethics that apply to the industry is an integral part of building a good reputation. Observing business ethics is also a major factor in the development of future business opportunities for the companies.
Most of them have embarked on plans to embrace the many regulations placed by individual governments, NGOs, and international organisations. Business ethics in the oil and gas industry encapsulate three major areas, including corruption, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability.
Companies in the industry are faced with numerous challenges, especially in the past several decades, because of the awareness of the global society about their contribution to environmental degradation.
The companies have been forced to develop corporate social responsibility programs to influence sustainable developments and to demonstrate their commitment to bringing positive changes to the society. Shell and BP have clearly spelled out codes of ethics that their human assets and business entities must follow in every activity.
For companies the size of Shell and BP, behaving like corporate citizens is an indispensable requirement. The business ethics that apply to these companies revolve around the environmental impacts of their activities.
The ethical requirements of the companies are not only tied to the production and distribution of oil and gas, but also the climatic effects that emanate from the use of oil at the consumer level.
Scientific findings indicate that companies in the oil and gas industry must consider their impact on the environment in relation to the sustainability matters of burning hydrocarbons. The companies are actively involved in business processes within the developing nations.
They are obliged to take an active role in protecting human rights and ensuring their activities attain parallelism with the business ethics that are protected by the regional governments (Aguilera, Rupp, Williams & Ganapathi 2007).
BP and Shell have great impacts on the lives of the local communities living around their business entities because they offer employment opportunities, and the nature of their operations presents numerous hazards to the society.
The companies are obliged to focus on reducing the negative impacts of their activities in the respective communities. They are also obliged to invest heavily in helping the people around their production entities.
The companies have the power to lead national and international developments; hence, they should take the responsibility to pilot positive social developments.
BP’s code of ethics applies to all business activities. It is not explicitly defined, but it is enshrined in the company’s values. The organisational values of the company encompass safety, respect, courage, excellence, and one team ( Ethics and Compliance 2013).
BP demonstrates its desire to improve safety for its employees, the environment, and the society by improving safety standards. This strategy is attained through the provision of training programs for the employees and developing safety precautions in the business processes.
The company has embedded operations management systems to ensure safety is prioritised in every process. The company has three lines of defence that support safety in every operation. The company is actively engaged in research to identify risks associated with water scarcity in different areas of operations.
BP has also collaborated with governments to plan responses to any oil spills in the future. Oil spills are the biggest challenges that BP has faced in recent times, and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the largest oil spill that has ever been witnessed in the world.
The effects of the spill continue to be witnessed in different ecological areas if the region and BP has collaborated with various organisations to resolve the environmental issues. BP is also committed to assuming ethical energy use through the development of energy efficient production processes that lower its carbon footprint.
BP’s future ethical considerations with reference to environmental sustainability involve the enhancement of water conservation in its production zones. It also includes better predictions of the effects of oil spills on land and water, and sharing its findings on energy efficiency with other refineries ( Environment 2013).
In terms of social issues in the business ethics of the company, BP has ensured that it focuses on improving its employees’ welfare. The company is also actively involved in the provision of fresh water to the communities living around its business entities in different parts of the world.
BP has spent over $70 million in community projects across the world to demonstrate the desire of the company to operate ethically. The company is also among the few companies in the oil and gas industry that have stood out with their projects to support the protection of different human rights ( Society 2013).
The advantages of BP’s commitment to making the society a better place is that it has gained the support of governments, and NGOs amid its crisis in oil spills. BP is responsible for the world’s largest oil spills, and it has a great responsibility of reclaiming its lost glory among critics.
The environmental and safety crisis at BP has influenced the development of various government regulators to ensure companies in the oil and gas industry uphold the ethics associated with their different business processes.
Shell has seen its fair share of negative criticism over the past several decades owing to several disasters that forced the company to review its business ethics. The company’s code of ethics focuses on environmental and social sustainability.
The most important codes of ethics of the company are followed by the executives of the different subsidiaries. The values of the company compel the executives to uphold transparency in reporting and exclusiveness in making the business processes safer for the employees and the community.
Shell has demonstrated its willingness to promote sustainable use of the energy resources. Unlike other companies that are only profit-oriented, Shell has developed a business strategy that looks to ensure that the growing need for energy across the world will be met in the future ( Society 2013).
As oil deposits in different areas continue to reduce, Shell is looking into developing research institutes to develop viable alternative sources of energy. The company is particularly focused on developing cleaner sources of energy.
Business ethics in the oil and gas industry call for the associated companies to develop safety precautions that limit the chances of the employees being injured at work. Shell is one of the companies that have actively held safety as their top priority. Unlike BP, Shell has not been faced by serious oil spills and workstation accidents.
Based on the size of the company, it is apparent that the top management has put in place the relevant safety measures to safeguard the lives of the employees.
Shell has a comprehensive focus on safety that includes the development of safety precautions for the employees involved in the transportation of oil and gas products ( Society 2013). The company is also concerned with the safety of the end consumers of its products.
As Shell looks to develop sustainable growth, it has ensured that it allocates funds to benefit the communities living around its business entities. Since the Nigerian crisis that Shell faced, the company has ensured that there are safety measures applied to the mining zones.
This approach is applied to ensure there are minimal negative impacts on the communities (Boele, Fabig & Wheeler 2001).
Shell has embraced its ethical responsibility to foster positive growth in the global society by becoming among the first oil and gas companies to develop a project focusing on formulating low-carbon fuels. A part of the company’s goal in relation to ethics is to continually develop low-carbon energy sources.
The new sources of energy will see the global society appreciating the potential of oil and natural gas sustaining the world’s demand for energy with minimal effects on the environment. Shell is committed to upholding its ethical task of ensuring it lowers the impact of the global over-reliance on oil as the main source of energy.
Shell’s concern with the safety of the environment and consumers has led to its popularity and preference among motorists across the world. Shell has embarked on a business plan to develop customer-focused products that eliminate the company’s carbon footprint ( Society 2013).
The cost of developing low-carbon fuels is directly absorbed by the company, and Shell does not pass the cost to the consumers. The company has maintained a lead in the business because of the quality and affordability of its products.
While other companies continue increasing the prices of their respective products, Shell has maintained reasonable prices as an ethical approach to doing business.
Shell has also embraced its business ethics requirements to become a global leader in developing alternative energy sources for the future. While other companies in the industry are complaining about the reducing availability of oil and gas, Shell focuses on developing innovative energy sources for the future generations ( Future Analysis 2015).
The company has incorporated technology at a high level in research projects aimed at helping future generations to solve the inevitable energy crisis. The company compels other players in the business to become a part of the problem-solvers for the sake of the future generations.
The consumption of energy across the world has been on an increasing trend over the past century. The diminishing trend in sources of non-renewable energy sources means that the world will have to develop alternative ways to acquire energy.
Governments in the developing nations have limited abilities to finance research projects to develop alternative sources of energy ( Future Analysis 2015). Shell has taken its ethical responsibility to conduct research for the benefit of the global society.
This is one of the business ethics that companies with such high revenue must embrace. Helping the global society develop surety for the future is an ethical approach to doing business, and it adds value to the products and services that Shell provides to the international market.
Shell is fixing today’s problems of unsustainable use of non-renewable energy by incorporating technology and innovation to develop cleaner fuels from oil. The efforts demonstrated by Shell in making the world a better place gives the company a leading position in observing the business ethics that govern the oil and gas industry.
Comparison of Management Techniques
Governance for Sustainability
In the oil and gas industry, there is a tendency of people confusing CSR and disaster management. The main difference between Shell and BP is that BP’s corporate social responsibility programs have been adopted as a strategic move to manage the numerous disasters that the company has witnessed over the past several decades.
Shell has also faced several disasters, but its CSR programs are strictly based on business ethics rather than restoring the damages. BP’s governance for sustainability is driven by the need for the company to develop new safety measures.
After the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP was compelled by international regulators to look into developing a restoration plan for the affected ecosystems in the region. While this may be viewed as an ethical approach to business, it is just damage control, which is a requirement for companies to be accountable for their negligence.
BP’s CSR is based on an egotistical philosophy. The company is more concerned about the welfare of the shareholders and the profits it makes owing to the efforts it makes to attain sustainable business processes.
The company claims that its primary objective in developing a CSR program is to create value for the shareholders and to improve safety in the delivery of products and services ( Our Strategy and Sustainability 2015).
Shell, on the other hand, has a governance approach that has traditionally focused on making the world a better place. Shell is more of a corporate citizen than BP when comparing their approaches to governance for sustainability.
While BP focuses on short-term benefits for the stakeholders and building a positive reputation with the consumers, Shell focuses on long-term goals of being a problem-solver. Shell’s CSR is more plausible because it is deeply rooted in incorporating the latest technology.
This approach is applied to enhance safety and to increase its ability to provide the global society with sustainable energy ( Sustainability and our business strategy 2015).
While BP is still struggling to improve its engineering expertise to eliminate the risks of oil spills, Shell has advanced its capabilities to uphold environmental sustainability.
Structured Decision-Making
BP has a general code of ethics that applies to the entire human asset base, including the executive members. Decision-making in the organisation is based on the values of the company.
The values of the company uphold safety as the top priority, but it is possible for the decision-makers of the company to make poor decisions because accountability is not held strictly enforced by the espoused values. Shell, on the other hand, has a clearly spelled-out set of guidelines that influence decision-making at every level of management.
The code of ethics used by the organisation indicates that the decision-makers are ultimately responsible for the decisions they make with reference to sustainable developments. The company has traditionally focused on making decisions that enhance safety for the employees and the communities living around their business entities.
The management and leadership function of the company is answerable to the shareholders; hence, their decisions are influenced by the requirements of the shareholders. Shell has developed a strategic plan to develop CSR programs based on the emerging issues of energy and social issues.
Both BP and Shell are actively engaged in promoting community development programs in their operating regions, but Shell has demonstrated more commitment to solving global issues. Shell has been involved in donations to different communities as it looks to develop a better world, especially in the developing nations.
The donations are specifically aimed at helping people recover from natural disasters ( What we do: Partners 2015). For instance, in 2013, Shell was among the companies that donated funds to help the victims of the Alberta Floods ( Shell Canada Donates More Than $550,000 to Alberta Flood Relief Effort 2013).
Human Resource for Sustainability
The vision of a company and the involvement of the human resource in sustainability is an integral part of promoting effective CSR programs. Shell and BP are global giant companies; hence, they are compelled by their respective organisational values to look into developing workforces that embrace business ethics.
BP is one of the companies in the oil and gas industry that have continuously claimed that it upholds a CSR policy that us enshrined in the values of progress, responsibility, performance enhancement and innovation. This means that the company claims to fully incorporate the human resources in the development of sustainable goals.
Over the past two decades, BP has faced three major disasters that have forced the company to emphasise its commitment to upholding the CSR policies it has preached over the past half century.
BP sees itself as a company whose CSR program focuses on improving safety for the human resources and the community, but the recent crises in the company reveal that this has not been the case.
There is evidence that the company has failed to enhance safety for its employees and the community by failing to invest in the latest safety technology.
Even in the management of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, critics claimed that BP was using the easy and ineffective way to deal with the spill before international regulators stepped in to help ( BP Company Assessment 2015).
Shell, on the other hand, has faced two major crises over the past several decades. The first was an oil spill that was managed quite effectively, and the second was the genocide in Nigeria, which was blamed on Shell’s negligence in operating safely in the community.
The legal issues were resolved, and Shell took responsibility of restoring the safety to the community. Shell is yet to be accused of failing to take care of the safety needs of its employees.
It is also apparent that the company has developed a code of ethics for every employee in the company; thus, responsibilities are clearly highlighted for the individual human assets.
Sustainability is held paramount by the executive function of the company, and it has ensured that employee and community safety is upheld in all business activities (Van der Wiele, Kok, McKenna & Brown 2001).
The organisational culture of the company has espoused values that influence the employees to regularly consider their safety and that of the community. Unlike the legal CSR policy held by BP, Shell has a mix of benevolent and ethical CSR. The company goes beyond its legal requirements to make the world a better place.
Unlike BP, Shell follows the operational standards that it claims to the public.
Purchasing for Sustainability
Shell has demonstrated its commitment to engaging in business practices that leverage social and environmental benefits for the global society. The company has invested heavily in developing research projects that will change the society’s view of using oil and gas as the primary source of energy.
The company has also spent millions of dollars in protecting the rights of people in the developing nations. Shell finances the education of people in developing nations in a bid to produce leaders that will fight for their governments to continue upholding human rights (Aguilera, Rupp, Williams & Ganapathi 2007).
Shell has purchased the latest technology in a quest to experiment with the development of environmentally friendly fuels. The project is in its initial stages, but it is a clear indication that Shell is committed to reducing its carbon footprint.
BP on the other hand, has claimed that it is also looking to reduce its carbon footprint, but its resources are currently focused on financing the restoration of the Deepwater Horizon region.
Studies on the ecology in this region indicate that the oil spill has resulted in the extensive killing of animal and plant species, and the oil spill has spread out to vast regions that need cleaning-up. Critics still believe that BP is profit oriented, and it is not committed to make any purchases for sustainability (Mobus 2012).
Marketing for Sustainability
Shell is directly involved in the promotion of different sports events in different parts of the world. The company is particularly active in the promotion of motor racing events in different events across the world. The organisation holds its advertisement and promotions together to ensure there is cost reduction in the marketing department.
Shell is actively involved in cross-promotion with its various partners. The cross-promotion efforts are known to help local investors develop higher sales for their products through partnerships with Shell.
The cross-promotional activities are held in the numerous retail stations owned by Shell, where their partners have developed retail stores for different products. Similarly, BP is actively engaged in cross-promotion. BP has numerous partners that engage in combined promotions for services and products at the BP stations across the world.
The company is profit-oriented; hence, it has also developed free services like free car washing and free fuel for its loyal customers to keep them coming back ( Promotions and Rewards 2015). BP is also a major promoter of motor racing championship in partnership with other global companies.
Customer Right
Shell and BP are involved in various business activities within the oil and gas industry, and both companies have exhibited their commitment to treating customers as the most important entities in the business. For the two companies to attain their current status in revenue returns, they must have impressed their loyal customers.
Both companies observe customer rights by ensuring they offer quality services and products. Shell and BP are among the most efficient companies in honouring contracts with consumers, and they take responsibility for any mistakes in the various deals.
The code of ethics held by Shell is a particular strength of the company in relation to the commitment of the leaders to protect customer rights.
Conclusion
BP and Shell are close rivals in the oil and gas industry, and they have an obligation to uphold sustainable growth. A comparison between their CSR approaches indicates that Shell is more efficient and willing to promote sustainability.
Shell has practically proved that is a corporate citizen, but BP is still stuck in giving claims about its plans to implement different standards of operations.
BP needs to prove to the global society that it is a corporate citizen by assuming a sustainable CSR program rather than claiming its current disaster management and restoration programs are part of its CSR.
List of References
Aguilera, RV, Rupp, DE., Williams, CA & Ganapathi, J 2007, ‘Putting the S back in corporate social responsibility: A multilevel theory of social change in organizations’, Academy of management review , vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 836-863.
Boele, R, Fabig, H & Wheeler, D 2001, ‘Shell, Nigeria and the Ogoni. A study in unsustainable development: II. Corporate social responsibility and ‘stakeholder management’ versus a rights‐based approach to sustainable development’, Sustainable Development , vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 121-135.
BP Company Assessment 2015. Web.
Environment 2013. Web.
Ethics and Compliance 2013. Web.
Future Analysis 2015. Web.
Mobus, J. L. 2012, ‘Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by BP: revealing or obscuring risks?’, Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues , vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 35.
Our Strategy and Sustainability 2015. Web.
Promotions and Rewards 2015. Web.
Shell Canada Donates More Than $550,000 to Alberta Flood Relief Effort 2013. Web.
Society 2013. Web.
Sustainability and our business strategy 2015. Web.
Van der Wiele, T., Kok, P., McKenna, R., & Brown, A. 2001, ‘A corporate social responsibility audit within a quality management framework’, Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 285-297.
What we do: Partners 2015. Web.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: Apprenticeship training is important for organizations because it can help them develop a more efficient and effective labor force. It can also help employees develop the skills they need to be successful in their careers. |
Apprenticeship training is important for organizations because it can help them develop a more efficient and effective labor force. It can also help employees develop the skills they need to be successful in their careers. | Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training Term Paper
Introduction
Developing an effective and efficient labor force is essential in organizations’ pursuit to achieve long-term excellence. Acemoglu and Pischke are of the opinion that human capital is the engine of achieving the desired growth (112). Human resource managers should ensure that their workforce has the right skills in order to improve the organizations’ performance.
The effectiveness of an organization’s human capital will play a vital role in enhancing its competitive advantage and efficiency. Organizations characterized by quality-oriented employees will outdo quantity-oriented workforce.
One of the ways through which an organization can transform its labor force into being quality-oriented is by investing in apprenticeship training. Investing in apprenticeship is an effective way through which an organization can enhance employee development by instilling the desired skills and competence. This aspect increases the employees’ level of effectiveness and efficiency (Ryan The economics of training 56).
Additionally, the skills acquired must be utilized effectively in order to achieve the desired growth. Acemoglu and Pischke contend that the long-term success of an organization is subject to the degree to which employees are committed in developing specific skills (112). Some of the specific skills cannot be acquired through general-purpose education.
Currently, organizations are operating in a vibrant environment arising from the high rate of economic, social, political, and technological changes. Vemic asserts that the increase in the level of uncertainty, turbulence and complexity arising from the environment demands organizations to invest in knowledge (209).
Subsequently, organizational managers have an obligation to invest in continuous learning, which is effectively achieved through workplace training.
In an effort to achieve the desired level of efficiency, policy makers including governments are increasingly appreciating the significance of apprenticeship. For example, during his first term in office, Clinton made skills development through training a key policy issue. The objective was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the less skilled employees.
Acemoglu and Pischke are of the opinion that the “increase in the returns to a college degree and other skills experienced in the OECD countries over the past 20 years has added the sense of urgency to concerns regarding skills” (112).
Considering the importance of apprenticeship in organizations’ efforts to achieve long-term survival, this paper evaluates the costs and motives of apprenticeship training on the employers’ perspective. In order to understand the significance of apprenticeship, the paper assesses its application in Germany and Switzerland.
Cost analysis of apprenticeship training
Mohrenweiser and Zwick are of the opinion that an “increase of the apprenticeship share in trade, commercial, craft, or construction occupations has a positive impact on establishment performance; however, apprenticeship training increases the net cost of operation during the apprenticeship period” (631). Subsequently, employers incur a number of costs by investing in apprenticeship training.
Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders cite apprentice wages as one of the major costs incurred by employers in their efforts to invest in apprenticeship (10). The apprentices’ remuneration increases due to the different aspects such as workers’ compensation, payroll tax, superannuation, and wages. Employers have an obligation to make payment to the apprentices’ superannuation fund (Wolter and Ryan 550).
Acemoglu and Pischke assert that different countries have formulated extensive and complex legislations, which aim at protecting workers (119). During the apprenticeship period, employers have the duty of safeguarding the apprentice in the workplace.
Consequently, the employer must ensure health and safety of the apprentices. In the event of an accident or injury, the employer has the responsibility of meeting the apprentices’ hospital bills. In a bid to safeguard against such issues, employers are required to include the apprentices in the workers compensation plan within the organization.
Various governments have made it mandatory for organizations to ensure that apprentices receive a fair remuneration during their apprenticeship. The amount of remuneration is dependent on a number of factors. Some of these factors relate to the years of training, nature of apprenticeship, and year of school completion. Entry-level apprentices receive a relatively lower remuneration as compared to mature age apprentices.
The differences arise from the view that mature apprentices are more productive as compared to their young counterparts, which contributes to higher organizational performance. For example, the UK government has made it mandatory for employers to pay apprentices during the entire period of their apprenticeship.
According to the UK government policy, the payment has to be equal to the set national minimum wage. Apprentices serving for the first year and whose age is above 16 years are entitled to a minimum wage at the rate of £ 2.68 per hour.
After one year, the employers have an obligation to pay the apprentices at the rate applicable to their age. Furthermore, the remuneration is also pegged on the trainees’ educational grade. The remuneration paid has to reflect the training received, which reflects their responsibility.
Booth and Snower argue that employers have an obligation to treat the apprentices in a similar manner as employees (19). This aspect means that the apprentices are entitled to other benefits similar to other employees in an organization.
Some of these benefits include allowances and any other financial benefits that the employer may be required to pay over and above the set gross wages. In Australia, employers are required to pay apprentices all the benefits as outlined by the workplace agreement and the industry award.
In addition to remuneration, employers also incur substantial costs in paying the training personnel (Stevens 37). In an effort to ensure that employees are trained adequately, an organization may decide to outsource the training function. Outsourcing the training function may be expensive for an organization.
The outsourced firm may charge high training fees especially in training executives, which hikes the cost of outsourcing the training function. This assertion holds if an organization is required to train its workforce constantly. Furthermore, the organization may decide to source the training function in-house. Despite this aspect, the internal trainer may charge a high fee.
Mohrenweiser and Backes-Gellener define training fees as the costs incurred by an organization in paying an internal or external trainer (5). It is imperative for organizations to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether outsourcing the training function or conducting it in-house (Ryan The institutional requirements 12).
Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders further assert that employers incur a number of indirect costs (10). Examples of such costs include administration costs, material wastage and extra maintenance, and apprentice supervision costs. During the apprentice period, the employer has an obligation to ensure that the apprentice receives appropriate qualification.
Subsequently, the employer should ensure that the apprentice is supervised effectively during the entire apprenticeship program. Clark asserts that organizations should not assume that the apprentice is conversant with the responsibilities being allocated with time, hence diminishing the intensity of supervision (245).
This assertion arises from the view that the apprentice will encounter new challenges in the course of undertaking the on-the-job training.
In most cases, the supervisory responsibility is allocated to a qualified employee, who is charged with the responsibility of constantly reviewing the apprentice’s practices in order to ensure that he meets the intended quality, thus ensuring that his/her safety at the workplace is guaranteed. Therefore, the amount of time that the supervisor is actively involved in the operation of the firm is affected, which reduces his productivity.
Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders further argue that the cost incurred is relatively high if the apprentice does not complete the apprenticeship (10). This assertion emanates from the view that the employer does not enjoy the apprentice’s productivity later during his or her time in the organization. Substantial administration costs are involved in planning apprenticeship.
For example, human resource managers spend a lot of time scheduling work and planning off-the-job training. The apprentices have the right to attend off-the-job training. In addition to the above costs, the employer also incurs a substantial costs originating from material wastage and extra maintenance.
An organization may be required to purchase additional equipment and materials in order to undertake the training process successfully.
An analysis of how the costs of apprenticeship are shared between employers, apprentices and the government
Most governments are cognizant of the role of organizations in enhancing organizational performance. Subsequently, governments are increasingly supporting organizations in their operations. Dustmann and Schonberg contend that industrialized countries are appreciating vocational training as an important aspect in strengthening their growth and competitiveness (36).
One of the avenues through which this goal is being achieved is by supporting organization’s apprenticeship programs. For example, Sweden, the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK are some of the economies that have advocated organizations to invest in apprenticeship. In an effort to support such initiatives, governments are contributing a substantial amount in supporting the apprenticeship schemes.
Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders cite incentive payments as one of the ways through which governments are supporting apprenticeship schemes (24). One of the requirements that organizations are required to invest in includes off-job training such as in-class training.
In a bid to support organizations, governments are increasingly paying the tuition fee for organizations that have incorporated a comprehensive apprenticeship-training program.
Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders assert, “The tuition fees charged to students make up a very small part of the overall apprenticeship cost” (24). However, governments support organization in order to sustain such apprenticeship programs in organizations.
Dustmann and Schonberg argue that the appreciation of apprenticeship in some industrialized countries such as Austria, France, the US, and Italy have led to significant increment in support of apprenticeship programs through school-based and full-time apprenticeship colleges (36).
Similarly, countries such as Switzerland and Germany have adopted firm-based apprenticeship programs. These schemes are designed to train employees through a combination of on-the-job training and school-based training. The programs last for 2 to 3 years (Dustmann & Schonberg 36).
In Canada, the provincial and federal governments are involved in funding the apprenticeship program. For example, during its “2011/2012 fiscal year, the Canadian federal government provided direct support to apprenticeship program amounting to approximately $185 billion” (Dustmann & Schonberg 38).
Furthermore, the government supported organizations that have adopted apprenticeship schemes through a $ 172 million fund, which was specifically set aside for the apprentices’ insurance. In Ontario, Canada, the provincial government provides employers, who have adopted the concept of apprenticeship, with a tax credit amounting to 35% to 45% of the total cost of recruiting an apprentice (Lerman 4).
Other governments support apprenticeship by incorporating a subsidy on the training firms. For example, the UK government has developed a fund through the National Apprenticeship Service. The fund covers the total costs incurred by organizations through off-the-job training. However, the fund only supports apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years.
Furthermore, the UK government supports organizations that have adopted an apprenticeship-training program for individuals aged between 16 and 17 years through the Apprenticeship Grants for Employees, which was established in 2010. Employers who incorporate apprentices within the 16 to 17 years range receive £2,500 grant.
In Australia, training firms receive $ 1,250 support, which is increased to $ 4,000 upon completion of the training. This aspect highlights the extent to which governments are committed in supporting organizations to invest in developing their workforce through apprenticeship.
Therefore, it is imperative for organizational managers in such economies to consider investing in employee development by investing in apprenticeship programs.
Governments’ support for apprenticeship training is also applicable in Germany and Switzerland. However, Dustmann and Schonberg assert that public funding in Switzerland and Germany is only applicable to part-time vocational education (36). This aspect means that Swiss and German companies receive minimal direct public funding as opposed to British firms, which receive substantial direct public funding.
Comparison of apprenticeship training; Switzerland and Germany; cost and benefit analysis
Soskice assert that a number of studies have been conducted in an effort to assess costs and benefits of apprenticeship training practices in Switzerland and Germany (25). These studies provide significant insight on the apprenticeship systems implemented in the two countries (Soskice 25).
Available empirical research shows that apprenticeship training in Switzerland is subject to the net cost of the training program (Hanushek and Welch 618). Similarly, another study conducted in Germany shows that the costs and benefits associated with training have a significant influence on apprentice training in Germany.
Dionisius et al. assert that Germany and Switzerland “have adopted dual vocational education and training [VET] system” (1). Therefore, the apprenticeship system is comprised of school-based education [training through special vocational institutions] and through on-the-job training.
Subsequently, the two countries are effective in enhancing apprenticeship training (Wolfgang and Soskice1). However, the costs and benefits associated with the apprenticeship training behavior amongst the two countries vary significantly.
Apprenticeship training in Switzerland is usually beneficial to an organization during the training period. German firms incur significant net costs in the course of training apprentices.
The difference between the two countries emanate from the prevailing “structural differences such as industry structure, wage levels, and firm characteristics” (Dionisius et al. 1). Moreover, the differences between the two companies arise from the prevailing labor market regulations.
The study conducted by Dionisius et al. shows a significant difference with regard to cost-benefit ratio from the employers’ perspective between the two countries (5). According to the study, “the average annual cost of apprentice training in Germany amounts to €15,537 and that of Switzerland is estimated to be €18,131” (Dionisius et al. 5).
During the three years of the apprenticeship training, the total costs amounts to €7,785, thus making a substantial impact on the organizations’ wage bill. Despite this aspect, an organization can gain significant benefits during the apprenticeship program.
Dionisius et al. assert that the “value of productive contribution of apprentices is high in Switzerland, where the average benefit amounts to € 19,044, and thus the average benefit accrued by training a single apprentice in Germany amounts to € 8,008” (5). Apprenticeship training in Germany leads to higher net costs of approximately € 7,528 per year as compared to a net benefit of €913 per apprentice in Switzerland.
Consequently, the change between Germany and Switzerland with regard to a 3-year apprenticeship-training program amounts to €25,323. The net costs of apprenticeship training amongst German firms are relatively higher as compared to Swiss firms.
The high net cost of apprenticeship arises from the costs of the training personnel and the apprentices’ wages (Ryan Apprenticeship 102). The cost of “training an apprentice at the managerial level is 46% higher while that of a full-time trainer is 24% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany” (Dionisius et al. 7).
Similarly, wages of training specific skill such as technicians, artisanship, and administrative skills are 53%, 71%, and 60% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany. Additionally, training an apprentice who does not have any vocational qualification is 59% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany (Dionisius et al. 5).
Despite the above comparison, the wage costs incurred in training apprentices are higher in Germany as compared to Switzerland (Hanushek and Welch 618). Wage costs are higher during the first year, but they decrease significantly through the second and the third year. The chart below illustrates the change in wage costs for apprenticeship training during the 1 st to the 3 rd year.
Year Change
1 € 1,344
2 € 456
3 -€ 981
Table 1:
Graph 1
Source: (Dionisius et al. 6)
The differences are as a result of the duration that an apprentice spends at the vocational school, which varies significantly between Switzerland and Germany. The difference is estimated to be “15 days, 10 days, and 8 days during the 1 st , 2 nd, and 3 rd years in Germany” (Dionisius et al. 6).
This aspect explains why apprentices in Germany spend a relatively long durations in undertaking external and internal courses and in undertaking internship programs in diverse establishments (Hanushek and Welch 619).On the other hand, Swiss apprentices spend most of their time at the workplace, which increases the performance and productivity of the training firm.
Dionisius et al. assert that Swiss apprentices spend an additional 23 days during the 1 st year, 18 days during the 2 nd year, and 13 days during the 3 rd year in of their apprenticeship training in the workplace (6).
In addition to the above differences, the variation in the costs and benefits between Germany and Switzerland arises from the nature of training within a particular firm. Firms have the discretion in allocating tasks to apprentices during their training program.
This aspect leads to the development of specific skills, and thus they can be allocated productive activities, which are usually undertaken by skilled employees or other tasks undertaken by unskilled employees (Wolfgang and Soskice12).
Previous studies show point to a significant difference on the allocation of duties between Swiss and German firms. The amount of time that apprentices in German firms are engaged in non-productive tasks is higher as compared to Swiss firms (Hanushek and Welch 618).
The table below illustrates the extent to which duration within which apprentices are engaged in unproductive tasks in German firms exceed Swiss firms during the 3-year apprenticeship-training program.
Year Points
1 +36%
2 +28%
3 +18%
Table 2
Graph 2
Source: (Dionisius et al. 7)
It is estimated that Swiss “apprentices spend over 468 days of their entire apprenticeship period at the workplace” (Dionisius et al. 7). Eighty three percent (83%) of this period is undertaken by productive activities. On the other hand, German apprentices use “approximately 415 days at the firm offering the apprenticeship training of which 57% of this time is consumed by productive activities” (Dionisius et al. 7).
The net cost of “apprenticeship training between German and Swiss firms is estimated to be € 25,000 during a 3-year training program” (Dionisius et al.17) and this difference arises from a number of factors, which include the countries’ vocational education training systems, relative wages, and allocation of tasks amongst apprentices.
The above comparison shows that German and Swiss firms can be in a position to influence the costs and benefits associated with apprenticeship training. Hanushek and Welch accentuate that most firms in Germany are willing to cover the net costs incurred in apprenticeship training (617).
This assertion arises from the view that the German government has instituted effective employment protection legislations, which is not the case in Switzerland. Consequently, “Swiss firms are forced to train apprentices in a cost-efficient manner” (Hanushek and Welch 618).
However, the wage difference for apprentices between “skilled and unskilled apprentices is an additional motivation for Swiss firms to adopt production-oriented strategy rather than investment-oriented strategy in developing their apprenticeship-training program” (Hanushek and Welch 618).
Incentives and disincentives of apprenticeship training to employers
An organization can accrue a number of benefits through apprenticeship training. Acemoglu and Pischke argue that apprenticeship enables an organization to enhance firm-specific skills amongst its workforce (124). This move enhances the quality of output amongst the employees.
Acquisition of firm-specific skills influences the efficiency and effectiveness with which an employee utilizes the general skills. Furthermore, adopting such skills fosters the effectiveness with which employees execute their duties effectively, which minimizes instances of injury and other safety hazards. Moreover, investing in apprenticeship training enhances the quality of work amongst employees.
Subsequently, one can argue that apprenticeship increases the productivity of employees. For example, possessing knowledge on the application of certain software is beneficial to an organization if the employee uses the software to execute tasks specific to his division, which makes the general and specific skills to complement each other (Acemoglu and Pischke 124).
Therefore, one can argue that investing in apprenticeship training increases the probability of an organization developing a pool of experienced human capital. This aspect culminates in significant improvement in an organization’s competitiveness, performance, and growth.
Investing in human capital development through apprenticeship training presents employers with an opportunity to access government support. However, an organization must invest in in-class training. In addition, organizations may access future government support.
One of the benefits that the organization may access relates to tax credit. For example, the government may waive a certain percent of the corporate tax during the period of apprenticeship. Such government support may improve the organizations’ long-term performance.
By investing in apprenticeship, the employer is in a position to develop a strong human capital base. One of the ways through which this end is realizable is by incorporating the concept of diversity. The apprenticeship program incorporates apprentices of different demographic characteristics such as age and educational qualification.
This aspect improves the effectiveness and efficiency with which the organization develops a pool of experienced workforce. Workforce diversity is one of the most important organizational assets as it enhances the development of a knowledge-based organization through information sharing ( Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 111).
Adopting apprenticeship as a way of recruiting employees can improve the effectiveness and efficiency with which an organization achieves competitive advantage with regard to human capital base. Subsequently, the likelihood of achieving business excellence increases, as apprenticeship training provides employees with an opportunity to progress through their career path.
Consequently, the likelihood of achieving their desired career goals improves significantly. This aspect leads to a significant improvement in an organization’s corporate image, which further improves its competitiveness in the labor market. Saks and Haccoun are of the opinion that the image of an organization is fundamental in its quest to develop competitiveness with regard to human capital (209).
This assertion arises from the view that potential employees prefer associating and working with such a company. Subsequently, the likelihood of such a firm succeeding in its recruitment drives is high. Soskice asserts that apprenticeship training increases the employee retention rate significantly (37).
Despite the attractiveness of apprenticeship training as illustrated above, a number of aspects de-motivate employers from investing in such programs. One of the main disincentives relates to the cost involved in hiring and retaining apprentices. Different economies have stipulated a comprehensive bill of rights, which is applicable to apprentices.
Some of the issues articulated in such bills relate to the right to fair and equitable remuneration. For example, apprentices have the right to all the benefits applicable to other employees. Subsequently, most organizations perceive the cost of apprenticeship training as a major factor in their operations.
The other disincentive arises from the view that organizations are not guaranteed of the continued service of the apprentice in the organization. Some apprentices may leave the organization after or before completion of the training program, which is a major cost to the organization.
Conclusion
The above analysis identifies apprenticeship training as one of the most important elements in organizations’ efforts to develop competitive advantage with regard to human capital. Subsequently, governments are increasingly formulating policies advocating integration of apprenticeship training amongst firms.
Furthermore, different governments are supporting apprenticeship programs directly or indirectly either through tax credit or by paying the tuition fee for apprentices. However, the paper shows that firms encounter a number of costs and benefits through apprenticeship training. Some of the major costs are associated with the “apprentices’ wages, costs of paying the training personnel, and wastage of materials” (Booth and Snower 88).
These costs vary across countries. For example, the study shows that Swiss firms gain significantly as opposed to German firms. The difference in the costs and benefits arises from the prevailing legislations and industry structure.
Despite the costs incurred, an organization can gain a number of benefits from apprenticeship training. Some of these benefits relate to improved corporate image, developing competitive advantage with regard to human capital, and high rate of employee retention.
Subsequently, it is imperative for stakeholders and policy makers to create an effective environment for companies to adopt the concept of apprenticeship training in developing their labor force.
Works Cited
Acemoglu, Daron, and Jorn-Steffene Pischke. “Beyond Becker: Training in imperfect labor markets.” The Economics Journal 109.453 (1999): 112-142.Print.
Booth, Alison, and Dennis Snower. Acquiring skills: Market failures, their symptoms and policy responses, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print.
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| https://ivypanda.com/essays/costs-and-motives-in-apprenticeship-training/ | 181 |
Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: the text, the author discusses how countertransference analysis can be used to better understand a client's behavior. They also explain how this type of analysis can be used to better understand the therapist's own behavior.The text discusses how countertransference analysis can be used to better understand a client's behavior. They also explain how this type of analysis can be used to better understand the therapist's own behavior. |
the text, the author discusses how countertransference analysis can be used to better understand a client's behavior. They also explain how this type of analysis can be used to better understand the therapist's own behavior.
The text discusses how countertransference analysis can be used to better understand a client's behavior. They also explain how this type of analysis can be used to better understand the therapist's own behavior. | Countertransference analysis: “Enough Said” Analytical Essay
In the movie “Enough Said”, the central female character, Eva, is a masseuse. As such, although she is not a counselor in the usual sense of the word, she can be asserted to have a therapeutic relationship with her clients. She listens to them, no matter how boring their utterances, and no matter her own personal emotional pain.
For example, towards the end of the movie, she realizes with tears flowing that she may have lost Albert, but must nonetheless put up with the narration of one client’s apparent ceaseless home decoration struggles . She is also under some of the same constraints as other practitioners who have intimate access to a client’s personal life and information 1 .
In a therapeutic counseling relationship it can be helpful to identify Core Conflictual Relationship Patterns in the client’s life and interactions with those around them. This movie allows characters to tell stories of themselves. The elements of CCRT can be inferred from these conversations.
For Marianne, the Wish that she expresses is for someone to whom she can “bitch about” the deficiencies of her ex-husband. She says this specifically when she and Marianne have a conversation about her marriage. She objected to her husband’s sloppiness and unwillingness to take actions that she saw as reasonable, such as installing bedside nightstands. She was also conflicted over their differences in parenting Tess.
Marianne additionally objected to Albert’s “clumsy” sexual performance. She may also experience a good deal of self-questioning about why she married Albert in the first place, since she states that she feels that few people “get” her poetry .
Her Response of Other (Albert) was his eventual dissolution of their marriage. Her Response of Other (Eva) is Eva’s attraction to her neediness for a receptive listening ear, and awe over her stylish home furnishings and taste in iced tea. She is says that she has few friends, so it is possible to infer that the Response of Others (the rest of the population) is a bit intimidated or put off by her high standards.
Her Response of Self is to criticize, demean, and withdraw, as she does often with regard to her ex-husband. She is also extremely close to her daughter Tess, according to Albert. This closeness (in the context of her lack of adult friends) may be a reflection of her resentment of others who cannot understand her poetry and also do not meet her high expectations in their own personal style .
For Eva, the Wish is that she is “tired of being funny” in all her relationships. She is still hurting from the divorce and fearful of being hurt again.
This is evidenced by the fact that she thinks all the men at the party she attends are unattractive. The look on her face as she watches her ex-husband and his new wife over dinner suggests that she wishes she had a relationship that was more compatible than the one she had with her ex-husband .
Her Response of Other is usually that she is not necessarily taken seriously. Her ex-husband did not take her desire to avoid her temptation towards bread seriously. This hurt her feelings, as is clear from the restaurant dinner episode of the movie .
Her Response of Self is to be funny and self-deprecating. With Marianne, she does not reveal all that much about her current life, especially since she can’t do so! She unfortunately responds to her interactions with Marianne by repeating those criticisms to Albert, hurting his feelings. For example, while it is true that Albert needs to be eating healthier, offering to buy him a calorie counter book is hurtful .
In the relationship between Eva and Marianne, it is possible to see elements of countertransference. Summers and Barber define countertransference as “the feelings, perceptions, and ideas the therapist has about the patient that derive from the patient’s presentation and the actual therapist–patient relationship, as well as from the therapist’s earlier life experiences.”
Eva wants to be a good listener, but in some ways also wants to emulate Marianne because she is so glamorous and stylish and intellectual. She also seems to want to emulate Marianne in her criticism of Albert. She probes her for more details of her past relationship, even more detail than Marianne offers unprompted.
Eva is trying to avoid repeating the pitfalls and potholes of her first marriage, using Marianne as a relationship “trip advisor”. She could have avoided some of the problems by being more transparent about her relationships with both Albert and Marianne. This would be required in a formal counseling situation.
It is quite possible that neither of her friends would have objected to he being close to both of them IF they had known of the full details of the situation . Additionally, Eva needed to be more aware of the burden of fear and pain that she was carrying around from her first marriage.
Acknowledging and being conscious of this sensitivity, she might have been able to avoid being triggered by Marianne’s idiosyncratic perceptions, to fear this new relationship.
As suggested by Gelso and Hayes, as cited by Tishby and Wiseman, “therapists of all persuasions have soft spots that can be and are touched upon in their work” . Eva could have saved herself and the others some pain by acknowledging the relationship as well as her own painful history.
Reference List
Azpiazu, S., Bregman, A. (Producers), Holofcener, N. (Writer), & Holofcener, N. (Director). (2013). Enough Said [Motion Picture]. USA.
New York State Education Department. (2014). Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from New York State Education Department: http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/mt/mtguide.htm
Summers, R. F., & Barber, J. P. (2012). Psychodynamic Therapy: A Guide to Evidence Based Practice. New York: The Guilford Press.
Tishby, O., & Wiseman, H. (2014, March). Types of countertransference dynamics: an exploration of their impact on the client-therapist relationship. Psychotherapy Research, 24 (3), 360-375. doi:doi=10.1080/10503307.2014.89306
Footnotes
1 For example, in the state of New York, a masseur/masseuse is required by regulation to “safeguard the confidentiality of all patient/client information”. Thus, many of the same precepts apply to her relations with her clients as in a counseling relationship.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The paper looks at the external business environment situation of five emerging countries from Asia and then picks Thailand to analyze its risk.The paper looks at the external business environment situation of five emerging countries from Asia and then picks Thailand to analyze its risk. | The paper looks at the external business environment situation of five emerging countries from Asia and then picks Thailand to analyze its risk.
The paper looks at the external business environment situation of five emerging countries from Asia and then picks Thailand to analyze its risk. | Country Risk Analysis: Thailand Case Study
Executive Summary
The paper looks at the external business environment situation of five emerging countries from Asia and then picks Thailand to analyze its risk.
Further, the paper analyzes the automobile manufacturing and sales industry in Thailand and the prospects of a new firm introducing a locally manufactured car model in the country for the domestic and export markets.
The analysis makes inferences based on the political and financial risks and offers advice on how such a firm should proceed with its investments.
Firm specific risks
Direct capital investment will increase company costs that are hard to recover in a less promising market. Introduction of non-eco-friendly cars will expose the company to high taxation rates that erode the profit margin.
Country specific risks
Political uncertainty casts shadow on investment decisions by most multinationals, which hurt demand for local business goods and services. The high domestic debt reduces the central bank’s ability to lower interest rates and stimulate domestic consumption to boost GDP growth.
Global specific risks
Global recession can affect the growth of trading partners negatively and lower the exports from Thailand.
PESTEL Analysis of Five Emerging Economies
The following table analyzes Indonesia, Thailand, China, Taiwan, and the Philippines
Political Economic
Indonesia – republic, stable, Indonesia – relies on FDI, high inflation, exports agricultural and textile goods
Thailand – high risk of a coup, currently led by the military, awaiting fresh elections Thailand – high domestic debt, flexible foreign exchange rate
China – communist party promotes conservatism, social policies, and supports economic growth China – fixed foreign exchange rate
Taiwan – the country is transitioning from communist to democratic practices led by a parliamentary system Taiwan – strong purchasing power, 4.27 unemployment rate
The Philippines – judicial independence, high corruption The Philippines – highest growth rate in ASEAN at 6.5 in 2014
Social Technological
Indonesia – multi-cultural, high literacy, Indonesia – good transport, communication, and digital technology penetration
Thailand –multi-cultural Thailand – high tech innovation
China – guanxi principles practiced, small nuclear families China – high technology innovation
Taiwan – high influence of the Chinese culture, collectivism Taiwan – high Internet penetration, global electronics manufacturing hub, high innovation
The Philippines – large nuclear families, high consumerism The Philippines – online filing and payment systems, high penetration of transport and communication technologies
Environmental Legal
Indonesia – marginal focus on sustainability & pollution Indonesia – weak human rights enforcement, revamped labor laws, intellectual rights, property rights upheld
Thailand – promotion of ecofriendly technologies to reduce CO 2 emissions Thailand – independent judiciary, intellectual and property rights recognized
China – high pollution China – accused of piracy, limited property rights, strict law provisions
Taiwan – less focus on global environmental concerns Taiwan – corporate tax, contract, common law, protection of property rights
The Philippines – prone to natural disasters Philippines – legal reforms, no restriction on foreign ownership, tight outsourcing laws
Why country risk analysis is important
The analysis establishes the relevant influence of each analyzed factor to a business’ success prospects. It also helps investors to avoid making decisions that would lead to losses due to instabilities in the performance of the country in terms of politics and economy.
Political Risk Factors
Attitudes of consumers in host country
In Thailand, consumers show a high propensity to engage in corrupt practices. Their behavior and attitude reflect of the widespread corruption in the country.
Internationally, the Transparency International’s corruption index puts the country at the 85 th position, with a score of 38 out of 100. It is an indication of the prevalence of corruption in the country (Bankok Post 2014).
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and has the highest country’s population of 8.4 million people. Literacy levels of the country’s population are 95 percent for males and 91 percent for females. Unemployment stands at 2.8 percent of the population and ranks as number 144 in the world.
Consumers have the freedom to demonstrate against political, social, and economic issues affecting them. Although citizens of Thailand do not have publicly known consumer activist groups that have countrywide memberships, they remain easy to rally behind causes that affect them on personal levels.
For example, they have in the past demonstrated against policy proposals of the government to the effect of ousting the government from power in a citizen’s coup. Consumers have a large appetite for debt, as demonstrated by the high levels of domestic debt in the country.
Actions of host government
The country faces a political uncertainty over elections of a new government, which deters business investment plans. Thailand has been politically unstable since 2006 when the country underwent a coup.
Nevertheless, the Thai economy has remained robust amid the political tensions because the policy of the government and many of its agencies is to leave the market to determine many affairs of businesses.
The Thailand parliament was dissolved in 2013 and early elections came in 2014. The elections came due to widespread citizen protests against a proposition on amnesty law. The law created tensions between supporters of the Democratic Party factions in the country.
The Democratic Party lost its control of government after a coup in 2006. However, it has been trying to regain its foothold in Thailand politics since. Demonstrations in public places are a common method for citizens to compel the political elite to change government.
Other than the national government, all districts in Thailand have to elect representatives. The effects of the 2014 early elections have been negative on the country’s economy, causing an increase in tensions and forcing many multinationals to halt their expansion programs in the country.
Blockage of fund transfers
Thailand is open to the global economy with no risk of funds transfer, unless companies engage in criminal activities.
Currency inconvertibility
The currency is very flexible and freely convertible to major world currencies.
War
Currently, Thailand is facing no risk of war; thus enjoying good relationships with neighboring countries.
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is relative to government activities, with the private sector being independent. Risk is low.
Corruption
Corruption risk is high due to political uncertainty and weak law enforcement.
Financial Risk Factors
Economic growth
Thailand’s economic growth depends on its diversified and efficient agricultural and industrial production capabilities. The country is a regional hub and maintains favorable relationships with its dynamic neighbors, many of them keen on integrating into the global economy.
The country also has strong banking systems that have provided adequate capital and market incentives for local business growth.
The threats to economic growth include the recurrent political instability highlighted in this report, which began with the 2006 coup. The external trade of the country depends on the performance of the Chinese economy, given that Thailand is a second-tier outsourcing destination for many companies established in China.
The business environment is not detached from the political environment and the tensions in politics can sometimes spill over to the country’s business climate (Asian Development Bank 2015).
The country’s banking system is healthy. Nevertheless, the country has accumulated a high amount of fiscal deficits in recent years. The country’s banking sector has assets that are roughly twice the country’s GDP (The Economist 2014). The primary economic goal of the government is to make Thailand an economic welfare state by 2016.
The intention of the policy further escalates the deficit problem for the budget and affects its currency value negatively (National Economic and Social Development Board 2012).
In addition to social security, Thailand has an increasing middle class population and demonstrates tendencies of economic development disparity. The development of its main cities continues to overshadow that of the rural areas in Thailand. Consequently, the population is increasingly becoming centered in the urban areas.
Exports from Thailand are equivalent to 73.57 percent of its GDP, while imports are equivalent to 70.28 percent of its GDP (Global Edge 2015). The main trade partners, according to scale, are China, Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and Vietnam.
Thailand trades mostly with other Asian countries because of its position as an outsourcing center. Trade involves components in the supply chain of various finished products. Industrial machinery and electrical machinery are the main goods exported from Thailand.
Others include motor vehicle parts, rubber, oil and mineral fuels, precious stones and metal, as well as plastics. Thailand is also an exporter of food, mainly prepared meat and cereals. The country imports oil and mineral fuels.
Other imports are the same as the export category because Thailand import goods to process and export again. Most companies trading within and with the country rely on its affordable labor and have joint ventures and subsidiaries in Thailand to manage supply chain needs.
A close association with the global economy put Thailand’s economy at the influence of the American monetary policy, which tightened in the past year.
Thus, the available liquidity in Thailand will be low. In addition, the prevailing fragile political stability makes the country have a high-risk profile, which makes investors unwilling to make long-term commitments.
Foreign Exchange
Thailand is a recipient of volatile capital flows, which cause difficulties in maintaining economic stability. Since the Asian financial crisis, Thailand has emerged as a growth model that relies on export-led growth and small and medium enterprises.
It has limited knowledge and capacity of protecting itself against exchange rate fluctuations. As the economy moves to a growth model that relies on value-added production, it also faces opportunities for reconfiguring exchange rates.
Currently, the country seeks a flexible exchange rate that allows it to promote industrial policy, financial development, and macroeconomic stability that responds to the world economy.
Thus, Thailand’s foreign exchange market continually benefits from policies aimed at increasing market reliance and efficiency as determinants of the country’s currency value. With a flexible exchange rate, the country is able to withstand external adjustments and make sure they do not affect the economy (CIA World Factbook 2015).
In 2014, Thailand maintained 7.5 months’ worth of imports as foreign exchange reserves to ensure that the fluctuations of the country’s currency did not succumb to deep dives and spikes that could hurt local business and international trade.
Assessment of Risk Factors
Macro-assessment of country risk
Most households in Thailand are in debt. Cumulatively, the domestic debt level is about 80 percent of the country’s GDP. Therefore, it is almost impossible for households to increase their consumption. Consequently, the central bank cannot effectively cut interest rates to increase the uptake of loans and spur economic activities.
The state is also not going to renew rice subsidies in rural areas. The action will hurt farmers who depend on rice farming for their economic survival.
The lack of a stable government also limits public expenditure to the bare minimum, which hurts the robust plan for economic resurgence that was part of the Thailand 2020 Vision (The World Bank 2014).
Political tensions cause the country to lose its attractiveness as a tourist destination, thereby affecting the government’s realization of goals to make Thailand a cuisine capital of the world. Reduced tourism numbers hurt local business sales and jeopardize economic growth.
However, Thailand continues to maintain a stable level of foreign trade due to its attraction as a major outsourcing location. As advanced economies recover, they increase the amount of outsourcing-related trade with Thailand and keep its economy growing.
Falling prices of raw materials continue to affect the growth of the economy negatively. Unless the prices change, the country will still be at the risk of running into a recession.
Micro-assessment of country risk
The automobile industry in Thailand has grown considerably since its birth about half a century ago. The country is a hub for the Southeast Asian countries. The country has about 701 Tier 1 auto part suppliers serving the demand from other Asian countries like China and Japan.
Half of the top car manufacturers in the world have factories in Thailand for the production of complete cars or various components of vehicles. Thailand has capacity for developing all components of automobiles, including interiors, engines, and body parts.
The main automobiles players are Suzuki, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Tata Motors (Thailand Board of Investment 2014).
Assembler companies are foreign owned, while Tier-1 companies are mostly joint ventures; only a few are purely owned by the Thais. All Tier 2 and 3 companies are locally owned and they are mainly small and medium enterprises (Tractus (Thailand) Co., Ltd 2014).
The Thai government has been promoting the adoption of green technology in its automotive industry, seeking to make the country a hub. The Thai automotive industry has not been performing very well in the last few years due to the overall economic pressures highlighted in this report.
However, it expects to recover with the introduction of eco-cars that fit into the emerging consumer demand for environmentally friendly technologies and vehicles.
Manufacturers are in the second phase of the eco-car scheme, where they enjoy a new excise tax policy geared towards making the new technology cars affordable in the local and export markets (Thai PBS 2014).
The industry also expects a rebound because the government has been keen to take corrective measures of giving farmers subsidies to avoid political fallout.
Other factors that will contribute to the recovery of the automobile sector include mega project spending by government and multinationals that will increase demand for new cars in the Thailand market, as well as the demand for associated components.
The industry is also a great beneficiary of lower fuel prices globally and improved economic performance of major trading partners.
Cars with reduced CO 2 emissions will attract a lower tax penalty in the new taxation plan for the industry. The plan favors the production of eco-friendly cars, rather than hybrids, whose taxation bracket remains unchanged. The industry expects to sell 2.1 million vehicles in 2015 among the domestic and export sluggish business prospects.
Achieving the objective is possible, but past indications show that the industry experienced a year-on-year domestic sales drop of 36 percent with an export drop in sales of 1.25 percent (Thai PBS 2014).
Toyota is one of the biggest automobile companies in Thailand. Its projected sales in 2015 will reflect an increase of 0.9% from the previous year as a result of the rising demand for commercial automobiles.
In 2014, the company’s sales shrunk by 27 percent due to political unrests, which affected purchase decisions of consumers (Reuters 2015).
Elections are unlikely in Thailand before 2016, as the military exerts its control after the impeachment of the country’s Prime Minister; therefore, the present year will provide a stable business environment to facilitate growth in the industry.
Approaches of Assessing a Country’s Risk
The checklist strategy
It entails obtaining a wholesome assessment by examining and rating individual factors that contribute to a country’s risk profile.
The Delphi approach
The Delphi approach involves the collection of independent opinions and then averaging the opinions and finding out the dispersion in the measured opinions about Thailand (Madura 2015).
Quantitative analysis
Quantitative analysis techniques use regression analyses or any other statistical method to evaluate the sensitivity of a business to risk factors, based on historical data of Thailand (Madura 2015).
Inspection visits
Inspection visits involve travelling to Thailand and then meeting with state officials and executives to understand the main risk factors affecting the country (Madura 2015).
A combination of techniques
Measuring a country’s risk can require a number of techniques to provide different dimensions of the country’s position (Madura 2015).
Disparities in approaches of determining a country’s risk
Assessors apply varying procedures in evaluating different countries’ risks. The disparities arise due to the factors being evaluated, but all assessments entail apportioning weights and rating the factors. Disparities also depend on the corporate activities planned to necessitate the risk rating (Madura 2015).
Rating numerous countries’ risks
Rating more than two countries requires the use of a matrix to determine the economic risk of each country against the political situation in each country. The results are presented in the form a graph that compares each country against the other to guide foreign investors in decision-making.
Actual country-risk ratings across countries
The comparison will yield relative scoring for the risk rating, with some countries weighting higher than others. The actual risk changes over time. In the case of Thailand, the automotive industry attracts lower risk rating overall.
Capital Budgeting Guided by Country Risk Assessment
Varying the discount rate
There is a direct relationship between the projected risk and the discount rate for capital budgeting. It implies that if the risk is projected to be high, then the discount rate will equally skyrocket.
Varying the projected cash flows
An international company can rely on the cash flow and its weakness before making the decision to invest in different units of its business.
Assessing the risk of existing projects
How important is the country risk of the product that the firm wishes to introduce?
Thailand’s risk profile is very important for an automotive company seeking to introduce new vehicle models to the country. The political risks directly affect consumer-purchasing decisions and the volume of sales that the company can forecast and achieve.
In addition, political uncertainty also influences government spending, which is a strong indicator of overall economic performance. Thailand relies on government stimulus packages to stimulate economic activities and growth.
The financial risks of the country affect the actual demand for new cars. A high financial risk profile implies that it will be difficult for the business to access capital. Consumers will also find difficulties in accessing funds to finance their car purchases; thus leading to low sales volumes for the new car introduced in the market.
Manufacturing of new vehicles relies on the Tier 1 and Tier 2 or Tier 3 companies that provide the required components. Favorable economic conditions and less risk increase the attractiveness of Thailand as a foreign direct investment destination, which attracts more firms in the respective business sectors.
An increase in competition and concentration encourages economies of scale and improves access to the latest technologies to improve the competitiveness of a given firm’s new car sales.
What measures can be taken by the firm to minimize the country risk?
The carmaker must reduce its investment in long-term projects and limit its focus to the medium term, where economic conditions are predictable.
With the fragile political situation in Thailand, the best strategy is to commit more to the export market, but still have considerable marketing operations in the local market to take advantage of any change in the domestic credit situation and political conditions.
With top manufacturers expecting a mild growth in sales, such as Toyota’s 0.9 percent growth, the production of new cars should be moderated to avoid too much inventory at the end of the financial year.
The company should work closely with the locals and employ many of them so that it is protected against any citizen protests that can arise against the government or businesses. It must cultivate favorable relationships with local partners and labor representatives to sustain a positive reputation and the “preferred employer” status.
At the same time, it should detach itself from any political sides by maintaining a neutral political position so that it does not become a victim of the ongoing Thailand political tensions.
How does the risk affect the profitability or the Net Present Value (NVP)?
High political risk and moderate financial risk can lower profitability of the company, unless sales come from the export market and the risks do not affect the current industry policy.
What steps have been taken by the government to protect industry?
The Thai government has revised its taxation on emissions to encourage the production of eco-friendly cars. It also detached political activities from daily functioning of government to cushion the industry. The state also continues to implement the World Bank projects to increase the ease of doing business (The World Bank 2014).
Conclusion
Thailand has a high political risk and a moderate financial risk of a company seeking to introduce new car models, locally manufactured and sold in both domestic and export markets.
The political risk highlighted in this paper becomes mild when considering the separation of government, political, and business activities, as well as market independence of the banking sector and a robust foreign exchange policy of the central bank.
A firm introducing a new car model in the market should not expect to perform exceptionally in the current year, unless the new model is an eco-friendly variety that will allow the firm to make significant cost savings on the final product.
Nevertheless, the available support in the car-industry supply chain remains attractive to keep Thailand as a top choice for car manufacturing.
Suggestions
New investments in the car industry should follow a conservative forecast, with overall new car sales for the industry increasing by less than 2 percent in the domestic market. A conservative approach will ensure that the firm limits capital expenditure and focuses on short term results.
Outsourcing to the widely available Tier 1, 2, and 3 companies is preferred as a means of reducing the exposure of a company’s capital to the uncertain political environment.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Thailand Economic Data
Appendix 2: Thai automotive industry structure
Reference List
Asian Development Bank 2015. Web.
Bankok Post 2014, Thailand improves in corruption index . Web.
CIA World Factbook 2015, Thailand . Web.
Global Edge 2015, Thailand trade statistics . Web.
Madura, J. 2015, International financial management , 12th edn, Cengage Learning, Stamford, CT.
National Economic and Social Development Board 2012, The Eleventh National Economic and Social Development Plan 2012-2016 . Web.
Reuters 2015, Toyota flags its first drop in vehicle sales in at least 15 years . Web.
Thai PBS 2014, Auto industry to recover next year with cheaper eco-cars in the car market . Web.
Thailand Board of Investment 2014, Thailand Automotive Industry . Web.
The Economist 2014, Thailand’s economy: The high cost of stability . Web.
The World Bank 2014, Thailand further improves the ease of doing business . Web.
Tractus (Thailand) Co., Ltd 2014, Overview of automotive industry sector and route to market . Web.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The article examines the issues associated with organizational change and presents two theories that can support the process of change.The article urges business firms to use the best change models in order to emerge successful. It also encourages organizational leaders to nurture, mentor, and empower their employees in order to achieve the best goals. | The article examines the issues associated with organizational change and presents two theories that can support the process of change.
The article urges business firms to use the best change models in order to emerge successful. It also encourages organizational leaders to nurture, mentor, and empower their employees in order to achieve the best goals. | Cracking the Code of Change Essay (Critical Writing)
Summary of the article
The article “Cracking the Code of Change” examines the issues associated with organizational change. The authors present two theories that can support the process of change. Many organizations “have failed due to the continued use of contemporary change theories and concepts” (Beer and Nohria 1).
The article encourages business firms to use the best change models in order to emerge successful. Theory E Change focuses on the economic returns and values of a business. This hard approach “focuses on drastic layoffs, restructuring strategies, and economic incentives” (Beer and Nohria 3).
The approach can force an organization to retrench its employees. The second approach is called Theory O Change. This “soft” strategy can produce a powerful corporate culture. The approach encourages many employees to form new teams.
Such workers also embrace the power of communication. However, the approach “might encounter different obstacles such as distrust and rebellion” (Beer and Nohria 3). Organizational leaders should nurture, mentor, and empower their employees in order to achieve the best goals.
The “first theory makes it easier for a firm to maximize shareholder value” (Beer and Nohria 4). These theories can produce “a new paradigm that promotes organizational capability and economic value” (Beer and Nohria 5). Managers should therefore set the right direction from the top. They should also collaborate with their stakeholders in order to achieve the best outcomes.
Relating the information to the content covered in class
Organizational Change (OC) is a critical concept in every business firm. Different theories of change focus on effective leadership strategies. Organizational leaders can use various theories and models in order to empower their workers.
The class readings have explored the relevance of different organizational designs. Such designs can produce the best outcomes. This article has presented new ideas that can make every business firm successful (Beer and Nohria 7). These theories will empower different shareholders and employees in every firm.
Organizational managers and leaders should use different theories in order to support their firms. These ideas will eventually produce the best goals. This article has therefore widened my understanding of organizational change.
Practical application of the above ideas
I have encountered several challenges in my organization. The firm has failed to achieve most of its goals due to lack of proper change models. The article presents new concepts that can support the goals of our organization. Our managers should combine theories O and E in order to empower every stakeholder.
The proposed strategy will support the needs of different stakeholders. The firm can retrench some of its employees in order to become competitive. The managers should retain the most experienced workers (Beer and Nohria 2).
Every manager should empower, mentor, train, guide, and educate his or her employees. The practice will create a better organizational culture. This approach will eventually make the firm successful.
Critique of the article
This article presents powerful ideas that can revolutionize many business organizations. The concepts presented in the article encourage different managers to empower their stakeholders and shareholders. The hard and soft approaches will ensure every organization implements the best change (Beer and Nohria 8).
The authors encourage every manager to undertake the best measures depending on the targeted organizational change. Every person should be part of the proposed change. A proper execution strategy will ensure every stakeholder focuses on the best outcomes.
A powerful leadership strategy will also empower different employees. In conclusion, these ideas are relevant to organizational change and execution.
Works Cited
Beer, Michael and Nitin Nohria. “Cracking the Code of Change.” Harvard Business Review 1.1 (2000): 1-10. Print.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The text discusses how organizations can create a comprehensive sustainability practices through a proactive organizational communication plan. | The text discusses how organizations can create a comprehensive sustainability practices through a proactive organizational communication plan. | Creating a Comprehensive Sustainability Practices Problem Solution Essay
Introduction
Human sustainability refers to the ability of an organization to align its business goals with direct and indirect interests of the employees. Therefore, sustainable practices are only achievable when human sustainability is aligned with organizational strategies.
Through understanding the organizational sustainability, organizations need to comprehend the dynamics that prevail, drive and support essential programs within its workforce to accomplish the strategic objectives, while ensuring that the employees are comfortable.
The physical structures in any organization interested in sustainability should promote positive relationships between favourable and effective job performance and work environment, as attributes of motivation and congenial conditions. This proposal presents ideas which the company may use to create a comprehensive sustainability practices through a proactive organizational communication plan.
Proposed organizational sustainability through a communication plan
When communication plan is not structured in the goal policy, as is the current case in the company, the outcome might be lethal since change will lack accorded seriousness. In order to understand the operations of these channels, it is essential to investigate the personal views and effects of the communication plan.
The organization should establish a stable culture in order to enjoy proactive formal communication. Mature information exchange is a product of a well-organized ad properly executed communication plan, which is inclusive of the various levels of communication from the top and bottom of the organizational administration pyramid.
Measuring factors such as interpersonal relations, working conditions, support and trust, welfare provisions, and work environment may greatly contribute to the organizational sustainability as well as employees’ satisfaction, especially when technology is secondary to human input.
For instance, technological modifications within an organization are sustained when the human factor is equipped with appropriate skills for ensuring its operational efficiency. Therefore, the company may introduce a comprehensive communication plan.
Stakeholders/ publics analysis
The communication plan is likely to affect various individuals in their interactions with the organisation. The main stakeholders involved include the organisation’s clients, the management, and the staff. The main effect the plan will have on the clients is that it will create better quality services and possible opportunities to earn an income as trainers, depending on the organisation’s needs.
The management would have to restructure the organisation in a way that allows for the implementation of the plan, including financial support. The staff would need to adapt to the new requirement of learning a new communication system in a bid to accomplish the organisation’s goals.
Goals
1. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the current mode of communication between the clients and the organisation through incorporation of multicultural training.
2. Ensure that the various available methods appeal to the financial health of the organisation.
Objectives
For goal I:
1. To ensure that the organisation improves the standard of services that clients receive (output objective).
2. To increase the number of clients that the organisation handles on a daily basis in a bid to accomplish the organisation’s objectives (impact objective).
3. To ensure smooth flow of information within and without the organisation (output objective).
For goal II:
1. To avoid expenditure that would jeopardise the running of the organisation’s basic activities (output objective).
2. To increase the number of staff available to attend to clients without creating undue pressure on the finances (impact objective).
3. To improve accountability towards the involved stakeholders (output objective).
Key messages
The plan does not aim to disseminate any particular message, as its core purpose is to improve communication between the organisation and its clients in the daily running of the organisation’s affairs.
Implementation
The strategies in this plan require the organisation to take a collaborative perspective in dealing with the subject matter. In essence, this aspect means that the plan requires the management of the organisation, the staff, and the clients to work together. The main requirement for the creation of such a set-up is an exchange of information and knowledge relevant to the project.
Actualisation of the tactics that this plan proposes requires the management of the organisation to work closely with the staff and allow the staff freedom to associate with clients and form networks with other organisations as they accomplish their duties. This aspect allows the staff to collect feedback from clients.
Budget-timeline
The financial requirements for the actualisation of this plan depend on various elements, including services available in the service-for-service program and communication training cost. As such, it is not yet possible to approximate the financial burden the plan will have on the organisation. A five-year period would be appropriate after initiation of the plan, for purposes of monitoring the plan’s progress and making alterations where necessary.
Measurement and Evaluation
It is difficult to establish the exact timeframe within which the organisation shall complete the communication training program due to the variation of learning capabilities among trainees. Most options available for incorporation in the training program are cost-effective and they work towards the sole purpose of furtherance of the organisation’s goals and objectives.
The solutions also cater for the main stakeholders, the organisation’s management, staff, and clientele. When properly implemented, the current production, human resource, and organizational culture will become more proactive and sustainable.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Creating a Friendship Culture in a Youth Ministry is about creating a family-like atmosphere in the church so that everyone feels welcome and loved. The book offers strategies for creating a successful youth ministry, such as team leadership and including everyone in the decision-making process. |
Creating a Friendship Culture in a Youth Ministry is about creating a family-like atmosphere in the church so that everyone feels welcome and loved. The book offers strategies for creating a successful youth ministry, such as team leadership and including everyone in the decision-making process. | Creating a Friendship Culture Essay (Critical Writing)
Table of Contents
1. Creating a Friendship Youth Ministry Culture
2. Implementing the Best Practices into my Youth Ministry
3. Reference List
4. Footnotes
Creating a Friendship Youth Ministry Culture
The ideas presented by Jeanne Mayo are applicable in every church or learning institution. Every spiritual leader can use these ideas to create the best youth ministry culture. The first strategy is ensuring every youth ministry passes the friendship test 1 . The best concept is to create a family in the church. This family will ensure every church member and youth is part of the youth ministry.
I will always mentor, support, and guide every student in the ministry. Every person should feel loved and valued. This practice will ensure every student feels at home. The students will share their incentives and ideas. Friendship is what supports the missions of these youth ministries. This practice will promote love and trust in the ministry.
The next step is formulating a proper vision for the youth ministry. This step will ensure every individual supports the youth ministry. I will always use the best practices in order to come up with a magnetic youth ministry. My duty is to establish authentic relationships within the ministry. Such interactions will promote spiritual growth in the ministry. Every youth should also possess a sense of belonging.
I am planning to welcome every student who wants to be part of the ministry. This practice will improve the friendship in the ministry. I will always help every newcomer in the ministry. It will be appropriate to deal with every malpractice that might affect the success of my ministry.
Some of these malpractices include gossips and sarcasms 2 . My goal is to support the spiritual needs of every youth. I will also welcome every new student. This practice will provide the best atmosphere for a successful youth ministry. The above approaches will result in a friendship culture within the youth ministry.
Implementing the Best Practices into my Youth Ministry
Every leader wants to have a successful youth ministry. The book by Jeanne Mayo offers some practical procedures towards creating a successful ministry. I have learned how the embrace team leadership. I will also encourage my friends and church members to participate in the ministry. Every person in the ministry will be part of the decision-making process 3 .
I will be the first person to address every challenge affecting my youth ministry. Every practice in the team will be in accordance with God’s laws and commandments. The first process towards a successful ministry is having a spiritual goal. My goal is to use a team-centered approach.
This practice will make the ministry successful. The author explains why every person in the ministry should focus on God’s commandments. This approach will ensure every youth ministry attains its goals.
The students should own their respective youth ministries. This approach will ensure every leader is ready to mentor and support these students. The youth ministry should improve the level of support. Every student should feel at home. The leaders should love and welcome every student 4 .
I will always address the challenges faced by these students. I will also formulate a new vision in order to address the needs of every individual. I will also encourage every student to participate in the decision-making process. This practice will create a religious family that addresses the challenges affecting every student. I will always apply these ideas in order to achieve my goals.
Reference List
Mayo, Jeanne. Thriving Youth Groups: Secrets for Growing Your Ministry. New York: Simply Youth Ministry, 2004.
Footnotes
1 Jeanne Mayo, Thriving Youth Groups: Secrets for Growing Your Ministry (New York: Simply Youth Ministry, 2004), 46.
2 Mayo, Thriving Youth Groups, 65.
3 Jeanne Mayo, Thriving Youth Groups: Secrets for Growing Your Ministry (New York: Simply Youth Ministry, 2004), 84.
4 Mayo, Thriving Youth Groups, 98.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: A healthy workplace or organization should ensure that all their employees are sheltered from disease and that their mental, physical and social well-being is catered for. | A healthy workplace or organization should ensure that all their employees are sheltered from disease and that their mental, physical and social well-being is catered for. | Creating a Healthy Work Environment Research Paper
Abstract
Creating a healthy work environment is a process that requires careful planning and implementation. It also requires the combined efforts of both leaders and employees. A healthy work environment caters for physical, social and psychological or mental health of all personnel in an organization.
The sensitization process caters for both the psychological and social well-being of employees. Leaders play a vital role in the creation, implementation, and maintenance of a healthy work environment.
In order to capture the impact of sensitization programs, policies and practices that are encouraged have been noted and their impacts discussed. Companies are required to set impact indicators that help in determining whether the initiated programs have had an impact in ensuring that there is a healthy work environment.
Moving forward, leadership of these organizations should make numerous steps towards ensure that they provide healthy working conditions. Although creation and maintenance of a healthy workplace is expensive and challenging, the benefits reaped far outweigh the shortcomings.
Introduction
A healthy workplace or organization should ensure that all their employees are sheltered from disease and that their mental, physical and social well-being is catered for (World Health Organization, 2010; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2005).
A healthy workplace is created by combining the efforts of workers as well as managers and engaging them in a continuous process of promoting health, well-being and, safety in the work environment (Chenoweth, 2011; O’Reilly, Caldwell, Chatman, Lapiz, & Self, 2009; Bevan, 2010).
The health hazards on organization faces difere with the nature of their work. Some of the hazards may be biological, mechanical or ergonomic. In an effort to create a healthy work environment, organizations have invested in the creation of policies and practices that sensitize employees on the importance of a healthy workplace.
Investing in a healthy working environment has led to notable improvements in employee performance, as well as business returns (Allen, 2011). According to the World Health Organization (2010), companies that promote workers’ health and maintained healthy workplaces were among the most successful.
Although leadership wellness programs have created several benefits, there are fears that have been associated with the financial burden the organization bears in creating a healthy working environment (Grawitch, Ledford, & Ballard, 2009; Akpan, 2011).
An individual’s health and lifestyle, while at work, go hand in hand. Due to this link, it is within reason to say that a person’s work environment determines the quality of work done.
Despite the conventional view, that creating and maintaining a healthy environment is more costly than not having it, there is more proof for the latter than the former.
The world health organization (2010) found that there were several costs that companies could avoid in the case that a healthy working environment was in place.
Some of the avoidable costs include accident related costs, legal fees resulting from the violation of health and safety law, employee sick leave, and employee medical expenses (Linhard, 2004; Lahiri, Gold, & Levenstein, 2004).
Although there are a few people in an organization, who may be capable of maintaining a healthy lifestyle without the need for a healthy working environment, the passage of time and an organization that does not encourage healthy living will eventually lead them to abandon their lifestyle (Grawitch et al., 2009).
So as to minimize employee exposure to health risk, it is necessary for organizations to sensitize their employees on the importance of adopt healthier lifestyles.
The Role of Leaders in Creation and Maintenance of a Healthy Work Environment
Leaders play a significant role in the creation and management of a healthy working environment (Lowe, 2003). Leaders achieve the organization’s objectives by understanding the behaviors of their subordinates (Bierema, 2012).
By understanding their employees’ behavior and attitude towards healthy living, leaders can adjust the work environment so as to suit their lifestyles. Following this thinking the initiation of a healthy working environment could help them achieve the best out of their personnel.
We all participate in mixed environments. This means that organizations need to be comfortable with variable and implement change. Good organizations also have a sense of the inherent drivers and biases their workers have and use them to effectively motivate different personality types.
In order to create a healthy environment, it is necessary to identify leaders who support the idea of establishing a healthy workplace and also understand its significance (Allen, 2011; Gilbert, Carr-Ruffino, Ivancevich, & Konopaske, 2012).
One means of creating a healthy organization is by encouraging workers to maintain healthy practices (Allen, 2011). In such a scenario, if there are employees who have strict lifestyle and health requirement, the organization’s leaders can strive to provide the ideal working environment necessary for them to continue their practices.
Some of these health practices could require the establishment of facilities or the purchase of particular equipment. These facilities could be in-house or outsourced, provided they are close to the organization or the workplace. By providing fitness facility near the workplace may make it easier for employees to get some time to do exercise.
Leaders could also organize some time for the worker to engage in exercises. Organizations could make healthy foods available in cafeterias and vending machines at affordable prices.
The Impact of Policies and Practices that Promote Awareness on the Importance of Creating and Maintaining a Healthy Work Environment
An ideal and healthy work environment is created by the organization’s leaders through enactment of various policies and encouraging the employees in adopting healthy lifestyles.
For leaders to create and maintain a healthy workplace environment, they must be capable of allocating the organization’s resources without affecting profit margins (Lowe, 2003; O’Reilly, Caldwell, Chatman, Lapiz, & Self, 2009; Oxenburgh & Marlow, 2004).
The practices and policies that are put in place serve two purposes; one is to protect, and the other is to discourage habits that create unsafe work environments. In an effort to ensure that the policies are enforced, employees who do not follow the set safety requirements should be punished appropriately.
There are other policies that that can be introduced in an organization in order to ensure that the mental well-being of employees protected. Sexual harassment policies ensure that all employees within the organization are treated equally without bias of gender or sexual preference (Burton, 2010; Blanchard, 2009; Ritter, 2011).
The policy may be extended to cater for racial equality (Blanchard, 2009). Leaders and managers should encourage workers to practice good work organization. This practice eliminates the problems related to workload demand, time pressure, job quality and supervisor support (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006).
Practices that encourage and promote two-way communication between workers and leaders create an environment where employees feel safe to approach management with any problem they may have (O’Reilly, Caldwell, Chatman, Lapiz, & Self, 2009).
Policies that protect employees from sudden job loss due to mergers, acquisitions, retrenchment or the economy, reduce employee stress levels significantly (Spence, Kemp, & McKee, 2012; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2005; Woo & Postolache, 2008).
The job security assurance offered by such policies encourages workers to be more productive. The primary objective of these policies and practices is to promote cohesion while ensuring the employees that they have an equal chance of getting a promotion (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006; Burton, 2010; World Health Organization, 2010).
These policies also sever a broader purpose of eliminating or reducing the occurrence of emotional of mental stress (Burton, 2010; World Health Organization, 2010).
The social well-being of employees is an area where many organizations fail to consider when creating a healthy environment (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2005).
In order to set up a socially healthy workplace, it is of paramount importance that leaders have a good relation with their employees (Casse, 2012; Kroth, Boverie, & Zondlo, 2007).
Allen (2011) found that in such scenarios, it was preferable to have the workforce divided into teams and team leaders selected from within. The elected leaders are able to monitor their subordinates’ social lives and can thus help them maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Co-worker support helps employees to be more open and honest about their health lifestyle. Moreover, the emotional support gotten in such an environment helps workers to overcome the conflicts that arise from work-life situations (Partnership for Prevention, 2011; World Health Organization, 2010).
A healthy social environment lessens the impact felt by an employee in the case where they have to be transferred to other branches of the organization (Chenoweth, 2011).
Another means of establishing a healthy organization is by enhancing employee awareness of the dangers of unhealthy living (Grawitch et al., 2009). However, this should be done with care to avoid causing social tension in the workplace where unhealthy workers are criticized.
To ensure that this is done successfully, the involvement of leaders and managers in the sensitization programs would be useful.
Chenoweth (2011) found that organizations which had put in place policies and practices which sensitized employees on the importance of being respectful to all workers, had fewer incidences related to gender discrimination, harassment, and HIV stigmatization.
Allen (2011) found that the sensitization process should focus on both individual and group strengths instead of weaknesses. Awareness training programs that target group aim at helping teams work together as one unit (Partnership for Prevention, 2011).
By so doing, employees stop viewing themselves as individuals, but as a team where their success depends on group performance. Group sensitization eliminates enmity among workers while also enhancing cohesion (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006).
Moreover, group awareness programs create social bonds by making anti-social members more active (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006).
Individual sensitization focuses on leaders and improving leadership skills. Leaders learn various ways of handling conflict and harassment situations (Casse, 2012; Wiskow, Albreht, & Pietro, 2010).
The creation of healthy living support groups with team leaders helps to foster cohesion and encourage participants to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle (Bierema, 2012). In Addition, teams boost performance by helping poor performing individuals to increase productivity for the sake of the group (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006).
Leaders should be able to hold their teams together and be the role model for the other employees to follow (Lowe, 2003). In addition, they should be able to construct a healthy lifestyle plan for the organization in a way that the needs of every individual in the organization are considered.
Heath conscious leaders have a tremendous influence in the creation, maintenance, and promotion of a healthy work environment (Lowe, 2003). Such leaders are able to monitor, support and offer means for their workers to improve or maintain a healthy lifestyle (World Health Organization, 2010).
Issues Surrounding Sensitization Programs
The most crucial part played by leaders is that of distributing the organization’s resources in a manner that does not compromise the company’s profitability (Lowe, 2003). The leaders allocate the funds needed for the establishment of a suitable and healthy, social, and physical environment.
When doing so, great care should be taken to avoid leading the organization to ruin while creating the ideal healthy workplace.
The costs associated with initiation and maintenance of sensitization programs should be carefully monitored so that they do not exceed the cost benefit of the project (Teronen, 2002; Lahiri, Gold, & Levenstein, 2004). This involves research into spending limited resources on those interventions that will have the greatest impact.
The scrupulous tracking of an individual’s overall health catches may cause some employees to feel that the organization is prying too much into their lives. So as to avoid conflict with some individuals, group forums to educate workers on the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles are recommended.
Most organizations are characterized with long working hour of prolonged physical inactivity (World Health Organization, 2010; Woo & Postolache, 2008)). This inflexibility in working hours creates some difficulties in creating opportunities for employees in attending health sensitization programs.
In addition, long working hours make it hard for employees to have adequate time to take their meals. However, this issue can be solved through the initiation of simple and effective projects and programs within the organization.
So as to solve the issue of time, managers can create a rotation program where each department gets a chance to attend the sensitization talks.
Measuring the Impact of a Healthy Working Environment
Measuring the impact of a healthy working environment will involve looking at the immediate effect that health promotion programs in an organization influence the determinants of health for all stakeholders in the organization (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
Health programs in an organization usually have an immediate effect on both social and physical settings (Lowe, 2010; Akpan, 2011).
The direct impact of these programs includes individuals gaining health knowledge, acquiring of new skills that are health-friendly, motivation in maintaining healthier status and changing into healthier actions and behaviors (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
While organization sets these health programs to promote a healthier environment, there is a need to include key indicators that will help in measurement of the changes.
These indicators should be developed to show the type of change anticipated and the percentage of people for what the change will impact (Lowe, 2010; Mattke, Balakrishnan, Bergamo, & Newberry, 2007).
Therefore, it would be important to create an indicator for each strategy or program developed and implemented to determine the extent of influence (Bluyssen, 2013). These indicators should act as agents of data collection covering all employees that the programs are affecting.
Guidelines for data collection and measuring health promotions
The benefits of a healthy working environment can be measured by looking at the advantages that come about from the direct introduction of wellness leaders and programs.
The benefits may include increased employee performance, shorter time spent away from work due to illness, and increase in returns, as well as retaining employees over long periods (Allen, 2011).
By looking at the relationship between health issues in the organization and the practices and policies that can be carried out by a company’s leaders, it is possible to identify the benefits reaped in terms of productivity.
It will also be important to monitor the costs that will be incurred while implementing and maintaining a healthy working environment. These costs could be in terms of investments in facilities, equipment, policy enactment, employees, and time (Bierema, 2012; Mattke, Balakrishnan, Bergamo, & Newberry, 2007)).
In order to measure and gather information on the economic impact achieved by promotion of healthy work environment, several steps should be followed.
Firstly, the organization should identify the impact indicators that should be used in the evaluation. This step will involve establishing the types of evidence that will help determine if the objectives of the health program have are achieved (Hertz, 2010).
For example; if the organization wants overweight members to reduce their weight through introduction of gym programs at specific hours, then frequently measuring their weight will help determine if the objectives of the programs are realized (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
The second step involves determining the targets that the organization aims at achieving after implementation of the health program. This can be achieved by examining what percentage of the target group will have gained the knowledge or skill, advocated by a certain program.
In an effort to reduce accidental health related problem, an organization may initiate a health education program.
For example, by the end of three weeks ninety per cent of employees attending the health education will have gained knowledge on how to manage their blood sugar levels (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
Thirdly, the organization identifies the information to be collected and methods that shall be used in obtaining the information. Methods such as qualitative and quantitative can help collect data that will be useful in the determination of the level of impact that the health programs have achieved.
Quantitative methods such as questionnaire responses and service utilization can help determine the level of relationship that has been developed between these health programs and impact made.
Qualitative methods such as the use of focus groups and interview can help collect accident related information that will help explain where this relationship between health programs and impact exists (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
The next step involves establishing an evaluation methodology that is used to analyze the collected information. The importance of developing an assessment plan is to help in removing alternative explanations that may arise when information obtained is evaluated (Hertz, 2010).
In most scenarios, the standard design (used to assess the effectiveness of the programs launched to reduce accident occurrence in the workplace) involves using one group that participates in a particular program and compare it with another group that does not participate in the same program (Bluyssen, 2013).
This will help in determining if there is any change that comes with members being admitted to a certain program. If the group achieves the set target, then the program has been a success in promoting a healthier working environment.
If there is no difference between the two groups, then, the administrators of the programs should consider reevaluating the program to establish areas that need to be improved in order to achieve the set objectives (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
The fifth step involves the implementation of the plan that has been developed to measure and evaluate the impact. Planning is part of the process however it is as important to implement the programs that are developed n in order to achieve results (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
The final step in measuring the impact and influence of health programs in creating a healthier working environment is reporting what has been achieved. This will help motivate people to be more involved since if there is a positive change at the end (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2008).
Despite all these efforts, organizations should monitor the cost that they will have incurred in development implementation of these programs. This will help with future planning and also to ensure that these programs are within the sustainability level of the organization.
The Future of Leadership Involvement in Creating a Healthy Environment
Although the research has found out that there exist a gap between working conditions and the output of employees, a gap still exists that will need to be reduced moving forward. The full involvement and support of leadership in the organization will be significant in reducing this gap.
A healthier working environment will lead to better performance of employees and, thus, the reason leadership should commit to ensuring this happens (Schabracq, Jacques, & Cooper, 2003).
Moving forward in order to establish healthier working environments, there is a need for development of strategies that will be implemented both at leadership levels and employee’s level to achieve this (Lowe, 2010). The success of these strategies should have the support of all parties involved leadership especially.
The facilitation of the implementation of these strategies will depend on leadership. Also, the authorization for these programs to run in an organization still depends on leadership. This, therefore, will show the importance of leadership in the future to maintain and improve working conditions to be healthier (Grech, 2013)
In order to promote a healthier working environment, the leadership of the organization should always start by mobilization of individuals to form committees that are involved in management of how to improve working conditions and making sure they are healthier (Grech, 2013).
Leadership should also be part of those committees in order to provide guidance on strategies that are developed to be in line with the objectives and vision of the organization. These committees, however, should be formed by individuals who are committed to ensuring they achieve the set goals.
Leadership can also involve outside organizations who can evaluate the current working environment. These organizations after the evaluation of the current state, they should develop and recommend actions that can be taken by management to improve the current working conditions.
Leadership can also be involved with other organizations who want to improve their working conditions to funding research on how to promote healthier working conditions (Grech, 2013).
Leadership should also be involved in the assessment of what can be done to improve and the resources that are available in order to ensure the working environment is promoted to be better (Grech, 2013).
When the leadership gets to understand what can be done versus what they would like to do, they will need to consider the strengths and weakness of the organization. This will help in the formulation of the best strategies that can be implemented with the available resources.
This stresses the importance of involving all stakeholders in the organization in order to be able to promote a healthier working environment (Bluyssen, 2013).
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World Health Organization. (2010). Healthy Workplaces: a Model for Action. Geneva: WHO Press.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The text discusses the importance of needs assessment in creating an absorb-type activity, and how it can help to improve the learning experience.The text discusses the importance of needs assessment in creating an absorb-type activity, and how it can help to improve the learning experience. | The text discusses the importance of needs assessment in creating an absorb-type activity, and how it can help to improve the learning experience.
The text discusses the importance of needs assessment in creating an absorb-type activity, and how it can help to improve the learning experience. | Creating and Implementing an Absorb-Type Activity Essay
Various types of learning activities are appropriate in designing an e-learning course. The prime objective of these activities is to offer ways for learners to achieve learning objectives laid down at the initiation of a course design.
Among the learning activities is the absorb-type activity. An absorb-type activity is an activity that learners can listen, watch, or read. Absorb-type activities are designed to inform and inspire learners (Horton, 2012). They enable learners to acquire vital current information essential in supplementing their learning as well as doing their jobs.
There are a myriad of absorb activities which may encompass readings, presentations, live or recorded demonstrations, real or virtual field trips, and storytelling (Horton, 2006). In this situation, the students portray that they are absorbing the activity by drawing fun from it.
Absorb activities are critical where there is minimal presentation information, when there is a need to boost the current understanding, and when detailing a concept, principle, and theory. The principal media of presenting absorb activities incorporate slideshow presentations, podcast and informational videos, field trips, and stories.
Even though these activities may appear as an inactive form of learning, they present an active component of learning. They encompass the information as well as activities requisite for learners to be mentally active perceiving. The topic that is of interest to this particular class is environmental protection.
Therefore, this entry endeavors at evaluating this absorb activity, whilst emphasizing on its needs assessment and lastly creating an absorb activity.
Needs Assessment
The initial step in creating an absorb activity is development of a needs assessment. Needs assessment does not only recognize but also corrects issues pertaining to performance within the instructional plan. It is a logical procedure of attaining a detailed and precise depiction of the weak points and potencies of the students.
Equally, it delineates the preset goals and as well points out the most suitable techniques for students to achieve them. The process gathers and scrutinizes information pertaining to all interested stakeholders explicitly students and instructors. The lesson on environmental is able to boost the current information while encouraging students to produce a visual association to supplement the understanding of the topic.
In this milieu, learners are in a position to build on their knowledge in proactive ways. Needs assessment establishes the loophole between the current knowledge and the skills and knowledge indispensable to make learners acquire novel knowledge pertaining to the topic. The lesson on environmental protection is capable of augmenting the current knowledge by incorporating fun facts to endorse learning.
The visual activity endows the learners with a realistic aspect to environmental protection, thus supplying more meaning as opposed to merely reading on the topic. The instructor may ask the learners to list some of the ways to protect the environment at the termination of the demonstration.
Throughout the needs assessment procedure, learning objectives ought to be comprehensible and generated in a manner that aids the learners in bridging the loophole between the existing knowledge and the freshly acquired knowledge. Besides, needs assessment does not solely define instructional goals, but it also indicates the manner in which learners can accomplish them.
Subsequent to completion of the needs assessment step, there is a prime requirement to develop assessment measures to determine the knowledge attained from the lesson. A suitable assessment for the environmental protection lesson would call unto learners to define and demonstrate the various ways of protecting diverse environmental settings to express their understanding.
If the needs assessment focuses on bringing the learning objectives into line with the preferred upshots, it ought to include inputs from the appropriate stakeholders (Horton, 2012).
Objectives of the Activity
The aim of the environmental protection activity is to adhere to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s endorsement of environmental education projects.
Hence, the activity endeavors at enhancing learners’ awareness on environmental issues whilst endowing them with the skills suitable in taking responsible actions of protecting the environment. The purpose of the activity is for learners to be acquainted with their surrounding environment, how it is polluted, and the appropriate means of curtaining the pollution and enhancing environmental protection.
Target Students
The learners are fourth grade students with diverse learning styles and skill levels. This activity could be used for any first time student of environment studies. The activity does not merely enhance intellectual learning among these students but also, incorporating videos, it enhances visual learning.
What the Learners Know
To determine what to teach the learners, the instructor first establishes the learning goals. Accordingly, to know where to begin, the instructor identifies the previous knowledge of the learners. This enables the instructor to understand the learners’ skills and strengths that stipulate additional attention. As Horton (2012) establishes, absorb activities are an effectual way to extend current skills and knowledge.
Learners who recognize the fundamentals of a particular field are capable of enhancing their knowledge through absorbing novel details that elaborate a principle, concept, or theory. In the case of environmental protection, the fourth grade students know what environment means.
Moreover, they are acquainted with the verity that they are entitled to maintain a clean, well-kept, and safe environment. Besides, they know what pollution is.
What the Learners Want To Know
Having the abovementioned information, the learners need to know how to protect the environment. This incorporates the means of enhancing a clean and safe environment as well as the consequences of doing so. Equally, they need to know what comprises of the environment and the action steps in implementing a healthy environment as well as protecting the overall environment.
Furthermore, they need to know the causes and consequences of pollution on top of the ways of avoiding it. In the aspect of protecting the environment, learners need to know that the planet is changing and it is every individual’s duty to aid it modify for the better.
This is attainable by learning more pertaining to energy, as well as how humans can use it efficiently. Hence, the students need to learn about energy, various forms of energy, and means of saving energy.
What the Instructor Aims at Measuring, Determining, or Defining
In conducting this activity, the chief aim is to measure the students’ knowledge on their surrounding environment. The instructor endeavors at augmenting the students’ knowledge by portraying that there is much behind the physical and natural environment. Equally, the aim is to define measures appropriate in eradicating environmental pollution whilst enhancing environmental protection.
Perceived Outcomes from the Activity
At the termination of the activity, learners should be able to establish what comprises the overall environment, what pollution is and how it affects the environment, and how to reduce environmental pollution. Similarly, they should be in a position to know what energy implies, identify different energy types, and establish means of using energy effectively to enhance environmental protection.
How to Report the Information Collected
To present the information effectively to the students, the instructor will employ slideshow presentations, podcast videos, and informational videos. To attain their predetermined objectives, absorb type activities ought to accommodate diverse learning styles. As Horton (2012) emphasizes, presentations convey information and as well demonstrate procedures in a straightforward flow of experiences.
Hence, an efficient clarification of the subject stipulates a sequential structure manifest in the presentations. Hence, the presentations will compose of the introduction, the body section, and the summary. Equally, diagrams will prove indispensable within the presentations. They will allow students to visually capture the flow of activities hence laying the foundation for an ingrained understanding of the topic.
The Absorb-type activity
Lesson Introduction
Environmental protection is vital for both humans and the natural environment. It refers to the procedures and policies endeavored at conserving natural resources and preserving the natural environment (Ringquist, 1993). Essentially, it deals with saving environmental degradation by reducing the rates of environmental pollution.
In their endeavor to protect the environment, humans are making positive choices that have positive impact to the environment. Among the major choices is energy preservation and conservation.
Pollution is the state of environmental degradation, which results from contaminated water, degraded land, polluted air, and energy degradation, among others (Hill, 2010). Pollution results from pollutants, which are substances that when introduced to the environment adversely affects the usefulness of environmental resources.
The absorb activities chosen are slideshow presentations, podcast videos, informational videos, and discussion groups. The slideshow presentations offered explanations on the value of the activity to the learner. Accordingly, the slide shows contained individual segments, each demonstrating one environmental-related issue.
The summary contained a concise recap of the points covered in the individual segments. A podcast video involving the environment and environmental pollution enabled students to distinguish various types of environmental pollution. The video centered on a surrounding that had been littered, thus presenting an exemplar of environmental pollution.
After watching this video, students were to identify the numerous types of pollution evident within the place. Equally, they were to identify the life-threatening conditions that would result from such an environment. Besides, they were to propose the various methods of getting rid of environmental pollution.
Learners suggested ways of protecting the environment from pollution. In the context of energy preservation and conservation, students defined several ways of saving energy and eliminating energy loss. The chief suggestions included:
* Turning off lights when leaving a room since leaving the lights on consumes a lot of energy
* Unplugging computers, televisions, and stereos that are not in use since these applications consume electrical energy even when they are on a standby mode
* Keeping the refrigerator door closed since the refrigerator works harder and consumes extra energy when the door is open
* Purchasing energy efficient products such as energy efficient light bulbs as well as energy efficient electronics
* Installing solar panels as they use sunlight to produce energy
In the context of pollution, students learnt that environmental pollution results from poisonous substances released in the air, seas, rivers, and the overall environment. From the informational videos, they learnt that riding bicycles instead of driving vehicles that emit carbon dioxide reduced environmental pollution.
Equally, use of eco-friendly products reduced environmental pollution. Subsequent to attaining a lot of information pertaining to environment, energy conservation, and pollution, students engaged in open discussions to share the knowledge and skills they acquired.
Post-Test
Subsequent to the absorb-type activity, learners were in a position to perform and present the learned activities to demonstrate their understanding on the topic. Hence, after the discussions, students embarked on outdoor activities that would enhance environmental protection. They collected litter and disposed it in an environmental-friendly manner.
At this juncture, they were able to link the information attained with real life activities. Ultimately, linking the attained knowledge by applying it enabled bridging the gap between the school setting and the surrounding world. Eventually, the instructor was able to conduct an assessment to determine the knowledge and skills acquired from the lesson.
Conclusion
The above described absorb type activity is an archetype of the genre of learning object that instructors may use not only to impart knowledge but also to determine what the learners know and what they need to know. The activity conveys the appropriate knowledge and skills to the learners and as well enables them to connect the unknown to the known.
Therefore, absorb type activities enable learners to augment their knowledge in particular fields in ways that are proactive. In the aforementioned activity, slide show presentations, instructional videos, and podcast videos paved way for learners to absorb knowledge pertaining to environmental issues. In encapsulation, absorb type activities prove efficient in increasing learners’ engagement and achievement with a programmed objective.
References
Hill, M.K. (2010). Understanding environmental pollution . Tokyo: Cambridge University Press.
Horton, W. (2006). E-learning by design . San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Horton, W. (2012). E-Learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.
Ringquist, E.J. (1993). Environmental protection at the state level: politics and progress in controlling pollution . New York: M.E. Sharpe.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The chosen article is aimed at showing why classroom communities are important for the wellbeing of the child. Furthermore, the authors describe the strategies for creating them.The article discusses the importance of classroom communities for the wellbeing of students and describes strategies for creating them. The article is practical implications because it can help educators create a more inclusive environment for students. | The chosen article is aimed at showing why classroom communities are important for the wellbeing of the child. Furthermore, the authors describe the strategies for creating them.
The article discusses the importance of classroom communities for the wellbeing of students and describes strategies for creating them. The article is practical implications because it can help educators create a more inclusive environment for students. | “Creating Classroom Community Network for Student” by Korinek, Walther-Thomas, McLaghlin, Williams Critical Essay
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Descriptors and the key points
3. Thoughts, reactions, and criticisms of the article
4. Reference
Abstract
The chosen article is aimed at showing why classroom communities are important for the wellbeing of the child. Moreover, the authors describe the strategies for creating them. Furthermore, the researchers identify the elements of the support network which is necessary for creating a more inclusive environment in the modern schools.
Descriptors and the key points
1. Classroom community, support network, inclusive.
2. The creation of classroom communities is important for strengthening students’ sense of belonging to school and increasing his/her commitment to learning activities (Korinek, Walther-Thomas, McLaughlin, & Williams, 1999).
This article is important because the authors identify a set of strategies that educators can use in order to create a more inclusive environment; so this source has practical implications. The topic is not entirely new because it has already been examined by various researchers.
Nevertheless, the scholars synthesize various approaches and integrate them into a single framework which can be applied by teachers. This is one of the innovative elements that can be singled out. Overall, this article can be of great interest to students and educators.
Thoughts, reactions, and criticisms of the article
1. This source can enable me to get a better idea about different techniques that are important for the work of educators. In particular, this article can help me better cope with my professional duties. One of my major responsibilities will be to promote the academic, social and moral development of a child.In turn, researchers identify different methods that can benefit students; for example, one can mention the formation of cooperative learning groups, the orientation of new students, the establishment of interest clubs, and so forth (Korinek et al., 1990, p. 5).
The knowledge of these approaches can make me more prepared for various challenges. So, it can contribute to my professional development.
2. A teacher can apply the information from this article in his/her classroom activities, and I may rely on some of the methods depicted by researchers. For example, I would like to mention the use of cooperative learning groups because this approach is important for promoting learners’ teamwork (Korinek et al., 1990).Furthermore, this approach is useful because it enables students to learn more from one another. For example, in this way, they can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of different learning styles. There are other valuable tools that can be applied in the classroom; for instance, one can speak about positive discipline policies.
3. Overall, this ideas expressed by the authors are quite consistent with my own views on this topic. The researchers regard school as the community in which a child can acquire various intellectual and social skills. Moreover, this education should help him/her understand the importance of ethical norms.In my view, these tasks are quite justified; furthermore, the method described by researchers can be used to achieve this goal. Much attention should be paid to the creation of classroom communities that promote the cooperation of learners inside and outside the classroom.
4. The discussion provided by the authors can be valuable for explaining some of the observations that I made during my experiences in school.For instance, in many cases, learners can lose interest in certain subjects such as mathematics or physics because there is no academic support system which helps a student overcome possible difficulties. Sometimes, this individual can lose motivation.
So, such methods as after-school tutoring and homework clubs can be very useful because they ensure that a student can improve his/her academic performance.
Additionally, the methods described by researchers are useful for minimizing deviant behaviors that often undermine the development of students. These are some of the benefits that should not be overlooked.
5. This article has prompted me to think about the responsibilities of teachers and school administrators. The researchers highlight the idea that they can create an inclusive environment which can effectively support various needs of learners.More importantly, the strategies outlined in this article do not require considerable investments. However, in many cases, this goal is not achieved. So, more attention should be paid to the professional development of future educators since this policy can eventually improve the experiences of students.
In particular, they should understand how his/her behavior is affected different external factors. Moreover, they should understand how to minimize the negative influences such as peer pressure. Additionally, they should know how to integrate educational approaches into a single framework. This is one of the points that can be made.
6. There are several questions that remain unanswered in this article. In particular, it is important to show how these strategies can be implemented in the neighborhoods which can be affected by poverty or crime. Under such circumstances, the task of educators can become more challenging.Additionally, one should focus more on the specific steps involved in the implementation of different methods outlined in this article. This information can be useful for the practical activities of teachers. These are some of the limitations that one should take into account.
Reference
Korinek, L., Walther-Thomas, C., McLaghlin V., & Williams, B. (1990). Creating classroom community network for student. Intervention in School and Clinic, 35 (1), 3-8.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The essay discusses the creation of thematic short story units and how they can be used to teach young people. The thematic short story units can help young readers learn more about the world around them including its challenges and chances and they can also understand themselves better. |
The essay discusses the creation of thematic short story units and how they can be used to teach young people. The thematic short story units can help young readers learn more about the world around them including its challenges and chances and they can also understand themselves better. | Creation of Thematic Short Story Units Essay
Introduction
Reading provides young people with numerous benefits. Apart from providing enjoyment, it helps young readers learn more about the world around them including its challenges and chances and it also enables the youth to understand themselves better (Bucher & Hinton, 2010).
Clearly, educators have to choose the right works to help young readers in this process. Thus, for grade 7-8, I have chosen the major theme, family relations. The theme is relevant to the age group (12-14 years old) as children are becoming teenagers and they gain more freedom and become more involved into the social life.
Clearly, their family relations transform as 7-graders are affected by many factors (peer pressure, changing habits, personality and so on). At this age, 7-graders often stop understanding their parents or rather they think their parents do not or do not want to understand them.
Reading texts on the topic may help young readers to find answers to many questions and develop proper relationships with their close ones.
For grades 11-12, I have chosen the theme identity. This is a relevant topic for discussion with people at the age of 16-18. This is the age when teenagers focus on their identity and try to understand who they are and what their place in this world is.
Again, these teenagers are under pressure occurring at different levels (peers, parents, media, their own dreams and wishes). Obviously, understanding oneself is a very difficult process, especially in the contemporary society where people are dictated to follow certain paths and pursue certain goals.
Therefore, reading the texts on the topic will help young adult readers find themselves or, at least, find the way to focus on one’s own goals and dreams rather than pick up somebody else’s paths.
Grades 7-8: Family Relations
When choosing the stories for students, it is essential to take into account a number of important factors. Bucher and Hinton (2010) stress that the stories should reflect the age of the readers, their reading abilities, interests and needs as well as their thinking levels.
Apart from that, the stories should concentrate on contemporary issues, as readers have to be able to associate themselves with the characters of texts. Importantly, these texts should also address cultural issues and various situations related to diversity, gender, environment and so on.
Such stories will enable the teacher to start a discussion of important issues and guide young readers in their way to understand the world and themselves.
To achieve the goals mentioned above, I will use the following stories. The story “Biderbiks Don’t Cry” focuses on the relationship between father and son and the way sons try not to disappoint their fathers. In “Willie and the Christmas Spruces”, siblings’ relationships are put to the fore.
In “No Way of Knowing”, the family is about to split up and the son has to deal with it. “Ice Cream Man” dwells upon relationships between fathers and sons who often fail to pay attention to each other until it is too late. In “The Southern Belle and the Black-Eyed Pea”, relationships between mother and son are revealed.
In “Los Tres Ratoncitos: A Chiste”, the relationship between mother and sons are put to the fore. It is possible to focus on the story “Biderbiks Don’t Cry” to illustrate the way the stories can be used through analyzing three literary elements.
The first literary element to be discussed is the plot. In this story, three out of four major types of conflict are employed. Thus, there is a conflict between the protagonist and his father (person vs. person), between the protagonist against culture (person vs. society) and between the protagonist and himself (person vs. self).
All these conflicts rooted in Charlie’s fears “that his father would think poorly of him” (Avi, 2005, p. 6). However, at the end, he is somewhat relieved as he admits in front of many people that “his father is ashamed of his son” (Avi, 2005, p. 19).
The author makes the story quite dynamic and students will easily relate it to the story, as such situations (in this or that form) often happen with the vast majority of students.
Another literary element to be discussed is the character. The protagonist of the story is a dynamic character, as he goes through pain of fear to let his father down to understanding that his father is “the coward” not him (Avi, 2005, p. 19).
The character of the father is also transforming, as readers also understand that alongside with being “a successful lawyer… the head of the family… and a champion college boxer”, the father is the coward who makes his son lie to retain his own status in the society (Avi, 2005, p. 6).
Finally, it is also possible to focus on the major themes of the story. Thus, students should discuss the fear of the son that his father might “consider him in some way a failure” (Avi, 2005, p. 6).
Clearly, many children have such fears and they should develop their own strategies to overcome these fears. It is also important to discuss the importance of being honest and able to take responsibilities or admit the truth.
Students can have some cards with several prompts to facilitate their discussion of the literary elements in groups. Then, groups can join the class discussion. It is important to encourage students to come up with their solutions and major conclusions concerning family relations.
Grades 11-12: Family Relations
When choosing the story for this group, it is important to take into account features mentioned above. However, since students are already between 16 and 18 years old, it is important to add discussion of such issues as political, social, economic and so on (Bucher & Hinton, 2010).
As has been mentioned above, identity should be put to the fore when it comes to major topics of discussion.
I have chosen six stories to hele readers of 11-12 grades to benefit from reading short stories. The story “Ice Cream Man” focuses on coming of age and the boy’s identity as the old man helps the boy understand who he is in this world.
“A Letter from the Fringe” dwells upon the development of identity of students who are bullied due to their appearance. “Diary of Death” focuses on development of the identity of the young person who survived a horrible war.
“Same Time Next Year” also dwells upon the issues of identity as two young people think they belong to different epochs and the story may help students to see why it can be harmful. In “The Gift”, the issues of identity are also discussed, as the protagonist understands a lot while talking with different people.
“Nethergrave” is a story of a boy who tried to find his place in the world but found it in the virtual reality. It is possible to consider three literary elements in the story “Nethergrave”.
It is possible to discuss the story’s plot. It has several conflicts as well. Thus, it is a conflict with the society (as the protagonist has to join a sport team and study at a certain school). The protagonist also finds himself in a conflict with his teammates because the boy “disgraced” himself and let down the team (Skurzynski, 2005, p. 153).
He also was in the conflict with himself as he could not find his place in the world and chose to stay in the virtual reality. The story tells about the way the protagonist’s life went on and it is clear why the boy made his decision.
It is also important to focus on the character. In this story, the main character is the one to pay attention to. Apparently, his “truly humiliating experience” in the soccer field is only an example of a series of similar events (Skurzynski, 2005, p. 153).
His inability to fit into the real world and lack of support from the part of his parents makes the boy choose the virtual reality rather than try to find his way in the real world.
The major theme is finding one’s place in this world and it can be important for students to focus on that, as they are likely to face the same issue. Importantly, the story helps understand that young people mainly need to understand that “no one will ever abandon” them (Skurzynski, 2005, p. 153).
This can help many young people to solve their own issue and find their own place.
Again, discussion of major solutions for main characters can be the most beneficial assignment. It is also important to make sure that students understand the reasons why the characters made such decisions. It is important to encourage students to relate to all of these stories.
It is also possible to ask students to write a short story on identity (this can be an account of their personal issues or the search for identity of someone they know).
Reference List
Avi. (2005). Biderbiks don’t cry. In S.I. Barchers (Ed.), In short: How to teach the young adult short story (pp. 5-19). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Bucher, K., & Hinton, K. (2010). Young adult literature: Exploration, evaluation, and appreciation . Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.
Skurzynski, G. (2005). Nethergrave. In S.I. Barchers (Ed.), In short: How to teach the young adult short story (pp. 144-154). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The text discusses the importance of applying the CREDE standards in pedagogy and how it can help to improve the productivity and effectiveness of teaching techniques.The text also talks about the strategies of Dr. Garcia that recommend the teacher to be respectful towards the students, another important aspect is the responsive in the classroom, and the teacher must engage the students in conversations and maintain a dialogue between them. | The text discusses the importance of applying the CREDE standards in pedagogy and how it can help to improve the productivity and effectiveness of teaching techniques.
The text also talks about the strategies of Dr. Garcia that recommend the teacher to be respectful towards the students, another important aspect is the responsive in the classroom, and the teacher must engage the students in conversations and maintain a dialogue between them. | CREDE Standards in Pedagogy Evaluation Essay
CREDE standards are the standards usually applied by teachers in order to make their pedagogy more effective. These standards are the rules that were established after a careful research of teaching practices and methods. The rules determined by the researchers are directed at the improvement of educative literature and techniques of teaching.
The standards are designed to help maintain the agreement between the literature and teaching materials and the cultural diversity in the classroom (The CREDE Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy n. d.). The need for standards appeared with the development of globalization in the world and with the occurrence of high level of cultural diversity in the schools of the United States of America.
This diversity required the teachers to demonstrate individual approach in order to improve the productivity and effectiveness of their teaching techniques. The researchers focused on the determination of clear norms that would work and bring positive outcome to any classroom and help any teacher. Another technique directed at helping a teacher and a class was created by Dr. Garcia.
The strategies of Dr. Garcia are called “five R’s and one T”. These strategies recommend the teacher to be Respectful towards the students, another important aspect is the Responsiveness in the classroom, and the teacher must engage the students in conversations and maintain a dialogue between them. The students and the teacher are Responsible for their own active participation in the process of learning.
Resourcefulness is the teacher’s capacity to stimulate the students’ desire to learn. Reasonable teacher will control the amount of work and the level of challenges they employ. Finally, the T is for theory. This means that the theory the lessons are based on must be correct and reliable (Redding 2010).
When I teach I try to apply the five CREDE standards and follow Dr. Garcia’s strategies for better pedagogy. Evaluating my own teaching, I can say that I employ most of the standards and techniques. I try to make lessons collaborative, engage the students into dialogues and discussions that include the use of the thematic vocabulary, share own experiences related to the topic of the lesson, engage the students into group work.
I also use tasks of various complexities to challenge the students, I provide my students with proper and clear feedback about their performance, I guide and direct the interaction between students, stimulate learning through the conversation.
For example, during the class that included reading about environmental protection, I encouraged my students to have dialogues with each other, talking about their own experiences with protection and pollution of the environment, and using the new vocabulary.
I believe that during my work with the students in the classroom I effectively implement joint productive activity, by means of engaging in a conversation and stimulating a discussion with students in order to make them come to conclusions and be productive under my guidance. I also provide language development for the students, because the communication that is done in the class always includes specific vocabulary.
I assist with written and oral tasks; I stimulate purposeful conversation, statements and questioning. I connect the student language with literacy, mixing the students’ familiar experiences and the topics of lessons together. Using new words in speech helps the students memorize them and develop own literacy.
I also implement contextualization when I suggest the students making connections between the materials we study in class and their personal experiences. I challenge the students by offering them tasks of higher level of difficulty. I do this in order to increase my students’ thinking and study skills as well as interactions in the classroom (Reed & Railback 2003).
To my mind, the way of teaching could be more culturally responsive. I think I could bring more contextualization to the learning process of I engaged the family members of my students into the participation in classroom activities. This practice could add more contrast and provide more learning opportunities. Besides, it would increase the connections between the students’ life and the studies.
Community based learning activities could bring the students’ life and the school closer. I also would be interested to try the practice of change of conversational styles, introduce my class to co-narration, call-and-response and choral practices. This strategy is also good for language development and forming of language objectives, which is a very important component of teaching ELLs (Wallace 2004).
This specific adjustment would allow me develop the strategies formulated by Dr. Garcia such as respectfulness towards each other’s cultural backgrounds, better base for being responsive and communicate, creating more resources for learning.
Some of the topics such as family, work or holidays could be easily modified in order to allow me to introduce the students’ families to the class, create communication with the use of thematic vocabularies, contextualize the topic and the lives of the students, create responsiveness and instructional conversation.
The parents could also help m stimulate and challenge the students, organize group activities and stimulate the students create more resources for discussion, learn though dialogue and be respectful and appreciative of each other’s and own backgrounds.
Reference List
Redding, A. (2010). Blogspot . Web.
Reed, B., & Railback, J. (2003). Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language Learners . Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
The CREDE Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy. (n. d). CREDE . Web.
Wallace, S. (2004). Effective Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners in Mainstream Classrooms . Web.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The United States of America have always been one of the most diverse countries of the world. People of all ethnical groups and cultures have been living in this country for generations. Most of them had to face many difficulties related to their ethnicity and their English language proficiency.A group of researchers together with Dr. Roland Tharp decided to work on the special teaching programs for the diverse learners. The results of their work showed that there are five universal rules that help to raise the effectiveness of |
The United States of America have always been one of the most diverse countries of the world. People of all ethnical groups and cultures have been living in this country for generations. Most of them had to face many difficulties related to their ethnicity and their English language proficiency.
A group of researchers together with Dr. Roland Tharp decided to work on the special teaching programs for the diverse learners. The results of their work showed that there are five universal rules that help to raise the effectiveness of | CREDE Standards in US Evaluation Essay
The United States of America have always been one of the most diverse countries of the world. People of all ethnical groups and cultures have been living in this country for generations. Most of them had to face many difficulties related to their ethnicity and their English language proficiency.
The children of various ethnical minorities have been limited in the opportunities to receive proper education because of their lack of language skills. Not so long ago a group of researchers together with Dr. Roland Tharp decided to work on the special teaching programs for the diverse learners.
The results of the work of the scholars showed that there are five universal rules that help to raise the effectiveness of teaching and comprehension for any group of students. These rules were called the CREDE Standards.
The five CREDE standards for effective pedagogy created by Dr. Roland Tharp are directed on the development of the relationships between the teacher and the students, the interactions students can practice with each other in the classroom and the types of the teaching materials.
The standards are designed to gradually reduce the amount of teacher’s assistance needed in the classroom. From the state of total assistance the class will move to the state when no assistance is needed, this process will go through the zone of proximal development.
The strategy that is a great example of the application of the CREDE standards is the strategy of linking the concepts from the lesson to the students’ personal experiences (Wallace 2004). This strategy allows the students to process the learning material through the perspective of their own background and develop a better understanding, interpretation and form personal opinions on the subjects.
The strategy includes three steps. First step has to be performed before the students began working on the new reading. At this stage the teacher will suggest a list of pre-reading questions. The questions will be designed to cover the topic of the reading generally by means of connecting it to the personal experiences of the children.
The first step also includes the post-reading questions that will be directed at finding the connections between the experiences of the students and the stories of the characters. Step two includes the detailed examination of the reading and teacher’s comments, schematic presentations and notes about the contents.
Third step is focused on the discussion of the connections of the students’ examples and the contents of the reading by the children. This strategy is based on the third CREDE standard called “contextualization”, which is designed to connect the learning process to the students’ lives (The CREDE Five Standards of Effective Pedagogy and Learning n. d.). It also includes standard number five, which is “teaching through conversation”.
The second strategy is directed at the work on the vocabulary. It emphasizes the vocabulary adequate for the class in order to remove the barrier created by the lack of literacy.
Within this strategy the teacher will be determined to select the words specifically used for the topic of the lesson, creating non-linguistic explanations of these concepts, encouraging the students to create their own representations of these words using own language skills, making and writing down sentences with the words (Wallace 2004). This helps to increase interaction (Reed & Railsback 2003).
During the class the teacher must revise the students’ knowledge of the new vocabulary. This strategy is designed to widen the students’ vocabulary and deepen the understanding of the new words. It also is focused on development better understanding between the teacher and the students. This strategy is based on the CREDE standard number two – “language” development.
These strategies are helpful during the work with ELLs because they are focused on deeper understanding of the language of the lesson and the contents of the materials through the application of these materials to the personal experiences or perspectives of the students. This approach removes the barrier of detachment of the student from the topic. I recommend that the teacher shows maximum assistance performing these strategies.
Reference list
Reed, B. & Railsback, J. (2003). Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language Learners . Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
The CREDE Five Standards of Effective Pedagogy and Learning. CREDE. Web.
Wallace, S. (2004). Effective Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners in Mainstream Classrooms . Web.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The text discusses the options for branding a new drink product, Crescent Pure, as either a sports drink or an energy drink. It then goes on to analyze the potential of each option by performing a break-even analysis.The text concludes that Sarah Ryan should choose the option of strategically branding Crescent Pure as a sports drink. This is because, despite the smaller market size for sports drinks, they are more often chosen by consumers and are seen as more acceptable. | The text discusses the options for branding a new drink product, Crescent Pure, as either a sports drink or an energy drink. It then goes on to analyze the potential of each option by performing a break-even analysis.
The text concludes that Sarah Ryan should choose the option of strategically branding Crescent Pure as a sports drink. This is because, despite the smaller market size for sports drinks, they are more often chosen by consumers and are seen as more acceptable. | Crescent Pure Break-even Analysis Evaluation Essay
Introduction
Portland Drake Beverages’ Vice President of marketing, Sarah Ryan is seeking to position a newly purchased beverage brand, Crescent Pure, into the market. Sarah Ryan’s responsibility is to decide whether Portland Drake Beverages (PDB) should introduce the drink as a sports drink or an energy drink.
This report analyzes the potential of introducing Crescent Pure as either a sports drink or an energy drink by identifying the pros and cons of the options and performing a break-even analysis.
Positioning Alternatives
The increase in people’s concern about the sugar levels in their drinks makes it possible for producers to market products with low sugar contents. Crescent Pure is PDB’s choice drink because it offers lower sugar contents and has a caffeine content equivalent to one cup of coffee.
Crescent Pure’s sales performance has been impressive as it sold one thousand cases in the last month at approximately $3 per can. The drink’s low-calorie content, and its energizing, hydrating and organic characteristics increases its marketability.
Sarah Ryan must harness Crescent Pure’s marketing advantage by identifying and analyzing the pros and cons of each positing option.
As earlier stated, PDB has two options for its branding strategy. The first option is for PDB to strategically introduce Crescent Pure as an energy drink while the second option is to strategically brand Crescent Pure as a sports drink. An analysis of the feasibility of the two options will influence choice of the final brand introduced into the market.
Crescent Pure as a Sports Drink
Sarah Ryan has the option of positioning crescent pure as a sports drink but she must weigh the merits and the demerits of using this strategy. A key advantage of sports drinks is that users choose them more often than energy drinks.
Figure 1: Factors influencing consumer choices
Some pros of strategically positioning Crescent Pure in the market for sports drinks are identified. For instance, participants in the survey reported an increase in increase in endurance and a decrease in stress after consuming sports drinks.
The market for sports drinks is worth $6.3 Billion and an effective positioning will make Crescent Pure a major revenue generator for PDB. Sports drinks gain more acceptability by consumers because many respondents to the market survey believed they could consume sports drinks at any time.
Figure 1 is a visual summary of the multiple factors that make consumers prefer sports drinks to energy drinks.
Despite the advantages of, some cons reduce the marketability of strategically positioning Crescent Pure as a sports drink brand. The market for sports drink is smaller than that of energy drinks.
For example, numerous sports drinks have been banned from schools by food authorities due to sugary concerns and this has affected people’s opinion of sports products. The pricing of the product is also a disadvantage.
The retail price of Crescent Pure is $2.75. Pricing is an important factor that affects people’s perception of a product’s quality and a lower benchmark price for Crescent Pure may become disadvantageous.
Crescent Pure as an Energy Drink
Sarah Ryan may opt to strategically position Crescent Pure as an energy drink. Her decision will be based on an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of energy drinks and its market. The analysis of the pros and cons will be compared to what is obtainable in the market for sports drinks.
Unlike other energy drinks, Crescent Pure does not contain any artificial substances but comprises caffeine derived from organic products. This feature will increase the sales of Crescent Pure because consumers of sports and energy drinks are becoming more conscious of the health effects of what they consume.
Socioeconomic variables such as spending habits and brand popularity are obviously favoring the market for energy drinks. Revenue from energy drinks increased by 40% between 2010 and 2012 and there is potential for further growth.
Thus, it may be feasible to strategically position Crescent Pure as an energy drink when the industry is experiencing such a positive boom.
Notwithstanding the positive pros of strategically positioning Crescent Pure as an energy drink, some challenges are also identified from the case study. One significant disadvantage is the widespread perception of the health risks of consuming energy drinks.
The target market may not be attracted to energy drinks because only 32% of the participants in the survey agreed that they had consumed any energy drink in the past six months. Furthermore, 11% of the participants directly affirmed that they avoided energy drinks because of its health risks.
Crescent Pure’s low pricing is another disadvantage of strategically positioning it in the market for energy drinks. Although low pricing attracts consumers, the strategy has boomeranged against PDB because some survey participants questioned the quality of an energy drink priced at only $2.75.
Marketing Mix
Portland Drake Beverages understands the importance of strategically positioning Crescent Pure by using specific decision variables. The company decides to position a product that has 70% less sugar than other competing brands in the market.
Instead of using energy substances created in the laboratory, Crescent Pure considers the consumer appeal for natural products by using caffeine. It attracts consumers by setting its price at $1 below the average price in the market.
This decision strategically places PDB’s at an advantage for consumers that prefer lower-priced products. Nevertheless, the low pricing may have a negative effect on the general perception of the product’s quality.
Break-Even Analysis
The results of a break-even analysis show that Sarah will need to sell 31820 cases of Crescent Pure to recover an advertising cost of $750,000.
Crescent Pure controls 0.0004% + 0.0007% = 0.001% of the nonalcoholic beverage market. Table 1 above summarizes the market shares. The market was valued at $131 billion in 2013. With a market share of 0.001%, Crescent Pure will generate revenue of $1,810,000.
Each case of Crescent pure is sold for $29.76, which means that 181000 ÷ 29.76 = 60820 cases will be sold in 2013. Thus, the PDB will be able to sell the number of cases required to break-even because it will be supported by a new production capacity of 12,000 cases monthly.
Recommendations
The analysis shows the potential for both products. Nevertheless, it is recommended that PDB introduces Crescent Pure into the market for energy drinks. Crescent Pure’s ability to boost energy and mental focus places it in the energy drink category.
PDB can harness the advantages of competitive health benefits and low pricing to perform better than existing brands in the energy drink industry. The current market growth of approximately 40% biannually is an opportunity that PDB must not overlook.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/crescent-pure-break-even-analysis/ | 193 |
Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The article discusses how ValuJet responded to Flight 592 crash. The company used several mortification strategies after the crash. These strategies included nonexistence, suffering, ingratiation, and distance. These strategies resulted in detrimental results. The article concludes that ValuJet should have also established the best PR strategies in order to restore its image. |
The article discusses how ValuJet responded to Flight 592 crash. The company used several mortification strategies after the crash. These strategies included nonexistence, suffering, ingratiation, and distance. These strategies resulted in detrimental results. The article concludes that ValuJet should have also established the best PR strategies in order to restore its image. | “Through the Looking Glass” Critical Essay
Summary of the Class Readings
The first article “Through the Looking Glass” supports the use of effective communication after a crisis. The SCCT model offers useful guidelines that can manage the manner in which different organizations respond to crises. According to this article, the diminish strategy can minimize an organization’s association with different crises.
The findings indicate how Red Cross fails to assume responsibility for different crises. The second article “Compassion without Blame” examines how ValuJet responded after one of its planes crashed. ValuJet decided to use several mortification strategies after Flight 592 crashed.
The company “also used new strategies such as nonexistence, suffering, ingratiation, and distance” (Englehardt, Sallot, & Springston, 2004, p. 149). This approach resulted in detrimental results. The targeted accident was human-induced thus resulting in many deaths.
The article explains why it was appropriate for the company to use mortification strategies in order to maximize its concern for the community. The approach would have repaired the firm’s image. The article recommends the use of “Compassion Without Blame” strategy in order to produce the best image.
ValuJet should have also established the best PR strategies in order to restore its image. The article “Crisis Communication, Image Restoration, and Battling Stereotypes of Terror and Wars” explores the issues facing many countries in the Middle East.
The region “experiences constant coverage of terror attacks, conflicts, and wars” (Avraham, 2013, p. 1354). According to the author, the multi-step model can alter place image . Many countries in the Middle East use “three strategies (message, source, and audience) to deal with wars, crises, and stereotypes of terrorism” (Avraham, 2013, p. 1354).
This discussion explains why the Middle East should adopt a powerful branding tool. The fourth article “Blowout!: Firestone’s Image Restoration Campaign” explores how concealment of incriminating evidence and denial occur after every wrongful event.
Firestone used such responses after producing defective tires. Such tires caused numerous injuries and deaths. The company was driven by corporate greed. This case study explains why a corrective action could have produced the best results. The authors also examine how mixed strategies such as corrective action and mortification could have produced the best results.
Significance and Implication to Strategic Communication
The first article supports the use of the diminish strategy in order to ameliorate the targeted crisis. This strategy can therefore help many organizations to deal with every crisis. An “informed approach should therefore depend on the best public relations (PR) theory” (Sisco, Collins, & Zoch, 2010, p. 27).
The Role of Apologia can also produce the best results instead of avoiding responsibility. The second article recommends the use of “Compassion Without Blame” strategy in order to produce the best image after a crisis. This approach can also bolster a company’s communication approach whenever there is a crisis.
These two articles encourage entrepreneurs and organizations to respond to different crises. The third article supports the use of appropriate marketing initiatives, campaigns, and PR strategies. Such approaches can restore the image of the targeted region. New media campaigns and appropriate marketing officials can also promote the best PR practices.
This approach can deal with negative situations and events characterizing a specific region. The article supports the use of a corrective action in order to produce the best communication outcomes (Blaney, Benoit, & Brazeal, 2002). Companies can therefore use the above models in order to support their strategic communication approaches.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Articles
The first article begins by examining the aspects of the SCCT model. This understanding makes it easier for the reader to identify the effectiveness of the diminish strategy . The authors have also used the best research approach. The authors have used three approaches to explore the models used by the American Red Cross.
However, the article lacks sufficient examples and quality sources to support the arguments. The second article combines different models that can support a firm’s public image. The authors present a powerful model to explore how different organizations can deal with certain crises.
These ideas can support the goals of different companies. The “Compassion Without Blame” approach is also applicable in other industries. The study approach presents quality ideas to the reader (Englehardt et al., 2004). The third article identifies unique branding strategies that have supported the image of the Middle East.
The article examines how the multi-step model can deal with such challenges (Avraham, 2013). However, the article fails to offer a powerful PR approach that can produce the best outcomes. The article on Firestone identifies the major mistakes committed by different companies.
The article uses an appropriate methodology and discussions to discourage companies from shifting blames. A corrective approach can produce better results. A combined strategy will also improve the image of every company. The main weakness associated with the article is the absence of quality or recent sources.
Agreements and Disagreements
These articles present powerful arguments that can make different firms successful. The authors of the articles also support the importance of crisis communication and management in every organization. This approach “can support the goals of both for profit and not for profit organizations” (Sisco et al., 2010, p. 25).
Most of the concepts presented in these articles can transform many companies. The articles support the importance of Public Relations (PR) in every firm. Societies and companies should use the best models to address every crisis.
Reference List
Avraham, E. (2013). Crisis Communication, Image Restoration, and Battling Stereotypes of Terror and Wars: Media Strategies for Attracting Tourism to Middle Eastern Countries. American Behavioral Scientist, 57 (9), 1350-1367.
Blaney, J., Benoit, W., & Brazeal, L. (2002). Blowout!: Firestone’s Image Restoration Campaign. Public Relations Review, 28 (1), 379-392.
Englehardt, K., Sallot, L., & Springston, J. (2004). Compassion Without Blame: Testing the Accident Decision Flow Chart With the Crash of ValuJet Flight 592. Journal of Public Relations Research, 16 (2), 127-156.
Sisco, H., Collins, E., & Zoch, L. (2010). Through the looking glass: A decade of Red Cross crisis response a situational crisis communication theory. Public Relations Review, 36 (1), 21-27.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/crisis-communication/ | 194 |
Write an essay about: The essay discusses how the founder and CEO of The Games Forum, Rick Stallsworth, made several critical decisions that affected the careers of the directors.The first decision that Rick made was the penetration of the Chinese market by the end of the year. He made this decision without consulting anyone, and the directors clearly had a hard time trying to push this agenda through. Additionally, he also made a promise that everyone would get a 10% pay increase if they did the job on time. | The essay discusses how the founder and CEO of The Games Forum, Rick Stallsworth, made several critical decisions that affected the careers of the directors.
The first decision that Rick made was the penetration of the Chinese market by the end of the year. He made this decision without consulting anyone, and the directors clearly had a hard time trying to push this agenda through. Additionally, he also made a promise that everyone would get a 10% pay increase if they did the job on time.
| Critical Decisions Made by Rick Stallsworth Case Study
The character that has been chosen for the case study is Rick Stallsworth, the founder and CEO of The Games Forum. Rick is very arrogant and does not like the idea of other people challenging his decisions.
For example, whenever the sales and marketing director gave a suggestion, Rick would be quick to remind her that he was the boss. Thus, everything he said was right and should not be challenged. Rick is also demeaning. He starts to criticize and demean the sales and marketing director whenever she disagrees with his actions.
Additionally, he also dismisses the opinions of other directors accusing them of being alarmists. Cherry (2010) explains that an alarmist is someone who often sees the bad things in life. Alarmists often get too scared to do anything as they see danger all over. Such people often fail in business because business involves a lot of risk-taking.
Rick made a lot of decisions that touched the careers of the directors. For example, he decided to penetrate the Chinese market by the end of the year. He made this decision without consulting anyone, and the directors clearly have had a hard time trying to push this agenda through.
Rick also made a promise that everyone would get a 10% pay increase if they did the job on time. This decision falls under the ethics nature of business. It would appear that he bribed the directors with the promise of a 10% pay rise so that they do not oppose his expansion plans.
This essay will analyse various decisions that Rick made and attribute the decisions to several psychological and sociological theories. Three theories will be used in explaining Rick’s behaviour. The three theories are stereotyping, Hofstede’s framework and the Big Five theory.
Analysis of the Critical Decisions
As mentioned, Rick is the founder and the CEO of the company. Davey (2011) and Heynoski and Quinn (2012) assert that many founders of companies believe that they can make better decisions than any other person in the company. As the ‘boss’ Rick’s first main decision was the penetration of the Chinese market.
It is obvious that he did not think the project through as he has allocated very little time to the implementation process. The sales and marketing director decides to challenge his plan in an attempt to stop a disaster. It is at this point in the case study that one can identify stereotyping.
Maddox (2006) defines stereotyping as the use of common, yet not necessarily true, assumptions that people have about other groups of persons based on their culture and behaviour.
The theory is evident when Rick claims that Sue, the sales and marketing director, was only complaining so that people hear what she wants to say, which is typical of an American. It suffices to mention that Sue studied in America, thus, probably has some character traits that can be associated with Americans.
However, in this particular case, the statement is a stereotype because it cannot be proven. In addition, the statement was used to dismiss the argument raised by Sue and make the other directors view her argument as unimportant.
According to Hofstede’s framework, cultural influences can affect the values and attitudes of people in a society (Imada & Yussen, 2012). For example, people living in community A will react differently to persons living in community B because of their differences in culture. In the case study, the difference is pronounced.
Rick is an Australian and so he adheres to the culture of the Australian people. Ogbonna and Harris (2011) explain that Hofstede’s framework consists of 5 entities: individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, long-term orientation and indulgence versus restraint.
Rick, coming from the Australian community appears to fall under the categories of individualism, masculinity and restraint. Additionally, he has a very low uncertainty avoidance index and a very little long-term orientation index.
The third theory that can be used to analyse Rick’s decision-making and behaviour is the Big Five theory. The theory states that there are five personality dimensions that each and every person adheres to.
The five dimensions extraversion/introversion, emotional stability, agreeableness or likeability, Conscientiousness or Conscience, and Intellect or Intellectence (Barrick & Mount, 1991). Out of these five dimensions, Rick falls under the introversion category. He is the opposite of a person in the extraversion category as he is not very sociable.
The rest of the directors are also afraid of disagreeing with him because he has been dismissive of those who have disagreed with him in the past.
Barrick and Mount (1991) explain that emotional stability refers to people who are anxious, depressed, angry, embarrassed, and insecure. The conscientiousness or conscience category consists of people who are hardworking and achievement-oriented.
Rick could fit into this class because he had established a very successful gaming company. On matters of agreeableness and likeability, Rick is not likeable. He wants things to go his way without considering the input of the other directors.
Barrick and Mount (1991) explain that intellect or Intellectence refers to people who are imaginative, creative, curious and original. Again, Rick could fall into this category because he was the founder of a company that designed different games.
Critical Discussion of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Decisions
Rick’s decisions have both advantages and disadvantages. In order to point out clearly the pros and cons of his decision, it is critical to mention the core decisions he made. The first choice, as noted, is forcefully advising the directors to penetrate the Chinese market.
The first advantage of his decision is that it would increase the profits of the company if it were successful (Mullins, 2007; Buschman, 2013). Given that he falls under the masculinity category of Hofstede’s framework, he made the decision and forced the rest of the team to accept it because he believed that he was on the right track.
This makes it easy for people to be accountable for their actions. If the decision backfires, it will be clear that it was Rick who made the mistake. However, there are also several disadvantages that can be cited. One is that he did not consider the worries of the other directors.
This proves clearly that he falls under the introversion category of the big five theory. In addition, he uses stereotypes when dismissing concerns about the expansion. Using stereotypes is a disadvantage to any business person as they base their decisions on assumptions and lies.
A second decision that Rick makes is forcing the rest of the team to start implementing the project, even though, there were some members who were not comfortable with the idea. The advantage of doing this is that no time would be wasted debating the project. In this light, Rick is perceived to be very hard working.
However, one disadvantage of the decision is that the team involved in the implementation will have to jump through hoops to get the job done in time.
Moreover, the team will be I such a hurry to do the task before the deadline that they might fail to consider all the options they have. In turn, this might lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and the failure of the project.
Recommendations
Rick has to change a lot of things in the future to ensure that his decision-making does not negatively affect the other people in the company. Even though he has been successful using his strategies, his decision-making skills are getting worse by the day. The first thing that he has to change is the use of stereotypes in decision-making.
On several instances in the paper, the issue of stereotyping has been discussed. Rick cannot use stereotypes to argue his points because they are not factual, and there is also no way of proving them true. The stereotypes, therefore, offer a false net and might lead him to make wrong decisions.
On top of this, using stereotypes makes the other employees in the company feel unwanted and marginalized. While dismissing Sue’s argument, Rick not only used a stereotype, but he also did it in front of other people. This must have been very embarrassing for Sue.
Rick should also consider the cultures of other people. Indeed, the company is based in Australia, thus, people have to conform to the Australian culture. However, Rick understands that some of his employees are not from Australia. In order to accommodate each other, it is crucial that they all learn about each other’s culture.
For example, Sue’s American culture will push her to deliberate over every decision in order to come up with the best strategy possible. However, Rick through his Australian culture believes that everyone else should do what he says because he is the boss.
If he understood what the other people from the different countries expect in any discussion, he would become more likeable and he would also avoid confrontations.
Moreover, Rick can improve his decision-making skills by giving other people a chance to air their views. According to the case study, he did not take it lightly when Sue tried to challenge his decision. In fact, he started criticizing her work after she challenged him. The purpose of the directors is to manage different aspects of the company.
Therefore, at some given point, they know more than Rick bout their departments. However, because they are afraid of the CEO, and they keep their suggestions to themselves because they already know that he will not listen to what they have to say.
Rick can encourage the employees and the directors to speak up by first introducing suggestion boxes. Given that these boxes are anonymous, many employees will have an easier time dropping letters explaining what can be done to make the company more profitable into the box.
Rick should also consider creating a board that approves decisions (Luthans & Doh, 2012). He should not be part of the board because he will be biased and might force the board to accept his decision. The other directors can be included on the board to represent each of their departments.
The greatest advantage of this is that Rick will not have full control over the decisions made. In turn, the suggestions will be critically analysed. The decisions will also be made on facts and not personal bias, and stereotyping.
References
Barrick, M. R., & Mount, M. K. (1991). The big five personality dimensions and job performance: a meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44 , 1-27.
Buschman, J. (2013). Organizational culture, political fallout. The Journal of Academic Leadership, 39, 357-59.
Cherry, K. (2010). The everything psychology book (2nd ed.). Avon, MA: Adams Media.
Davey, G. (Ed.). (2011). Applied psychology. West Sussex, UK: Blackwell Publishing Limited.
Heynoski, K., & Quinn, R. E. (2012). Seeing and realizing organizational potential: Activating conversations that challenge assumptions. Organizational Dynamics, 41 , 118—125.
Imada, T., & Yussen, S. R. (2012). Reproduction of cultural values. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38 (1), 114-128.
Luthans, F., & Doh, J. P. (2012). International Management: Culture, Strategy and Behavior . (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Maddox, K. (2006). Rethinking racial stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination . Web.
Mullins, L. J. (2007). Management and organization behavior . New York, NY: Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Ogbonna, E., & Harris, L.C. (2011). Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: empirical evidence from UK companies. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11 (4), 766-88.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/critical-decisions-made-by-rick-stallsworth/ | 195 |
Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The text discusses the definition of critical infrastructure protection and why it is important. It also talks about how technological advancement has facilitated interconnections of infrastructures in most countries, thus making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The text concludes by discussing how the DHS is working to prevent, protect, respond, and recover from natural and human threats to telecommunications, water resources, oil and gas, government, transportation, emergency response, electric power, and health services infrastructure. |
The text discusses the definition of critical infrastructure protection and why it is important. It also talks about how technological advancement has facilitated interconnections of infrastructures in most countries, thus making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The text concludes by discussing how the DHS is working to prevent, protect, respond, and recover from natural and human threats to telecommunications, water resources, oil and gas, government, transportation, emergency response, electric power, and health services infrastructure. | Critical Infrastructure Protection Research Paper
Introduction
Critical infrastructure is defined as an asset, network, or system, either real or virtual, which is of crucial importance to the United States. The destruction of critical infrastructure may cause a devastating effect on the economic security, public safety, and health well-being of the citizens (Lewis, 2006).
The power that is used across the nation, water used in households, transportation used for mobility, and the system of communication used for connectivity all belongs to the existence of such critical infrastructures (Morton, 2012).
Technological advancement has facilitated interconnections of infrastructures in most countries, thus making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Since they are of very sensitive nature, their security is paramount, and thus precaution measures are needed to secure them.
Define Critical Infrastructure Protection and explain why it is important
Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) refers to a concept adopted by the US in 1998 in the fight against terrorism (Lopez, Setola & Wolthusen, 2012). The concept was launched by Bill Clinton, the then president of the US, under the PPD-63. The concept requires all the involved stakeholders to ensure that the infrastructure remains protected from terrorist attacks.
The US adopted the concept against the backdrop of the rising cases of cybercrimes directed to the nation’s cyber space (White, Boult, & Chow, 2014).President Bush added to the concept by launching the Homeland Security through the Presidential Directive HSPD-7. The Obama administration, through the PPD-21, altered the CIP further in 2013 in a bid to increase its effectiveness.
CIP initiatives aim at improving interoperability across communities coupled with improving collaboration with the federal government to detect, prevent, plan for, respond to, and recover from natural and human threats to telecommunications, water resources, oil and gas, government, transportation, emergency response, electric power, and health services infrastructure (Lopez, Setola, & Wolthusen, 2012).
As a collaborative effort, CIP is being conducted in coordination with federal, state, local government, commercial, and non-government Sponsors (De Bruijne, & Van Eeten, 2007).
DHS’s Mission
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS started its operations in 2003, and it was charged with critical infrastructure protection responsibilities and its goals and objectives are to prevent, protect, respond, and recover, as well as build in-security, ensure resilience, and facilitate customs and exchange (Lewis, 2006).
The DHS’ core mission entails five homeland security aspects, viz. “Prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage American borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and ensure resilience to disasters” (Morton, 2012, p. 112). Failure to address the DHS’s mission effectively would have serious consequences for the American national and economic security.
The DHS’s Operations
With the passing of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the DHS was officially formed and as part of its remit, its aim was to co-ordinate and streamline efforts of the nation’s assorted security and federal agencies.
Ensuring the security of the cyberspace and other critical infrastructures is the only way that the US can deter terrorist attacks that have had an increasing trend over the past few decades (Lopez, Setola, & Wolthusen, 2012). The DHS incorporated twenty-two other agencies under its umbrella.
The DHS’s main objective is to ensure that the security of the US citizens is maintained at all cost. In a bid to achieve this objective, the DHS has to protect its waters and ports to prevent illegal entry of dangerous weapons such as nuclear bombs. The DHS has put in place viable strategies regarding the security of its territories.
The DHS’s Responsibilities
The DHS’ main objective is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks in the US (De Bruijne, & Van Eeten, 2007). The U.S Department of Homeland Security was established after the 9/11 attacks to counter terrorist activities towards the United States.
The concept of homeland security is formally described in the “National Strategy for Homeland Security as a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, cut down the nation’s susceptibility to terror attacks, curtail the harm, and recuperate from terrorist attacks that take place” (Morton, 2012, p. 128).
Why is Critical Infrastructure Protection Important?
Attacks on critical infrastructure are likely to cause significant disruption on the operations of the government and businesses at large (Lewis, 2006). Critical Infrastructures have become targets for terrorists, thus their protection is necessary if a nation has to remain secure. Such attack may result in mass destruction of properties and many death incidents (Lopez, Setola, & Wolthusen, 2012).
In the past, Critical Infrastructure Protection initiatives have successfully cut down incidences of terrorist attacks. CIP is important since it requires every industry, which is classified as a critical economic sector, to assess and develop strategies to eradicate vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks.
Some of the sectors identified as critical sectors under the program include banking and finance, transportation, power, information, and communications (Morton, 2012).
The importance of information and intelligence sharing and its impact on CIP
Information sharing amongst federal, state, and local agencies is a key element of the American government’s homeland security strategy. According to political analysts, the post-9/11 threat calls for a reliable partnership amongst federal and all other local authorities in order to facilitate information sharing.
All the security organs ought to work together and create conducive environment that would in turn increase information sharing and thus lead to a reduction in terrorist attacks (Lewis, 2006).
Federal departments and authorities have the responsibility of availing relevant security information to the Secretary of DHS and the national critical infrastructure centers. The information is necessary to support cross-sector analysis and inform the situational awareness capability for critical infrastructure (Lopez, Setola, & Wolthusen, 2012).
Critical infrastructure security is a function that requires interdependence of all the federal agencies. Listed below are some of the departments and agencies that are key departments to the critical infrastructure security.
The Department of State, in coordination with other relevant Federal departments and agencies, engages foreign governments to strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure located outside the United States and facilitates the best methods and lessons learned for maintaining the security and resilience of critical infrastructure on which the United States depends upon (Morton, 2012).
The US has the best intelligence community in the world (Lopez, Setola, & Wolthusen, 2012). The intelligence community is charged with the responsibility of providing warnings to security agents of threats prior to their occurrence. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is mandated to use all the relevant departments and recourses to produce intelligence information.
The IC is composed of highly trained crime detectives with the ability to detect crime before it is accomplished. It is composed of both the military and civilians. The security officers in charge of providing global security rely greatly on the IC’s report to combat terrorism and to protect the citizens around the world.
All the intelligence departments are under the DoD and intelligence reports are submitted to the DoD, which in turn presents it to the president (Lewis, 2006). The report on intelligence is then submitted to the relevant security organs for execution. The intelligence report is important to a nation’s security since it warns the country of an attack before it is accomplished.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is mandated to offer licenses to eligible institutions, and for an institution to acquire such license, it must meet some set requirements.
The Federal Communications Commission, its authority and expertise on “identifying and prioritizing communications infrastructure, identifying communications sector vulnerabilities and working with industry to correct vulnerabilities, and coordinate with industry and engage foreign governments to increase the security and resilience of critical infrastructure within the communications sector on which the United States depends upon” (Morton, 2012, p. 126).
The Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) policies established by PPD-21
The PPD-21 created additional policies on critical infrastructure security and resilience created under the PPD- 63 by Bill Clinton in 1998 (Morton, 2012). The directive identified and specified various critical infrastructures and defined the role of each department involved. The key policies established by PPD-21 are explained below:
Defining and elucidating the functional relationships throughout the federal government
Under this strategy, the directive refines the structure of the CIP by creating two national critical infrastructure centers operated by DHS (White, Boult, & Chow, 2014). One department is responsible for security of the physical infrastructure while the other is responsible for the security of the cyber space.
The two departments work hand in hand to deter terrorism activities through the critical infrastructures. Responsibilities of each of the two departments is clearly defined and manned by experienced staff.
Enabling timely and effective information exchange
This strategy aims at increasing information exchange between all the federal departments involved (De Bruijne & Van Eeten, 2007). It is meant to enhance timely receipt of intelligence information to counter attacks. The policy establishes the standard requirements for data and information formats and accessibility while at the same time observing the privacy principles provided under the constitution (Lewis, 2006).
Creating an integration and analysis function
This final strategy is founded on the first two strategies and it establishes an integration and analysis function for critical infrastructure (Morton, 2012). The integration and analysis function for critical infrastructure is charged with the responsibility of analyzing incidences of attacks, prospective threats, as well as up-and-coming risks.
The department works in collaboration with other departments including the intelligence department, but the scope of each is clearly defined (Lopez, Setola, & Wolthusen, 2012). Therefore, the function of each department is well spelt to avoid conflicts.
Conclusion
The US Critical Infrastructure Protection was established by Bill Clinton in 1998 through the PPD-63. The directive identified key sectors and classified them as key infrastructures that needed to be secured at all costs. Since its establishment in 1998, it has received the support of the successive governments and the recent PPD-21 of 2013 refined the concept further. Protecting critical infrastructures is an important endeavor towards fighting terrorism that has had an increasing trend over the past decades.
References
De Bruijne, M., & Van Eeten, M. (2007). Systems that should have failed: critical infrastructure protection in an institutionally fragmented environment. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 15 (1), 18-29.
Lewis, T. (2006). Critical infrastructure protection in homeland security: defending a networked nation . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Lopez, J., Setola, R., & Wolthusen, S. (2012). Critical Infrastructure Protection: Advances in Critical Infrastructure Protection: Information Infrastructure Models, Analysis, and Defense. New York, NY: Springer.
Morton, J. (2012). Next-Generation Homeland Security: Network Federalism and the Course to National Preparedness. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.
White, R., Boult, T., & Chow, E. (2014). A computational asset vulnerability model for the strategic protection of the critical infrastructure. International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 7 (3), 167-177.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The research article discusses the cross-cultural aspects of family violence by focusing on the factors that affect the resilience of adolescents to domestic abuse. The study included students representing four countries and found that socio-economic status of the family does not influence the level of a teenager's resilience to family violence.The research article discusses the cross-cultural aspects of family violence by focusing on the factors that affect the resilience of adolescents to domestic abuse. The study included students representing four countries and found that socio-economic status of the family does not influence the level of a teenager's resilience to family violence. |
The research article discusses the cross-cultural aspects of family violence by focusing on the factors that affect the resilience of adolescents to domestic abuse. The study included students representing four countries and found that socio-economic status of the family does not influence the level of a teenager's resilience to family violence.
The research article discusses the cross-cultural aspects of family violence by focusing on the factors that affect the resilience of adolescents to domestic abuse. The study included students representing four countries and found that socio-economic status of the family does not influence the level of a teenager's resilience to family violence. | Cross-Cultural Aspects of Domestic Violence Critical Essay
This paper is aimed at discussing the research article that throws light on the cross-cultural aspects of family violence. The researchers focus on the factors influencing the resilience of adolescents to domestic abuse. The sample of the study includes students representing four countries.
It is possible to say that this research does not show cross-cultural differences among the participants. Cultural background is not included as one of the dependent variables. This is the main limitation that should be considered.
The study carried out by Wassilis Kassis, Sibylle Artz, and Stephanie Modenhauer (2013) is aimed at examining the cross-cultural aspects of family violence. In particular, the authors focus on the factors that affect the resilience of adolescence to domestic abuse.
The sample of this study includes 5,149 teenagers from such countries as Spain, Germany, Slovenia, and Austria (Kassis et al., 2013, p. 37). Moreover, the researchers focus on the influence of such factors as socio-economic status of the family, gender, migration experience, self-esteem of a child, alcohol consumption in the family, parenting style, and other independent variables (Kassis et al., 2013, p. 45).
In order to collect the data, the scholars used a statistical survey which was filled by adolescents. The authors’ findings indicate that socio-economic status of the family does not influence the level of a teenager’s resilience to family violence (Kassis et al., 2013, p. 55).
Thus, this study does not support the assumption according to which income level and social status shape children’s response to domestic abuse. More attention should be paid to the presence of adults who can support teenagers. Furthermore, there are factors that can undermine the resilience of a person. Much attention should be paid to the influence of such factors as alcohol and drug abuse, aggression of teachers, and peer pressure. These are the main results derived by the authors.
It is possible to mention several issues involved in this research. The title of this study suggests that the research is supposed to examine cross-cultural dimensions of family violence. Admittedly, the authors select the subjects representing different countries. Nevertheless, they do not explain how the cultural background of families affects the behavior of parents and the experiences of adolescents.
Thus, the readers cannot understand whether culture is one of the factors that should be considered. This is one of the limitations that should be taken account. Additionally, it is possible to mention that the researchers examined only the opinions of teenagers. Nevertheless, by studying the views of parents, one can better understand the way in which families are affected by domestic violence.
This approach can make the study less biased. Apart from that, the authors do not explain how the subjects were selected. In this case, one should clearly explain why they were chosen among others. This is one of the problems that should not be overlooked.
Overall, these issues can be addressed. In particular, it is important to identify the relevant cultural factors that can influence domestic abuse and resilience of children. For instance, one should consider gender roles or assumptions about the education of children (Matsumoto, 2001).
In this way, one can demonstrate whether culture is one of the significant factors influencing families (Matsumoto, 2001). Moreover, it is important to select only families affected by domestic violence. Certainly, this approach to sampling is more time-consuming, but it is important for the validity of the study. These are the main suggestions that can be offered.
Reference List
Kassis, W., Artz, S., & Modenhauer, S. (2013). Laying Down the Family Burden: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Resilience in the Midst of Family Violence. Child & Youth Services, 34 (2), 37-63.
Matsumoto, D. (2001). The Handbook of Culture and Psychology . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The essay discusses the cross-cultural comparison between the US and Japan. It focuses on the fact that while both cultures have been influenced by each other, the Japanese culture has more strongly been influenced by the Chinese culture. | The essay discusses the cross-cultural comparison between the US and Japan. It focuses on the fact that while both cultures have been influenced by each other, the Japanese culture has more strongly been influenced by the Chinese culture. | Cross-cultural Comparison Between the US and Japan Research Paper
Introduction
Kitayama, Mesquita, and Karasawa (2006) posit that no single definition can satisfactorily cover the aspects of culture. Broadly, culture denotes the cumulative behavior of a group of people that is universally acceptable by that group (Cho & Cheon, 2005). It comprises people’s behaviors, beliefs, and symbols.
Culture is not static, but dynamic, which means that it changes from time to time (Jenkinson, Fitzpatrick, Norquist, Findley & Hughes, 2003). The Japanese culture is one of the most complex cultures in the world. It can be traced back to about 10,000 years (Dyer & Chu, 2003).
The Japanese culture has been changing over the years and it has been influenced largely by foreign cultures as the Japanese islands continue to be inhabited. The traditional Japanese culture was greatly influenced by numerous foreign cultures and especially the Chinese culture (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011).
However, the modern Japanese culture has small or zero Chinese influence. The fading Chinese influence in the modern Japanese culture is due to the isolation of the two lands from the world (Yamaguchi, Gelfand, Ohashi & Zemba, 2005).
This research paper will explore the Japanese culture and compare it with the American culture. Numerous differences exist between the US and the Japanese cultures. The major differences are in religion, the feeding habits, the dressing code, as well as the attitude towards people from different cultural backgrounds (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
The paper will critically analyze the main aspects of the two cultures and identify a theory that best explains the inherent differences between the two cultures. Based on the theory identified, the paper will shed light on how both the US and the Japanese cultures influence the expression of emotion, the development of morality, gender, and aggression. In addition, the paper will analyze the various biases that may have influenced the analysis of the two cultures by citing evidence to show that the biases influenced the aforementioned analysis.
The Japanese culture
Japan is one of the nations in the world that have preserved their traditions even to date (Jenkinson et al., 2003). The Japanese culture differs significantly from that of other countries especially the United States. Some of the major areas of difference between the Japanese culture and that of the United States hinge on their music coupled with clothing (Cho & Cheon, 2005).
The fact that Japan has preserved its culture and traditions makes the topic an interesting area of study. In this research paper, the focus will be to evaluate the nature of the Japanese culture. The aforementioned culture is of great significance since it is unique and it differs greatly from the western cultures. In addition, the Japanese culture is one that borrows heavily from foreign cultures especially the Chinese culture.
The view that the Japanese culture has some unique characteristics coupled with the fact that most of its aspects are foreign makes it an attractive topic to explore. Contrary to the United States’ individualistic culture, the Japanese culture is collectivistic (Kitayama et al., 2006).
The collectivism nature of this culture is linked to the Japanese traditional way of life. Traditionally, most Japanese were rice farmers (Dyer & Chu, 2003). The activities involved in rice farming require the cooperation of all individuals and communities involved. The spirit of togetherness perpetuated by rice farming has shaped the culture of the Japanese and it is relevant even in the contemporary times.
The Japanese language
In analyzing the Japanese culture, it is important to consider the official language of the country. Japanese is the national language across the country. Written Japanese is comprised of “three distinct scripts viz. the hiragana, the katakana, and lastly the kanji” (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011, p. 21).
All the three scripts are derived from the Chinese language. As the Japanese culture continues to evolve, the written Japanese language also incorporates romaji, which is a Latin alphabet (Kitayama et al., 2006). Additionally, incorporated in the written Japanese language are the Hindu Arabic numerals, which form a large portion of the numerals (Jenkinson et al., 2003).
The Japanese Literature
Just as the Japanese language borrows from the Chinese language, its literature too is greatly influenced by the Chinese writings (Cho & Cheon, 2005). The Chinese literature that was mainly written in Classical Chinese heavily influenced the Japanese writings as the first Japanese scholars heavily relied on the Chinese literature to make their own literature (Yamaguchi et al., 2005).
The other literature that also influenced the Japanese writing is the Indian literature (Dyer & Chu, 2003). The inflow of Buddhists into Japan had remarkable effect on the local literature across the nation. Much as the aforementioned cultures had some influence on the Japanese literature, in the recent past, the Japanese writers have developed their own literature that centers mainly on Japan’s affairs (Varley, 2000).
The nature of the Japanese literature has seen major changes in the past few decades due to the recent interaction between the Japanese and the West especially after it opened its ports to western trade.
The Japanese Music
The Japanese music can best be evaluated by comparing both the traditional and modern music. The traditional Japanese music incorporates a wide variety of artists who perform in unique styles (Kitayama et al., 2006). The Japanese modern music has dominated the international music industry.
The country has emerged as the largest producer of music in Asia and the second largest producer of music in the world after the United States (Cho & Cheon, 2005). Artists from the Japanese background dominate its music market. The Japanese hold ceremonies known as karaoke where local music characterizes the venue (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011).
In these venues, various artists perform and show their capability in such music. The Japanese music is often based on the intervals of human breathing as opposed to the mathematical timing that characterize the United States’ music (Kitayama et al., 2006).
Visual arts
Painting
For a long period, painting has dominated the art industry in Japan. Both traditional and modern paintings are usually done using a brush as the main painting tool. Painting as an art started a long time ago and it is evolving even in the modern times (Jenkinson et al., 2003).
The introduction of the Chinese paper in the 7 th century altered the art of painting entirely as the papers increased efficiency (Varley, 2000). The traditional ways of painting are still in use even to date.
Sculpture
The traditional Japanese sculptures were highly influenced by the Buddhist religion (Starrs, 2011). Most sculptures were images borrowed from Buddhism. The main Buddhist images that dominated the Japanese sculptures were Tathagata, Bodhisattva, and the Myoo (Dyer & Chu, 2003).
The national government of the days recognized the need to make Buddhist statues to boost its prestige (Yamaguchi et al., 2005). Today, the “statues exist in various places most notably a colossal bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana in the Tōdai – ji temple” (Cho & Cheon, 2005, p. 101). Initially, wood was used as a major building block of the sculptures, but the modern sculptures are usually made from bronze and other modern metals (Cho & Cheon, 2005).
Stones and pottery are also important materials used in the construction of traditional statues. In most cases, the statues are usually decorated and they bear bright colors (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
Flower arrangement
Flower arrangement is an important art in Japan and it is done in a professional manner (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011). Ikebana is the term used to refer to the art of arranging flowers in the country. The art has earned the country fame in almost every country across the world (Kitayama et al., 2006).
The art of flower arrangement is usually a collective responsibility and it is said to promote peace and harmony amongst the Japanese. Ikebana is taken not only as an art, but also as a scientific method of weather forecasting (Jenkinson et al., 2003).
Performance of arts
Japan has preserved “four main traditional theaters, viz. noh, kyōgen, kabuki , and bunraku with noh tracing its origins from the union of sarugaku ” (Ikegami, 2005 p. 89). Noh was characterized by music and dances. The dancers were known to wear masks and certain specialized garments during performances. In addition, Noh dancers would invoke certain gestures, which were unique to certain events (Starrs, 2011).
Clothing
One of the factors that make the Japanese culture different from any other culture across the world is the dressing code (Cho & Cheon, 2005). Traditional Japanese wore a special type of clothing known as the kimono (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
Initially, the term kimono was used to refer to all types of traditional clothing, but as the Japanese culture continued to evolve, the meaning of the word became limited to a long type of clothing, which is mostly worn during certain occasions (Dyer & Chu, 2003).
Today the clothing is worn on certain special occasions with women and children being the favorite consumers of this design. The original kimonos were designed in such a way that they reflected the influence of the Chinese culture, as they resembled a Chinese type of clothing known as hanfu (Starrs, 2011). Kimonos coupled with all other traditional clothing items are collectively known as wafuku, which means Japanese clothe (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011).
Kimonos are different depending on the gender and age of the person wearing it. Men usually wear dark or less bright colors, whilst women sport brighter colors (Varley, 2000).
The design of the kimono s varies greatly with gender and status (Jenkinson et al., 2003). A kimono of a married woman, which is also known as tomesode, for example is strikingly different from that of a non-married counterpart, which is known as furisode.
The furisode is longer than the tomesode and it is usually long sleeved (Kitayama et al., 2006). The kimonos are known to communicate certain messages. The furisode, for example, is designed in such a way that it sends signals that the wearer is not married (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
The kimonos also exhibit certain special decorations (Cho & Cheon, 2005). Obi is one of the decorations worn together with the kimonos and it takes the form of an ornamental sash. Although obi “can be worn with other traditional clothing, it is mostly worn with the kimonos” (Yamaguchi et al., 2005, p. 753).
The decoration is more noticeable in women clothing than it is in men’s garments. The majority of the Japanese women’s kimonos have an extremely large and convoluted obi, whilst men’s kimonos only have small and less bright obi (Dyer & Chu, 2003).
Similarities and differences
Speed vs. accuracy
Most organizations in the United States exercise a top down decision-making strategy (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011). The American organization culture is characterized by freedom for the subordinates without having to consult their superiors.
This aspect fastens decision making albeit at times errors may arise due to minimal consultation. In most American companies, the top managers give orders to their subordinates devoid of any consultation process. In such cases, managers may end up making uninformed decisions due to pressure from the organization’s policies to make major decisions quickly (Cho & Cheon, 2005).
In conclusion, therefore, the process of making decisions in the United States takes a short time, and this aspect might results in errors at times, which might be disastrous for businesses’ survival and competitiveness. On the other hand, the decision-making process in Japan is done in phases and the procedure of making such decisions is well outlined in the organizations’ policies (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
The top managers have to consult with their subordinates before making important decisions. Their decisions are very careful and conservative, and thus sometimes the process is slower than that in the United States’ companies (Kitayama et al., 2006). In Japanese organizations, the decision-making process takes place in phases. These phases are characterized by numerous roundtable meetings between the superiors and their subordinates to deliberate on the best course of action in various situations.
The process is thus slower than that in the US where only the top managers are engaged and the subordinates are at liberty to make certain decisions (Jenkinson et al., 2003). The careful and conservative approach reduces chances of errors, thus cutting down the risk of making inappropriate decisions. The United States’ companies rarely hold such meetings with stakeholders, as they consider it as unnecessary move.
In addition, they tend to argue that holding numerous meetings will lead to boredom, thus causing resistance from workers (Yamaguchi et al., 2005). However, Japanese companies believe in reaching a consensus with everyone involved in the decision-making process, hence they spend most of their time holding meetings.
Individual roles vs. teamwork
In most United States’ companies, the role of an individual in the organization is highly valued (Varley, 2000). Each individual’s role in the organization is assessed against the company’s goals and objectives. Japan, on the other hand, emphasizes groups’ contribution towards the achievement of the organizational goals (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
Individual’s contribution is overlooked in the evaluation of the company’s achievements. Individuals’ contribution does not count if the team does not achieve the set targets. The Japanese people are generally characterized as mutually dependent and cooperative (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011). The US people, on the other hand, are independent and they tend to possess a sense of analytical thought process.
Diversity
The United States is composed of people from different cultural backgrounds (Dyer & Chu, 2003). Cultural diversity in the United States is due to immigration of people from different nations over decades. The United States’ laws emphasize the importance of ensuring diversity in the workforce.
The multicultural nature of the United States coupled with legislation ensures that diversity is maintained in the workforce (Cho & Cheon, 2005). Contrary to the United States, which is a multicultural state, Japan has a homogeneous culture. The workforce in most companies in Japan is composed of the Japanese with minimal or no outsiders.
Personal life vs. professional life
In the United States, there is a balance between work and personal life (Jenkinson et al., 2003). However, the majority of people in the United States value their personal life. The situation is different in Japan since work life is a priority.
A theory that will guide the analysis of both cultures
The rice theory
In the recent past, the rice theory has gained popularity especially in explaining the cultural differences between Japan and the United States (Kitayama et al., 2006). The theory is based on the argument that rice farmers are integrated and harmonized by the activities involved in rice farming.
The proponents of this theory argue that rice farmers have to remain interdependent as long as they have to achieve their goals. Traditional rice farmers worked in teams since rice farming involved activities that can only be achieved through collective working. The activities involved in rice farming necessitated the need for farmers to work together (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
Rice farming brought together villages and communities in activities such as developing suitable irrigation systems and while planting the crop. Psychologists have identified rice planting as one of the activities that brought together people from different cultural backgrounds and promoted peace amongst them in Japan (Cho & Cheon, 2005).
Rice farming in Japan promoted peace and harmony amongst the Japanese, since the involved activities would not be successful devoid of the community working together as a team. The rice theory works in favor of the Japanese culture since Japan embraces a collective culture as opposed to an individualistic culture that is common in the United States (Yamaguchi et al., 2005).
The theory can also best explain the American culture as the United States does not grow rice, hence the individualistic culture. The Japanese corporate culture can equally be explained by the rice theory. The Japanese believe that in the event that the top managers fail in implementing certain strategic measures aimed at achieving the set goals, the failure is not only theirs, but also it affects all other stakeholders (Jenkinson et al., 2003).
As opposed to the United States, the Japanese attribute success to harmony and good public relations. The corporate culture in most Japanese companies is guided by the principles of the rice theory. Managers of the Japanese companies tend to promote the spirit of togetherness and engage each employee in the decision-making processes (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011).
The Japanese businesspersons have indicated that dispensing their employees leads to lowered reputation and mistrust between managers and their subordinates, thus companies rarely lay off their workers in this region (Dyer & Chu, 2003). On the other hand, the United States does not hold the same philosophy. The United States’ managers may lay off their workers at any given time.
The Japanese believe that the success of a business leads to huge profits, which translates into benefits to all stakeholders (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011). However, some United States’ companies such as the Nissan USA and Honda USA have embraced the spirit of interdependence that is common in Japan (Kitayama et al., 2006). In the recent past, the aforementioned companies have consented to the view that laying off their workers leads to the poor reputation of their companies.
How each culture influences human development, identity development, and personality development within it based on the theory
People from rice growing areas are interdependent of each other and they often dislike foreigners (Cho & Cheon, 2005). The rice theory explains why the Japanese workplace is mainly composed of the Japanese with minimal foreigners. On the other hand, the United States does not have rice plantations, and thus people are independent, which explains why they remain individualistic.
People from Japan are less aggressive to each other since they rely on one other in the production of rice. On the contrary, people from the United States are highly independent and they often shy from engaging their fellow citizens in their daily activities (Jenkinson et al., 2003). Therefore, people in the United States have an individualistic attitude, which develops from the view that no activity is done collectively as rice farming in Japan.
The Chinese immigrants affected the Japanese rice farming since China is one of the countries in the world that produce plenty of rice (Starrs, 2011). Rice farming requires plenty supply of labor and cooperation, thus explaining why the Japanese are more united as compared to the Americans.
Culture influences based on the theory
Rice farming involves activities such as flooding, draining, harvesting, and fertilizing just to mention but a few (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011). The aforementioned activities are tiresome and they often require the cooperation of the involved parties (Dyer & Chu, 2003).
The need for communal involvement in the performance of these activities boosts harmony and peaceful coexistence. Rice farmers thus tend to be highly respectful of each other in a bid to ensure the success of these activities. Gender plays a great role in Japan (Cho & Cheon, 2005).
Women are lowly recognized in Japan and mostly they are assigned petty tasks. The number of women in professional jobs in Japan is lesser than that of the United States. A report tabled in 2012 regarding the Global Gender Gap Report indicates that Japan trails the United States in embracing gender equality (Hausmann, Tyson & Zahidi, 2012).
The report ranked Japan at position 101 in the list of nations that have embraced gender equality in the world as opposed to the 22 nd position of the United States (Hausmann et al., 2012). The report indicated that the number of women in politics in Japan is fewer as compared to the number of women holding similar positions in the United States.
The report further indicated that in Japan, women are forced to quit company jobs to carry out house chores once they get married (Hausmann et al., 2012). The rice theory attributes rice farming to harmony and peaceful coexistence amongst communities involved in rice farming (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011).
The theory further asserts that the Japanese are not aggressive and they tend to maintain high levels of respect when relating to each other due to the interdependence involved in rice farming activities. In comparison to the American culture, the Japanese culture facilitates peace and shapes the behavior of individuals (Jenkinson et al., 2003).
Rice farming in Japan influences the behavior of people and increases the morality levels. In other words, the Japanese have higher levels of morality as compared to their American counterparts. Research indicates that the Japanese are reluctant in establishing good relations with foreigners.
The reluctance is evidenced by the news report that involved interviews conducted on a section of Japanese workers working in the United States over a proposal to join the United Automobile Workers Union (UAW) (Lewis-Colman, 2008). Of the Japanese workers interviewed, 2400 employees openly opposed the proposal to join the US workers union (Lewis-Colman, 2008).
This case is not the only incident illustrating the Japanese dislike for foreigners. Employees of the Honda factory in Ohio have also opposed similar proposals in another case (Ikegami, 2005).
Explanation of biases that may influence the analysis of these cultures
The analysis of the two cultures could not be possible without identifying some biases. First, there is an assumption that the Japanese population is composed of people of the Japanese background and no foreigners (Starrs, 2011). This assumption is biased, since some people in Japan do not belong to the Japanese community, hence it is biased to assume homogeneity of culture in Japan (Yamaguchi et al., 2005).
Secondly, the rice theory describes the Japanese culture as collectivist only because the majority of eastern countries are rice producers. The theory assumes that all the Japanese are rice farmers, thus ignoring the fact that rice does not do well in some parts of Japan (Varley, 2000). People living in areas where rice never grows are likely to exhibit an individualistic culture as opposed to the collectivism culture in the rice growing areas (Muramatsu & Akiyama, 2011).
The assumption about a collectivist culture in Japan is thud vague since it is only based on the premise that rice farmers are cooperative due to the nature of rice growing activities. The rice theory bases its argument on rice farming thus describing the culture in the United States as individualistic.
Some scholars have argued that just as rice farming integrates people, wheat farming may also have similar effects (Jianghao & Zhijun, 2011). Given that wheat farming is common in some parts of the United States, a controversy arises as to the effectiveness of the rice theory in distinguishing the two cultures.
Lastly, the rice theory is biased in assuming that the Japanese are reluctant in welcoming foreigners into their country (Jenkinson et al., 2003). Even though the country’s population is comprised mainly of people from the Japanese origin, some traces of foreigners exist within the Japanese population (Dyer & Chu, 2003).
The theory argues that the Japanese are not highly aggressive as their United States’ counterparts only because they must remain interdependent in order to facilitate rice farming. Other activities apart from rice farming can equally bring people together and boost harmony amongst them (Cho & Cheon, 2005).
The theory is thus biased in assuming that the US people are more aggressive as compared to their Japanese counterparts. The presumption of the Japanese population being comprised of people from the Japanese origin affects the analysis since there is a precondition of homogeneity of culture amongst the Japanese.
This assertion may not hold since there are foreigners within the population who may cause heterogeneity in the Japanese culture.
Conclusion
The Japanese culture has evolved over a long period. This culture can best be explained as a hybrid of different cultures such as the Asian and the European cultures. Both the Japanese and the United States’ cultures are different in various aspects. The traditional Japanese culture borrowed heavily from the Chinese culture. Japan is largely inhabited by the Japanese, which explains why it presumably a homogeneous culture.
On the other hand, the American population is composed of people from different cultural and ethnical backgrounds. According to the rice theory, the traditional ways of production in Japan has helped to shape the Japanese culture. Rice farming brings together people since the activities involved must be performed collectively.
Rice farming explains the collectivism nature of the Japanese culture as opposed to the American individualistic culture. The Japanese corporate culture also differs from that of the United States. Contrary to Japanese companies, which have their workforce drawn mainly from the Japanese communities, in American companies, the workforce is diverse.
The decision-making processes in Japan are lengthy and they involve numerous meetings with stakeholders, while in the United States, workers are allowed enough freedom to make certain decisions without consulting top managers and this aspects leads to the making of quick decisions.
References
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Hausmann, R., Tyson, L., & Zahidi, S. (2012). The Global Gender Gap Report 2012. New York, NY: World Economic Forum.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the role of culture in international business situations and also the strategies and frameworks that are appropriate in cross-cultural management. |
The essay discusses the role of culture in international business situations and also the strategies and frameworks that are appropriate in cross-cultural management. | Cross Cultural Management and International Business Qualitative Research
Introduction
The technological advances and achievements have brought people from different parts of the world and diverse cultural backgrounds very close. People having different cultural identities are communicating are working together (Lauring, 2011 ).
It is good to be close to one another and know about different cultures, however having cultural diversity at workplaces may also create havoc. There are certain things that are permissible in one culture and some are considered as cultural taboos.
Organizational management requires execution of various tasks such as establishing procedures and developing strategies. Besides this, the organizations need to motivate their workforce to accomplish selected tasks. A sound understanding of the cultural diversities is necessary for carrying out these tasks (Kawar, 2012).
Cross cultural management is a stream of management that emphasizes on the processes and policies involving the management of workers coming from diverse cultural backgrounds. It also facilitates the implementation of management tasks by regulating the impact of cultural differences (Søderberg & Holden 2002, p.103).
The contributions of two pioneers, Adler (International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour 1991) and Hofstede (Culture’s Consequences 1980) is very significant in the field of cross cultural management.
In this essay we will focus on the role of culture in international business situations and also the strategies and frameworks that are appropriate in cross-cultural management.
Literature Review
The concept of culture
According to Hofstede Geert, culture is “the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another” (cited in Kawar 2012, p.105).He studied cultural diversity mainly between the nationalities (Kawar 2012).
Similarly Gudykunst and Kim (1992) identified culture as a ‘“systems of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people” (Jameson, 2007, p.203). By large groups they meant different countries.
While interacting with people in an intercultural business situation, it is important to reconceptualise one’s cultural identity in order to understand others’ frame of mind Edward Hall (1959) describes culture as an influential force in casting one’s identity.
He defines culture as “a mould in which we all are cast and it controls our lives in many unsuspected ways” (Jameson, 2007, p.199). Cross-cultural relationships are very complex and unique in nature. Hence, there has to be individual consideration for each situation (Gullestrup, 2002).
Cross-cultural differences and international business
International managers face the challenge of working on different premises at one time including their own culture, culture of the working place or culture of their organization. Every culture has a distinct notion for terms like “authority, accountability, verification, good fellowship, creativity bureaucracy (Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1998, p.3).
It is noteworthy that our cultural prejudices and habituated behaviours may be different. Cultural values intervene in the accurate transfer for messages between culturally diverse people (Peltokorpi, 2010).
While interacting with people in an intercultural business situation, it is important to reconceptualise one’s cultural identity in order to understand others’ frame of mindCross cultural differences are studied by various authors using different paradigms.
Hofstede’s four dimensions of cultural differences
According to Hofstede (1980), culture can be analysed in four different ways. They are:
* Individualism and Collectivism: Different cultures have different preferences about the individuals and groups. Some cultures prefer the individual over group whereas others give more importance to the group rather than the individual (cited in Kawar 2012, p.106). Individualism emphasizes on valuing one’s own interests or the interests of one’s family.
Countries that cherish individualism are United States and Great Britain etc. On the other hand collectivism emphasizes on group feeling and thinks about others interests owing to loyalty. India and Singapore etc. have the traits of elevated collectivism.
* Power Distance: It refers to the acceptance level of employees regarding the unequal distribution of power in the organization. The high power distance cultures such as India, Mexico, and Philippines etc. relate bypassing the superiors to noncompliance; low power distance cultures do not hesitate in bypassing the boss for their own interest. Countries like USA and Israel belong to thecategory of low power distance culture (Kundu 2001).
* Uncertainty avoidance: According to Hofstede every culture doesn’t accept changes in the same manner. Some cultures take change as an experiment while others do not take it in this way (cited in Kawar 2012, p.106). Adler (1997) believes that high uncertainty avoidance cultures such as Japan foster permanent jobs whereas low uncertainty avoidance cultures such as Hong Kong and India witness job mobility quite frequently (cited in Kundu, 2001, p. 2).
* Masculinity and Femininity: Masculine societies cherish materialistic values including achievement, money and possessions whereas feminine societies lay emphasis on interactions among people, empathy for other people, and the quality of life.
Countries having masculine features are India, Austria USA and Italy etc. On the other hand countries like Denmark, Norway and Sweden etc. follow femininism (Kundu 2001).
* Besides the above four dimensions, Adler (1997) introduced one more dimension called Confucian Dynamism. This relates to workers commitment to work ethic and admiration for their tradition. Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan demonstrate robust work ethic and hence are called the four tigers of Asia. They are highly committed to traditional Confucian principles (cited in Kundu 2001, p 5).
Hall’s context and time theory
Hall introduced a different dimension to cross-cultural differences. He proclaimed that culture can be differentiated on the basis of context and time.
* High and low context cultures: High context culture: People representing high context culture have a non-verbal behaviour. They depend more on signs and symbols and body language etc. The communication is often through codes and the agreements are spoken and flexible. The relationships are permanent and cherish a sound mutual involvement in extensive families and friendship network.
* Low context cultures: People representing low context culture communicate openly with clear information. They prefer putting their preferences in different sections. Communication is more clear and formal. They require detailed information regarding any decision making. Agreements are written and obligatory.
The bureaucratic system leads to distribution of power, however it is difficult to identify anyone’s personal identity.
* Sequential or Monochronic Time theory: People representing this culture give much importance to time in their life. They stress on the proper utilization of time and sitting idle, wait for someone or having spare time is not appreciated at all. Time is money for them.
* Synchronic or polychromic Time theory: Time is just like the other occurrences in life for people in synchronic cultures. Human relations are more important than the time schedules for them. Time is considered a flexible commodity that can be manipulated according to the requirements.
The Five dimension theory of Trompenaars
Trompenaars believes that all cultures face similar challenges, but their solution differ on the depending on their attitude regarding relationship to time and nature and also with other people. He found five dimensions to his cross cultural theory:
* Universalism/Particularism: Universalism binds people in rules and regulations that are unchangeable, whereas particularism does not hesitate in breaking them for family and friends. Particularism directs people to change their behaviour and practices depending on the circumstances.
* Affective/Neutral: Affective cultures are dominated by emotions and people freely express their emotions whereas in neutral cultures reason is given more importance, people control their emotions.
* Diffuse/ Specific: People from specific cultures have a separate large public space and a small private space that is restricted to close acquaintances only whereas in diffuse cultures people have a common public and private space.
People in specific cultures are not much cautious about their public space but in diffuse culture they are extra cautious as a peep into their public space will reveal their personal space too.
* Achievement/Ascription: Achievement oriented cultures attribute status depending on the achievements whereas in ascription cultures age, gender and class etc decide the status of an individual.
* Individualism/ Communitarianism: Individualism gives preferences to the interests of the individuals whereas communitarianism puts the interest of community over individual interest, (Ming-xiang, 2012
Management in international business
The basic requirements of international management include: examining the new environment and supposing its influence on the home enterprise, implementing relevant strategies and management skills to adapt to the new situation in a virtuous manner. International management emphasises on applying the appropriate management systems and methods based on the prerequisites of particular country and associated people (Adekola & Sergi, 2012).
It is mandatory for the managers to refine their cross cultural communication and negotiation skills and polish their etiquettes in order to successfully manage their business at international level. Global managers need to efficient and skilled in dealing with the challenges of like globalization, technological progress, changing environment and competition (Steers et al, 2010).
Organizations encourage their managers to travel abroad in order to learn innovative skills and coordination through cross-cultural communication that would help them in managing cultural differences. This global acquaintance provides managers to experience the cultural diversity of other places.
According to Yu (2007), globalization in business leads to “a compelling need for standardization in organizational design, management strategies, communication patterns because managers will find themselves faced with multiple challenges originating from domestic and cultural issues and socio-economic systems. Adaptation is critical and essential for corporate success” (cited in Okoro, 2013, p.2).
Competency of firms at national and international level and their efficiency in communicating with the stakeholders determines their success in international situations. The expansion of a great number of multinational companies in various countries of the world has increased in the past few years.
These companies are having expansion either through direct investments or partnership arrangements that is done with the local operations. These trends are indicative of the fact that successful completion of the investment plans of corporations depends on strategic management, negotiation and communication cross-cultural business situations.
Chaney &Martin (2011) believe that “a good understanding and appreciation of the culture in which business is conducted can make international managers both effective and productive” (cited in Okoro, 2013, p.3). Sensible management of cultural diversity can benefit organizations with growth and wellbeing and sustain the competition at global level.
Some authors believe that companies having employees with cultural diversity witness better decentralization and authorization at local level (Dupriez as cited in Søderberg & Holden, 2002).
Importance of cultural management
The significance of cross cultural management can be realized in the situations where cultural differences give rise to confusions and conflicts. Cultural differences may also cause miscommunication of ideas and instructions. It is essential for managers in international business to practice cross cultural management in order to avoid misjudgement and mistakes while dealing with the customers, and stakeholders and suppliers (Søderberg & Holden, 2002)
International business management highly requires efficiency in cross cultural management so as to avoid corporate undoing and sustain long lasting partnerships. Cultural differences are considered a barrier in communication and often create confusion and misunderstandings.
However, there is also a prevailing notion that cross cultural diversity is helpful in the competitive world of international business. Cross cultural interactions can be advantageous as they allow transfer of knowledge and experiences from one cultural to another. Schneider and Barsoux (1997) believe that appropriate management of cross cultural issues lies in
“treating diversity as a resource rather than a threat that is essential for responding to the demands of a global market economy, for reaping the full benefits of cross-border alliances, and for enhancing organizational learning” (as cited in Søderberg & Holden 2002, p.105)
Cultural diversity can be acknowledged as a prospect for goal attainment as it provides ample solutions resulting in substantial competitive benefit. International businesses can utilize their resources efficiently by improving multicultural strategies and creative problem solving practices (Majlergaard, 2006).
Further, Morosini (1998) and Gertsen and Søderberg (2000) declare on the basis of their studies on the subject that internal discussions and comparisons of management styles may prove beneficial for the organizations. They believe that international mergers oblige the employees to reveal their indigenous cultural distinctiveness and organizational performances.
These cultural identifications and activities are interconnected with those originating from the new working environment. Thus intermingling of these cultural identifications creates a new cultural identification associated with the new combined organization.(cited in Søderberg & Holden 2002).
Considering both the notions, it is evident that culture plays a significant role in the global marketing economy and requires appropriate handling by the international marketers. Søderberg & Holden (2002)proclaim that “The core task of cross cultural management in a globalizing business world is to facilitate and direct synergistic interaction and learning at interfaces, where knowledge, values and experience are transferred into multicultural domains of implementation” (p. 113).
Cross cultural management becomes more significant in the world of multinational companies where co-operation may be difficult due to different cultural backgrounds of the workforces. Globalization has resulted in the establishment of several companies all round the world.
It has increased communication across diverse cultures. Culture is learnt through communicating in different ways involving coding and decoding language and relevant symbols. Hence, culture and communication complement each other in a given situation (Kawar 2012).
This case study will look into the cultural context of India and the U.S. in order to identify the cultural similarities and differences embedded within both the nationalities. Based on Hofstede’s five dimensions of cultural difference, we can evaluate the cross-cultural difference as obstacles and some commonalities that may occur as facilitators in business relations between India and the U.S.
Indians believe in collectivist value system. The Indian social system is based on the hierarchical pattern where the head of the family is the decision making authority. Family is given more importance than work. Respect for elders, parents’ financial backing, joint family system and family owned businesses are the other features of Indian society.
In the U.S. individual needs and achievements are of prime importance for the people. Decisions are not influenced by others and every individual is encouraged to pursue his personal choices. Americans have separate value for their carrier and family.
Second distinction between the two countries is based on the power distance. India has a much higher score in power distance as compared to the U.S. The cultural hierarchy in India provides all authority to the boss, and employees are expected to follow the orders without raising any issues.
In the U.S. this kind of power hierarchy is not found. Power is not accumulated at some levels, rather distributed equally. People are appreciated for their upward mobility and have the freedom to approach the senior managers easily (LeFebvre, 2011).
Level of context is another dimension that differentiates Indian culture from American culture In the U.S. communication is more explicit and straightforward. In view of the ethical behaviour in business the U.S. depends on in on professional behaviour whereas India gives more importance to relationships.
American managers believe in using an analytical approach whereas Indians prefer using an intuitive approach based on the contextual circumstances while deciding ethical issues (Christie, 2000 as cited in LeFebvre, 2011).
Indian culture is a high-context culture
Indian and American culture has some common characteristics that make business transactions possible between them. Both the countries have roots from British colonization. People dealing in business are well aware of the rules and regulations of the business world.
Kaptein (2004) studied the frequency of business codes at an international level and found that India, England and the U.S. were at the top among countries which follow business codes. 6. Recommendations: These cultural differences may pose problems for the international managers.
It is important for the managers to build trust for doing business in different cultural environments. Mangers require using their managerial skills in dealing with these cross-cultural differences. For example Americans may have to adjust with ‘Boss is always right system’ in India whereas Indians will have to adapt to the openness in the hierarchical system of the organization prevalent in American culture.
In cross-cultural business environments, the differences in attitude towards work can be handled with patience and determination. Time is money for Americans and they cannot afford wasting it whereas Indians are flexible about schedules and appointments.
It is very important to learn about the culture of the business partners before venturing into international business. Good communication skills and adaptability to different cultural environments can help in managing cultural diversity.
Conclusion
Sensible management of cultural diversity can benefit organizations with growth and wellbeing and put up with the competition at global level. Cross cultural management becomes more significant in the world of multinational companies where co-operation may be difficult due to different cultural backgrounds of the workforces.
International management emphasises on applying the appropriate management systems and methods based on the conditions of particular country and associated people.
References
Adekola, A. & Sergi, B.S., 2012, Global Business Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective , Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, Hampshire, England.
Adler, N.J. 1983, ‘Cross-Cultural Management: Issues to Be Faced’, International Studies of Management & Organization , vol. 13, no. ½, pp. 7-45.
Gullestrup, Hans, 2002, ‘The complexity of intercultural communication in cross-cultural management’ , Intercultural communication, Issue 6.
Jameson, D.A., 2007, ‘Reconceptualizing, cultural identity and its role in intercultural business communication’, Journal of Business Communication , vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 199-235.
Kaptein, M., 2004, ‘Business Codes of Multinational Firms: What Do They Say?’ Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 13-31.
Kawar, T.I.,2012, ‘Cross-cultural Differences in Management’, International Journal of Business and Social Science , vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 105-111.
Kundu, S.C., 2001, ‘Managing cross-cultural diversity: A challenge for present and future organizations’, Delhi Business Review , vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 1-8.
Lauring, J. 2011, ‘Intercultural Organizational Communication: The social organizing of interaction in international encounters’, Journal of Business Communication , vol. 48, no.3, pp. 231-255.
LeFebvre, R., 2011, ‘Cross-cultural comparison of business ethics in the U.S. and India: A study of business codes of conduct’, Journal of Emerging Knowledge on Emerging Markers , vol. 3, pp. 390-408.
Majlergaard, F. D. Release the power of cultural diversity in international business , 2006. Web.
Ming-xiang, L. 2012, ‘Comparison of the Studies on Intercultural Communication’, US-China Foreign Language , vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 1207-1213.
Okoro, E. 2013, ‘International Organizations and Operations: An Analysis of Cross-Cultural Communication Effectiveness and Management Orientation’, Journal of Business & Management , vol.1, no.1.
Peltokorpi, V. 2010, ‘Intercultural communication in foreign subsidiaries: The influence of expatriates’ language and cultural competencies’, Scandinavian Journal of Management, vol. 26, pp. 176—188.
Søderberg, A.& Holden, N. 2002, ‘Rethinking Cross Cultural Management in a Globalizing Business World’, International Journal of Cross Cultural Management , vol. 2, pp. 103-121.
Steers, R.M., Sanchez-Runde, C.J. & Nardon, L., 2010, Management across cultures: challenges and strategies , Cambridge University Press, New York, USA.
Trompenaars, F. & Hampden- Turner, C., 1998, Riding the waves of culture , 2 nd edn, Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd, London, UK.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : Inasmuch as Sana did not know the instances of culture shock, she accepts that the adjustment to the working environment had to take time. For instance, she acknowledges learning and getting along with new lifestyles from people of different background when working in a multicultural environment.The success of international business assignments depends on how a person and his/her family restructure, change, and adapt to the demand. | Inasmuch as Sana did not know the instances of culture shock, she accepts that the adjustment to the working environment had to take time. For instance, she acknowledges learning and getting along with new lifestyles from people of different background when working in a multicultural environment.
The success of international business assignments depends on how a person and his/her family restructure, change, and adapt to the demand. | Cross-Cultural Management in Emirates Airline Research Paper
Table of Contents
1. Findings
2. Solutions and recommendations
3. Conclusion
4. References
Findings
Inasmuch as Sana did not know the instances of culture shock, she accepts that the adjustment to the working environment had to take time. For instance, she acknowledges learning and getting along with new lifestyles from people of different background when working in a multicultural environment.
Sana’s response on people she is comfortable working together with implies her willingness to adjust to a universal culture. That is, people have to adjust to the environment by coming out of their comfort zones and work in groups. Sana believes in learning as a continuous process, and people come to know more about their horizons, such as different languages.
Naziha, on the other hand, agreed to have faced numerous culture shocks the time she started working at the Emirates Airline. Specifically, the management style and the corporate environment at the company were quite different. As a result, she had to adjust to the environment, and now in the ninth year she has adapted into the system.
One of the cultural shocks that Naziha experienced was that people might not be implementers of what they stand for. She had held the belief that in the corporate world, people should speak out their mind in black and white, and nobody should later discuss the issue. She considered this quite unethical with the corporate world – one should not go at the back of the other to criticise the opinions.
Naziha highlighted that nationality was the main cause of this unethical conduct; people of same nationality could later engage in discussions about issues raised at a meeting. On the management aspect, the interviewee reported that the person she reported to could not even comprehend what research was, implying that the leaders were natives with low level of education than them.
The next instance occurred at the facilitation of a workshop; the leader pushed Naziha in front to facilitate the workshop program. The open leadership style, according to Naziha, was an embarrassment since she had even informed the leader earlier of her problem of lost voice.
In all these shocks, Naziha believed that there is still a continuous shock, that is, the world is quite chaotic in terms of the management’s hiring criteria. In almost all her duties, she met leaders who had less experience and low educational levels.
Taking the case of the workshop leader who in her view embarrassed her, the process through which she got her way into the management was not ethical. However, Naziha seems more of a stereotype in her responses. Hosfede defines culture as the software of the mind that differentiates individuals of one group from another (Anbari, Khilkhanova, Romanova, and Umpleby n.d.).
The success of international business assignments depends on how a person and his/her family restructure, change, and adapt to the demands of the new setup. Punnet noted that culture is not innate; it is learned. The entire process occurs through socialisation; therefore, when one goes to another culture, the learning process continues.
Notably, learning takes time. Moreover, cultures have close interrelation. Even though cultural aspects are examinable in isolation, they ought to be comprehended from a context of the whole. In order to adapt to the foreign culture, the three Pakistanis needed to go through cross cultural negotiation training.
Culture influences people’s decision-making process, behaviour, and ways of communication. An example is evident in the way Enron could easily lose key contracts in India when it was still a mere pipeline company. At the time, Indians felt that negotiations ought to be slow in order to cater for the needs of all parties, while Enron believe in the common say of “time is money,” and as such, international negotiations should be done faster.
In this aspect, cross-cultural negotiations were a key aspect in the differences that Naziha, Sana, and Eddie are witnessing while working in Dubai. It is imperative to understand culture in order to appreciate fully different behaviours among groups of people.
Singling out Naziha who in her experiences felt mistreated and despised, the theoretical conceptual approaches of Affect, Behaviour, and Cognitions of understanding cultural diversity is of great importance. From this perspective, understanding the nature of cultural heterogeneity helps in enhancing the positive effects of cross-cultural contacts (Anbari et al. n.d.).
Culture is generally the way of life of any social group. This sociological perspective touches on the ways social groups think, the ways they act and the parameters that shapes their ways of life. According to Edward Tylor, culture entails morals, customs, beliefs, knowledge, symbols, and other habits that one can acquire as a member of a given society (Asante, Miike, and Yin 2008).
Cultural relativism holds that civilisation or way of life is not something complete; however, it is relative with the context in which it is practiced. Markedly, this sociological concept has it that there is no right or wrong practices. The rightness or wrongness depends on a social group that practices it.
Therefore, an act that is unethical in one ethnic group can be ethical in another ethnic group. There is no way of life that is absolute in itself. The concept of cultural relativism features significantly; the relativistic nature of truth and morality was evident in the way UAE nationals could get to higher positions even though they had low educational qualifications compared to their counterparts from foreign nations.
Eddie even supports the difference in culture in which he is given low posts in the management at the Emirates. With cultures having different value systems, one culture can view the culture of another group in terms of factors like communication, traditions, and behaviours as irrelevant. This uncertainty is evident at Emirates when the three interviewed Pakistanis raised pertinent issues on difference in power distribution.
Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars in their studies of cross-cultural management revealed different cultural aspects like power distance, collectivism versus individualism, and inner-directed versus outer-directed (Hofstede 2011). Power-distance of different cultures affects effectiveness of communication.
For instance, societies with small power-distance, subordinates do not wait to be told of what to do while those with high power-distance tend to wait for their superiors to make crucial decisions and instruct them on what to do.
Solutions and recommendations
Within an organisation, there are essential aspects of culture that firms have to consider in their management processes. Culture brings people together. The concept of corporate culture drives employees in an organisation towards achieving a common goal, making them develop a sense of unified responsibility.
As an initiator of unity, culture helps in developing consensus among employees and the management. For example, Emirates Airline can conduct training for their employees in order to inculcate the corporate culture in employees. In this aspect, all stakeholders within the company strive to work towards achieving centralised goals.
The whole concept of culture within an organisation brings out the image of a firm that the management would like to project. From the complains Naziha raised on the unethical practices in the company, it remains the role of the HR executive to design ethical organisational behaviours so that employees can reinforce the whole system in unison.
Class, ethnicity, and gender shape how different audiences receive and encode messages (Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel 2012). The aforementioned factors have to apply multi-perspective and multi-cultural approaches in understanding the significance and effects of cultural studies in society. Eddie acknowledges the company’s move in making them learn the meaning of different sign languages and expressions.
This assists in aiding interpretation of information within the context of the production and reception. Notably even Sana and Naziha had no problems with communication at their workplaces. The aspect of globalisation requires organisations to consider collectivistic and individualistic cultural orientations in doing business.
Hall in his cross-cultural communication process puts forward four critical stages of communication – production, circulation, consumption, and reproduction (Raimo 2008). The company ensured that all employees the significance of each stage in the communication chain, and that information are interpreted differently depending on the receiver’s culture.
The UAE, in particular, faces many challenges in demographics, unemployment issues, sustainability matters, educational concerns, and mainstream gender needs. Since the joint venture targets the UAE’s market, it will have to engage its available human resource in employment and education in line with both the Arab and Islamic customs and traditional practices.
The major target of the employment opportunities remain the nationalisation of the Emirates with focus rapidly shifting to women. Emirates Airline boasts of an established system of employee and mentorship program that is essential for employee development and productivity at the workplace.
Communication within organisations is vital for full attainment of goals and objectives; the process must enhance customer satisfaction in terms of service experience. Company interaction with customers involves applying different methods that ensure that customers’ pieces of information reach the sales department.
Since this communication process involves many people, it requires appropriate management to guarantee best customer service to present and future customers (Nguyen n.d.). The Emirates Airline should adopt an inclusive approach to communicate to its employees – an approach that recognises the value systems of all cultures.
Stakeholders at the Emirates Airline have different personalities and cultural backgrounds; they have to learn how to communicate to each other in order to attain effective competitive advantage over their competitors in the market like the Etihad Airways (Gesteland 2012).
Effective communication requires initiators to understand the social and cultural contexts under which they intend to interact with the receivers. It is vital to note that cultural differences can distort the meaning of messages sent to receivers; therefore, Emirates Airline managers must comprehend the cultural behaviours of all their employees.
Naziha’s responses indicated her stereotypical nature. Even though she accepts to have accepted the present culture, she feels that other nationalities are the major cause of unethical practices in the management. In addition, she believes that her educational qualifications are under-utilised; she even discourages fellow Pakistani women to move to Dubai to seek for employment. As a way forward, she needs to avoid the stereotypic nature by associating with positive people and maintaining a sense of humour.
Conclusion
With the increased globalisation of commerce, as well as the ever extending need to work effectively with culturally diverse workforces, organisations are facing new yet common challenges in meeting the demands of workplace management.
The challenges includes but not limited to communication problems, dealing with cultural diversity, decision-making, criticisms and disagreements as well as the problem of interpreting the ever changing workplace environment.
References
Anbari, F. T., Khilkhanova, E. V., Romanova, M. V., and Umpleby, S. A n.d., Cross Cultural Differences and their Implications For Managing International Projects. Web.
Asante, M. K., Miike, Y., and Yin, J 2008, The global intercultural communication reader , Routledge, New York.
Gesteland, R. R 2012, Cross-cultural business behavior: A guide for global management , Copenhagen Business School Press, Copenhagen.
Hofstede, G 2011, “Dimensionalising Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context”, Online Readings in Psychology and Culture , vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-26.
Nguyen, H n.d., Compare and contrast cultural frameworks developed by Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars . Web.
Raimo, S. W 2008, The Impact of Edward Hall on Cross-Cultural Leadership Communication . Web.
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., and McDaniel, E. R 2012, Intercultural communication: A reader , Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Boston, MA.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The essay examines the difference between two depictions of Jesus on the cross and attempts to determine what the similarities and differences between the two symbolize.The essay examines the difference between two depictions of Jesus on the cross and attempts to determine what the similarities and differences between the two symbolize. It is based on these contrasting aspects that this paper will examine both figures and attempt to determine what the comparisons and contrasts between the two symbolize. | The essay examines the difference between two depictions of Jesus on the cross and attempts to determine what the similarities and differences between the two symbolize.
The essay examines the difference between two depictions of Jesus on the cross and attempts to determine what the similarities and differences between the two symbolize. It is based on these contrasting aspects that this paper will examine both figures and attempt to determine what the comparisons and contrasts between the two symbolize. | “Crucifixion with Angels and Mourning Figures” Compare & Contrast Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Squalor versus luxury
3. Humanizing aspect
4. Depiction of “Suffering” on the cross
5. Conclusion
Introduction
The “Crucifixion with Angels and Mourning Figures” Cover from the Lindau Gospels and the Gero Crucifix show different styles in which Jesus is depicted. One is plain and simple, while the other shows him garbed in luxury.
It is based on these contrasting aspects that this paper will examine both figures and attempt to determine what the comparisons and contrasts between the two symbolize.
Squalor versus luxury
One of the most obvious differences between the two figures is that one is a plain depiction of Jesus on a cross while the other is apparently made out of solid gold with various jewels and other precious metals placed throughout the cover.
One of the reasons behind this difference in depiction could be related to how they wished to portray the divinity of Jesus versus how they wanted to showcase the human suffering that Jesus went through on the cross.
Humanizing aspect
One of the most striking dissimilarities between the two crucifixes is the fact that the Gero crucifix seems more “human” while the one from the Lindau Gospels seems to depict Jesus as more of a divine figure. For instance, when looking at the Gero crucifix it can be seen that Jesus apparently has a pot belly, his hair is in disarray, his facial hair does not look nicely trimmed and he is depicted as drooping from the cross.
Not only that, his skin color is dark and more reminiscent of the type of skin color that would have been prevalent during the time in which he was alive. Based on what I have learned from the lectures and books, this type of effect can be considered as intentionally “humanizing” the subject of the depiction in order to make them more relatable.
From a religious standpoint, the depiction of Jesus as having distinctly human qualities and tendencies makes it more appealing to common people since they can see themselves in Jesus (i.e. that he was a man as well). In contrast, the “Crucifixion with Angels and Mourning Figures” is more of a divine depiction of Jesus that has little in the way of realism.
For instance, the various “faults” (ex: the pot belly) that could be seen in the Gero Crucifix are absent. Thus, when looking at the two, it can be seen as a contrast between divine perfection (i.e the figure from the Lindau Gospels) and a figure that more accurately represents humanity (the Gero crucifix).
Depiction of “Suffering” on the cross
When examining the Lindau Gospels, Jesus in this instance is depicted as a flawless divine figure who does not even appear to be suffering on the cross since his head is held up straight and he appears to be merely stretching out this arms in some form of welcoming gesture. In comparison, the Jesus figure in the Gero crucifix appears to be suffering substantially as evidenced by this bowed head and the fact that he is leaning on the cross.
It is important to note that this particular depiction is related to how certain organizations tend to want to depict religious iconography based on how they want people to react to it.
For instance, if a religious organization wanted to depict Jesus as a divine figure, they would attempt to remove aspects that would make him seem “flawed” and this can be seen in the “Crucifixion with Angels and Mourning Figures”.
Conclusion
Based on everything that has been presented, it can be seen that the different depictions of Jesus showcase how organizations wish to portray Jesus in a way that they him represented to his worshippers. They can choose either to depict him as an individual that people can relate to or as someone who people worship as a divine entity.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: Cryptology and data protection are both important aspects of data security. Cryptology is the study of secret communication, while data protection is the practice of preventing unauthorized access to data.Cryptology and Data Protection Problem Solution EssayDue to the increase in internet usage, emphasis on data security and integrity has been escalated. Better measures in relation to software and hardware based mechanisms are still being invented and put into practice. All information regarding an organization's business processes is of critical importance. | Cryptology and data protection are both important aspects of data security. Cryptology is the study of secret communication, while data protection is the practice of preventing unauthorized access to data.
Cryptology and Data Protection Problem Solution Essay
Due to the increase in internet usage, emphasis on data security and integrity has been escalated. Better measures in relation to software and hardware based mechanisms are still being invented and put into practice. All information regarding an organization's business processes is of critical importance.
| Cryptology and Data Protection Problem Solution Essay
Due to the increase in internet usage, emphasis on data security and integrity has been escalated. Better measures in relation to software and hardware based mechanisms are still being invented and put into practice. All information regarding an organization’s business processes is of critical importance.
Information security and integrity is therefore, a vital consideration in all planning and implementation of processes in an organization. Data security ensures that all data is free from damage, erasure, theft, corruption, unauthorized access or modification, (Summers, 2004).
Data integrity on the other hand ensures that data is not altered in any way either by addition or substitution. In this essay we look at how to achieve security and integrity of data, in transit and in storage.
Considering the case for StoreItRite Inc, the business may be classified as data warehousing. There is need to secure data during transmission and storage. Another issue that arises is how to carry out communication between the staff members effectively yet securely over insecure communication channels.
First, we look at data transmission from the client to the database; data should be transmitted as ciphertext to avoid man- in- the- middle attacks. StoreItRite has no business accessing the data that is held in their hard disks for the customers; its sole business is to store data securely on behalf of its clients. A private key scheme will therefore, work effectively in this setting.
Each of the clients will generate a key which will be known only to the particular client. The key will be used to encrypt data for sending to the warehouse and the same key will be used to decrypt data on receipt from the warehouse, (Katz and Lindell, 2007).
Flow of data from the client to the warehouse and back
Secondly, to transmit the daily data back up, the warehouse needs to combine all the data received throughout the day. To enhance cost effectiveness of the scheme, the combined data files should be compressed and then encrypted with StoreItRite’s private key.
This will reduce the size of the file being transmitted, (Gollmann, 2006). When a client requires the stored data, it will just be retrieved and transmitted to them as ciphertext just the way it came in. On receiving the data from the warehouse, the client decrypts the data using his private key to obtain it in plaintext, (Smith, 2011).
In the office, the warehouse staff need to each generate a key pair, . The public key is given out to all other staff members and each of them keeps their private keys secret. When sending emails, the sender will encrypt the outgoing mail with the recipient’s public key, (Diffie, 1988). To verify the authenticity of the sender, the sender will attach a digital signature to the message.
This signature will also serve to prove the integrity of the email. It will be created by first generating a hash of the entire mail and then encrypting it with the sender’s private key. The resulting ciphertext is attached to the email being sent. On receipt the recipient will decrypt the signature with the sender’s public key. If it works that verifies the originator since he alone has his private key.
Then he will decrypt the message with his private key and generate a hash of that message. This is then compared with the hash in the signature. If they match the message is original from the sender, (Ferguson and Schneier 2003).
Staff member, A Staff member, B
Sender Recipient
Encrypt message with B’s public key, Decrypt with B’s private key
Generate a hash of the entire message Generate a hash of the message
Encrypt hash with A’s private key Decrypt the digital signature with A’s public key
Attach digital signature and send Compare the two hashes
Email security at StoreItRite
Kerberos and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) are the two most widely used architectures for securing communication networks. Kerberos enables two communicating parties to exchange confidential information over an insecure network. In this scheme each user is assigned a secret key which is inserted in the messages sent by that user. This key serves to identify the sender.
The Key Distribution Center (KDC) serves to authenticate parties in a transaction that is to be carried out over the network communication channels. On the other hand, Public Key Infrastructure employs a combination of public and private keys. It does not require any preceding key exchange. With the use of public-private key pair, a centralized hub is not necessary.
Due to the use of a centralized hub, Kerberos is limited to a local intranet due to the management issues attached to a centrally managed KDC in widely distributed networks. The centralization of KDC makes Kerberos an easy to attack network architecture due to the single point of entry. KDC is also a throughput bottleneck in network performance and in case of its failure the whole network fails.
PKI on the other hand has its keys distributed using a certificate repository that publicly accessible. This eliminates the risk of PKI becoming a performance bottle neck as well as that of it acting as a single point of failure, (Neuman and Ts’o 1994). While Kerberos is best suited for centralized platforms PKI is effectively applied in multi-platform and distributed computing.
Message encryption and digital signatures are well supported in KPI enhancing the security and integrity of the messages sent and received throughout the network. Kerberos does not support these technologies hence, information security is questionable, (Kohl, Neuman, and T’so 1994).
References
Diffie, W. (1988). The first ten years of public-key cryptography. Proceedings of the IEEE. 76(2). 560-577.
Ferguson, N., & Schneier B. (2003). Practical Cryptography . England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gollmann, D (2006). Computer Security. (2 nd Ed) West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Katz, J., &Lindell, Y. (2007). Introduction to Modern Cryptography . CRC Press.
Kohl, J., Neuman, B., &T’so, T. (1994). “The Evolution of the Kerberos Authentication System”, Distributed open systems . 78–94. Washington: IEEE Computer Society Press.
Neuman, B., & Ts’o, T. (1994). “Kerberos: An Authentication Service for Computer Networks”. IEEE Communications 32 (9): 33–8. Retrieved from < http://gost.isi.edu/publications/kerberos-neuman-tso.html >
Smith, H. (2011).Data Center Storage: Cost-Effective Strategies, Implementation, and Management . CRC Press.
Summers, G. (2004). Data and databases. In: Koehne, H Developing Databases with Access : Nelson Australia Pty Limited. P4-5.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: A cultural audit is a stipulated procedure that a group of people or an organization follows in solving issues. There are two major cultural audits that determine the appropriate ways of working with families of children with disabilities, collectivism and individualism. In this case study, School of Architecture and Construction Trade in the State of New Jersey wants a cultural audit that will enhance a cordial relationship with the parents of students with disabilities. The cultural audit will mediate the challenges that go beyond learning of students with disabilities. | A cultural audit is a stipulated procedure that a group of people or an organization follows in solving issues. There are two major cultural audits that determine the appropriate ways of working with families of children with disabilities, collectivism and individualism. In this case study, School of Architecture and Construction Trade in the State of New Jersey wants a cultural audit that will enhance a cordial relationship with the parents of students with disabilities. The cultural audit will mediate the challenges that go beyond learning of students with disabilities. | Cultural Audit in Society: Collectivism and Individualism Evaluation Essay
A cultural audit is a stipulated procedure that a group of people or an organization follows in solving issues. There are two major cultural audits that determine the appropriate ways of working with families of children with disabilities, collectivism and individualism.
In this case study, School of Architecture and Construction Trade in the State of New Jersey wants a cultural audit that will enhance a cordial relationship with the parents of students with disabilities (Gorman, 2004). The cultural audit will mediate the challenges that go beyond learning of students with disabilities.
The school ought to use a collectivism cultural audit in order to handle challenges dealing with learning, emotional burden and adaptation of the new culture with the children with disabilities.
The cultural audit factors will be essential for significant improvement of academic achievement, career readiness, and enrollment of students with disabilities (Nelson & Bustamante, 2008).
The rationale for the choice of the collectivism cultural audit is a holistic response accrued after involvement of the relevant stakeholders of the institution. The school significantly lags in career readiness and graduation leading to lack of attaining the recommended targets.
Although the school has an increasing trend of enrolling students with disabilities, the number of graduates within four years after beginning high school is considerably low.
Involving parents toward confronting this crisis will reduce hostility, mistrust, and dissatisfaction of teachers with services for their children (Nelson & Bustamante, 2008). The cultural audit aims at developing a good relationship with the parents.
A good relationship will assist in the provision of crucial information on the proficiency of meeting the targets of career readiness and graduation pathways rates of the disabled children.
Additionally, the collectivism culture will assist in raising the school academic achievement and graduations to a level that surpasses the recommended targets (Gorman, 2004).
The School of Architecture and Construction Trade requires a collectivism cultural audit as explained on the website https://www.wested.org/online_pubs/lcd-99-01.pdf (Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch & Greenfield, 2000).
The collectivism cultural audit is important to use in a school with the children with disabilities since it encourages interdependence and the success of the group. According to Gorman (2004), the cultural audit relieves the emotional burden of the disabled children and helps in the adaptation of new cultures from immigrant children in the school.
It is evident that the School of Architecture and Construction Trade require improvement in relation to previous achievements.
The school requires social integration and thoughtful action on ways of reducing the drop rates, increasing the percentage of enrollment of disabled children, and maintaining a balanced gender in the school admission per year. According to the school peer group chart; there are low percentages of resources for special education programs.
The collectivism cultural audit will help educators in resolving the existing academic crisis (Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch & Greenfield, 2000).
The collectivism culture reduces the pitfall of stereotyping of the disabled students from different cultures and ethnic groups. The cultural audit will make the disabled students socially and economically empowered through an increase in post-secondary education (Nelson & Bustamante, 2008).
Additionally, collectivism culture helps the disabled students acquire the traits of self-sacrifice that create social bonds and links within the school. The audit appreciates the change of culture over time since it makes the roles of disabled children flexible within the school and at home.
The school will improve its weakness after implementation of the collectivism cultural audit. For example, the school will develops strategies for improving educational performance of the disabled children (Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch & Greenfield, 2000).
References
Gorman, J. C. (2004). Working with challenging parents of students with special needs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Nelson, J. A., & Bustamante, R. M. (2008). The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist for professional school counselors: An assessment tool for leading culturally and linguistically diverse schools. Compelling counseling interventions: Celebrating VISTA’s fifth anniversary, 211-220.
Trumbull, E., Rothstein-Fisch, C., & Greenfield, P. M. (2000). Bridging Cultures in Our Schools: New Approaches That Work. Knowledge Brief . Retrieved from https://www.wested.org/online_pubs/lcd-99-01.pdf
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Write an essay about: Legend of Lightspan Biogas Company is a company that designs, manufacturers, and distributes biogas-powered lighting systems. The systems charge on their own from the biogas system. The Company will aim at replacing the lantern kerosene lamp with standard biogas lamps. | Legend of Lightspan Biogas Company is a company that designs, manufacturers, and distributes biogas-powered lighting systems. The systems charge on their own from the biogas system. The Company will aim at replacing the lantern kerosene lamp with standard biogas lamps. | Culture and Socialization of Lightspan Biogas Company Evaluation Essay
Legend of Lightspan Biogas Company
Lightspan Biogas Company will be located in the UAE. It will be designing, manufacturing, and distributing biogas-powered lighting systems. The systems charge on their own from the biogas system. The Company will aim at replacing the lantern kerosene lamp with standard biogas lamps.
The challenge builds an innovative design of the Lightspan Biogas Company with a core aim of reducing to zero the use of harmful energy sources. Besides, it limits the recurrent costs as it lights for eight hours and has a lifespan of six years. Moreover, the energy will be used for cooking and charging mobile phones.
From this dimension, Lightspan Biogas Company will form part of the Society-driven companies that aim for transformative empowerment of the society. In brief, the major pillars of Lightspan Biogas Company are innovation, teamwork, environmental conservation, and organizational identity.
These pillars support sustainable development, as they take into consideration the needs of both the present and future generation. Besides, sustainable energy will be the driving force for all stakeholders in the company. A culture of conserving the environment will be the company’s mainstream or the driving force.
Given the high rate of globalization, the company will have to adopt the use of technology, especially the use of the internet in order to reach the entire globe. Notably, the company will be non-discriminative in hiring employees in terms of race, gender, ethnic group, or nationality.
Ritual of Lightspan Biogas Company
Lightspan Biogas Company uses decomposing materials as the main source of energy to produce light for lighting as well as driving machines in light industries. The Company observes rituals defined in their manifesto.
Rituals are a set of guidelines or repeated behavior in the scope of business operations that maintains its label and brand. Rituals maintain effective transmission values and beliefs of a Company.
The company will organize sporting events and community service programs three times in a year. During these occasions, employees and other stakeholders will have time to bond with each other.
Organizational and employees Identity
In Lightspan Biogas Company, the team of management and staff build a ritual of organizational and employees identity. The Company portrays an excellence through efficient and reliable provision of harmless and environmentally friendly source of energy.
In this regard, the Company reserves the greatest respect to the employees, hence building their self-esteem. Therefore, the dedicated and goal-oriented employees serve the customers perfectly, raising the profit margin and continuity of the Company. From this move, shareholders will automatically invest more resources in the Company than before.
Collective commitment
Lightspan Biogas Company also operates within the rituals of collective commitment in which every employee plays a significant role. The main goal of the operation is result-oriented and provision of proper and complete customer service care.
The Company eliminates vices of individualization, as well as prejudice and discrimination. Moreover, decision-making entails involvement of team members.
Promote social system stability
The Company in its operations maintains the perception of sustainability of the environment as well as reinforcement of conflict and change.
At the same time, the stakeholders and employees too strive to maintain their surrounding and interaction with the community. Social system stability involves the volunteerism and creating awareness on the conservation of energy.
Appreciation of surroundings through shaping of behavior
The Company helps employees to understand its system of operation and the reason of engaging such projects. The employees, therefore, must achieve exceptional performance in order to compete other firms that operate in the same field.
In addition, the Company maintains an outstanding customer services and excellent performance through sharing of profit.
Organizational language and Adaptive Corporate culture
For effective competition, Lightspan Biogas Company must portray an organizational language that promotes customers’ relation. In addition, the language determines the scope of operation in the global market. The adaptation to the corporate culture depends on the communication skills.
In order to receive competitive advantage, Lightspan Biogas Company demonstrates higher returns to shareholders, quality, high levels integrity, and honesty in all our transactions, provision of quality clients, partners, products, and services offered.
In the event of maintaining a proper organizational language, the Company promotes the values discussed below. They reflect the firm’s culture.
Efficiency and reliability
Lightspan produces reliable and efficient sources of energy that are environmentally friendly. Understanding of this matter and its expression plays an important role in building our organizational culture.
Low cost
The renewable source of energy reduces the chances of recurrent costs in purchasing of kerosene. The use of an effective language to convince the community of this advantage is a necessity to maintain our culture.
Environmentally friendly
Both the processing and transmission of this kind of energy indicates minimal pollution. The company compliance with the Health and Sanitation builds our reputation and trust in the community.
The process of Socialization
Lightspan Biogas Company from time to time employs new members who must adhere to the prevailing norms and standards of operation. In the event of employment of such individuals, the Company organizes an enrichment program in which they learn new permanent lessons.
Although there might be an overlap in the experience, there is always a slight difference and, therefore, there is need to equip employees with necessary information. The Company will apply three major socialization strategies, which are highlighted below.
Management training
Management training involves equipping the recruit with similar skills to those of other employees. The main objective of training is to make one fit for the operations of the company and minimize the slight differences that may affect the efficiency and productivity.
Moreover, the training prepares the new recruits to adapt to the behavioral patterns of the organization in order to embrace the norms and beliefs of the company. The executive members of staff will be offering the training.
Encounter
Encounter is the second phase in the socialization process; it begins immediately after the signing of the employment contract. The recruit learns of the actual operations of the organization, erase some of the unmet expectations, and adapt to the new work environment.
During this stage, the company combines orientation with further training to socialize employees. The company thereafter notifies the employees of their roles and responsibilities, the procedures and policies of the corporation.
The encounter stage includes mingling with other employees, as well as engaging in online training. At the end of the encounter phase the new employee turns into a working employee.
Change and Acquisition
In this final stage of socialization, the new recruit masters the roles and responsibilities, and must adhere to the norms and values of the company.
The employee must understand the guidelines on social media usage during meetings. The employee fully participates in the decision-making processes. Any mistake done at this stage by the employee is punishable.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : Traditional and relationship marketing are both types of marketing that organizations can use. Traditional marketing is typically done through advertisement in the print media, radios, televisions, and telephones. Relationship marketing is a form of marketing in which sellers customize marketing strategies to individual customers. | Traditional and relationship marketing are both types of marketing that organizations can use. Traditional marketing is typically done through advertisement in the print media, radios, televisions, and telephones. Relationship marketing is a form of marketing in which sellers customize marketing strategies to individual customers. | Traditional and Relationship Marketing Report
In business, marketing refers to the process of linking buyers with sellers. It is a medium through which sellers inform their buyers about the available products. There are mainly two types of marketing namely traditional and relationship marketing. The choice of marketing for an organization depends on various factors such as the size of the business, the financial ability of the organization, and the type of business done by the organization.
Traditional marketing is arguably the most recognized type of marketing both in the present and in the past. It is usually done through advertisement in the print media, radios, televisions, and telephones (Sinha & Foscht, 2007). One major aspect of traditional marketing is the use of the marketing mix which comprises the four Ps (pricing, product, promotion, and placement) (Gummesson, 2012).
Organizations which use this form of marketing usually have various departments dealing with the various components of the marketing mix. In essence, each department plays a particular role in the production and marketing of a product, with the product passing from one department to another.
Relationship marketing on the other hand is a form of marketing in which buyers and sellers are interested in realizing a satisfactory relationship based on their interests and mutual understanding. With relationship marketing, sellers customize marketing strategies to individual customers as opposed to traditional marketing which targets everyone (Buttle, 1996).
Relationship marketing is based on the cross-functional approach to marketing as opposed to the functional approach in traditional marketing. The cross-functional approach in relationship marketing enables individual organizational departments to work on a particular product entirely as opposed to traditional marketing where product development and marketing is undertaken by various departments collectively as explained above.
Relationship marketing mainly relies on customer’s information and shopping history to develop a marketing approach based on verifiable facts. It is a contemporary approach to marketing which relies on advancement in technology to take marketing to the next level.
It entails telephone and email conversations between sellers and their customers, where sellers are able to deliver certain information to their customers about some products which may be of interest to them. Sellers may also take the opportunity to explain to their customers about new products and how those products are different from the existing ones and what the customers may gain by using the new products.
The reverse is true with traditional marketing which focuses on informing customers about new products without explanations of the uniqueness of the new products. However, traditional and relationship marketing have one thing in common, that is; they follow clear guidelines which are based on information.
Even though the two types of marketing are different, it is possible for an organization to use both and create a win-win relationship with customers.
To create a win-win relationship with customers, an organization may attract new customers through traditional marketing and use relationship marketing to customize the purchasing needs of each customer and by so doing; it is able to retain the customers through continuous improvement of their relationship based on mutual understanding and close relationship.
There are some situations where relationship marketing may not be advisable. For example, it is not advisable for an organization to use relationship marketing without establishing the relationship with its customers. It is also unethical for an organization to call potential customers or send them emails without a meaningful interaction with them.
Such an action may not only sound weird but also suspicious because the customers may wonder how the organization obtained their contacts. Relationship marketing is therefore only suitable when an organization has an established relationship with its customers.
References
Buttle, F.(1996). Relationship marketing: theory and practice . London: Chapman.
Gummesson, E. (2012). Total relationship marketing . New York, NY: Routledge.
Sinha, I., & Foscht, T. (2007). Reverse psychology marketing: the death of traditional marketing and the rise of the new “pull” game . New York: MacMillan.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: A literature review that analyzes several concepts revolving around cyber-attacks. The paper is a literature review that will analyze several concepts revolving around cyber-attacks. |
A literature review that analyzes several concepts revolving around cyber-attacks. The paper is a literature review that will analyze several concepts revolving around cyber-attacks. | Cyber-Attacks and the Laws of War Essay (Book Review)
Cybercrime is one of the fastest rising crimes in the world today. It has been described as an illegal activity that is perpetrated through the Internet. However, there is no universally accepted definition of cybercrime. This paper is a literature review that will analyze several concepts revolving around cyber-attacks.
Numerous definitions of the term cyber-attack have been suggested over the years. However, there appear to be some conflicts in determining one universally accepted definition of the term. The confusion is attributed to different definitions of the term from government sources.
As Hathaway, Crootof, Levitz, Nix, Nowlan, Perdue, and Spiegel (2012) explain, the first military definition of the term cyber-attack was published by the United States Cyber Command. The term was defined as an act of hostility that is launched using computer systems or systems that are computer operated with the intention of interfering or damaging cyber functions and systems.
A cyber-attack is aimed at interfering with data in a computer system or a network of computers. The attack may employ the use of electronic transmitters or other devices that are considered to be peripheral to the computer. An act of cyber crime may be executed from a given location and its effects be felt widely, far away from the point of execution (Hathaway, Crootof, Levitz, Nix, Nowlan, Perdue, and Spiegel, 2012).
Hathaway, Crootof, Levitz, Nix, Nowlan, Perdue, and Spiegel (2012) add that existing definitions of cyber-attacks and related terms vary widely. Some of the terms are also defined in ways that benefit the governments involved. The term has been used interchangeably with cyber-warfare and cyber-bullying.
Hathaway, Crootof, Levitz, Nix, Nowlan, Perdue, and Spiegel (2012) also reveal that there is a lack of accountability on the governments’ side in dealing with cyber-attacks.
For example, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an intergovernmental mutual security organization founded in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan adopted cyber-attack strategies that pose a threat to political stability. This was a setback in the fight against cybercrime.
Efforts to define cyber-attacks at an international level are significant, even though the results have been less promising. Gervais (2012) argues that workable definitions of cyber-attacks have been offered by other sources; for instance, the United States Department of Defense.
The author also adds that the involvement of other agencies in dealing with cyber-attacks will achieve what the governments have failed to do, more so to define cyber-attacks.
Gervais (2012) reveals that the only international agreement that gives a definition of cyber-attacks is the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime (CECC). CECC is a multilateral treaty that increases cooperation among signatories to combat cybercrime, such as fraud, child pornography, and copyright infringement.
There is also a gap in literature in defining cyber-attacks. Hathaway, Crootof, Levitz, Nix, Nowlan, Perdue, and Spiegel (2012) explain that there should be a distinction between cybercrime, cyber-attacks, and cyber warfare. The authors also suggest that in order to understand one type of crime, those involved with tackling cybercrime have to understand the other types of crime.
Table 1 shows a summary of the definitions and distinctions in cyber-attacks, cybercrime, and cyber warfare.
Table 1: Essential characteristics of different cyber-actions
Typeof cyber-action
Cyber- attacks Cyber- Cyber- warfare
crime
Involves only non–state actors √
A Violation of criminal law, committed by means of a computer system must exist √
The objective must be to undermine the function √ √
of a computer network
Must have a political or national security √ √
Purpose
Effects must be equivalent to an “armed attack,” or activity must occur in the context of armed conflict √
There are mixed reactions in regard to who is responsible for dealing with cyber-attacks. Scully and Cooper (2013) explain that industry leaders should not rely on governments to work towards improving cyber security. Blame has been put on organizations that do not try to secure their own cyber presence. Company CEOs have, therefore, been advised to speed up companies’ adoption rate of cyber security (Scully & Cooper, 2013).
There are several laws that can be applied when a cyber-attack constitutes an armed attack. Hathaway, Crootof, Levitz, Nix, Nowlan, Perdue, and Spiegel (2012) explain that applying the laws of war to a cyber-attack can be challenging. It is worth noting that the laws of warfare have not been revised since the World War II.
Using the laws to solve a cyber-attack becomes less effective or useless altogether. Additionally, the authors say that it is only possible to use the existing laws to solve cyber-attacks if the cyber-attacks involve property destruction. As summarized in table 1, however, the best term to use is cyber warfare and not cyber-attacks whenever there is destruction of property.
In the United States of America, the law allows organizations to get the Comprehensive National Cyber-Security Initiative. This is defined as a twelve component program that protects computer networks from cyber-attacks.
The program protects the networks by improving the IT processes, reducing the connections between the federal agencies’ computers and other computers, and detecting intrusion (Owens, Dam & Herbert, 2009).
Owens, Dam and Herbert (2009) explain that the United Nations Charter states that a cyber-attack should be judged purely by the effect it has, rather than its modality. This means that even though the weapons that were used to do the attack should be considered by the law, the effects of the cyber-attack are more important.
On the other hand, Gervais (2012) argues that the laws of war in cyberspace can be controlled. The author adds that there are two things to consider when talking about the laws of war in cyberspace. The first thing that has to be considered is whether the crime resulted in the use of force. Gervais (2012) explains that if the crime resulted in the use of force, then the law is termed as jus ad bellum .
The second thing that has to be considered is whether the attack falls within the limits of acceptable warfare behavior. In the first scenario, if the attack conforms to jus ad bellum , then the law that governs criminal procedures will be used. However, if the attack is justifiable according to the conducts of warfare, then no repercussions of the law will be felt by any party.
Gervais (2012) also adds that international treaties can determine how cyber-attacks are categorized in the law. The international laws will apply if the cyber-attack is an international case or it threatens international relations. For example, if the cyber-attack is done by an individual in China and targets the United States government, then the international laws governing the two countries will have to be used to solve the crime.
Schmitt (2012) argues that cyber warfare has proven difficult to manage using normal law. He attributes this to the use of kinetic weapons, as opposed to normal weapons. Schmitt (2012) adds that the United States laws have to be revised to cater for cyber-attacks, crime, and warfare.
It is acknowledged that cyber-attacks and crimes can threaten the core fiber of the society without causing any physical damage to the society. This makes it difficult to manage the crime using the existing laws.
According to Schmitt (2012), the trans-border cyber-attacks also make it difficult for anyone to manage cyber-attacks. Different laws will apply to different regions, thus nothing can be done about cybercrime because there is no clear international law that can be used to control cyber-attacks.
Alperen (2011) also agrees that the law is insufficient in dealing with cyber-attacks. He explains that normal laws can be used when the attack is within the country.
Conversely, no laws can be applied when the cyber-attack is done from one country and targets another. International laws define crime as anything that causes physical damage and uses physical weapons. Contrary to this, cybercrime can cause a lot of physical damage, but it does not use physical weapons.
In conclusion, there are various definitions of the term cyber-attack. However, all the definitions that are in use lack one thing or another. The law does not specifically stipulate the punishment for committing a crime of cyber-attack. In fact, the laws do not stipulate what can be considered as cybercrime. However, many scholars seem to agree that if the attack conforms to jus ad bellum, then it should be punished using normal state laws.
However, if the attack is justified according to the laws of warfare, then the party involved should not be punished. This is one of the challenges that make it hard to fight cybercrime.
Moreover, most of the current strategies of fighting cybercrime are outdated and irrelevant, thus calling for the adoption of strategies that match the current level of technological development. Intergovernmental cooperation and the international law are pertinent in cracking down and punishing criminals involved in cybercrime because the effects of cybercrime may involve individuals in different countries.
Reference list
Alperen, M. 2011. Foundations of homeland security: Law and policy . New York, NY: Wiley.
Gervais, M. 2012. Cyber-attacks and the laws of war. Berkley Journal of International Law, 30(2): 525-541.
Hathaway, O. A., Crootof, R., Levitz, P., Nix, H., Nowlan, A., Perdue, W., & Spiegel, J. 2012. The law of cyber-attack. California Law Review, 100: 817-839.
Owens, W. A., Dam, K. W., & Lin, H. S. 2009. Technology, policy, law, and ethics regarding U.S. acquisition and use of cyber-attack capabilities . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Schmitt, M. 2012. Classification of cyber conflict. Journal of Conflict and Security Law, 17(2): 245-260.
Scully, P. C., & Cooper, T. G. 2013. Current trends in coverage for cyber liability risks . < http://www.cooperscully.com/uploads/file/Cyber%20Risk.pdf >.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/cyber-attacks/ | 206 |
Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: Advanced cyber attacks that target both public and private sectors at the international level have provoked an increase in research and funding for the establishment of novel cyber security technologies. The federal government has taken an active role in curbing cyber crimes by investing in research programs aimed at creating awareness of possible threats and how to address them. currently, state and private institutions are collaborating to plan and create cyber security technologies that aid in the fight against cyber crimes. |
Advanced cyber attacks that target both public and private sectors at the international level have provoked an increase in research and funding for the establishment of novel cyber security technologies.
The federal government has taken an active role in curbing cyber crimes by investing in research programs aimed at creating awareness of possible threats and how to address them.
currently, state and private institutions are collaborating to plan and create cyber security technologies that aid in the fight against cyber crimes. | Cyber Security Technologies Evaluation Essay
Abstract
Advanced cyber attacks that target both public and private sectors at the international level have provoked an increase in research and funding for the establishment of novel cyber security technologies.
Government and private institutions are investing in technologies that dynamically appraise networks through real-time and remote agent forensic investigations. Besides, organizations are coming up with cyber security technologies like moving target defense, which prevent hackers from spotting attack surface of a network.
The moving target defense allows a network to alter its variables dynamically, therefore, making it hard for hackers to predict or spot attack surface. Other emerging cyber security technologies include tailored trustworthy spaces and searchable encryption.
The responsibility to guard public and private assets on the state and global level should not fall exclusively on the government. Public and private institutions should work with the government to establish network security measures.
The federal government has taken an active role in curbing cyber crimes by investing in research programs aimed at creating awareness of possible threats and how to address them. Currently, the federal government is trying to fine-tune existing cyber security technologies and to develop novel ones to safeguard networks from emerging threats.
The federal government is working to ensure that private and public institutions install novel cyber security technologies in their networks as a way to boost state economy and curb cyber attacks.
Introduction
Recent events like the Georgian incursion and the revelation that hackers have stolen billions of dollars from banks globally have created an indulgence that cyber security does not only involve protecting one’s computer. It has devastating repercussions to state defense and economic interests.
For this reason, cyber security is one of the challenges facing contemporary digital community. Today, majority of cyber work is not automated, and hence, it is done by people (Garfinkel, 2014). Besides, many countries do not have qualified cyber experts. Thus, it is difficult for countries to rely on people bestowed the duty to control cyber attacks.
In addition, “The one consistent theme is that cyber defenses commonly used today are simply not effective against most forms of advanced cyber attacks” (Garfinkel, 2014, p. 568). Currently, state and private institutions are collaborating to plan and create cyber security technologies that aid in the fight against cyber crimes.
The technologies are aimed at detecting and combating any authorized intrusion into both government and private corporations’ networks.
Emerging cyber threats and susceptibilities have “Created challenges amounting to financial damages to governments and businesses” (Speicher, 2014, p. 65). Present digitally linked planet offers immense benefits to countries.
Public and private corporations transmit data across the globe within a short period enhancing their efficiency and productivity. Nevertheless, the digital platform is open to cyber attacks subjecting companies to insecurity. Cases of advanced persistent threats (APTs) among the state and key private organizations are rampant across the globe.
Moreover, hackers are targeting modern technologies like Big Data, Smart Grid, and High-End Computing. Another budding trend in cyber attacks is focusing on data found on social networks. Many people use social networks to share confidential information.
However, they do not know that social networks are prone to cyber attacks. Hackers have capitalized on people’s ignorance to perpetrate cyber crimes (Speicher, 2014). Social networks like LinkedIn have subjected national security agents to problems.
It is these threats that have prompted the government and private agencies to work together to combat cyber attacks. This article will discuss emerging cyber security technologies and government’s role in nurturing the development of these technologies.
Emerging Technologies
Moving Target Defense
One of the modern cyber security technologies is moving target defense (MTD). The technology is regularly designed to alter the attack surface of a network, making it hard for attackers to access a system and reducing the susceptibilities and predictabilities available at any time.
According to Jajodia, Ghosh, Swarup, Wang and Wang (2014), hackers use network’s attack surface to determine its vulnerability. They allege that majority of the systems are static. Consequently, it is easy for hackers to access them.
Moving target defense enables organizations to “Change the network IP addresses, operating systems, open ports and protocols, and many other areas of the environment” (Jajodia et al., 2014, p, 35). Jajodia et al. (2014) recommend that it is imperative to make sure that events are not predictable.
Systems do this by making IP addresses’ movements as unpredictable and random as possible. Increase in randomness confuses a hacker making it hard for him or her to access a network. When an attacker inspects a system, he or she does not get consistent information that can help to launch an attack.
Moreover, MTD reduces chances of penetrating into a network because it regularly changes the network’s environment. Additionally, it fights an attack by lowering the number of components of a system that an attacker is familiar with or can access (Jajodia et al., 2014).
Plans are underway to develop Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), which will allow organizations to run unlimited number of IP addresses. Besides, IPv6 will make it easy for networks randomly to change their internet addresses, which is a fundamental feature of moving target defense.
Today, if organizations want to use 100 different IP addresses weekly, they require setting aside at least 400 addresses every month. It translates to 4800 IP addresses annually (Jang-Jaccard & Surya, 2014).
Assuming that 1000 corporations wish to change their IP addresses, it would be difficult for the existing IP versions to hold such a huge number of IP addresses. However, IPv6 can hold such a number of IP addresses and execute their requests without difficulties.
Moving target defense is implemented in two ways, which are high-level and low-level behaviors. Jang-Jaccard and Surya (2014) state “Low-level behavior is where the standard semantics of the programming language are preserved, but its undefined semantics are changed” (p. 975).
The primary benefit of low-level behavior is that undefined semantics are mechanically changed. The demerit is that low-level behavior is only applicable to an indeterminate definition. Low-level MTD helps to avert memory encryption and code injection attacks.
High-level behavior entails preventing high-level attacks. It requires system administrators to have knowledge of the system’s functionality and its attack surface. The disadvantage of high-level behavior is that it is resource intensive. Besides, it requires skilled personnel to change the variables of a program.
Uses of Moving Target Defense
One of the challenges of using MTD is upholding a functional network for clients during transformations and reducing the associated costs. Nevertheless, there are companies that have created cost-effective and efficient moving target defenses. One of the companies is JumpSoft Company.
The company has developed subscription-based MTD software known as “JumpCenter” (Jang-Jaccard & Surya, 2014). The software utilizes “Adaptive and reactive mechanized systems, which lower the range of the attack surface” (Jang-Jaccard & Surya, 2014, p. 976).
The idea behind JumpCenter and MTD is to reduce the cost and vulnerability to attack. The software is planted in the application layer to guarantee that a network remains operational during the software’s transformations.
The Department of Homeland Security is already using moving target defense to protect its systems against cyber attacks. The security agency is in the process of developing a complex Internet Protocol (IP) Hopper.
The IP hopper will “Use the available network data and hopping algorithms to allow for the constant switching of both source and destination IP addresses” (Jang-Jaccard & Surya, 2014, p. 981). Once complete, the IP hopper will improve the possibility of a network to interchange continuously and arbitrarily up to 340 IP addresses.
The move will make it tricky for hackers to identify which IP address to target. Besides, it will be hard for hackers to screen a network.
Role of Federal Government
The federal government has spent in improvement of MTD. The Homeland Security is currently running a project aimed at strengthening MTD functionalities to fight cyber attacks. The Homeland Security’s Cyber Security Division is working with other institutions like National Science Foundation and National Security Agency to develop MTD.
The Homeland Security has already awarded research contracts aimed at developing algorithms that facilitate systematic reasoning in MTD systems (Speicher, 2014). Besides, the Homeland Security seeks to create a control technique that will ease the intricacy of Moving target defense system and automate some of its tasks.
In 2011, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research donated $1million to facilitate in development of moving target defense system. One of the benefits of government’s involvement is that it will contribute to making both public and private networks unpredictable, therefore, protecting them from cyber attacks.
One of the demerits of government involvement is that it has focused on protecting military networks and ignored corporate networks, which contribute to economic development (Lynn, 2014). Nonetheless, there is hope that the fight against cyber attacks will be a concerted effort between the government and private institutions.
The federal government is working in partnership with private sectors to enhance cyber security. Currently, it has funded a research by Networking and Information Technology Research Development (NITRD), which aims to transform cyber safety in the country.
Remote Agents Technology
Remote agents or what are commonly referred to as mobile agents are used to keep an eye dynamically on a network’s safety. Dynamic monitoring is essential since a system that is not equipped with current patches has proved vulnerable and unable to withstand modern cyber attacks.
In addition, it is hard for a system administrator to monitor large networks. Large systems comprise numerous nodes, each with regular system changes and clients (Kundur et al., 2014). Remote agents help to execute localized analysis of network security from a remote server or user without relying on timid firewall procedures.
Currently, most public and private corporations use network screening tools that use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or the “Occasional discharge of scripts built based on network threats which require tedious and complicated updates in order to remain current and valid” (Kundur et al., 2014, p. 7).
The primary difference between conventional Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) screening systems and remote agents is that the latter can relate different activities within the system, trigger a warning in the log file, and elevate responsiveness or intensity of danger of other agents.
For instance, systems with remote agents detect security or password threat if a person attempts to log into multiple accounts using the same login details (Kundur et al., 2014).
Additionally, remote agents help system administrators to raise the alert level whenever a root login incidence happens and exceeds a predefined threshold. A system executes all these functions without the need for an administrator.
Use of Remote Agent Technology
Both script and SNMP screening techniques tender inadequate functionality and need trained personnel to search through systems and write updates. A group of scholars at the University of Minnesota sought to solve the challenge of using SNMP and script based screening techniques by creating mobile agents.
The students developed Ajanta mobile agent program (Kundur et al., 2014). The program can distantly sort data and change system’s tasks. In addition, Ajanta mobile agent utilizes localized database to sense and evaluate policy actions to make sure that guidelines are observed.
Using Ajanta, network administrators can steadily impose changes on a system’s screening and sorting plan and easily insert or eliminate agents from a section of the network depending on actions triggered.
Role of Federal Government
After the Wiki Leaks incidence, the federal government realized the importance of using remote monitoring techniques to manage its networks across the globe. Consequently, the government has already reviewed the United States’ international cyber laws as a step to help it use remote monitoring tools to manage its global cyberspace.
Investment in remote agent technologies will benefit not only the government, but also private investors (Kundur et al., 2014). It will assist private investors to subcontract their operations and control them from a distance, thus enhancing their efficiencies.
One demerit of the federal government’s involvement in the development of remote agents is that it might trigger animosity between countries. The federal government and private organizations will be able to spy on other countries or firms secretly.
There are claims that Kaspersky Lab; a Russian company has already discovered that the United States has been surreptitiously spying on a number of countries for quite some time. The company alleges that the United States installed a malware in many computers across the world.
The malware attacks firmware of a computer hard drive and go round security measures (Kundur et al., 2014). With the malware, the United States gathers security intelligence and other classified information from unknowing companies and countries.
Such a technology may lead to conflicts between states. Moreover, it would be disastrous if attackers get hold of the technology.
Real-Time Forensic Analysis
In modern digital world “Criminal proceedings are made easy through the use of computer forensic tools” (Casey, 2014, p. 15). Also associated with network screening is real-time forensic analysis. It is an investigative method used to create situational awareness and regular surveillance of a network.
Casey (2014) alleges “While remote access monitoring actively monitors the network and takes necessary action to correlate threats and increase defenses, real-time forensic analysis allows for an incident to be reproduced and the effects of the event to be analyzed further” (p. 17).
Real-time forensic analysis uses Network Forensic Analysis Tools (NFAT). Garfinkel (2014) asserts “The NFAT prepare a system for forensic examination and make it possible to screen and identify security breach and configuration errors” (p. 560).
The data gathered during the screening process can be used to analyze other events. Apart from filtering a network, real-time forensics has numerous practical applications.
For instance, health care facilities use real-time forensics to assess data moving from one department to another. Additionally, they use NFAT to recover lost data (Garfinkel, 2014).
According to Garfinkel (2014), it is hard to find proof of a risk that has never been detected before. Therefore, it is important to have a real-time picture of all activities that are going on in a network.
Real-time forensic analysis applies advanced methods of risk screening that include “Pervasive network recording, better visibility into network traffic, and deeper understanding of application state to monitor and report on deviant implementation and system behavior” (Casey, 2014, p. 21).
Through real-time forensic analysis, organizations document all network traffics, which assist them to monitor events taking place in a system. It becomes easy for organizations to detect illegal events and handle them before they affect their operations.
Organizations are buying sophisticated infringement deterrence, next-generation firewalls, Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and other apparatuses to boost their network security.
Uses of Real-Time Forensic Analysis
The United States’ Department of State uses real-time forensic analysis technique in its iPost system. The department uses iPost system to measure threats levels by pooling together information gathered from numerous sources like Active Directory and Short Message Services (SMS).
Moreover, the department collects information using a commercial liability analysis tool (Casey, 2014). The information assists managers and engineers to select sections of the network that have high levels of threat and counter risks against these sections correctly.
Role of Federal Government
For over seven years now, the federal government has worked in partnership with private corporations to create real-time forensic software that can help to detect and mitigate cyber attacks.
One of the benefits of government involvement in the development of real-time forensic analysis tools is that it has helped companies to recognize and respond to possible attacks before they happen.
The federal government, through National Science Foundation, has developed an Email Mining Toolkit that facilitates in analysis of email traffics (Casey, 2014). The toolkit aids organizations to isolate and discard illegal emails. Casey (2014) alleges that forensic analysis is a daily activity in legal proceedings.
Therefore, the federal government has established a department that is responsible for computer forensics. The department has trained the public how to detect and deal with emerging network threats, thus, lowering cases of cyber attacks.
Tailored Trustworthy Spaces
The use of cyberspace and Internet has grown to an extent that it is difficult for people and institutions to operate without these two vital communication assets. For people and corporations to interact, they require Internet and cyberspace.
Lynn (2014) alleges that some corporate and personal interactions do not require security, while for some, safety is a must. The challenge is, institutional and individual interactions are treated equally. It is imperative to create various platforms with different levels of security. The approach is known as tailored trustworthy spaces (TTS).
The primary concern with managing programs in a common pool is that every user has access to all the available programs. Lynn (2014) claims “This ‘one size fits all’ methodology creates a lot of potential for attackers to find exploits in the environment where they can use untrusted applications to access trusted application data” (p. 100).
She asserts that the problem can be solved by creating varied trustworthy spaces, which are aligned to demands of programs or information that clients can access.
Privacy, reliability, and accessibility requirements vary from one program to another, one client to another and even from one situation to another. As a result, the objective of TTS is to establish a protected environment for safe programs while tolerating the use of untrusted programs without any restrictions (Lynn, 2014).
Research is underway to determine how to execute tailored trustworthy spaces. Computer programmers are looking for the possibility of creating a safe implementation window that matches the security needs of individual programs, clients, contexts, and circumstances.
In this approach, each secure program will be executed on a separate and safe window where it does not interact with other programs and system software that may retrieve private data without clients’ consent. If this research goes through, it will prevent hackers from using unsecured programs to access private and protected data.
With this method, it is vital to create not only a safe system and execution of the window, but also a safe termination. If not, the method would be prone to data leakage or hacking (Lynn, 2014).
Use of Tailored Trustworthy Spaces
Organizations are likely to benefit from tailored trustworthy spaces. One way that institutions can exploit it is through utilization of self-protecting data. Self-protecting data arises when data guards itself against unauthorized users. Companies achieve this by assigning security rule to each data.
The security rule is designed such that no application can breach it (Geers, 2014). A program can have both secure and insecure facets. However, it has no track or access of the protected data. For instance, a pharmaceutical company can have a recipe for a novel medicine that is extremely classified.
Conventionally, the company would be compelled to hoard the recipe either in a protected program or a safe space. Using self-protecting data, a pharmaceutical company can encrypt the recipe and fix it in any program that can also have unprotected data like a Microsoft Word file (Geers, 2014).
Anyone who intends to use the file can only access the unsecured information stored in the dossier, but not the recipe. It is hard for unauthorized users to access the recipe because it is encrypted. Only those with the right key can have access to the recipe. The recipe can be copied to people through emails and other programs but remain secure.
Another group that can use TTS is Journalists who operate in hostile conditions. Majority of these journalists have to use Internet cafes to communicate with their head offices. Therefore, their information is susceptible to hacking.
Besides, the journalists are frequently subjected to censorship practices such as the Great Firewall of China, which curtails transmission of particular information outside China (Geers, 2014). Majority of these censorship practices stop the transmission of completely encrypted files.
Using tailored trustworthy spaces, journalists can transmit encrypted data by attaching it to unsecured data. It is possible for the encrypted data to go around censorship and reach the planned destination.
Besides, the method can allow journalists to send sensitive information without fear of intimidation as the encrypted data would not be noticed.
Role of the Federal Government
Geers (2014) claims “The federal government has prioritized the research of tailored trustworthy spaces” (p. 299). He alleges that in 2011, the federal government, through the Office of Science and Technology Policy launched a research program aimed at improving the security of digital communications networks.
The federal government is focusing on Transistor-Transistor Logic (TTL) (Lynn, 2014).
It intends to use the “TTL technology in smart grid, which is a fundamental constituent of the national electrical power infrastructure….the federal government has organized for a number of workshops aimed at determining how TTL could protect smart grid from cyber attacks” (Lynn, 2014, p. 98).
The workshops established that TTL can help to develop reliable, safe and vibrant solutions to communications.
Transistor-transistor logic can allow neutral communications providers to run most of the smart grid functions, therefore, eliminating the need for individual power companies to undertake their safety measures (Kundur et al., 2014). Additionally, it can help a country to develop a secure and stable smart grid.
The United States government has already integrated TTL technology in its smart grid. The technology has helped the country to manage its power system and secure it from cyber attacks.
The major drawback of the technology is that it can be disastrous if hackers happen to penetrate it. They would have control of national electric grid system and cause a lot of damage to the country.
Searchable Encryption
The number of people that use cloud computing is growing by the day. The growth has weakened the security of data hoarded in cloud servers and exposed it to hackers.
A major issue is that people can no longer rely on these servers in their present condition. Abdalla et al. (2014) allege “Hackers who can acquire root rights and managers of cloud hosting institutions have unlimited admittance to data on cloud servers” (p. 352).
Therefore, the data is subject to various insecurity concerns since its bearer has no control over how it is utilized or accessed. One method of solving the problem of probing an encrypted cloud server is to get rid of all of the unprotected data through encryption. It gives data owners’ complete control of the encryption technique.
Full encryption constrains database explore abilities. The constraint can be addressed using a conventional approach such as transferring the whole database to a local server, decrypting it and executing the search. The approach is entirely unworkable and resource intensive.
Alternatively, data bearers can allow a server to decrypt information, run the search and transmit the outcomes to clients (Abdalla et al., 2014). The principal challenge of this approach is that the server can ultimately know the data a client is looking for, and thus, render encryption less efficient.
Technologists have come up with a technique that allows clients to access information from a server without having to necessarily decrypt a data. The technique is referred to as searchable encryption, and it addresses security challenges in cloud computing.
One accepted way of using searchable encryption is through search key. Abdalla et al. (2014) state “A search key is a data structure that stores document collections while supporting efficient keyword searches” (p. 350). With this approach, a client feeds in a keyword and the key generates an indicator to the file that has the searched phrase.
They allege that the key can only be safe if the search function bears a “trapdoor” for the search phrase (Abdalla et al., 2014). Otherwise, the search function cannot reveal any information about the protected data.
One method of creating a searchable encryption system is to have the user encrypt both the information and key and send the two to the server. To look for data, the user creates and sends a trapdoor for the data, which the server applies to look for pointers to the necessary file.
Search key improves security for data stored in cloud servers. Nonetheless, the method has a number of limitations. One of the limitations is that it can reveal some information about the user’s search. Particularly, search key method can show the access pattern that tells what files hold the search question.
One can mitigate this limitation by using oblivious random access memories (RAMs), which reduce chances of data leakage.
Use of Searchable Encryption
Bosch, Hartel, Jonker and Peter (2014) claim “Anticipations are high that the worldwide cloud computing market will grow at a 36% compound annual growth rate through 2016, reaching a total market size of $19.5 billion” ( p. 3). Thus, searchable encryption has a tremendous potential.
Because security is a major problem in cloud computing, it means that people will have to look for security measures to safeguard their data. Besides, organizations go for systems that give them full control of their data without compromising its security.
Searchable encryption allows organizations to access their data without worrying about its functionality and safety. Today, few cloud computing providers use searchable encryption on their servers (Bosch et al., 2014). Consequently, many businesses dread saving their data in the cloud.
Cloud services help organizations to cut down on operations cost by enhancing operations and reducing the time that products and services take to reach the market. Once searchable encryption is introduced to the business world, majority of the enterprises will no longer worry about the safety of their data. Besides, they will integrate cloud computing in their information technology (IT) infrastructure.
Some companies have already incorporated searchable encryption in cloud computing. Hitachi, a global engineering and IT firm, has already “Incorporated a form of searchable encryption in a standard algorithm for DNA genome analysis” (Bosch et al., 2014, p. 27).
The particular tool the company is using is referred to as Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). The tool was exclusively developed to run genome study in the cloud. Bosch et al. (2014) allege that safety was mainly essential with this assignment since the search questions repeatedly contained a lot of identical variables.
Failure to encrypt the searches would have subjected the project to security risks since it would have been easy to penetrate the server due to the few variables being searched.
Role of Federal Government
The federal government is actively participating in the effort to protect cloud servers. Lately, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a statement that outlined the challenges encountered in trying to secure cloud servers. The statement cited encrypted search as a primary problem.
According to NIST, it is hard to control search keys even in established systems and data centers because of the quantity of data. Additionally, the amount of cryptographic keys and need for sharing data with multiple users make securing cloud servers an uphill task (Bosch et al., 2014).
In cloud computing, logical and physical management of resources is shared among the cloud actors. Bosch et al. (2014) allege “The actors comprise the users, hosting companies, and brokers who bring together varied cloud providers” (p. 47). The federal government is helping to develop measures to address these challenges.
A fascinating feature of searchable encryption is its impacts on a state. In an unprecedented manner, the application of searchable encryption may hamper the efforts of the government. Cloud hosting makes it easy for the government to access information about different companies and individuals.
The government liaises with cloud hosting companies to get the information. For instance, in case of cyber attacks, the government works with cloud hosting companies to pursue the perpetrators (Bosch et al., 2014). Adoption of searchable encryption can limit information sharing between cloud hosting businesses and the government.
Cloud hosting companies can no longer have access to users’ data since they assume full control of their information. Hence, it is difficult for the government to obtain information that can help them prevent cyber crimes or arrest perpetrators.
Conclusion
Increase in cases of cyber attacks has forced public and private institutions to invest in novel cyber security technologies. Organizations have invested in moving target defense, real-time forensic analysis, searchable encryption, and remote agents technologies to protect their networks from cyber attacks.
Moving target defense allows companies dynamically to change their key variables such as IP addresses. Hence, hackers can hardly predict the pattern of network applications or spot attack surface. Searchable encryption allows companies to encrypt and transmit classified data in such a way that unauthorized users cannot access it.
The technology goes a long way to protect cloud computing from cyber attacks. Additionally, with real-time forensic analysis, institutions can monitor events in their networks and respond to any suspicious or illegal activities.
The federal government has actively supported and nurtured emerging cyber security technologies. The government has heavily invested in research and projects aimed at improving the existing technologies and developing new ones.
For instance, the federal government through the Office of Science and Technology Policy launched a research program to develop tailored trustworthy spaces for digital communication networks.
The federal government has mainly concentrated on transistor-transistor logic (TTL). In addition, the federal government is encouraging public and private institutions to integrate emerging cyber security technologies in their networks.
The government holds that tailored trustworthy spaces, Moving target defense, and searchable encryption are the only techniques that can withstand modern cyber threats. The three technologies, if further improved can combat existing and future threats.
Even though the federal government has made the fight against cyber attacks a concerted effort between public and private institutions, it is important to recognize that if not well managed, this venture may cause conflicts among the countries.
For instance, the federal government has already established a remote agent program that is capable of harvesting military intelligence and other classified information from unknowing institutions. If well managed, such a program may help to fight cyber attacks by collecting and relaying information regarding attackers.
However, if misused, it might lead to conflicts between countries or firms. Hence, it is recommended that all emerging cyber security technologies are utilized prudently. There should be an independent body that supervises implementation of the emerging technologies.
References
Abdalla, M., Bellare, M., Catalano, D., Kiltz, E., Kohno, T., Lange, T., Malone-Lee, J., Neven, G., Paillier, P., & Shi, H. (2014). Searchable encryption revisited: Consistency properties, relation to anonymous IBE, and extensions. Journal of Cryptography, 21 (3), 350-391.
Bosch, C., Hartel, P., Jonker, W., & Peter, A. (2014). Survey of provable secure Searchable Encryption. ACM Computing Surveys, 47 (2), 1-51.
Casey, E. (2014). Handbook of digital forensics and investigation . Burlington: Academic Press.
Garfinkel, S. (2014). Digital forensic research: The next ten years. Digital Investigation, 7 (3), 564-573.
Geers, K. (2014). The challenge of cyber attack deterrence. Computer Law & Security Review, 26 (3), 298-303.
Jajodia, S., Ghosh, A., Swarup, V., Wang, C., & Wang, S. (2014). Moving target defense: Creating asymmetric uncertainty for cyber threats . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Jang-Jaccard, J., & Surya, N. (2014). A survey of emerging threats in cybersecurity. Journal of Computer and System Science, 80 (5), 973-993.
Kundur, D., Feng, X., Mashayekh, S., Liu, S., Zourntos, T., & Butler-Purry, K. (2014). Towards modeling the impact of cyber attacks on smart grid. International Journal of Security and Networks, 6 (1), 2-13.
Lynn, W. (2014). Defending a new domain: The Pentagon’s cyberstrategy. Foreign Affairs, 89 (5), 97-108.
Speicher, C. (2014). Security fabric-tailored trustworthy spaces: Flexibility based on policy management . Santa Clara: Santa Clara University.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Dakktronics Inc. Internal and External Environment Case StudyStrategic DirectionVision StatementDakktronics Incorporation intends to attain global market leadership with reference to entertaining and informing audiences through the development of modern audio-visual communication systems.Mission StatementIn its pursuit for global market leadership, Dakktronics Incorporation has based its operations on a number of guidelines. First, the company focuses on delivering optimal industry values to its clients. |
Dakktronics Inc. Internal and External Environment Case Study
Strategic Direction
Vision Statement
Dakktronics Incorporation intends to attain global market leadership with reference to entertaining and informing audiences through the development of modern audio-visual communication systems.
Mission Statement
In its pursuit for global market leadership, Dakktronics Incorporation has based its operations on a number of guidelines. First, the company focuses on delivering optimal industry values to its clients. | Daktronics Inc. Internal and External Environment Case Study
Strategic Direction
Vision Statement
Daktronics Incorporation intends to attain global market leadership with reference to entertaining and informing audiences through the development of modern audio-visual communication systems.
Mission Statement
In its pursuit for global market leadership, Daktronics Incorporation has based its operations on a number of guidelines. First, the company focuses on delivering optimal industry values to its clients.
One of the approaches that Daktronics has adopted in its pursuit for competitiveness entails developing a high level of engagement amongst its employees. Subsequently, the firm provides its employees with rewarding and challenging opportunities.
The company intends to foster long-term relationship with its suppliers. Additionally, Daktronics Incorporation is committed to leveraging on its capabilities with reference to innovation, manufacturing, and service delivery.
In addition to the above aspects, Daktronics Incorporation is also committed to maximising the shareholder value while at the same time establishing a strong and positive relationship with the society.
Objectives
The firm’s operations are guided by the following objectives:
1. To achieve a high level of financial stability
2. To provide clients with high quality electronic display products
3. To attain market leadership within the global electronic display industry
Strategic Philosophy
Since its inception, Daktronics has been committed to providing clients with high quality electronic display systems and digital billboards. Daktronics’ success can be attributed to the management team’s focus on the company’s corporate philosophy, which involves providing more local services by developing an extensive understanding of the customer needs.
Furthermore, the company’s strategic philosophy also underscores the importance of new and continuous product improvement to attain and sustain industry leadership.
External Environment
Daktronics’ operation is subject to macro-environmental changes, which underscore the importance of developing a broad understanding of the prevailing business environment. Different frameworks have been formulated in an effort to assist organisations to understand the factors that might affect their operations.
Some of the most common industry analysis frameworks include the PESTLE and the SWOT analysis. The chart below illustrates a summary of the factors that might affect Daktronics’ operations.
External Environment Factors Opportunity Threat
Economic
-The electronic display industry in the US is experiencing significant growth. -Daktronics can improve its profitability by tapping on the high demand for electronic display industry, especially in developing economies. -Despite the projected future growth, occurrence of another economic downturn such as the 2007/2008 recession might diminish the industry’s economic profits and hence the growth in Daktronics’ level of profitability.
-Occurrence of the 2007 global economic recession adversely affected the global electronic display industry. The total industry revenues declined from $14.1 billion in 2007 to $ 10.8 billion in 2009. -Daktronics can consider expanding its operations into the developing economies. -Economic changes might adversely affect purchasing power of potential customers such as restaurants, gasoline retailers, and hotels because of the high cost of electronic displays.
-The industry is expected to benefit from the high economic growth being experienced in some Asian economies such as China.
Technological
-The display industry in the US is experiencing radical technological changes due to increased investment in research and development.
– Different industry players are investing substantial amount of resources in developing high quality scoreboard technologies. A study conducted in 2008 showed that firms in the digital signage display segment spent approximately $ 2.4 4billion in research and development. -Investment in research and development has led to emergence of diverse display technologies. Therefore, Daktronics should consider investing in extensive R&D. -Extensive investment in research and development on display technology presents a major challenge to Daktronics’ long-term competitiveness. Subsequently, the company must continuously invest in new product development and improvement. Failure to adopt this approach might make the company’s display technologies obsolete.
-The new technologies have significantly improved the quality of the product. Some of the common display technologies that have emerged include digital signage, holographic displays, and organic light – emitting diodes and touch screens. -The high rate of technology transfer within the display industry presents an opportunity for the firm to dominate the global display industry through adoption of strategic control of technology.
– The industry players are motivated to invest in research and development in order to attain a high competitive advantage by improving their display technology. Furthermore, investment in R&D has significantly improved the rate of technology transfer, which is evidenced by the high rate at which secondary users are adopting emerging display technologies.
– The live entertainment segment has also undergone significant transformation because of intensive renovation activities, especially in the education, sports and entertainment venues.
Legal/Political/Regulatory
– The local, federal, and state governments regulate the electronic display industry in the US. One of the major factors that have stimulated the need for effective regulations entails the need to protect the society from light pollution. -Integration of effective regulatory environment such as environment protection laws may positively contribute to Daktronics’ attainment of environmental sustainability by ensuring a high level of compliance. For example, the company will be able to invest in research and development hence developing a high quality digital display technology. -Adoption of strict policies on various market aspects such as price regulation might affect the company’s ability to maximise its profitability. For example, integration of additional tax on digital display companies may affect Daktronics’ manufacturing cost and hence its profitability.
-The entry of consultants in the digital in the industry might adversely affect the company’s marketing policies for example by pressurising electronic display technology company to lower their price.
Socio-cultural/Demographic
The industry’s success depends on the prevailing socio-cultural and demographic environments. The industry has experienced strict regulation because of increased social concerns that touch on light pollution, especially by residents in areas where multi-screen digital signage were installed. -The high rate at which stakeholders within the sports, entertainment, retail and education sectors are undertaking renovation activities on their display technologies such as improvement of their scoreboards presents an opportunity that Daktronics can exploit hence maximising its profitability. -Change in consumer perception towards digital signage. For example, association of some digital display technologies such as large digital display screens with light pollution may affect the demand of Daktronics’ products.
-The digital signage and display market segments have experienced remarkable growth over the past decades because adoption of digital signage by institutions in their market communication processes.
-Sports clubs and entertainment companies are adopting digital display technology in an effort to offer their clients unique experience.
Industry Environment
Developing sustainable competitive advantage comprises one of the critical aspects in an organisation that wishes to attain a long-term business excellence.
However, this goal can only be achieved if organisational managers understand the prevailing industry trend, which is fundamental in improving an organisation’s capacity to develop and exploit reliable market intelligence.
Furthermore, understanding the industry dynamics enables managers to gain insight on the available market opportunities and threats. Thus, an organisation can successfully optimally manage market changes and to project the likelihood of attaining the predetermined business objective.
The Porter’s five forces is one of the most effective models that organisational managers can adopt in evaluating the industry environment. The prevailing environment in the digital display industry affects Daktronics Incorporation’s operations herein as illustrated herein.
Rivalry
The electronic display industry has experienced considerable growth in the intensity of competition over the past decade. Thus, the degree of industry concentration has increased significantly. One of the aspects that illustrate the high degree of industry concentration entails the large number of industry players.
In the course of its operation, Daktronics faces intense competition from a number of local and international firms such as Barco, Capturion, Hibino Corporation, Hi-Tech LED Displays, ANC Sports, Adaptive Micro Systems, LLC, and Ledstar Incorporation, LG Electronics.
These firms have developed sufficient capabilities with reference to designing and manufacturing of electronic display systems such as digital signage. Furthermore, the firm’s competitors have diversified their product offering hence improving their capacity to serve different market segments.
For example, Barco has positioned itself as the global leader in the digital-out-of-home [DOOH]. Furthermore, most of the companies have attained sufficient cost advantage by developing economies of scale.
For example, Adaptive Micro Systems, LLC undertakes its manufacturing process indifferent countries such as Malaysia, US and Europe in an effort to minimise the cost of operation.
The intense competition has led to substantial reduction in the company’s level of profitability. By 2008, Daktronics’ market share was estimated to be 80%. However, the entry of Mitsubishi into the electronic display industry in late 2008 led to a 12% reduction in the company’s market share (Taylor, Coates, and Connely 139).
Threat of entry
The electronic display industry is characterised by a high threat of entry. One of the factors that have led to increment in the intensity of competition entails the high profitability potential. Additionally, the industry is characterised by lack of barriers to entry.
Different institutional customers such as hospitality companies such as restaurants, sports clubs and educational institutions are increasingly adopting emerging electronic display technologies in their effort to create optimal market awareness.
The high demand for electronic display products has attracted new entrants. Furthermore, the industry’s profitability potential has led to significant changes in the industry structure, which is evidenced by the emergence of different digital sub-segments.
Thus, the industry has become highly fragmented. Some of the seller segments that have entered the industry include system assemblers, manufacturers and resellers. The high level of industry fragmentation has made it difficult to describe the industry in which the entrants operate.
The entry of new entrants has also led to reduction in Daktronics competitiveness in the international market. For example, Samsung’s introduction of the 46-inch ultra-high definition electronic display panels led to reduction in Daktronics sales in its Japanese market.
Other new entrants into the industry include International Business Machine [IBM], Cisco, and Oracle.
Substitutes
The entry of new firms into the electronic display industry coupled with the high degree of industry fragmentation has led to increment in the number of substitutes. Despite the high rate at which electronic display companies are investing in research and development, most of the companies have not been able to differentiate their products.
Increased investment in research and development and the projected industry growth indicate that Daktronics will experience a major challenge in coping with substitute products.
Buyer bargaining power
Diverse customer groups dominate the industry. They include the national accounts, aviation companies, schools and entertainment theatres, modular and mobile installation segments, and large sports venues.
To meet the electronic display needs of these customer groups, the industry players specialise in providing two main product categories, which include digital signage and live entertainment.
The digital signage segment is mainly comprised of the advertising and billboard industry while the live entertainment segment focuses on the sports industry. However, most of the industry players have diversified their product portfolio by offering the two product categories.
In an effort to attain a high competitive edge, most of the industry players have diversified their product portfolio. For example, Daktronics has diversified its product portfolio into five main product lines, which include automated rigging and hoists, video, sports, commercial, and transportation.
The product diversification strategy has provided customers with a wide range of products. Subsequently, the cost of switching has been reduced substantially. Additionally, the buyers’ bargaining power within the industry has increased considerably over the past few decades.
One of the factors that have stimulated growth in buyer bargaining power involves increased investment in research and development by the industry players. Moreover, the entry of consultants has also reduced the sellers bargaining power.
Supplier bargaining power
The industry is characterised by a moderate supplier bargaining power. The industry players mainly depend on raw materials from suppliers located in different parts of the world.
The decision to outsource raw materials from different suppliers is motivated by the need to lower the cost of production considering the adverse economic changes such as the recession. The suppliers are selected through a comprehensive bidding process.
The local suppliers have a relatively high bidding advantage because of their price competitiveness compared to foreign suppliers. However, most electronic display technology manufacturers consider outsourcing raw materials from local suppliers to be most suited for small projects.
On the contrary, supplies for large projects are outsourced from foreign suppliers. Daktronics receives most of its supplies from China.
Industry Key Success factors
The success of firms in the electronic display industry is dependent on a number of factors as evaluated herein.
Product attribute
The intensity of competition in the electronic display industry has made the industry to be highly fragmented. Different companies have entered the industry in an effort to maximise profitability. However, the industry players have focused on a limited market size, which include the live entertainment and the digital signage markets.
Thus, the capacity of the industry players to maximise their level of profitability depends on the extent to which their products successfully meet the target customers’ needs. Therefore, it is imperative for the industry players to ensure that their products are adequately differentiated, which can be attained by incorporating unique product features.
In an effort to attain an optimal market position in the electronics display industry, Daktronics has continuously improved its product attributes, which has remarkably enhanced its capacity to offer customers high quality outdoor signs.
For example, during the 1990s, Daktronics improved its product attributes by focusing on a number of attributes, which include product reliability, energy efficiency, brightness and colour.
Resources
One of the major sources of threats to electronic display companies is the high rate of technological change. Therefore, it is imperative for an organisation to develop sufficient resource capabilities.
The various resource categories that electronic display companies should consider include human resource, financial resource, and technological resources.
The quality of human resource will influence the organisation’s capacity to formulate effective strategies. Additionally, the quality of human capital will also influence the organisations’ ability to undertake product research and development and hence the quality of the products developed.
Thus, it is vital for electronic display manufacturing companies to consider investing in improving the skills and expertise of their workforce.
In addition to human capital, a sufficient amount of financial capital is necessary in order to be successful in new and continuous product development. Conversely, organisations should ensure that effective technology systems have been implemented in their manufacturing plants.
This will not only improve the company’s production efficiency but also the quality of the final product. To succeed in exploiting the internal resources, it is imperative for organisational managers to ensure a high level of resource interconnectedness.
Resource interconnectedness can be achieved by establishing a high level of synergy in the firm’s operation.
Driving forces
The industry’s growth over the past decades can be attributed to a number of driving forces as explained herein.
Product innovation
In order to succeed in the electronic display industry, it is imperative for an organisation to be highly responsive to market demand. One of the approaches that an organisation can attain in order to succeed in responding to market demand entails intensive investment in research and development.
However, a firm must first develop a comprehensive understanding of the target customers’ needs. Gaining such understanding will enable a firm to be effective in directing its research and development efforts.
The case study cites increased investment in research and development as one of the factors that have contributed to the current growth of the electronic display industry.
Cost and efficiency
One of the most notable changes that have been witnessed in the industry entails the increase in the number of new entrants. Subsequently, the intensity of competition has increased substantially. To succeed in such an industry, it is imperative for the industry players to develop sufficient cost advantage and operational efficiency.
One of the most effective strategies that the industry players should consider incorporating involves cost leadership. Some of the industry players such as Daktronics have adopted cost leadership strategy by relocating some of their manufacturing facilities to countries characterised by comparative low cost of production such as China.
Furthermore, the company has also integrated the concept of lean manufacturing in an effort to attain operational efficiency. Focusing on cost and operational efficiency will improve the industry players’ capacity to maximise their level of profitability.
Competition
The long run success of the electronic display industry is dependent on the intensity of competition. Owing to the intense competition being experienced in the global electronic display industry, different and more innovative products have been developed.
Additionally, the high rate of technology transfer will stimulate the intensity of competition. Therefore, the extent to which an organisation develops a strong competitive edge will determine its long-term survival.
Internal Environment
In its pursuit for a high level of profitability, Daktronics has focused on exploiting its internal resources over the years. The chart below illustrates the extent to which the firm has succeeded in leveraging on some of the internal resources.
Functional Area/Internal Factor Strengths Weaknesses
-Daktronics marketing activities are based on an extensive marketing philosophy, which underscores the importance of satisfying the customers’ needs.
Marketing – The firm has established a complex marketing and sales network that is comprised of a direct sales force and resellers. The direct sales force plays a fundamental role in influencing the purchase decision of large customers such as institutions. Conversely, the resellers specialise in marketing smaller commercial application. Despite the company’s commitment to market its products to different locations, the firm has mainly concentrated its marketing operations in North America and Canada.
-Daktronics has established its marketing activities in different geographical locations. -Using resellers might limit the company’s capacity to generate sales revenue because the resellers might also carry the competitors’ products.
-The company has also incorporated the concept of market segmentation by targeting the business, government and sports segments. The market segmentation strategy has significantly improved the firm’s capacity to meet the customers’ needs.
Technology/R&D The company has been committed to improvement of its manufacturing capacity over the years. Subsequently, the company has continuously upgraded its manufacturing technology. Thus, the firm has been able to respond to increase in sales demand. -The company outsources some of its technologies from the international market and from other local suppliers. This shows that the firm has not optimally developed optimal capacity with reference to technology.
Operations Daktronics has adopted an effective structure by organising its operations into two main segments, which include the domestic and international segment. The domestic segment, which was comprised of the transportation, commercial, schools, theatre and live events focused on the local market. Conversely, the international segment focused on the international market demand. -Adopting business units as profit centres might lead to loss of top management’s control of the business units because of extensive delegation of decision-making capability to the divisional managers.
-Each of the business units served as a profit centre. The adoption of profit centres has enabled Daktronics to maximise its profitability.
Culture/Ethics -The company has succeeded in establishing a positive organisational culture. This has been achieved by focusing on the principles of providing employees with challenging and interesting work, employee motivation, teamwork and effective problem solving. -The company has adopted a policy that allows employment of family members. However, this might affect the company’s operational efficiency because of nepotism.
– -Lack of employee union within the organisation implies that employee rights might not be addressed optimally.
Finance Daktronics has managed to develop a strong financial base, which is evidenced by the growth in the level of its profitability. For example, the company’s profits grew from $ 15.66 million in 2005 to $26.213 million in 2009. The company has not been able to develop adequate financial resilience to economic changes. In 2010, the company recorded a substantial loss of $(6.989) million because of the economic recession.
The company’s inability to sustain a growth in its financial performance might adversely affect its research and development capabilities and hence the capacity to undertake continuous and new product improvement.
-Daktronics has adopted effective strategic human resource management practices. For example, the company has integrated a personnel programme, which ensures continuous growth amongst its staff. The company has increased its human resource base. For example, the company’s human resource base grew from 100 employees in 1979 to 3000 in 2008. -Despite its commitment in establishing a strong human resource base, Daktronics has integrated a downsizing strategy. For example, the firm laid-off 500 employees. This strategy might adversely affect the employees’ morale.
Human Resources -The firm has adopted an effective student hiring and internship programme, which has enabled the firm to improve the productivity of its workforce. -The company’s decision to hire employees temporarily because of economic recession might affect the employees’ productivity.
-The company has not developed an effective employee competition policy. The current policy has only taken into account salary increment to employees within the senior leadership positions.
Organisational Structure -The company has adopted a flat organisation structure by integrating the concept of departmentalisation. This has been achieved through adoption of two main basis of departmentalisation, namely customers and the geographical regions. Thus, different business units are responsible for the firm’s domestic and international markets. -The company may experience resource under-utilisation in some departments. Furthermore, incorporating business units in the company’s operations might lead to duplication some activities, both in its local and international markets.
-The concept of departmentalisation has enabled the company to exploit the advantages associated with specialisation.
Core Competencies
Daktronics has developed a number of core competencies, which have improved its success over the years. Considering the intensity of competition in the global electronic display industry, Daktronics has appreciated the importance of adopting lean manufacturing approach.
The company outsourced external consultants in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the concept of lean manufacturing. Due to its commitment towards attaining a high competitive advantage, the company has developed sufficient competencies with reference to lean manufacturing.
One of the strategies that the firm has adopted in its lean manufacturing processes includes reducing the machine setup time. This goal has been attained by through standardisation of tools and ensuring that the raw materials used are of high quality.
Furthermore, the firm ensures minimal retention of inventories and short lead-time. The lean manufacturing strategy has considerably accelerated the company’s cash flow.
Competitive Advantage
The company has developed sufficient competitive advantage with regard to research and development, which is evidenced by the firm’s success in introducing new products in the market. The firm’s commitment in research and development has significantly contributed to development of high quality products.
Furthermore, the firm has been able to diversify its product portfolio hence meeting the needs of different customer groups. Subsequently, the firm has been able to enhance the rate of its global market penetration.
Key Weaknesses
Despite its past success in the global electronic display industry, Daktronics is characterised by a number of weaknesses. First, the firm has not been able to improve its manufacturing capacity. Subsequently, Daktronics is forced to augment its production by seeking external suppliers.
However, the suppliers have a relatively high bargaining power because of their production capacity and ability to customise the firm’s products in accordance with the customers’ needs.
In addition to its production capacity, the company is also characterised by a major weakness with reference to its reward management and employee compensation schemes. The firm has only targeted senior leaders in its salary increment policy.
This strategy might adversely affect the level of motivation amongst the lower level employees and hence their productivity.
Strategies
The company has adopted different categories of strategies in an effort to attain long-term business excellence. Some of the main strategies are evaluated herein.
Business Level Strategies
The firm has adopted cost-leadership as its business level strategy. This goal has been achieved by incorporating lean manufacturing programme and exporting some of the manufacturing activities to countries characterised by low cost of production such as China.
Corporate Level Strategy
One of the firm’s goals is to attain a high rate of growth within the electronic display industry. In order to achieve this goal, the firm has incorporated both organic and inorganic growth strategies. In its organic growth, the firm is committed to establishing wholly owned manufacturing facilities in the local and international market.
Conversely, the firm has also adopted the concept of acquisition in an effort to improve its market dominance. The firm undertook its first acquisition in 1987 in which it acquired Star Circuits. Between 2000 and 2007, the firm undertook six mergers and acquisitions.
Other companies that the firm has acquired include Hoffend and Sons, SportsLink, KeyFrame, Outcast Media International, LLC, and FibreLite. The acquisitions have considerably contributed to improvement in the company’s competitiveness in the local and international market.
Functional Strategies
The company is committed to ensuring that its internal resources are optimally utilised in implementing the business strategy. Subsequently, the firm has adopted different strategies in an effort to attain operational efficiency.
For example, the lean manufacturing strategy enable the firm to minimise the cost of production hence improving the firm’s operational efficiency and price of its products. Conversely, investment in research and development has played a fundamental role in improving the quality of Daktronics’ products.
Furthermore, the aggressive marketing strategy adopted in the domestic and international market has enabled the firm to maximise its sales revenue.
Central Issues/ Problems
The case study shows that Daktronics was adversely affected by the 2008 recession. The company intended to become a $1 billion company by 2009. Some of the major projects that the firm intended to undertake in 2009 would have propelled the company to attain its financial goal.
However, the recession led to a substantial decline in the firm’s sales trajectory in the local and intercontinental market. Thus, the firm was not able to maximise its sales. Furthermore, the recession adversely affected the firm’s capacity to improve its debt status because of decline in the level of profitability.
By 1 st May 2010, the company’s total long-term debts were estimated to be $11.3 million, which represented 5.5% of the total shareholder equity. Thus, the firm faced huge financial constraints that dampened its projected future growth. The poor financial performance adversely affected the firm’s manufacturing capacity.
Strategic Recommendations
To spur the company’s growth, the firm’s management team should consider the following strategic aspects.
1. Lean Manufacturing: Considering the adverse effects of the recession on the consumers’ purchasing power, it is imperative for the firm to improve its lean manufacturing capacity. Focusing on lean manufacturing will improve the firm’s ability to offer high quality electronic display products at competitive prices by streamlining operations and reducing waste. Subsequently, the firm will be able to attract and retain customers.
2. System approach: The company should consider streamlining its operations by restructuring the business units. This approach will enable the firm to eliminate possible duplication of activities across the various business units. Thus, the firm will be able to minimise the cost of operation.
Works Cited
Taylor, Marilyn, Theresa Coates, and Charles Connely. “Daktronics (F): Weathering the recession positioned for a bright future.” Case Research Journal 32. 4(2012): 135-167. Print.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy Research Paper explores the political themes found in the Divine Comedy especially in the three major poems: Inferno, Purgatorio, and the Paradiso. |
Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy Research Paper explores the political themes found in the Divine Comedy especially in the three major poems: Inferno, Purgatorio, and the Paradiso. | Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy Research Paper
Introduction
The immense contribution of the Italian poets and authors has remained underestimated due to the lack of public knowledge concerning their legendary contribution towards the understanding of the Italian history, culture, virtues, and politics. 1
Dante Alighieri is one of the most renowned poets and authors who earmarked a new era in the Italian writing industry through his novelty in writing plays and books that portrayed the Italian history. Dante existed in Italy during the pre-colonial period when Italy was experiencing extreme political intolerances and extensive attrition among the racially divided communities. 2
An exposure to such political circumstances impelled Dante to use his artistic knowledge to design an epic poem featuring political themes. The Divine Comedy is one of his impressive poems, where he transferred the ideas of political animosities into elegant poetic themes. This paper explores the political themes found in the Divine Comedy especially in the three major poems: Inferno, Purgatorio, and the Paradiso.
The Political Vision of Dante in the Divine Comedy
During the 14 th century, the nation of Italy witnessed a comeback of a political and religious confusion. 3 Italy has historically associated the national leadership with certain religious values enshrined in the Christian doctrine of the Roman churches. Since time immemorial, the political culture of the Italian nation dwelled on the interaction between the state politicians and the leaders of the Roman Catholic Churches.
During the era of Dante in the 1300s, popularly known as the papacy regime, the Italian nation was experiencing serious political shambles. 4 The political wrangles permeated the Empires, the Kingdoms, and the Italian States, when the French crown and the Roman Catholic political leaders disagreed on the location of the pope offices.
Since the Italian nation consisted of a diverse group of individuals, the secular authority and the ecclesiastical leaders clashed in their opinions. 5 Dante saw the Italian nation and its people divided into certain sociopolitical groups due to the political instabilities of his country during the era of 1303s and 1305s.
The Italian nation during the era of Dante stood divided into two political categories allied to either the Guelph or the Ghibellines political frameworks. Whereas the initial political frameworks of the two political parties represented the middle class people who were advocating for democracy, the time of Dante saw political attritions that no ordinary person could describe the traits of these individuals. 6
The Guelph political party supported the pope and had a tendency of favoring Pope Boniface VIII, who acted against the will of his fellow Roman Catholic Christians. Conversely, the Ghibellines supported the political ideas of the incumbent emperors and such issues created a racial separation between the White Guelph and the Blacks in the metropolitan city of Florence.
Having undergone traumatizing moments under the regime of the Blacks in the exile due to his political stand in the Italian political scene, Dante had several political issues to discuss in his poem, the Divine Comedy . 7
Dante had the true experience of the political anguish that resulted from the political issues that marred the Italians. Dante thought the best way to describe the political animosities that were happening during that time was through his poem composing abilities.
While in exile, Dante had an inner passion for good governance and a humorous leadership, and had always wanted to advocate for a charismatic headship that most of the Italian leaders lacked. 8 Through his book, The Divine Comedy , Dante thought that the human society in the political realm is different and need to fall into certain unique categories.
Through this epic poem, Dante categorized the human society in the political realm in three distinct groups, namely, the Purgatorio, Paradiso , and the Inferno . 9 Dante expressed the political overtones resulting from the ungracious and malicious leaders and expressed his sentiments concerning the implications of the bad influence of these leaders over the human society.
To make the poem more understandable, the three versions of the poems articulated in the Divine Comedy of Dante present the most important themes that Dante wanted to present in his poem. 10 Dante mentions Purgatorio as one of the categories of the human society where the political separations were taking place.
Paradiso according to Dante in his imaginative journey of the afterlife is the ideal human society, where people possess all the essential components to live a harmonious life. 11
Purgatorio is another important human society in the poem that Dante considers as a community of dwellers in the transition stage of life, but living in a confused state, lacking religious wisdom, and always struggling to shift from self-centeredness to selflessness. 12 The Inferno phase of the life after death is hell where punishment to the sinners such as Judas Iscariot and Brutus is hell, especially when they deny living a holy life.
Purgatorio and Political Issues and Themes
Dante mentioned the word Purgatorio as one of the main elements of his poem to describe certain groups of the human society. In the Italian language, purgatorio, just as in the English language purgatory, describes the intermediate life of human beings after their physical death. 13
Dante uses the word purgatorio to describe the category of people in the human society that are in the transition stage of life, but virtually lacking an organized and an effective structure to transform from their selfish lives. 14 The purgatorio section of the poem of the Divine Comedy has a series of political themes and facts that Dante wanted to express in his writing.
The people living in the purgatorio section of the human afterlife are those with political voracity, political maliciousness, and often use their power influence to manipulate others. 15 Sociopolitical lust, greed, and selfishness are the most eminent themes that people in the Purgatorio section of the afterlife are fond of portraying.
Purgatorio: Lust in the Italian Politics
Dante claims that the human society in the transition phase of life that he calls Purgatorio has a political framework based on greediness, selfishness, and lust. Dante mentions Sodom and Gomorrah , which were the biblical names that reflect a human society marred with prostitution, lust, and infidelity. 16
The Italian empires, leadership kingdoms, and the States, had leaders that promulgated a social life of lust and prostitution. 17 Dante reveals that the people in the purgatorio human society lack confidence to remove their selfish bodily desires, their inner motives towards sexuality, and their negative influence on others. 18
The purgatorio section of the human society involves men and women living a life of prestige and prosperity that gives them powerful influence on their moral actions. Affluence and political power, influenced these prosperous women and men to have a domineering sociopolitical influence on others in the Purgatorio human society, to either follow certain life directions, or towards their immoral ways. 19
In the poem, Dante explained that the greatest civil sins that occur in politics and sociopolitical overtones result in suicide and heresy, with the church considering civil sins more ferocious than the underestimated religious sins. 20
The people living in the Purgatorio phase of life are living in political fantasies and the minority end up suffering from the powerful influence of the political kingpins. The lifestyles of the ordinary families reveal a life of economically depressed individuals who dwell on policies and rules, purposely designed for the prosperous and not the poor. 21
Dante felt that the manipulative powers of politicians ruined the social harmony and caused social disorder. The political actions of individuals seemed guided by the disarray souls of politicians who were generating political influence and wealth for their own selfish desires. 22
Achilles died because of infidelity, Princes Paris and Tristan, lustily stole the wives of the Kings, leading to serious national troubles.
Purgatorio: Greediness in the Italian Politics
Dante thought that the political frameworks that the politicians designed were literally for the benefit of the minority few in the political scene. The purgatory phase of life is where individuals have the ability to shun away from their personal malice, but have often failed to anchor to a framework that allows them to transform. 23
Dante exclaims, “Because thy father and thyself have suffered, by greed of those transalpine lands detrained, the garden of the empire to be waste.” 24 Political frameworks and politicians have divided individuals in the human society and made them focus on personal matters rather than the interest of the society. 25
The above exclamation of Dante reveals the power of politics in dividing people to have personal interests on wealth, land, precious items, and prosperity rather than the common good of the societies. Dante connects his political illusions concerning greediness with the actions of the biblical Judas who betrayed Jesus for silver. 26
Politicians and some religious leaders fell in the category of greedy or gluttonous people who occupied the purgatory phase of life. Dante claims that the negative contribution of a church or any religion in the political realm is offensive to the religious doctrines, as some church individuals have used these state-religion relationships for their personal gains. 27
The human society has remained confused since the majority of the followers of Christians consider religions honest. The responsibilities of the church leaders to lead the followers spiritually seem to shift from the consideration of community needs to individual attention towards wealth, pleasure, and power. 28
The sociopolitical overtone of greediness makes a few individuals superrich, while the majority civilians languish in destitute poverty and insolvency. Selfish motivation on wealth is an evil deed that puts not only those politicians involved in troubles, but also affects the vision of others towards having a positive national future. Politicians are greedy and can barely spur national growth. 29
The Hell: Political Treachery
The section of the human society in the Purgatorio phase are people with ambitions of change, but are lacking a straightforward structure to withdraw from their treacherous, violent, and fraudulent political lives. Dante expresses his intrinsic fear concerning the animosities present in the leadership of Italy where politicians are exercising manipulation over the extreme population. 30
The political environment of Italians was treacherous, and the politicians were capable of using deceive and cheat tricks on the uninformed majority to have certain political gains.
The political treachery that the politicians use to manipulate the uninformed majority in the sociopolitical arena makes the citizens confused and mystified against their personal decisions towards good lives. 31 Dante reveals that politicians are the people destroying the harmonious living of the people in the Purgatorio phase of life as they use deceiving techniques to manipulate the populations.
Leaders of the Italian nation demonstrate ill will against the nation and contribute to increase in fraud, corruption, and deception. The characters concerned with the political issues of Italy, both religious and political, practiced graft that ruined the economic stability of the Italian nation. 32
Dante discusses the involvement of politicians in civil sins that include corruption, deception, and fraud that initially destabilized the status of the Italian economy. In the inferno section of the poem, Dante scoffed the corrupt leaders such as Caucus who stole herds of cattle from his own people and caused bloodshed on the Mount Aventine. 33
Dante claimed that Caucus led with “hypocrisy, flattery, and dealt with magic, falsification, theft, and simony.” Dante believed that the politicians who saturated Florence and other Italian cities had a complicated character, with a complete lack of moral uprightness. 34 Politicians of the era of Dante used their political influence to dispossess people of their valued native morals and planted corruption, fraud, and dishonesty in them.
The Hell: Violence and Injustice in Politics
The hell or the inferno section of the human society involves individuals driven by personal selfish desires and not the common good of all individuals in a human society. Dante expressed his inner anger and passion against the influence of politics and the politicians in the violence that the human society experienced. 35
One of the biggest categories of sinners in the nine chambers of the structure of hell according to the arrangement of Dante is violence. The violence class of sinners in hell is the people, who caused atrocities against their neighbors, friends, themselves, and even God. 36
“A death by violence, and painful wounds, are to our neighbor given; and in his substance ruin, and arson, and injurious levies.” 37 The political concern about the violence that marred the Italians in the city of Florence is the unfair taxation that politicians instigated and orchestrated against the innocent Italian population due to their own selfish political desires. 38
The city of Florence had violent leaders who caused anguish to the people, destroyed public property, denied others justice, and caused psychological and physical torture to the human population. 39 The rulers in the city of Florence practiced laws and policies that favored their malicious plans in the government and subjected the human society to poverty, diseases, racial hatred, and alienation.
Dante expresses the state of aggression by saying, “perchance indeed by violence of palsy, someone has been thus wholly turned awry.” 40 People retrogressed because of the poor political plans of the politicians who ruled with malice and not charisma. Instead of developing economically, violence tore the Florence City apart, causing some serious economic, social, and cultural depletion. 41
Dante describes the retrogression of the underprivileged in the cities by saying,” and backward it behooved them to advance, as to look forward had been taken from them.” 42 Politicians acted like people who deserved hell according to Dante. 43
The Hell: Political Flattery and Hypocrisy
The inferno section of the poem describes the human society that comprises of politicians and malicious humans with flattery and hypocrisy behaviors. The struggle between religious powers and control over the national governance and the contribution of the leaders from the secular authority is what disturbs Dante while classifying the people in the inferno section of human society as hypocritical. 44
Dante laments that the religion and the secular communities have formed a complex mixture within the Italian societies and made it difficult to understand who between them has a genuine political intention in the empire leadership. 45
The nine circles of hell that Dante describes as the place of different sinners portray the people of flattery and hypocrisy as those with false piety like the politicians. Dante indicates that politicians would use their dirty techniques on civilians to proclaim power and authority over the human society. 46
The leaders of the church such as Pope Boniface VIII involved in the politics acted with hypocrisy and flattery against the innocent population of the people of the Florence city. The rulers who fought for the empire leadership acted with pretence concerning the underway corruption and wrangles concerning the Italian States.
The French King Philip IV and Pope Boniface VIII deceivably convinced the citizens that they were fighting for the goodness of the clergy in France. 47 However, the two individuals confronted each other because they wanted to claim power on the clergy in France. 48
The church distanced itself from corruption and pointed out that the church consisted of holy leaders who were only interested in reprimanding the graft witnessed in the government. 49 Nonetheless, there existed an ongoing graft in the churches and the secular authority also reprimanded, but it often went unnoticed because of the creed influence the church had over the Christian community.
The Hell: Hierarchies in the Italian Empires
The poem of Dante describes the political leadership where authority and power are components of leadership that twisted the Italian cities into violence and internal aggression. 50 The Italian leadership expressed a form of governance that falls under the authoritarian form of leadership, where the powers and hierarchies between the individuals and the society, are important portions of decision-making. 51
The era of Papacy saw the Italian nation split, because of the rigid hierarchies and powers that the church leadership and emperors practiced. The national rules and regulations depicted an authoritarian leadership, which seemed to favor the rich politicians and oppress the economically underprivileged. 52
“She can no longer move me, by that law which, when I issued forth from there, was made.” The leaders made rules by themselves, and for themselves, to oppress the poor in the human society. 53 Dante believes that such leaders deserve the hell section, because of the animosities and oppression they inflict on the innocent human society.
Conclusion
The work of Dante in the Divine Comedy concerning the political issues that marred the Italian empires and kingdoms during the 1300s reflects true leadership problems that have persisted in many nations since the evolution of the humankind. The Divine Comedy highlights several political themes and issues that proliferated within the Kingdoms and empires of the Italian cities.
Authoritarian leadership marked by lust, greed, hypocrisy, manipulation, corruption, fraud, flattery, bloodshed, heresy and other moral mishaps, disturbed Dante in his life. Dante feels that the true character of politicians is complex, and not easy to define from a layperson’s perspective.
Politicians demonstrate their real characters, but use their political powers to rob the innocent people of justice, their rights to the good life, their rights to good health, and their rights to genuine leadership. Neither the church leadership, nor the secular leadership, has a definite space in heaven due to their actions.
Bibliography
Alexander, Jason. “Dante Understands of the Two Ends of Human Desire and the Relationship between Philosophy and Theology.” The Journal of Religion 91, no. 2 (2011): 158-187.
Alighieri, Dante and Stanley Lombardo. Inferno. New York: Hackett Publishing, 2009.
Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso. San Ontario: Bibliotech Press, 2014.
Bruckman, Paul. La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy): Inferno . London: Xlibris Corporation, 2011.
Crouch, Colin. “The Divine Comedy of Contemporary Citizenship.” The Political Quarterly 72, no.1 (2001): 149-154.
Ferrante, Joan. The Political Vision of the “Divine Comedy” New York: Princeton University Press, 2014.
Fusini, Leticia. “World Humanism(s), the Divine Comedy, Lao She’s (‘Literature of the Soul and Buddhism’), and Gao’s Soul Mountain.” Comparative Literature and Culture 15, no. 5 (2013): 2-9.
Keen, Catherine and David Martin. “The Divine Comedy.” Christian Book Summaries 4, no. 21 (2008): 2-7.
Landas, Sarah. “Allusions in Dante’s Inferno.” A journal of undergraduate Student Research 5, no. 9 (2002): 91-112.
Longfellow, Henry. “The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.” An Electronic Classics Series Publication 1, no. 1 (2005): 7-382.
Marco, Andreacchio. “Unmasking Limbo: Reading Inferno IV as Key to Dante’s Comedy.” A Journal of Political Philosophy 40, no. 2 (2013): 199.
Norton, Charles. “The Divine Comedy: Hell (The Inferno).” An Electronic Classics Series Publication 1, no. 2 (2013): 7-13.
Pampinella-Cropper, Margherita. Family and the Body Politic in Dante’s Divine Comedy: Classical and Medieval Metamorphoses. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin—Madison, 2002.
Quinones, Ricardo. Foundation Sacrifice in Dante’s Commedia. Pennsylvania: Penn State Press, 2010.
Footnotes
1 Colin, Crouch, “The Divine Comedy of Contemporary Citizenship,” The Political Quarterly 72, no.1 (2001):150.
2 Colin, Crouch, (2001):150.
3 Colin, Crouch, (2001):150.
4 Paul, Bruckman, “ La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy): Inferno (London: Xlibris Corporation, 2011), 71.
5 Paul, La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy): Inferno, 94.
6 Paul, La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy): Inferno, 101.
7 Paul, La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy): Inferno, 114.
8 Dante Alighieri and Stanley Lombardo, Inferno (New York: Hackett Publishing, 2009), 17.
9 Dante Alighieri and Stanley Lombardo, Inferno, 27.
10 Dante Alighieri and Stanley Lombardo, Inferno, 27.
11 Joan, Ferrante, The Political Vision of the “Divine Comedy” ( New York: Princeton University Press, 2014), 6.
12 Joan, The Political Vision of the “Divine Comedy”, 6.
13 Joan, The Political Vision of the “Divine Comedy”, 4.
14 Joan, The Political Vision of the “Divine Comedy”, 5 .
15 Catherine , Keen and David Martin, “The Divine Comedy,” Christian Book Summaries 4, no. 21 (2008): 5.
16 Catherine, Keen, and David Martin, (2008): 7.
17 Sarah, Landas, “Allusions in Dante’s Inferno,” A journal of undergraduate Student Research 5, no. 9 (2002): 91.
18 Sarah, Landas, (2002): 93.
19 Andreacchio, Marco, “Unmasking Limbo: Reading Inferno IV as Key to Dante’s Comedy” A Journal of Political Philosophy 40, no. 2 (2013): 199.
20 Andreacchio, Marco, (2013): 199.
21 Andreacchio, Marco, (2013): 199.
22 Charles, Norton, “The Divine Comedy: Hell (The Inferno),” An Electronic Classics Series Publication 1, no. 2 (2013): 8.
23 Charles, Norton, (2013): 11.
24 Henry, Longfellow, (2005): 150.
25 Charles, Norton, (2013): 11.
26 Margherita, Pampinella-Cropper, Family, and the Body Politic in Dante’s Divine Comedy: Classical and Medieval Metamorphoses (Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin—Madison, 2002), 25.
27 Margherita, Pampinella-Cropper, Family, and the Body Politic in Dante’s Divine Comedy: Classical and Medieval Metamorphoses, 31.
28 Margherita, Pampinella-Cropper, Family, and the Body Politic in Dante’s Divine Comedy: Classical and Medieval Metamorphoses, 31.
29 Ricardo, Quinones, Foundation Sacrifice in Dante’s Commedia (Pennsylvania: Penn State Press, 2010), 51.
30 Ricardo, Quinones, Foundation Sacrifice in Dante’s Commedia, 53.
31 Dante, Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso (San Ontario: Bibliotech Press, 2014), 35
32 Dante, Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso, 24.
33 Dante, Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso, 52.
34 Dante, Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso, 130.
35 Leticia, Fusini, “World Humanism(s), the Divine Comedy, Lao She’s (‘Literature of the Soul and Buddhism’), and Gao’s Soul Mountain,” Comparative Literature and Culture 15, no. 5 (2013):3.
36 Leticia, Fusini, (2013): 5.
37 Henry, Longfellow, (2005): 74.
38 Leticia, Fusini, (2013): 5.
39 Jason, Alexander, “Dante Understands of the Two Ends of Human Desire and the Relationship between Philosophy and Theology,” The Journal of Religion 91, no. 2 (2011): 158.
40 Henry, Longfellow, (2005): 74.
41 Jason, Alexander, (2011): 160.
42 Henry, Longfellow, (2005): 74.
43 Jason, Alexander, (2011): 163.
44 Jason, Alexander, (2011): 160.
45 Jason, Alexander, (2011): 160.
46 Henry, Longfellow, “The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.” An Electronic Classics Series Publication 1, no. 1 (2005): 17.
47 Ricardo, Quinones, Foundation Sacrifice in Dante’s Commedia, 53.
48 Ricardo, Quinones, Foundation Sacrifice in Dante’s Commedia, 53.
49 Ricardo, Quinones, Foundation Sacrifice in Dante’s Commedia, 53.
50 Colin, Crouch, (2001):150.
51 Charles, Norton, (2013): 11.
52 Charles, Norton, (2013): 11.
53 Charles, Norton, (2013): 11.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: Daoism takes its origins in China; however, nowadays, this religious and philosophical tradition has several regional peculiarities. In part, this tendency can be explained by cultural, political, and social development of different Asian countries.Daoism still plays a vital role in the life of such countries as China, Japan or Korea. This is one of the main arguments that should be analyzed. | Daoism takes its origins in China; however, nowadays, this religious and philosophical tradition has several regional peculiarities. In part, this tendency can be explained by cultural, political, and social development of different Asian countries.
Daoism still plays a vital role in the life of such countries as China, Japan or Korea. This is one of the main arguments that should be analyzed. | Daoism Regional Peculiarities Critical Essay
Daoism takes its origins in China; however, nowadays, this religious and philosophical tradition has several regional peculiarities. In part, this tendency can be explained by cultural, political, and social development of different Asian countries. The readings that will be discussed in this paper illustrate the diversity of this movement and their importance for different cultures. They indicate that Daoism still plays a vital role in the life of such countries as China, Japan or Korea. This is one of the main arguments that should be analyzed.
First, it should be noted that these national distinctions can in part be explained by the historic development of different countries. For example, when speaking about China, many researchers focus on the influence of political ideology and the intervention of the government. Livia Kohn argues that currently Daoist institutions are dependent on the state (Kohn 2009, 183). In the opinion of this author, the practices of Daoist leaders have been affected even by the Marxist ideology (Kohn 2009, 183). In other words, these people do not have much autonomy.
This is one the main points that she makes in the book. However, while discussing these issues, Livia Kohn refers the two schools of Daoism that emerged after the end of the Tang dynasty. In particular, one can mention the movement known as the Celestial Masters and the School of Complete Perfection (Kohn 2009, p. 149).
These schools became state-controlled institutions, but at the same time, there are many local cults in China. One can argue that these cults are more self-sufficient (Kohn 2009, p. 149). Therefore, one has to speak about the diversity of contemporary Daoism. These issues are vital for understanding the development of this tradition.
Other authors such as Chi-Tim Lai also acknowledge that Daoism was adversely affected by the communist government of China (Chi-Tim 2003, 413). For example one can speak about the destruction of many temples in the country (Chi-Tim 2003, 413). Nevertheless, this author believes that contemporary Daoism in China is a self-sufficient movement that should not be confused with governmental organizations (Chi-Tim 2003, 413). Such an assumption would be inaccurate. This is one of the main issues that should be taken into consideration. Therefore, one can say that scholars provide different interpretations when discussing Daoism.
In contrast, this tradition in Japan and Korea has some distinctions. One of the most important peculiarities is that Daoism in these countries was not strongly affected by the state, especially in the twentieth century. This difference is important for understanding how this religious tradition evolved in different countries. It should be noted that Korean and Japanese cultures adopted the official rituals such as purification exercises that are vital for Daoist tradition (Kohn 2009, 202).
Furthermore, one can speak about the presence of such rituals as mountain asceticism or holding vigil. Nevertheless, in these countries, the influence of Neo-Confucianism is much stronger. Therefore, there are some regional similarities and differences that should not be overlooked.
These readings indicate contemporary Daoism can take different forms. In this case, one can speak about regional characteristics. Furthermore, it is possible to argue that contemporary development can be affected by political influences, especially in China. The readings discussed in this paper highlight the complexity of this philosophical and religious tradition. This is why they are worth attention.
Reference List
Kohn, Livia. 2009. Introducing Daoism . New York: JBE Online Books.
Lai, Chi-tim. 2003. “Daoism in China Today: 1980-2002.” In Religion in China Today , ed. Daniel Overmyer, 413-427. New York: Cambridge University Press.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/daocism-tradition/ | 210 |
Write an essay about: Ron Deal's essay "Dating and the Single Parent" discusses the practice of dating and how it relates to single parents. The essay focuses on the importance of dating for single parents, and how it can lead to successful relationships and marriages. |
Ron Deal's essay "Dating and the Single Parent" discusses the practice of dating and how it relates to single parents. The essay focuses on the importance of dating for single parents, and how it can lead to successful relationships and marriages. | “Dating and the Single Parent” by Ron Deal Critical Essay
Summary of the Book
Dating is a vital practice since it allows people to know and love each other in a bid to make a happy life. Deal (2012) presented various pertinent arguments regarding dating and paid particular attention to a single parent.
This book titled as Dating and the Single Parents has a discussion about dating from how it commences to how a stable relationship is established. Author points out that dating of single parents begins with the willingness and readiness to prepare the children for it. When this vital decision is made, a single parent starts to look for a dating partner with whom he or she dates.
A successful dating process should end up in a marital commitment and the preparation of a stepfamily. The individuals reengage and become a part of a new family. Essentially, the single parents might decide to live together and marry. Whereas Deal presents these ideas and their appropriate directions, he not only provides advice for people involved in dating, but also makes substantive basis to affirm his argument.
Intent of the Book
Deal’s suggestions were tactful as they addressed the issues of single parents seeking new relationships that may lead to marriage.
It addresses what divorce incorporates and how it influences the life of single parents. Its preliminary section indicates the self-evaluation of the single parents and their own life. Furthermore, it provides the guidelines of evaluating and coming up with pertinent knowledge about their readiness to get into another relationship.
Deal discusses some of the attributes to consider when dating such as its purpose, how to groom, and challenges that can be experienced in the process. He elaborates on how dating would affect a person’s spiritual life. Furthermore, the author provides real-life situations and testimonies from experiences of other single parents and children.
Precisely, Deal has also brought out some scenarios where single parents and their children experience challenges as this love progresses. Moreover, he considers how partners match their characters in order to live together successfully. Deal uses the symbolic Yellow, Red, and Green lights as the checklists to locate a partner.
The fate of the children is addressed as exemplified in the case where he gives precise life experiences on love that occurs between the individual parents. This love that leads to marriage between single parents has been identified as risky unless a person finds a partner who is committed in fulfilling his or her roles in a new family, especially those related to the kids.
In a bid to wrap-up the whole idea in the book, the author gives life advices that concern marriage. He advises on the devotion involving marriage life, and the credible preparatory measures as an individual enters into a new family seeking to bring up the step-children. He recommends a clear understanding between the members of the separate families coming together and supports the treatments suited for them.
Conclusively, Deal brings out the expected aspects while considering re-marrying after divorce, which raises the concept of the combined families. Furthermore, he provides proper advices defended by justified bible quotes to support his arguments.
Use of the Book for Christian Premarital Couples
The premarital couples are in an essential stage that requires proper counseling from the pastors. Therefore, the pastors require appropriate principles to assist them in offering clear and non-misleading guidance for the couples.
There are four types of premarital couples namely harmonized couples, conflicted couples, traditional couples and vitalized couples. In this light, the proper literature based on the church teachings is used by the pastors when preparing these prenuptial couples.
In consideration of all the features argued by Deal (2012), great teachings for the premarital couples have been provided. It presents some of the important learning experiences for both counselors and the counselees.
The features involved in any premarital counseling include steps to bring the couples together, issues that entail the roles of the couples, occurrences of grounding the religious marriages, and the resources helping pastors during counseling. Therefore, the book bears a great potential for changing the lives of the prenuptial couples in different perspectives.
When assessing the steps to bring couples together in church, the single parents provide most important information that involves blending of the divorced parents. The pastors would apply the illustrations argued by Deal to counsel the couples. He also provides some of the values to incorporate during dating and the expectations from a promising partner.
The premarital couples interested in learning their characters properly before accepting marriage commitments would find the evaluation guidelines in this book very helpful. Deal (2012) argues that dating forms a crucial step in understanding the partner even though the personal characters are not revealed fully by the activities performed while dating.
Deal provides Christian perspectives that are prominent among premarital couples. For instance, he argues how God is forgiving which implies that couples should emulate such aspect in their entire marriage life. The warnings that he pronounces against the lies in dating, the challenges in raising up step-children, and the risks involved in re-marriages are very helpful during the evaluation and while choosing the best remarriage partner.
Furthermore, he argues that since different religions have varying perception on marrying, dating would play a vital role in evaluating how such issues can be resolved. In essence, Deal reviews the differences that exist especially when considering different beliefs from different churches. The interpretations of the scriptures divide people along their beliefs in marriage and dating.
In regard to Deal’s arguments on the best place to meet a promising marriage partner, Christians find the book useful as they read the key steps involving the red light, the green light, and the yellow light (Deal, 2012). The blending concept is also important to the Christian premarital couples who share diverse backgrounds such as single parents raising their own kids.
Critique of the Book
The ideas postulated by Deal (2012) have been critiqued under this title, which based on theological perspectives. This critique is based on the fact that marriage, dating, and relationships form essential parts of the society.
Although the author tries to bring out the different aspects entailed in remarriage between single parents tirelessly, there are various features that have not been justified. However, most of the issues addressed are true and justified. The following issues and critiques have come out clearly in the book.
The Evident Lies in Dating among Christian Pre-couples
Deal (2012) postulates that most couples who are considered did not like their marital status, which is attributed to their dating lives. However, this does not imply that it is the usual occurrence for most dates since they allow people to know and identify their most suited life partners.
Moreover, it is through dating that people are able to learn secrets about their partners (Brady, 2011). Deal (2012) argues that most people show their best characters making it hard to determine the real personalities even when suitors try to select a partner.
However, some of the little camouflage that most people employ while dating is essential. Since it is advisable to spend a longer time while dating before a person decides to be/get married, Deal (2012) shows the dating period as shorter to an extent of preventing the identification of the real characters. It is common to have a proper dating method.
According to theological point of view, it is uncommon to encounter dating partners who lie to each other (Brady, 2011). This is in respect to the church teachings about being faithful and the acknowledgement that lies are not expected among dating Christians. This contrasts what Deal claims to be prevalent among Christian dating couples.
Developing creative dating ideas can facilitate the understanding of the partner’s character as bad and good. Similarly, Christians can undergo an artistic dating process that can lead them easily into knowing the true characters of their partners (Harper & Ruicheva, 2010). Therefore, it is not justified that dating is only a passage without a significant role in marriage as argued by Deal (2012).
Preparation towards Raising a Step-Family and the Marital Commitment between Two Single Parents
Deal (2012) has pointed out clear cases on how a person can prepare to begin a family through bringing up step-children together with his or her own kids. In addition, he points out clearly that those raising adolescent step-children have difficulties establishing stable lives with a new wife or husband. Also, getting the kids to integrate into a new family is difficult. These issues reveal that the book has significant instances of truth.
It is practical that a child will not accept a step-parent and have him or her as the ultimate father or mother easily. Primarily, the act of incorporating children into a new marriage is very challenging and has received various oppositions from adult step-children in most cases (Cheng, 2012).
Therefore, it is appropriate to argue that the parents should prepare properly in order to enjoy their relationships with their partners and children.
Furthermore, Ephesians 6: 1-3 points out that blended marriage would be difficult to build unless the children are taught how to be obedient to their parents (Harper & Ruicheva, 2010). The aspect of true prayers, devotion, and tolerance that couples must employ to survive the test of incorporating the step-children in their relationships are paramount.
However, the relationships that bind the parents are determined by the Christian teachings and foundations instilled to the children. Therefore, the good relationships arise from the true feeling of a child being loved by the step-parent, and the reward that the child gets from the remarriage of the parents (Cheng, 2012).
Consequently, the book has reliable ideas concerning remarriages involving two single parents joining to raise their kids within the same family. Deal raises a substantial support and recommendation as well as guidance to facilitate the pairing of these parents. Even though his book does not present a concrete argument supported with quantifiable analysis, the theories presented are realistic and helpful.
References
Brady, M. (2011). Researching governmentalities through ethnography: the case of Australian welfare reforms and programs for single parents. Critical Policy Studies, 5 (3), 264-282.
Cheng, H. (2012). New advances in 230Th dating techniques and the dating of speleothems. Quaternary International, 279-280 , 87.
Deal, R. (2012). Dating and the single parent. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishing.
Harper, S., & Ruicheva, I. (2010). Grandmothers as Replacement Parents and Partners: The Role of Grandmotherhood in Single Parent Families. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 8 (3), 219-233.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/dating-and-the-single-parent-by-deal-r/ | 211 |
Write the full essay for the following summary: The book referred to as contains discussions about love and dating that involves single parents. It was written tactfully to address the issues of all divorced parents who seek another relationship that may lead to remarriage. |
The book referred to as contains discussions about love and dating that involves single parents. It was written tactfully to address the issues of all divorced parents who seek another relationship that may lead to remarriage. | “Dating and the Single Parent” by Deal Critical Essay
Summary of the Book
The book referred to as “Dating and the Single Parents” contains discussions about love and dating that involves single parents (Deal, 2012). It was written tactfully to address the issues of all divorced parents who seek another relationship that may lead to remarriage.
The book begins with addressing what divorce involves and how it impacts the love life of single parents. Its preliminary indicates the self-evaluation of the single parents and their own life. It provides them the clear guidelines on evaluating and coming up with pertinent knowledge regarding their readiness in getting into another relationship.
Deal postulates some of the factors to consider during dating like its purpose, how to groom oneself and children, and the challenges that can be faced in the process. He clearly brings out how dating would affect a person’s spiritual life. Furthermore, the author provides real-life situations and testimonies from experiences of other single parents and children.
Precisely, Deal has also brought out some scenarios where single parents and their children experience challenges as this love progresses. The best places to find a matching lover have not been avoided by Deal. Deal uses the “Yellow, Red and Green lights” wisely as the checklists.
The fate of the children is addressed as exemplified in the case where he gives clear life experiences on love that occurs between the individual parents. This love that leads to marriage between single parents is forewarned as risky unless a person finds a partner who is committed to fulfill of his or her roles in the new family, especially those related to the kids.
In a bid to wrap-up the whole idea in the book, the author gives life advices that concerns marriage. He advises on the devotion involving marriage life, and the credible preparatory measures as an individual enters into a new family seeking to bring up the step-children. He recommends a clear understanding between the members of the separate families coming together and upraises the treatments suited for them.
Conclusively, Deal brings out the expected aspects while considering re-marrying after divorce, which raises the concept of the combined families. Furthermore, he provides proper advices defended by justified bible quotes to support his arguments.
Use of the Book to Christian Premarital Couples
The premarital couples are at an essential stage that requires proper counseling from the pastors (Wicker, 2003). Therefore, the pastors require appropriate guidelines to assist them in offering clear and non-misleading counseling to the couples.
The four types of premarital couples are harmonized couples, conflicted couples, traditional couples, and vitalized couples (Fowers & Olson, 2006). In this light, the proper literatures grounded on the church teachings are to be used by the pastors when preparing these prenuptial couples in the church.
Considering all the features argued by Deal (2012), he provides great teachings to the premarital couples. It presents some of the important learning experiences for both counselors and the counselees.
The features involved in any premarital counseling include steps to bring the couples together, issues that entail the roles of the couples, occurrences of grounding the religious marriages, and the resources helping pastors during counseling (Taylor, 1999). Therefore, the book bears a great potential for changing the lives of the prenuptial couples in different perspectives.
When assessing the steps to bring couples together in church, the single parents addressed in the book provides most important information that blending of the divorced parents involves. Pastors would provide the illustrations used in the “Dating and the Single Parent” to counsel the couples. The book also provides some of the values to consider during dating and the expectations from a promising partner.
The premarital couples interested in understanding their characters properly before accepting marriage commitments would find the evaluation guidelines in this book very helpful. Deal (2012) argues that dating forms a crucial step in understanding the partner even though the personal characters are not revealed fully by the activities performed while dating.
More importantly, the book provides Christian perspectives that are prominent among premarital couples. Deal (2012) indicates how God is forgiving implying that couples should emulate aspect in their entire marriage life.
The warnings that the book points out against the lies in dating, the challenges in raising up step-children, and the risks involved in re-marriages are very helpful during the evaluation and choosing the best remarriage partner.
In regard to Deal’s arguments on the best place to meet a promising marriage partner, Christians find the book useful as they read the key steps involving the red light, the green light, and the yellow light (Deal, 2012). The blending concept is also important to the Christian premarital couples who share diverse backgrounds such as single parents raising their own kids.
Book’s Critique
The ideas that have been postulated by Deal (2012) are going to be critiqued in this title based on theological perspectives. This critique is based on the fact that marriage, dating, and relationships form essential parts of the society.
Although the author tries tirelessly to bring out the different aspects entailed in remarriage between single parents, there are various features that have not been justified. However, most of the issues addressed are true and justified. The following issues and critiques have come out clearly in the book.
The Lies Evident in Dating among Christian Pre-couples
Deal (2012) postulates that most considered couples did not like their marital status, which was attributed to their dating lives. However, this does not hint that it is the usual occurrence for most dates. Powell (2010) argues that dating allows people to know and identify their most suited life partners.
Moreover, it is through dating that people are able to learn secrets about of their partners. Deal (2012) argues that most people show their best characters making it hard to determine the true personalities even when suitors try to select a partner.
However, Powell (2010) supports some of the little camouflage that most people employ while dating. Since it is advisable to spend a longer time while dating before an individual chooses to get married, Deal (2012) shows the dating period as shorter to an extent of preventing the identification of the real characters. It is common to have a proper dating method as provided by Powell (2010).
In theological point of view, it is uncommon to encounter dating partners who lie to each other. This is in respect to teachings in the church about being faithful and lies are not expected among dating Christians. This is in contrast to what Deal argues to be prevalent among Christian dating couples.
Developing creative dating ideas can facilitate an understanding of the partner’s characters as bad and good. Similarly, Christians can undergo an artistic dating process that can lead them easily into knowing the true characters of their partners Wicker, 2003). Therefore, it is not justified that dating is only a passage without a significant role in marriage as argued by Deal (2012).
Preparation towards Raising a Step-Family and the Marital Commitment between Two Single Parents
Deal (2012) has pointed clear cases on how a person can prepare to begin a family through bringing up step-children together with his or her own kids. In addition, he points out clearly that those raising adolescent step-children have difficulties establishing stable lives with a new wife or husband. Also, getting the kids to integrate into a new family is difficult. These issues reveal that the book has significant instances of truth.
It is practical that a child will not accept a step-parent and have him or her as the ultimate father or mother easily. Taylor (1999) supports the idea that incorporating children into a new marriage is very challenging and has received various oppositions from adult step-children in most cases.
Therefore, it is appropriate to argue that the parents should prepare properly in order to enjoy their relationships with their partners and children. Furthermore, Ephesians 6: 1-3 points out that blended marriage would be difficult to build unless the children are taught how to be obedient to their parents.
Taylor (1999) supports the aspect of true prayers, devotion, and tolerance that couples must employ to survive the test of incorporating the step-children in their relationships. The arguments made by Taylor (1999) are connected to the ones of Deal (2012) that are known for their exactness.
However, the relationships that bind the parents are determined by the Christian teachings and foundations instilled to the children.
Therefore, the good relationships arise from the true feeling of a child being loved by the step-parent, and the reward that the child gets from the remarriage of the parents. Consequently, the book has the best views concerning remarriages involving the two single parents joining to raise their kids within the same family.
References
Deal, R. (2012). Dating and the single parent. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishing.
Fowers, B., & Olson, D. (2006). Four types of premarital couples: an empirical typology based on PREPARE. The journal of family psychology. 6 (1), 10-21.
Powell, L. (2010). The Modern Man’s Guide to Women. Canada : Dickson Publishing Corp.
Taylor, C. (1999). Premarital Guidance (Creative pastoral and Counseling) (Creative Pastoral Care and Counseling) . Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress.
Wicker, C. (2003). Preparing couples for marriage: A guide for pastors to premarital counseling . Lima, Ohio: CSS Pub. Co.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The net present value is a more accurate method than the payback period and the accounting rate of return when choosing between two mutually exclusive projects. The main weakness of the payback period and the accounting rate of return is that they do not consider the time value of money. The two methods may not be used to accurately account for the cost of capital. The net present value profile supports the NPV method with capturing a bigger picture using multiple discount rates. | The net present value is a more accurate method than the payback period and the accounting rate of return when choosing between two mutually exclusive projects. The main weakness of the payback period and the accounting rate of return is that they do not consider the time value of money. The two methods may not be used to accurately account for the cost of capital. The net present value profile supports the NPV method with capturing a bigger picture using multiple discount rates. | Day-Pro Investment Options Case Study
Introduction
The net present value is a more accurate method than the payback period and the accounting rate of return when choosing between two mutually exclusive projects.
The main weakness of the payback period and the accounting rate of return is that they do not consider the time value of money. The two methods may not be used to accurately account for the cost of capital. The net present value profile supports the NPV method with capturing a bigger picture using multiple discount rates.
Payback approach
The payback approach considers the length of time that it takes to recover the amount used as capital through cash flows (Kinney and Raiborn 654). When one project needs to be selected, the project that provides the shortest time to generate the amount used for the investment is preferred.
In the payback period, longer time periods increase the uncertainty associated with the investment (Kinney and Raiborn 654). Uncertainty is a type of risk. The payback period for the Synthetic Resin project and the Epoxy Resin project are shown below.
Table 1: Synthetic Resin Payback Period
Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Net cash flow ($1,000,000) $350,000 $400,000 $500,000 $650,000 $700,000
Cumulative total ($1,000,000) ($650,000) ($250,000) $250,000 $900,000 $1,600,000
Payback period 0 1 2 period ends = 250,000/ 500,000 = 0.5 of a year
Table 2: Epoxy Resin Payback Period
Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Net cash flow ($800,000) $600,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $200,000
Cumulative cash flow ($800,000) ($200,000) $200,000 $500,000 $700,000 $900,000
Payback period 0 1 Period ends = 200,000/ 400,000 = 0.5 of a year
The negative values are indicated in bracket, and the positive values are in the normal format. The payback period ends at the point where the cumulative cash flow becomes positive. The remaining amount is expressed as a percentage of the cash flow in the period that the cumulative cash flow becomes a positive value. It gives a value in the proportion of a year.
Table 1 indicates that the Synthetic Resin project has a payback period of 2 years and 6 months. Table 2 indicates that the Epoxy Resin project has 1 year and 6 months as its payback period. The Epoxy Resin project has a shorter payback period than the Synthetic Resin project, which makes the Epoxy Resin project more favourable.
The Epoxy Resin project provides less risk by having its cash flows received earlier in the project life. It is one of the advantages of the payback period because it leads to a choice that reduces uncertainty. It may make the company choose the project that may increase liquidity during the early stages of operations. Liquidity refers to the cash needed to cover routine transactions in the short run.
One of the limitations of the payback period is that it does not consider the stream of cash after the payback period. In the Synthetic Resin plan, the cash flows in Year 4 and Year 5 are ignored. The ignored period gives an additional amount of $2,500,000 for the Synthetic Resin project and $2,100,000 for the Epoxy Resin project.
Another limitation of the payback period is that it does not consider the cost of capital, which is the opportunity cost of utilizing capital. The payback period ignores the time value of money. It makes a dollar received in the first year to have the same value as a dollar received in the final year. In everyday investment processes, money borrowed is paid with an interest. Money deposited in banks provides an interest.
The capital invested in the projects could earn Day-Pro an interest by depositing it in a bank or purchasing bonds. The long-term Treasury bonds are considered risk-free. The firm could generate profit without engaging in any business.
The Epoxy and Synthetic investments have to provide a higher rate than that which can be acquired by purchasing a risk-free bond. If Day-Pro is borrowing money to invest in either of the projects, payback period cannot be used because it does not consider the cost of capital.
Accounting Rate of Return (ARR)
ARR is an approach that measures the annual rate of receiving net income. It gives the average income as a percentage of the initial investment (Mowen, Hansen and Heitger 606). ARR is calculated by adding the net income in the five years, and dividing by the number of years. The streams of net income and the ARR are shown below.
ARR = average income/ initial investment (Mowen, Hansen and Heitger 606).
Table 3. Synthetic Resin Average Rate of Return
Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Average Income
Net income $0 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000 $450,000 $500,000 $320,000
Investment ($1,000,000)
ARR 32.00%
Table 4. Epoxy Resin Average Rate of Return
Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Average Income
Net income $0 $440,000 $240,000 $140,000 $40,000 $40,000 $180,000
Investment ($800,000)
ARR 22.50%
The decision process requires the projects to have a minimum ARR of 40%. None of the two projects has met the minimum requirement. The firm should not invest in any of the two projects. The problem with the decision-making process is that the minimum rate of return has been set at a very high level that the two projects or others will be unlikely to meet. Very few projects have such a high rate of return on investment.
The ARR indicates the average rate of return on the investment annually. The time value of money is not considered. Its weakness in failing to include the time value of money may divert capital from more profitable investments.
The ARR is inaccurate in a business environment where projects are usually funded with borrowed capital. The ARR fails to capture the cost of capital. Mowen, Hansen and Heitger (606) discuss that ARR’s reliance on income is a weakness because net income can be manipulated by managers.
The Net Present Value (NPV) Profile
The NPV profile is a graph that displays how net present values are distributed for different levels of discount rates. Bierman (68) explains that the discount rates can stretch from zero to a reasonably large number of discount rates. In the calculations, the interest rates start from a discount rate of 0% to 45% (see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2).
The NPV can be plotted with fewer points, but more points increase the accuracy of the trend line. Emphasis has been laid on the horizontal axis because it holds the internal rate of return (IRR). The IRR is found at the point where the NPV is equal to zero (Hansen, Mowen and Guan 719). The NPV is equal to zero on the horizontal axis for all values of discount rates.
The NPV profile has been formed by finding the NPV at different discount rates before they are plotted. The table below and the graph are part of the NPV profile.
Table 5: NPV Profile
Discount rate Synthetic (NPV) Epoxy (NPV)
0% $1,600,000 $900,000
2% $1,433,277 $821,315
4% $1,281,831 $748,791
6% $1,143,938 $681,792
8% $1,018,103 $619,763
10% $903,021 $562,214
12% $797,553 $508,715
15% $655,227 $435,237
30% $149,614 $158,666
40% ($64,348) $31,231
45% ($148,112) ($21,106)
Graph 1
The crossover point is at a rate of about 31%. The crossover point is the discount rate at which both projects provide the same net present value. The IRR is the rate at which the curves intersect with the horizontal axis (Bierman 68). The Synthetic Resin project has an IRR of approximately 37% and the Epoxy Resin project has approximately 43%.
It becomes easier for Day-Pro to choose between the two projects depending on the side of the crossover point on which the discount rate falls. If the discount rate is less than 31%, then Synthetic Resin is more favourable because it provides a higher NPV. If the discount rate is higher than 31%, then Epoxy Resin provides a more favourable condition because it provides a higher NPV.
However, the Synthetic Resin project provides a wider range of values at which it is better than the Epoxy Resin. Epoxy Resin is favorable at higher discount rates. Most businesses use discount rates that are around 10%, which may match the cost of capital. It makes Synthetic Resin project more favorable than the Epoxy Resin project to the firm.
The main advantage of net present value is its integration of the time value of money. Day-Pro may be able to consider using borrowed capital because the NPV will account for the returns that are used to cover the interest paid on borrowed funds, and returns to owners’ equity. Hansen, Mowen and Guan (719) explain that the NPV measures the additional value that the project generates for investors in the firm.
It aligns itself with one of the objectives of the firm, which is to increase shareholders’ wealth. An NPV of zero indicates that the firm has met the cost of capital requirements (interest), and the cost of the investment (principal).
The IRR does not indicate the value that is being added to shareholders’ wealth in absolute terms. Day-Pro cannot find out the amount of wealth that will be created using IRR because it uses relative terms (Hansen, Mowen and Guan 723).
Another advantage of the NPV is that it considers all the cash flows during the operation of the business, which is different from the payback period (Peterson-Drake 1). It considers the risk in investment by using lighter weights on amounts that are further into the future. The NPV corrects the weaknesses of the payback period and the ARR.
One of the weaknesses of the NPV is that it does not provide an estimate of the annual rate of return. However, it is a weak limitation because the NPV considers capital in excess of the required rate of return.
Another weakness of the NPV method is that the required rate of return can be selected subjectively (Peterson-Drake 1). The NPV profile reduces the weakness of subjectivity by providing a wider range of possible discount rates.
Conclusion
The NPV profile corrects the weakness of the NPV approach associated with the subjectivity of choosing the discount rate. The NPV accounts for the time value of money, which is usually applied in all sources of capital. The NPV indicates the value of wealth that is created by the project to the owners of equity. The NPV is a better method than either the payback period method or the ARR.
Works Cited
Bierman, Harold. An Introduction to Accounting and Managerial Finance a Merger of Equals . Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific, 2010. Print.
Hansen, Don, Maryanne Mowen and Liming Guan. Cost Management: Accounting and Control . 6 th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Kinney, Michael and Cecily Raiborn. Cost Accounting: Foundations and Evolutions . Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Mowen, Maryanne, Don Hansen and Dan Heitger. Cornerstones of Managerial Accounting . 3 rd ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Peterson-Drake, Pamela. n.d. Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Capital Budgeting Techniques . n.d. Web.
Appendix
Appendix 1
Discounting factors
Year 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 15% 30% 40% 45%
0 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000
1 0.98039 0.96154 0.94340 0.92593 0.90909 0.89286 0.86957 0.76923 0.71429 0.68966
2 0.96117 0.92456 0.89000 0.85734 0.82645 0.79719 0.75614 0.59172 0.51020 0.47562
3 0.94232 0.88900 0.83962 0.79383 0.75131 0.71178 0.65752 0.45517 0.36443 0.32802
4 0.92385 0.85480 0.79209 0.73503 0.68301 0.63552 0.57175 0.35013 0.26031 0.22622
5 0.90573 0.82193 0.74726 0.68058 0.62092 0.56743 0.49718 0.26933 0.18593 0.15601
Appendix 2
Net Present Values
Synthetic Resin Net Present Value
Year Net cash flow PV 2% PV 4% PV 6% PV 8% PV 10% PV 12%
0 ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000)
1 $350,000 $343,137 $336,538 $330,189 $324,074 $318,182 $312,500
2 $400,000 $384,468 $369,822 $355,999 $342,936 $330,579 $318,878
3 $500,000 $471,161 $444,498 $419,810 $396,916 $375,657 $355,890
4 $650,000 $600,500 $555,623 $514,861 $477,769 $443,959 $413,087
5 $700,000 $634,012 $575,349 $523,081 $476,408 $434,645 $397,199
NPV $1,433,277 $1,281,831 $1,143,938 $1,018,103 $903,021 $797,553
Synthetic Resin Net Present Value
Year Net cash flow PV 15% PV 30% PV 40% PV 45%
0 ($1,000,000) (1,000,000) (1,000,000) (1,000,000) ($1,000,000)
1 $350,000 304,348 269,231 250,000 $241,379
2 $400,000 302,457 236,686 204,082 $190,250
3 $500,000 328,758 227,583 182,216 $164,008
4 $650,000 371,640 227,583 169,200 $147,042
5 $700,000 348,024 188,530 130,154 $109,209
NPV $655,227 $149,614 ($64,348) ($148,112)
Epoxy Resin Net Present Value
Year Net cash flow PV 2% PV 4% PV 6% PV 8% PV 10% PV 12%
0 ($800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000)
1 $600,000 588,235 576,923 566,038 555,556 545,455 535,714
2 $400,000 384,468 369,822 355,999 342,936 330,579 318,878
3 $300,000 282,697 266,699 251,886 238,150 225,394 213,534
4 $200,000 184,769 170,961 158,419 147,006 136,603 127,104
5 $200,000 181,146 164,385 149,452 136,117 124,184 113,485
NPV 821,315 748,791 681,792 619,763 562,214 508,715
Epoxy Resin Net Present Value
Year Net cash flow PV 15% PV 30% PV 40% PV 45%
0 ($800,000) ($800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000)
1 $600,000 $521,739 461,538 428,571 413,793
2 $400,000 $302,457 236,686 204,082 190,250
3 $300,000 $197,255 136,550 109,329 98,405
4 $200,000 $114,351 70,026 52,062 45,244
5 $200,000 $99,435 53,866 37,187 31,203
NPV 435,237 158,666 31,231 (21,106)
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The essay explores how an organization can maximize the extent to which its managers take outside views in their decision-making processes.The essay explores how an organization can maximize the extent to which its managers take outside views in their decision-making processes. | The essay explores how an organization can maximize the extent to which its managers take outside views in their decision-making processes.
The essay explores how an organization can maximize the extent to which its managers take outside views in their decision-making processes. | Decision-Making Processes in Organizations Essay
Introduction
Managers must make appropriate decisions in order to achieve the best results. The leadership styles embraced by different managers will determine the appropriateness of their decisions. A proper decision should focus on the best goals. This fact explains why managers should possess the best decision-making skills.
The approach will make it easier for them to achieve their potentials. However, sometimes a manager “must take an outside view in order to make workable decisions” (Shapira 18). This practice has made it possible for many companies to achieve their potentials. This essay explores how an organization can maximize the extent to which its managers take outside views in their decision-making processes.
Taking an “Outside View” in Every Decision-Making Process
Every decision-making process should focus on the best outcomes. Business firms should encourage their managers to embrace new concepts and ideas. Such ideas will make it easier for them to take outside views whenever making various decisions. The first approach is “promoting the idea of evidence-based management” (Shapira 37).
This approach will ensure many managers focus on new findings and suggestions from different scholars. Such managers will use such concepts whenever making their decisions. Evidence-based management encourages more managers to utilize new concepts and practices. The approach will produce accurate organizational decisions.
Business firms and organizations should also ensure their managers collaborate with different stakeholders. Such managers will acquire new ideas. The targeted managers will improve their decision-making skills. Firms can also identify new business partners. This approach will produce the best goals in every organization.
External mentors and advisors will make it easier for many managers to widen their competencies (Janczak 66). The practice will make them competent decision-makers. Managers “should read widely and acquire new competencies through continuous learning” (Shapira 72).
The practice will ensure every manager focuses on the best outcomes and competencies. Every manager should also embrace the concept of teamwork. Managers should liaise with different stakeholders in order to achieve the best goals. A new wave of collaboration will produce better organizational decisions. The above strategies will ensure more managers take outside views in their decisions. The practice will eventually produce the best goals.
Example of an Organizational Decision
A company might decide to improve its performance by promoting better business practices. The manager of the targeted firm will have to make the adequate decisions in order to support every targeted goal. The manager will welcome a wide range of opinions from different mentors. The firm should have a proper decision-making strategy.
The approach will “make sure every manager welcomes the ideas presented by different stakeholders” (Janczak 62). The business should also attract different stakeholders and employees in order to make appropriate decisions. Every manager must read more articles and evidence-based reports.
Several agencies offer adequate business ideas and concepts to their clients. Business organizations can borrow quality ideas from such agencies in order to succeed (Janczak 65). A proper organizational culture in the targeted firm will ensure every manager collaborates with different employees and workers. This knowledge will “ensure the firm embraces new concepts such corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical practice” (Shapira 109).
Conclusion
A proper organizational culture will “encourage more managers to take outside views whenever making their decisions” (Janczak 59). The targeted managers can also collaborate with other business players.
These practices will ensure every organization maximizes the extent to which its managers take outside views in their decisions. The strategy will produce the best goals and make every organization successful.
Works Cited
Janczak, Sergio. “The Strategic Decision-making Process in Organization.” Problems and Perspectives in Management 3.1 (2006): 58-70. Print.
Shapira, Zur. Organizational Decision Making. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: Developmental psychology is a branch of science which researches and analyses the main peculiarities and stages of the development of a human being.Developmental psychology is a branch of science which researches and analyses the main peculiarities and stages of the development of a human being. | Developmental psychology is a branch of science which researches and analyses the main peculiarities and stages of the development of a human being.
Developmental psychology is a branch of science which researches and analyses the main peculiarities and stages of the development of a human being. | Definition of Developmental Psychology Analytical Essay
Nowadays, the issue and main principles of developmental psychology become more and more popular and obtain greater significance. Great number of different theories connected with its main issues can serve as the best evidence of this statement.
However, to investigate this issue it is necessary to give clear definition of developmental psychology and its main peculiarities. Developmental psychology is a branch of science which researches and analyses the main peculiarities and stages of the development of a human being (Colman, 2009).
However, there are many different points of view on the process of development and what main peculiarities it possesses. According to Cooker-Greuter (2004) human development consists of lateral and vertical development. Both these processes are very important, however, they have different mechanisms.
Lateral development happens through learning, schooling and gaining experience throughout all the life of a person (Cooker-Greuter, 2004). At the same time, vertical development is connected with a persons ability to see the world from another perspective.
That is why, psychology should investigate both these processes, taking into account their peculiarities.
Moreover, different variables such as worldviews, stages of development, level of consciousness, logical actions and organizing principles should also be taken into account as they show how a person can make his/her own decision about some issue or phenomenon and help to understand peculiarities of his/her development better (McCauley, Drath, Palus, O’Connor & Baker, 2006).
Application of developmental psychology in life
Having understood main peculiarities of the functioning of developmental psychology, it is possible to understand how it can be applied in modern society under new conditions.
First of all, is should be said that understanding of the main processes of the development of human qualities and traits of character can give people a great number of possibilities for their improvement.
Having realized the main aspects of the formation of a certain skill, it is possible to apply this knowledge in order to obtain the needed skills faster. That is why, developmental psychology can be widely used in such fields as education, training programs and some other spheres, oriented towards obtaining or developing certain skills.
Moreover, under modern conditions of complex changing environment, it is viable to apply the knowledge in this field to the spheres of leadership and management. There is no use denying the fact that strong leaders are needed to guaranty further prosperous development of human society.
With this in mind, one of the main purposes of developmental psychology is to analyze the main peculiarities of leaders development and guarantee their further personal growth. Their weak and strong sides can be investigated and altered with the help of developmental psychology.
There is, of course, a great number of other possible applications of this science in our life.
It can be widely used in order to predict human behavior, forecast developmental processes and understand the effects of family, living conditions and environment on the development of the individual person, both physically and emotionally (Nielsen, 2006). Such a great number of possibilities shows universal character of this issue.
However, it can be easily explained by the fact that changes are the main driving force of the development of our society. That is why, it is possible to suggest that almost all processes could be analyzed using the main principles of developmental psychology.
The only problem is to create a good scientific rationale for application of this science in a certain sphere of our life.
Benefits of developmental psychology
It is obvious, that personal growth of a person depends on the ability to understand his/her current needs and problems and decide what changes are needed in order to satisfy demands which exist on the certain stage of his/her development.
It is obvious that clear understanding of the main peculiarities of the stages of personal development can make the process of obtaining new skills and adapting to new conditions much more easier. It is possible to suggest, that developmental psychology can be very useful within the framework of the personal growth of a person.
There are some obvious advantages of using it with the main aim to improve some quality or a process. The thing is that it is possible to create a certain strategy of the personal development which will take into account peculiarities of every person. Being unique, this program will be very efficient and beneficial.
However, developmental psychology can be applied not only within the framework of personal development. It is obvious, that its benefits can also be seen at the domestic level. First of all, improvement of some skills of the citizens of a state will obviously result in general improvement of situation.
Every state depends on its people and that is why personal growth of the majority of citizens will be very beneficial for the incomes of a country and its growth in all other spheres. Moreover, personal and leadership skills of the officials of a country can also be investigated and the plan for their development can be created.
This action will lead to a great improvement of the state of a country. That is why, developmental psychology can be a very efficient remedy which can help people to unlock their potential and become prosperous.
References
Colman, A. M. (2009). A dictionary of psychology (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cooker-Greuter, S.R. (2004). Making the case for a developmental perspective. Industrial and Commercial Training, 36 (7), 270-280.
McCauley, C.D., Drath, W.H., Palus, C.J., O’Connor, P.M.G. & Baker, B.A. (2006). The use of constructive developmental theory to advance the understanding of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 17 (6), 629-640.
Nielsen, M. (2006). Copying actions and copying outcomes: Social learning through the second year. Developmental Psychology, 42 (3), 555-565
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The text discusses the relationship between democracy and global peace. It argues that democracy contributes to global peace and that nations can barely achieve peace in absence of democracy. The text cites the peaceful coexistence between the United States and Britain as an example of shared democratic peace. |
The text discusses the relationship between democracy and global peace. It argues that democracy contributes to global peace and that nations can barely achieve peace in absence of democracy. The text cites the peaceful coexistence between the United States and Britain as an example of shared democratic peace. | Democracy and Global Peace Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Democracy and Peace
3. Conclusion
4. Works Cited
Introduction
Democracy and global peace are intimately related. Democracy contributes to global peace. Nations can barely achieve peace in absence of democracy. For years, democratic governments have partnered to promote peace worldwide (Rosato 507).
The governments believe that free people can coexist harmoniously and work together for common goals. According to Rosato, Democratic Peace Theory maintains that democratic states hardly fight with one another (509). Consequently, the spread of democracy will help to accomplish global peace that many countries desire.
In most cases, people overlook the benefits of democracy. Some scholars argue that democracy is a major threat to universal peace (Spiro 44). They argue that the United States, which is a renowned democracy, is always at war with other countries, particularly from the Middle East.
Opponents of democracy argue that it forces governments to intervene in other states’ affairs in the name of restoring peace. The fact that major democracies are nonviolent is an indication that the potential spread of democracy will lead to a secure world.
Democracy and Peace
Hermann and Kegley argue that democracy does not lack its flaws (11). Hence, it is imperative not exaggerate or feign the advantages of democratization. Nonetheless, democracy has innumerable benefits to societies and world at large. Studies have shown that democratic states have never gone to war with each other.
In addition, statistics has confirmed that liberal states enjoy shared democratic peace. Challengers of democracy argue that liberal nations coexist peacefully with each other, but are apt to go to war with non-democratic countries (Hermann and Kegley 12). They cite the peaceful coexistence between the United States and Britain.
The countries uphold shared economic benefits that make them to coexist peacefully. The potential spread of democracy will lead to many countries engaging in trade, thus strengthening their ties and shunning disputes (Ray 28).
For instance, economic interdependence between Brazil and Argentina promotes democracy amid the two nations. On the other hand, lack of economic interdependence between Armenia and Azerbaijan made it hard to democratize the two nations and prevent them from fighting.
The spread of democracy will help to establish shared norms among countries, therefore ensure that they respect each others’ sovereignty. Democracy promotes the principles of liberalism. Consequently, one reason why liberal states do not fight is because they dedicate to safeguard the principles of freedom (Spiro 47).
Democratic ideologies offer no validation for conflict among democratic states. As a result, states address their disputes amicably.
In democratic systems, leaders are held accountable for all their actions. Hence, they fear to take actions that can make them to crash with the public. Besides, leaders are supposed to consult numerous institutions before making decisions.
For instance, in the United States, the president has to consult both the legislature and the executive before making key decisions. Institutional constraints found within democratic nations prevent countries from going to war with others.
The spread of democracy will ensure that national leaders are held accountable for their actions, thus ensuring that they do not result in wars in case of conflicts. Democratic nations ensure that all processes are transparent. Hence, they eliminate cases of prejudice and misperceptions that lead to conflicts.
There exist social forces that pull people in diverse directions in democratic societies. Hence, individuals are concerned with personal affairs making it difficult for them to fight since they do not share common interests. In most cases, violence emerges when people or nations compete for shared interests or economic resources.
In other words, the spread of democracy discourages the growth of common interests that lead to political and social conflicts. In totalitarian governments, social interests are centrally determined and controlled (Lai and Slater 114). Hence, chances of polarization of primary interests are high leading to conflicts.
For instance, the past turmoil experienced in Sierra Leone was as a result of polarized primary interests. In democratic states, people are tolerant to losses. However, totalitarian regimes are intolerant of losses. Consequently, they turn to violence as a way to protect their interests.
Democracy discourages union of public interests, which contribute to foreign hostility (Lai and Slater 115). Moreover, democratic leaders are unable to pursue foreign aggressions due to lack of public support.
Hence, the spread of democracy will help to tame global leaders and discourage them from engaging in international conflicts aimed at serving their egos and personal interests. Democracy requires states to deliberate on laws that outline when a country is supposed to engage in international conflicts.
Hence, it gives states an opportunity to weigh the effects of engaging in international conflicts and look for alternative measures.
Conclusion
The potential spread of democracy will provide numerous benefits to current and new democracies. However, scholars are against the proposition that democracies do not go to war. Democracy accommodates change of policies if states happen to conflict.
Moreover, it promotes liberal values and gives all people the freedom to participate in state’s affairs, thus avoiding hatred and animosity among citizens. The spread of democracy will guarantee that states no longer depend on military and economic power for peace.
Moreover, spread of democracy will ensure that there is peaceful coexistence among developed and developing states. Therefore, developed nations will no longer be afraid of emerging economies.
Works Cited
Hermann, Margaret and Charles Kegley. “Military Intervention and the Democratic Peace.” International Interactions 21.1 (1995): 1–21. Print.
Lai, Brian and Dan Slater. “Institutions of the Offensive: Domestic Sources of Dispute Initiation in Authoritarian Regimes, 1950–1992”. American Journal of Political Science 50.1 (2006): 113-119. Print.
Ray, James Lee. “Does Democracy Cause Peace?” Annual Review of Political Science 1.1 (2007): 27–46. Print.
Rosato, Sebastian. “The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory.” American Political Science Review 97.1 (2003): 585–602. Print.
Spiro, David. “Give Democratic Peace a Chance? The Insignificance of the Liberal Peace.” International Security 19.2 (2004): 41-53. Print.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that can occur in very densely populated areas, but at the same time, the outbreaks of this disease adversely affect rural areas. Overall, researchers argue that the major determinant is the absence of tap water supply. However, socio-economic status of a person is one of the determinants that can increase the probability of being infected. |
The Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that can occur in very densely populated areas, but at the same time, the outbreaks of this disease adversely affect rural areas. Overall, researchers argue that the major determinant is the absence of tap water supply. However, socio-economic status of a person is one of the determinants that can increase the probability of being infected. | Dengue Disease in Africa Analytical Essay
Table of Contents
1. Distribution and determinants of the Dengue Disease
2. Gaps in knowledge about determinants and distribution
3. Review of studies on the determinants of disease
4. The treatment and prevention of the Dengue disease
5. Areas for further research
6. Critical appraisal of available data
7. Reference List
Distribution and determinants of the Dengue Disease
Dengue can be mostly observed in tropical and sub-tropical regions. In particular, one should speak about Southeast Asia since it is more affected by this virulent disease. Yet, much attention should also be paid to Sub-Saharan Africa as well as South Africa (Figueiredo, et al., 2010, p. 1).
One should keep in mind that Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease; it is transmitted by Aedes aegypti (Schmidt et al.. 2011, p. 1). This disease can occur in very densely populated areas, but at the same time, the outbreaks of this disease adversely affect rural areas.
Overall, researchers argue that the major determinant is the absence of tap water supply (Schmidt et al.. 2011, p. 1). The problem is that Aedes aegypti often breeds in water containers, and people, who use such containers, are at a greater risk of being bitten (Schmidt et al., 2011, p. 1). As a rule, these individuals have a very low income level.
Admittedly, such outbreaks can occur in large urban centers as well because these areas significantly contribute to the spread of this disease; this argument is particular relevant if one speaks about absolute numbers. Nevertheless, such cases can occur if the population density is extremely high.
Therefore, the availability of tap water supply is the main independent variable that can explain the distribution of this disease. In turn, socio-economic status of a person is one of the determinants that can increase the probability of being infected.
Gaps in knowledge about determinants and distribution
There are several gaps in the literature about the distribution of this disease. First, it is important to mention that many cases of this disease may not be properly reported (Bhatt, et al., 2013). Therefore, researchers should take into account that some of their estimations about the prevalence of the Dengue fever may not be accurate.
Additionally, scholars should explain the cyclical nature of the disease outbreaks (Schmidt et al., 2011, p.8). In other words, one should explain why these outbreaks reach certain peaks at regular intervals. Furthermore, it is vital to explain the reasons why this disease spreads so rapidly. These are some of the main gaps that should be filled.
Review of studies on the determinants of disease
While examining the distribution and prevalence of the Dengue fever, researchers focus on several important aspects. For instance, they try to identify potential at-risk areas and estimate the burden of this disease. In this case, the term burden can be defined the number of people who may be infected (Bhatt, et al., 2013, p. 506).
According to their projections, approximately 390 million people can acquire this virulent disease (Bhatt, et al., 2013, p. 504). Among at-risk regions, one can distinguish Asia, Africa, and Oceania. According to them, poverty will be one of the factors that can contribute to the spread of this disease.
Additionally, one can refer to the study carried out by Schmidt et al. (2011) who pay attention to such a variable as availability of infrastructure, in particular, tap water supply.
Additionally, the researchers can focus on those cases when this diseases progress to Dengue Shock Syndrome which can threaten the life of a person (Figueiredo, et al., 2010). They pay attention to the role of such co-mortifies as diabetes and various allergies (Figueiredo, et al., 2010).
Another very important determinant is vector control. In this context, the term vector denotes any biological agent that transmits the disease (Guzman et al, 2010). In this case, one should speak about the mosquito named by Aedes aegypti.
The adoption of various insect control methods can be a factor that significantly reduces the risk of this disease.
The treatment and prevention of the Dengue disease
While discussing the screening and diagnosis of this disease, researchers focus on some of the key symptoms such as rash, headache, fever, and malaise (Guzman et al, 2010, p. 59). Additionally, they note that resuscitation can be critical for avoiding some of the complications that associated with the Dengue fever.
Nevertheless, one should keep in mind that there is no vaccine that can treat this disease. This is one of the challenges that should be considered. Additionally, the scholars lay stress on the documentation of cases because such precautions are important for surveillance and identification of potential outbreaks.
In turn, the prevention activities should be related to such areas as insect control and the development of infrastructure, especially tap water supply (Guzman et al, 2010; Schmidt et al., 2011). These are the main details that should be considered.
Areas for further research
One can distinguish several areas for further research. In particular, researchers should determine whether the education of patients about the risk of the Dengue fever can lead to the reduced prevalence of this disease.
If physicals and nurses work on this task, more patients will seek medical assistance, provided that they detect the sign of this disorder. Moreover, they will be more aware about the risks of using water containers where mosquitoes breed (Schmidt et al., 2011). As a result, the occurrences of this fever can be reduced significantly.
This is one of the hypotheses that should be tested.
Critical appraisal of available data
Overall, it is important to systematize data about the Dengue fever because researchers focus on disease outbreaks in countries that differ in terms of infrastructure, healthcare system, the degree of urbanization, and so forth (Bhatt, et al., 2013).
Additionally, one should focus on the way, in which the governments of different countries prevent in the spread of this disease. Researchers should identify the most effective strategies. Currently, this information is not available.
Reference List
Bhatt, S., Gething, P., Brady, O., Messina, J., Farlow, A., Moyes, C.,…Hay, (2013). The global distribution and burden of dengue. Nature, 497 (20), 504-507.
Figueiredo, M., Rodrigues, L., Barreto, M., Lima, J., Costa, M., Morato, V.,… Teixeira, M. (2010). Allergies and Diabetes as Risk Factors for Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: Results of a Case Control Study. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 4 (6), 1-6.
Guzman, M., Halstead, S., Artsob, S., Buchy, P., Farrar, J., Gubler, D.,… Peeling, R. (2010). Dengue: a continuing global threat. Nature Reviews, 12 (2), 7-16.
Schmidt, W., Suzuki, M., Thiem, V., White, R., Tsuzuki, A., Yoshida, A., Yanai, H.,… Ariyoshi, K. (2011). Population Density, Water Supply, and the Risk of Dengue Fever in Vietnam: Cohort Study and Spatial Analysis. PLoS Medicine, 8 (9), 1-10.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Virgin Atlantic was launched in the year 1984 and has since then offered flight services between London and Falkland. The company has expanded into various global destinations and is currently one of the biggest companies in the United Kingdom in terms of market value. In the proposal paper below, the company is analysed with respect to its HRM practices of employee involvement and employee engagement. The company has been chosen in the proposal because of its past successes and is required to enhance its employee involvement and engagement practices to remain competitive |
Virgin Atlantic was launched in the year 1984 and has since then offered flight services between London and Falkland. The company has expanded into various global destinations and is currently one of the biggest companies in the United Kingdom in terms of market value. In the proposal paper below, the company is analysed with respect to its HRM practices of employee involvement and employee engagement. The company has been chosen in the proposal because of its past successes and is required to enhance its employee involvement and engagement practices to remain competitive | Description of Virgin Atlantic Proposal Essay
Virgin Atlantic was launched in the year 1984 (Balmforth 2009). Its headquarters is situated in Crawley, United Kingdom. At the beginning, the company was dedicated to offering flight services between London and Falkland. Over time, the company has expanded into various global destinations.
Currently, Virgin Atlantic is one of the biggest companies in the United Kingdom in terms of market value. The company has succeeded in offering high quality services to millions of passengers at lower prices.
The services are considered among the most competitive in the airline industry. In the last few years, the company has enjoyed financial success. In the proposal paper below, the company is analysed with respect to its HRM practices of employee involvement and employee engagement.
The company has been chosen in the proposal because of its past successes. As such, successful companies have become prosperous and competitive by adopting appropriate HRM practices of employee involvement and employee engagement (Armstrong & Taylor 2014).
The practices enable the company to be effective and innovative irrespective of how the economy is performing. Given that Virgin Atlantic has recorded successful business performance in the past few years, the company must have enhanced the practices in a bid to remain competitive in the global markets.
By analysing the company, the exact elements that enhance employee engagement in organisations will be established (Boxall & Purcell 2012). The study will also reveal HR practices that can boost employee engagement in organisations.
Airline services are lucrative ventures. However, with increased competition and operation costs a number of airline companies have recorded poor business performances. The affected companies may recover, stagnate, or close down depending on the strategy adopted in such tough situations.
With respect to Virgin Atlantic, they are required to enhance their employee involvement and engagement practices to remain competitive in the global market. Employee involvement and engagement practices are of relevance and interest to Virgin Atlantic for a number of reasons.
In the future, the airline industry is expected to face intense competition from new rivals (Gregory 2014). New rivals in the industry have designed low-cost services that are attractive to clients. Similarly, new state airlines such as Air Emirates have increased competition for long-haul services.
Apart from competition challenge, it should be noted that Virgin Atlantic, just like any other global airline company, is susceptible to outside shocks. Threats such as terrorist assaults and the outbreak of Ebola diseases can affect the company’s business performance because its flight to some destination will be limited.
Therefore, to maximize profits in an era of increased competition and external threats, the company has no other option but to adopt employee involvement and engagement practices.
Globally, all human resource managers agree that employee involvement and engagement are beneficial to organizations. The practices have been associated with a number of optimistic results at the personal and structural levels.
Involved and engaged workers offer increased performance, lesser nonattendance, lower turnover, and increased customer services. By adopting the appropriate employee engagement and involvement practices, Virgin Atlantic will record optimistic results with respect to job performance.
Through this, the company will be able to enhance its productivity by ensuring that the clients are satisfied. The approach would enable the company to gain competitive advantage over its rivals. Similarly, the practices enable workers to come up with their own resources leading to enhanced engagement and an optimistic gain spiral.
In addition, the above practices of relevance and of interest to Virgin Atlantic because they will aid in lessening employee turnover. It is a fact that engaged and involved workers accomplish their tasks better compared with non-involved and non-engaged employee.
In companies where employees are non-engaged, the turnover is high. In companies where employees are engaged, the turnover is low and the workers are more occupied in their responsibilities (Rayner 2009).
Therefore, Virgin Atlantic should enhance the practices to help its employees to be more productive and have a positive perspective about their task to lessen the turnover.
Employee engagement and employee involvement have risen to be common terminologies among human resource managers. However, the terminologies have been defined in numerous ways.
Bratton suggests that engagement in a number of ways can be referred to as individual engagement, occupational engagement, professional engagement, or worker engagement (Bratton & Good 2012). Kahn pioneered the idea of engagement (Daniels, Davis, & Shipton 2008).
He identified individual engagement as the coupling of workers’ personalities to their professional responsibilities. Through engagement, individuals express themselves bodily, cognitively, and enthusiastically in the course of carrying out their responsibilities.
In contrast, Marchington notes that individual disengagement is the disconnection of personalities from professional responsibilities (Marchington & Wilkinson 2012). Through disengagement, individuals pull out and shield themselves bodily, cognitively, or fervently when performing their responsibilities.
Henderson suggests that three mental situations necessary for engagement are emotional significance, emotional safety, and emotional accessibility (Henderson 2011). Emotional significance refers to a sense of profit on investment of personality in role routines.
Emotional safety refers to a feeling of being able to display and use personality without fear of undesirable penalties to self-esteem, position, or occupation. On the other hand, emotional availability refers to a feeling of having the bodily, emotional, and mental resources essential for investing personality in role routines.
Rayer indicates that all human resource managers agree that employee involvement and engagement are beneficial to organizations (Rayer & Adam-Smith 2009). The practices have been associated with a number of optimistic results at the personal and structural levels.
Involved and engaged workers offer increased performance, lesser nonattendance, lower turnover, and increased customer services. Rayer suggests that employee engagement and involvement practices are known to boots innovative work culture.
Satisfied employees are more innovative than non-satisfied employees are, therefore the approach should be enhanced in the company to boost employee satisfaction and innovation.
References
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S 2014, Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice, 13th ed, Kogan Page, London.
Balmforth, J 2009, Virgin Atlantic . Midland, Hersham.
Boxall, P., & Purcell, J 2012, Strategy and human resource management , 4th ed, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire.
Bratton, J., & Good, J 2012, Human resource management theory and practice , 5th ed, Palgrave MacMillian, Hampshire
Daniels, K., Davis, A., & Shipton, H 2008, Strategic HRM: Building research based practice , Aston Centre for Human Resources, London.
Gregory, M 2014, Dirty tricks: British Airways’ secret war against Virgin Atlantic , Virgin, London.
Henderson, I 2011, Human resource management for MBA students , Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London.
Marchington, M., & Wilkinson, A 2012, Human resource management at work: People management and development , 5th ed, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London.
Rayer, D., & Adam-Smith, D 2009, Managing & Leading People , McGraw Hill, London.
Rayner, C 2009, Managing and leading people , 2nd ed, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The text discusses the importance of quality manuals in design management in H&M. The author argues that despite the common belief that quality manuals are a waste of time, they are in fact a vital tool for ensuring that an organization's products and services are in line with the market demand. |
The text discusses the importance of quality manuals in design management in H&M. The author argues that despite the common belief that quality manuals are a waste of time, they are in fact a vital tool for ensuring that an organization's products and services are in line with the market demand. | Design Management in H&M Essay
Analysis on the significance of quality manuals
Organisations’ long-term sustainability is dependent on the management teams’ commitment in formulating and implementing feasible operational strategies. The strategies, policies, and procedures implemented determine an organisation’s ability to achieve business excellence (Chase & Aquilano 2006).
The contemporary business environment has undergone remarkable developments over the past few years due to diverse macro environmental forces. Some of these forces include economic, social, technological, legal, and political forces. For example, the high rate of development in Information Communication Technology [ICT] has led to the emergence of the information age.
Thus, consumers have become knowledgeable, as evidenced by their acumen in the decision-making process. Moreover, the rate of economic growth has enhanced organisations’ production and manufacturing capacity, hence presenting consumers with a wide range of products (Curtis & Cobham 2008).
Despite the market changes, organisations are established based on long-term existence. Therefore, the significance of organisations ensuring that their products and services offered are in line with the market demand cannot be underestimated. Furthermore, it is essential for organisations to ensure that their products and services lead to a high level of satisfaction amongst customers (Doumpos & Zopounidis 2002).
One of the aspects that can enhance an organisation’s sustainability entails product quality. The significance of quality is evidenced by the improvement in quality management approaches such as the total quality management, business excellence, and the introduction of the European Foundation of Quality Management [EFQM] (Doumpos & Zopounidis 2002).
Furthermore, the significance of linking strategic management approaches to quality has increased significantly over the past decades. However, there are divergent views on the relationship between quality management processes and the final product outcome. Subsequently, organisations experience hurdles in their quest to enhance their commitment to product quality.
Some of the most common hurdles include lack of commitment amongst the top and the lower levels of management, poor leadership, and lack of or inadequate employee involvement. This section entails an evaluation of the view that formulation of quality manuals is wastage of time and it does not add value to quality of the final product. This assertion is evaluated in the context of H&M.
Company profile
H&M is a private limited company, which was established in 1947 in Vasteras, Sweden. Since its establishment, the firm has been focused at the implementation of aggressive strategic and operational management practices, which has enhanced its market penetration. The firm has established over 3,000 retail outlets in over 55 countries.
Its commitment to achieving market dominance is evidenced by its strategic plan, which entails increasing its sales revenue and the number of retail outlets by an annual rate of 10% to 15% ( H&M 2014). The firm’s success in the global market is evidenced by the introduction of well-recognised brands such as the H&M, Cheap Monday, Other Stories, H&M Home, and Weekday.
The firm’s success has also been necessitated by the adoption of optimal business concept, which entails the provision of high quality and fashionable products at an attractive price.
The firm’s operational efficiency is enhanced by its strong workforce, which is comprised of over 116,000 employees. H&M has appreciated the significance of ICT in achieving competitive advantage. Consequently, the firm has adopted the concept of online marketing ( H&M 2014).
Analysis; significance of quality manuals at H&M
Winchell (2006) argues that it is imperative for organisations to formulate and implement optimal management systems in order to remain competitive. Prajogo (2003, p.120) defines management system as ‘an outline of processes and procedures used to certify that an institution can fulfil all tasks required to achieve its goals’.
Different management system standards have been formulated in an effort to provide businesses with effective guidance in implementing diverse processes. Quality management is one of the most essential management systems.
Organisations’ quality management systems aim at enhancing products and services in order to meet the consumers’ expectations. Therefore, it is imperative for organisational leaders to ensure that they have implemented an effective in-house quality system. One of the core components of the quality system entails the quality manual.
Nankervis, Miyamoto, and Milton-Smith (2005) argue that the quality manual outlines the project-independent elements of an organisation’s quality system, which the personnel are required to follow.
Prajogo (2003) further emphasises that the quality manual aims at achieving the specified quality assurance goals. Furthermore, quality manual ensures that the organisational unique features such as the structure and size are taken into account.
H&M outsources the production activities from independent suppliers. Despite the view that H&M does not have its own production factories, the firm is committed to providing customers with high quality fashion products, which makes quality one of the firm’s core issues. H&M ensures that the concept of quality is taken into account from the idea generation until when the product reaches the intended customers.
Moreover, core values like continuous improvement, entrepreneurship, and cost-consciousness drive H&M. However, the element of quality is one of the core aspects that the firm is concerned about in the production process.
In line with its commitment at ensuring that its products are of high quality, H&M has formulated a comprehensive quality manual. The Quality manual is focused at ensuring that the firm meets and exceeds the customers’ product expectations and requirements ( H&M 2012).
Furthermore, the quality manual also outlines the processes that the firm should undertake to ensure that the process of monitoring and measuring the level of customer satisfaction are executed effectively. The manual is comprised of a number of components, which aim at fostering a high level of customer satisfaction ( H&M 2012).
Quality policy and customer focus
In order to meet the customers’ requirements, H&M has formulated a comprehensive quality polity, which stipulates the organisation’s values with reference to quality. The quality policy also states the organisation’s commitment to continuous improvement.
The quality policy outlines the H&M’s framework for achieving the formulated quality objectives, set of guidelines for quality control, and production processes [commonly referred to as the GPQ]. The guidelines are focused at fostering a high level of customer satisfaction.
Some of the elements that are considered in the GPQ include the issues that should be taken into account in the garment production process such as quality of raw materials, the production process, garment trimming, finishing packing and inspection.
Quality management approaches
Nankervis, Miyamoto, and Milton-Smith (2005) are of the opinion that the quality of a product or service plays a fundamental role in determining the effectiveness with which the firm achieves the desired level of competitiveness.
However, organisations’ management teams experience challenges in their pursuit to foster competitive advantage through the provision of high quality products and services due to the complexities associated with managing the diverse stakeholders in the supply chain.
Theodorou, Florides, and Tassou (2010, p.7785) assert that it is ‘imperative for organisational leaders to involve customers in the operational processes in order to enhance the effectiveness with which the firm improves quality of its products and services’.
Moreover, organisational leaders should adopt effective strategic management approaches in order to sustain the quality of their products. In an effort to ensure that the quality of its fashion products are of high quality, H&M has incorporated a number of quality approaches in the process of designing its quality manual. Some of these approaches are evaluated herein.
Quality assurance
This approach entails ensuring that the various organisational processes are organised effectively in order to minimise the occurrence of errors during the production process. Subsequently, H&M has adopted the ‘Zero Defects’ approach in its production processes. To ensure that the products developed align with the customers’ expectations, H&M has formulated a comprehensive quality assurance process.
The process is not only concerned with the final product, but also the product planning and design processes. The firm’s quality manual highlights the importance of relying on market research in the product-planning phase. By relying on market research data, H&M has been successful in focusing on diverse elements such as product quality and reliability.
The second element that the firm incorporates during its quality assurance at the product development stage includes design. Siegle (2014, par.3) argues that design ‘is an extremely important process for ensuring high reliability of a product’. In order to improve the quality of the product, H&M ensures that the employees involved in the garment product process understand the importance of being customer focused.
In a bid to ensure that the final product produced is of high quality, H&M has taken into account the diverse stakeholders in the supply chain in its quality assurance processes. For example, the firm has formulated a comprehensive criterion outlining the procedures considered in the selection of suppliers and subcontractors. The firm’s suppliers are selected based on their capacity to provide the firm with high quality raw materials.
Furthermore, the firm subjects its suppliers to a comprehensive quality assurance process. In an effort to maintain the quality of its products, H&M monitors its suppliers’ performance continuously in order to determine their commitment to quality. The assessment aims at determining the suppliers’ suitability.
Continuous improvement
The contemporary business environment is experiencing remarkable changes arising from diverse macro environmental forces. One of the macro environmental forces affecting firms in the retail industry relates to change on consumer behaviour (Charantimath 2007). One of the forces affecting the firm’s operations relates to change in consumer tastes and preferences.
H&M is cognisant of the impact of market changes on an organisation’s long-term success. In its pursuit to align its operations with the market changes, H&M has integrated the concept of continuous improvement in its quality manual. The firm’s quality manual states that the continuous improvement process must be based on the findings of the firm’s market research.
Consequently, the firm undertakes market research occasionally in an effort to identify gaps that can be exploited. For example, the market research provides H&M research and development department on possible product non-conformities to the quality policy. Thus, the effectiveness with which the firm undertakes product improvement is enhanced.
Quality control
Chao (2007) asserts that the quality of the final product has a significant impact on the consumers’ continued usage, and hence the repeat purchase behaviour. Therefore, it is imperative for organisational leaders to ensure that the final product introduced in the market is of high quality.
H&M is committed to ensuring that the final product contributes to a high level of customer satisfaction. Consequently, the firm has integrated the concept of quality control as one of its approaches to quality. The firm undertakes quality control through quality inspection of every product produced.
In its quest to foster a high level of customer satisfaction, H&M has established a number of laboratories, which are located in some of the markets that the firm has ventured. The firm’s decision to establish the laboratories was informed by the need to ensure that the products distributed in various markets across the markets are of high quality.
Furthermore, the firm has instituted a number of standards in the quality manual that the laboratories should check during the quality control process. Through quality inspection, the firm has been in a position to minimise the availability of faulty products in the market. The firm donates the faulty fashion products identified during the inspection process to charitable organisations such as UNICEF (Timmons 2013).
In summary, H&M’s commitment to adhering to the various elements stipulated in its quality manual has played a fundamental role in enhancing its competitiveness.
The firm’s commitment to various quality approaches such as continuous improvement, quality assurance, and quality control as played an essential role in ensuring that it produces high quality fashion products. Therefore, the assertion that the formulation of quality manual is a waste of time and it does not have any impact on the quality of the product is misguided.
Considering the prevailing market changes, it is critical for H&M to invest in effective design and development projects through the integration of the Deming Cycle, which is an effective problem solving and change management strategy.
The cycle is comprised of four main stages, which include Plan-Do-Check-Act. This cycle will improve the effectiveness with which H&M sustains and improves the quality of its products, and thus improve its competitiveness.
Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique
The Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique [SMART] is a decision-making tool that has been applied extensively in making decisions in various situations. The technique is based on the concept of rating various attributes that the decision maker identifies as significant in the decision-making process (Belton & Stewart 2002).
For example, the most important attribute may be assigned a score of 100 while the least important attribute is assigned a score of 10. However, the model does not have an explicit upper limit, which means that the decision maker has the discretion in assigning the scores.
Furthermore, the decision making process is achieved through normalisation of the sum total of the points scored by each of the attribute identified. The SMART decision making tool can be applied in making decisions related to issues that affect the environment.
Application of the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique
Exan Limited is a private limited company that specialises in the extraction of uranium from the earth’s crust as an alternative form of energy in the US. The firm’s decision to venture into the alternative energy market was motivated by the identification of the high rate at which organisations in different sectors were increasingly adopting renewable and clean sources of energy (Konidari & Mavrakis 2007a).
The firm’s core business entails the exploration and extraction of uranium from different parts of the world in an effort to satisfy the market demand. However, one of the major issues facing the firm relates to the disposition of the waste materials from the mines and the firm’s operations.
This aspect arises from the view that the waste materials have a high potential of being radioactive, which poses significant environmental, health, and safety risk (Shen, Chou & Chiyang 2011).
Diakoulaki and Karangelis (2007) assert that decision making with regard to various environmental projects are intractable and complex due to the diverse trade-offs amongst the various ecological, socio-political, environmental, and economic factors.
Despite the issue faced, Exan Limited is focused at achieving sustainability. Consequently, the firm has an obligation to make an effective decision on the most effective way to dispose the radioactive waste.
In order to ensure that the organisation selects the most optimal decision with regard to waste disposal, Exan Limited should adopt effective decision-making techniques. One of the techniques that the firm should consider includes the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique [SMART].
Adopting the SMART technique will improve the firm’s ability to take into account diverse aspects, which might be affected adversely by how the firm disposes the waste materials (Loken 2007). Subsequently, Exan Limited will be required to take into account diverse dimensions in the decision making process.
Some of these dimensions relate to the risk involved, costs, benefits, human values, and safety. In order to be effective in applying the SMART model in the decision-making process, Exan Limited will be required to take into account a number of steps as illustrated below.
Identification of the decision maker
Exan Limited is focused at achieving corporate social responsibility. One of the core elements that the firm should take into account relates to the environment. In order to achieve environmental sustainability, the firm’s management team in collaboration with employees in the other departments should participate in making decision on the most effective method of disposing the waste materials (Lai, Bo & Cheung 2002).
The firm intends to construct a waste disposal plant within its facility in order to ensure that its operations do not affect the environment adversely.
Subsequently, the decision-making process should be a collaborative in order to improve brainstorming, which will aid in the identification of the salient attributes associated with waste disposal (Triantaphyllou 2000). Some of the salient attributes that the firm should take into account include cost, expected lives lost, civic improvement, and the degree of the involved risks.
Evaluation of alternatives
After the identification of the salient attributes, it is critical for the decision maker to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the various attributes. This process entails the identification of the diverse aspects associated with the core attributes (Kasie 2013).
For example, a number of issues can be subdivided into a number of sub-categories such as the cost of formulating the diverse safety procedures and policies and cost of operation.
The expected lives lost attribute should take into account the system’s operators, construction of workers, and the impact of the firm’s waste disposal on the public. On the other hand, the firm should evaluate the diverse risks associated with the waste disposal plant. Some of the risks that might affect the plant include floods, the occurrence of an earthquake, and other incidents arising from natural occurrences (Wang & Yang 2007).
Finally, the decision makers should evaluate the civic improvements required in order to ensure that the firm is effective in its waste disposal processes. One of the civic improvement aspects that the firm should take into account includes making decision on whether the firm will be required to invest in public works within the area in which it operates.
Assigning relative weights to the identified attributes
The decision-making unit at Exan Limited should assign relative weights to the alternative attributed in order to measure the data. Different techniques can be adopted in assigning weights. Some of these techniques include direct rating and ranking. Ranking entails assigning the identified attributes in order of their significance. For example, the total number of points may amount to 100 points.
In the course of making decisions related to the construction of the waste disposal facility, Exan Limited should take into account the various subcategories, which include the expected lives lost subcategories, cost sub-items, and the risk subcategories.
Exan Limited intends to select the most effective site to locate the waste disposal plant. Different locations should be identified and the decision to locate the facility be based on the identified attributes as illustrated in the table below.
Column1 Risk involved Cost [in billion dollars] Expected lives lost Civic improvement
New Jersey Very low 100 140 Very high
Rock Springs low 60 40 High
Nome, AK Very High 40 60 Low
Gary, IN Low 70 80 Very high
The above table shows the differences associated with locating the facility in some locations with regard to the cost objectives, catastrophic risk categories, and the lost lives objective. The organisation should rank the objective in order of their importance.
Browne and Ryan (2010) assert some attributes considered in the decision-making process are very important while others are too unimportant. With regard to the issue at hand, Exan Limited should rank the attributes as illustrated below. The attributes are ranked in accordance with their significance.
Lives > Risk involved > Cost involved > Civic improvement
The significance of lives in the decision making process is higher as compared to the civic improvement attribute in the decision making process. However, it is essential for the Exan Limited’s management team to assign weights to the identified attributes. The firm can assign a value of 10 to the least important attribute, which is civic improvement.
Secondly, the firm should compare the other attributes to each other in order to establish the ratio of relative importance. For example, the firm can compare the cost involved to the civic improvement attribute and assign a score of 60.
Thirdly, the risk attribute may be compared to improvement and be assigned a weight of 150. Finally, the lives attribute may be compared to civic improvement and be assigned a value of 180. The table below illustrates a summary of the scores in relation to the various alternatives.
After assigning scores or weights to the various decision alternatives, it is imperative for Exan Limited to determine the average weights. The average or normalised weight is determined by calculating the total weights and dividing the weight of the respective attribute with the score or weight assigned. The table below illustrates the normalised weights of the various attributes.
Attribute Weights Normalised weights
Risk involved 150 0.38
Cost 60 0.15
Expected lives lost 180 0.45
Civic improvement 10 0.025
Normalisation of the weights enables the decision makers to quantify the significance of the various decision attributes in the decision making process. Consequently, the likelihood of improving the decision making process through the consideration of the most important attribute is increased. In this case, the firm should consider the impact of constructing the waste disposal facility on the residents’ lives.
Secondly, the firm should also take into account the risks involved in the construction process (Petkova, Andrew & Nepal 2007). By taking into account these two attributes, Exan Limited will be in a position to enhance its future success due to the improved operational efficiency and adherence to corporate social responsibility.
Strengths and limitations of SMART
One of the core strengths of the SMART technique is that it is similar to the Cost Benefit Analysis model. Subsequently, an organisation can assess the costs and benefits associated with a particular attribute in the decision-making process.
Furthermore, the decision-making process is based on weighing the attributes. Furthermore, the SMART technique is relatively simple to use, which increases its appeal amongst the decision makers.
Despite the above strengths, the SMART technique is characterised by a number of limitations. One of the major limitations is its oversimplification of the problem faced. One of the steps in the decision analysis process entails the identification of various attributes.
In an effort to achieve environmental sustainability, Exan Limited is faced with a major decision on how to ensure that the radioactive waste materials are disposed optimally. In order to deal with this problem, the organisation is required to take into account diverse aspects that might be directly impacted by the decision make, which has led to the integration of diverse dimensions in the decision-making process.
Wong, Johnny, and Li (2008) are of the opinion that the SMART technique is very effective due to its capability to integrate qualitative and quantitative aspects in the decision-making process. The attributes are ranked in accordance with their weight. The most important alternatives are selected and assigned higher rating.
Subsequently, there is a high probability of leaving or rejecting some attributes which might be of significant value in the decision making process. In a bid to eliminate this problem, it is imperative for decision makers to integrate diverse weighing profiles in order to undertake intensive analysis.
The likelihood of identifying robust alternatives during the decision-making process is increased through the integration of diverse dimensions. Wong, Johnny, and Li (2008, p.109) further emphasises that the ‘SMART method has rather high demands on the level of detail in input data and value functions need to be assessed for each of the lowest level attributes and weights should be given as trade-offs’.
Furthermore, the SMART technique can only be applied in the process of dealing with simple issues. Therefore, its capacity to handle complex issues is limited, which has led to the development of other decision-making methods.
Analysis of Decision Models
Decision-making refers to the process of identifying and selecting from a wide range of alternatives based on the predetermined values of the decision maker. Gomez-Limon and Martinez (2006) contend that design methods deal with different issues, which include sustainability, articulation, convergence, transformation, and divergence.
The divergence aspect entails evaluating the various possibilities and constraints associated with a particular situation (Ho, Xu & Dey 2006). Subsequently, the success with which the design methods are implemented is dependent on the extent to which effective decisions are made.
Organisations’ decision-making units [DMUs] are faced by complex environmental problems that are required to be dealt with in order to enhance their organisations’ long-term success. Thus, the DMUs have an obligation to make rational decisions, hence the importance of integrating effective decision -making processes.
Gilliams, Raymaekers, Muys, and Van (2005) are of the opinion that decision-making is increasingly becoming complex due to the connection amongst diverse factors and the high rate of globalisation and the changing business environment.
Diverse tools and methodologies have been formulated in an effort to assist the decision makers during the decision-making process. However, the contribution of the decision-making process is influenced by the extent to which the formulated methodologies are applied (Geldermann & Rentz 2005). Some of these methodologies are evaluated herein.
The Analytic Hierarchy Process [AHP]
This methodology is mainly applied in the process of dealing with quantifiable aspects. The AHP methodology is mainly applied in absence of statistical and physical measures (Ishizaka & Labib 2011). Subsequently, it enables the decision maker to convert subjective assessments involved in the decision-making process into relative values. The AHP technique is based on three main principles including
1. Decomposing the overall problem faced by identifying the most important factors.
2. Formulating comparative judgements based on the decomposed elements.
3. Obtaining the measures of relative importance through pairing
Olson (2001) asserts that AHP is a description decision-analysis methodology that calculates the ratio-scaled importance of alternatives through pairwise comparison of evaluation criteria and alternatives by means of the weighted sum method. The effectiveness of the AHP as a decision-making tool arises from the view that the decision makers are in a position to simplify the problem faced into its respective components.
The simplification process is achieved through the formulation of goals, alternatives, criteria, and sub-criteria (Macharis, Springael, De-Brucker & Verbeke 2004).
This aspect increases the effectiveness with which the decision maker undertakes pairwise comparison of the identified elements. The subdivision of the problem into smaller components increases the decision makers’ capability to compare the various elements (Gass & Rapcsák 2004).
In addition to the above, the effectiveness of the AHP in the decision-making process also lies in its capability to deal with both qualitative and quantitative judgements. Moreover, the AHP decision-making method enables the decision maker to screen inconsistent judgements effectively, hence resulting into reliable results (Kangas & Kangas 2005).
The AHP technique also entails the calculation of an inconsistency index, which the decision maker can use in gauging the extent to which his/her judgements align with the final decisions made (Pohekar & Ramachandran 2004).
Multi-Attribute Utility Theory
This decision-making method evaluates the utility of the diverse factors in accordance with the decision-maker’s preference. The MAUT methodology is every effective in making decisions regarding the location of a particular plant. Gade and Osuri (2014) assert that poor decisions in the process of establishing a particular facility such as a manufacturing plant can lead to substantial loss of resources.
Therefore, it is imperative for engineers to make logical decisions. However, the decision involved might be complex due to the numerous attributes involved. Thus, the decision maker is required to make a choice from a wide range of alternatives, which increases the number of possible combinations.
In order to select the most optimal combination, it is imperative for the decision makers to incorporate the utility theory, which is based on a mathematical model. Fulop (2009) emphasises that it is imperative for the decision maker to adopt the additive utility function in the process of calculating the overall utility. An example of the additive utility function is illustrated below.
U (aj) = p1u1(gj2) + ….+ pnun(gjn)
Whereby U1, U2….Un = the marginal utility of the evaluation criterions.
The MAUT decision-making methodology appreciates the importance of collaboration between the decision makers and the researchers in the process of formulating the additive utility function. The MAUT methodology increases the effectiveness with which the decision maker specifies the trade-offs between the criterions identified through the marginal utility functions.
The MAUT decision-making methodology provides the decision makers with an opportunity to gain additional knowledge and a better understanding of the problem faced through evaluation of diverse parameters (Konidari & Mavrakis 2007b). The model increases the decision makers’ capability to quantify the various alternatives.
Subsequently, the MAUT methodology enhances the decision-making capability in situations characterised by a high degree of uncertainty and risk (Figueira, Greco & Ehrgott 2004). This decision-making method is mainly applicable in the process of dealing with issues associated with renewable energy planning, assessing environmental impact of a project, and electric utility planning (Theodorou, Florides & Tassou 2010).
AMS
The AMS method is another method of evaluating alternatives in the decision-making process. The method takes into account the three main multi-criterial decision-making methods, which include the SMART, MAUT, and the AHP techniques (Ekárt & Németh 2005). A number of steps are involved in the process of utilising the AMS technique. These steps include
1. Establishment of a criteria-tree
2. Determining the weights coefficients of the criteria or sub criteria identified
3. Grading the criteria of the respective instruments
4. Formulation of an aggregate grade in relation to the three instruments
The development of the criteria tree enables the decision maker to take into account the various needs that should be taken into account in the decision-making context. Subsequently, the decision maker can identify the most important parameters and their impact on various stakeholders.
AMS is simple, flexible, and reliable. Moreover, its effectiveness also lies in its capacity to take into account the utilitarian approach in the decision analysis process. However, one of the major limitations of this decision analysis method is that it has not been applied extensively.
The above analysis shows that organisations encounter diverse situations that might affect their long-term sustainability. One of these issues relates to their impact of their operations on the society and the environment within which they operate.
Subsequently, organisations’ management teams have an obligation to ensure that they are effective in their decision-making process, which can be achieved by taking into account the needs of the diverse stakeholders. Different decision analysis tools have been formulated in an effort to assist organisations’ management teams to be effective in their decision-making process.
Some of the core decision-analysis tools identified include SMART, MAUT, AMS, and AHP. These tools are very effective in assisting decision makers to deal with complex situations. Their effectiveness arises from the view that they enable the decision maker to evaluate the various aspects that might affect their operations. Subsequently, they enhance the quality of the decision made.
Reference List
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The essay discusses the importance of using the right tools in the product design process, and how each phase can be made more efficient depending on the effectiveness of the tools used in the decision making process. The study also examines the strengths and weaknesses of each of the tools that are applied in decision making at the product design phases and the areas they have been applied to provide solutions to design problems. |
The essay discusses the importance of using the right tools in the product design process, and how each phase can be made more efficient depending on the effectiveness of the tools used in the decision making process. The study also examines the strengths and weaknesses of each of the tools that are applied in decision making at the product design phases and the areas they have been applied to provide solutions to design problems. | Product Design Decision Making Tools Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Brainstorming
3. Generating alternatives-morphological analysis
4. Evaluation matrix
5. Conclusion
6. References
Introduction
Studies show that each phase in the product design process can be made efficient depending on the effectiveness of the tools used in the decision making process. Among the decision making tools that are used include brainstorming, generating alternatives-morphological analysis, and the evaluation matrix.
The tools have different areas of application and effectiveness decision making. The tools are crucial in optimizing available solutions to design a good quality product when seeking for possible solutions.
This study aims to establish the strengths and weaknesses of each of the tools that are applied in decision making at the product design phases and the areas they have been applied to provide solutions to design problems.
Brainstorming
According to Bronson and Merryman (2010), the effectiveness of brainstorming depends on ideas generated by individuals working in groups to create a design that balances the goals of the user at the problem definition and possible solution to determine the best possible solution phases in the design process.
Hunton and Gold (2010), brainstorming involves different product design ideas that are put together in group thinking sessions to evaluate the alternatives and generate high quality product design solutions.
However, the limitations of brainstorming, according to Carpenter (2007) are that it is time consuming, hinders other group members from making positive contributions that might hinder the use of better quality product design ideas.
Weaknesses in the brainstorming process can be detected by determining if other group members do not understand the design problems and suggested solutions, do not make contributions, relate with others poorly, and tend to be segregated among their social status (Kinicki & Williams 2010).
In practice, General Electric CEO Jack Welch used brainstorming sessions in decision making with employees, but brainstorming did not prove to be an effective tool for decision making because of its weaknesses and the results were not as effective (Hunton & Gold 2010).
IDEO is one of the practical a product development companies that use brainstorming to increase the productivity of employees and the quality of products (Kinicki, A & Williams 2010).
Generating alternatives-morphological analysis
Generating alternatives-morphological analysis is a decision making process for generating ideas within the design process, which depends on the structure of already existing words (Bayazit 2003).
The arrangement of words or allomorphs is used to determine the arrangement of rules for generating alternative outcomes in the morphological analysis process and the strength of the decision making process relies on the sequence and arrangement of the related elements (Hornecker 2010).
To address the challenges in decision making, the designer has to “break down a system into constituent components, concepts, and sub concepts and each component represents a dimension in the decision making process that affects the final decision” (Dangayach & Deshmukh 2001).
Carpenter (2007) argues that the alternatives-morphological analysis is a highly structured decision making process used to discover new configurations and relationships that cannot be discovered when using less structured decision making processes.
According to Bronson and Merryman (2010), the boundary conditions in a highly structured system can be determined by using the context factors that allow the designer to evaluate different parameters that are used to solve complex product design issues (Zimmermann 2001).
A morphological box is used to develop a solution matrix to provide answers to certain challenges.
Figure 1, Lee 2009
The decision making process is useful to find solutions for motor vehicle industry and jet propulsion problems that require several parameters because of the complexity of the problems (Lee 2009).
For instance, an aircraft is made of very many functioning components such as fuel consumption, power production, and wings balancing that require accurate decisions to make the parts function optimally (Zeiler 2011).
However, the weaknesses with the alternatives-morphological analysis are its structured nature that limits innovation and creative thinking.
Figure 2, Zeiler 2011
Evaluation matrix
It has been established that the “evaluation matrix is another method used for decision making. The method is based on the premise that missing values in a matrix can provide imperfect alternatives and depends on the cause and effect, descriptive, and normative questions” (Baines, Lightfoot, Benedettini & Kay 2009, p.45).
The strength of an evaluation matrix is that it enables effective triangulation, sustainability, efficiency, and effectiveness in the design process. The method enables teams to be easily evaluated to address any challenges that arise during the design process using sub questions that are generated in the process (Trott 2008).
The strength of the evaluation matrix is based on the construct of a list of key factors, percentage ratios, weight marks, score specific decision making elements, aggressiveness, competitiveness, and defensiveness (Carpenter 2007).
Different studies have shown that different areas can benefit from quality planning by use of the evaluation matrix to determine the best solution to the problems being solved as shown in table 1.
Table 1 – Table of evaluation matrix
In table 1, each alternative solution to a problem is assigned values, which are used to identify alternative solutions using the mandatory and desirable criteria of fail/pass options. The weight of each problem is in the evaluation matrix and a solution that corresponds with the problems is determined (Sharma & Berry 2007).
Performance specifications of the products including the product attributes that are measured depend on the values and weights assigned to each object.
The main strengths with the method are that it uses a scoring system to assign weights and to rate alternative solutions for the problems that are identified with a product so that the best solution is obtained among different alternatives.
Several practical examples exist that demonstrate the successful application of the method to solve project related problems.
Among the examples that the technique has been applied is in the building industry where different materials and products costs are evaluated to determine the best options and cost effective methods to procure raw materials and products used in the building industry (Stevenson, Drake, Shea, Zelazny & Murray 2010).
However, it takes a significant amount of time to find solutions to problems and that depends on how complicated a situation could be. The advantage with the method is the ability to use the synergy from teamwork to solve complex problems.
Conclusion
The product design process is important when determining how to optimise the right decisions to make good quality products. Among the tools include brainstorming, generating alternatives-morphological analysis, and evaluation matrix tools.
The strengths and weaknesses of the tools provide the best ground to determine the right tool to use in decision making during the product design phase and how the decisions made affect the quality of a product in the design phase.
References
Baines, TS, Lightfoot, HW, Benedettini, O & Kay, J M 2009, ‘The servitization of manufacturing: a review of literature and reflection on future challenges’, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management , vo. 20, no. 5, pp. 547-567.
Bayazit, O 2003, Total quality management (TQM) practices in Turkish manufacturing organizations. The TQM magazine , vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 345-350.
Carpenter, TD 2007, ‘Audit team brainstorming, fraud risk identification, and fraud risk assessment: Implications of SAS’, The Accounting Review , vol. 82, no. 5, pp. 1119-
Dangayach, GS & Deshmukh, SG 2001, ‘Manufacturing strategy: literature review and some issues’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management , vol. 7, no. 21, pp. 884-932.
Hornecker, E 2010, ‘Creative idea exploration within the structure of a guiding framework: the card brainstorming game’, Proceedings of the fourth international conference on Tangible, embedded, and embodied interaction , vol. 2, no.4, pp. 101-108.
Hunton, JE & Gold, A 2010, ‘A Field Experiment Comparing the Outcomes of Three Fraud Brainstorming Procedures: Nominal Group, Round Robin, and Open Discussion (Retracted)’, The Accounting Review , vol. 3, no. 85, 911-935.
Kinicki, A & Williams, B 2010, Management: A Practical Introduction , McGraw-Hill, Kent Town.
Lee, N 2009, Project methods as the vehicle for learning in undergraduate design education: a typology. Design Studies , vol. 5, no.30, pp. 541-560.
Sharma, RRK. & Berry, V 2007, ‘Developing new formulations and relaxations of single stage capacitated warehouse location problem (SSCWLP): Empirical investigation for assessing relative strengths and computational effort’, European Journal of Operational Research , vol. 177, no. 2, pp. 803-812.
Stevenson, LG, Drake, SK., Shea, YR., Zelazny, A M & Murray, PR 2010, ‘Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry for identification of clinically important yeast species’, Journal of clinical microbiology , vol. 48, no. 10 ,pp. 3482-3486.
Trott, P 2008, Innovation Management and New Product Development , Prentice Hall, London.
Zeiler, W 2011, ‘Building bridges for engineering education: the experience of partnership with building industry for sustainable solutions’, ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, vol. 2, no. 34, pp. pp. 823-832.
Zimmermann, HJ 2001, Fuzzy set theory and its applications , Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The role of destination management organization in marketing the destination is to create awareness and convince the global market of its uniqueness.The role of destination management organization in marketing the destination is to create awareness and convince the global market of its uniqueness. | The role of destination management organization in marketing the destination is to create awareness and convince the global market of its uniqueness.
The role of destination management organization in marketing the destination is to create awareness and convince the global market of its uniqueness. | Destination Management Organisation: New Forest Evaluation Essay
Introduction
Tourism industry has become increasingly competitive as different players struggle to attract tourists from all over the world. The emerging technologies, especially in the field of transport and communication have turned the world into a global village (Goeldner & Ritchie 2009, p. 75).
Although technology has been the biggest boost to this industry, it has brought massive competition among the players that many of them are forced to look for ways of survival in order to continue operating in this industry. Attracting global tourists goes beyond having beautiful parks and the best natural sceneries.
According to Baker and Cameron (2008, p. 80), tourism has ascended to a level where success of a given tourists’ destination is determine by the marketing strategies that are put in place by the management.
For this reason, destination management organisations have a serious task of ensuring that they make their destination attractive to the world market by not only creating awareness about it, but convincing the global market of its uniqueness (Keller, Sternthal & Tybou 2002, p. 78). It is only through this that a tourist from the United States will consider travelling to the United Kingdom and not China or India (Bramwell 2004, p. 78).
Using of the modern technologies can be helpful to destination management organisation in developing superior strategies that would help convince the global customers that this is the best tourist destination. In this research, the focus will be to critically evaluate New Forest’s online marketing strategy as one of the leading destination management organisations, and how this strategy can be improved.
The Role of Destination Management Organisation in Marketing the Destination
Tourism industry has become very competitive as players look for better ways of attracting global customers. As Briassoulis and Straaten (2000, p. 56) say, the period when tourist would flow to Africa or Asia to see rare animal species and different cultural practices are long gone. Tourists are now focused on destinations that would offer more that what nature presents.
They want comfort, convenience, security, and the beautiful nature itself. In a world where information has become a very powerful tool, most of the tourists would seek for as much information about the places they want to visit as would be possible.
In the past, they would visit embassies of the countries they wanted to visit in order to get some basic information on what they should expect (Buhalis & Schertler 1999, p. 89). However, this is no longer the case. Information is freely available through interactive media and the mass media. It means that they can easily get the information they need at any time.
Destination management organisations have a major role to play in ensuring that global tourists will have positive information about the country that can be convincing enough to attract them locally. They have the responsibility of making the destination meet the international standards to avoid dissatisfactions when tourists arrive (Kelley 2001, p. 45).
The organisation must also ensure that there is enough security for the visiting tourists and that the infrastructures they will use are within their expectations.
Some of the key stakeholders in this industry include the government through the ministry of tourism, the hoteliers, tour operators, travel agencies, wildlife conservation agencies, financial institutions, and individuals who are directly or indirectly involved in this industry (Kusluvan 2003, p. 79). When forming the organisation, members from all of the above mentioned sectors must be fully represented.
Complexities and challenges in marketing the destination
It is important to note that these organisations may face some complexities and challenges when addressing these issues (Laudon 2004, p. 67). One of the biggest challenges that these organisations face is limited of cooperation from of one of the stakeholders such as the government. There are some core issues in the tourism industry that can only be addressed by the government.
One such issue is the security in the country and specifically on the areas frequented by the tourists (Mills & Rob 2005, p. 87). It is the responsibility of the national government and the society to ensure that there is safety for the tourists and all the stakeholders in this industry.
Language barrier has also been an issue that many of these organisations face when trying to attract global customers. For example, in the United Kingdom, it is easy to find people who can translate English to Mandarin so that Chinese tourist can be aware of the uniqueness of the country as a tourist destination point (Pike 2008, p. 59).
However, when they come to the country in large numbers, there is always a problem of finding enough tour guides who understand Mandarin to help guide them through various places they wish to visit. It would mean that what is offered to the tourists is not what they were promised in their advertisements (Reisinger 2009, p. 34).
When visiting, they were made to believe that there are people who understand their language, and communication would not be an issue. When this is not delivered, they get dissatisfied, and this reduces chances that they may visit the country again. Reaching customers all over the world has been an issue to some of these organisations because the mass media is limited by geographic coverage.
Use of technologies to address the challenges
Some of these challenges can be addressed using some of the emerging technologies. The social media such as Facebook, Tweeter, and YouTube are not geographically limited. It means that these organisations can address the problem of limited geographical coverage of the mass media by using the social media. Technology can also be used to enhance security in specific regions where tourists may be susceptible to attacks.
The cars they use while on tour should be fitted with tracking devices that they can use to call for help and to trace their locations whenever they feel that they could be in danger. Technology also boosts the ability of the stakeholders to offer improved services to their customers.
For instance, some large hotels have video-conferencing facilities and strong internet that can enable their visitors conduct business activities while in their rooms. It means that some of these visitors may not be interrupted to stop their visit because of the urgent need to report to work. They can work as they enjoy their holiday.
Online Destination Marketing and the Marketing Concepts Involved
Online destination marketing has gained massive popularity in the recent past as destination organisations struggle to attract customers to their market. According to Buhalis (2003, p. 89), these organisations have come to realise that traditional marketing strategies are almost obsolete. Tourists go to the internet when they want to travel.
For this reason, the organisations must always be online to ensure that they attract these online customers. As mentioned above, social media marketing is one of the most attractive global media strategies that firms are currently using.
The number of people who regularly visit Facebook is estimated to be slightly over 1.3 billion people according to the recent statistics (Rosellina, Amna & Matherly 2013, p. 447). This is to say that about one-third of the world’s population visit this site regularly.
It means that it offers the best online platform for tourist destination management organisations when looking for means of reaching the customers. Tweeter has a following of over 700 million people and YouTube is frequented by over 800 million people regularly (Roedy & Fisher 2011, p. 85). These sites offer attractive means of marketing in the global society.
The website of these companies can also be used to pass sensitive information to the customers. In fact, Norzalita and Norjaya (2010, p. 45) say that the information on the social media should direct the customers to the websites where visitors can access all the information they need about the destination. It would be necessary to understand some of the marketing concepts involved at this stage.
Segmentation
Market segmentation is one of the most important tasks that a marketing unit should do before targeting it with the promotional campaigns (Buhalis & Jafari 1998, p. 75). It involves classification of the customers based on various demographical factors.
Segmentation in tourism management will help identify the most attractive regions to target. It will not only help in reducing the cost of advertising, but also help in developing effective campaign programs that target the desired segment.
Positioning
When the target market is identified, positioning is always necessary, especially when promoting a brand (Rust, Zeithaml & Lemon 2004, p. 9). Developing a strong brand in the tourism industry may be a complex task, but the positioning strategy taken by a firm will define success in this process. With proper positioning, a brand can gain a competitive edge over other market rivals.
Customer focus and customer-centric marketing
When operating in a highly competitive industry, it is always necessary to ensure that the marketing approach used is customer-centric (Sharpley & Telfer 2002, p. 78). It means that destination management organisations will need a strategy that would focus on the customers’ needs in the market. They must understand what tourists are looking for when they set to tour the world.
The digital footprint can be used to support this process. The firms can determine the sites visited by these tourists or searches they make when they want to travel in order to determine what they are looking for in the market. According to Burns and Novelli (2008, p. 54), people will always search for things they find appealing. It will help the organisation to determine their tastes and preferences.
With this information, it may be easy to redesign the products in order to make them be able to offer what the market needs. Digital footprint can also be useful in determining the frequency of customers on the site, and the amount of time they take on that site (Trott 2005, p. 67). This would help the marketing team to know the popularity of the website among the customers.
New Forest
The New Forest is one of the destination management organisations in Southern England. It is important to note that the region is also home to the New Forest National Park. The park is one of the major tourists’ attraction centres in this country. The organisation has been actively involved in marketing the New Forest as the best destination for tourists where all their touring needs are met.
The organisation has a clearly defined target segment. Although its recent campaigns have shown that it is moving towards attractive people of different demographic factors, the firm had initially been keen on attracting domestic families interested in interacting with nature.
However, it realised that it could not restrict itself to the domestic market (Cooper 2008, p. 65). For this reason, it has started targeting international customers from various regions in the world. Some of the key objectives include popularising this region, especially the New Forest National Park, as the best destination point for both the local and international tourists.
It has two main website, one of the New Forest, and the other for the New Forest National Park to help it reach out to the international tourists. It has also been working with relevant authorities in this region to ensure that the infrastructures used by the tourists are in the right condition.
The organisation has also been working closely with the government to ensure that there is maximum security for the locals and tourists who come to visit the region (Fennell 2006, p. 56). Members of this authority are the stakeholders in different sectors that are directly or indirectly related to the tourism industry. They include hoteliers, tour operators, travel agencies, wildlife services, and the government.
These stakeholders work closely to ensure that they achieve their goals. Sometimes coordinating all these stakeholders may be challenging, but the management of this organisation has been able to address this challenge.
Evaluation of New Forest Footprint
New Forest can analyze the footprint of those who visit their site to determine how effective its marketing strategy is in the global market. The organisation can use a special software to enable it determine the location of the website visitor, duration they take in the website, and the information they access (Upadhyay 2009, p. 85).
The firm can also make use of HubSport reports on this industry to determine the changing trends in this market, and how it can re-evaluate its strategies to ensure that it remains relevant in this competitive market.
The management must realise that the outcome of its marketing strategy will be determined by its actions in the market as defined in the Institutional Theory of marketing (Von 2003, p. 45). It must be careful of its actions to avoid any negative consequences that may be associated with its strategies.
Findings
The New Forest has been very successful in creating awareness of this destination in the local market. When collecting the data, the researcher got interested in finding some of the strategies that the management of the organisation has been using locally (Kärcher 1997, p. 87). The researcher contacted one of the mid-managers in this organisation through e-mail.
He accepted to respond to the questions which were then sent through the e-mail. Based on the information received from the respondent, the New Forest has taken a bold step towards using the digital media to attract customers.
However, this has come with great challenges. Increasing the focus on the international market means that there will be a reduced attention on the local market which is very valuable to the organisation (Frew 2004, p. 78).
The management has been trying a delicate balance where the global market is given enough focus while still ensuring that the local market is not ignored. The management knows that the only way of achieving sustainability is to attract both local and international customers.
Discussion
Destination management organisations have found themselves in a competitive environment that has shifted from using traditional marketing strategies to using digital marketing technologies (Inkpen 1998, p. 83).
The New Forest in Southern England is one of those organisations that have been faced with a competitive environment where players are forced to use sophisticated marketing strategies in order to attract domestic and international tourists (Buhalis & Darcy 2011, p. 56). The organisation has realised that having beautiful flora and fauna alone may not offer a competitive edge over other market rivals.
Customers need information and it is the responsibility of this organisation to avail this information about the firm and its product offerings. It must convince the market that it is the best destination for tourists around the world (Sinha 1998, p. 74). The social media can be very helpful in reaching the international customers, while mass media can be used to reach the domestic market.
Conclusion
Destination management organisations have the responsibility of popularising their products to the local and global market in order to attract customers to the region. All the stakeholders must embrace the need to come together and work as a unit in coming up with appropriate strategies that can help reach the customers. The digital media offers the best opportunity for this body to reach both local and global customers.
List of References
Baker, M & Cameron, E 2008, Critical success factors in destination marketing, Tourism and Hospitality Research , vol. 8. no. 2, pp. 79–97.
Bramwell, B 2004, Coastal mass tourism: Diversification and sustainable development in Southern Europe , Channel View Publishers, Clevedon.
Briassoulis, H & Straaten, J 2000, Tourism and the environment: Regional, economic, cultural and policy issues , Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
Buhalis, D & Darcy, S 2011, Accessible Tourism, Channel View Publications, Clevedon.
Buhalis, D & Schertler, W 1999, Information and Communication Technologies in tourism, Springer, New York.
Buhalis, D 2003, e-Tourism: Information technology for strategic tourism management , Prentice Hall Financial Times, Toronto.
Buhalis, D & Jafari, J 1998, Information and Communication Technologies in tourism: Conference Proceedings , Springer, Wien- New York.
Burns, P & Novelli, M 2008, Tourism development: Growth, myths, and inequalities, CABI, Wallingford.
Cooper, C 2008, Tourism: Principles and practice , Prentice Hall Financial Times, Harlow.
Fennell, D 2006, Tourism ethics , Channel View Publications, Clevedon.
Frew, A 2004, Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2004 , Springer, Vienna.
Goeldner, C & Ritchie, J 2009, Tourism: Principles, practices, philosophies , John Wiley, Hoboken.
Inkpen, G 1998, Information Technology for Travel and Tourism , Longman, London.
Kärcher, K 1997, Reinventing Package Holiday Business , Deutscher, Berlin.
Keller, K, Sternthal, B & Tybou, A 2002, Three Questions You Need to Ask About Your Brand, Harvard Business Review, vol. 2. no. 1, pp. 1-10.
Kelley, T 2001, The art of innovation , Harper Collins Business, London.
Kusluvan, S 2003, Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry, Nova Science Publishers, New York.
Laudon, K 2004, E-Commerce: Business Technology Society , Prentice Hall, New York.
Mills, M & Rob, L 2005, Handbook of Consumer Behaviour, Tourism and the Internet, Haworth Press Inc, New York.
Norzalita, A & Norjaya, M 2010, Analyzing the Brand Equity and Resonance of Banking Services: Malaysian Consumer Perspective, International Journal of Marketing Studies , vol. 2. no. 2, pp 180-185.
Pike, S 2008, Performance metrics Destination marketing, an integrated marketing communication approach , Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.
Reisinger, Y 2009, International tourism: Cultures and behavior , Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam.
Roedy, B & Fisher, D 2011, What makes business rock: Building the world’s largest global networks , Wiley, Hoboken.
Rosellina, F, Amna, K & Matherly, T 2013, Look at Me! Look at Me! Conspicuous Brand Usage, Self-Brand Connection, and Dilution, Journal of Marketing Research , vol. 50. no. 4, pp. 477-488.
Rust, R, Zeithaml, V & Lemon, K 2004, Customer-Centered Business Management, Harvard Business Management , vol. 9. no. 1, pp. 1-11.
Sharpley, R & Telfer, D 2002, Tourism and development: Concepts and issues , Channel View Publications, New York.
Sinha, P 1998, International tourism and sustainable development , Anmol, New Delhi.
Trott, P 2005, Innovation Management and New Product Development , FT Prentice Hall, Harlow.
Upadhyay, S 2009, Compensation management: Rewarding performance , Global India Publications, New Delhi.
Von, S 2003, Managing Innovation, Design and Creativity , John Wiley, Chichester.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The author reflects on his early childhood days and how they influenced his career path.The author reflects on his early childhood days and how they influenced his career path. He also discusses the cultural factors that influenced his decision to pursue a career in banking. | The author reflects on his early childhood days and how they influenced his career path.
The author reflects on his early childhood days and how they influenced his career path. He also discusses the cultural factors that influenced his decision to pursue a career in banking. | Developing Professional Practice Reflective Essay
Abstract
This paper provides a reflective journal on developing professional practice. It examines the author’s career in details, developing a critical analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. First, the journal reflects on the author’s origin, with a special analysis of the country of origin (Saudi Arabia) based on Hofstede’s cultural analysis.
It also develops a critical view of the past activities that have an impact on the author’s career development process as well as the steps required to enhance the impact of each of the activities involved. Finally, the paper develops two logs based on the author’s past evevents and their impact on career.
Introduction
In the present reflective piece the author would be self-introducing the identity and brief history. This would be to portray of my own personality and career path in order to better analyses the strengths and weaknesses. This analysis would help in reflecting on the author’s strengths, Weaknesses and areas of opportunities to improve on personal and professional front.
According to Moon (1999) reflection is a simple mental activity which remembers the past incidence and analysis the reasoning behind the happenings of those events (Moon 1999) based on the above stated definition, it important to ponder upon the past history and events in order to assess the present and plan for the future
My name is A. I was born in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, in its one of the most popular metropolitan city called Riyadh. Since my early childhood days, I always wanted to become a successful Bank Manager. I have always had high regards for the banking sector.
In reflection of my early childhood days I still remember when my father used to take me to the bank I used to feel welcomed by the extraordinary customer service that I used to get whenever we visit our local branch. Coming from an Arab country, I had a high influence of Arab culture on my personality. The culture has induced many common knowledge factors into my personality.
According to Hofstede (2014), an individual’s personality has high influence of their culture. The Arab culture has a high percentage of power distance index, which means the power of an individual is measured by the authority he possess, In other words, not all individuals in the society are not equal (Hofstede 2014) The following diagram further illustrates Hofstede’s view of cultural dimension.
As the above listed diagram illustrates that then the author’s goal was to become a very powerful entity in the society, hence the role of a branch manager of a bank would fulfill the need for this power establishment. Author always dreamt of being powerful and money is the most powerful tool in the Arab society, hence choosing the career path were money is the ultimate commodity.
In the Hofstede’s second quadrant, individualism is rated the lowest among all four quadrant this reflects on the collectivistic culture being cultivated in the Arab country, which has influenced author’s personality. The third quadrant symbolizes about the masculinity, which has a very high number. This portrays that the society is very male dominated.
In order to assess and reflect upon the personal and professional strengths the author has implemented the SWOT analyses. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis will assist in reflecting the general Strengths, weakness, opportunities for improvement and threats that can hamper personal and professional growth.
SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis
Strengths
As a dedicated individual seeking to achieve my dream of becoming a professional bank manager, a number of factors and attributes contribute to my strengths.
Over the past two decades, I have been developing a strong foundation for my future banking career primarily through education. Since I realized that professional banking was my destiny, I embarked on building a strong foundation that would propel me towards realization of my goals. First, I hold a bachelors degree in management (human resource) from King Abdullah University in Riyadh.
I studied management, especially human resource, because I was aware that it is the foundation of my dream profession. In the undergraduate course, we achieved a lot of knowledge and skills required to work and manage a financial institution. For instance, we obtained theoretical and practical skills in business management, managing human resources and dealing with diversity at the workplace.
To consolidate our knowledge and skills, the University provided its students with an opportunity to work for 6 months as an intern in one of the best financial institutions in the city of Riyadh. The university has an active memorandum of understanding with a number of financial institutions in the city of Riyadh, which allows its students to take between 6 and 12 months as an intern. I was one of the beneficiaries of this program.
I successfully worked as an intern with the Saudi Telkom in Riyadh for about one year in 2008. The institution imparted me with a lot of knowledge about the corporate industry. For instance, I started at the reception desk before moving to customer service section. At the customer service section, I had the chance to meet a number of individuals from both the corporate and non-corporate world.
I also had the chance to meet various individuals from various nations. These experiences provided me with additional experience to handle both high profile and private citizens. In addition, I realized that hard work; good relations with people and dedication are important strengths in my career.
In other sections, I was taught how to deal with communication problems, opportunities and threats affecting financial institutions. Therefore, the experience at the Telkom remains an important asset to my future employer.
After leaving the university, I worked for one year at Saudi Telkom, where I expanded my career versatility in accounting and finance. I was given a number of responsibilities, including financial analysis, financial reporting, accounting, and front office management and employee coordination.
I have also embarked on improving my academic background through taking an Msc Financial management in finance and banking. For the last 8 months, I have been taking my coursework in this course, which has greatly expanded my knowledge in banking and management.
Before completing the entire course next year, I will have expanded my versatility in banking management, an important strength for improving my capability as a bank manager in Saudi Arabia.
Weaknesses
Every individual has at least some weak points that affect careers in one way or the other. In my career and personal reflection, I have realized that I have four points of weaknesses. First, I am over exertive. Secondly, since realizing that I can accomplish almost any task with little or no supervision, I have built confidence and dare to challenge almost any task or problem on my own.
Thirdly, I am a relater, always insisting on a detailed explanation to every person, even those who need little details or advice to handle their issues. Finally, I am a deliberate thinker, a factor that sometimes makes me approach things from a different perspective.
I have realized that the most practical way for me to deal with these weaknesses is to dedicate my time to reflect on each of them and deal with each of them every day. Since I am a dedicated and hardworking individual, I easily become over exertive, which leads to overworking myself. I sometimes put too much pressure on myself even when the task at hand is not complicated.
I have learnt that delegating tasks and asking for help from my colleagues as well as working as a team is the best way of overcoming this weakness. I have also learnt to maintain a high level of work and professional ethics. As a deliberate thinker, I sometimes over analyze issues and situations at the workplace.
Although some employers require this quality because the employee has the capacity to review tasks and problems with thoroughness, I have realized that not every employer wants this skill. Thus, I believe that it is a weakness that should only be used when need arises.
Finally, as a strong relater, it has become a tendency for me to build close relationships with different individuals in different places. Although it is a good habit, it has the capacity to tamper with my work because banking is a serious career that requires little time for making friends. Nevertheless, I am sure that most banking positions such as managerial require strong realtors to develop financial friendships.
Opportunities
My reflection shows that three factors are the major opportunities for my career. First, there is a wide range of chances to expand my banking career beyond the status. Secondly, I have a strong ability to work in diverse departments, industries and environments. Finally, the reflection shows that I have a strong willingness to believe in the corporate goals, visions and missions of my employer.
Financial management and accounting are important fields in banking, but with different aspects that need to be studied and applied. For instance, subfields such as auditing, corporate analysis, taxation and others are very important in this field. The knowledge I gained in my undergraduate level as well as the knowledge I have gained in the current MBA course have impacted a lot of skills on my career.
This knowledge offers many opportunities for my banking career. With this knowledge, I am aware that my career will be in a better position, given that most of the banks and other financial institutions in the modern world require a strong academic background in combination with other skills. While handling my tasks at the workplace, I always focus on understanding the employer’s culture, objectives, missions and visions.
Corporate culture is an important aspect of any business because it defines the practices and beliefs that direct and guide the people at the institution. Thus, I am always focused on understanding the goals and objectives that the employer has put in place and dedicate my time, efforts and skills to ensure that I contribute to the corporate achievement of the goals.
Threats
My reflection has identified four major aspects as the threats facing my career in banking. First, I have noted that the degree of competition and work is relatively high. Secondly, these economies of Saudi Arabia as well as other countries in the Middle East are facing transition, with most companies importing employees from the western nations to enhance globalization (Bhuian 2009).
Thirdly, I have noted that the technological advancements at the workplace, especially in the financial sector, is putting pressure on employees and potential employees to ensure that they update their knowledge to go in pace with the dynamic technology.
Finally, I have noted that obtaining my Msc in Financial management degree is a challenging task, which requires adequate skills to balance between work, education and family (Tlaiss & Kauser 2011).
I believe that the best way of overcoming the four threats facing my career is to ensure that I remain focused and positive. I must continue fighting these challenges. Due to globalization, most banking companies are increasingly facing both local and foreign competition (Hamdan 2005)
The increasing rate of influx of western and Asian companies in the Saudi market is challenging the local banks, which I hope to manage (Ramady 2012). Since most local banks do not have huge potentials, large conglomerates from North American, Europe and Southeast Asia are increasingly challenging them.
This means that potential employees like me face challenges because the foreign banks are also seeking employees from foreign countries. In addition, technological advancements have taken the banking field by surprise. In fact, almost all banks are interconnected, with a localized central managerial unit that uses internet and computer based technologies to manage (Darrat 2009)
Moreover, the banking sector is a knowledge based section of the economy. It requires individuals to have a strong academic background and experience. In addition, it requires one to have the right knowledge in dealing with financial crises and problems in the economy (Abu-Musa 2006). Thus, I need to obtain knowledge to enter into the banking sector.
In addition, automation of almost all tasks in banking has required employees to have additional knowledge in user application of these technologies. In this context, I need to keep updating my skills in computer and technology to remain relevant in the field (Ariff 2004). I need to study modern software in order to remain updated. Specifically, I need to train myself how to use and apply these technologies in managerial work.
Proposal for professional development
Introduction
In order to achieve the highest quality of professional development and skills in banking and financial management, continued development and advancement of my career is fundamental. I need continual learning for to achieve my dreams and success in career. I need to establish a professional development model that will enhance my ability to learn and continue succeeding in my career.
Objective
To create and implement a tangible, time bound and definitive process within my professional development, focusing on financial management. The primary objectives seek to:
* Establish a mentality of learning for career and life
* Enhance continued professional development within the financial management sphere
* Obtain skills and knowledge in leading corporations
Options. A self-directed professional development
I need to complete my Msc Financial management within the next 12 months at my own discretion. I will emphasize on working with professional instructors at the university in order to gain the skills required to run a bank. I will develop my own schedule of events leading towards completion of all the tasks involved, including volunteering at one of the leading banks in Riyadh.
Advantages
This is a good option for post-graduate students who seek to use their skills to enter into the job market. It will enhance my ability to work with professionals and obtain skills from them through voluntary work.
Disadvantages
It is likely that this plan will not succeed if I fail to dedicate my time and energy towards voluntary work, given that the payment offered, if any, is minimal.
Facilitated development
I have the opportunity to find a mentor in the UK as well as in Riyadh in order to obtain advice and skills needed to enhance my career. I will also use the services of a mentor at a leading bank in Saudi Arabia to provide me with the required coaching in corporate finance and banking.
Advantages
A mentor has the required skills, capacity and the will to help me achieve my academic and professional goals. He or she has the potential to push me through the system until I obtain full employment at a Saudi bank.
Disadvantages
It is likely that most of the decisions I make will be developed by the mentor. I am likely to lose some decision making skills.
Recommendation
Option B is the best choice because I am yet to obtain a strong relationship with corporate leaders, especially in Saudi banking sector. To achieve my dreams, I need the services of a mentor at the workplace as well as in academics.
References
Abu-Musa, A, 2006, “Exploring perceived threats of CAIS in developing countries: the case of Saudi Arabia”, Managerial Auditing Journal , vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 387-407.
Ariff, M, 2004, “Islamic banking”, Asian‐Pacific Economic Literature , vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 48-64.
Bhuian, S, 2009, “Exploring market orientation in banks: an empirical examination in Saudi Arabia”, Journal of Services Marketing , vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 317-328.
Darrat, A, 2009, “Are financial deepening and economic growth causally related? Another look at the evidence”, International Economic Journal , vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 19-35.
Hamdan, A, 2005, “Women and education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and achievements”, International Education Journal , vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 42-64.
Hofstede, G, 2014, United Arab Emirates – Geert Hofstede , Accessed from https://geerthofstede.com/
Moon, J, 1999, Reflection in learning & professional development , Kogan Page, London.
Ramady, M, 2012, The Saudi Arabian Economy: Policies, Achievements, and Challenges , Springer , New York.
Tlaiss, H & Kauser, S, 2011, “The impact of gender, family, and work on the career advancement of Lebanese women managers”, Gender in Management: An International Journal , vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 8-36.
Appendices
Learning Log
Learning Log Number: Date:
Event Title One year employment at the Saudi Telcom in Riyadh, SA in 2008
Description of Event I had the opportunity to be exposed to banking procedures. I interacted with a large number of individuals from the corporate world as well as private citizens. I also learnt how to handle tasks, challenges and opportunities at the workplace.
I have learnt that managing financial institutions requires hard work, dedication, application of knowledge and etiquette
Conclusions Reached I have realized that I am a good relater, dedicated individual and able to work with little or no supervision.
This event gave me quality experience and introduced me to banking career. It also allowed me to interact with bankers and other corporate individuals, which gave me encouragement to continue pursuing my career. I intend to use the skills gained in this position to expand my career and apply them once I have achieved my dream of working in a banking institution.
Action/Next Steps . I will seek to develop quality and financial relations at the workplace in order to achieve corporate missions, visions and goals. I intend to expand this learning by enrolling in another banking organization once I am through with my Msc Financial management.
I intend to complete my Msc Financial management in December 2014. Thereafter, I will enroll in a banking institution, starting February 2015. I hope to remain there for about three months before embarking on a full employment.
Learning Log 2
Learning Log Number: Date:
Event Title Taking a 2 year Msc Financial Management at a leading university in the UK.
Description of Event Since 2013, I have been attending a leading university in the United Kingdom, where I am currently taking my Msc Financial Management. I left Saudi Arabia in early 2013 seeking to advance my knowledge and skills in financial management. My hope is to improve my capability and perfect my skills in managing a bank after returning to Saudi Arabia. The masters degree course takes two years and will be completed by the end of 2014. In this course, I have taken several units, including financial analysis, corporate finance, risk management in finance, credit risk and corporate strategies.
From this event, I have gained knowledge in financial management for corporations. The course has taught me to develop skills in managing corporate finances, managing corporate risks, leading and negotiating for corporate strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and crisis management. I have also learnt how to develop and publish corporate annual returns focusing on financial statements such as cash flow and profit and loss account.
Conclusions Reached In addition, I have learnt how to carry out comprehensive company analysis, including financial performance based on annual returns and financial ratios.
This event has promoted my ability to handle financial matters for large companies, including banks. Managing financial institutions such as banks require adequate knowledge and skills in financial services. One must account for every cent flowing through the organization. Each piece of financial information is critical to the overall management of finances. As such, the skills I have gained from the event will promote my ability to manage financial institutions.
On the other hand, I have realized that knowledge and skill development are critical to my career and life. I have also realized that time management is critical to my life and career. Thus, I hope to apply this knowledge to my personal development.
Action/Next Steps I have the opportunity to advance the knowledge acquired from class by focusing on applying it at the workplace. I will use the knowledge to coach and build my colleagues and subordinates at the bank.
First, I plan to complete the degree course I am doing now. Then, I will apply for a banking position in one of the several banks in Saudi Arabia beginning January 2015. Then, I will use my skills and knowledge gained from the UK university to coach my subordinates and encourage them to work to achieve personal and corporate goals. I believe that by 2017, I will proceed to apply these skills to manage the institution, including managing financial risks and determining opportunities to enhance financial performance.
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Write an essay about: The essay discusses the potential weaknesses and strengths of adopting such an approach to the development of a multinational personnel selection system.It is recommended that the project team tasks to be done include developing a system that can take into account economic, social, political and cultural differences among countries. | The essay discusses the potential weaknesses and strengths of adopting such an approach to the development of a multinational personnel selection system.
It is recommended that the project team tasks to be done include developing a system that can take into account economic, social, political and cultural differences among countries. | Development of a Multinational Personnel Selection Case Study
The case study considered in this essay is based on Mr. Koenig, the owner of ComInTec, who instructs Mr. Koch, the personnel in charge of human resource department, to apply standardised selection techniques for the recruitment of new managers. From a general point of view, this approach could appear sensible.
However, from a critical perspective, this could be injurious to the firm in the end since it fails to take into account political and, most importantly, social differences with regard to hiring managers. This paper discusses the potential weaknesses and strengths of adopting such an approach. In addition, it makes recommendations based on what the project team has tasked to be done.
The standardised recruitment procedures for the multinational personnel selection system proposed by Mr. Koenig, the director of the firm, requires that the firm replicate the same parameters in hiring staff across geopolitical borders.
The new move was spurred by the intention of the firm to bring together Asian and German HR experts who would constitute a cooperative project management unit. To this end, 25 middle level management positions were to be filled and, therefore, the new personnel testing system was being projected as the means through which the recruitment would have been done.
On the one hand, the personnel selecting system was thought to be significantly more economical than it has appeared. This is because Mr. Koch and his team were to develop the parameters and replicate them in the countries in which the hiring of new workers could have taken place.
This could have saved the company thousands of dollars because, if it had had to develop selection procedures for each country, it would have required hundreds of hours of work force to research the requirements and conditions of each region.
In addition, with a standardised system, the firm could appear more transparent in its selection procedures since it could be impossible for anyone to accuse it of discrimination that is likely to occur when recruitment is “segregated”.
Finally, a standardised system would have been undoubtedly simple to manage, and the same employees could have been used to carry out the hiring process in all the countries, having made the process cost effective and expedient, which Mr. Koenig seemed to want most of all. Nevertheless, this system has several significant shortcomings.
First, standardised testing automatically precludes economic, social, political and cultural differences among countries given that these factors cannot be assumed as universal. For example, as evinced by the tense relations between the German and Chinese teams, both the cultures vary in their response and respect for authority, among other factors.
Therefore, if the same testing system could be used on people from both the cultures without considering the differences, then the selection could fail to be standardised at all. This also applies to the economic setup of different countries. Mr. Koch argued that, in a country like Thailand, it may have been difficult to find people as qualified as they were in Germany based on the different educational standards.
As a result, he asserted that the same test could ultimately discriminate against potential employee who could be a citizen of a country with low economic growths and/or relatively poor education systems.
As aforementioned, there are benefits of the standardised selection system. However, most of these are short-termed. In fact, if one looks at a bigger picture, then these advantages will be surpassed by the weaknesses of the method. As Koch told his boss, by having failed to account for the social and cultural differences, there would have been fallout.
Retrospectively, Mr. Koch pointed out that when the firm had carried out staff cuts without allowing workers to give their views, the organisation was involved in lawsuits and could have lost millions of dollars unless their lawyers had been very effective.
In the same way, Koch found the move to standardise the selection procedures a capricious one that could not be sustained in the long-term. In the previous system, when personnel were being hired, there could be structured interviews in which the candidates would be interviewed by HR representatives from both the company’s headquarters and the country they would work in order to get the right contextual setting.
The firm could hire professionals it considered competent based on the universal standards, but these employees could not be as productive as assumed in the first place. This is because the market dynamics in a firm that deals with information requires socially and culturally competent people.
If I were asked to consult with the project team, I would recommend coming up with a way to convince Mr. Koenig that he was making a serious mistake by trying to transcend the diverse cultures in which the firm’s interests were vested. However, from his interaction with Koch, it is evident that he is not an easy man to convince to change his mind.
Therefore, I would advocate for a compromise so that both the sides are taken into account. For one, instead of standardising the test for all the countries or specialising for each one, the regions could be grouped based on the similarity of their cultural and economic dynamics. Thus about two or three systems could be designed.
This approach could save the cost of making numerous single country adjustments. In addition, the strategy could reduce the number of assumptions in a standard test, which make it so likely to fail. On the premises of discussion with Koch and his team, there are some cultural imbalances that appear to negatively impact the relationship between the Chinese and western employees.
The West repeatedly criticise their Chinese counterparts in public, which is a cultural faux pas in China and could likely cause offences. Even when Koch overstayed the meeting, he did not have time for lunch, although he was aware of the fact that it was very important to his Asian colleagues.
Evidently, the cultural dynamic in this team also needed to be improved since one of the challenges that it was facing in arriving at decisions was the fact that members did not recognise or respect each other’s cultural traditions.
I would recommend taking more time to engage in cultural centric discourse and try to learn more about each other, especially the westerners who seem to disregard or be ignorant of Chinese negotiation or debating techniques.
Conclusion and recommendations
At the end of the day, one only needs to look at the communication challenges between members of Koch’s culturally diverse team to appreciate the fact that recruiting without accounting for such disparities is bound to cause problems.
The owner of the company wanted to save money and time, having sacrificed important considerations for the selection procedure for the sake of superficial expediency, which was likely to be counterproductive in the long run. I would recommend that, should he refuse to budge, the team should come up with a compromise instead of implementing the flawed and unpredictable strategy of hiring managers.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The Dharma is a cosmic law that establishes order in society. The Dharma is also a state of being immortal. In order to gain the state of immortality, one must adhere to the moral codes with diligence. |
The Dharma is a cosmic law that establishes order in society. The Dharma is also a state of being immortal. In order to gain the state of immortality, one must adhere to the moral codes with diligence. | Dharma Concept and Claims Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Understanding the Claims
3. Moral Qualities and Dhamma
4. Seeing Dhamma
5. Conclusion
Introduction
According to the teachings of Buddha, the Dharma (Dhamma) is regarded as a cosmic law that establishes order in society. In his teachings, Buddha once said, ‘the cessation of greed, hate and delusion is the Amata-Dhamma’. The Amata-Dhamma is the state of being immortal.
By deduction, therefore, in presence of greed, hate and delusion or the love of worldly material things, there is the mortal state, or that which can die. According to Buddha, the state of immortality can only be acquired through human deeds that are in accordance with this cosmic law. This essay will strive to explain the concept of the Dharma and how the claims can be understood.
Understanding the Claims
Where is the Buddha?
The Buddha is in the Dhamma.
Where is the Dhamma?
The Dhamma is in the Buddha.
Right here, now!
Where is the Sangha?
The Sangha is in the Dhamma.
From the excerpt of the Itivuttaka, constant longings, being covetous, harboring evil at heart, living life unmeasured and lack of diligence when adopting religion are seen as the characteristics of those who see the Dhamma. By acquiring or seizing these characteristics, an individual is not in one accord with the cosmic law.
Such a person does not have the attributes of hate, evil thoughts and desires. Through seeing the Dharma, a person’s nature becomes nirvana or deathless, without memory of neither evil nor discrimination.
Moral Qualities and Dhamma
The Dhamma and morality cannot be separated from one another. Buddha observed that if conscience is combined with morality, then it results in fruit of good to humanity. Wisdom combined with conscience or awareness bears well. In fact, when the mind acts under the control of wisdom and morality, it bears freedom from the corruptions of sensual nature and false views, which are characterized by a high level of ignorance.
Thus, the relationship between morality and the Dhamma, as seen from the above, is an integral part of our daily lives. He or she who abides by the moral codes with diligence, is without fear, a good person who will have eternal life. Since one of the major objectives of the Dhamma is to gain control over our senses, it becomes critical that a moral code whose practice can restrain man from absolute actions be availed.
Seeing Dhamma
The Buddha once asked,
Where is the Buddha?
The Buddha is in the Dhamma.
Where is the Dhamma?
The Dhamma is in the Buddha.
Right here, now!
Where is the Sangha?
The Sangha is in the Dhamma.
Therefore, the Dhamma is everything and everywhere. All people who diligently seek with a contrite heart can see the Dhamma. This could be a notion in the mind that arises and goes away. If one cannot have his or her mind, soul and the physical into one, he or she cannot ‘see’.
If one ‘sees’, he or she is able to proclaim the Dhamma in the physical and virtual forms. What is not the Dhamma is that which does not exist. It can be asserted that ‘seeing’ the Dhamma is not subject to being distant or closer to him.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Dhamma still exists in every moment and every act that we undertake. In this context, the Dhamma can take either the physical form and the mind form. The physical Dhamma can be achieved through physical means or the mind-based Dharma can be realized through the purity of our minds, which requires harboring no evil in our hearts.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The diagnosis of a 17-year-old girl who was injured in a pool jump accident.The diagnosis of a 17-year-old girl who was injured in a pool jump accident. | The diagnosis of a 17-year-old girl who was injured in a pool jump accident.
The diagnosis of a 17-year-old girl who was injured in a pool jump accident. | Diagnosis and the Level of Traumatic Brain Injury Case Study
Table of Contents
1. A Pre-Morbid Estimation
2. Assessment of Mary’s Post-Injury Intellectual Ability
3. Assessments of Cognitive Speed
4. Recommendations for Accommodations and Rehabilitation
5. A Prognosis
6. Reference List
The subject of the case study under consideration is a 17-year-old Latina girl, Mary S, who is delivered to a hospital unconscious with a head bleeding freely as a result of an unsuccessful pool jump from the second floor. She is given PET scans that help to define a number of injuries and the necessity to be placed on precautionary life support.
The level of TBI has to be defined by means of the analysis of the results of three types of tests: the Glasgow Coma Scale, the duration of post-traumatic amnesia, and the duration of the unconscious state (Lezak, Howieson, Bigler, & Tranel, 2012).
As she follows the orders of a neurologist, opens her eyes briefly, moves her fingers, but is not able to speak just moan incoherently, the Glasgow Coma Scale demonstrates the results such as: E3, V2, and M6. The loss of consciousness lasts for about 3 hours.
Amnesia is hard to observe as the girl does not respond verbally for about a day. The next day, she recognizes her parents. The interpretation of these elements proves that Mary has the moderate type of brain injury. The moderate brain injury usually causes brain swelling and bleeding as a result of which a person spends much time sleeping.
At the same time, a person is not in comma and can be aroused (still, it is not recommended) (Brain Trauma Foundation, n.d.).
Taking into account all information got and the evaluation of the DSM-V standards, the following diagnosis may be given: traumatic brain injury with the consequences like adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood (309.28 DSM code), posttraumatic stress disorder (309.81 DSM code), and disorder of written expression (315.2).
A Pre-Morbid Estimation
The estimation of pre-morbid functioning is one of the crucial steps that have to be done as when a TBI case takes place. As a rule, special tests like the NAART or WTAR are used to determine a person’s pre-morbid level of intellectual functioning along with the use of existing records (Strauss, Sherman, & Spreen, 2006).
In the case study under analysis, it is stated that Mary has not passed through full-scale IQ tests, this is why the results of the tests are definite in regards to a particular situation.
The WTAR (Wechsler Test of Adult Reading) on the basis of No-Child Left Behind Testing records is may be used with Mary as she meets its age ranges (16-89 years), speaks English perfectly, and can demonstrate her abilities to pronounce irregular verbs with a clear understanding of what they are all about (Strauss, Sherman, & Spreen, 2006).
The test lasts about 10 minutes during which an examiner presents 50 word cards one by one and gives prompts to a patient on how to pronounce a word. Each correct answer is 1 score for the patient. In case 12 incorrect answers take place, the test has to be stopped.
The peculiar feature of the test is the possibility to compare predicted and actual functioning considering the general intellectual status and the condition of memory. As soon as all 50 cards are shown, the results are evaluated in regards to the age of a patient.
Mary is a 17-year-old girl with a high level of knowledge and abilities to work during classes. Her results are expected to be high indeed as she likes to study and achieve the highest grades in comparison to her fellows.
Assessment of Mary’s Post-Injury Intellectual Ability
The WAIS-IV is the test used on Mary to check out her post-injury intellectual abilities and define the possible deficits between her pre-injury performance and post-injury performance.
The test consists of a number of stages that touches upon the girls’ verbal comprehension, working memory, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed (Strauss, Sherman, & Spreen, 2006).
Mary came to the hospital to take the tests in time and demonstrated her desire to pass through the tests within a short period. She supported eye contact and was eager to answer all questions clearly. During the tests, she stayed calm and focused on the tasks, but she could be easily distracted by outside noise.
Sometimes, it was seen that Mary was at a loss as she could not find out a correct answer as quickly as she used to. She liked to complete tasks before the deadlines, still, the results of the test proved that she could suffer from some deficits.
WAIS-IV scores were as follows:
VC (114): similarities 13, vocabulary 103, information 12;
WM (100): digit span 10, arithmetic 10;
PR (98): block design 10, matrix 910, symbols 11.
In general, full scale IQ was about 105; general ability index was 106.
The evaluation of the tests and Mary’s reaction, it is possible to admit that her TBI associates with such deficits like short-memory problems, processing speed, attention functioning (she is unable not to pay attention to the distracting factors around), and social perception deficit (she wants to control the reactions of people on her behavior, but she cannot do it).
The comparison of her pre-injury and post-injury performance proves that the girl has some problems with the perception of the world around and the inabilities to complete the functions she used to complete. She is upset and even angry with her inabilities to memorize simple facts mentioned recently.
Assessments of Cognitive Speed
Several tests, which are more sensitive, are used in order to determine why Mary cannot keep up in class.
These are Trails A&B, the PASAT, and Digit Symbol. As Mary was diagnosed with TBI, the tests under consideration should help to define the reasons of why she cannot concentrate on the details, be more attentive, and memorize information. The purpose of the Trail Making Test is to prove the presence of brain injury.
Mary has to connect the 25 numbers chaotically distributed on a page. She begins properly, still, in several seconds, she starts making mistakes and stop completing the test. She does not want to continue. The part B of the test (the alternation between numbers and letters) helps to check out Mary’s visual motor abilities and visual spatial abilities.
The results are the same: the girl does not want to finish the test due to her inabilities to focus on the task. She does not meet time limits as well. It proves the presence of TBI as well as the consequences such as anxiety and written expression.
The PASAT test causes a number of problems as the use of a tape and the necessity to follow certain rules in a definite period of time make Mary dissatisfied and angry because of her inabilities to meet time deadlines and requirements of the test.
Several attempts are made to re-start the test, still, it also serves as a proof of a traumatic brain injury that causes a number of problems with cognition and behavior in general.
Finally, the Digit Symbol test, that requires attention and time, calms Mary down and provides her with a chance to complete the task properly meeting all the standards. It shows that her cognition may undergo some improvements in case special conditions are provided.
Recommendations for Accommodations and Rehabilitation
The effects of brain injury turn out to be catastrophic for Mary. She refuses to attend school and talk to her parents about the problems that really bother her. Her injury harms her cognitive skills, memory, and concentration abilities. The results of these deficits are problems with reasoning and even vocabulary.
She cannot keep up in class and suffers from fatigue and anxiety. This is why some accommodations in classrooms and rehabilitation at home are necessary for Mary.
Accommodations can be as follows:
1. Provide with additional time for various class assignments;
2. Support Mary with some teacher’s notes;
3. Give her oral and written instructions;
4. Allow her using notebook to check her spelling and grammar in cases of emergency;
5. Reduce the rubric expectations in regards to the quality of the work done.
Still, it is necessary to admit one fact – Mary may not want to be provided with special terms of education. This is why it is better to offer her some time for rehabilitation at home and use medical support to overcome the challenges of TBI.
Rehabilitation details:
1. Cognitive therapy focuses on the improvement of cognitive skills that can be relearned. It is possible due to certain repetitive activities, support of a professional, and clear explanations.
2. Occupational therapy may be provided by advanced nurses and followed according to a properly developed health plan in a hospital.
3. Neuropsychological tests should be considered on a regular basis as they can show the results of the therapies used.
As soon as these hints are taken into consideration by Mary and her parents, she has all chances to get recovered and achieve appropriate results within a short period of time.
A Prognosis
Mary’s case is a tragic development of the events that cannot be predicted but may be improved.
As soon as she is diagnosed with TBI with a number of consequences influencing the girl’s cognitive development, memory, and behavior, the test assessments, and evaluation of her reactions by the professional neurologists prove that Mary suffers from long-term TBI effects.
She is in need of professional help and appropriate treatment at home as well as in a hospital. She has to be treated by an expert in order to re-develop her skills and be able to gain control over her emotions and inabilities. Mary has to be ready that she cannot perform all the activities at the same level as she used to.
She needs to be supported by her family and her friends.
In case these suggestions are followed, a prognosis of her recovery may be rather positive. Of course, people suffer from some problems after their TBIs. They need time and understanding.
Mary’s status in a society she lives in should help her to find the required portion of support and continue living according to her ordinary style of life soon.
Reference List
Brain Trauma Foundation. (n.d.). Facts about traumatic brain injury . Web.
Lezak, D., Howieson, D.B., Bigler, E.D., & Tranel, D. (2012). Neuropsychological assessment. New York, NY: The Oxford University Press.
Strauss, E., Sherman, E.M., & Spreen, O. (2006). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: Administration, norms, and commentary. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the difference between France and the United States counterterrorism policies. It notes that while both countries have been targets of terrorism, the United States has responded with a more aggressive policy than France. The essay also notes that while both countries have cultures of violence, the United States has a more permissive culture of violence than France. |
The essay discusses the difference between France and the United States counterterrorism policies. It notes that while both countries have been targets of terrorism, the United States has responded with a more aggressive policy than France. The essay also notes that while both countries have cultures of violence, the United States has a more permissive culture of violence than France. | Difference Between France and the United States Counterterrorism Policies Compare & Contrast Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. General Comparison between the two
3. U.S Approach
4. France Approach
5. Conclusion
6. Works Cited
Introduction
In the international fight in opposition to transnational terrorism, the European Union and the US are natural associates. However, cultural, bureaucratic, and differences in tactics are a threat to progress. Because of the Middle East situation in the 1980’s, France, one of the EU nations, found itself being the international terrorism target (Friedrichs 58).
Additionally, due to the Algeria’s Islamic Armed Group in the 1990’s, as well as from the year 2001 in regard to the international movements of jihadists’ connected or inspired by Al Qaida, France has not overcome terrorism.
The US on the other hand, has had to deal with terrorism after several attacks aimed at the country. This essay, therefore, aims at looking at different ways of fighting terrorism amid France one of the EU countries, and the United States, and the reason they chose the policies.
General Comparison between the two
Though fraternity, equality and liberty seem to appear to be the same to France and America, these two countries seem to have unlike notions of the same. The differences are also noted in the way they seem to combat homegrown terrorism. This is due to difference in legal systems, histories, and state conceptions. France started to fight terrorism from the year 1789.
It all started when a citizen of French whose parents emanated from Algeria, Merah, who was by then 23 years, claimed to be a member of Al-Qaida (Friedrichs 66). This is after he murdered seven people, something, which made France have a fierce debate concerning whether the security services as well as the police failed to recognize him in time.
Judgment and intelligence being what France depend on merely, the French had many questions regarding this wondering whether ‘the more expensive and automated reliance of the American style on computerized phone calls monitoring, and the internet, might have identified him more easily’(Corum 123). Of course, there remains no answer to that question,
In the United States, what seems to count is the system, while in France what seems to count is the men. After 9/11, every country with a Muslim population that was tiny, and most of all well integrated, had enormous computer time, money, and work force thrown in by the Americans into what they termed, “the terrorism global war” (Friedmann 299).
This was also meant to track people at home who seemed to be potential terrorists. On the other hand, with its colonial history, France has, for much longer, dealt with terrorism. Many Muslims have their originalities from Europe. Thus, France aims at curbing terrorists’ enrollment.
With most of the Muslims coming from areas that are more close to North Africa and Middle East, they tend to prevent these recruitments through a habitual mosques infiltration, as well as radical networks of Islam.
Contrasting to Americas automated telephone tapping and inspection, France seems to deal with terrorism in a much different way (Friedrichs 68). This is partially due to their history and partially due to limited budgets. This has made France thereby to depend more on human resources, local intelligence, and human contacts.
Moreover, France happens to be more centralized. They established the antiterrorist struggle coordination unit in 1984. In the Justice Ministry, they as well attempted something comparable (Bassiouni 385).
The intelligence France law that was governing by then got a reformation in 1986 with subsequent reforms on 1995 and 2001. It was reformed once more in the year 2006. In 2008, the Domestic Intelligence Central Directorate was founded. This is from the Intelligence Services and the Interior Ministry amalgamation. They were responsible for the state police, the counterespionage, and counterterrorism (Friedmann 299).
Furthermore, in the U S, counterterrorism is decentralized. This comes with its own complications. There are legendary tensions amidst the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and state or local agencies (Friedrichs 71).
This is especially amidst the Police Department of New York and the F.B.I. This seems different to France, which has just two police forces that are both national hence the agencies have less rivalry.
The French, legally too, have in a single court centralized cases related to terrorism. They have also attempted to reintegrate processes that fight terrorism into ordinary law. This is with more terrorism investigations flexibility, acting where suspicious, ordering surveillance or wiretaps, as well as holding suspected persons for a time, which is much longer (Bassiouni 387).
The United States has not yet reconciled the way forward in terrorism fighting. For instance, they had a difficulty while trying to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention center. In addition, they did not know whether to hold military tribunals or criminal trials for detainees such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Moreover, despite both the US and France having counterterrorism strategies in place, the strategies differ in numerous ways. The US seems to embrace a four D system (Corum 179). This strategy involves:
* Defeat global reach of terrorist organizations;
* Deny terrorists further support, sponsorship, and sanctuary;
* Diminish exploitable conditions by terrorists;
* Defend their motherland, and broaden defenses overseas.
France’s Counterterrorism strategy as well encompasses four critical constituents that are triple P, and one R (Bassiouni 390). They include:
* Prevent by looking into core causes, people becoming terrorists;
* Protect the infrastructure, and its inhabitants;
* Pursue terrorists, investigate them as well as make them face the law;
* Respond or prepare by managing and minimizing attack consequences.
U.S Approach
As Erlanger identifies, only three words can be used to define the American strategy of dealing with terrorism: proactive, external, and war.Terrorism fight to the US is seen as “war”. The statement “America is at war” is what the National Security Strategy kicks off with whenever it is addressing the issue.
As a result, in disrupting networks of the terrorists, the armed forces, and the Defense Department have put in a heavy contribution. To the US, the war against Al-Qaida is not as the same as that amid nations, they refer to it as conventional military conflict. To them, the group is an actor, that is non-state, and hence it is an armed conflict (Corum 180).
Secondly, an emphasis by the US approach is placed on the external. The Al Qaida network, which is by nature extraterritorial to the US, made the country view it as an external threat. As a result, the consistent US approach has been to face the enemy directly by “taking the fight” to them, and pushing the borders out (Friedrichs 85).
The US seems to be consistent with this approach of “forward defense” since the Cold War ended. Thus, their counterterrorism strategy is aimed at reaching out to, outside Europe, as well as to other parts of the world including Russia, Pakistan, Philippines, China, Australia, and India.
The Container Security Initiative developed by the US, had the logic of reaching out for improvement of port security, prior to potential threats reaching American shores (Friedmann 301). The mechanism search was motivated by a similar basis. This is with airline passengers’ respect for using information of the Passenger Name Record to perform security checks.
Third, the US has engaged a proactive approach. When one looks from the perspective of the institution, the Department of Homeland Security along with major Intelligence Community were implemented for the country to get prepared in cases of threats in the future. The country launched the Proliferation Security Initiative in May 2003 in order for a more proactive, creative, and dynamic approach to be created.
This was in order to prevent propagation to, or from proliferation concern nations, as well as actors of non-state (Bassiouni 392). The initiative also explains the reason the US has, in the Middle East, promoted democracy and reform, is to identify that democratic and economic opportunities are required to contradict radicalized ideologies.
France Approach
The French Approach of dealing with terrorism is mainly crime, reactive and internal. According to France, terrorism is not a military, but a criminal act. Their strategy requires for the criminalization of terrorists by the legislation. Erlanger acknowledges that, for legislations like that, the main instruments are “framework decisions”.
The Home Affairs and Third Pillar of Justice is where counterterrorism falls, as compared to trade and economic legislation, where the significant power lies within the European commission. The national ministers are the ones who make framework decisions where the rule is unanimity. A reflection of a domestic flavor of criminal law is noted on one of Frances’ counterterrorism strategy, “pursue”.
Whilst France is working hard to pursue, disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks, the impression that EU fosters to the US terrorist dialogue engagement or a Third Party agreement clause is enough to make those by use of catastrophic terrorism, that wish to impose mass casualties, stop (Friedrichs 85).
Second, compared to the US, which externally counter fights terrorism, France focuses on the internal. Counterterrorism lead agencies are the justice and interior ministries, but not the defense ministries. The justice and interior ministers enact France counterterrorism policies. They, together with their respective services of intelligence mainly do disruption of terrorist networks (Corum 215).
Counterterrorism has had minimal direct connection with the ESDP (European Security and Defense Policy). The emphasis of ESDP lies on reconstruction and stabilization of regional conflict, rule-of-law, peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions. The notion that France military workers would be deployed to guard France has in the France capital, little resonance. This is for both political and historical reasons.
The interest of France is to protect its critical infrastructure, and pursue policies to perform the same (Bassiouni 394). For the EU to oversee management of external border, guard training of national border, member states operations and technicalities assistance, as well as risk analysis it created FRONTEX, Management of External Borders Agency (Bassiouni 397).
Finally, France counterterrorism approach can be looked at as reactive. As Erlanger identifies, this is because after every attack, they engage in very furious activity. Then a slowdown follows as sovereignty and politics submerge their implementation.
The primary reason why France and the EU in general have made progress is the actual shock or attempted terrorism attacks. The ones that are noted most are the 2004 Madrid bombings, the 9/11 attacks, the 2005 London bombings, and the UK plot in August 2006 (Friedrichs 87).
Conclusion
From the essay above, it is clear that France and the U.S differ widely in the way they look at terrorism, and hence the way they fight it. The US look at terrorism as “war”, and hence the reason they engage their military to fight the “enemy”.
This is different with France who view terrorism as a crime hence treats it as a criminal activity. Thus, their policies and way of fighting it differ in that while the US engage in war with the terrorists, France looks for ways of engaging with them, and having a talk with them, hence stop any recruitments bound to happen.
Works Cited
Bassiouni, M C. Legal Responses to International Terrorism: U.S. Procedural Aspects . Dordrecht: M. Nijhoff, 1988. Print.
Corum, James S. Fighting the War on Terror: A Counterinsurgency Strategy . St. Paul, Minn: Zenith Press, 2007. Print.
Erlanger, Steven. Fighting Terrorism, French Style . The New York Times. 30 March 2012. Web. < https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/sunday-review/the-french-way-of-fighting-homegrown-terrorism.html >.
Friedmann, Robert R. A Diary of Four Years of Terrorism and Anti-Semitism 2000-2004: Volume Ii . Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005. Print.
Friedrichs, Jörg. Fighting Terrorism and Drugs: Europe and International Police Cooperation . London: Routledge, 2008. Print.
| https://ivypanda.com/essays/difference-between-france-and-the-united-states-counterterrorism-policies/ | 226 |
Provide the full text for the following summary: The paper explores the differences between founding a company or business entity in the United States and Europe. Although there are myriads of similarities in the acquisition and use of venture capital in the US and Europe, there are also outstanding differences between the two economic blocs. For instance, the manner in which convertible resources are handled appear to be completely different. Other notable differences include deal syndication, exist stage duration, stage financing, and the replacement of past management teams are equally worth considering. |
The paper explores the differences between founding a company or business entity in the United States and Europe. Although there are myriads of similarities in the acquisition and use of venture capital in the US and Europe, there are also outstanding differences between the two economic blocs. For instance, the manner in which convertible resources are handled appear to be completely different. Other notable differences include deal syndication, exist stage duration, stage financing, and the replacement of past management teams are equally worth considering. | Differences Between Founding a Company in the US and in Europe Essay
There are definitely marked differences between founding a company in the US and Europe especially in regards to venture capital. To begin with, it is worth to explore the background knowledge on the application of the term ‘venture capital’.
Companies that are in their start up stages often require significant monetary boost so that they can pick up and be competitive like those that are already fully established.
On the same note, the high-risk and high potential firms that are still in the early stages of development demand financial investment in form of venture capital. Money is generated by the capital fund by acquiring the ownership of equities in various firms that have been contracted for investment purposes.
Most of the contracted firms that often benefit from the venture capital include software, IT and biotechnology companies. These types of industries have reputable business models and are also quite competitive in the market.
There are myriads of innovative companies that continue to rely on the venture capital as their key source of funding both the new and old projects. This new trend in the adoption of venture capital is common both in the United States and the rest of the developed world.
In the event that entrepreneurs are not in a position to obtain funding from other sources, the venture capital provides the much needed start up fund for expanding business operations to new markets. In addition, venture capital can be acquired and used by entrepreneurs even before the actual businesses are fully established.
This is in sharp contrast with other sources of business founding that often demand adequately established business platforms. This paper explores the differences between founding a company or business entity in the United States and Europe.
Although there are myriads of similarities in the acquisition and use of venture capital in the US and Europe, there are also outstanding differences between the two economic blocs. For instance, the manner in which convertible resources are handled appear to be completely different.
Other notable differences include deal syndication, exist stage duration, stage financing, and the replacement of past management teams are equally worth considering.
However, the application of convertible resources is the most outstanding difference bearing in mind that it is used three times more often in the Unites States compared to the European venture capitalists.
Stage Financing
Founding a company either in the United States or Europe has its own technical and monetary challenges since both locations are well versed with competitive firms that are also well established. Nonetheless, venture capitalists have the ability to retain certain possibilities of premature financing of a venture.
This can be achieved by staging the financing in a progressive manner. Finances are thus availed for the entrepreneur in order to cater for funding needs of a particular stage of a company. Hence, the venture capitalist is given the choice of doing away with the venture at any given stage of development of a company.
However, it is vital to note that the active involvement of the venture capitalist does not necessarily affect the value obtained from stage financing. Hence, the value that is created usually emerges from the additional business incentives that are put in place in the process of starting up a company.
The geographical preference to invest in particular regions is also evident among various entrepreneurs who start companies both in the United States and Europe. However, it is generally easier to acquire venture capital in most European states compared to the United States.
This explains why founding a company in Europe would be a lot easier than in the United States. However, there are other myriads of factors that should be brought on board before embarking on a conclusive review why entrepreneurs would prefer one region to another.
The role played by affiliations is yet another important difference when founding a company in the United States and Europe. For instance, there is a close relationship or affiliation between venture capitalists and non financial corporations in Europe than the United States.
In addition, the European venture capital investment at the initial stages of development is also known to be smaller in intensity than those of the US counterparts. Hence, the US entrepreneurs seem to enjoy wide benefits when it comes to the issue of economies of scale among newly started companies.
On the other hand, the buyout experience is completely different and opposite when the two regions are compared against each other. The latter can be described by the fact that the manner in which venture capital is defined in both regions is different.
The exit stage period is also a significant difference between the United States and European entrepreneurs. Other differences that will be reviewed in this paper include syndication, replacement of past management teams and the CS use.
These differences are mainly evident because most venture capitalists in the European markets often encounter minimal liquid marketing environments compared to their counterparts in the United States. This can also be further explained in terms of the entry and exit of human resource power that dominates the labor market at any given time.
Hence, this scenario has compelled most entrepreneurs in Europe who found companies to take a long time when selling their share capitals. As a result, it makes it quite cumbersome to replace the major labor force that is needed in the newly started companies.
The tax and legal requirements when acquiring the venture capital are also another vital consideration to put in place due to the great propensity to invest from one region to another.
Liquidations are extremely costly in Europe because they take a longer period of time than in the United States. Most entrepreneurs who start up companies in Europe tend to waste a lot of financial resources due to the delay time before they can eventually invest appropriately.
This trend definitely lowers the liquidation value. However, it is vital to mention that the mean value of the financial rounds is almost the same between the United States and European countries. In spite of the presence of such similarities, founding a company in either the United States or the European economic bloc has its own merits and demerits.
The latter can best be accounted through the existing differences especially when seeking venture capital. Hence, it is necessary to discuss dominant seminaries at some point if a balanced view of the topic is to be attained.
It is also understood that the use of convertible securities in the process of acquiring venture capital also demonstrates a marked difference between the United States and European markets. For instance, the use of convertible securities is three times greater in the United States than among the European entrepreneurs who start up companies.
Although this finding may prove to be quite surprising, it clearly indicates that the use of convertible securities is limited to certain regions due to their unique attributes that tend to favor some regions against others. In other words, convertible securities are not favorable for all entrepreneurs who may need venture capital to start up their companies.
The contract is not sophisticated in most of the European markets. On the same note, the Canadian market also lacks major sophistications.
This explains why there is a difference in the adoption of convertible scurrilities in both of these two regions. The fact that the United States market is already complex in nature, it makes it necessary to use such securities when acquiring venture capital.
Another possible reason for this difference is the fact that most entrepreneurs in the United States can easily obtain tax advantages compared to those in the European marketing bloc. Lack of major tax advantages in Europe has been significant drawback since it hinders easy acquisition of the much need venture capital.
The venture capital companies in the United States and European countries also have varying types of management and organizational structures that significantly account for the difference in the use of convertible securities. It is worth to mention that different organizational structures have unique goals and objectives.
Therefore, the manner in which various organizations may use convertible securities is completely different. In any case, there are organizational structures that may not need convertible securities during start ups.
In addition, common shares may be preferred by venture capitalists over preferred shares especially if the exit requirements are of less significance than issues regarding control.
The venture capital firms have lower affiliations in the United States market than the European market mainly due to the varying organizational structures that exist between these two regional economic blocs.
Another emerging difference between founding a company in the United States and Europe is evident in the manner in which syndication is carried out. It is without doubt that the United States experiences more incidents of syndication than Europe.
On the same note, the United States has a higher mean size of syndicates than countries located in Europe. This implies that the level of syndication in both geographical regions is a key determining factor when exploring the ease with which a company can be founded.
Nevertheless, syndication is relevant in both the US and Europe since it has a remarkable influence in the manner in which venture capital can be acquired by companies that are still young and in the startup stages.
Although the overall level of syndication is higher in the United States than in European countries, it has been established that most of the European countries often experience higher levels syndication with colleagues at the regional level.
This is not the same case with individual states in the United States. Moreover, government partners in the European bloc also experience higher levels of syndication among themselves thereby making it easy for companies that are being started to acquire venture capital.
In particular, governmental partners in the European bloc provide a legal and well monitored environment through which entrepreneurs wishing to start companies can easily establish themselves in a smooth and least complicated manner.
The issue on syndication is also bolstered by the argument that the European markets are not very much developed and are also less liquid compared to that of the United States. Hence, when seeking for a potential buyer, it is obvious that the pool of available contacts is increased by syndication.
The age of venture capital firms is also another vital and interesting distinction that can be made between founding companies in the United States and Europe. For instance, the European venture capital market is believed to have had its threshold way back in 1997.
Although the aforementioned year is relatively young, it marked an important era in the evolution of the venture capital market in Europe. This was the year when the venture capital market in Europe was marked with intense inflows of capital resources.
This marked increase in terms of the venture capital investments in Europe was also experienced in the United States. However, the two regions experienced an increase in venture capital at different times altogether. In addition, the intensities of capital flows were completely different.
The young and well established firms in the United States and Europe also demonstrate marked difference in terms of their venture capitals. Most developed and old firms in the United States find it easy to acquire additional venture capital in order to expand their operations.
Hence, it is quite easy for old firms to start up other subsidiary companies compared to most old firms located in the European region. However, there is some form of convergence between the European and the United States industry.
The age of the venture capital companies is also closely linked to the use of convertible securities in the process of acquiring venture capital needed to start up companies. It is generally noticeable that younger venture capital firms are more aggressive in investing during the initial stages of a firm
The Level of Activity
Most empirical research studies have confirmed that most venture capital fims in Europe are not very active. For instance, they are known to use convertible securities less often than their counterparts in the United States.
If it is indeed true that the European venture capital firms are quite dormant, then an investor would opt to invest in an intensely active market like in the United States. The latter guarantees huge and significant flow in capital flows within a relatively short period.
For companies that target to reach a wider market with large consumer base, then it is advisable to seek venture capital in the US market.
Moreover, the venture capital firms in the European markets do not syndicate their deals quite often. Hence, starting a company in any European market will imply that the company will benefit only from the local partnerships and miss out on the external levels of syndicates. On the same note, founding a company in the European market implies that the firm will have extended round durations.
The multivariate setting shows the overall benefits and demerits of investing in Europe and the United States although issues such as replacing the past management teams do not feature at the aforementioned level.
Since the European markets have proven to be less liquid, companies that are founded in this region are highly likely to encounter stagnated growth especially if the set objectives are to be met in the short term.
The latter scenario is equally worsened by the fact there are no adequate hands-on entrepreneurs in the European market compared to the markets in North America.
There are standard incorporation procedures that entrepreneurs may use to start up companies in the United States. Each state has its own legislative measures that must be followed by investors wishing to start companies or venture capital firms in the United States.
The reason why incorporating is important is because individual assets are safeguarded from civil liability. It is also worth to mention that the individual shareholders of an incorporated company are treated as separate entities from the corporation. Therefore, the corporation bears its own tax identification number, responsibilities and liabilities.
The choice of a business entity is also another important hurdle to go through when starting up a company in the United States. It is vital to explores the various business options and cost implications of starting any type of business. For instance, the creation of the Limited Liability Companies is not permitted by some states in the US.
Therefore, it is necessary to seek help and further guidance for the United States accountant and attorney. In addition, there are associated fees and taxes that are usually paid to the respective states where a company is being started. These fees may sometimes interfere with the capped amount that has been set aside for venture capital.
Additional, if the company to be founded will be dealing with exporting products, then it must adhere to the rules and regulations that have been set by the United States Department of state. It works closely with the departments of defense and commerce.
There are many would-be entrepreneurs who are usually discouraged by the many hurdles of setting up companies in Europe. There are myriads of complex procedures that are equally costly that work against entrepreneurs who are eager to invest in Europe.
As already mentioned, most of the European markets are still dormant in terms of accessing venture capital needed to roll down new investment ventures. Hence, some entrepreneurs are finding it more advisable to form mergers with other companies in Europe than working alone in setting up new establishments.
This approach has been found to be relatively cost effective and also cuts down the risk level that a new business entity has to face upon establishment.
To recap it all, it is vital to reiterate that there are myriads of differences between founding a company in the United States and Europe. However, this paper has exclusively explored the topic based on the ease of accessing venture capital in both geographical regions.
Some of the key indicators that have been used to discuss the topic include the level of syndication, convertible securities, replacement of past management teams, the age of firms and activity levels of both the United States and European markets.
Although both regions have experienced massive growth in the venture capital market in the last two decades or so, it is evident from the discussion that the United States still remains as a more dominant, potential and extremely active capital venture market.
The latter argument is attributed to the fact that the European market has not evolved fully in terms of the capital flows in the venture capital market.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: Supply chain management is the management of movement of goods along the supply chain to ensure effective and efficient movement.Supply chain management has become one of the most significant activities in the management of businesses in the global scene. It has a number of strengths and weaknesses, which are significant to a business organization. These include cost reduction and provision of better customer services, among others. | Supply chain management is the management of movement of goods along the supply chain to ensure effective and efficient movement.
Supply chain management has become one of the most significant activities in the management of businesses in the global scene. It has a number of strengths and weaknesses, which are significant to a business organization. These include cost reduction and provision of better customer services, among others. | Different Analytical Frameworks to Global Supply Chains Analytical Essay
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Strengths of supply chain management
3. Weaknesses of supply chain management
4. Strengths of global commodity chains
5. Weaknesses of global commodity chains
6. Strengths of global production networks
7. Weaknesses of global production networks
8. Conclusion
9. Reference List
Introduction
The movement of goods and services from one point to another is one of the major factors that contribute to the success of organisations. Organisations need to ensure that goods and services are at the right location, at the right time so that customers can access them easily and conveniently.
Goods are moved from one point to another through the help of a system known as the supply chain. This is a system that facilitates not only the movement of goods and services, but also the movement of information, people, activities, as well as resources (Cox 1999).
Supply chain activities also aid in the conversion of raw materials into finished goods. Supply chain activities have become more significant in the last couple of years, especially with the development of globalisation.
Globalisation has resulted in a larger scope of supply chain management and the evolution of the global supply chain. This involves the movement of goods and services across the borders.
Global supply chains can be analysed using three frameworks, which are supply chain management (SCM), global commodity chains (GCCs), and global production networks (GPNs).
Supply chain management is the management of movement of goods along the supply chain to ensure effective and efficient movement (Gereffi & Korzeniewicz 1994).
Global commodity chains, on the other hand, are the processes through which an organisation manages raw materials and converts them into commodities, before distributing them to the global market.
Global production networks refer to networks whereby goods and services are produced in a specified nation or nations and then they are distributed to the rest of the nations. This article will focus on the above mentioned frameworks and discuss their strengths and weaknesses in the global market.
Strengths of supply chain management
As mentioned earlier, supply chain management deals with the management of the movement of goods and services in the supply chain. In the global scene, supply chain management has become one of the most significant activities in the management of businesses.
It has a number of strengths and weaknesses, which are significant to a business organisation (Fleisher & Bensoussan 2008). The strengths include cost reduction and provision of better customer services, among others. These are major factors that lead to the general success of a business organisation.
Costs are reduced and the profitability of the organisation increases as a result of efficient global supply chains. It is easier for the production or the operations manager to coordinate production schedules if the supply chain is managed effectively, such that the goods and services are able to arrive at their destination in time.
The production functions also run smoothly (Turega 2000). The management is also in a position to manage stock levels better. It should be noted that the stock levels represent a very significant part of the organisational costs (Christopher 2011).
The stock level should be maintained at a low level, which is possible with effective supply chain management.
Good supply chain management is also important because it helps in increasing the level of customer service, which gives the organisation a competitive advantage in return. Supply chain fulfils the customers’ time and place utilities because it ensures that goods are at the right place, at the right time (Pernu, Mainela & Puhakka 2014).
On the other hand, supply chain management ensures that goods are produced at the highest level of quality possible and transported safely. This further increases customer satisfaction. The end result is that the competitive advantage of the organisation is increased, which results in better organisational performance in the future.
Weaknesses of supply chain management
Despite the strengths of supply chain management, there are also a number of weaknesses that may affect its contribution in the organisation (Lambert 2008). For instance, if one part of the supply chain breaks down, then it has the ability to cripple the entire system and cause loss of sales and reduced profitability.
More specifically, if, for example, a machine breaks down or the manager is not able to locate some items in the warehouse, then there will be nothing to supply and the organisation will have nothing to sell. Therefore, the interdependence of the supply chain is a weakness that can work to the organisation’s disadvantage.
The various parts of the supply chain management are under different departments in business organisations. The fact that each of these departments work independently in relation to the supply chain related activities means that coordination is not easy, which could serve as a weakness in the entire chain (Christopher 2011).
The lack of effective communication may be a challenge that can affect the supply chain negatively. It is a weakness that the organisation can only serve to make better, but it cannot avoid entirely.
Strengths of global commodity chains
Global commodity chains have emerged as some of the most important frameworks in the global supply chain. GCCs facilitate the manufacture and distribution of goods in the global market. One of the strengths of the GCCs is that they help in observing quality production.
They involve the gathering of raw materials and converting them into finished products, followed by distributing the products to various destinations (Swinnen 2007). During this conversion, the production department is able to observe quality because it does not execute other activities.
It encourages specialisation in production and distribution, which increases its efficiency. This is very important as the organisation is able to produce high quality goods in a timely manner. In this regard, global commodity chains help in improving the competitive advantage of organisations.
The other strength of global commodity chains is that they enable the management to examine the forward and the backward linkages between the various production processes, both in a comparative and a historical manner (Gereffi & Korzeniewicz 1994).
Therefore, GCCs allow the organisation to use its own activities as benchmarks for its production. The production manager is able to track the relationship between the various production segments.
In doing so, it is possible to maintain a high level of production quality and improve the current quality of production. It further gives the organisation a competitive advantage.
Weaknesses of global commodity chains
One of the major weaknesses of global commodity chains is the fact that they require a lot of data to achieve the required results (Bair 2009). Collecting data is one of the most difficult tasks, which is also expensive in terms of financing.
Collecting the correct data is also a challenging issue, as this is essential in ensuring that the research has minimal or no bias at all. It is not easy to avoid bias in the framework due to the large volume of data required and the difficulty involved in collecting the correct data.
Data collection could also be expensive and time consuming. It should be noted that the framework requires this data to enable the management decide on the production routes. The production manager, through the help of such data, is able to determine the volume of production required to satisfy the demand in various regions.
The other weakness of the framework is that it can only be used by large organisations. Small organisations cannot benefit from the GCC framework because they, probably, cannot afford it, or they do not have sufficient production to merit the framework.
This is a weakness because the framework is not open for all organisations (Gereffi & Korzeniewicz 1994). In other words, the GCCs lock the small organisations out. Global commodity chains are infrastructures for international trade.
Therefore, they are only beneficial to large organisations that are already operating in the global market, but they do not form avenues for small organisations that are trying to establish themselves in the international market.
It is imperative to note that smaller organisations present the hope for future economic prosperity for their home nations, as well as the whole globe.
Therefore, they need to be offered any form of support they need so that they can establish themselves. It is unfortunate that the global commodity chain framework cannot support such organisations.
Strengths of global production networks
This is a framework that is very useful as it helps researchers understand the issue of globalisation in a more detailed manner (Lau 2007). One of GPNs’ strengths is the ability to enable the investigations in the flow of goods and connections of places, both in the developed and the developing world.
Globalisation, in simple terms, refers to connections or other integration of the world economy. There should be connections in the various nations to enable the world economy to integrate successfully.
Global production networks enable economists to understand these connections. They also examine how goods flow within and across the borders.
Global production networks also enable organisations to establish a flexible chain that is more specialised and has low costs incurred (Humphrey 2014).
Flexibility is an essential factor that will help the organisation access many locations with ease. In addition, the organisation can be able to respond to demand in the various regions accordingly. This, coupled with lower costs, gives the organisation a competitive advantage.
Weaknesses of global production networks
These networks are a conceptualisation of production processes that are regarded as being linear or vertical, which is a weakness because it is not easy to predict or anticipate the production networks.
In other words, the networks are not linear as depicted by the framework (Henderson et al. 2002). Instead, the networks are more complex in nature, as they integrate horizontally and diagonally, as well as vertically.
Organisations that have global production networks are said to have a narrow focus on the role of flagship. This is done at the expense of gaining attention of the network of suppliers.
In addition, researchers of this framework tend to overlook the importance of service functions in the success of global production networks. It should be noted that the service sector is very essential, thus overlooking it in this framework is a flaw.
Conclusion
The supply chain has become increasingly important in the past couple of years. The importance of supply chains has become more significant following the establishment of globalisation, as it helps in integrating nations economically by facilitating the movement of goods, services, people, information, and activities, among other factors.
The supply chain has a number of frameworks, such as the GCCs and GPNs, which are used to analyse and understand it. Researchers in the field of supply chain management need to select and apply the best frameworks based on the specific nature of the organisations they are handling and the benefits associated with the frameworks.
Reference List
Bair, J 2009, Frontiers of commodity chain research, Stanford University, Stanford.
Christopher, M 2011, Logistics & supply chain management (4th ed), Pearson, Harlow.
Cox, A1999, ‘Power, value and supply chain management’, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 167–175.
Fleisher, CS & Bensoussan, BE 2008, Business and competitive analysis: Effective application of new and classic methods , FT Press, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Gereffi, G & Korzeniewicz, M 1994 , Commodity chains and global capitalism , Praeger Publishers, Portsmouth, NH.
Henderson, J, Dicken, P, Hess, M, Coe, N & Yeung HW 2002, ‘Global production networks and the analysis of economic development’, Review of International Political Economy , vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 436-464.
Humphrey, J 2014, ‘Internalisation theory, global value chain theory and sustainability standards’, in R Van Tulder, A Verbeke, & R Strange (eds.) International business and sustainable development , Volume 8, Emerald Publishing Group Limited, London, pp. 91 – 114
Lambert, DM 2008, Supply chain management: Processes, partnerships, performance, Supply Chain Management Institute, Sarasota.
Lau, AKW 2007, ‘Educational supply chain management: a case study’, On the Horizon, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 15–27.
Pernu, E, Mainela, T & Puhakka, V 2014, ‘Organizing MNC internal networks to manage global customers: strategies of political compromising’, in T Pedersen, M Venzin, TM Devinney, & L Tihanyi (eds.) Orchestration of the global network organization (Advances in International Management, volume 27, Emerald Publishing Group Limited, London, pp. 349–376.
Swinnen, JFM 2007, Global supply chains, standards and the poor: How the globalization of food systems and standards affects rural development and poverty . CABI, Wallingford, UK.
Turega, M 2000, ‘Issues with information dissemination on global networks’, Information Management & Computer Security , vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 244-248.
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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: Social oppression in Afghanistan is at the highest peak. It mainly targets women, and this often leads to diverse effects on their health. | Social oppression in Afghanistan is at the highest peak. It mainly targets women, and this often leads to diverse effects on their health. | Different Examples of Oppression Essay
The word oppression comes from the Latin opprimere which means “pressed down.” It depicts abuse of power by people in authority. It means ill-treatment of people in a manner that is cruel or unjust. There are different forms of oppression. However, social, economic and political forms are more popular and dominant (Deutsch, 2006). Globally, oppression is widespread. This paper outlines social oppression in the health setup.
Origin of Oppression
Oppression was not part and parcel of ancient societies because they lived communal lives. However, oppression continues to characterize modern societies since the inception of individualism, especially in control and ownership of resources (Cudd, 2006). Before the advent of agriculture, societies depended on hunting and gathering for food supply.
They shared food amongst each other, and were cooperative in looking for food. They did not aim at acquiring and accumulating wealth, but worked together and shared the benefits of working together. There were remarkably few conflicts in these societies.
As populations expanded, there was a need to increase food production. Therefore, communities developed an urge to expand their territories. This often led to inter-community conflicts, resulting to split of groups along ethnic boundaries.
Agricultural advancements, which brought better tools of farming, as well as improved agricultural techniques followed thereafter. Communities that were powerful in terms of numbers and weapons staged warfare against the other communities (Cudd, 2006). After successful battles, they took control over their agricultural and pastoral lands, thereby leading to more conflicts and rise of oppression.
Pictorial Examples of Oppression
Example 1
Source: Story, CNN’s Jessica Ravitz. Photography & Video, CNN’s Edythe McNamee. SAVING Aesha. Web.
This is a picture which made it to the cover of Time Magazine on August 9, 2010, in Afghanistan. It got posted on the internet in May 2012. It shows a woman with a prosthetic nose. Her name is Bibi Aesha. She ran away from home at one time. She was running away from her husband’s physical and emotional torture, which was common through domestic violence.
Her husband, as well as in-laws, took the law into their arms and laid an ambush on her (Ravitz, 2012). They hacked off her nose as well as the ears, as a way of punishing her for running from home. Later on, they left her to die and ran away from the scene of the accident.
Aesha’s condition affected her health in a major way. She had to nurse her wounds for a long time, and she suffered from psychological torture because of the ordeal. She also faced lack of acceptance by many communities. This is a form of social oppression targeting women in society, and it should be dealt with immediately.
Social oppression in Afghanistan is at the highest peak. It mainly targets women, and this often leads to diverse effects on their health. Such forms of oppression are not new in many countries, in the world.
Often we hear of women being gang raped by security officers as a form of showing their power (macho image) over women. Similarly, when two communities fight, men from the enemy side usually target women during retaliation. The case is more or less the same in families (Young-Bruehl, 1996).
Domestic violence is common in many families since many societies view wife battering as a way of disciplining women. In fact, some women readily welcome it and have accepted it as part of their lives.
Aesha told her story to one journalist in New York as she sought the services of Women for Afghan Women Organization, in the United States. This is a grass-root organization which promotes equal treatment for men and women. It seeks to empower women and girls of Afghanistan to achieve their goals in life (Ravitz, 2011).
Aesha visited the organization’s offices in 2010 after living in Kabul for nine months. She was seeking psychological guidance, as well as reconstructive surgery.
Example 2
Source: Burma killings: Indian organization to protest Muslim massacre. Web.
This is a picture showing men paraded for murder. They are lying down on the sand as they await their death (Singh, 2012). One can see security officers around them to guard against escape. One can see a security officer stepping on a man. They are part of the Rohingya Muslims, an oppressed ethnic minority group in the country.
They face death, torture and arrest from the Rhakine Buddhist community, who are the majority in the country (Baroud, 2012). The Burmese government has done nothing to stop this torture; instead it supports the Buddhists against the Muslims. This is a form of social oppression targeting the minority group (Singh, 2012). The media also does not care much about this torture. They allocate little time to broadcast these ethnic clashes. On 4th July 2012, Reuters declared that the Rohingya ethnic group faces a lot of discrimination in the world.
Burma has a poor political reputation in the world (Baroud, 2012). Oppression is not a new term in the country. There have been massive killings in the country from time to time, especially due to the use of the country as the main fighting ground by the great powers in the Second World War.
The Rohingyas continue to suffer, and there are no regional or international bodies committed to looking into their plights. Ironically, the security officers who should give them security in the country are the ones parading them for death. They must be experiencing psychological and emotional torture due to the killings.
In summary, oppression is common among people in power such as doctors, government officials, and the male gender. They exercise this form of power manifestation in a way that suits their desires while infringing on the rights of others. This paper serves as an informant, showing that oppression is prevalent in many parts of the world.
References
Baroud, R. (2012). ‘Democracy’ and Slaughter in Burma: Gold Rush Overrides Human Rights . Web.
Cudd, A. (2006). Analyzing Oppression . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Deutsch, M. (2006). A Framework for Thinking about Oppression and Its Change. Social Justice Research 19 (1) 7–41.
Ravitz, J. (2011). Saving Aesha . Web.
Singh, J. (2012). Burma killings: Indian organization to protest Muslim massacre . Web.
Young-Bruehl, E. (1996). The Anatomy of Prejudices . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The essay discusses how cloud computing can be used to improve supply chain management in different industries.Both Samsung and Nike have used cloud computing to improve their supply chain management. Samsung uses it to communicate and share data within its different departments. On the other hand, Nike uses it to monitor movement of products from the production plants to the market. However, the issue of privacy and security of the data has been cited as its main challenge. | The essay discusses how cloud computing can be used to improve supply chain management in different industries.
Both Samsung and Nike have used cloud computing to improve their supply chain management. Samsung uses it to communicate and share data within its different departments. On the other hand, Nike uses it to monitor movement of products from the production plants to the market. However, the issue of privacy and security of the data has been cited as its main challenge. | Different Implementation of Cloud System Analytical Essay
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Background
3. Cloud Computing Model
4. Cloud Computing in Samsung Corporation
5. Cloud Computing in Nike
6. Challenges of using cloud computing in supply chain
7. Conclusion
8. List of References
Abstract
Cloud system has become one of the most important business strategies in the current competitive business environment. The increasing need for communication, data analysis, data storage, and dissemination demands for improved information technology infrastructure that may not be available within a given business unit.
This has made it necessary for many firms such as Samsung and Nike, to outsource these services from vendors which offer cloud computing. This strategy not only improves communication within various departments, but also makes it possible for the company to monitor movement of products from the production plants to the market. However, the issue of privacy and security of the data has been cited as its main challenge.
Background
Effective supply chain has become very vital for many firms as the market become increasingly competitive in various industries. According to Gibb (2006, p. 89), firms which operate in the global market have the pressure of delivering their products to the market within the shortest time possible and in the right shape.
The processes in supply chain management must be shortened to ensure that associated costs at every stage are significantly reduced. For instance, products should take the shortest time at storage as a way of reducing costs of storage, and the risk of damage when products take longer than expected in these stores.
It is also important to ensure that goods on transit are effectively monitored to ensure that they arrive at the desired markets within the time that was set (Molen & Brace 2010, p. 25). It is only through this that a firm can ensure that its products are consistently available in various global stores. Reduced costs of product delivery are also an assurance that the cost of delivering products to the market will be reduced.
This will mean that the firm will be able to charge competitive prices in the market. According to Berger (2006, p. 21), cloud computing business models offers these companies a solution in making their supply chain strategies efficient and cost effective. In this research, the focus will be on how Samsung and Nike have used cloud computing models to improve their supply chain in the market.
Cloud Computing Model
According to Carmel and Tija (2006, p. 18), cloud computing has gained popularity as firms around the world try to find ways of improving the quality of products in the market. Many firms around the world have come to realize that to achieve efficiency, they cannot afford to undertake all the activities involved in delivering products to the customers.
For this reason, most firms are specializing in activities they consider most important in maintaining the quality of their products and brands in the market, and outsourcing other activities from other vendors in the market (Jamsa 2013, p. 84). This is the concept under which could computing model in the supply chain come in within a given firm.
Instead of making heavy infrastructural investment to purchase servers, firms have opted for cloud computing models which are considered more reliable and very effective in managing information in supply chain. According to Jae-Nam (2008, p. 570), cloud computing has been very vital in four main areas of operation within a business unit. These areas include planning and forecasting, logistics, sourcing and procurement, and service management processes.
Each of the stages is very important and correct application of cloud computing strategies in the key to achieving success in the market. However, to achieve this, (Dutrénit & Vera-Cruz 2007, p. 326) warns that it is important to identify specific activities that are cloud friendly. The figure below identifies activities that are cloud friendly based on the sensitivity of the data and the network effect.
According to Djellal & Gallouj (2013, p. 60), this is the first step towards a successful use of cloud computing model in supply chain management. There are some specific activities that cannot be carried out using cloud computing model because of the sensitivity of data sharing.
Some of the sensitive information may be leaked to competitors if this model is used in some processes, making the firm vulnerable to its competitors (Rhoton 2009, p. 57). This means that not every process would need cloud computing as an appropriate strategy in achieving the desired success in the market.
After identifying the processes that need cloud computing technologies, it is important to understand the business model that will be appropriate for the individual task within the supply chain. The business model can be classified as HaaS (Hardware as a Service), SaaS (Software as a Service), and cloud computing (Kaplan & Norton 2006, p. 109).
Hardware as a Service is increasingly becoming popular among business units around the world. In this business model, a central provider leases computing power to firms upon request.
This model seeks to eliminate the cost of putting up the infrastructure, by enabling a firm to lease these services from the central providers. In this model, the user rents the asset for the specific period when the services are necessary. This model allows a firm to contract a central service provider to maintain and administer hardware system within an organisation through on site services or remotely depending on the needs of the setup.
According to Koontz and Weihrich (2013, p. 50), Software as a Service is another business model where software applications are hosted central service provider or vendor and made available to the users through an internet network.
Many companies have found this strategy very useful in cutting the cost and improving efficiency of their operation. This is because this model enables them to access web-based solution without the need to maintain servers or set up IT infrastructure (Sosinsky 2011, p. 48).
In the current business environment where physical space is becoming scarce, this is one of the most important strategies that any firm can use to achieve efficiency in its supply chain management. Other important components of cloud computing include Infrastructure as a Service, Process as a Service, and Platform as a Service.
Application of cloud computing business model can use either of the components or a combination of two or three based on the needs at that particular time. According to Mukherjee (2009, p. 29), firms have the task of identifying the specific needs of the company and finding the model that would be the most appropriate at that particular time.
The next step would be to identify the service provider that would offer the best services within the desired timeframe. At this stage, it would be necessary to discuss how some of the leading firms in the world are using cloud computing in their supply chain to achieve success in their respective industries.
Cloud Computing in Samsung Corporation
Samsung is operating in one of the most competitive industries in the world where success of a firm is hinged on the superiority of the strategies it uses in the market. The electronic industry has become very competitive as many firms, especially those from China, have infiltrated the industry with cheap products.
According to Parker (2012, p. 38), the electronic industry has remained competitive in the world market, and the market environment has numerous challenges that makes it difficult for firms with inferior strategies to survive. Motorola Inc was once one of the leading firms in this industry, but it was forced out of the market because of its inability to adapt to the emerging technologies.
Nokia is currently surviving to remain competitive and it has since been replaced by Samsung as the top manufacturer of mobile phones. The success of Samsung can be directly attributed to its emphasis in using modern technologies in various stages of product delivery.
However, this success was not achieved overnight. It involved a vigorous process of working through various strategies available in the market to achieve specific objectives within changing market environment.
Supply chain was once one of the most challenging management tasks for Samsung. With its main manufacturing plant in South Korea, Samsung was finding it difficult to avail its products in the world market, especially the U.S. market that was considered very lucrative. Some of the main competitors of this firm were actually American firms with their production plants within the United States.
This meant that they did not have to incur the cost transporting products to the market. This gave them a competitive advantage over Samsung which had to move its products miles away to the markets in this country and various other parts of the world. According to Winkler (2011, p. 81), customers prefer buying products that are always reliable in the market.
When a customer plans to purchase a Samsung television, camera, phone, or laptop, he or she would be pleased if he or she finds a variety of this brand to choose from in the stores. In case the brand is not in the store, such a customer would switch loyalty to competing brands in the market. This was one of the biggest challenges that this firm had to address in its supply chain management.
The supply chain and marketing units realized that one of the biggest weaknesses in their supply chain was poor communication system between the marketing unit and various departments, especially those who were in the field. Communication breakdown was a common phenomenon at the firm as the system went down when it was needed the most.
The firm spent a lot in purchasing the infrastructure for the serves and in hiring qualified personnel to ensure that the server was operating optimally. Despite this heavy investment in IT infrastructure, Samsung was not getting the results it expected. Communication between the firm and its agents in the world market remained disruptive and unpredictable.
In some cases where there were agencies, it forced some of the employees to make direct phone calls which were not only very expensive, but also lacked references that are always important when undertaking important business tasks. As the firm was growing, its servers were becoming weak, and this was affecting its supply chain.
To solve this problem, Samsung employed cloud computing business model in its supply chain management. In order to back-up its servers, this firm decided to introduce Hardware as a Service from CharTec Business Solutions as a way of solving the constant problem of constant server breakdown. CharTec was assigned the task of developing and administer hardware assets to help improve communication within the firm.
This firm was to provide Samsung with a strong server and other related hardware services that would help in improving the communication system within the firm. Given the increasing amount of information that needed storage, analysis, and transfer, the firm noted that the best approach would be to rent the services from this firm.
CharTec would be responsible for monitoring the servers to ensure that it was operating optimally and that data flow and data storage within the firm was effective enough to meet the needs of Samsung. The HaaS component of Cloud Computing Business Model offered the solution that Samsung needed to improve is supply chain (Sherman & Zhu 2013, p. 71).
The firm was able to get the right information about the products needed in the market. It would also monitor the movements of various products from various sources to the firm, and from the firm to the market. The serves became strong enough to support the increased need for information flow and storage within the firm. This partly explains why Samsung has been very successful in the market
Cloud Computing in Nike
Nike is one the leading firms in the apparel industry. For a long time, firms in this industry believed in marketing using the mass media as a way of reaching its customers. Bick-and moter stores was the only way of selling products to the customers. This meant that firms had to developed huge stores along busy streets in order to attract as many customers as possible.
The stores had to be strategically arranged in order to appeal to the customers. Supply chain took a simple model where the outlets would make direct phone calls to the production units in case the stocks for the products had gone down. With the increasing customers, this business model started failing (Wejman 2010, p. 24).
It was common to experience a scenario where by the time products are released from the production plants, the shelves at various outlets would be lacking the products. This meant that customers would not be able to get the products they desired.
Things became worse when firms in this industry started embracing online business. The servers of this firm were too weak to support online business even after the management decided that the firm would go online.
The supply chain and marketing units realized that there was a need to introduce cloud computing business strategies as a way of changing its supply chain from the analogue system to a digital one. The management needed both the HaaS and SaaS components of cloud computing business model.
HaaS was needed because the current infrastructural IT assets at the firm were not able to support the increasing need for information. This was outsourced from Equus Managed Services Solutions. SaaS was needed to improve the software applications that were used by the firm (Yeaple 2006, p. 610). NetSuite was considered the most appropriate firm for this service.
NetSuite was assigned the task of offering software solution that would help the marketing unit to track movement of cargo while on transit. The cloud had to make all relevant information available to different employees of the firm at different locations around the world.
The communication system between different departments also had to be improved. This is one of the business models that have enabled Nike to become the leading firm in this industry.
Challenges of using cloud computing in supply chain
According to Beard (2008, p. 17), many firms have embraced cloud computing business strategy as one of the best ways of improving communication system. However, there are a number of challenges that have hindered its effective usage in the market. One of the main challenges is the issue of security and privacy of the information in the cloud.
Given that the information is managed by a third party, its security is not guaranteed. Halpert (2011, p. 70) also notes that the quality of the service may be compromised because the service provider is serving many companies. This system also poses challenge with the billing system that should be highly secure.
Conclusion
It is clear from the discussion above that cloud computing is gaining popularity in supply chain management. Cloud in supply chains offers a completely new approach of managing supply chain within a firm. It involves integration of the emerging technologies into supply chain system in order to improve speed, reliability, and efficiency of delivering products into the market.
It improves communication in the process of delivering products to the market. Many firms around the world are currently using various models of cloud computing in their supply chain as a way of improving their efficiency in the market.
List of References
Beard, H 2008, Cloud computing: Best practices for managing and measuring processes for on-demand computing, applications and data centers in the cloud with SLAs , Cengage, New York.
Berger, S 2006, How We compete: What companies around the World are doing to make it in today’s global economy, Currency-Doubleday, New York.
Carmel, E & Tija, P 2006, Offshoring information technology: Sourcing and outsourcing to a global workforce, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Djellal, F & Gallouj, F 2013, Measuring and improving productivity in services issues, strategies and challenges , Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
Dutrénit, G & Vera-Cruz, A 2007, ‘Triggers of the technological capability accumulation in MNCs’ subsidiaries: The maquilas in Mexico’, International Journal of Technology and Globalisation , vol. 3. no. 3, pp. 315-336.
Gibb, F 2006, ‘A framework for business continuity management, International Journal of Information Management, vol. 26. no. 2, pp. 128- 141.
Halpert, B 2011, Auditing Cloud Computing: A Security and Privacy Guide , Wiley, New Jersey.
Jae-Nam, L 2008, ‘Exploring the vendor’s process model in information technology Outsourcing’, Communications of AIS, vol. 22. no. 1, pp. 569-589.
Jamsa, K 2013, Cloud computing: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, virtualization, business models, mobile, security and more , Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington.
Kaplan, R & Norton, D 2006, ‘How to Implement a New Strategy without Disrupting Your Organization’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 4 no. 3, 100-109.
Koontz, H & Weihrich, H 2013, Essentials of management: an international Perspective , McGraw-Hill, New York.
Molen, F & Brace, C 2010, Get ready for cloud computing: A comprehensive guide to virtualization and cloud computing , Van Haren Publishing, Zaltbommel.
Mukherjee, P 2009, Operations management, and productivity Techniques , PHILearning, New Delhi.
Parker, D 2012, Service operations management: the total experience , Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
Rhoton, J 2009, Cloud computing explained: Handbook for enterprise implementation , Recursive Ltd, London.
Sherman, H & Zhu, J 2013, Service productivity management improving service performance using data envelopment analysis (DEA) , Springer, New York.
Sosinsky, B 2011, Cloud computing bible , Wiley, Indianapolis.
Wejman, B 2010, ‘Continental Airlines: Outsourcing IT to Support Business Transformation’, International Journal of Communication, vol. 2. no. 1, pp. 19-25.
Winkler, V 2011, Securing the Cloud: Cloud Computer Security Techniques and Tactics, Elsevier Science, Burlington.
Yeaple, E 2006, ‘Offshoring: Foreign direct investment and the structure of US trade’, Journal of the European Economic Association , vol. 4. no. 2, pp. 602-611.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The study called "Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies" was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner.The authors employ dramatistic analysis to explore the rhetorical elements of therapies for eating disorders experienced by women. They found out that the therapies have seemingly similar main terms that tend to affect the patients differently due to their multiple meanings and interpretations. | The study called "Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies" was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner.
The authors employ dramatistic analysis to explore the rhetorical elements of therapies for eating disorders experienced by women. They found out that the therapies have seemingly similar main terms that tend to affect the patients differently due to their multiple meanings and interpretations. | “Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment” by Leda Cooks and David Descutner Report (Assessment)
The study called “Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies” was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner. The authors employ dramatistic analysis to explore the rhetorical elements of therapies for eating disorders experienced by women.
The researchers found out that the therapies have seemingly similar main terms that tend to affect the patients differently due to their multiple meanings and interpretations.
The authors of the article notice that the number of female patients reporting eating disorders has increased in the modern age of information when the knowledge about typical bulimic or anorexic behaviours has become more popular.
Besides, the widening influence of the American beauty standards on women of other cultures causes the growth of rates of eating disorders abroad. In the article it is also noted that low efficiency of pharmacological and behavioural treatments encouraged the professionals and patients to use narrative and visual therapy more often.
The authors view the struggle with eating disorders in the contemporary world as the struggle with the myths shaping the identities of modern white middle to upper class women, as they tend to be affected by the disorders most often. The search of place in the society makes women see their own bodies as the causes of their inadequacy.
The female patients suffering from eating disorders tend to act out using food as a tool. Their eating problems have emotional sources coming from such feelings as despair or anger. Narrative therapy helps women re-evaluate their choices and lives from a new perspective and re-shape their identities.
Spiritual recovery (SR) employs the belief in Higher Power and unburdening the troubles to it. SR works through abstinence from the addictive ingredients such as wheat and sugar. Feminist therapy explains that eating disorders appear when women feel lost in the patriarchal society.
It encourages women to find their identities re-uniting with their selves, and perceiving the world as gender-free. The researchers employ cluster analysis as a method to find terms most frequently used by the therapies. The goal is to determine how the therapies function rhetorically using discourses “power”, “body”, and “identity”.
The findings show that SR uses the discourses filling them with religious meanings and works through the separation of earth-bound self from the spiritual self of the patients. All of the discourses are used as symbols of Higher Power.
The patients are encouraged to give up the material aspects of the selves in order to understand their true spiritual power and find selfless equipment for living.
At the same time, feminist therapy works the other way around and encourages women to re-gain control over their selves taken away from them by the patriarchal society and culture. The new living equipment is developed through raising awareness and pride in women.
The texts authors use for the study are the literature and pamphlets of various groups focused on treating eating disorders employing narrative methods. The significance of the literature is provided by the fact that the authors research a variety of literature disseminated by different groups, many of which are rather popular.
The groups apply similar methods and discourses. The authors cover many groups specialised on narrative therapies such as spiritual recovery therapy or feminist therapy. They process the popular literature written specifically for these therapies and groups and monitor the use of concepts and discourses in it.
Clearly, since the researched literature is popular among the patients, it has to be able to make impacts and attract more help-seekers. This way, the authors of the article focus on the research of the two therapies that currently are known to be helpful and efficient, which makes this literature significant and appropriate for the study.
Both therapies work through self-hypnosis or self-suggestion. Yet, they use rather different approaches. Spiritual recovery therapy for eating disorders employs the methods that prove to be effective with alcoholics.
The therapy encourages the patients to give up their selves, let the Higher Power in, and view disorder as “evil” and order as “good”.
Feminist therapy works through the empowerment of women and the suggestion for them to take rational control and become aware of the destructive impacts of the society and its pressure that makes women ruin their health and bodies trying to fit in.
Both therapies use symbolic concepts and images to lead the patients’ minds out of the addiction. The research adds to the scholarly dialogues about the ability to program human minds using specific word combinations and concepts filled with goal-oriented meanings.
The study makes it clear that one needs to determine the inclination of a mind to follow certain principles in order to build a successful program to direct this mind towards certain behaviours. This can be viewed as an intelligent training of human minds based on people’s natural desire for rationaisation and explanation.
Breaking down the mechanisms of disorders using a set of specific concepts the therapies provide the patients with symbolic tools to cope with them.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the importance of differentiation and integration in complex organizations. It highlights the need for formalized structures in order to enhance productivity among teams and groups. The essay also talks about the impact of the immediate environment on the operations of an organization. |
The essay discusses the importance of differentiation and integration in complex organizations. It highlights the need for formalized structures in order to enhance productivity among teams and groups. The essay also talks about the impact of the immediate environment on the operations of an organization. | “Differentiation and Integration in complex organisations” by Paul Lawrence and Jay Lorsch Essay
Six organisations were put through a comparative study. The selected organisations were all drawn from an industrial establishment of the same nature. In the comparative study, the researchers focused on a number of key subsystems so that the study could be undertaken in a more rigorous manner. The sub domains considered in the study included production, research and sales (Lawrence and Lorsch 4).
Each of these subsystems was differentiated in all of the organisations under study. In order to highlight the significance of each subsystem, the researchers explored the interpersonal orientation of members, their orientation time and their points of reference in terms of goals and objectives.
The various types of orientation were considered against the backdrop of subsystem’s formal structures. The needs of specific sub environment were related to the differentiation process that was carried out in each organisation.
There are also major concepts and questions that have been covered by the research article. It is evident that both integration and differentiation are key concepts used in organisations.
In fact, the research question addressed in the article revolves around the integration and differentiation patterns and how well established organisations can cope with the changing environmental factors in the course of seeking growth, impressive performance and profitability.
The environment within which an organisation operates is also a crucial factor addressed in the given research article. It is interesting to mention that the immediate environment of an organisation affects its wellbeing and sustainability. The authors assert that an organisation is a rather active system.
There also sub-environments that may influence the operations of an organisation. Moreover, a sub-environment and a sub-system are closely related. Therefore, the two concepts cannot be discussed in isolation.
In the case of formalised structures, it has been found out that teams and groups tend to be more productive when the available tasks are formerly organised. In other words, structures should be firmly put in place so that the productivity of employees can be assured. However, complexity should be avoided at all costs whenever teams and groups are allowed to work as units.
It is apparent that organisational performance is directly related to both integration and differentiation. Organisations that are complex cannot be easily understood when the concepts of integration and differentiation are not clearly articulated. For example, one of the hypotheses used in the article assumes that collaboration or effective cooperation is often cumbersome among groups.
According to some of the past literature reviews on the subject of collaboration at workplace, it has been established that integration is difficult to achieve whenever there are challenges with collaboration at workplace (Lawrence and Lorsch 17).
Hence, managements in organisations should seek means of attaining integration before they can even think of enhancing cooperation among employees. In any case, the top management team is responsible for attaining the integration goal.
The seventh hypothesis discussed in the article projects that integrative devices usually emerge when both integration and differentiation are executed at high degrees. However, such devices might not always be accurate and should be questioned before being adopted. It is also crucial to mention that there are other factors that affect organisational performance apart from integration and differentiation.
Seiler’s works quoted in the article attempt to highlight the effects of integrative subsystem. For example, lower status groups are readily influenced to boost their performance by high-status groups. As a result, open collaboration can be readily realised.
At the preliminary stage of the analysis, the research article points out that an integrative subsystem initiated most of the core activities in all the organisations that were under study. Needless to say, there must be a basis of influence in any type of environment that a business unit operates (Lawrence and Lorsch 26). For instance, a hierarchical position can be a major source of influence to employees in organisations.
The researchers carried out some field study by interviewing respondents in regards to the basis of influence. Comments gathered from the interviews revealed that one of the most profound bases of influence is the knowledge from coordinators or managers in organisations. The rest of the employees tend to believe that the top level management understands everything related to the wellbeing of organisations.
Rewards for integrators also stand out as a major integrative device according to the arguments presented in the article. Hence, integrators have their own perspectives and expectations when it comes to rewards.
On a final note, it is prudent to consider how performance in organisations is totally influenced by the environment. An effective integrative device is obviously affected by systems that dominate the operations of an organisation (Lawrence and Lorsch 39). Both the leadership and subordinate members in an organisation control the overall performance.
Besides, subsystems have a particular locus of influence that cannot be assumed under any circumstance. Similar to the other integrative devices discussed in the article, a suitable research question was formulated by the researchers in order to guide the research process.
Conflict resolution also stands out as a vital organisational issue that must be resolved expeditiously for smooth running of operations (Lawrence and Lorsch 46).
Works Cited
Lawrence, Paul and Jay, Lorsch. “Differentiation and Integration in Complex Organizations.” Administrative Science Quarterly 12.1(1967): 1-47. Print.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The essay discusses the crisis management strategies of Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola in the wake of product tampering scandals. It highlights the importance of having a well-defined crisis management plan in place, and the potential pitfalls of not being prepared for such situations. |
The essay discusses the crisis management strategies of Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola in the wake of product tampering scandals. It highlights the importance of having a well-defined crisis management plan in place, and the potential pitfalls of not being prepared for such situations. | Disaster Management of Johnson&Johnson and Coca-Cola Evaluation Essay
Introduction
On 30 th September 1982, Johnson & Johnson Company’s boss received news that seven people had died after consuming cyanide-laced capsules of Tylenol in Chicago. The news spread expressly through the media to the extent of causing countrywide panic.
The company launched investigations to find out the causes of the deaths and ascertain the association of their product to the deaths.
The outcome proved that an individual had maliciously replaced the Tylenol extra-strength capsules with cyanide extra strength in the company’s packages and sold them to consumers to bring down the business reputation.
The company had a hard time trying to explain the situation to the public and its customers and convince them to continue trusting its merchandise. Although the strategy worked, the corporation lost many revenues. Even with such a scenario, the company did not prepare for the eventuality of another such attack.
In 1986, a similar attack took place. However, the company was more prepared and was able to deal with the problem. This occurrence redefined the rules of crisis management. Scholars have strengthened their thesis concerning this fact.
A different scenario in Europe put Coca-Cola in the same spot, making it lose market control to the level of banning its products and rights from markets. Unlike the Johnson & Johnson Company’s crisis, Coca-Cola had poor public relations, which cost it more to re-enter the market.
The scenarios in these two companies have given crisis control scholars two different points of view and allowed them to analyse the approaches in a manner that determines the method that is most appropriate for a particular scenario.
Every company must have crisis management embedded in its managerial strategy. Companies must learn to study the market and determine the threats as they occur so that they can do away with them as soon as they pop up to avoid losing business or tarnishing their brand names.
This paper will focus on these two crises to bring out the key points that determine the effectiveness of a response to a crisis and the failures that are associated with poor handling of such scenarios.
Crisis Management for the Two Companies
Johnson & Johnson Crisis
By 1982, Johnson & Johnson Company had commanded about 35% of the US counters analgesic markets. This accomplishment translated to about 15% of the total national revenues in over-the-counter drugs. By far, it had the controlling power. Thus, it acted as the price giver.
According to Rehak (2002), the results of cyanide incorporation in the Tylenol were catastrophic. Seven people died in the US. The situation resulted in a market-wide panic and reduction in the consumption of the company’s products. The information turned the population against the drug.
For a large period, the company’s drugs lost value. From another viewpoint, the company shares too went down almost to a recess. The events must have taught the company a major lesson. Following the end of this crisis that was poorly managed, another similar crisis faced the company in 1986.
One might wonder whether the company had no hint concerning catastrophe preparedness. The company was not ready to lose any more value in stock. It made a quick response to the crisis by recalling its products both in the home market and in the international front. This move was consumer-friendly.
It would go a long way in its future. Although the company had to spend over one billion dollars in correcting this mistake, it was recognised as the most consumer responsive company (Rehak, 2002). This achievement swayed the population to trust its products.
Clients were assured that the company was readily responding to their call in case of a crisis. As Rehak (2002) says, “It placed consumers first by recalling 31 million bottles of Tylenol capsules from store shelves and offering replacement product in the safer tablet form free of charge” (Para. 3).
Most painkiller consumers shifted their loyalty from other brands such as Perrier to Johnson & Johnson. This move by the corporation was a calculated one. The risks were too high.
The business would have faced a criminal impeachment that would have cost it more billions while at the same time losing the client base, products, and the market for future production. The reader might want to predict what would have happened if the company did not implement such a response mechanism.
The company’s well-calculated response saved it from this loss because any more deaths would have resulted in the company’s products being banned from many of the markets. This crisis would not have been controlled at this level.
The quick response created trust between the manufacturer and the consumer. By observing the consumer characteristics of wanting to consume nothing but the best, the firm understood that the shopper would shift to another product unless there was a compensating factor.
The recall was smart, as the consumer felt cared for and thus convinced to remain loyal (Curtin, Hayman, & Husein, 2004).
The company’s management forewent the short-term goals for the long-term ones by losing the billion dollars in recalls as a way of restructuring the company’s strategy (Rehak, 2002). Its ability to achieve the long-term goals at that moment entirely depended on how it would handle the situation.
Although silencing the problem came at a cost, the company assured customers of safety when enjoying its products. Since the clients were the same target bases for the company’s longer goals, it secured their returns in the end. The reader can confirm that the move was a game changer that had not been tried before.
Any backfiring would have cost the company more resources. The outcome was unpredictable and open to market forces. For crisis managers to undertake this method, they must have studied the market to know which move to play.
Coca-Cola’s 1999 Crisis
Coca-cola is a globalised company whose financial assets are estimated at 160 billion dollars. It controls most of the world soft drink market. In Europe alone, its market share is about 60% (Johnson & Peppas, 2003). This figure implies that it has the majority market share and thus a price setter.
Given that Europe acts as one trade bloc in most of its economic decisions, any crisis that hits a single nation can be felt in all the 15 nations in the union. A company such as Coca-Cola must thus be careful in its response to the crisis to ensure that it remains at the same controlling position of retaining its profits constant.
Confirming this assertion, Business Monitor International (2014) says, “The Coca-Cola Company (Coke) has been behind PepsiCo (Pepsi) in addressing the weakening industry structure” (p. 168).
Unfortunately, this happening was not the case in 1999. According to Johnson and Peppas (2003), while it tried to respond to the issue of drink contamination in its own approach, the company was unable to convince the nations that it had everything under control.
Managers had to face the challenge of explaining the contamination of imported drinks. Countries such as Germany were unhappy with the situation.
Reporting in New York Times, Andrews (1999) confirmed how, “a growing number of consumer groups in Germany and elsewhere complained that Coca-Cola had been opaque and unreassuring in its public explanations” (Para. 4).
They demanded the company to be receptive. In response, the company sent crisis managers to curb the spread of the disaster, as well as its return to its former position. The reader might want to know whether the goods were recalled as witnessed in the previous case.
However, unlike Johnson & Johnson Company situation, Coca-Cola did not recall the products. For instance, as Blanding (2010) reveals, steered by its Indian subsidiaries, the company placed an advertisement saying, “We can safely assert that there is no contamination or toxicity whatsoever in our brand of beverages” (p. 242).
Instead, it pushed to see that the products were sold citing that the drinks were not contaminated and that they could not affect the consumers’ health.
As a result, some of the trustworthy consumers remained loyal to the brand, although many nations and consumer protection groups pushed for the withdrawal of the products from the market.
The result was some nations banning the use of the products in some countries. For instance, Belgium-manufactured products were banned from German markets.
Andrews (1999) confirms this assertion by showing how, “German authorities began checking the origin of Coke products and removing any that had been bottled in France or Belgium” (Para. 4). Spain and Italy followed suit.
Implication
Following the extensive business and ecological problems that arose during the 1980s, disaster administration was introduced. GAO was in the forefront to bring the subject of crisis management on the table. This body “focused on three phases of the financial crisis management” (GAO, 1997, p. 1).
The aim was to assess damages that occur in case of a disaster and create mechanisms to deal with them while maintaining the companies’ financial status as close as possible to its former position.
From these expositions, the industrial crisis that hit the Johnson & Johnson Company had repercussions in terms of how it was handled. However, a similar crisis in 1986 redefined the company’s position and crisis management approaches.
In 1999, Coca-Cola was hit by the same kind of crisis. However, its slowness in response deteriorated its position, thus leading to major losses in the European region. In terms of loss of market control, Coca-Cola lost market since its products were banned from these major markets (Lyon, 2004).
Confirming this situation, Johnson and Peppas (2003) say, “the Belgian Health Ministry ordered that Coca-Cola trade-marked products be withdrawn from the Belgian market” (p. 18).
Considering that it controls 60% of the European soft drinks market, the company lost billions in dollars after consumers lost their trust in the company’s products.
In terms of investment loss, while the products were not recalled in some regions such as Germany, the company was unable to sell the products, despite sending administrative official to confirm to consumers that the products had, “no signs of contamination” (Andrews, 1999, Para. 14).
This observation means that it lost both the short-term and long-term investment. Since the products remained in stall, the production was slowed. Hence, the future of its sales was uncertain.
According to Johnson and Peppas (2003), the business was finally recalled from the market following the push from the Belgian Health department because of two unconnected reasons.
Firstly, customers protested of irregular flavour and aroma in the company’s bottles. Secondly, one hundred people became unwell following the consumption of the drinks (Johnson & Peppas, 2003). An approximate of fifteen million packaging containers was returned to the company.
Although Coca-Cola had existed for over one hundred and thirteen years before this event, it experienced decrease in consumer loyalty. It had gained massive consumer loyalty. Most consumers regarded its products to have the highest quality in soft drink manufacturing.
How the Crises were Well Managed
Following the identification of the crisis and an overview of the course of action of the two scenarios, this section will make a chronological review of the management of the crisis. It also presents short-term and long-term outcomes in an attempt to see the effect of their approaches.
The section will also define a working plan that will compare the approaches of theories of crisis management and conclude on their effectiveness.
Which is the most effective crisis management approach? To answer this question, it will work to investigate, determine, and analyse the approaches to give a detailed conclusion and suggestion as to the most effective approaches.
Following the lift of the ban in Belgium, the company had to discuss the way forward. For instance, it was “to take immediate steps to remedy those problems” (Johnson & Peppas, 2003, p. 18). He announced that the company would embark on aggressive marketing campaign in Europe to regain consumer trust.
He held forums, giving samples, and holding dances and music parties where the attendees were given free drinks (Johnson & Peppas, 2003). The company also held a summer tour around Europe to promote the brand.
A competition around Europe in which 72,000 customers would win different prices was undertaken Johnson & Peppas, 2003). This strategy was very effective since consumers had to guzzle many of the products to participate and win. The products regained their popularity throughout Europe in this promotion.
From this plan, the key role of crisis management as part of every management strategy became evident. Coca-Cola Company may have failed to foresee this crisis. However, it was not prepared to deal with the crisis. What it did was to solve the aftermath of the crisis.
Did it have a team that was ready to respond to the problem immediately before it escalated? Controlling the aftermath became more expensive than it should have been if such a team were in place.
As Ferrell, Fraedrich, and Ferrell (2010) assert, perception becomes a reality and that unless a situation is curbed as it emerges, it escalates to bigger issue.
The governments finally lifted the ban, which was a reassuring point to the people upon considering that the community respected and expected them (governments) to protect their interests.
As Johnson and Peppas (2003) confirm, “the Company began moving to resume production of high-quality products while maintaining efforts to recover and destroy all existing products” (p. 19).
Brand image preservation was a key requirement. Using its website, the company initiated public education (Johnson & Peppas, 2003). The factors were generalised to fit all countries. The brand was also more informative on the containers.
This information assured the public that the company was taking steps to ensuring that such incidents were outdated.
In terms of value-added components, the company was able to convince the public that its product had value-added components that could make it out win its competitors (Johnson & Peppas, 2003). For instance, it embarked on quality merchandise whose prices were affordable.
The company built public confidence in its leadership. For instance, with the coming of the vice-president to assess the situation in Belgium, the corporation showed a lot of care on the side of its clients and management. This outcome was a positive social responsiveness.
Tylenol had dominated the over-the-counter bazaar in America for years. In fact, as Markel (2014) says, “Before the 1982 crisis, Tylenol controlled more than 35 percent of the over-the-counter pain reliever market” (Para. 10).
However, the company chose to withdraw it from the market to show that it was not ready to risk public lives. Kaplan (n.d) presents the role that public relations played in the process of addressing this disaster. This move reversed the public view.
Instead of seeing Tylenol as the cause of its issues, esteemed clients and stakeholders regarded the company as the victim of the disaster. Thus, they remained loyal to Johnson & Johnson Company’s brand. This move was significant and effective.
It allowed the company to forego its short-term goals while at the same time re-emerging to fulfil and achieve its long-term goals as Johnson and Peppas (2003) confirms.
This move that cost the company millions of dollars also saved it more billions that would have otherwise been incurred while struggling to join the market a new after the crisis. In response to the crisis, the company engaged in informative advertisement plans.
Using the media, the company communicated to the public concerning its plan to produce quality and standard. For the Coca-Cola Company, this strategy reduced and eliminated the possibility of further casualties.
Confirming the above achievements, Johnson and Peppas (2003) assert, “By the beginning of August, research indicated that core users of Coca-Cola brand products reported the same intent-to-purchase levels as before the crisis” (p. 20).
For Johnson & Johnson, the move also reduced the cost of repaying and compensating the victims. Introduction of the triple packaging seals for commodity safety purpose was also an excellent strategy.
Reporting for the New York Times, Pace (1982) says, “The business stock rose from $1.50 yesterday, to $47.25, in trading on the New York Stock Exchange” (Para. 8). This parcel had a fastened container, a synthetic material, and a close up that guaranteed safety of the content.
Using multiple conferences at corporate headquarters, the company advertised the new plan of securing its packaging materials and immediately gained public, despite the move amplifying the business operations costs (Pace, 1982).
Scholars such as Pace (1982) and Markel (2014) have viewed the strategy that Johnson & Johnson Company adopted as the forgiveness and sympathy method. It reacted in a manner that depicted how it was sorry for the mistake.
This strategy worked perfectly. Soon after, the company was the best performing. Rectification was witnessed based on the steps the company took to ensure that this event did not happen again.
By introducing the three-seal package, the company showed the public its willingness to change the scenario and continue doing business with its venerated clientele. The sympathy strategy was such that the public viewed the crisis as a deliberate attack by an outside force.
This tactic won sympathy for the company from the public, which meant that it (the public) would help it (the company) to regain its position and thus disassociate it with poor drugs.
Changes to be made for Future Resilience
Evaluating the two approaches, both companies were able to deal with the crisis at hand in different ways to achieve the same objective. The difference was only witnessed in the cost of averting the crisis.
The whole study on Coca-Cola revolves around the fact that the company was not quick enough to solve the issues as compared to Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Company. The ease at which one company discovered the problem determined the incurred costs.
Both companies failed to put in place a crisis management team before the crisis happened. They should have put up this department in their management strategies to ease the response. If this plan were in place, the number of casualties in both scenarios would have been less.
The companies have ever since considered having a crisis response team following the lesson they got from the two events. Coca-Cola Company should have considered consumer protection a priority over profits. It did not withdraw its products from the market until its brand was banned.
This step was only a control measure, rather than a management strategy. It only responded to the crisis while not addressing its consumers or issuing a statement that would have created a sympathy situation.
On the other hand, Johnson & Johnson Company accepted it fault given that this incident was the second crisis of the similar manner. With reference to the 1982 case, the company waited without issuing a control mechanism until the occurrence of the second problem to initiate the protocol.
The company was profit conscious and hence the reason why it did not want to recall its products because that move would have reduced its returns.
Conclusion
Coca-Cola is among the most recognised businesses in the world for its sale of soft drinks. However, the paper has made it clear that the company did not attain its excellent global rank in a day. It has had to learn from the many crises that have come its way.
Many scholars who have been studying this company for decades have associated the turbulent experiences as the root behind the company’s social responsiveness, better customer services, and the globally-recognised brand name.
Similarly, Johnson & Johnson Company remains the best business in terms of social responsibility. With reference to the crisis under study, the company adopted the right procedure by choosing to recall its products, irrespective of the cost.
It did the right thing by accepting that it was in the wrong and that the consequences it faced were short-lived. Thanks to these companies, the public is aware of the step it should take if such a situation re-emerges.
It is best to remain objective in solving the situation, regardless of the cost since every company works for its consumers. All companies’ interest should be to make the lives of the consumers better. These tips proved efficient in dealing with the management of Johnson & Johnson and the 1982 and 1999 Coca-Cola crises.
Reference List
Andrews, E. (1999). International Business; Coke’s Chief Apologises for Response on Contamination. The New York Times. Web.
Blanding, M. (2010). The Dirty Truth Behind The World’s Favourite Soft Drink. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
Business Monitor International. (2014). The United Kingdom Food & Drink Report Q1 2015. Web.
Curtin, T., Hayman, D., & Hussein, N. (2004). Managing a Crisis: A Practical Guide . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ferrell, C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2010). Business ethics: Ethical decision-making and cases: 2009 update . Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
GAO. (1997). Financial Crisis Management: Four Financial Crises of the 1980s. Web.
Johnson, V., & Peppas, S. (2003). Crisis Management in Belgium: The Case of Coca-Cola. Corporate Communications: An International journal, 8 (1), 18-22.
Kaplan, T. (n.d). The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson & Johnson. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University.
Lyon, T. (2004). Crisis Management: Coca-Cola in Europe. Michigan: University of Michigan.
Markel, H. (2014). How the Tylenol murders of 1982 changed the way we consume medication . Web.
Pace, E. (1982). Tylenol Will Reappear In Triple-Seal Package . New York Times. Web.
Rehak, J. (2002). Tylenol made a hero of Johnson & Johnson : The recall that started them all. We.
Simpson, M. (2013). Case Study: Coca-Cola . Web.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Dispensationalism is the belief that God has appointed specific periods of time in which He will test humans to see if they are obedient to His will. Dispensationalism is based on the idea that God has a plan for each person's life, and that plan is revealed to them through the Bible. some people believe that Dispensationalism is a valid interpretation of the Bible, others believe that it is a dangerous heresy. |
Dispensationalism is the belief that God has appointed specific periods of time in which He will test humans to see if they are obedient to His will. Dispensationalism is based on the idea that God has a plan for each person's life, and that plan is revealed to them through the Bible.
some people believe that Dispensationalism is a valid interpretation of the Bible, others believe that it is a dangerous heresy. | Dispensationalism: Is It Biblical? Research Paper
History of Dispensation
The ideology of dispensation is one of the most significant aspects when it comes to religion. By definition, it is considered as a range of time where God tests human beings with regards to the respect and compliance to revelation or guidance of God’s will.
In other words, it is a time when God seeks to test the extent to which man obeys the revelation given to him in respect to God’s wills and intentions. From this definition, it is evident that dispensation has three critical and distinct aspects that define it.
First, dispensation embodies a revelation which seeks to provide knowledge about God’s will. In that regard, therefore, it implies that God provide insight concerning his intention for man to make decision in respect to whether he will obey or not.
The second aspects, which is portrayed in the definition, relates to the fact that God has allowed man the power of choice.
As such, the man is responsible of making the decision as to whether he will obey or neglect the revelation. Indeed, the idea of allowing man to make decision dates back to the time of creation when God permitted Adam to choose between good and bad deeds.
Thirdly, the definition of dispensation encompasses a period of time in which the revelation and the test prevails.
As such, during this period, God sustains the revelation in order to test whether man is prepared to act in accordance to God’s will. Indeed, the ideology of dispensation has evoked heated debates worldwide due to the differing perspectives in respect to its definition and components.
In addition, the clear difference between dispensation and covenant theology has evoked critical controversy bearing in mind the near similarity. With regards to these debates, this paper seeks to discuss some of the issues revolving around dispensation, including its history, biblical support, and biblical contravention among others.
The history of dispensation is quite deep and extensive in terms of scope and period. In this regard, dispensation dates back to 110-165 A.D during the reign of Justin Martyr (Couch 2000, 72). This was a strong believer who was persecuted in 165 A.D in Rome following his stringent and outspoken faith.
Justin displayed the ideals of dispensation because he believed in premillennialism. As such, he believed that Jesus will come back after one thousand literal years to pass judgment to the world. This implies that God will be evaluating humankind for the next 1000 years in order to test their obedience.
Indeed, if Jesus will come after the specified period to pass judgment, it means that the martyr believed in dispensation. This implication is based on the fact that the judgment cannot be passed without conducting a prior test.
In fact, it is evident that Justin used the bible as the basis of supporting and propagating the ideology of dispensation. He supported it by quoting the words of Isaiah because the prophet promised Israelites of the endless happiness in heaven.
This shows that Justin believed in the ideology of judgment where obedient people will be rewarded in heaven and the rest punished in hell.
Similarly, Irenaeus, who lived between 130 and 200, A.D, acknowledged the ideology of dispensation. However, the author did not acknowledge this aspect in direct terms or instilled the ideology of obedience. Instead, he made a clear distinction between the three covenants provided by God.
In this case, the acknowledgement of these covenants can be viewed as the revelation of God’s will. This is based on the fact the covenants were meant to provide instructions in respect to God’s will. Importantly, he acknowledged the new and old testaments as different as well as separate period of where God sought to intervene in human life.
As such, the acknowledgment of separate periods and revelation of God’s will is a characteristic of dispensation.
Clement of Alexandria furthered the ideology of dispensationalism in fairly specific and clear terms. In his work, the author sought to classify dispensation in terms of four phases of human activities. According to him, the first was Adamic dispensation where God tested the obedience of Adam in the garden of Aden (Dunn 2009, 87).
The second dispensation was manifested during the time of Noah when God decided to destroy the people due to extreme commitment of sins. The third dispensation was found during Abraham’s phase when the people of Israel were tested severally to determine their commitment to God.
Augustine closed this early age since he reigned between the 354 and 530 A.D. In his views, Augustine believed that the changes in the economy were part of God’s successive epochs (Hunt 1997, 143). Indeed, this was a perfect ideology of dispensation.
During the middle ages, Pierre was probably the earliest emerging dispensationalist in theology. In his case, however, the author did not approach dispensation from the previous Calvinistic perspective or the pre-millennial approach.
Instead, he focused on the various stages of human development, such as childhood, adulthood, and adolescence, as some of the dispensations set by God to reveal and test the obedience of human beings at different ages (Jecks 2007, 154).
Indeed, the stages were viewed as classification of specific biblical periods which essentially amounted to the millennial approach. After Pierre, John Edwards took over from 1637 to 1716 as the next dispensationalist. In his work, Edward adopted an extensive approach with respect to the issues of dispensation.
There are two interesting things that strengthen the ideology of dispensation in Edward’s work. First, he acknowledges that God has provided a finite limit to life. This implies that life will exit for a certain period of time. During this time, the author provides a step-by-step description of God’s plan for human kind.
Secondly, the author acknowledges the end of the world and earthly living. As such, however, the end of living on earth does not mean that the life of man will stop. Whereas the life of man will continue, it will be subjected to critical scrutiny. From a critical point of view, this evaluation will be based on the period lived on earth.
As such, the author includes all the aspects portrayed in the ideology of dispensation. In this case, it has a period during which God evaluates human kind in respect to whether they obey or disobey the Lord.
In addition, they will be evaluated on the basis of their own choices because, under dispensation, man has the stewardship to make decisions that inform God’s view.
During the same period and later, Isaac Watts envisaged dispensation from 1674 to 1748. Indeed, the author was more defined as to what dispensation encompassed. Although a close review of his outline shows that his views resemble the approaches of Scofield, he tried to provide an individual perspective.
In fact, the only difference between Scofield’s perspective and Isaac’s approach was the exclusion of millennialism as component of dispensation (Karnowski 2010, 75). In particular, his outline of dispensation included the Adamical period, Noahical era, the Abrahamical experience, the Mosaical factor as well as Christianity.
Inaddition, dispensation was manifested in the works of people such as John Nelson, Lewis Sperry, Charles Rayrie, Dwight Pentecost as well as John Walvoord. All these people supported the ideology of dispensation by portraying certain beliefs.
As such, it is evident that the history of dispensation if far-reaching in nature bearing in mind that it started as early as A.D 110. In fact, there have been arguments that the ideology of dispensation is very recent in the history of the world. However, this analysis shows that dispensation is an extensive and deeply rooted aspect in theology.
As such, the problem with some analysts lies in their incapability to analyze behavior appropriately in order to determine whether it manifests dispensation or not. Indeed, it is understandable that author may not have talked about it directly.
As such, their close and critical review of their behaviors is necessary in order to notice the portrayal of dispensation.
Biblical Support for Dispensation
The bible shows vast and extensive support for the ideology of dispensation both in the old and new testaments. First, portrayal of dispensation in the bible appears in the story of creation. In this chapter, God created man in his own image in order to protect the garden of Aden and to cultivate it.
However, God put a restriction which was essentially intentional in nature (Paley 2006, 98). As such, the direct instructions from God to Adam can be taken as the revelation of God’s will to man. In that regard, he expected the man to obey the instructions and keep away from the tree at the center of the garden.
However, the Satan in form of a snake misled Adam on the basis that he could become more knowledgeable if he ate the fruits. This was a real test directed to Adam to decide and choose whether he could obey God or go against his will. However, Adam chose the adversary so that he was forced to work in order to eat.
The story of Abraham was a very important and direct portrayal of dispensation in the bible. Indeed, the nature of Abraham’s test is a straightforward indication that God tests man to determine their obedience. In this case, Abraham was required to make a sacrifice for God at far place from home.
God instructed him to sacrifice his only son who was born after many years of struggle. Indeed, it could be hard for a typical human being to agree. However, Abraham took Isaac, a bunch of firewood, and started the journey to the place of sacrifice. When Isaac questioned of the sheep of sacrifice, his father told him that God would provide later.
Once they reached the destination, Abraham and Isaac prepared the altar for sacrifice. When he laid Isaac on the altar, God stopped him and provided a sheep. This was a clear indication that God engages in dispensation where he reveals the will and tests mankind’s obedience.
Another important and critical story which supports the ideology of dispensation is the experience and the test of Job. Indeed, this is another direct indication that God tests people in order to determine their faithfulness to him. In his experience, Satan approached God and claimed that Job was not essentially faithful to God.
As part of challenge, Satan asked for permission to test the faith and obedience of Job. As such, God allowed Satan to test Job by inflicting pain and suffering.
However, despite the bodily suffering and the disappearance of wealth, Job remained faithful to God and his will. In fact, his wife advised him to insult this God because she thought that the Lord had forsaken Job. However, Job remained steadfast and focused all through the period of suffering (Penney 2001, 167).
As such, his obedience led to the doubling of his wealth and reinstatement of his earlier position as far as health and other factors were concerned. This story shows that God provides tests to human beings in order to test their faithfulness. In the story of Job, it is evident that Job was conversant with the will of God.
As such, he was mandated to make a choice to either abandon it or obey him. In this case, Job obeyed the will of God as opposed to Adam who agreed to eat the forbidden fruit despite the instruction from God.
The experience of the Israelites in the wilderness is yet another illustration that shows the bible supporting dispensation from a critical point of view. In this experience, Moses was given a chance to take them from Egypt to Canaan. However, the journey was too long and difficult in nature.
At a point, Moses was called by God at the mountain to get the commandments. However, he stayed for a considerable amount of time without coming back to the Israelites (Sanders 2001, 57). Due to the lengthy period that Moses stayed at the mountain, the people of Israel decided to make a god with the resemblance of a calf.
Indeed, the people of Israel knew that God had saved them from many challenges. He provided manna from heaven during the time of hunger and enabled them to pass through the red sea. In addition, he helped them to escape the wrath of the Egyptian soldiers when they fled the land of slavery.
As such, they basically knew that God was their savior and because the entire deeds of God were meant to act as a revelation to them. In addition, they were allowed to choose between patience and the use of other Gods. However, they chose the wrong path because they decided to make a god against the well of God.
In the same script, Moses was subjected to a critical test which determined his fate as far as the Israelites were concerned. In this case, Moses was given the Ten Commandments by God written on a tablet. However, when he reached at the bottom of the mountain, he was shocked at the Israelites’ decision to pray the artificial god.
This irritated him until he decided to break the tablet provided to him by God. Moses actions did not please God because he went against the will of the Lord and broke the commandments which should have been relayed to the Israelites.
As such, he was subjected to a test in which he failed and God punished him by ensuring that he did not reach Canaan.
Lastly, the Bible’s story of Noah was a portrayal of how the bible supports the ideology of dispensation.
During this time, the people had sinned against the will of God and chose to go against the Ten Commandments. Indeed, God gave them a chance to either worship idles or stand by him but they chose to continue with the sinful acts (Wilkinson 2003, 43).
As a result, they were destroyed using water and that only a few animals were allowed to enter the Noah. This is manifestation of dispensation in the sense that God passed a judgment based on at test which was failed by the people.
Biblical Support against Dispensation
The New Testament seems to break the ideology of dispensation in various direct and indirect ways. Indeed, the teaching of Christ changed the perception of dispensation and replaced it with other philosophies. First, Jesus advanced the ideology of forgiveness with a view to change the Christian’s mentality.
In this case, Christ imparted the idea that God is forgiving in nature (Beach 2007, 87). This implies that God does not cling to punish his people for the mistakes they do. Instead, he seeks to bring Christians closer to him. As such, this philosophy invalidates the entire idea of God’s tendency to test humanity.
Understandably, if God is forgiving, he will tend to reveal more about himself to the human race. Indeed, the idea of forgiveness also prevents the extensive thought that God keeps of tempting human kind. In this regard, Jesus taught the disciple how to pray.
In the prayer, Christians pray to God not to put them into temptations but deliver them from sins.
Secondly, the coming of Christ was a fundamental undertaking that invalidated the idea of dispensation. In this case, it is evident that Jesus was sent to die on the cross and save human kind. In this sense, therefore, God sent his son to liberate the human race from earthly sins.
This implies that God has the will to save his people rather than punishing them. It shows that God understand the weaknesses of human beings and considers them as sinners. It is for that reason he sent his only begotten son to liberate the entire humankind from sins.
As such, it implies that God is not a testing God. Instead, he is a God who is prepared to save his people from darkness and sins. In fact, it is an indication that God understands the inability of human being to make perfect decisions.
As such, it is not within his best interest or priority to test people and punish them based on their decisions.
Fundamentally, the seven sacraments also contravene the ideology of dispensation in critical ways. As stated before dispensation concentrates on testing and allowing people to make their decisions in order to reward or punish people.
On the other hand, the seven sacraments present God in manner that portrays his willingness to guide and save human race. For example, baptism is one of the sacraments that seek to cleanse the original sins committed by Adam during creation when he ate the forbidden fruit.
This implies that God sets out to cleanse the human sin rather than to tempt Christians. The Eucharist seeks to form a direct connection between Christians and the God. This implies that God has opened his doors to human race and made the more capable.
Indeed, the human race has become more empowered due to the Eucharistic connection with God. Importantly, the coming of Christ was an evangelical factor of theology which weakened the ideology of dispensation.
In this case, God enabled his only son to preach to people in order to increase human understanding about God. In addition, he left his disciples to propagate his word across the world and redeem the human understanding about God.
Discussion of Effects on Premillennialists, Postmillennialists and Amillennialists
The ideology of dispensation supports the perspective of premillennialists in an extensive way. In essence, it is evident that premillennialists believe that Jesus will come before 1000 years in order to pass judgment to human race based on the choices and decisions they made in life (Booke 2009, 48).
In that line of thought, therefore, dispensation supports the perspective of premillennialists because it shares the idea that God tests people over a given period of time. As such, dispensation strengthens the premillennialists’ ideology in terms of testing, judgment and time limit.
The same case happens when it comes to the postmillennialists because they also believe in the coming of Jesus and the passing of Judgment. It follows, therefore, that Jesus will come to pass his judgment to humankind based on the decisions that people made during the time of test.
On the other hand, amillennialists hold an essentially different view as compared to the premillennialists and postmillennialists. In this case, amillennialists consider the 1000 years that were mentioned in the book of revelation to symbolize a given time which is not necessarily literal.
Whereas the amillennialists differ from the other two, they agree that Jesus will come to judge humankind (Brown 2003, 124). As such, it implies that the dispensation strengthens the ideology of amillennialists too.
Conclusion
It is evident that the Old Testament supports the ideology of dispensation where God tests human beings based on whether they obey his will in accordance to his revelation.
In this case, it is evident that the Moses, Abraham, Job, and Adam were put under tests by God in order to determine whether they obeyed him. In this case, Abraham, and Job passed the test of obedience and they were awarded accordingly.
On the other hand, Moses and Adam failed the test of God and they were punished for the decision they made. In particular, Adam was punished by putting him under a condition where he must work and sweat in order to eat. Moses was punished when he was denied the opportunity to reach Canaan which was the Promised Land.
In addition, it was noted that the ideology of dispensation has a deeps and extensive history. This finding was contrary to many believes which indicated that this is a new theological aspect. In this case, it was noted that the aspect of dispensation date back to the A.D 110 during the reign of Justin.
In that regard, therefore, Justin and other early believers made the framework of the modern and post-modern dispensation. Lastly, dispensation has strengthened the ideologies of premillennialists, amillennialists, and post-millennialists. Dispensation and these ideologies converge on the basis of judgment.
In this regard, they believe that Christ will come after or before 1000 years to pass judgment to human beings.
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