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Harry Potter Books and Movies Compare & Contrast Essay One of things that make life fascinating is the diversity and variance that different people and things exhibit. These differences may be obvious or deeply disguised requiring one to take a critical look at the item in order to notice them. In this paper, I shall set out to compare two items; J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” the Book and its movie adaptation. By so doing, I shall demonstrate that there do exist significant differences as well as similarities between the two items despite them appearing to be wholly similar. A Comparative Analysis Both the book and its film adaptation share the character set. The lead character is the hero Harry Potter, a famous wizard whose adventures are the central focus of the book and the movie. In the wizard world, Harry Potter is engaged in a prolonged fight to defeat the immensely powerful and evil wizard Lord Voldemort. Harry potter is assisted in his noble quest by his two best friends Ron and Hermione. These two characters play significant roles in the plot development of both the movie and the book. The magical school that Harry and his friends attend so as to learn about wizardry is represented in an identical manner in both the book and the movie. The school building is a gigantic and daunting castle which is inaccessible to non-magical people. According to the book, the castle has a lake, extensive grounds and a forest. The Movie properly depicts this as a lake can be seen as the students arrive at the school by use of a train. The imposing nature of the castle is evident and in many scenes from the movie, Harry Potter and his friends venture out into the fields and forests that are part of the school grounds. However, the representation of one of the lead characters Hermione in the movie is not a true depiction of what she is in the book. In the book, Hermione is described as a brightest girl in the school. Her know-it-all attitude alienates her from the rest of the students. Nothing to the book indicates that Hermione is an attractive girl and she is in fact describe as having large protruding teach and bushy brown hair. However, the movie presents Hermione as a physically attractive and likable character. This is inconsistent with the image that one builds form reading the novel. In the book, the prisoner of Azkaban, the character Sirius Black who is Harry’s godfather, plays a minor role despite him being central to the plot of the book. His appearances in the book are relatively few considering that he is the focal point of the book. The book instead focuses on developing the story around Sirius and therefore, despite his not being mentioned every now and then, one can sense his involvement throughout the book. In the movie, Sirius plays a more predominant role and he is afforded relatively more screen time than one would expect from the book. The movie adaptation contains numerous omissions of events that are recorded in the book. This is to be expected considering the relatively small length of the movie compared to the size of the book. Harry Potter’s exchanges with his uncle’s family are left out and one can therefore not correctly gauge the nature of the relationship from watching the film. From the book, it is clear that Harry Potter hates staying with his relatives who despise him. Conclusion In this paper, I set out to compare two items so as to highlight their similarities and differences. From my comparison of the book “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and its movie adaptation, it is clear that there are a lot of similarities and differences between the two. Nevertheless, both the movie and the book prove to be equally entertaining despite their differences. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Essay Academic and business writing is the same course that gives students great opportunities to master different writing styles and apply their knowledge of writing to different settings. To become effective at generating original ideas, students need to analyze how writers generate, critique, and publish ideas. By becoming more aware of the working habits and attitudes of other writers, students should interfere with their ability to develop ideas. Academic writing helps students to develop excellent writing skills and master the basic rules of professional writing. The path from the desire to write, to the original idea, and then to publication is often fraught with chaos, feelings of self-doubt, error, and frustration (Behrens and Rosen 43). This is why it’s often said that it’s easier to critique than to invent. Few academicians can write a perfect first draft. Most of us require some time to wander around our offices, sharpen pencils, clean our homes, or browse through current periodicals. More precisely, most of us need some prewriting time –time to read more deeply about a subject, time for planning a research design, time for discussing ideas with colleagues. Academic writing teaches students how to organize ideas and express them. in contrast to academic writing business writing involve more terms and special use of language means to express ideas and thoughts. It is more formal in its nature-oriented on a particular target audience. All communications should be polite and constructive, but this is especially important when there is no non-verbal communication, as in letters and memoranda (whether they are sent by post, fax, or e-mail) and in conversations on the telephone (Behrens and Rosen 51). Similar to academic writing, your treatment of the subject should be comprehensive, including everything readers need to know. Every composition should have an obvious beginning, middle, and end. Every statement should be complete. Every argument should be followed through to its logical conclusion. Writing should be free from errors of omission (Blake and Bly 32). Both academic writing and business writing demand equal attention to things of comparable importance and a sense of proportion. Unless expected to present only the case for or the case against, a student-writer should normally show an awareness of all sides of a question. Academic writing teaches students to be concise and uses no more words than are needed to express meaning pleasurably and unambiguously. it is important to include no more detail than is appropriate. In business writing, as in speaking, clarity is the expression of clear thinking (Blake and Bly 134). To make your meaning clear you must use words you expect your readers to know and understand, in carefully constructed, unambiguous sentences – with nothing left to the readers’ imagination. While simple subjects may require little prewriting, most academic works require extensive prewriting (Stunk and White 22). If a student fails to give some careful thought to rhetorical context, schedule, and goals at the onset of a scholarly project, he/she may find two years down the line that the audience for the project is too small to warrant publication, or that others have already done what a student has set out to do, or that the methodology is severely flawed. Of course, there are tremendous advantages to writing to discover ideas and form. The joy of academic writing is often found in the excitement experienced when new ideas shatter plans (Griffin 87). Many business communications are concerned with ensuring efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness – with a view to making a profit so that those who devote time to the business (employees and owners) or invest money (owners or shareholders) can be paid (Griffin 31). Academic writing is crucial for this course because any communications that are inaccurate, inappropriate, unclear, verbose, inconsistent, incomplete, or imprecise are likely to be ignored, or may confuse, or may result in inappropriate actions, wrong decisions, accidents, costly mistakes, and wasted effort. Accuracy in writing depends on choice and use of words, to ensure a person conveys the intended message. in business writing, special attention is devoted to the form and content of writing while academic writing concentrates on accuracy (Piotrowski 39). No amount of care in analyzing data, or presenting the results of the analysis, can compensate for lack of care in earlier stages of the work. academic writing helps a student: 1. consider what the reader needs to know and why the information is needed, 2. convey just this amount of information, with enough supporting detail, 3. choose words familiar to the reader, 4. use them in well constructed, unambiguous sentences (Piotrowski 72). In sum, academic and business writing are integral parts of the course supporting and supplementing each other. It follows that anything a writer can do to improve his/her use of words should help a writer to achieve goals. Such communications include not only letters and memoranda, and reports of various kinds, but also manuals, plans, specifications, guidelines, procedures – including instructions and drawings – and records of activities performed and results achieved. Works Cited 1. Behrens, L., Rosen, L. J. Sequence for Academic Writing . Longman; 3 edition, 2006. 2. Blake, G., Bly, R. W. The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents . Longman; 1st edition, 1992. 3. Griffin, J. The Complete Handbook of Model Business Letters . Prentice Hall Press, 1997. 4. Piotrowski, M. V. Effective Business Writing :(A Guide For Those who Write On the Job) 2nd Edition Revised And Updated. Collins; 2 Rev Upd edition, 1996. 5. Stunk, W. & White, E. B. The Elements of Style , 4th edn, Boston, Allyn & Bacon, 1999. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Back Bay Battery Strategic Innovation Simulation Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Strategy 3. The Rationale for the Strategy 4. Challenges 5. Conclusion 6. Work Cited Introduction The Back Bay Simulation played an essential role in training me on how to make strategic decisions as a manager. Research and development (R$D) are integral to the growth of any business because it enhances competitiveness and realization of consumer needs. Managers meet numerous challenges while implementing decisions to allocate funds due to the constant need to remain relevant and ensure that R&D aimed at addressing the current market issued does not raise unit costs. The simulation equipped me with a plethora of skills to make tough yet sound decisions on whether to invest in absorbed glass mat (AGM) or a new supercapacitor (SC) battery. The news channel, consumer desires, potential customers, and the Back Bay Battery revenue furnished me with the relevant information to make informed decisions. UPS makers had realized that adding a supercapacitor’s ability to recharge faster enhanced the capacity of handling surges (Christensen and Shih Par. 2). The rising popularity of start-stop engine technology meant an increased demand from car manufacturers because the AGM battery is well-suited to the increased power demands and frequent cycling. Seemingly, they had a more extensive market demand as compared to the SC type because they could store and deliver power in short surges. They also had twice the lifetime of conventional lead-acid batteries, and they were sealed to prevent any fumes from overcharging, making them preferred for many applications, especially on ships and military equipment and high-end vehicles (Christensen and Shih Par. 3). Since the company has inadequate money for R&D due to market pressures, I decided to improve prices for AGM batteries while ensuring that their technical advantages surpassed those of similar products in the market. Strategy In the first five years after assuming a managerial position in Back Bay Battery, the sales for AGM batteries increased from $119.3 to $214.8 million. I ensured that the price for the product remained $10 and $20 for supercapacitors. This plan played an integral role in increasing the revenues for AGM batteries that were gaining increased popularity in many applications. I kept the price constant for AGM batteries for the next five years. However, since I realized that the company had achieved comparatively lower sales on SC batteries, I reduced their price to $15 in the third year in the notion that I would attract more consumers. In the first year, the overall sales in automobiles grew by 37%, accounting for 13.7 million units annually. The increased popularity of the SC among UPS makers also boosted sales by 21%, enabling the company to sell 2.5 million units annually. The second year, however, saw a further increase in sales by 32%, boosting the number of units per year to 18.1 million. During the third year, the warehouse equipment makers had increased pressure for improvements in annual production, which implied a need for lowering prices. However, since Back Bay was offering the best prices for quality products, I overlooked this plea and maintained the same rates as in the previous year. The sales for SCs dropped suddenly while AGM batteries showed a steady increase in profits. In the fourth year, the price of AGM batteries remained the same, but I reduced the price for SCs to $15 while making crucial steps to reduce the unit costs to leverage profits. This decision resulted in a 25% decrease in the overall sales in warehouse equipment. In the fifth year, UPS makers had begun appreciating the power of a supercapacitor to handle surges, which boosted sales by 154% (12.8 million units annually). Throughout the five years, the operating profit for AGM batteries increased from 30% to 37%. Figure 1: Product Sales Figure 2: Product performance The Rationale for the Strategy Foremost , I maintained my price at $10, but I invested in the process of improvement to cut the unit cost. As a result, I managed a steady product performance throughout the five years. During the third year, I reduced the prices of supercapacitors from $20 to $15 per unit to boost sales and maintain competitiveness in the market. Even after one of the automakers requested Back Bay to focus on its specific needs for an upcoming SUV line, I still offered the high-power density battery at $10 to prevent intrusion of the market by Asian competitors. The appealing recharge time and competitive price have been critical factors for improved sales, despite the company’s limited R&D resources. Challenges While I thought that the strategy for AGM batteries was appropriate, I disregarded various aspects of SCs that would have improved the sale of the products. Although the company has limited resources to conduct R&D for supercapacitors, I did not put any effort into investing in energy density, recharge cycles, and process improvement to make them more marketable. The reduction of the product price only attracted a small amount of profit. I later realized that the best decision was to focus on the improvement of the product specifications rather than dropping the prices in poor market conditions. Asian competitors may have realized this gap and introduced more versatile supercapacitor batteries. Conclusion The Back Bay simulation provided a better understanding of the volatility of the market, which does not always align with one’s business goals and strategies. I also learned the importance of investing in R&D to improve product positioning. Lack of this resource can reduce a product’s competitive edge, resulting in low sales. There is a need to ensure excellent timing and efficient allocation of R&D funds to drive promotional campaigns. Lastly, the simulation helped me to understand the link between investment decisions on new disruptive technologies and their contribution to the profitability of a business. Work Cited Christensen, Clayton, and Willy Shih. Strategic Innovation Simulation: Back Bay Battery v3 . Harvard Business Publishing. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Introduction 2. Factors considered on a ‘buy-make’ decision 3. Importance of outsourcing risk assessment 4. Conclusion 5. References Introduction Outsourcing is the process of seeking services from other external firms and is aimed at improving quality and efficiency, reducing cost, and taking advantage of new technology. At times it is cheaper to buy goods, and source services from businesses with comparative advantages (Bajec & Jakomin, 2010, pp. 285-291). This is due to high expertise as well as knowledge of operations exhibited by the company providing the services. However, a company needs to consider the benefits of buying over those of making. Outsourcing is characterized by merits such as reduced operating costs, better business focus, resource concentration to other functions, as well as reduced risks (Işıklar, Alptekin, & Büyüközkan, 2007, pp. 3701-3714). Decisions concerning outsourcing important operations are crucial to an organization because they affect the firm’s production methods, working capital, and competitiveness. Factors considered on a ‘buy-make’ decision Management accountants may find that some operations need to be outsourced to reap the benefits as well as utilize spare capacity more profitably. Factors that lead to a decision on whether to buy or make include: 1. The implication of outsourcing for the attainment of strategic goals: The decision to make or buy influences the company’s achievement of long-term objectives. In this view, it is important to consider the impact the decision will have on the organization’s structure in addition to strategies. 2. Business capabilities: These give the aspect of competitive advantage over other firms in the same industry. The decision-maker should assess how the choice will affect the company’s growth, development, as well as quality assurance. Manufacturing abilities and innovative technology are important in the process. Hence, a company well versed with these skills will opt to make instead of buying to utilize its own capacities (Jain & Natarajan, 2011, pp. 294-322). 3. Goal consideration: This is the determination of the reasons behind the company’s wish to outsource. The company needs to highlight the goals it wishes to accomplish from the decision in order to critically analyze the available choices and make the best decision. 4. Cost consideration: This is meant to give a detailed analysis of the monetary benefits that would accrue to the company for either deciding to make or buy. In this analysis, the management accountant needs to estimate opportunity cost foregone in each case (Holcomb & Hitt, 2007, pp. 464-481). Relevant costing is of great assistance to analyze what needs to be outsourced as well as the impact on the company’s revenues. 5. Current operations: This analysis gives a clear motive as to the need to outsource or continue operating as a present. If there is a need to improve performance, then outsourcing may be of assistance to the company. Importance of outsourcing risk assessment 1. Security concerns: An organization is accountable for the actions of its employees. Thus, it is important to consider the legal implications of outsourcing where employees are expected to act upon the instructions of the service provider. 2. Possibility of litigation: In cases where suppliers engage in unlawful activities when in the business premise, it creates a threat of legal action. Such acts like fraud also ruin the reputation of the business (Harland, Knight, Lamming, & Walker, 2005, pp. 831-850). 3. Risk of being locked up: This should be considered to allow the company makes a sound decision on whether to inbuilt or outsource in terms of the contract. 4. Need to understand the quality of services: Outsourcing does not always guarantee quality. This necessitates the need to consider available options to make a sound decision. 5. Effects on staff morale: In a decision to outsource functions, employees may be laid off to accommodate new expertise. This makes other staff lose morale due to fear of demotion. Conclusion Identifying the operations as well as expertise to conserve over the ones to subcontract requires cautious thoughtfulness and planning. An organization may plan to outsource services wholly or partly. References Bajec, P., & Jakomin, I. (2010). A Make-or-buy Decision Process for Outsourcing. PROMET-Traffic&Transportation , 22 (4), 285-291. Harland, C., Knight, L., Lamming, R., & Walker, H. (2005). Outsourcing: assessing the risks and benefits for organisations, sectors and nations. International Journal of Operations & Production Management , 25 (9), 831-850. Holcomb, T. R., & Hitt, M. A. (2007). Toward a model of strategic outsourcing. Journal of operations management , 25 (2), 464-481. Işıklar, G., Alptekin, E., & Büyüközkan, G. (2007). Application of a hybrid intelligent decision support model in logistics outsourcing. Computers & Operations Research , 34 (12), 3701-3714. Jain, R. K., & Natarajan, R. (2011). Factors influencing the outsourcing decisions: a study of the banking sector in India. Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal , 4 (3), 294-322. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Call center practice cases Essay To implement effective practice cases for the call centers, the manager should employ classroom-like activities whereby trainees will undertake real lessons as done in a classroom. This method is regarded as the best in achieving of employee ability in handling new products in the call center. Secondly, Johnson (2008) argues that “observing calls as made by trainees” will be an effective method of achieving effective training (p.8). Common mistakes are usually observed. Hence, appropriate corrections are made instantly. Thirdly, employment of one-on-one observation is also another effective training method. This helps in identification of trainee weaknesses and appropriate actions are taken to create more strength. Another method is product knowledge tests which seek to establish how much a probable call center personnel knows a product. Lastly, use of online tutorials would be imperative since they contain required training information in expected detail. These methods are preferable given immediate challenging organizational environment. Due to the growing demand in improving customer service quality, there has been demand for creation of more effective call centers. Implementing a successful call center is entirely dependent on efficiency of call center personnel which in turn depends on their training. In the process of training call center employees, practice cases must be given utmost priority in importance since they reflect successes of new call centers. In this regard, while designing a practice case, managers should consider the five most important aspects of practice cases. These include new product profile, challenges encountered at the call centers, vendor technological resources available at the centers, appropriate technologies to be used and the benefits associated with the call center (Giere, 2009). These are some of the contents expected to be included in practice cases of an organization. New products come with great expectations especially in versatile business environments. Among these expectations are delivery conveniences. Changing trends in current technologies coupled with fast delivery courier services have raised expectation of deliveries services to convenience levels. With release of new products, there are great expectations of inclusive delivery of new practice cases. In this organization, it is most likely to make an impact if delivery were to be included at company online points, physical presence employed to deliver content in classroom-like setting, over-the-phone delivery method employed in delivering product information tests (Giere, 2009) and face-book in sending lesson progresses. Technology has made it possible for planning and delivery information to be done conveniently. Designing and delivering practice cases will ultimately employ technology. Issuance of URL to trainees will enable accessibility of online tutorials. Application of email technology will enhance communication during training and thus keep track of trainee progress in the duration. Use of Skype video calling or conferencing technology is preferable in administration of classroom-like lessons when distance becomes a barrier due to sudden inconveniences (Dawson, 2011). Trainee education is a major step towards achievement of organizational goals. In addition, trainee knowledge transfer is significant in making this a practical achievement (Johnson, 2008). In order to ensure trainee knowledge transfer, immediate call center set up is imperative. Secondly, instant duty allocation ensures that the gained skills are put to work. Lastly, when terminating a training program and implementing feasibility check, hands on experience is highly encouraged. This process makes it easier for the learnt content to undergo distribution to required channels. Encouraging regular exercises in making outcalls and enhance knowledge transfer to desired destinations. These steps would ensure that trainees will effectively transfer acquired knowledge. References Dawson, M. (2011). Call center: Design and implementation . New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Giere, N.M. (2009). Call center training . Chicago, CH: Wiley & sons. Johnson, R. (2008 ). How to implement new training within and organization . London: McMillan Press. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Through Christianity brought by the early explorers and missionaries, the colonists were able to convert a number of Native Americans who they installed as village rulers. The colonists used these converts to understand the plans of the local rebels and to organize surprise attacks on them which had devastating consequences. They always knew the plans of their opponents hence they could easily strike them before they could organize an offensive (Lovern and Locust 79). The biggest strength of this strategy was that the colonists were always ahead of their Native American rivals in war planning. They infiltrated the camps of the Native Americans and knew all their planned activities well in advance. On the other hand, the Native Americans knew nothing about the military plans of the colonists hence they were always unaware when the enemy would strike (Kalayjian and Eugene 113). This strategy also helped the colonists to determine the size and strength of their enemy. This way, they were able to make necessary preparations to attack the enemy or defend their camp. The main weakness of this tactic was that in some regions it failed to work. Not all the locals were willing to help the settlers to fight Native Americans. Some considered this a betrayal of their own people, hence opted to die instead of helping the colonists. Tucker says that in some cases, the natives acted as a spy to the Native American army instead of being a reliable informer to the colonists (19). Native American Military Practices The Native Americans had their own military practices that helped them protect their territory from the intruders. Guerrilla warfare was one of the most popular strategies that they used, especially to fight the White settlers (Tucker, Arnold, and Wiener 56). This strategy was effective in their political and cultural environment given that the settlers had superior weapons. Engaging the settlers in direct combat was dangerous to the Native Americans hence they employed this strategy as a way of inhibiting the settlers’ ability to conquer their land. Although the Native Americans failed to stop the settlers from taking over their land and imposing their rule on the locals, the strategy complicated the administration of the colony by the settlers. This strategy was later used to successfully achieve independence from the British rulers. The Native Americans also employed scalping as a strategy to drive away from the settlers from their land. According to Gregory, the colonists were always brutal in their attacks and they did not spare anyone when conquering a region (61). The Native Americans employed the dreaded scalping strategy to send a message to the foreigners that they too would show any mercy to the settlers. Scalping was considered more appropriate than beheading the victims. Given the political environment at that time, this strategy was considered very appropriate because the locals were able to pass a message to the colonists that they were willing and ready to do anything to protect their territory. The strategy forced most of the settlers to stay in specific locals where they could protect themselves and avoid this severe punishment (Lundquist 78). It was one of the practices that the colonists feared. Works Cited Gregory, Sheila. Voices of Native American Educators: Integrating History, Culture, and Language to Improve Learning Outcomes for Native American Students . Hoboken: Wiley, 2013. Print. Kalayjian, Ani, and Dominique Eugene. Mass Trauma and Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-Making . Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2010. Print. Lovern, Lavonna, and Carol Locust. Native American Communities on Health and Disability: A Borderland Dialogue . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print. Lundquist, Suzanne. Native American Literatures: An Introduction . New York: Continuum, 2005. Print. Tucker, Spencer, James Arnold, and Roberta Wiener. The Encyclopedia of North American Indian Wars, 1607-1890: A Political, Social, and Military History . Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print. Tucker, Spencer. Almanac of American Military History . Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013. Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Sending Single Mothers into Combat Analytical Essay Not long time ago, such words as ‘a mother’ and ‘a war’ were too far from each other. Males have to go to combats and defend our land, and females have nothing to do but stay at home, bring up children, and wait their men. With time, everything is changed. To see a woman at combats or running helicopters – all this s not that surprising. Women have already proved that they can do lots of things and be rather useful for their motherlands. Brining up children and cooking are not their only duties; they are able to do the things that men cannot even think about. Anne Applebaum (2008), in her article “When Women Go to War”, says that the idea of women in combats is over after certain events, which happen to two female sailors, however, the idea concerning women in the military will be always open. Women have the right to serve their countries, but, at the same time, they have a kind of obligation to give birth to children and bring them up properly; this is why single mothers should not be sent into combats in order to provide our generation with bright and respectable future. Anne Applebaum (2008) confirms that lots of women are eager to be a part of the military and participate into combats. She says that nowadays, the American military suggest numerous choices for women and men concerning their education and training. If a woman decided to spend a certain period of time serving her country, such points as possible pregnancy should not bother her. If a woman does not have children and wants to be useful, it is quite possible to participate in different kinds of combats in men’s company. However, if a woman has a child, especially a little child, who needs care, love, and support, sending mothers into combats sounds ridiculous and unfair. One the one hand, some people may dispute that mother just hide behind their children in order to be in safe. However, a real mother will never hide in such a way. Mother’s feelings are always frank and kind. Mothers should protect their children, and it is impossible, if they are apart. On the other hand, women have the same rights as men have, and participation into combats is something they can try any time. Sorry to say, but lots of mother are eager to leave their children in order to serve their country and be in equal rights to men. In fact, it is very difficult to analyze why some women are eager to stay at home and spend lots of time with their families or at work, and why other women just cannot wait to serve their country. To my mind, women is combat is something not necessary. In fact, combats are unnecessary as well, but unfortunately, the absence of conflicts and combats is impossible for our world. It looks like people just have to have some quarrels and misunderstandings in order to have purpose for existence. It is certainly wrong, but it is human nature. This is why, to serve a country and participation in combats is one of the men’s obligations, not women’s one. But if women have a burning desire to be a part of the military, they have to obey the same rule that any man does in the army. The Navy or any other kind of army cannot be divided for men and women. It is something common. If women, single women, agree to such conditions, they are welcome. Reference List Applebaum, A. (2008). When Women Go to War. McGraw-Hill Guide , 334-335. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
The Engineering Change on the Shop Floor Essay From the case study, ‘The Engineering Change on the shop floor’, it is apparent that there is no clear change management framework, which is the core source of the problem. Here, it is important to note that change management is very critical in various aspects of organizational projects aimed at leading, managing, and enabling the workforce to change from one operational process or technology to another (Ott, Parkes, & Simpson 2003, p. 77). Therefore, change management should be centered on addressing various factors related to the organization and people, which may also drive or hinder the change process. However, considering this case, there are many management challenges related to the nature of the change and the complex nature of shared/outsourced services and processes. First, there is lack of change ownership from the part of the delivery team, and thus the change is not felt because it is not thought to be important especially by the team leader and the second operative. Moreover, both the engineer and the supervisor who in part are supposed to manage the change process through designing clear and effective decision-making processes have not lived to this requirement. Therefore, when the change management team/leaders prefer being transactional instead of transformational leaders, the risk is high that the pace of implementing change will be slow (Adel 2001, p. 266). The second cause of the problem is that the right people are not fully involved in the change process. Here, there is a disconnect between the change management team and the delivery team, which seems to cause delayed decision-making, lack of vision, buy-in, focus, and direction (Rune 2005, p. 369). Moreover, there is no psychological contract between the supervisor and his delivery team leader including the entire workforce considering that the supervisor does not involve the team leader in decision-making. Consequently, instead of the supervisor taking time to remove organizational barriers that can hinder the change process, he relies on the engineer to sell the change to his workforce. This is a dangerous move in change management because studies note that change is very unsettling on the part of the workforce, and thus, the manager should assume the role of settling the change through understanding and managing the process in such a way that at least all the people can cope with the change (Adel 2001; Ott et al. 2003, p. 80). Conclusions drawn from the case From the case study and the foregoing discussions, it can be deduced that there is no clear-cut and effective framework for managing the change introduced in the electronics assembly department. In the presence of such a framework, one would have expected to see the assessment of new skills relative to the introduced processes, training of staff to assume the new operational posts, planned rationalization of organizational workforce, and implementation of changes to the organizational culture in readiness for the changed operational processes. Instead, neither the supervisor nor the team leader is ready to consider the above-mentioned factors, which underlie change management. Recommendations In view of the above discussions, it is hereby recommended that the management and leadership of the electronics assembly department should enact a clear and effective change management framework. Accordingly, the framework should aim at managing skill assessment and staff training prior to assuming new operative roles, scheduling the duration of change, involving all the affected operational units and the people in the change process, and enabling two-way communication between all the stakeholders (Ash & Burn 2002, p. 374). Most importantly, the framework should aim at initiating cultural change in the department in terms of changing from the normal ways of conducting business to new operational environments. Here, the most effective change management framework should follow a step-wise approach beginning with the consideration of cultural factors, organizational factors, leadership skills/competencies, people capabilities, and finally execution and continuous improvement of the change process. Reference List Adel, M.A., 2001. Change management strategies for successful ERP implementation. Business Process Management Journal , 7(3), pp. 266-275. Ash, C.G., & Burn, J.M., 2002. A strategic framework for the management of ERP enabled e-business change. European Journal of Operational Research, 146(2), pp. 374-387. Ott, J.S, Parkes, J.S., & Simpson, R.B., 2003. Classic readings in organizational behavior. USA: Thomson/Wadsworth Publishers. Rune, T.B., 2005. Organizational change management: A critical review. Journal of Change Management , 5(4), pp. 369-380. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Does History Have Some Value? Henry Ford’s Most Famous Sayings Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion 4. Bibliography Introduction American founder of the Ford Motor Company and progenitor of modern automobile assembly line mass production known as Fordism, Henry Ford became one of the best known and wealthiest persons who ever lived. A pioneer of welfare capitalism, Ford was an ardent believer in international peace via international trade and cooperation. An enigmatic and complex figure at times, Ford exhibited a wide range of strongly held opinions and interests. His fundamental/down to earth outlook on life permeated in various aspects of his life – business as well as life philosophy.. In regards to the role of history, Ford once said, “ History is more or less bunk. It’s tradition. We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present, and the only history that is worth a tinker’s damn is the history that we make today (The Phrase Finder ). This is considered his second most popular saying the other being “ People can have the Model T in any colour – so long as it’s black (The Phrase Finder ).” Discussion History is in essence a written, oral, preserved chronological order of past events (Lemon). It is the mechanism through which the human experience is put into perspective – past, present, and future. History assists in understanding past tragedies as well triumphs and is a tool to measure success and failure. Without knowledge of the past, mankind cannot live a successful life. History is a measuring rod to ascertain natural feelings and desires – how one thinks. The essential key to understanding the importance of history is who the authors are and what is their agenda. Have they committed truth or have they put their personal spin/slant on it and for what reason? Ford postulates that history has become synonymous with tradition – time honored practices, customs, or beliefs. In most cases, however, such institutionalized traditions are not rooted in proven historical fact. Where does it say in the Bible that Jesus was born on December 25 th or that he resurrected from the dead on Easter? For that matter how can a rabbit lay eggs? From the Ham Curse to present day Weapons of Mass Destruction and War on Terror – all traditions that have become an intrinsic part of world history. For Ford to make such a proclamation infers he may have understood this premise in terms of associating history with tradition. Suffice to say, from this perspective one could agree with his interpretation. One has no control over the past, but what a person does in the present will affects the future/history. When Ford fully grasped the impact he had on the automotive industry and the world economy as a whole, he desired to turn the clock back. “ Once Ford realized the tremendous part he and his Model T automobile had played in bringing about this change, he wanted nothing more than to reverse it, or at least to recapture the rural values of his boyhood . (Ford)” Bunk is a slang term for boring, poor quality. To relegate history as bunk does not do it proper justice. From this premise, Ford may have been a little naïve in terms of its importance and effect. Conclusion Spanish iconic philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist George Santayana once said “ Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it (Santayana).” It is along this vein that the authors of the class reading assignments seem to concur. The authors exhibit their knowledge of history and its importance – past, present, and future. History has value, but the value must be based on truth and fact. Think about the War in Iraq and its historical/moral implications. End result- nearly 5000 US deaths [officially], between 25,000 to 125,0000 Iraqis dead [depending on who is using what methodology], 4-5 million Iraqi refugees, and over $1 trillion in cost. Weapons of mass destruction/War on Terror in effect became a weapon of mass deception. Santayana’s words ring emphatically true. History is crucial but this type of history can truly not repeat itself. Bibliography Henry Ford. Web. Lemon, Michael C. The Discipline of History and the History of Thought. Routledge, 1995, Page 201. Santayana George. “The Life of Reason.” BiblioLife. Volume One, p. 82. The Phrase Finder. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard Term Paper Is it possible to make classic characters live their own life and seek for answers to existential questions? Is it possible to make absurd be credible? Of course, it is possible. Beyond all doubt, Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that was put on stage by the Department of Visual and Performing Arts of Clarion University has proved this point. The first thing that comes to my mind when I recollect all the impressions after watching the performance is that the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is meant for the prepared audience that regularly attends the theater or at least reads classic and modern dramatical pieces. I must admit that after long and confusing dialogues of main characters in the first act I was not sure that I was ready to see the rest of the performance. However, I decided that a work of art cannot be judged if one sees only some part of it. Indeed, in the second act, the plot started to develop literally by leaps and bounds, and I did not regret my decision to stay until the end of the performance. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead may be considered as a modern play in which two minor characters from the classic world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet occupy the central role in the plot. This play is rather debatable since the very idea of taking the classic characters and providing them with their own theatrical space seems somewhat preposterous and even absurd. However, on reflection, I concluded that perhaps it is the most brilliant feature of this play. If one attempts to understand the essence of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s wanderings, they will see that these two characters struggle in their search for the meaning of life in the world that does not have any sense. The inner absurdity of the play that concerns the plot corresponds to the external absurdity that is explained by the author’s idea to write the so-called sequel to Hamlet . Putting such existentialist tragicomedy as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead on the stage requires much effort. The director, drama group, and assisting crew that included sound technicians, lighting technicians, and dressers carried out a magnificent work that cannot be considered as merely entertaining but thought-provoking. The most surprising thing for me was the acting of the drama group. Prior to this experience, I was convinced that there is one type of theatrical acting, “classical” acting in which actors use standard intonations, tones, gestures, mimics, etc. Since Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is the modern existentialist play, curiously enough, the “classical” acting would create an impression of artificiality. However, the actors have their style of acting that did not turn the absurdist play into farce. On the contrary, they managed to interweave the absurdity with stunningly touching truthfulness, putting a special sense in all words so that the dialogs ceased to seem meaningless and eventually assumed the witty character. On the whole, the performance makes the audience to take a new look at the well-known plot and forget about the familiar “to be or not to be” (Shakespeare 3.1.60). Suddenly, the phrase “Every exit is an entry somewhere else” acquires a new meaning (Stoppard 1.207). Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead made it possible for me to reconsider my attitude to the theater and modern plays. When I left the theater auditorium, I realized that the modern plays give people the brilliant opportunity to take a new look at the familiar things and provide substantial food for thought. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” World Wide Web Consortium , Web. Stoppard, Tom. “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” My Chandler Schools , Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Art Under the Nazis Review Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main text 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction The Nazis in Germany were against modern art and expressionism on the grounds that it was degenerate and poorly executed as an excuse for the general hate that they held against this form of art. The main reason for their dislike for modern art and expressionism was the feeling that it was against ideals that they considered to be of Germany heritage (Adam 12). They also saw modern art and expressionism as an attempt by the Jewish community to hijack the Germany society by introducing their way of life and marginalizing the people of Germany who were not of Jewish descent. There was widespread fear that the Jews were out to undermine the Germany administration under Hitler and the Nazis. The reality is that this form of art had nothing to do with the administration or undermining the non-Jewish Germany population. It was propaganda used by the Nazis to create an anti-Jewish sentiment and thus garner support for their persecution of Jews (Adam 19). Main text The Nazis used all the tools at their disposal to censor modern art and expressionism. A number of methods were used. These methods included the organization of a mock exhibition in which the items of modern art and expressionism were presented in a negative and highly distorted manner. Apart from this, there was widespread harassment of modern artists most of whom had to run away from Germany. The exit of these powerful modern artists and expressionists meant that their work in Germany had been brought to an abrupt stop (Grosshans 23). This was a big step backward for modern art. Other artists who did not go to exile had no option other than to stop their work or produce artwork that was able to stand the scrutiny of the Hitler administration. The fact that most works were gathered and destroyed adds to the idea that the Nazis had substantial power and they indeed used it to the best of their ability to censor modern art. The public was given a chance to view art that was sanctioned by the Hitler regime (Adam 20). Was there any reaction from the rest of the Germany society while all these things were being done by the Nazis? The larger Germany society was overwhelmed by the torrential propaganda that the Hitler administration employed in trying to make people belief that modern art was not good for the German culture. How does one recognize propaganda? Recognizing propaganda may not be easy if the recipient is not informed on the other side of the coin. This is because in most cases propaganda tends to provide highly biased information. If this can be used as guidance to propaganda recognition, it can be said that propaganda can be recognized by the fact that it contains information regarding one side of the story. It does not care about informing the recipient about the good of the other side. To make the point even stronger, propagandists will supply exaggerated negative information concerning the other side and exaggerated positive information concerning the side the propaganda is supposed to favor. Therefore if information is biased, it is highly likely that it is propaganda. Is it possible to use propagandistic techniques to influence perception in a free speech environment? In a free speech environment, it is possible to apply propagandistic techniques in influencing perception. The fact that the environment itself allows for free speech means that people or organizations spreading propaganda will be defended on the grounds of free speech. Is propaganda necessarily bad? Conclusion Propaganda is not necessarily bad. There are instances where propaganda can be utilized in doing something that is beneficial to the people. For example carrying biased information so as to make people turn out in large numbers or make parents take their children to school is not a negative undertaking. Propaganda can therefore be good when used for the public good. It only gets bad when it is selfishly used to mislead the public and benefit a small group of people at the expense of the common good. For example in the Nazis case, propaganda was misused to mislead the public about modern art. The people were thus misinformed and made to support the illegal crackdown on modern artists whose work was meant to benefit the wider society rather than hurting it. This was a bad application of propaganda. Works Cited Adam, Peter. Art of the Third Reich . New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1992.Print. Grosshans, Henry. Hitler and the Artists . New York: Holmes & Meyer, 1983.Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Ethical Dilemmas Overview and Analysis Essay An ethical dilemma is an issue that confuses a person on the course of actions to take (Shapiro 2010). This situation offers people two choices and makes it difficult for them to decide what to do. The victim is usually forced to make a decision that may benefit other members of society, even if this will hurt the person. Therefore, an ethical dilemma makes the victim incur losses at a personal level to benefit other members of society by respecting moral principles and making decisions that uphold the virtues of a community. The first scenario involves a student that picks a lost iPod on the floor of his classroom. The student discovers that the iPod is working and has some of his favourite music tracks. This student is in an ethical dilemma because he is confused and wonders whether to keep the iPod or leave it on the floor. He wants the gadget because it is a fashionable one. It is expensive and not every person can afford to buy it. He must realize that somebody may have dropped the gadget without knowing, and this will be a huge loss to the victim. In addition, he should know that the owner may have borrowed it from his friends or relatives, and this means that it must be returned as soon as possible. Therefore, if he decides to keep it, he will make another person suffer from losing such an expensive gadget. Moreover, the victim may be forced to pay for it if he borrowed that iPod, and this may cause him financial losses. Lastly, people may think that he is a thief if he decides to keep it because nobody is supposed to be found with other people’s property (Kidder 2011). The most appropriate thing to do is to report the issue to his teacher or school prefects and let them decide what to do with it. Other students and the class teacher should be involved in this issue so that the right owner of the iPod can be identified. It is good to seek assistance from a teacher before making any decision on this issue. The second scenario involves advising a student what he should do when he finds an iPod on the floor of his classroom. Peer pressure is very powerful, especially among the youths (Shapiro 2010). This student should be advised to report the matter to a teacher so that the owner of the iPod can be traced. In addition, he should be informed that it is wrong to keep something that does not belong to him because he may be perceived to be a thief. On the other hand, the student can be advised to keep the iPod and use or sell it. However, the buyer of this gadget may be its owner, and this will complicate issues by causing more problems. Therefore, the best alternative is to report the issue and seek assistance from a teacher and let him take control of the situation. The third dilemma involves a student sitting on the judicial board of the school. The student who kept the iPod has been accused of stealing even though this is not true. The student should advise the accused that he is a thief because he was caught in possession of a stolen item. He should have reported the matter to a teacher or other students for the owner of the iPod to be informed. In addition, he should be advised to avoid keeping things that do not belong to him (McGrath 2008). The owner should be asked to prove his ownership of the iPod and if he fails the gadget should be confiscated. Lastly, the owner should be advised to take good care of his property, and the item should be confiscated and the owner punished if the school does not allow students to carry iPods to school. It is important to seek assistance from other board members to ensure the decisions made are not subjective. References Kidder, R. M. (2011). How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living. New York: Harper Collins. McGrath, M. Z. (2008). Ethical Dilemmas in Education: Standing Up for Honesty and Integrity. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield. Shapiro, J. P. (2010). Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education: Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Complex Dilemmas. London: Routledge. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
CCA wishes to inform you that your esteemed company has been selected to supply the assorted products for twenty-four months, starting 1 st October 2014. According to the terms of the bid, CCA expects that your company has the capacity to supply one million units of food colorings and one million units of food preservatives per month and as per the agreed health specification standards. The number of units requested may rise as we approach the festive season, hence the need for your company to maintain sufficient stocks that can be used on a needs-basis. You are requested to visit the company’s website (www.ccaamital.com) to get insights on how you can utilize CCA’s supply chain networks to lower costs and ensure the products reach the company on time. As we continue our cooperation, you will realize that we value honesty, teamwork, and the capacity to meet strict deadlines. CCA is pleased to commence this relationship with your company and have no doubt that you will continue supplying top-of-the-range products that meet company specifications. CCA is grateful for the time and effort that you have put into making this bid and is pleased to commence doing business with you as per the terms of agreement contained in the original bid documents. Please, accept the company’s heartfelt gratitude for your consideration in this matter. Subject: Cancellation of Bid Terms/Bid No. 614/01/2014 Dear Mr. Smith This is to inform you that Coca Cola Amatil (CCA) has deemed it fit to cancel the above-mentioned bid for the supply of assorted food colorings and food preservatives to our main factory located in Washington, DC. The decision to terminate the contract binding the two companies has been made by CCA’s Board of Trustees after careful consideration of the noted violations. CCA refers you to the original bid document, which laid the groundwork for our continued cooperation. Clause 9 of the document obliged your esteemed company to supply CCA with the assorted products while strictly adhering to the agreed health specification standards. The company is sorry to report that the first batch of products supplied by your firm failed to meet the set safety and health standards, and therefore could not be used for its intended purpose. This significant breach of contract has informed the decision of the board to cancel any further engagements with your company. CCA is pleased to conduct business with enterprising and innovative companies such as Walnuts Home Beverages. However, the safety and health of our customers are fundamental for CCA’s progress and competitiveness, hence the need to vacate the previously agreed contract. CCA sincerely hopes that your esteemed company will address the issues raised for future cooperation. Thank You. Memo Starting November 1, 2014, the company wishes to introduce telecommunicating opportunities for all expectant female employees who may opt to work from home. The change of policy is being implemented after a noted complaint from our female members of staff that they should be allowed to telecommunicate during the later months of pregnancy. The eligible female members of staff are requested to notify the human resource department once they enter the sixth month of pregnancy in order to initiate them into the telecommuting program and also facilitate the acquisition of the technological tools needed for successful telecommuting. The eligible employees will undergo a one-week training program to ensure that they meet their work targets once they enter the telecommuting program and thereafter. All bonuses and allowances for affected employees will remain the same, as this program is intended to provide an avenue for expectant female employees to continue providing the much-needed services without compromising their health and wellbeing. A meeting will be held with all departmental heads on October 25 at 9 a.m. with the view to discussing the formalities of the new program and how best it can be implemented to achieve optimal outcomes. The meeting will also discuss if the program can be extended to other deserving cases, hence departmental heads are requested to raise any questions or comments and address them to the relevant office before the commencement of the meeting. All departmental heads are requested to attend without fail. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Media Patterns and Social Inequality Proposal Essay It is evident in almost all organizations today. “Forms of social inequality include gender inequality, racial inequality and even caste inequality” (Dines & Humez 24). This concept paper will examine media patterns in relation to social inequality. The media sector has evolved and broadened in all continents, with regard to both the job sector and media content. Some of the common kinds of media analysis entail assessment of “media content for the information it relays concerning race, sex, social class, and other matters of social marginalization” (van Dijk 52). The media is observed to focus on irrelevant things, while disregarding material that pertains to social diversity that is central in our communities. In doing so, the media “presents images that are consistent with stereotypes and the dominant ideological portrayal of society” (van Dijk 52). This is done at the cost of people who have been historically marginalized in society, including women, people of colour and the poor. Social inequality refers to circumstances where people in a community lack the same social standing. One of the key issues in the examination of media content looks at the trends assumed by unfairness leading to bias. An example of bias in the media can be illustrated by observing the ratio of men to women in society, and placing that ratio to the available job opportunities in the media. A ratio of 1:1, implying an equal number of both men and women in society, should be reflected in the work place. But if there are more men than women, then the trend of gender favouritism is said to be against women. “The significance of media content will be examined as a reflection of: media producers and their ideologies; audience preferences and desires; social norms, belief and values; and its influence on audiences and the society in general” (Dines & Humez 25). The books ‘Gender, Race and Class in Media’ by Gail Dines and Jean McMahon Humez and ‘The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media’ By Jan van Dijk contain relevant information concerning cultural studies, by examining the role of the media in perpetrating common stereotypes of historically marginalized people. The books provide relevant information concerning analysis of advertising, music, sexual representation and TV. The book ‘Media Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences’ by David Croteau, William Hoynes and Page covers the topic ‘Social Inequality and Media Representation’, which is explained in details analyzing the media in the current society. An example of a concept involving social inequality in the media is the trend of hiring people for jobs they do not deserve by favoring them for various reasons like their gender or race. Inequality in the media is a big issue, where job opportunities matter, as it denies qualified candidates a chance to get a deserving job in the media industry. An example in the television sector is whereby stations may refuse to hire people of different race as their managers. Another example is where women are given roles of promoting kitchenware or washing machines in television advertisements while men get advertisements that portray them as successful professionals (Dines & Humez 27). Social inequality is an issue that we must try to do away with in order to progress in this industry. Sometimes discrimination against certain gender or race may lead to companies losing out on efficient workers and leaders. Although these norms have declined bringing changes in the media industry, concealed racism and gender inequality are still evident in the media. It will take much effort to control social disparity in the society (Dines & Humez 29). Works Cited Dines, Gail, and Jean M. Humez. Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2002. Print. Van Dijk, Jan. The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media. SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, California, 1999. Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Problem of Journalism Ethics Essay The first part of the essay is response to question one about how one would deal with the issue of cultural diversity in a situation where culture abuses the rights of minority. The second part is about how one would respond to the issue of personal interests as well as issues of national security. There is response to the ethical aspects of journalism on how to act in situations where personal interest conflict with national interest. The islander tribe has a cultural practice where they expect the elderly as well as infirm to leave them off, go to a far place, and die. This practice existed in the ancient and medieval days where the elderly and the infirm members of the community were a burden and therefore not appreciated at all. This is in the view that such societies survived on hunting and gathering as their source of livelihood hence the need for each member to participate in those activities. The elderly people could not engage in such activities due to the condition of their bodies. Failure to take care of them was the only option because they were a burden to the healthy people. However, in the modern days, this practice should not be tolerated because it violates the rights of human beings. This is based on the view that every person is entitled to the basic human rights without favor or discrimination. The act of abandoning and sending people away because they are elderly or disabled is backward. Culture is dynamic and it keeps on changing depending on the times, artifacts, and knowledge about culture. Therefore, culture needs not to be an excuse for mistreating weak people and denying them the right of association as well as basic needs. A journalist who receives information with a potential to increase website popularity but would compromise national security has the following response. The issues, which conflict one’s interests with the nation’s interests are encountered by practicing journalists. When such an issue arises, the best and ethical thing to do is failing to publish such materials on one’s website if they would compromise national security. This is because national security is a major issue that affects the life of people. Compromising national security during the time of terrorists attack is an offence that warrants treason. This is because a website can be accessed by anyone, which makes it difficult to control who will read that information. This means that terrorists or the nation’s enemies may use such information to attack the country. In a situation where personal interests conflict with the national interests’, national interest prevails. When the public demands the information and it is necessary to know what is happening in the defense forces such as corruption, the public interest should prevail. However, in a case of personal interest against national interest the most ethical and beneficial thing to do is to ensure that the issue of national interest prevails. Conclusion There are conflicting issues, which journalist and people in the field of communication face every day while performing duties that are assigned to them. The knowledge of what is ethical or unethical is imperative in ensuring that positive contribution is made to the society and the whole nation. Journalist should follow the rules and regulations in their duties in order to do what is acceptable according to the law. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Intersectionality Oppression and Discrimination in Latin America Essay Introduction Intersectionality is not a new phenomenon. It existed at the beginning of the world. Different types of intersectionality that exist in the world are based on gender, country, religion, color, financial status, education, culture, etc. This essay deals with the intersectionality of oppression or discrimination based on sexual orientation and Latino. One of the major reasons for the intersectionality is lack of awareness. Latino is an example of this. Here the intersectionality oppression means oppression based on religion, sex, disability, etc. Paradigm Intersectionality means the social and cultural discrimination existing in society against women. Intersectionality theory mentioned, “an interdisciplinary perspective that addresses the multiple, intersecting, system of oppression especially experienced by women of color.” (Ann Hill, 2005, p.4). Intersectionality oppression cannot exist independently. It works in a connected form of various discriminations existing in society. So, its intensity cannot be predefined. It varies based on the circumstances. Some types of Intersectionality are given below: Race intersectionality Race intersectionality means discrimination towards women based on their race. For example, in Australia race discrimination is commonly seen against women who have a non-English speaking background. Vietnamese women working in the Australian postal service face this problem at its highest level. Their supervisors harass these ladies by calling them “wog bitch.” (O’Neill, Rice & Douglas, 2004, p.483). In this circumstance, Vietnamese women are physically and mentally oppressed. Its benefit goes to the male employees. They feel superiority against these ladies. Class intersectionality Class intersectionality means discrimination based on the class of the people. This kind of discrimination is faced by the ladies who have low wages, poverty, etc. In the twentieth century, a different kind of slavery was introduced in the United States. It is a type of class discrimination. It mainly occurred in the garment industry. There the employees worked in the unhealthy worksite and they got wages which were less than minimum wages. (Ursula Hart, 2002, p.33). Here the people who got low wages were oppressed by the owners or management. They were considered slaves. Generally, a slave does not have any right to question his boss. Gender intersectionality Gender intersectionality means the inequity based on the gender of a person. Gender discrimination towards women is widespread all over the world. It is commonly seen in the workplace. One example of gender discrimination is men employees and women employees get a different rate for the same job in many industries and business sectors. It pushes back the oppressed women from their duty. They lose their working interest. It indirectly gives benefits to the males. Even today, the number of women employees is less compared to the number of males. Many of them tell that the physical structure is the major reason for this. Actually, it is a type of gender intersectionality against women. Religion intersectionality Religion intersectionality means the discrimination in the religion against women. Some religions explicitly show this discrimination. For example, in the Muslim religion women are not permitted to enter the Mosque for prayer. According to their custom Muslim women are required to pray within their home itself. Another example of Religion intersectionality is that in Saudi Arabia ladies are required to wear ‘pardah’ and not to show their body parts even their face. These kinds of rules and customs oppressed women and support male dominance. Ability intersectionality Ability intersectionality means the discrimination against women based on their physical and mental ability. Compared to males, females are physically weak. It is not a disability, but it is natural. In many jobs like military services, it is considered a disability. This oppressed the entire female community. This type of discrimination reduces their self-esteem. Citizenship-based intersectionality Here the nationality is the base for intersectionality. Migrants face this kind of intersectionality rather than any other category. Immigration and Nationality Act in United State indirectly shows intersectionality based on citizenship. According to this act, a U.S migrant cannot marry a U.S citizen without U.S citizenship. In the Latino community, sexual discrimination is very high compared to other communities. The term Latino refers to the Latin-American people or people who speak Spanish. It causes a negative impact on that society. Almost all Latino parents do not give any information about the sexual orientation to their children. Black LGBT students suffer due to discrimination based on race and ethnicity. The percentage rate of race discrimination is 16.6 and ethnic discrimination is 3.8 “Almost a quarter of these students experience physical harassment due to their sexual orientation alone, and 13.2% due to both their sexual orientation and race or ethnicity. “(New study reveals Latino parents’ view on bullying, sexual orientation, and prejudice, 2009). Conclusion From the above discussion, one can conclude that intersectionality based on color, race, gender, citizenship, religion, etc is existing in the world. It discourages women to enter the mainstream of society, industrial sectors, business sectors, politics, etc. It encourages males more and more. It creates inequality in the world. It is not a good trend. For the development of a world which gives equal status to males and females, intersectionality should be prevented. For this, politicians, the judiciary, social activists, etc. should work together. Reference Ann Hill, Shirley. (2005). Black intimacies: A gender perspective on families and relationships . Rowman Altamira. 4. Web. New study reveals Latino parents’ view on bullying, sexual orientation, and prejudice. (2009). Medical News Today. Web. O’Neill, Nick., Rice, Simon., & Douglas, Roger. (2004). Retreat from injustice: Human Rights laws in Australia. Federation Press. 483. Web. Ursula Hart, Mechthild. (2002). The poverty of life affirming work: Motherwork, education, and social change. Greenwood Publishing Group. 33. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Financial Management in Nursing Units Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Nursing unit financial management 3. Conclusion 4. References Introduction Managing finances effectively in a hospital requires the collaboration of both patient care units and administrative units. Modern nursing courses involve financial management units to ensure that nurses undertake their duties in a cost-effective manner. This paper discusses how nursing units can be financially accountable and how hospitals management can enhance accountability. Nursing unit financial management The nursing department should be given an appropriate allocation of hospital finances according to their needs. Managing nurses should oversee the effective management of these funds and ensure that all operations are managed in a cost-effective way. Making a budget for every activity that needs to be undertaken in a certain period is crucial in ensuring that there is proper fund control within the department. Nurses have direct interaction with medical staff and the patients, they are thus in a better position to brainstorm some of the costs incurred in the hospital and devise measures to cost manage them. They can assist in establishing the costs that can be avoided or functions that can be merged. Mechanisms should be put in place that define certain functions in the unit, for example, the number of staff dresses should be regulated to ensure that they are adequate at any one time and no excess. The traditional notion that had been created in nurses that they do not have a duty in financial management should be changed and nurses made to understand for a cost-effective business it calls for the participation of all stakeholders (McHugh & Finkler, 2008). To enhance accountability, hospital management should ensure that it is operated in a strategic manner. Strategic management involves a management system where all units are considered separate and accountable for their actions. The nursing unit should develop its own budget, have financial targets, and be managed by nurse leaders who understand the need to manage resources. When a certain allocation has been given to a nursing department, the nursing head should manage micro-teams, which will be further allocated some funds to perform operations in their particular area. For example, nurses assisting operating doctors may be given some allocation to manage, they should be held accountable for such an allocation. Another way of ensuring that resources are adequately managed is having resource management as one of the appraisal tools for nurses. They will be willing to manage the resources they have since they would like to earn a high ranking. Frequent utilization reviews should be undertaken to ensure that there is quality and maximum utilization of funds in the nursing units. Like in the production business, any deficit or areas that lead to inefficiency should be addressed. Invention and innovation of better quality management should be implemented. Hospitals should have an effective cost accounting system. Such a system will be used in charging patients according to the acuity of their illness. Such a system will ensure that services are not undervalued or overvalued. Adopting a patient classification system will assist a hospital in realizing which patient to admit and at what cost (Finkler, Kovner & Jones, 2007). Conclusion Financial management in a hospital should be a role played by all departments in their respective areas. Nursing units should be held accountable for finances allocated to them. Managing nurses or nurse leaders should ensure that nursing processes are cost-effective, by so doing the department will assist in overall hospital financial management. References Finkler, S.A., Kovner, C.T. & Jones, C.B.(2007). Financial management for nurse managers and executives . New York: Elsevier Health services. McHugh, M., & Finkler, A. (2008). Budgeting concepts for nurse managers . Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Light v. Darkness Motif in the “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Analytical part 3. Conclusion 4. Bibliography Introduction The reading of James Baldwin’s short story Sonny’s Blues leaves few doubts as to the fact that one of story’s foremost motifs is light vs. darkness. In its turn, this can be explained by the particulars of author’s biography as someone who was brought up in the religious family, sublimated in Baldwin’s strive to provide a symbolical meaning to story’s semantic content. Apparently, the references to darkness in Sonny’s Blues are meant to symbolize the essence of Sonny’s drug addiction; whereas, the references to light are meant to prompt readers to think of Sonny’s story of reconciliation with his brother in terms of Christian ‘redemption’. Nevertheless, there is also another aspect to Baldwin’s utilization of earlier mentioned motif – author’s realization of the sheer unnaturalness of African-Americans’ low social status through fifties and sixties. By making continuous references to this particular motif, author wanted to expose the actual reason why these people often end up being underachievers. In my paper, I will aim to explore the soundness of this thesis at length. Analytical part Baldwin’s utilization of light vs. darkness motif starts at the very beginning of the story: “I stared… in the swinging lights of the subway car… and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside” (1). By saying that, narrator reflects upon his own deep-seated anxieties of someone who was born and raised in the ‘ghetto’. Apparently, even though he was able to gain social prominence as a teacher, narrator never forgot its own humble origins. This is exactly the reason why, while watching Harlem’s Black boys in the midst of socializing with each other, narrator never ceases being aware of the nature of intellectual oppression, they have to deal with on daily basis: “These boys, now, were living as we’d been living then… All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives… and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness” (Baldwin 1). The context of this particular referral to darkness, on the part of narrator, reveals the nature of African-Americans’ oppression as such that is not only being concerned with these people suffering from poverty but also from the fact that American mainstream Medias of the time used to portray such state of affairs as perfectly natural. Hence, the symbolic sounding of narrator’s following remark, in regards to Sonny friend’s physical appearance: “The bright sun deadened his damp dark brown skin and it made his eyes look yellow and showed up the dirt in his kinked hair” (Baldwin 2) – apparently, narrator wanted to emphasize once again that, while being exposed to the ‘light’ of America’s racialist mass-culture, African-Americans simply could not avoid being degraded. Nevertheless, given Baldwin’s strong sense of religiosity, it does not come as a particular surprise that the majority of narrator’s referrals to light connote positiveness, as these referrals symbolize the process of African-Americans gaining self-confidence. For example, while elaborating on how he felt when struggling with his drug-addiction, Sonny states: “I feel like a man who’s been trying to climb up out of some deep, real deep and funky hole and just saw the sun up there, outside” (Baldwin 5). Yet, being rather a good psychologist, Baldwin was fully aware of the fact that the process of socially and racially underprivileged ghetto-residents striving to make the best out of their lives could never be too easy, as the very essence of racially secluded living in the ghetto predisposes people to succumb to depression: “Cab moved uptown through streets which seemed, with a rush, to darken with dark people” (Baldwin 7). According to narrator, this is exactly the reason why it often proves impossible for ghetto-residents to attain social prominence through education – while trying to affiliate themselves with light, even the brightest kids from the ‘hood’ have no choice but to continue to exist in darkness, in allegorical sense of this word. In its turn, this causes them to experience a certain cognitive dissonance – the harder they try to make the best of their lives; the more acute appear their inferiority-related anxieties: “When light fills the room, the child is filled with darkness. He knows that every time this happens he’s moved just a little closer to that darkness outside” (Baldwin 9). Thus, there are clearly defined humanist undertones to Sonny’s Blues , as the story that provides readers with the insight on why, despite having a potential to become society’s outstanding members, many African-Americans nevertheless end up descending to society’s ‘rock bottom’. Conclusion As it was implied in the Introduction, in order for the readers to be able to fully understand Baldwin story’s message, they need to be aware of the significance of light vs. darkness motif, deployed throughout story’s entirety. The reason for this simple – the understanding of this motif’s implications, on the part of readers, is being quite indispensible within the context of them gaining an insight onto the very root of African-Americans’ clearly unprivileged social status. I believe that this conclusion is being fully consistent with paper’s initial thesis. Bibliography Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues . PDFCAST.Org. 1957. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
“Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being” Essay Human beings can be divided into two main categories. Firstly, there are those who are considered to be fully engaged because they tend to be proactive. On the other hand, there are those who have been alienated by the world because they have passive characteristics (Ryan and Deci 77). The authors of the article note that the main influencing factor that leads to grouping of human being is the social aspect of life which they face on a daily basis. In addition, the social contextual conditions have been studied in most researches that dwell on self determination theory. The latter theory attempts to describe how self motivation and self determination can be established in the character of an individual. It is also imperative to mention that self motivation often lead to self determination even though both processes are independent of each other. In addition, these processes are natural and largely emanate from the genetic makeup of an individual. Needless to say, a healthy psychological development is a major attribute that underlines self determination. Persons who are intrinsically motivated tend to be brave enough and can go through several odds with much ease (Ryan and Deci 69). In spite of the invaluable role played by personal wellbeing, self-regulation and intrinsic motivation, there are myriads of factors that often work for and against the aforementioned attributes. In other words, there are setbacks and enhancing factors that influence the strength of these attributes in human beings. Moreover, there are three key and intrinsic psychological needs according to findings obtained from various research studies. These needs include relatedness, autonomy and competence. When these three psychological needs are satisfied, they lead to improved mental health and enhanced self-motivation. On the other hand, poor mental wellbeing and diminished motivation are the main negative effects when the aforementioned needs are thwarted (Ryan and Deci 75). In addition, it is worth to mention that these psychological needs play integral roles in various human domains. This implies that all the domains of life are influenced by one or more of the psychological needs stated in the article. Nonetheless, the authors are quite categorical on the type of each influence. It is also quite phenomenal to mention that there may be other localized or environmental factors that may affect self-determination of an individual. The authors of the article are apparently insinuating that self-determination is determined by innate traits per se. Although this claim may be authentic to some extent, it is justified to explore other environmental factors that are equally instrumental in affecting personal determination towards challenges in life. Hence, it is highly recommendable that future research studies should broaden the scope of this study to include non-genetic factors that influence self-determination. From the above summary, the following discussion questions are vital in understanding the discourse on human psychology as elaborated in the article: 1. Discuss the human nature of motivation. Can motivation be activated or intended? 2. How intrinsic motivation does influences the potential of human nature? 3. State and discuss the various types of self-determined motivation. Which one do you think is the most innate or influential in the wellbeing of an individual? 4. The article has elaborated various types of psychological needs and how they can be met. Which need do you identify with the most? How has it affected your personal life? Do you agree with the theoretical perspectives advanced by the authors? Why or why not? Works Cited Ryan, Richard and Edward, Deci. Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. Am Psychol 55.1 (2000):68-78. Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Practices in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Several controversies have been hitting the pharmaceutical industry in the last few years. The larger percentage of the controversies ranges from Medicare fraud to high-priced medications that are marketed by these firms. From the researcher’s point of view, big pharmaceutical corporations are putting huge profits on top of patients, spiraling shammed public relations campaigns and more. Before the recent changes, Medicare CEOs and these companies had been reported to have involved in frauds worth billions of shillings. The indications are that the costs of the drugs are rising more rapidly than any other thing a patient can pay for. It has been found that medications are the most rapidly increasing part of the patient health care bill. It is argued that most of the patient’s expenditure on drugs has also risen. The reason is that the quantities of drugs that are being prescribed have increased. Moreover, the practitioners are prescribing new ineffective drugs that are more expensive than the old effective less costly drugs. More appalling is the fact that the prices of these consistently prescribed drugs are in a great deal jacked up, in most cases a number of times a year. The discounts as well as other incentives the medical practitioners such as the oncologists are receiving are used as a reason for hiking the prices. The government as well as other researchers has found that these benefits are unwarranted. The most shocking thing about these drug price controversies is that the trusted health care providers have an ulterior motive behind these prescriptions. Researchers found out that there is a correlation between the methods through which cancer doctors are being paid to the choice of drugs they use in a particular treatment of cancer such as chemotherapy (Abelson par.9). Once the oncologists have decided on the type of treatment, the mode of payment influences the type of drug prescription. As opposed to the expectations those who are fairly paid are likely to prescribe more expensive drugs. Reports indicate that most of the pharmaceutical firms’ representatives provide hand-outs to influence medical practitioners to recommend the drugs they represent. Going by analytic reviews of the articles on the diabetes drugs Avandia, it is true that drug manufacturers are paying medical experts to make positive conclusions about their drugs safety and effectiveness. In fact, Avandia case is one out of many (Bakalar par.1). There are several cases where the medical expert opinions are influenced by the financial handouts. It is agreed among the medical professionals that the interaction between the pharmaceutical companies and the health providers are not in the best interest of the patient. Moreover, most of the doctors agree that solicitation of drugs directly from these companies compromises the ethical standards and impractical, most can be influenced by free gifts and hand outs from these companies. Some sections of the medical profession argue that their treatment decisions are for the best interest of the patients (Abelson par.7). The argument is that doctors only prescribe drugs that are clinically recommended. Moreover, quality health care must be more costly. However, in the case of cancer therapy, there is no any evidence that one type of chemotherapy drugs are working better than the others. In this case, the medical practitioners have the wide array of manufacturers or the pharmaceutical agents to choose from. Therefore, regardless of their persistence that their therapy decisions are based on what they feel is best for the patient; medical practitioners are influenced by other factors such as payment policies as well as other financial influences coming from the drug manufacturers. Works Cited Abelson, Reed. Pay Method Said to Sway Drug Choices of Oncologists . 8 March, 2006. Web. < https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/health/pay-method-said-to-sway-drug-choices-of-oncologists.html?mtrref=undefined&gwh=10D3E21F5F61FEE361D3E4D9E3C8AB76&gwt=pay&assetType=REGIWALL >. Bakalar, Nicholas. Study Sees a Slant in Articles on Drug . April 12, 2010. Web. < https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/health/13diab.html?ref=health&mtrref=undefined&gwh=F37B9DF9C8BF26E83D20C904000D78BF&gwt=pay >. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
For the most part, the difficulties concern not the ways in which women prefer to run business, but the way in which women are perceived in the contemporary society, and nowhere is the given issue as obvious as in the UAE. Despite the fact that the problem of female employees and business people facing gender profiling has been addressed several times and a number of measures have been taken, the issue of gender discrimination in business persists, which means that more drastic methods must be designed. In his article Small enterprises: Women entrepreneurs in the UAE , Haan addresses the issues that businesswomen in the UAE face most often. According to what the author says, “support for UAE women entrepreneurs has long been confined to limited assistance for women engaged in traditional, home-based activities” [1]. Therefore, it can be assumed that, by creating several organizations that regulate the relationships among entrepreneurs within the UAE market, businesswomen will be accepted into the UAE business system. However, not only Haan, but also a number of other specialists agree that, with the introduction of such organizations as Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CATWAR), Gender Entrepreneurship Markets (GEM), Dubai Business Women’s Council (DBWC), and many others, few changes actually happened [2]. It should be kept in mind, though, that Haan’s study was conducted quite a while ago. In a retrospective, a number of things have changed over these ten years, yet the issue concerning women in business remains just as deplorable as it used to be, mostly because the basic initiatives still revolve around introducing agencies that will help regulate the issue within the market. However, certain changes are definitely worth being mentioned. While the issue regarding women in the UAE business still leaves much to be desired, considerable concessions have been made over the past decade. To start with, the formation of the Khalifa Fund can be considered the stepping stone of female empowerment in business in the UAE. In fact, the given organization can be considered by far the most supportive and efficient of all; being one-of-a-kind project, it provides “venture capital, training, development, data and consulting services, and even marketing support” [3], which is very impressive. However, financial assistance does not have a tangible impact on the Emirati society and its concept of women in business: “However, unlike other countries, there is a lack of support targeting female entrepreneurs in UAE” [3]. Another important landmark in the history of women in the UAE business sphere, Masdar Institute has reached considerable results in female empowerment, with “4 ministers in the current government and 17.5% of the Federal National Council” [4] being women. However, while the organization is striving for the balance of men and women in politics, it seems to omit such an important issue as women in business. At present, it is clear that urgent outside help is needed to set the model for the UAE enterprises to follow. Therefore, comparing the aforementioned establishments with the contemporary initiatives in female entrepreneurship in the UAE, one must admit that the changes that occurred from 2000 to 2013 can hardly be viewed as the Emirati women’s best foot forward. On the one hand, enhancing the basic ideas of business equality is important, yet, as it has been stressed above, more examples from the foreign companies should be introduced. While theoretically, women are free to run business in Emirates, in practice, they face the same blocks that they did several decades ago [5]. Therefore, it is clear that the problems faced by female entrepreneurs in the UAE are not going to disappear in one day. The battle for independence is only starting, and there are a number of prejudices to face. Arguable, the given issue could be solved by dealing with foreign investors, as it has been suggested above, yet for a startup company to attract foreign investors, it is required to have its feet firm on the ground within the UAE market, which, for a company headed by a female leader, is quite problematic. With that being said, it is obvious that the regulations that eliminate the possibility of gender profiling must be provided for the UAE business realm. Khalifa Fund Khalifa Fund was created in 2007 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The fund was originally intended to help SMEs and encourage the development of small businesses across the country. Offering to invest in new and promising industrial and service sectors within the Abu Dhabi area, the fun allowed for small business growth. Funded by the government, the organization reflects the attempts of the latter to change the UAE business landscape. In 2012, the organization announced its determination to invest in microbusinesses [6]. However, since recently, the organization has been paying special attention to women in business. In 2013, nearly 30% of $14 m was provided to allow for more options for UAE women in SME. At present, the Khalifa Fund is tackling the issue quite efficiently. However, there is still a long way for the Khalifa Fund to go in order to provide UAE women with the same options as men have in business. Reference List H. C. Haan (2004). Small enterprises: Women entrepreneurs in the UAE . Web. The Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (2007). Women business owners in the United Arab Emirates. Web. C. Hossan, M. Parakandi and H. Saber, “Entrepreneurial knowledge, preferences and barriers of female business students in the Middle East,” Journal of Business and Policy Research , vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 83–99, 2013. Government of Dubai. Dubai women establishment . Dubai, UAE. Web. T. Varghese, “Women empowerment in Oman: A study based on women empowerment index,” Far East Journal of Psychology and Business, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 37–53, 2011. Web. Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. News. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Oryx and Crake by Atwood, M. Review Essay The main protagonist of Oryx and Crake, Snowman, is neither purely a good nor evil character, which makes him relatable. Therefore, I also feel sympathy for him since we have all done some form of despicable acts in the past, from which we learn and grow. The given imperfection of Jimmy is a primary reason why many readers can relate to the character. I think Jimmy is a person who wants to do the right things but is also easily influenced by his human nature. He is an ordinary example of a person whose life is a series of continuous mistakes and poor life choices, which compounded to create what he is at the end of the story. The plot does not always provide black and white situations where the choice is clear. Therefore, Jimmy acts and behaves in such a dualistic manner. For example, he is ready to kill his friend cheat with Crake’s sex partner, but he is also willing to adhere to his promises of taking care of Crakers (Atwood, 2004). In other words, he is neither evil nor good, which is reflective of most human beings. When it comes to Jimmy’s obsession with Oryx, the source of such emotional attachment is a despicable one since he saw her in child pornography. However, when they meet later in real life, the past obsession turns into some form of love and bonding. Although there are certain basic and instinctual motives behind their relationship, the story also hints that they are in love with each other. Jimmy’s friendship with Oryx is a typical example of a one-sided relationship, where Crake regularly takes the lead and Snowman follows. Crakers are living manifestations of the promise he made to his dear friend, whom Jimmy had to kill, and lover, who was killed by his friend (Atwood, 2004). Therefore, he acts as their leader and protector, and Jimmy never had such a position of responsibility before the apocalypse. Thus, I think he partly enjoys being the shaman or prophet to the Crakers, and loneliness is not a major issue for him because he has been used to it since his separation from his parents. The author’s statement about Jimmy’s and Crake’s division showcases how education is not equally valued. For example, Crake went to a bioengineering and genetics school, which allowed him to become a successful geneticist, whereas Jimmy went to Martha Graham Academy, which has no real value (Atwood, 2004). In other words, there is a clear difference between these two schools and fields, where one offers a promising career, and another merely occupies one for a certain period of time with no future. Such a disparity is mostly due to the economy, which has higher demands for specific professionals, and little demand for specialties in humanities. It also reflects how society values technological progress more than important human elements. There is evidence that integrating humanities into engineering education can improve both educational and career outcomes (Bear & Skorton, 2018). The main reason is that there needs to be a human element in any engineering or scientific endeavors, such as ethics and moral conduct. In the case of education, Atwood (2004) states, “they spent the first three years of school getting you to pretend stuff and then the rest of it marking you down if you did the same thing” (p. 40). In other words, there is a problem of student engagement and involvement in the current education system. References Atwood, M. (2004). Oryx and Crake . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Bear, A., & Skorton, D. (2018). The integration of the humanities and arts with sciences, engineering, and medicine in higher education: Branches from the same tree . National Academies Press. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Global Human Capital Trends in Saudi Arabia Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Career and Learning: Real-Time, All the Time 3. Performance Management: Play a Winning Hand 4. Leadership Disrupted: Pushing the Boundaries 5. Impact of the Industrial Revolution on the Workplace 6. Conclusion 7. References Introduction Modern progress primarily predetermines the direction and trends of development in many countries. A certain impact is on Saudi Arabia where quite much attention is paid to modern business approaches and technological innovations. When analyzing existing global trends and their implementation, it is possible to find those that are directly related to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and determine the main ways of the country’s development in business, economic, and other spheres. Documentary proof of the application of new ideas in the state is used as an evidence base. Career and Learning: Real-Time, All the Time The main trends of 2017 are given in a special manual that specifies the list of current tendencies in the development of many countries and the goals to which their leaders aspire ( 2017 Global human capital trends , 2017). Some of them directly relate to Saudi Arabia and its regions. In particular, the report cites career and learning as one of the most actual trends ( 2017 Global human capital trends , 2017). While connecting this phenomenon with this country, it is possible to notice that certain innovations in the field of training young professionals are traced, and various technological innovations such as mobile training are applied (Badwelan, Drew, & Bahaddad, 2016). The impact of this trend on Human Capital in the Eastern of Saudi Arabia in 2018 / 2019 can be rather significant if the progress does not stop and new methods of learning continue developing and improving. Performance Management: Play a Winning Hand Another modern trend is performance management when the managers of companies and enterprises look for effective measures to monitor and track their subordinates’ progress ( 2017 Global human capital trends , 2017). According to Alwagait, Shahzad, and Alim (2015), poor time management significantly hampers the results of students and employees in Saudi Arabia, and such appropriate measures as the development of leadership strategies are used to establish a working regime. The effect of this trend on Human Capital in the Eastern of Saudi Arabia in 2018 / 2019 is likely to be big in case leadership boards do not stop including their subordinates in different successful projects and proposing new development perspectives. Leadership Disrupted: Pushing the Boundaries Another trend is quite closely connected with the previous one and is connected with the peculiarities of the concepts of leadership ( 2017 Global human capital trends , 2017). As Hodges (2017) claims, today, there is a tendency to significantly change the role and structure of management in the business sphere of Saudi Arabia, and the confirmation of this fact is the increase in the number of women in various leading positions. Strobl (2016), however, remarks the country’s Eastern region is not perspective from managerial practices. Nevertheless, when speaking about the impact of this trend on Human Capital in the Eastern of Saudi Arabia in 2018 / 2019, more women-managers can appear, and the change can be observed in favor of talented and active leaders regardless of their sex, race, etc. Impact of the Industrial Revolution on the Workplace The impact of the industrial revolution on the workplace is very significant today. Widespread production computerization and the use of modern means of communication proves this statement. According to Bresnahan and Yin (2017), “these applications have transformed production, creating value for applications-inventing companies and their customers and increasing economic growth through quality improvements” (p. 95). The global use of innovative equipment not only significantly speeds up the process of performing certain procedures but also helps to avoid possible mistakes. Therefore, the use of products that have emerged as a result of technological progress is fully justified and common. Conclusion Thus, the analysis helped to identify some of the key areas of business and economic development in Saudi Arabia and discover the specifics of their application in a particular region. All the trends are quite relevant and can be applied in almost all the spheres. The impact of technological progress is obvious, and the products of the Industrial Revolution are actively used in the workplace. References 2017 Global human capital trends: Rewriting the rules for the digital age . (2017). Oakland, CA: Deloitte University Press. Alwagait, E., Shahzad, B., & Alim, S. (2015). Impact of social media usage on students academic performance in Saudi Arabia. Computers in Human Behavior , 51 , 1092-1097. Badwelan, A., Drew, S., & Bahaddad, A. A. (2016). Towards acceptance m-learning approach in higher education in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Business and Management , 11 (8), 12. Bresnahan, T., & Yin, P. L. (2017). Adoption of new information and communications technologies in the workplace today. Innovation Policy and the Economy , 17 (1), 95-124. Hodges, J. (2017). Cracking the walls of leadership: Women in Saudi Arabia. Gender in Management: An International Journal , 32 (1), 34-46. Strobl, S. (2016). Policing in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: Understanding the role of sectarian history and politics. Policing and Society , 26 (5), 544-562. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Healthcare Pathway Choice in a Hospital Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main body 3. Conclusion 4. Reference Introduction In this scenario, the author’s hospital unit has introduced a new care pathway a few years before. However, it has failed to show any improvement in patient outcomes while burdening the staff with additional work. As a result, some of the unit’s workers have begun expressing a desire to return to the old method, which they claim reduces the amount of labor required of the staff. The author has to take a position on one side of the choice or the other and present the others with a compelling argument that supports one of the viewpoints. This essay will present the considerations of the author and the ultimate conclusion. Main body The information on both pathways is lacking, but the assumption that the new method is more advanced and recent should be safe in most situations. As such, the approach’s nature potentially makes it preferable in the long-term perspective, as new modifications and treatments that integrate into it are more likely to emerge than with the old one. In general, old care pathways will become outdated sooner than new ones, and the hospital will have difficulty adapting to the new standards on short notice. As such, although the new method does not improve patient outcomes, its adoption may prove beneficial in the future. The sustainability perspective supports continuing as the unit is now without reverting the improvements. On the other hand, the new care pathway is currently proving ineffective and might be abandoned altogether in the future. A new, superior paradigm may emerge and replace both the old and the new approaches. In that case, the unit will have to do similar amounts of work to adapt regardless of the pathway it uses at the time. As such, it may be beneficial to revert and reduce the burden on the staff, which can then redirect its efforts into working with the patients. Overall, the staff’s concerns have merit, but their view stems from a short-term outlook. It bets on a possibility and overlooks the many potential factors that may have caused the pathway to failure. Before deciding to abandon the new method, the unit’s management should review the reasons why it was adopted and its performance in other settings. There may have been some oversight in the local implementation of the pathway that hinders its operations despite its success in other hospitals. If any such issues emerge, the staff should work to fix them and observe performance again. Additionally, as de Luc (2018) notes, care pathways have to undergo continuous review and improvement. Unit members have to investigate recent scholarly literature on the performance of the method and the modifications that may have emerged. With that information, they may be able to improve the pathway’s performance and achieve improved patient results, eliminating the concern. Conclusion Overall, the staff’s concerns may be warranted, but unit members may be overlooking a variety of confounding influences. The purpose of adopting new care pathways is to improve performance and to ensure that it adapts to future standards easily. These systems are based on research and evidence and have proven their efficiency in numerous settings. As such, the unit should first determine whether its results are average for the pathway or an outlier. If the latter is the case, then the staff will have to identify and address the factors that have led to the factor’s failure. Even if the research proves that the new method does not lead to improvement, the staff should weigh the long-term benefits of using modern methods against reducing the workload on the staff in the immediate future. Reference de Luc, K. (2018). Developing care pathways: The handbook. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Radcliffe Medical Press. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Work Communication in the Next Five Years Report The development of ubiquitous computing and media-rich environments is likely to change communication at workplaces greatly. The world is moving from desktop computers into wireless communication devices that can access the internet anywhere. Additionally, the creation of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter has made communication easier. In the next five years, this will downsize and re-engineer businesses and industries to adopt new communication strategies. For instance, we expect a switch from print media to a less paper environment due to emerging technologies. All over the world, people execute their roles by online means. Every organization will have its website for easier and fast communication. If the trend continues, consumers will now start ordering and paying for goods using a Visa or a MasterCard. With the combination of technology, most workplaces will witness a change in demographics due to issues related to multiculturalism and diversity. Thus, every organization will enact its strategy and new modes of operation (Gordon, 1998, pp.1-3). Reference List Gordon, G. (1998). Corporate communication: where do we stand? Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
The story’s overarching subject is conveyed through the employment of fiction elements such as setting, verisimilitude, and point of view. The writing is persuasive and compels the reader to go over it again and again. The narrative tries to educate readers that all customs, regardless of whether they are included, are not always righteous. The third person tells the story to offer the viewer the finest comprehension. The storyteller was not a resident of the community who had to go through the Lottery’s rites. Obviously, the story was given from an omniscient perspective because the speaker was well-informed about everyone “…Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town….” (Shirley, 2014, p. 137). The listener gains a clear picture of the locals and their strange traditions by providing this perspective throughout the play. If the narrative were presented from the perspective of one of the villagers, it would appear to be more biased and less detailed than it is. This point of view explains the Lottery’s tradition in great detail, including how the Lottery should be prepared and the rituals involved. The backdrop and characters depict average, everyday people gathered in the town square for an event. At the beginning of the story, there is nothing extraordinary about this day or the happenings of the day. A toddler playing with stones is not unusual, yet it may raise questions in the minds of the readers about the nature of this Lottery. The audience gets a strong sense that something horrible is going to happen as the story progresses with the Lottery’s background, setup, and name-calling. The truth does not sink in until all of the men glance at their pieces of paper, and Tessie Hutchinson begins frantically shrieking. The sorrow and desperation allow the readers to empathize with Tessie and imagine themselves in her situation. This is why, while Tessie’s family members are stoning her to death, the audience may get disgusted with the townsfolk and the story’s whole theme. The truth is that no one wants to be connected with a species that is willing to kill a friend or family member every year just because tradition dictates it. In order to offer the reader a better comprehension of the story, the environment is described in great detail. The quote “The morning of June 27th…” informs the audience of the Lottery’s time and date (Shirley, 2014, p. 136). The time range for the Lottery is also revealed in the story. The narrative also provides the Lottery’s time frame: “…so it may start at ten o’clock in the morning… allow the locals to return home in time for lunch” (Shirley, 2014, p. 137). It illustrates the day to be a beautiful and pleasant day, giving the readers the idea of a peaceful setting. With the information about the setting earlier on, it is almost as if the speaker wanted the audience to assume this was going to be a peaceful story with a happy conclusion. The events of the day are as familiar to the residents of this town as any other: “The lottery was held – as were the square dances, the teenage club, and the Halloween program…” The reasonableness of the events in this story demonstrates how this irrational custom has conditioned the villagers. Traditions from any group of people or religion can appear odd or illogical to others who are unfamiliar with them, but just because something is different from how one group does things does not imply it is wrong. Shirley Jackson’s goal with this narrative may have been to test what kind of reaction it would get from the general public. The purpose of the story is not how an entire village stoned one person to death but how one custom binds the community together and keeps them connected to the only thing they know: their past. The reader can choose whether or not tradition is a positive or bad subject. The power to choose the true meaning of the story is what actually distinguishes it. Reference Shirley, J. (2014). The Lottery. In E. V. Roberts & R. Zweig (Eds. ), Literature: An introduction to reading and writing, compact edition (6 th ed.). (136-137). Pearson College Division. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy Essay Ivan Ilyich’s Life as Most Ordinary and Most Terrible Ivan Ilyich is the main protagonist in Leo Tolstoy’s novella ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ first published in the year 1886. Through this widely acclaimed literary work, the author has clearly addressed some of the important perspectives of life as well as the inevitability associated with death. The writer takes us through the story of Ivan Ilyich who appears to have enjoyed an exemplary wealthy and high statue life in the society. Ilyich is a well regarded court official who is described by the writer as a noble. Ivan’s life however, is a life which is observed to have been most ordinary as well as most terrible. In an in-depth analysis of this wonderful description regarding the life of Ivan, we are able to see him as someone who is much willing to accomplish all what is expected of him in the eyes of other people. Things seem to be much smooth for Ivan even after he gets married and the same values and behavior of a responsible man would be exemplified upon his family. As a competent and highly acclaimed magistrate, Ivan is defined as an average and common place individual of all sorts and it is actually through this obligatory nature of him that we get to see his life as being most ordinary in all aspects. Ivan’s life however, takes a different course after his wife Praskovya becomes pregnant and it is owing to this unexpected intervention of nature that Ivan realizes the disruption facing his smooth and decorous lifestyle. As a result of this, Ivan decides to avert his concentration towards his official duties and assignments, completely detaching himself from the obligations of his family. He cannot stop priding himself at work for successfully detaching his personal attributes from his list of events and priorities. However, when he turns at home he tries to adopt quite a formal concern and attitude toward his wife. This lack of concern and interest about social, emotional, or physical life of either his family or the many people upon which his ruling as a magistrate would be executed is actually one of the things that would make Ivan’s life seem more terrible. With time, Ivan is rapidly promoted in his law job and he is over-ambitious about being awarded the prestigious post of a presiding judge but this is a wish he never achieves. Owing to his selfish desire of a high lifestyle, Ivan accidentally succumbs into a serious injury that completely changes his life. The worsening situation of the sickness makes quarrelsome and irritable to the many people around his ailing world. In this state, Ivan is observed to be constantly pondering his imminent death as he progressively continues to question the rationale behind his plight. One day, while looking upon his past life, Ivan is joyous in the sense that, his suffering is justified and for thus, he senselessness resigns to his death. It is through these brief observations that we get to see why Ivan’s life is observed to be the most ordinary and the most terrible. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
NP Practice 2. State Laws 3. Education Hours 4. Importance of Knowledge 5. Conclusion 6. References Much attention is paid to the issue of prescribing drugs that can be done by physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare workers in the United States. It is necessary to admit that prior to January 1, 2017, physician assistants, as well as nurse practitioners (NPs), were not allowed to prescribe any substances in the state of Florida (Florida Board of Nursing, 2016). Nowadays, NPs have already gained enough prescribing authority in almost every state of America and in Florida, in particular. NP Practice Florida State laws that aim at regulating the duties and responsibilities of NPs remain to be one of the strictest in America. Regarding the outcomes of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when many Americans got an opportunity to ask for health care coverage and expand their primary care workforce, the quality of prescribing and care was re-evaluated (Jiao, Murimi, Stafford, Mojtabai, & Alexander, 2018). For example, the work of NPs has to be supervised by physicians. If the necessity to prescribe drugs is evident, nurses have access to controlled substances prescription only. In addition, NPs can perform acts regarding medical and nursing diagnoses, treatments, and operations, evaluate patients, manage treatments, and communicate with patients and their families. State Laws There is the Florida Nurse Practice Act in Florida Statutes the goal of which is to ensure that all nurses meet the minimum of requirements that promote safe practice and effective help. According to the Statute, nurses may be categorized in regard to the scope of their duties. Florida laws that regulate the process of prescribing drugs are discussed in sections 456, 464, and 668 of the Florida Statutes. The ACA should also be used to identify the expectations and demands of patients. The role of these two laws in integral for a drug prescription, as well as for the entire nursing practice and the quality of services that can be offered to people, is impressive and cannot be neglected. Education Hours Modern students and NPs pay much attention to the conditions under which they have to receive their education. According to the Florida Board of Nursing, NPs have to complete 24 hours of continuing education during each working period. These hours also include 2 hours in order to discuss the ways of how to prevent possible medical errors and 2 hours in order to evaluate the peculiarities of domestic violence. NPs have to record each education hour and make sure to meet the standards of nursing practice defined by their hospitals or other facilities where they have to work. Importance of Knowledge There are several reasons for why NPs have to learn laws and other legal aspects concerning prescribing medications. First, Hudspeth (2016) identifies opioid misuse, overdose, and divergence as serious public health problems in the world. Therefore, as soon as NPs take a wrong step, they contribute to the growth of this public concern. Second, all nurses who neglect the rules or fail to meet the standards may be prohibited from nursing practice. Therefore, it is important for nurses, as well as other participants in a healthcare process, to be aware of the current state laws in the state. Conclusion In general, medication prescription is a serious issue in nursing practice that cannot be neglected. People may contribute to this topic discussion in many different ways. Their awareness of the laws, the choice of continuing education hours, and experience exchange are helpful steps in improving modern nursing practice today. References Florida Board of Nursing. (2016). Important legislative update regarding HB 423. Web. Hudspeth, R. S. (2016). Safe opioid prescribing for adults by nurse practitioners: Part 1. Patient history and assessment standards and techniques. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners , 12 (3), 141-148. Jiao, S., Murimi, I. B., Stafford, R. S., Mojtabai, R., & Alexander, G. C. (2018). Quality of prescribing by physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the United States. Pharmacotherapy, 38 (4), 417-427. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Toys “R” Us Company’s Real Estate Collapse Case Study The article describes an issue with Toys “R” Us having to close numerous retail locations. At its peak, the stores attracted high customer traffic and sales. This increased the company’s worth to $7.5 billion in 2005, largely due to the valuable real estate properties which the retail locations occupied. The value of real estate inherently defines a company’s financial viability, thus making it easier to engage in financial dealings, including borrowing credit. With the rapid transition to online shopping in recent years, Toys “R” Us is forced to close many of its stores to remain operational. However, the sale of retail space for adequate prices is difficult since the commercial sector as a whole is being hit by the transition to online venues which has resulted in value depreciation for the properties. Therefore, moving forward, Toys “R” Us must be able to maintain its operational capabilities while balancing the issue of declining retail sales and value of its numerous real estate properties. It is evident that the company, similar to many in the retail industry, failed to accommodate the changing trends and consumer behaviors. As the article points out, despite Amazon overtaking a substantial portion of the market by consolidating all products into an online marketplace, it cannot be blamed for poor operations management practiced by traditional retailers. In fact, the most prominent online corporations are rapidly expanding various brick and mortar locations. Therefore, it can be argued that the demise of Toys “R” Us occurred due to impractical management. Financial analysts agree that the company led irresponsible fiscal practices, borrowing heavily and not doing enough to restructure its business. The retail chain also had inadequate supply chain management and cooperation with toy suppliers. Its most popular products would often be out of stock, and the rest of the offerings did little to appeal to customers. Inventory management was faulty with improper product segmentation and price optimization. As the company faced crippling debt and falling revenue, vendors and suppliers sought to cease shipments that further impacted what its stores could offer. Finally, without any clear strategy in recent years or noticeable change to its practices in order to attract consumers. The main issue of real estate discussed in the article is, unfortunately, one of the last outcomes for the failing company which is currently facing bankruptcy. Retail space thrives on customer traffic. Toys “R” Us needs to radically revitalize its business model to combine a seamless transition between online and brick and mortar shopping experiences. That is particularly relevant in the toy industry where many customers may be reluctant to purchase goods, especially large and expensive ones, without hands-on experience. The company should strive to offer a unique approach to buying kids products since many other non-specialized stores (Walmart) sell them as well. Store space should be used as a demonstrative showroom, and an attractive online experience can be developed where customers can purchase a wider selection of products after leaving the store. By creating a purpose for its retail space in the business, the real estate value will increase substantially and create revenue for the company. Unfortunately, such radical changes in the business model require substantial capital which Toys “R” Us does not have. It is currently undergoing court guided bankruptcy which consists of liquidating its assets. That process should be considered as a positive step to rid the company of unnecessary and expensive to upkeep assets, streamline its operations, and improve supply chain management. The leading corporations maintain well-managed supply chain systems that allow to deliver products to consumers based on accurately forecasted demands. A clear strategic plan should be developed for future business models in order to assure investors that the company is maintaining a vision of innovation in line with changing consumer behaviors. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Immigration Programs in the US Essay Despite its economic, military and cultural power and the concept of an American dream, the US is far from the land of hopes it is portrayed to be. It is notably true for immigrants, many of whom come to America from all over the world in search of a better life for themselves and their families. While some programs for legal and even illegal newcomers exist, it is still hard for these people to build themselves up in the new land. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reality of immigrants in the US. Possibilities for Immigrants Farming, construction, computer, and science industries are amongst the top industries employing legal immigrants (Becker). Typically, such businesses search for talent outside America and provide work visas for the workers they choose. However, legal immigrants achieving their status through other means can have trouble finding work that will pay at least minimum wage and span no more than the average 8 hours. Illegal newcomers can face even more problems due to deportation threats. This is a notable issue for undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children and now have a possibility to return to a country the life in which they have never experienced. For such individuals, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program(DACA) was created which allows these people two years during which they should try to receive a green card through an employer if they do not wish to be deported. However, apart from the existing hardships of finding a job for an undocumented immigrant, the current president, Donald Trump, promised to repeal DACA which will force a lot of young people who call the US their home out of the country (Rappaport). Even sanctuary cities that work towards protecting their residents from such a fate cannot stop this process. Another issue is the drug trafficking organizations that tempt illegal newcomers with money, effectively killing any chance they have of becoming legal citizens. Conclusion While the US advertises itself as the land of dreams, many immigrants find the reality to be very different from this concept. Apart from industries that actively provide foreign citizens with green cards, many institutions make it hard for a newcomer to receive even minimum wage which results in many immigrants being deported or resulting in illegal activities such as drug trafficking. References 1. Becker, Sam. “25 Jobs Employing the Most Immigrants in America.” Showbiz CheatSheet , 2017. Web. 2. Rappaport, Nolan. “Removal of DACA Recipients Has Begun: It Didn’t Take a Crystal Ball to See DACA Would Not End Well.” The Hill , 2019. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Franchise Agreement Opinion Essay A franchise agreement is a set- up where a buyer is given exclusive rights to sell products of an already established firm. The buyer is called the franchisee and the parent company franchisor. Typically, franchisors give franchisees their brand name to trade with and offer help and support. Similarly, one may be licensed to produce and sell the franchisor’s products with no restriction on how to run the business (Frankoise, 1997). This paper highlights the pros and cons of franchising. A franchise is advantageous over a new venture since it has low failure rates. According to conducted research, franchises stand a better chance of success than independent businesses (Coltman, 1988). Secondly, a franchisor helps in the management of the enterprise; they provide equipment and supplies. In Liz’s case, she may be trained on good management skills while marketing undertaken by Food of Reality. The franchisor may also offer goods on credit and bulk as they have an established relationship with suppliers of goods (Francoise 1997). Since franchises are firms with established brand names, franchisees enjoy the benefits of their investment (Hector, 2003). Franchisors spend a lot of money in branding and logos. Customers therefore find it easy to identify with the business since their brand is universally recognized. This is similar to buying a business as a going concern. In some franchise agreements, a franchisor provides the location of the business besides a surety of available customer segment. Here, Liz stands to benefit from the goodwill of the parent company in terms of a ready market, strategic location, and customers. There are high profits that Liz may also reap from a franchise agreement. Another important advantage concerns advertising. For every new business, advertising is vital. Franchisors cover commercial adverts and campaigns. Liz needs not to worry about advertisement of her products. Before one commits to a franchise agreement, they need to check the success of the parent company (Kestenbaum, 2008). This is an added advantage since Liz already has a business idea that can be proven. Furthermore, exclusive rights in terms of location benefits a franchisee since franchisors do not allocate more than one franchisee in one territory. In this sense, Liz would benefit from low competition and massive market. However, this agreement has its downsides. The initial cost of buying a franchise could be very high. Advertising, management, and trademark fees are included in the initial cost. Liz will have to rely wholly on the franchisor. If the franchisor exits the market, she will run out of business as well. Besides, lack of independence in the operations of the business therefore becomes a limiting factor. Franchising agreement has restrictive terms particularly concerning management of the business. A franchisee is not at liberty to make any changes to correspond to the market changes (Sherman, 2003). Profits reaped from the business should be shared between Liz and Food of Reality. Furthermore, incase Liz wants to sell the business; she needs to have the approval of the franchisor. The buyer will have to be approved as well. I would recommend that Liz enters a franchise agreement. Clearly, a franchise’s advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Additionally, Liz was a librarian. She therefore has no experience in the business field. To gather this, a franchise agreement would be a good starting point. References Coltman, M. M. (1988). Franchising in the U.S: Pros and Cons . USA: Self Counsel Press. Francoise, J. (1997). Franchise Agreements within the European Community . London: Transnational Pub. Hector, E. D. (2003). Advantages and Disadvantages of Franchising. New York: St Lucie’s Press. Kestenbaum, H. (2008). So You Want to Franchise Your Business . New York: Harold and Knopf. Sherman, A.J. (2003). Franchising and Licensing: Two powerful Ways to Grow Your Business in Any Economy . New York: Amacom. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Dr. Milgram’s Experiment Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Description of Milgram Experiment 3. Description of Maslow’s Hierarchy 4. Analysis 5. Conclusion Introduction Following atrocities of Second World War, Stanley Milgram designed social psychological experiment that seeks to explain how authorities’ commands influence subjects. Psychological and social studies of the Second World War revealed that armies and ordinary people committed atrocities by following the commands from authority. Although the atrocities were against their conscience and morality, perpetrators committed them for the sake of the authority. Milgram’s experiment illustrates that orders from the authority have overwhelming influence on conscience and morality of its subjects, thus can make people act against their wishes and beliefs. Maslow’s theory of needs shows the levels of human satisfaction, which affects their motivation in life. In this case, the naïve subjects had different levels of needs that determined their motivations during the course of the experiment. Description of Milgram Experiment Milgram experiment is a social and psychological experiment designed to study the influence of authority commands on conscience of subjects. In the experiment, Milgram used three classes of participants viz. the experimenter, confederate and the naïve subject. Experimenter was the participant who was giving orders to the naïve subjects to follow the requirements of the experiment. The confederate was an actor in the experiment who knew everything in the experiment but acted as a learner. The naïve subject was the participant in the experiment who played role of a teacher and did not know anything about the experiment. The experimenter separated teachers and learners, and instructed the teachers to administer increasing electric shocks to the learners who answered series of questions wrongly. Since the learners answered some questions wrongly and the experimenter instructed the teachers to administered higher electric shocks against their conscience, the teachers begun to feel guilty. During the experiment, some teachers obeyed and blamed the learners for not answering questions correctly, some rebelled further instructions, while others blamed themselves for inflicting pain to the learners. Description of Maslow’s Hierarchy According to Abraham Maslow, human needs have hierarchy in their satisfaction. Maslow’ theory postulates that basic human needs require satisfaction in hierarchical manner in that lower needs need satisfaction before highest needs. The lowest human needs in the hierarchy are physiological needs, which include water, food, oxygen and sleep amongst other needs that are essential for survival of humanity. Safety needs are the second in the hierarchy and they include physical security, job security, and social security that one needs in the society to feel protected from possible harm. The third in the hierarchy is the need to belong. After people have satisfied physiological and safety needs, they begin to satisfy the need to belong and feel loved. In this category of needs, one wants to associate with people of certain religious group, political parties or even social and economic classes. The need to belong also compels people to marry so that they can experience love and belong to certain families. Self-esteem and self-actualization are the fourth and fifth human needs in the hierarchy that motivate people to gain recognition and achieve full potential of their capacity respectively. Analysis In the Milgram’s experiment, there were naïve subjects who discontinued the experiment and those who continued with the experiment. The analysis of naïve subjects in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows that they fit into different hierarchies. The naïve subjects who withdrew from the experiment despite the commands from the experimenter fit in the hierarchy of self-actualization because their conscience did not allow them to continue. People at the level of self-actualization strive to achieve full potential of their capacities and do not allow external influences to affect their achievements. In this case, the naïve subjects realized that the experiment was against their conscience and were able to make rational decision despite the influence from the experimenter. In contrast, other naïve subjects were unable to follow their conscience but rather the commands from the experimenter. These subjects strived to attain the need of self-esteem for they wanted to appear competent in the experiment and gain recognition of the experimenter. Since these subjects were naïve concerning the experiment, they explicitly follow instructions to satisfy the experimenter and bring about good results. Analysis of naïve subjects regarding educational system shows that they had different experiences during their childhood. The native subjects who discontinued with the experiment did not undergo punishment during their learning and thus believed that punishment was inappropriate to enhance learning in schools. On the other hand, naïve subjects who continued with the experiment had experience of punishment and therefore believed that punishment would encourage learning in schools. The naïve subjects seem to have different cultural and family values as portrayed in the experiment. The naïve subjects who discontinued with the experiment had cultural and family values that did not support punishment as a way of learning. The cultural and family values influenced their conscience and thus declined to continue with the experiment. For those naïve subjects who continued with the experiment, their cultural and family values seem to encourage the use of severe punishment. Therefore, they perceived that it was right to inflict pain on the learners so that they could learn properly. Conclusion Milgram’s experiment demonstrates how the commands from the authorities influence the actions of its subjects. The actions of the subjects depend on the level of hierarchy of needs that they require according to the Maslow’s theory. The experiment has demonstrated that the lower the needs that require satisfaction, the higher the influence of orders on an individual. The study further showed that educational systems, cultural values and family values determine one’s morality and conscience when faced with the dilemma of obedience. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
This means that people in different parts worldwide can intersect at a common place for reasons such as employment. Likewise, companies start looking around to expand their operations as the world increasingly becomes interconnected. Though this concept looks interesting, it has some drawbacks due to cultural diversity. Both small and established companies face challenges such as pricing, development strategy, structuring projects and motivating people (Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, Para 1 n.d). Hofstede came up with five distinct cultural dimensions which show cultural distance from one culture to another and their impact on managerial decision making. Human masculinity (MAS) is one of the issues that he puts across. This refers to how society values men and women. Initially, men and women had different roles. Therefore, if such believes apply in some areas, companies need to strategize on how to cope up with them. A good example is companies in Japan and Sweden. For a company to succeed in Japan, It needs to prefer male employees to women. On the other hand, a company getting into Sweden market will take into account employees with diversified working techniques regardless of gender. A company getting into such market has to analyze and evaluate their staff and adopt accordingly (Devinney, Pedersen & Tihanyi, p 45, 2010). Another factor is individualism (IDV). This is the strength of ties among individuals within a community. A large IDV enhances arguments and idea expression. Therefore, companies should not inquire a lot about personal information and accomplishments. Contrary, low IDV suppress emotions and feelings to enable harmony at work and slow to adopt changes as it respects tradition. An example is Guatemala and Panama where there is low IDV. The companies need to ensure that their benefits to the community is well-received and understood (Rohn, P 146, 2009). In addition, power/distance (PD) is another factor. It refers to the extent of inequality between people without power and those with power. A high PD indicates strong hierarchies, centralized companies, and wide gaps in authority, respect and compensation. On the other hand, low PD implies that power dispersion and sharing are reasonable. Thus, companies consider employees and supervisors to be almost at equal level. Companies in Malaysia mark good examples; Malaysia is a country with a high PD and where characteristics such as a closed door meeting with powerful leaders and select few individuals occur (National Culture – Geert Hofstede, para 4). Yet another is uncertainty/avoidance index (UAi). This is the extent to which the society is anxious in situations where people and businesses do not know them. For a high UAI, It means that communication and preparation in the company is in time. Further, the company has to guarantee the details of the jobs or projects. This is so to ensure that companies avoid differences with the society. In case of a low UAI, it shows that some businesses have minimized society value and rules. For instance if a company intends to establish a branch in Belgium where there is a high UAI scale, the managers should be able to investigate different options and provide limited possible choices. However, the company should have a detailed structure of information on risk plans (National Culture – Geert Hofstede, para 4, n.d) Finally, long term orientation (LTO) is of paramount importance. It refers to how much a community values long values to short term values and traditions. A high LTO entails high ethical conduct and high values emphasized in education. It also implies that men and parents have more authority than women and young people. A low LTO promotes equality and also observe self-actualization. An example is a company that wants to invest or intends to start a business in the United Kingdom and the United states. Since there is low scores with regard to LTO in these countries, the managers of the company entering these markets should keep in mind the availability of much creativity and idea expression in their culture. This means that people in the areas will help the company in terms of creativity and innovation (Rohn, P 145, 2009). With reference to Hofstede’s Cultural dimensions, the distance in culture is one of the important issues that a company needs to take into account when getting into any foreign market. It has a substantial impact on the managerial decisions. In fact, it determines the culture, structure, and the financial performance of any company. References Devinney, T. M., Pedersen, T., & Tihanyi, L. (2010). The past, present and future of international business & management . Bingley, UK: Emerald. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Web. National Culture – Geert Hofstede . (n.d.). Cultural Insights – Geert Hofstede . Web. Rohn, U. (2009). Cultural barriers to the success of foreign media content: Western media in China, India, and Japan. . Frankfurt: Peter Lang. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Project Management and Medical Informatics Essay Though the information technologies seem to be insufficient with regard to the area of medical informatics, the project management helps to resolve the problems effectively. It is necessary to mention that electronic health records as well as infrastructure upgrades are some of the IT challenges related to medical informatics. All the problems should be solved with regard to long-term consequences in case of failure leading to inefficient use of available resources. Moreover, the project management involves staff that has some routine duties that should be performed regardless of the progress on the project. In this respect, the number of project management methods is aimed at coping with challenges in the context of resource shortage, focus on privacy and security, outsourcing, and other aspects that influence the overall perception of the problems and their solving. The most beneficial aspects of project management related to medical informatics include the opportunity to cope with tasks effectively using minimum of available resources. Besides, it is possible to resolve the risks that may occur in future before such a problem happens. As such, it is easier to involve the stakeholders while solving the problem in order to meet the needs of clients and administration as well as medical staff. Moreover, a high-quality product can be created at the first push which enables the project team to save costs, efforts, resources, and time that would be spent on remaking and improving of the rough model of the project. Project management enables the team to take into account all factors that may influence the outcomes of their work including the opinions of stakeholders to introduce an effective model/system that would work effectively within the given environment. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Liberation Theology in the United States Essay After the Second World War, many cases of different forms of oppression within American societies were reported to be on the rise. Some of the main reasons behind the increase in the cases of oppression include racial discrimination and the use of power to subject other individuals to circumstances against human rights, such as slavery. The development of various religious groups in the United States of America marked the beginning and development of liberation theology (French et al., 2019). Various groups and individuals who were subjected to various forms of oppression used different religious concepts and principles to fight and end different forms of oppression within the society. This paper strives to highlight how the concepts and principles of religion significantly contributed to the development of liberation theologies in the United States. Liberation theology was a movement that Christians around the world greatly advocated for to fight for individuals who suffered due to various political and social injustices. It aimed to ensure that the poor and marginalized groups were effectively aided in acquiring an appropriate position within the society (French et al., 2019). The population of the United States of America is made up of both native and immigrant individuals are amongst the communities that embraced the development of various religious groups. One of the main reasons that contributed to the rapid development of liberation theology in America was the increased cases of oppression to the minority. Many immigrants in the American territories have greatly suffered due to the oppression from the white American-born citizens. The minority groups, such as the African American and Asian American individuals, make up the population of the minority group in America. Racial discrimination has been one of the most significant social problems in the United States of America, where minority groups have been the major victims (French et al., 2019). The main cause of racism in America is a superiority complex from the American-born citizens because they feel that the immigrants are in their territory to compete for the available resources. Most of the white American-born citizens believed that the immigrants did not deserve a share of the national resources. This concept resulted in most of them subjecting the minority groups to various forms of oppression. Due to the devastating effects of racial discrimination and oppression, most individuals opted to join the various religious movements to fight oppression in America. The groups joined such movements with the aim of getting liberated from the negative impacts of oppression, such as racial discrimination (French et al., 2019). As the number of individuals joining different religious groups increased, more religions in American societies developed. This greatly contributed to the development of liberation theology in the United States of America. The main pioneers of the liberation theory concept were the Roman Catholic Church activists who were majorly from Latin America in the early 1960s. One of the major factors that motivated the catholic activists to introduce the concept of liberation theology was the need to fight for social justice for the victims of oppression. The oppressed individuals within the American societies majorly consist of minority groups and poor individuals (French et al., 2019). The minority groups were majorly subjected to various forms of racial discrimination that had a negative impact on their quality of life. For example, many black individuals were being used as slaves and were put to work under poor working conditions by white American-born citizens and elite individuals. According to the Christian faith and principles of life, no human being should subject another fellow to environments and activities against human rights. Many individuals from marginalized groups also embraced the concept of liberation theology. This enabled them to acquire social justice for the inhumane acts they were subjected to by the powerful oppressors. Catholic humanitarians and activists formed various movements that advocated for implementing laws that would punish the perpetrators of multiple injustices (French et al., 2019). This helped ensure that all the individuals affected by discrimination and oppression were in a position of getting justice regardless of their status in society. Achieving social equity within the society was a significant contribution to social liberation among the marginalized groups in the United States of America. The fight to ensure equality amongst the citizens, regardless of their place of origin, was also a major contribution to developing liberation theology in America. Negative parities were a major cause of oppression in American communities. For example, the minority groups and the low-income individuals living in America were greatly affected by parities in different sectors, such as the healthcare sector. Healthcare parity was a major problem in the American communities where healthcare institutions mostly offered services to the elite and white individuals while they looked down upon the minority groups. Police brutality was also a major concern where many black individuals were being murdered under unclear circumstances by the police force, with no justice being offered to the oppressed (French et al., 2019). Liberation theologies majorly developed in America due to the need of ending oppression to the minority groups and ensuring humanity in the United States of America. Reference French, B. H., Lewis, J. A., Mosley, D. V., Adames, H. Y., Chavez-Dueñas, N. Y., Chen, G. A., & Neville, H. A. (2019). Toward a psychological framework of radical healing in communities of color . The Counseling Psychologist , 48 (1), 56–78. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Interview with Marketing Manager of Toyota Motor Corporation the United States Branch Autobiography Essay The manager interviewed is the head of marketing department to the international company whose head quarters are in Japan, the United States Branch sells automobiles and offers financial services, and rent a car business to customers. The company has 317,734 employees all over the world however, in the United States; the employees are slightly over 70,000. According to the manager, the success of a business is a function of the quality of its management. There are different roles and functions of management that the manager described; they are; Planning Planning ensures that activities are well thought and coordinated. Strategic decisions of various functions of an organization are considered when planning. It involves reflective thinking that consider an organizations goals and deriving methods to attain them. This is the initial function of management. Organizing Organizing is structuring of function in an organization to ensure that goals in the organization have been attain effectively. Functions must be planned in a way that there is high in production. The function also involves ensuring that experienced human resource is deployed in various sections. Leading To get things done, a manager must provide good leadership in the organization. He must understand various functions at his level and lead by example. People are more likely influenced by set examples by mangers instead of given directions. A good manager should ensure that he offers good leadership to the business. Controlling This is overseeing functions in the organization and ensuring that they are well conducted. It involves monitoring of activities in an organization. According to the leader, the most dominant function that he does is leading people, he is of the opinion that different situation calls for different approach that need to be mastered and applied effectively. Being a leader cuts across all the functions of a leader, it covers all areas in the leadership. The manager noted that there is a growing change in people’s perception, needs and drives; it calls for managers to lead their teams in the path that can result to success of an organization. When asked about the main characters and attributes that he feels all great leaders have, the manager was quick to point out the following traits; decisiveness, good communication skills and visionary/futuristic. The manager observed that what differentiates a good manager and ineffective managers is their decisiveness, secondly the effect of the decisions are only felt if the manager can make orchestrate teams, orchestrate teams are only developed through good communication. Businesses operate in perpetuity thus; effective leaders need to be visionary/futuristic. The manager was quick to emphasize the need for effective communication strategies among teams; the manager feels that communication should be a two way where managers feel free to listen and be heard by the juniors and the same happens with the juniors. With good communication, the manager felt that organizations could attain high and build positive organizational culture. When the manager was talking of his experience in management, he said that it feels good to see transformation occurring within an organization because of decisions made, the manager feels rewarded when he pioneers a successful project. It gives him self-confidence and raises his self-esteem. The most frustrating times in a managers life according to the Toyota marketing manager is when top management and junior staffs fail to offer him support needed to perform a certain duty. It feels disappointing in such times since the manager feels he is going to fail but can do nothing about it. In his final remarks, the manager advised that to become an effective and successful leader, a leader must have constantly been reading relevant materials from scholars, periodicals, dailies and books. The manager noted that leadership evolves with time so being updated is the secret to effective leadership. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Descriptive Statistics Importance Research Paper Introduction Descriptive statistics give the simplest meaningful way of illustrating data. Essentially, they summarize data into something evocative. In essence, descriptive statistics can convey data in recognized patterns like charts and graphs, among others. Descriptive statistics have various benefits for data analysts. Firstly, they summarize large data into small presentations that can be visualized easily. Descriptive statistics provide the quantitative features of data that gives it a meaning. For instance, in presenting marks for 200 students, descriptive statistics would enable the analyst to evaluate the overall performance of the students. In addition, descriptive statistics would enable the analyst to evaluate the spread of the marks. Descriptive statistics can utilize various ways of expressing data in a meaningful manner. These ways include measures of central tendency, measures of spread, and tabulated description. Moreover, descriptive statistics allow for the utilization of both numerical and graphical approaches to ensure precise and objective illustrations (Boeree, 2005). Differences between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics While descriptive statistics summarize data in a meaningful way, inferential statistics go beyond a summary of data. In fact, inferential statistics are used to gain insight into the data analyzed. Deductions are usually drawn from data when utilizing inferential statistics. While inferential statistics utilize samples from data, descriptive statistics tend to use the whole data (Lowry, 2015). For instance, inferential statistics would use samples from a population to deduce their behaviors. Descriptive statistics utilize different methods to analyze data; this is unlike inferential statistics. While descriptive statistics utilize measures of central tendency and measures of spread, inferential statistics utilize hypothesis testing and estimation. In essence, inferential statistics utilize samples to generalize populations from which samples are taken. On the other hand, descriptive statistics utilize parameters to make data meaningful and useful to analysts. It is also worth noting that inferential statistics are usually not the perfect description of the population because they utilize samples. In contrast, descriptive statistics tend to give a precise illustration of data (Lane, 2013). Summary of Measures of Central Tendency, Standard Deviation, and Their Relation Central tendency is a term utilized to emphasize the fact that a number can best describe an entire set of measurements. In fact, the number is considered central to the set. Measures of central tendency constitute the mode, the mean, and the median. While the mode refers to the measurement with the highest frequency, the median refers to the number that can be considered as the centrality of the set. On the other hand, the mean refers to the average of the measurements (Hiray, 2008). Measures of spread can also be done with respect to a given data. This requires the use of dispersion. Dispersion emphasizes the fact that there is a number that describes how the measurement spread out from the first number. In essence, dispersion illustrates the standard deviation. It refers to the extent to which scores depart from the mean. It is an estimation of the expected value that shows how far the scores are from the mean (Hiray, 2008). Essentially, it can be observed that standard deviation measures the extent of deviation from the mean. The main aim of the central tendency is usually to find a single number which is representative of the whole set of measurements. In contrast, the aim of the standard deviation is to provide the degree of spread from the mean. Standard deviation complements the central tendency in statistics (Hiray, 2008). References Boeree, G. (2005). Descriptive statistics . Web. Hiray, J. (2008). Measures of central tendency and variability . Web. Lane, D. (2013). Inferential statistics . Web. Lowry, R. (2015). Concepts and application of inferential statistics . Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
What is the main issue or problem raised in this text? This text is about the concept of justice. In particular, the writer discusses egalitarian and non-egalitarian approaches to social fairness (“The problem of justice”, 2007). The writer strives to determine the way in which these methods can use to create a just society. How does the author address the problem? The writer does not provide any specific solutions because the problem, which he discusses, has too many dimensions. Yet, the analysis shows that at first, it is critical to ensure that the basic liberties of individuals are not violated by the state. This precaution is necessary for the progress of individuals and groups. What is the main conclusion of this text? What recommendations (if any) are offered? The main conclusion of the text is that justice can be possible if the interests of various stakeholders are recognized and taken into account. Moreover, policy-makers should minimize threats to various social groups and individuals. What are the strengths (if any) of the argument(s) presented in this text? What are its weaknesses (if any)? Briefly state the reasons behind your evaluation. The main strength of the writer’s argument is that he is able to show the complexity of different approaches to justice. Moreover, the author demonstrates that in some cases, these methods should supplement one another. So, the writer’s argument prompts the readers to look at justice from viewpoints. In turn, the main limitation is that the writer does not always show how his discussions can be translated into the real-life policies of organizations or governments. How has this text contributed to your understanding of business ethics? State up to the three most important things you have learnt after reading this text. I learned that there are egalitarian and non-egalitarian approaches to business ethics. Secondly, the managers should focus on two aspects of fairness, namely fair procedures and fair outcomes. Finally, attempts to promote equality should not lead to the violation of individuals’ rights. Reference List The problem of justice . (2007). In A. Crane (Ed. ), Business ethics: managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization (pp. 110-16). Oxford: Oxford University Press. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
American Africans Action in the Struggle for Equality Research Paper These are protests that came to prominence in the course of 1950s, which raised concern against the incessant discrimination and racial segregation experienced by the American Africans and other marginalized groups in the southern America. Continued oppression against people of different color, race, politics, or even religion had inspired many young American Africans to join action in the struggle for equality (Chong 23). Some of the prominent figures in the Movement include Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, W.E.B. Du Bois and Rosa Parks among others. Although the civil rights mass protest was officially formalized in the 1950s and 1960s, the fight for equality in various institutions of the U.S. had started long time ago. Community leaders in various segmentations of the society had showed resistance to the white supremacy and domination against the African Americans which had been abounded in some states. ‘Everyday’s Use’ written at the peak of the transformational movement, is a perfect expression and reflection of the issue of the aspects surrounding the civil rights movement. Set at the height of the social issue, the story is a real representation of the key aspects of the day. Here, the writer applies writing to highlight some of the main issues surrounding the Black Power Movement. Walker’s purpose on the story is achieved through the creative formation of characters who symbolize the plight of blacks and women as observed during those times. The movement was initially facilitated by the progressive efforts of the descendants of African slaves who had always tried to resist the institution of slavery upon them. Regular protests and campaigns of resistance were some of the common characteristics associated with this movement. Civil disobedience and activities of nonviolent demonstrations and protests were also common. Sometimes, these would bear crisis scenarios between government authorities and the activists resulting to confrontations. Although it took many years for the issues highlighted in the movement to be addressed, the protests had significant impact to the modern world. Many changes were realized owing to the pressure of the movement. For instance, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were introduced in the years 1964 and 1965, respectively thus granting all American citizens basic civil privileges, regardless of their race and ethnicity. Alice Walker is a renowned female activist who was born and raised at a time when the Civil Right Movements in South U.S. was taking shape. At the height of the transitional movement, Alice, then a college student at Spelman, was lucky to meet and rub shoulders with some of the prominent players in the movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr. This inspired her to become one of the strongest female activists in the American history. Her contribution in the struggle for human rights and equality has continued to raise strong impact to the world. According to Tuten, Alice is a woman with many records in life and her largest contribution in life can be perceived through her countless struggles against discrimination and oppression (126). ‘Everyday’s Use’ is just one of her many writings about race and gender which raised much alert in the civil rights movement. Racism, feminism and the many issues frequently raised by young American Africans who’d tend to lose respect to the culture that gave birth to them are some of the issue that Alice explores in ‘Everyday’s Use.’ As it would be observed, the story in this essay is Walker’s response to the social discourse of the 1950s and 1960s, when the civil rights movement took place. The writer has vividly expressed some of the issues that continue to plague modern American communities, as expressed through the lives of the characters in the story (Whitsitt 448). Economic, social, and political issues are illustrated in the story, through the family of the narrator, who is referred by the title of ‘Mama’ or Mrs. Johnson. The story strongly illustrates the big contrast between the narrator and Maggy, one of her two daughters who still share the same conservative life with her, and ‘Wangero’ or Dee, the educated daughter who scorns the culture that gave birth to her. As observed from this story, the writer has based the two sisters on aspects constituting her own character. Whereby Maggy represents her difficult childhood, Dee remains to be a vivid reflection of her latter life which is characterized by education and success; the two aspects that would enable her to take part in the civil rights movement. The two different positions represent the culture and the progress of the American Africans in mid-to late-twentieth-century times. The story is set in a time when the lives of American Africans were undergoing a radical transition. These groups of people were able to gain freedom of civil rights at last, through the glory of civil rights movement, after many years of oppression and discrimination from the whites (Gianturco and Tuttle 18). The final outcome reached on the story, is a representation of the results which succeeded the movement as American Africans started gaining recognition in various segments of the American society. This freedom would see the emergence of a new generation that has contradicting views about crucial aspects of life. As a matter of fact, the writer has used the story to defend the legacy of her family and culture and to pay homage to the initial inhabitants of the South, where she grew up. Works Cited Chong, Dennis. Collective action and the civil rights movement , Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991. Print. Gianturco, Paola, and T. Tuttle. In her hands: craftswomen changing the world , New York: PowerHouse Books, 2004. Print. Tuten, Nancy. “Alice Walker’s Everyday Use.” The Explicator 51. 2 (1993): 125-128. Print. Whitsitt, Sam. “In Spite of It All: A Reading of Alice Walker’s Everyday Use.” African American Review 34 . 3 (2000): 443-459. Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Such things as natural phenomena, fear of darkness and death, etc. made people believe in supernatural powers that rule their lives. In the process of historical development people worked out main religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and others. All of these religions have at least one common feature: all of them teach us to respect and to follow rules written by the creator of universe, i.e. God. The existence of God is a very delicate issue. A great number of philosophers, writers and simply ordinary have been trying to give a comprehensive answer to this question. Philosopher G.Lee Bowie in his research work “Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy” also considered this issue to find the answer for the everlasting question “How do I know whether God exists?” After reading the work “Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy” by G. Lee Bowie, the readers can reveal sophisticated nature of religion. The thoughts and ideas in this work make us ask ourselves: if God is our savior, our creator, our Universe, then why does He let people suffer? How come, that God failed to prevent a number of catastrophes, due to which millions of people died? Why did not he prevent humanity, for instance, from establishing a historical tragedy the Institution of slavery? So, one question about the existence of God does not give us a definite answer, but, on the contrary, causes even more questions. This burning issue should be treated delicately, because it is an open secret that there are people who believe in God, and there are people who do not believe in things the nature of which can be hardly explained. There are cases in the history when people due to their own views experienced mistreatment, disrespect and disdain only because they either believed or did not believe in God. Even if God does not exist, He is the embodiment of moral. He is the only one who can prevent people from doing terrible things, committing crimes. He is our image of a creature that is always by our side. He makes us feel more comfortable in hard moments. While we are searching the answer for this philosophical question we should understand that it is not only God (whether He exists or not) who makes our lives; first of all it is all about us. The destiny of the world is in ours hands, and we should thinks thoroughly before doing some things the results of which may be irreversible. To sum it up, the philosophical book “Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy” gives us a bunch of opportunities to have a fresh look on people’s most fundamental questions that are supported by a variety of ideas and views. The delicate issue about God, considered in the book, makes you reassess your views. One can not give an all-round answer whether God exists or not; it seems, that the answer on this question may be found only after death. One thing is obvious, we should become more patient towards people’s views, learn to respect other ideas. This will prevent us from doing things, the aftermath of which will make us answer the question: “If God exists, then why did He let this happen?” | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
History of Empires in Past and Modern World Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Empires 3. Conclusion 4. References Introduction All through history, there have always been reports of the growth and development of empires. The Egyptian, Roman and Greek empires are but some of the greatest empires during medieval times (Haspeslagh, 2010). During the 16 th and 17 th century, the Spanish empire was one of the strongest empires in the world. Later on, during the 19 th and 20 th century, the British Empire became the largest and strongest empire in the world (Hofstede and Hofstede, 2005). Even at the present day and time, there are empires. However, the composition and operation of the current empires are somewhat different to those of ancient times. This essay shall thus compare and contrast ancient and modern empires in order to determine their similarities and differences. Empires Contemporary empires differ a lot in the manner in which they are constituted and operated (Hobsbawm, 2003). The modern world has become vast and almost everything is integrated. As a result, each and every action is dependent on many other factors and its overall outcome has the chance of affecting almost all aspects of life. During the beginning of the 21 st century, for instance, SARS, a respiratory disease that originates in China affected transport, communication, international relations, the global market and the entire economy of the world (Hobsbawm, 2003). This is because the world that we are living in currently is mainly dependent on globalisation. Thus, a lot of operations other than political matters are conducted across the physical boundaries of nations (Hofstede, 2009). This globalisation is mainly dependent on technological advancement. Thus, many nations have adopted technology, which has been incorporated even into the military to ensure that states are able to defend their citizens and interests effectively and efficiently. At the present moment, USA is the largest empire in the world. However, to achieve this, it has used relatively different tactics as compared to ancient empires (Hofstede, 2001). However, the manner in which the United States Empire is organized is quite different as compared to that of ancient empires like the British Empire during the 20 th Century for instance. USA is a vast nation comprising of individuals from different nationalities hence it has a universal purpose (Deusen et al, 2003). In addition, the empire comprises of a number of satellite states mainly in the west that have come into an alliance that has benefits from both ends thus it does not colonize its subjects. Britain on the other hand is a small nation that mainly comprises of individuals from similar culture and backgrounds hence the British Empire had a British purpose. Despite that the British Empire comprised of approximately a quarter of the globe during the 20 th century, all of these territories were actually acquired via colonization (Minkov, 2007). However, the British did not control the world to achieve political or military supremacy. Instead, they control the world for economic reasons in order to get raw materials and convert them into finished products that were sold to developing countries at exorbitant prices (Alessio, 2010). The US Empire on the other hand mainly works hard to protect its internal interests (Hobsbawm, 2003). During the 21 st century, the US Empire has worked hard to protect its industries from external competition (Asenova et al, 2002). In addition, the nation also strives for arms power especially during the cold war. Thus, these two empires were based on the concept of globalization but had different interest (Jovanovic, 2011). Conclusion In history, several empires have been in existence. However, the manner in which ancient and current empires are constituted is quite different. Despite the fact that both of these empires have been based on globalization, modern empires like the US Empire strive to achieve economic and military supremacy while ancient empires like the British Empire aimed at meeting their own interests that was economic sustainability. Therefore, both of these empires have some element of similarity and difference. References Alessio, D 2010, ‘Monopoly Imperialism: How Empires can be Bought or Leased’, Social Affairs Europe, Sage, London. Asenova, D, Beck, M, Akintoye, A, Hardcastle, C and Chinyio, E 2002, ‘Partnership, value for money and best value in pfi projects: obstacles and opportunities’, Public Policy and Administration , Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 5-20. Deusen, C, Mueller, C, Hofstede, G and Charles, T 2002, ‘What goals do business leaders pursue? A study in fifteen countries’, Journal of International Business Studies , Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 785-803. Haspeslagh, P 2010,’Corporate governance and the current crisis’, Corporate Governance , Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 375-377. Hofstede, G 2001, Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Hofstede, G and Hofstede, G J 2005, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, McGraw-Hill, New York. Hofstede, G 2009, ‘American culture and the 2008 financial crisis’, European Business Review, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 307-312. Hobsbawm, E 2003, The Empire Expands, Still Wider and Wider, < https://www.counterpunch.org/2003/06/10/the-empire-expands-wider-and-still-wider/ > Jovanovic, M 2011, International Handbook on the Economics of Integration: Competition, Spatial Location of Economic Activity and Financial Issues, Edward Elgar Publishing, Sacramento. Minkov, M 2007, What Makes us Different and Similar: A New Interpretation of the World Values Survey and Other Cross-Cultural Data , Klasika i Stil Publishing House, Sofia. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Learning Motivation Tools in the Classroom Report Kohn and Dweck on praise and positive reinforcement Alfie Kohn and Dweck outline several reasons why praise is not the right tool for motivation in the classroom. Praise may apply in some categories, as opposed to others. Kohn asserts that praise may lead to a student thinking that little is expected of him/her if he/she receives praise for completing an effortless task. This may lower performance and concentration. Carol Dweck postulates that praise normally goes with self-esteem, which is an outdated movement (Marlowe & Canestrari, 2006). Boosting self-worth does not augment academic achievements. I concur with them since praise may create laxity among students, hence dangerous; however, it can only deliver if applied appropriately. Inapt praise may prompt students to become submissive and dependent on the judgments of others. Parents and teachers should devise a framework that enables them to utilize praise prudently and well. The cited research also considers positive enforcement to some extent, since they are not entirely against the idea. Positive enforcement normally aims to recompense the behavior of students to continue performing better each time. It is imperative to consider some of their advice to provide praise when due. Furthermore, heeding to this advice would aid in eliminating unnecessary praises that may lower the performance of students. It is imperative to devise novel means of eliminating unnecessary praises (Dweck, 200). One can achieve this by setting high and attainable standards that deserve praise. Moreover, other methods of student motivation like rewards may apply, other than offering verbal praise. Encouragement is another strong tool that can replace praise. Factors contributing to students giving up on learning There are several reasons why students give up on learning. It is imperative to note that students would lose interest when they encounter a boring lecturer or instructor. This is factual since some instructors do not create an enabling environment for students to develop an interest in the subject or course. Another reason is studying the course they are not interested in. This may result if they are prompted by their parents to pursue the courses they do not like. Depression is also another factor that may lead to a loss of interest in studying (Marlowe & Canestrari, 2006). This is factual since depressive occurrences normally interfere with the nervous system, brain, thus losing concentration. School drops out is a normal occurrence in contemporary society. Among the leading factors, comprise peer force. Some students engage in peer activities as opposed to classwork thus losing focus (NREL2005). Drug and substance overreliance is another factor. Learning institutions forbid drugs and substance abuse, and the administration normally terminates the studies of the culprits. The family socioeconomic situation may also prompt a student to drop out of school. This may be due to inadequate fees, as well as the loss of parents responsible for the study costs. Teachers may also behave awkwardly thus creating a helpless situation among students. Some teachers may be divulging some top-secret information concerning a student. An educator may also disagree with a student when he/she offers a wrong response to a question. The last behavior is prompting a student to accept outlawed social relationships. The student would be motivated when instructors create an enabling environment, as well as using diverse and included instructional stratagems (NREL, 2005). Learning institutions should have counseling departments where depressed or drug addicts receive guidance thus motivating them to achieve higher in learning. Teachers in classrooms should be friendly and have encouraging skills if students respond wrongly. There should be a steady and wide-range of feedback among students. References: Dweck, C. (2007). Early Intervention at Every Age: The Perils and Promises of Praise. Educational Leadership. Vol. 65. Iss. 2: 34-39. Marlowe, B & Canestrari, A. (2006). Educational psychology in context: readings for future teachers . California: SAGE. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (NREL). (2005). Current Educational Challenges: Student Motivation. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
This can be attributed to the increased demand of cosmetic products especially among women. As such, business organizations operating in the industry, must equip themselves with strategies aimed at giving them competitive advantage against rivals in the industry. As such, strategies crafted and executed by organizations such as Icelandic Enterprises, Inc., as well as International Cosmetics, must take advantage of opportunities created by international financial policies and the available market. Businesses must lay significant emphasis on feasible pricing policies to be able to be profitable in such a competitive and dynamic industry (Robinson et al., 2012, p.134). The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of financial reporting and changing prices, with regard to the cases of Icelandic Enterprises, Inc., and International Cosmetics Ltd. International Cosmetic’s policy of recouping its investment in Icelandic in terms of dollar, and making the dollar the functional currency of Icelandic Enterprises, enabled them to minimize the impacts of inflation and the devaluation of Icelandic Krona, amid loss of market share by the organization. This policy enabled the organization to effective handle the impacts of changing prices with regard to the organization’s monetary assets and liabilities, as well as nonmonetary items. The policies adopted by International Cosmetics also enabled the organization to maintain its income and expense accounts despite the depreciating value of Icelandic Krona against the dollar. As a result, International Cosmetics was able to maintain a rising profit level or rather earning in the 2001 and 2002 financial years (Choi, Frost, & Meek, 2002, p. 246). The decision by International Cosmetics to translate their financial reports into dollars instead of Icelandic Krona, effectively and immediately approximated the impact of the inflation and the devaluation of Icelandic Krona, on their original equity investment and the general performance of the organization. Therefore, the management of International Cosmetics was correct in stating this claim. This is because International Cosmetics’ original equity investment in Icelandic enterprises was not extensively affected by the inflation and the devaluation of the Icelandic Krona. As can be noted from both the balance sheet and the income statement, the value of the organization was much higher in terms of dollar as compared to Icelandic Krona in both 2001 and 2002 (Choi, Frost & Meek, 2002, p.246). In order for International Cosmetics to continue approximating the impact of inflation and the devaluation of the Icelandic Krona, income and expense accounts should be translated not at an average exchange rate prevailing during the year, but should be deregulated and left to freely respond to the prevailing exchange rates in the markets. This is because the prevailing exchange rates do not remain constant all the time, but are determined by various financial and market factors (Robinson et al., 2012, p.134). Depreciation and amortization charges that relate to the organization’s assets, translated at historical exchange rates, should also be let to confirm to the current prevailing exchange rates in the market. In this way, International Cosmetics will not have to adjust their figures to approximate inflation but will still likely to make profitable earnings. In conclusion, the financial policies adopted by business organizations such as International Cosmetics, have significant impact on how they respond to prevailing market and financial conditions such as inflation and currency devaluation. These financial and market conditions can have devastating implications on the financial earnings of a business organization. References Choi, F.D.S., Frost, C.A., & Meek, G.K. (2002). International Accounting. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Robinson, T.R. et al. (2012). International Financial Statements Analysis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Ridiculous Plot Points in Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” Essay Anton Chekhov’s play Three Sisters is one of his most interesting works for analysis. This play contains several philosophical thoughts that appeal to not all the readers. However, those who succeed in understanding the story and following the train of the characters’ thoughts find this play amusing because it contains several funny moments and even jokes on the part of the characters. These are ridiculous plot points, rather than mere jokes because any of them relates to a certain plot aspect of the play. Any joke reflects the character’s attitude towards life, the traits of his/her personality, his/her relations with other characters, and the like aspects. There are four most remarkable ridiculous plot points in the story; they can be observed in the relationships between Masha and Kulygin, the situation when Irina philosophizes on the sense of life, the character of Irina in general, and Vershinin’s attitude towards Russian people and their families. The first ridiculous plot point in the play is presented by Masha and Kulygin’s relationships. Love and affection in their relations are not mutual because Kulygin desperately loves Masha, while she seems to be tired of his attention and care and even irritated by them. There are several moments when she openly shows this, but Kulygin does not seem to notice this, which makes their relations simply ridiculous. This may be exemplified by the scene when Kulygin heaps her with compliments and Masha replies to him rather impolitely: “My sweet Masha; my beautiful Masha […] my good, wonderful wife … I love you. MASHA. (Angrily) Amo, amas, amat, animus, amatis, amant! ” (Chekhov, p. 50). This is the conjugation of the Latin verb “amare” which stands for English “to love”; by this, she shows how insignificant Kulygin’s words and his love are for her. The whole ridiculousness of their relations is further emphasized by Masha’s infidelity after which Kulygin accepts her back and does not even reproach her for being unfaithful. Secondly, a ridiculous situation takes place when Kulygin comes to Irina’s party organized on her name day. Kulygin presents Irina with a book that he has written about the history of the school he was working for, but it turns out that he had already presented her with such a book on Easter. On hearing this, Kulygin says, “In that case, give it back, or better still … give it to the Colonel here. Take it, Colonel; read it when you’re bored sometime” (Chekhov, p. 18). This reflects the essence of Kulygin’s personality: not only is he absent-minded, but he lacks self-respect because he does not consider his book worth reading until one is bored. What is the most striking, he is never embarrassed by such ridiculous situations as this one? Thirdly, the character of Irina as such may be regarded as one of the ridiculous points of the plot. Irina is 20 and, throughout the play, she ardently expresses a desire to be perceived as an adult, rather than a child. At this, however, she acts like a child in most cases. The brightest example of this is when Fedotik brings her a set of colored pencils and a penknife from Moscow for which she says as if offended, “You treat me like a little child; I’m an adult. (Takes the pencils and penknife, joyfully.) Oh, they’re beautiful!” (Chekhov, p. 32). Even despite her philosophical thinking (for instance, that it is not worth being a human when you are a woman who has to spend two hours in the morning for dressing), she is still regarded as a child because she is the youngest daughter. Nevertheless, such situations as with pencils or with the spinning top (also presented to her by Fedotik) make her philosophizing and character in general somewhat ridiculous. And the last ridiculous plot point is Vershinin’s ideas expressed about Russian families. In his conversation with Masha, Vershinin states that Russian men are too often dissatisfied with their families; he asks, “Why is he sick of his children and sick of his wife, and why are his wife and children sick of him?” (Chekhov, p. 27). The ridiculousness of this idea of his consists in himself answering his question a few minutes later. The matter is that Vershinin is married, but he is in love with Masha; telling about constant problems and fights with his wife and his children, he complains, “I suppose I have a bad conscience about giving them such a stepmother” (Chekhov 28). This serves as a reply to his question, pointing why several couples in Russia are so unhappy – they simply do not love each other for they married not for love, but children or for money. In conclusion, there are several ridiculous plot points in Chekhov’s Three Sisters. Four of them discussed above show how deep the meaning of the play is. It leaves the readers in thoughts and may even change their attitude towards life because some of the ideas that its characters express are worth thinking over. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Education Role for Global Citizenship Essay Process of globalization Nowadays, the process of globalization cannot be stopped and neglected. People have to make fast decisions, consider innovations and improvements in a short period of time, and follow the examples demonstrated by others. In fact, people are so fond of the idea to be helpful for others and not to do harm to themselves that they can easily accept such propositions as corporatization, fair trade, and ethical consumerism because these issues promote and support safe development. Sometimes, it is hard to realize how influential the idea of economic relations could be in the lives of ordinary people. Universities become corporatized, ethical consumerism misinforms people, and altruistic intentions make people blind; therefore, it is high time for people to realize that they become dependent on all those issues or even their personal decisions concerning the possibility to make poor people rich. Despite the fact that many sources of information about fair trade and the methods of advertising are available to people and discussed at schools, colleges, and universities, people fail to comprehend one simple thing that consumerism cannot be the answer to all human problems. For example, in his video, Slavoj Zizek discusses such activity as charity and its impact on the lives of poor or starving children. Consumers want to believe that if they buy a certain pair of shoes or an identified product, they can do a good thing and help another person. However, not much time is spent evaluating the whole situation and try to clarify how exactly that kind of purchase can influence a life of another person. People want to believe that globalization is something that can make the exchange of help and support possible around the whole globe. However, even universities cannot give a clear answer if such ethical consumerism could be helpful. Therefore, it is possible to say that even universities become corporatized because students learn a lot about ethics, human behavior, etc. Still, they cannot actually comprehend why they need all of this. The possibility to combine the analysis One of the most powerful aspects of my colleague’s posting is the possibility to combine the analysis of the already offered material with some new theoretical issues and a personal opinion. In the post, a doubtful nature of ethical consumerism is critically discussed. Still, this post reminds me one of the reactionary responses introduced in the video by Gary Younge. Both authors have their own goals properly established at the beginning of their speeches and end their projects with absolutely new thoughts. Their speeches and comments prove one fact that it is so easy but never forbidden to mislead or distract a person from one point and introduce or even impose the importance of another point. Younge attracts many people using his intentions to discuss Trump’s activities and his inappropriateness for being the President of the USA. Still, the end of his response is not about Trump but about such issues as an economic crisis, migration, and other social problems that challenge people. The post of my colleague is similar because the beginning is about people being fooled as consumers, and the ending is about the ideas of disempowerment and poor working conditions that bother people. These reactionary responses show that the current problems that are observed in the political, economic, cultural, social, and religious worlds actually coexist and even intertwine that people cannot understand where one problem ends and another problem begins. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Without programs computers are useless.” (Program, Webopedia) It is notable that there are many programming languages such as C , C++ , Pascal , Basic , FORTRAN , COBOL , LISP , Java , PERL , etc. Each language has certain characteristic features which make it unique. Similarly, every language has similarities as well as dissimilarities with other languages. Notably, these are all examples of High-Level Language. To understand a High-Level Language, it may be noted that High-Level Language are closer to human languages and they are easier to be read, written, and maintained. High-Level Languages need to be translated into machine language by using an interpreter or compiler. On the other hand, Low-Level Languages are closer to machines and are also called assembly languages. A Low-Level Language provides little or no abstraction from a computer’s microprocessor. Mostly, first-generation and second-generation languages come under Low-Level Languages. Now, to turn the focus on compilers, it needs to be noted that they were the first sort of translator programs to be written. The idea about them is simple. The program is first written after which it is handed ever to the compiler which translates it. After the program, one can run the result. These are programs that translate computer programs from high-level languages to raw 0s and 1s which can only be comprehended or read by the computer. It may also be noted that without programs computers are useless and a person who does programming work is called a programmer. To mention some of the fundamental programming concepts, it may be noted, above all, that a program includes basic computing topics, problem-solving techniques, and their computing application. Introduction to programming concepts with a focus on language-independent principles such as algorithm design, debugging, strategies, essential, control structures, basic data structures, and basic data structure concepts, etc are also of paramount consideration in the general conception of the programming. An interpreter is also a program that translates a high-level language into a low-level one, and this fast activity happens at the very moment the program is run. Human programmers cannot follow this fast procedure. There are many programming paradigms and Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is one among them which uses objects and their interaction to design applications and computer programs. It is based on several techniques such as encapsulation, modularity, polymorphism, and inheritance. Many modern programming languages now support OOP. Program development is an ongoing systematic process that extension professionals follow as they plan, implement and evaluate their educational programs. Situation priorities input-output outcomes impact program. Program development program planning evaluates media program services to determine areas for improvement, expansion addition, deletion, identify needs, establish goals and objectives, place goals and objectives establish a budget. Python is an interpreted object-oriented language similar to PERL that has gained popularity because of its clear syntax and readability. It is a very recent, general-purpose, high-level programming language that is freely available and runs pretty much everywhere. “Python is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented programming language. It incorporates modules, exceptions, dynamic typing, very high level dynamic data types, and classes… It has interfaces too many system calls and libraries, as well as to various window systems, and is extensible in C or C++. It is also usable as en extension language for applications that need programming interfaces. Finally, Python is portable across all major hardware and software platforms,” and its statements can be interpreted in several operating systems including UNIX based. (The Python Programming Language) Therefore, we must learn Python. Its main features include indenting of source statements to make the code easier to read. “Python is ideally suited for rapid prototyping of complex applications. It is also used as a “glue language” for connecting up the obvious pieces of a complex solution, such as Web pages, databases, and Internet sockets.” (The Python Programming Language)ю Arguments in favor of this programming language include: * free availability, * stability, * good support for objects, modules, reusability mechanisms, * easy integration and those against it include: + smaller pool of python developers compared to other languages such as Java, + lack of true multi-processor support. Python is a scripting language suited to the internet application. It is building a buzz in the large-scale software development space. It is, remarkably, a high-level language and an interpreted language. UNIX pipes are a powerful and elegant programming paradigm that fits python the best. Bibliography Program, Webopedia. Web. The Python Programming Language. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Innovation in General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Essay Introduction In any business enterprise, innovation has to bring on board aspects of an organization’s vision, its strategies, inherent tactics, how it allocates its resources, how delegation is done, and from where the business outsources. There are well over 15 types of innovations. Indeed, these classifications have been made depending on businesses, processes, products, and markets. Innovation in an organization can completely change the way people perceive their world as it radically changes many aspects of human life. Innovation as a process involves transforming ideas into products that are valuable to the customers. Innovation, as a result, involves coming up with a valuable product that was not initially available that satisfies the needs of users that were not previously catered for. Strategy refers to where the business intends to go. This integrates its goals and objectives. Of great importance here is how the business wants to achieve these goals and objectives. These are generally called the methods or the systems of methods. Examples of business strategies include the marketing strategy, the communication strategy, and the trade-show strategy. The business strategies can also be organized as initiatives. Some types of business strategies can also be categorized as innovations. These include business models, financial models, and alliances. This essay will interrogate the impacts of innovation on the strategy, process, and products of General Motors, Microsoft Corporation, and Hewlett Packard. Impacts of Innovation on General Motors Strategy, Process, and Product General Motors enjoys a very big client base that makes it extremely difficult for new entrants into the industry to break. General Motors has embarked on initiatives that have enabled them to rake profit in extremely difficult situations. They have embarked on the provision of safety and security services by installing in-built vehicle electronics. This has been arrived at to enhance their base business. They have undertaken to engage in vehicle styling and engineering, coming up with a model that is more profitable in the truck market, investing in high margin add on and vehicle accessories, merchandising, extensive advertising, and initiation of incentive programs to enhance dealer traffic, and drive up sales volume. This strategy in the year 2001 paid off and GM’s competitors desperately started coming up with other initiatives to much its moves. However, it is worth noting that diversification of the business base is not enough. The ability of GM engineers to embrace technological advances has changed focus to the driver’s needs. Digital mapping, satellite navigation, and mobile telephony have enhanced this. With these, drivers are now capable of getting access to vital information, support, and entertainment. This has been achieved by GM’s resolve to come up with a device called OnStar that has a cellular phone, GPS receiver, control panel, and a modem (Slywotzky and Wise, 2003 p.17). This has guaranteed the safety and security of the owners of these cars as well as made traveling more convenient and fun as the device enables car users to locate the nearest fuelling station and car repair facilities. Impacts of innovation on Hewlett Packard’s Strategy, Process, and Products Because of challenges that are associated with innovation and growth management of corporate organizations has to contend with issues related to paradox. Hewlett Packard has solved these problems by coming up with products and technologies that change the landscape of existing industries. Through this emerging markets have sprung up. HP has embraced the use of disruptive innovation to break with its past and come up with new technologies and processes to enhance the value that its customers get from its products. They have integrated the use of radical innovations that transforms the entire market. This has been witnessed by the introduction into the market of Hewlett Packard’s Ink Jet that completely replaced Dot-matrix printing. This catapulted the company into a leadership position. HP uses several business strategies and these include Radical cannibalism that involves a company’s successful product with a new technology or process to enhance customer value. This has enabled HP to only grow but also increase its market share; Competitive displacement involves displacement of HP’s competitors’ products and technologies (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). This has helped in doing away with the existing traditional competition. Through this strategy, HP has continued to provide its customers with surprising, creative, and effective mechanisms for enhancing value. This has been witnessed in their PhotoSmart line of products which encompasses digital camera, scanner, printer, and image editing services. Other strategies include market invention and industry genesis. Impacts of innovation on Microsoft Strategy, Process, and Products Microsoft has used enterprise resource planning strategy to steer industry-specific innovations tailor-made for its customers. To extend its core capabilities for Microsoft Dynamics AX, it has come up with four industry solutions. The solutions are meant to offer flexible business solutions relevant to ever-evolving business needs. These solutions include availing a manufacturing solution that tightly integrates business processes in discrete and process manufacturing; professional service solution with a single system that manages products and resources as well as executing financial transactions; retail solutions that provide an end-to-end retail solution (Redmond, 2009). Acquisition of such technology has enabled Microsoft Corporation to provide core industry functionalities. Reference List Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K. (2003). Competing for the Future . Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Redmond, W. (2009). Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 : Take Your Business into the Future. Web. Slywotzky, A. and Wise, R. (2003). Demand innovation: GM’s OnStar case. Strategy and Leadership, 31(4), 17-22. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
LinkedIn Business Networking Rate Increase Trend Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. LinkedIn Growth Trend Determinants 3. Evidence 4. Conclusion 5. References Introduction In a highly competitive business of social networking platforms, it is challenging for a company to maintain its longevity and success for a long time. However, as the trends of LinkedIn’s growth in revenue and users’ activity demonstrate, persistent leading position in the market and deliberation to competitive advantage contribute to success. The present report is designed to identify trends in LinkedIn’s revenue and analyze the attributes of its continuous growth. LinkedIn Growth Trend Determinants The abundance of information and statistical data available on LinkedIn allows for thorough research of the company’s development and current trends in performance. Indeed, data availability indicates that the company is transparent and driven by its mission of building meaningful connections between people (Davis et al., 2020). LinkedIn was launched in 2003 as a professional network service, steadily occupied a stable position in the market, and was acquired by Microsoft in 2013 (Tankovska, 2021a). The company has gained the number of “more than 500 million users globally in 2017,” thus becoming “the dominating professional networking social medium” (Olsson et al., 2020, p. 2). As a leading constituent of the social networking sites sphere, LinkedIn provides its users with multiple opportunities to advance their career and employment opportunities on a global scale by interacting and forming connections with professionals from all over the world. However, the rate of annual revenue growth and an increase in the number of users is the most demonstrative determinants of the growth trend of the company, which is demonstrated in the evidence section. Evidence Within the past four years, LinkedIn has gained unprecedented rates in revenue growth and a number of registered users. As the data on the company’s operation indicate, LinkedIn continues to attract the interest of users online, with the Google search rate having increased by over 60% within the past decade, despite the long-term existence of the organization (Osman, 2021). Overall, a vivid indicator of the growth trend is the number of registered users on the platform. As Figure 1 demonstrates, the number of users registered on LinkedIn now has reached the point of 740 million members in 200 countries of the world (Osman, 2021). Thus, such a significant number demonstrates that the company occupies a solid place in its market and has a potential for sustainable development in the future. Figure 1. LinkedIn registered members. Source: Osman, 2021, para. 6. Despite the importance of the data indicating the number of members, the essential indicator of a company’s growth is the statistical data on its annual revenues. Indeed, LinkedIn has grown significantly between 2017 and 2020, gaining over 8 billion dollars in 2020 (Tankovska, 2021b). As Figure 2 shows, LinkedIn earned somewhat more than 2 billion dollars in 2017, after which the annual revenue rate steadily increased, reaching its highest point in 2020. Figure 2. Annual Revenue of LinkedIn by year (in millions of US dollars). Source: Tankovska, 2021b, para. 1. Conclusion In summation, the provided statistical data and research results demonstrate that LinkedIn is a highly competitive growing company with a rich history of business success and global dominance of the market. In terms of its attraction of users, the trends show that the company occupies the leading position among other social networking websites. The biggest and most developed countries are leading users of the platform, which contributes to its continuous growth. The increasing number of users and their readiness to pay for premium accounts predetermines the annual revenue growth of LinkedIn, which characterizes the financial performance of the company during the past few years. The analyzed trends indicate that the company holds a stable competitive position in its market and is likely to remain a leader in the niche of professional networking in the future. References Davis, J., Wolff, H. G., Forret, M. L., & Sullivan, S. E. (2020). Networking via LinkedIn: An examination of usage and career benefits. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118, 1-15. Olsson, A. L., Snellman, M., Deppert, K., & Lövkrona, I. (2020). Professional networking by gender: A case study on LinkedIn contacts for a professor in science. Center for Open Science . Web. Osman, M. (2020). Mind-blowing LinkedIn statistics and facts (2021). Kinsta. Web. Tankovska, H. (2021a). Leading countries based on LinkedIn audience size as of January 2021(in millions) . Statista. Web. Tankovska, H. (2021b). LinkedIn: Annual revenue 2017-2020 . Statista. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Problem That Sexual Education Books Don’t Address Essay (Critical Writing) Table of Contents 1. Sexuality as a social construction 2. Pathologizing of sexuality and understanding of sexuality 3. Social Construction helps an Individual understand sexuality 4. Social Construction helps institutions understand sexuality 5. References Sexual education content in many books focuses on assessing behavioral outcomes like sexual intercourse, contraceptives use, diseases associated with sex, and pregnancy. The framework tends to concentrate on risk-reduction by teaching how to avoid unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted illnesses (Kantor and Lindberg, 2020). The education ignores important topics like the information and knowledge required to form healthy sexual relationships and content related to sexual pleasures. Many young people have raised complaints about their frustrations on the lack of information on sexuality, skills they need to overcome relationships, understand sex, and relevant sexual health services (Kantor and Lindberg, 2020). Most sex education books lack broader information that can help young people’s well-being and support them to grow into sexually healthy adults. Little is talked about in the sex education books concerning gender or differential sexual orientation messages (Kantor and Lindberg, 2020). Therefore, sex education should be re-designed to incorporate aspects of young people’s current and future lives like the ability to form healthy relationships, the right to decide whether, when, and with whom to have sex. Sexuality as a social construction Contemporary sex education is mostly relying on essentialism theory which emphasizes that the sexual characteristics of an individual are influenced by biological factors and are similar in all human cultures. However, to address the gap in sex education, the training must look at sexuality as being socially constructed, and largely influenced by social norms, culture, personal experience, and interactions (Kang et al., 2021). Education must give meaning to social construction theory which means that sex is assigned by the society and varies depending on periods and different cultures (Kang et al., 2021). Social constructionism holds that gender, race, class, and sexuality are creations of human interpretation shaped by cultural and historical contexts. Likewise, the theory emphasizes that sexuality is a concept created, changed, and reproduced through historical processes within different cultures (Kang et al., 2021). This theory tries to define sex away from the reproductive functions of women and men. According to Social construction, gender is the cultural identity of an individual which involves their social norms, attitudes, and expressions. Sex on the other hand is a combination of biological and genetic components of a person. The social construction theory holds that neither gender nor sex is binary, meaning there are not just two categories – female or male and are not static (Kang et al., 2021). The theory explains that an individual’s gender or sex normally changes over time. Additionally, the sex of a person does not just align with either male or female; an individual can have both body organs and genitals that are neither female nor male. Pathologizing of sexuality and understanding of sexuality Pathologizing of people based on their sexual orientation has been based on the understanding of gender as either female or male. It has made people today know the sexuality of a person as being male or female (Nobles, 2018). Those with dual characteristics are normally believed by society as being ill or having abnormalities in their bodies. It has resulted in classification relating to gender identity where transgender people are forced to sterilization, hormone therapy, and surgeries which only abuse the rights of such people to be who they are (Nobles, 2018). It has led to the justification of actions like criminalization of transgender and same-sex relations which leads to their marginalization and exclusion in the context of education, health, and even employment. However, being lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender is part of the cultural diversity of humans (Nobles, 2018). This realization has led to some changes being witnessed which were sanctioned by the World Health Organization that called for the declassification of same-sex attraction as a disease. States must do more by adopting measures that will completely prevent forcing treatment on transgender people and accepting them as they are. Social Construction helps an Individual understand sexuality The social construction theory helps people understand that sexuality is not based on the strict biological traits of an individual. It explains that sex is based on social or cultural perceptions and the categories of sexuality are not fixed but always shift and are redefined depending on different historical times and across different cultures (Nobles, 2018). This theory holds that the interaction between the individual and the society, culture, the world around them and the environment creates and gives meaning to their sexual identity. Social Construction helps institutions understand sexuality Social construction curves a notion that knowledge is politically driven. Within a community or a culture, sexual education has social, cultural, and political consequences. People especially the youth tend to accept their communities’ understanding of certain truths, values, and realities (Vinney, 2019). When members of a culture accept such sexual knowledge, it becomes a policy that then creates a social reality. For example, in schools, the political arena, and even churches, people are beginning to make space for gays and lesbians. References Kantor, L. M. and Lindberg, L. (2020). Pleasure and sex education: The need for broadening both content and measurement. American Journal of Public Health . Web. Kang, M., et al., (2021). Social constructionism: Introduction to women, gender, sexuality Studies. UmassAmhest . Web. Nobles, A. (2018). The social construction of gender and sex. The Society Pages . Web. Vinney, C. (2019). Social Constructionism Definition and Examples. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Big Data and Analytics in the Audit Essay (Article) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Analysis 3. Conclusion 4. Work Cited Introduction The article titled “How Big Data and Analytics are Transforming the Audit” written by Roshan Ramlukan examines the impact of big data on the audit. This paper aims to explore how modern technological development influences the audit process by analyzing the information presented in the article. Analysis Recent technological advancements promise to change the current audit process. Namely, big data and analytics have the potential to transform audit into something more than sample-based testing (Ramlukan 16). New technology is associated with the benefits of analyzing “entire populations of audit-relevant data” with “higher quality of audit evidence and more relevant business insights” (Ramlukan 16). By introducing bid data and analytics into the audit, it is possible to obtain a better picture of fraud and risks to business continuity. Therefore, these technological solutions can transform the way financial reporting is being analyzed. In short, big data and analytics will help to deliver a more credible and relevant audit (Ramlukan 16). In order to realize the benefits of new technologies, it is necessary to overcome some barriers to integration. The most significant technological difficulty that has to be surmounted is data capture. Due to numerous security concerns, companies are not willing to share data with auditors and spend significant amounts of money to create multilayered approval processes (Ramlukan 17). Another difficulty has to do with the fact that sub-ledger information that can be processed with the help of big data and analytics substantially increases the process of data extraction. Given that companies use different accounting systems, data capture can be time-consuming. Therefore, it is necessary to overcome these difficulties in order to efficiently analyze audit evidence. In order to introduce big data and analytics in the auditing profession, it is necessary to align them with auditing standards that govern it (Ramlukan 17). These standards and regulations were put in place many years ago; therefore, they are not suitable for leveraging big data (Ramlukan 17). Substantive analytical procedures is an area of auditing standards that examines “the reasonableness of relationships in financial statement items to uncover variations from expected trends” (Ramlukan 17). At the time when these standards were conceived, modern analytics techniques allowing to obtain substantive evidence with the help of bid data were not existing; hence, this standard has to be revised. Validation of data is another area of auditing standards that should be overhauled. The current regulations providing guidance for the process of validation of “the accuracy and completeness of the data” (Ramlukan 18) are not suited for modern types and volumes of information. Defining audit evidence is another standard that requires re-thinking. In order to make big data and analytics a part of the auditing process, it is necessary to indicate what type of audit evidence is derived with their help. The audit is a process that is governed by precision. However, it is not clear how precise big data should be when any material misstatements are essential for data analytics. Conclusion The article suggests that the use of big data and analytics will substantially transform the audit. Modern technological solutions will help auditors to obtain a better picture of fraud and risks to business continuity. However, in order to realize these benefits, it is necessary to overcome some technological difficulties. Moreover, four areas of auditing standards have to be reviewed before the introduction of new technologies in the auditing process. Work Cited Ramlukan, Roshan. “How Big Data and Analytics are Transforming the Audit.” Financial Executive , vol. 31, no. 3, 2015, pp. 14-19 | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Plastic Waste and Its Adverse Effects Report As more and more people inhabit the planet, the amount of waste they dispose of, is growing in alarming proportions. The essay will focus specifically on wastes into the rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans and the multiple ramifications caused by it. For one thing, when one sees the trash floating in a local river, lake or lying on a beach near a lake or sea, it creates a sight that looks esthetically unpleasing to the eye. However, trash dumped near rivers or seas, has a much more adverse effect than just an unaesthetic look. The nature and the content of trash dumped in the waters have changed dramatically over the years. If one is asked to speculate on the nature and content of trash dumped in the seas, rivers and oceans, the first thing that might spring to mind would be oil, waste from ships, sewage, chemicals and perhaps radioactive wastes or illegal dumping coming from a factory or a plant located in the vicinity of a water source. One would be surprised to find that it is plastic that accounts for 60-80 per cent of the marine waste (European Commission, 2015, p. 8). Although plastic is most commonly disposed waste, if we look at our household waste, we would see that only 10 per cent of it accounts for plastic. If we take a walk around a local beach, we will notice that 60-80% of all the trash comes from plastic (European Commission, 2015, p. 9). The essay will attempt to focus on the marine wastes which originate from plastic because an ordinary citizen may do little to control radioactive wastes or dumping for which huge factories or even entire governments may be responsible. Plastic waste is however within our range of control, and if up to 80% of marine waste is plastic, then it is partially our responsibility and we may be directly involved in curbing the alarming waste trends. People’s attitude to plastic waste may be flawed, many of them, as mentioned above, view plastic floating in rivers or seas as an ugly sight. They think that because plastic takes ages to decompose, the consequences are intangible and distant. As a matter of fact, plastic, with time, degrades into miniscule pieces invisible to the eye (Kalle & Hirmo, 2014, para. 3). Gradually tiny plastic pieces find their way into the stomachs of plankton and animals living in the vicinity of seas and oceans. One also needs to bear in mind that plastic consists of toxic chemicals meaning that fish landing on our dinner tables may contain hazardous toxins after contact with plastic has been made. In order to understand the full magnitude of plastic adverse effect, recent research conducted in 2011 indicated that from 12 to 24 tons of plastic is consumed by fish in the North Pacific area alone (European Commission, 2015, p.14). Aside from human contact with toxins contained in plastic through fish consumption, one also needs to realize the impact of plastic on the entire eco-system. According to various studies, plastic waste causes death of up to one million of seabirds, one hundred thousand marine mammals and huge numbers of fish that are increasing day after day (European Commission, 2015, p.15). It is not only plankton that is affected, but an array of birds, such as albatrosses, dying from eating plastic. Waste disposal is regulated by international and domestic regulations. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships imposes bans on dumping oil and hazardous liquids into oceans, however disposal of plastic is not regulated and remains discretionary (Clendenon & Atkins n.d.). Plastic waste also created added costs for fishing and coastal agriculture. Costs may also be incurred by damage inflicted on the ecosystem. Plastic waste may taint the quality of water, and compromise the ability of the oceans to preserve CO2 (European Commission, 2015, p.27). In order to address the alarming issue of plastic waste and its adverse consequences for the entire eco-system, people’s attitude need to be altered. For many, plastic is not considered as hazardous and with this in mind, awareness needs to be raised regarding its dangers. This issue should be brought under the national spotlight, TV and the Internet may be instrumental in changing people’s attitudes and behaviors. Teachers at school may organize seminars or conferences bringing the problem into dialogue with natural consequences. Photographer Chris Jordan made a series of rather poignant and tear-jerking photos showing dead baby albatrosses whose parents have fed them pieces of plastic having mistaken them for food (Schiller, 2012, para.3). It is crucial that we realize that minor littering and leaving a bottle or two near a lake may not seem like a big deal at first, but will, in the long run, result in adverse consequences for the entire humanity. Reference List Clendenon, C., & Atkins, W.A. (n.d.) Pollution of the Ocean by Sewage, Nutrients, and Chemicals . Web. European Commission. (2011). Plastic Waste: Ecological and Human Health Impacts . Web. Kalle, K., & Hirmo, M. (2014) 10 Important Facts About Illegal Trash. Web. Shiller, J (2012) Plastic-Filled Albatrosses Are Pollution Canaries in New Doc. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Young People Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Psychological effects of Drugs 3. Behavioral effects 4. Conclusion 5. References Introduction Drug abuse, also referred to as substance abuse is a continuous and adaptive habit of using a substance that is considered independent. The act of abusing drug also involves the dependence on performance enhancing drugs, which are non-therapeutic or even non-medical. Alcohol, cocaine and methaqualone are some of the commonly known drugs that are often abused in this way. Drug abuse is negatively affecting so many young people in our society. It’s therefore in this paper that I point out some of the challenges that young people face in regards to drug abuse. Psychological effects of Drugs Drugs are known to have some detrimental effects on the health of the users. I am therefore going to discuss some of this effects that come in different forms. Substances like alcohol are known to combine with some other factors in the body to change one’s emotions and modes. An individual may report a given psychological effect at a certain BAC and at the same time report another different effect at the same BAC but at a different occasion (Maisto 208). The influences of factors that are not related to drugs play the major role in this situation. In particular, the situational and the cognitive factors define expectancies and attitudes of the alcohol abusers. It is evident among drinkers that, when the BACs are low they develop a feeling of elation and when it rises, a feeling of friendliness begins to develop. When the levels start going down they begin to develop a feeling of anger and fatigue. An individual’s thinking and perceptions are less influenced by factors that are not associated with drugs but more by the BACs. Alcohol is known to impair short term memory at certain level of BACs and therefore an individual’s ability to estimate time is also impaired. Attention, concentration and ability to estimate time is also impaired (Maisto 209). Behavioral effects Drug abuse, especially of alcohol is known to bring about unpleasant interpersonal behaviors of sex and aggression. The major type of aggressive behavior that is of a major social concern is violence. Many studies have shown that a lot of time when people engage in violent behavior, they are normally under the influence of drugs. Some of these violent behaviors include; rape, murder, child abuse, assault and robbery (Maisto 209). Conclusion According to research, the reasons for drug use by many young people are as a result of a number of factors. Some of these factors include; recreational benefits like having fun, social purposes, enhancement of moods, and finally to deal with stress. It is evident that currently, social conformance and mood enhancement are the major benefits that young people with drug dependency problem ascribe from drugs when compared to those that are non-dependant (Monti 88). Even with all this benefits, the dangers of substance abuse still outweigh the benefits. It is therefore a challenge to the young people that the future depends on them and therefore there will not be any future if this trend continues. References Monti, Peter. Adolescents, alcohol, and substance abuse: Reaching teens through brief interventions . London: Guilford Press, 2004. Maisto, Stephen. Drug use and abuse. New Zealand : Cengage Learning, 2007. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Corporate Governance in Emerging Economies Research Paper The main model of corporate governance is an invention of developed nations, particularly the US and the UK. Ownership concentration, in conjunction with the absence of successful external governance practices, leads to regular conflicts involving dominating shareholders and their minority counterparts. This has resulted in the creation of a novel standpoint on organisational governance that centres on disagreements between different categories of principals in the corporation. The principal-principal (PP) approach of governance focusses on conflicts involving the dominating and minority shareholders in a corporation (Young et al ., 2008, p. 197). Publicly listed corporations in developing countries have boards of directors, proficient managers, and shareowners hence composing the tripod of contemporary organisational governance. Numerous governance approaches might assist in matching the interests of shareowners and those of the management. Such practices encompass internal and external mechanisms where the former includes concentrated ownership, executive reimbursement packages, and boards of directors while the latter encompasses the managerial labour market, product marketplace rivalry, and risk of takeover. The optimum occurrence of mechanisms implemented may be deemed a bundle or an ensemble and the specific practice’s success relies on the usefulness of the others. For instance, where a board of directors is relatively unproductive, a takeover attempt might be vital to remove a firmly established Chief Executive Officer. Conflicts often occur between the dominating shareholders and the divided minority shareowners (Young et al ., 2008, p. 205). The variation of the battlefronts occurs with the changing dynamics of organisational supremacy in PP struggles. For instance, controlling shareowners may decide the people to form the board of directors as a way of nullifying the panel’s ability to oversee them. An appeal to the courts for the failure of the board to value the interests of minority shareowners is often limited. The major internal governance approach in developed nations is the boards of directors irrespective of their being intricate formations that necessitate official and informal corporate support to function as planned. Since boards of directors in developing countries lack organisational support, they have a low likelihood of undertaking a strong governance and supervision role. The independence of boards of directors from founding families have a positive influence on the success of an organisation. Family owners might deprive the organisation of its resources or assign executive positions to incompetent relatives. Sibling competition, generational resentment, compensation that is not based on merit, and unreasonable tactical decisions may ruin the reputation and success of such an organisation (Young et al ., 2008, p. 210). There is typically a lack of transparency in the operations of boards of directors and the management in family-owned corporations attributable to the nonconformity to public disclosure standards. This results in minority shareowners not being informed of the actual position and performance of the organisation of which they partly own attributable to controlling shareholders dominating decision-making practices and hiding crucial information regarding the corporation. The eradication of concentrated ownership formations is unrealistic because the lack of supporting mechanisms such as effective boards of directors or regulations may generate a governance vacuum that has the possibility of causing unrestricted managerial opportunism. The resolution of PP conflicts in developing countries needs creative resolutions past ordinary practices. Individual nations will probably require establishing solutions that are tailored to their specific institutional problems (Young et al ., 2008, p. 214). There is a need for future research to build on this basis and establish a successful solution to PP conflicts, which negatively affect organisations, shareholders (both minority and dominating), and economies in developing countries across the globe. Reference Young, M. et al . (2008) ‘Corporate governance in emerging economies: a review of the principal–principal perspective’, Journal of Management Studies , 45(1), pp. 196-220. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Social Media Data Analysis Exploratory Essay Table of Contents 1. Blog 2. Wiki 3. Tweet 4. Facebook and Google+ 5. References Web 2.0 refers to all the major technologies that allow people to create and share online information. The method is ideal as companies and people do not have to create websites. The main communication methods used include blogs, wikis, tweets and social media. An organization can retrieve a lot of information from these sites. Blog Blog is a personalized online journal designed for people to write about their daily experiences and allow readers to put below their comments. It consists of two main components, the journal and the navigation pane. The American Express can use the blog to store, retrieve or form data. Using my link, the American Express can be able to access the website. It also has “side boxes“, which contain information that the owner would like to display. For storage purposes, there is an archive section, which aids in grouping information as it is received. For security purposes, the company can choose to block anonymous logins by sending its URL to its members only. Moreover, no other member can update the company’s profile apart from it. The information can also be locked to be viewed by authorized people (Anderson, 2007). Wiki Wiki is a server software which enables its users to create or edit a page on any web browser. It allows people to edit as well as update information. Most of the wikis are informative and educate people on a given subject. It enables its user’s develop, plan and work on projects together. For the company storage purposes, information in wikis is stored in a chronological order and may be used to build the company’s knowledge. This makes it easy to retrieve any information more over; the company information is secure since the website can block some information (Anderson, 2007). Tweet Tweet is a service that allows people to communicate using quick and frequent messages, which are usually less than 140 characters. Tweets also have archives where the company can store its information in a chronological order. For security purposes, tweets do not allow html pages to be used. In addition, it is possible to block some of the messages on the tweet site. Through Twitter, the American Express company can regularly receive updates from many sources of information. The organisation will also be able to access a wide range of information through comments and suggestions from different people. Facebook and Google+ Facebook is a social network site while Google+ is also a social network developed by Google Corporation. Facebook and Google+ as a social media are among the largest information networks, and companies can harness their potential to get information. Using Facebook, America Express will be able to develop a network of intellectual power enabling the company to access a wide range of potential and valuable information. American Express can also use Google+ to get any specialized information contained in blogs, wikis, videos and catalogs. It is registered with TRUST e Privacy Seal Program to ensure information privacy and security. It stores up to 800 pages of personal data, so the company can access any information posted on Facebook. There are new developments in Facebook like Threasdy , which a third party can use as a source of information (Musser, 2006). Other sources include SlideShare, MySpace, Ning and podcasts. They are also useful to the company since they link it to the outside world where they gather pertinent information. Most of these sites have common characteristics enabling the company to store information in an orderly manner. References Anderson, P. (2007). What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for Education. JISC Technology and standards watch , 2(1), p.2-64. Musser, J. (2006). Web 2.0 Principles and Best Practices . California: O’Reilly Media Inc. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Remote Working and Its History in the United States Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main body 3. Conclusion 4. References Introduction The technological revolution of the 20 th century changed the way people executed work-related duties. By the start of the 1970s, there was a need to revisit commuting to work due to the enactment of the Clean Air Act. This legislation sought to address the increased air pollution by motor vehicles occasioned by the increasing need for people to travel in and out of the city every day. In 1973, Jack Niles published the first book on telecommuting. He recommended that either the “jobs of the employees must be redesigned so that they can still be self-contained at each individual location, or a sufficiently sophisticated telecommunications and information-storage system must be developed to allow the information transfer to occur as effectively as if the employees were centrally collocated” (Niles, 1973, p. 164). The idea of telecommuting continued to gain popularity within the decade. Main body In 1979, an article in The Washington Post by the vice president of the Committee for Economic Development (CED), Frank Schiff, popularized the idea that working at home would save gasoline. Schiff (1979) argued that if people started working from home, the demand and prices for gasoline would go down. Additionally, the service industry and information-based jobs were emerging, which allowed people to work at home. Between the mid-1970s and early 1980s, companies like JC Penny, General Electric, Sears Holdings, and American Express started rolling out telecommunicating programs for their employees (Felstead & Henseke, 2017). However, the idea of telecommuting was not accepted immediately. Several concerns were raised concerning ways to supervise people working remotely. It would even be difficult to establish whether one was actually working. Additionally, at the time, it was believed that employees needed to work together as teams operating from a central place to accomplish a set of goals. Similarly, the critics of this idea pointed that working from home would not produce the desired results as people would face distractions, hence reduced productivity (Felstead & Henseke, 2017). However, despite the cynicism that surrounded telecommuting, companies that had adopted the idea started showing positive results. The human resources department started measuring workers’ performance by results as opposed to the length of time spent in an office. Additionally, telecommuting was adopted in phases where individuals would be allowed to work partly at home and from the office. This hybrid approach allowed the human resources management to measure the effectiveness of each strategy. In 1987, the Christian Science Monitor reported that telecommuting was becoming a reality with over 300 companies adopting the idea and close to 1.5 million individuals actively using the concept (Knobelsdorff, 1987). In the 1990s, the US government adopted telecommuting in the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. After assessing the viability of the concept, a Presidential Memorandum was issued in 1996 directing the creation of dynamic family-friendly work programs. The trend continued to grow into the 21 st century where more companies adopted the idea. By the start of the 2010s, telecommuting had transformed into a business strategy that would reduce operational costs. In 2016, the number of individuals working from home in the US was 43 percent, while 56 percent of jobs allowed working remotely (Felstead & Henseke, 2017). Conclusion Telecommuting has grown tremendously after companies started using the idea in the 1970s. However, this new concept was met with criticism as organizations were resistant to change. The human resources management responded creatively by adopting the idea in phases through monitoring and evaluation to establish its viability. Currently, working remotely is a business strategy and the majority of companies have adopted it. The barrier to telecommuting has been rigid organizational structures. References Felstead, A., & Henseke, G. (2017). Assessing the growth of remote working and its consequences for effort, well‐being and work‐life balance. New Technology, Work and Employment, 32 (3), 195-212. Knobelsdorff, E. (1987). Telecommuting: Reality sets in. The Christian Science Monitor. Web. Niles, J. (1973). The telecommunications-transportation tradeoff: Options for Tomorrow. New York, NY: Wiley. Schiff, F. (1979). Working at home can save gasoline. The Washington Post. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
“Managing Your Boss” by John Gabarro and John Cotter Report (Assessment) An article Managing Your Boss by John Gabarro and John Cotter deals with the pervasive problem of workplace conflict. By reviewing the current situation in the working environment and exemplifying the most widespread types of misunderstandings between managers and their superiors, the authors offer a comprehensive analysis of reasons and suggest several solutions to the conflict situations. The paper is structured as a collection of stories presented in the anecdotal form. Each story illustrates a certain point by the authors and is followed by their commentary. The introductory part begins with a story which allows Gabarro and Kotter to suggest a single reason behind almost every conflict: the lack of understanding between the manager and his boss. Thus, according to them, to avoid conflict, two prerequisites should be fulfilled: the manager should be able to understand both his boss and himself, and appropriately utilize this understanding to create a healthy environment. The first part explains in detail the concept of understanding the boss. By supplying another example, the authors isolate three basic mistakes that form the described conflict: the manager in question took the information for granted, without checking it, made assumptions in the field where he had no competence, and did not try to clarify it with his boss. The second half of the first part tackles the lack of critical self-evaluation. Based on another example, the authors describe two polar deviations from the norm. The first is the counterdependent behavior, where the manager displays the excessive and unnecessary resistance to his boss, prompting aggressive reaction instead of the constructive interaction. This type sees the boss as an obstacle or a force that needs to be countered. The second is its opposite, the overdependent type. Such manager shows the excessive compliance, even in situations where constructive dialog would be appropriate. As a result, the mistakes made by the boss are not addressed and taken at face value. The authors argue that while both types have their benefits (the former is usually a good manager for his or her own subordinates and the latter benefits from the lack of unnecessary confrontation), it is necessary to account for these deviations to avoid their adverse effects, as such traits are not likely to be eradicated. The second part reviews the possible strategies that make use of the obtained information. These strategies are arranged in groups, namely the compatible working styles (such as accounting for preferences in the pace of discussion), decision-making styles (hands-on versus distancing), mutual expectations, the flow of information, and management of time and resources. Authors assert that once these strategies are arranged in a way suggested by the acquired understanding, both the manager and the boss will benefit from the resulting outcome. It is necessary to point out the weak sides of the paper. First, the type of evidence used by the authors is not conclusive. Each argument is supported with only one example, which, no matter how detailed, accounts for the relatively narrow situation. Second, several strategies, like time management and working styles, seem to intersect, creating unnecessary complexity. Both factors compromise the authors’ assertions to some degree. In conclusion, despite the lack of the persuasive evidence, Managing Your Boss is a valuable insight into the strategies of improving efficiency and emotional background of a workplace environment. The article primarily aims at the managers working in the business sector, but may offer valuable advice for anybody who is researching the self-reflection techniques or is interested in improving communication skills. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Examples of the violation of these are deception in how the participants selected to be prisoners were delivered to the facility and the violent treatment they experienced (TheAnswerto1984is, n.d.). Although the participants signed up for this study and were briefed about the setting and general details, Zimbardo did not inform them that they would be arrested at their homes. Moreover, after the experiment began, the participants were subjected to emotional abuse from the prison’s wards. Arguably, they were not informed that the experiment might subject them to the harsh treatment of this nature. Therefore, the participants did not receive all relevant information that would allow them to make an informed decision. Next, Principle II is beneficence, which is applied through Application 2, or not causing any harm to the participants. In Zimbardo’s experiment, although the participants thought there were going to imitate the behaviors of prisoners and authorities, the latter was psychologically abused (TheAnswerto1984is, n.d.). Moreover, some “prisoners” reported feeling as if they were in jail. Notably, Zimbardo did not debrief the participants immediately after this study to assess the level of psychological harm that this experiment has caused. One of the prisoners was released shortly after this study began because he had uncontrolled bursts of crying, which points to the distress that the study’s setting and procedures subjected people to and the potential harm. Finally, the last Principle is the justice principle, and it is applied through Application 3, which is an equal distribution of risks. Under this Principle, the researcher must ensure that risks and responsibilities are distributed equally. Although Zimbardo’s study followed the ethical principles set by Standford at that time, he would not be able to conduct this research today. He did not take measures to alleviate potential harm, not provided instructions that would guide the wards. This reckless attitude subjected the prisoner’s participants to harm because the “wards” made their own rules. Reference TheAnswerto1984is. (n.d.). The Stanford prison experiment. Youtube. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Primary Production in the Pond Ecosystems Essay In freshwater lake and oceanic ecosystems phytoplankton (free-floating plants) are the primary producers within the littoral and upper pelagic zones in water columns, responsible for trapping and converting light energy into biomass. The primary consumers are the herbivore zooplankton (free-floating animals) of diverse size: >1 mm (macrozooplankton), 200-1000 µm (mesozooplankton) and 20-200 um (microzooplankton) and >20 µm (pico zooplankton), constituted by small protozoan to intermediate rotifers and ciliates and to large copepods and aquatic insects. The third community is decomposers mostly of bacteria and other heterotrophic organisms, and termed as bacterioplankton. In aquatic food webs the primary consumers are the herbivore zooplankton, mostly feeding on phytoplankton and occasionally also on bacterioplankton. The secondary and tertiary consumers graze on the herbivore zooplankton and that is how energy is transferred in trophic level (Odum & Barrett, 2005). In small eutrophic lakes and ponds in tropical and subtropical region phytoplankton populates, and later mesozooplankton species like Daphnia and Moina graze on them. We do observe periodic succession of dominant regimes of zooplankton and phytoplankton communities at different times of a year. A question was asked – what would happen if primary producers, namely phytoplankton in lakes suddenly disappeared, and whether then the herbivore mesozooplankton would change feeding preference to bacteria rather than algae? We hypothesize that if such conditions prevailed then for survival the zooplankton would still continue to flourish by feeding on planktonic bacteria and picoplankton species and food web would remain unaffected. If this hypothesis is correct we would predict that in a pilot-scale experiment the tested zooplankton population size in lake water would increase even though no phytoplankton species is added as feed, assuming that the bacterial and picoplankton communities would still suffice for feeding. We created a miniaturized microcosm of a freshwater lake ecosystem. Mesozooplankton were trapped in sample bottles by skimming plankton net with Nitex nylon 200 µm pore size through the water surface. The filtrate was then passed through another differential filter of 20 µm to trap the phytoplankton cells and in the “last filtrate” the bacteria and picoplankton were sampled. A separate suspension of mesozooplankton and phytoplankton was prepared in “last filtrate”. The species identification and counting was carried out using a hemocytometer. A fixed number of zooplankton was suspended in ca . 10 L of the “last filtrate” in three batches and kept in open plastic troughs near the pond with mosquito net atop. The additives as follows: 1) no additive, 2) ½ × phytoplankton (mix 1:1 phytoplankton suspension and last filtrate) and 3) 1 × phytoplankton (neat phytoplankton suspension). On zero and at 10 and 20 days 1 L water samples were removed for determination of zooplankton number with a hemocytometer, and chlorophyll density using acetone extraction method. The objective was whether phytoplankton (sets 2, 3) would have positive effect on zooplankton number over the controls (set 1). The independent variable is phytoplankton concentration and dependent variable is zooplankton number. The abiotic variables like irradiance, temperature, BOD, COD dissolve O 2 etc were maintained as constant variable. The result is given in Table 1: Table 1: Variation in zooplankton count with added phytoplankton Day 0 Day 10 Day 20 No phytopl. Chl (µg L -1 ) 0.2 0.1 0.2 Zoo counts L -1 45 10 02 ½ × phytopl. Chl (µg L -1 ) 1.6 2.3 4.8 Zoo counts L -1 32 78 105 1 × phytopl. Chl (µg L -1 ) 3.0 4.6 5.3 Zoo counts L -1 48 105 189 In absence of phytoplankton there was a sharp decrease in zooplankton population size as a function of time suggesting that picoplankton and bacterioplankton are most likely not grazed. With increase in phytoplankton density to half pond density, a time-dependent increase in zooplankton number was noticed. Delivering phytoplankton density equal to what is present in the pond, led to further increase in the zooplankton number with progression of time. Moreover, the phytoplankton density (chlorophyll content) also increased from day 0 in course of experiment. This suggests that the increase of phytoplankton population outnumbered the population that was grazed by zooplankton. Since the zooplankton population size grew only when the phytoplankton population was present, our hypothesis was rejected. As phytoplankton density also increased in the experiment we could have had another set of variables, that is, fixed phytoplankton and changing zooplankton population size. Further, it would be important to monitor the predicted constant abiotic variables during the experimental period. This experiment proves that in pond ecosystems due to trophic interaction, primary production is essential for the consumers to increase population size, which has no correlation with the picoplankton and bacterial population present in that ecosystem. Source Odum, E.P. & Barrett, G.W. (2005). Fundamentals of Ecology (5 th ed.). Florence, KY: Brooks/Cole, CENGAGE Learning. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Rene Descartes’ Rational Choice Theory Essay Rene Descartes is arguably the father of modern philosophy; he is the one philosopher who is heralded for the introduction of algebra and the connection that lay between algebra and the scholarly subject of geometry. His most famous artwork, however, is “Meditations on first philosophy”. This is a short work that was first published in 1641 in the French language called Meditationes de Prima. In work, he provides a truth-seeking foundation for the possibilities presented by science. Skepticism is one tool that Descartes uses to offer the underlying issues of education and knowledge. Personally, he is not a skeptic but uses this to raise the curiosity of the reader to try and find out the possibilities that scientific knowledge offers. He asks questions such as: how true is the fact that the world revolves in a solar system. This skeptic approach leaves the reader with no alternative but to undertake studies to determine the truth behind the analogy of the solar system. There developed a number of critics of his works, especially his skeptic approach, and in a way, he achieved his objective of adding unto knowledge as thereafter in an attempt to prove him wrong, the critics set about running researched and writing books of concepts determining the truth behind the scientific knowledge. Such great critics of Descartes’s works included theologians and fellow philosophers key among them being Arnauld, Hobbes, and Caterus, all of whom wrote back books trying to determine the truth behind the allegations that Descartes had leveled against their fields of specialization. In coming up with most of his philosophies, Descartes employed lots of rationalism. Rationalism, as per his definition, is any view that appeals to reason and, more specifically, as being the spring of knowledge or an explanation. Descartes believed that reason has preference over other ways of acquiring knowledge. He, therefore, used this to come up with lots of explanations, especially on political enlighten, as he emphasized on political reasoning. Politics is currently just a pile of rational reasoning upon which a state is governed. Parliaments all over the world are constituted of law makers, the law in its earnest is a pile of rational ideas that are well spelt out and aimed at guiding the actions that should be taken given any eventuality. This was one of the ideas that Descartes forged for. Rational choice theory was one of the theories that he put forward and this is a theory that has found lots of relevance in several spheres of life politics and microeconomics today. In politics and microeconomics the theory dictates that human nature calls for more rather than less of good it is meant to help model both social and economic behavior. It is this philosophy that democracy and free market economies are pegged on. Democracy calls for the free and fair election of legislators and other people who are to occupy positions of leadership. In doing this, the electorate normally looks for more good in the individuals to be elected and the people perceived to be the best in character and trait with more good than others normally get elected. In a nut shell the community wants more of the good. The good is again relative and subject to determination by the populace. In one way or the other, the populace always has a way of determining that individual with averagely more good in his or her traits that the rest of the contenders. These finally get elected into office through a majority vote. In the subject of micro economics, rational choice refers to the act of searching an affordable way to complete a task with no regard to value of achieved goal. In several economies what would benefit a majority of the people has often been considered at the expense of the cost of its application. Financé windows that let a currency lose value while trade is boosted and the prices of commodities fall drastically is a common practice in the microeconomics discourse. In his definition, the term ration is not as it is in dictionaries and has been used by several people in the academic spheres. To most people, rational is synonymous to “sane” or “sound” in a thoughtful or clear minded manner. Descartes in his philosophy adopts a narrower perspective of the term rational. According to him, the term refers to the act of balancing one’s actions between cost and gain. The choice of the decision arrived at should be that which benefits a majority. Most of the ideas that Descartes put forward to offer explanations to most of the occurrences around the daily human lives were built upon some of his mentors, people that he largely borrowed their ideas. Such a person that he quoted in most of his books and used lots of his ideas was Plato. Plato ascribed to the school of thought that believed in rational thinking as well. He put forward most of his philosophical reasoning in the course and effect formula and this is a style that was so adversely adorned by Descartes. Descartes therefore used this to provide reasoning in areas that were largely ignored such as education. This therefore justifies the topic that reads that he was the Pluto of the caves. “The caves” referring to the dark and ignored discourses that he undertook to offer explanations in. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Only known as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the disease has spread all over the globe killing hundreds of people and scaring thousands more. Many people are clueless about the nature of this disease that sparked in 2003, they had no choice but to wear face masks, avoid traveling, wash their hands cautiously, and call their doctors at the first sign of runny nose (Rados, 2003). Indeed, SARS is a deadly global threat that has challenged global health standards about handling such an epidemic . According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for SARS (2004), SARS was first recognized as a global threat in mid-2003. However, the first known cases of SARS occurred in Guangdong province of China, in 2002. Scientists have determined that the etiological agent of SARS is a coronavirus (SARSCoV), which is believed to be an animal virus that “crossed the species barrier to humans recently due to ecological changes or changes in human behavior that increased opportunities for human exposure to the virus and virus adaptation, enabling human-to-human transmission” (Antia, 2003 as cited by WHO, 2004). By July 2003, the international scope of SARS resulted in 8,098 cases in 26 countries, tolled 774 deaths worldwide. According to the WHO, the last human chain of transmission of SARS in that epidemic had been broken in 2003 (WHO, p. 6). The symptoms of SARS may be hardly seen in people during its initial stages because it can be mistaken for a common cold. SARS symptoms include high fever, coughs, headache, body aches, diarrhea, and overall discomfort. A small percentage of cases experienced diarrhea. SARS cases develop a deep cough and pneumonia. However, about 10% of SARS cases end in death. The incubation period can be as long as fourteen days. SARS is transmitted by “close person-to-person contact” and is characterized as a “propagated outbreak”. The SARS virus can be transmitted directly by respiratory droplets that result from sneezing and coughing at close proximity (up to 3 feet). It is also thought that the SARS virus can be transmitted indirectly by coming into contact with droplets on contaminated surfaces. Corollary to this, experts who studied the origins of SARS reiterated that the natural reservoir of SARS-CoV has not been identified, yet a number of wildlife species like the Himalayan masked palm civet ( Paguma larvata ), the Chinese ferret badger ( Melogale moschata ), and the raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ), which are all consumed as delicacies in southern China have shown laboratory evidence of infection with a related coronavirus. Also, domestic cats living in the Amoy Gardens apartment block in Hong Kong were also found to be infected with SARS-CoV. More recently, ferrets ( Mustela furo ) and domestic cats ( Felis domesticus ) were infected with SARS-CoV experimentally and found to efficiently transmit the virus to previously uninfected animals housed with them. However, these possible “transmissions” of SARS from animals to humans or to other animal species still needed to be investigated further (WHO 2004, p. 6). As of this time, no clear treatment has been recognized for SARS. In fact, accurate and rapid screening diagnostic tests for SARS have been developed but are not yet licensed in the United States. During the epidemic, healthcare workers generally relied on clinical symptoms for detection. WHO defined a suspected SARS case as someone with a temperature over 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), a cough or difficulty breathing, and one or more of the following exposures: close contact with a person who is a suspect or probable SARS case, or someone who has lived in or visited a region with SARS transmissions. A “probable case” is a suspected case with radiographic evidence of pneumonia or positive laboratory tests that may take days to weeks to complete. No proven therapy is available for severe SARS pneumonia cases. Most doctors recommend respiratory support, antibiotics, fever reduction, and hydration. Some Chinese doctors have used steroids and the antiviral drug ribavirin with varying degrees of success (National Intelligence Council, 2005). As an infectious disease, SARS can have affected the health standards of every nation. Most SARS cases occur in people who care for or live with SARS patients or have direct contact with infectious materials. Experts only recommend the isolation of individuals with SARS but not quarantine. This is why more studies and research about SARS are needed to fully understand this fatal disease. Health professionals should also be educated to be prepared for scenarios in the future course of SARS and all governments should unite in finally eliminating this dreaded virus. Bibliography Antia R., Rogoes R.R. & Koella, J.C., & Bergstrom, C.T. 2003. The role of evolution in the emergence of infectious diseases. Nature , 426, 658-661. National Intelligence Council. 2005. SARS is a continuing threat. In V. Wagner (Ed. ), At Issue: Do Infectious Diseases Pose a Serious Threat? San Diego: Greenhaven Press. Rados, C. 2003. SARS protecting against a deadly disease. FDA Consumer , 37 , 14-15. World Health Organization (WHO). 2004. WHO guidelines for the global surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Philosophy of Nonviolent Protest Term Paper Peaceful warrior The name of Martin Luther King Junior is associated in the whole world with release of African Americans from the limits, which they were put in by white Americans. However, this personality was neither revolutionist, nor warrior. He managed to achieve an enormous success in protesting without weapon, deterrence or violence. What was so influential about such a peaceful protestor? In order to know this, it is worth analyzing Martin Luther King Junior’s philosophy of non-violent protest. Philosophy of non-violent protest Martin Luther King Junior presented a structured system of notions and values, which were to serve as a basis for the non-violent protest. Specifically, the key points of his philosophy were: Respect Martin Luther King Junior encouraged his followers not to be disgraceful towards their opponents, but to show respect to them. “Not to humiliate, but to win over” – proclaimed the protestor (King, 1). Thus, the leader was convinced that there is no need to offend anyone in order to in them over. Agape love Explaining different kinds of love described in various cultures, Martin Luther King Junior names agape love as the one that is the most effective. He calls it “understanding, creative, redemptive good will for all men” (King, 1). Thus, mentioning the principles of Christianity, the protestor shows that even a rebellion can be benevolent. Belief The leader of civil rights movement also mentions existence of something “unfolding in the universe” (King, 1). Whether it is God, or another universal power, it helps the repressed to feel support and believe in justice, which is not realized by humans. Inadaptability One of the main points about non-violent resistance philosophy is not getting used to the horrible conditions, which people are put in. Martin Luther King Junior asked people not to adjust to bad attitude towards them, as in other case their fight will have no purpose. History of philosophy development While talking about Martin Luther King Junior’s philosophy, it is worth mentioning, that he was not its only originator. Obviously, some elements of the philosophy, such as its values, were borrowed from other philosophies. What is more, it should be noted, that the initial mood of African American leader was far not peaceful. Indeed, at the beginning of the movement Martin Luther King Junior considered the Christian philosophy of love and its rejection of violence totally ineffective. He argued that the main principles of this religion were only valid for personal relations, but not for wars between different social groups. However, as far as the leader had a chance to study various religious philosophies at a theological seminary, he later got acquainted with a philosophy, which changed his vision of protest forever (Beck, 172). The work, which influenced the protestor’s attitude to resistance, was a description of Mahatma Gandhi and his success in a non-violent protest. This served as a real life example of peaceful resistance effectiveness, which inspired Martin Luther King Junior to apply it in civil rights movement. This was a start of his scholarly and political progress. Martin Luther King Junior was awarded by a doctorate degree, which proved his competency in the sphere of philosophy (Beck, 204). Later the protestor synthesized the philosophy of Gandhi, Buddhism, Christianity, and other peaceful religions of the world, and presented a new kind of war, which was a non-violent protest. Using the existing values, he explained the new methods of resistance, which were mentioned earlier in this essay. Works Cited Beck, Sanderson. World Peace Efforts since Ghandi Volume 2 . Goleta: World Peace Communications, 2006. King, Martin Luther Jr. “The power of non-violence”. Teaching American History . June 1957. 14 May 2010. < https://teachingamericanhistory.org/ > | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Kodak Firm’s Strategy for Organizational Vitality Essay Q1what strategic errors did Kodak make in the period since 1990? Keeping in mind the movement toward digital photography, one can conclude that Kodak failed in developing strategic steps on executing a variety of manufacturing processes, which could ensure a company’s competitive advantage. The extremely high demands of the modern business world require the companies to be ready to meet a wide range of different requirements. Generally, when discussing Kodak’s strategic errors, one can probably point out that the company did not take into account the impact of globalization on management policies. In other words, it seems to be obvious that photography is considered to be a rather perspective branch of the business; so, there is no wonder that a new group of competitors appeared. It should be noted that “the problem for US policymakers and companies competing in a global marketplace is this: the trend toward outsourcing has gone beyond simple assembly-line work” (Gerdeman 2012). One more important aspect, which cannot be neglected, is that most technological devices were also produced overseas. For this reason, Kodak had to note that there were not only domestic competitors but also numerous foreign companies, which represented the threat to its competitiveness. The growth of digital photography blocked the company’s chances of producing high-quality products. An ineffective managerial system is also recognized to be an important factor, which caused the company’s disastrous fallout. To prevent the negative consequences, the company had to develop a special plan on how to overcome the difficulties. However, managers chose the opposite strategy and started investing in disruptive technologies. It was the most serious strategic error Kodak made. The company’s administration seemed to miss that the decision-making process is to be based on careful reasoning; while jumping to conclusions can lead to extremely dismal outcomes (May n.d.). Q3/what strategy should Kodak adopt now to remain viable and over time, become once again a successful organization? When discussing the strategies Kodak is to adopt now to become once again a successful organization, it is necessary to state that it is the company’s organizational culture, which is to be reconsidered. First of all, there is a strong need to fully engage employees in the company. Thus, as far as employees will be cognitively and emotionally involved in a variety of organizational processes, they can positively contribute to organizational objectives achievement. In other words, one can conclude that engagement can be regarded as the key to organizational effectiveness improvement (Harter et al. 2002). Before taking certain decisions, a variety of steps must be followed. Thus, when some problems or dilemmas appear, the managers are to think about the major causes of the problem. Identifying direct and indirect stakeholders is also important, to determine a wide range of potential ways, which can be followed to succeed. So, it is evident that seeing the things from the third hand is considered to be the most appropriate way, which the company is to rely on to increase its competitive advantage and therefore, to impact on turnover and productivity positively. Determining the potential consequences and actions can clarify the company’s goals on a priority basis. It should be noted that Kodak is to identify its short-term goals and long-term ones. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act must be taken into consideration by the company’s managers to prevent information leakage: therefore, one can conclude that whistle-blowing must be encouraged if it can be morally justified. Employees, in turn, must understand that “Responsibly blowing the whistle avoids charges of being merely a disgruntled employee” (White n.d.). References Gerdeman, D 2002, ‘ Kodak: A Parable of American Competitiveness ’, Harvard Business School. Web. Harter, J, Schmidt, F, & Hayes, T. 2002. ‘Business-unit-level Relationship between Employee Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, and Business Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis’, Journal of Applied Psychology , vol. 87, pp. 268-279. May, D n.d., ‘Steps of the Ethical Decision-Making Process’, Ku.edu. Web. White, R n.d., ‘Whistle-Blowing’, Msj.edu. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
“Attack the Gas Station!” a Film by Kim Sang-jin Essay (Critical Writing) The film Attack the Gas Station! is an excellent representation of South Korean cinema at the end of the 20 th century, portraying a rapidly changing time for the society. The film represents a cultural shift in South Korea as well as the chaos that was ongoing in society and people’s personal lives as contemporary values began to collide with traditional aspects of the country’s heritage. This time in South Korea’s history represented the liberation of artistic and creative freedom that could be used as a medium of social criticism. The stylistic elements of the film are much bolder, ambitious, and controversial (influenced by pop genres of Western cinema) than most films following traditional formats to the date of the release, making this film a cornerstone for new beginnings in Korean cinematography. The film provides numerous instances of social commentary. Despite the protagonists committing a crime, the film helps to sympathize with the youth. Their life and dreams were broken by social and familial pressures, resulting in the rebellious behavior. The critical question of “why are they robbing the gas station?” and the sarcastic response that follows, “just because” are indicators of the film’s tone. The young people engage in such behavior due to supposed boredom. However, based on subtle hints throughout the film, it is obvious that unemployment, economic turmoil, and class division are ravaging South Korean society. The audience realizes, after being presented with the personal stories of the protagonists, that the youth probably has little opportunity for work or education in the current setting of the film. Socio-economic devastation portrayed in the film is an accurate reflection of desperation that South Korea faced in the midst of the IMF crisis. As government controls were relaxed, foreign products and influences began to flow into the country in the form of cars, electronics, and even soft drinks which diverted profits from domestic products. An interesting scene in the film occurs when a gang member drinks a can of Pepsi thinking it is a Korean soft beverage since the logo is similar to the national flag. This is a subtle reference to the influences of foreign economic imperialism which has permeated Korean society to the point of becoming a part of national identity. However, it can be argued that it symbolized the elimination of national identity since the young man only selected the drink due to a distant resemblance, which suggests an overall lack of education or social understanding about the cultural or political forces at influence in South Korea at the time. A major theme in the film is class division. It is the basis of the conflict that occurs as the protagonists attempt to rob the gas station. When it is evident the robbery has failed the second time, the gang attempts to seize control of the establishment, collecting all the profits from gas sales. While it is understandably a plot device to maintain a narrative, this somewhat unusual turn of events is a metaphor for the poor seeking to overthrow the rich from power. The economic crisis which closed thousands of companies and resulted in layoffs hit the working-class population the hardest despite being caused by the irresponsibility in the financial sector. It is evident that the film suggests that someone can only make a difference through drastic and symbolic actions. Corruption in society has grown to the point of police failing to enforce laws and openly violating them. Similar to the chaotic standoff in the finale, all sides of South Korean society were actively heading towards a deadly and violent conflict. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
What Titans Can Teach Us? Essay (Article) Titans in American history are legends who not only revolutionized the country’s enterprise industry but heavily enriched themselves as well. How they achieved what is credited to them is not easy to explain and many may term it as crude and unscrupulous. The famous seven are automaker Henry Ford, Robert Noyce of Intel, Andrew Carnegie of steel, George Eastman of Kodak, and Charles Revson of Revlon alongside Thomas Watson of IBM. What they had with them seems extraordinary and asking present entrepreneurs to enumerate them may seem impossible, perhaps owing to the challenges in the business world these individuals had to equip themselves with skills and strategies to protect their fortunes as well as ensure the well being of their investments. Other than their being unscrupulous a lot can be copied from them to enhance and perhaps see the best of the enterprise industry in America today. Among the best of their attributes that can be used to transform businesses today include; the courage they had on betting on their vision, their ability to shape their vision of the available market into the mission of their companies alongside the concern they held for their customers, employees not forgetting their investors. It’s evident that they struggled to deliver far beyond their promises and were very dedicated to their companies to the extent that they took full responsibility for their positions including their failures, never at any one time did they seem to look back These famous seven held a clear vision and mission statement and were very committed to attaining their set goals (Tedlow). Titans held unique intelligence that may be lacking in many of the entrepreneurs of today, no wonder they achieved what they did that may never be attained easily by any other. Individual attributes of each of the household names included leading through the inspiration for Noyce and his counterpart Eastman contrary to Watson and Carnegie whose leadership was mainly via intimidation. Revson is known for being pessimistic. Intel’s future success was achieved through Noyce who worked in close association with Andy Groove and Gordon Moore who were equally achievers in entrepreneurship. The aging of Henry Ford made him vindictive to the verge of ruining the company. These men who happened to be Caucasian could figure out what appeared impossible and what was impossible an element that enabled them to stop at nothing in their ventures in business. The fact that all the titans of the time were male does not imply that it is impossible in any way to have great female achievers, it is in fact a challenge to women entrepreneurs and they are agued to strive for the same excellence (Harvard business review, 70-79) The legendary seven may have been different in personality but their achievements and strategies seem to bear some resemblance. They took advantage of the available opportunities and made the best for themselves and their companies. A close examination of the personalities reveals some negative aspects that if asked to enumerate, some people will strongly oppose, but the impact of their success is worth having them as role models in the highly competitive business world. The American economy is at risk and traits of such icons may help to rejuvenate the economy. Businessmen and women of today are under no obligation being what exactly these titans were as it may never happen and they might ruin their best trying to embrace what they can not make of themselves. This does not mean that it’s not worth trying to enumerate titans in today’s enterprise world but the fact that titans were exemplary unique should not be forgotten. One is at liberty to pick a few of their attributes that can contribute to success in the business world. Works cited Tedlow, Richard. What titans can teach us, Harvard business review, 2001, Web. Harvard business review. What titans can teach us, vol.79 no 12(2001) 70-79. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Effective Narration in Literature Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Three ways in which narratorial voice accomplishes this effect 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Effective narratorial voice causes readers to share in an experience and hence feel what the characters are supposed to feel. An essay, novel, short story or any other literary work is a way of embarking on a journey. The narrator must take readers on that journey with him or her. It is never enough to recollect a series of events; the story teller must share how an occurrence changed, affected or strengthened a character. It is this quality that gives readers a sense of living the plot. Three ways in which narratorial voice accomplishes this effect Narrators can cause readers to live the plot by maintaining the right balance between crucial information and tedious details. Readers do not necessarily have to know the identity or background of the narrator. However, they need to be furnished with just the right amount of information to understand the plot. Since audiences are unfamiliar with a narrator’s background, it essential to let them know about this information at the right time. For instance, in the story “A family supper” by Kazuo Ishiguro, one learns that the narrator had lost his mother, yet he knew about the cause of her death two years later (Ishiguro 167). Readers can then decipher that the ‘family supper’ mentioned in the title would be a tense and constrained one. It is then possible to relate to the effects of immigration between family members, as a theme in the novel. Through this careful placement of information in the novel, the narrator was able to convey information about the constrained relationship with his family. Readers did not need to know about why Kazuo left Japan for the US as this was not essential to the story. The events of interest were his relationship with his family, and this took place after his mother’s death. This narrator started with the issues that were pressing his family rather than the occurrences that led up to their loss. Using such an approach locks readers into the book because it dwells on consequential issues (Eakin 33). A good narrator must refrain from overpowering or dominating the story at the expense of certain characters in the play; instead, one should combine characters’ experiences in an effortless and rich way. A good way of accomplishing this goal is through paragraphs that have varied subjects. One such strategy is in the short story “A man to send rain clouds” by Marmon Silko. “Before they wrapped the old man, Leon took a piece of string out of his pocket and tied a small gray feather in the old man’s long white hair. Ken gave him paint.” (Silko 65). The point of view in this narration is third person. In one small paragraph, the narrator has talked about three characters that were essential to the story. However, instead of dominating the work through the narrator’s descriptions, the author opted to show the actions conducted by Ken and Leon rather than expounding on them. For instance, instead of adding comments about why it was necessary to place a gray feather in the old man’s hair, the narrator simply described what the characters did. This minimized the level of dominance that the storyteller would have added to the story. Readers continue to follow the story because few unnecessary explanations from the third person narrator exist (Altman 19). This individual only states what needs to be said and allows readers to deduce the characters’ motivations. Scene clarity is a priority in engaging readers through narratorial voice. Audiences should be able to see the image of a certain character, event or setting as the narrator describes it (Wyile 200). In essence, visualization of the story’s plot must occur seamlessly throughout the story. Some narrators achieve this by following a character as he or she gets into a scene and then describing what the narrator does in that circumstance. Alternatively, a storyteller may choose to give details of a conversation as it unfolds in a certain scene. Clarity is evident in the story ‘A family supper’. The narrator describes the family meal lucidly: “What is it?” “Just fish.” “It’s very good.” The three of us ate on in silence. Several minutes went by. “Some more?” “Is there enough?””There’s plenty for all of us.””(Ishiguro 168). The storyteller gave a step by step description of what went on during the meal in order to convey his main theme. These short exchanges between the narrator, his father and sister demonstrated how each of them related to their father. The fact that the conversation largely revolved around food also proves that there was a loose connection between these individuals. Readers can experience the sense of uneasiness, loss and uncertainty that these family members have around one another because every aspect of the conversation has been covered. Therefore an accurate and clear scene description is essential in engaging readers. Conclusion Effective narration works by providing the right balance of information to readers. Storytellers must not give too much away, but they should also share what is essential to the plot. Additionally, effective narratorial voice is accomplished by merging different characters’ predicaments; unnecessary explanations by the narrator would delineate readers. Finally, an effective narrator can engage readers by explaining scenes clearly as this enables visualization and hence connection with readers. Works Cited Altman, Janet. Epistolarity: Approaches to Form . Columbus: Ohio State UP, 1992. Print Eakin, John. How Our Lives Become Stories: Making Selves . Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1999. Print. Kazuo, Ishiguro. “A family supper.” Esquire Nov. 1990: 167-169. Print. Silko, Marmon. “The man to send rainclouds.” New Mexico Quarterly 1981: 65. Print. Wyile, Andrea. “Expanding the View of First-Person Narration.” Children’s Literature 30.3 (1999): 185-202. Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Australian Apprenticeships System Report Table of Contents 1. Apprenticeships programs 2. Apprenticeships system 3. Conclusion 4. References The theme of change and restructuring of the Australian Apprenticeships system is evident in all of these six documents. These reports point out several weaknesses in the current system that if not corrected, may require costly interventions in the future. For example, the report of the government-appointed Panel mentions the importance of coming up with an Apprenticeships System that is more efficient that can create a large number of personnel that are more competent and with the ability to meet the demands of the Australian economy (McDowell et al 2011). According to McDowell et al (2011), the Apprenticeships system is not serving its purpose, a statement that is repeated in the other five articles. The Housing Industry of Australia asserts that even though the Apprenticeships system needs reforms, the industry must be involved in such undertakings to come up with a better one that will ensure apprentices stay onto their jobs (Housing Industry of Australia 2011). Australian Industry Group commends the report of the government panel and says that it will reform the system after many years of delays (Australian Industry Group 2011). Amy Simons, in her report, says that the current system is responsible for young Australians abandoning their jobs (Simmons 2011) while Senator Evans stresses the need to restructure the system to teach skills that are key to the growth of the Australian economy (Evans 2011), similar calls are made by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (Australian Council of Trade Unions Group 2011). Apprenticeships programs The articles that were selected have a similar outlook of the Australian Apprenticeships system and the need for urgent reforms. The reports cite several weaknesses in the current program as a justification for the reforms, majorly, the low completion rates. Simmons mentions that more than half of those enrolled in Apprenticeships programs drop out of the system. This anomaly is due to the low pay rates. Senator Evans mentions that since 42 percent of those enrolling in Apprenticeships programs are aged 25 and above, there is a need for a new system that recognizes previous experience or skills, this will motivate more persons to enroll in the program (Evans 2011). Quoting one of the recommendations by the panel, HIA reports that reforms will address the issue of high dropout rates and they will make the system simpler. The reforms will reduce Australia’s over-reliance on imported labor and meet the demands of the Australian labor market (Australian Council of Trade Unions 2011). The current system is blamed for several weaknesses, for example, it contains many difficulties and inconsistencies, and hence the reforms are vital towards overcoming the obscurities (Australian Industry Group 2011). While the Australian Apprenticeships system continuously provides skilled labor to the market, there is a need for urgent reforms that will lead to the production of a skilled and flexible labor force that can meet the challenges of the Australian economy is competing with other global economies. Besides, the new system will meet the changing skill requirements as well as the ambitions and anticipations of the participants. Apprenticeships system The current Apprenticeships system does not offer quality training and support to participants. McDowell et al point out that participants quit their programs because of poor experiences at places of work, that is, they are not accorded adequate employment support. Support and mentoring not only reduces dropout rates, but it also increases job retention rates, hence the need to reform the current system and adopt one that offers more support and mentoring during training and at the workplace. The current system has experienced high dropout rates as it is not rigid enough and it is very easy to walk out of the system. The low completion rates are caused by low wages, a lack of motivation among the participants, and receiving an obsolete education, especially with the constantly changing labor market requirements. Individuals who complete Apprenticeships programs are forced to take up jobs for which they never trained. This leads to frustration and such people eventually quit their positions. One of the positive aspects of globalization is that it has increased the movement of labor across the world and it is now easy to import labor. The current system does not impart the knowledge required by the economy, hence it has had to import skilled labor. If this situation persists, the more than 400,000 students enrolled in the Vocational Education and Training, or nearly 4% of the workforce, may lack employment. Conclusion I believe that the Australian Apprenticeships system requires urgent reforms. The current system is too jumbled up without any concise strategies on how to go about its duties. The participant who is lucky to complete their sessions are left stranded or are employed for jobs that they did not train for (increasing the chances of such people quitting the jobs), in short, the current system offers courses that are obsolete and have no direct application towards economic growth. Besides, the training system is just too flexible and this accounts for the high dropout rate. Reform will ensure high completion rates, fellow youths are in employment and the economy grows rapidly. References Australian Council of Trade Unions. (2011). Apprenticeship reforms are long overdue and must be acted on to provide a skilled labour force . Web. Australian Industry Group. (2011), Apprenticeship report an opportunity for real reform . Web. Evans, C. (2011). Reforming the Australian Apprenticeship system . Web. Housing Industry of Australia (2011), National Apprenticeship Reform Needs Industry Input . Web. McDowell, J., et al. (2011 ). A Shared Responsibility – Apprenticeships for the 21st Century . Web. Simmons, A. (2011). Report savages apprenticeship system. ABC News. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Victoria Secret Target Market & Consumer Demographics Need to analyze Victoria’s Secret marketing strategy? The essay below focuses on customer behavior & segmentation of Victoria’s Secret company. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Marketing Analysis 3. Consumer Demographics 4. References Introduction Victoria’s secret is one of the most popular and exclusive brand of lingerie, fragrances and beauty products in United States, Canada and other countries. Leslie Wexner the founder of Victoria Secret started this brand in 1982 by purchasing a small chain of lingerie products in San Francisco. He made the merchandize to look good and the products were easy to buy and made the environment look relaxed and attractive (Durbin 2002). Victoria Secret Marketing Analysis Victoria’s Secret has implemented a 360 degree marketing strategy. 360 degree is basically creating an exclusive brand philosophy. It is more engaged into customer based media strategy (Gupta 2009). As the company is managing the retail outlets, the web stores and catalogues at the same time and fulfilling the customer’s needs at their best level. Leslie Wexner has made Victoria’s secret the top class brand throughout all channels, catalogues, stores and internet he always said “The same products are launched at the same time, in exactly the same way, with the same quality, and same positioning” (Durbin 2002). From the very first day the company has tried to have a full control on their distribution point. In addition to that Victoria’s Secret has divided their consumers from demographic point of view and they provide specific messages throughout the campaign with the help of emails. As mentioned by Weil “Our goal is to provide the same message to the same customer at the same time, For instance, a customer whose purchase history indicated a preference for swimwear would receive an e-mail promoting a swimsuit sale and would get the most recent swimwear catalogue” (Durbin 2002). Victoria Secret Consumer Demographics Victoria secret is basically targeting girls aged 13-29 years and women aged 30-50 years. Due to wide range of products whenever we think of Victoria’s secret the target market always vary with the age. As if the lady is a mother or grandmother of heavy weight she would obliviously go for the body products and fragrances. Where as a young girl or a mother who is in good shape will prefer Victoria’s secrets lingerie and swimwear. And their new brand Victoria’s Pink is basically targeting the young adults of high school and college. Products Victoria’s secret core products are women’s lingerie, sleep wear, swim wear, women’s clothing, women’s shoes, beauty products and fragrances (Victoria’s Secret 2010). Its expected products include a wide range of men’s undergarments. Price Pricing plays a significant role in the market mix as it basically helps to generate revenues. Victoria’s Secret is an inspirational brand and is known for its premium pricing strategy. Placement Its distribution system includes Victoria secrets apparel outlets which are more than 1000 worldwide, and then they are selling the products through Victoria’s secret catalogues and through internet. They are also using the multi channel synergy (Durbin 2002). Victoria’s Secret Advertising Strategy One of Victoria’s secret strength is its highly flourished advertising campaign. They are targeting their customers through really bold and attractive advertisements, through printed ads in magazines and newspapers, its targeted magazines are Allure, In Style, Glamour and Cosmopolitan. They are also doing marketing through television and internet, their catalogues which are highly creative and through yearly fashion shows (Chang 2004). Victoria’s secret has the utmost brand loyalty providing prestige products to their customers who are mainly influenced by its style (Durbin 2002). Victoria’s Secret products are always symbolizing fantasy, fun, passion and love all in one. The consumers really fall in love with its products. And that is the best message they are conveying to their consumers. Conclusion This essay focused on Victoria’s Secret marketing strategy. It described the company’s target market, consumer demographics and behavior, as well as Victoria’s Secret advertising campaigns. List of References Chang, C. C., 2004. The Silky Strategy of Victoria’s Secret . Case Study. Burbank CA: R. Preseton McAfee. Durbin, T., 2002. Victoria’s Secret . Case study. Dartmouth: Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Gupta, S. D., 2009. 360 degree Mareting . Web. Victoria’s Secret, 2010. Victoria’s Secret . Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Managerial Incentives for Using Information Systems Essay (Critical Writing) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Authors’ Main Ideas 3. Interpretation of Procedures 4. Data Analysis Strategies 5. Conclusion/Recommendation 6. Reference Introduction Protecting critical information assets needs an effective security policy and controls to limit unauthorized access. At the same time, proactive steps, including advocacy, can help prevent the enactment of unfavorable legislation that threaten privacy. At the organizational level, acceptable system use guidelines can ensure that sensitive data, including employees’ earnings and corporate transactions, are safeguarded. Further, measures to ensure physical and network security and regular audits can help safeguard data. This section of the paper critiques a research article modeling information systems’ use by managers to determine investment decisions. Authors’ Main Ideas The second article examines how managerial incentives to utilize an information system (IS) leads to the central office availing one. Böckem and Schiller (2009) hypothesize that higher effort when using IS increases the likelihood that the manager is well informed at the proposal approval phase and influences the headquarter’s decision to install the system. The research problem addressed is that the installation of an information system is not a guarantee that the manager’s informational status would be better; rather, he or she must use it properly to realize this goal. Using an investment-budgeting scenario, the authors note that, at the start, the manager is ignorant. However, he or she may utilize IS to obtain cost details related to the project’s net present value (NPV). If this effort is successful, the likelihood of using IS increases; otherwise, he or she remains ignorant (Böckem & Schiller, 2009). At the approval phase, the headquarters’ decisions will be based on the manager’s information status, his incentive to be informed, and the expected NPV. The head office will only consent to the proposal if the “internal rate of return” exceeds the hurdle rate (for projects with low anticipated NPV) (Böckem & Schiller, 2009, p. 3). This rate is fixed above a company’s capital costs under asymmetric information. The authors also establish that limited managerial effort to use IS is associated with low expected NPV due to under-investment by the headquarters. The authors also demonstrate that negative ex-ante NPV informs the decision not to install IS. A rise in expected NPV beyond a certain cut-off point would warrant the collection of high-quality information. The headquarters must also weigh between installing a better IS and costs. The authors describe a model for approval or rejection of an investment project and test it on two assumptions and benchmark cases of ignorant and informed managers. Empirical predictions for general use and provision of the system are also developed. Interpretation of Procedures The specific analysis methods used to construct the model describing the headquarter’s optimal solution to providing IS and quality considerations. The primary problem addressed is the inability of the central office to tell the informational status of a manager upfront. The managerial effort to use IS and expected NPV is shown to predict system provision decisions. The assumptions for models with asymmetrical information are stated, but the model is not grounded in prior frameworks or evidence. A hypothesis about the anticipated outcome (IS adoption is dependent on the expected project NPV) is used to develop the model. The basic steps of model building are described in this article. The framework is selected and unknown parameters at the outset, including managerial slack, hurdle rate and NPV, estimated. Additionally, the underlying assumptions are carefully evaluated, and their validity ascertained. Their existence in literature is acknowledged; thus, the model is deemed useful in addressing the problem. However, validating the model numerically or graphically using new data would have been a good idea. Also, a brief discussion of each assumption and its value would be useful. Data Analysis Strategies The article involved model derivation, development, and validation of the major assumptions. No new data is collected for testing the framework developed. Previous studies on under-investment and hurdle rates are analyzed to select the model. Additionally, accounting literature is reviewed to determine the best information asymmetry choice, determining that the headquarter’s would consider either a maximum-quality IS or no IS for managers. The different mathematical notations used and what they denote are described in the appendix. The authors use limited visualization techniques to illustrate the model. Only one graph about the approval rules and cut-off values for the first best solution is given. Technical analysis is used to test the assumptions and compute the best quality level of IS. However, a training dataset is not given, making it difficult to estimate model parameters. Additionally, the cross-validation of these functions and constraints is not based on data. Although the theoretical model considers two benchmark cases and different IS usage scenarios, without testing it on a dataset, the validity of the parameters may not be ascertained. Quantitative data analysis using regression coefficients or descriptive statistics may be useful to validate the model. Additionally, since the model is predictive, data would help minimize bias and prediction error. Conclusion/Recommendation The article examined a predictive model development for IS use by managers. It develops a model for central office decisions to invest in IS based on managerial informational status. Thematic analysis using varied information sources, earlier frameworks, and theories is a procedure used to support model assumptions. Additionally, the conclusions are drawn from the model parameters after testing it. The use of new data to test model assumptions is recommended to validate it. Reference Böckem, S., & Schiller, U. (2009). Managerial use of an information system. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1-39. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1420160 | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
This book is one of the central holy scriptures of Hinduism and dates from the second half of the first millennium BC. e. The plot of the Gita unfolds within the framework of a conversation between Arjuna, the prince of the Pandavas, and Krishna, his guide, charioteer, and the supreme God incarnate. Krishna prompts Arjuna’s behavior patterns and helps to solve some moral expectations. The latter is connected with the need for the Pandavas to fight against the Kauravas. This paper aims to reflect on the Bhagavad Gita , one of the most outstanding books of the Indian epic. Arjuna exhibits characteristic traits, such as self-confidence, arrogance, pride. Arjuna demonstrates outstanding martial skills and is one of the best warriors. Krishna is the personification of the Supreme God and his traits include wisdom, humility, knowledge, and benevolence. The two characters have a close relationship: “Then, Madhava (Krishna) and the son of Pandu (Arjuna), stationed in their magnificent chariot with white horses yoked to it, loudly blew their divine conchs” (“Bhagavad Gita,” 2021, p. 13). Other characters are the Kaurava king Dhritarashtra and his adviser Sanjaya, secondary characters. The purpose of the author of the epic was to tell about the battle of Kurukshetra, where two Indian armies gathered to fight until the final victory. Arjuna asks Krishna to drive up to the center of the battlefield and finds those who will participate and those who want war – his relatives, friends, and teachers. Arjuna feels betrayed as he doesn’t want to fight and kill them. Full of doubt, he drops his bow and asks his charioteer Krishna many questions about the reasons for the war, the possibility of renouncing the battle, the correctness of his action, and ethical dilemmas. Thus, the reflection on the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most outstanding books of the Indian epic, was provided. The book is relevant, as it reveals eternal themes – morality, justice, a sense of duty, a feeling of love for one’s neighbor. The philosophical dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna touches on the most challenging ethical topics that apply to both war and peace. The characters discuss identity crisis, the purpose of life, the human self, and human temperament. Reference Bhagavad Gita . (2018). Advaita Ashrama. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Strategic Purpose as Integral Organisation Part Essay (Critical Writing) Strategic purpose is important because it defines what organizations stand for and intend to achieve in the short and long term. It is often expressed in terms of statements of purpose, vision, mission, or objectives. The statement of purpose highlights the organization’s core philosophies and goals that help its management to formulate policies and measure its success (Sadler 2003, pp. 117-120). In business organizations, a statement of purpose is very important because it forms the basis of the company’s brand and the promises that it plans to make to clients. The vision statement plays an integral role in the management of organizations by stating what has to be achieved in the long-term. It defines what organizations intend to be in the future. In this respect, the vision statement helps organizations to develop the right strategies to achieve their long-term objectives. The mission statement highlights what the organization is doing to achieve its purpose or vision (Ranchhod & Marandi 2005, pp. 78-132). Thus, a mission statement is important because it acts as a guide that enables managers to align decisions and tasks to the company’s objectives. Undoubtedly, every organization must have objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time to succeed in fulfilling the needs of its stakeholders. The factors that influence the strategic purpose of an organization are stakeholder expectations, corporate governance structure, corporate social responsibility, and ethics. Stakeholders refer to the “persons, groups, or entities that depend on the organization to fulfill their needs or goals and on whom, in turn, the organization depends” (Jeffs 2008, p. 92). Stakeholders include customers, shareholders, local communities, and employees among others. Stakeholders use their powers to reward or punish to influence organizations’ strategic purpose. For instance, a retail store will only keep its customers if its strategic purpose allows it to provide the right goods at affordable prices. Corporate governance refers to the structures and systems of control used by the board of directors to hold managers accountable. The role of corporate governance is to prevent mismanagement that might arise due to malpractices such as fraud, negligence, and conflict of interests (Yu & Rezaee 2012, pp. 171-188). In this respect, corporate governance influences the strategic purpose of an organization by ensuring that it addresses the needs of various stakeholders. For instance, the board of directors often formulates strategic plans that facilitate profitable operations while minimizing the environmental effects of their companies. In this case, the needs of shareholders, customers, and the community have been taken into account. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to an organization’s commitment to behave responsibly to minimize its adverse effects on the environment and the community in which it operates. This means that the organization’s strategic purpose must reflect the needs of the community that it operates in to ensure sustainability (Jeffs 2008, pp. 34-78). For instance, a manufacturing company can engage in recycling wastes and planting trees to minimize its effects on the environment and community. +In this case, the company’s strategic purpose is to produce goods and services in an eco-friendly manner. Ethics influence strategic purpose by ensuring that the activities of the organization conform to stipulated codes of conduct. For instance, a company’s strategic purpose will emphasize the use of clean energy if air pollution is prohibited in its community. References Jeffs, C 2008, Strategic management , John Wiley and Sons, New York. Ranchhod, A & Marandi, E 2005, Strategic marketing in practice , McGraw-Hill, New York. Sadler, P 2003, Strategic management , Kogan Page, England. Yu, C & Rezaee, Z 2012, “The role of corporate governance in convergence with IFRS: evidence from China”, International Journal of Accounting and Information Management , vol. 20. no. 2, pp. 171-188. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Thesis 2. Introduction 3. Discussion 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited Thesis Diseases can be caused by different viruses and organisms of non-human origin. Viruses are an integral part of our life. One of the viruses is the influenza virus which is not dangerous by itself, but the complications after the illness can cause different kinds of complications and even death. Infectious diseases have affected human beings since the beginning of time. The infectious disease happens in the case of the interactions of some biological factors and the host within a specific environment. Introduction There are a great number of different diseases; some of them are infectious, others are not very dangerous. It is necessary to mention that the most perilous diseases are those that cause different complications after the illness. Thus diseases can be caused by different viruses and organisms of non-human origin. Viruses are an integral part of our life. One of the viruses is the influenza virus which is not dangerous by itself, but the complications after the illness can cause different kinds of complications and even death. Infectious diseases have affected human beings since the beginning of time. The infectious disease happens in the case of the interactions of some biological factors and the host within a specific environment. “Infectious disease occurs whenever conditions are right for a viable pathogen to infect and affect a susceptible host” (Ryan 3). Discussion There are many viruses that cause a range of complications, suchlike influenza and AIDS. Besides the history of mankind saw horrible diseases which affected the entire continents; such viruses are known as pandemics. The book “Pandemic Influenza: Emergency Planning and Community Preparedness” written by Jeffrey R. Ryan represents the range of environmental factors of transmission of infectious diseases: biological (susceptible, immune status, vector and host/reservoir), physical (geography, climate, shelter), and socio-economic (demographic, cultural, economic) (Ryan 5). Thus the factors indicate auspicious conditions for the transmission of infectious diseases and the most vulnerable areas of the world systems. There exist three types of influenza viruses; the A-type is the most dangerous as it can cause epidemics and pandemics (Barry 101). The Public Health Agency of Canada published a guidance document which represents the detailed information on the new virus which affected the population of the whole world; the epidemiology of pandemic H1N1 human influenza is described in order to avoid panic and to clear up the situation with the virus. This document contains all necessary data about the epidemiology, the vaccination and outcomes of the virus: “In April 2009 a novel influenza A virus (pH1N1) was determined to be the cause of outbreaks of respiratory illness in Mexico and influenza illness in two children in the United States. Within weeks, the infection spread to other parts of North America and to many areas of the world. In response to the spread of the new virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared pandemic influenza Phase 6 on June 11, 2009” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 5). The new virus is considered to have multiple origins. One of the most dangerous viruses of our days is the virus of the A-type which has a non-human origin and can be the reason for spreading it all over the world. Conclusion Thus the disease is the abnormality of the organism which is provoked by a virus or another organism of a non-human origin. It affects the human body and causes different malfunctions. The infectious disease is more dangerous than the non-transmitting disease, as it can be transmitted from one individual to another or from animal to people. There are three types of viruses, whereas only one can be the reason for the epidemics or pandemics. The A-type viruses are extremely dangerous for people because they can cause different complications after the illness. Thus the virus is not as dangerous as the complications which can lead to fatal outcomes. The world has recently witnessed the pandemic influenza of the A-type virus. The results of it happened to be deplorable for mankind. Works Cited Barry, M. John. T he Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History. London: Penguin, 2005. Public Health Agency of Canada. “Guidance Document on the Use of Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Inactivated Monovalent Vaccine 2009”. Public Health Agency of Canada . 2009. Web. Ryan, R. Jeffrey. Pandemic Influenza: Emergency Planning and Community Preparedness. New York: CRC Press, 2008. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
The Challenge of Constructing a Bridge over the Chacao Channel Case Study Torben Forsberg and Anton Petersen are two renowned civil engineers with qualifications from the Technical University of Denmark. In their article The Challenge of Constructing a Bridge over the Chacao Channel , the authors describe possibilities of improving the design of a new bridge. The authors’ arguments on alternative possibilities are based on the fact that the construction of the new bridge has many challenges. The challenges mentioned in the article include large tides and currents, strong seismic loads, wind and unstable ground conditions. According to the authors, the proposed design is compromised and requires technical review to ensure that the bridge is aesthetically pleasant and cost-effective. However, the article provides a solution by proposing new bridge alternatives. The authors review new bridge alternatives in relation to existing challenges. In each of the new bridge alternatives, a clear discussion with technical details is outlined. In this regard, the reader detects advantages of using various design alternatives in respect to technical demands and cost-efficiency. The article describes the construction project, its geographical location, as well as environmental challenges associated with the new bridge. Examples of such conditions include possible earthquakes, wind and strong currents. The authors’ description of the Chacao channel as extremely challenging is effective. This description justifies the need to initiate technical competency in construction of the new bridge. The authors also estimate the depth, tidal variation and the speed of water. Besides, they mention the possible magnitude of earthquakes expected in the region. Moreover, a description of the climatic conditions such as wind speed provides insight into the technical demands of the project. The authors’ description of bridge alternatives follows technical logic by providing specifications of each design. In this regard, the authors explain why each design is only effective in prevailing environmental conditions. For example, the authors give details and advantages of using a continuous two-main-span suspension bridge. The article evaluates alternative bridge designs that can withstand the existing environmental challenges. In this regard, the authors evaluate both classical and conventional bridge solutions. The main strength of the article is the focus on a factual project that exists in a geographically known territory. This is important to the reader who may decide to research further about the project and on the engineering design used to build the bridge. The authors’ credibility as civil engineers from a reputable engineering school is additional strength of the article’s content. The article’s weakness that can be highlighted is that the article does not entirely solve the challenges of building the bridge. In fact, the authors offer a detailed research of other alternatives that could improve the construction of the bridge, but do not provide details of how the construction of the bridge was completed. Moreover, the authors fail to give examples of replicas of bridge designs in other regions. The credibility of the authors as civil engineers is effectively felt in the article, though it is not emphasized. In my opinion, the article content is clear, accurate and insightful. The authors have been able to engage the reader’s mind using simple terms and graphics. For example, the authors have used graphs and maps to emphasize on their arguments. Another important aspect of the article’s strength is the use of Chacao channel topography. In addition, the article is useful in providing future research material. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Induction, Deduction, and the Scientific Method Expository Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Insights 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Nature is a huge non-empty space that harbours both real and imaginary components. Theologists and Scientists differ much on the existence of these components. While theology accepts both, Science focuses on the real nature owing to the fact that it can test its existence. Of interest for Scientists is the methods employed to deal with a problem, which range from inductive to deductive. Nature can tempt one to conclude that he/she is conversant with a thing while the opposite is the case. Scientific methods provide a solution for this. Though contradicting, the two methods are practically differently. For instance, for induction, a system is examined first followed by an inference based on the observations. Deduction takes the reverse. Although they share a lot and yield a solution, inductive method is quite open-ended as compared to deductive. Insights A problem forms the basis of any scientific method, inductive or deductive. It triggers scientists into developing criteria that fights the problem whether simple or complicated. “Solution of problems…is achieved by long strings of mixed inductive and deductive inferences…” (Pirsig Para. 9). It is importance to state the problem right otherwise whichever method used, it will never yield a valid solution. Hypothesis follows the question immediately. It provides a tentative answer to the aforementioned problem before further research. It may be one, two, or three as desired by the researcher. If more than two, the experiment should be set to test their validity in relation to the problem. This reduces them to at least two usually referred to as the null (H 0 ) and the alternative (H 1 ). According to Fischer, it is the hypothesis that illustrates what is expected in a research (43). Experimentation is a very crucial level. This is why scientists agree only on what experiments have proved. This step distinguishes Science from other disciplines. Box says that the majority’s view of science as all about experiments is a mere thought (134). It is from the experiment that data arises that is used to prove wrong or right the null hypothesis. The experiment can fail or succeed. Robert says that failure occurs only when the experiment does not prove the cited hypothesis but not the predicted outcomes. Before computing the results from the already collected data, predictions are made. This part of induction fosters confidence level of the researcher. It shows how the validity of the hypothesis will be illustrated. Lindley says that once developed, this prediction need not be changed even if it contradicts the experimental findings (56). This is in accordance with Robert’s illustrations in the handout. A wrong guess is not an indicator of a “discontent” but a source of new ideas brought by the experiment. As part of scientific methods, observation of the experimental findings follows. It occurs both in inductive and deductive methods. These observations are compared with the predicted outcomes. It calls for a lot of practice and scientific computation before one declares the null hypothesis true or false. According to Schervish, the observations will be significant if they did not occur by mistake but through the experiment (218). The idea behind science is to clear doubts about the existing theories. The destination of any scientific method is the verification level or simply the conclusion. This proves whether the problem on study is solved or not. Possible improvements can be suggested after this confirmation level. Regardless of size of the problem solved, this stage curbs what scientists reject most: assumptions. Conclusion The inductive and deductive approaches to problem solving play a major role in the scientific world. The ever-increasing theories have driven scientists into the task of proving or disapproving them. This explains why they prefer the deductive to the inductive approach. It begins with the theory and ends with its confirmation. Works Cited Box, Joan. “The Life of a Scientist.” New York: Wiley. 1978, p. 134. Fisher, Richard. “Statistical Methods for Research Workers.” Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1925, p.43. Lindley, David. “Making Decisions.” (2nd Ed.). John Wiley & Sons. 1985. Pirsig, Robert. “Induction, Deduction and the Scientific Method.” N.d. Web. <www.comp.dit.ie/…/ResearchMethods/…/ZenandtheArtofMotorcycleMaintenance.doc> Schervish, Michael. “Theory of Statistics.” Springer: 1995. p.218. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Mental Health Needs of the New York Community Essay Healthcare occupies one of the central places in people’s lives. That is why there is a clear need to study the physical and psychological state of the health of the population. Neglect of these valuable data can significantly affect the country’s vital signs. Thus, this work aims to study a web source for obtaining information about the health and needs of New Yorkers and analyzing emerging trends in this area. A website called “County Health Rankings & Roadmaps” provides data on the health status of the population of various cities in the United States of America. It helps to understand the needs of society in the field of health and mental health. For example, I am interested in the state of New York and the problem associated with the factor of alcohol abuse as one of the detrimental indicators for the well-being of residents of the state. When using the example of a diagram of trends in adherence to alcoholic beverages is quite relevant for this study. For example, in St. Lawrence (SL), the diagram shows that the percentage of adherence to this addiction is twenty-three percent which is relatively high (“St. Lawrence,” n.d.). This problem is relevant because the abuse of alcoholic beverages leads to diseases of the physical and psychological health of a person. This information can also be used when planning a prevention and education web page on this topic and when planning constructive actions. It will be provided to give a clear picture of how common this problem is and what is the importance of combating it. Thus, outreach in the community will be carried out to provide services and assistance. This measure can also consider a particular segment of the population most in need of assistance. Reference St. Lawrence. (n.d.). County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
American Superconductor Financial Management Research Paper Table of Contents 1. The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) 2. Advantages of AMSC’s Equity Financing vs. Debt Financing 3. Estimating Cost of Equity 4. Debt Tax Shield 5. Works Cited The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) CAPM is a financial formula used to compute the anticipated return on an investment. The formula considers three variables. These are the Risk Free Rate, Expected Market Return and the Asset Beta. The Asset Beta is a proxy for the variability in the investment’s returns. The CAPM formula is: R a = r f + ß a (r m- r f ) The return on the asset is obtained by adding the risk premium to the risk free rate. The risk premium is obtained by deducting the risk free rate from the expected market returns then multiplying the result by the asset beta. Investors use CAPM to determine the minimum return they can accept on an investment. The message conveyed by this formula is that they should demand returns for taking the risk associated with the investment. The second part of the formula reflects this message. The first part on the other hand portrays the basic return demanded for holding investors money. This risk free rate depends on the amount of money and the length of time the investment will retain this money. CAPM shows corporations how investors determine the return demanded on their investment. Usually, return is expressed in terms of interest rate. CAPM also explains to corporations why they may receive higher or lower interest rates than their counterparts. This is so because a company with a higher beta will obviously be charged a higher interest rate than one with a lower beta. Therefore, corporations that know their beta can estimate their projected cost of capital for the investment in question. Corporations are also able to work on the factors that increase their beta. Reducing their beta in effect reduces their cost of capital. Advantages of AMSC’s Equity Financing vs. Debt Financing Equity financing involves calling on investors to provide the required capital by purchasing shares. The advantage of this is that the corporation avoids the obligation to repay the money. Shareholders will expect returns in terms of dividends rather than loan repayment. Unlike debt financing where regular repayments have to be made, no repayment is made in equity financing. This is important in cases where the company is experiencing or expecting problems with their cash flow. The additional burden of debt repayment can destroy a company with cash-flow difficulty. In such cases, equity financing is best. Equity financing has no impact on the company’s credit rating. When a company uses debt financing and delays or fails to repay, their credit rating is reduced. This lowers their chances of obtaining another loan and increases the subsequent interest rates. In addition, equity financing eliminates the cost of interest. It also eliminates any penalty due on default. Equity financing can also come with valuable investors. Such investors provide value chain advantages since they are interested in the prosperity of the business. They can also provide valuable advice due to their experience. Such advantages are not available in debt financing. Lenders’ only interest is getting back their principle and interest. They have no interest in the operating excellence of their borrowers. Lastly, equity financing unlike debt financing does not increase the leverage of a company. Increased levels of debt correspond to increased levels of leverage. This means greater risk of corporate failure due to inability to meet debt obligations to investors. Generally, equity financing is safer in poor economic conditions. In view of this, I agree with the management at AMSC to forego the debt and use equity instead. The company’s business is currently growing. This means additional working capital needs. Debt financing repayments may strain the company. The Navy and government projects also require funds. Given the slow public procurement methods, the payment may be delayed for a while. Shareholders can wait for these future benefits; debt financiers cannot (Esposito 3). Estimating Cost of Equity The return demanded by shareholders is referred to as the cost of equity. One can determine the cost of equity using either CAPM or the dividend growth model. The CAPM model has been discussed above. It incorporates the Risk Free Rate, Expected Market Return and the Asset Beta. The Dividend Growth Model formula is as follows: Cost of Equity = (Dividend for next year/Current Stock Price) + Dividend Growth Rate This model assumes that a company’s annual dividend is not constant; rather it grows steadily from year to year at a known rate (Weetman 61). Debt Tax Shield It is true that debt financing has tax advantages. This advantage can be viewed from two different perspectives. First, debt reduces the taxable income through interest, which is tax allowable. The effect is that the firm in question pays less tax than if they were not using debt. Equity financing does not have this effect because unlike interest, dividends are not tax deductible. Secondly, the saved tax theoretically decreases the interest rate on debt. This can be obtained using the formula: Theoretical Interest= (1 – tax)* Interest charged. These effects are referred to as Tax Shield. By choosing to forego debt financing, AMSC is foregoing the tax shield too. Works Cited Esposito, Andy. “American Superconductor switch ; Westboro Company Plans to Raise Money Through a Stock Offering.” Telegram&Gazette 23 Aug.2003: 1-3.Print. Weetman, Pauline. Financial and Management Accounting: An Introduction. Chicago: Prentice Hall, 2007,Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Analytical Tools for Strategic Planning Essay A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool to develop one’s business policy in that it helps uncover external opportunities, understand internal weaknesses, and eliminate threats. Taking time to do a SWOT analysis provides a person with a solid strategy on managing and prioritizing the work for boosting business. A SWOT analysis is focused on the external (market trends, economic trends, demographics) and internal (current processes, access to natural resources, trademarks) factors (Fallon, 2018). Pairing external threats with internal weaknesses may give insight into serious problems faced by a company and determine new leads to pursue. The benefits of a SWOT analysis include its simplicity and utility, focus on internal and external factors, and its importance in the further strategic planning (Jurevicius, 2013). However, disadvantages of this analysis include lack of mechanism to rank the significance of factors, possibility of ambivalent nature of problem attributes (a factor might be both strength and weakness), and lack of detail. Even though a SWOT analysis is a simple and comprehensive method, other analytical tools that are commonly used are PEST (political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological) and SCRS (strategy, current state, requirements, and solution) analyses. Portfolio analysis (PA) is used for establishing the optimal distribution of resources by analyzing the elements of the products of a firm (Scilly, 2016). PA is usually applied to companies that have multiple strategic business units, such as services, products, divisions, categories of consumers. This kind of analysis is applicable to all types of investments, including funds, indexes, equities, commodities, bonds, and securities. In general, before executing a PA, risk concepts of the investor should be examined. The outcome from the portfolio analysis is often used as the input for a SWOT analysis. References Fallon, N. (2018). SWOT analysis: What it is and when to use it . Web. Jurevicius, O. (2013). SWOT analysis – do it properly! Web. Scilly, M. (2016). Comparison of SWOT analysis with portfolio analysis . Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Major Conflict Between Britain & Their US Colonies Research Paper Introduction The conflict between the British Empire and their North American colonies or the American Revolution began in 1775. Numerous causes played a vital role in the colonists’ willingness to fight for independence by risking warfare with the world’s superpower. The reasons include America’s strive for independence, the location’s opportunities, economic issues in the British Empire, and increasing control over the colonies. In the current essay, two main themes will be addressed: the above-mentioned reasons for the conflict between Britain and their U. S. colonies and the Christian nature of the Revolution. To be more precise, the proper response to the American Revolution from the Christian worldview will be discussed. The Major Causes of Conflict between Britain and their U. S. Colonies There is not just a single reason for the American Revolution. It includes some different economic, historical, political, and social causes. First of all, the American mindset played a crucial role at the beginning of the conflict. Americans believed that they should be treated the same way as Englishmen (Kelly, 2020). Moreover, the age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason also pushed the colonists to raise questions about the British Empire’s politics, religious life, and other vital aspects of life. These ideas provoked Revolution and supported America’s independent mindset. Secondly, the location of U. S. colonies contributed to their strive for independence. Considerable distance between North America and The British Empire played a significant role in the Colonists’ desire to be independent and their future success. It is clear that all aspects of daily life, such as transportation, information exchange, and other supplies, were influenced by the remote location of North America (“Factors Contributing to the American Victory,” n. d.). Thirdly, the British Empire was experiencing economic difficulties due to the high costs of the French and Indian War (Kelly, 2020). The country’s budget suffered severe damage and had to be restored. For this reason, Britain introduced new taxes and trade regulations for the colonies. Such an unfair state of affairs sparked protests and outrage in the U. S. colonies and brought Britain’s inevitable conflict even closer. Fourthly, a few years before the Revolution, Britain increased its existed control over the territories, and it resulted in rampant corruption that helped to overcome new rules established by Britain. It prompted the colonists to fight for order in their country. The American Revolution from the Christian Worldview The Christian worldview does not imply they only correct attitude towards the Revolution. It highly depends on the angle that a Christian looks at the events. For instance, Christian patriots made a significant contribution to the American Revolution by supporting the Independence movement. At the same time, Christian Tories were against the break of the colonial regime with Britain. Furthermore, some Christian people remained neutral and instead saw it as their duty to avoid any war (Davis, 1996). To my way of thinking, Christian values and beliefs mean the rejection of action in any form. Instead of conflict, these religious rules would stand for peace negotiations. Conclusion In conclusion, the American Revolution results from a series of different economic, political, historical, and social events. The reasons involve America’s freedom mindset, the financial crisis in the British Empire, the North American locations’ opportunities, and inadequate control over the colonies. Speaking of the religious aspect of the Revolution, it should be stated that Christianity took an essential role in the events, as Christian patriots actively supported the Independence movement. References Davis, D. H. (1996). How Christian was the American Revolution? Christian History, 15:2, 35-37. Web. Factors Contributing to the American Victory. (n. d.). USHistory.org. 2020, Web. Kelly, M. (2020). The root causes of the American Revolution. ThoughtCo. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
All the levels of government have responsibility for their level of care and the other two in addition and accordingly provide services at all levels. However the tertiary level happens to be the only one interested in by all. The social and infrastructural problems evolving out of the poor healthcare system have been represented as an inverted health care pyramid where the primary and secondary care are depicted as neglected (Asuzu, 2004). Health reforms have been instituted earlier in three Development Plans but none were planned or instituted well. The Third Plan (the 1970s) was more elaborate but again responsibilities were not judiciously handled at all levels (Asuzu, 2004). The drawbacks were therefore a poorly designed and delivered healthcare system: responsibilities were not shared among the three levels of government in the generation of resources, development of manpower, services for delivery and health professional manpower. There was no clear policy (Asuzu, 2004). The National Constitution needs to be changed to include clauses for sharing of health care responsibility among the three levels of government. Legislation needs to assist in defining the limits of their primary responsibility. Primary health care is the best option for reform (Asuzu, 2004). Community health professionals need to have their roles and responsibilities defined. The referral system to the secondary health care services and hospitals needs to be well organized for maximum benefit to patients. Training and retraining are essential moves. Continuing education of the politicians and community is equally essential (Asuzu, 2004). With the reforms, the stress on tertiary care would be reduced and secondary care enhanced. Community care would be revolutionized and established as the real basis of care. Health workers who are committed may be fully trained into professionals (Asuzu, 2004). Financial assistance for salary payments may be given by the State governments. Young doctors may be posted to the primary care areas. Dissemination of information on health, affordable health insurance and coordination of western and traditional medicines are the expected outcomes of health reforms (Asuzu, 2004). Reproductive health programme has been improved using the referral model for integrating family planning and HIV programmes (Chabikuli et al, 2009). Males are also addressed. However the user fee policy is pulling results down. The Government needs to reconsider it and also make plans to improve primary care. References: Asuzu, M.C. (2004). The necessity for a health systems reform in Nigeria, Journal of Community Medicine &Primary Health Care, Vol. 16 , No. 1, p. 1-3 Chabikuli, N.O., Awi, D.D., Chukwujekwu, O., Abubakar, Z., Gwrazo,U. and Ibrahim, M. et al. (2009). The use of routine monitoring and evaluation systems to referral model of family planning and HIV service integration in Nigeria. AIDS, Vol. 23 , Suppl1, p. S97-S103 | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Exchange of food is one of the types of interactions between cultures, it helps people with various backgrounds and up-bringing become more familiar with each other’s way of living, as a result the clash between cultures becomes less possible, as food is a great way to learn about unknown places bit by bit. Boundaries in the modern world are slowly being erased and due to this cultural interactions become inevitable. Unfortunately, in human society something new is not always recognized as something positive or good, many people have problems adapting to changes, instead they fight and get stressed. Sharing food is one of the initial stages of getting to know unfamiliar cultures, it helps a person get prepared for further interactions with the new culture and gradually learn to interact with this culture without a conflict. Practically thinking, national cuisine represents the essence of the culture. Traditional food of all countries and nations brings knowledge about its people’s history, social development, spiritual beliefs, geographical location, health, lifestyle and many other factors. Food serves as a significant base for developing balance in interactions between the representatives of different cultures; it helps find understanding and appreciation of each other’s values, this is why sharing food is an important aspect of an introduction to a new culture. The rate of violence in the modern world is quite high, conflicts happen for many reasons and the ways of prevention of conflicts are varied. Cross-cultural issues and misunderstandings are a common problem of the contemporary world. The improvement and maintenance of cross-cultural interactions could be accomplished though food sharing, because food represents the essence of a culture, learning about a nation’s traditional meals equals to becoming more familiar with an unknown culture. Intercultural communication is a necessary process in the modern world; this process is complicated and has many aspects. Because traditional foods are carrying the knowledge about their nation’s background, history and lifestyle, sharing food is an important stage of cross-cultural interaction aimed at bringing the representatives of various cultures closer in order to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. To my mind, these thesis statements view food as a significant aspect of contemporary life and reveal the functions of food that never occur to most people. I present food as a type of “social glue” between different cultures. I think the most effective statements are the ones that enumerate the food’s multiple meanings for the society. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
European American Heritage Presentation History & Values and worldview History * The discovery of America; * European immigration to America; * The Spanish; * The English; * The French; * The Dutch; * The Swedish; * The German; * The Scottish; * The Irish. Values and worldview * Individualism; * Free speech; * Freedom of choice; * Independence; * Self-reliance; * Confidence. The history of European Americans roots back to time when first immigrants came to the American continent. Initially, the new land was expected to give profit. However, later, it became home for people who escaped their native countries because of religious and political prosecution (“European immigration,” 2017). People who settled on American land shared similar values and worldview. Thus, they supported the principles of individualism, free speech, independence, confidence, openness, individual responsibility, etc. (Purnell, 2014). Language and communication patterns & Art and other expressive forms Language and communication patterns * Widely-spread English language; * Voice louder compared to other cultures; * Ready to share personal information; * Direct eye contact; * Orientation on future. Art and other expressive forms * Art traditions follow European patterns; * The birth of mass culture; * Assimilation of European traditions with Native American. Although there is no official language in the United States, the majority of population including European Americans speak English. Other languages popular within this population group are Spanish, French, and German. European Americans tend to be expressive and more loud than other cultures. Another specific feature in communication is their openness and readiness to share personal information. An important communication peculiarity is that Americans expect to keep a direct eye contact to show they are attentive and interested. Norms and rules, lifestyle characteristics, relationship patterns, rituals * Greeting someone for the first time with extending the right hand; * Punctuality valued both in business and daily life; * Common way to refer a person by the given name; * Only close friends or relatives are expected to touch each other; * Egalitarian family relationships; * Children are great value; * Highly encouraged autonomy in children and teenagers (Purnell, 2014). The degree of assimilation or marginalization from mainstream society * High degree of assimilation; * Identification as Americans disregarding ethnic roots; * Development of European-American culture; * Great impact of British cultural traditions; * Development of specific popular quisine. Health behavior and practices * Focus on health promotion and wellness; * Increase in personal responsibility; * High treatment compliance; * Support organ donation; * Application of advanced directives; * Interest in folk therapies; * Successful rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Differential approaches needed by health care professionals * Great attention to privacy; * Attention to low-touch culture; * Importance of direct eye contact; * Addressing people as Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., or another appropriate title on first meeting; * Full disclosure of health information to the patient. References European Immigration . (2017). Web. Purnell, L. D. (2014). Guide to culturally competent health care (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Executive Summary 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion 4. References Executive Summary Global warming poses a unique challenge to world major economies including US. Yet, current mechanisms adopted by national governments specifically United States are insufficient to prepare for the negative impacts caused by this disaster. According to (Bily, 2006), global warming is the average persistent increase in the atmospheric temperature near the earth’s surface leading to changes in global climate patterns over a given period of time. This paper is designed to address the issue of global warming and to explain two opposite point of views on its impact. Some of us might be skeptical on the topic ‘global warming’ prodigies and the potential impact it has on our economy. Without any doubt, some of the chemicals emitted to the atmosphere have extremely long term negative effects, hitherto, the federal government has no mandate to enforce compliance measures for some of these threats that can potentially harm our economy. The nation instead is relying on US Climate Change Action Plan which adopts non compulsory programs to specific market sectors to reduce these emissions. Although the impacts are always unlikely, they are plausible. The congress must therefore make a radical decision lest our children not revel the sweet ocean breeze and the cool atmosphere we are releasing today. Discussion Global warming has led to an persistent increase in average summer temperatures. The increase in temperature level has started since 1981 while the most serious and high temperature has been recorded in 1970. Even though there has been a substantial reduction in solar output while still the surface temperature has continued to rise. Nowadays summer days last longer than before besides being unbearable. In fact, in the Blue Ridge foothills on the Southeastern part of US, the temperature is always at 70s with the leaves showing their bright autumn colors. This is an evidence of global warming that has started and will continue eroding our country’s economy if not addressed in timmely manner. Occurrence of hurricanes such as Katrina will be more destructive than occurance in a year of 2005 which cost the economy over $125 billion. Increased high temperature raises the probability of drought and instigate wildfires especially in grassland and forest areas. (Bily, 2006) Global warming has led to multiple floods and droughts. Some of the latest statistics shows that floods have seriously hit 14 countries in Africa, UK, Malaysia, North Korea and the Midwest of the US, while drought and water shortages have in the past, plagued areas of the Middle East and the South Eastern US. These crucial impacts should not be ignored if we are passionate about this country. Let us not put our children’s future on the environmental limbo, when today we have the opportunity to adopt those strategies that can save the future of this nation. (Jenkins.& Jackson ,2012). First of all, global warming has serious negative effect on health of course. Greater part of North America in 2006 has experienced great heat wave leading to deaths of over 140 people including those having air conditioner installed. In 2003, the situation was worse in Europe when almost 70,000 lives were lost. Widespread outbreaks of diseases such as Malaria, dengue fever, tick borne encephalitis, have increased in the past due to alternating periods of drought and deluges. (Jenkins.& Jackson ,2012). The thickness of Arctic sea and green land ice sheets have reduced, while Antarctica had lost almost 152 cubic kilometers by 2005. All these calamities notwithstanding, we still doubt the reality of global warming. We still have some doubts in regards to the calculations made on the basis of existing data. Some of us therefore think that the increase in temperatures could be a natural occurrence. Finally some pessimists’ argue that adoption of policy on emissions and carbon production could lead to loss of jobs in the country. Despite all these, global warming is not a fiction as some of us tend to believe, it is a reality that is with us. (Haugen, Musser & Lovelace ,2010). Conclusion Scientists and other professionals have conflicting opinions on the evidence of global warming. Regardless of all these opinions, it is a fact that chemicals with extreme life times are emitted to the atmosphere, though there effects and long term impacts are not fully known. It is axiomatic to argue that there is a need for a more comprehensive research on how these emissions can be reduced or stopped. Basing on negative evidences which are presented in this paper, it is a fact that our economy will be at limbo when environmental concerns are not addressed in time. As a congress, we must think of the present and the future generation, just the way the founding fathers of United States of America laid a foundation for us. The citizens of this country have entrusted us with the power to make these solemn declaration that global warming is a disaster which must be treated with all sense of urgency it deserves. Let us think ‘favorable temperatures’, let us think ‘green environment’, and let us think of the future generation. May God bless United States of America. References Bily, C.A. (2006). Global warming, Greenhaven Press: San Diego. Haugen, D. M., Musser S., Lovelace K.,(2010). Global warming. Greenhaven press:Detroit. Jenkins, A.& Jackson R. (2012). Global climate change:How do we know? National Aerotics and Space Administration. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Black Lives Matter and Social Justice Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Black Lives Matter protests of 2016, which stirred the whole nation, reignited mainstream media interest for the movement and started a discourse on race and police violence on Twitter and other social media platforms (Rickford; Carney 181). Even though all lives matter, one cannot ignore social issues that declaratively make the tragic deaths of African-Americans in police shootings a systemic problem. This paper aims to discuss policing practices in America and how they relate to the issues of social justice. Discussion The inspirational and reaffirming Twitter hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter has emerged as a response to the status quo that has crippled racial justice proponents in their struggle against police misconduct. Philando Castile’s case is a perfect example of what Leovy refers to as the ghetto side (3). Castile was a 32-year-old African-American male who was fatally shot by a police officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop (Berman). Despite fury and outrage that swept across the country as a response to the incident, the officer was acquitted of all charges. Sadly, it is not a single case of police brutality; rather, police-involved shootings have turned into a tragic trend. According to Leovy, even though African-American males represent only 6 percent of the US population, “nearly 40 percent of those murdered” (14). The Identity Compass exercise has helped me to understand that having been raised in a middle-class family, I am an extremely privileged individual who is not capable of relating to the daily struggles of less-fortunate people. That is why I try to pay as much attention to minority victim cases as possible. Also, my Muslim identity, which is framed by global developments, is often perceived by prejudiced people as a threat. Therefore, I am especially interested in the promotion of the social movement, Black Lives Matter, that represents a struggle for saving the lives and dignity of a traditionally marginalized group in the US—African Americans. The Ta-Nehisi Coates video on police violence shows that African-American communities live in perpetual fear for the safety of their children. The writer featured in the video states that given that police who are being paid to protect people often inflict lethal harm upon African-Americans, “the threat of violence is always there” (“Ta-Nehisi Coates”). Ta-Nehisi Coates tells a story of his friend, Prince Jones, who has been shot and killed by the Prince George’s County police. The writer reveals that he has been incapable of distancing himself from the horrific incident, which shows that fear is a part of the African-American experience (“Ta-Nehisi Coates”). It can be argued that #BlackLivesMatter campaign on Twitter helps to promote awareness around issues of social justice. Social media is a new public platform that has proved to be extremely effective in fighting against the normalization of violence against African-Americans. This new public sphere has helped to engage many people in the discussion of police brutality as well as organize protests. It is extremely important since even the least privileged members of American society have been able to use Twitter to oppose many issues associated with structural inequality. Conclusion The paper has helped me to better understand the daily struggles of African-Americans who have to live in perpetual fear for the safety of their children and close ones. I have also realized that the Black Lives Matter campaign is a response to systematic police brutality that has claimed the lives of many people of color. Works Cited Berman, Mark. “Minn. Officer Acquitted in Shooting of Philando Castile During Traffic Stop, Dismissed from Police Force.” The Washington Post . Carney, Nikita. “All Lives Matter, but so Does Race: Black Lives Matter and the Evolving Role of Social Media.” Humanity & Society , vol. 40, no. 2, 2016, pp. 180-199. Leovy, Jill. Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America . Spiegel & Grau, 2015. Rickford, Russell. “Black Lives Matter: Toward a Modern Practice of Mass Struggle.” New Labor Forum , vol. 25, no. 1, 2016, pp. 34-42. “Ta-Nehisi Coates on Police Brutality: ‘ The Violence is not New, it’s the Cameras That are New .’” Democracy Now. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Food Work in the Family and Gender Aspects of Food Choice Essay In contemporary society distribution of the work about the house remains traditional “Family food work is highly asymmetrical; women almost always do the majority (or all) of the work” (“Food Work in the Family ” 9). Things have not changed a lot. The previous lessons reveal the main ideas of that distribution and add some additional information about the appreciated appearance of a man and a woman, the way people take it and how society influences the determination criteria of being a good man or a woman. Social appreciation of a slim woman leads to some obvious results “52% of girls begin dieting before age 14” (“Women, Food, and Body Image” p. 19). Women became obsessed with the idea of being thin which was enforced by society. Similar processes occur to men. However, they are more concerned about the notion which “is said to be the ‘masculine ideal’” (Newcombe, McCarthy, Cronin and McCarthy 392). Society has strict demands for men, offering special patterns of behavior which prohibit such things as dieting, health food and some other notions. This fact results in rising level of mens problems with health, however media still continues talking about these ideals. Having analyzed the information given, it is possible to come to certain conclusions. First of all it deals with the allocation of the food work. Facts show that women “perceive their disproportionate contribution to foodwork and other household work as fair” (Beagan, Chapman, D’Sylva and Bassett 655). There are several reasons for such belief, such as lower paid working hours, presence of a free time and traditional recognition of the work about the house as womans work. There are, however some mens attempts to share this duties with women but they are also of doubtful nature as usually woman is this person “who keeps an entire plan in mind” (DeVault 139) and it is difficult for man to understand her. Moreover, she chooses to cook herself as she can control the dishes and prepare something especially for her. It can be the part of her diet, as usually women are dissatisfied with their bodies, no matter how old they are and they have to keep to a diet (Paquette and Raine 1047). Things go easier with men as they just eat everything and if they cook, they prefer to make dishes not taking into account tastes of the family or some other aspects of the food. They just make dishes which are nutritious and correspond with the idea of masculinity. Having obtained a lot of information about the issue of the work distribution in a family and gender aspects which predetermine a food choice, it is possible to understand the main idea which is appreciated in society and how people try to follow it. Being a part of contemporary society, men and women are affected by mass media which creates some ideal image of a man and a woman. They are not able to ignore it. That is why women prefer to eat healthier and low-cal food in order to have a slim figure. This fact also makes them cook, as they believe they would create more useful food. Men however, choose some harmful products in order to underline their masculinity and studied indifference to questions connected with their health. This influence their number of deaths and life length. However, even these two notions are the part of the masculine ideal which man try to follow. Our society influences greatly the choice of the food we eat. Works Cited Beagan, Brenda, Gwen Chapman, Andrea D’Sylva and B. Raewyn Bassett. “It’s Just Easier for Me to Do It: Rationalizing the Family Division of Foodwork”. Sociology 42.4 (2008): 653-671. Print. DeVault, Marjorie. “Conflict and deference”. Feeding the Family: The Social Organization of Caring as Gendered Work . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp.138-163.. Print Food Work in the Family. 2014. Newcombe, Mark, Mary McCarthy, James Cronin and Sinead N. McCarthy. “‘Eat like a man’. A social constructionist analysis of the role of food in men’s lives” Appetite . 59(2012): 391-398. Print. Paquette, Marie-Claude and Kim Raine. “Sociocultural context of women’s body image”. Social Science and Medicine. 59.5 (2004): 1047-1058. Print. Women, Food, and Body Image. 2014. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
The Unilever Company Global Business Research Paper Company Profile “What is our business?” Unilever is a global business that specializes in production of food and beverages, home, health and personal care products (“Introduction to Unilever”). “Who are our customers?” Unilever operates globally: the company offers goods for consumers who live on all continents of the World (170 countries worldwide). Due to a broad range of goods, customers with different buying capacity purchase products of Unilever. “What do our customers want?” The company’s customers expect high-quality, safe goods that meet their expectations and needs. “What should our business be?” Despite substantial scale of operation, the company plans to grow and gain competitive advantages. Unilever works to create the image of a strong, socially responsible company that cares for its customers, environment and the society. Strengths The company operates worldwide and is well-known to their current and potential customers. The company’s brand portfolio is very broad (400 brands) (“Introduction to Unilever”). During the years of its operation, Unilever has set favorable relations with its suppliers and retailers. Substantial volume of production gives opportunity to benefit from economy of scale and thus get a competitive advantage in price. Company is willing to carry out research and improve its products (ibid.) Weaknesses Several indicators of the company’s operation demonstrate negative tendency. In 2010, turnover (2010 to 2009) shows growth in Asia and Africa (20.8 per cent), North and South America 17.3 per cent); however, in Western Europe, the growth is absent (0.0 per cent) (“Q3 2010 Results Announcement” 12). The indicators of trading work capital turnover and free cash flow growth are negative (“Q3 2010 Results Presentation” 27). Besides, the gross margin change in the third quarter is -120 bps (12). Market value growth is negative on both developed and emerging markets (6). The company has difficulties with promoting its social responsibilities: the company is criticized by its former workers and Greenpeace for “dirty” production and insufficient care for its employees and environment (Greenpeace). Opportunities The needs of consumers evolve, and the company has opportunities for developing new products and advancing the existing brands. Healthy products become more and more in demand, and the company has opportunity to “conquer” this niche. The economies of many developing countries demonstrated rapid growth; the company’s emerging markets now demonstrate rapid growth (“Q3 2010 Results Announcement” 12), which also creates attractive opportunities for it. Threats Competition becomes tougher and tougher; the threat comes from both competing global companies and local retailers’ brands (The Economist). SO Strategies As the company is global, it may manage its brands globally. Unilever should develop innovative health products and offer them on developed markets where consumers’ requirements are high and where the company’s growth has stopped. The company may prolong old brands’ life cycle on the emerging markets where the economic growth takes place. WO Strategies Unilever should intensify its operation on the emerging markets to improve the indicators of its activity and conquer market share. The company should produce healthy goods and improve its image as the environmentally-friendly company, as this is what a modern consumer is oriented on. ST Strategies Being a global company, Unilever should use its competitive advantages when competing with other companies. The company should study the market and the offers of its competitors (global companies and retailers) to develop a competitive strategy. The company should intensify activity on emerging markets in order to conquer leading positions on them. WT Strategies The company should optimize its financial strategy to improve the indicators of its operation. To compete with global and local companies, the company can put effort into marketing and compete in price. Conclusion Despite existing weaknesses and threats, the company has significant potential for growth. To compete successfully and meet customers’ requirements, the company should offer health innovative products to the developed markets; it should intensify its activity on the emerging markets, as there are significant prospects of growth there. The company should carry out marketing research and marketing campaigns. Company Profile: Operation in 170 countries worldwide, 400 brands, specializes in food and beverages, health, personal and home care products. Strengths – S * Operation worldwide * Well-known to the customers Weaknesses – W * Broad brand-portfolio * Negative tendency in financial indicators * Good relations with retailers and suppliers * Difficulty with social responsibilities (ex-workers, Greenpeace) * Economy of scale * Research and innovation Opportunities – O SO Strategies * Consumers’ evolving needs * Development of innovative healthy products WO Strategies * Demand for health products * Expansion of operation on the emerging markets * Expansion of activity on the emerging markets * Economic growth of developing countries * Prolongation of products’ life cycle on the emerging markets * Maintenance of Unilever’s image of an environmentally-friendly company that produces health goods * Emerging markets grow Threats – T ST Strategies WT Strategies * Competition with other global companies * Expansion of operation on the emerging markets * Optimization of financial strategy * Competition with local retailers’ brands * Marketing research, innovations * Price competition * Intense marketing References Greenpeace. “Unilever Admits Toxic Dumping: Will Clean Up but Not Come Clean.” U.K. Web. The Economist. “ Path to No Growth. ” 2004. Web. Unilever. “Q3 2010 Results Announcement.” 2010. Web. Unilever. “Q3 2010 Results Presentation.” 2010. Web. Unilever. “Introduction to Unilever.” Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Browning Reactions Explained Essay Table of Contents 1. Enzymatic Browning Reaction 2. Millard Reaction 3. Caramelization 4. Ascorbic acid Reaction Browning reactions occur when proteins or amino acids react with carbohydrates in the presence of heat. It is generally used to sear or brown a piece of meat, fish, poultry, toasted bread, dried fruits, gravy mixes, franks with bean etc. Browning reactions are useful for getting characteristic flavors, aromas, and brown colour for many cooked foods. It is desirable that the food surface should exceed 300 0 F to obtain proper brown crust. They are two types of browning reactions – enzymatic and non-enzymatic. Non-enzymatic browning reactions are further divided in to three types: * Millard Reaction * Caramelization * Ascorbic acid Reaction Enzymatic Browning Reaction It is also called phenolase or enzymatic-catalytic oxidation browning. It is more common in fruits and vegetables that contain phenolase, and the reaction commonly takes place at the cut surface. The color change occurs due to the oxidation of phenols to orthoquines and further polymerization resulting in the formation of brown pigment or melanins. The process involves hydroxylation followed by oxidation. Hydroxylation of monophenols is the slow and rate determining step in the reaction. Phenolase is active at pH 5-7 and is irreversibly inactivated at pH lower than 3. Millard Reaction It is the reaction of free amino groups like amines, amino acids, peptides and proteins with reducing sugars in the presence of heat and during storage. It was first described by Louis Millard in 1912. While the advantages of the reaction are caramel aromas, taste and golden brown appearance of foods, the disadvantages include food darkness and off-flavor development. The cyclization /dehydration of deoxyosones is responsible for flavor production. Though colour development is desirable for foods like bread, soy sauce, milk chocolate, coffee, and roasted and grilled meat; it is undesirable for items like dehydrated potatoes, egg powder, corn starch, and dried foods like milk and fruits. It may sometimes be undesirable for roasted and grilled meat also. Generation of anti nutritional and toxic compounds, destruction of essential amino acids, lysine in particular, and reduced digestibility of food proteins are further disadvantages. The rate of colour formation can be decreased by reducing the pH. Though it is difficult to find out the effect of temperature as a single variable, the general activation energy ranges as 10-160KJ/mole. Caramelization It occurs in fruits and vegetables that have natural sugars. It is the oxidation of sugars resulting in nutty flavor and brown color formation. While the flavor and color add essence to items like coffee and beer, they may also result in ‘burnt-sugar’ smell at times. Temperature of 100 0 C and the presence of organic acid or base catalysts are necessary for caramelization. The reaction can be prevented by avoiding high temperature processing and low storage temperatures. Ascorbic acid Reaction The reaction in the presence of ascorbic acid oxidase gives rise to disagreeable brown precipitate and flat flavor. It generally occurs in citrus juices. The reaction takes place at low pH and elevated temperatures. It causes discoloration and loss of nutritional value for the processed food item. In general, water has a reducing effect on the overall rate of browning reaction, through inhibition of certain steps in the process and dilution of reactive components. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Discussion Procedures of Questions in Teaching Essay Teachers who use questions efficiently can confirm to the fact that students become more interested and keenly involved with learning when they feel free to express their thinking skills and when they can question, examine, and argue about different aspects of the topic within reach. In line with this, questioning is an important part of teaching because of its possibility to fuel students thinking and learning. According to Jackie Acree Walsh, and Beth Dankert Sattes (2004), teachers could use questions for the following purposes, all of which are relevant to direct instruction: 1. To increase interest and motivate students to become aggressively involved; 2. To assess students’ activity and verify on homework or classroom work; 3. To build up critical thinking skills and inquiring attitudes; 4. To evaluate and review prior lessons; 5. To raise insights by exposing new relationships; 6. To evaluate success of instructional goals and objectives; 7. To encourage students to pursue knowledge on their own (p.3) Questioning forms an essential part of most strategies for efficient teaching. It is an important module of teacher clarity (Hines, Cruickshank, & Kennedy, 1985) because it is a means by which teachers can gain feedback on learner understanding. Questioning can be used to keep the students on task and to support them to engage in meaningful learning. Questioning can be a vehicle for introducing variety into lessons, and a means of enabling even slow learners to experience some success in their learning. Feedback is essential to learning and/or improving proficiencies. Feedback can reveal learners’ strengths, discover areas needing improvement, and concentrate on ways to improve learners’ performance. With the aim of providing a valuable feedback during classroom discussions, teachers use the method of probing which is generally regarded as one distinct feature of questioning. Probing is the method of seeking explanation or more information when a learner attempts to answer a question. For example, a teacher could ask learners to clarify or justify their answer, or to give more details on it, or to be more specific. Probing learners in order to get good feedback is the greatest result on student success when it is part of a cycle of attempting to explain answer, asking for additional information, and redirecting the question to another student. Follow-up question is one that probes the response to either a basic or supporting question. It is used by teachers to draw out additional responses from the students. Using follow-up questions is the most effective strategy a teacher has to make sure that responsibility for advancing and evaluating arguments in the discussion remains with the students. Follow-up questions act as a useful tool for the teacher to direct “traffic” during a classroom discussion. A good teacher listens keenly, looking for correlations between the responses offered by the students. Follow-up questions are used to make those relationships perceptible to the students and to explore their meaning. As a result, follow-up questions provide a way for the teacher to get the students to talk to one another. B. The importance of using a climate that encourages students to ask further questions and compare opinions, knowledge, and experiences with others, is that, supportive climate allows or encourages students to ask further questions and compare opinions, knowledge, and experiences with others (Martin, Myers, & Mottet, 1999). Though, this should not be seen as an obstacle, but as a way of enhancing teaching. Another important part of this is getting students to feel that their views and feelings will be respected by the teachers and by other students. It also helps students to feel secure in order to be willing to express ideas that may trigger disagreement and criticism. Reference List Hines, C. V., Cruickshank, D. R., & Kennedy, J. J. (1985). Teacher clarity and its relationship to student achievement and satisfaction. American Educational Research Journal 22(1), 87-99. Martin, M. M., Myers, S. A., & Mottet, T. P. (1999). Students’ motives for communicating with their instructors. Communication Education , 48(2), 15. Sattes, B. D., and Walsh, J. A. (2004). Quality Questioning: Research-Based Practice to Engage Every Learner. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
It is obvious that the times when wars dragged on for decades have already passed, now states wanted to get results in a few years. It became clear that it was impossible to achieve victories and the necessary advantage with human resources alone. Many types of weapons had already been invented before the outbreak of hostilities, so many states were allowed to test their technologies on the front line. In this case, we are talking about submarines, gas weapons, planes, and tanks. Nevertheless, it is worth admitting that they had virtually no impact on the course of the war because its outcome was still decided by human resources (William, 2020). The technologies and their increased range were still raw and unfinished, so they proved extremely unsuccessful on the European front. After the end of the war, the states did not abandon new types of weapons, despite their failure, because only with them they can maintain the balance of power on the world stage. It was necessary to abandon only chemical weapons, which are perceived as weapons of mass destruction (William, 2020). These changes were necessary because no one wanted to take the lives of millions of people every time for the sake of someone’s policy. For the United States, it also turned out to be a strong impetus for the development of weapons technologies. Already before the outbreak of World War II, they had a great military potential, which allowed them not only to fight themselves but also to provide military assistance to allied countries. Reference William, K. S. (2020). The First World War: A Concise Global History . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
“The Parable of the Sadhu” by Bowen McCoy Essay “The Parable of the Sadhu”, where Bowen McCoy narrates a curious encounter with an Indian holy man in the high altitudes of the dangerous Himalayan passes, provides us with much food for thought. The incident makes us realize that humanity in distress should always be lent a supporting hand, no matter what the cost. If every individual is concerned only with his own narrow self-interests, and then there is little hope indeed for humanity in general. However, there are also cases when the individual might actually want to take some corrective action but is unable to do so because of a lack of support from his group or community. The desertion of the Sadhu by the various mountaineering groups occurred because they had no common consensus; each group was too busy to chart its path to success to look after a half-dead vagrant. My analysis of the text makes me think that McCoy should have acted on the spot and tried to convince his group to help the Sadhu, instead of theorizing about it from a safe distance. Decisions really matter when they are taken in times of extreme stress; these are the decisions, which reveal the true characters of individuals or groups. (McCoy, 104, 13) It is a classic case where both the group and the individuals who made up the group failed pitiably. Only Stephen was willing to shoulder any responsibility, and he too had to desist in the face of stiff opposition from the other trekkers. The message, which comes across, is that it is more important to achieve feats of success, rather than attend ailing humanity. McCoy describes an efficient manager to be “action-oriented”, and possessing a “strong sense of purpose”. Such a description, however, turns the manager into a mere corporate machine, divesting him of his individual beliefs. In my opinion, an ideal manager must not only function for the benefit of the company; he should also be aware of the sacrifices, which have to be made at times for the greater good of humankind. (McCoy, 106, 10) Managers who often change their jobs have been termed as “fungible managers” by McCoy, but I wonder why? Do the managers need to be permeated with the value system of a particular organization before they can perform reasonably well? Again, this concept seeks to transcend individual values in favor of unchangeable corporate cultures. In my opinion, every individual should have a right to voice his own perspective and if his opinions were worthy enough, even the corporate house would ultimately stand to gain. On the contrary, if the organization with narrow interests proves to be unsavory to worthy managers, they may feel the need to migrate from one company to another, before they eventually find the right working atmosphere. (McCoy, 106, 14) McCoy reasons that people are most interested in achieving peaks and preserving selfish goals rather than exploring the lower paths. As such, even in corporate houses, if managers bailout in times of crisis, the organization itself would be at stake. This opinion is reasonable enough and seeks to establish a culture of mutual understanding among the individuals and the group or establishment. However, I feel that, if the individual feels that a certain deed is imperative for the good of humanity, he should have the courage to go against the group. (McCoy, 108, 1) Perfect managers are individuals who can balance concepts of morality and strategic success. Both the individual and the group should help humanity in distress. In the larger scheme of life, development can come only through the sacrifice of narrow self-interests. Works Cited McCoy, Bowen H; Parable of the Sadhu; Harvard Business Review; 1983; Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Increasing of Globalization in the Contemporary Era Essay Globalization is a contemporary term that refers to the processes and procedures employed in an effort to integrate all nations across the globe through the exchange of ideas, culture and various products. Evidently, there has been increased globalization across nations in the contemporary era in a bid to derive associated significances or benefits. The final result of the entire process of globalization is the worldwide exchange of both natural and cultural resources among nations. Globalization is achieved through the development and advancement in the key sectors of the world economy, such as technology, culture and the political systems. On the other hand, international strategy is one of the most vital plans employed by many companies and firms conducting international business. The strategy entails the development of alliances among the business firms as inter-firm collaboration operating within a particular economic space in specific period of time. This greatly boosts and facilitates the achievement of the alliance’s goals and ambitions. Full realization or the attainment of international strategy involves three major approaches. These include global, transnational and the multi-domestic approaches. The three approaches have own differences in the manner of operations. Global approaches to strategic management involve the eradication of many barriers that existed between many nations thus offering hindrances to international business activities majorly during the latest half of the 20 th century. Through the removal of such barriers, many nations acquired and benefited form a competitive advantage. There has been great success in nations where global strategies are fully understood and applied besides the operations and dynamics of global industries and competition respectively. Therefore, it is important for managers to have a deeper comprehension of the global strategies and their applicability within nations and industries. Global strategy is advantageous to the nations since they benefit from economies of scale owing to the access to more market opportunities. In addition to market opportunities, the nations are able to exploit another nation’s resources, such as labor and raw materials for industrial development. There exists an extension in the product life cycle as well as operational flexibility, which involves a shift in the cost of production for various commodities across the globe. On the other hand, global strategy faces the risk from the diversification of macroeconomics since some business cycles lack a perfect correlation in some countries. Due to the diversity in the environmental operations, operational risks also put a major challenge to the success of the strategy. Transnational approach to international strategy in globalization involves the process of transcending the boundaries of a nation. As opposed to the past business periods when globalization has been majorly dominated by the large enterprises, technologic affordability has greatly empowered the smaller enterprises to take an active part in the exploration of the global markets. Organizations that have adopted the use of transnational approach to globalization have enjoyed competitive advantage as opposed to the other organizations waging their competitions over the domestic markets. The advantages associated with transnational strategy include wider access to the global markets as well as flexibility. However, language barrier still remains one of the greatest challenge across the globe. Multi domestic strategies entail a set of business plans that are in use by organizations, which run their business activities in a number of countries at a time. The approaches usually differ in every country of operation. A multi domestic company must carefully choose its markets in every country with reference to the available market gaps thus enjoying a competitive advantage. However, one of the greatest challenges of this strategy is the language barrier, which hinders effective communication in the host countries. The three levels of IT use in organizations occur as operational, decision making and strategic management. Operational levels of IT use may be employed in the day to day running of basic operations within the organization, such as accounts and finance management record keeping. The use of IT in the process of decision making may be employed in the human resource management through development and research. IT use in the strategic management is important in the design or development of records regarding changes in the product design procedures. Tacit knowledge refers to the information that people carry in their minds and that may not be easily accessible in a moment of need. This type of knowledge should be rarely shared with others due to inability to fully share the information contained in mind. On the other hand, explicit knowledge refers to the documented or coded information. Such knowledge can be easily shared with the others due to its full accessibility. Flexible manufacturing is beneficial to the organizations since it maximizes profits. The approach ensures that manufacturing industries diversify in their production in order to trap full market demand. Similarly, mass customization also plays a major role in profit maximization due to the fact that the entire production process aims at responding primarily to the needs of the market. Ethics and the four forces of ethical decision making, such as the personal ethics and the organizational ethics, are important in the maintenance of mutual responsibility and order within the premises of the organization and in discharge of duties or services. The maintenance of proper ethical standards within the organization ensures professionalism due to which the duties are carried out hence promoting the cordial relationship inside and outside of the organization. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Safety and Older Drivers Dilemma Essay Numerous car crashes happen every day. It is known that older drivers are often more cautious. However, numerous accidents occur because of age-related factors. Some seniors should not be allowed to drive, and they are extremely dangerous on the road. This is an extremely hard topic for discussion because the government cannot limit the rights of seniors. However, necessary measures should be taken to ensure that no tragedies happen. Older adults should pass numerous tests to make sure that they are capable of driving. The issue is that some seniors indeed have problems with reaction times. Also, some do not know what to do in certain situations on the road. A study has shown that some older drivers were unable to recognize possible hazards (Scialfa et. al. 227). Another problem is that cases of problems with memory are common among the elderly. Many are unable to recall the events after an accident. Research has shown that many seniors have reduced understanding of their driving capabilities (Rapoport et. al. 292). Another problem is that some medicines affect driving (Edwards 8). Older adults use drugs much more often. Some medications significantly reduce reaction times and cause drowsiness. However, driving is crucial for some seniors. It is especially true for those who do not have many relatives to help them with shopping. In conclusion, the rules to keep the license for older drivers should be much stricter. The government should review current policies. Most seniors are excellent drivers. However, they should take tests each year because most accidents are preventable. Their safety and the safety of other drivers is of utmost importance. Works Cited Edwards, Sue. “Dilemma of Keeping Older Drivers Safe.” Nursing Older People 24.7 (2012): 8. Rapoport, Mark J., Gary Naglie, Kelly Weegar, Anita Myers, Duncan Cameron, Alexander Crizzle, Nicol Korner-Bitensky, Holly Tuokko, Brenda Vrkljan, Michel Bédard, Michelle M. Porter, Barbara Mazer, Isabelle Gélinas, Malcolm Man-Son-Hing, and Shawn Marshall. “The Relationship between Cognitive Performance, Perceptions of Driving Comfort and Abilities, and Self-reported Driving Restrictions among Healthy Older Drivers.” Accident Analysis & Prevention 61 (2013): 288-295. Scialfa, Charles T., Micheline C. Deschênes, Jennifer D. Ference, Jessica Boone, Mark S. Horswill, and Mark Wetton. “Hazard Perception in Older Drivers.” International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics 1.3 (2012): 221-233. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
It narrates the tale of a great journey that was made by the famous traveler Ibn Battuta across the world in search of answers that were evasive at the time. The rihla of Ibn Battuta bears high value as a primary source since it gives people the ability to gain insight into history which is considered as a dynamic unit. This is mainly because Ibn Battuta offers eyewitness accounts from the past eras that many scholars as well as historians struggle to recreate from less credible sources. Ibn Battuta provides the world of history with a wide-ranging outlook of the situation of the world in the fourteenth century. Ibn Battuta’s rihla covers a wide array of topics ranging from the recovery of the Iranians as the literary principals of the Middle East region to the goings-on of the Venetian merchants, right up to the disintegration of the Byzantium. The manuscript also passes on a lot more information to readers regarding politics of the region as well as business affairs and religious matters. Ibn Battuta exposes a world that was slowly coming out of the Mongol calamity whereby the tribes of Mongol had come together and conquered the region with an empire that had far reaching powers. These powers were felt all the way from China right up to Europe. Ibn Battuta also teaches us about favoritism in trade by revealing the fact that Europeans had “long since eliminated Muslim shipping from the eastern Mediterranean” (139). Ibn Battuta can also teach the present day people that the 14 th century was full of the divide and rule mentality. This is well elaborated when he stated that: To the forested uplands in the northwest he (the Khan of Kipchak) sent his cavalry to collect annual tribute from the Christian princes of Russia and orchestrated their dynamic affairs to keep them weak and divided. He further states that in the Slavic southwest he intervened when it suited him in the affairs of the kingdom of Bulgaria. (161) Most rulers went on killing sprees in a quest to conquer the world. This basically implies that there were blueprints or patterns of trade and commerce as well as regimes that were so much alike the world over, that it made no difference whether the topic revolved around Africa, Europe or China. But most importantly, Ibn Battuta makes people understand clearly the commercial, cultural as well as political interactions that occurred at the time. Ibn Battuta rihla is useful as a primary source since it is a word of mouth account that exemplifies the issues that affected the world as a whole in the fourteenth century. Some of the limitations that Ibn Battuta encountered as a primary source are the fact that for most of the period prior to the nineteenth century, translation proved to be a serious challenge that Ibn Battuta faced in the course of his travels. He was quite renowned among the Islamic scholars and in medieval history in general although no scholar had attempted to recount his tales to the world at large. The story would be a captivating one for a non-specialist who may have some curiosity in medieval Islam. This would be very different from the modern day reader who is bound to get confused and find the scriptures unintelligible. If Ibn Battuta had been able to get his writings translated in the era that he travelled, almost everything that has been inevitably left out due to natural circumstances such as forgetting or overlooking an occurrence may have been documented and passed on to the world for everyone to read and understand. Some other limitations are shown by the fact that Ibn Battuta returned from his journeys and recounted his tale from memory which made his word of mouth the sole source of information since he did not make entries of any sort into a book in the course of his journeys. Several instances were identified where he allegedly used hearsay from others to try and relay his journeys. Apparently, Ibn Battuta had read passages from previous scriptures that he had come across on regions such as Mecca and Medina. Claims abound that the scriptures that he used were jotted by other travelers who had been to the regions and noted down their experiences which he just used. All of these allegations cast a shadow on doubt about the authenticity of his narrations. A historian can attempt to bring the adventures of Ibn Battuta to the general reading community and construe it within the affluent, trans-hemispheric literary background of times gone by in the Islam dominated regions. Historians can also minimize the flaws in Ibn Battuta’s rihla by ensuring that Ibn Battuta gets as famous as the other European travelers such as Marco Polo and enlightening the readers with a clearer and much more panoramic vista of the things that influenced the world, especially Africa and Eurasia in the period of the fourteenth century. Work Cited Dunn, Ross E. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century . California: University of California Press, 1986. Print. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Human Resource Management and Conflict Resolution Essay (Article) Schumann, P. L. (2011). A moral principles framework for human resource management ethics. Human Resource Management Review, 11 (1–2), 93–111 Summary In this article, Schumann (2011) argues that analyzing ethical issues in HRM is a legitimate and important tool for increasing the capacity to understand humans in an organization. It is also important in solving any conflict arising between individuals at the workplace. According to the author, the theory of ethical relativism should not be used in searching and developing moral principles, especially when managing human-human relationships in an organization. The article presents a comprehensive framework that managers should use to make judgements about HRM ethics, with a clear consideration of human behaviour. In particular, the article emphasizes on the 20 th century ethical theories such as utilitarian, rights, and care and virtue ethics. Using these theories, the author attempts to describe HRM strategies as some of the most important tools for managing conflicts in an industrial setting, suggesting that this tool provides organization leaders with an effective way of solving organizational conflicts. Critique Within the scope of the study, the author has chosen an important and debatable topic because human resource management is one of the most important issues affecting all institutions in the modern world. In fact, it is worth noting that various theories, models and suggestions have been proposed to determine the most effective way of managing people in organizations. This phenomenon has created an extensive debate within the scope of application of strategic HRM in modern industries. While these studies and suggestions are numerous, it is worth noting that the author’s argument seems to discuss a topic that is highly debatable yet unsatisfied by the existing knowledge. Thus, the author’s topic is justified and is worth empirical analysis. Nevertheless, the author fails to introduce a comprehensive study question, despite showing that the main research problem is ‘whether application of moral framework in HRM could be used to understand human behaviour in an organizational environment and how this can be used to resolve conflicts’ (.Schumann, 2011). Secondly, the author does not make a comprehensive hypothesis, which renders the article less concise with conventional research protocols. Despite this, the author has effectively developed an informative argument that is worth analysing in this paper. The author’s choice of methodology is also worth analysing. First, it is clear that the author does not specify the type of research method used. Nevertheless, it is clear that the study is an empirical review of existing literature in a descriptive, rather than quantitative manner. As such, it is clear that the author majorly relies on the information obtained from previous studies. Specifically, it is based on a wide area of management such as HRM, conflict management and organizational leadership. Within the context of the argument, it is clear that author wanted to dispute the theory of ethical relativism in HRM. Instead, the author upraises the application of moral principles when managing people in organizations. The author also argues that the application of a moral framework through analysis of “ethics of deception” to the employees about the nature of the workplace is an effective tool of understanding and managing human behaviour. However, the author has failed to consider that his argument is only applicable in some industries or organizations, such as those operating in hazardous environments, like chemical manufacturing. In essence, this argument cannot hold true in other industries or organizations with lower levels of hazards. Reference Schumann, P. L. (2011). A moral principles framework for human resource management ethics. Human Resource Management Review, 11 (1–2), 93–111 | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
800 Supporters of Sal Castro March on School Board Essay (Book Review) The primary source that is to be analyzed in the paper is the article called “800 Supporters of Sal Castro March on School Board”. The author, Ruben Salazar, was the first Mexican-American reporter working for Los Angeles Times (where he published the present text). The source does not contain any official documentation on the case; yet, it describes real court proceedings. The publication date is October 7, 1969, shortly after Sal Castro, who was a public school teacher in the East Los Angeles School, inspired his students to take part in the student movement (“blowout”) in order to express their protest against discrimination of Mexicans in educational institutions. The culture of the region, which was characterized by deeply rooted racial prejudices, triggered the Chicano walkouts. The main issue described in the article is the rally organized by Sal Castro’s supporters to protest against the transfer of the teacher. The major problem that caused this reaction of the general public was that, according to the chairman of the board-created Mexican-American Education Commission, “assigning Castro to a downtown job while the board of review was studying the case, a board rule had been violated”, which the court denied (Salazar, 1969, para. 6). It is rather difficult to make conclusions on the position of the author since he does not develop any personal point in the article. The language of it is rather neutral: Salazar avoids any kind of judgment on Castro’s actions and personality, calling him a “controversial teacher” (Salazar, 1969, para. 1). However, knowing that the author himself is Mexican, it is still possible to trace some evaluative points. For instance, he stresses the fact that the marchers were peaceful even though they seemed unfriendly to the court (Salazar, 1969). Such close attention to details is the most demonstrative example to prove that the source is credible. The intended audience of the article is rather broad. It is written in the form of a brief report without any discussion of the issue. The prestige of the newspaper ensures accuracy and reliability of the information provided. However, it produces rather a negative impact on the rhetorical strategy. Salazar was limited in expressive means; that is why he totally refrained from any radical statements (“controversial teacher”, “alleged conspiracy”) (Salazar, 1969, para. 3). It is likely that Salazar prepared the document because he was tasked to update the population of the region with the latest news on the case. The occasion for its creation was the rally itself, which was unprecedentedly large in scale (involving 800 people). The biography of the author allows assuming that he was far from being indifferent to the movement (he died being struck by a tear-gas projectile during the National Chicano Moratorium Marched organized to protest against the military actions in Vietnam). That is why communicating the problem to the population, he surely realized that the success of the struggle was at stake. There is no evidence in the text that he was among the supporters of Sal Castro as otherwise it could have been heavily censored. This source is important if one analyzes it in the historical context due to the fact that the case of Sal Castro put the beginning of a nationwide struggle against segregation. Even though the author could not motivate people to join the movement, he provided details on the injustices made to the teacher even before the case was adjudged in court. This could not help evoking response in people’s hearts. Emotional involvement is one of the determining issues in any kind of social or political struggle. Reference Salazar, R. (1960). 800 supporters of Sal Castro march on school board . Los Angeles Times. Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation Essay The modern society has a great need for educated people who will be able to promote its development and contribute to the evolution of various significant phenomena. That is why the increased importance of education and the high level of demands of young specialists could be considered the main trend of the modern world. The rapid changes in the behavioral patterns and the blistering development of technologies conditioned the necessity to reconsider outdated approaches and initiate the change process to attain success. Moreover, the process of educator preparation became crucial under the modern conditions as it guarantees the high level of the acquired knowledge and the great level of competence ( History of CAEP , n.d). In these regards, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) could be considered an important organization that guarantees the significant improvement of the educational sphere and contributes to the shift of priorities towards new and innovative education ( Vision, Mission, & Goals , n.d.). CAEP performs an important function and tends to engage numerous specialists in various activities aimed at the improvement of the competence ( Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting , n.d.). Yet, CAEP is concerned about excellence in educator preparation. The given aspect is crucial for modern society as it contributes to its development greatly. That is why its activity is closely related to the significant improvement of the state of the given sphere. The organization also promotes excellent educator preparation “through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning”. ( Vision, Mission, & Goals , n.d., para. 5) This mission results in the establishment of certain goals needed to attain success and guarantee a high level of competence. Besides, there are also six strategic goals. First, CAEP tends to raise the bar in educator preparation by promoting high standards that rely on evidence-based measures of performance ( Vision, Mission, & Goals , n.d). Second, CAEP also supports educators in their desire to align continuous improvement and facilitates the given process. Third, the organization also tends to promote innovations and create the conditions beneficial for the research activity. Moreover, it increases accreditations value by introducing important shifts to the whole program. CAEP also model excellence and suggests various ways to accreditation ( About the CAEP Standards for Advanced Programs , n.d.). Finally, it conditions the significant improvement of various practices. Analyzing the given goals, one realizes the great importance of the given organization and its contribution to the evolution of the sphere of education. Besides, the CAPEs functioning is organized in accordance with certain standards that guarantee the high quality and serve as the basis for accreditation reviews and judgments ( The CAEP Standards , n.d.). There are five main standards that describe the functioning of the given organization. These are * content and pedagogical knowledge; * clinical partnerships and practice; * candidate quality, recruitment, and selectivity; * program impact; * provider quality continuous improvement, capacity ( The CAEP Standards , n.d.). Thus, these principles guarantee efficient and stable CAEPs functioning and contribute to the great final results ( Components n.d.). Moreover, the application of the given standards to various candidates also promotes the improvement of outcomes and serves as the basis for their further personal and professional development. Altogether, CAEP could be considered the organization that promotes the significant improvement of the educational sphere and conditions the reconsideration of the traditional approaches used for educators’ preparation. The organizations mission predetermines the creation of certain goals that imply the growth of the level of competence. Its main goals rest on the set of principles that contribute to the organization’s positive image and guarantee its further evolution. References About the CAEP Standards for Advanced Programs . (n.d.). Web. Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting . (n.d.). Web. Components . (n.d.). Web. History of CAEP . (n.d.). Web. The CAEP Standards . (n.d.). Web. Vision, Mission, & Goals . (n.d.). Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Plot 2. Themes and Tone 3. Characters 4. Contextual Analysis 5. References Plot “The Story of an Hour” novel by Chopin is recognized as a masterpiece of short fiction, reflecting on complicated self-discovery mechanisms. In the novel, Mrs. Mallard, the main character, learns about the death of her husband, who was riding on the train that crashed. However, a strange feeling quickly replaces the first reaction of genuine grief. Unexpectedly, she feels a sense of joy and happiness in anticipation of a free life. An hour later, her husband returns home, and Mrs. Mallard dies as doctors ascertain “of joy that kills” (Chopin, 1984, para. 20). In this context, the last words sound especially ambiguous. On the one hand, it seems that Mrs. Mallard’s words mean real happiness that her husband is alive. On the other hand, it becomes evident that she dies from newly lost freedom. Thus, the plot of the novel is thought-provoking yet does not provide a definite answer, following the rules of an open-ended story. Personally, I tend to consider that this story is quite interesting and believable as it focuses on real events and people, showing their usual emotions and feelings. In other words, the novel reveals key human features that can be observed in any family. It should be stressed that the story takes place in one house for one hour. Also, “delicious breath of rain” represents the relief of the main character (Chopin, 1984, para. 5). Therefore, the setting helps to create tension and an atmosphere of expectation, creating a mixture of controversial emotions. Themes and Tone The key purpose of the story is to bring awareness to an issue that a human being is born to be free. Living with the husband that behaves like a tyrant, Mrs. Mallard suffered a lot, and finally, she feels the freedom of which she even could not imagine before. The author shows that independence is an integral part of a person. Also, a range of other themes is conveyed in the novel. For example, the theme of the inherent oppressiveness of marriage is represented through the fact that the main character understands that her husband oppressed her as well as she humiliated him (Toth, 2009). In particular, the following statement proves the above idea: “blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature” (Chopin, 1984, para. 13). Furthermore, the theme of death impacted me, as well. Death acts as a powerful factor, making Mrs. Mallard reflect on her beloved one that is dead (Wan, 2009). Even the news of a death can cause tragedy and be lethal. Characters In my opinion, the main character is represented perfectly as she integrates complex feelings that display her personality. In the beginning, she experiences some feeling that was too “subtle and elusive to name” (Chopin, 1984, para. 9). However, after learning herself, Louise Mallard understands that she finally acquired self-assertion that seems to be the main impetus to her renewed life. It should be emphasized that she does not lie or hide her emotions, dramatically crying, and joyfully accepting her new life. It seems that Brently Mallard is depicted insufficiently as a reader only knows that he is a husband who travels somewhere outside. Nevertheless, the image of this character is revealed through the words of his wife, who repeatedly mentions him as an oppressor. Mrs. Mallard’s sister Josephine is another female character whose fate is to care about others. Also, the family friend Richard is noted by Chopin in the role of a messenger who informs about tragedy (Esstman, 2014). These two characters are introduced to enhance and extend the story, making it closer to real life. Contextual Analysis In this novel, the author uses a specific structural technique to enlarge the duration of an hour. The length of sentences throughout the story is short and sometimes ambiguous. The sentences are formed in short paragraphs that usually contain 2-3 sentences. This technique helps a reader to penetrate into the inner world of the main character by reading her dense thoughts. Thus, the novel is written easily and quickly, but it made a huge impact on me. Chopin shocks a reader twice: at the beginning of the story and at the end, thus steadily intensifying the narration. At the same time, every sentence is complete and important (Emmert, 2009). Considering that such a form assumes no background information, the author succeeds in creating the story that is full of metaphors and epithets. For example, the following epithets help to reveal the authors’ messages and, what is also essential, those of the main character: “a dull stare,” “a powerful will,” and “a monstrous joy” (Chopin, 1984, para. 12). The composition of the novel, including images, landscape sketches, the logic of details, comparisons, and epithets, is devoted to the expression of the author’s main idea. The outlook of the author contains a desire to poeticize a woman’s inclination to spiritual independence and, at the same time, an ironic realization of the original failure of this attempt. References Chopin, K. (1984). The Story of An Hour . Web. Emmert, S. (2009). Naturalism and the short story form in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ . New York, NY: Peter Lang. Esstman, B. (2014). The Story Hour. Web. Toth, E. (2009). Unveiling Kate Chopin . Jackson, LA: University of Missisipi Press. Wan, X. (2009). Kate Chopin’s view on death and freedom in ‘The Story of an Hour’. English Language Teaching, 2 (4), pp. 167-170. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Consumer Behaviour Influences on Consumption Essay Introduction Human society in present days has seen rapid growth in the marketing sector where consumer-added benefits or innovations have been created at various levels of marketing to enhance sales. The innovative aspect of marketing is further made necessary by the need to be in tune real-time with consumers’ or customers’ consistently dynamic demands and desires. In order to make available what the consumer needs, the marketer has to, as a responsibility, define clearly the things that are influencing customers to makes purchases of a certain product/services. Marketing researches/surveys have therefore been carried out by companies’ marketing units to access the behaviour or the tendency of consumers to trend with a product within a limited time frame. In the year 2007, the effect of collapse in economy indicated that marketing could also be affected by the incapability of consumers to spend when they lack a more secured source of income in a defined economy. This paper seeks to identify some of the most concrete behavioural issues that influence consumption by product/service end-users. The Dynamism of Consumer Behaviours; Possible Causes Studies have been conducted at various levels of marketing to ascertain the identity of the consumer in our present society where symbolism appears to have very strong impacts on the choices made by consumers. 1 Belk conducted a study to identify the certainty of consumers’ behaviour definition in terms of individualism and confirmed that quite a number of the day-to-day activities of the consumer are carried out as a routine/mundane work which is limited to the individual’s preferences. 2 These individual preferences in a collective form constitute the relationship between a commodity or a product and its marketability, and form the basic marketing power of the marketers. Some of the qualities/issues identified to have influenced consumption based on consumers’ behaviours are highlight thus: Incentives Incentives are considered to be effective tools that drive consumers around in the marketing world as they influence the desire of individuals to make purchases of a certain commodity. It has been found that nearly all consumers would always prefer to have value added to the products or services they make payment for- and the value addition could come in the form of discounts or offers. 3 Quality Presently, a majority of consumers want to pay for a product or service that they are sure of the form of delivery, the packaging, and the quality. But even much more than this, the consumer would always want to be sure of the durability of a product purchased and will be more comfortable with such a product that offers reliability and can be depended upon. By suggestion, therefore, producers must seek out ways to consistently meet up with the production and delivery of long lasting products in order to win consumers’ interests. Budgeting There are strong indications that quite a number of consumers are increasingly becoming more careful with their expenses; as such, they may turn out to ignore making unnecessary purchases. To understand the consumers’ behaviour sometimes, it is pertinent to know where they are coming from and based on their background, their purchasing power for a certain commodity or product could be made more clearer as their background is likely to suggest their preferences and even how much they may be willing to stake on a particular product. Age Group of Consumer In the marketing world, the producer must be informed of the targeted market in terms of the age bracket to which a certain product is meant to satisfy. It has been found that even for a certain individual, his or her preferences continue to vary with aging 4 , as such there is the need for the producer to be aware of the behavioural shift and interest drift of a consumer at all points in time. As an illustration, the production of trendy electronic gargets targeted at the aged may not be of high purchase since their priorities may have drifted from the use of electronics to health or fame rather than acquiring toys. An electronic producing company would therefore have to channel its resources to targeted youthful consumers whose demand for the products would usually be higher than the aged. Value for Products At every level in production, the producer has to seek out to find what is of interest to the consumer so that a product is not produced in the hope that it will have a good market. 5 The producer could seek out to educate the product end-users, where it is necessary, to further make clear the values of the products for the benefit of the consumer. Conclusion This paper discusses the possible influences to purchasing trends of consumers based on their behaviours in a society that seem to become competitive and demanding for better marketing facilities to enhance sales. The innovative aspect of marketing has been considered to be made necessary by the need to be in tune real-time with consumers’ or customers’ consistently dynamic demands and desires. This is made necessary to make available what the consumer needs in such a way that sales are fostered. Bibliography Belk, R, ‘I Shop, Therefore I Am’, American Anthropologist , vol. 101, no.1, 1999, pp. 182-85. Bourdieu, P, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1984. Chaney, D, Lifestyles , Routledge, London, 1996. Giddens, A, Modernity and Self-Identity , Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1991. Slater, D, Consumer Culture and Modernity , Polity Press, Cambridge, 1997. Footnotes 1. A Giddens, Modernity and Self-Identity , Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1991, p. 56 2. R Belk, ‘I Shop, Therefore I Am’, American Anthropologist , vol. 101, no.1, 1999, pp. 182-85. 3. D Chaney, Lifestyles , Routledge, London, 1996, p. 30 4. D Slater, Consumer Culture and Modernity , Polity Press, Cambridge, 1997, p. 19 5. P Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1984, p.63 | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
American Airlines’ Collective Bargaining Case Report Introduction In the air travel industry, there have been a lot of complaints from both employers and employees. On the one hand, the employers are lamenting about the decrease in the demand for air travel services, hence reduced revenues. On the other hand, the employees are complaining about poor working conditions and low pay. In such a situation, where both parties are at a stalemate, urgent measures are needed in order to avoid the occurrence of losses. Therefore, in this state, collective bargaining is one of the best solutions. State of the negotiation Collective bargaining is a negotiation process that occurs between employees and employers in order to reach an agreement in a certain dispute. The group of employees is normally represented by a leader chosen among the group and he or she is responsible for relaying the worker’s interest to the employer (Watson, 2011). Recently, the American airlines’ pilots approved the new labor contract which enabled the airline to merge with US Airways. Analysts say that this move was fundamental in averting a possible bankruptcy state of the American Airlines company. The pilots association accepted the contract offer, although three months earlier the association had rejected the offer. The second time, the union leaders worked so hard to convince their members to pass the contract and accept it. In the contract, structures have been improved and the pilot’s pay is expected to increase by 4 percent (CBSN , 2012). The contract is a 6-year term of service but after the first contract, the pay rise will be 2 percent every year (CBSN , 2012). This kind of adjustment is seen as a lucrative deal by the pilots and because by the third year after the 6 months term, their payment will be in harmony with pilots in other big companies. Major issues The major issue about the American Airline is the workers and employees relationship structure. Unlike other major airlines, American Airlines has an Us-Versus-You approach when dealing with its employees (CBSN , 2012). The ideal term of service in the airline industry, as in the other major companies, is the profit-sharing plan. This makes the employees feel like part of the company and it creates a sense of belonging. In such an environment, employees are able to work effectively and competently since they know they will reap their rewards. On the other hand, the airline’s current approach seems to alienate workers, hence the stalemate. Since 2003, the airline’s workers have been forced to get into contracts that have restricted their access and rights to annual wages and benefits (CBSN , 2012). The airline was actually running into a state of bankruptcy due to continued losses and hefty expenses. The only way that the airline could have been saved was through a merger with another airline. This opportunity arose when the pilots accepted to sign the contract and the merger between the AA and the US airlines began to take effect. Nonetheless, the AA management system has always been on the wrong side in terms of dealing with the staff. However, the principal representative of the flight attendants also has been a contributor to the crisis due to impending conflict of interest (CBSN , 2012). Resolution In the contract, the union was entitled to own 13.5 percent of the stock and this translates to $100,000 for every single pilot (CBSN , 2012). In return, the pilots will have to fly more hours than the standard hours. This will give American Airlines more resources enabling it to contract out its flying services to other airlines (Watson, 2011). This collective bargain was reached in an effort to save American Airlines from bankruptcy. The Airline had filed for bankruptcy protection four years ago and with this merger and the contract agreement with the pilots, it might be on its last phase-out of the situation (Watson, 2011). To resolve the bankruptcy issue, the flight attendant’s contract played a major role. The company was able to rise again through the merger and profit-sharing plans which were beneficial to everyone, including employees. How and why have airlines reduced labor’s compensation and how have labor relations been affected? Labor compensation is a highly-priced activity for airlines. The AA for instance was on the verge of becoming bankrupt due to labor compensation. Airlines are currently finding alternative measures to avoid such expenses. One of the major alternatives that have been sued by AA is the profit-sharing approach that allows the union to own a share of the company’s stock. This enables the union to become a co-owner. The working contracts are also very effective in reducing the labor compensation expenses because it gives the company an option of renewing the contract term or releasing an employee whose contract term is over. Conclusion This paper has outlined the power of collective bargaining using the example of American Airlines’ recent contract agreement with the flight attendants. The paper has also discussed the implications of this contract especially in the role it played in accelerating the merger. In this report, the resolutions made in the negotiation process have also been discussed. References CBSN (2012) . American Airlines pilots approve new labor contracts. Web. Watson, B. (2011). How the American Airlines Bankruptcy Will Affect You . Web. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Team Learning as a Way of Education Response Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Team Learning and Its Essence 3. Personal Assessment 4. Author’s Opinions and Suggestions 5. Practices and Theories 6. Further Plans 7. Conclusion 8. References Introduction There are many ways of how people can gain new knowledge and develop the required portion of practice accordingly. People start getting their education at schools, colleges, and universities. Then, they begin working and become a part of a working team. Some people mistakenly believe that as soon as they find a good job and start earning money, they may forget about learning. However, the importance of team learning should be never neglected because it helps to develop the required skills within groups and consider individual perspectives (Senge, 2010). In my opinion, team learning is an important stage in any worker’s life because it helps to realize how it is necessary to respect and consider the opinions of different people, introduce personal visions, and find the balance that makes a mechanism works. Team Learning and Its Essence Team learning is a collective working process that may take place anytime. Its main goal is to understand an objective that has to be achieved by a group. In addition to the necessity to realize what should be done individually, people should realize how they can do the required portion of work together. It is hard to make people forget about their ambitions, demands, and opinions. That is why team learning aims at educating people think together as one unit. Team members have to share and obtain knowledge and use each other’s skills at the same time. Personal Assessment I think that it is a hard task to make a number of people work in a team. Before reading different books and articles about team learning, I want to create my one definition of team learning and clear up if my opinion corresponds to a variety of theories offered by the experts. I understand team learning as a possibility to unite several people in a group and provide them with one goal to be comprehended and achieved with time. At the same time, I do believe that even teamwork should be guided by one person. It is impossible for different people to be united without a strong leader. Author’s Opinions and Suggestions According to Senge (2010), team learning is a crucial collective type of knowledge that has to be based on the ability to combine dialogues and discussions. People should be ready to suspend opinions, respect and treat each member of a team as a colleague, find out a facilitator that can hold the dialogue’s context, discover the balance of discussions, and introduce personal reflection to everything said and offered. The discipline of team learning is vital and complex at the same time (Senge, 2010). Not all people are able to combine individual excellence and the necessity to work together. It is not enough just to have a common idea and stick to it all the time. All members should have the same goal and think about different methods that can be used to achieve the goal. Even if the methods are different, they should not be surprising for the team. Practices and Theories There are many other opinions about team learning that have to be considered. Even Senge points out two authors, who develop their independent opinions about this discipline: Bohm and Heisenberg. For example, Kozlowski and Salas (2009) admit that team learning is the process that roots in individual characteristics and certain motivational aspects. It is important to motivate a team and explain the importance of learning and working together. Team members should be provided with a kind of psychological safety to achieve the required results. Another powerful idea about team learning is offered by Easterby-Smith and Lyles (2011), who define team learning as an ongoing process within the frames of which a number of changes should be made. The authors pay their attention to such concepts like adaptation and conceptualization that can make team learning effective. They also want to underline the importance of team learning behaviors because a team is not the collection of individuals but one unit that cannot be divided. Bossche, Gijselaers, Segers, Woltjer, and Kirschner (2011) focus on the necessity to choose powerful methods that help to share knowledge and choose behaviors that meet the needs of a team. Their research is a powerful contribution of how people should treat a learning process and consider the fact that they should work in a team. Further Plans Regarding all these theories, team learning can be defined as an ongoing process with the necessity to suspend assumptions, unite people, make them respect each other, and consider the balance that is necessary for teamwork. In future, people have to learn how to work even if being hired already. It is necessary to support and develop the concept of team learning and analyze each situation separately to understand how a learning process should be organized. Conclusion In general, team learning should not be about the possibility to unite people with different opinions. Team learning is not about individuals. It is about a team. Though some people want to use the uniqueness of every person of a team, I want to believe that team learning can explain to people how to become a group with one mutual goal and various methods that can be predicted by each member. References Bossche, P., Gijselaers, W., Segers, M., Woltjer, G., & Kirschner, P. (2011). Team learning: Building shared mental models. Instructional Science, 39 (3), 283-301. Easterby-Smith, M. & Lyles, M.A. (2011). Handbook of organizational learning and knowledge management . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Kozlowski, S.W.J. & Salas, E. (2009). Learning, training, and development in organizations. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. Senge, P.M. (2010). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Random House. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
The Mystery of Legal Failure Essay Introduction Legal failure is one of the major causes of economic crises in developing countries. This is because of the wrong attitudes in the society which are mainly caused by the failure of the legal system. This chapter discusses why the legal system fails on the basis of taxes, real estates, law, social contracts and political leadership. Most third World countries have tried to improve their economic status. Most of them have not yet achieved remarkable development. This is because many avoid paying taxes and their legal systems fail them. The politics also, to a great extent, affect these results as they are close to the government. Unless a country has a legal system that considers and understands the psychological and social processes of a society, it cannot be able to build itself. Main Body The law makers should know the beliefs, intentions and desires of its people before formulating policies. This law is able to exploit the potential from the assets in the country. A suitable law is able to improve the economic status of a country. Therefore, there should be an integration of all sectors of human being as they make these laws. The government should also improve on its judicial system so as to gain trust from the citizens. It is only if they trust the government that they can be able to enlarge their businesses to international levels without fear of losing. The US is known to have made it since it was able to lift its bell jar so that all the people were incorporated into a system that was suiting to them. This is what the Western government is trying to do so as to pull up the so left behind countries. The implementation process has some steps that should follow. Firstly, the government has to identify the assets that are lying idle in its country and put into place strategies that will enable their exploitation. They should also consider the distribution of these assets especially in the geographical areas that are needy. Secondly, they should be able to know the actual value of the asset. This would guide them in planning. Thirdly, there should also be a common goal between the government and the interest of the society. The planners should also determine the cost of production. Political and legal strategies are also important if development has to be achieved. The political system should capitalize on the poor with an aim of improving their livelihoods. This should include both government and other institutions that may be interested to invest together with the proposed project. The legal and extralegal sectors should also come together to be able to formulate rules that will enable ownership without difficulties and with justice. This would enhance efficient management of the industries. There should also be better options of living cheaper other than squatting. Communication should also form a major part in the process of development. Transparency is important as it enhances trust by the citizens. The planners should not ignore the commercial strategies at their disposal. They should facilitate a good financial system including banking, insurance products, collection systems, good housing and infrastructure. There should also be clean water, sewerage and telecommunications, security and national identification systems. Good housing with basic facilities encourages the workers to increase their output and hence productivity. Each country has a way to put up the rules and regulations of the countries. Operational strategy should also be a key aspect in implementation. This should focus on the workers so as to increase their output and efficiency. There should be investments in education and training of the working personnel and proper management. There should also be a reliable data on all the operations that are carried out within the company. There is also a great need to have a property system that is accurate and efficient. A common standard in ownership enhances easy management. It brings convenience and satisfaction to the public when used consistently. Those of the developed nations such as Canada, United States, Japan and Europe have succeeded with good property systems. Economic freedom is therefore brought by putting economic rights into place. Interest of the poor in law making is of great importance. For instance, Peru had laws that were not promoting the welfare of the poor. The leadership thought that the poor were the problem and not the law. They therefore scrapped off the laws of the poor. This brought suffering to the poor and slowed down the economic growth. The citizens then invested in the private sector. The problem that arose was that when these people acquired their wealth they had to use it in the way they wished to. This is a great lesson to reformers to always consider the consequences of their decisions. Property system should be rooted in the social contract. This is because wealth is known to be created socially. In most of developing countries, people fall out with the law because of its failure to address their needs. This means that the laws should be supported by majority of the population. The support should be distributed in all areas including the villages. Corporate ownership is known to be more rewarding than local ownership. That is why international businesses that involve many people are able to make higher profits than the local ones. Conclusion However, capitalization is failing in the non Western countries. This is because it is only considered to belong to some people. As a fact, for all the citizens to enjoy the benefits of a country, a strong political system is needed. The political leaders are in a good position to affect majority of the people and bringing an influence in their country. Their effect can be build by initiating reforms and information of government policies. Leadership should consider three things. Firstly consider the poor, secondly, co-opt the elites and enhance a good and efficient legal system. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
Lev Vygotsky Views on Constructivism Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Researcher’s Biography/Background 3. Researcher’s Theoretical Perspective 4. Experiments and Findings 5. Historical Trends 6. Notable Characteristics 7. Conclusion 8. Reference List Introduction The main idea of constructivism is to comprehend how people know what they actually know, and the role of Lev Vygotsky remains to be crucial indeed. Vygotsky’s relevance to constructivism is predetermined by his numerous theories about the peculiarities of language and thoughts and their interventions in society as well as his work with children and their reactions to the learning environment. Researcher’s Biography/Background Vygotsky was born and raised in a well-educated family. He got access to various possibilities and choices on how to organize his life and develop his knowledge. First, he tried himself in writing, medicine, philosophy, and law; still, he understood that it was not his real calling. He chose psychology as the main subject of his investigation and proved the idea that the process of learning and cognitive development underwent a certain impact on specific social interactions. His experience helped him to understand the truth that any kind of human inquiry was connected to culture, and culture was connected to social history, this is why it was necessary to combine human knowledge and people’s interactions (Pass, 2007). Researcher’s Theoretical Perspective Vygotsky’s main theoretical perspectives are about the four main factors like social interactions, language, private speech, and the Zone of Proximal Development and their roles in the development of a child’s cognition (Wang, 2009). Experiments and Findings His behavioral theory was based on empirical research: the observation of individuals in isolation and consideration of cultural and historical contexts proved that learning could happen before the developmental process took place. Another empirical research that helped to comprehend constructivism is the Zone of Proximal Development by means of which Vygotsky combined students’ abilities to complete tasks under and without teachers’ guidance (Stetsenko & Arievitch, 2004). Historical Trends The majority of Vygotsky’s works were based on the achievements of Pavlov and Marx and the outcomes of the Russian Revolution. Vygotsky truly believed that the social world and its rules played an important role in cognitive development. The language was considered as one of the main tools by means of which children could promote communication and shape their thoughts. At the same time, it was necessary to take into consideration some historical and cultural backgrounds to make cognition clear and definite. Another important trend that led to Vygotsky’s line of research was the possibility to change personal conceptions as a result of a communication process (Pass, 2007). Notable Characteristics One of the most powerful ideas offered by Vygotsky is his view as a cognitivist. He believed that any learning process, as well as the attempts to comprehend how people thought and gained knowledge, depended on social interactions, and passed from generation to generation. This is why until children are not able to speak, they cannot gain any kind of knowledge. They have to share information by means of words and understand the language to promote cognitive development within their systems. Teachers should realize how crucial their participation in cognitive development is. They take responsibility for how children perceive the world and how they can exchange information. Vygotsky could not ignore the fact that cognitive development was impossible without teachers and their abilities to introduce new knowledge to children regarding all-important cultural and social norms. Conclusion Vygotsky’s position on cognitive development and constructivism are considerable achievements in the sphere of psychology. It is necessary to consider his position to comprehend how the role of teachers and the importance of language understanding may predetermine the quality of a child’s development. Vygotsky was one of the first researchers, who underlined the importance of culture in human development and proved that its cognition was possible through social interactions. Reference List Pass, S. (2007). When constructivists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were pedagogical collaborators: A viewpoint from a study of their communications. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 20 , 277-282. Stetsenko, A. & Arievitch, I.M. (2004). Vygotskian collaborative project of social transformation: History, politics, and practice in knowledge construction. International Journal of Critical Psychology, 12 , 58-80. Wang, Y.B. (2009). Impact of Lev Vygotsky on special education. Canadian Social Science, 5 (5), 100-103. | human | 0 | 0 | 0 | human |
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