Oil in Determining the Social, Political and Economic History of the Essay

Oil in Determining the Social, Political and Economic History of the U.S - Essay Example The sole dependence on oil for political, social and economic history is a dangerous trend that the United States of America should endeavor to address, since it has relied on it in the past, continues to do so in the present, and does not seem to address it for its future needs. Economically, oil has continued to play a very key role in the United States of America in the twentieth and twenty first centuries since it has become a very integral input in almost all forms of production processes that are undertaken in the Nation. In the areas of agriculture, mining and manufacturing in all areas have become very dependent on the input of petroleum and as such, the price of the final products in this sectors and the growth of the United States economy has depended at a very large scale on the global price of petroleum. This implies that in the case of an energy crisis, the impact on the United States economy would be very significantly negative (O’Rourke and Connolly 590). Though to a large extent the price of petroleum has remained significantly low for many years, there have been exemptions to this in the 1973 to 1990 in what historians have called the energy crisis where prices became subsequently high in the world and affected the prices of the production in the United States, the price of products and ultimately the economy as a whole (Parra 35). Unlike in the past when the United States was an oil exporter, its domestic consumption has made it the largest importer of oil in the world. There was a crisis in 1979 to 1981 during the Iranian revolution which made the United States to employ many rationing measures to counter the negative effect on the economy, for example the manufacture of cars that used less fuel per kilometer. There was a crisis too in 1990 during the Iraq attack of Kuwait which was resulted in a great increase in the price of oil (Parra 43). Though the crisis was not as severe as the earlier ones it was only because, the American Gove rnment has increased domestic reserves to forestall the eventualities of crises. The stockpiling of reserves has been done in anticipation of depletion of the world’s resources whereby the stored oil is preserved for emergency purposes and, it came in handy to absorb the impact that the 1990energy crisis would have brought to the nation. Though this reserve has exceeded 500millon barrels, the current consumption rate is such that in the case of any type of crisis, this reserve would last for a very short time (Parra 56). On the political front, oil has shaped the politics of the United States and especially in its policy concerning the Middle East the world’s major oil hub. The war in Iraq in 2001 for example has for example been seen by many as not as a war to protect Kuwait, but as an American plan to protect its oil interests in the middle East (Parra 73). It is on record that former President Bush’s cabinet said that Iraq remained a stabilizer to the smooth transportation of oil to global

Prince Sport Essay Example for Free

Prince Sport Essay This is a case study of how Print sports expand their growth in the market of 21st century, and the elements that go with or go against them in the market. Moreover, we will discuss with the marketing activities and strategies that are favorable to Prince Sports in expanding their distributions of Tennis products. As we know 21st century is a time where people are more conscious against their health, individuals who are moderate and wealthy enough tend to venture into sports to get better in shape and be healthy whether it is physically or mentally. With this issue  being focus on, trends in the environmental forces that work for and work against the achievements for Prince Sports Activities and the tennis industry are illustrations such as, public causes of the environment include market features and the lifestyle of the community. The social force works for Prince Sport due to the fact of the improved attention and popularity of tennis, and with a little bit help of the health conscious that are growing bigger in the society. Individuals are participating and watching professional tennis tournaments and this is resulting in more playing the game. If attention decreases  in time then this can and will continue to work against the achievements for Prince Sports Activities in their distribution and market activities. Prince Sports is also investing their funds in creating models of racquets that fits all sort of tennis player; there are certain designs of it that professional players and junior players can choose from to customize their playing styles. However, as an economic factor, this might go against Prince Sport base on the price of each racquet model. Individuals would rather buy a similar product with a cheaper value if prince sport does have a good marketing plan in explaining the  innovative technology of that product clearly to the public. (Kerin Hartley, 2013) There are no limits in producing a good marketing activity for Prince Sport to promote tennis playing in United States. Social media is the first great option for Prince Sport to start with, majority of the individuals rely heavily on social media to obtain their daily dosage of information in the twenty first century. Moreover, online blogging and internet base news magazine can be a great tool, pop up advertisement on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and web blogging can help to raise interest in tennis playing. It would  be unwise to not use this as an advantage to promote tennis playing. Print media such as newspaper, magazine, and printed advertisement are good option to begin with. By spreading out the benefits of tennis such as health conscious and personality building, it will definitely attract individual to gain interest in tennis playing over a certain time. (Crespo Reid, 2009) To reach out for recreational and junior player in the field tennis, Prince Sport should focus their planning on organizing Amateur or Junior league tournaments frequently throughout the years. With a more affordable entree fee and convenient application such  as register via online or smart phone, it will attract players from these two categories to join in for the tournament. With this method, it allows Prince Sport to study and differentiate what are their needs during the game from size of racquets to the more detail such as the material of the racquets handle for certain type of players. (Crespo Reid, 2009) Prince has a different way in increasing their sales in major outlets such as Walmart and Target, and for specialty tennis shop or branded sports outlet such as Nike. Prince often makes a clear layout for major outlets from designing the tennis sport section to  having a printed advertisement hanging along the corridor. They would draw a layout on how to separate different section for their sports equipment, and for each section they have different in store signage, brochure, and also free merchandise for consumers who purchase reaches a certain limit. Whereas for smaller outlets or branded sports outlet such as Nike, they would put a professional standees which is a life size picture of certain professional tennis player, this would increase the interest of consumer on purchasing the item that is being promoted by that tennis player. (Kerin Hartley, 2013). There are a few of criteria for Prince to look on before venturing into the global market of tennis outside of United States. First of all, the market size of the country, whether it is mature enough for the public to gain interest in tennis sport, or it is still a fairly new idea to them. Second, expected growth of the market, does it have any potential in increasing distribution in the future or it has no value to be investing on. Third, the competitive position, does that country have more than enough industry in providing tennis equipment, and how can Prince fit into the market without suffering loss  from competitive price battle. (Kerin Hartley, 2013) Country that met these criteria is Russia, China, and Australia. These are major country that have produce tons of tennis player since last decade. Majority of the player have won major leagues title and now hold a place in the world ranking series. From the statement here, we understand that the tennis industry is already a big deal in the above country, and from the reputation gain by those players, it will spread out to the society in a great speed. They possess a great potential to be invested in for tennis market, and Prince should focus on producing new  models of racquets with far better quality from what is currently being distribute in the current market. (Marshall, 2011) References Crespo, M. , Reid, M. (2009). Marketing of tennis. ITF Coaching. Retrieved from http://en. coaching. itftennis. com/media/113964/113964. pdf Kerin, R. , Hartley, W. (2013). Marketing(11thed. ). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Marshall. (2011). Tennis global evolution is bringing the sport to new markets: An analysis. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport. com/articles/594875-the-global-evolution-of-tennis-is-bringi ng-the-sport-to-new-markets-an-analysis.

Hofstedes Cultural Theory Business Essay

Hofstedes Cultural Theory Business Essay Multinational companies are faced with the challenge of developing their operations in a constantly changing environment. In this way they are placed in the necessity of expanding their businesses in foreign countries which brings several implications. In organizational terms this means that the companies, in order to be successful, will have to go through a deep analysis to determine what their capabilities and weak areas are. But not only this provide the outcome on whether to expand their business or not, this will be just the first stage of a very long journey of understanding the processes that create value and how the company integrates these processes in order to succeed in a foreign market. The main motive of multinational companies to expand in the foreign markets is to avoid the saturation point or to increase the product life cycle. Any company which tends to globalize or internationalize, has to move into a foreign market and make a set up in that country. Today when the world is getting smaller and all the nations are getting close to each other it is very important for every growing organization to eye the foreign markets and increase its exporting and importing capabilities. But problems occur when these multinational firms start operating in different countries and are surrounded by number of issues which create obstacles in their progress. Then let it be the government rules and regulations, the culture of that country or the working environment. Different countries have different approaches towards the business world and companies should study intensively about the infrastructure of a country before entering that market. Especially some nations like India or Pakistan are highly culturally influenced, so there has to be a wise policy before making a move. Different markets have different demand in terms of rules, culture and environment. When companies go global, the governing personals have to be very adaptable in order to cooperate well with the native people or the native market. Mostly multinational companies consider it to be the most crucial step which leads them to study the culture of the country so that they deploy suitable products and well trained personals. Companies set up research and development offices in these markets initially before entering those countries or markets to study the market and the demand and most important the culture of the culture of the people there. Example: Wal-Mart, the giant retailer wants to enter the emerging countries; India is one of the biggest consumer based emerging markets of the world, Wal-Mart has set up research and development offices in Bangalore, India. So they are studying the working environment and the culture of the market in India so as to make a perfect entry strategy. IKEA, a giant furniture retailer has a keen eye on entering the Indian market but has failed as the there is a restriction on the foreign direct investment in India, it only allows a 51% ownership but IKEA wants a 100% ownership, so there are hindrances for IKEA. Different markets and countries have different approaches. When companies intend to expand their operations into a broader scale many difficulties arise, not only because this can be caused by a badly planned entry strategy but also in terms of integration of their internal systems that the company has in order to function adequately and moreover to get well with all together a different culture, people and their taste and demands. The complexities of the issues faced by the companies need to be addressed so that the impact within the organisation is minimised. However the organisations need to be sensitive with their environment in a way that their strategic behaviour finds a harmonizing point between the local and the international environment and the organisation itself. The particular issues between the cross cultural management and personal administration is that is has been building up on its importance since multinational companies are bound to face different issues as they operate in foreign markets. LITERATURE REVIEW: Organizations function diversely in different countries. They prepare policies for every country in which they plan to expand their business. IHRM (international human resource management) should be strong enough in order to help organization in achieving success on alien land. IHRM have to gather and understand cultural information on broader perspective because foreign norm are different from ones own. In terms of cultural analysis, there are two main studies that can be referred as relevant in knowing culture environment of other country. First is Hofstede (2001) tells about the cultural differences through a deep evaluation of social and cultural dimensions. The focus on the social aspects considers valuable information on various topics, such as Collectivism and Individualism considering the data collected from all countries. In the same way this study is also oriented in an international dimension to evaluate the cultural aspects that might have an impact on the organization an d its well-functioning. On the other hand the study of Trompenaars et al (1997) focuses not only on a much descriptive analysis of what are the cultural elements in societies but also links these cultural aspects to the business environments providing awareness on how to deal with inter cultural communication in business relation. HOFSTEDES CULTURAL THEORY: Undoubtedly, the most significant cross-cultural study of work -related values is the one carried out by Hofstedes- Bhagat and Mcquaid (1982). 3 October 1928, Gerard Hendrik Hofstede was born. He was a student of national and organizational cultures. He was an author of many cultural books. Hofstede effort commenced in 1980 ,which was a great success because his research introduced when there was less internationalization among nations due to problem of understanding culture differences. His research had 116,000 questionnaires taken by 60,000 people around 50 nations. From his research he provided four dimensions (Power Distance, Individualism/Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity/Femininity) .Fifth dimension (Long/Short term orientation) was added after a strong study by Hofstede and Bond (Hofstede 1991b; Hofstede and Bond 1984; Hofstede and Bond 1988). HOFSTEDES FIVE CULTURAL DIMENSIONS: a) POWER DISTANCE INDEX (PDI): PD can be defined as a difference between nations on the bases of hierarchy and relationships. Nations who are falling high on power distance scale follow hierarchy way in there organization. Staff has to wait for a green signal from their officials. Parity is not found in hierarchical countries. There is a large distance between the poor and the wealthy people. Inequality of power distribution leads to exploitation at times in these nations. Students give respect to teachers even after school hours. While, nations with low power distance believes in equality .Relationships and working in a team is significant for them. Powerful people try to be friendly with others .They dont misuse there power. High Power Distance Low MAL ARA MEX IND FRA ITA JPN SPA ARG US GER UK DEN ISR AUT b) INDIVIDUALISM (IDV): In this dimension individualism is opposite to collectivism. Nations having individualistic traits look after their immediate family. They believe in I have done this. On the collectivist said people maintain relationship with extended family as well. We have done this is their trait. In collectivist people give importance to group achievements and group rights. Unlike collectivist, in individualistic countries people need privacy and time is precious to them. Collectivist love to work in a harmony. Individualism Collectivism AUL US UK CAN FRA GER SPA JPN MEX ITA KOR SIN c) MASCULINITY (MAS): Countries that are more masculine are task oriented and they look for result. While countries with low masculine are more affectionate and male/female is at par level .Discrimination is nil in these countries while in masculine, male dominates all over. MAS countries are more competitive in comparison to countries with low MAS. Unlike femininity (small and slow), masculine countries look for fast and big achievements. Masculine traits are success, individual achievement, competition, material love and power. Masculinity Femininity JPN MEX GER UK US ARA FRA KOR POR CHC DEN SWE d) UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE INDEX (UAI): In this dimensions countries differ on the basis of facing threat or avoidance of facing threats. Countries falling strongly on uncertainty avoidance are threatened to face unexpected situations, so they try to avoid it by applying certain rules and regulations. To them surprising situation is dangerous .They adopt formal rules and simple procedures. Countries falling in this dimension are countries with an old history .New innovative suggestion and principals are difficult to be applied in this group. Low uncertainty avoidance nations welcome different (ambiguous) situations because they love to take risky steps .Unwanted situations is exciting for them. Informal rules are adopted all over. Basically countries in these dimensions are young and ready to face risk and innovations are looked by them. High Uncertainty Avoidance Low GRE JPN FRA KOR ARA GER AUL CAN US UK IND DEN SIN e) LONG / SHORT TERM ORIENTATION (LTO): Nations with long orientation look for their future goal. Success of tomorrow is important to them. You are never a loser until you quit trying, is their trait. They believe in vigorous growth and hard work. A Respect for the status is duly given and they have a sense of shame. While, short term nations have a respect to traditions and national pride. Stabilization is their trait. They aim for quick outcome (result). Future is not kept in mind. Status doesnt carry any value in their group. They keep their reputation good, avoid being disapproved. Long Term Orientation Short Term CHI HK JPN TAI VIE BRA IND US CAN UK E/W AFR TROMPENAARS AND HAMPDEN TURNERS CULTURAL THEORY: History: Fons Trompenaar is an author of cross cultural communication and he is a Dutch. His writing includes many books on culture while Charles Hampden turner is a British philosopher in management field. Along with Trompenaar, Hampden created a dimension which shed light on people of different environments and how they behave and interact in their daily life. TROMPENAARS AND HAMPDEN SEVEN CULTURAL DIMENSIONS: a) UNIVERSALISM vs. PARTICULARISM: This dimension emphasize on rules and relationships. In universalism, rules given significance and they applied on everyone. Every individual follow rules and contracts. Rules are meant to tell the truth. While particularism is give importance to relationships .Deals are made on friendships .They believe in flexibility on agreements. And they closely examine the situation to know the truth. PARTICULARISTIC UNIVERSALISTIC PARTICULARISTIC 1. Singapore 2. Spain 3. Japan 4. France UNIVERSALISTIC 1. US 2. Germany 3. Sweden 4. UK Figure: Shows countries falling in universalistic and particularistic dimension Application: In universal society people follow rules and regulations like in US every personnel follow traffic lights to make them feel people are at par level while in particularistic, people break traffic signal as well due to brotherhood. b) INDIVIDUALISM vs. COLLECTIVISM: Individualistic nations love being recognised single. They believe in word I. Group doesnt matter them .Privacy is what they need .They love to work independently .Self benefit is what they look for. Their relationship with others is negligible. While collectivism, believes in teamwork. They believe in we. They are attached to their colleagues, family members and friends. Interdependence is found in them. Benefit of group they practice. INDIVIDUALISM COLLECTIVISM COLLECTIVISM 1. Japan 2. Italy 3. Mexico 4. INDIVIDUALISM 1. US 2. UK 3. Australia 4. Canada Figure: Shows countries falling in individualism and collectivism dimensions. c) NEUTRAL vs. AFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS: Neutral groups keep their emotions inside and they dont reveal what they thinking. Revelation of their emotions leads to tension on their face. They remain reserved and cool .Sometimes their emotions explode out. Affective people on the other hand are very much emotional. They reveal their emotions by verbal and non-verbal way. They remain transparent. Anger, happiness is clear visible. They react to the situation there only. AFFECTIVE NEUTRAL NEUTRAL 1. Japan 2. UK 3. Germany 4. Sweden AFFECTIVE 1. China 2. Italy 3. Spain 4. France Figure: Shows countries with neutral and affective cultures d) SPECIFIC vs. DIFFUSE RELATIONSHIPS: People falling in specific dimensions keep their personal and work life away .Their private life is private and when socials then they are open. They look for direct communication. In diffuse, people private lives have number of people in it. There is no difference between private and work life. Common person is needed In between stranger and manager for an introduction in order to do a business. SPECIFIC DIFFUSE SPECIFIC 1. France 2. US 3. UK 4. DIFFUSE 1. China 2. Russia 3. Spain 4. Japan Figure: Shows countries of specific and diffuse traits e) ACHIEVEMENT vs. ASCRIPTION: In achievement, accomplishments are made in order to gain status. Seniors head in office are given respect throughout due to the knowledge and experience they have. Status change according to time as person accomplish more and more. In a culture with ascribed status, people given title based on their gender, birth and wealth. They have not given according to their accomplishment. ASCRIPTION ACHIEVEMENT ASCRIPTION 1. China 2. Russia 3. Spain 4. Japan ACHIEVEMENT 1. US 2. Germany 3. Mexico 4. Figure: Shows countries having achievement and ascription culture. f) TIME ORIENTATION (PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE): In past culture nations, people give value to their traditions or history. They talk about their family tree, its origin, and talk about history. People of the nations are asked to recreate golden age .In present culture, people believe in present moment. Enjoyment and activities are planned for the moment. Present relationship is important. Contemporary impact and style is what they practice. Future culture nations look for future goal. People plan for future achievements and aspirations. They have an interest in youth and in future. PAST PRESENT FUTURE PAST FUTURE PRESENT Figure: Shows countries of past, present and future culture g) INNER DIRECTED vs. OUTER DIRECTED: In inner directed nations people believe that nature can be controlled by humans. If rightly worked and made an effort then humans can dominate nature. In contrast to inner directed, people in outer directed culture believes that nature is above everything and humans are one force of nature ,so they should live in harmony and adapt to the external environment. OUTER INNER OUTER INNER Figure: Shows countries falling in inner and outer cultural traits. PROS AND CONS OF THE THEORIES: HOFSTEDE: PROS: Hofstedes model helped people in day to day life. Making them understand about different culture. Hofstedes model helped organisation, to expand their business on an international level without facing any cultural hindrances. Example: examines difference in attitudes and behaviour (Alden, Hoyer, and Lee 1993), used in advertising (McCarty and hattwick 1992; Gregory and Munch 1997; Zandpour et al .1994), international brand strategies (Roth 1995).While for some Hofstedes model is rigorous and relevant because the time it was made there was little approach in culture and businesses on international was very low (Sondergaard 1994, 448,449) .Hofstedes model triggered people to globalise. CONS: In spite of being successful, Hofstede also faced numerous criticisms from all over. Some finger out over relevance of the model. Researchers said this it is not accurate. While most says that Hofstedes model did not paid attention on community .According to Hofstede all domestic nations have homogenous society. But some countries are group of ethnic units (Nasif et al 1991, 82; Redpath 1997, 336).While as per McSweeney, 2000, says, Analysing through nations is not proper because it is not necessary bounded by border .Some says it is out dated while other says four dimensions did not give sufficient information. TROMPENAAR: PROS: Trompenaars and hampden-turners model gave a tool to staff who works on international assignments and projects .Easy to understand culture of the other country is made easy by them which led others to understand cross-cultures. Their research showed that way of doing business is different among all the countries. CONS: Their research failed to recognise the personal characteristics on behaviour and forget to provide recommendations. As per other authors, the border is diminishing and world should be seen as a single unit . HOFSTEDE AND TROMPENAAR-HAMPDEN TURNERS THEORY: CORRELATION Hofstedes and Trompenaars -Hampdens individualism and collectivism are identical in orientation. In Trompenaars model, how and where status is given importance and where people look for team work shows link to Hofstedes power distance dimension but not wholly because Hofstedes power distance cover other issues as well .Trompenaars universalism /particularism can be taken as Hofstedes uncertainty avoidance and collectivist/individualistic dimension because in these dimension they discussed about how nations differ in giving preference to rules than relationships. Even researches done with the help of Hofstedes and Trompenaars-Hampdens model showed similarity in their result .Example: Japan and India is collectivist they lie low in individualism index while UK, US are entirely individualistic countries. CONTRARY Contrast between Hofstedes and Trompenaars can be seen in there result of research. Example: Unlike in Hofstedes model, Mexico and Spain are individualistic according to Trompenaars model. Germany has hierarchical culture according to Trompenaars dimension while Hofstedes says its low in power distance. Hofstedes has four dimensions to explain culture differences, while Trompenaars and Hampden have extra dimensions. Hofstedes results becoming out of date.1960s -1970s results are not the same for today because culture change over time. According to James Cambridge, Hofstedes reach is more on analysis, but restricted as well while Trompenaars and Hampden Turner are broader in their approach. Hofstedes measures on the variables of cultures, while Trompenaars involved in a method for cultural creation. Trompenaars and Hampden Turner (1997),all cultures face the similar problems but they are contrary in there solutions which led to excel the opposites.

Essay --

As a part of my endeavor to pursue higher studies I humbly submit the Statement of Purpose. This statement would succinctly recapitulate my ambitions and credibility as a promising zealous student in your institution. First of all, I would like to introduce myself as Mr. Satyanarayana Shiva Mantravadi, an undergraduate B. tech Engineer with Electronics and Communication Engineering specialization from Koneru Lakshmiah University, one of the very distinguished and esteemed universities in our country. Right from my school, I was always fascinated by Mathematics, Science and Research in general. And then again in high school, it was this propensity which led me to take up Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as my major subjects. This passion eventually made me to opt for Electronics and Communication Engineering as my field of expertise. I would like to present my past performance as the bona fides for my success in my future endeavors. My innate strength has always been my quantitative and analytical abilities, which instilled me with a penchant for Mathematics and Physics. I opted for the same in my 12th grade and secured a score of around 96% in core subjects. I was placed in the top 3% of five hundred thousand aspirants who took entrance examination for IITs. This performance helped me in getting admission into Koneru Lakshamiah University, Vijayawada, India. During the course of my preparation for this exam, I had realized that my interests lay in the broad principles of scienc e and its basic fundamentals and I ascertained Electronics and Communication Engineering to be the apt subject, catering my taste. It was the time when technology had slowly begun to repose the lives of the people. Electronics and Communication Engi... ...of academic excellence accompanied by proficient Faculty and research facilities. Moreover, your institution being the confluence of people from every race, religion and nationality provides the right kind of exposure needed for upbringing of one’s natural skill. I especially thank you for giving me the opportunity to express about myself. Hailing from an educated family, I am confident that I possess the required perseverance and commitment and am sure that I’ll cope with your expectations. It would be a great honor to my family and my country if I could attain remarkable achievements in my field. I assure you that I would keep up my diligence and good demeanor during the course. I hope you find my purpose definitive and I fit in to your image of a promising research student. I look forward to prove myself. ( Satyanarayana Shiva Mantravadi) Essay -- As a part of my endeavor to pursue higher studies I humbly submit the Statement of Purpose. This statement would succinctly recapitulate my ambitions and credibility as a promising zealous student in your institution. First of all, I would like to introduce myself as Mr. Satyanarayana Shiva Mantravadi, an undergraduate B. tech Engineer with Electronics and Communication Engineering specialization from Koneru Lakshmiah University, one of the very distinguished and esteemed universities in our country. Right from my school, I was always fascinated by Mathematics, Science and Research in general. And then again in high school, it was this propensity which led me to take up Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as my major subjects. This passion eventually made me to opt for Electronics and Communication Engineering as my field of expertise. I would like to present my past performance as the bona fides for my success in my future endeavors. My innate strength has always been my quantitative and analytical abilities, which instilled me with a penchant for Mathematics and Physics. I opted for the same in my 12th grade and secured a score of around 96% in core subjects. I was placed in the top 3% of five hundred thousand aspirants who took entrance examination for IITs. This performance helped me in getting admission into Koneru Lakshamiah University, Vijayawada, India. During the course of my preparation for this exam, I had realized that my interests lay in the broad principles of scienc e and its basic fundamentals and I ascertained Electronics and Communication Engineering to be the apt subject, catering my taste. It was the time when technology had slowly begun to repose the lives of the people. Electronics and Communication Engi... ...of academic excellence accompanied by proficient Faculty and research facilities. Moreover, your institution being the confluence of people from every race, religion and nationality provides the right kind of exposure needed for upbringing of one’s natural skill. I especially thank you for giving me the opportunity to express about myself. Hailing from an educated family, I am confident that I possess the required perseverance and commitment and am sure that I’ll cope with your expectations. It would be a great honor to my family and my country if I could attain remarkable achievements in my field. I assure you that I would keep up my diligence and good demeanor during the course. I hope you find my purpose definitive and I fit in to your image of a promising research student. I look forward to prove myself. ( Satyanarayana Shiva Mantravadi)

Turning Work in on Time (Work Ethic)

Completing and turning assignments in on time and when asked is vital to success throughout not only school, but in the work force as well. The implementation of any task at the desired time of a teacher or employer creates a work ethic that is required by any current or future choice of career or job. Employers value employees who understand and possess a willingness to work hard. In addition to working hard it is also important to work smart. This means learning the most efficient way to complete tasks and finding ways to save time while completing daily assignments. Doing more than is expected on the job is a good way to show that you have and know how to utilize good time management skills and don’t waste valuable time attending to personal issues not related to what is expected. Excuses are not accepted by anyone who expects something done a certain way, and the only way to make sure no excuses are made, is to do what is expected the right way, when expected. Doing so will not only prevent any totally avoidable consequences, but build a work ethic valued by teachers, professors, and employers everywhere. Compliance and the understanding that excuses are hardly ever tolerated will take someone much farther in life than always being late, lazy, and defiant. Dependency is directly related to the consistency of timing. Employers/teachers value employees/students who come to work/class on time, are there when they are supposed to be, and are responsible for their actions and behavior. Being dependable and responsible shows yours peers that you value your job or what is being taught, and that you are responsible for keeping up with yourself and the things that are expected of you. Reliability will build the foundation for trust from your peers, and confidence in yourself to work harder and be a successful employee or student that can be counted upon to complete a task efficiently.

Philosophy of Education Essay

Philosophy of education is sometimes referred to as the immediate objectives of education. Immediate objectives on the other hand are purposes which a subject at a given time must aim to achieve through the courses of study or the curriculum. Its aims constitute a very important aspect of the total education. They are more specific and they can be accomplished in a shorter period of time, maybe a day or a week. These, too, are considered goals of specialization. Educational aims cannot be determined apart from the purpose of society which maintains the school. The purpose of any society is determined by the life value which the people prize. As a nation, we have been striving always for the values which constitute the democratic way of life (Demiashkevich, 2003). Theory and practice in modern education have been influenced greatly by the educational philosophy in successive interpretations of the fundamental purpose of education. Since the aims and objectives of education embody the democratic ideal to which we as a nation are committed, they cannot be achieved through a rigid system of indoctrination and control. The application of the principles of teaching and learning always has definite goals. If the teacher wants to obtain desired results, he should know what those goals or objectives are. The usefulness of the principles themselves can best be determined by their appropriateness to the aims and objectives sought. Our primary need, therefore, is to present and develop the philosophical and psychological aims of education (Peterson, 2000). The philosophical aims of education require all public and private schools in this country to pursue, in the development of every child, regardless of color, creed, or social status. All educational institutions shall aim to inculcate love of country, teach the duties of citizenship, and develop moral character, personal discipline, and scientific, technological, and vocational efficiency. The study of the Constitution shall be part of the curricula in all schools (Peterson, 2000). The State shall provide citizenship and vocational training to adult citizens and out-of-school youth, and create and maintain scholarship for poor and deserving students. Moreover, religion shall be taught to their children or wards, in public elementary and high schools as may be provided by law. The State shall provide scientific research and invention. The advancement of science and technology shall have priority in the national development. Furthermore, education shall aim to develop moral character, personal discipline and civic conscience, and develop the attitudes among our youth and strength moral and ethical standards. It must also impart the skills, instill the attitudes and spread the values that are essential to rapid and sustained economic growth. The curriculum of public and private schools will emphasize scientific and technical professions, managerial and vocational skills, and the dignity of labor and standards of excellence (Demiashkevich, 2003). It can be said that the above resolution called for the restructuring of our educational system, public or private, to enhance nationalism or love of country and to achieve social goals.

Resolving Power Essay Example

Resolving Power Essay Example Resolving Power Essay Resolving Power Essay When two objects are placed close enough to each other or are a great enough distance, there will come a point where your eyes will be unable to distinguish the two objects apart. Determine the resolving power of your eyes. Hypothesis If two strands of hair are placed a foot away in front of white background, then the resolving power of the eyes will be approximately half a millimeter or 0.5 mm. Materials * Glass slide and cover slip * Two human hairs * Dissecting needles * Microscope Procedure 1. Brought a microscope to the lab area making sure to use both hands to carry the microscope and that the cord was not dangling. 2. Looked through the instructions making sure there were no problems that could be posed. 3. Organized the lab area and prepared all equipment including slides and the microscope. 4. Placed two human hairs on the slide 1 mm apart and placed the cover slip above. 5. Placed the slide in front of a white background and examined from a distance of one foot. 6. Determined if the two hairs were distinctly separate and recorded observations. 7. Moved the hairs closer together using a dissecting needle and recorded measurements. 8. Determined if the two hairs were distinctly separate and recorded observations. 9. Repeated step 7-8 until the hairs could not be distinguished as separate objects. 10. Separated the hairs. 11. Repeated steps 4-9 with a different student. 12. Cleaned up the lab area and placed the equipment in the designated places. Observations Student A Distance (mm) Distinguishable/Not Distinguishable 1 Distinguishable 0.8 Distinguishable 0.6 Distinguishable 0.4 Not Distinguishable Student B Distance (mm) Distinguishable/Not Distinguishable 1 Distinguishable 0.7 Distinguishable 0.5 Not Distinguishable Conclusion The purpose was achieved. Since the resolving power of our eyes was seen to be an average of 0.45 mm, it can therefore be concluded that the resolving power of our eyes is 0.45 mm. As a result, my hypothesis was proven correct. Text Questions 1. The limit of resolution of my eyes from a one foot distance when using two human hairs was observed to be 0.5 mm and the limit of resolution of my partners eyes from a one foot distance when using two human hairs was observed to be 0.4mm. 2. The resolving power of the unaided eye does differ from one person to another due to the fact that not all individuals have the same vision or strength of eyes. Therefore, not all individuals have the same resolving power. 3. Due to the fact that not all individuals have the same resolving power, the class most likely had a wide range of resolving powers. However, we did not have the chance to record other individuals observations. Nevertheless, if the resolving power of the class were based on our average, it would be 0.45 mm. 4. The resolving power of the eye becomes weaker as the distance becomes greater. If two objects are moved far enough in the distance, it will appear to be one object. The retina of the eye can differentiate items from a certain distance. However, at greater distances, the retina will not be able to distinguish two objects apart. Instead, the retina will form one image of the two objects. 5. The resolving power refers to the ability of an optical system to reveal detail and distinguish objects apart. The ability to focus refers to sharpening and concentrating on an image while hazing out the surroundings.

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Eric Holder - Presser Announcing 9/11 Trials at Gitmo

Eric Holder Announcing 9/11 Conspirator Trials at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base delivered 4 April 2011, Washington, D.C. In November of 2009, I announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other individuals would stand trial in federal court for their roles in the terrorist attacks on our country on September the 11th of 2001. As I said then, the decision between federal courts and military commissions was not an easy one to make. I began my review of this case with an open mind and with just one goal: to look at the facts, look at the law, and choose the venue where we could achieve swift and sure justice most effectively for the victims of those horrendous attacks and their family members. After consulting with prosecutors from both the Department of Justice and Department of Defense and after thoroughly studying the case, it became clear to me that the best venue for prosecution was in federal court. I stand by that decision today. As the indictment unsealed today reveals, we were prepared to bring a powerful case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four co-conspirators one of the most well-researched and documented cases I have ever seen in my decades of experience as a prosecutor. We had carefully evaluated the evidence and concluded that we could prove the defendants’ guilt while adhering to the bedrock traditions and values of our laws. We had consulted extensively with the intelligence community and developed detailed plans for handling classified evidence. Had this case proceeded in Manhattan or in an alternative venue in the United States, as I seriously explored in the past year, I am confident that our justice system would have performed with the same distinction that has been its hallmark for over two hundred years. Unfortunately, since I made that decision, Members of Congress have intervened and imposed restrictions blocking the administration from bringing any Guantanamo detainees to trial in the United States, regardless of the venue. As the President has said, those unwise and unwarranted restrictions undermine our counterterrorism efforts and could harm our national security. Decisions about who, where and how to prosecute have always been and must remain the responsibility of the executive branch. Members of Congress simply do not have access to the evidence and other information necessary to make prosecution judgments. Yet they have taken one of the nation’s most tested counterterrorism tools off the table and tied our hands in a way that could have serious ramifications. We will continue to seek to repeal those restrictions. But we must face a simple truth: those restrictions are unlikely to be repealed in the immediate future. And we simply cannot allow a trial to be delayed any longer for the victims of the 9/11 attacks or for their family members who have waited for nearly a decade for justice. I have talked to these family members on many occasions over the last two years. Like many Americans, they differ on where the 9/11 conspirators should be prosecuted, but there is one thing on which they all agree: We must bring the conspirators to justice. So today I am referring the cases of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Bin Attash, Ramzi Bin Al Shibh, Ali Abdul-Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Al Hawsawi to the Department of Defense to proceed in military commissions. Furthermore, I have directed prosecutors to move to dismiss the indictment that was handed down under seal in the Southern District of New York in December, 2009, and a judge has granted that motion. Prosecutors from both the Departments of Defense and Justice have been working together since the beginning of this matter, and I have full faith and confidence in the military commission system to appropriately handle this case as it proceeds. The Department of Justice will continue to offer all the support necessary as this critically important matter moves forward. The administration worked with Congress to substantially reform military commissions in 2009, and I believe they can deliver fair trials and just verdicts. For the victims of these heinous attacks and their families, that justice is long overdue, and it must not be delayed any longer. Since I made the decision to prosecute the alleged 9/11 conspirators, the effectiveness of our federal courts and the thousands of prosecutors, judges, law enforcement officers, and defense attorneys who work in them have been subjected to a number of unfair, and often unfounded, criticisms. Too many people many of whom certainly know better have expressed doubts about our time-honored and time-tested system of justice. That’s not only misguided, it’s wrong. The fact is, federal courts have proven to be an unparalleled instrument for bringing terrorists to justice. Our courts have convicted hundreds of terrorists since September 11, and our prisons safely and securely hold hundreds today, many of them serving long sentences. There is no other tool that has demonstrated the ability to both incapacitate terrorists and collect intelligence from them over such a diverse range of circumstances as our traditional justice system. Our national security demands that we continu e to prosecute terrorists in federal court, and we will do so. Our heritage, our values, and our legacy to future generations also demand that we have full faith and confidence in a court system that has distinguished this nation throughout its history. Finally, I want to thank the prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of Virginia who have spent countless hours working to bring this case to trial. They are some of the most dedicated and patriotic Americans I have ever encountered, and our nation is safer because of the work they do every day. They have honored their country through their efforts on this case, and I thank them for it. I am proud of each and every one of them. Sadly, this case has been marked by needless controversy since the beginning. But despite all the argument and debate it has engendered, the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-conspirators should never have been about settling ideological arguments or scoring political points. At the end of our indictment appear the names of 2,976 people who were killed in the attacks on that deadly September day nearly ten years ago. Innocent Americans and citizens of foreign countries alike who were murdered by ruthless terrorists intent on crippling our nation and attacking the values that we hold dear. This case has always been about delivering justice for those victims, and for their surviving loved ones. Nothing else. It is my sincere hope that, through the actions we take today, we will finally be able to deliver the justice they have so long deserved. Book/CDs by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Published by McGraw-Hill (2008) Text Source: http://www.justice.gov/ Audio, Image (Screenshot) Source: YouTube.com Audio Note: AR-XE = American Rhetoric Extreme Enhancement Copyright Status: Text = Public domain. Audio, Image = Uncertain.

Role Of The Ombudsman In The Corporate Setting Research Paper

Role Of The Ombudsman In The Corporate Setting - Research Paper Example To settle disputes that might arise between external constituents and the members under Ombudsman representation. Most employers are actively participating in reducing the litigation risk, by ensuring that they introduce the services of the Ombudsman. They ensure that they have a confidential, neutral, and independent third party to handle any confidential matter. Their purpose is to handle complaints of their employees before they advance to become lawsuits, which might be more costly and time consuming to both the management and the respective employee (Dona, 2011). Most company’s operations are at high risk of collapsing because of increased employee-initiated lawsuits. In relation to the most recent research conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the medium cost in order to settle a discrimination lawsuit and any other complained by employee excluding legal costs is costing most organizations a lot (Edwin, 1989). In most of the situations, company employees are always very reluctant to air out their grievances relating to issues such as discrimination, as well as harassment. It is because of the fear of a possible judgment and prosecution that the company management might impose on an individual (Gershenfeld, 1997). In order to amicably deal with this sort of fear, as well as job insecurity, an ombudsman is an option viewed as a dependable, trustworthy, and risk-free party. Moreover, company employees use it to raise their grievances and at the same time be sure of their job security as well confidentiality. It is in the regard that ombudsman’s role comes into being and includes the following roles: Ombudsman has a major role, which is to act as a Listener (Mauton, 1984). In most cases employees in any given organization who have embraced the system, find it very useful to go the ombudsman way.

The Main Difference Between Printed and Electronic Search Research Paper

The Main Difference Between Printed and Electronic Search - Research Paper Example The information about the ASDA supermarket in Yellow pages is brief. It is not categorized and of course, it does not provide information about up-to-date special offers. But it gives a short overview of the company, so the reader at once understands what the company does and where it is situated. There is no structure in publications about ASDA in newspapers, magazines and journals, but that information is always corresponding to the date of the article. All news and articles have a brief mention of company ownership. For example, Private Label Magazine writes: â€Å"ASDA, the Wal-Mart owned UK retailer, has relaunched ‘Meals Made Easy,’ its gourmet ready meals private label range, according to a report by Planet Retail. The range of chilled oven-ready meals has over 70 SKUs. The range features redesigned packaging and has been relaunched with a multibuy pricing promotion.† History of ASDA can be found in Internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a multiling ual, Web-based, free-content encyclopaedia. It is written collaboratively by volunteers, meaning articles can be added or changed by nearly anyone. The project began on January 15, 2001, and is now operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. The English-language version of Wikipedia currently has 786,750 articles. According to Wikipedia, the name ASDA is a contraction of Associated Dairies and was founded in 1965 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire. ASDA went through a troubled period in the early 1990s but was then revived under the leadership of Archie Norman, who later became a front bench Conservative MP. He was chairman of the company during the period 1996–99.

Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value - Essay Example Throughout his work, Rappaport emphasizes the need to capitalize on long-term growth strategies at the expense of realizing short-term benchmarks. The writer asserts that those corporations involved in responding to short-term strategies will eventually fail because of dynamics within modern commercial environments. Managers running such companies are obscured about the future prospects of an organization. Inasmuch as they concentrate on maximizing the momentary strengths of a company, they fail to take a glance at emerging opportunities and imminent threats. Since consumer preferences are bound to change and competition intensifies, then short-sighted company executives will have limited choices when trouble arrives. In order to enhance the aspect of practicability, Rappaport postulated 10 principles suitable for creating shareholders value in any given investment. Upon thorough appraisal, all these ten principles are based on ways in which companies can be made to realize increased future cash flows. In order to ensure competence, CEO’s must be thoroughly conversant with aspects of stock markets and forces influencing the value of securities traded within those markets. Thorough conversance on such microeconomic aspects will enable managers to become value-conscious and develop value-maximizing behavior in their professional undertakings. In most of the principles proposed by Rappaport, the main theme remains that managers should be encouraged by stakeholders, especially shareholders, in implementing long-term growth strategies. Encouragement can be achieved through reward mechanisms for both top and middle-level managers who demonstrate the strong commitment towards maximizing the value of the company.

Using Research in Practice Discussion Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using in Practice Discussion - Research Paper Example This makes for a short visitor list, and it becomes even short if the family is not really involved or expresses little interest in the patient. As such, as a nurse, it is our role to provide compassionate care for all of our patients. It is also important to play particular attention to patients that might not have anyone close to them, even if that patient is not cognizant of their surroundings, or even aware of where they are at. They could still benefit from the soothing words and hand holding that a nurse is welcome to provide, even if immediate family have not yet arrived at the hospital, or for whatever reason are simply unable or unwilling to visit. The compassion theory of nursing is certainly not new. Numerous scholars have analyzed the manner and extent to which nurses can actually aid in the healing process of their patients simply by the actions that they undertake in the routine operations of the profession (Georges, 2013). Not a great deal of research has been published, however, specifically targeting the nurses role in this area when it comes to the intensive care unit and the patients that are healing there. Such a study would be useful in determine how, and to what extent, the gentle touch and healing words that a nurse provides goes towards the speed at which a patient eventually heals from their injuries. The implications of this, naturally, would be immense. Nurses do view themselves as being the helping profession. That much is given. What many nurses might lose sight of, however, is just how important they are to a patients emotional healing, in addition to the physical aspects of their job. When a patient is no n-responsive in the intensive care unit, for example, nurses might not think much about the importance of their touch or words said to the patient. They may simply perform their job related tasks and then move onto the next patient. A research project

Economic and Political Fallout of World War I Term Paper

Economic and Political Fallout of World War I - Term Paper Example The world got ‘shaped’ both geographically and historically by two global conflicts that happened in the twentieth century. It included the First World War and the Second World War, with the First World War starting in 1914 and ending in 1918 with the signing of Treaty of Versailles. Although the First World War ended officially in 1918, its aftereffects simmered for many years, leading to the political and the economic fallouts in various regions of the World, particularly in Europe as well as United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Europe In Europe, the political and economic fallout of First World War was mainly visible in Germany and Italy. Defeated in the First World War and with fellow European countries from Britain to Spain dominating the world scene during that period, through their imperialist policies, Germany and Italy along with Japan thought of exhibiting their imperialistic leanings. They thought of capturing many colonies, which will enable them to regain their lost glory. Germany for instance at the end of the First World War I lost some of its most economically rich territories like eastern portion of Upper Silesia, Saarland and Rhineland to its fellow European neighbors, France, Poland, etc. The loss of these territories apart from depriving Germans of economic wealth also resulted in population relocation and thereby problems with neighboring territories. These problems fueled the German ambition to regain its lost territories. Importantly by restoring the ‘rightful’ boundaries to pre-First World War Germany, its leader, Adolph Hitler wanted to form a Greater Germany. Through Greater Germany, he wanted to encapsulate all the territories where Germans lived into a Great Nation. Italy on the other hand, frustrated by the minimal territorial gains at the end of First World War indulged in expansionism. At Versailles, even though Italy was promised larger part of Austrian territory, it got only renting-Alto Adige /Sudtirol, and this resentment fueled Italy’s expansion plans. â€Å"†¦uncompromising message was that Italy and had not received from its allies the gains to which its gallant war had entitled it† (Henig, 2005, p.10). This reason coupled with domestic crisis lead to the rise of Benito Mussolini, and he with popular support launched the desire to capture as many colonies as possible. â€Å"Mounting resentment over what was increasingly referred to by nationalists as the 'mutilated victory', and a series of post-war social and industrial convulsions, destabilized the weak post-war Italian government† (Henig, 2005, p.10). Mussolini desired to create a New Roman Empire, basing it on the Mediterranean area. As a first step, he invaded Albania and then Greece in the early part of 1939. There were also economic reasons behind the desire of Germany, Italy, and Japan to conquer many territories. That is, these three countries were not as rich as Britain and France and also they did not have enough colonial possessions to serve as the source of raw material or markets for their finished goods. Germany was particularly affected by the Great Depression of 1929 which started first in the U.S.A and then spread to other countries, and which indirectly caused the war. That is, U.S.A had been lending capital to European countries, but to protect her own industries, America raised a Tariff wall.

Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value - Essay Example Throughout his work, Rappaport emphasizes the need to capitalize on long-term growth strategies at the expense of realizing short-term benchmarks. The writer asserts that those corporations involved in responding to short-term strategies will eventually fail because of dynamics within modern commercial environments. Managers running such companies are obscured about the future prospects of an organization. Inasmuch as they concentrate on maximizing the momentary strengths of a company, they fail to take a glance at emerging opportunities and imminent threats. Since consumer preferences are bound to change and competition intensifies, then short-sighted company executives will have limited choices when trouble arrives. In order to enhance the aspect of practicability, Rappaport postulated 10 principles suitable for creating shareholders value in any given investment. Upon thorough appraisal, all these ten principles are based on ways in which companies can be made to realize increased future cash flows. In order to ensure competence, CEO’s must be thoroughly conversant with aspects of stock markets and forces influencing the value of securities traded within those markets. Thorough conversance on such microeconomic aspects will enable managers to become value-conscious and develop value-maximizing behavior in their professional undertakings. In most of the principles proposed by Rappaport, the main theme remains that managers should be encouraged by stakeholders, especially shareholders, in implementing long-term growth strategies. Encouragement can be achieved through reward mechanisms for both top and middle-level managers who demonstrate the strong commitment towards maximizing the value of the company.

Economic and Political Fallout of World War I Term Paper

Economic and Political Fallout of World War I - Term Paper Example The world got ‘shaped’ both geographically and historically by two global conflicts that happened in the twentieth century. It included the First World War and the Second World War, with the First World War starting in 1914 and ending in 1918 with the signing of Treaty of Versailles. Although the First World War ended officially in 1918, its aftereffects simmered for many years, leading to the political and the economic fallouts in various regions of the World, particularly in Europe as well as United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Europe In Europe, the political and economic fallout of First World War was mainly visible in Germany and Italy. Defeated in the First World War and with fellow European countries from Britain to Spain dominating the world scene during that period, through their imperialist policies, Germany and Italy along with Japan thought of exhibiting their imperialistic leanings. They thought of capturing many colonies, which will enable them to regain their lost glory. Germany for instance at the end of the First World War I lost some of its most economically rich territories like eastern portion of Upper Silesia, Saarland and Rhineland to its fellow European neighbors, France, Poland, etc. The loss of these territories apart from depriving Germans of economic wealth also resulted in population relocation and thereby problems with neighboring territories. These problems fueled the German ambition to regain its lost territories. Importantly by restoring the ‘rightful’ boundaries to pre-First World War Germany, its leader, Adolph Hitler wanted to form a Greater Germany. Through Greater Germany, he wanted to encapsulate all the territories where Germans lived into a Great Nation. Italy on the other hand, frustrated by the minimal territorial gains at the end of First World War indulged in expansionism. At Versailles, even though Italy was promised larger part of Austrian territory, it got only renting-Alto Adige /Sudtirol, and this resentment fueled Italy’s expansion plans. â€Å"†¦uncompromising message was that Italy and had not received from its allies the gains to which its gallant war had entitled it† (Henig, 2005, p.10). This reason coupled with domestic crisis lead to the rise of Benito Mussolini, and he with popular support launched the desire to capture as many colonies as possible. â€Å"Mounting resentment over what was increasingly referred to by nationalists as the 'mutilated victory', and a series of post-war social and industrial convulsions, destabilized the weak post-war Italian government† (Henig, 2005, p.10). Mussolini desired to create a New Roman Empire, basing it on the Mediterranean area. As a first step, he invaded Albania and then Greece in the early part of 1939. There were also economic reasons behind the desire of Germany, Italy, and Japan to conquer many territories. That is, these three countries were not as rich as Britain and France and also they did not have enough colonial possessions to serve as the source of raw material or markets for their finished goods. Germany was particularly affected by the Great Depression of 1929 which started first in the U.S.A and then spread to other countries, and which indirectly caused the war. That is, U.S.A had been lending capital to European countries, but to protect her own industries, America raised a Tariff wall.

Fast Food Nation Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Nation Essay Whether we like it or not, fast food and its detrimental effects have become an epidemic. For many years, people have been oblivious to the growth of the fast food industry. However, over the past three decades, the fast food industry has nearly taken over our American society; almost anywhere, one can see its vast influence. As a result, in his book, Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser portrays the influence of the industry. By implementing pathetic appeals for injustice and disgust, statistics from reputable sources, and fear of the consequences of fast food, Schlosser shows the average adult how the fast food industry is ruining American culture as a way to reform its problems. Throughout his book, Schlosser consistently tries to create an emotional appeal, particularly to one’s injustice and disgust to depict his opinion. When one hears things such as, â€Å"The hamburger habit is just about as safe†¦as getting your meat out of a garbage can† (Schlosser 195), he or she cannot help but to be disgusted. Of course no one wants to be told that he or she is eating trash. Moreover, Schlosser discusses other vomit-inducing truths such as, the numerous amounts of cannibal animals among the animals whose meat becomes the food that people eat at a fast food restaurant (202). He also talks about how every year there are millions of dead animals purchased to be fed to the animals that restaurants provide as meat (Schlosser 202). Lastly, Schlosser writes, â€Å"There is shit in the meat† (197), which immediately grabs the reader’s attention and hence shows his pathetic appeal to persuasively convey his opinion. Would anyone really want to eat a feces burger for lunch? In addition, out of 355 detailed pages, Schlosser’s statistics are omnipresent. He constantly uses them to back up his statements with evidence, even dedicating one sixth of the book to notes full of statistics with reputable sources. Although he already states his facts persuasively, they become more convincing with this use of logos. For instance, at many times, authors will make up a statement and act as if it were a true fact. However, when he writes, â€Å"There is a 100 percent turnover rate annually† (Schlosser 325) and quotes it from a published article, one can actually know the turnover rate without having to question its validity. Furthermore, when Schlosser writes about how 7. 5% of all ground beef samples are contaminated with Salmonella and quotes it from a Nationwide Microbiological survey, one does not have a hard time believing its legitimacy (Schlosser 333). One of the most persuasive strategies Schlosser uses in his book is his appeal to his audience’s consequential fears of fast food. For most people, living life is a wonderful gift and if anything could be able to take it away, people would doubtlessly avoid it. Schlosser does an effective job at listing the harmful consequences; since he clearly detests the fast food industry’s influence, he does this to help reform against the influence of it. For example, when Schlosser brings up the existence of E. coli O157:H7 in fast food, he does not simply say, â€Å"It is bad† (199). He goes on and elaborates with great detail, giving a story of a six year old boy named Alex who died because of the bug (200). Not only does he dramatize the story but he also narrates the events chronologically to draw the greatest response from the reader. Schlosser writes, â€Å"It progressed to diarrhea†¦Doctors frantically tried to save Alex’s life, drilling holes in his skull to relieve pressure, inserting tubes in his chest to keep him breathing†¦ Toward the end, Alex suffered hallucinations and dementia, no longer recognizing his mother or father† (200). These events, individually, already seem terrifying. Together, it magnifies the effect. Pathos and logos play an important role throughout Schlosser’s entire book. He is clearly against the fast food industry’s ubiquitous influence and as a result, he writes with pathetic appeals, reputable sources, and fear evoking descriptions to abolish its influence on American culture. What he writes has shown to be true; fast food has had a negative effect on society. While fast food may have some benefits, it’s detrimental in the long run. Day by day, the influence of fast food continues to grow and harm the American culture.

Critical approach

Critical approach Introduction Critical theory sets out to critically examine organisations in contemporary society. This approach has emerged from the radical humanist paradigm (Morgan, 1995, Burrell, 2000). This approach argues that a positivist (functionalist/modernist) approach to the management of organizations if not utilised cautiously it may result in the dehumanisation of the employee and the workplace. Individuals are generally seen as machines and work as a technical process (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, pp. 21-22). It is the humanist approach that focuses on placing people first rather than those of the organisation. It also argues that organisations need to be ethical and humane. Unfortunately, these ideals are not always pursued by organisations. A critical approach sets out to improve the practices and traditions of the positivist/functionalist approach to management. For example, a critical perspective sees work as the problem rather than the positivist view of the worker as the problem. However, critical theorists are not focused on removing the system but rather prefer to improve it through raising awareness, critical reflection and self analysis (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 22). Learning outcomes After completing this module/topic, you should be able to Outline and analyse the basic assumptions of the radical humanist paradigm. Outline the various critical theories and analyse the implications they have for managing organisations. Analyse the basis of and the need for an ethical approach to managing organisations Analyse the link between critical theory and the radical humanist paradigm Define and explain the concept of ‘alienation and its implications for organisations Develop an understanding of the radical humanist concept of power Critically evaluate the concept of ‘ideological trap Explain and analyse issues such as diversity, equity and fairness in organisations Critical theory Critical theory has its origins in the Radical Humanist Paradigm (see Crowther and Green, Chapter 9 on E.Reserve). This approach questions the current accepted views of organisations and their impact on society. Previous examples of now outdated views that would not be accepted today would include ideas such as, women should not be encouraged to work and that organisations can freely pollute the environment. The basic assumptions of this paradigm are according to Morgan (1995), Ideological traps: Tunnel vision is based on our previous experience becoming the blueprint for interpreting our current experience (we often let myths and our past experience becomes our reality). We are unable to interpret reality without prejudice. Power dimension: The right to define reality or the right of some to have power over others overt use of power. Power is also used in a subtle or covert way (soft domination) and its use and abuse is often unquestioned. Eg. How is power distributed in organisations? We discuss empowerment and participation but we rarely see this happening in organisations. Ethical dimension: Organisations need to act in an ethical manner. How do the actions of managers and organisations impact on employees and society? People first Work is the problem Critical theory proposes that the functionalist approach to management is based on a technical and mechanistic view of organizations rather than understanding organizations as social and human activity. This technical view of organizations reinforces the view that managing organizations can be achieved by developing more efficient and effective technical control (Alvesson and Willmott, 1996). However, the focus on efficiency and effectiveness may overlook the needs of people in organisations. The use of control in organisation may become authoritarian if not carefully monitored. A critical approach is often viewed as being negative; however, a critical approach is important skill to develop. A critical approach means that we do not take things at face value and question the current way things are done. Contemporary social movements such as environmentalism, feminism and consumer issues often take a critical approach because they question the current belief systems and practices in society and organisations (Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 115). Conflict: Questioning may give rise to conflict but this does not necessarily mean that the conflict needs to be dysfunctional. Critical theory is clear that any conflict should be dealt within the system and in democracies this is done through political debate, academic debate, education, legislation, Television (Australian Story ABC; 7.30 Report, ABC), Documentaries (Who Killed the Electric Car: An Inconvenient Truth), Films (see Erin Brockevich; The Devil Wore Prada) and good journalism (eg. Financial Review; Washington Post; The Economist; The Observer; New Scientist; Business Week). Functionalist theories focus on unifying different ideas and blending peoples ideas into one view of the world. While this idea has merit, taken to its extreme it can result in the demise of the company eg. One Tel and Enron and others. So some conflict, questioning and critique is important in order to ensure that organisations do not descend into group think (see module 6). An example of a critical approach that has been viewed as negative until recently has been the environmental movement. This movement has been seen by business and governments to be overly negative toward business and in particular energy organisations. However, the scientific support (Stern Review and the Report by the United Nations) is so strong that people now take this movement seriously. Therefore organisations need to examine the implications that climate change may have for their business otherwise they may not survive in the long term. In addition a critical approach recognises that there are different and shifting realities and that the interpretation of the issue should be considered within the framework of the context in which it occurs (Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 118). A critical approach (Radical Humanism) consists of many theories that were developed to critique the excesses of the capitalist/business world. Theorists include the Frankfurt school who argued that the over use of technology may prove to dehumanise the workplace. Other critical theorists include; Marcuse argued that consumerism was becoming a problem for society and people were becoming ‘one dimensional. In other words individuals did not question whether they needed to consume but rather they consumed unquestioningly, for example buying bigger cars when oil supplies are diminishing and the problems associated with global warming (The West Australian, 2007). He argued that the creation of ‘false needs that serves to keep people happy and working long hours and in difficult conditions (cited in Burrell and Morgan, 1988, p. 293-294). An important aspect of this theory is the unquestioning acceptance of technology. Habermas argues that work is the dominant form of social action in society. Habermas also suggests that work is a form of communicative distortion because the power relationships in organisations are not equal. Organisational structures do not enable the empowerment of individuals so that they can be free to communicate so that genuine consensus can occur. An ‘ideal speech situation is one where dialogue is open and not influenced by those who are more powerful (Burrell and Morgan, 1988, pp. 294-295; Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 121). An example of this would be the ‘One Tel situation where employees could not discuss the organisations problems with Jodee Rich because he did not want to hear bad news (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006). Habermas proposes that there a three main issues that need to be addressed to ensure empowerment. They are, Technical Reason: the value given to science and technology has taken precedence over human and ethical issues. Control is the main aim with the ends being more important that the way things are done. Practical Reason: this concept refers to the importance of achieving mutual understanding instead of focusing on prediction and control. The means are as important as the goal. The needs of employees and society should be taken into account. Emancipatory reason: communication needs to focus on consensus and be conducted in a climate free from domination. Critical self reflection is important. That is individuals must question their own ideas and values. This self questioning enables the development of critical thinking and frees individuals from past practices (ideological traps) which may not be relevant for the present or the future (Crowther and Green, 2004, pp. 121-122). Critical theorists agree with the interpretivists that assumptions and beliefs are taken for granted by people. However, although they share the idea that organisational life should be explored from a subjective, they prefer to question these beliefs rather than just understand them. Therefore a critical approach is more concerned with developing a questioning and critical approach to organisational life. Journalists, lawyers and researchers are trained in this approach. Academic training focuses on questioning and extending knowledge rather than accepting the status quo. A good example of this focus on questioning are Barry Marshall and Robin Warren who are from Western Australia and received the ‘Nobel Prize† for their work on ulcers in 2005 and made Companions of the Order of Australia in 2007. Their findings challenged the prevailing beliefs and assumptions that ulcers were caused by stress. They found that ulcers were caused by bacteria could be cured by antibiotics. However, the consultant specialists in the field were unimpressed and it took Ten years before they were listened to and almost 20 years before their findings were accepted by the medical establishment and business (Knowles, 2007). Another group that have challenged conventional wisdom have been the environmentalists. Our headlines now are raising the issue of climate and its impact on society (Hartcher, 2007; Stern Report) scientists now are in agreement that climate change has the capacity to severely impact life on earth as we know it is still seen by business as not a major issue. Although the Stern Report (commissioned by the British Government) concluded that climate change is the consequence of the greatest market failure and called for business to take action to control greenhouse emissions, American CEOs were far less concerned about climate change than the Europeans (Kitney, 2007, p. 40). Critical thinking is concerned with the development of foresight and learning (Fulop, 1992). Organisations and society cannot always wait until the problem has been experienced objectively because by the time we experience the event it may too late to rectify the situation. The lack of a Tsunami warning system in the Indian ocean was an example of this problem. Scientists had been warning for many years that a warning system was needed. Many lives and businesses were lost as a result of the Tsunami. Without critical thinking we cannot have innovation and change. Change requires questioning what we are doing currently and if it can be done better. The radical humanist concept ‘ideological trap illustrates how people can become trapped in a non-reflective and unquestioning way of thinking. Stop and Consider: Why should people and society question current thinking? Can you outline any examples of ‘ideological traps Business leaders have that need to be challenged to ensure a focus on the human side of organisations? A critical approach to organisations: Placing people first Critical theory proposes that organisations should be concerned with the emancipation and empowerment of employees in organizations. Critical theory also recognises that the placing of people first is not always the primary concern of organisations. For example, although organisations argue they foster empowerment, there is evidence that employees are working longer hours and extreme jobs are becoming the norm (Hewlett and Buck Luce, 2007). If employees are over controlled then organizations face the prospects of employees experiencing alienation. Alienation results in employees experiencing low motivation, low morale, poor mental health, job dissatisfaction, job stress, anxiety and depression (Kanungo, 1992). Work alienation is defined as ‘an experienced psychological state of the individual that represents a cognitive separation from ones job and other work contexts; a sense of frustration and accompanying negative affect, that is the result of the workers perception that they have failed to achieve their objectives through their job, and results in the experience of apathy (Kanungo, 1992, p. 414). Empowerment is considered by critical theorists to be a way of overcoming alienation. Empowerment involves giving the worker more control over their work by participating in decision-making. In addition it involves giving the worker encouragement, and to provide workers with meaningful goals. According to Kanungo (1992) empowerment has an ethical foundation and goes beyond the focus on the bottom line. Thus Kanungo (1992) argues that organisational ethics begins with the humane treatment of workers. Soft domination The central tension in organisations is often between resistance and obedience. Management control excessive use of coercion invites overt resistance because is used in an obvious manner. However, power as a form of control can also be used in a more subtle way. According to Courpasson soft domination is characterised by the administration of rule that give managerial discretion to managers while reinforcing the strength of centralised authority. It is based on the appearance of equality and fairness but ultimately in organisations the power lies with only a few (Cited in Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis, 2005, p. 169). Processes such as performance appraisals, promotion systems, discipline procedures and being made redundant all contribute to feelings of powerlessness and that others have the right to define the workers reality. Teamwork is often seen associated with the rhetoric of empowerment but it can be a form of soft domination. Single solutions such as TQM, Lean production, Learning organisations, and BPR appear to reverse the individualistic approach of Scientific Management. Teamwork and in particular self managing teams does not isolate workers and set them competitively against each other. In contrast to scientific management teamwork encourages communication and sociability among workers. However, Barker notes that it is a form of ‘concertive control because the team members watch over each other because the responsibility for rule making is shifted to the team who then set their own limits. It is more difficult to argue with team members than it is to argue with a supervisor. The subtlety of ‘concertive control is powerful and very difficult to escape (Cited in Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis (2005, p. 172-174). Concertive control has the capacity to promote the notion of overwork and extreme jobs because people feel they cannot take time off such as a sick day because they will let others down. A study by Deery, Iverson and Walsh (2002) studied five call centres (480 telephone service operators) in the communications industry has show that the use of teams alone cannot overcome problems in the workplace. The study also showed that elements of scientific management contributed to worker exhaustion. These researchers carried out a well designed study and used good quality scales of measurement and analysis. Workers in this industry are often subject to customer hostility and verbal abuse. Workers were measured on employee withdrawal, emotional exhaustion, customer interactions and scripted conversational rules. Workload items included were the pace of work, role overload, and routinisation of work, team leader support and physical health. They found that customer abuse along with scripted and rigid rules of response also contributed to emotional exhaustion. Workers experience exhaustion because although the scripted approach facilitates a more efficient approach to the custom er, less time is spent with them so that workers can deal with more calls. Consequently customers feel that they are not important and often become abusive. This streamlined approach is based on Taylors scientific management principles. However, it only serves to dehumanise the worker and irritate the customer. The researchers initially thought that the longer a person stayed with the organisation they would become more competent and therefore less likely to experience exhaustion. However, this was not the case. The longer workers stayed the more they were likely to experience emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was also associated with withdrawal (levels of absence). Withdrawal was related to a high workload and customer abuse. The symptoms of withdrawal and emotional exhaustion are linked to the concept of ‘alienation. A critical approach: Are organisations ethical? A critical approach argues that organisations should have an ethical approach when conducting their business. This means dealing with their employees, clients, society and other business associates in an ethical manner. This contrasts with the functionalist theories that are concerned with efficiency and effectiveness. Functionalist theories focus on survival and profits. Now these are important for without organisations the majority of people would not be able work and survive. However, if organisations only focus on their own interests then the ramifications may ultimately be detrimental for their survival and lose the good will of the community. The pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness may become an ideological trap (tunnel vision) that prevents organisations from seeing the bigger picture. Activity: Read James Hardie from fibro in suburbia to mesothelioma and the US siding market in Robbins and Barnwell (2006, p.254). The focus on organisational success in terms of profits etc can lead an organisation and its management to develop tunnel vision (ideological trap) which stops them from considering ethical issues and how society views its actions. The idea of unquestioned obedience needs to be explored. The question ‘why do people do morally bad things whey they are asked to do so by those in authority? What aspects of organisational life make unquestioning obedience occur? The technique of power, i.e. the right to define reality enables leaders to ask people to do things they would not normally do. Therefore if employees are authorised to do something then it takes away the responsibility for questioning their leader. Milgram (cited in Clegg et al., 2005, p. 181-182) showed how easily this could be done. He found that individuals are inclined to follow the commands of people who are in authority. He created an experiment where ordinary people were directed by scientists to do cruel things to other people (participants) as part of a laboratory experiment. When the individuals were instructed to deliver electric shocks to the participants they did so (however, they did not know that the shocks were not real and the parti cipants were actors). The individuals believed that each shock they gave was higher than the previous one. If the individuals could see the participants only 30% administered the shock if they, however, if they could not see the participant then 62% were willing to administer the shock. Milgram showed that the obligations of the situation were stronger than the individuals ethical and moral values. Milgram also found that when the expert was questioned then individuals were less likely to follow instructions unquestioningly If organisations do not empower employees to speak up and contradict ideas and thinking, then CEOs will not be exposed to different perspectives and/or limit the probability of unethical behaviour in organisations. Therefore it is easy to regard the person speaking against the issue to be incompetent, a trouble maker and/or a whistleblower. In module five it was noted that the functionalist to culture focused on developing a single corporate culture. However, a critical approach would argue that this may lead to an organisations downfall if taken to the extreme (One Tel, Enron) or experience major problems such as James Hardie (Robson, 2007; Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 254). The power of the organisation to facilitate organisational commitment and loyalty has advantages and disadvantages. A study by Ahern and McDonald (2002) found that nurses who were more traditional in their behaviour and deferred to the surgeon and others in authority in a hospital were less likely to report misconduct. However, nurses who were committed to their profession and the nursing code of ethics tended to report misconduct because they were advocates for their patients. Traditional nurses felt powerless to alter the status quo were restricted in their moral and ethical development. Nurses who believed they were advocates for the patient were more likely to blow the whistle in hospitals. These results are not good for either the patients or the organisation because patients like to think their life and health is placed first. In contrast organisations such as hospitals would prefer to have undivided loyalty and that the problem be dealt within the organisation rather than read ing about it in the newspaper. Ethical issues such as insider trading have created difficulties for organisations and their shareholders. It is difficult to prove; however, in 2002 the burden of proof was lowered with the introduction of civil penalties. One of the recent cases involved Steve Vizard who was fined $390, 000 and banned from managing a corporation for more than 10 years. (Johnston, 2007, p. 32). Johnston (2007) also draws attention to other Australians and overseas people who have been prosecuted for insider trading. The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) is a corporate watchdog that oversees companies to ensure they abide by Australian company laws. The legal system attempts to ensure that corrupt and unethical behaviour does not occur in organisations, however, the legal framework, cannot ensure businesses are ethical and moral. For example, large mining companies now accept that closing a mine is not just walking away from a ravaged landscape. Closing a mine is now an environmental and sustainable process (Mellish, 2007). Legislation and public sector organisations in Australia attempt to ensure that employee and community safety is ensured, that minorities are treated fairly and that the environment is not compromised. Until recently Australia had one of the best legal systems in the world for ensuring the workplace treated workers fairly. The new ‘Work Choices legislation, according the Professor of Law at Sydney University is now comparable with the US and Australians will find that their jobs in the future will be less secure and less well paid (Mccallum, 2007). An ethical approach: Diversity in organisations A critical approach to organizations also examines the decisions and practices of organizations for their ethical approach. It challenges the notion that management is a scientific and impartial process. The pursuit of gender equity in organizations is a humanist and ethical approach to organizations. For many years women in organizations were not given equal pay for equal work. The view that women should receive less pay than men was an outcome of the historic industrial wage decision by Justice Higgins in the Harvester Judgement in 1907. Justice Higgins determined what was needed by a man to support his wife and children at a reasonable standard of comfort. It was also argued that women should receive 54% of the male wage because she only had to support herself and/or supplement her husbands salary. Societys values supported this approach and the unequal pay and unfair treatment of women at work continued until 1972 . Married women usually had to resign their positions on marriage and married women were not allowed to join the Public Service until 1966. Following the introduction of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in the states of Australia the workforce was generally gender segregated. However, there are still very few women in senior management positions in large organizations and fewer women directors of Australian Companies. Barriers to womens progression in organizations occur through social and organizational practices and the final barrier to senior position is called the ‘glass ceiling (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006). Learning Activity: Read pages 501 to 512 in Robbins and Barnwell (2006) and outline the different barriers that inhibit womens progression in the workplace. What does the ‘glass ceiling mean? Do question three on page 528 of your text. A critical approach by women and men has questioned the early ideas of women and work and enshrined a fair go for both women and minority groups into legislation. The main feminist theories that emerge from critical theory are Radical Feminist Theory, Psychoanalytic Theory and Anti-capitalist feminist theories (see table 16.1 in Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 516). These theories explore the reasons for the unfair and discriminatory treatment of women. In 1986 Federal legislation was introduced to ensure that women were treated fairly at work was the introduction of the Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunity for Women) Act 1986. The Act specified a number of provisions that organizations must meet to fulfil the requirements of the Act (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 522).

Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essays -- Essays on

Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder It has long been recognized that there are similarities between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Anorexia Nervosa. These similarities lie in the symptoms of the disorder. Many patients of both diseases report intrusive, fearful thoughts, a compulsive need to perform rituals, and an obsession with maintaining these rituals. In the case of anorexia nervosa these behaviors center on food and thinness whereas in OCD they are of a more general type. Past research has indicated that there is a higher prevalence rate for OCD among anorexia nervosa patients then in the normal population. The lifetime prevalence for OCD has been found to be around 3%. Conversely, the comorbidity rate for OCD and anorexia has been reported to be between 6% and 33%! This leads one to hypothesis that there may be a relationship between OCD and anorexia nervosa. It is not clear yet, based on the present research, what this relationship is. But, there are many studies out there that try to examine the relationship as well as its underlying causes. In this literature review some of this research will be examined and some preliminary conclusions will be drawn. Finally, further research to explore this relationship will be proposed. Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is a specific disorder defined in DSM IV. Several classifications must be met for a diagnosis of anorexia to be made. There must be a refusal by the patient to maintain a healthy body weight for their age and height. This behavior must eventually lead to a weight loss in which the body weight falls to less then 85% of the persons ideal body weight. Or the patient can refuse to gain any weight during periods of growth. In wome... ...urther studies are conducted that lead to a better connection between the two disorders, sufferers can be treated more efficiently. Reference Gee, Rebecca, Telew, Nicholas. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anorexia nervosa in a high school athlete: A case report. Journal of Athletic Training. 1999: 34:375-378 Han L, Nielsen D, Rosenthal N, Jefferson K, Kaye W, Murphy D, Altemus M, Humphries J, Cassano G, Rotondo A, Virkkunen M, Linnoila M, & Goldman D. No coding varient of the tryptophan hydroxylase gene detected in seasonal affective disoder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, and alcoholism. Biological Psychiatry. 1999:45:615-619. Thiel A, Zurger M, Jacoby G, & Shussler G. Thirty month outcome in patients with anorexia or bulimia nervosa and concomitant obsessive-compulsive disorder. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 1998: 155:244-249.