Applied Performance Practices Study Guide

APPLIED PERFORMANCE PRACTICES * FINANCIAL REWARD PRACTICES >Financial Rewards- the most fundamental applied performance practice in organizational settings. >Pay has multiple meanings * Symbol of success * Reinforcer and motivator * Reflection of performance * Can reduce anxiety >Meaning of money varies * Higher value to men than women * Cultural values influence the meaning and value of money TYPES OF REWARDS IN THE WORKPLACE * Membership and Seniority * Job Status * Competencies * Performance 1. Membership- and Seniority- Based Rewards * Fixed wages, seniority increases. * (Sometimes called â€Å"pay for pulse†) represent the largest part of most paychecks. Sample Rewards: * Fixed pay * Most employee benefits * Paid time off Advantages: * May attract applicants * Minimizes stress of insecurity * Reduces turnover Disadvantages: * Doesn’t directly motivate performance * May discourages poor performers from leaving * Golden handcuffs may undermine performance 2. ) Job St atus-Based Rewards * Includes job evaluation and status perks. Job evaluation –systematically evaluating the worth of jobs within an organization by measuring their required skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. * Maintain feelings of equity (people in higher-valued jobs should get higher pay) and motivate employees to compete for promotion. Sample rewards: * Promotion-based pay increase * Status-based benefits Advantages: * Tries to maintain pay equity * Minimizes pay discrimination * Motivates employees to compete for promotion Disadvantages: Encourages hierarchy which may increase costs and reduce responsiveness * Reinforces status differences * Motivates job competition and exaggerated job worth. 3. ) Competencies-Based Rewards * Pay increases with competencies acquired and demonstrated * Employees now receive pay increases within each pay band partly based on how well they have acquired new knowledge and skills. * Skill-based pay-is a variation of compet ency-based rewards in which employees are rewarded for the number of skill modules mastered and consequently the number of jobs they can perform.Sample Rewards: * Pay income based on competency * Skill-based pay Advantages: * Improve workforce flexibility * Tends to improve quality * Consistent with employability Disadvantages: * Subjective measurement of competency * Skill-based pay plans are expensive 4. ) Performance-Based Rewards Here are some of the most popular individual, team and organizational performance-based rewards: * Individual Rewards * Bonuses- many employees receive individual bonuses for accomplishing a specific task or exceeding annual performance goals. Commissions- real estate agents and other salespeople typically earn commissions in which their pay increases with sales volume. * Piece rate systems reward employees based on the number of units produced. * Team Rewards * Bonuses- employees earn a bonus based on how well their store meets or exceeds specific fina ncial goals. * Gainsharing Plans- a reward system in which team members earn bonuses for reducing costs and increasing labor efficiency in their work process. * Organizational Rewards Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) – a reward system that encourages employees to buy stock in the company. * Stock Options- a reward system that gives employees the right to purchase company stock at a future date at a predetermined price. * Profit-sharing Plans- a reward system that pays bonuses to employees based on the previous year’s level of corporate profits. * Balanced Scorecard (BSC) – a reward system that pays bonuses for improved results on a composite of financial, customer, internal process and employee factors.

Assessing Competency

The information provided in the scenario was actually very detailed; however it did not cover everything. There are a few things I would like to know about the suspect. One of the things discussed were his mental issues he has been suffering for quite some time. What the scenario does not specify is what is determined to be the cause of his illness. The scenario also mentions that he had been taking anti psychosis medicines however it does not say for how long or what kind. As a psychologist it would be crucial for me to find this information out. The reason for this would be that if a patient is taking anti psychosis medicine for a period of time and abruptly stops taking them it could cause the patient to actually go into a psychotic state of mind. The scenario states that the patient was not taking the medicine at the time of the murder. As a psychologist I would want to find out how long he was taking them prior to the murder and when did he stop taking the medicine before the murders occurred. As this persons psychologist in order to completely give them a full review and determine with the best of judgment how competent this person is I would also need to obtain all of the patients mental health records, what type of treatment has been given in the past, rather it was effective or ineffective, what the patients state of mind was at the time of the hospitalization, thus being pre and post functioning of the patient. The most important thing of all when assessing competency in this particular type of case is rather or not the patient understands the full consequences of their actions. In order for a person to be legally declared incompetent to stand trial they must be evaluated and found to not understand the difference between right from wrong. It is morally and legally unethical to prosecute someone who does not understand what they are being prosecuted for. Some people who I would want to contact for collateral information on the patient would be those who have had the closest contact with him. First I would start off with the medical professionals that have had contact with him in the past such as his previous psychologists and doctors. These people would be the best when obtaining the most professional and unbiased opinions about his mental health issues. Next I would interview the patients friends and get their personal opinions on what type of behavior they have experienced with the patient. The true character of the patient would be most accurately revealed here because they are friends not nessicarily people who have negatively affected him. If anything these would be the people who have most likely kept him in control of his feelings because they would be the ones who are his support network. Friends can be someone he could talk to without personal judgment and ridicule. Family members of course would also be crucial in getting information about the patient because they are the ones who interact with him on a daily basis. In the scenario it says that he has been especially violent towards family members for example he had violently attacked his sister in an attempt to seriously hurt or otherwise kill her. Finally I might want to contact previous employers and teachers. These people would be able to give their testimony about his character on a professional level. Past school teachers may be able to shed some light on his social status when it comes to interaction with his peers. For example I would find out things like was he a loner, was he social or anti-social, was he quiet or was he very out spoken, and did he ever show any type of aggressive behavior towards other students or teachers. He may have been teased in school so I would want to find out if that situation has occurred. Those who are ridiculed by their peers will tend to act out in adverse ways. It is very hard to determine rather or not the patient is competent to stand trial or not. There is just too much information missing. I would need to conduct a better evaluation of the patient myself instead of going by the information obtained in the scenario report. For instance I would have to evaluate the patient by reviewing how his mental state is before taking the anti-psychosis medicine; and then conduct a study of how his behavior is when he is taking the anti-psychotics. Then I would have to determine if any of his past behaviors are possibly linked to not taking the medicine or not. In the scenario it says that he was taking anti-psychosis medicine for a period of time however he was not taking them at the time of the murder. I would want to find out what type of medicine he was on, how it was working for him, and when he stopped. If he just abruptly stopped taking the medicine it could have caused his lucid state of mind and caused the actions that had occurred. However if he was on anti-psychotic medicine and still believed stuff like the delusions he was experiencing pertaining to the mayor being part of the CIA and his sister needing to be destroyed then it is highly unlikely that he is even remotely competent to stand trial. In order to assess his competency I would need to ask a series of questions. I would want to ask things like : Can you explain to me the charges that are being pressed against you? Can you tell me some of the consequences that could occur if you are convicted? What happened to your parents that has brought you to this situation? What could some of the verdicts be? What are some of the consequences of those verdicts? Basically just to get an understanding of rather or not the patient thoroughly understands the charges that are brought against them and some of the consequences of those charges. I would also want to determine if the patient understands the entire trial process and the role that each person plays within the trial. If I was called to testify on behalf of my professional opinion of the risk of future violence of the victim I would. However I would make it clear that when the patient is taking his anti-psychosis medicine his symptoms are mild and for the most part controlled. I would also let the judge and jury know that he does suffer from his schizophrenia and that while he may be taking anti-psychosis medicine it is no guarantee that he will not have a future hallucination or outburst that could cause a violent reaction. After all he does suffer from an incurable disease and all he can do is manage it. I could however provide information on the levels of violence that has occurred throughout his treatment starting from beginning to end and see if the violence has increased or lessened over the course of treatment. This type of thorough presentation would help the judge and jury to better understand and determine the risk that the patient may or may not cause to society. I would also provide my professional opinion on the competency level of the patient and rather or not he is fully competent to stand trial for his accused actions.

Genesis vs. Iroquois Creation Myth Essay

All different cultures have their own creation stories, mostly all containing the elements of a Higher Power of some sort, how the power created the world, and the creation a human man. The Christian belief in the Genesis story has these key elements , as does the Iroquois creation myth, The World on the Turtle’s Back. Although these two creation stories share similarities, they also have some stark contrasts. These contrasts include, how the two cultures of the Native American Iroquois tribe and then Christians view life and aspects of good and evil, the way each culture views nature and the impact that has on their culture, and finally the way the Christian God and the Iroquois gods are portrayed to humans. First, the Iroquois culture and the Christian faith view good and evil very differently, but there is one similarity, both the cultures show that the concept of freewill creates the beginnings of a sort good and evil, a differentiation of two people.(Iroquois 28; Genesis 3:1-24) For the differences, the Iroquois myth has the belief that everyone is born with good and evil in them. Whereas, in the Genesis story, man is immaculate and perfect, until the woman is tempted by the serpent and the the man eats also of the forbidden tree, through his wife’s consent. One other difference is that the Iroquois didn’t necessarily believe in a good and evil, but a left and a right as it is put in the myth, and the Left and Right together ruled the days.(Iroquois 29), While in the Genesis story, God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, showing His perfection and that while He is a merciful God, He can also be a God of judgment to show the people the errors of their ways. Additionally, the two cultures view nature very differently and it impacts each individual culture. The Iroquois culture believes that man and nature are equal as represented in the creation myth. One can find this true as the Native Americans were very respectful of the territories they were inhibiting and developing relations with animals, like the buffalo, instead of hunting them for food. In contrast, in the story of Genesis God gave man dominion over all the creatures of the Earth. (Genesis 1:28) The man to this day, hunts animals of all kinds and disrespects nature, with clear-cutting of forestry and pollution. Finally, the Christian God and the Iroquois gods are viewed differently in the eyes of a standard human. First off, the God of Christianity, is the only God. But, in the Iroquois culture there are multiple gods, who become the elements, and then the Iroquois praise these elements.(Iroquois 30) In Genesis, man is created in the likeness of God,(Genesis 1:27) but in the Iroquois myth man is created by another man. The Genesis God is thought of as more of a paternal God who loves His children but reprimands them when the children disobey, where the gods of the Iroquois is just revered and respected, no mention of punishment for humans is mentioned in the Iroquois myth. One similarity is the belief that the gods or God dwell in a place above the rest of the world, the Sky-World in Iroquois, or Heaven in the story of Genesis. To conclude, the two stories of The World on the Turtle’s Back and Genesis are very similar but, they also have their individual differences that really separate the two cultures. The way the two cultures view life and aspects of good and evil. The aspect each culture views nature and the impact that has on their culture. Finally, the way the Christian God and the Iroquois gods are portrayed to humans. Two completely different races , but similar beliefs in the development and creation of the planet Earth.

The Passions of Andrew jackson by Andrew Burstin Essay

The Passions of Andrew jackson by Andrew Burstin - Essay Example There are two popular models that are used to describe early childhood behavior. They are â€Å"nature,† which assumes a genetic predisposition to a behavior, and â€Å"nurture,† which predicts that the child’s environment predominantly dictates behavior. The authors of this study take both factors into account by creating three study groups. These groups consisted of a control group, where paternal alcohol abuse was non-existent; a recovered group, where paternal alcohol abuse was in remission; and the target group in which the father abused or was dependent upon alcohol consumption. In an attempt to account for environmental factors, the authors located a family for the target group, and then found demographically similar families that fit the criteria for the control and the recovered groups. This ensured that all of the participants were comparable in ethnicity, neighborhood, income, etc. In all, their samples amounted to a total of 267 families. Each of the three groups was similar in sample size and composition. Using computer-based interviews, the authors interviewed each family once a year for three years. Both parents and children were asked to answer several questions relating to alcohol use and specific behaviors that were of importance to the development of the hypothesis. For example, the fathers were asked questions relevant to their level of alcohol dependence during the prior three months. They were questioned on their awareness of their children’s activities. The adolescents were asked to self-report criteria based upon a combination of items from the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self Report. The results of this study did not support the hypothesis that fluctuations in paternal alcohol use correlates with a higher incidence of adolescent behavior problems. The authors list several reasons to explain the outcome of this study. One of the most obvious is the frequency of the

The Concept of Culture in the Translation Studies Coursework

The Concept of Culture in the Translation Studies - Coursework Example Each approach to translation attempts to trace in detail the actual process of translation and to describe how translators actually translate. One of the most important methods to emerge today in translation studies is the cultural approach. This paper will explore the merit of this method in translation studies. It was the Romans who first introduced the use of the concept of culture as an indispensable aspect in translation studies. According to Rainer Schulte and John Biguenet, during their period translation meant incorporating subject matters of foreign culture into the language of one’s own culture. For critics, this could mean looting those elements from Greek culture that would enhance the aesthetic dimensions of the Roman culture. However, as what Cicero proclaimed, he was translating ideas and their forms and was therefore setting the word-for-word rendering of the original-language text secondary or of no import at all. Culture, hence, was pivotal here even if its a spects were used to enhance another. Saint Jerome, the famous translator of the Greek Bible into Latin, favoured this method, arguing that translation meant expropriating ideas and insights from another culture to enrich one’s own language. Saint Jerome in fact improved on this, contributing to the definition of the history of the discipline. One of the authors who would credit Saint Jerome as their influence is Rufinus of Aquilea, one of the most important translators of Greek texts into Latin in late antiquity.

US History 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US History 3 - Essay Example â€Å"†¦Americans of the twenties sought to adapt to the rise of a new mass culture, mass production, urban world† (738), while â€Å"†¦the New Deal Era radically redefined the nation’s political agenda, the role of the federal government, and the nature of the presidency† (777). The popularity of print media was at its peak in the 1920s, as the circulation graph of magazines like Saturday Evening Post and Readers Digest verify. Though there is an accusation that the lofty elements of classic literature were lost in the periodical articles in these magazines meant for light reading, they have definitely played a vital part in shaping the American sensibility. Though radio and movies were in vogue in the twenties, they reached perfection in the production and reach only in the thirties. The impact of the magazines had decreased to an extent in the New Deal Era, thanks to the innovative means of entertainment and information that audio-visual mass media offered. While the twenties’ moviemakers struggled with ‘vitaphone’ and ‘movietone’ for sound in movies and were content with black and white films, the thirties are known for phenomenal inventions in incorporating sound and color to the movies. However, it is observed that â₠¬Å"the rise of corporate economic power in Hollywood had a subtle but distinct effect on film content, encouraging escapist, predictable formula films most likely to turn a profit, and discouraging riskier work and critical explorations of the darker corners of American society.† (773) The most significant aspect of the Progressive Era is the emergence of the African American community and a celebration of their existence through the Harlem Renaissance. The cultural flowering at Harlem owes it allegiance to the pride and self-confidence the Afr0-Americans gained in the Post-World War I America. Jazz music, which originated form the Afro-American musical tradition, is representative of the breaking free from the white traditional

The Concept of Multicultural Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Multicultural Education - Essay Example In fact, multicultural education represents a response to the dynamically changing demographic situation observed in the United States. According to the most recent projections, by 2020 approximately 46 percent of the whole public school student population will be children of color and more than 20 percent will be from poor families (Banks, 1997). Evidently, addressing the diverse learning needs of such population is a pressing task faced by the US educational system. However, the monocultural approach that has traditionally been the cornerstone of American education mostly focuses on the values, instructions and content of middle class Eurocentric student population. Such focus substantially complicates the process of learning the academic knowledge for students of different cultural and social background: the incompatibility between the culture of ethnic and social minority students and the educational approach based on the values of majority seriously affects achievement and contributes to academic failure of students (Nielson, 1991). Therefore, an increasingly multicultural student population in the US stresses the need to address the systemic, curricular, and pedagogical barriers that negatively affect academic performance and achievement of minority students. Furthermore, the concept of multicultural education also recognizes that "an increasingly multicultural nation and a shrinking and contentious planet at the edge of the twenty-first cen tury demands a people who are critical thinkers and able to deal with the complexities of multicultural differences" (Hanley, 2002). Many believe that multicultural educational... This paper approves that many believe that multicultural educational policies help students develop new human capabilities and new identities in order to properly respond to the increasing need to recognize cultural diversity. Multicultural education promotes the ideals of cultural and educational equity, social justice thus enabling students to reach their fully potential in learning the curriculum. The idea of multicultural education looks extremely attractive as an effective tool to reinforce the democratic multicultural society and at the same time respect the inclination of different ethnic groups to preserve their cultural traditions. This essay makes a conclusion that multiculturalism definitely has the potential to become a serious tool in reducing discrimination and inequalities in the realm of education. Multicultural education practices often fail to address the difficult task of unifying the society without neglecting the cultural and ethnic traditions of minorities. Moreover, the constantly changing society creates new challenges that can hardly be addressed within the existing framework of multicultural education. However, failure to achieve certain goals does not mean that the concept of multicultural education is futile per se. On the contrary, it should create additional motivation for scholars and teachers to look for innovations and new opportunities to meet the challenges of these days and correct the previous mistakes. Multicultural education must be changed seriously to effectively respond to the needs of this epoch.

Advanced Construction Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Advanced Construction Law - Essay Example The main aspect that needs to be understood is that an LOI is not a contract; at best it is an offer that needs to be confirmed or negated by the other party. However, a particular contractor by dint of some merit has been chosen over others. â€Å" It applies also where the sub-contractor has been chosen for his specialist trade. – â€Å"British Waggon Co.-v-Lea (1880)† 2 (Footnote: In this case it was held that delegation of contractual duties is possible except when individual’s skill, competencies and other resources are not considered while effecting the delegation.) This was again confirmed in the case of â€Å"Southway Group Ltd-v-Wolff and Wolff (1991)† 3 (footnote: Novation is another means by which contractual obligations can be "transferred" from one person to another) That being said, it is also necessary to state that in construction business, the main documents are the floatation of tender. As per accepted protocol, the contractor or owner floats tenders which are quoted by different parties, these tenders are examined and the final bid is finalized. â€Å"The form and content of LOIs are as varied as the circumstances in which they may be issued.No doubt it is this variety that led Robert Goff J in British Steel Corp v Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd (1984) to observe that there is "no hard and fast answer to the question whether a letter of intent will give rise to a binding agreement: everything must depend on the circumstances of the particular case." 4 Sometimes there is an oral promise by one party to do something and for another to remunerate him on his doing it. â€Å" The latter transaction is really no more than a standing offer which, if acted upon before it lapses or is lawfully withdrawn, will result in a binding contract.† 5 However, in this case, although the parties wished and hoped for the contract to be finalized, it did

LitReview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

LitReview - Essay Example Consideration of a threat doles out as a restriction or limitation that creates hindrances to perform required tasks as it dissuades to take action considering losses and costs. The whole process can be seen as a military action in which, concerned parties are restricted to take any military action that would affect the foreign policy objectives of the two involved states. Any sort of initiation of combating action is deterred. Rational choice theory is another theory that is influential in terms of cyber security. This theory allows contemplation and differentiation of varied accessible tactics. Cornish & Clarke (1986) inform that this theory emerged considering a notion related to cost benefit analysis. For example, a criminal conducts a crime when it appears advantageous to him. The theory also puts light on challenger’s haziness towards defender’s selected option. Nevertheless, the theory fails to resolve the strategized relationship between concerned parties, which are thoroughly reviewed in game theory (Understanding Society, 2008). The challengers select their intended defenders diligently and also work on their combating strategies considering previously employed strategies by the defenders. According to Cavusoglu, Raghunathan & Yue (2008), Decision theory is weak in handling the challengers’ worked out strategies and revisiting of defender’s actions because as per the theory, defender regards challenger’s devised performances as ‘exogenous’. According to the game theory, defender’s choices and challenger’s actions are endogenous. According to the decision theory, the scenarios according to which, the involved parties have to take action are predefined due to which, the actions performed by actors are regarded exogenous. Von Newmann and Morgenstern (1944) inform that each contestant is eligible to evaluate ‘variables’ of his actions only. There are rational rules involved in cons idering of variables and comprehension of variables of other’s actions, which cannot be determined statistically. Therefore, it has been required to explore a more viable theory that can be applied to cyber security. Researchers have moved towards game theory to comprehend the relationship between actors in cyber security issues. In addition, Nisan and Ronen (1999), Nisan (2007) inform about mechanism design that has assisted towards development of protection and privacy mechanisms. These mechanisms are designed with the support of systematic results. Because of usage of game theory, there are certain security decisions. These security decisions are supportive in terms of distribution of restricted resources, stability of professed problems and consideration of core inducement mechanisms. In game theoretical model, more than one person are involved in the decision making process and examining the decisions made where players are either directly or indirectly involved to share the resources provided in the game. Games relevant to the strategic security can be simple or complex. The game can be helpful in solving the simple as well as complex formulated security issues. The security issues can be related to the wireless or computer controlled communication programs. The strategy can provide a solution of the user privacy issues, etc. Utilizing this theoretical model, a defender keeps maintaining the security of the network and the system, while an attacker always tries to access the secure

Litteracy narritve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Litteracy narritve - Essay Example Hence, this paper explores how my impression on reading and writing have been influenced and affected by reading the Sherlock Holmes stories. First, through Sherlock Holmes stories I learned how to read and write in English. English is not my first language, and thus, I had to learn English as I was growing up. My greatest breakthrough in English was in high school when I discovered Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. For instance, my interest in understanding fully the detective stories prompted me to improve my vocabulary. Initially, I was only able to read the shorter stories such as â€Å"A Scandal in Bohemia† and â€Å"The Red Headed League.† However, these did not have Sherlock Holmes, as the very first story Doyle wrote where he introduced Sherlock is A Study in Scarlet, which is a novella-length work. I first read the opening chapters of A Study in Scarlet just to see how Sherlock and Dr. Watson meet. However, the story really intrigued me, and I could not wait to finish the whole narrative. To ensure full understanding, I would often read the story with a dictionary, looking up difficult words that I wo uld encounter. For example, one particular part of A Study in Scarlet describes Sherlock playing the fiddle, and that the music he played was â€Å"sonorous and melancholy† (Doyle 16). I distinctly remember ignoring these words during my first reading attempt of A Study in Scarlet, but I eventually looked at the definitions in the dictionary when I made a serious attempt to finish the novella. Thus, I was able to expand my vocabulary, which made me realize how reading literary work in a particular language is helpful in improving reading and writing in that language. Second, from the Sherlock Holmes stories I learnt the importance of logical organization and unity in a written work. A large part of what makes the detective genre so interesting is not only the mysteries, but also, how these mysteries are solved. While some of

Global Perspective on Health Policy Essay Example for Free

Global Perspective on Health Policy Essay Introduction A macro perspective on health policy issues can be helpful to identify how problems become policy issues and how these issues result in the creation of health care policy. The neglected epidemic of Chronic Disease also known as non- communicable diseases are a controversial issue that needs to be addressed in the world. In this paper, the writer will provide an explanation of how this issue has resulted from a policy’s creation. Identify the steps in the state and federal policy development process. Furthermore, differentiate between policy development and implementation. Also, explain how stakeholders become involved in the process and why their voices often become a driver for change in health policy. What is Chronic Disease? Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases are not transferred from person to person. They are slowly progressed over time. The four main kinds of non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases such as strokes or heart attacks, any type cancer, chronic respiratory diseases like chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and diabetes. Other Chronic Diseases that affect many Americans are, Obesity and Overweight, Asthma, Epilepsy, Food Allergies, Glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, and Heart Disease (Non-communicable diseases. 2014). A Chronic Disease is a long-term illness that can be controlled, but not healed. The worldwide population is affected by chronic diseases. In the United States, chronic disease is the leading cause of disability and death that accounts for 70% of all deaths. Out of these premature deaths, 90% effect low- income and middle-class population. The World Health Organization shows that chronic illnesses are also the main reason for untimely deaths everywhere, even in places where communicable ailments are widespread (What is Chronic Disease?. 2011). According to the article, chronic disease is the most preventable and can be successfully controlled, and they are also very costly health issues and the most common. With the proper care and treatment, these long-term diseases can be controlled (What is Chronic Disease?. 2011). The Epidemic of Chronic Disease In today’s society, Chronic Disease is responsible for an enormous percentage of diseases in people. Non-communicable diseases affect all regions of the  world and age groups. People before the age of 60 attribute to 9 million of the deaths associated with chronic disease. Even though Chronic Disease are a huge problem in low-income areas, these diseases and risk are not exclusive to more wealthy Americans (Horton, R. 2005). The most vulnerable to the risk factors that contribute to chronic diseases are adults, elderly and children. Studies prove that it comes from unhealthy diets, exposure and use of tobacco products, not regularly exercising and harmfully using alcohol. Non-communicable disease are driven by aging and the globalization of unhealthiness in our lives (Non-communicable diseases. 2014). The globalization of unhealthiness like eating unhealthy can result in high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, high blood glucose levels, and higher blood lipids. Many of these risk factors can be lead to cardiovascular disease, which is a common NCD (Non-communicable diseases. 2014). The Center for Managing Chronic Disease (CMCD) aims help in the effectiveness with management and prevention in chronic disease. The main goal of CMCD is to help people at risk, or that are most vulnerable. Conducting advanced research and publicizing the results to aid in policy change and practices (What is Chronic Disease? 2011). On September 2011, a meeting with the UN High Level on Non-Communicable Diseases was an exceptional chance to produce a sustained global drive contrary to preventable disease and disability, premature death for chronic diseases, like stroke, cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease and diabetes. This is an increasing global threat in NCDs that is a barrier to developmental goals. These development goals include health equity, poverty reduction, human security and economic stability (The Lancet. 2011). Policy Making Process. In healthcare, Chronic Disease epidemics cause many threats to the world. In response to the crisis, The Lancet NCD Action Group and the NCD Alliance has proposed five priority actions. Which are: â€Å"Leadership, prevention, treatment, international cooperation, and monitoring and accountability—and the delivery of five priority interventions—tobacco control, salt reduction, improved diets and physical activity, reduction in hazardous alcohol intake, and essential drugs and technologies (The Lancet. 2011).† The import involvements were chosen for their health paraphernalia, cost-value, small costs of implementation, and political and financial achievability. Tobacco control  is the most urgent and immediate priority. They have propose a goal for 2040 that in essence the world would be free from tobacco where fewer than 5% of people engaged in tobacco use (The Lancet. 2011). Policy problems are identified by many factors that include methods that include getting issues on the political agendas and removing them. The first step in the Policymaking Process is agenda setting. Agenda setting is all about decision-making in the first phase of the policymaking process. To be considered on the agenda, difficulties must arise to policymakers’ attention. Healthcare problems are highly visible, because the affect the nation, whereas major problems no relating to health are considered invisible to make the agenda (The Lancet. 2011). The Policymaking process discusses the precise decisions and procedures that are required for a policy to be considered, proposed and implemented. This process is an interactive progression with various points of access that provides opportunities to impact the many decisions (Politics and the Policymaking Process. n.d.).Policymaking process is an interactive process with several points of entree that provides chances to influence the decision-making processes involved in each of the stages. Furthermore, there are three phases of policymaking: the implementation phase, the formulation phase, and formulation phase (Politics and the Policymaking Process. n.d.). Policy development and implementation. During Policy Development, policies may be developed and applied at several stages and may vary from formal reg ulations and legislation to the informal procedures by which governments function (Policy Development. n.d.). An example of policy development would be in government policy that is related to youth, children and health developed at national and federal; territorial and provincial; community, local and district; or international levels by elected executives transversely with a quantity sectors that includes education, health, social services, finance, recreation and labor. Additionally, policy development time frame is determined by various factors that include government agendas and media attention. (Policy Development. n.d.). On the contrary, Policy implementation involves putting implemented policies into play. Success from implementation is depends on three essential elements. First element is the state or president and government officials locally, must pass down polices to the proper agency with the government bureaucracy (Policy Implementation   Boundless Open Textbook. n.d.). The second element that is essential to policy implementation is strong interpretation. Meaning that legislative intent need be deciphered into functioning guidelines and agendas. The concluding element necessary in operative policy implementation is also challenging to achieve. Dedication of assets to implement policy beneath the primarily element must be combined with organization of the policy with enduring processes (Policy Implementation Boundless Open Textbook. n.d.). Stakeholders in Healthcare. A Stakeholder involvement in planning, management policymaking has be brought on by new general development models. These models seek a different role for each state based on consensus, pluralistic structures and political legitimacy. Stakeholder contribution can be categorized into three forms: cooperative, instructive and consultative (Involving Stakeholders in Aquaculture Policy-making, Planning and Management. n.d.). In Cooperative involvement primary stakeholder act as companions with government in the decision processing. Consultative involvement is where government makes the primary decisions and stakeholders still have influence in the outcome and processes. Last, in Instructive involvement the government makes the choices but apparatuses occur during information interchange (Involving Stakeholders in Aquaculture Policy-making, Planning and Management. n.d.). Conclusion. The macro perspective on health policy issues can be helpful to identify how problems become policy issues and how these issues result in the creation of health care policy. Chronic diseases impact the healthcare industry in many ways. This controversial issue impacts all age groups. The Center for Managing Chronic Disease (CMCD) helps with management and prevention in chronic disease. This paper, provided an explanation of how the epidemic of Chronic Disease has resulted from a policy’s creation. Moreover, identified the steps in the policy development process. Furthermore, differentiated between policy development and implementation. Also, explained how stakeholders become involved in the process and why their voices often become a driver for change in health policy. References What is Chronic Disease?. (2011). The Center for Managing Chronic Disease. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from  http://cmcd.sph.umich.edu/what-is-chronic-disease.html Horton, R. (2005). The Lancet. The neglected epidemic of chronic disease : The Lancet. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2805%2967454-5/fulltext#bib4 Non-communicable diseases. (2014). WHO. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/ The Lancet. (2011). Priority actions for the non-communicable disease crisis: The Lancet. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2960393-0/abstract Policy Development. (n.d.). A Brief Guide to Understanding Policy Development. Retrieved October 10, 2014, from http://www.ruralnovascotia.ca/documents/policy/understanding%20policy.pd Politics and the Policymaking Process. (n.d.). The Policymaking Process. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0205011616.pdf Policy Implementation Boundless Open Textbook. (n.d.). Boundless. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from https://www.boundless.com/political-science/textbooks/boundless-political-science-textbook/domestic-policy-15/policy-making-process-95/policy-implementation-516-6175/ Involving Stakeholders in Aquaculture Policy-making, Planning and Management. (n.d.). Involving Stakeholders in Aquaculture Policy-making, Planning and Management. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/AB412E/ab412e32.htm

Death and a King’s Horseman and All My Sons Essay Example for Free

Death and a King’s Horseman and All My Sons Essay Compare the ways in which Soyinka in Death and a King’s Horseman and Miller in All My Sons present Elesin and Keller? How far would you agree that the personal tragedy of each protagonist’s death is less important than the death of their sons? Soyinka and Miller shape the protagonists by their presentations of their voice using different language and use of setting cultural context which presents their different responsibilities and duties exposing their character. The different presentations of the characters determine how the audience connect with the protagonists. Elesin and Keller’s deaths are climatic points in the play, with their son’s deaths also being pivotal; acting as catalysts for the protagonist’s death which cause the protagonist’s to acknowledge their fatal flaws. The different purposes of the protagonist’s suicides, made evident also by the protagonist’s presented characters, determine whether the tragedy of their death is more important than the death of their sons. The setting and cultural context of each of the plays a profound role in shaping the characters as the differing cultural context affects the character’s duties and responsibilities which shape their presentations as characters. Though set in the same time periods, the cultures differ between plays. Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman opens in â€Å"Oyo, an ancient Yoruba city in Nigeria, 1944†, during British colonialism whereas All My Sons by Miller is set in the â€Å"outskirts of an American town† just after the war in the late 1940’s after world war two. Soyinka and Miller’s introductions of the culture and the setting at the beginning of the plays expose the protagonist’s individual characters. The â€Å"secluded atmosphere† on the â€Å"outskirts of an American town† in which All My Sons opens acts as a dramatic device to show Keller’s devotion to his family by presenting him as sectioned off from wider society. Additionally, the â€Å"closely planted poplars† which seclude the area act as a dramatic device to represent Keller’s somewhat narrow minded principles and set values. Soyinka’s portrayal of the culture and setting also presents Elesin’s character and nature. Soyinka invites the audience to the rich Yoruban culture through Elesin’s voice; â€Å"a man of enormous vitality† who exposes the beauty of the setting to the audience, thus revealing his lust for earthly pleasures. â€Å"The smell of indigo on their cloth, this is the air I wish to breath† portrays Elesin’s yearn for life. The use of evocative description of the setting and culture creates a picture of Elesin’s vibrant character. The author’s use of language, which creates the character’s voice, presents the protagonists differently and shapes the audience’s reactions and feelings towards them in each play. Miller’s use of disjointed language such as â€Å"what’s goin†, to create Keller’s voice, presents him as an un-educated simple man. Though his incoherent language means the audience isn†™t enticed or fascinated by him, it presents him as an ordinary character, allowing the audience to connect with him on a personal level. The fact the audience is able to connect with Keller personally, because of his down to earth nature, means the audience are less sympathetic of his fatal flaw as Miller’s presentation of him causes the audience to be un-expectant of his down fall. â€Å"Back in my day you were either a doctor or a lawyer† exposes Keller’s myopic perspective of the world and strong attachment to his set values. Conversely, Soyinka’s use of complex language to create Elesin’s voice fascinates and captivates the audience, giving him high status as a character. Soyinka presents Elesin as an exuberant character fascinated by earthly pleasures. â€Å"I become a monarch whose palace is built with tenderness and beauty†. The flowing rhythm of his voice and the use of positive adjectives expose his passion for life; his fatal flaw as a character. Elesin speaks poetically in riddles such as â€Å"when the horse sniffs the stable does he not strain at the bridle?† presenting him as articulate and expressive. He also uses metaphors to express his ideas such as â€Å"you’re like a jealous wife† when talking to the Praise-Singer. This use of riddles and metaphors makes him sometimes difficult to unders tand presenting the idea he hides his fatal flaw by using his language to distract the praise singer from acknowledging his love for life which distracts him from his cultural duty. For example when the praise singer accuses Elesin of forgetting â€Å"a long faithful mother of his children† referring to his responsibilities to his culture, Elesin replies poetically saying â€Å"when the horse sniffs at the stable does he not strain at the bridle?†. However, his superior position makes it difficult for the audience to connect with him on a personal level. This foreshadows his downfall as a character as he later abandons his responsibilities to his culture by not committing to his duty of suicide. Because his fatal flaws are foreshadowed, when his downfall is eventually exposed it is expected by the audience thus they feel sympathy for him and his death is seen as an act of redemption. Both All My Sons and Death and a King’s horseman are structured with the climatic parts of the play at the end and use foreshadowing techniques throughout the plays to build up the tension and climax. In Death of a King’s Horseman Soyinka portrays Elesin’s fatal flaw; his desire for earthly pleasures which distracts him from the responsibility of death; to foreshadow his downfall as a character. Soyinka’s use of language exposes Soyinka’s desire for mortal pleasures. â€Å"This market is my roost† foreshadows his inability to sacrifice his be devotion for life for the benefit for the people in his culture. Similarly, Miller uses foreshadowing techniques to prognosticate the revelation of Keller’s mistakes. The broken tree which is a memorial for Larry acts as a dramatic device which foreshadows the end of Keller’s family’s ignorance to his mistake. The mother also foreshadows this by The different purposes within the narrative of the protagonist’s death affect their differing importance’s compared to the death of their son’s which acts as a catalyst The point at which the fathers acknowledge their sons death is the pivotal point at which the protagonist’s accept their fatal flaws. In Death and a King’s Horseman, because the death of Elesin is presented as an act of redemption, in my opinion the tragedy of his death is more important than the death of his son When Keller’s mistake of killing Larry is discovered he responds defensively to protect himself. â€Å"The minute there’s trouble you [mother] run out of strength† suggests Keller attempts to direct the blame on to somebody else and deny his mistakes. The fact his death takes place as a result of his family shunning him suggests his intentions for his suicide are selfish, to protect himself from unhappiness as his family is the only thing he values in life. This causes the audience to view his death as a cowardly act rather than an act of redemption from his mistakes. In my opinion this makes his suicide less important than the death of his son within the play which is the pivotal point of exposing Keller’s faults as a character. On the contrary, Elesin’s intentional death is presented as an act of redemption. It is clear Elesin kills himself for the benefit of his culture as â€Å"he has a duty to perform†. The presentation of his cultural duties at the beginning of the play The moment at which he kills himself is more important than the death of his son as it is the pivotal point in the novel where his mistakes and flaws are redeemed by showing his loyalty to his culture. Therefore, although Keller’s suicide seems less important than the death of his son as his suicide is merely a selfish act to protect him, Elesin’s intentional death is an act of redemption, making it equally important as the death of his son.

Cross Business Synergies: The Nestle Company

Cross Business Synergies: The Nestle Company Introduction Identifying the cross-business synergies within the organization throughout its history According to the case study, Nestle replicated its milk district model that was initially introduced in Switzerland to ensure sufficient milk supplies in 1870s and modified it by adding value to it and facilitating the availability of the product across the continents, example, Latin America, Asia, Caribbean, African and Inner Mongolia. This shows that the company recognized that choices varies across continents and by adding value to the original product (milk) to make it easy to use and available in other continents represents a synergy which was created and captured. Another important cross-business synergy in the history of the company is the Research and Development, RD. Nestle understood the limitations and challenges involved in starting a new company that will stand alone and compete favourable with competitors in a new market and therefore, utilized the combined strength of its businesses to invent new products, Nescafe, (a soluble instant coffee) by the help of its RD team. Nescafe remain one of the largest brands in the world and have changed the way we drink coffee across the world today by making coffee drinking fun, stylish, ready to use, high class and tastier. Also important is the production of another brand Nestea (an instant tea), and the chocolate powder Nesquik by the same drying process used in making Nescafe. Furthermore, from the case study, Nestle reinvigorated Nesquik originally sold in the form of a powder used in milk into syrup form and into ready to drink varieties, this is also a very important cross business synergy for Nestle, which provided an easy access to coffee drinking in restaurants, hotels, cafe, and made the products affordable, available, and to suit individual taste and choice. Another cross business synergy was in leveraging marketing approach which helped the company to build expertise in various business units and invention of new products through its Research laboratories to launch a platform for growth which eventually increased sales and generated increase market revenue. An important cross-business synergies within the organization is GLOBE (Global Business Excellence), this is a comprehensive information system which used by Nestle to secure and bring together the companys businesses together under a common and unique technology infrastructure. Globe was used by the company to capture data and to standardized data which is based on the same definitions and units. This enables Nestle to have a unified system and measurement across its business units anywhere in the world, manage information, and create knowledge that could be transferred and shared across its business units, and provided a better customer management system, thereby building customer confidence and promoting the quality of their products across the continents. Furthermore, GLOBE provided synchronization of data between manufacturers and retailers, which resulted in an improved order fulfillment. The system also enabled retailers to add new products to their store stocks simply by clicking the mouse of their computer. Another cross business synergy is the invention of new nutrition, health and wellness vision by basic scientific research and state of the art tools such as nutrigenormics. This allowed Nestle to improve consumer healthcare, fitness and weight management, by making their products healthier and reducing fatty acids. Corporate Growth Direction of the Company throughout its history Figure 1 Corporate Growth Direction From the case study, one of Nestle corporate growth came in the direction of Horizontal integration. This represents a horizontal integration because the company expanded forward within the food business by merging with a known food processing industry Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk also a food business. The merger provided the company with more resources and capital to expand their products and later added Chocolate to their brand in 1905. (See figure 1.) The growth continued in the horizontal integration trend and expanded to other countries example, Britain, U.S., Spain, and Germany, where they operated their processing plant. The growth within the industry continued horizontally and allowed the company to expand into Brazil, Australia, and established their presence in Singapore and Hong Kong. The company merged with Maggi, Europe large producer of food enhancer and prepared food such as soup, which indicates that the company continued to expand and grow within its food industry. Nestle continued the chain of growth towards the horizontal integration direction and acquired several businesses example, canned and frozen food, bottled water and pet foods. Nestle diversified for the first time outside the food industry, and in 1974, the company became a major shareholder in LOreal, one of the worlds largest producers of cosmetics, with a 25 percent interest in the French company. Nestle undertook a second step outside food industry by acquiring Alcon Laboratories, a U.S. company which specialized in eye care products in 1977. This growth direction is called Horizontal Diversification, since it was the first time the company moved outside of its business industry. The company continued its growth in the direction of horizontal integration under new management (Maucher era) and In 1985, acquired the American food giant Carnation for $3 billion, which was regarded as one of the largest in the history of food industry during the time. From the case study, Nestle moved away from the Agricultural and processing roots and sold their Cocoa and processing plants ending their growth towards the Backward Vertical Integration direction and involvement with their supplier business. This pointed out that Nestle was moving in the Horizontal direction and has kept their competitive advantages gained over the years by continuing in the same horizontal growth direction i.e. Horizontal diversification. and Horizontal Integration. From the analysis, the writer believes that Nestle may no longer be interested in the Vertical growth direction, this may be evidence by the statement from its new CEO Brabeck who commented that the company want to reduce cost and devote more attention to other businesses that adds value There were also major acquisitions during Brabeck tenure which solidified the company position in key areas such as bottled water, coffee, ice cream, and infant formula, and also the company decision to dissociate from the Agricultural and processing business Thereafter, Ralston Purina was acquired in 2001; the pet food business has become a recognized name around the world. The company diversified horizontally again during Brabeck tenure beyond its technology and traditional line of products and processing food towards a wider vision of nutrition, health and wellness. To continue its platform for growth, the company made three important acquisitions: by acquiring Jenny Craig, a U.S chain of weight loss centre in 2006, providing Nestle a platform of moving into weight management. Novartis Medical Nutrition in 2007, which helped Nestle to strengthen their position in the area of healthcare nutrition, and the Novartiss Gerber baby foods business in 2007, thereby extending Nestlà ©s leadership in all the areas of infant nutrition. This showed that the company became interested in the healthcare and fitness business. The corporate Management Mechanisms used by Nestle to leverage its synergies The three management mechanisms used by managers to leverage synergies are: Centralization, Coordination and Standardization. These will be applied to the case study in order to discuss the corporate management mechanisms used by Nestle to leverage its synergies already identified in this assignment. One of the synergies identified earlier in this assignment was the replication of Nestle milk district model in Switzerland by modifying the product. This was possible from the writers point of view because the company retained the same standardization process and procedure which has already proved successful in Switzerland. The company simply repeated the process and then added value to the product which eventually resulted in an improved quality for consumer satisfaction and then introduced the product to other countries, example, Britain, Germany, Spain, Asia and Australia, Africa etc. Another corporate management mechanisms used by Nestle in leveraging its Research and Development are Coordination and Standardization. From the writers point of view, the establishment of the research laboratories requires the coordination of Nestlà ©s resources, activities, product offering and integration of its business units together to build world class research laboratories, and Standardization integration resulted because the company used the same process to replicate, modify and re-invent new products. Furthermore, other identified synergies were the reinvigoration of Nesquik originally sold in the powder form into syrup form. The management mechanism applied in this process is standardization mechanism. According to the passage, Nestle used the same drying process in making Nescafe and re-invented it to produce Nestea an instant tea and Nesquik a syrup form. Also of interest is the leverage of the GLOBE system using a standardized system, which synchronized data, improved information management and created knowledge that could be transferred across Nestlà ©s business unit and allowed customers to add new products to their inventories by a click of mouse. Again, the companys leverage of market approach which created a platform for growth and increase sales was based on the standardized integration mechanism system from the writers point of view. This is because Nestle continued in the same level of progress, growth direction and transferred the same management mechanism already tested and applied in some countries into other continents, which led to a rapid growth in sales and market revenue. The 60/40 benchmark standard used by the company to improve their nutrition, health and wellness and reduced fatty acids was also based on the standardized integration mechanism. According to the CFO, the process was based on taking out salts, fatty acids and sugar and putting in omega 3, whole grains and calcium to give it a healthier profile. The Future Scenario for Nestlà ©s corporate level strategy, based on the integrated organization and portfolio organization perspective One of the future scenarios for Nestle corporate level strategy is: how the company can remain relevant and dynamic and at the same time provide essential industry leadership in areas such as sustainable sourcing while keeping products affordable Firstly, based on the integration organization approach, the company should remain customer driven, always adding value to their products and improving the quality of their products by emphasizing their core competencies. Nestle should regard competencies as the core of coordination and to place their synergies at the heart of their company. They should continue to innovate and re-invent through their various RD centres, and integrate their multi business units. The company should promote synergies more than responsiveness; they should make acquisition infrequent and focus more on internal growth as stated by Bulcke the CEO. Building their business core competence should remain their strategic plan, while remaining tactical with their suppliers and sourcing of raw material. This is realizable by continuing their strategy of buying their agricultural products directing from farmers and encouraging continuity of their supplier business. These will ensure that prices are kept low and affordable while the premium quality is not affected. Besides, Integrated approach encourages looking after the brands to enable it remain relevant to customers in order to generate more sales. Consequently, the writer thinks that achieving the future ambition will be difficult using the portfolio approach. According to the portfolio approach, responsiveness should be strongly emphasized over synergies. This is risky because it may result in loss of synergies and brands. Nestle has several billionaire brands already established across the world. It will be unreasonable to risk losing any of them. Besides, portfolio approach does not encourage internal growth but is well suited to diversification through acquisition, which is contrary to the CEO vision for the future growth direction of the company from the case study. Portfolio perspective only leverage financial resources and does not recognize any synergies which are not financial related. The second scenario is to understand how Bulcke intend to balance local autonomy with global coordination. Based on the integrated organization approach, the company should balance local autonomy with global coordination by giving country managers reasonable degree of autonomy in matters dealing with the customers, they should integrate resources, activities and position along multi business synergies. Such coordination of work across multi business unit boundaries will result in the ability to operate in such a way that seems like the various part were actually in one units. The company should place the corporate centre at the forefront of competitive strategy. They should maintain the standardization activities, example GLOBE which synchronized data and information system management across the businesses. Based on the portfolio approach, the efficiency of the cash flow and balancing the business risk are regarded as more important. Portfolio approach supports, activities and produc ts offering to be split along business unit lines, hence global coordination may be difficult to realize. From the case study, Nestle future plan shows that the company will move towards an integrated organization approach. According to Bulcke, Nestle future growth will come from internal growth. The company is re-focusing its corporate strategy from the past. Nestle intend to build on their core competences and strength which according to their CEO is their products, RD, global presence, people, brand portfolio and Nestle culture. From the writers point of view, integrated approach will reinforce the companys product profile in the market and keep them very competitive by being focused, and put in more emphasis on developing and building their synergies rather than defending business unit responsiveness. The company has gained enormous synergies by sharing advances in their basic and applied sciences and research, which also helped to rapidly increase developments. Following the integration approach will ensure that Nestle does not lose their synergies or its billionaire brands through lack of invention and innovation. Nestle RD was identified as a fantastic platform for future growth, therefore, the management need to continue to leverage it better by building on the core competencies developed by the team of scientists and researchers, and integrating the multi-business units, activities, resources, and looking after their brands by supporting RD and invention programs. Nonetheless, the writer believes that the company may not be able to realize their internal growth ambition by adopting the portfolio organization approach. This is because Nestle culture over the years has been anticipation and being proactive rather than reactive according to the CEO, which showed that the company favours synergies rather than responsiveness. The company intends to focus more on reinforcing their brand, and capitalizing on their core competence for growth which does not agree with the portfolio approach. From the grow direction trend shown in figure 1. It appears that the company are not seeking to enter into any buyers or supplier business or pursuing new business opportunities towards the vertical direction but rather focusing on reinforcing their existing brand and building on their area of expertise. Conclusion This assignment has answered various questions based on the case study provided. The writer has identified the synergies which has enabled Nestle to expand its businesses globally. The growth direction of the company was also outlined and discussed with various analyses given. Furthermore, the writer highlighted the management mechanisms which relate to corporate level strategy and related it to the case study. Finally, the future scenarios of the company was outlined and discussed. Based on the discussions on integration and portfolio organization approach, the writer believes that the company will be better suited to realize its future vision and programs by adopting the integrated organization approach. This assignment presented an interesting discussions and an insight into the history and activities of a giant food industry Nestle. References Martin, and Eisenhardt, 2001,: 3. Cross-business synergy: Recombination, modularity and the multibusiness team. Bob De Wit and Ron M eyer. Strategy Process, Content, Context, an international perspectives fourth editiomn.

College Students Dependency on Cell Phones :: Cellular Telephone

Missing Chart College Students Dependency on Cell Phones While walking to and from class on campus it is almost impossible to get to your destination with out seeing a fellow class mate using a cell phone in some way. Whether it is checking an email, texting, or calling a friend to engage in some sort of conversation usually consisting of very little substance. It is painfully obvious that college students have become so dependent on these portable devices that they could not carry out their day with them. The cell phone has come along way since its creation, not only are you able to contact anyone at any time, but now many cell phones operate much like personal computers with various applications. It is almost impossible to meet some one these days who does not own a cell phone; even young children have cell phones for emergencies. There is no doubt that cell phones as well as their many applications have come in handy for simply saving time, as well as possibly saving lives in extraordinary circumstances. Although cell phones have improved many facets of our daily lives, there are many cell phone users who simply can not carry out their day with out these devices. Most notably the typical college student, cell phones can be used constructively to send important emails to teachers, or to keep a schedule of your assignments. More often they are used as a form of amusement or distraction from daily work and activities. Walk into a typical class room setting and you will no doubt catch a student holding a cell phone under their desk or behind purse engaging in a text conversation with a friend. In an experiment carried out by the University of North Texas it became apparent that many students become visibly anxious when this technology as well as constant contact with their social network is taken away. A group of ten students took part in an interview as well as observation of 18 to 24 year old students at UNT, as well as southern Methodist University, Texas Christian university, Texas women’s university, and university of Texas. The first and most obvious observation in this experiment was that cell phones were constantly carried as well as used by those taking part in this study. Carrying a cell phone was as common as carrying a set of keys, and when these devices were forgotten in dorms the subjects became anxious.

Determination :: essays research papers

Determination I am a very dependable person. When I start a project I concentrate and focus in it. I use my determination in all parts of my life. In school my determination has allowed me to achieve many academic accomplishments. In an engineering course I was given an assignment to design a house using Autocad. This house had to be designed to all of the state building codes. My teacher had set up many different requirements for the project. It had to be an original design with four different types of architectural plans. This entire project was due at the end of the semester along with the regular homework assignments. My determination allowed me to complete all these tasks in almost one half the time allotted. I received a 99.7% grade for this massive project. My determination is what dove me to its completion. My determination also is extremely important at my part -- time job. My job is to sell computers and many other business machines. Selling the computers and peripherals was not a problem, but when I started working I knew almost nothing about fax machines and copiers. I was determined to learn about these new machines so I read the magazines and listened to the representative to learn about the machines. My determination is what helped me to learn about these products so that I could share my information with the customer. Now with my expertise in copiers and fax machines I can answer almost any question that customers have and perform almost any type of service necessary on them. Determination again is what lead me to be ahead in my field of study and work. A good wrestler has to have determination. When I was at a tournament in January of 1996 I broke my shoulder blade. I was in the second and final match of the day when I broke my clavicle (I didn't know that it was broken until a week later). This happened on a Friday night, and I was upset that I had lost the chance for the championship by two points. I knew that I would be wrestling for third place the next day so I would have to shake off any aches or pains that I might have. I woke up the next morning and my shoulder was throbbing. I thought that the pain would subside if I stretched out a bit. Determination :: essays research papers Determination I am a very dependable person. When I start a project I concentrate and focus in it. I use my determination in all parts of my life. In school my determination has allowed me to achieve many academic accomplishments. In an engineering course I was given an assignment to design a house using Autocad. This house had to be designed to all of the state building codes. My teacher had set up many different requirements for the project. It had to be an original design with four different types of architectural plans. This entire project was due at the end of the semester along with the regular homework assignments. My determination allowed me to complete all these tasks in almost one half the time allotted. I received a 99.7% grade for this massive project. My determination is what dove me to its completion. My determination also is extremely important at my part -- time job. My job is to sell computers and many other business machines. Selling the computers and peripherals was not a problem, but when I started working I knew almost nothing about fax machines and copiers. I was determined to learn about these new machines so I read the magazines and listened to the representative to learn about the machines. My determination is what helped me to learn about these products so that I could share my information with the customer. Now with my expertise in copiers and fax machines I can answer almost any question that customers have and perform almost any type of service necessary on them. Determination again is what lead me to be ahead in my field of study and work. A good wrestler has to have determination. When I was at a tournament in January of 1996 I broke my shoulder blade. I was in the second and final match of the day when I broke my clavicle (I didn't know that it was broken until a week later). This happened on a Friday night, and I was upset that I had lost the chance for the championship by two points. I knew that I would be wrestling for third place the next day so I would have to shake off any aches or pains that I might have. I woke up the next morning and my shoulder was throbbing. I thought that the pain would subside if I stretched out a bit.

Avarice In America :: essays research papers

Avarice In America When the topic of American economics arises, the infamous Robber Barons of the 19th Century often springs to mind. They are often glorified as "Captains of Industry" for their money making strategies and enterprising methods. Those who hold this view probably do not know the evils of the laissez-faire capitalism in which the Robber Barons believed and participated. They wanted an unrestricted system of economics so that they could amass as much money as they could to out do each other and control the power in society. They were not as glorious and generous as some people make them out to have been. In laissez-faire capitalism, there are no restrictions on business so the enterprising capitalists were able to obtain monopolies by combining with other companies or simply buying them out. By doing this, the owners could raise the price of their goods or services to an intolerable amount so that they could gain even more money. This often put the common working people out of a job because the owners could get children and poor European and Asian immigrants to do the same menial factory jobs for pennies a day. This angered the Unions of America because their livelihood depended on the American working class. The Unions then persuaded the government to regulate the business giants and control the amount of money the companies could take in by disallowing monopolies and child labor. The "Kings of Capitalism" disregarded the impact their actions had on the lives of the working class men and their families. Many went hungry because of the lack of jobs available and were f orced to go into debt to the companies that was impossible to be repaid. The Robber Barons would do almost anything to gain more money and more power even putting hard working people out of their houses. It is often said that money is the root of all evil. The Robber Barons of the late 19th century proved this theory without fail. They showed that greed can overtake morals if the conditions are right. It is very evident that the Robber Barons had no qualms about ruining the lives of the people that worked for them and of society in general.

Bric

The emerging economics, the so-called BRICs: Brazil, Russia, India, and China are predicated to be global players in next few decades. In being the world’s top global players these countries must realize that in order to become a true global power they will have to take on greater social responsibilities that will deal with ethical concerns. An increasing number of companies are moving production to the BRICs in order to take advantage of generous tax incentives, high productivity rates, and cheap labor. For example, Wal-Mart and Bharti Enterprises, a leading Indian cell phone operator, plan to open hundreds of Wal-Mart superstores across India by 2010 (International Business Environments and Operations, Applegate, Austin, and Soule 2009 pp. 219). However, with the BRICs emerging as economic powerhouses and the increasing number of foreign counties increasing to do business with them ethical rules must integrate into their business practices for the BRICs to have an impact on the whole world. Brazil has been an aspiring contender in the up and coming emerging counties but it has been struggling for decades because it has struggled to achieve expectations due to problems in income equality, productivity, and education. In order to obtain the status as one of the world’s leaders these social responsibilities must be addressed and corrected. The emergence of the BRICswill challenge the well-being and sustainability of the global environment. China is one of the pillars of the global economy, but controversies surround China’s future growth because of the controversy surrounding Chinese labor practices or tainted imports traced back to Chinese suppliers. In addition to the surrounding labor and tainted imports our Western-centric view of the world and current media restrictions in China the world’s largest country remains mysterious in many ways. Because of this, the development of a greater focus on corporate social responsibility in China has gone somewhat unnoticed. Chinese government has acted with some hesitancy in years past to fully embrace a more updated idea of corporate social responsibility because of fears such as added costs to exporting goods; however the situation has now changed. Not only are there new proposed regulations that foreign companies must submit their own sustainability reports within China, but various sectors within the Chinese economy have embraced both domestic and international standards to help propel Chinese businesses to greater heights around the world. ttp://www. chinacsr. com/en/2009/02/23/4572-how-far-can-chinese-companies-take-corporate-social-responsibility/. Russia is faced with incurring concerns with ethical issues that is attributed to their uncertain weak and corrupt government and the emergence of widespread market activity in Russia. Bribery has become a way of business in Russia. According to several recent surveys and interviews with dozens of ordinary Russians, it has surged in scale and scope in recent years under the presidency of Vladimir Putin. The prevalence of corruption and crime in business affairs has been generally recognized as a major cause of concern. Speculation about whether the movement toward a legitimate market economy can be sustained without a foundation of supportive institutions has been justifiably raised. The development of a system of ethical business practices in Russia process is needed to create a civil society along with becoming a global world leader. India is well aware of their involvement in corporate social responsibility to gain a position as one of the world’s strongest leaders. In terms of government rules and regulations, Jagdish Sheth, executive director of the India, China and America Institute and a professor of marketing at Emory University said that in India, â€Å"the government acts as a gatekeeper rather than an enabler, with slow approval, a complex bureaucracy and corruption. Enforcement is also lax† (Sheth, 2007). India has enacted several laws pertaining to child labor laws, environmental, and right to information and corruption laws however there are low levels of government capacity for law enforcement and implementation in India, causing relatively high levels of corruption, but other laws were enacted to give the general public right to government information which was meant to promote transparency and responsibility in the work of all governmental institutions. There is a strong belief in corporate social responsibility in India,† Sheth said. He also noted how Indian management style differs from that in the West: Decisions are made by the person at the top, not in a participatory way. And there is what he called a caste system by education. http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/conference/2007/presentations/sheth. html

Marks & Spencer Natural Environment

1.0 Executive SummaryMarketing environment is very important for any given organisation as it relates to the macro environment, the microenvironment as well as the internal environment. The above sub types of environment are very important in the performance of any given organization. Marks and Spencer is affected by the three sub types of environment. The microenvironment at Marks and Spencer involves suppliers, consumers as well as customers, who deal directly with the organisation and impact on the performance of the organisation.The microenvironment will be discussed in length in this report with an aim of demonstrating how the natural environment operates. The macro environment as it relates to Marks and Spencer refers to the factors that influence the company’s performance but are out of control of the company. This touches on the legal aspects such as laws on environmental issues that impact on the operations of Marks and Spencer. Finally, the report incorporates intern al environment issues, which basically involve; men, money, machinery, materials as well as markets. The above are discussed with an aim of demonstrating how they interrelate to cause positive change in Marks and Spencer.2.0 Overview of the natural environment (Marks & Spencer)In a bid to address possible threats and challenges in regard to the natural environment of the organisation, Marks and Spencer has several plans in place as part of its strategic repositioning for future business scenarios. Plan A program at Marks and Spencer constitutes of a five-year, 100-point plan to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the organisation in relation to the political, economic, social, and technological environment.The plan is designed to facilitate a smooth working relationship between the customers and the suppliers to; combat climate change, through initiation of programs, which embrace safe environmental practices bearing in mind that the company gets its raw materials from the environment and it has a corporate duty and responsibility to conserve the environment. This calls for the company to embrace modern business practices, which are environment friendly such as the use of fuels, which cause little or no pollution to the environment.3) Identify TWO areas of the natural environment likely to impact on Marks and Spencer in the medium termMarks and Spencer has embarked on initiatives to reduce wastage by realigning its production roles with emerging technologies, which ensure that there is little or no wastage of raw materials considering the fact that the rate of harvesting of raw materials from the natural environment is far much higher compared to the rate at which the natural environment is rejuvenating. By embracing wastage control methods such as recycling, Marks and Spencer is promoting a symbiotic relationship between the organisation and the local communities, who are affected by the actions of the company on the environment.The company is commit ted to safeguarding natural resources by putting in place several initiatives such as community-based environmental programs, which are aimed at enlightening the local community on the importance of preserving nature. In addition, the initiatives geared towards safeguarding nature have targeted all stakeholders including the employees because it is viewed that if every stakeholder understands and appreciates the individual role in safeguarding the environment, this would be beneficial not only for the sustainability of the organisation but also for the benefit of all.Trading ethically constitutes an important function in Marks and Spencer. This is important due to the fact that ethical practices are aimed at protecting the given organisation from harming any of its stakeholders. Marks and Spencer has a code of conduct as well as corporate responsibility policies, which guide the organisation in relation to its duties to the stakeholders.Marks and Spencer is committed to building a h ealthier nation by ensuring that it fulfils its social, political, legal, and environmental obligations to its stakeholders. As a retailer, they use a huge range of raw materials to produce our goods. Because of this, it is critical that the organisation manages the use of these materials sensitively and pays proper regard to how they affect natural habitats and bio-diversity.But making a difference here is not as simple as they would like. Change process in an organisation is a demanding and challenging process. It requires new types of standards to be set and adhered to across the world. As some materials – such as cotton and palm oil – are traded globally, the ability to affect change may at times be modest. There is a need for the organisation to work closely with suppliers, government bodies, environmental groups and local communities to promote sustainability.4.1 Description of the marketing strategy the organisation currently employs to accommodate the key featu res of the natural environment.The Marketing strategy would become the parameter for a company to be a successful company.Although environmental issues influence all human activities, few academic disciplines have integrated green issues into their literature. This is especially true of marketing. As society becomes more concerned with the natural environment, businesses have begun to modify their behaviour in an attempt to address society's â€Å"new† concerns. Marks and Spencer have been quick to accept concepts like environmental management systems and waste minimization, and have integrated environmental issues into all organizational activities. Some evidence of this is the development of journals such as â€Å"Business Strategy and the Environment† and â€Å"Greener Management International,† which are specifically designed to disseminate research relating to business' environmental behaviour.Marks and Spencer uses a green marketing strategy for purposes o f promotion of products with environmental characteristics so as to promote environmentally friendly behaviour amongst consumers. For Marks and Spencer the green marketing strategy applies to consumer goods in that the company promotes the concept of eco-tourism.The company has engaged in plans, which has seen product modification geared towards producing more environmentally friendly systems especially in the area of product packaging. Marks and Spencer has invested in production facilities, which significantly reduce wastage as well as preserving energy. In the same manner, the company has adapted ethical advertising policies, which aim at ensuring that every advertisement is considerate of environmental implications in terms of the decisions that consumers make. To this end, the company has participated in several forums and especially those organized by American Marketing Association (AMA) where is has shown support to consumer goods advocating for sustainable environment practi ces.4.2 Explanation as to why the above strategies are likely to be of the greatest future significance to the organisation.Social ResponsibilityHow a company is viewed by the public goes a long way in determining its future performance in relation to consumers. The strategies Marks and Spencer has adopted in a bid to promote natural environment can be seen as efforts geared towards good corporate social responsibility. Many firms are beginning to realize that they are members of the wider community and therefore must behave in an environmentally responsible manner by putting in place corporate social responsibility policies.Hence the reason why Marks and Spencer allocates huge budgets for its natural environment conservation efforts. This results in environmental issues being integrated into the firm's corporate culture. Firms in this situation can take two perspectives; 1) they can use the fact that they are environmentally responsible as a marketing tool; or 2) they can become re sponsible without promoting this fact. For the case of Marks and Spencer, the company has promoted the first perspective of promoting environmentally responsible practices.The strategies the company has adopted in as far as acting responsibly in relation to the environment have taken marketing related dimension. Despite pressure from the government through legislations aimed at protecting the consumers and the society at large, the impact has been felt at Marks and Spencer. Governmental regulations relating to environmental marketing and designed to protect consumers have in one way or the other contributed to Marks and Spencer’s decision to realign its production systems towards achieving less wastage, use of ethical advertisements, as well as engaging in raising the level of awareness on environmental issues is an indication that Marks and Spencer is reposition itself for future implications of government policies on environment.Specifically, Marks and Spencer has adapted t wo concepts of food miles and field to fork in a bid to respond to emerging situations.â€Å"Food miles† is a relatively new idea in the debate about sustainability. Typically it is taken to mean the distance travelled to move food from the place it is produced to the store where it's bought. But increasingly the definition goes wider, to include issues like locality, freshness, use of preservatives, packaging, choice, support for UK farmers and quality. Many environmental groups attach particular importance to food being produced close to where it is sold.Field-to-forkIn 2003, Marks and Spencer launched a new over-arching set of standards to cover the management of the supply chain for fruit, vegetables and salads. These were drawn up after consultation with suppliers, government bodies and other organisations and covers aspects of production from â€Å"field-to-fork†.The company has commissioned independent research to look at similar systems around the world. As a r esult, they believe our Field-to-Fork scheme goes beyond the British and European assurance schemes used by other retailers, being the first to include such a wide range of requirements. Their standards cover traceability, minimising pesticide use, ethical trading, support for non-GM foods and food safety.5.0 Recommendations for changes to the internal operations of the organisation to best meet their potential impact.Although Marks and Spencer has done a recommendable job in terms of promoting the natural environment, there is still room for improvement. The organisation particularly needs to work on its internal environment by; initiating more training programs for its human resources geared towards environment related issues. Secondly, the organisation needs to increase its budget allocated to environment conservation efforts. In addition, the organisation needs to invest in modern production technologies to further reduce wastage.There is also a need for the company to find last ing solutions to the management of materials especially in regard to conservation of its sources of raw materials. Finally, Marks and Spencer must look further from its traditional markets and diversify its brands to cover new markets as a potential source of increasing sales revenues, which will avail more money to be used in promoting the natural environment. The above can only be achieved by the organisation utilizing modern business analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis as well as Michael Porters Fiver Forces analysis so as to arrive at informed decisions, which are also sustainable.Referenceshttp://www.theage.com.au/ Accessed on 20/05/2007.

Mrs Arbuthnot and Hester Essay

How does Oscar Wilde make Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot contrasting characters? Oscar Wilde has many characters through ‘A Woman of No Importance’ that have contrasting personalities and backgrounds, but the characters with a clear, most definite contrast are Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot. Mrs Arbuthnot is known to the readers of the play and the characters in the play as a ‘fallen woman’. She has run off with at least two men whilst married and has now developed a reputation with the rest of the community. She is a very flirtatious character and likes to ‘play with fire’. This means she also will try to get the attention of any man possible. Hester, on the other hand, is very religious and has extremely different morals and views to Mrs Arbuthnot. She doesn’t agree with running off with other men, sex before marriage or flirting with other men, so Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot, in this sense, have different morals. Mrs Arbuthnot’s relationship with Lord Illingworth is very flirtatious and public. Everyone in the community has heard about them so nothing about them is private. Hester and Gerald’s relationship on the other hand, is very different. Hester plays almost ‘hard to get’ and doesn’t draw attention to her or the fact that she may like Gerald. She likes to keep her business private so no one knows anything about her to judge her. Mrs Arbuthnot is from England and is very friendly with the higher class people. These people have been born into wealth and don’t like people who have earned their money through working. However, Hester is from America and has had to work her way up to gain money and to be where she is today. She doesn’t agree with people being born into wealth and those people looking down on the people who have worked their way up. Both Mrs Arbuthnot and Hester disagree with each other in this sense which shows a contrasting of personalities. On the other hand, Hester says ‘nothing should be out of the reach of hope’, which could seem that Hester doesn’t worry about social class and it doesn’t matter when you are in hierarchy, Finally, Mrs Arbuthnot believes that men are stronger than woman and they have a higher authority and more power than women do. She has the typical view of a Victorian woman where the men boss the women around and then women do as they are told. Hester believes in equality and has very strong views about it. She believes that all men and women should be valued the same and that no one is any different. Hester is almost like she is saying exactly what Oscar Wilde is thinking. Therefore, throughout this play, Oscar Wilde shows contrasting characters through wealth, class and morals.

Female and Camille Paglia Men

In the article Rape: A Bigger Danger than Feminists Know by Camille Paglia talks about how rape cannot be tolerated in a society and how feminism has put young women in danger by hiding the truth about sex from them. Although rape has been a problem for women for a long time, there was a time where the penalty for rape was death. However in the article Rape: A Bigger Danger than Feminist Know by Camille Paglia states â€Å"In our cities, on our campuses far from home, young women are vulnerable and defenseless†. Camille Paglia insists that feminism states that both sexes are equal nd tells women they can act, and dress any way they want. However Camille Paglia argues â€Å"No, they can’t and women will always be in sexual danger† (Camille Paglia, pg 40). As we will all know there are sexual differences that are based in biology, but according to academic feminism men and women are equal. Although Camille Paglia states that academic feminism is lost in a fog of so cial constructionism. She believes that college man are their hormonal peak and that a drunk girl at a part with them is setting herself for failure and will possibly be raped.According to Camille Paglia men and women are different because for example one of Camille Paglia make students recently slept overnight at a Great Pyramid in Egypt. The student described the moon, and sand, etc. Camille Paglia points out that because she is a woman, she would never get to experience that because it is to dangerous. Camille Paglia can possibly get robed, raped, murdered, and many other possible horrible things. Camille Paglia goes on to talk about how sexual desire and arousal cannot be fully translated into verbal terms.She believed that sometimes men and women tend to misunderstand each other. For example sometimes when a male and a female are alone and they kiss, the female might just want to kiss and the male may misunderstand that thinking that she wants to have sex. These types of situat ion sometimes lead to rape unfortunately. According to Camille Paglia rape is a big danger and woman need to know the precautions the can take to be safer. Camille Paglia makes it clear for woman not to blow off a vulgar remark directed towards them.Camille Paglia stated that if a male student makes a vulgar remark about a female students breast, that the female student should deal with it on the spot Camille Paglia states to respond with the situation by saying â€Å"Shut up, you jerk! † She believes this is the best way to deal with it instead of running to your mom and dad or some campus grievance committee. Camille Paglia believes that female students that stick up for themselves are the students that are harassed less often. Currently there are many rapes that happen all over the world, however according o Camille Paglia there are two solutions. Camille Paglia claims that female self- awareness and self-control. Basically for example a woman’s number-one line of d efense against rape is herself. If females educate themselves to help avoid, bad situations leading to rape, this will in turn reduce the percentage of rapes. She believes reporting rapes to College Committees would do a woman injustice. Camille Paglia explains that woman should report their rapes to the police instead of College committees who are not equipped or trained