Week 8 Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 8 Discussion Board - Assignment Example Today, in the US, many non-natives still live in the congested apartment projects while the wealthy, both native and non- natives, live in villas, mansions and terraced houses. This is similar to the Victorian suburb where the wealthy natives lived together in huge mansions, although racism was worse in the past. Both today and in the Victorian suburb, people from higher social class have better houses from those from low social class. People, who live in the suburbs, both current and in the historically, are wealthy and powerful. Historically, one had to be introduced by people you know in the suburbs to the society otherwise you were not welcomed. They did not allow average people to their society not unless one belonged to the same social class. Most people who lived in the suburbs were old money. Historically, living in the suburbs meant one had to keep up with the rest of the suburbia residents. You had to dress in a certain way, belong to specific membership clubs and attend specific social gatherings. If one did not do the things that came with the social status, you did not â€Å"belong† and people said that you were not â€Å"living†. One had to have a lot of money to cater for all the social activities that came with the status (Cutting, 1907). Currently, anyone who can afford to buy a house in the suburbs is free to do so. People live their lives without being concerned with the way their neighbors live. Neighbors might even be strangers and they keep different

Macroeconomic Principles and Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macroeconomic Principles and Policy - Essay Example A policy to fight a recession would need to take into account these numerous variables. One area that the government can control is the money supply. The Federal Reserve is tasked with monitoring and stabilizing the amount of currency in the economy. In recent years, they have accomplished this by controlling the interest rate. A lower interest rate will stimulate borrowing and investment. This will put more money into the economy as the money supply grows. As more money enters the economy, purchasing picks up and the economy grows and expands. However, the expanding economy also signals the potential for inflation. With high inflation, people have less purchasing power and the economy may falter dramatically. While controlling the money supply may be helpful, it is usually not a good long-term solution and should be used to stabilize and not control the economy. There could also be external factors that are working against the economy. High oil prices have taken money out of consumer's disposable income. Recent events such as natural disasters and inclement weather have also created hardships for consumers. The recent winter weather in the West devastated farmers while providing an additional blow of higher beef prices. There also may be cyclical pressures that are extending the recessionary period. This could be the result of a correction for the recent boom in the real estate market. Many borrowers were strapped with debt beyond their realistic means by below prime lenders. Credit card debt has also risen dramatically and consumers who are servicing these debts do so at the expense of their purchasing power. Global economics may have some effect on the flat GDP as more products are outsourced and offshored. While free trade agreements have made a system of corporate nations around the world, it has resulted in flattening the median income and created an underemployment situation in the US, which may contribute to a prolonged period of recession. This period may be exaggerated by mounting consumer debt and more difficulty managing it. All these events contribute to the consumer's negative outlook on the economy. It creates what Banik (2002) calls a climate of fear where the psychological behavior of consumers creates a cycle of recession. While 18 months may seem like a considerable downturn, with the right combination of external events and loss of consumer confidence, the recession could continue to hold back the economy for several more months. The Federal Reserve and the Money Supply The Federal Reserve (Fed) controls the money supply by controlling the reserves that banks are required to hold against deposits. By buying and selling US Treasury securities, the Fed controls the amount of reserves and therefore the money supply. With more money in reserve, banks are free to loan out more money. They also control what is known as the currency component. It is a smaller portion of the money supply that deposits and withdraws currency from banks. Together with the reserve deposits, these two factors make up what is known as "high powered money" (Schwartz 2002). Interest rates are another method that the Fed has used to control the money supply. "In recent decades the Federal Reserve...interpreted a rise in interest rates as tighter monetary policy and a fall as easier monetary policy" (Schwartz 2002). This is a method of controlling the demand for money by making it

Standard Form Of Contract With Quantities Construction Essay

Standard Form Of Contract With Quantities Construction Essay This report will outline the full range of roles and responsibilities within the JCT 2005 Standard Form of Contract with Quantities (SBC/Q) for the project of Oasis Leisure Complex. This project is at the request of the employer the Gallagher Brothers, Duck Construction (UK) Ltd have been successful in winning the contract to complete the building works. For this project the contract to be used is the JCT 2005 Standard Form of Contract with Quantities (SBC/Q). With this type of contract being selected there are certain roles and responsibilities that each party involved in the contract must observe. The key personnel involved in a contract of this type are as follows:- Roles Within Project (Standard Building Contract: Ed 2 Construction Contracts: Ed 4) Employer Client The client is the employer for the project; this can be a single person, a partnership or a large scale company. The client is the role which issues the project requirements and provides the funding for the building works to go ahead. The client must select a principle contractor or a representative who is skilled in this type of contract to ensure the contract and project are carried out correctly. Professionals Principle Contractor/Project Manager/Representative The principle contractor will work on behalf of the employer to carry out all the major elements of the building project and the contractual procedures. The principle contractor will be in contact with all of the key personnel within the project liaising and instructing all of the external companies brought in to carry all of the building and design related work. As can be seen on the diagram below (Standard Building Contract: Ed 2 ) the principle contractor will have to liaise with multiple parties throughout the whole of the projects duration ensuring all the employers requirements are carried out. Architect An Architect must also be employed in most projects, this can be done by the employer prior to appointing a principle contractor or they can be selected by the principle contractor when the project is underway. The architects role is to work with the client and the principle contractor to come up with an overall design from the requirements laid down by the employer. They will ensure that the building is functional and achievable and will provide all the drawings for the complete project with exact measurements and details for construction. The architect will also work with designers and technologists to complete the drawings for the project to take shape. They are responsible for any changes that need to be made from the existing drawings. The roles of these specialists are:- Technologist The technologist will ensure the structure and design ideas from the architect are feasible. They will specify materials and structural design for the contracted builders to follow Designer The designer will specialise in fit out and interior area design and functionality. They will specify finishes and qualities of areas throughout the building project. Quantity Surveyor The role of the quantity surveyor is to provide measurement and costing from the architects drawings. The QS will carry out this task to get an accurate cost model for the project from the drawings they are supplied with to give to the employer as a projected quote for completion of the building. The QS will work throughout the project adjusting the costing and final accounts as the job progresses if any changes or variations occur. Management Main Contractor Person in Charge (PIC)/Site Manager The role of the PIC/Site Manager is to be permanently on site to supervise the building works. They are usually specified by the principle contractor to act upon the role of the principle contractor via an onsite basis. The PIC/Site Manager is responsible for all building works taking place onsite; they are also responsible for all direction and specification given by any inspectors or Clerk of Works. Clerk of Works The Clerk of Works is employed by the client to work with the Architect in an onsite inspector role. The Clerk of Works responsibility is to ensure that all the design elements of the architects plans are being carried out and are being done to the correct specifications from the employer. Contractor The role of the contractor is to work on behalf of the principle contractor to appoint each of the specialist trades needed to build the project; these specialists are known as sub-contractors. The contractor will source builders, glazers, plumbers etc to carry out each of the individual tasks that will need to be carried out to complete the final structure. The contractor will also liaise with suppliers to ensure that correct materials are ordered, the best prices are paid and that all materials are delivered to site at the right times. They ensure that the Sub-contractors are aware of the work that is required of them and coordinating all the elements taking place on the site at specific times of the construction process. Works Contractors Sub contractors This role consists of the builders, plumbers, glazers etc employed by the contractor. They are specialists in each of their individual trades and will be responsible for the actual construction and works that take place on site. Suppliers This role consists of taking orders and supplying materials on site that are required by the sub-contractors. Specific suppliers are normally stipulated in the contract and they will provide all of the required materials for the project for an agreed amount. Materials that they will supply can consist of sand for brickwork, block work, hardcore etc. Problems Conflicts (Construction Contracts: Ed 4) Many of the individual roles that have been outlined above will have never worked in collaboration with each other on a personal basis as well as the client potentially being inexperienced in the contract and construction process. With so many different roles having to come together and work efficiently over a large scale project inevitably problems will occur as the plans take shape. These issues are common with most projects and if managed correctly can be easily overcome, the use of a JCT contract will aid in solving the problems that occur and build a strong and reliable team. Some of the common problems and conflicts are as follows: Large-scale Project Team The size and scale of man power and people involved even within the smallest of construction projects is very difficult to manage without problems. With so many different trades and specialisations coming together on one project communication and understanding is key. Many different professionals will no doubt be spread out across the country and will have to work together efficiently to ensure the project takes place, is to the correct specifications and on time. The timing of each trade or skill taking place must be streamlined in order to minimise the problems that may occur. Communication must be focused on at all times as this is the easiest solution to the problems that occur with large scale teams. Professional Pride Due to most people and trades involved with the project never working with each other on a single construction project pride and ignorance can play a huge role in conflicts occurring. Each individual is responsible for their part of the project and will face charges or sanctions if they do not carry out their role properly. Because of this some trades or individuals will feel that they are at a higher worth than other members of the project and that other roles are inferior. This attitude should be avoided at all costs, the principle contractor should ensure that all roles are working well together and take relative steps to counter any problems occurring or remedy any existing problems by liaising with the personnel involved. Task/Timescale Overlaps Almost all projects will have a timescale associated with them. Most projects will be meticulously planned so that all building and consultation works take place as efficiently and smoothly as possible. Each stage will be in line with all of the other tasks to ensure that no conflict occurs. Unfortunately task/timescale overlaps are also inevitable, damage limitations or contingencies should be thought through to ensure projects do not fall too far behind. The best way to counter this problem is to have someone meticulously monitor and adjust a semi-flexible timescale plan which is developed as the project takes place, this will ensure that the problem planned components can be changed quickly without too much disruption. As shown above all the roles and responsibilities are outlined in the JCT contract, this helps to minimize the problems that can occur on a construction project. The JCT does this by clearly outlining each persons role and responsibility with in the whole of the construction project, it ensures that each person is fully aware of what is expected of them and if problems do occur the contract outlines can be used to source and remedy the problem immediately and efficiently.

Remoteness and Loneliness in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Essay

Remoteness and Loneliness in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Emily Bronte loved nature and spent most of her childhood on the remote Yorkshire Moors near her home in Haworth. Emily found that the Moors were a place of peace and sanctuary where she could retreat to relax and follow one of her most favourite past times, which was writing. However she knew that in a matter of seconds the Moors could change into a wild and savage wilderness. Emily chose this ever-changing setting for her only novel "Wuthering Heights". "Wuthering Heights" tells the tale of two families living in and around the bleak Yorkshire Moors near a small village, very similar to Haworth, called Gimmerton. This setting mirrors the personalities of the savage and brutal characters. These characters live in a remote and weather ravaged working farmhouse called Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights acquired it's name due to the, "atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather" The inhabitants of Wuthering Heights need to be tough to survive and only those characters born in Wuthering Heights are able to survive within it. When Hindley returns from University with his wife Frances she dies rather quickly as she cannot survive the savage weather conditions. We do not expect Hindley to die but as he has been away from Wuthering Heights for so long he also cannot survive. However there are other reasons for his death. When Heathcliff returns from his absence he stays with Hindley, and gets his long awaited revenge by slowly luring Hindley into gambling and alcoholism. This is the main cause of his death. If Wuthering Heights was not set in such an isolated place Heathcliff would not have been able to torture and... ...alanced and would not have been as successful with Victorian audiences. Imagery using nature was not seen or heard of very much in large industrial cities such as London or Liverpool so a novel set in the remote Yorkshire Moors was inevitably going to be interesting for the inhabitants of the city to read. "Wuthering Heights" would be neither realistic nor interesting and would not have the excitement that it is famous for without it‘s setting. It would become boring and average and would not have made such an impact with its new ideas and scandals such as Catherine falling in love with her adoptive brother Heathcliff. However perhaps with a less savage and remote setting the characters would have been happier and most importantly the tragic yet futile love of Catherine and Heathcliff could have continued not only in their deaths but also in their lives.

Apply Legal and Ethical Parameters to Nursing Practice Essay

1. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (The National Law 2009) has great importance on the governance of the conduct of registered and enrolled nurses. The National Law allows national boards to manage the development of health profession standards. The National Law has requirement for national boards to enterprise wide range consultation on registration standards, codes and guidelines. The National Law organise a national scheme which include registration arrangement, accreditation arrangement, complaints, conducts, health and performance arrangements, privacy and information-sharing arrangement and transitional arrangements. 2. (a). Two legislations that mandate nurses to report to nominated government authorities where elderly people and/or children in their care are at risk of harm from others are Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (2009) Children and Community services amendment act 2008 (b). These acts are state act, which can vary state or territory wide in Australia. (c). These legislations make ENs aware to provide safe environment and keep away elderly people and children from any harm by reporting to nominated government. This legislation helps to reduce some professionals to be involved in some cases. It is legal requirement for ENs to report all reasonable beliefs of any risk of harm for elderly people and/or children. 3. Four domains of the National Competency Standards for Enrolled Nurse are: – (a) Professional and Ethical practices: Enrolled Nurses work according to legislation, policies and procedures to demonstrate knowledge of legislation and common law, organizational policies and procedure, fulfill the duty of care, report practices that may breach legislations, polices and procedures. ENs performs in ethical way, respect the rights of individual and groups, and accept accountability and responsibility for own actions within enrolled nursing practices. (b) Critical thinking and analysis: Enrolled nurses establish critical thinking to perform enrolled  nursing practice by assessing own performance through nursing standards, by self professional development, by own care. (c) Management of care: Enrolled nurses participate to form care plans with RN through accurate data collection and report of health and functional status of individuals and groups, through identification of expected healthcare outcomes, through evaluation of progress of individuals and groups to achieve expected outcomes with RN. ENs manage nursing care of individuals and groups by implementing planned nursing care to get identified outcomes, by recognizing any change in health and functional status, report and document it accurately and on time. (d) Enabling: Enrolled nurses promote safety, security and personal integrity of individuals and groups, which include their actions of safety, create and maintain effective communication, applying strategies for promotion of self-esteem of individual and groups, actions to maintain dignity and integrity of individuals and groups. Enrolled nurses provide support and care to individuals and groups and participate with members of healthcare team to achieve effective healthcare outcomes. 4. The NMBA new Code of Ethics August 2008 define the nursing profession’s commitment to respect, promote, protect and support the fundamental rights od receiver and provider of nursing and healthcare. Its impact on practice of enrolled nurses is to: Provide quality nursing care, taking action on reasonable ground Respect the individual’s ethical values with gentleness Understand different culture and languages influence the nursing and healthcare Demonstrate the ability to reasonably and equitably provide services depends on needs, social standings, ethnicity, age, race, level of income, gender Support culture of safety because safety is everyone’s responsibility Document all information accurately, non-judgmentally and relevant to health, acre and treatment of a person and should be confidential Prevent, minimize and overcome the harmful effect of economic, social or ecological factors on health Promote and maintain the trust between nurse care receiver Perform ethically 5. The purpose of NMBA new code of Professional Conduct August 2008 for nurses is to: Specify a base to consumer, regulatory, employing and professional bodies for evaluating professional conduct of nurses Form a set of minimum national standards of conduct, nurses are supposed to support Inform the community of standards of professional conduct, it can sustain nurses in Australia References: 1. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 27 October 2009, consultation paper on registration standards and related matters, viewed 16 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 2. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2010, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Law 2009, viewed 16 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 3. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2014, Mandatory notification, viewed 15 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 4. Australian Institute of Family Studies, 8 August 2014, What is mandatory reporting?, viewed 15 August 2014, www.aifs.gov.au 5. Hughson, J, 2013, ‘Nursing: Historical, present and future perspectives’, The Tabbner’s Nursing Care (6th edition), Kesteven S., Libby Houston, Chatswood, NSW, pp. 11-12 6. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2008, Codes of professional conduct and ethics for nurses and midwives in Australia, viewed 17 August 2014, < http://dlb.sa.edu.au/tsftfmoodle/pluginfile.php/998/mod_resource/content/0/COMMUNIC ATE_AND_WORK_EFFECTIVELY_IN_HEALTH/element_1/ANMCwebsiteversion.pdf 7. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 2014, Codes of Professional conduct for nurses in Australia, viewed 17 August 2014, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au 8. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 2014, Codes of Ethics for nurse august 2008, viewed 17 August 2014, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

The Anthropology of Terrorism

Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, â€Å"terrorism† has been a word that every American has used daily. It has been eleven years since these attacks, and our country is still at war, and we use terms like â€Å"acts of terror† to justify our invasion of their civilian space. Personally, I do not care much for conspiracy theories, but I was interested to know a little bit more about the Islamic culture that these â€Å"terrorists† stem from. While the majority of the population of Iraq and Afghanistan are practicing Muslims, they can not all be defined as â€Å"terrorists. In all actuality, a lot of them may define Americans and other westernized countries with seemingly unlimited war powers as â€Å"terrorist† groups. There are many differences from the American view of acts of terror, the Iraqi view of acts of terror, and the view of how those who commit crimes of terror see their own actions. I think it v ery important that American civilians, especially those who are not well educated on our foreign policies and the current war situation, take time to see how Iraqi civilians and the Muslim population view the September 11 acts of terror, and the subsequent war compared to those who chose to commit these acts.I think that most would be surprised when they find that the Islamic religion does not actually promote those extensive â€Å"acts of terror† that they do not support the extremist groups like Al Quaeda, and that our presence in their civilian areas, like market places may not be necessary or productive for their day-to-day routines. In order for many people to understand these differing viewpoints on terrorism, I think it is important to focus on how different people may define an act of terror.In December of 1994, the Unite Nations General Assembly Resolution 49/60, â€Å"Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism,† describes terrorism as: â€Å"Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them. Later, in 2004 at UN Security Council Resolution 1566 a definition is given, stating acts of terror are: Criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.The United Nations adds to the definition again in 2005 at a panel, stating the definition of terrorism as: Any act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non- comba tants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act. (â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) The United Nations has no official definition of terrorism, because some would argue that there is no real distinction between a â€Å"terrorist† and a â€Å"freedom fighter. Therefore, the United Nation’s descriptions of the term are vague and always include that terrorism is â€Å"intimidating† or that it â€Å"provokes terror† on a group of people. The first description listed comments on the justification of these acts, which most others do not. Now, I would like to point out the differences in he definitions that are released by the Arabic Community and the united States. In 1998, the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism was implemented by the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior and the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice in Cairo, Egyp t.They defined terrorism at this convention as: Any act or threat of violence, whatever its motives or purposes, that occurs in the advancement of an individual or collective criminal agenda and seeking to sow panic among people, causing fear by harming them, or placing their lives liberty or security in danger, or seeking to cause damage to the environment or to public or private installations or property or to occupying or seizing them, or seeking to jeopardize national resources. â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) The United States has many different definitions of terrorism in almost every government organization’s code. In Federal Criminal Code Title 18 of the United States defines terrorism and lists the crimes associated with terrorism.In Section 2331 of Chapter 113(B), defines terrorism as: †¦activities that involve violent†¦ or life-threatening acts†¦ that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and†¦ appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and†¦(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬  FBI definition of terrorism:The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. The definition of terrorism used in the United States Army Field Manual FM 3-0, form 2001 is: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear. It is intended to coerce or intimidate governments or societies †¦ [to attain] political, religious, or ideological goals.The Dictionary of Military Terms used by the Department of Defense defines terrorism as: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. (â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) I think the difference in the way our governments define a term that the United Nations finds so debatable shows a huge cultural difference in where the priorities for our countries lie.Obviously, since the September 11 attacks, the United States has spent an extensive amount of time coming up with more and more to add to the definition of terrorism and have worked to almost make ourselves seem like more of the victim. Our Federal Code includes mass destruction and assassination, but states that it primarily occurs within the United Stated jurisdiction. This is open to interpretation, as is all code, but it basically means that we are always the victim of acts of terror and can hardly ever be accused of committing the crime.H owever, in the FBI definition, it says that terrorism is using violence and force to coerce a government and its civilians of political and social objectives. Are we not using force and asserting ourselves on the Iraqi government, and every other government that we have been at war with? Has it not all been for a political gain? Then the military definitions add that actions can only be defined in that way if they are being committed for political, religious, or ideological reasons. However, I think that most Americans, if asked would only include religion in the definition.We have been trained to think that way, to only see terrorism as acts of Jihad, extremist Muslims. Americans, since I can remember have always been extremely proud. We are all truly blessed to come from a country that has a strong military backbone, free, accessible education, a comparably thriving economy, and the opportunity for social mobility. That being said, the majority of Americans are very ignorant and o ne-sided on a lot of political issues. Most are content with obtaining the easily accessible information from the news or internet and word of mouth.Most do not take the time to educate themselves on social issues that they comment on daily. This is why people are so opposed to those who practice Islam using their first amendment right to freedom of religion, especially in the south where most are extremely prejudiced. The news and the coverage of the September 11 attacks and the war are to blame for this phenomenon of fearing those who are different. In Packaging Terrorism: Co-opting the News for Politics and Profit, Susan Miller criticizes the way the media chooses which stories to run. â€Å"Threats, danger, fear.These words grab the attention of the readers and that’s what the media want. Your attention. Be afraid. Be very afraid. † She shows that there are many more options of global stories that our local news stations could run, but those that involve Americans or anything involving conflict in the Middle East, or even stories of al-Qaeda action in other countries, will get higher ratings as â€Å"Big Stories† over stories like the huge crisis of bombings in Mumbai in 2006, which is a place and event that Americans, in general, have no solid connection to.However, our society is also very vain, and there are even international events that are very important to us and the action in the Middle East that constantly get trumped by â€Å"larger† domestic stories. A 2006 suicide bombing of the Golden Mosque, which was close to triggering an Iraqi civil war was overshadowed by the Winter Olympics that year. A 2005 bombing was completely overshadowed by the kidnapping of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. The American people are more likely to be interested in our domestic actions than the stories of foreign events, especially when these events seem to run together and are so similar every time they are covered.One thing that is extremely co ntroversial in covering those true acts of terror is the fact that most terrorists really want the attention on them. If someone is taken hostage and taped, or there is a huge event, like the 9/11 attacks, those who commit these actions are doing so for the attention, and for the media to show these events to the public, some can argue that those who share the news are just giving them what they most desire: to have all eyes on them.There is also an opinion, however, that if this footage is shown, it will show Americans the true brutality of the people who our military is fighting against, and that it will show that there truly is a threat, encouraging Americans to further support our military and create a unifying experience that promotes patriotism. This was shown in the case of the kidnapping of reporter, Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002 by al-Qaeda operative Khalid Shiekh Mohammad. The video of his execution was made available to news networks, and a portion of Pearl speaking wa s shown on CBS.The full video shows his throat being slit and his severed head held up with a voiceover speaking out against the â€Å"enemies of Islam. † After much debate of whether or not the video should be seen by the public, whether it would violate the rights of Pearl’s grieving family, and whether the American people should be allowed to be exposed to witnessing a person’s murder, Peter Kadizis and Stephen Mindich of the Boston Phoenix posted a link to the video with a note above stating, â€Å"This is the single most gruesome, horrible, despicable, and horrifying thing I’ve ever seen. . That our government and others throughout the world, who have had this tape for some time have remained silent is nothing less than an act of shame†( Moeller). While our media is the largest source of information for Americans and is the largest reason that Americans have an instilled fear of anyone of the Islamic religion, the USA Patriot Act passed in 200 1 as a response to the terrorist attacks is one of the triggers that set off this fear, and is a constant reminder of the attack.This Act was instated based on the theory that if there is a threat to national security, the public is more willing to allow for harsher policies and increased restrictions of civil liberties. The Act includes reduced restrictions in law enforcement agencies' gathering of intelligence within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadened the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts.Even though support for the Patriot Act has decreased, though not dramatically (from 60% classifying it as â€Å"necessary† in 2001, to a 39% in 2006), President Barack Obama signed a four-year extension of the act to include, searches of bu siness records that would assist in an investigation undertaken to protect against international terrorism, and surveillance of â€Å"lone wolves,† individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups. (Borgeson, Valeri). This, eleven years later is an act that is still perfectly in tact, and is still restricting our rights.It isn’t the most invasive law, but it does hang over the heads of those who do business internationally and those who immigrated form other countries, because they are constantly under the threat of being watched and studied by the government. Since Americans have media coverage and restrictions that help to shape the idea of terrorism and the way we perceive terrorism and acts of violence, it is only logical to realize that the Iraqi people, have their own way of defining Terrorism in their country.It is important to realize, when analyzing their views, that the United States have been seen as a threatening force to them for the past eleven years by imposing on their land and declaring warfare on their former leader and having our military staying within their civilian quarters. Though Iraq has been liberated for the past five years, American troops were just recently sent home, and they are suffering from terrorist attacks against them from other outside forces as well.Most of those who practice the Islamic religion believe that warfare should only be used to suppress rebellion or to defend against imposing armies. They do not believe in starting wars, because the punishment is not in their hands, violence should only be used for protection. Yousuf Baadarani, a popular writer defending the Islamic culture, states in an interview with Asia Times states, â€Å"Since Islam forbids terrorism, than no terrorist could be labeled Islamic. He would have had to abandon the Islamic path to become a terrorist† (Abedin).Jihad is only supposed to be used to protect the Islamic religion against thos e who attack it, not to create terror in those who do not practice Islam. This counters a popular theory Americans have that all Muslims are destined to commit acts of terror and that they are instilling values that promote suicide bombings and murder of those who do not practice Islam. Al-Qaeda was born out of Osama Bin Laden’s leftover defense force he gathered together for the Saudi Kingdom, but it was rejected after they allowed US troops to use Saudi Arabia after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.Al-Qaeda means â€Å"the basis† or â€Å"the base. † It is extremely difficult to find out the members of this organization and to figure out who is behind certain attacks. The chain of command is extremely difficult to follow. It has one goal: â€Å"to hit the West wherever and whenever it can, in order to further polarize the Muslim and Western worlds and effect an eventual victory of the Islamists, who claim leadership over the Muslim world†(Reuter).This terr orist group- and there is no debate from anyone as to whether or not they are a terrorist group- has committed too many suicide bombings and killings of innocent westerners to name. They are the group behind the infamous September 11 attacks, and are the ones who created all of the fear of terrorism in the United States. This group of people is founded on a basic principle: hate for all Westerners, and the desire to completely sever ties between those who practice Islam and Westerners.This is not a group based on jihad; the exception to the Islamic law against violence, which should only be allowed when defending the Islamic religion. It is simply a hate group against Westerners that wears a mask of religion. In conclusion, there is a lot that is not perceived correctly when it comes to the idea of terrorism. Every citizen of Iraq is not a terrorist, and neither is every member of the Muslim community. A select few extremists have ruined the reputation of a religion in the United St ates, with the help of the media and politics.I hope that every American citizen at some point realizes the difference between the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the Iraqi family that walks down the street. It is important to me and our country that people see that most Muslims do not support al-Qaeda and that the group of extremists is not practicing their religion properly. I hope that people will start to realize the importance of getting information from other sources than the popular media and that some will start to look up more information on important domestic and international events.Most of all, I hope that I have been able to properly compare viewpoints on terrorism in different parts of the world accurately. Bibliography Abedin, Mahan. â€Å"Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs. † Asia Times Online :: Asian news hub providing the latest news and analysis from Asia. N. p. , 29 Dec. 2009. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Arena, Michael P. , and Bruce A. Arrigo. The terrorist identity: explaining the terrorist threat. New York: New York University Press, 2006. Print. Baudrillard, Jean. The spirit of terrorism and requiem for the Twin Towers.London: Verso, 2002. Print. Borgeson, Kevin , and Robin Valeri. Terrorism In America. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2009. Print. Moeller, Susan D.. Packaging terrorism: co-opting the news for politics and profit. Chichester, U. K. : Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print. Reuter, Christoph. My life is a weapon: a modern history of suicide bombing. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004. Print. Various Definitions of Terrorism. † Department of Emergency & Military Affairs (DEMA). DEMA, n. d. Web. 5 Dec. 2012.

Humanities Perspectives essays

Humanities Perspectives essays How do we as people decide what is moral an what is immoral? This semester as a class we have discussed and analyzed several philosophers views on morality and where it comes from. We have discussed: Rachels idea of relativism, Nietzsches might makes right, Platos divine command, Hume and Stevensons Moral sentiment and emotivism, Hobbes and Feinbergs Egoism, and Hobbes and Rawls Social contract theories. Now, how does each one of these theories stand up against the case of the Suicide Tourists? Does one better explain the morality of such a thing? Could one theory make it right and the other totally wrong? We dont know what is actually right. We can only use each theory as a ruler to measure the morality compared to each. Rachels describes relativism saying: what ones culture does is considered to be moral. He states that no one culture is superior to another, and just because one society thinks an act to be moral, does not mean that it is not immoral to another. Applying this theory to the case of the Suicide Tourists raises two questions: Are we basing what is moral on the tourists who come to relieve their suffering? Or, are we basing what is moral on Dignitas? By Rachels definition of relativism, the tourists are immoral, and Dignitas is considered to be moral. The tourists, who come to Switzerland to ease their sufferings are obviously coming from a culture that says euthanasia is wrong by their moral code. Otherwise, these people would not be traveling to this unknown place to kill themselves. Dignitas, on the other hand, is in the clear because their society allows the practice of euthanasia. If the society looked down on it, then there would be laws against it, prohibiting its exist ence. When Rachels thought up relativism, I seriously doubt that he thought about two cultures clashing like this. How can this be moral fo...

Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet Essays

Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet Essays Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet Paper Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet Paper Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet. Part I Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: Race Ethnicity Religion Gender Sexual orientation Age Disability Category |Stereotype 1 |Stereotype 2 |Stereotype 3 | |Religion |Fanatical Christians |Islam extremists |All mormons are poligamists | |Gender |Men should never cry |Women can be in power because of |Pink is for girls | | | |their periods | | |Age |As you get older you cannot learn |Older people are not as sharp as |Old people are not interested in | | |new things |younger people |sex | Part II Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any? Some stereotypes have been found to have a positive view of certain groups by other minority groups, Asian Americans are admired for â€Å"placing a high value on intellectual and professional achievement† and â€Å"having strong family ties†, Hispanic Americans â€Å"take deep pride in their culture and work hard to achieve a better life† (R. Schaefer, 2012), African Americans â€Å"have made a valuable contribution to American Society and will work hard when given a chance† (National Conference of Christians and Jews 1994). Another positive aspect of stereotyping (and I had to dig to find it) is that middle-class or afflcuent African Americans’ feelings of self esteem and self-image are more positive than those of comparable Whites. Our text does not tell us why just that it has been measured and exists and that one positive aspect. What are the negative aspects of stereotypes? Stereotyping has caused people to view certain groups of people in a negative light, even though people do not express such views openly, prejudice and stereotyping still exists. In an article written by Tim Giago, â€Å"National Media Should Stop Using Obscene Words†, Tim describes how the term â€Å"Redskins† is so readily used in football and how derogatory it is to hear for Native Americans. He likens the use of this term to such terms as â€Å"nigger†, â€Å"gook†, â€Å"kike†, and â€Å"wop†, and expresses how â€Å"ridiculous† it is to hear the fans doing the â€Å"tomahawk chop†. This is modern day stereotyping in a negative way and it should be stopped. Why do large corporations have the right to offend and stereotype? This should be stopped. Part III Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences. According to Racial and Ethnic Groups, by R. Schaefer, stereotypes are unreliable, exaggerated generalizations about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account. Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire category of people, such as a racial or ethnic minority. The difference between prejudices and stereotypes is that prejudice is learned over time by people who influence a person as they are growing up and books, movies, Internet and tv also play a part in a person becoming prejudice. Stereotypes are beliefs about people which are generally accepted that are based on something previously accepted about them. Examplese of some stereotypes are: all women are bitches, or all Arabs are terrorists. Examples of prejudices are: being afraid if you are on the bus and see a mentally ill person get on the bus because you are afraid that they may become violient. Statistic show that mentally ill people are no more or less prone to violence than normal people, please see this link about mental illness and violence: http://depts. washington. edu/mhreport/facts_violence. php What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? Stereotyping and prejudice are not the same but can seem similar in a way, however the difference is important. There can be a stereotype about girls only like pink and boys only like to play with guns but a prejudice is when you are racist or have a â€Å"negative attitude toward an entire category of people† (R. Schaefer, 2012). What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring? Diversity training and awareness is a way to prevent prejudice from occurring in the workplace. Education about diversity is a way to prevent it at schools. Much studying has been done about the prevention of prejudice but unfortunately if the training and/or education is not followed up with practice and further education and training it can lead to people going back to their old habits. This means that we must be diligent about fighing prejudice in our society, in our homes, at work, and in our schools. www. wikipedia. org Religious fanaticism http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Religious_fanaticism Main Street Plaza www. latterdaymainstreet. com A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism. Religious Stereotypes Venn Diagram According To Google: Expanded Mormon Edition www. eligious-stereotypes-venn-diagram-according-to-google-expanded-mormon-edition Cracked. com 5 Gender Stereotypes That Used To Be the Exact Opposite By: J. F. Sargent April 24, 2012 cracked. com/article_19780_5-gender-stereotypes-that-used-to-be-exact-opposite. html#ixzz2KNtJBSML www. discoveryfithealth. com 10 Stereotypes About Aging (That Just Arent True) by Tom Scheve and Christine Venzon http://health. howstuffworks. com/wellness/aging/aging-process/5-stereotypes-about-aging6. htm Racial and Ethnic Groups, Thirteenth edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Merrill Prentice Hall. Copyright  © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment Quotes and Analysis

Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment Quotes and Analysis Russian author Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment was originally published in 1866 as a series of monthly installments in the literary journal The Russian Messenger, but has since gone on to become one of the most influential works of literature of its time, riddled with numerous quotes ranging from a poor mans murderous thoughts to the guilt felt in the aftermath of a crime. The story focuses on Rodion Raskolnikovs moral dilemmas and mental suffering after he formulates and successfully plots to kill a pawnbroker to take her money, arguing that with the money he takes from her he can do good that would offset the crime he committed in murdering her. Like Frederich Nietzsches Ubermensch theory, Dostoevsky argues through his character that some people even have the right to perform such vigilante actions as murdering an unscrupulous pawnbroker for the greater good, arguing multiple times that murder is okay if done in the pursuit of the greater good.​ Quotes About Pity and Punishment With a title like Crime and Punishment one can correctly assume that Dostoevskys most famous work is riddled with quotations about the idea of punishment, but it can also be said that the author implored his punishers to have pity on the guilty and suffering the narrator must endure for committing his crime.   Why am I to be pitied, you say, Dostoevsky writes in Chapter Two, Yes! Theres nothing to pity me for! I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me but pity me? This question lends to the idea that there should be no pity given to the guilty - that it is not for a judge to pity the felon but to punish him appropriately - in this case, the speaker argues by crucifixion. But punishment does not only come in the form of a judge reaching a verdict and sentence for a criminal, it also comes in the form of a guilty conscience, wherein the morality of the criminal himself is pitted as the ultimate punishment. In Chapter 19 Dostoevsky writes, If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be  punishment - as  well as the prison. The only escape from this personal punishment, then, is to ask forgiveness of mankind and of God. As Dostoevsky writes at the end of the 30th chapter, Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled, and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, I am a murderer! Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go? Quotes on Committing Crime and Acting on Impulses The act of committing murder, of taking another persons life, is discussed multiple times throughout the text, each time with the implication that the speaker cannot believe he is about to commit such a heinous act. From the very first chapter, Dostoevsky makes this point clear as a contention element of the protagonists life, writing Why am I going there now? Am I capable of that? Is that serious? It is not serious at all. Its simply a fantasy to amuse myself; a plaything! Yes, maybe it is a plaything. This is almost a justification for the speaker to act later on impulse, an excuse to give into his carnal desires, painting murder as a mere plaything. He argues this concept again, coming to terms with the reality of committing murder, in chapter five wherein he says can it be, can it be, that I shall really take an axe, that I shall strike her on the head, split her skull open...that I shall tread in the sticky warm blood, blood...with the axe...Good God, can it be?   Would the crime be worth the moral implications, or the known punishment for such an act? Would it defy the very idea of living a good life itself? Dostoevsky also answers these questions through a variety of quotes in the book Quotes on Life and the Will to Live Especially given the idea of committing the ultimate crime of taking someone elses life, the ideas of the will to live and living a good life come into play many times throughout Crime and Punishment. Even as early as chapter two, Dostoevsky discusses the possibility that mankind may have its ideals of a good life skewed, or at least that mankind is in and of itself skewed from a good reality. In Chapter Two, Dostoevsky writes What if man is not really a scoundrel, man in general, I mean, the whole race of mankind - then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and its all as it should be. However, in Chapter 13, when faced with the idea of being punished by being put to death, Dostoevsky visits an old adage of waiting for death for eternity being better than actually dying in a moment to observe the reality of a persons will to live: Where is it Ive read that someone condemned to death says or think, an hour before his death, that if he had to live on some high rock, on such a narrow ledge that hed only room to stand, and the ocean, everlasting darkness, everlasting solitude, everlasting tempest around him, if he had to remain standing on a square yard of space all his life, a thousand years, eternity, it were better to live so than to die at once! Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be! In the Epilogue too, Dostoevsky speaks of this hope, mans never-ceasing desire to continue breathing for at least one more day, saying of the two characters that they were both pale and thin; but those sick pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future, of a full resurrection into a new life. They were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite sources of life for the heart of the other.

Financial Decision Making Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Decision Making - Coursework Example The price earnings ratio measures the relationship between stock dividend payout and a stock’s market price in order to compare a stock’s performance against any other stock. One can also use earnings per share in order to determine how a company compares to another in terms of current dividend paid. This two key investment ratios can only be used with company’s that are publicly traded and issue stocks Additionally there is a wealth of investment advice and current company profiles and analysis available on the internet, which make the task of choosing an investment much easier for the private investor. For a company that is not publicly traded, an individual must use other forms of financial analysis in order to determine what the best investment option is and how much the required rate of return needs to be in order to justify the risks associated with a specific company. We have been presented with three individual companies as possible investment alternative s none of the companies are publicly traded. The three possible investment choices are: 1) Acme Consulting-Although the initial investment of the company is low at $50,000,the company will be a start up venture so the risks related to the investment are always highest with a new company. Acme will be a management consulting firm with a high level of expertise and experience specializing in marketing and distribution of high technology products and solutions in the international market. The initial operating focus for the company will be the European and Latin American markets and the American market for foreign clients. Acme will provide high value services at the highest costs the market will bear the company will be targeting primarily large manufacturers of high technology products such as IBM, Apple and HP as potential clientele. 2) Interstate Travel Center- Is also a start-up company which will consist of a will be full service truck stop and service center to be located in Tex as. The initial start up costs for the project will be 2.75 million in order to buy the land and build the 6,000square foot facility which will include a restaurant, convenience store, gas/ diesel islands and service facilities and amenities. The required capital investment will be $250,000 from an investor/s and a 2.5 million loan. 3) Silvera and Sons- This is a successful well establish business dedicated to the distribution and exportation of premium Brazilian Arabica Coffee beans. Its main customers are premium American specialty roasters and wholesale to the local Brazilian market. For the last six years demand for the company’s products has exceeded capacity, so the company has had to refuse a lot of larger shipments, therefore losing a lot of potential sales and customers. The company wants to expand their production capacity in order to fulfill the additional demand. The company is confident that they will be able to sell all additional production of their premium Ara bica beans. Since the investment will be used to fulfill the demand for their products, and it is a successful profitable company, it seems that the safest investment for an individual would be to invest in Silvera and Sons. Although it was not required in this assignment to calculate the discount rate for each company, I took the initiative in my research of learning how to calculate the discount rate. In order to calculate the required rate of return or discount rate one must determine what the risk free interest rate is, the average market return, market risk premium

Middle Managers Contribution to the Growth of the Multinational Term Paper

Middle Managers Contribution to the Growth of the Multinational Organization in the Global Market Place - Term Paper Example This essay stresses that middle managers are believed to be important contributors towards overall company strategy. They hold interface positions which facilitate their power to mediate between various variables that are of importance to strategic formulation. This position also facilitates acquisition of necessary knowledge to back the basis of strategy formulation making them important stakeholders in decision making processes. They are also the link between the internal and external environments of an organization and as such are able to develop more credible PESTLE . At this point it is important to analyze the most important strategic roles of middle managers in ensuring success in the global market. This paper makes a conclusion that the role of middle managers in the growth of multinational corporations has increasingly become relevant as global competition intensifies. Organizations need to utilize their knowledge and expertise in order to understand both the local and global markets. With the rapid changes in technology and product development better strategies need to be formulated and implemented appropriately so as to achieve competitive advantage. The realization that this is only possible with the involvement and dedication from the middle managers has shifted the direction from which valuable strategic information emanates from. It is now the onus of these managers to embrace the difficult multifaceted tasks in driving forward their global organizations to the next level in the global competitive ladder.... The global market place is wide with a huge customer base. However, few organizations have managed to tap the huge potential even after establishing themselves globally basically because of producing poor quality products or products that are not matching with customer tastes. Strategy formulation and strategies themselves can be superb and capable of steering a multinational organization to more markets abroad but if they are poorly implemented, the results can be disastrous. Middle managers ensure that strategies are effectively implemented by ensuring and maintaining competence within teams and in individuals. This paper will look into the Middle Manager’s contribution towards the growth of a multinational organization in the global market place. For a multinational to be fully global it is required to expand its wings either through acquisitions or by replicating its business operations. The best businesses to acquire are those that are already heavily involved in the valu e chain in countries or regions the multinational intends to venture into. As such it will be relatively easy to take up the pace in developing brands in foreign markets. The top management of a multinational organization considers two variables in constructing the organizational framework. These are the company’s strategic positioning in all regions of operations and company history coupled with its administrative heritage (Delany, 2000). All the subsidiaries’ operations need to be harnessed to match those of the major organization. As a result, globalization has made multinational organizations to reduce variability in operations of their subsidiaries by rationalizing their activities especially the duplicated ones. This

Amnesty and Human Rights Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amnesty and Human Rights - Case Study Example Amnesty has published an article under the title: "Tibet at risk of torture" on march 27 2008. It shows the recent events in Tibet, a country that is occupied by China for more then 50 years now. Despite all efforts from the Dalai Lama, the Olympics 2008 in Being are the event that draws finally the attention to the problems of the occupation. The whole world is protesting right right now. And what Amnesty shows us explains why. Amnesty (2008): "According to information published by the Tibetan Center on Human Rights and Democracy, 15 Tibetan monks were detained on 10 March for staging a peaceful demonstration in Barkhor, Lhasa, the capital of Tibetan Autonomous Region in China. There is no information of their current whereabouts or of any charges brought against them. They are at high risk of torture and other ill- treatment." Besides this significant and important action there is also the important issue on the Human Rights situation in China. Amnesty (2008): " Expressing an opini on online in China can result in jail, torture and death. People are silenced and what happens in China is often clouded in secrecy. Sign up to take the pledge to stop the Chinese Government and large internet companies restricting freedom of expression on the Internet, and we'll keep you up-to-date with ways you can help create a more transparent society in China." You can directly participate in signing the form online.... and death. People are silenced and what happens in China is often clouded in secrecy. Sign up to take the pledge to stop the Chinese Government and large internet companies restricting freedom of expression on the Internet, and we'll keep you up-to-date with ways you can help create a more transparent society in China." You can directly participate in signing the form online. The chosen actions are petitions you can sign online or send in an email to the Ambassador. You reach immediate whom you want to reach, the Government of China from home. In doing so you can plaid for changes in the situation of Chines regarding the human rights and plaid for a free Tibet. How effective do you think the action has been/will be and how could it be more effective Amnesty is offering us a change to write a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to plead for Tibet. Online there is an example for an email. Amnesty asking us to personalize the letters also online to help. Amnesty (2008): " Please send an urgent letter to His Excellency Mr ZHANG Junsai, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Australia. Here are some key points you can include in your letter: urge the authorities to release the 15 monks, as well as all others detained for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression, Association and assembly urge the authorities to fully account for all those detained during the demonstrations, ensuring they are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated, have access to lawyers and medical care, are brought promptly before an independent court and are able to challenge their detention ensure that those prosecuted are charged with internationally recognizable offences and tried in proceedings which meet international fair

DRM and digital media in the Cloud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DRM and digital media in the Cloud - Essay Example Successful media services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple embrace modernized DRM systems in distribution their apps, music, and movies (The Verge, 2012). In effect, the widespread uses of the DRMs have resulted to erosion in its restrictive nature. For instance with iTunes sharing of apps, movies and books has become easy as long as the registration of the devices takes place with Home sharing. Therefore, the advanced and complicated DRMs have made no progress in countering media privacy since the users do not recognize their existence. They seemingly appear to be invisible yet the media companies spend a lot of time and money in building these DRM systems. The thief therefore ignores the systems and it is invisible to the user (The Verge, 2012). Ultra Violet’s position in the market reinforces the argument. Ultraviolet is a global DRM system, which coordinates DRM systems for purposes of linking them together (Wee Siong, K, Markus, B, and Kian Lee, 2011, 249). Ultraviolet lacks the capability to do away with media piracy since it allows sharing of media to other compatible apps and devices as long as the user has centralized rights token given after purchasing the media (The Verge, 2012). Additionally, it lacks the capacity to stop determined pirates who find around the system and accessing the said media through other channels such as through Bit Torrent. In conclusion, although the business of movie production would not be profitable unless utilizing DRMs, it seems to dropping them altogether would be simpler. It lack of flexibility and inability to stop media piracy does not justify the millions of dollars and time consumed in building the

Second Reading report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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The Performance Appraisal System For as President & CEO of A Nonprofit Research Paper

The Performance Appraisal System For as President & CEO of A Nonprofit - Research Paper Example The major responsibilities of CEO and President are abundant and challenging. They are liable for directing an organization through making appropriate decisions. They are in charge of developing strategies and plans which can ascertain and promote the organization’s overall mission and purposes. They delegate responsibilities to the team members and ensure that the organizational objectives are met. CEO and President of a non-profit organization closely perform with other top executives to implement policies, systems, and other internal control mechanisms in order to enhance the operational procedures. Their other responsibilities comprise the recognition of opportunities for national and global expansion of organizational activities. They ensure that the organization is performing according to the set organizational objectives. CEO and President help to establish certain standards as well as measures in order to effectively utilize the organizational resources. Performance ap praisal plays the vital role in the overall management of performance of a non-profit organization. It serves two major objectives for a non-profit organization  it enhances the productivity by helping individuals to realize their complete potentials in order to undertake organizational mission and objectives and secondly, it provides information to the management for making work based decisions. Performance appraisal system is required in an organization as it not only assesses the performance but also helps to motivate the individuals.

Second Reading report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Second Reading report - Essay Example She held strong beliefs on the need for social service as a calling from the Deity. At this point, I concur with her assertion that every human being is tasked with social responsibility and she puts it in a way that can be explained as God’s delegation to humanity. In addition, interprets the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, or Amos as pleas for humanity to enhance justice by denouncing arrogance and iniquity. It is convincing to conclude that Coles achieves his agenda through the call of service to eliminate the rife selfishness by denouncing the culture of narcissism (185). Similar to Coles’ call of service, Mother Teresa utilizes the â€Å"Words to Love† to urge humanity to accept divine intervention to represent Jesus on earth. Her words are convincing and sufficient to grant concurrence. She makes sense by asking humanity to spread the prayer of love. In a broad context, it is through love that individuals can embrace community service. In addition, it is only through having love for neighbors that we can be a representation of Jesus. I concur to the fact that by offering community service and care for others, the love would be as profound as shining Jesus’ light on others through us. John F. Kennedy in the â€Å"Special Message to Congress on the Peace Corps March 1, 1961† deviates from the divine calling aspect of social service to the call of duty aspect. He adopts a global perspective of community service by establishing the Peace Corps. The agency is tasked with providing skilled labor in foreign countries. I hold similar opinions to those represented in the article and concur strongly with J.F. Kennedy’s assertion that the future of freedom lies in the ability for men to live in dignity whereby hunger, poverty, and ignorance become a thing of the past (678). He asserts that economic development entails skilled labor towards the societal demands. The societal demands entail offering to teach in the

Aldous Huxley Essay Example for Free

Aldous Huxley Essay Aldous Huxley captures the effect of the application of scientific methods to procedures in the modern American society to a more substantial degree than ever, recognized by readers of his novel, Brave New World. This portrays a world centered around scientific progress and control. Huxley brings to light the extremity of influence given to Americans by revolutionary science. In an effort to forever improve, society has conformed to many ways of fixing imperfections. From surgeries and medications for honest sicklings to injections for greedy, pretentious abusers, people as a whole have transformed from the good ole days to the fast-paced, materialistic world. While discoveries in science are often for the benefit of society, is it possible that these newfound treasures are actually a preface for rot and ruin? Since most little girls could remember, the only way it seemed plausible to become successful was by living in the body of Cinderella or Barbie or Miss America. As they began to mature, nothing changed. The image remained as a beautiful bag of bones when media and celebrities were constantly thrown in their face. In the past, if they didn’t have â€Å"the look†, they were left hopeless and self-conscious. Thankfully, some idiot decided they would abuse the power of nature and science by providing these girls with an answer to their prayers. Plastic Surgery! What they didn’t account for was the impact. Now, not only were the glamorous allowed to have the image, everyone was-again, reducing the confidence in the female population and encouraging a new friend, bullying. Moreover, it is affecting the mental health of children in this conceited society. Surveys and recent research show that â€Å" Teens view plastic surgery as a way to fit in and look acceptable to friends and peers† (Plastic Surgery). How is it that society has allowed this damage to take place? The original intentions of these different types of surgeries were honest. Science isn’t the one to be held responsible, rather the insecurities of certain

The Damage Of A Disorganised Organisation Business Essay

The Damage Of A Disorganised Organisation Business Essay The assignment focuses on the outcomes of the study of the module-Organizational Behaviour which deals with the importance of the organizational principles in any company linked to its success in long run. I have focussed myself to study the Case of Oticon Ltd. in reference to change of organisation structure bringing in success. Though the objective of the study is to analyse the organisation in the context of dynamics of change affecting its very functioning with respect of organizational issues, the limitation of the study is inability to take up all issues considering organisation behaviour. Oticon, is a Danish firm, which was founded in 1904 by William Demant, is a leader in manufacturing hearing aids in Europe and the rest of the world. During the 1980s, a small American company, which designed a new and innovative model of hearing aids, entered aggressively in the market, and caused decreased sales for Oticon. The reaction of Oticon was immediate, as they decided to reconstruct the whole structure of the company, so as to boost their efficiency and profitability. The process lasted for almost three years, and resulted to major changes, which helped Oticon to regain profits, and become again a leader in their sector. Oticon is a good example of what D. T. Hall (1996) called The career is dead, long live the career and the boundary career construct (Arthur Rousseau, 1966). Key features of traditional career management like earmarking of management potential, formalized development programs, the use of promotions and organizational symbolism (e.g., privileges) etc. were simply not applicable in the spaghetti organization with no hierarchical structure, no traditional management positions, no high-flier program and not even an HR function. The nickname spaghetti organization reflects the complex, informal and almost anarchistic characteristics of the project organization, as it was initially implemented at Oticon. The path which Oticon choose to regain its ground and the initiatives taken in terms of Organizational Behaviour has been assessed in this assignment. For the purpose of analyzing the focus was laid down on 3 key aspects of organization behavior which are organizational structure, management of change and organizational culture and climate which can be correlated to the case. 2. Organizational Structure According to Sheldon: Organization is the process of combining the work, which individuals and groups have to perform with the facilities necessary for its execution, that the duties so performed provide the best channels for the efficient, systematic, positive and coordinated application of the available efforts. Koontz and Donnel have defined organizational structure as the establishment of authority relationships with provision for coordination between them, both vertically and horizontally in the enterprise structure. A good organizational structure has the following features: The structure should lay down a formal reporting hierarchy from lowest level to higher level of management. Identical activities should be grouped for each department so that equipment, processes and expertise can be developed at one place under the guidance of a departmental head. Coordination of various activities is laid down and specification of the coordinating authority be placed. Individual, group and departmental goals should be laid down with specific time frame. Monitoring of goals is essential to achieve the objectives. 2.1 Forms of Organization Structure Mechanistic form Organic form Comparative evaluation of mechanistic and organic form of organizational structures can be summarized as under: 2.1Centralization and Decentralization Apart from the forms of organizational structure discussed above the decision makers of the organization could be categorized into centralization and decentralization based on the form of organizational structure the board of directors or the higher management decide for the benefit of the organization, but in certain cases of management decisions this may or may not prove beneficially in long run and change is expected if it needs to change its horizons and expand its business. The concept of centralization refers to reservation of authority for decision making at top level of management i.e. the decision lies in the hands of Board of Directors/MD. Lower levels are responsible for implementing the decisions or one can say to abide by the decision ordered by the higher level. They are basically operators or implementers. In general, the authority is not delegated to the lower levels. The subordinates carry out work towards accomplishing their destined task. If at all there is a hurdle or operation is halted due to some reason, then the matter is referred to an appropriate authority that has the power to take appropriate decision to resolve the problem. Centralization can be viewed or implemented where the organization structures do not have many layers and it is relatively flat. It is majorly noticed where the subordinates are rightly not trained to handle key specific/ higher jobs, where there is a lack of trust in subordinates and the intricacy or the magnitude of work that demands centralized control. Decentralization on the other hand refers to authority being delegated to various levels of organization for making appropriate decisions for making the process quicker and efficient. In decentralized organizations, the individuals at lower levels are allowed to make decisions pertaining to their jobs which give them autonomy. Authority in this case does not flow with the same rate to each of the levels of the organization structure. It is important to note that each level should have appropriate authority for decision making when need arises and that one does not have to wait for upper level to take decisions at each level. An organization which has flat organizational structure is ideal to have a decentralized command and control especially in the current environment where specialization, information technology, competencies, work teams, group culture and systems prevail. It develops a sense of responsibility among employees, efficient time management, improves productivity, team sprit, motivation and brings the feeling of oneness among work groups. Greater decentralization offers employees higher level of job satisfaction as they have autonomy at work in decision making process. They can respond to a particular situation quickly. Charlisle suggested the following guidelines to determine whether there should be centralization or decentralization. (a) Mission, goals and objectives of the organization: Those organizations where democracy exists prefer decentralized structure in decision making process in turn, small organizations have a centralized structure. (b) Size of the organization and complexity of the work. Large organizations with diverse production lines and conglomerates with companies involved in different fields should be decentralized. (c) Geographical location of customers: Organizations which cater for customers which are geographically located far apart should have decentralized organizational structure. (d) Competency: If the top management is highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced and has the capacity to handle more activities at one time, then the centralization is recommended. (e) Communication: If the communication between the management and employees is efficient, then the decentralization is recommended. This will enable problem solving and accord a sense of autonomy amongst workers. 2.2 Organizational structure and Oticon Oticon was initially following the Mechanistic Form of organization structure with centralized decision makers until it faced a stiff competition in terms of market leadership until Kolind the new CEO of the company had converted the same mechanistic form of organization structure into decentralized organic system of organizational structure which yielded fruitful results to the success of company in long run. Though the top management is highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced and has the capacity to handle more activities at one time, then the centralization is recommended but the situation demanded Spaghetti organization. The introduction of Spaghetti form of organization structure was a tough task indeed as it needed everyones (board of directors, stakeholders, etc.) consent for implementation and the situation for Oticon demanded immediate decision to change its structure for its very survival which also links with the management of change which is discussed in relation to organization structure in the following paragraphs. 3.0 Management of Change It is known fact that change is inevitable. Nothing is permanent except the change but it is the duty of the management or organization to manage change properly and orderly. Organizations must incorporate suitable changes if the situation so demands or when the need arises. Change is a continuous phenomenon. It is to be noted even in most stable organizations change is necessary just to keep the level of stability. The major environmental forces, which make the change necessary, are Technology, Market forces and Socio-economic factors. Showing resistance to change can prove fatal for the very existence of the organization. According to Barney and Griffin, the primary reason cited for organizational problems is the failure by managers to properly anticipate or respond to forces for change. 3.1 Change Process Kurt Lewin proposed Three Stage Model of the change process for moving the organization from present position to the changed position. This is as under: Stage 1: Unfreezing: Creating motivation and readiness to change through (a) Disconfirmation or lack of confirmation. (b) Creation of guilt or anxiety. (c) Ensure subordinates of psychological safety. Stage 2: Changing through cognitive restructuring: Helping the client to see things, judge things, and feel things differently based on new point of view obtained through. (a) Identifying with a new role model, mentor, etc. (b) Scanning the environment for new relevant information. Stage 3: Refreezing: Helping the client to integrate the new point of view into (a) The total personality and self concept. (b) Significant relationship. 1. Unfreezing: Process of unfreezing makes individuals ready for change. Lewin believes that employees must be informed in advance of impending change and that they should not be surprised. Unfreezing entails unfreezing the old behaviour or situation. Edgar Schein took this excellent idea propagated by Lewin and improved by specifying psychological mechanism involved in each stage of the model. Unfreezing involves creating motivation and readiness to change by creating an environment of disconfirmation of existing psychological safety in the changed pattern of behaviour. This can be achieved by making announcements, meetings and promoting the idea throughout the organization through bulletin, boards, personal contacts and group conferences. The unfreezing process basically cleans the slate so that fresh behavioural patterns, customs, traditions can be imprinted which can then become a new way of doing things. 2. Moving: Once unfreezing process is completed, moving takes place. Moving is incorporating change. Persons undergo cognitive restructuring. The process is carried out by the following three methods as proposed by Kelman: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Compliance: Compliance is achieved by introducing rewards and punishments. It has been established that individual accepts change if he is rewarded or punished. This is a behaviour modification tool. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identification: Members are psychologically impressed upon to select their role model and modify behaviour. If a leader can act as a role model the change is easier. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Internalization: It involves internal changing of individuals thought processes in order to adjust to a new environment. Members are advised to carry out soul searching and adopt a new behaviour. 3. Refreezing: It is related to integrate the new behaviours into the persons personality and attitude. It is referred to stabilization. The change behaviour must necessarily fit into the social surroundings. Refreezing takes place when the new behaviour is adopted in a normal way of life. New behaviour must replace the old on a permanent basis. New behaviours must be re-enforced continuously so that it does not diminish. Change process is not a one time process but it is continuous hence unfreezing, change and refreezing must also be continuous. 3.1 Steps In Managing Change Organizations must plan to implement change in a systematic manner. It must identify the field in which the change is required whether it is strategic, structural, process oriented or cultural change. Changes can also be affected in all the areas concurrently, but it must be managed appropriately so that there is no bottleneck effect. Once the need for change is identified and the area in which it is to be implemented, the following steps have been suggested by Greiner. Develop new goals and objectives: Objectives and goals are derived out of mission statements, objects may need revision due to change in external or internal forces. Select an agent for change: It is the responsibility of the management to entrust execution of change to appropriate authority. A manager may be given this responsibility. Diagnose the problem: Diagnosis is the first step to implement change. If an organization has a large number of employee turnover then the data must be collected and made available to the consultant so that the reasons for turnover can be identified and appropriate corrective measures taken. The process of identification of problem is not simple as it appears and requires research. Select Methodology: It is comparatively easy to implement material change as a part of change of a system. What is important is to protect the emotions they must be made party to select methods so that it is easier to implement at a later stage. Develop Plan: If the organization wants to reduce employee turn over, it may like to carry out comparative study of other organizations in respect of job content, reward system, employee performance, appraisal system, promotion criteria, training development and the strategy adopted by the organization for its growth. Strategy for implementation: Timings of implementation of change is very crucial. If the change is related to internal employees, it must be communicated at an appropriate time so that there is no resistance to planned change. Implementation of Plan: Once the decision to implement the plan and communication through which the plan is to be implemented is decided, it is the responsibility of the various departments to implement the same. This may need notification, briefing sessions or in-house seminars so as to ensure acceptance of all the members of the organizations specially those who are likely to get affected. Employee reactions in attitudes, aspirations, emotions and behaviour must be canalized in positive directions due to change. Evaluation Feedback: The result of the change must be evaluated and suitable feed back obtained. If modification to training development causes decrease in employee turnover, the objective of change would deemed to have been achieved. If the results are contrary to the expectation, then a new change may be required to diagnose cause. 3.2 The Change Process in relation to Oticon: Think the Unthinkable The change process in Oticon was initiated with the recruitment of a new CEO, Lars Kolind in 1988, who was given the full responsibility for implementing changes, and who bought the change which was unthinkable. After a two-year period of rationalization and cost-cutting, which has achieved savings in sales and administration costs of 20 percent, Lars Kolind announced in early 1990 a unique package of innovative and radical initiatives in terms of organizational structure, job design, information technology, and physical layout of the company. Oticon was rebuilt as a networking organization and became the worlds technologically leading audio logical company; and within five years was listed on the Danish stock exchange. The recommendations for the change process was described in a 10-page memo called Think the unthinkable, which was written by the new CEO and distributed to all staff in March 1990. The proposed changes are described: 1. To Increase the competitiveness by utilizing human and technological resources in a more efficient way, reducing the overhead costs, which at that point of time exceeded the actual production costs; 2. The objective is to replace the hierarchical job structure where in each employee is involved in number of projects at the same time considering each project as a business unit with its own criteria. 3. To reduce the written paper communication by establishing electronic scanning of all incoming mail and introducing comprehensive information technology systems, networks, etc.; 4. To disown traditional managerial jobs and transferring managerial authority to the project groups or the individual employee; 5. An open space office to be created where physical mobility persists where in each person has a cart or trolley, a cabinet on wheels containing the computer, the phone, and a limited space for files that can be moved around in the office. 4.0 Organizational Culture and Climate Edgar Schein defined culture as A pattern of basic assumptions invented, discovered or developed by given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adoption and internal integration worked well enough to be considered valuable and therefore, to be taught to new members as a correct way to perceive, think and feel, in relation to those problems. Wagner III and Hollenbeck have defined organizational culture as the shared attitude and perceptions in an organization that are based on a set of fundamental norms and values and help members understand the organization. Organizational culture is not inherit form of an organization, it has to be invented and later developed over a period of time. It enables employees to perform within the framework of the organizations culture. Environment plays a dominant role in developing the culture and so does demographic factors. Once the culture is developed, it virtually becomes a peoples organization from a functional point of view that promotes risk-taking among managerial cadre and generates novel ideas. It promotes communication that improves productivity and job satisfaction. 4.1 Organizational Climate According to Bowditch and Buono Organizational culture is with the nature of belief and expectations about organizational life, while climate is an indicator of whether those beliefs and expectations are being fulfilled. Employees in the organization keep studying the management philosophy and various actions they take to deal with organizational factors that are of a routine nature. These include the following: (a) Selection Process of the employees. (b) Leadership style and approach to solve problems of the employees. (c) Wage administration. (d) Attitude to implement change and incorporate latest technology. (e) Job description. (f) Organizational structure and frequency to modify the same based on need. (g) Performance evaluation. (h) Promotion policy and its implementation. (i) Efforts involved in promoting creativity and innovations. (j) Availability of resources for research and development. Overt factors can be measured and fair assessment can therefore be made about the intentions of the management and efforts they are putting in to build an appropriate organizational climate. While on the other hand covert factors can not be quantified being of subjective nature. Likert has carried out studies on organizational climate by isolating six different variables namely decision making, leadership style, motivation, goal setting, communication and control. Each variable was then evaluated on four dimensions. Each of the dimensions can then be studied on the five-point scale enumerated above. Based on the inputs so received on the specific study of a particular variable an appropriate conclusion of the prevailing organizational climate can be drawn. Suitable remedial measures then can be initiated to modify the climate to desired level. According to Edgar Schein Culture is the most difficult organizational attribute to change. He specified three cognitive levels of organizational culture: What can be seen and known, Organizational mission and value, Tacit assumptions which is the deepest level and the most difficult to explicate. In the years before the change Oticon management had bureaucratic nature of the organization and corporate culture. It was more off hierarchical organization with importance given to people rather than position. Oticon after year 1991 became more task culture, it developed into customer focus organization and started to be project orientated, where departments disappeared, individuals were expected to contribute to the organization and got recognized influence in the group. In short it was made more important what you do and not who you are. 5. Conclusion Various companies have tried and tested teamwork organization unsuccessfully but what were the key elements that were responsible for the success of teamwork in Oticon? A lot of companies want to implement teamwork in their processes, as working into teams has several advantages such as creativity, innovation, speed, and better productivity. Moreover, teams with more freedom in their ideas and way of working, seem to be more productive and creative than others with stricter rules. In the case of Oticon, there are several key elements which were responsible for the successful implementation of teamwork. Firstly, the employees were fully informed about the changes and the new working situation. In addition to this, some of them participated to the process of restructuring the company. Even in the meetings there was the employees presence so as to be closer to the new decisions. It is important to be mentioned that it was necessary for the employees to practice in PC use, so they were encouraged to take a PC home so as to practice in their free time too. Another aspect of this change was that because of the Spaghetti organization, all the departments were abolished, and the companys structure was based on the projects. By this, employees were motivated, as they were encouraged to come up with new ideas for new projects, and become leaders of these project teams. So, the company promoted creativity and innovative ideas among their workers and gained in productivity, as the employees felt satisfied and ready to contribute more, because they were active members in the development of the organization. The organization of the company became more elastic, that gave freedom to employees duties; as they could co-operate and even more, work in the same offices, by moving their desks. Oticon also gave the freedom to project leaders to select on their own the team members, according to their specifications, in a more informal way, the selected team members had the right to refuse to take part in the project. This means that the people, who are in the team, are by their will, so they are more dedicated in the goal, and loafing effects are avoided. Furthermore, it is important to be mentioned that team meetings were frequently arranged, and the way the meetings were conducted, were organized by the team itself, in the frame of given freedom. So, teams decided in which way they could be more productive, and, be frequent meetings and good communication, the success was inevitable. On the contrary, meetings between senior management, and project groups had taken place only once every three months in order to present their results and take feedback. A three year preparation period before the completion of the new structure was enough time for the idea to mature, and the organizations members to adapt to the new working conditions. Finally, the fully autonomous groups were one of the most important factors of success, as strong connections were built between the team members, which ameliorated the collaboration. Moreover, team members had the opportunity to work in several projects simultaneously, which allowed them to exchange and share ideas and information between connected projects. All in all, the not formalized structure encouraged all employees to contribute in the development, be having the right to give to their employers, new ideas and projects, without the fear of criticism. Evaluation of the Outcomes, and the Present Today, over two decade after the changes were inaugurated, overall management ideology and practice have largely remained the same, but a number of specific changes have occurred. The organization has been professionalized by defined projects in the sense that fewer people are now assigned as project team leaders, with a proper  career path, and that a training program in project management has been launched thus making it more selective and exclusive to become a project manager. The role of functional experts has been maintained, but has developed into more traditional business units or staff functions. The CEOs thought of creating a paperless organization has proved to be too idealistic. Lars Kolind, the man behind the change of thought process in 1990-91, retired in 1998 and was replaced by Niels Jacobsen, who had been with the company from 1988 and co-managed the company with Lars Kolind until his retirement.