Environment Issues Essay

The case â€Å"Environment Issues† presents how environmental issues have shifted from the margins to obtaining central place on the international agenda. In particular, John Vogler touches the issues of climate change, sustainable development, environment degradation, and the importance of international cooperation. Contemporary world is experiencing environment degradation because of continuing environment pollution and global clime changes. Global warming is the major concern of researchers. Moreover, new forms of transnational pollution appear as, for example, acid rains. Such problems, as global climate change and thinning of the ozone layers, are truly global in scale. The author stresses that in the late 19th century environment politics was strictly limited, but since 1960s the issues has gained international concern meaning that environmental problems have acquired transnational and global dimension. The process of environmental protection was stimulated by three UN conferences of 1972, 1992 and 2002 that stressed the importance of international cooperation in fighting global environmental challenges. The key function of international cooperation is argued to regulate transnational environment problems and to sustain global commons. In other words, international cooperation doesn’t simply established governance regimes; moreover, it embraces agreements between states concerning the major environment issues. Nonetheless, international cooperation often neglects the pursuit of power and status in their discussion, although international meetings often reflect struggles for national and international advantage. It means that many organizations are seeking ways to maintain their financial and staff resources and to ensure better place within UN system. The problem is that international cooperation meetings may become just a way to issue declarations aimed at persuading the government and people that something is being done. However, the reality is that environmental conditions are deteriorating and it seems that nothing is done to fight climate change and to decrease air and water pollution. Transboundary trade is related to pollution control. Thus, the long-term function of international cooperation is to regulate transnational environment problems as animals, water and pollution are crossing frontiers. Joint efforts are promoted by multilateral and regional agreements as it gives an opportunity to manage resources and to control water and air pollution. The most important functions of the state are taxing and promoting trade. Thus, imposing restrictions on international trade may be used as one of instrument of nature conservation. Relations between international trade and environmental deterioration are broader than they are presented in researches. For example, green activists claim that international trade damages environment, destroys agriculture and encourages environmentally damaging transportation of goods. International cooperation is needed for developing environmental norms and for assisting participation of developing countries. The role of international cooperation is crucial to contemporary world as it provides governance regimes and regulations for the global commons. Further, the author underlines the problem of global climate change, especially the challenge of global warming and ozone layer problem. Scientists have been long debating over the problems of ozone layer thinning and greenhouse effect, but only in the end of the 20th century international consensus started to monitor the issue. Scientists have failed to come to an agreement whether human-induced changes in mean temperatures have led to global climate changes. Vogler says that greenhouse effect negatively affect the life on the Earth because greenhouse gases are insulating the surface by trapping solar radiation. Industrial revolution has negatively affected environmental. See, before industrial revolution the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was not more than 280 parts per million, whereas the concentration has significantly grown because of burning of fossil fuels. One more negative consequence is that methane emissions have grown exponentially with the growth of agriculture. Vogler stresses â€Å"if nothing is done to curb intensive fossil fuel emissions, there will be a likely rise in mean temperatures of the order of 2. 4-6. 4 grad C by 2099†. (p. 361) Turbulent weather conditions and seal level rise are expected. The results of climate change are presented as following: melting glaciers, increasing flood risks, reducing water suppliers, declining annual crop yields, rising sea levels, increasing vulnerability of ecosystems, etc. It is argued that the warmer the world gets the faster the climate changes as higher temperatures are associated with increases chances of triggering abrupt and large-scale changes. Climate catastrophe can be avoided in case the temperature increase is held below 2 grades. Moreover, concentration of carbon dioxide should be kept below 550 ppm. Scientific community fears that the 21st century will be marked by unusual weather patterns, melting of polar ice sheets and stormy events. If not managed, climate change will cause threatening changes in living conditions and will challenge patterns of energy use and its security. Kyoto protocol appeared to be the first step on the long road to preventing further climate change. Kyoto protocol bound most of developed and developing countries to set emission cuts, although some scientists argue that Kyoto protocol is not wholly adequate in terms of global warming problem. The USA refused to sign the Kyoto protocol and scientists argue it is impossible to proceed without the USA as the country produces more than 25% of carbon dioxide emissions. The Kyoto target may be achieved by 2012, and even this figure remains uncertain. Climate change is characterized by all-embracing nature and is claimed to be rooted in essential human activities. Climate change challenges international environment cooperation. Vogler admits that environmental scientists are interested in identifying conditions under which international environmental cooperation has emerged as a response of environmental challenges. Of course, the scientists’ arguments differ in their attitudes towards international environmental regime, shared scientific knowledge and impact of non-government actors. Scientists relate environmental changes to armed conflict stressing that traditional thinking about environmental security should be defined in terms of attacks upon the state. Vogler concludes that climate change, especially global warming and greenhouse effect, remains the most painful problem of the 21st century. The rise of environmental issues is associated with globalization, resource depletion, increased consumption levels, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Globalization has contributed developing transnational green policies and intervention programs. International environment tries to respond to climate changes by establishing global environmental governance through international environmental cooperation. Environmental Issues: Opinion I think that environmental issues raised in the paper are very important to contemporary world as environmental conditions are still deteriorating and it seems that nothing is actually done to regulate global warming, greenhouse effect and sea level rise. When reviewing the issues, Vogler is persuasive and valid as all the arguments are supported with real-life examples, in-depth economic analysis and Vogler cites viewpoints of respectable researchers. Thus, I can say I agree with most of author’s ideas as the problem of global warming and greenhouse effect is shaking the world. Poverty rates are increasing, income in developing and undeveloped countries is decreasing. The situation can be hardly called promising. We see the author combines theoretical research with practical application offering recommendations and strategies to respond to environmental challenges. Vogler is very persuasive in defending position that international environmental cooperation is the only possible way to develop solutions to increased poverty, global warming, greenhouse gases emissions, unusual weather patters and stormy events. I agree with the author that international cooperation will positively affect society and will show that something is being done to improve the situation. Even the slightest changes in the world’s temperatures will result in dangerous and abrupt changes in world’s well-being and well-being of every human. Thus, the problem of climate change should be not simply talked about; it should be properly responded and addressed. I think that Vogler’s tendency towards international cooperation is the only effective way to fight global crisis. As far as the crisis is transnational, only global measures should be undertaken to address them. As far as climate change is international, it requires international collective action to make measures driving and effective. In my opinion, climate change management should consider long time horizons, economic risks and uncertainties, possibilities of non-marginal changes, etc. Nowadays it is necessary to consider physical effects of climate change on environment, economics and human health. Different technologies should aim at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Economic models should be involved to estimate economic effects of climate change and global warming, as well as to assess efficiency of low-carbon economics. Moreover, global warming results in sudden shifts in weather patterns and may lead to consequences which affect water availability and flooding threatening millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions. Fighting climate change is an urgent challenge calling for building collective action. It includes shared understanding and requires promoting leadership and trusting with others in collective work. Clear perspective is needed to stabilize and to stop concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Even collective action will hardly be sufficient to meet the desired goals and objectives. Summing up, collective action is needed to reduce negative effects of climate change. Possible steps are cooperation between countries, shared goals and objectives, cooperation between private and public sectors, etc.

Athenian democracy Essay

Due to experiencing the volatile state of the Athenian government, it is not surprising that Socrates had much to say on the topic of political philosophy. Central to his political theory was his position on how citizens ought to approach ethics and politics. In the Apology, Socrates’ conduct demonstrates his belief that citizens must not be complacent when it comes to political virtue. In order to push citizens out of complacency, Socrates used a method called the â€Å"elecnhus† to prod citizens to discover the true definition of virtues (Jowett, 2009). In doing this, Socrates hoped to promote a rigorous understanding of traditional moral virtues; an understanding of what courage, justice, and wisdom, truly meant (Jowett, 2009). At first glance, it seems that Socrates is promoting the appreciation of the traditional virtues, and is therefore a conservative. On the contrary, I will argue that Socrates’ conservative rationale serves only as a diversion from his radical intentions. In defending this statement, I will first outline Socrates’ conduct and motives in the Apology. Second, I will present the argument for how this behaviour can be interpreted as being conservative using narratives from Crito and The Republic. Lastly, I will argue why this behaviour instead demonstrates that Socrates was a radical. In the Apology, Plato provides a narrative of Socrates’ defence for using the elenchus, an exhaustive questioning method, to stir the position of Athenian citizens on traditional values (Jowett, 2009). Derived from various arguments in The Apology, Crito, and The Republic, it can be found that Socrates had two motives for his conduct. The first motive stems from his notion of benefit in the spiritual realm, which is derived from his theory of virtue. He held that the best life for humans is a life of virtue, and a life of virtue entailed striving to comprehend the true essence of values (Jowett, 2009). The practice of valuing true knowledge was seen to be intrinsically good for citizens, for it adhered to the success of the human soul (Jowett, 2009). Further, Socrates held that evil in this context was the ignorance of the intrinsic worth of the traditional values, and complacency when it comes to abiding by such values (Jowett, 2009). Therefore, Socrates’ first motive for using the elenchus method to stir his fellow citizens, was so that they could abandon their ignorance and begin to obey the true nature of human life, that is a life and soul of virtue (Jowett, 2009). By doing this, citizens would adhere to the true meaning behind traditional values. The second motive stems from his notion of benefit in the worldly realm, derived from his theory on laws. When it came to justice, there were multiple versions of what acting justice entailed. For instance, according to Cephalus, it was to honour your obligation to the city (Plato, 1974, 674). For Polemarchus it was reward and punishment to those who rightfully deserved it (Plato, 1974, 676). However, the orthodox versions of justice was that it involved simply adhering to the laws (Plato, 1974, 687). While this does contribute to a just social arrangement, in that everyone performs the role appropriate to them, it does not address the matters of ethics and law. On that matter, Socrates observed that simply obeying these laws did not automatically entail that the person was acting just, this is because laws are vulnerable to being unjust (Plato, 1974, 701). This introduced a concept that there exists an essence of justice, such that â€Å"there is an essential nature of justice and injustice and what a perfectly just and perfectly unjust man would be like (Plato, 1964, 472b). Without knowledge of the essence of justice, individuals would only be acting just by coincidence, for they would not be able to determine whether their actions were just or not (Plato, 1964, 458a). Contributing to this argument, Socrates saw that laws, and everything else in the physical world, were malleable (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). This meant that the laws were defined by whomever was in power at the time; in democracy it was the majority, and in tyranny it was the tyrant. Therefore, Socrates held that it was necessary for citizens themselves to comprehend the essence of justice so that they could avoid being slaves to those who managed to hold legal influence at the time (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). Such that those who held legal influence may be blind towards the â€Å"good† or essence of justice (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). Therefore, Socrates’ second motivation for using the elenchus was in order to promote the valuing of justice, and other traditional values, in hopes that Athenian citizens could identify for themselves the things which adhere to the essence of these values. Accordingly, with these two motives in mind, Socrates engaged with the citizens of Athens, invoking them to question the traditional Greek values. His mission was to give birth in them a desire to understand the true essence of values, and then to be able to recognize it in the physical world. In response to such conduct, Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth, and questioning Greek life, giving rise to the context in The Apology. From the perspective of the Athenian jury, based on his charges, it appeared that Socrates’ conduct was radical. For the second part of this essay, by using his two motives as a reference, I will now explore the various arguments for why Socrates’ was not a radical, but instead a conservative. For the purpose of this essay, I will hold that the definition of conservative means the preservation of traditional values. Based on his first motive, in order to encourage citizens to abandon their ignorance and begin to virtuously appreciate the traditional Greek value, Socrates openly admitted that he had to push citizens to challenge and question these values (Jowett, 2009). It was seen as radical because such questioning of traditional values was seen as insulting and violating these same values (Jowett, 2009). While this may be seen as radicalism, it is clear that this is not the case when Socrates’ concept of the spiritual realm and the forms are introduced. Stemming from his theory of values, Socrates believed that all traditional Greek values existed in a pure and absolute form that could only become known through reason (Jowett, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of questioning the traditional values was only in order to stimulate the realization of the true essence of these values. Socrates believed that by doing so, it was the ultimate act of respect to traditional moral values, and the first motive can thus be interpreted as conservative. However, the questioning of traditional values ultimately entailed the questioning of Athenian laws. While this also may be seen as radicalism, it is clear that this is not the case when Socrates’ distinguishes the difference between the worldly realm and the spiritual realm. Socrates believed that all traditional Greek values were embodied in a universal law within the spiritual realm, that is above the malleable Athenian law which existed in the physical realm. While Socrates respected and abided by the Athenian law, he was also critical of the nature of such laws. Socrates explains that, because these Athenian laws were malleable to the distribution of political power, these laws were vulnerable to deviation from the traditional values (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). By promoting the questioning of Athenian laws, Socrates believed that he was preserving the traditional values in the legal system. This traces back to his previous argument, that justice is not simply obeying the law (Plato, 1974, 701). This serves to show that Socrates’ conduct which encouraged the questioning of Athenian law was not radical, but consistent with conservatism. Another piece of evidence was Socrates’ response to escaping prison, as seen in Critos. Here Socrates is offered help from his friend Critos, to escape his death sentence from the Athenian court, but declines out of his respect for the Athenian law (Gallop, 1997, 36, 45a). This is depicted when Socrates states, â€Å"I cannot now reject the very principles that I previously adopted, †¦ and I respect and honour the same ones I did before† (Gallop, 1997, 36, 46c). Further, Socrates also embraced the â€Å"obey or persuade† principle, where if a person disagrees with the law, they must systemically change it, or accept and obey it (Gallop, 1997, 40, 52a). Therefore, Socrates’ acceptance of his death sentence from the Athenian court is an ultimate submission to preserving the integrity of the justice system. Accordingly, while Socrates was deemed a radical by the Athenian courts for promoting the questioning of traditional values and Athenian law, it could be argued that he was actually a conservative who was promoting the appreciation of these values and reinforcing them in Athenian laws. This is defended by the forfeiting of his life in the name of adhering to the justice system. On the contrary, I will now argue for a different interpretation of these pieces of evidence to show that Socrates was indeed a radical who disguised his intentions under a conservative facade. Radicalism will be treated as the converse of conservativism, which will be defined as promoting political reform and deviation from traditional values. The starting point of this argument is that, while Socrates condemns disobeying the law for it is analogous to disobeying your parents, he does not say it is wrong try to change it (Gallop, 1997, 40, 52a). In alignment with radicalism, Socrates sought to be a catalyst of change change in Athens. Although Socrates claimed to be promoting the appreciation of traditional values, what he actually was doing was promoting a change in the way Athenians appreciated these values. Traditionally, these values were undertaken in order to avoid problems in the physical world (Jowett, 2009). For instance, justice was valued for its ability to maintain order and a functioning society. Socrates promulgated a different reason to pursue traditional values, that is to provide benefit in a spiritual manner (Jowett, 2009). This is reflected in his theory of the soul, where he promoted the discipline of appetite and spirit by reason (Cornford, 1974, 23, 428d). For Socrates, the purpose of disciplining the soul was was to pursue spiritual virtue. This is a deviation in the way traditional values were appreciated in Athens. Rather than moderation of courage being pursued to prevent death from arrogance or shame from cowardice, Socrates held that moderation of courage should be pursued in order to promote a virtuous soul. Therefore, it can be argued that Socrates is advocating a departure from the physical world to the spiritual world, in the attitude by which Athenians ought to engage traditional values. The effect of a departure from the way in which traditional values are engaged, is depicted in his conversation with Crito. While Socrates states that he is forfeiting his life out of respect for the Athenian law, now that we understand his position on the difference in importance between spiritual and worldly values, the message he is sending can be interpreted differently. There are two points that give rise to this new interpretation. The first is that in Socrates’ comparison of harming the soul with harming the body, he states that only the individual himself can harm his own soul (Gallop, 1997, 37, 48a). This meant that only by submitting to unvirtuous behaviour, will an individual tarnish his own soul (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). As a result, if Socrates were to escape prison, he would be harming his soul in order to avert physical harm. The second point is that Socrates values the preservation of the soul over the preservation of the body (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). This is seen when Socrates questions â€Å"are our lives worth living with a poor or corrupted body? † (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47e). Taking these two points into consideration, it is possible to interpret Socrates’ forfeiting of his life as a mockery of the Athenian legal punishment in order to adhere to his own virtues. The message he is sending is that individuals ought to pursue their interpretation of the traditional values, and in the case where they are punished for it, it will not matter because harming the body is insignificant compared to harming the soul. This is again seen in when he states that we should not fear the opinion of the majority, but should only concern ourselves with the opinion of the expert (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). Accordingly, while Socrates was sometimes portrayed as being conservative for promoting the appreciation of traditional values and for forfeiting his life in the name of the justice system, when his theory of the spiritual and physical realm are introduced, two points show that he is not a conservative. The first point is that he is promoting a deviation in the way traditional values are engaged. The second point is that he encourages other citizens to deviate regardless of the physical harm that may be done to them. Based on these two points, I hold that Socrates’ use of the elenchus to stir Athenians out of complacency is radical. In conclusion, Socrates’ use of the elenchus was openly accepted to be motivated by a desire to stir Athenian citizens out of complacency. The question that was the focus of this essay was whether his intentions behind this stirring was conservative, to reinforce and maintain the traditional Greek values, or radical, to stimulate a new approach to values. There was evidence which defended that Socrates was a conservative, however, it was shown that this conservative motive was only a front. Evidently, his conduct and theories suggest that Socrates was more on the side of a radical. Cornford, M. (1974). The republic. New York: Oxford University Press. Gallop, D. (1997). Crito. New York: Oxford University Press. Gallop, D. (1997). The Republic. New York: Oxford University Press. Jowett, B. (2009). Apology. Retrieved from http://classics. mit. edu/Plato/apology. html.

Employee Complaint Handling Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employee Complaint Handling - Coursework Example What is a grievance (Dentron and Boyd 2005, p. 61) A grievance can be defined as any complaint that is raised by an individual worker of a group of workers in an organization. A grievance is usually raised in allegation of violation of the terms of agreement in the workplace. Therefore it can be said to a complaint that is raised and which is aimed at expressing the dissatisfaction of the employees by what is happening in the organization. A grievance however differs from a complaint in that while a complaint can be verbally expressed, a grievance is usually stated in writing. A grievance can be caused by many things. It has been shown that some of the most controversial issues which usually ends up in a grievance include the discharge of employees from their workplace, lack of a process of collective bargaining for the employees which can be used to express their dissatisfaction, unfair labor practices, and others which are likely to happening in the work places. (Rahul 2005, p. 31) Therefore we can expound on this point by looking closely at the process which is usually used to handle these complaints. For the effective functioning of an organization, there is usually a need to look at the welfare of the employee. Any management will recognize that the employees are the most important asset that an organization holds and therefore the most important thing in the management of the resources of an organization will be first to look at the welfare of the workforces. It has been shown that most of the grievances which hare not well looked at often precipitate to a form of dissident by the workforce which in most case comes as strike. A strike in an organization will not only have economic effect on the organization but it will also have effects on the image of the management of the organization. Therefore many organizations have come up with an effective procedure that can be used to handle complaints of het employees. In order to ensure that there is less participant of the workforce in mass movement of labor unions, many organization came up with human resource departments which are well positioned to handle the complains of the employees. Therefore it is the duty of the human resource department to come up with a well structured way that can be used to look at the welfare of the workforce. The human resource department is the one which is entrusted with the duty of handling all the complaints regarding the employees. Human resource department must come up with a grievance handling procedure. (Finegan 2004, p. 71) A grievance handling produced clearly defines a process which is used by the organization to look at the complaints that has been given by the employees. It presents a process of initial resolving of the complaints through arbitration. It is a process that is used to indentify and resolve the companies in a timely manner in order to promoted the prevail a constructive discussion between the management and the representatives of the employees. therefore the aim of the grievance procedure is to ensure that there is a proper mechanism in place that is used by the management to look at the issues that pertains to employees in order to ensure that there is constructive resolving of the complains at they arises. (Dana 2001, p. 231) Contemporary view of

Write a description of who you are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Write a description of who you are - Essay Example A person’s essence of being could come outstandingly or could just be ignored depending on how a person values it and how he lives his own life. Maybe the best questions to ask would be: Are you going to live only for yourself and your family? Or are you bound to go out and outreach for many to become their leader or a role model for a good cause? Or do both? If I choose from any of these goals, then I must cut out a plan and have a mindset gradually moving my life towards the chosen direction. So is one’s essence of being important in knowing a person? To know someone deeply may not come easily. It may take years or ages of conjoined common experiences to know somebody. Hence, whatever approach or how much information you need to know about me or any individual, will depend on how much you want to know or learn about the person. In my opinion, how you live your life will already manifest the character and personality or the person you are now. This goes to say know the person by the way he lives his life. So at this point in time, it is my concern at my age to do the best I can make out of my life, grabbing all the experiences and opportunities that may come my way to enrich and have a fulfilling life later. It does not have to be living in silver platter, a struggle for survival or do a heroic political struggle. Personally, I would say if you are presently happy and you made a lot of other people happy, then that is already a good sign that you are curbing a positive path of your life. Knowing someone usually starts with a conversation. But when conversation is not an option, writing can be a good alternative. So here imagine that I am virtually in front of you smiling and looking at you directly in the eye, showing confidence that what I have written here will interest you more to read on further about my being an encapsulated person. â€Å"Hello, I am

Management Information Systems IP Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Management Information Systems IP Four - Essay Example The third is the Piloting the Valero with real-time management case study in which the Valero, a Texas-based oil refinery needed a system that could be able to display real-time data about issues concerning the plant. Virtual reality is a three-dimensional space, which is a computer generated interactive space. Virtual reality immerses its users in the virtual world while the augmented reality keeps in touch with the real world. Augmented reality uses any of the three major display techniques to be able to achieve the blend of reality mixed with real-life images and graphic effects. The display techniques are hand held displays, head mounted displays that provide the virtual environment and shut out the real world, and spatial displays that mount graphical information on physical surfaces. It has been used to improve marketing in the sense that it helps involve the customers and is able to communicate to the customers in an interesting and interactive way with relevance to them. In 2009, Esquire magazine was able to use this in their advertising where they added several stickers, which had designs that had this ability. When held up to a web camera, it started interactive video segments featuring the issue’s cover, Robert Downey Jr. (Ovide, 2009). In image guided surgery, a CT scan and MRI provides the necessary data that is superimposed on the patient in the operating room. In real estate, this has been employed to help the user find information they need on the go, since smart phones have GPS, cameras and internet. Therefore, one can just point their phone on a building and the value of the building per square meter and a small photo accompanied by a live image project from the phone’s camera, hence provide real estate information on the go (Macintosh, 2010). The U.S stock markets on May 6, 2010 experienced a sudden and quick plunge at 2:42 PM, which

The impact of the crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The impact of the crisis - Essay Example It has been found out that the cause that resulted in such a drastic financial condition was the excessive borrowing that the countries belonging to the Euro zone had undertaken. Adding on to this problem there was lack of competitiveness in specific countries of this zone which resulted in the imbalances in the trade of these countries and also an increase in the current account deficit. This led to a weakening of the financial condition of the banks and they had problems in getting any further funding. Hence the credit and cash crisis in the country set in. While in Greece the problem surrounded every aspect of the economy in the countries like Spain and Ireland the problem was solely linked with the crisis that took place in the banking sector due to the unavailability of credit. This essay would look into the various aspects of the financial crisis that have taken place in the European Union and the effects of such liquidity crisis on the financial markets of these countries. The crisis in the Euro zone had far reaching effects on the entire world. Background of the crisis Most of the economic systems of the world are interconnected and therefore any adverse situation in one country would have its effect on the other countries as well. ... 726-741). The major problem that the countries faced was a common monetary policy but a different fiscal policies for each of the countries since the countries had different sets of government. The European Union was formed with a motive of maintaining a uniform monetary policy in all the member nations of the EU. The nations included in the list of the nations in the EU would have a common currency known as the Euro and it would be circulated over the borders of these nations. The main motive behind this process was bringing in all the countries of Europe in the same platform for international trade and to increase the intensity of competition. This in turn would increase the domestic production of the countries and would add to the GDP of the individual nations. In the previous days most of the East European countries followed the communist ways of governance. The EU would ensure that that the market economies structure along with free trade and competitive atmosphere is introduced in the country. The Euro Crisis was a combination of a debt crisis, lack of competitiveness and a banking sector credit crisis. The credit condition of the countries during this time was at a worse situation. The Monetary union of the European nations made a provision to the countries for guaranteeing loan for each other (Galil and Soffer, 2011, pp. 3101-3119). Since most of the nations lacked the creditworthiness due to the shortage of immediate cash and the financial conditions of the countries were intertwined, the entire Euro zone fell under this debt trap. Therefore along with the countries with adverse budgetary conditions, the ones which had proper condition of public

Trans-national corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trans-national corporation - Research Paper Example In addition, the company is in the Forbes 500 best companies. Therefore, Apple Inc. is a transnational company because it operates across numerous countries, has retail outlets in many countries and also employs many people across the world. In understanding the image of a product, three important components are analyzed. These include the strength of the brand, influence of the brand on the customers and financial performance of the company. Apple Inc. financial position is stable and keeps continuing growing due to the demands from the customers especially when it comes to its mobile devices (Zylla-Woellner 89). The customers purchase new products easily this raising the organization revenues translating into more profits. In addition, the Apple brand is strong and it is easily for Apple Inc. to increase the prices of the products without any effect to the customer. The customers have become loyal to the organization products and services including the mobile phones (Apple Inc 2014). The brand plays an important role since consumers hold it with esteem and users of the mobile phones are held at a better level compared to other mobile phones. The uniqueness of Apple Inc products is the â€Å"bitten† image of an Apple, which is logo that is on all the Apple products (Zylla-Woellner 121). The aim of the logo is to make it easier for the customers to identify the product. Therefore, the logo is utilized a marketing strategy since seeing the logo, customers and other stakeholders knows that the product is able; hence, the image of Apple Inc across the world is continually developing; bringing more customers to purchase the Apple Inc. products and services (Apple Inc 2014). The book reviews the contribution of Jony Ive in the development of new products that include IPhone, iPad, iPod and iMac. These designs has played an important role in

Demand and price elasticity of demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Demand and price elasticity of demand - Essay Example In the case of Bordeaux, the consumers had proposed a low wine price. This implies that reducing the price of the wine will make the commodity be more affordable to the consumers (Sheffrin, B. 2003). This would increase the demand of the product thus increasing its supply. Increase in the supply of Bordeaux wine would increase the number of sales. Price elasticity of a commodities demand involves a measure that is used in economies in showing the elasticity responsiveness of the quantity of the product that is demanded towards a change in the product’s price. In this respect, it provides the percentage change of the quantity of the product that is demanded to follow a response to a change in the price. Price elasticity can be considered to be negative despite the fact that analysis would always ignore the negative sign leading to ambiguity (Peters, K. 2006). A positive price elasticity of demand occurs in a case where the products do not satisfy the law of demand. In this resp ect, the demand of the wine would be said to be inelastic when the price elasticity of demand (PED) is below one. This implies that the price changes have a significantly smaller effect on the amount of wine that is demanded. On the other hand, the demand of Bordeaux wine would be said to be elastic whenever the price elasticity of is more than one. This means that the changes in the commodities price would greatly influence the amount of the wine that is demanded. In the case of Bordeaux wine, the demand of the product could be said to be elastic. This is so because the demand of this wine is strongly affected by changes in price. Therefore, increasing the price of the product would reduce the demand of the product where as reducing the price of the product would have an effect of increasing demand of the product (Knugman, R. 2005). It is for this reason that the merchants who were contacted through The Times argue that they could only accept the wine when the price of the wine is reduced to about ?95 in 2008 for the best brands compared with the ?318 in 2007 vintage (Sage, A. & Pavia, W. 2009). These investors argue out that when the price of wine is higher than the proposed one, there would be no customers. This is a clear indication that the demand of Bordeaux wine was elastic. Part B. The amount of the wine demanded is normally a strong component of its price. A case study done to find out the quantity of the wine demanded at various price levels with all the other factors kept constant, would result into the table 1. Table 1. Demand schedule. year price Average price quantity 2002 95 95 170 133 700 2003 192 192 253 223 500 2004 141 145 190 159 600 2005 472 480 622 523 300 2006 450 450 622 536 200 2007 318 318 466 392 400 Graph 1. The graph represents the quantity of the wine that is demanded as the variable that is Independent (x-axis) and the price as the variable that is dependent (y-axis). According to the law of demand the quantity of the product tha t is demanded will always move towards the opposite price direction. This is observed in the graph above through the downward demand curve slope. When one moves along the curve, a change in the price of the wine would result into a change in the quantity that is demanded. Whenever there exists a change in the influencing factor besides price there could be a shift in the demand curve either towards the right or the left,

ALL ART A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME CULTURE'S VALUES FOUND EMBEDDED IN ART Essay

ALL ART A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME CULTURE'S VALUES FOUND EMBEDDED IN ART - Essay Example In fact, all forms of art may be viewed as products of their time and manifestations of the values of the culture to which they belong. With that said, it is only logical to conclude that the dominant mood of a period can actually be seen in any human production and an art form may be analyzed to reveal the historically defining values of a culture. Defined as "the practice of applying color to a surface" such as canvas, paper, wood, lacquer, glass, or concrete, painting is one art form worthy of analysis. The term "painting" when used in an artistic sense means the use of the craft along with composition, drawing, and other aesthetic factors so as to showcase the "expressive and conceptual intention of the practitioner." (Painting) Throughout history, painting is used as a way to represent, document, and express all the various intentions and subjects that are as many as the practitioners of the activity itself. Because of this, paintings can be representational and naturalistic as in a landscape or still life painting; abstract; photographic; loaded with symbolism, narrative content, emotion; or political in nature. (Painting) Spiritual concepts and motifs actually dominated in the history of painting--from mythological figures on pottery to biblical scenes on the interior walls and ceiling of The Sistine Chapel, as well as vivid depictions of human beings as spiritual subjects. (Painting) Oil painting, the process of painting with pigments bounded by a medium of drying oil, such as linseed oil in early modern Europe, is considered by many as a distinct painting genre "with rich and complex traditions in style and subject matter." (Painting) In fact, oil paintings throughout history can be considered as outstanding visual documentations of history, culture and lifestyle of people. And with time, as new techniques and styles have emerged, oil paintings have become more versatile and enriched, and the

The Stages of Development That Led to the Final Form of the Five Books of the Pentateuch Essay Example for Free

The Stages of Development That Led to the Final Form of the Five Books of the Pentateuch Essay The ‘Documentary Hypothesis’ states that the Pentateuch is a series of parallel narrative documents that have been composed and edited together by various people over different centuries in time. Some scholars believe that the composition of the Pentateuch was complex with numerous changes and later additions. The stages of development that led to the final form of the five books of the Pentateuch , i. e. the oral, written and editing stages, was interpreted by various people over a period of centuries. Prior to any written documentation, it is assumed that stories and traditions would have been retold orally. Even during the time from Abraham onwards (1750 B. C. E) when writing was in existence, it was only used by professionals in the service of rulers and temples, as the majority of the population could not read or write. This meant the stories of the Hebrews were still relayed orally through stories, poems and songs. This gave rise to embellishment and certain inaccuracies as the stories passed from one person to another and between generations. Many of the stories were told as a means of entertainment to larger gatherings and by parents to children. Over a long period of time these oral stories or traditions were brought together as collections and, in time, became the source for written material. The Pentateuch was probably contributed to by four sources commencing in the latter half of the tenth century B. C. E. They were the Yahwistic source (J), in the ninth century Elohistic source (E), the seventh century B.  C. E Deuteronomist source (D), and the Priestly source (P) in the late sixth century B. C. E. As is evident, bringing the oral traditions into a written form was a complex and lengthy process spanning several centuries and calling upon different traditions, stories, narratives and laws, each with their own particular perspectives. Nevertheless, they did eventually all come together to form the Pentateuch which would have been edited by redactors in several stages over time. Given the lengthy process in reducing the oral traditions to written form, it is clear that there were various versions of stories which underwent continued augmentation or shortening. The process was therefore far from scientific thus giving rise to a significant amount of poetic license on the part of the editor. This led to inconsistencies and contradictions. It was indeed not until the Hebrew Bible was canonised in the first century A. D that a select version of each book was formally adopted and standardised.

A Study On Badrinath Tourism Essay

A Study On Badrinath Tourism Essay Nestled in the shadow of the Nilkantha peak, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, lies one the the most revered shrines for Hindu pilgrims Badrinath. Badrinath is in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, in the Garhwal hills, and lies on the banks of the Alakhnanda river. Significance The town of Badrinath has always found a prominent mention in religious Hindu texts and scriptures and was established as a major pilgrimage site in the ninth century by Adi Shankara. Mythology has it that Lord Vishnu had chosen this town for penance to ensure the welfare of all beings. Badrinath is also one of the char dhams (the four abodes) that have tremendous religious significance amongst devout Hindus. Attractions The Badrinath Temple: The temple, built by Adi Shankara, is the prominent attraction of Badrinath and attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to seek the divine blessings of Lord Vishnu. The main shrine houses the balck stone idol of Lord Badrinarayan sitting under a gold canopy, under a Badri tree. Lord Badrinath is the presiding deity but there are several other deities that are worshipped at this temple. Tapt Kund: Believed to be the abode of Agni, the Hindu God of fire, Tapt kund is a thermal spring that devotees take a holy dip before entering the Badrinath temple. The spring is also said to have curative properties.Other famous natural springs that can be found at Badrinath are Narad Kund and Suraj Kund. Brahma Kapal: On the banks of the river Alakhnanda, this is where pilgrims perform rites for their departed near and dear ones. Sheshnetra: This is a rock boulder with an impression of Sheshnag, a mythological serpent. You can also visit Charanpaduka a boulder that bears Lord Vishnus footprints. Alka Puri: Is where the daring tourist goes in search of adventure. This place is famous for white water rafting. Panch Prayag: While in Badrinath, be sure to visit the Panch Prayag, again of religious importance. Devprayag is famous for its rock inscriptions, Rudranath is famous for Chamunda Devi temple, Nandaprayag is known for the Gopalji temple, Karnaprayag for temples of Uma Karna and Vishnuprayag is the place where people flock to visit the Lord Vishnu temple. How to Reach You could fly to Jolly Grant, about 300 km from Badrinath, and then hitch a bus ride to Badrinath. The nearest rail station is Rishikesh which is 297 km from Badrinath. Being a place of religious significance, Badrinath is well connected by road to the tourist spots nearby namely Rishikesh, Haridwar Dheradun from where you could take a bus and ride to Badrinath. We recommend the bus ride as you will get to see breathtaking scenery on the way to Badrinath.

Encourage Children to Follow Their Dreams :: Teaching School Education Essays

Encourage Children to Follow Their Dreams Philosophy Statement After fourteen years of being scared of college, I decided to start my new journey in August of 2001. I wanted to go to college all by life to become a teacher, but I felt I needed to wait until my children were old enough to understand. Therefore, I pushed my dream back until one day it over whelmed me; I jumped in with both feet. I was so scared my first day, but over time, the fear went away and I am now fully focused on my dream. My husband and children have supported me with my decision; I could not have made it this far without them. I wanted to become an elementary teacher, but along the way, I found a new love—English. Therefore, I changed my major. I am counting the days until I have my own classroom. I have been active with my children every since they were born. I have coached cheerleading for five years, and served as a team mom and cheerleading coordinator for two Little League teams. I am always at their school helping in one way or another. And I signed up to help with the Title I program. I can bring into my classroom my experiences with children. Many of these children have problems at home. I want to be able to identify these children and help them cope with these problems. Students today have to deal with issues that you and I did not have to when we were at that age. I plan to work toward my Master’s in English after I graduate from Concord, but I do want to begin teaching immediately. I feel it is necessary to get into the classroom while I am excited and new with ideas. I want to start working more in my community with children. I would like to start a program to educate children about guidelines for a college education. They need to know there scholarships and financial aid available. I would also like to help them with problems they are having at home, and show them that life is not all bad.

Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams :: Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee William's novel, A Streetcar Named Desire, is the story of the brutish Stanley Kowalski and his meek wife Stella, a New Orleans couple whose lives are turned upside down with the arrival of Stella's neurotic, Southern belle sister Blanche who is immediately drawn into a battle of wills with Stanley. Blanche's childlike helplessness, romantic desires, and pretensions to aristocracy completely collapse when Stanley's ruthless exposure of her past brings about Blanche's final disintegration. When reading the scenes, the symbolism struck me as the most prominent aspect of the novel. Williams uses symbolism throughout the novel to progress the plot of the story, character growth, and foreshadowing of future events in the novel. In this essay, I have chosen a few symbols to discuss how Williams uses them in his novel. In addition, one symbolic event will show evidence of foreshadowing a future event in the novel. Throughout the novel, Williams has referred to animalistic behavior and virtues. He presents New Orleans as a jungle; a metaphor Williams uses to portray the primitive, sub-human nature of its inhabitants. Stanley epitomizes this as he represents the brutes of society that dominate in this jungle. Williams conveys both imagery and dialogue to portray this notion throughout the novel as Stanley performs brutish acts and declares, "I am the king around here, so don't you forget it." Beating his wife Stella is one significant act that portrays Stanley's brutish characteristics. In addition, throughout the novel Stanley presents himself as a self-important brute, driven by the force of desire that enables him to thrive in the jungle that really is his "Elysian Fields." Examining the climax, it is apparent that the animalistic predisposition are out in full force in Stanley as he parades around in a "vivid green silk bowling shirt" and "brilliant silk pajamas." Therefore, the rape is a result of an act of brutal desire in its most futile form, stemming from animal impulses and hostility that propelled the two towards each other. The rape is an act in which each character is at the peak of their battle, which is to be the "final hand" in the game of desire. Furthermore, a symbolic event that I believe foreshadows the rape is when Stella pours Blanche a drink, a coke with a shot of whiskey. It overflows and spills foam on Blanche's dress. Upset by being dirty and violated, Blanche screams with a piercing cry about stains on her pastel-colored dress.

Essay --

The younger generation now is quite sensitive to issues regarding their physical characteristics. Issues such as ones’ body weight have been of serious concern. School administrators are worried that students might neglect their health; hence, an inquiry into the common eating habits is accomplished. Employing the case study paradigm; this quantitative study is focus on understanding the factors influencing the students’ eating habits. A total of 207 students of a technical vocational university in Taiwan participated in the study. Survey includes common eating habits; more specifically on the types and frequency of the food the students’ eat. The Big Five Personality Scale is also administered to further understand the factors affecting the students’ eating habits. Results show that the students’ eating habits are affected by their various background demographics, such as gender, year level, study session, and personality. More importantly, results also show that the Applied Foreign Language students scored highest on the personality trait openness. Further additional implications on the Big Five Personality are also given. In sum, the current study provides the opportunity of opening up discussions explaining; perhaps not in whole, but in part why students act the way they are today. 1. Introduction In recent years, the public in general have been valuing outward appearance more and more each day. As we read from the new, the number of people undergoing plastic surgery is at the all-time high. Beauty products have been getting better sales, even during these hard economic times [1]. It seems that people cares so much on their outward appearance than their budget. In an educational setting, many have wondered why students... ... signifies that when the frequency for eating dessert increases, Conscientiousness decreases. 5. Conclusion The current study exemplifies the use of the Big Five Personality scale to understand EFL students’ eating habits. This case study, though limited to the sample coming from a science and technology university, shows that students are more geared towards healthy lifestyles. As shown in the results that the frequency for eating breakfast is quite high (five times a week). Furthermore, students who are more Conscientious refrain from eating desserts (sweets). While eating out is much dependent on their employment status. In sum, individuals’ eating habits would be much related to their background demographics. Hence, it is recommended that students should know the consequences of both good and bad eating habits; for ultimately, you are what and how you eat.

Downsizing †an Effective Form of Organisational Change That Seeks to Improve Business Performance?

DOWNSIZING – AN EFFECTIVE FORM OF ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE? Personnel restructuring, right sizing, reductions in force or the most common term used; downsizing, is defined by Budros (1999 : 70) as â€Å"An organization’s conscious use of permanent personnel reductions in an attempt to improve its efficiency and/or effectiveness†1 Downsizing has occurred throughout the industrialized world (Ryan & Macky, 1998)2, affected blue and white collar workers (Littler et al. 1997)3, targeted lower-level workers, professionals, middle managers, and higher-level workers (Littler, 1998)4, and permeated all industries (Morris et al. , 1999)5. It is simply known as reductions that organisations make in the number of employees that are on the payroll. Numerous organisational sociologists notably Freeman & Cameron (1993) state that downsizing is a strategic decision made by the organisation and that the term should not be confused with the term layoff. They state â€Å"The difference between layoffs and downsizing is that layoffs are solely concerned with the individual level of analysis, while downsizing is a broader concept applicable to other levels of analysis than solely the individual level. Additionally, downsizing is a strategic decision while layoffs are an operational mechanism used to implement a downsizing strategy. †6 Since the 1980’s downsizing in organisations has become a ubiquitous feature of all modern organisations with reductions of cost being the main catalyst for the decision by management. Many individuals believe that the main reason for downsizing is because â€Å"Foreign competition compels domestic industry to downsize by trimming fat. †7 With the prevailing gusty winds of global economic recession, the topic of organisational downsizing is making the headlines, while the question ‘Are we going to be next? is nervously being asked by employees around the water cooler who are anxiously waiting to find out if their position is being made redundant. Currently downsizing is in full swing, with company management and directors giving the now infamous topical spiel to their employees about the organisation being hit hard by the harsh economy and they cannot afford to keep the employees on if the organisation is to remain profitable and competitive. Companies in all sect ors are cutting costs on downsizing its workforce. From computer company Dell wanting to ‘trim’ $3billion from its budgetary expenses by downsizing 8800 employees of its workforce to international coffee chain Starbucks having to shut down 600 of its coffee shops in the U. S. , downsizing its workforce by close to 12,000 people, all organisations are feeling the pinch of the recession. Both companies stated the same reason for their recent moves; save costs due to the flailing economy, which is ravaging through the U. S. and beyond. Yet, it is not always in bleak and dire economic situations when companies downsize. Research by the American Management Association found that an overwhelming percentage of US firms downsized during the 1980’s and 1990’s even when profitable, stating â€Å"Data collected for the American Management Association show that 80 per cent of US firms that downsized were still profitable at the point of downsizing, and that on the day of announcement of rationalization their stock prices typically rose by 7 per cent. 8 In the summer of 2001, a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that fifty percent of the 114 companies surveyed stated that they downsized within the previous 18 months, and of those companies that downsized, fifty percent planned on downsizing again within the next 18 months. 9 So why do organisations engage in downsizing even if the organisation is prospering and their stock prices are on the rise? Or the economy is not being hit hard by crises? Do management of the organisation believe that the organisation can continue to grow by scaling down on its workforce? Do technological advances in performing job tasks created and inspired by employee innovation render certain employment positions obsolete? Downsizing has a stigma associated with it. The work environment is effected, morale is obviously low, and employees’ are not as innovative and are not as prepared to take risks. Reasons for organisations downsizing that may seek to improve business performance may be because salaries and benefits are possibly the major operating expenses of an organisation, the organisation can contract the jobs to a supplier of cheap labour, and thus have more money available. This would come under the Economic Theory as proposed by (Zhao) et al. which is basically an attempt to manipulate business performance. Zhao et al. found that financial outcomes of downsizing are the most dominant, but this theory has failed to deliver the financial benefits expected. It can portray annual shareholder reports in a positive light. The company is seen to be taking proactive steps thinking and investing in its future, which sees share prices rise as the organisation is doing something constructive, as evidenced by the data collected by the American Management Institute. Some of these reasons are measures to improve business performance. If jobs can be performed cheaper, and the same results are achieved, then it would be a wise move from an organisational standpoint to contract these jobs out. The organisation would have more operating money at its disposable which would obviously benefit the organisation. In the case of mergers or acquisitions occurring, it is inevitable that some positions will be no longer available as if both companies are in the same field of expertise, (such as banking, or manufacturing etc) having an excess amount of employees doing the same tasks would be rendered useless, as the same goals and objectives could be achieved by fewer individuals. The benefit from this is an increased amount and diversity of information is beneficial for improving the development of the organisation. Creativity and new ideas among ‘new’ team/group members can lead to new innovative ideas being discovered which will benefit the organisation. Although these are some of the reasons why organisations choose to downsize, there is an overwhelming supply of literature on the subject that seeks to show the negative effects of downsizing. In their paper on organisational downsizing authors Anders Richtner and Par Ahlstrom10 state a lack of the organisations stock of knowledge can emerge after downsizing. As employees leave the organization critical skills may be lost which can damage customer relationships or operations†11 (Drew, 1994). Employees who have been unfortunate to be included in the organisations downsizing plan, may have their job functions incorporated into the tasks of the employees who survived the wave of downsizing, thereby having the incorporated tasks being neglected or not being carried out as effectively as they would have been done if the employees were not let go. This may lead to ‘corporate anorexia’12 a term coined by Hamel and Prahalad, which they described as leaner organisations not necessarily being healthier organisations. It is, as they explain a business disorder, marked by an extreme fear of being insufficient that leads to excessive cost cutting to the point of serious loss of business and sometimes bankruptcy. Another theory proposed by (Zhao) et al. was the Institutional Theory. This sees downsizing as a response to environmental uncertainty. Organisations may choose to implement downsizing as it gives the management a sense of control. In times when organisational decision making executives are unable to forecast the environment, they may make decisions based by what similar organisations are doing. Executives may choose this strategy because information, professional advice, and executive training programs suggest that it can result in performance improvements when an organisation is a certain size. Another theory proposed by (Zhao) et al. on why downsizing strategies have been pursued to improve business performance is the Socio-Cognitive Theory. This theory sees downsizing being based on managers’ mental models that view it as being an â€Å"effective way of conducting business better, faster and smarter. †13 The managers’ decisions to downsize are socially constructed through social interaction and connected enactment process. Yet, currently there is no empirical evidence that exists to hold that this theory holds well in practice. The theories presented on downsizing in this paper seek to show the how downsizing can improve business performance. Downsizing if done when only necessary can improve business performance, as it can save the organisation money, and make it more competitive. By letting excess employees go ‘corporate anorexia’ could take form and present itself in an organisation, a state no organisation would like to find themselves in. It is important that an organisation downsizes only when it needs to be done, not when other organisations are doing it. There is a severe lack of conclusive evidence supporting long term benefits of downsizing. Ample amounts of literature exist that highlight the negative aspects of downsizing in the long run. The effects downsizing has on its surviving employees can be severe. However if downsizing is to be implemented, it should be managed effectively to maximise organisational performance, which why it was being implemented in the first place. There are many terms and definitions that try to explain best practice. Wikipedia which is the collectively created and controlled encyclopaedia gives a simple definition on the term best practice. It is defined as â€Å"An idea that asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. 14 In the context of downsizing within the organisation establishing best practice would be to put in place a set of procedures that would allow for smooth, open and transparent interactions within the organisation during a time where downsizing is required in order to maximise organisational performance. When a company decides to downsize it must have a clear idea of what it is hoping to achieve thr ough its downsizing and a clear plan of how to do this (best practice). Downsizing is very hard and therefore requires all of the company’s resources if it is to be effective. If a company decides that it must downsize than it is vital to avoid agitation to employees, and therefore it must be an open practice which makes effective communication vital throughout the whole organisation. A key element in regard to best practice for downsizing is that if the company must downsize then it must be done within legal parameters, and the company should be clear about what employee must leave the organisation e. g. â€Å"Lay off ten percent of employees across all departments on a seniority- only basis. This way no employee can claim that he or she was dismissed for discriminatory reasons. †15 (Heathfield, S, 2009) It must also be acknowledged that this method of downsizing can be inefficient in that it may deprive the company of employees with key skills, and or have a larger negative impact on some departments compared with others. During any downsizing it is vital that a climate of trust exists within the organisation in order to limit the impact of the low morale that surviving employees may experience. If there is no trust between employees and management then downsizing can have further damaging effects on the organisation and far from benefiting the organisation it will weaken it further. This will occur if there is no trust and can lead to remaining employees resenting management, not caring, more sick days and generally not putting the same amount of effort into their work that the applied before the downsizing. This was the result of a bad downsizing in a company in the UK. Survivors began to resign themselves to insecurity and channel their distaste towards management in order to cope with instability. â€Å"Survivors reported unfairness, mistrust, shock and demoralisation as their key reactions to redundancy. †16 (Campbell-Jamison et al, 2001) This sort of low morale is known as ‘Survivor Syndrome’ Survivor Syndrome can be defined as a term which has been used to describe the reactions and behaviours of people who have survived massive and adverse events, i. e. organisational downsizing. This term relates to the workplace after employees who survive large scale redundancies may feel guilt at having survived or low morale and a feeling of despair. To sum up best practice in relation to downsizing it can be seen as a process where by downsizing is deployed only when necessary, in an open and clear fashion with good communication, within legal parameters and most importantly in a way that limits the fall out with remaining employees who remain after the downsizing in order to maximise organisational performance and employee morale. In order for downsizing to be effective and maximise organisational performance it must be managed correctly. Part of this effective management is the need to acknowledge that this is a massive change in the organisation that will have a big impact on how work is done in the organisation and the morale of the employees within the organisation, and therefore this change should be managed correctly. For this to occur several things need to happen. Firstly and most fundamentally in order to manage downsizing properly it must have been firstly evaluated that downsizing is needed in the organisation and that it is not just a show off of a no nonsense attitude by new owners of a company. Secondly staff must have it clearly explained to them why there had to be redundancies and why some people lost their jobs while others didn’t. This will help to reassure them of the safety of their position within the organisation and raise morale which is ound to be down after redundancies and can also help lessen the effects of ‘survivor syndrome. ’ Thirdly in downsizing management, most organisations will try to help employees that have been made redundant to move on and find future employment. This has been seen as a proactive step from an organisational standpoint, as it is the right thing to do and can help raise the morale of the remaining employees by showing that the organisation is a caring one. â€Å"This is ethica l, reasonable and positive. Plus, your survivors are watching. †17 (Heathfield, S, 2009) After downsizing it is important to direct as much energy as possible into the employees that have survived the wave of downsizing as they are likely to be suffering from low morale. If this energy is directed properly it can help with quicker recovery after downsizing and will minimise the damage to trust between staff and management, and can also help to boost productivity even though the there has been downsizing this could be seen as consolidation. Finally employees that remain must be given assurances that they are valued, this is most effective when it is done on a one to one basis where the employee is reassured of their value to the organisation and the security of their position within the organisation. It is evident from this piece it can be seen that there is much empirical evidence to suggest that downsizing can be a damaging form of organisational change and there is very little to suggest that it is of benefit. However if downsizing is to be deployed as a form of organisational change it is important that it is only used where necessary to avoid ‘corporate anorexia. Also when it has been decided that downsizing is the best however unpalatable option it is vitally important that the organisation has an established set of best practices to implement the downsizing and that the management team is ready to oversee the downsizing and work hard with the survivors to regain trust and improve overall organisation perfor mance. Bibliography The following sources were used in the compiling of this project: 1 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 2 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34: Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 3 http://www. mr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 4 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 5 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 6 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 7 Downsizing in America-Reality, Causes and Consequences. Page 16. By William J. Baumol, Alan Blinder, and Edward N. Wolff. Published by Russell Sage Foundation. 8 The Employment Relationship -Key Challenges for H. R. By Paul R. Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. 9 http://hr. blr. com/news. aspx? id=7457 10 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 11 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 12 Competing for the Future. By Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad. Page 12. Published by Harvard Business Press. Accessed through: http://books. google. ie/books? id=rgvGFiiYCXYC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=corporate+anorexia+hamel+and+prahalad&source=bl&ots=BtoG_Ytyac&sig=mK-90ek2Fh_M6pvDbV24PRtfV2M&hl=en&ei=fGTCSaG8B6SLjAequZWfCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result 3 The Employment Relationship -Key Challenges for H. R. By Paul R. Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. 14 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Best_practices 15 http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing. htm 16 Campbell-Jameson, F. , Worral, L, and Cooper C, 2001. Downsizing in Britain and its effects on survivors and their organisations. ‘Anx iety, Stress and Coping’ Vol 14, p. 35. 17 http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing2. htm

Custom Coffee Essay

I believe Custom Coffee & Chocolate mission is to establish a small cafà © where they and their customers could indulge their love of good coffee and fine chocolates. Bonnie and Stacy, recent college roommates, wanted a location that got a lot of foot traffic from shoppers and businesses. Their desire was to target a place near the university because they knew and understood those customers well. The purpose of the cafe’ is to serve unique coffee blends and specialty chocolates, and the business plan included purchasing only fair trade coffee and chocolates made by a few local suppliers. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths – Having a good location where public transportation is not a issue. The owners will be selling products that are considered to be good quality, near top of the line. Customers have the options of eating in or taking out their purchases. Weakness – The shop is pretty small, and can only hold a certain amount of customers, and they will need more funding to expand. Opportunity – The opportunities are unlimited, expanding the menu to include baked chocolates, desserts, tea and other beverages. If the businesses continue to grow, Bonnie & Stacy may be able to start a small franchise. Threats – I don’t detect any threats, unless a similar business moves in the same location. Bonnie & Stacy are doing all the right things to make their cafe’ affordable, and customer friendly. It is a nice place for friends and family to meet and chat while having a cup of coffee or reading the newspaper. Comfort is always important to me, so I like the idea of them having comfortable seating. Putting up a website and blog page might be helpful to customers and potential customers, for information and feedback. I don’t believe that delivery would be a good thing right now, maybe in another six months. Great job Bonnie & Stacy, you knew what you wanted and went for it. I wish you much success.

In the Lake of the Woods Essay Essay

â€Å"In the Lake of the Woods† is a non-linear novel by Tim O’ Brien that consists of the themes trauma and insecurity. The protagonist of the text, John Wade is driven into insanity due to his fear of losing the love of his life, Kathy. Throughout the novel, john Wade’s secrets are exposed to the world, this being the reason that ended his career as a politician, which was the final push towards his madness. Wade was not only affected by his shattering moment in his career, but his childhood and experiences of war in Vietnam left him traumatized and feeling unworthy of love. John begins to crave love at an early stage I his life, after he meets Kathy he develops an obsession for her and becomes dependent on her love. He faces many issues with Kathy, trust being the main one; this could potentially be the reason for John’s breakdown of sanity. Although Kathy played a large role in his life and downfall, there was a whole other range of factors that took p art in his fall to insanity. John Wade started off his career with a goal in mind, to become something important in the political world. As he progressed through his career, he became aware of the fact that his past could ruin what he was currently building. Wade, as a child learnt to deal with his problems by bottling them up and pretending nothing had happened â€Å"this could not have happened. Therefore it did not† John believes that if he lies to himself, and continuously blocks out memories of his dirty past, he would be safe from the secrets. His method did not serve to his likings, as his secrets were exposed to the world despite John’s lies to himself. The secrets of his partaking in the massacre of â€Å"Thuan Yen† were exposed during his election, which proved to be a â€Å"career ender†. John used his career as a politician to gain the love and affection he so deeply desired. Growing up, he didn’t receive the love he craved, â€Å"you show me a politician and Iâ₠¬â„¢ll show you an unhappy childhood.† John losing the election was essentially the loss of his source of love and his sense of power and control. This potentially drove John into insanity. As a child, John Wade suffered. He loved his father but didn’t receive any affection in return. His father continuously teased john, referring to him as â€Å"jiggling john†. This makes John feel that if his own father could not love him, then he was unworthy of love itself. At the young age of fourteen, John’s father committed suicide. This traumatized john and led to his â€Å"desire to kill† the night of his fathers funeral. He wanted â€Å"to kill his father for dying† John was clearly angered by his father’s death, but instead of venting his anger in a healthy way, he pretended it didn’t happen, â€Å"It was pretending, but the pretending helped†. As John grew older he enrolled with the army to fight in the Vietnam War. He was registered with a group called â€Å"Charlie company† Unfortunately, John was involved in the massacre of â€Å"thuan yen†, where he witnessed murder, torture and had a first hand experience in taking two lives, one being his mate PFC weatherby. This came back to John as nightmares and flashbacks. He tried to forget and pretend it didn’t happen but it all came back to him during his slumbers, the memories and guilt wil l always be with john, in some way. The failed politician met Kathy in â€Å"the autumn of 1966† at the university of Minnesota. John’s obsession is evident from the very moment he meets Kathy. He is in love with her, and the â€Å"trick† is to â€Å"make her love him and never stop†. John treats life as a magic show, growing up, magic was his only friend, it gave him a sense of power, happiness and was the only thing going right in his life, as an adult John continues to use tricks to solve all of his problems. John, in a sense, manipulates Kathy and develops a fixation on her and doesn’t stop at anything to find out everything about her life. His urgency comes from fear; he doesn’t want to lose her. After his father committed suicide and in a way, abandoned John, he feels that at any moment Kathy can just get up and leave. Kathy had a tendency to â€Å"simply vanish†. She is â€Å"fiercely independent† which intimidated john because he felt that Kathy was too go od for him. John genuinely loves Kathy, but the way he represents their love is alarming; he compared their love to a pair of snakes he’s seen along a trail near Pinkville, â€Å"each snake eating the other’s tail, a bizarre circle of appetites that brought the heads closer and closer† â€Å"That’s how our love feels†. This image, along with his desire â€Å"crawl inside her belly indicates a love that is both obsessive and destructive. His need to control and ‘consume’ Kathy dictates how his obsession for his wife leads to the loss of his sanity. Although John’s fear of losing Kathy is a main part of his downfall, there is a whole range of factors that lead to his mental breakdown. His fear of losing his wife all trails back to his childhood, where his first traumatizing experience takes place. When the fourteen year Old’s father died, he was not hurt in a ‘normal’ way, It seems almost as if john missed the concept of having a father figure rather then his actual father. This becomes clearer when john remembers an idolized and great version of his father unlike the real one, who was â€Å"continuously teasing† John and suffered from alcoholism. John begins his life of pretence from this moment on thinking the pretending â€Å"would help†. As Wade develops into an adult, his ways never seem to change. During his time served in the Vietnam War, John is better known as â€Å"sorcerer† because of his magic tricks and deceit to the rest of his fellow soldiers. John, having started ma gic from a young age, continues to use it in his adulthood, providing him with a sense of control and power and during the time was fulfilling his craving for love. John takes part in a horrific act of massacring in â€Å"Thuan yen† where he kills two human lives, and watches his fellow soldiers in â€Å"Charlie company† murder numerous people. This comes back to traumatize and haunt John, as Post traumatic stress disorder tends to do, it came back as flashbacks and nightmares. His infatuation with Kathy was a major part in John’s demise; however, the various other components in the novel prove to have had an effect on his sanity.

Religious skepticism among a large portion of the youth

The â€Å"conventional† God is what the youth today does not believe in. That is what has led them to Atheism , Agnosticism et cetera. The youth no longer wants to do what they are told to do without question. They want to stand up and question beliefs. They want to think for their own. Religion is not a methodical approach to life which one must follow in order to reach his or her desired goal.Religion is more than that. Religion is a way of life. Religion has to relate o a person on an individual level, because religion is all about belief. Every person has different beliefs. This is why different religions formed in the first place. Belief creates perception. And perception creates experience. Hence religion is directly based on belief. Hence someone else's belief cannot be adopted by a person as their own belief. This is the very reason the youth has questioned the act of following others' beliefs and following a rigid set of rules.It has also been seen that many people wh o realize that there's something missing, a link that Just isn't there. These very people, who at a period in their lives were completely involved in â€Å"worldly matters†, go in search of that link. These could be youth, or even people in As an example, youths have become a part of religious organizations in search of that missing link. Many such organizations exist all over the world. What led these youths to make the drastic change in their life was the very fact that they were not ready to accept someone else's beliefs.I will elaborate my view about the youth and the believers and beliefs that they find that anyone might find absurd. These very â€Å"rituals† and â€Å"superstitions† are thought of y the youth as the cause of the lack of belief in religion. In a majority of Hindu society, at many festivals, a coconut is offered to the deity by smashing the coconut in front of an idol. Now, I myself have known of this ritual, and have even taken part in prac ticing it many times. Whereas the very reason of this offering or the very significance of it, it was not known by many people I asked. The practice in itself is very symbolic.Before cracking it open, the whole outer layer of the coconut is shaven off, signifying getting rid of all desires except the desire to realize Ruth, which the small bit signifies. Now the outer shell is cracked open, revealing the pure white milk inside, signifying the purity inside, exposing it. Then the last bit of the outer covering is shaven off, signifying renunciation of the last desire, exposing the three holes in the coconut, symbolizing the three eyes, the third eye being the eye of wisdom. If we take another example, religious practices like â€Å"Sati†4 are widely boycotted in modern society.These might be thought of as having a religious origin, and because people are against them now, they are thought to be unreasonable. Even when people try to find the reason behind these practices, they seldom succeed. The answer in such cases is known by very few people. It is observed that people in one religion many a times do as someone with religious authority asks them to blindly, or they fool themselves by making themselves believe that whatever they are being told makes sense. Due to this, the youth thinks that all religious means is praying and following a set of rules, not freedom.But religion could be far from that. Thus what they despise is not religion, but thoughtless action, doing things blindly. That might be religion for some, but it cannot be assumed that that is religion for all. This is why some people break off from organized religion, and start their inner journey, their inner search for something. Some of these people find on their path people like them, people who do not believe in thoughtless 3 4 as defined by The Oxford Dictionary the former Hindu practice of a widow throwing herself on to her husband's funeral pyre. Of 7 action, and connect with them. The se people also have a religion. Their belief, their religion may be called by the same name as some other people's, but it is not the name thing as theirs. It also so happens that the religions or religious sects that are usually broken off from have rules that are to be adhered to. Whereas places that satisfied and happy people end up in are relatively relaxed. This happens because every person's religious Journey is his very own, not someone else's. It can play out encouraged to do what the youth is doing, encouraged to question everything.They will only find their way if they get out of their comfort zone and try to. Conformity and fear of failing or doing something wrong prevents people from seeking the truth. These practices have always been a part of their lives, but they have not been able to find out why. This is what leads the youth to think that these religious practices, and hence religion, is mindless. But a number of people cannot represent religion as a whole, as and r eligious beliefs and practices are very diverse, and are different for everyone.For some, every ritual and practice holds significance and meaning, whereas for some it doesn't. Often, we know only of the latter, causing us to form opinions of that religion based on the people we see. There are also sciences like Nasty† and â€Å"Fen Shut† that are believed by some to be precise, but regarded by others as unnecessary or fake and deceptive, as pseudo sciences. What happens is, sciences like these originally were literally sciences. They worked on the basis of reason.If, according to Vast, the windows should be placed in a certain part of the house, or the flow of water should be in a certain direction, it is to provide cross ventilation and to increase efficiency and the flow of positive energy throughout an indoor space. Another idea that doesn't appeal to many people is the idea of renunciation and raying, surrendering yourself † as in Hinduism or Buddhism for exa mple. But this is an idea; not a compulsion. This is an idea that has worked for some, not a compulsory decision or a command.This doesn't mean that religion is only for people who will completely leave everything; because not everyone will – not everyone can. When it happens that someone really gives up Worldly duties', or when someone renounces things, they do not control themselves from being a part of the ‘illusion' or ‘Mama's but they simply understand that it is temporary, thus there is no point in eating attached to temporary dualities. For the renounces, it is not a struggle to stay away from the illusion; it is the only way forward † something they would want to do, and be happy doing. Maya is defined as the illusion or appearance of the world perceptible by the senses or through immediate experience 5 of 7 Everyone has their own interpretation of everything, thus making it impossible for many people to follow exactly a set of rules; the meaning of words, especially when it comes to matters of religion or spirituality, cannot be interpreted in the exact same way † for no two people think alike. This gives rise to personalization to suit every individual, only people do not realize that they are allowed to personalizes.The very reason people decide not to be religious is because they think that religion dictates. It dictates their life and their choices. My experience of studying World Religions has made it possible for me to think more broadly. I have read and talked to different people about how many religions like they could be when put into practice by different people due to their own different interpretations. This course has vastly influenced, and helped form my view of religion as it is today. It has also encouraged me to take interest in spirituality and religion.

IT Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT Management - Article Example They also provide storage for these files. Computers will also improve file and data management at the Opera House. With digital storage, access and editing of files and data is also easier. A printer is also an important piece of hardware.It is essential for printing output from the computer. The most required software for the PC’s is the operating system. This provides a platform for the user’s to interact with the systems’ hardware (Anderson, p 112). This interaction interface is essential to help the staff to manage their PC’s. An antivirus is also important because it protects the computers from malware attacks. These attacks can have devastating effects, such as data loss. Some applications that are required for the House to run effectively vary according to the functions to be performed. Microsoft Outlook is the most common mailing management software. It will help the users when corresponding through emails. A web browser will used by the staff to access web pages during their browsing sessions. QuickBooks and Sage are the common applications used in finance management, and they are considered the best in the field. These applications will help the finance department ease the burden of manual management of financial activities. Sage Human Resource Management System is the most effective human resources software available in the market. It provides solutions for payroll management and it handles other activities related to the human resources department. The use of IT is a powerful tool in the marketing strategy (Englander, p 107). It provides gateways for the Opera House to advertise its events. This can be achieved by posting the events in the most visited websites in the related field. This involves creating of e-banners, advertisements and posters with details about the events and posting them on thesites with the most traffic. The use of social media and networks is also an effective way to create awareness about the events. This can be

Puritan ideals in colonial America reflected the cultural attitude and Essay

Puritan ideals in colonial America reflected the cultural attitude and defined the role of women in their society - Essay Example Choosing to be a single woman was considered by the Puritans to be disregarding ‘God’s will.’ These women were looked upon suspiciously and this choice heightened the chance that they would be accused of being a witch. This discussion will examine the role of women in colonial America and how the religious Puritanical system of the time defined women’s rights and duties within that society. Puritan women were prevented from owning property; they could not negotiate their own contracts or even keep any of their own wages. â€Å"Before the middle of the nineteenth century, the property rights of American married women followed the dictates of common law, under which everything a woman owned became her husband’s property upon her marriage† (â€Å"Married Women’s Property Acts†, n.d.). These restrictions on what a woman could do or own were partly due to the fact that most women were not considered intelligent enough to consider all the consequences involved in managing business or political situations. Women also played the subordinate role in defining the family’s religious beliefs. The observed religious traditions that guided the patriarchal family order allowed wives only a small authoritative role within the family unit. For instance, mothers were trusted and expected to pass along the teachings of the Puritans and Christianity to the children. Husbands could, and often did, entrust their wives to handle various legal and financial matters of the household or family farm but the extent of power the wife possessed always remained at her husband’s discretion. Wives that happily accepted their role and conformed to Puritan societal standards were openly referred to and addressed as ‘goodwife.’ However, the authoritative figure in the family and throughout all facets of Puritan society was clearly the man. The only role that wives served in the male dominated public psyche

Organizational analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational analysis - Essay Example We were affiliated to the Saint Vincent’s Hospital until 2010 before the hospital was closed and Beth Israel took over the center. Beth Israel is part of the Continuum Health Partners Corporation, a nonprofit organization which operates a network of hospitals in New York. It provides primary care services and specialty treatments to patients. Apart from offering the aforementioned services, the company also offers services to patients in group and private practice settings and ambulatory centers. Continuum Health Partners Inc. was founded in 1997 by Beth Israel and Saint Luke’s –Roosevelt Hospital. A few years later, Long Island College Hospital and New York Eye and Ear infirmary joined the network. According to its website, it has a $2.1 billion budget and its hospital delivers inpatient care with a capacity of 3,100 certified beds distributed in seven major hospitals facilities in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Continuum Health Partners files an IRS form 990, which is the tax document that allows the IRS and the public to evaluate nonprofit organizations and how they operate. Continuum Health Partners Corporation is a nonprofit organization that can be analyzed by reviewing its mission, tax exemption status, established board of trustees, policies and compensations. A nonprofit organization’s is required to have a mission that benefits the community, society or the world. According to Renz and Associates’ The Jossey-Bass Handbook, â€Å"a nonprofit organization is an unofficial government agency and it is not a business seeking to make profit† (2010, p35). Continuum qualifies as a nonprofit organization because it has a mission to benefit society by providing medical services. According to the organization’s website, â€Å"Continuum’s goal is to ensure that each facility is equipped with the resources needed to provide the best care in a compassionate and friendly environment.† The organization states th at it is well equipped to identify and respond to the health related needs of the population that it serves, especially in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Continuum Health Partner’s main objective is to improve health and health care in the various communities that it serves. In general, it is a network of hospitals that work together to coordinate and deliver a broad spectrum of services to the community. Organizations that claim to be not-for-profit are eligible for tax exemptions. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code states that if an organization qualifies for the exemption, it is required to file form 1023 of the Internal Revenue Service. Even though, tax-exempt nonprofit organizations do not pay federal taxes, they do have to file a form with the IRS which allows them to maintain their tax-exempt status. There are over seventy categories of tax-exempt nonprofit organizations registered in the federal tax law. Continuum Health Partners is registered in line with section 501(c ) of the tax law which means that it is an American tax-exempt, nonprofit organization or association. In addition, Continuum is registered as under section 501(c) 3 of the same laws and therefore is a corporation that aims at promoting health. â€Å"Tax exemption is provided for a variety of organizations, which are described in section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code (Continuum Health Partners, 2009). Exemption is available for cooperative hospital

The Role of Material Life, Language, Social Interaction and Aesthetics Essay - 2

The Role of Material Life, Language, Social Interaction and Aesthetics in Chinese Marketing - Essay Example This paper illustrates that in Chinese culture, material culture is revered as it is also one of the ways through which they express themselves. Material culture can be looked at in terms of artifacts, dressing, technology, and food. Materially Chinese prefer to use their own locally produced products as opposed to importing them from other countries. Hence it is common to find huge posters and other artworks containing Chinese workmanship that is totally different from what is commonly found in western cultures. All kinds of products, including food products, can be advertised or made popular through artifacts and technology. Much Chinese own television and radio sets; therefore, it would be easy for them to get information about new products on the market. The material life of Chinese is normally showcased in several of their festivals. The most relevant of the festivities, in this case, is the Moon Festival in which mooncakes are served as a delicacy. Mooncakes, which are closely related to Goodman Fielder’s Crunchy Cookies, are among the most popular of Chinese delicacies. Such festivities can be used as platforms to introduce and market new delicacies, in this case, the Crunchy Cookies that Goodman Fielder is planning to introduce into the market. Oriental dishes are very common in many of Chinese restaurants; however, it is not uncommon to find a few foreign food products in several stores. This means that although Chinese highly value their local food products, they are also open to other products that appeal to them. There are different languages spoken in China, however, there are some that are more prominently used than others. For instance, Mandarin and Cantonese are widely spoken more than any other languages in the country. English is also slowly gaining popularity, especially in the urban places. Language in China plays a huge role in social interactions. Many of Chinese websites, especially social interaction sites are operated in either M andarin, Cantonese or English. Whatever languages the Chinese use for their communication, they normally emphasize on politeness and respect.