Saturday, December 28, 2019

Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling - 831 Words

Homeschooling refers to the procedure of teaching kids from home instead of sending them to public or private schools. This is when they are taught by parents, brothers, sisters, a neighborhood friend, or online. Homeschooling is not for everybody and as we will see later the pros and cons of homeschooling. People say it is good because there is not busy work all the work can be done in a few hours. Then, people say it is bad because parents or whoever is teaching has to be with the kids all the time in order for them to be able to understand what is being taught to their full potential. I intend to prove that kids should not be homeschooled because of the time,cost, and socialization. Time is very important when it comes to school. When†¦show more content†¦If you want the best education for your children you have to pay the most and research says it is over $900 per child to get the best education so they will be on the same level as kids in public schools. You have to have homeschooling in your budget or your going to be financially in debt. Lastly, you may say socializing is not that important but without socializing kids will have a higher chance of them running into trouble either with the juvenile or adult legal system, also cause them to have aggressive or violent behavior because they are not use to talking to people outside their household and cause depression because they do not have any friends or anybody to hang out with. But, If home schooled, they may be at a disadvantage of the chance to form friendships which will cause them suffer socially. The lack of socialization may affect them in later stages of life. Then if kids do not socialize with other kids they will not learn things like patience because you have to have experience with dealing with all types of people to be able to have patience also they will have a hard time making friends when they are done with school and move on to college or just moving out of their parents house and this where depression plays a part because they will eventually beco me lonely not having any socializing skills. On the other hand the opposing side thinks homeschooling is good forShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Homeschooling1609 Words   |  7 Pages Homeschooling is not a new concept to the United States, and for many centuries it was the only way for children to get an education. Many of our founding fathers were homeschooled, proving there is nothing wrong with homeschooling, and to this day it continues to provide children with an adequate education. Many parents believe that public school is satisfactory. However, they feel that homeschooling is a better option because it provides a safer environment for their children and more conduciveRead MorePersuasive Essay Homeschooling923 Words   |  4 Pageseffective style of school called homeschooling has emerged. Most of todays parents have gone to a public school because homeschooling was not very well known back when they were school aged. Since then, homeschooling has become much more popular and has been proven to be effective. Parents should consider homeschooling their kids as an alternative to sending them to a public school. While public schooling is the traditional way of receiving education, homeschooling is an alternative that must beRead MoreHomeschooling Persuasive Essay1949 Words   |  8 Pagesstudents to go to school. There is public school, private school, charter school, contract school, and home schools. The question on many people’s minds is â€Å"Why home schooling over any other schooling?† Since 1970s there has been a dramatic growth in homeschooling for student’s kindergarten to twelfth grade students. Although White gives effective arguments, and includes no obvious recall of evidence, she builds her credentials from subjects who have personally experiences, controversial evidence, and thenRead MoreHomeschooling outline persuasive speech Essay860 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Persuasive Speech Outline on Homeschooling General Purpose: I want to persuade my audience Specific Goal: I would like the audience to understand the advantage of why I strongly believe homeschooling is beneficial. Thesis: Homeschooling environment is an effective approach in education due to evidence of higher achievement on placement tests, success through college, engaged socially with activities outside homes, and students becoming active members of society. Organization Pattern: (StatementRead MorePhilosophy of Education Essays1644 Words   |  7 Pagesspin on the role of school in society is homeschooling. I think it has many good and bad features. One great aspect of homeschooling is it makes parents feel that their child is in a safe environment, and that they are able to shelter them from the things that they are exposed to in public schools. But, ironically, that is also the problem. Social development is a crucial part of any education, and in many cases, homeschooling hinders this. Homeschooling also allows children to have the freedom ofRead MoreThe Is Not Emotionally Healing Or Accepting Our Fate?990 Words   |  4 Pagesrewriting in academic essays and text. He sees this phrase as the best tool for writers to use when dealing with other people s ideas and motivations. There are steps you have to take to come to terms with someone else’s writing. First, you must define the project and what the purpose is. Without this key step, you do not really know what to come to terms with and are lost to the goals of the text to begin with. For example, if you read an essay about the benefits of homeschooling without defining the

Friday, December 20, 2019

Final Project Seasonal Trading Patterns - 3010 Words

Final Project – Seasonal Trading Patterns Timothy Brady Southern New Hampshire University 25 January 2015 QSO510 – Quantitative Analysis Professor Ozcan Topic Selection For my paper, I wanted to analyze the validity of the Efficient Market Hypothesis and evaluate patterns in trading. As an investor, one of the fundamental measures that I use is the tendency of commodities to follow seasonal patterns due to the nature of planting and harvesting periods, supply/demand, and general weather patterns which all impact the price of commodities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the existence the effect in investment returns for different markets. Thesis The efficient-market hypothesis (EMH) is one of the well-known methods for measuring the future value of stock prices. According to this hypothesis, the market is efficient if its prices are formed on the basis of all disposable information. According to EMH if there is a possibility to predict the future price of shares, that is the first sign of an inefficient market. The existence of calendar or time anomalies is a contradiction to the weak form of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). The weak form of the EMH states that the market is efficient in past price and volume information and stock movements cannot be predicted using this historic information. This form infers that stock returns are time invariant, that is, there is no identifiable short-term time based pattern. The existence of seasonalityShow MoreRelatedThe El Nino Southern Oscillation1878 Words   |  8 Pagescauses the thermocline becomes weaker, causing the warmer water to move backwards closer to the eastern Pacific Ocean. The warmer water can hold more nutrients which are better conditions for fishes that led the fishermen to recognize this climate pattern. The tropical Pacific Ocean is divided into different regions for detail observation and forecasts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines ENSO for five consecutive 3-month temperature average at E l Nino region-3.4 to warmRead MoreHousing Market Of The Uk Housing Markets2948 Words   |  12 Pagesplays housing, despite the economic role of health and education, for example, tend to have the same political profile In 2007, the government set a target of increasing housing supply of 240,000 additional homes per year by 2016. The aim of the project was done in order to deliver at least 70,000 reasonable housing for the year 2010-2011, out of which 45,000 were for the new rental housing. They argued the target, and to tackle the backlog of unmet housing needs in order to meet new housing. â€Æ' TheRead MorePetsmart Analysis5575 Words   |  23 Pagesstore that doesn’t sell dogs or cats? †¢ One of our team members has a family member that was recently employed with Petsmart at their Scottsdale headquarters in Arizona. Using various financial websites, we obtained financial statements and trading information for PETM. Finding comparative information for PETM proved difficult, as its closest competitor, PetCo turned private in a buyout from investors in 2006. Other companies that compete for the pet supply business are retailers such as Wal-MartRead MoreThe Economic Principles2034 Words   |  8 Pagesexample of a government making tough decisions to help balance the needs of its people. By sacrificing an expensive portion of its military force the government is better able to afford to spend this money on efforts to reduce its unemployment rate. Projects on infrastructure and education can boost jobs locally by funding improvements that require hiring people to complete them. Education is another area that can have a lasting positive impact by giving those the tools and skills that employers desireRead MoreBurberry Analysis5176 Words   |  21 PagesExam: Semester exam project- Business Pages: 19 Deadline Date: 14th of Juni 2010 Tutor: Christina Rath, Ulla Abbas Name: Jeanette Klit Jensen Word count: app. 5057 College: Business Academy South West Index. Front page†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Page 1 Index†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Page 2 1.1 Problem statement.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 3 2.1 History/ Background †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 3 3.1 The Old structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦PageRead MoreInterim Internship Report34088 Words   |  137 Pagesstates in India. It has opened 246 branches all over India with 500 agencies and more than 1000 franchises. Cosmo offers specialized trading and execution services to individuals and institutional clients. It works as a brokering and consulting house of Kerford Fx for Indian clients and helps in carrying out its full-fledged operations in the following three trading platforms: 1 1. International Commodity Market- It is a 24-hour market. There is no lock-in period for funds invested in thisRead MoreRisk Management in Hydro Power5207 Words   |  21 Pagesprice of electricity on the market. Volumetric Risk encompasses risks arising from production uncertainty, consumption uncertainty, and uncertainties in the power supply. 4.1.2 Financial Risks, - credit or liquidity risk is especially important in trading. We can divide this risk into two segments; specific credit and systematic credit. Other financial risks include interest-rate risk and currency risk. 4.1.3 Regulatory Risk arises from extra-market factors, such as legal complications, changes andRead MoreMs4 Solved Assignment5909 Words   |  24 Pagesselect a project out of the two mutually exclusive projects. The Company’s cost of capital is 10% and the net after tax cash flow of ht project are as follows.: Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 Project X (Rs.) 2,00,000 35,000 80,000 90,000 75,000 20,000 Project Y (Rs.) 2,00,000 2,18,000 10,000 10,000 4,000 3,000 (i) Calculate the NPV and IRR of each project. (ii) State, with reasons, which project you wouldRead MoreHigher National Diploma6446 Words   |  26 Pagesanother important Source of finance for any business, large or small. Note that retained profits can generate cash the moment trading has begun.   For example, a start-up sells the first batch of stock for  £10,000 cash which it had bought for  £6,000.   That means that retained profits are  £4,000 which can be used to finance further expansion or to pay for other trading costs and expenses.   * Share capital – invested by the founder The founding entrepreneur may decide to invest in the shareRead MoreCredit Appraisal System9370 Words   |  38 PagesDefault interest security inadequate OBJECTIVES: * To study the credit appraisal methods. * To study existing credit appraisal system . * To understand the commercial, financial technical viability of the proposal proposed and it’s finding pattern. Scope of the study: The topic selected is credit appraisal system with respect to banking industry which means how the managers in banks appraise the corporate firms lending process and how the whole process carried forward like a system keeping

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Global Issue Disposable Workers

Question: Discuss about theGlobal Issuefor Disposable Workers. Answer: Introduction The recession at global level results in number of retrenchments in corporate world, and only reason behind this retrenchment is unemployment which already reaches at heights, and those people who are able to save their jobs are forced to work at low pay scales. Other consequences of this present economic environment are increase in number of temporary employees or employees on contingent basis. Changes in technology have great impact on the decision of the management because advanced technology reduces the need of human resources. Technology advancement is the big reason which directly affects the number of employments by performing that task which is performed by individual (Potocki Brocato, 1995). As per one survey, similar situations are remained for next 5 to 10 years which result in small salaries, worse working conditions, and very low level of job security. According to Peter Cappelli, who works in the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School states that employers are trying to get rid from their employees at all fixed costs but before they did this by cutting down the benefits available to employees but not they are directly take away the job of employee. In todays era everything is variable as these corporate actions are take place because of less profitability. However, it is clear that data collected from financial sector is not consistent because almost 500 companies in 2009 achieve second-largest position in earnings in the history of 56 years. It must be noted that this achievement is not resulted from high revenues but it resulted because of decrease in labor cost. As per one research, companies largest part of revenue is reflected from lower payrolls instead of increase in sales and further stated that during this period very less amount of wages is increased (Magdoff Magdoff, (2004). The most effected class of workers is those who have attend their college and get diploma, and also those who studied for the degree. There are many workers who saw that their income collapse in 2009-2010 (Weston, 2012). As per some market observers state that fluctuating nature of profitability is the only reason of difference between the corporate profitability and result for workers. It is clear when corporation is judged on single basis that is stock price then executives of the company try their best to increase their numbers on the cost of neglecting other issues like employees well being or ethics in corporate culture. On the other side there are some other companies also which generally concerned about their employees and try to make policies which treat their employees flexibly. There is one argument which state that it is completely right to sacrifice some jobs to save the complete organization. After analyzing all the above facts it is clear that it become trend for organizations to kick off their employees or deprived their employment benefits for the purpose of their own profitability or to show increase price of stock in the market. After analyzing all the facts it is clear that workers have become disposable in todays global economy because of new trending mentality of managers which give importance to economic benefits and ignore the ethical values, and one more reason of retrenchment of employees are economic aspects which affect alost number of jobs in the state. References: ANA, (2016). Disposable Workers. Retrieved on 20th Februuary 2016 from: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/opinion/sunday/disposable-workers.html?_r=0. Magdoff, H. Magdoff, F. (2004). Disposable Workers Todays Reserve Army of Labor. Retrieved on 20th Februuary 2016 from: https://www.uvm.edu/~fmagdoff/ReserveArmy.pdf. Weston, C. (2012). Recession cut disposable income of workers by up to 17,000 in one year. Retrieved on 20th Februuary 2016 from: https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/recession-cut-disposable-income-of-workers-by-up-to-17000-in-one-year-26836929.html. Potocki, A. K. Brocato, C. R. (1995). A System of Management for Organizational Improvement. Johns Hopkins Apl Technical Digest, Vol 16 (4).

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Killer angels 2 Essay Example For Students

Killer angels 2 Essay The Killer AngelsThe Battle of Gettysburg brought the dueling North and South together to the small town of Gettysburg and on the threshold of splitting the Union. Gettysburg was as close as the United States got to Armageddon and The Killer Angels gives the full day-to-day account of the battle that shaped Americas future. Michael Shaara tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the generals and men involved in the action of the battle. The historical account of the Battle of Gettysburg gives the reader a chance to experience the battle personally and not the history book manner taught in schools. A historical novel gives the facts straightforward and provides no commentary by the people involved in history. The historical account of the Battle of Gettysburg, as seen in Killer Angels, provides the facts of the battle as seen through the eyes of Generals Robert E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, James Longstreet, and John Buford. The feelings and inner-thoughts of each General and the conditions of the battle are seen, heard, and felt by the reader in the historical account. Shaara takes historical license with letters, the words of the men, and documents written during the three hellish days of the battle. Shaara avoids historical opinion and provides his own opinion towards the Civil War and the people. The historical account of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg specifically, in Killer Angels conveys the attitude to toward war, attitude towards the Civil War, and cause for fighting the war of General Robert E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, James Longstreet, and John Buford. General Robert E. Lee gained stoic and legendary status as the heart and soul of the South in the Civil War, but many did not know his reasons and feelings for fighting the war. War and the slaughter of others did not interest Lee and he felt compassion for the Union. Lee had contradictory feelings towards war and says, He was not only to serve in it but he was to lead it, to make the plans, and issue the orders to kill and burn and ruinhe could not do that (Shaara 263). The Civil War is not in the taste of General Lee, but feels it is his duty, and he cannot just stand by and watch the war pass him by. Michael Shaara says of Lees reason for fighting the Civil War , He found that he had no choiceLee could not raise his hand against his own. And so what then? To stand by and do nothing? It had nothing to do with causes; it was no longer a matter of vows (Shaara 263). Shaara, through his commentary on General Lee, explains that Lee did not want to fight the war but had to. Lee felt it was his duty to fight for his fellow countrymen, but not for a cause, land, or slavery. So it was no cause and no country he fought for, no ideal and no justice. He fought for his people, for the children, and the kin, and not even the land, because the land was worth the war, but the people were, General Lee says (Shaara 263). General Lee fights for himself and has no cho ice but to fight, knowing in the end that he might be wrong with his cause and pay the price someday. General Lee is not a proponent of war, but he will serve his country with honor and duty if necessary. A man of ideals and honor represent the character of Union Colonel Joshua Chamberlain. Being a man of education, Chamberlain knows the demeaning and repulsive nature of slavery and has come to fight to end it. Chamberlain hates the whole idea of the Civil War and the death and destruction that goes along with it. I used my brother to plug a hole. Did it automatically as if he were expendable, says Chamberlain (Shaara 304). He hates the idea that men, including his brother, are dying out in the fight for slavery. The only reason he believes in the Civil War is that if he the North did not fight freedom would be tarnished and a great travesty .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .postImageUrl , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:hover , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:visited , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:active { border:0!important; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:active , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Iron And Silk Essay

Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Silence Essays - Americas, Racism, Slavery In The United States

Federman 8/20/17 The Silence: The actions, or lack thereof, made by the Congress in the 1790s altered history for hundreds of years after the events. The Constitution had been ratified by the former 13 colonies to create a more established federal government than the Articles of Confederation. During the first meetings, two Quaker delegations proposed petitions calling for an end to the African slave trade. This was stunning and considered an embarrassing intrusion, especially by the Southern Delegations.However , this action caused a new wave of debate and infighting in Congress. One side is the Northern abolitionists who are already phasing out slavery without federal intervention. The other side is the South, where slavery is an integral part of their economy, and would take a hit if slavery were abolished. However, talks were pushed back by James Madison and the chance to end slavery in that era ended. Joseph Ellis is correct in that Congress' delaying of the abolition of slavery was a legisl ative failure and showed the rising differences in the North vs. the South that continue to this day. Body Paragraph 1: The North had already begun their own abolition of slavery, and were ready to make it on a nation al level, showing an extreme difference of belief between the two. Ben Franklin signed onto petition, legitimizing it and causing it to be debated. States like Vermont and New Hampshire had already banned slavery. Declaration of Independence \"unambiguous tract for abolition.\" (89). Analysis: The North held extremely different viewpoints than the South, which would lead to a lack of compromise and the delaying of the abolition of slavery. Body Paragraph 2: The South was not interested in abolishing slavery, for it was too important to their economy. \"South Carolina and Georgia cannot do without slaves.\" (92). Racist reasons: \"if they did intermarry with the whites, then the whites would be extinct.\" (100). Says that they can't abolish slavery until 1808. Analysis: This shows how much slaves were important to them economically, and the extreme division in viewpoints between the North and South. Body Paragraph 3: The government's failure in responding to this issue caused the freeing of the slaves to be delayed 70 years. \"the inability to take decisive action against slavery in the decades immediately following the Revolution permitted the size of the enslaved population to grow exponentially and the legal and political institutions of the developing US government to become entwined in compromises with slavery's persistence\" (88). \"The census of 1790 revealed that the window of opportunity to end slavery was opening, not closing.\" (104). The South threatened disunion, and James Madison, who's beliefs unknown, took slavery off the national agenda to avoid the collapse of the nation. Analysis: The stubbornness of the South led to slavery being taken off the table, shutting the opportunity for slavery to end for decades. Works Cited: Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. New York, Vintage Books, 2002. \"I pledge my honor that I have not collaborated with any other students and have completed this assignment in accordance with my teacher's instructions and the Upper School Honor Code.\"

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony

Sorrows of the otherness in Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony The United States of America is a nation of democracy. Yet, it has not always been a place of freedom and opportunity. The people who do not fit into the mainstream are forced to live in multiple worlds separated by cultural values or language barriers. This world of the majority tears them away from their own native worlds. This separation is very well shown in Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony. Although the authors are of different origin, their characters have something in common – they all suffer from their isolation. In Ann Petry’s short story Like a Winding Sheet, Johnson is a black male struggling with racism and societal pressures. Johnson faces many challenges throughout the whole story. The reader can feel his anger, frustration and tenseness. One of the first points to mention is the relationship between Johnson and his wife Mae. Although this appears from the outward appearance to be a normal relationship it is hard to ignore the inward emotions that Johnson has been keeping, such as the envious feelings he has toward Mae’s ability to be energetic and refreshed after having worked all night. A second point is to mention the fact that it is early in the 20th century and jobs are particularly hard to find, especially for a black man with no special trade. With this in mind it would seem that Johnson would be thankful to have secured employment anywhere in town instead of grumbling and complaining about the pain in his legs. Thirdly, in relation to the other points, racism seems to be still alive within this time period. "I'm sick of you niggers" (Petry, 119) is a statement directed towards Johnson by his boss, which is definitely, in today’s standards considered a racial statement. This along with the f... Free Essays on Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony Free Essays on Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony Sorrows of the otherness in Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony The United States of America is a nation of democracy. Yet, it has not always been a place of freedom and opportunity. The people who do not fit into the mainstream are forced to live in multiple worlds separated by cultural values or language barriers. This world of the majority tears them away from their own native worlds. This separation is very well shown in Ann Petry’s Like a Winding Sheet, Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Leslie Silko’s Ceremony. Although the authors are of different origin, their characters have something in common – they all suffer from their isolation. In Ann Petry’s short story Like a Winding Sheet, Johnson is a black male struggling with racism and societal pressures. Johnson faces many challenges throughout the whole story. The reader can feel his anger, frustration and tenseness. One of the first points to mention is the relationship between Johnson and his wife Mae. Although this appears from the outward appearance to be a normal relationship it is hard to ignore the inward emotions that Johnson has been keeping, such as the envious feelings he has toward Mae’s ability to be energetic and refreshed after having worked all night. A second point is to mention the fact that it is early in the 20th century and jobs are particularly hard to find, especially for a black man with no special trade. With this in mind it would seem that Johnson would be thankful to have secured employment anywhere in town instead of grumbling and complaining about the pain in his legs. Thirdly, in relation to the other points, racism seems to be still alive within this time period. "I'm sick of you niggers" (Petry, 119) is a statement directed towards Johnson by his boss, which is definitely, in today’s standards considered a racial statement. This along with the f...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

IFRS and GAAP Convergence Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IFRS and GAAP Convergence - Term Paper Example International Accounting Standard Board issues the IFRS. Over 100 countries across the world have completely adopted IFRS. European Union, New Zealand, Australia and Russia are the prominent examples (Garg, 2010). GAAP GAAP exhibits fair, complete and clear financial operation of the enterprise. It comprises of authoritative pronouncement issued by several accounting bodies. GAAP is a set of rules, concepts, conversions and procedures to denote accepted accounting practices at a specified time. The corporate accounts and the financial statements are presented in accordance with the GAAP. It considers the conceptual framework of financial statements, accounting principles, Income Tax Act and most importantly requirements of the regulatory bodies of a country (Sangani, 2010). Convergence In this case, the term ‘convergence’ implies the harmonization of the accounting standards. ... Companies across the world have already acknowledged the importance of the adoption of global accounting standards or the convergence. Most of the countries used local GAAP and recently adopted IFRS. Meanwhile there are few countries that are still reported to be under both the accounting standards. It is really time consuming and costly way to report financial records as conversion take much time and moreover it creates uncertainties among the users of the financial reports. Therefore, it can be suggested that countries should go for convergence. The US is in the planning phase of the convergence of the IFRS and the US GAAP, as according to the work plan of the SEC it will take another four to five years for complete convergence. Impact of the Convergence Impact of the convergence differs from companies to companies. It mainly depends upon the nature of the business. It is evident that the number of users of financial reporting is quite higher for the public companies in comparison to the private companies. Hence, impact of convergence on public companies will be higher as well. Several elements exist in the financial statements of the public companies and therefore, a few expertises are required to interpret the data. At the same time, level of difficulty is also high due to the responsibilities of the finance manager. At the planning phase of the convergence or during the convergence, companies need to report under both the accounting standards and it increases the complications for both the finance managers and the users of the financial statements. This issue is mostly faced by the multinational companies. They need to prepare financial

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Gender Portrayals in Modern Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Gender Portrayals in Modern Art - Essay Example The essay "Gender Portrayals in Modern Art" investigates gender portrayals in the modern art. This essay is based on the gender concept and the issues that have had an immense influence on the way gender in modern art is perceived and portrayed. To begin with, one needs to differentiate between modern, post modern and contemporary in order to understand the journey charted by gender portrayal in art over the ages. The modern portrayals of art depend to a great extent on the stereotypical depictions of features within art, while post modern depends on the vertical rather than the horizontal, which is a case of portraying a traditional feature in a new light. The contemporary period can be considered to possess a number of artists that can be considered of substance and grace in the corresponding field. This particular era in history was marked by the upsringing of various trends in arts and the foray of women and other unlikely sections of the society into the world of art. Mary Kelly is one of the artists of the contemporary period. She is known to be a feminist and fighting an important advocacy through her works. Femminism became a strong benchmark for the society in that particular period, which can be seen through the various art forms and literature created at that time. Unlike the modern times, feminism was not reflected in policy changes as yet and was still confined to mere forms of expression. This was one of the key features of Mary Kelly’s life as has been discussed below. ... After her undergraduate course in Arts, she studied her Masters in Arts in the European Region (Felsen, 2008). There are different works that are considered as significant in her career. One is the exhibit presented in the Rosamund Felsen Gallery which can be considered as a recent work. Kelly is known to present underlying messages in her work specifically pointing out to her topics of inclination such as cultural principles specifically pertaining to femininity. Art and Mass Media by Betty Ann Brown is a volume that chronicles the rise of western culture in context of its influence on art. This has been studied from the perspective of various art forms, ancient, medieval and modern so as to demonstrate how cultures are capable of affecting art forms and rendering finer detail to the structure in terms of gender portrayal as well as sexuality in art. (Brown, 2005; P 2 - 4). The volume has conceptualised the way art has been seen and used since 1985 with the advent of mass media and especially the Internet. This conceptualisation has reached a phase where the influx of ideas related with the use of technology and mass media has grown to such heights where it accommodates a whole new dimension of art in terms of gender portrayals. It is said that the way something is built has a large bearing on how it is perceived. In the case of art, the use of mass media has accentuated the play of technology and the portrayal of genders to the extent that the very way that an art form is conceptualised depends on the factors that are a part of the culture surrounding it. Since 1985, the play of mass media has begun on a note that has created the scope to create gender in art beyond what has been seen in the conventional sense. The rise

Monday, November 18, 2019

Olympic games and Chinese economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Olympic games and Chinese economy - Essay Example Next year, that distinction belongs to Beijing, an ancient city north of China, which is in the forefront of China's surging economy and the center of its political power. In the history of the Olympic movement, China is only the third Asian country - after Tokyo in 1964 and Seoul in 1986 - to host the prestigious Games. The International Olympic Committee chose Beijing over several other aspirants that included Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. The cities of Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville also submitted bids to host the Games, but failed to make the shortlist in 2000. Beijing is the fourth city - after Berlin (1936), Mexico City (1968), and Moscow (1980) -- under authoritarian rule to host the games. Its officials welcome the selection as an opportunity to showcase its newfound economic prosperity and to project a more positive image to the rest of the world. While economists believe Beijing is certain to achieve its grand objective of showcasing its vibrant ec onomy and projecting a more positive image in the eyes of the world, they are in disagreement over the Games' immediate impact on its economy. Soon after the announcement was made on the choice of Beijing as the next Olympic site, (Beijing Olympics 2008) the Chinese government announced that it will earmark $20 billion to modernize the city's infrastructure and facilities to improve its woefully polluted environment in time for the Games. That announcement alone is enough assurance that the Olympic Games is bound to spell a dramatic transformation for Beijing, although this figure has already doubled as of the latest count. It is commonly assumed that the scale of an Olympic event and the scale of the preparations for it will create large and lasting economic benefits to the host city. Economic impact studies confirm these expectations by forecasting economic benefits in the billions of dollars. Goldman Sachs Asia has made one of the more aggressive forecasts, predicting that the Games will increase China's GDP growth by 0.3 per cent annually between 2002 and 2008, citing service sectors such as tourism, transportation, information technology services and logistics as the areas for the greatest growth. On the other hand, JP Morgan said the event would increase GDP by no more than 0.05 per cent per year, a figure that hardly makes a difference in China's impressive double digit annual economic GDP growth. "The divergent views are due to different assumptions," said Huang Yiping, an analyst at Salomon Smith Barney. Those who are unmoved by the Games' economic drawing power claim no evidence of positive economic impacts from mega-sporting events even remotely approaching the estimates in economic impact studies. In a study of the impact of Super Bowls on local economies, (Robert A. Baade and Victor Matheson, 1999) found "no measurable impact on spending associated with the event." Their explanation is that capacity constraints in the hotel industry cause room prices to increase with no change in occupancy rates. Higher rates contribute to the crowding out of regular traffic and net spending in areas other than hotel rooms changes little, if at all. The same report claims that longer term sports programs, usually involving stadium subsidies to attract or keep professional teams, have also failed to deliver on projected economic benefits. Even for cities that usually are considered success stories for sports development strategy, such as Baltimore and

Friday, November 15, 2019

Strategies for Organizational Structure

Strategies for Organizational Structure 1.1 Organizational Structure Organizational Structure is the strategic manner by which organizations arrange (or rearrange) themselves (Galbraith, 1973). This is essentially important in determining how organizations plan on utilizing their resources , particularly their human resources. To do so efficiently, certain questions need to have precise answers such as the specific responsibilities of each individual within the organization, to whom exactly they report and most importantly the coordination process that is to be implemented to bring together all these people and processes simultaneously. Bearing in mind that any framework followed needs to be consistent with the organizations main objectives, a formal channel defining the lines of authority from top to bottom (i.e. Hierarchy of Authority) is established which identifies clearly who is responsible for which personnel and/or tasks (Perrow, 1986). Traditionally, the authority of decision-making has been a centralized process (i.e. directed to higher-level management), but with increasing challenges innovation in recent times, many organizations now encourage a decentralized decision making model which gives its members the authority to make decisions without the need to consult their superiors. This has the advantage of producing a real-time response to problems by people who are specialized in that process while at the same time giving employees certain autonomy which creates a sense of job satisfaction and motivation. However this could lead to the undermining of upper management if not tackled properly. There exist 2 primary dimensions to organizational structure: The Vertical Dimension relates to the hierarchy within a company by distinguishing the decision makers and people in charge. Such organizations are considered to have either a tall or a flat structure (See Fig.1 in Appendix A). It includes the Span of Control of these individuals, which refers to the number of people they are responsible for and in effect, those groups who report to a single manager (these differ in quantity based on the nature of the work, skill-sets available, organizational culture, management style and level of Formalization, i.e. documentation of processes, rules and regulations (Noshria, 1991). Due to the high number or levels found in a Tall Structure (can exceed twelve), managers tend to have a Narrow Span of Control; where only 5 or 6 people report to any single supervisor. The converse holds for Flat Structures which have a Wide Span of Control; where up to 10 to 12 people could be reporting to a single manager, depending on the tasks involved. In short, th e taller the structure, the more the Span of Control decreases. The Horizontal Dimension addresses the division and assignment of tasks and functions across various departments within the organization. Such organizations are considered to be either wide or narrow. The structure that an organization adopts for itself is contingent upon a number of considerations like its products and services, the sort of customer base it caters to, the business strategy it employs and the management of different departments processes. The most common organizational types can be classified as follows (Fontaine, 2007): The Functional Structure which is more in line with the Vertical Dimension is perhaps the most common structure in the business world due to its simplicity and ease. By this structure, organizations set up themselves into different departments with similar skill-sets, managed by someone who is an expert in that trade. (See Fig.2 in Appendix A) (Ouchi Dowling, 1974) The Divisional Structure is more concerned with utilizing people with similar abilities across the entire business, wherever the need may be. Thus such a structure lies within the Horizontal Dimension. Such divisions may be based on different product lines, consumer markets and even geographical markets. (See Fig.3 in Appendix A) The Matrix Structure is an incorporation of both Functional and Divisional Structures, although interestingly, it operates like neither. The foundation of this structure is still functional; however different projects would require the pooling of these human resources from the various departments to serve their purpose. The project managers borrow their staff who are then involved in the project from start to finish. This is sometimes a challenge as there is a limited number of staff in each department and each project would have its own specific needs. However it is the most efficient of all organizational structures. (See Fig.4 in Appendix A) (Davis Lawrence, 1977) The Horizontally Linked Structure is a relatively new concept whereby an organization groups its people along the value chain of activities and processes that produce, market, deliver, and service the firms offerings (Spector, 2007). (See Fig.5 in Appendix A) 1.2 Organizational Culture Culture is a complex yet powerful force present in any organization that encompasses its workers values, beliefs, attitudes, behavior and shared assumptions. It is the moral compass that guides individuals in their actions at an unconscious level in all aspects of its internal and external relationships. Organizational Culture can be identified by 4 basic types: (Cameron Quinn, 1999) (See Fig.6 in Appendix A) Collaborative (Clan) Culture: This sort of culture is characterized by its open and friendly environment where people genuinely invest a lot of themselves in the work they do. A family system is at play where managers play parental and/or mentor figures. There is a great deal of focus on group coordination consensus, and the organizations belief is that its greatest assets are its workers. Create (Adhocracy) Culture: Entrepreneur and Innovative skills are highly valued in this culture with focus on individual initiative and freedom. The organization thrives by being market leader by continually introducing new products or services , hence their stress upon risk-taking measures and experimentation as a unifying quality. Long-term strategies focus on growth and acquiring new resources. Control (Hierarchy) Culture: Behavior is governed by a strict set of rules and policies in this setting. Formal structures intend on maintaining dependency and low cost of their product with workers being commended on their performance, efficiency and consistency. Leaders are required to be efficiency-conscious with ultimate goals of security and predictability. Compete (Market) Culture: This culture is perhaps the most cut-throat of all with worker competitiveness and goal oriented. Leaders need to be demanding, active and most importantly productive with the common unifying goal of success. The organization is in a constant battle to increase market share and penetration by providing competitive pricing and holding the position of market leader. Long-term focus is on achieving measurable goals and targets, and building a strong reputation. It is important to understand that no one culture is better than the other. Each culture plays a critical role in an organizations success so long as it is in sync with the organizations goals. Recent studies conducted have shown that even within a single organization, there may exist multiple cultures (sub-cultures) besides the dominating one which once again should not be construed as a negative element. In fact many scholars believe the existence of sub-cultures to be a source of healthy competition and the driving force behind innovation within the industry. The understanding of organizational cultures is equally important for managers and owners not only to be aware of their employees needs but also in designing a workplace that complements such a culture. 1.3 Effects on Business The relationship between Organizational Structure and Culture is one that is not clearly distinguishable. In general, the structure is designed to exist within a particular culture , in effect, aiding the culture to run with the consistency and efficiency that would be the sign of a successful system. Thus, organizational structure is primarily concerned with the setup of the culture. Traditionally, certain cultures have been associated with certain structures and each of these setups have their benefits and disadvantages. Functional Structure + Control Culture: Since centralized decision making is prevalent here, top-management is in control of most aspects of the business. This could be beneficial if the management is highly skilled and there isnt as much competence on the lower levels of the business but could be equally disastrous if such skills are in short supply in management. As a bonus, employees have the opportunity to learn a great deal from their seniors which could help in their career paths to take on decision making positions. Since this setup fosters stability and efficiency, there is better collaboration with similar processes per group while making use of the economies of scale. The biggest disadvantage here is of lack of communication not only between the different levels of the hierarchy but also between the different departments , leading to serious conflicts. This in turn affects each individuals priority on goals which tend to be more department-focused than that of the organizat ion as a whole. Customers are usually also affected by such systems where they are passed on from department to department regarding issues they might have. Divisional Structure + Create Culture: Since the structure is one which brings together different departments and the culture one in which individuals are encouraged to think innovatively, the result is a well-functioning unit with greater opportunities to learn about the different aspects of the business. In addition to better response time to customers issues due to greater accountability, the wider span of control helps in developing managerial and executive skills. The disadvantage here is of a great deal of duplication of tasks because of the different units with all departments in it performing the same function. This also spells out a reduction in specialization as well as a great deal of in-house competition between the different divisions of the business. Matrix Structure + Compete Culture: The efficiency of this model is extremely high due to the continuous utilization of highly skilled personnel from different departments on different projects. Since these sorts of projects depend on a vast amount of technical knowledge, individuals often have the authority to make critical decisions which also exposes others to a great amount of learning potential, even in scopes of fields beyond their own. Also departmental conflict is reduced due to the regular re-shuffling between projects , rather the competition is between different teams. Unfortunately it is because of these same hasty groupings that employees can tend to get frustrated and confused about their new functions and who they now report to. Also a great deal of time is wasted in meetings to decide on the allocation of these valuable human resources. The above examples were just a few of many forms of different structures and cultures combined. It is important to note that for the specific needs of a particular business, some forms of combination of any 2 factors could serve them better than if the same set-up were used elsewhere. Numerous factors need to be taken into consideration before a decision is reached on which option is to be implemented , and it may also require the trial-testing of the different combinations practically before anything conclusive can be said in that regard. 1.4 Individual Behavior The term Organizational Behavior actually relates to the collective dominant behaviors of individuals within an organization. As such positive individual behavior would have the potential to do the following in an organization (See Fig.7 in Appendix A). The factors which distinguish a happy satisfied employee from a disgruntled unmotivated employee are highlighted in the MARS Model of Individual Behavior (McShane Von Glinow, 2008) which identifies 4 elements effecting employee performance; Motivation, Ability, Role Perception and Situational Forces (See Fig.8 in Appendix A) Motivation is the set of internal influences behind an employees voluntary actions. In the workplace Maslows hierarchy of needs describe the fundamentals that serve such actions (Maslow, 1954): Level 1 Physical: the need for air, water, food exercise, rest, freedom from diseases disabilities Level 2 Security: the need for job security, safe working conditions and overall stability Level 3 Social: the need for being loved, a sense of belonging, inclusion and workplace camaraderie Level 4 Esteem: the need for recognition, prestige and promotion Level 5 Self-Actualization: The need for autonomy, development and creativity An employees Ability are the natural aptitudes and learned capabilities that are required to successfully complete a task. This requires proper analysis of a persons core competencies and then matching them with the appropriate job. Role Perceptions refer to the beliefs held about what behavior is required to achieve the end results which include an understanding of what tasks need to be performed, their relative importance and preferred behaviors to accomplish them. Situational Factors encompass the environmental conditionals beyond an individuals short-term control that constrain or facilitate behaviors such as time, people, budget and work facilities. Types of Behavior in Organizations A significantly important aspect influencing organizational behavior is a persons Personality. Personality can be described as a set of feelings and behaviors that have been significantly formed by genetic and environmental factors and that explain a persons behavioral tendencies. Some major forces influencing personality include cultural and hereditary forces, family relationships and social class. These factors along with others, contribute towards the 5 big personality dimensions: Openness to Experience : Sensitive, Flexible Conscientiousness : Careful, Dependable Extroversion : Outgoing, Talkative Agreeableness : Courteous, Caring Neuroticism : Anxious, Hostile The importance of the study of different behavioral patterns is essential in unleashing the potential of any organization by unleashing the potential of all individuals who work therein. The Locus of Control determines the degree towards which individuals believe their behaviors influence what happens to them. Whereas Internals believe in their efforts and abilities Externals believe events are mainly due to external causes. It is the presence of such personalities spread throughout an organization which deems necessary appropriate maneuvers to maintain positive behavior in as many of its employees as possible. In addition to the benefits already discussed brought about by such behavior to organizations, an equally important aspect is that of self-efficacy and motivation. The ability to adapt ones behavior to a given situation is not only an important learning tool but a vital quality to have in your possession in order to cope with the different cultures that now exist within organi zations, while retaining ones unique identity. Furthermore the visualization of reactions to constraints posed to oneself might give them a clearer idea of the reactions of others to the same situation and possible tactics to handle it better. 1.5 Organizational Theory Organizational theories can be broadly classified as follows: Classical Organizational Theory deals with formal organization and its concepts to improve upon management efficiency. i) Taylors Scientific Management Approach (1947): This approach focused on achieving efficiency, standardization, specialization and simplification brought about by the planning of work. It also stressed on mutual respect between management workers to increase productivity by implementing measures to reduce physical emotional stress of workers, providing them with appropriate training to develop their capabilities and by eliminating the traditional boss concept. Taylor suggested 4 principles of scientific management for improved productivity: An employees work should be tackled in a scientific methodology, rather than by a rule-of-thumb. Hiring of members should be based on some analysis who are then trained, taught and developed. Management should apply a policy of cooperation rather than conflict with labors to achieve goals. Training of workers be carried out by experts using scientific methods. ii) Webers Bureaucratic Approach (1947): This approach took into consideration the organization as a segment of broader society, but was criticized for its rigidness, impersonality, unfeasible to bigger objectives and lack of initiative to improve status (Hicks and Gullett, 1975). The basis of the approach was on the following principles: Existence of hierarchy system with clear amounts of responsibility and authority defined for each position. Rules and Regulations should govern the behavior of organizations to maintain predictability and stability. Hiring and selection of employees should be impartial. Designations and not people should be delegated responsibility and authority to maintain democracy. iii) Fayols Administrative Theory (1949): This theory relates to the accomplishment of tasks and touches on management principles functions and concepts of line, staff committees. Productivity of technical and managerial work can be improved by dividing and/or specialization of the work. Authority and due responsibility are essential in achieving organizational objectives. Being answerable to and taking orders from a single supervisor would be most efficient in unity of command. All members of the organization should have a common goal to provide them with direction. Organizations interests should be given priority over individual and/or group interests. Measures to retain employees by several methods (e.g. time incentives, bonuses, profit-sharing, etc.) Management should utilize a blended system of both centralized decentralized decision making. Members on the same level of hierarchy should work together to accomplish work (Scalar chain). The organization should try to establish equity, fairness and justice. Employees should be given time to settle into their work and be assured of the security of their jobs. Members should be encouraged to show initiative. Measures to strengthen unity and allegiance should be practiced which would yield better performance. Concept of line and staff holds equally as important in organizations as anywhere else. Members from different departments at same hierarchal level can form committees around common goals. Functions of management include planning, organizing, training, commanding and coordinating functions (Fayol, 1949) as well as staffing, directing, reporting and budgeting (Gulick Urwick, 1937). Neoclassical Theory shed light upon the importance of individual group behavior and good social relations between all hierarchal levels to improve productivity as a result of high-morale brought about by such measures (Roethlisberger and Dickson, 1943). The neoclassical approach was based on the following principles: All members of an organization should be treated with the respect that a human deserves rather than be classified as a tool and as such requires fulfillment beyond economic and security factors. The approach highlighted informal groups at work within the formal organization and its importance. Workers should be allowed opportunities in decision making processes that would allow for a new and more effective form of management besides increasing productivity. Modern Theories define an organization as a designed and structured process in which individuals interact for objectives (Hicks and Gullet, 1975). The theories can be broadly classified as follows: i) The Systems Approach: This takes on the view that organizations are composed of systems and sub-systems which are mutually dependent on each other and may be composed of some components, functions and processes (Albrecht, 1983). So the organization has 3 basic elements (Bakke, 1959): 1. Components; that include the individual, formal and informal organization, patterns of behavior emerging from role demands of the organization, role comprehension of the individual, and the physical environment in which individuals work. 2. Linking processes; like communication, balance and decision making between the different components to operate in an organized and correlated manner. 3. Organizational Goals; like growth, stability and interaction between all members of the organization. ii) Socio-Technical Approach: This considers an equilibrium between people (the social system), techniques knowledge (the technical system) and consumers (the external environment) to be of great significance in determining the organizations effectiveness (Pasmore, 1988). iii) The Contingency or Situational Approach: The situational approach takes into account that as organizations are highly dependent of their external environments, there can be no universal guideline suited for all situations (Selznick, 1949; Burns and Stalker, 1961; Woodward, 1965; Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967). The contingency approach suggests that social, legal, political, technical and economic factors need to be taken into consideration before determining an organizations relations to different environments (Hellriegel and Slocum, 1973).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Theory of Attributions Essay -- Psychology

Attributions are referred to as the causes of behaviour, and these can be viewed as dispositional or situational. Constructing attributions allows an understanding of others. This allows us to make judgments, which in turn allow us to form an impression of an individual, which will either promote or inhibit our interaction with that individual. Attribution is an important aspect of human behaviour, as it allows predications to be made with respect to forthcoming actions. Attribution explains human causal reasoning i.e. the idea that observed behaviour can be explained as being the result of a specific cause; there is an explanation or a reason behind all observed behaviour. Attribution theorists not only focus on the actual causes of behaviour, but also upon the perceived causes too. The psychology discipline has conducted extensive research into attribution. Kelly and Michela (1980), reported over 900 attribution studies which were conducted in the 1970’s. There are many Attribution theories that aim to unravel the causes of human reasoning. The three main theories to be discussed in this essay are Heider (1958), Kelley (1967) and Jones and Davis (1956). Attributions are referred to as the causes of behaviour; these can be viewed as dispositional or situational. The Construction of attributions allows an understanding of others. This also assists make judgments which in turn allow us to form an impression of an individual, which will either promote or inhibit our interaction with the individual. Attribution is an important aspect of human behaviour, as this allows a predication of forthcoming actions. Human causal reasoning is the idea that behaviour observed can be explained by a cause; there is an explanation or a re... ...rey & Felman 1991;Wilkening &Lamsful 1993). Gigerenzer (1991) suggests humans use â€Å"tools† and methods similar to those used by scientists. These theories have been useful as they have been used as a foundation to develop more current improved theories. Social Psychology continues to advance therefore the research needs to be updated to the society we live in. The traditional attribution theories can be useful to the modern world but do not necessarily apply to all cultures and individuals. Theories must be able to be generalizable to the majority therefore individual differences must be taken into account when developing new theories. Although the theorists have been criticised for being simplistic and out-dated the ideas are very influential. The ideas from these traditional theories continue to be used as a foundation for the forthcoming theories.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

A Memorable Experience: My Son’s Graduation Day

Memorable Experience Having children in my life make me feel more responsible. I have two children, teenagers, Elvis 17 years old and David 14 years old. My husband and I raise them with love and devotion but It comes a moment and we realize that they are growing up very fast. My younger son finished eight grade In Forest Middle School. Celebrating my son s graduation was a memorable experience for me. A good looking Is Important for this event. For examples, he was dressed In pants, and shirt, and tie. He looked Like a man.He Is taller than me and that It means too such for me because I m very short for him. And sure I was In perfect dress for that event, too. I bought a beautiful dress especially for that day. I invited my mother to be with us in that special day. The ceremony was so emotional. For instance, the principal speech was so emotional and encouraging the student for their future, so in the end of it everybody were in cheer. Another emotional moment was when one of the st udent sang the national anthem. She did it in perfect way and all the people liked it.And the third and important nominal moment was when I heard MO son ‘s name by the principal f the school who gave him the diploma. I was in tearful from emotions. His name was between honor students. He is such a nice child. He never gives me hard time during his life. My mother and I felt both proud of him. We took some pictures to memorize those moments, with teachers, who felt so proud for my son, and his friends and then we left. The party for graduated student is the cherry on cake. The party took place in a small bar. He did know nothing about it. The party was a surprise for him. Y younger sister was prepared the party. The adornments and lour balloons decorated the place. All my sisters and brothers with their husbands and wife with their children ,too, were there to help her and to celebrate with my family. There also were friends, and relatives, and neighbors, too. The drinks, the m usic, and the food were amazing. Everybody had fun that day. We danced and we sang Albanian music all late afternoon. To memorize those moments we did pictures and videos. Celebrating my son ‘s graduation was the most wonderful and amazing moment for my family especially for younger one.A Memorable Experience: My Son's Graduation Day By trendily with love and devotion but it comes a moment and we realize that they are growing up very fast. My younger son finished eight grade in Forest Middle School. Celebrating my son ‘s graduation was a memorable experience for me. A good looking is important for this event. For examples, he was dressed in pants, and shirt, and tie. He looked like a man.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The United States, the USSR, and the Cold War essays

The United States, the USSR, and the Cold War essays Post-Second World War Canadian life was one of fear and suspense due to the threat of impending war. The close of World War Two left a sharp contrast between opposing communist and democratic governments, which escalated and became the Cold War. Emerging superpowers the US and the USSR's frigid relationship in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race, and the Korean War left the world on edge during the fifties and sixties. The Cuban Missile Crisis saw the superpowers on the brink of nuclear war; repercussions of which are still felt today. What became known as the "Space Race" brought forth technological competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Cold War encompasses not only nuclear and technological warfare but also hand-to-hand combat, as when the US and USSR fought in Korea. IN the previous World War, Canada established herself as a mediator in world affairs. In the Cold War, Canada upheld her reputation as a middle-power and acted accordingly in The Cuban M issile Crisis, the Space Race and the Korean War. Tensions between the US and the USSR had been on the rise since the dropping on the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. This event initiated the 'arms race' between the superpowers, in which they competed in nuclear arms buildup. The Cuban Missile Crisis resulted in a suspenseful staredown between the Soviets and Americans until Premier Krushchev pulled arms out of Cuba on the 29th of October 1962. The threat of nuclear war had passed, but repercussions are still felt today as the U.S. refuses Cuba trade. The crisis was an expression if the soviets mass of nuclear weapons which were made to overpower the U.S. The Cuban Missile Crisis showed the world the severity of pre-existing frigid relations, and in doing this, greatly increased tensions between the superpowers. This crisis was the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war. Canada acted firm internationally as an Organization of A...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word Adding page numbers to a Microsoft Word document is a fundamental element of formatting. This is particularly important in a longer piece of work, like a dissertation, since it prevents the pages from getting mixed up and helps your reader navigate the document. What many people don’t realize, however, is that Microsoft Word offers customized formatting options for page numbers, allowing you to apply different styles to different parts of a document. In today’s blog post, we run through how you can use page numbers to make your work look tidy and professional. Adding Page Numbers to a Document The basic process of adding page numbers to a document is simple. All you need to do is: Go to the â€Å"Insert† tab and click â€Å"Page Number† in the â€Å"Header Footer† section In the dropdown menu, select where you want your page numbers to appear (header, footer or margins) Finally, select the alignment for your page numbers (left, right or center) This will add page numbers throughout your document, making it easier to navigate between sections. Formatting Page Numbers The default page number style in Microsoft Word can be adjusted using the â€Å"Format Page Numbers† option in the dropdown menu. The pop-up menu that appears when you click on this gives you two main options: Number Format This allows you to control the style of numbering you apply in your document. The default is Arabic numerals, but you can use lettering or Roman numerals instead if you prefer. You can also add the chapter number to your page numbering by selecting â€Å"Include Chapter Number,† but this only works if you’ve applied appropriate â€Å"Heading† styles in your document. Page Numbering These options allow you to control the number at which your page numbering starts. Usually this will default to â€Å"1,† starting at the first page of your document. Sections Breaks and Page Numbering Microsoft Word can also apply different styles of page numbering in different parts of your document. This can be handy if, for instance, you want the page numbers to begin only after the cover page, or if you wanted to use Roman numerals for pages preceding the introduction. To do this, however, you’ll need to add section breaks to your document: Select where you want a section break to appear Go to â€Å"Page Layout† and click â€Å"Breaks† Select â€Å"Next Page† under â€Å"Section Breaks† in the dropdown menu To apply different page number styles before and after the break: Go to â€Å"Insert† and find the â€Å"Header Footer† section Select â€Å"Edit† under either â€Å"Header† or â€Å"Footer† Select the header/footer where you want to apply a particular numbering style In the â€Å"Design† tab, deselect â€Å"Link to Previous† Once this is done, changing the formatting style of the page numbers in one part of the document will leave preceding sections unchanged.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Kurt Vonnegut Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kurt Vonnegut - Essay Example And unusually for this form, Vonnegut's science fiction is frequently comic, not just in the "black humor" mode with which he has been tagged so often, but in being simply funny" (Reed). Therefore, he gave a new prospective on comic and science fiction, which was refreshing to most readers. From there, some of the imagery in his books and artwork clarify what some people go through in order to survive life which encourages the reader to take an interest in it because it is something that some Americans are going through at the moment. "Vonnegut's vision of the fantastic in daily life surely must have been influenced by some of the extraordinary events that occurred while he was still a young man, such as the suicide of his mother on Mother's Day 1944 while he was home on leave; his surviving as a prisoner of war the Allied firebombing that destroyed Dresden; the death of his sister Alice from cancer within hours of her husband's death in a train crash. His fiction struggles to cope with a world of tragi-comic disparities, a universe that defies causality, whose absurdity lends the fantastic equal plausibility with the mundane. Much the same outlook pervades the graphic artworks that have increasingly occupied Vonnegut in recent years" (Reed). As it can be seen from his work, it shows a lot of imagery where people's experience when they are wounded and about to face painful consequences of life.However, some critics of his work do not think it gives true imagery of life because it seems more dramatic than that. Just as Vonnegut's prose style has often been characterized as honed-down, so too there is a spareness to his graphics. That is the chief distinction between the vigorously colored felt-tip calligraphy of the early 1980s and the later silk screened art. And in both, the relative simplicity of expression counterpoints the generosity of imagination and vision, making the work more compelling. Vonnegut's concise verbal pronouncements often deflate those myths habitually proffered as giving meaning to daily existence. Yet at the same time his ranging imagination captures the fantastic that permeates the mundane, the fact stranger than fiction that makes daily life forever beyond rationalization. That sense of the fantastic, of the chaotic that fills life with surprises both painful and comic, finds expression in his graphic art as it does in his fiction (Reed)". From there, he could accomplish his goals and successes because he had family support. Socially supportive arrangements as the attributes of socially legitimate roles which provide for the meeting dependency needs without loss of esteem, they are less likely to show aggression while suppressing destructive behavior. From there, socially supportive environments were presented as pattern interpersonal relationships mediated through shared values and sentiments as well as facilitate the performance of social roles through which needs are met. In summation, social support has been defined as an intervening factor tied directly to the coping process 1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North Americ

Friday, November 1, 2019

Th_ Correlation B_tw__n Attendance Patterns And Math Scores of 10th Dissertation

Th_ Correlation B_tw__n Attendance Patterns And Math Scores of 10th grade High School Students In New York - Dissertation Example Likewise, for Grade 10 mathematics specific to New York State. This study will take two main methodological approaches, first, the correlative method and second, a regression analysis. Both methods will approach the connection between the two variables in question in order to determine whether or not the effect of absenteeism has the same impact as it does on other disciplines and at other grade levels. Both the correlative method and the regressive analysis will also be applied to a number of variables associated with absenteeism. Can it be said that the causes of absenteeism are the very same for low academic results? Likewise, which among the variables can be said to be the most significant among the different correlations related to absenteeism. Is there one variable which stands out amongst all of the others? This question too will be addressed through the correlative method alongside a regression analysis. In the second half of this analysis, this study will look at some of the limitations of the study. It will be argued that OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the following is to establish a methodology in order to determine whether there is a correlation between attendance and achievement in Grade 10 mathematics among students in New York State. ... The following will outline the basic methods for investigation which will be the correlation method – that is, a correlation between achievement and absenteeism. Second, the main methodological approach will be a regression analysis. This will take into consideration further variables including those which contribute to absenteeism. Finally, this analysis will turn to some of the limitations of the proposed study. It will be maintained that some of the main problems with the study in question, concerns some ethical considerations around race and ethnicity, and in turn, the consequences of the study. It will be maintained that while the approach to the study is fairly straight forward in methodological terms, there are some limitations in regard to the subject matter and how the very sensitive issue of race and ethnicity is dealt with in the analysis. METHODOLOGY. CORRELATIVE METHOD: Correlation is the linear relationship that defines two succinct variables, and the coefficient is the measure or relationship between the two variables expressed in a numerical term. In the present study, the main variables to consider as correlates are 'attendance' and 'achievement' in the subject of mathematics. The value of such a correlation coefficient lies somewhere between the integers of +1 and -1 which are positive and negative coefficients respectively, and they both represent a perfect positive or negative coefficient. That is, a coefficient of -1 is a perfect negative correlation and +1 is a perfect positive correlation [Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2005 p. 193]. Phrased in different terms, if an analysis produces either coefficient there is a conclusive relationship defined by the coefficients in question,

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Book review <screwtape letter> Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Book review - Essay Example The letters focus on the various ways that a newly converted Christian branded "Patient" can be tempted. The objective of these letters is to teach Wormood how to secure "Patients" eternal condemnation. C.S. Lewis, the author, tries to explain the spiritual struggles faced by a Christians in their efforts to overcome the forces of sin. The author refers to God as the ‘enemy’ and refers to Satan, as ‘father’ in some parts of the book. This adds a nice twist to the book from a literacy point of view and it brings out undisputable creativity but as a Christian, this is uncomfortable and to some extent unacceptable. Nonetheless, the book inspires the readers to think deeply about God’s character, something that is often overlooked. The book also brings to life the reality of heaven and hell. The book urges Christians to be on the lookout as the devil is always hunting for "recruits" to help him accomplish his mission of pulling people from God. Lastly, the book reminds us that God is very loving and merciful thus he will always guard those who remain faithful to him. However as much as God is keen to draw humankind to him, the book reminds us that unless we choose to follow him, we will not be among those who will go to heaven. This piece call upon everyone to chose between the path to heaven and the one that leads to hell, but also gives the reader an idea of the consequences for each decision. This book is ideal for anyone who is interested in learning more about leading a Christian life. It helps one view temptation from a different perspective hence making it easier to avoid falling into the trap. Unlike so many other Christian books that are informative but plain, The Screwtape Letters is an interesting and highly enlightening

Monday, October 28, 2019

Gangs in Rio Essay Example for Free

Gangs in Rio Essay Gangs have always been a challenge to a states government. In Rio de Janeiro slums have always been dangerous because of the amount of the amount of gang members going around with guns, knives and many other weapons. There are many ways to understand these gangs; many believe that they do it for respect while others believe they do it because they have no other choice. In the movie â€Å"City of God† we can see the lives of many gang members that live in the slums. With many different sociologist perspectives we can comprehend various aspects of these gangs. Symbolic interactionist, Conflict theorist and Feminism theory are all different sociological perspective that will be discussed in this essay. First of all, Rio de Janeiro is known for their dangerous slums. Many would automatically think violence when It comes around that neighbourhood. To begin with, Symbolic interactionist focus on the subjective aspect of the social life, they base their perspective on the image they have of humans rather than the image they have on the society. One of the key aspects of the perspective is; we are influenced by culture and social processes, such as social norms. In the movie â€Å"City of God†, we can see that many people join the gangs because it has almost become part of their culture to be gang members. Symbolic interactionist would be interested in the way the gang grows very quickly. We can see in â€Å"City of god† or even in â€Å"News from personal war† that kids join the slums army at a really young age because of the amount of people that are part of it. Taking example on the Runts in the â€Å"City of God† movie, we can see that these young kids are mostly influenced by the older dealers fame and money. I believe that symbolic interactionist would be interested in how the kids from the movie â€Å"News from the personal war† don’t see anything wrong in their violent acts. They believe that they are doing nothing but positive for their society. By bringing back medicine, food and clothes to the population they picture themselves as Hero’s and has great citizens. The society encourages them to continue with these violent and dangerous acts by praising them because of the things they give back to their people. This is a major fact of the gangs growth in these low class countries. In this perspective there is also an important aspect that says; we act towards other based on the meaning that those other people have for us. For example, if we look at Knockout Ned’s murderer, he was just an innocent boy that was trying to get revenge for his father’s killer. Not knowing the consequences that this would have on his life he joined a gang to give honour to his father. Symbolic interactionists believe that our social structure is based by our social interactions with others. In other words, symbolic interactions would believe that hood boys had reason and justifications to why they were part of a gang. The crew tremendous growth is because of the social structure that they have in Rio de Janeiro. Secondly, conflict theories would portray the situation in Rio de Janeiro completely differently. Conflict theorists believe that societies are composed of groups in power, status and influence. For example, in the film Lil Ze and his crew would be considered as the group in power, status and has influence on kid. In the movie, Lil Ze makes a rule of no hold ups or anything in the slums by runts. This proves that Lil Ze has complete control on the community because he sets any rule that he desires, we can basically call him a president. Conflict theorist would also argue that the powerless are more prone to break the rules. We can take example on the Runts once again; they robe stores knowing that it is against the societies rules. In the film, Lil Ze seems to blame victims when he would commit violent crimes. He was convinced that people that break rules should pay for their actions. He found happiness in killing people for no absolute reason. Most times, the neighbourhoods and societies are the subjects of study, the battle between rich and poor. Poor people seem to not be able to escape the streets of the city of God, the opportunities to get out of the slums are really slums. In the beginning of the movie you see homeless people walking on the streets and the narrator mentions that these people have nowhere to but to stay on the streets. It is really hard for the poor to avoid doing crimes because of their low level of education, money and opportunity. At last, Feminist theory is known to discuss the importance of gender inequality. For the movie, I believe that the women are experience all the stereotypes we can imagine. In the movie we can see that women are completely used as object and are not respected. In the scene where Lil Ze rapes Knockout Ned’s girlfriend we can see that it is just because to show how he can get whatever he wants, whenever he wants from any women. He uses the girl as an object as if she wasn’t worth anything. This could be considered as gendercide in other words, he raped her as a war crime. The feminist theory also argues the fact that women are completely ignored in societies. Looking at the â€Å"City of God† film, the scene where the two women are talking about their sex experience and one of them mentions how her husband would beat her for asking such things. This shows how women do not have their word to say about anything in the movies. That same women get beat and barried alive because of her unfaithfulness towards her husband but yet, police are more preoccupied into catching Shaggy. This shows us how important the women’s death is to people. Women are mistreated and ignored from society because they are considered to be housewives by stereotype. To conclude, there are different ways of looking at the movie â€Å"City of God†, Symbolic interactionist can look at it has the subjective aspect of the social life, the look at people’s image instead of people image on society. However, Conflict theorist are interested in the people who basically run the streets, the people in power with status and influence. Finally, Feminism theorist are mostly interested in the gender inequality that we can see in societies. All these theories help us have different opinions of people who live in slums like the movie â€Å"City of God† and may bring to and understanding the people who actually live in them

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Cannibalism Essay -- essays research papers

There are so many bad things in the world but according to many, cannibalism is considered just about the worst. Depending on your point of view, it rises above even such criminal abominations as, rape and genocide. Then again, we live in a culture, in which people would run vomiting to the bathroom if they saw what went into making their McDonald's hamburgers. Cannibalism, also known as anthropophagi, is defined as the act or practice of eating members of the same species. The word anthropophagi comes from the Arawakan language name for the Carib Indians of the West Indies. The Caribs are well known for their practice of cannibalism. Among humans, this practice has been attributed to people in the past all over the world, including rituals connected to tribal warfare. There are two kinds of cannibalism -- sociological and pathological. Sociological means living and eating in a culture where cannibalism is accepted, and the pathological means practicing cannibalism within a culture where it's not accepted. Much controversy exists over the idea of sociological cannibalism. Reports of social cannibalism are mostly pointed at the Americas and Africa, since these were the primary continents subjected to European killing and conquest sprees from the Middle Ages through modern times. Despite what anyone says, there are documented examples of cann ibalistic cultures and practices. It was usually a spiritual ritual. In some cases, the bodies of enemies were consumed in order to abso...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Changing Role of Women in Automobile Advertisements Essay -- Compa

Side-by-side are two advertisements, each showing a picture of a car and two family members. The ads demonstrate the amount of power allotted to women in the times they were made. The differences in these ads far outweigh the similarities. The ad Ââ€"from a 1954 Good Housekeeping Ââ€"shows a woman being reprimanded by her husband for wrecking their car. The otherÂâ€"from a 2003 RedbookÂâ€"shows a wife and mother holding her daughter with one hand and an umbrella with the other. One woman is ignorant, irresponsible, incapable, and not in control; the other is competent, responsible, and in control. The evolution of advertising reflects the changes that have taken place in the way American society views women. The ads use body image, body language, and text to encapsulate the stereotypical women of each era; in the 50's, women needed to be controlled, but now women can be in control. The 1954 ad portrays the ideal woman of that era. This ideal was incredibly unrealistic. She has a tiny waist but large birthing hips. Her feet are small and she's wearing super-high heels. Her hands are petite and feminine, yet she's not holding anythingÂâ€"her purse has fallen to the ground. But, not a hair is out of place, and the elegant skirt and top she is wearing look unharmed, putting even more emphasis on the fact that the man is "wearing the pants." The 1950's society viewed women as incompetent. They needed their husbands to be in control because they could not fend for themselves; when they tried, they "crumpled fenders." Still, the woman in the ad is the ideal womanÂâ€"Barbie. She is only good for looking pretty and having children, otherwise, she can't do anything right. No wonder she is not able to drive the car without wreckingÂâ€"that in... ...rn society sees women as real people with intellect. Instead of not being allowed or perceived as capable of controlling their own lives and situation, today's women are expected to control their own lives without interference or constant dependence on others, or more specifically, their husbands. These advertisements demonstrate just what a drastic change has taken place in the last fifty years. Even though both ads are about cars, the body image, body language, and text portray a striking difference in the view of women. Maybe this change was brought about by the Women's Liberation Movement, maybe such subjugation just cannot last forever. But whatever the cause, the change has definitely taken place. Works Cited "Dodge Caravan." Advertisement. Redbook June 2003: 75. "Safety Power Steering by Saginaw." Advertisement. Good Houskeeping Feb. 1954: 40.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance

In 1985, Michael Porter published Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. In this book, he described how organizations can achieve competitive advantage in their industries. Porter's focus in this book was not on an overall competitive strategy, but on what organizations needed to do on a daily basis to achieve results. As Porter (3) stated, â€Å"My aim is to build a bridge between strategy and implementation. † To create the link between the overall strategy of a firm and how that strategy could be achieved, Porter referred to value. As Porter (3) stated, â€Å"competitive advantage grows fundamentally out of value a firm is able to create for its buyers that exceeds the firm's cost of creating it. † This focus on value led to the concept of the value chain, which refers to the internal processes that occur as the organization creates its product or service. Value chain management is not just a process that occurs within an organization. Instead, it is closely linked to the competitive environment. This means that value chain management takes into account the industry in which the organization operates. This is referred to as the industry value chain and describes how the industry overall adds value to the consumer. This is an important point because it means that value chain management does not just refer to the series of processes that occur within the organization. As an example, consider the case of Apple's Ipod. If creating value was only considered in the context of what happens within the organization, the focus might be purely on the manufacturing process. Apple might consider their value chain as a process where raw materials are converted to the product and where the product is distributed to the consumer. In terms of improving the value of their product, they might consider that saving on raw materials, decreasing production time, and improving distribution will help add value. The problem with this approach is that it does not identify the real value that consumers gain from the product. This real value is identified when the MP3 player industry is considered on a broader level. This broader view shows that value is added more by marketing than by manufacturing. Apple's value chain includes the major activities that instill value in the product. Marketing with the aim of gaining consumer support is one of the key ways to add value. It is this aspect that Apple competes against with the other organizations in the market. This illustrates that value chain management is a process of recognizing what activities add value to the organization and then focusing on these activities to gain competitive advantage. The aim is not to improve everything about the organization, but to improve the processes that will allow the organization to gain an advantage on the competition. Porter (39) also identified various generic factors that are part of an organization's value chain. These generic factors are: inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service. Porter considered that these five areas add value to a firm. Porter (40) also identified several support factors. These support factors are: infrastructure of the organization, human resource management, technology, and procurement. Porter identified these generic factors as a general guideline for organizations, while noting that the industry's competitive factors determine what factors will comprise the value chain for a specific firm. For example, in the case of Apple's Ipod, sales and marketing would be a key factor and technology would also be a part of the value chain. In the case of an organization manufacturing and selling nails, sales and marketing is not likely to be a large part of the value chain. Instead, operations may be more important, with the aim being to manufacture the nails as cost effectively as possible so as to maximize profits. For any organization, value chain management is used to identify the key factors that add value in the industry and then to determine how to improve those key factors so as to become more competitive. Southwest Airlines is one organization that has successfully used value chain management to improve its performance. Southwest Airlines is recognized as a success in the airline industry not just because it is a successful company, but also because it made positive changes to the industry. It is generally considered as a pioneer. This success is linked, at least partially, to its use of value chain management. Pellet (53) describes Southwest Airlines as a company that found creative ways to make improvements, with these improvements especially related to reducing the downtime of aircraft, improving scheduling, and making maintenance more efficient. At the same time, Southwest Airlines needed to improve cost-effectiveness so it could offer a lower price to its customers, but still maximize profits. Southwest Airlines based its success on identifying the industry value chain. This included noting the key industry factors that determine success. With the key industry factors identified, Southwest Airlines was able to find creative ways of improving on these factors. One of the important points is that Southwest Airlines' strategy did not just involve copying what other airlines were doing. This was achieved because they were not comparing themselves to what others were doing. Instead, they were only focused on how they could improve. This allowed them to identify unique ways of doing things and this is how they managed to gain competitive advantage. Southwest Airlines' successes were enough to get them listed in Fortune magazine's â€Å"Top 100 Companies† list. In the magazine, it is noted that Southwest Airline won the Triple Crown award for Best Airline five times; a fact that shows their success is more than just financial (Moskowitz and Levering 148). Southwest Airline became the best in the industry. Their success shows how effective value chain management leads to competitive advantage. Finally, it is useful to consider how value chain management has changed since it was first introduced by Porter in 1985. One of the major changes is that computer software has become an important tool in the process. Computer software has been developed to identify problems and opportunities for improvement in the value chain. This is largely focused on the manufacturing process, but can also be applied to any process where efficiency is desired. Another significant trend is that the value chain is extended further, both upline and downline. For example, many organizations are considering the internal processes of their suppliers. The idea is that if the supplier improves their value chain, the organization that receives the output of the supplier also benefits. In addition, if the supplier can improve efficiency and reduce costs, the benefits can be passed on to the organization by lowering the price of raw materials. The same applies to considering upline organizations, such as distributors and retailers. This is creating an environment where organizations are demanding more from companies that provide them with any type of service. In turn, many companies are becoming less like suppliers and more like partners. This allows the organization to assist supplier companies, while also ensuring that they benefit from the improvements that suppliers make. This creates an environment where organizations are linked together by either formal or informal partnerships. In some cases, both organizations work together to determine how they can best assist each other. In other cases, organizations have contractual demands on their suppliers. In other cases, a formal partnership is in place. In all of these cases, the same trend is seen, with organizations recognizing that other companies are part of their value chain.