Use Industrial Economic Theory to Assess the Extent

Vertical integration is the process of combining firms, usually under a single ownership, that are different parts of a larger production scale. This could be anything from two firms to all of the firms that make up the supply chain. Due to combining multiple smaller firms, this form of integration has an effect on the market power that the firm(s) has (Riordan, 2008). This differs to horizontal integration which is the combination of firms or expansion of a single firm at one particular point of the production process (Black, Hashimzade, & Myles, 2009, p. 206-7).Vertical integration is usually carried out in one of two ways. Upstream, which can be referred to as backwards, and downstream, or forward, and the definition is linked to the ownership or controlling party. Upstream is to your suppliers and downstream is to your buyers (Enz, 2009, p. 214). Although vertical integration is usually upstream or downstream it can also be balanced which is where ownership or control is shared b etween the firms in the supply chain. There are multiple benefits associated with vertical integration but some of the benefits may differ between upstream and downstream.Some benefits that may arise are improved coordination between firms throughout the supply chain, cost savings through internalized transactions and an increased market share (Fairburn, & Kay, 1989, p. 10). There are many examples of both upstream and downstream integration in industry throughout history. In the 1970’s and 80’s many crude petroleum extracting companies acquired downstream firms such as refineries and distribution networks (â€Å"Idea: Vertical Integration†, 2009).This is mirrored today with many oil companies such as Shell and BP owning all parts of the supply chain from extraction to the petrol stations supplying the consumers. Smithfield Industries are a meat producing firm that has benefitted from upstream vertical integration. They have integrated with a variety of farms, s laughterhouses as well as other firms that make up the entire supply chain. They now have ownership or decision making power, such as changes to production levels to match changes in demand for the final products, in all the firms that supply them.As a result they now have 26% of the meat and poultry market (Pepall, Richards, & Norman, 2008, p. 449) as well as receiving other benefits such as maintaining a sustainable supply for larger numbers, having control over product quality (such as the leanness of the meat) and they have designed warehouses and barns for their subsidiaries to improve their operational efficiency. Most of these benefits are predominantly in favour of the retailer Smithfield as much of these benefits are associated with lowering costs across the supply chain which lowers their final input costs.These benifits, that are associated with lowering input costs, all indicate that Smithfeild do not suffer from double marginisation as a result of thier vertical integra tion. Double marginalisation is when all the integrated firms set a price above the marginal cost (MC) which then creates two sets of surpluses that are incurred, also reducing consumer surplus to make all parties worse off. Pepall, Richards & Newman state that this is not possible if there is competition either upstream or downstream in the chain (2008, p. 438).This is because competition can cause the wholesale price of inputs to be at the MC to either keep the upstream firm competing or the downstream firms final price competitive. Competition upstream that causes production at the MC can help the downstream firm, in this case Smithfield, achieve abnormal profits if they have monopoly power and the ability to descriminate thier prices. Although most of the benefits are for Smithfield, the subsidiaries will benefit from having more efficient processes and economies of scale that may be gained from the integration due to investment received from the parent firm.The profitability of the integration is linked to the level economies of scale obtained from it as the ability to coordinate the adoption of new technologies associated with lower marginal costs for the subsidiaries will define how much profit can be made (Avenel, 2008, p. 248). As well as this they will benefit from having a reliable retailer that will have a consistent demand for their products. Although they will have a consistent buyer for their products the subsidiaries will have to receive a lower unit price for their products as a result of bringing down their costs after the integration.This is not a negative as the demand for their product is consistent and the fall in market price will be proportional to the fall in costs. As well as Smithfield, other meat and poultry production firms have benefitted from having highly integrated production chains such as Tyson, ConAgra and Swift (Pepall, Richards, & Norman, 2008, p. 449). The integration of these firms is consistent with Lieberman’s v iews (1991, p. 452) of why upstream integration may take place. The main reason which is applicable to this situation is that if the inputs in question account for a arge proportion of total cost (which animals being bred for meat will do) then the downstream firm is more likely to integrate. Although all these firms are highly integrated and could offer much lower prices than they already do to the consumers they choose not to. Having a higher mark up allows them to receive higher profit margins from the lower input costs while keeping similar market prices for their final output. This is a form of non-price competition in order to receive higher profits and an example of Nash equilibrium.Nash equilibrium is where a set of price levels or production levels for each firm will not be changed based on the decision of the other competing firms (Pepall, Richards, & Norman, p. 197), meaning that if one lowers their price the rest of the competitors will retaliate and all start undercutti ng theirs but could end up resulting in loss of profits based on how much the prices change. Nash equilibrium is common in large oligopolistic markets which are also the most common for vertical integration to take place in.This is an example of how the benefits of this integration will not be asymmetric as the final retailer can increase its profits relatively by a much larger amount than the subsidiaries they are purchasing their inputs from. All the benefits previously mentioned which are mainly associated with lower costs and prices also cause another benefit by causing barriers to entry. These are things that make it difficult to enter the market (Black, Hashimzade, & Myles, 2009, p. 29).In this case the low costs due to higher efficiency will make competition for a new entrant difficult and will in turn detour others from attempting to enter the market which will keep the level of competition for the existing firm lower, especially in the case of the meat and poultry market wh ere many of the largest firms are highly integrated. Partnerships are a form of integration that does not include control or ownership but can still provide many benefits, usually cost orientated, that may be associated with conventional integration.Partnerships often occur when both firms involved are large and it would not be cost-effective to attempt to buy them. McDonalds are a company that as well as being highly integrated they also have many partnerships with companies such as Coca-Cola, Heinze and Microsoft. In the case of the Microsoft partnership some of the benefits are streamlining operations and reducing the total cost of operations (â€Å"Microsoft Partners with McDonald’s for Global Point-of-Sale Solution†, 2005).As well as this Microsoft will also benefit by improving thier brand awareness, specifically for thier Microsoft Smarter Hospitality system. In conclusion all parties will benefit from vertical integration. But the benefits are not asymmetric. I n an upstream integration the majority of the benefits are gained by the retailer that sells the final product. This is because they can increase their market share as a result of the integration as well as their costs can be greatly reduced while keeping their price relatively similar and hence creating more profits.The subsidiary firms may still end up with higher profit margins but the proportional increase is unlikely to match that of their owner firm. Another reason that the benefits are not asymmetric and are greater for the retailer is that they gain control over the subsidiary and the subsidiary has to relinquish some or all control to the owners. This allows the retailer to dictate what is produced in preparation for possible changes in demand or product portfolio which could lead to the supplier being left with excess stock.The benefits from barriers to entry will not be asymetric. In many cases, including the poultry market, the upstream markets are more monoploistic and more competitive as opposed to a more oligoposlistic structure downstream (associated with higher barriers to entry) which is shown by the fact that a single downstream firm will own multiple upstream suppliers. Also the fact that the downstream firms will get more cost/price benefits show that the added difficulty for new firms to compete will be harder. Bibliography Answers. (2011).Vertical Integration. Retrieved November 15 from http://www. answers. com/topic/vertical-integration Avenel, E. (2008). Strategic Vertical Integration without Foreclosure [Electronic Version]. The Journal of Industrial Economics,56(2), 247-262 Black, J. , Hashimzade, N. , & Myles, G. (2009). Oxford Dictionary of Economics (3rd ed. ). Oxford: Oxford University Press Enz, C. A. (2009). Hospitality Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases (2nd ed. ). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Fairburn, J. A. , & Kay, J. A. (1989). Introduction. In J.A. Fairburn, & J. A. Kay (Eds. ), Mergers & Merger Policy (pp. 1- 29). New York: Oxford University Press Idea: Vertical Integration. (2009, March 30). The Economist. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://www. economist. com/node/13396061 Leiberman, M. B. (1991). Determinants of Vertical Integration: An Emperical Test* [Electronic Version]. The Journal of Industrial Economics, 39(5), 451-466. Microsoft Partners with McDonald’s for Global Point-of-Sale Solution. (2005). Microsoft News Centre. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from http://www. icrosoft. com/presspass/press/2005/dec05/12-07McDonaldsPOSPR. mspx Pepall, L. , Richards, D. , & Norman, G. (2008). Industrial Economics: Contemporary Theory and Emperical Applications (4th ed. ). Padstow: Blackwell Publishing Riordan, M. H. (2008). Vertical integration. In S. N. Durlauf, & L. E. Blume (Eds. ), The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics (2nd ed. ). Palgrave Macmillian. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://www. dictionaryofeconomics. com/art icle? id=pde2008_V000029

At the Mind’s Limit by Jean Amery: Book Report Essay

â€Å"At The Mind’s Limit† is a series of essays written by Jean Amery, a German born Jew who survived the holocaust, who gives the reader a very interesting perspective into the mind of a persecuted Jew from 1935 forward. Amery does not consider himself a religious Jew or one who follows any Jewish traditions. In fact, he did not know that Yiddish was a language until he was 18. So Amery describes the events leading up to and following the holocaust through the eyes of an â€Å"intellectual† and tries to find out whether being an â€Å"intellectual† helped or hindered his mental and spiritual capacity as he experienced unimaginable terrors. The first section entitled At The Mind’s Limit, examines the effects of these unthinkable events on the minds of what he refers to as intellectual and non-intellectual people. Amery claims that intellectual people are people who know poetry, art, philosophy, music, and literature; basically a man who emerged from the Renaissance with a sense of reason. The initial shock of what was happening hit the Jews at different times. While all of the non-intellectuals began trying to hold onto anything that still made sense (God, possessions, family), the intellectual, plagued by reason, steps back from the event occurring and try to apply reason. Through reason they could see that they were totally helpless. Being rounded up to be slaughtered with no help in sight. This made the initial â€Å"sting† of the events leading up to the holocaust become worst for the intellectuals. Also, because the world around the intellectual used to hold so much meaning and beauty that is expressed for example in poetry, the fact the world that he now finds himself in holds no hope or beauty but instead only confidence in death burns deeper into the intellectual rather than the non-intellectual. The next section, entitled Torture, analyses the effects that torture had on the authors mind. While using minimal gruesome detail, Amery shows us a horrible picture in which the tortured experiences not only physical, but also mental and spiritual pains. Amery claims that every person feels a certain sense of security in the world. They believe that if they are in trouble someone will help them, and even though they hear of horrible things happened in the world, they would never think that anything bad would happen to them. This ideal view on life was torn away from the Jews as if a large curtain were dropped to reveal how uncertain and terrifying life can be. Amery calls this realization of life, as it truly is, the â€Å"first blow†. He goes on to say that â€Å"with the first blow from a policeman’s fist, against which there can be no defense and which no helping hand will ward off, a part of our life ends and it can never be revived†(29). It is as is they are being told that Santa is not real, and the possibility for that magic and perhaps part of their imagination that is ingrained into their sense of self is destroyed. With the author’s loss of the belief in humanity, if he were shown any small amount of such humanity he would become hysterical and for a moment be able to grasp the hope that humanity is alive. However, the torture Amery suffers through continues with him everyday as he explains, â€Å"Whoever was tortured, stays tortured†(34). In the third section entitled How Much Home Does a Person Need? Amery examines the meaning of â€Å"Home† beyond the romanticized connotation, and to determine the necessity for one to have a home. Amery defines the sense of Home as a sense of security in ones surroundings though linguistic assimilation and knowledge of the things around you. While the author agrees that these characteristics of a place to live can be achieved through extensive time spent in the area, he also recognizes the idea of a â€Å"homeland† where one grew into the culture and sees the â€Å"homeland† and the people who live there as an extension of himself. When the Jews left Germany through fear of persecution, they were stripped of the culture and community they thought they belonged to. It was challenging to try to find security in being a part of the Jewish community when there was not only the fear of persecution but also sometimes a lack of enthusiasm for other Jews to try and come together when they were faced with their own problems. These people who were not only cast out of their homeland, but also had to hide their cultural background in order to survive, truly know what it means to be homeless. They were not well received in the countries they immigrated to neither by native Jews nor non-Jews. They did not feel help from anyone in the world and therefore felt no sense of security. Amery says that â€Å"Genuine homesickness† was when he looked back at his life before any of this had happened and felt self-contempt and his hatred for his loss of self. These emotions are intensified when â€Å"Traditional homesickness† or nostalgia for the way things were kicks in, causing Amery to hate himself more for wanted to be back in the land that turned against him. He goes on to claim that people need a sense of home, and that without a sense of home people age very poorly. He says that young men are always seeing themselves as men of the future, while old men see themselves as what they were in the past. One grows with his â€Å"home† and needs that growth in order to look back on his life and be satisfied with being a man of the past. The fifth section, Resentment, discusses the author’s continual feelings of resentment towards the Germans people and whether or not they are justified. Amery makes many references to Nietzsche who defines resentment as a feeling that comes after the realization of helplessness toward the person rendering you helpless. Amery says he does not feel as ease traveling through the country that he had once called home. His resentment had not been felt right after his survival or the Holocaust, but developed over years of introspection and personal thought. Amery has an issue with the â€Å"collective guilt† of the German people. He felt as though this collective guilt led to the world forgiving the Germans too easily. It seems as though the Germans had all turned around and were accepted into the world without further repercussions other than trials of specific commanders in the Nazi party. Amery is taken aback by how the Germans, a people who are so invested into their rich cultural past, could simply sweep this period of time under the rug and continue on as if nothing had happened. He does not necessarily believe that the Germans should be physically punished; instead he thinks the Germans need to accept this as part of their history and use it to move forward understanding its historical significance. That is why when asked the question how long the Jews will preach the horrors or the Holocaust, Amery claims it should be as long as the Germans boast or hold pride in any part of their historical past. In the last section entitled On the Necessity and Impossibility of Being a Jew, Amery discusses his non-affiliation with Judaism through any cultural ties, while he was being shoved into the same category as them through social stereotypes and images. Amery states that if being a Jew implies having cultural heritage or religious ties then he is certainly not a Jew and there was no way that he could ever be one. He says he was so not interested in Judaism that he could not tell you which, if any, of his childhood friends were Jewish. However, he came to the realization that he was a Jew under the social spectrum after the Nuremberg Laws were passed in 1935. Beyond any religious or personal past, he was now officially labeled a Jew. He is thus told he is a Jew by the public while seeing he is not a Jew by the ideology of the religion. As Amery read the Nuremberg Laws, he claims that the realization of what was to come dawned on him as if were a formal death sentence. The Germans stereotyped the Jews as devilish and not worthy of love and compassion, and the world society accepted these labels and helped to degrade the Jews and strip away their sense of human dignity. After the war ended, as the world showed its unanimous contempt for the Nazis and sympathy for the Jews, Amery says he felt as if he had fully regained his dignity. As fast as the dignity was regained, it was lost again as the hostility and selfishness with which the Jews returning to their homes were met with showed Amery that this event had no significant impact on humanity. He still fears for himself, he fears for society and humanity as a whole, but he considers himself a Jew through his experiences and sacrifices; and with his new, perhaps slightly pessimistic, view of society hopes to aid the world in moving beyond these tragedies, but never forgetting. As an Actuarial Science major with a minor in Philosophy, I consider myself a person who looks at life with a certain analytical perspective driven by reason who also understands humanity and the way of the world. I think of myself as a modern renaissance man and so it is not hard for me to imagine myself as a candidate for what Amery calls an â€Å"intellectual†. Furthermore, as Amery denies cultural or religious ties to Judaism, I feel as though I can connect more with Amery then with other Jewish authors writing about their own experiences. I think that Amery makes many very keen observations while making sure to claim that this is the world from his perspective and he does not wish to speak for anyone but himself let alone the Jewish population. Amery seems like an extremely down to Earth individual who has reasonable examined and reexamined his emotions towards his past experiences and takes in account any and all objections and criticisms towards his ideas. I felt drawn into the book due to his honesty and found many more connections to other themes and authors in my other fields of study then I anticipated. I liked how the essays were not necessarily put in chronological order, but kept in the order from which the reader can see Amery’s ideas emerge and develop through his deep recollections. It was not as graphic and melancholic as most other Holocaust memoirs that I have read; instead it was a philosophical breath of fresh air retrospectively analyzing one mans experiences through living hell. Again, I view this as more of a philosophical memoir and as such I felt it read like a philosophy book, meaning that there was many philosophical and historic references and a free flowing speech which sometimes made it hard to follow. With this in mind, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in personal reactions to the Holocaust especially if they are knowledgeable in philosophy, which drastically increases the enjoyment of the book. There are few scenes of violence and more of a somber, intellectual approach to the issues brought into question with attempts to find reason beyond the intense emotional reactions the Jews faced. The author was witty and I found him enticingly enjoyable to read. I was expecting to be exposed to page after page of horrific images of the author’s experiences but was pleasantly surprised with this collection of essays. From this book, I feel as though I have gained deeper insight into the life of a Holocaust survivor. I have read of a man, not Jewish by his beliefs, but labeled a Jew because of who he was born into, who was persecuted and tortured beyond belief and instead of claiming his right to express whatever feelings he may have after these events, he dissects his own thoughts and emotions to try and find the reason beyond the initial emotional response. The book has truly shown me the meaning of the Mind’s Limit, and how any man can only take so much abuse and suffering. The fact that the author made it through the Holocaust is a miracle in itself, but he does not want to spend the rest of his life searching for meaning in God or death, but instead can only take his memories of the past and attempt to help the world to evolve beyond these days of the past, while holding the lessons they learned from it close to their hearts. Personally, I think as thought the book connected a lot with my life and other classes I am interested in. I definitely could feel the uncertainty in life the author experienced and could see myself in his shoes being taken away. The ideas the author tries to develop are similar to ideas and questions that have been brought up in other classes and still remain on my mind today. I want to thank Jean Amery for sharing his memoirs and commend him on holding so much importance on reason and being able to try and unveil reason in such a time of chaos. If tales like this do not spur us toward a more humane and understanding society, then I have little hope for the future of our civilization.

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Report on 1 - Case Study Example Rio Tinto, a Japanese company was jolted by an earthquake; that’s the cause of the issues that are being faced by the employees like Dermont. So now the question is how well the organization will be able to deal with an almost unprecedented situation? The problem is that people are puzzled as of this moment, they are not sure of how to tackle this situation as most of them are trapped. They faced some options while making a decision on which route to take. The first risk is that people might get hurt from falling nonstructural objects1. As the transcription describes that during the earthquake the people went under the desk to keep themselves safe from falling objects; the response of a building to an earthquake is determined by its design response spectrum2. Was there an appropriate design response spectrum at Rio Tinto? We can guess that yes, as the building survived. The situation described is like this, they are at the office and according to a clip they saw on TV, a gas terminus going up on flames. And the power stations of Tokyo were massively suffered as well as the fuel lines. So they had a choice, either to somehow make it to their homes or stay exactly where everyone was till the coast was clear and help/guidance was provided from authority. Direct losses were unable to estimate at that point in time; indirect losses calculated afterwards – they usually persist throughout recovery efforts3. According to the transcript, they chose the second option, and spent a night at the office. As for the traffic, it was operating only 10%-20% of its usual volume. Fuel stations were not functioning and gas was also disrupted by the jolts. Social and ethical issues that arose were to do with the emergency situations; for instance how will people help each other in such a calamity? The ethical issues faced here were to do with reopening the offices on Monday. Customers could possibly expect them on that, but there was a huge uncertainty; should the company be

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Causes of Renaissance - Essay Example Apart from that, urbanization of cities and growth of commerce provided a suitable background for the rise of Renaissance. Before the twelve century, Italy was mostly rural with only several small urban centers. However, the established trade relationships with Byzantine and Muslims guaranteed the flow of money and goods that added to the development of commerce and, subsequently, to the wealth of the country as a whole. (Mantin 62-63)The following, in its turn, led to the growth of individual and self-governed cities-states with their own banking and political systems. Consequently, by the time the central and northern European cities were still ruled by monarchs, cities in Italy enjoyed high levels of autonomy that penetrated into various aspects of life. The atmosphere of prosperity and freedom was established and appeared to be quite conductive for the beginning of Renaissance. Furthermore, decentralization of power weakened the influence of church and its strict doctrines on people as well as contributed to the prosperity of people in Italy. The medieval society was totally subdued by the dominant rule of a church. It made impossible social development and did not allow any intellectual or economic advancement, viewing them as contradictory to Christian doctrines. The situation changed in the thirteen century when the power and prestige of the Pope were questioned. At that time, monarchs and common people started to challenge the overwhelming influence of the church with its constant proclamations of asceticism.

Human Resources Employment law for Businesses Case Study

Human Resources Employment law for Businesses - Case Study Example Based upon these facts the company needs to retain legal counsel because the lawsuit is valid. 2. Natalie Weston has a valid lawsuit against her former employer. The store manager broke confidentiality when telling a company calling to verify Ms. Weston previously worked at the company by telling them she came to work drunk. Based upon these things the Martin's department store needs to retain legal counsel. In addition the description does not state that the store manager has any proof that Ms. Weston was drunk while at work. With this proof this situation can easily be called defamation of character. However, the determination in regards to ruling will maybe influenced by the evidence presented. If an employee or the potential employer provides a statement that this has occurred the employer will have a strong lawsuit against them. 1. There is a difference between an employee that reports a serious or violent crime to the police and an employee that reports someone stealing paper clips. The differentiation lies in the determination of the severity of the crime. Raping an individual would constitute a felony and stealing cars or car parts dependent upon the determined value would also constitute a felony. However, stealing paper clips is not a serve or violent crime. ... However, stealing paper clips usually is dealt with from the inside of the company by company officials. This notion was further demonstrated in this case as the court ruling found that "public policy favored citizen crime fighters and the exposure of criminal activity" (Muhl, 2001, p. 2). Thus ruling that stealing a screw driver and car parts are not in the same category and protection extends to Palmateer. 2. This crime occurring at International Harvester does call for more severity than stealing a two dollar screw driver. Stealing car parts and selling them is more complicated than stealing a screw driver. Obtaining stole car parts and selling them is an illegal deed regardless of who or where the car parts are being stolen from. This operation may expose thefts to stores, or people. Due to the nature of this crime the good faith clause is applicable to this situation. 3. Terminated works have some rights that extent past the termination. The termination should not be discussed with other workers in regards to the reason of termination. Further the former work has the right to confidentiality. Thus if a new potential employer calls to verify the employee was employed at the facility they should not release details of the termination. This is confidential information and the company may be sued. In addition the former employer may not say anything that maybe detrimental to the former employees character. This release of information (whether it is true or factious information) may cause the employee not to receive the potential job. This situation presents defamation of character.To further instill the rights of public policy this case occurred in a state that a good faith clause. According to Muhl(2001),the good faith clause has been

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America's Rise as a World Power from 1865-1898 - Essay Example Additionally, America signed treaties for trade with nations like France, a sign that shows the increase in trade relations, which also increased economic growth. The economic expansion of America to other countries is also another factor that contributed to its rise as a world power. The idea of expansion of trade internationally was started by William Seward with the help of other individuals. This was an advantage to America because the expansion and colonization of other nation increased the accessibility of raw materials for industrial purposes. With the availability of raw materials, industries expanded so did the economy. Moreover, American products were sold outside the country, which was because of the expansion of industries due to the industrial revolution. With the availability of surplus products in the market, America expanded its businesses to other countries. Additionally, the country made investments in other countries, which ensured that raw materials were available for industrial use, for example, America invested in oil fields in Mexico. The investment and expansion of America’s business to other nations was an advan tage to them because of the availability of cheap labor. Efficient communications that were invented helped increase trade within different nations. With the increase in trade because of the production of many products, America raised its status to one of the powerful nations. Coalitions of America with other nation for military, trade and industrial benefit is another contributing factor to its rise as a world power. England and America come together as trading partners after solving their differences that had aroused from the enmity they had because of San Juan Islands. Relations with other big nations like German and Russia was improved by German agreements to give islands of dispute to the Americans. Russians is seen to have sold Alaska to America. With the expansion of America beyond the Pacific, its economic power increased which also lead to its rise as a super power. America growth as to power was also contributed by the expansion of its military. They considered the expansion of the military because of involvement in trade and investments in other nations. Additionally, they also had to consider expansion done by other countries on their military system and follow suit. With the support of the idea of military expansion by Alfred Mahan, who argued that military expansion could guarantee Americans safety of their businesses, America’s economy could also be increased by a growth of the military. With the idea of Alfred, America was to build a military system and navy inclusive of stations throughout the world. This would ensure them the takeover of the world as a superpower. Events that led to Spanish War of 1898 Before the Spanish war of 1898, Cubans were in the hands of Spanish colonists and they tried to free themselves from the colonists. With the idea of getting independence from the Spanish, they revolted against the Spanish using guerilla war tactics. The Cuban uprising against the Spanish failed, which prompted the Spanish to impound the lager Cuban population and put them in one location, a situation that lead to a humanitarian crisis. This is because the location that the Cubans were detained made them easily exposed to diseases and malnutrition. America saw these situations

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Statistical Reasoning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statistical Reasoning - Assignment Example In strategic communication, statistics is also vital in formulation of policies and plans that require knowhow of further trends. For example, a business entity with a strategic intent of launching a new product and increasing production by 80% within the next 5 years needs statistics to achieve this. Using statistics, the business can plan concerning clients’ needs and likes. Checks on the quality of the product are more effective when using statistical methods. Decisions on new markets, site locations and profit estimation of the new products become easier with statistics. The government also relies heavily on statistical data and methods in laying down its economic strategies and budgets. Statistical data is most accurate information available when they are estimating expected revenues and expenditures (Sridhar, 2011). Statistics therefore, is vital in strategic communication as it provides facts to support the communicated concepts, statements and processes that are intended for an organization’s strategic goal by providing grounds for advanced planning (Sridhar, 2011). It facilitates forecasting based on current data and expected changes in the environment. A sample is taken from the population. A population is the sum of all individuals carries certain characteristics and to whom a researcher has interest in. A population can be a community of students in a college, teachers or even care racers. A sample refers to a subject of the population that is used to draw inferences regarding the entire population under study, considering some conditions. A sample constitutes different values from those of the population, and it is important for a researcher to minimize sampling error as much as possible (Hayes, 2009). A sample is important because, it is impossible to study the entire population. This would cost

Effects Trade in the World Economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effects Trade in the World Economy - Term Paper Example Free trade enables more goods and services to reach American consumers at lower prices, thereby substantially increasing their standard of living. Moreover, the benefits of free trade extend well beyond American households. Free trade helps to spread the value of freedom, reinforce the rule of law, and foster economic development in poor countries. The national debate over trade-related issues too often ignores these important benefits.†                If this is the case, why is it that there are those who oppose this kind of trade agreement. Analyzing the fact from the given statement would bring to us in a hypothesis that free trade could help stabilize the economy. However, what is in within the provisions of free trade that majority tends to disagree with its provision? And why do these people claim that the said trading activity would only jeopardize and put the economy of a certain country in a malady? These are the questions which revolve and come out into the picture whenever free trade becomes an issue.                Basically, if we are to analyze, these people would not be able to have these sentiments if they have not seen any irregularities with regards to the provisions of free trade. In contrary to the claim that the free trade agreement has made the economies in the world soaring high, Haslam (2002) pointed out the differences and negative implications of this kind of practice. â€Å"Free trade" policies simply allow corporations to freely access cheaper labor markets. Manufacturing facilities are moved to poorer nations - which have minuscule wages, often terrible working conditions and far fewer environmental regulations. Often these conditions result from direct interference by the US government, international financial institutions (such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) and/or the multinational corporations themselves. The idea that President Bush will be able to solely negotiate international free trade agreements - is downright terrifying. What the editorial calls "interference from Congress" is basically the way our country's Constitution is meant to work.

Efficacy of radiation treatment for recurrent keloids Essay Example for Free

Efficacy of radiation treatment for recurrent keloids Essay Keloid is a condition in which an overgrowth of scar tissue (basically fibrous tissue) occurs at the spot of damage to the skin. Besides skin injuries, keloids can also occur at the site of surgical incisions, traumatic lesions, burns, acne scars, scratches, insect bites, etc. The condition more frequently occurs in African-Americans, and is more common in younger individuals. The lesion usually crosses the site of normal skin injury. It appears flesh-colored, pink or red in color and may be nodular or ridged. They may be shiny and are slightly elevated above the skin. With time, the lesions become more and more flat and lighter in color. Keloids most often occur in the upper portion of the body including the chest and back. Areas that are frequently rubbed or experience great amounts of friction are at the high risk of developing keloids. Keloids that are exposed to sunlight are at the risk of become darker in color. The diagnosis of the keloids is made based on the basis of the history, physical examination and biopsy (Merck, 2005, Mayo, 2007 Lehrer, 2006). Usually, treatment is not required for keloids, as with time, the lesions become flatter and lighter in color. Several treatment modalities such as surgery, cryotherapy, pressure therapy, local injections of corticosteroid, laser therapy and radiation, have been employed and may seem to be beneficial in the treatment of the keloids. However, frequently, following removal of the keloids, a new lesion appearing larger than the previous one may develop. However, radiation therapy following surgery is known to be effective in preventing keloids from recurring (Merck, 2005, Mayo, 2007 Lehrer, 2006). Klumpar et al (1994) has reported that such a combination of treatment would help to control recurrence by about 72 to 92 %. Radiation is utilized to treat recurrence of keloids. About 126 cases were treated in the study by surgical removing the lesion, and then applying radiation, in the form of Electron beam or ortho-voltage. The rates of recurrences were found to be low. The study demonstrated that the recurrences were higher in those lesions that were infected and in patients who had tendencies for keloids in their families. The study also demonstrated that keloids that hampered cosmetic appearance could be effectively treated with surgery followed by radiation therapy (Klumpar, 1994). Narwong et al (2006) reported a recurrence rate of about 50 to 80 % in the earlobe keloids after removing them surgically. They performed a study on about simple exercise in about 15 patients and then treated them with iridium radiation therapy. The cases were followed up for about 6 months, and it was observed that only 12. 5 % of the cases developed recurrences (Narwong, 2006). De Lorenzi et al (2006) conducted more precise studies on the recurrence of keloids following radiation therapy. They treated about 24 patients with 30 keloids with high dose iridium therapy. The scar thickness reduced significantly following radiation therapy. Several symptoms such as pain, irritation, etc, also reduced significantly. A majority of the patients were satisfied with the treatment provided (De Lorenzi, 2006). Van de kar al (2007) reported that currently the data available is not sufficient to suggest the benefits of performing radiation therapy after surgical removal. Previous studies have demonstrated that surgery in association with radiation therapy seemed to be the most effective treatment for preventing keloids recurrences. However, Van der reported a recurrence rate of about 71. %, much higher than was anticipated. The cases were followed up for about 19 months (van de kar, 2007). Thus it felt that although, radiation therapy seems to be effective in reducing recurrences of keloids following surgery, several long-term studies and assessment of the factors which would increase the chances of developing keloids. These factors have to be identified following consistent results obtained through studies. From the paper observed, it is felt that radiation therapy following surgery, is the most efficient modality of reducing recurrences.

Leadership style affect on employee work performance

Leadership style affect on employee work performance According to Khurana, R. (2002) leadership is essentially the secret to successfully fulfilling demanding roles in todays society. A leadership style encompasses a consistent combination of individual behaviors and attitudes towards group members in order to achieve goals. Effective leadership can be a fundamental tool in maximizing company performance and has elicited an abundance of research. Employee performance comprises of two components: performance on the job and withdrawal from the job (Brayfield, A.H. and Crockett, W.H., 1955). Performance on the job refers to factors such as efficiency and overall quantity and quality of output. Withdrawal from the job demonstrates adverse occurrences including absences, accidents and turnover. Subsequent definitions have marked performance as the ability to accomplish a purpose and produce the desired result (Chatman and Flynn, 2001). This essay seeks to outline types of leadership styles projected by various researchers. In a culture that has denoted the immense importance of effective leadership, it will then analyse the effects of leadership styles on employee work performance in accordance to the criteria above. To conclude, this essay will question the impact of leadership style, and finally debate whether it is crucial for adequate performance. During the twentieth century, it was thought that reaching goals were vital to success, leading to the development of classical theories such as Taylors theory of Scientific Management and Fords introduction of the Assembly Line. However, Mayos Hawthorne Studies exposed the importance of social factors in addition to economic motivators. Thus, the Human Relations Movement emerged resulting in a shifted focus onto social processes, and effectively the expansion of leadership theories. The Ohio State Studies highlighted two central factors to leadership: Initiating Structure and Consideration (Stogdill, 1974). Initiating structure addressed task behaviours which served to fulfill duties whereas consideration represented relationship behaviours which aided to build leader-follower links. Essentially, levels of each component would combine to signify the leadership style a particular leader would adopt (see Appendix 1 in Appendices). Likert (1961) went on to summarise leadership styles into four types: exploitative autocratic, benevolent autocratic, consultative and democratic. Leadership styles could be distinguished into four main types: autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire and human relations. An autocratic (or directive) leader would exude a sense of control and often outlining the means of how to achieve targets. Democratic leaders would alternatively consult group members and implement a vote before final decisions. Democratic leaders fall into a sub-group of participative leaders which involve group members in decision making. The laissez-faire approach encourages independence of followers and rarely contributes to the methods of output. Finally, a human relations style comprises of attributes similar a democratic leader, emphasizing the importance of consulting those involved before making a decision (Berkowitz, 1954). The Michigan Studies concluded that leadership styles could be formed on a basis of their employee orientation and production orientation, which consisted of behaviours similar to the Ohio State studies (Katz, D., Kahn, R.L., 1951). Originally, these constructs were seen as dependent variables; that is, if a leader was highly employee orientated their focus on product was compromised and vice versa. However, this principle was subsequently reconceptualised and viewed as independent constructs (Kahn, R.L., 1956). The development of assessment methods later materialized including the Managerial Grid which assigned leaders levels of task and people concern (Blake and Mouton, 1964, 1978 1985). The five central styles are exhibited in Appendix 2 in the Appendices. An authority-compliance leadership style would possess large focus on output and presuppose that followers would obey their orders. Conversely, a County club style leader would stress the importance of addressing peoples needs before output. Impoverished Management Style involves little input from the leader in both aspects, which could be associated with the laissez-faire approach. Initially, autocratic leadership appeared to be idyllic in boosting performance. Before Fords Assembly Line was introduced the factory was producing two-hundred cars per day at a rate of ten days per car. The introduction of Fordism entailed ordering employees when and how to complete tasks. Consequently, productivity rose leading to a total increase of two-thousand-and-five hundred cars per day (Roberts, A., 2009). One cannot deny that autocratic leadership was effective in reaching, and even exceeding, performance targets. However, according to Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1975), the effectiveness of authority has diminished. It seems that as the human relations movement emerged, so did new preferential leadership styles: today, in an environment of vastly improved education many are rejecting traditional authority and trying to set up and act upon their own. Results from Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid found that most respondents score towards the 5, 5 middle-of-the-road style. This implies that most common leadership styles consist of a balance between people and task concern. The 9, 9 approach is acknowledged by managers as the soundest way to achieve excellence. This conclusion has been verified from studies throughout the U.S. and around the world. (Blake Mouton, 1975). It seems that nowadays attention to employees needs whilst maintaining performance targets is a must. Leadership styles that incorporate both concerns are vital to boosting employee performance. According to Lewin et. al (1939), variations of leadership styles influences performances. This study measured the consequence of leadership style on aggression, which could used to connote performance since aggression could be attributed to withdrawal from the job. Laissez-faire was the most common situation for provoking aggression followed by autocracy and democracy. This suggests leadership styles alternate aggression levels and possibly performance. However, it is difficult to generalise findings from a study of young children performing trivial tasks to large organisations where tasks are complex and aggression is not tolerated. Further findings concluded the boys agreed in a relative dislike for their autocratic leader whereas the majority of participants preferred their democratic leaders to their autocratic ones. Assuming that higher liking for a leader would result in preferential performance, this could infer that a democratic leadership style has a positive effect, thus supporting the argument that leadership style impacts performance. However, it would be reductionist to draw a finite conclusion on the practicality of leadership styles according to this piece. It fails to recognise the importance of upbringing which evidently affects the impact of leadership styles. The participant to dislike their democratic leader happened to be the son of an army officerand consciously put a high value upon strict discipline. Thus, it is not exclusively leadership style that affects behaviour but also the values and social norms an individual has acquired. If this concept were expanded onto organisational terms, it could be said that the culture of a business would contribute to whether leadership has a consequence. For instance, in the Ford factories a democratic approach may have been inappropriate in an environment where workers were unskilled and required guidance, hence why autocracy succeeded in boosting performance. An important factor to consider when assessing the usefulness of leadership style is situational variables that exist beyond the control of leaders. According to Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) these variables include: Type of Organisation; Group Effectiveness; The Problem Itself and The Pressure of Time These factors could determine the success of leadership styles, and leadership as a general instrument of performance. Participative leadership has been found to be more favourable for moderately structured problems while directive leadership was more compatible in situations facing fairly structured problems (Kahai, S. et. al, 1997). This most certainly has implications for the role of leadership styles within the workplace. It could infer that under circumstances where the problem comprises of routine and repetitive tasks a participative leadership style is complimentary in motivating employees to sustain performance. Conversely, problems which are more ambiguous may call for a directive leadership style to inspire followers and unite towards the same goal. Thus, in one respect, it could be argued that leadership styles are ineffective in promoting employee performance as situational variables will ultimately alter overall success. Nevertheless, it is not unreasonable to dispute th at, provided the right style is adopted, leadership style can be imperative in steering employees towards the right aims using the appropriate methods. Conducted research measured the effects of directive and participative leadership style on Heterogeneous teams (teams comprised of members deriving from varying backgrounds with dissimilar skills) and team reflection, and subsequently performance (Somech, A., 2006). Findings discovered that participative leadership lowered team in-role performance under the condition of high functional heterogeneity but found no effect on low functional heterogeneity. Directive leadership, however, had a positive impact on performance. Therefore, it could be debated that leadership style has a consequence on work performance. However, Somech has pointed out that an investigation by Kahai et al. (1997) found no difference in frequency of supportive remarks or of critical remarks in teams working with a participative and with a directive superior. Hence, suggesting that workers cease to notify a difference between these leadership styles and are able to respond to both forms, which subsequently casts d oubt over the value of leadership styles. The relevance of leadership styles is challenged by several theories including the trait approach. It proposes that successful leadership is derived from the possession of certain characteristics such as drive, honesty and integrity and self-confidence rather than styles (Kirkpatrick, S.A. and Locke, E.A., 1991). Supporting research for this approach is plentiful in comparison to the style approach (Stogdill, R.M, 1948 1974; Mann, R.D., 1959; Kirkpatrick, S.A. Locke, E.A., 1991). However, it is yet to generate a definite list of traits and there is less clear evidence to support certain traits such as charisma. In reality, despite its enticing facade, the possession of charisma can often lead to corporations hiring inappropriate candidates. The detrimental effects of charisma were exposed in the case of Enron; the hiring of Jeff Skilling as CEO contributed to their fatal downfall as he was able to justify unethical activities through his charismatic traits, such as allowing top exe cutives to participate in the off-balance-sheet partnerships, (Khurana, R., 2002). However, this approach has failed to produce substantial research linking it to performance outcomes (Yukl, G., 1994). The issues addressed in this essay relate to the introduction of leadership styles and examines the value on employee performance. The profusion of research in this area infers that leadership style has a consequence on employees in the workplace. Nonetheless, research has failed to depict an adequate association between leadership style and work performance, with many results proving contradictory and inconclusive (Yukl, 1994). The lack of conclusive evidence for any approach to explaining leadership could have implications for the concept itself. There is reason to suggest that leadership is not critical with studies finding that forty-seven percent of executives rated their companies overall leadership capacity as poor/fair while a minor eight percent ranked it as excellent (Csoka, L.S., 1998). The reliance of leadership in enhancing performance has largely been questioned with some arguing it as a romanticized conception (Meindl, J.R., et. al, 1985) and others speculating the concept as a social myth which symbolically represents a regressive wish to return to the symbiotic environment of the womb (Gemmill, G. and Oakley, J., 1992). In other words, leadership is a necessity that society has created itself in order to disillusion individuals with the belief that another should be responsible for creating the visions and responsibilities that they could merely accept themselves. In addition, researchers ha ve argued that leadership is not vital if substitutes are available such as individual job expertise and intrinsic task satisfaction (Kerr, S. and Jermier, J.M., 1978). Thus, it brings it into question that if leadership is not a stabilized concept, then perhaps all theories based on leadership could be brought into interrogation, including the principle of leadership styles. The usefulness of leadership styles is undermined by the lack of an optimal style in all situations. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that leaders have back-up strategies if the usual style of accomplishing tasks fail (Blake, R.R Mouton, J.S, 1975). As oppose to debating which style is superlative, it may be sensible to advocate the notion that styles could compliment one another (Sagie, A., 1997). This proposal reinforces the usefulness of leadership style providing that the appropriate style is employed according to varying circumstances. The extent of research conducted, regardless of its substantiality, generates implications that leadership styles do matter(Somech, A., 2006). It would be ignorant to deny the magnitude of leadership in organisations, but that is not to say it should not be considered with caution. It would be reductionist to claim leadership is purely the reason for performance variations. Situational variables, such as culture, will inevitably influence leadership success. Rather than arguing a prime style, an appropriate approach to delegating leadership style would be the Path-Goal Theory which states that leadership styles should be allocated according to the characteristics of the subordinates and the nature of the task (House, R.J. Mitchell, R.R., 1974). Leadership style as a reputable concept clearly imposes an effect on efficacy but companies cannot place full reliance on this tool; leadership style is merely a stimulant and not the sole foundation of employee performance. Appendices Appendix 1 Classic descriptors of leaders decision behaviours diagram taken from Roberts, A. and Corbett, M. (2009) Understanding Organisational Behaviour IB1230. Warwick Business School; McGraw Hill Custom Publishing, p. 197. SHOWING CONSIDERATION High Human Relations Democratic Low Lassez-faire Autocratic Low High INITIATING STRUCTURE Appendix 2 Blake Moutons Managerial Grid. (Blake, R.R and Mouton, J.S. 1975) Bibliography Berkowitz, L. (1954) Group Standards, Cohesiveness, and Productivity, Human Relations 7, pp. 509-514. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1964) The managerial grid. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1975) An Overview of the Grid, Training and Development Journal, 29 (5), May, p. 29-36. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1978) The new managerial grid. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1985) The managerial grid III. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. Brayfield, A.H., and Crockett, W.H. (1955) Employee Attitudes and Employee Performance, Psychological Bulletin, 52 (5), pp. 396-424 Chatman, J.A., and Flynn, F.J. (2001) The Influence of Demographic Heterogeneity on the Emergence and Consequences of Cooperative Norms in Work Teams, The Academy of Management Journal, 44, p. 956-974. Corbett, M. (2009) Understanding Organizational Behaviour (IB1230) Martin Corbett Lecture Slides: Leadership. Warwick Business School; University of Warwick. Csoka, L.S. (1998) Bridging the Leadership Gap. New York: Conference Board. Dubrin, A.J., 2007, Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills. Fifth Edition. Boston, New York. Houghton Mifflin Company. Gemmill, G. and Oakley, J. (1992) Leadership: An Alienating Social Myth? Human Relations, 45 (2), February, p. 113-129. House, R.J. Mitchell, R.R. (1974) Path-goal theory of Leadership. Journal of Contemporary Business, 3, pp. 81-97. Kahai, S., Sosik, J. and Avolio, B.J. (1997) The effects of leadership style and problem structure on work group process and outcomes in an electronic meeting system environment, Personnel Psychology, 50 (1), March, p. 121-146. Kahn, R.L. (1956) The Prediction of Productivity. Journal of Social Issues, 12, pp. 41-49. Katz, D., Kahn, R.L. (1951) Human Organization and worker motivation. In L.R. Tripp (ed), Industrial productivity (pp. 146-171). Madison, WI: Industrial Relations Research Association. Kerr, S. and Jermier, J.M. (1978) Substitutes for Leadership: Their Meaning and Measurement, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 22, December, pp. 375-403. Khurana, R. (2002) The Curse of the Superstar CEO. Harvard Business Review, 80 (9), September, p. 60-66. Kirkpatrick, S.A. and Locke, E.A. (1991) Leadership: do traits matter?, Academy of Management Executive, 5 (2), May, p. 48-60. Likert, R. (1961) New patterns of management. New York; McGraw-Hill. Lewin, K., Lippitt, R. and White, R. (1939) Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10 (2), May,   p. 271-299. Mann, R.D. (1959). A Review of the Relationship between Personality and Performance in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin, 56, pp. 241-270. Meindl, J.R., Ehrlich, S.B. and Dukerich, J.M. (1985) The Romance of Leadership, Administrative Science Quarterly, 30 (1), March, p. 78-102. Northouse, P.G., 2007, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Fourth Edition. California; London; New Delhi. Sage Publications, Inc. Roberts, A. (2009) Understanding Organizational Behaviour (IB1230) Ashley Roberts Lecture Slides: Lecture 3, Classical Theories (2): Ford and The Assembly Line. Slide 8. Warwick Business School; University of Warwick. Roberts, A. and Corbett, M. (2009) Understanding Organisational Behaviour IB1230. Warwick Business School; McGraw Hill Custom Publishing. Sagie, A. (1997) Leader direction and employee participation in decision making: Contradictory or compatible practices? Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46. p. 387-452. Somech, A. (2006) The Effects of Leadership Style and Team Process of Performance and Innovation in Functionally Heterogeneous Teams, Journal of Management, 32 (1), February, p. 132-157. Stogdill, R.M. (1948). Personal factors associated with Leadership: A survey of the literature, Journal of Psychology, 25, pp. 35-71. Stogdill, R.M. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press. Tannenbaum, R. and Schmidt, W. (1958) How to Choose a Leadership Pattern, Harvard Business Review, 36 (2), March/April, p. 95-101. Yukl, G. (1994). Leadership in organizations. Third edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Page 1 of 11

The Challenges Facing Cross Culture Communication Business Essay

The Challenges Facing Cross Culture Communication Business Essay The organization shall understand that effective and efficient communication among its resources smoothen its managerial process and enhance the effective decision making capabilities. Since the organizations are on globalization spree shall strive to realize and achieve this even more. To stabilize the efficient communication process within the organizational teams of cross culture blend, it faces many challenges. The basic areas of conflict are: Communication styles. Approach towards completion of task. Conflict facing attitude. Decision making process. Zeal towards new learning. Fairness in disclosures. Organization shall always enable positive dialogue space, reward the new learners and freedom of expression rather than allow room for misjudging and miscommunication. An organization which is on globalization spree has to understand that culture is a major hurdle to overcome and important strength to harness and enjoy its benefits, as culture provides greater opportunities and resources to fasten organizational proposed growth projectile. Reference: www.citehr.com/5782-cross-cultural-conflicts-ppt.html Quality management Cross Culture perspective There have been many scholars and academicians who have studied and helped to enhance the understanding of effective cross culture management, among them is Dr. Geert Hofstede. His research and in-depth understanding of various cultural dimensions has evolved essentialistic model of the worlds cultural map which is now and international standard for understanding of cultural regions. Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Power distance index (PDI) Individualism (IDV) Masculinity (MAS) Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) Long-term orientation (LTO) Dimension United Kingdoms Greet Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Reference: Sigmatwogroup.com Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner Cultural Perspective The other major research of cultural orientation was by Fons Trompenaars and Dr. Charles Hampden-Turner. They both have developed a model of culture with seven dimensions. A set of five orientations encompass the ways in which humans deal with each other: Universalism vs. particularism i.e. preference of importance to either rules or relationships Individualism vs. collectivism i.e. preference towards being in group or individual for any cultural events. Neutral vs. emotional i.e. openness in displaying emotions. Specific vs. diffuse i.e. importance to responsibilities accepted. Achievement vs. ascription i.e. inclinations to the social statuses that is achieved by birth or have to work for it. Sequential vs. synchronic i.e the approach or process of doing task. Each society looks different in the approach of work: Internal vs. external control i.e. how are we controlled by the environment that we belong to. Anthropologists in cross-culture management Looking into the various growing economies and industry verticals opting the globalization route it is very clear that it is not always easy to manage the cross culture resources using the essentialistic perspectives like those of Hofstede (1990) and Trompenaars (1993). Their work has only developed cultural map of the world having scores and indexes for understanding the cultural diversities. These indexes only dramatically simply the cultural concepts but in real situations there is lot of variations between espoused values and actual behaviour. Generally consultants utilize their experiences rather than depend on these model values. Consultants tend to use anthropologists views rather than cooperates developed essentialistic perspective. Though anthropologists are good arriving at realistic solution for quality cross culture management but are not good at selling their views to industries. But consultants though not anthropologists but can sell themselves to the industries. Solution An organization has to understand and implement one old saying that goes saying as live in Rome as Roman do. The organization shall pave way for a process development methodology that gives opportunity to the resources to rise and discuss circumstances at workplace along with behaviours and understand each others perspective. The organization shall obtain first hand research on the regional culture that they are venturing into. The organization shall not only tackle the difficulties as they arise but should learn from them. The organization shall make sure that its resource is well equipped to manage all circumstances that they would be drawn into. The organization should have to undertake proper training to its human resources both for process and methodology development and also for new advents in information technologies. Anthropologist is one who understands the culture, belief, and practices of living people in much better way than the normal human being. A growing organization which have opted the route of internationalization shall always take advices from an anthropologist or have resource who can think likewise an anthropologist. So that the subtle inter cultural issues are addressed at the earliest and in most amicable way. Conclusion I found the coverage of topics in the provided source materials to be very exhaustive and informative regarding the cross culture management. I used CRAP test methodology to analyze which of the provided source material are best suited and helped me to understand the concept of cross culture management. Using this test, importance was given to credibility, reliability of knowledge provided, accuracy of knowledge, and the reason for delivering the knowledge. Of the source material provided I found http://www.1000ventures.com and http://culturematters.wordpress.com/ source material to be very informative. Information provided by the consulting/education firm called 1000 ventures.com founded by Vadim Kotelnikov, who is also the founder of Ten3 Business e-Coach. The author and founder Vadim Kotelnikov has lots of experience in training vast resources of various industry verticals in most parts of world. The information provided is presented in pictorial bar charts displaying various aspects that are of important for an organization. The information is easily understood and has wide spread coverage of important aspects of cross culture management. It gives a complete picture of what area of requirements are to be looked upon by the organization for effective and efficient cross culture management. This source material provided me with world wide eye opening facts and figures of cross culture team management from different regions of the world. The other source material gave information about effective usage of anthropologists for better managing of dialect issues in cross culture team. As anthropologist is the one who understands the cultural delicacies and can fine tune the differences much before any ordinary man can even predict its happening. Basing on the information provided in these two provided source materials I gathered enough knowledge on cross culture management. These two source materials have given me an insight as to what is cross culture management and what are the problems faced by the organization of varied industry verticals. These two provided source materials have also been informative on what type of processes or methodology to be undertaken within the organization to make the cross culture resources within to zeal together to perform better in any adverse circumstances.

Canadas Immigration From 1852-1990 :: essays research papers

Canada's Immigration From 1852-1990 In 1852 many of Canada's immigrants were from Europe countries but many of these were being lost to the United states. This meant that the province of Canada was mostly French Canadians, this began the immigration promotion program in 1850s. In the 1840s the main problem was lack of control over the immigrants now the problem was getting immigrant particularly British ones to start small farms. Over the next 30 years John A. MacDonald did little to attract new immigrants to Canada. In about 1879 a new immigration law was passed that was designed to keep out paupers and destitutes. This would be the start to "weed out" the people that would live in Canada, and eventually become the laws we have today. In 1885 an act was passed that would restrict Chinese males from immigrating. This was done because of the large amount of young Chinese men that were coming to Canada to work building the CRP ( an estimated 15,701). Without these men most of whom lost their lives from injury or disease. During the 1890s a depression because of the very short growing season and very high cost of shipping the grains. This lack of rain caused many Canadians to immigrate to the U.S. for a better life. Not very attractive to immigrants to Canada. Around the beginning of the 1900s the economy was boosted by the increasing need for Canadian food products. Europe had a large population explosion and tax increase caused more and more to move to Canada. With the construction of the CPR it was much easier to go west and settle the land which was cheap or free. The Canadian government was promoting it's self every where with it's fur and grains to encourage new comers and settlers that moved to the U.S. back to Canada. With the out break of World War I tension was high. This was the lowest amount of people in years (although the amount of Americans was increasing with year of the war). Once desired immigrants were now "enemy aliens". Also people from Germany, Hungry, Poland, Romania, and many others become the objects of hostility. After the war there was a huge boom in immigrants because of Canada's growing economy. But after all booms there is always the come down by 1930 Canada was in a bad depression people were also tense because word of another war. During World War II no Canadians had it worse than the Japanese Canadians. After the booming of Pearl Harbour all Japanese-Canadians were stripped of their homes and property. The Canadian government showed great sympathy for European refugees and homeless.

parsons dance company :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went to see the Parsons Dance Company on Tuesday April 9th. It was a very interesting show. There were actually many different techniques that I observed in this performance. This company uses many different forms of dance all into one technique, which makes them a unique company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One characteristic of technique that I noticed in most of the pieces performed was fast paced movement. Every piece was very upbeat and synchronized with the music. All their movements were done to the accents in the music. In â€Å"Too Many Cooks† all the movements were in sync with the sounds in the music. In â€Å"Mood Indigo,† there were three duets and they all showed different colors of indigo by how they dancers expressed their movements. The first duet was the color purple and they showed a couple in love and the movement was very quick. The second duet was the color light purple and the movement was very slow, this was the only piece where the movement was pretty slow. Since it was a lighter color they made the movement slower which fit the whole idea. In many of the other pieces they movement was fast as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the piece, â€Å"Caught,† the technique here dealt with strobe lights. David Parson’s choreographed this piece and it was very well done. They had the dancer jumping in the air while they strobed her to give it a suspended in time look to the movement. This is not really a dance technique, but more for perspective. It’s not very often you see someone in the air for a split second suspended in the air. This is a very unique technique and many other companies should try it. David Parson’s is a genius for designing this piece.

Essays --

Nazia Riaz Mr. Ian Wendt Muslim World December 13, 2013 Final Paper Beginning more than 1400 years ago, Islam has spread from the small trading town of Makkah on the Arabian Peninsula and became a world religion practiced on every continent. Like other world religions. Islam has been spreading ever since its origin. Both through migration of Muslims to new places and by individuals who have accepted Islam as their religion having chosen to convert from other religions. During the first century after Muhammad began preaching, there was rapid expansion of the territory under Muslim rule. The Muslims took over as a result of military campaigns. This territory did not instantly become Islamic, meaning that most people rapidly became Muslims. Rather the spread of Islam among the population took centuries even in the regions conquered in the seventh century. In this era Islamic faith and civilization encompassed extensive new areas of Eurasia and Africa. The continuing spread of Islam was closely connected to the migrations of conquerors and herding folk and to the growth of Muslim commercial enterprise all across the hemisphere. By about 1400 CE Muslim societies spanned the central two thirds of Afro-Eurasia. New Muslim states and towns were appearing in West Africa, the East African coast, Central Asia, India, and Southeast Asia. Consequently Muslim merchants, scholars, and a host of long-distance travelers were the principal mediators in the interreg ional exchange of goods, ideas, and technical innovations. Makkah was a huge trading center which really contributed to the spread of Islam. Merchants liked trading with Muslims. Religiously Muslims couldn’t add interest on anything which buyers really liked. Merchants dealing with Musl... ... to new areas. On the other hand, the Ottoman Empire in southeastern Europe or the Sultanate of Delhi and the later Mogul empire of India had success in spreading Islam. They did gain territory. Non Muslim populations seem to have viewed these powerful tax-gathering Muslim rulers negatively, and so they resisted conversion to Islam. Whoever did embrace Islam in such circumstances if not for material gain, they usually did so because of the efforts of merchants, teachers, and traveling Sufi preachers who were not part of the government. Through 600 to 1000 CE the Islamic world had expanded beyond its original territories through war, trade and cultural diffusion. As it interacted and expanded across Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Byzantine Empire the Islamic world spread the influence of its culture and religion, turning Islam into a great world religion.

Himalaya Summary

HIMALAYA: Introduction: Himalaya Herbal is originated from India and has been around since 1930. Himalaya clams that it is the only manufacturer of consumer goods that provide a wide range of solution based on herbal ingredients. It has its presence in Malaysia since 2004. Ms Sue Ong a Malaysian with 22 years of experience in beauty and cosmetic industry was instrumental in bringing in Himalaya. The entry and the progress of the brand was quite visible as the brand was already seen in the leading pharmacy market nationwide.Himalaya offered a quite range of around 200 products under three main categories 1) pharmaceutical 2) personal care 3) animal care and all of these products were based on the ancient Himalayan practice of Ayurveda that were well known worldwide. Herbs include crude plant materials such as leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, stems and woods etc. It was estimated that one third of Americas use herbal products with herbal medicine. The Himalaya Drug Company has taken sup port from the Ayurveda expertise with modern medical research methodology.Malaysia had over 2000 plant species that possessed medical value. Out of 20000 herbal plants in Malaysia, 2000 has been identified to be beneficent for better health care. The advantages of the herbal products are being highlighted over time by Government as well as private parties. According to Safeena ‘The COO and founder of Herbal Asia’ the industry will leverage on Government initiatives like a National Biodiversity Policy to create a brand which will be recognized internationally. We want to educate people about the herbal superiority and quality.Market & sales in Malaysia: Marcel Gan the young and energetic COO talked about his dream of Himalaya â€Å"I want at least one product of Himalaya product in every household. † As per Shahida Musa, The Deputy Director, operations of the federal agricultural marketing (FAMA), the local herbal industry recorded sales around RM10 billion in 200 8 and was likely to grow by 8 to 15 percent annually based on the increasing acceptance of natural medicine. About 17. 1 % of Malaysian used herbals to treat their health problems while 29. % of them consumed herbal for their health maintenance. Ravi Prasad, President and COO of the Himalaya Drug Company, commented â€Å" This is a significant achievement for Himalaya as it provides us a platform to reach out to our customers and communicate with them the scientifically backed herbal formulations†. Over the last 5 years annual demand was recorded at RM4. 5 billion with a growth of 8% annually. For further promotion of the herbal products the Government has provided number of support programs for herbal entrepreneurs.Hundreds of the players have entered the herbal business after good support from the Government. As the herbal products are known as without side effects the demand for herbal products has shown a considerable growth over the conventional drugs. One of the establi shed local successful herbs entrepreneurs was Perusahaan Orang Kampong Sdn. Bhd. The business was established in 1975 and was operated as a small business. Key issues: * The main issue involved by building the brand image of the Himalaya for the Ayurveda product concepts. Initially the product benefits were not supported by scientific proofs and evidences as most of the production was going on previous results of the herbs. Due to the lack of scientific data the customer was not fully satisfied. * Locally made herbal products seriously lacked in advertising and promotion. * Most of the herbs entrepreneurs were small traders operating with limited resources, thus experiencing low productivity and efficiency in their daily activities. * Lack of capital and skilled human resources were common disadvantages faced by small traders. The volume of production was at times as low as it couldn’t meet the demand. For the purpose of expanding market, it went to the reliable value chain t hrough the new technology. Key Strengths: * Research and Development: Himalayas used scientific research in natural herbal remedies to provide scientifically proved products. In March 2001, they were awarded with â€Å"Good manufacturing practice† certified by the Licensing Authority of the Indian System of Medicine and in January 2004, they were awarded certification from Quality Management Systems certified by NQA. Effectiveness: Himalaya’s product goes under a period of 7 to 10 years of primary research and clinical trials before it went to market. * Natural and Safe: Himalaya provides mostly all the body and health products that promised goodness of natural ingredients with no side effects. * Wide range of products: Himalaya provides a wide range of products which consists of healthcare, body care, oral care, hair care and skin care.

A Comparison of Poems against Racism

Racism is intolerance and hatred of another race. Many protest poems are used by composers in society to express their desire for social change. â€Å"Strange fruit† by Lewis Allen and â€Å"took the children away† by Archie Roach are haunting lyrics protesting against the area of racism. Both poets have been influenced by either personal events or events occurring in society. Both Allen and Roach effectively use strong poetic techniques and pursue subject matter to the audience through racism to create a desire for social change in the society. Strange fruit† was written in the mid-1930s about 60 years ago. Lewis Allen whom is a Jewish American communist had seen a photo in the paper of two young boys that had been beaten and hung. This horrific picture encouraged Allen to take action and write this lyric protesting about the lynching that had occurred in Americas South. Allen saw that the lynching of African Americans was generational. He protested against racis m to create a desire in society for social change. The powerful techniques shown through the lyric â€Å"strange fruits† are extended metaphor and physical imagery.Extended metaphor is shown throughout the whole lyric as it is continuous which makes it more powerful. This helps the reader relate to the horrific situation and understand how Allen is feeling about the lynching. The physical imagery that is portrayed in the lyric is â€Å"the bulging eyes and twisted mouth†. This shows the haunting image of a person being hung and draws the responders attention to the strong confronting words used to describe the dead †black bodies†. The lyric is extremely confronting and distressing which is deliberately shocking to the audience in attempt to create a desire for social change. Took the children away† was written in 1990 by an indigenous Australian Archie Roach. He had a very difficult life by having a disturbed background and childhood. He was sadly rem oved from his family at a very young age which was known as â€Å"the stolen generation†. The difficulties that he had suffered as a child encouraged Roach to become a protest poet and stand up for the indigenous Australians. Roaches lyric produces a true story about the aboriginal children that had been forcefully detached from their families.The lyric is extremely confronting to the audience which creates them to feel the desire for social change. There are many poetic techniques employed throughout the lyric â€Å"took the children away† that encourage the responder to understand the racism and concept of the stolen generation. First person technique has been used strongly by Roach in attempt to show that it was his personal recount. This is shown in the finishing line of the lyric â€Å"yes I came back†. This visibly shows the responder that is was roach himself.Anaphora is a strong technique used effectively in the lyric. This is clearly shown in the last s tanza â€Å"back to their mother; father, sister, brother, people, land† this shows how the indigenous children had been taken from their family and then later reunited. Therefore both techniques clearly shock the audience and connect with the responders emotions in order to make them see the need for social change. In conclusion â€Å"strange fruits† by Lewis Allen and â€Å"took the children away† by Archie Roach are clearly both powerful protest lyrics protesting against racism.The poetic techniques are used effectively to get their own personal opinion across to the audience. Therefore these effects show that there is a need to create a desire for social change in the society. Many protest songs and poems are used by composers in society to express their desire for social change. Archie Roach’s ‘Took The Children Away’ and Lewis Allen’s ‘Strange Fruit’ are both protest poems in which the area of racism is being protest ed against. Each poet has been inspired by either events in their life or events in society that they have felt deeply against.Both Roach and Allen adequately and effectively use a wide range of poetic techniques and language devices to successfully carry out their ideas against racism and create a desire for social change through subject matter their purposes are also achieved. Roach strongly uses first person along with anaphora to get his point of view across to the responder. Allen persuasively uses extended metaphor and juxtaposition to make the responder see the need for social change. Archie Roach is an indigenous Australian with a disturbed back ground and upbringing.He was removed from his family at young age as part of ‘the stolen generation’ Roach’s devastating childhood experiences inspired him to develop into a powerful protest poet and be a strong voice for indigenous Australians. A haunting story is told through roach’s song, a true story of aboriginal children being forcefully removed from their family as was done to thousands of aboriginal children during the application of the governments assimilation policies. It is a very confronting song that makes the responder feel a desire for social change. Took The Children Away’ is a protest poem which employs many powerful poetic techniques to encourage the responder to understand the effects and the injustices of racism and the stolen generation. One poetic technique from the lyric that can be highlighted as important is first person as it is very strongly used by roach in an attempt to display himself in the poem. First person is most effective in the finishing line of â€Å"yes I came back† this is effective because the responder then finally realises that the poem is in fact a recount of what actually happened to Roach.Anaphora is also successfully used in the poem. In the last stanza anaphora is powerfully used by roach, â€Å"Back to their mother; fath er, sister, brother, people, land† this anaphora is used in order to state all the things that had been left behind and taken away from indigenous children of the time. The anaphora connects with the responder’s emotions in an attempt to shock the responder therefore making them see the need for social change. Lewis Allen was a Jewish man, a school teacher and also a member of the American communist party which was risky and unusual in its self at the time of the 1930’s.Allen was inspired to right by a photograph of a lynching he saw that shocked him. The subject matter of the poem is about the lynching of African Americans in Americas south. Allen saw the harsh injustices of racism and how it was generational â€Å"Blood on the leaves and blood at the root. † He protested against racism in order to create a desire in society for social change. Lewis Allen uses a range of poetic techniques and language devices in order to effectively get his purpose across to the responder. The extended metaphor of â€Å"strange fruit† is a very strong and helpful device.It makes the responder think about the harsh realities and injustices of racism in Americas south the word â€Å"strange† makes the responder comprehend the idea of lynching, it is â€Å"strange† not right, and it is unjust. Juxtapositions is also employed by Allen in the poem â€Å"Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh/ Then the sudden smell of burning flesh† this juxtaposition is effective as it makes the responder see the harsh realities of lynching by putting these two things together it shocks the responder as it is from one extreme to the other and Allen is attempting to shock the audience in an attempt to create a desire for social change.

Book Review “Thinking, Fast and Slow” Essay

I read the international bestseller â€Å"Thinking, Fast and Slow† of Daniel Kahneman (Winner of the Nobel Prize) over the last 3-4 weeks. I think it is a very interesting book and it is describing very critically the human brain and mind, which gave me many insights into decision-making and errors we are doing automatically without noticing it every day. He is very often talking about â€Å"System 1† and â€Å"System 2†. System 1 is fast; it’s intuitive, associative, metaphorical, automatic, impressionistic, and it can’t be switched off. Its operations involve no sense of intentional control, but it’s the â€Å"secret author of many of the choices and judgments you make† and it’s the hero of Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow. System 2 is slow, deliberate, effortful. Its operations require attention. System 2 takes over, rather unwillingly, when things get difficult. It’s â€Å"the conscious being you call ‘I'†, and one of Kahneman’s main points is that this is a mistake. You’re wrong to identify with System 2, for you are also and equally and profoundly System 1. Kahneman compares System 2 to a supporting character who believes herself to be the lead actor and often has little idea of what’s going on. System 2 is slothful, and tires easily – so it usually accepts what System 1 tells it. It’s often right to do so, because System 1 is for the most part pretty good at what it does; it’s highly sensitive to subtle environmental cues, signs of danger, and so on. It does, however, pay a high price for speed. It loves to simplify, to assume WYSIATI (â€Å"what you see is all there is†), even as it gossips and embroiders and confabulates. It’s hopelessly bad at the kind of statistical thinking often required for good decisions, it jumps wildly to conclusions and it’s subject to a fantastic suite of irrational biases and interference effects (the halo effect, the â€Å"Florida effect†, framing effects, anchoring effects, the confirmation bias, outcome bias, hindsight bias, availability bias, the focusing illusion, and so on). Thousands of experiments have been conducted, right across the broad board of human life, all to the same general effect. We don’t know who we are or what we’re like, we don’t know what we’re really doing and we don’t know why we’re doing it. That’s a System 1 exaggeration, for sure, but there’s more truth in it than you can easily imagine. Judges think they make considered decisions about parole based strictly on the facts of the case. It turns out (to simplify only slightly) that it is their blood-sugar levels really sitting in judgment. We also hugely underestimate the role of chance in life (this is again System 1’s work). Analysis of the performance of fund managers over the longer term proves conclusively that you’d do just as well if you entrusted your financial decisions to a monkey throwing darts at a board. There is a tremendously powerful illusion that sustains managers in their belief their results, when good, are the result of skill; Kahneman explains how the illusion works. The fact remains that â€Å"performance bonuses† are awarded for luck, not skill. They might as well be handed out on the roll of a die: they’re completely unjustified. This may be why some banks now speak of â€Å"retention bonuses† rather than performance bonuses, but the idea that retention bonuses are needed depends on the shared myth of skill, and since the myth is known to be a myth, the system is profoundly dishonest – unless the dart-throwing monkeys are going to be cut in. In an experi ment designed to test the â€Å"anchoring effect†, highly experienced judges were given a description of a shoplifting offence. They were then â€Å"anchored† to different numbers by being asked to roll a pair of dice that had been secretly loaded to produce only two totals – three or nine. Finally, they were asked whether the prison sentence for the shoplifting offence should be greater or fewer, in months, than the total showing on the dice. Normally the judges would have made extremely similar judgments, but those who had just rolled nine proposed an average of eight months while those who had rolled three proposed an average of only five months. All were unaware of the anchoring effect. The same goes for all of us, almost all the time. We think we’re smart; we’re confident we won’t be unconsciously swayed by the high list price of a house. We’re wrong. (Kahneman admits his own inability to counter some of these effects.) We’re also hopelessly subject to the â€Å"focusing illusion†, which can be conveyed in one sentence: â€Å"Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you’re thinking about it.† Whatever we focus on, it bulges in the heat of our attention until we assume its role in our life as a whole is greater than it is. Daniel Kahneman won a Nobel prize for economics in 2002 and much of his time he’s working together with Amos Tversky. Thinking, Fast and Slow has its roots in their joint work. It is an outstanding book, distinguished by beauty and clarity of detail, precision of presentation and gentleness of manner.

Life Plan

In this essay I am suppose to explain what the plans for my life are, how I plan on achieving them and the problems I might face. If you have a goal it gives you a clear focus on things. It also helps you to organize your plans by letting you set time limits and boundaries. I think if you plan on achieving things in life then you have to set goals. After high school there are many things I want to do and accomplish in my life. My goals probably aren’t different from most kids, but it will take a lot of hard work to get where I want to be. I have many goals, but to accomplish these goals I will probably have many things that could get in the way. The reason I need to set goals is to make sure that I don’t fall behind in life and not achieve my dreams. Last summer I was into some bad things that really messed up my life. Luckily, I was assigned to Youth Court to help me through this. Youth Court is helping teach me the importance of goals because of the way it is set up. I have a 6 month sentence. During this time I have to complete certain goals. Writing this life plan is one goal, an apology letter due the 1st month, a shoplifting class the 2nd month, and a jail tour another month. I have jury duty the first Thursday of every month, I have to phone in weekly, I have to attend school regularly, stay out of trouble, obey my parents, obey 10:00 pm curfew, and complete 40 hours of community service by the end of the 6 month period. If all of this is not complete then I will not reach my goal of having my offense taken off my records. The way Youth Court is set up is to do a little each month until you can complete your goal. If I do the required stuff every month then by the time the 6 months is over I will have completed everything I needed to do in order in graduate from Youth Court and have my offense taken off my record. Even though I haven’t finished setting my goals, I already have some. Two of the most important are to be happy and successful, even if I haven’t started out so well. One goal I have is to get my drivers license, I have already finished my classroom training. I have just taken my written test and I now I my permit. I will have my permit for 6 months before I can get my license. I still need to complete my drivers training class which I am already signed up for. This is an important goal for me because I will need a license to drive. This leads to a goal I am trying to achieve and that is finding a job. I am starting to look for an after school/weekend job to save money to buy a car and for gas money. Another goal I have is to graduate from high school in 2 ? years. I have problems in school because I have learning disabilities, including ADHD. I am also in Special Education classes. I need to work hard every day so I can keep my grades up. I think the most important value that will make me successful is determination. In order to be successful in my life I have to stick with it. While you can be happy achieving something it can take a lot of effort. There can be many mistakes and setbacks, I already know about some of those. Another goal I have is to become an x-ray technician.