Not Enough Time to Spend with Family Members Essay

One doesn’t have to look far, in current circumstances throughout the world, to see that people are migrating from one country to another to earn bread and butter. There is a widely held view that, due to this trend, vast numbers of people are not able to spend quality time with their nearer and dearer ones. Similar to every other trend, there is no exception in this case also that it has its own ups and downs. To begin with, it is abundantly clear that due to globalization, opportunities are not limited to one corner of the world. Simultaneously intensive competition is present for each such chance. To prove mettle, Individuals are ready to sacrifice their family member’s feelings, joy and agree to work on remote location without family. Moreover, parents are forced to celebrate festivals, birthdays and auspicious days without their kids. Last but not least, they feel gap in life when their kids are not around during their bad phase. At the other end of the spectrum, it brings sense of satisfaction when caretakers see their kids, who are now grown human being, working with multinational organizations. Due to higher wages and salary, they can afford luxurious items like car and furniture. In my personal experience, I have seen that my parents are now living affluent and comfortable life. This is largely due to my increased income which happened when I move to Australia from India. However, we missed each other during celebrations and functions At the end of the day, I pen down saying that once has to be flexible to survive in this world which is now running on 24X7. I strongly believe that separation for short time can bring happiness for long time.

Analyzing Supply of Demand Simulation

Analyzing Supply of Demand Simulation ECO/365 January 31, 2010 Analyzing Supply of Demand Simulation Supply and demand is a significant element of business procedures thus this paper will evaluate how supply and demand affects a business via a simulation provided by the University of Phoenix. In this paper, I will talk about the reasons for changes that occur in supply and demand. I will talk about how shifts in supply and demand influence the organization’s decision making process as well. I will also cover the four key points established within the reading assignments and how they relay to the simulation and how every theory can be related to situations in a workplace environment. This paper will establish how price elasticity of demand influences the decisions of the consumer and the organization. Changes in Supply and Demand There are quite a few factors that influence supply and demand in the simulation. These factors demand for the apartments, the availability of the apartments, the price of the apartments, the quantity of people or renters who are interested. According to the simulation, a demand curve is downward sloping. During the simulation, as the price of the apartments decreased, demand for them increased. The supply curve, however, is sloping upwards. The number of two-bedroom apartments increased as the price increased. An excess in the industry for the apartments make use of downward demands on the price for the apartments. So therefore in order for GoodLife to attract renters, they would need to lower their prices. Shifts that Affect Decision Making The different shifts in supply and demand affects decision making in several ways in regard to the simulation. In the simulation the changes that GoodLife were trying to make as well as the changes in the population of Atlantis had an effect on the supply and demand of the simulation. Since the renters changed their preferences, the demand for the apartments that GoodLife offered decreased. GoodLife then decided to renovate the apartments and make them into condominiums that they could for sell. By doing this, GoodLife caused a decrease in the supply as well as a decrease in the demand. Given that, the supply and demand curve equally moved to the left. Four Key Points Four key points in the simulation were supply and demand, equilibrium, shifts in the supply and demand, and price ceilings. The simulation is based on supply and demand and is very helpful in understanding the different factors that can affect it. According to the simulation, a demand curve is downward sloping. According to our text, a demand curve illustrates how a â€Å"change in the price level will change aggregate expenditures on all goods and services in an economy† (Colander, 2010). In reference to the simulation, as the price for the apartments decreased, demand increased. The supply curve, on the other hand, is upward sloping. The number of two-bedroom apartments increased as the price increased. Equilibrium is a concept in which opposing dynamic forces cancel each other out. In other words, equilibrium can be described as the position at which quantity demanded meet up with the supply that is presented. The quantity demanded will surpass the quantity supplied which can possibly lead to shortages, if prices are below the equilibrium point. At this point, the prices have a tendency to rise in order to increase the supply until the equilibrium is met. A shift in the demand curve can occur because of a change in the income, a change in the price or a change in tastes. A shift in the supply curve can because of change in the costs of production, a change in technology, or a change in price of goods. A price ceiling takes place when the government places a legal limit on how high the price of a product can be. In order for a price ceiling to be successful, it must be put below the market equilibrium. Applying Simulation to Workplace The impact of supply and demand changes can have a big influence over the software industry. The technology involved in the software industry never really stays at the same level because technologies constantly change. However, if you were to take a closer look at things, computers and software evolve about every six months to a year and half; hence the reason technology is the constant factor that prompts change in the software industry. Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of demand refers to the way prices change in correlation to the demand. People with lower incomes are inclined to have lower price elasticity because they have less money to spend. People with a higher income are inclined to have higher price elasticity since he can afford to spend more money. In both cases, â€Å"ability to pay is negotiated by the intrinsic value of what is being sold. If the thing being sold is in high demand, even a consumer with low price elasticity is usually willing to pay higher prices† (WiseGeek,  2010). Basically, goods or services presented at a lower price lead to a demand for greater quantity. Price elasticity of demand also explains that price becomes more elastic, because consumers can always choose to buy a good or service that is cheaper, in this case, prices will change with demand. In addition to this, completion for a certain good or service can also affect price elasticity of demand because it keeps prices lower. In summary, according to the simulation process, the demand curve is sloping downward, which causes the quantity demand to increase as the price decreases. The suggestion was for the management company to decrease its rental rates, which would therefore increase the demands for apartments. The supply curve is sloping upward, so therefore the quantity supplied increases as the price decreases. As stated, the quantity demanded balances out the quantity supplied at the equilibrium point. Nevertheless, when prices are below equilibrium, the quantity demanded surpasses the quantity supplied. In retrospect, when prices are above equilibrium, quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded, which cause an excess. References 1) WiseGeek. (2010). What is Price Elasticity of Demand?. Retrieved from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-price-elasticity-of-demand. htm

More Import Permits If Not Enough Chicken Essay

JITRA: The government will issue permits to import chicken only if there is a shortage. Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Johari Baharom said this was unnecessary at the moment as there was a sufficient supply. â€Å"There are enough chickens to meet demand for the fasting month and Hari Raya ,† he said after having sahur (predawn meal) with villagers in Kampung Teluk Malek here yesterday. The local chicken farms produce between 1.4 million to 1.5 million birds per day and demand for chicken is less than 1.4 million daily. The government will monitor the supply of chicken to avoid any shortage in the market, especially during the festive season. He said the farm price of RM4.70 per kg imposed since the beginning of the fasting month was reasonable, especially when compared with price in neighboring countries. He added that transportation costs and increase in demand were the contributing factors to price increase. Adapted from New Straits Times, August 16, 2010 a) What is market equilibrium? With the aid of a diagram, explain how it is determined? (4 marks) b) With the aid of a diagram, show the effect of an increase in demand for chicken in the domestic market. (4 marks) c) Explain three (3) factors that may influence the supply of chicken in the domestic  market.  (6 marks) d) What happens to the price of chicken in the domestic market if our government issue more permits to import chicken? Draw a diagram to support your answer. (3 marks) e) Explain any two (2) possible factors that may influence the demand for chicken. (3 marks)  ©

International business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International business strategy - Essay Example Being directly related to the health of the customers, the industry possesses certain unique characteristics which in turn influence its market status. For instance, the industry attracts strict legal barriers, intense political considerations, along with effective technical collaborations. However, the industry gains an advantage of lesser economic constraints and social influences (Verbigena, 2004). Since its initiation, the industry has witnessed a rapid growth despite certain major barriers such as, increasing debt and the effect of recent global recession. The turnover of the international pharmaceutical industry as recorded in the last month of 2009 was $ 233 billion. This depicts that the industry was on a growth when compared with the 2006 statistics reporting revenue of $193 billion (Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., 2010). However, the industry also witnessed challenges in terms of mergers and acquisitions. For instance, Pfizer acquired Wyeth for 68 billion; Merck Sha rp & Dohme was acquired by Schering for 41.1 billion and Roche acquired 43% of the total stake in Genentech. Notably, all the companies were recorded to be among the major players in the global industry. Hence, it can be stated that the mergers and acquisitions strongly influenced the structure of the industry which can prove to be a constraint from the marketing perspective (Hornke & Mandewirth, 2009). 1.2. Demand & Supply In the economic perspective the demand and supply in an industry is referred to the interdependent relationship between the total amount of products and/or supply rendered to the industry’s customers and the actual need or requirement to the total population of the customer. To be related with the pharmaceutical industry, one opportunity that the industry gains in this context is that it renders a product which is categorised as a basic requirement of human population. Therefore, the suppliers in the industry enjoy more power in comparison to the buyers. H owever to be precise, the market demand was recorded to fall back during the early 2000s and after the recent economic downturn it is again increasing. Accordingly, the supply chain of the industry comprises of the manufacturers and marketers, who are altogether reflecting a positive outlook to render their products to their ultimate customers (Holland & Batiz-Lazo, 2004). 1.3 Key Countries of the Market The international pharmaceutical industry can be categorised in three main regions, i.e. the American region, the European region and the Asian market region. Notably, the industry structure and performance vary from one economy to another. It is due to the fact that the industry depends highly on the legal, political and technological issues beside the social and economical barriers. The statistics recorded in 2005 revealed the following facts regarding the annual contribution of various economies to the international pharmaceutical industry (Medicines Australia, 2007). Economies N orth America Europe Japan UK Australia Other Economies Shares in Sales (2005) 45% 20% 10% 3% 1% 21% Source: (Medicines Austra

Ecology - research projects and Presentations Task - topic Desert Essay

Ecology - research projects and Presentations Task - topic Desert - Essay Example In some deserts, there are gold and granite fields, also exploited from time immemorial. The main economic resource of the deserts is in any case oil, with the richest fields being located in the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iran). This rather small area contains 65% of the world’s oil resources; Saudi Arabia alone contains 25% and is therefore the country possessing the largest amounts of crude oil. Deserts have provided trade corridors from times immemorial through which goods and cultures travelled. Water-soluble salts, such as gypsum, borates, table salt, sodium and potassium nitrates have been historically a product of deserts. Because of their warm climate, deserts also export agricultural products, produced under irrigation, to non-desert areas. Agriculture and horticulture are already profitable in many deserts, as in Israel and Tunisia, and have great further potential. The growth of desert cities, clearly evidenced in industrial countries in the mid-twentieth century, has attracted the migration of non-desert people into desert habitats, drawn by new employment opportunities and the availability of cheap housing. In recent years, the influx of tourists to deserts, seeking the dry and sunny climate, has encouraged migration to deserts as well. Water or basically the lack of water is one of the most important desert features. Typically, deserts receive less than 508 millimeters (20 in.) of rain per year. This means that animals and plants looking to survive in the desert must be able to live with little water for extended periods of time Deserts have huge fluctuations in temperatures. Because there is little moisture, deserts lack the insulating protection of both humidity and cloud cover. A desert that is hot during the day may drop to well below zero degrees at night, once the heat of the sun has left.   Soil: The

The apostle Paul Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The apostle Paul - Essay Example Ironically, Paul did not consider himself to be Christian, nor a father of a new religion. Rather, he thought of himself as an observant Jew who believed the experience of Christ was a natural extension of Judaism. The prolific and well-documented writings of Paul, from his astute letters to the Corinthians to the Book of Romans, offer remarkable insight into his attitude and interpretation of how the Scriptures applied to the great moral and spiritual questions of his contemporaries. Paul's writings dealt with issues from homosexuality to the treatment of women. From them, one might glean a hint of what Paul's attitude would be with regard to the major moral questions of today. This paper considers how Paul would view the present day issue of capital punishment. The major scriptural evidence concerning this question seems to suggest that Paul would likely support the notion that capital punishment is just. Several of his writings have been interpreted as holding, implicitly or explicitly, that the state's authority to punish wrongdoers with death is upheld by God. For Paul, whose life's course was directed by perhaps the best known episode of capital punishment in human history, and who ultimately met the fate of a martyr himself through capital punishment, the notion that there were offenses worthy of state imposed death was natural and logical. Paul was a product of his time, and his attitudes reflected that reality. The Historical Paul According to Jeffery Sheler, "The Apostle Paul, some scholars now believe, was more instrumental in the founding of Christianity than anyone else--even Jesus himself" (par. 1). He goes on to describe Paul as "a tireless mercenary and prolific theologian [who] almost single-handedly transformed a fringe movement of messianic Jews into a vibrant new faith that, within a few generations, would sweep the Greco-Roman world and alter the course of Western history" (par. 2). Paul achieved a "larger-than-life" stature in the early Church that made him as much a target of those seeking to quell his revolutionary ideology as he was a spiritual leader of a budding new sect of Judaism. "He was reviled by religious and political adversaries and arrested, beaten, exiled, and eventually executed for his zealous preaching in the Roman precincts of the Mediterranean rim" (par. 3). John McRay, in his seminal work on Paul's life published in 2003, emphasizes that "Paul was not the founder of Christianity, that he never ceased to be a Jew, and that Christianity is not a Gentile religion" (p. 12). According to McRay, Paul's contribution to the development of Christianity was his assertion of the doctrine that either Jews or Gentiles could be saved through baptism in Christ. "Monotheism as seen in the faith of Abraham was the foundation of the Judeo-Christian faith Paul proclaimed, and God is thus the Father of all believers" (p. 12). Thus, Paul's teaching molded an evolved and progressive formulation of Judaism; and he did not consider believers in Christ to be practicing a separate religion. Many biographical glimpses of Paul's life and his work can be found in the Acts of the Apostles. Born as Saul of Tarsus and brought up under the strict orthodox laws of Judaism, Paul's early career was actually devoted largely to persecution of Christians (par. 12). He subscribed to a particularly zealous sect of Judaism that advocated a kind of holy war against perceived

Improving Learning and Achievement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Improving Learning and Achievement - Coursework Example The two authors also suggest that an ethic of care must always be undertaken to support the academic achievement of the multicultural students which is often marginalized by schooling. In most cases, the achievement and success of students in a multicultural setting often depends on a wide range of academic and non-academic factors some of which may include enthusiasm and motivation of the students for school, family and community support and the availability of learning opportunities in schools. This paper critically analyses the learning at King Middle School and provides recommendations for improving the learning and achievement of all the students regardless of their diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. King Middle School currently serves one of the most racially, ethnically, culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods in Maine state. For example, approximately 120 students of the schools population of about 500 speak almost 28 languages and can trace their origins from 17

Political Economy of Race, Class and Gender Essay

Political Economy of Race, Class and Gender - Essay Example 14). They aim at explaining the reason behind large numbers of unemployed and underemployed blacks relative to whites and the wage gaps between blacks and whites and between genders. This paper discusses the salient differences between these two models; the neoclassical economics theory and the political economy models of the labor market. It includes a discussion on the importance of the differences in the realm of race and gender while highlighting the critiques of neoclassical presumption by political economists. In neoclassical economics, discrimination is analyzed in simplicity using the same implements used to understand market behavior. Discriminators here are either maximizing their welfare or minimizing any apparent risk (Albelda et al. 36).Under this model, discrimination in the labor market is not a long-term phenomenal. Discrimination in the labor markets takes the form of higher wages for white workers relative to black workers equipped with similar skills and carrying out similar productive jobs under similar working conditions; job segregation of blacks into lesser-paying jobs; and high unemployment rates for blacks relative to whites (Albelda et al. 60). The wide persistence of discrimination is attributed to low competition among firms and workers and incomplete information in the labor market. Employers taste leads to higher costs as it hampers competition among workers. The discriminating firms directly cover these higher costs by paying higher wages for labor power. According to neoclassical economics, this approach of discrimination is efficient in allocation of scarce resources in the labor markets by the discriminating firms (Albelda et al. 65). Neoclassical economic models assume that competition combined with employers’ diversity in tastes eradicates labor market discrimination. A competitive market will increase

ORGANISATIONAL POLITICS, CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT Essay

ORGANISATIONAL POLITICS, CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT - Essay Example shing selected aims.† For Henry Fayol â€Å"To Manage is to forecast, to plan, to organize, to command, to co-ordinate and to control† (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter 2012). These are the major functions performed by any manager in any organization although the functions differ depending on the size of the organization. To perform these functions, managers do need to have power and authority in order to elicit compliance and commitment from the employees. However, with all the resources in the world, an organization cannot achieve its goals if it is not accompanied by effective management especially in modern times when management has become so complex and demanding owing to globalization. Effective management in this case, depends on how well the managers exercise their power and authority over subordinates. In this essay, I will argue that management is both an art and a science which requires effective exercise of power to elicit compliance and commitment. I will argue that it is an art in the sense that it has its own creative skills, tools and techniques. It also requires intelligence, innovation, an individual approach, discipline and dedication as well as practicability. It is a science in that it utilizes empirically tested principles and draws heavily from social sciences such as economics, sociology and psychology. To be successful in the management field, management cannot be reduced to either an art or science but should be taken as both an art and a science. Managers in the organization exercise various types of power in an effort to influence the followers so that they can be committed and engaged to their work hence improved performance and success for the organization. Koontz and Weihrich define power as â€Å"the ability of individuals or groups to induce or influence the beliefs or actions of other persons or groups (2008: 179). Influence in this case according to Silos (2003) is the ability to make the followers strive towards a common

Dance script Essay Example for Free

Dance script Essay Dance is something that everyone knows about, but not many people understand. As an avid dancer and competitor for over ten years, I’ve learned to embrace the many forms of dancing in this world. It’s hard to put a single definition on dance – ‘it is graceful, it is feminine’ – because there are just too many types of dancing, each with a unique style. What I can say right now, is that dance is a discipline that requires immense control of the body to accurately communicate the intent of the dance, but it is also flexible enough to allow individual emotions and personalities to shine through. Today, I would like to explore with you four very different types of dance: ballet, Chinese, ballroom, and hip hop. 1 Ballet is an art form that originated in the 15th century during the Renaissance. As you can see from the picture, the ballerina wears pointe shoes – basically regular ballet shoes (hold shoe) with a box on top. The ballet shoe is usually made of satin or regular cloth, is sometimes covered with leather on top, and has leather soles for good traction. The ballerina also wears the tutu, which used to be heavily adorned (and therefore very heavy), but designs have been simplified and streamlined as much as possible to give the feeling of weightlessness. An important component of ballet is the line. Just as in math, lines go on forever, ballet enforces the concept of line both in the hands, in the legs (hence the importance of pointing), and in the combination of the two. People traditionally think that ballet is an exclusively female art form, but through the years, men have been able to add a combination of gymnastics and other stunts to make it a dramatic experience. 2 Chinese dance is something that I find very hard to pinpoint with one description – as you may know, China’s history huge, and there are many different types of Chinese dance from the different Chinese regions. One thing I can confidently say is dancing with props is common. In this picture, the girl dances with ribbons that are usually over ten feet long for each arm; in the next picture, a Mongolian dance, the dancers dance with real porcelain bowls and often with cups (like these), and chopsticks; in this picture, a Dun Huang dance, though the dancers are empty handed right now, it is very common for them to pick up a flute or another type of Chinese musical instrument. Another thing that is emphasized in Chinese dance is femininity. While in ballet, the chin is always up, the body extended to the most extent, in Chinese dance, the chin is usually tucked to symbolize a sense of shyness. That’s not to say that Chinese dance is not as dynamic as other types of dance†¦maybe another short clip may help? 3 Ballroom is honestly one of my favorite types of dances, and today, I’ll be talking about Latin dance specifically. Latin dances are made up of samba, rumba, chacha, jive, and pase doble. The difference between the dance styles is the emphasized beat, (give example), and therefore, its rhythm. One of the biggest differences between ballroom and other forms of dances is its emphasis on hip motion, how the hip controls the leg action, and vice versa. Also important is the process through which the weight is transferred between feet – vertically or horizontally. Speed and sharpness are factors that are crucial to being a good ballroom dancer, and part of the agility comes from the interaction between the partners. Resistance from the male (not even a push), signifies changing direction, lowering the hand preps for a turn, and such. Costumes are generally tight and minimal, but usually decorated with sequins and tassels, to make sharp turns more noticeable. 4 Finally, hip hop is a form of dance that originated on the streets of cities, and is closely connected to breakdancing. For many dancers, shoewear only includes sneakers, but more professional dancers often use danzsneakers, which provide good ankle support, arch support, and a flat top for toe stands. Hip hop often focuses on bodily isolations and gymnastic feats – backflipping is common. Mostly, hip hop conveys a sense of attitude and independence. It’s a very new art form in comparison to the others, and we are yet to see where it will take us. 5 So we’ve talked about four different types of dance – ballet, Chinese, ballroom, and hip hop. But keep in mind that there are so many more – jazz, modern, lyrics, just to name a few. Next time you see a dancer, don’t immediately dismiss their art as just a girl sport, but realize that it is a discipline that takes an entire lifetime of practice and training to reach a grace and flexibility unparalleled in most other sports. Perhaps you may want to try dance yourself†¦I’m sure it will be a life changing experience.

HRM: An essential element of business

HRM: An essential element of business Human resource management is an essential element of every business. Employee relation is a very vast and complex topic. There have been numerous theories that have been developed in regards to employee relation. These theories have been a part of our daily lives and it is seen that even though people tend to be following the processes it is quite rare that the focus falls on the theories themselves. As explained by Adam and Meitz (1993): By choosing a theory one organises reality. There has been a wide and vast range of theories that have been developed over the years. There are a number of different roles that people tend to undertake within the organisations and each one of the roles are equally important for the success of the business. One of the most important however is that by leaders. Leaders play a crucial role in the organisations including several elements like training and mentoring as well (Adam and Meitz, 1993). Training and mentoring are two essential elements for eve ry business. In the case of new employees to a job, it is seen that there is a need for new training and mentoring to be introduced within the organizations. These training and mentoring is based on the employee profiles and the levels based on which the employees can learn and develop. Hence for every company recruiting newer employees this is a very essential aspect. Mostly in the case of new employees these form the basic understanding of the organization and the job (Beer, Lawrence, Quinn Mills, and Walton, 1985). This paper will discuss two very essential aspects of the business, i.e. the concept of individual differences and the organizational roles and situations. The main aim of the paper is to discuss how people take up their roles in the organizations and how well the group situations are managed within the organization. Individual Differences: Murray and Kluckholm have divided the psychology studies of people into three main sections. They explain, Every man is in certain respects (a) like all other men, (b) like some other men, (c) like no other man. Considering the term Individual differences psychology, the main focus of this theory is based on the second level of study. The study of individual differences psychology is one where the theorist and experts study the differences in the individual behavior. The concept of individual differences is very important as it helps creating an average of the variations in the differences of individuals. This is an essential concept in organizations and employee behavior as with the various personalities of people within the industry, there is also a chance that the expected reactions might not be the same from all employees. Hence when a leader works towards managing a group, it is essential that the leader is able to understand and associate with each employee. This will help the leader understand the most effective form of leadership that can be implemented within the teams and the organization as a whole (Gazendam, 1993). Motivation is the most important aspect of any organization. It is essential for competitiveness, cost effectiveness that in simpler words is staying alive. Practice what you preach. For effective understanding of the employees and their individual differences, a few underlying principles can be used (Goleman, 2006). These include using: Surveys- Changing behaviour, and hence, attitudes, is difficult unless you can identify as a start point. In all companies there are a number of employees who resist change and are unwilling to accept any change of any kind. Use of Good Practice: Being a manager does not require training for leadership skills, or having a set number of principles for a job or set systems. It is important to understand that theories that have been developed over the years are only meant for references and not to be used as a bible for every move. Policies and Procedures: In every company, or even a group of companies, nothing ever happens unless theres a simple policy or procedure for making the thing happen. These policies and procedures should be set out and should include, what should happen, who needs to manage it, how it should take place, how it is monitored, etc. need to be encompassed in these policies (Grint, 2001). Organisational Roles and Situations: The term Organizational Roles refers to the technical positions that are occupied by both the leaders as well as the employees in an organization and the processes and procedures that occur in the day to day business. Leaders act as change agents within organizations. They motivate as well as build the trust and confidence of the people within the organization. There have been a number of different theories and approaches that have been developed in the past by various authors and experts in the field (Goleman, 2006). Daniel Golemans approach consists of six major styles of leadership. In his book Primal Leadership, he has highlighted that good leaders are effective because they create resonance. Based on this he explained resonance can be done in six ways, which in turn lead to the leadership styles. These styles included visionary leadership, coaching leadership, affiliative leadership, democratic leadership, pacesetting leadership and commanding leadership (Goleman, 2006). Leaders require to be very careful with the decisions they make because every decision they made has an effect on the lives of the employees. Thus Goleman argues that true leaders are a product of the decisions that they take and thus a true leader is one who thinks through all the factors before taking a decision and after considering every possibility. Mintzbergs argument that the decisions of leaders are diluted by the half truths is a very positive and right argument. Another aspect that needs to be considered in any organization includes the training of employees. Training a group involves a lot more efforts as well as costs than training a single employee. The main similarity of training the employees and a group is that the content always remains the same (Buchanan and Huczynski 2004). However when training an individual, it is possible to help them out on improving the process and finding ways to overcome issues. This cannot be done in the group training (House Shamir, 1993) . Training an individual can be done while working on the job which allows the employees to also get a feel of the systems and ask questions which they would have otherwise been reluctant to ask in a group. Organisational Behaviour and its Impact: Being able to take up new roles and styles of management is one of the biggest challenges in an organisation. Management theories are in a number if ways the first and most essential elements of business which every manager will require to know and understand to be able to successfully lead a team. It is essential to realise the importance of these theories for every manager (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). The fair and employment laws that have been implemented by the government have a lot of relevance to the everyday work. It is essential for managers to have a strong knowledge of these laws to ensure that all employees are treated in a fair and ethical manner (Koestenbaum, 2002). One of the best ways to create a supportive environment in the work place is to communicate to the employee and bring out ways and modes to help one another achieve the fair employment within the work place. A communication strategy which involves meeting initially by the manager to discuss the same with t he employees, after which the employees can initiate a meeting anytime they feel something within the office is not fair. This is more of an open communication and should be for the entire team rather than just the employee and managers. The impact of the leaders performance and behaviour within an organisation has a high impact on the overall performance of the business. Mintzberg has argues that leadership and management required to be aligned to the organizational development. Mintzberg also argued that it is up to the internals of the organization to make the right choice of the leaders rather than externals, who do not have complete knowledge of the organization and its people (Locke, Edwin 1975). Mintzberg has discussed some very important aspects of leadership and has emphasized on important aspects like the half truths. The half truth that has been used by managers in a number of ways is that people are human resources (Locke, Edwin, 1975). Mintzberg argues and highlights th at it is incorrect to refer to human beings as human resources. He argues that half truths are dangerous mainly because of the fact that they can affect the actions of the leaders to be not well thought out and planned (Grint, 2001). Also the half truths are not reasonable and require to have been taken as a huge threat to the managers and leaders of organizations. Considering the various examples that he has enlisted in the argument, it is clear that the half truths cause a the leaders to make ineffective decisions and also in some terms can be the underlying factors for the organizations moving into the wrong path and moving towards failure to some extent (MICA, 2004). It is clear that basing the leadership decisions on half truths can be very damaging not only to the company but also to the lives of the employees that are involved. Thus Mintzbergs argument is very appropriate and it is important to understand and differentiate among the half truths and the other half truths (MICA , 2004). Effectiveness of Organisational Behaviour: As has been mentioned earlier, the ability to change the behaviour of a leader based on the employees and the needs of the team. Of all the different leadership modes that are present in various organisations, one which has proved to be very effective and efficient is that of a charismatic leader. In a situation where decisions need to be taken very fast and with accuracy, the most effective leader would be the charismatic leader (House Shamir, 1993). Charismatic leaders mainly refer to people with an elusive and also an indefinable personality trait which in a number of terms seems unnatural and is considered to be supernatural. These traits have been expressed to be traits like ability to lead, charm, persuade, influence and inspire others (Beer, Lawrence, Quinn Mills and Walton, 1985). According to Weber: charisma is ‘a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which s/he is set apart from ordinary people and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman , or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are such as are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader’. He also says, resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him. Every leader irrespective of whether a charismatic, authoritative or even a transformational requires to have a team and followers to be able to lead them. Hence it is clear that a leader only leads the way and helps the others to follow him and meet the goals of the organization. In situations where the leaders require having complete support of the followers, the most effective form of leadership again is the charismatic leadership (House Shamir 1993). A few of the best examples include Fidel Castro, Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Sathya Sai Baba, Joseph Smith and Werner Erhard. All of these leaders have been able to contribute in their own way to their organizations. As has been understood from the above discussion, Charismatic leaders are known for their approach to every big and small problem. The actions of the leaders have a cumulative effect on the changes that they tend to bring about in the people. There are several similarities between the charismatic leaders and transformational leaders. The most essential and basic difference is their focus. The transformational leaders focus on transforming the organisation and in some cases the followers as well, while the charismatic leaders prefer to let things remain the same and do not want to change things. In the case of charismatic leaders it is quite easy for the followers to get carried away while talking to the person because of the strong aura that they have. The charismatic leaders are a combination of both people as well as organisation oriented. Hence the charismatic leaders to a great extent are great leaders and provide a lot of results to the organisation as a whole. Conclusions: As seen from the above discussion, the leaders play a major role in the over organizational behavior and the overall effectiveness of the organizations. The ability to understand the needs of each individual and to work towards providing all employees with the right treatment to be motivated is the main job and role of the leader. As seen in the above discussion the role of human resource management is very high in every company. The success of a company is directly dependent on the performance of the employees and the right choice of employees can take the company a long way and can provide the company with excellent results. For an individual to be a successful leader it is essential that they have a clear vision and aim for the team. The behavior of the managers and leaders has a strong and direct impact on the employee productivity (Koestenbaum, 2002). This is majorly because employees tend to follow their leaders. If a leader needs to be successful it is essential that the leade rs have the ability to be open to feedback, ready to accept their flaws and willingness to give in their best to the team. All leaders challenge the process (Kouzes, J., Posner, B., 2002). It is essential that leaders view the status quo and ask themselves why. Only by asking why and challenging the assumptions that instituted the status quo can a leader be effective. Hence to be able to fulfill their role in the organization, it is important that the leaders are aware of their surroundings and are able to work in sync with all the other roles within the organization. This will not only increase the level of team work but will also increase the overall success of the organization as well.

Immanuel Kants Idea of Knowledge

Immanuel Kants Idea of Knowledge Immanuel Kant is responsible for introducing the term â€Å"transcendental† to the philosophical discussion. By doing this it was his goal to reject everything that Hume had to say. His argument proved that subjects like mathematics and philosophy truly existed. One of his main arguments was the idea that gaining knowledge was possible. Without this idea of knowledge there would be no reason for a discussion. Since we know that knowledge is possible we must ask how it got this way. According to Kant, one of the conditions of knowledge is the Transcendental Aesthetic, which is the mind placing sense experience into a space and time sequence. From this we understand that the transcendental argument is an abundance of substances situated in space and time, with a relationship to one another. We cannot gain this knowledge from sense-experience (Hume) or from rational deduction alone (Leibniz), but showing how knowledge exist and how it is possible. Kant makes the claim in the Transcendental Aesthetics that space and time are ‘pure a priori intuitions. To fully understand what this means we must define what an intuition is. According to Kant an intuition is raw data of sensory experience. So basically intuitions are produced in the mind. Kant is saying that space and time are things that are produced in the mind and given before experience. Space is a necessary a priori representation, which underlies all outer intuitions. It does not represent something in itself or any other relationship. Space is only a form of appearance represented outside of the mind. Time, on the other hand, is a necessary representation that underlies all intuitions and therefore is a priori. Since time is only one dimensional there is no way that we could access it quickly. We know that space and time are both a priori because of all of our experiences. Kant also claims that space and time are ‘empirically real but transcendentally ideal. When Kant says that space is ‘empirically real he is not presupposing external objects. There is no way for space to be an empirical concept. We cannot just come up with the idea of space; a representation of space must be presupposed. When we experiences things outside ourselves it is only possible through representation. For space and time to be ‘transcendentally ideal Kant is basically saying that â€Å"they are not to be identified with anything beyond or anything that transcends the bounds of possible experience or the a priori subjective conditions that make such experience possible in the first place.† Before Kant begins to explain the transcendental aesthetic he claims in the introduction that mathematical knowledge is synthetic a priori. This statement is based on Kants Copernican Revelation. According to Kant, time and space taken together are the pure forms of all sensible intuitions. This is our way of creating a priori synthetic propositions. These propositions are limited in how they appear to us but not present within themselves. We have a priori knowledge of synthetic judgements. According to Kant our judgements/statements can either be analytic or synthetic. An analytic judgement would be where the concept of the predicate is part of the concept of the subject. If it is denied then there would be a contradiction. A synthetic judgement, on the other hand, is where the concept of the predicate is not contained in the concept of the subject. So, if we denied it then there would be no contradiction involved. An analytical judgement would be â€Å"all bachelors are unmarried†. The concept of bachelor is defined as being unmarried. In analyzing this word we would say that it is an unmarried male adult. When we analyze concepts the parts come out. Therefore, when broken down our predicate concept of â€Å"unmarried† is shown. The mind is capable of finding this concept without going outside and experiencing it. If we tried to deny this statement there would have to be a contradiction, therefore making it false. An example of a synthetic judgement would be â€Å"the sun will rise tomorrow†. When we say this it is our way of taking two separate and distinct ideas and putting them together. There could be no contradiction in this statement because we can image that something like this could occur. In Section I of the Transcendental Aesthetic, Kant gives four arguments for the conclusion that space is empirically real but transcendentally ideal. As we know space is not an empirical concept. We cannot physically derive the idea of space. The only way that we can receive these outer experiences is through our representation. When it comes to space we cannot represent the absence of space but we can imagine space as being empty. In order to be given any content in our experience we must presuppose space. Knowing that space is not a general concept we can only discuss one space at a time and if we speak of diverse spaces we only mean parts of the same space. The parts cannot decipher the bigger space but only what is contained in it. Since space is seen as only one, the concept of spaces depends on a limit. Concepts containing an unlimited amount of representations cannot be contained within itself. All parts of space are given to us at once. Therefore it is an a priori intuition not a concept. All of the previous information is Kants way of showing that the synthetic a priori knowledge of mathematics is possible. As we know mathematics is a product of reason but is still synthetic. But how can this knowledge be a priori? The concepts of math are seen a priori in pure intuitions. This just means that the intuition is not empirical. If you do not have intuitions then mathematics would not even be a concept. Philosophy, on the other hand, progresses only through concepts. Philosophy uses intuitions to show necessary truths but those truths cannot be a consequence of intuitions. The possibility of math only occurs because it is based on pure intuitions which only occur when concepts are constructed. Like pure intuition, empirical intuition, allows us to broaden our concept of an object by providing us with new predicates. With pure intuitions we get necessary a priori truths. Synthetic a priori knowledge in mathematics is possible only if it refers to objects of the senses. The form of appearances comes from time and space which is assumed by pure intuitions. Doubting that space and time do not belong to the object in themselves would cause us to not have an explanation about a priori intuitions of objects. We have to come to the conclusion that in space and time objects are only appearances entailing that it is the form of appearances that we can represent a priori. Concluding that a synthetic a priori knowledge of mathematics would be possible. What is the Transcendental Deduction? This is the way concepts can relate a priori to objects. Kant says, â€Å"If each representation were completely foreign to every other, standing apart in isolation, no such thing as knowledge would ever arise. For knowledge is [essentially] a whole in which representations stand compared and connected.† Kant lays out a threefold synthesis about experience: a synthesis of apprehension in intuition, a synthesis of reproduction in imagination, and a synthesis of recognition in a concept. We should not divide these steps into one but they should all be intertwined as one. So what we see must occur consecutively. Therefore our idea of the Synthetic Unity of Apperception comes into play. This is where every possible content of experience must be accompanied by â€Å"I think†. Everything in your mental state should be able to be accompanied by â€Å"I think† if not then it will not matter at all. â€Å"I think† is not something that consists in sensibility. It is an act of spontaneity. It precedes all possible experience. The unity of this particular manifold is not given in experience but prior to it. Thinking substances can only perceive what is going on inside as perception goes on at all times. This is where our awareness of a manifold comes into play. We are aware of one thing after another. Each impression is different from one other. We must say that these impressions are mine. Basically accompanying them with the phrase â€Å"I think†. As for the Transcendental Unity of Apperception we are never aware of ourselves as the thinker but just the intuitions. All of our experiences must be subjective to this combination of things. I must actively pull them all together as them being a part of my experience. The only way that I can be aware of this â€Å"I† is if I am able to pull together all of these representations. In this we can see the idea of objective unification. There is a connection between transcendental unity of apperception and objective unification. When we speak of objective unification we believe that there is a right way to put things together. This concept basically comes from our categorical synthesis which involves a priori concepts. With the categorical synthesis it is our way of putting together intuitions in a category. We must be able to make a judgement. For example we must be able to say this is how things seem to me because of pass experiences. By saying this it would be a near judgement. Whereas a judgement would be us just saying this is how things are. To make a judgement is to say this is how things are out there; how they objectively are rather than how they appear subjectively. For a manifold to be complete the sensible intuitions have to be subject to the category. This is how we can have a categorical synthesis. We cannot have sense impression unless I can bring them together under a unified manifold by knowing they are objective rather than subjective. Any intuition that we have must be subject to the category. We could not have an awareness of one event coming before the other unless there is a manifold of â€Å"my†. Appearances are not objects in themselves. They are not just representations; they are separate intuitions therefore having no connection between them. Imagination is what connects the manifold of sensible intuitions. Nature is just appearance. Anything that appears to us must conform to law. We have to complete this synthesis in order to have experiences. It is presupposed that there is an objective to all of my experiences. Without it there would be no way to put them together and I would not be aware of them as experiences. Both the threefold synthesis and a transcendental unity of apperception are necessary to have ordered experience for any sort of theory of experience. 3. Kant defines Idealism as â€Å"the theory which declares the existence of objects in space outside us either to be merely doubtful and indemonstrable or to be false and impossible.† Since I am conscious of my own existence, objects in space must also exist. Having knowledge, the only thing that we are aware of is our representations. These representations are only achievable through an object outside of me not by the representation of that object. Therefore I exist in time because I am capable of perceiving actual things outside of me. I am conscious of my existence in the same frame of time as I am conscious of those objects existing outside of me. When referring to idealism it is believed that our immediate experience is inner experience and from this particular experience we only receive outer objects. It is quite possible that these representations come from within. When considering the representation â€Å"I am† a subject is included. We do not know what that subject is though. So according to circumstances we do not have any experience of that subject. To fully understand the knowledge of the subject we must have intuition. But the only way to receive this inner experience is through our outer experience. To have the existence of outer objects we must be conscious of ourselves. This does not mean that our representation of them involve true existence because they could also be produced by our imagination. The representations of our outer objects come from our perceptions. According to Kant â€Å"all that we have here sought to prove is that inner experience in general is possible only through outer experience in general. Whether this is or that supposed experience be not purely imaginary, must be ascertained from its special determinations, and through it congruence with the criteria of all real experience.† According to Descartes, we really know only what is in our own consciousness. We are instantly and honestly aware of only our own states of mind. What we believe of the whole external world is merely an idea or picture in our minds. Therefore, it is possible to doubt the actuality of the external world as being composed of real objects. â€Å"I think, therefore I am† is the only idea that cannot be doubted. This is because self-consciousness and thinking are the only objects that can be experienced in the real sense. Descartes presented the main problem of philosophical idealism which was an awareness of the difference between the world as a mental picture and that of a system of external objects. Lockes theory, on the other hand, encompasses the mind as the origin for modern conceptions of identity and the self. Locke was the first philosopher to define the self through a continuation of â€Å"consciousness.† He also speculated that the mind was a â€Å"blank slate† or â€Å"tabula rasa†. These two strategies are very different from the above strategies of Kant. At the beginning of early modern philosophy, in Descartes, we seem to see our familiar world slipping away. At the culmination of early modern philosophy, in Kant, however, we get our familiar world back through at a price. In the following essay I will discuss this process, beginning with Descartes, ending with Kant, and discussing two of the four philosophers we have examined this semester. In Meditation One Descartes gives three separate arguments. From these particular arguments one can conclude that we cannot claim to know with certainty anything about the world around us. Everything might seem probable but in reality that does not mean that it lacks doubt. If we can never be certain how can we know anything. This is the main reason for Descartes bring this issue up. Basically his entire argument is based on Scepticism. Scepticism is very important and is seen as an attempt for our knowledge and understanding of the world. It is really hard to doubt that someone really exists but there is no way that one could get rid of the idea of scepticism The one thing that we know is that Descartes does not just randomly doubt everything. He provides very concrete reasons for the things that he doubts. As he sets up this doubt he has to be very rational about it. If he does not then his argument is not going to work. The KK thesis that Descartes uses is to show how these arguments work. The KK thesis follows: if a knows that p, then a knows that a knows that p. basically this means that if I know that there is snow outside then I know that I know that there is snow outside. The problem with this argument is that if we are not sure about our senses then there is no way that we can be sure about the knowledge that we possess. In making this thesis work one must have a strong understanding of what â€Å"knowing† really means. But there is no way that one can actually have this understanding. One must have self-knowledge or basically one must really know himself/herself. Therefore if you do not have that notion of self then you do not possess any knowledge. As we can see the KK thesis works in favour with what Descartes is saying in all of his arguments. The only problem is that he does not believe that his argument about God is that strong. He feels that if there is an Omnipotent God then there is no way that he could ever deceive us. There is no way that he could be all knowing and make us doubt the things that we do. On the other hand there is no way that there could be no God because our senses had to be created by someone. Therefore there must have been an evil demon that has deceived us. But since he doubts everything then he is not mislead into the false believing of a demon. So, in a later meditation he proves that there is a God and that he is not a deceiver. We turn to Liebniz and we continue to see the world slipping away as he discusses the monad. In looking at the things that Liebniz said it is believed that monads (Entelechy) are not physical or mental but biological. Therefore, the ultimate cogs of the world are biological elements or Entelechies. In doing this there is no distinction made between inanimate and animate objects, which would make everything, animate. If these monads are really just biological there is no way that they can make changes in each other. The only way for this to happen is if God caused these changes to happen. The reason that monads cannot bring changes in bodies is because that is not what they were programmed to do. They were created so that compound substances could be made. The biological nature of Monads makes their essential qualities to be apperception and appetition and even motion itself. Their relation is more of a final cause than an efficient cause. This is why he considers final causes as the principle of efficient causes and gives priority to final causes. Therefore, this made it hard for a monad to bring change in a body. As we can see, God is the unifier of the monads but he also brings harmony. Leibniz came to the conclusion, by using metaphysics and the nature of monads, that God was the ultimate monad and the Creator of this world. We are now at a point where nothing is the same. We believed in one thing but now it is completely different. The first problem that Berkeley would have with this objection is the fact that ideas cannot exist if they are not perceived. If we cannot perceive of the idea then there is no way that we can truly conceive of the thing. For example if I do not have the idea of the sky being blue then there is no way that I am going to walk outside, look up, and say the sky is blue. I do not have the concept of blue in the first place. He says that we cannot say what reality is like without using language. You cannot use a word well if you do not know the meaning of that word. When we are describing an idea it is based on what we feel. There is no way that I can say what I mean if I have no conception of the word. According to Berkeley, ideas do not do anything so it cannot cause anything to happen. The mind is active; it is able to perceive of new ideas by imaging. The one thing that the mind cannot do is actually form ideas. It can perceive the ideas but cannot come up with ideas that will resemble the mind when it does this. So, therefore there is no way that we can perceive of any sensible things without knowing what the words mean in the first place. If you do not know what the words mean then you cannot come up with ideas and without the ideas you cannot perceive anything. As we continue we start to see some changes. Berkeley is bring us closer to what Kant has to say. We finally come to Kant and we get our world back through pieces. The way that we do this is through the Kantian price. The Kantian price is how we get our world back through space and time. We have to realize that we would not exist without a world of space and time. Space is not empirical; the idea of space cannot be conceived of. Space is of only one thing. It cannot be talked about in parts because parts are only contained in the overall bigger picture. All space is, is a form of all appearances of the outer sense. As for time it is a little different. Time is not something, which exist of itself. An intuition taking place within is what time is. Time cannot be removed from appearance even though it does not have to actually possess appearances. These appearances can come and go but time cannot be taken away. It is only suitable in conjunction to appearance not for objects preoccupied or taken in general. Time and space are the pure forms of all sensible intuition and so are what make a priori synthetic propositions possible. Therefore, bring back our world through a price. We get a chance to see how Kant breaks down what everyone is saying and shows us how the world is not really slipping away but it is just seen in a different way.

Mexico - A Special Place Essay -- essays research papers

Mexico - A Special Place It seemed at first like any other family trip with mom all excited and planning, my step dad telling everyone not to pack to much, getting on another plane, and then we land. First thing that I noticed was the heat, it made my knees buckle. Then looking around and seeing all the men with guns, everyone seems so serious going through the lines that have green and red light that either say that you can go or you have to be stopped and searched. It was scary seeing all of this right before my eyes. Everyone was speaking a language that I wasn’t understanding. All sorts of people running out to us trying to give us rides or selling stuff, I don’t really know because I don’t know what they were saying. Once we found the bus that my mom had reserved it was a long, hot, bumpy ride through poverty and dirtiness. What seemed like a ride that wouldn’t stop and seeing accidents and almost being in one myself, we finally reached a green, tropical area along the beach, where our condo was. The moment we got into the condo we all got our bathing suits on and ran to the beach. The first thing that I noticed was how hot the sand was. The sand wasn’t think the sand that was have in Washington, it was soft and clean and dry that was without rocks and sticks in it. We found a place to lay and put our stuff under one of the large umbrellas. When we went to go into the water I noticed something that I will never forget. The Mexicans where roped off from our area and all lined up wanting to sell us jewelry, shirts, hats, and pottery. My brother said that they tried to sell him some marijuana, but no one tried to sell me any of that stuff. Which is a good thing because I am only nine. I didn’t go to the ocean as fast as my brother and younger sister did. Or I didn’t do what my older sister did, which is flirt with the pool boys and try to get her tan started. I stayed with the people selling stuff. I kept thinking that I could swim any time but I could never talk and bargain and try to learn there language. I got so lost and I think that sometimes they had me say the wrong things because they laughed after having me say some phrase of theirs. I liked being the center of attention. I have learned so much about Mexico by just trying to talk to the venders. I even made friends that I think I will always remember and try to keep in touch with.   Ã‚  &nb... ...as the first trip. Being here at home and surrounded by our life with money, cars, school, and friends, I forget about the different life that others had in Mexico. I feel the excitement coming back to me every time mom wants to take a trip there. My first trip changed my whole perspective for other cultures and relly got me thinking about it would be like if I lived in Mexico or if I had to go through all of the poverty. It make me think how different my life would be if I lived there and thankful that I live where I do, but yet so excited to go down and meet all of the friendly people that can even remember me and my name when I see them. Mexico made me notice that with all of the friendly people down in Mexico and their not so great life style, that I now have a better understanding for everything that I have. Even though my life, my family life is different because it is just my mom and I now, when we go to Mexico I still feel the same way about Mexico as when I had my big fa mily. So I think that the place impacts me now with the same feelings no matter who I go with, it is just a special place. No matter how many times that I go to Mexico it is like the first time every time.

Essay examples --

Ability Grouping and Tracking in Schools Famous American author Mark Twain once said, â€Å"I have never let schooling interfere with my education† (The Quotations Page). School is sometimes a difficult place to learn. Teachers can’t be expected to give an individualized lesson to thirty students at once. This task increases in difficulty when not all of the students are behaving or when the students are at different levels of learning. Some schools, however, are attempting to make learning easier on both students and teachers. The methods of tracking and ability grouping are revolutionizing the way teachers teach and students learn. Tracking and ability grouping are two separate practices, but they share many similarities. Ability grouping is used most commonly in elementary schools, while tracking is used in high schools. Both practices involve grouping students by their abilities in schools. The main difference between the practices is tracking is between classes, while ability grouping is within individual classes. Tracking, in other words, is different for every subject. Ability grouping is grouping within an individual class (Loveless). The main arguments against tracking and ability grouping deal with the lower-level students. Critics argue that ability grouping can create a "self-fulfilling prophecy" for lower class and minority students, who tend to be placed in the lower-achieving classes or groups (Thompson). Also, some argue that the lower-level classes may not receive the same quality of instruction as higher-level classes, increasing the achievement gap (Sosnowski). To help shrink the achievement gap, teachers will often reshuffle groups when using the ability grouping method. Sometimes, teachers will give t... ...my entire high school career. Ability grouping and tracking are practices that could greatly benefit every school system and every individual student. Lower-level students would no longer feel pressured to learn at an uncomfortable pace. They would have the opportunity to receive additional instruction on concepts that they struggle with. Higher-level students would have opportunities to learn at an accelerated rate, and they would have a chance to explore concepts in much greater depth. These students wouldn't feel like they are constantly waiting for the other students to catch up with them. American journalist Sydney J. Harris said, "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows" (Sydney J. Harris Quote). Tracking and ability grouping can help transform our generation of mirrors into windows that can change the world with our knowledge.

A Nation of Wimps Essay

A Nation Of Wimps Parents are going to extreme lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. However, that has the net effect of making kids more fragile, and that may be why they’re braking down so easily. People learn through experience, and through failure they learn how to cope with things later on in life, themselves. And whether we realize that or not, this nation is turning out to be producing more and more wimps. The Fragility Factor College is one of the biggest fragility factors. It leads to psychological distress, binge drinking, substance abuse, self-mutilation, etc. Relationship problems don’t go away, anorexia and bulimia keep on coming. Welcome to the Hothouse Parents are overprotecting their children, they are intruding too much into their lives. They started to call colleges and asking about their grades. American parents today expect their children to be perfect, and that puts to much pressure on them. Arrivederci, Playtime Children don’t play enough these days. Over 40, 000 schools in the U. S. don’t have recess anymore. Commercialization of children’s play leads to more stressed out children. Plays develops cognitive thinking, and is important for normal development of children. The Eternal Umbilicus Cellphones today make children addictive to their parents. Students are typically in contact with their parents several times a day, which makes them constantly homesick, and keeps them away from learning how to manage for themselves. All that is the pathway to depression, it weakens self-regulation, it influences relationships and friendships, and make children become more frustrated and impatient which then leads to the fail of relationships and even greater depression. From Scrutiny to Anxiety†¦ and Beyond What creates anxious children is parents hovering and protecting them from stressful experiences. This group of children experiences stress in situations most kids find unthreatening. They grow up shrinking from social contact, and lack confidence. They are later on easily influenced by others. Overparenting creates lifelong vulnerability to anxiety and depression. Endless Adolescence Adulthood no longer begins after adolescence ends. Kids are starting to extend childhood, because they are making up for the things they weren’t supposed to do as children, and are creating a whole new stage called the â€Å"early adulthood. † Boom Boom Boomerang Play is connected to the making of healthy relationships later on in life. The less time children spend in play, the less socially competent they become. Through play we learn how to read feelings and negotiate conflicts. Taking the play out of childhood is bound to create development lags. Just Whose Shark Tank Is It Anyway? Competition has become a stressful and significant part of our everyday lives. Parents imagine that their children must be swimming in a big shark tank. Kids today are more ambivalent about the college race than are parents. Nowadays, parents are actually locking their kids into fragility, and by that the kids never learn how to cope with anxiety. Putting Worry in its Place Parents need to abandon the idea of perfection and give up some the invasive control. Children are far less integrated into adult society than they used to be, and by that parents have introduced a tendency to assume that children can’t manage difficult situations. Parents need to remember that one of the goals of higher educations is developing the capacity of thinking for ourselves. Conclusion Indeed parents today have became overprotective of their children, they overshelter them and overpraise them. They cheat for their children by making up fake diseases and getting them into colleges by relations. All of that is creating a whole different type of kids, that aren’t individuals anymore, we are creating the nation of kinds depending on their parents, a nation of wimps,

Samsung Electronics Case

he Samsung Electronics Company has become the largest conglomerate in South Korea over the past decade. Net sales of the Samsung Group totaled $135 billion in 2004 and has 337 overseas operations in 58 countries. Electronic, finance, and trade and services are the three core sectors within the Samsung Group. Semiconductor products are classified into two different categories of chips, which are memory and logic. The net value of Samsung experienced rapid growth from 2000 to 2004, growing from $ 5. 5 billion to $12. 6 billion.We will use Porter’s five forces to analyze the industry structure and performance which will help gauge Samsung’s growth against its competitors. Entry into the semiconductor industry can be very costly and difficult because of high barriers to entry. These barriers include, economies of scale, high entry costs, and the difficulty in obtaining industry knowledge. In addition, firms like Samsung have established a strong reputation for quality and r eliable products which serve as powerful barriers to new firms hoping to enter the industry.The decreased chance of new entrants indicates a less competitive and more profitable industry. There are many buyers within the semiconductor industry, each controlling a relatively small share of the market. Samsung has a huge range of products they produce and can afford to do so at a low cost. Since the buyers control the industry and what is produced they have a significant amount of bargaining power. Furthermore, even though the amount of producers in the industry is fairly low, they offer many of the same products forcing them to compete on price.Samsung has a little above medium bargaining power with its suppliers. The semiconductor industry faces powerful suppliers but because defective memory is difficult and costly to identify, and could potentially destroy the entire value of Samsung’s product, it is very important for Samsung to establish a strong relationship with its sup pliers. In doing so,   Samsung usually pays a 1% price premium to its suppliers to ensure quality giving suppliers increased profit and more bargaining power in the industry.However, Samsung consumes a large volume of sales for its suppliers and can still earn a 5% discount because of this large volume and this discount can offset that 1% price premium. In conclusion, Samsung has a little above medium bargaining power over its supplier. Substitutes in the conductor industry are high for three reasons. First, products in the semiconductor industry are highly standardized. Secondly, other major companies in this industry have the ability to produce a large volume of similar products at average costs.Thirdly, there is the threat of new companies from China. However, these companies from China lack the technology to make high quality and low cost products. Therefore, at this point, Samsung does not need to worry about substitutes from Chinese firms. The semiconductor industry experien ces fierce rivalry between the firms. Similar to substitutes, there are six main rivals within the industry. Also, even though the Chinese companies are young/inexperienced, they are becoming a potential rival.No company has the absolute leading market share or absolute technology to break other major companies within the industry. Even though Chinese companies are inexperienced, these companies are having little or no trouble raising money from local government and they are willing to sacrifice profit in order to fight for market share. Over time, Samsung has established a strong competitive position relative to other firms in the semiconductor industry. Samsung’s emphasis on fast and efficient work has let them complete projects faster than other firms, giving them a competitive edge.An example of this occurred in the mid 1980’s when Samsung was able to complete their first large manufacturing facility, a task that was predicted to take 18 months, in just 6 months by working around the clock. Samsung also has a strength in their location, with Samsung’s main R&D facility and all its fab lines located at a single site they are able to save an estimated 12% on fab construction costs. This advantage of location also allows their engineers to work closely together to quickly solve design and process engineering problems together, furthering their speed and efficiency advantage over their competitors.Samsung has also done a great job of identifying and seizing opportunities before their competitors, and taking risks that other firms may be unwilling to take. An example of this occurred in 1992 when Samsung decided to invest $1 Billion in increasing the size of the wafers used to cut the DRM chips to eight inches. This investment paid off and gave Samsung a distinct cost advantage that allowed them to gain the number one market share in the DRAM industry for 13 years. Samsung also identified and seized he opportunity to gain high profits throu gh product differentiation by customizing and catering to niche markets, offering over 1,200 different variations of DRAM products. In order to understand the internal Environment of the company. VRIO framework will be used to analyse the internal environment and   to help further understand the strategic position in the industry. Relatively low power of suppliers and large production factories allow Samsung to keep their cost low. Their low cost of production will enable them to enter into a price war with any company threatening to enter the market.They have the ability to lower their price to the point where it will become too costly for any other company to enter the market will deter additional entrants. Their low cost production ability also allows them to increase revenues and reinvest more money back into R&D. Additionally, having all of their engineers on site allowed for quicker design times and cut 12% of construction fabrication costs. However, rarity is not really an issue within the industry. There are multiple companies all with similar technology.Once Samsung can keep the low cost production system and reinvest to their R&D, they could achieve sustainable comp etitive advantage in the industry. Most customers are willing to pay a higher value for their products because they perceive Samsung to have better performance and superior design, quality, and service. The brand loyalty, brand reputation and quality(reliable product) are costly for the competitors to acquire or develop. The competitors also face a cost disadvantage in cost structures since Samsung has an outstanding low cost production system.Moreover, Samsung’s major competitors do not have the cutting edge technology to quickly overpass the quality of Samsung’s product. It would be difficult and costly for their competitors to imitate their technology. Samsung does a fairly good job exploiting their capabilities because of them building brand loyalty and a high quality product. With all of those advantages it becomes difficult for their competitors to capture Samsung’s market share. Finally, Samsung invested heavily in its employees more than any other competitor allowing them to focus on innovation and productivity (Include HR policies).Answer to question 1. Samsung employees a hybrid model of business level strategy which consists of cost leadership advantage and product differentiation. Samsung’s operating cost is $8. 90 per unit and it is well below the industry average $10. 3975 per unit. As of year 2003, samsung offers over 1200 different products. With a proper marketing strategy, Samsung built a high reputation and good brand image for its products allowing them to charge a premium price on most of its products. Answer to Question 2: Samsung has implemented their business strategy very well.They were able to become not only the industry cost leader but obtain a large degree of product differentiation. Above, we conducted a VR IO analysis of Samsung and identified their competitive advantages. However, the advantages are only temporary because they are not rare and any company can imitate them by spending a large amount of capital. Until this point though, all of the competitive advantages that Samsung has created have created positive economic profit. These profits can be realized in the large growth in the company from 2000 to 2004.Recommendations: Our recommendations are that Samsung continue to use their additional revenue from their low cost of production and higher margin to invest in R&D. This will ensure that Samsung has the best product on the market and continue to lower their production costs. By doing this, they will continue to make it costlier for new firms to enter the market. Investing into R&D is extremely costly/ high risk and could lead to failure if Samsung begins investing in the wrong type of products. However, if done properly, this investment can cement Samsung as the market leader and ensure high profitability for the future.

Law of Seas Notes

Limitations: Article 116 – there are 3 ways in which people who whose to fish on high seas are limited. What's the limitation of fishing on high seas. – answer Isn't 87, BUT article 116 treaty obligations must be complied with, rights and duties of coastal states must be respected. Articles 116-120 – relate to conservation and management of living sources on the high seas. Article 118 – says that countries should cooperate, subrogation fisheries and organizations so government agencies can assess what's being exploited so as to negotiate resources.Article 119 – when Investigating exploitation and resources, must use best scientific evidence that gives maximum sustainable yields. Consider dependent species – IPPP Can't be discriminatory and can't be against fisherman of particular state. Backwards from high seas what's the next zone – economic zone – distances are important – 24 to 200 nautical miles Then next zone is cont iguous zone – stretches from territorial zone out to economic zone. If you know these you can flick through the book what Is the contiguous zone and what does It do? What article relates to contiguous zone – article 33 – slide number 12.What is the limitation of the contiguous zone – a state MAY control immigration in the contiguous zone – we can stop them from gashing, Infringing customs laws, sanitary laws or any regulations within the territory or territorial sea ? If no legislation, state can do nothing. From where contiguous zone is measured – from baseline – coastline is Jagged therefore they use low watermark to do it. Need to know the article – whenever you get question, you must tell article. I OFF Territorial sea – articles 3, 17 and 18. Territorial limitation is key to security for a nation.Ships are actually allowed from foreign nations can travel through, only limitation on them is stout in article 18-21 â⠂¬â€œ got to tell what PASSAGE actually means (article 18). Can't enter internal waters (where sea enters rivers) but allowed to traverse the sea. Must be expeditious (article 18(2)) got to keep going – expeditious (check dictionary) – relatively quickly. Always exceptions – legislation says well okay even though you have to keep going, you can anchor but only if it is part of your navigation procedures. That would mean ports authority would know (have permission).However, it says that force measure (serious intervention in the normal course of undertaking – e. G. Wild storm) so you can port for protection – or distress call – you can render assistance from ships, aircraft. You can only travel in territorial waters if passage is innocent (look at 19 and 21 said lecturer) – article 19 – meaning of innocent passage – 19(1) not prejudicial to the peace of the state, good order or security. Under article 19(2) – shows what ship cannot do through territorial waters. Question on innocent passage. Marks taken off if you go to wrong subsection – read question carefully.Foreigners not allowed to fish in territorial waters. Do need to know article 19. Article 21 – allows laws and regulations of coastal state in respect to the territorial sea – innocent passage. Must be inline with UNCLOGS and international law. Safety of navigation, protection of navigational aids and facilities is critical of innocent passage. Conservation of fisheries and marine ecosystem – ship cannot infringe fishing laws, can't pollute, no marine research. Article 24 – may not be a definite answer and take two sides e. G. If this if that, may be because of this etc.Reason through a problem. Duties imposed upon a coastal state: Mustn't hamper passage of foreign ships. Can't impose requirement on foreign ships which deny innocent passage. Can't discriminate – e. G. One from France, Italy, I ndonesia – can't go to Indonesia automatically (defiance of 24 1(b)). Must warn of any likely danger – e. G. Buoys etc. (24 article) Article 25 – coastal state can do anything where they think that the passage is not innocent. Got to refer to 19 and has to have reasonable proof. Rights of coastal states Only require to know certain articles put up in learn (slides).Don't want you to look at other articles Section 3 of the exam (consisting of 5 questions and 12 marks will be to do with End of the line – documentary 1 billion people out of 7. 3 billion rely on fish as source of protein instead of chicken/ other meats/ the likelihood of seafood running out by 2048 is high – not long to make stance Once fisheries collapse 250 million people will have there food supplies threatened 70% of global fisheries are beyond there capacity 90% of large fish in ocean have been fished out 1% of the worlds industrial fishing fleets result in 50% of world catches â €“ what on earth can be done?Mediumistic – blue fin tuna – largely responsible. Also the large fishing trawlers. Global fishing fleets now are 250% larger than the oceans can sustain Only 6% of the worlds oceans are actually protected e. G. Bahamas. We have got areas around news coastline protected. Cog Clove area. 40% of worlds oceans would be natural reserves blue fin tuna is major problem – 6 billion worth of illegal blue fin tuna have been fished over last 20 years. Mediumistic is freezing them. Price of tuna fish on the market is $100,000 – imagine Mediumistic price later Enormous drop in shark species over last 20 years. 5 species have dropped by 50% Tuna catches use massive nets – killing thousands of turtles, sea birds and sharks which Just get dumped back in ocean. 22,000 tones is the legal limit for tuna – currently 60,000 tones. Illegal fishing worth 9 billion a year – 52% of fish stocks are now fully exploited. If we e stablish exclusion ones for fishing it is possible that the biodiversity in fish stocks will be able to come back – but will take years Suggested that you check what your eating is sustainable – if not – don't touch it.Lecture 13 (29/06/14) – High seas belongs to everybody, and can virtually do what you want. UNCLOGS – separates prevention reduction and control on marine pollution from the rules that conserve and manage living resources. Focused on second part – sustainability. Only other convention that protects Is there any convention in the world that controls the fishing of various stocks in the high seas and beyond the continental shelf – NO

Coptic Christians Essay

As one of the most dominant sources of primary readership in the world newspapers have a great deal of power over what their recipients read and believe; with this being the case it is no surprise that it is the editorial standpoint of the articles presented in your local newspaper that dictate how you feel about particular subjects, especially those of international appeal, not unlike the varying views of the recent pig culls in Egypt. With tensions in the area high and ready to boil over the Egyptian government has started a controversial pig cull that has left outside nations confused and poverty stricken pig farmers throwing stones. After having learned some very hard lessons with mad cow disease and bird flu fatalities, the Egyptian government began the cull to prevent the infestation of swine flu and it has since been deemed a general health measure of great concern and unending debate. People consider newspaper articles to be almost as valid a source as a first-hand account, often viewing news reports as individuals writing â€Å"live† from the location of the story as if a part of the incident taking place; it is never taken into account the fact that a great deal of newsprint stories are taken down from the Associated Press and reported in the way that the writer and editors of newspaper should see fit. Thus, with the story being reported and relayed differently the perceptions of readers in France, America, the United Kingdom and various other parts of the world are likely to be very different when it comes to stories like this one. Although the story has been reported all over the world, the only way to get the mixings of the real story with all of its elements would be to include the information obtained in every newspaper that has covered the story, or to at least take representative samples from varying parts of the world like what has been done here. Where one country may report predominantly on the religious aspects of the dispute another country may focus more on money and another on class, so in order to get the full story you must put together the pieces that you receive from the sources you review. In presenting information like the fact that the World Health Organization reports that the swine flu outbreak was spread through a person-to-person system of transmission and that in none of the more than 700 cases reported worldwide was there believed to be any animal-to-person transmission, nor were there any fatalities or serious cases reported outside of Mexico it is clear that BBC News is attempting to portray the views and understandings of various international organizations like the United Nations and their World Health Organization. This newspaper is attempting to present how the issue is being perceived by international health officials. BBC News also spent a great deal more time presenting the religious argument than on the monetary aspects and the class issues over the controversy of physical disputes. They reported that most people living in Cairo are Muslim, so it is the belief of the pig farmers, as Coptic Christians, that the pig cull is a personal attack on them as a direct insult against their chosen faith. With Muslims having taken a vow against pork, the pig farming and consumption that takes place in Egypt is enacted by its Coptic Christian minority, which constitutes only about 10% of the Egyptian population. BBC News is trying to make clear here that the Coptic Christians are being unfairly targeted as the lower class minority, an element not very well touched on in some of the other periodicals.

Sources of Software Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sources of Software - Assignment Example A verifiable and demonstrable commitment to total satisfaction rate and support will be the main facet in the assessment of vender qualifications. The term for this Request for Proposal will be 5 years. This proposal is renewable for 6th and 7th year. The proposal will not be limited to, services all labor and the materials needed for the completion of this project. Proposal shall include all costs of insurance, licensing fees, labor, agreements, and other costs reasonably important to complete this project (Porter-Roth, 2002). The agenda to this RFP must be issued and authorized in writing by the college. Any agenda that alter the RFP documents by deleting, adding, or correcting it contents will be given before the proposal receipt dates. The below attached scheduled is anticipated for this project. The schedule may change depending on the Proposals results. The final schedule will be established before contracting with the winning

Managing in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing in Organizations - Essay Example In such context, Yukl (2009) defined management as the systematic combination of control, system and procedures. Yukl (2009) argued that leadership is the combination of intuition, creativity, agility, optimism and adaptive mentality. Ironically, it is believed that excellent managers are capable of correcting a flawed procedure and making it perfect whereas excellent leaders are capable of performing correct actions to achieve the goal. Careful analysis of the research work of modern management scholars reveals the fact that over managing is a key characteristic of failing organizations because managers of these organizations manage unethical or flawed procedure in efficient manner in order to climb the wrong wall. For example, corporate & financial scandal of Nortel, Enron, Lehman Brothers etc are example of wrongly managed organizational procedures. Any discussion about management and leadership is incomplete without shedding light on role of motivation among organizational member s to improve overall organizational productivity. Rurchgott and Furchgott (1999) defined motivation as the combination matrix of values, actions and attitude which can help an individual to perform in goal directed manner in order to achieve specific objective. Maslow (1943 and 1954) identified five types of human needs such as safety need, psychological need, satisfaction of the ego, social need and self-actualization which are required to be fulfilled in order to motivate an individual. It is evident from the argument of various research scholars that organizational leadership is a multidimensional context; therefore, it is difficult to understand the concept without establishing a standardized viewpoint. To understand the concept of organizational leadership in better manner, the researcher has decided to analyze and evaluate the growth of organizational â€Å"Leadership† over the course of time. Analyzing the leadership and role of organizational motivation by using vario us management theories will also be a key purpose of this essay. The researcher has previously worked in Ministry of Regional Municipality & Water Resources (MRMWR) hence MRMWR has been selected as sample organization in this paper. Throughout the essay, the researcher will evaluate how MRMWR uses leadership concept and motivational techniques in order to manage its employees. The researcher will also try to shed light on how the relationship between leadership and motivation works in synergistic manner to improve productivity and performance in MRMWR. Ministry of Regional Municipality & Water Resources Background Ministry of Regional Municipality & Water Resources (2013) has stated its functional responsibilities as guided by â€Å"Royal Decree No. 55/2006† and functional responsibility of MRMWR can be briefed in the following manner; 1. Formulating policies or process plan and designing programs

Agency by ratification Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agency by ratification - Assignment Example Agency is the association that exist when one party known as agent decide to represents another party known as principal in a business transaction and has power to alter the legal situation of the party they represent in an agreement with a third party Agency by ratification comes into existence if one party acted as an agent for a non existing principal, and the party claimed to be the principal actually accept to be bound by the term of the agreement as if they had actually authorized the agent to act on their behalf (Stone, 2011). Under such circumstance, the alleged principal can never disown the agreement and they indeed become the principal and agent in all legal perspectives. The agencies by ratification become legal only if the alleged principal met legal requirements of a principal at the time of acceptance of the contract (Gordley, 2001). However, under such a situation, both the principal and the other party have the right to sue the agent for the loss suffered as a result of the conducts of the agent. In order for this agreement to become effective, the alleged principal must have been in a potential to form such a relationship. For the contract to be ratified, the agent must disclose to the other party that they are actually acting as agent for the certain principal though not disclosed to that other party (Stone, 2011). Therefore, if the agent fails to state that they are acting as agent, this agreement cannot be effective. For example, in Keighley Maxted & C v Durant [1901], Keighley authorised the other business partner R to purchase weight at a specified price for their business. However, R could did not get weight at the specified price and instead decided to purchase it from Durant at a greater price. Keighley promised to accept the agreement, but later declined it. Durant challenged the decision in the court, but the House of Lords issued a verdict Keighley was no bound by the agreement due to the reason of it imposed unnecessary cost. The r egulation requires that at the time of creation of agreement, the alleged principal who will approve the agreement must be in surviving at the time the accord was being made (Gordley, 2001). This requirement aims to protect third party from entering into unlawful treaty. This is because the law has set definite terms which a person should meet before they can sign abiding agreement. Therefore, if a person alleged to be the principal could not be determined at the time of signing the agreement, then the person cannot be able to approve and adopt the contract later. For example, in Kelner v Baxter (1866) LR 2 CP 174, advertisers of a nonexistent company entered into an agreement with buyers before the company was established. After the formation of the company, those buyers purchased the wine on credit, which they never paid until the company went on liquidation. The promoters were sued, but they argued that they had acted on behalf of the company hence were not responsible (Stone, 20 11). However, CJ Erle claimed that the marketer were liable for the debt since the company was nonexistence at the time they signed the agreement with the buyers. The alleged principal must have contractual capacity to form a binding agreement at the time the treaty was being made (Gordley, 2001). For example, the person must be of sound mind at the time the contract was signed on their behalf. In Dibbins v Dibbins (1896), the solicitor applied to the court with intention of acquiring partnership property since the only surviving partner was insane (Stone, 2011). The solicitor notified the court about the state of the agent and intention o effect the agreement on their behalf. However, the notice was beyond the agreed time