History of business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History of business - Assignment Example orkers in most cases remained unmotivated; he also noted that most of the workers who were coerced to perform repetitive tasks usually worked at a slow rate; he called this behavior ‘soldering’. Taylor argued that all tasks that an employee was assigned could be organized in such a way that the productivity of the worker would increase and that his scientific theory of management was more effective than the usual ‘initiative and incentive’ method, which was based on increasing productivity by placing responsibility on the worker to figure how to do it. In order to establish the best possible way to carry out a job, Taylor carried out some experiments, which he labeled time studies or as time and motion studies. In these studies, he used a stopwatch to time a worker’s motions in order to determine the most effective way to carry out a job based on the way that took the least time. He was an American businessman who founded the standard oil firm that led in America’s oil industry. He contributed a lot to the oil and petroleum industry. He operated the oil firm until 1870 when he retired. He was a Scottish American businessman who contributed a lot the growth and expansion of the steel industry in the U.S during the 19th century. In addition, he was a renowned philanthropist in that he utilized his wealth to help

Alternative energy sources Essay Example for Free

Alternative energy sources Essay The age old question of how will we power our homes and lives in general moving forward when all the oil runs out, and one day it will. The world needs to move in a direction that will lead to energy independence however businesses and society is slow to move because we cannot see the impacts until it hits home in that all of sacred places, our wallets. Changes need to be made but can we afford it or can we afford not to make the move that will ensure our future for generations to come. Fist let us look at why we chose fossil fuels. The fossil fuels we largely depend on today are coal, oil and natural gas. They are called non-renewable energy sources. That description is actually another way of saying we use them faster than they form. Over 100,000 times faster to be exact! So how did we ever decide this would be the primary energy resource to power human development and progress? It all goes back to human mastery of fire to provide warmth, light and a means of preparing more palatable and easily digestible foods. To the early humans, fire was the equivalent of having a little sun with them wherever they needed or wanted to go. With this energy available at anytime and anyplace, humans could begin to spread about the world and thrive, regardless of the climate or amount of sunlight available. It provided the power for humans to begin their mastery of Earth as a species, less vulnerable to extinction than all other animal species, yet with a greater ability to bring about change — for good or bad. There are many alternative energy sources that we can see and put our hands on but they all have pros and cons. Some are either too expensive or not viable as a long term source of energy in comparison to oil. Our infrastructure is built around coal and oil dating back to the industrial revolution. From our cars to the power that runs the microwave in the kitchen fossil fuels are a part of our lives but they are running out, killing the environment in more ways than one and becoming more and more expensive to produce due either war or scarcity. Then when we complain about the price or the consequences of drilling or burning fossil fuels the best our governments can give us is talk with little action because those in  power are more about money which comes from the companies and people who spend money on their campaigns to get re-elected. When one thinks of alternative energies the first thing that springs to mind is solar energy and why not, we the sun is not going anywhere any tim e soon(at least we hope not) and there are very few places that don’t get sun for most of the 24 hours in a day. So why do we not all have a solar panel on our roofs and cars? One reason is because it is not cost effective and cannot produce enough energy for most people to make it worthwhile. Our mind set is always going to be one of why should we invest in something that does not do what oil and gas can? With the economies of the world in jeopardy and more and more people out of work, asking them to do their part to help the environment is just not realistic. Until science and business can make solar power more viable we as average citizens will not make the change while we have oil and gas still. Unless we either just run out or we can no longer afford fossil fuels we as a society will not make our lives any harder by switching to an alternative energy source that is still not viable nor is it cost effective. Another disadvantage to continuing with fossil fuels is the continued and escalating tension in the Middle East. The cost alone of defending the oil that we use and take for granted is astronomical not to mention the loss of life which cannot be measured. The thought that we as a society have not moved past killing one another for an inanimate objects is shameful. That we have no evolved morally past the point of killing for energy is a discredit to how far we have come as a race. If we would take the money that we spend on defense and guarding oil rigs and clean ups when things go wrong and put it toward improving solar and fusion nuclear power we might find yourself energy independence sooner rather than later. Wind is the next source of alternative energy that has people all a buzz with excitement but is it truly viable? This alternative can seem very attractive but again is the cost of a wind turbine and the land needed to build wind farms is substantial to produce enough energy. So then the question is just like with solar energy, we need so much space to make enough energy that it just cannot compete with fossil fuels no matter what the environmental impact. Alternative energy just does not have enough clout with governments to push their clean energy agendas that it just is not a short term solution. The main problem that we all can see is that  alternative energies cannot do what oil and gas do now. Wind will not let us drive 400 miles to where we want to go when we want to. Solar or battery power is unreliable because it takes time to recharge a battery with solar energy and no one has been able to come up with to date a viable mass producible car that uses solar power. Even hybrids and battery power cars just can give us the flexibility with which gas driven cars can. When something can’t make what we already have better and at an equil or lesser cost to us will not gain ground. We are a visual society and unless someone comes up to us and says that the earth is going to end in 50 years unless we all drive hybrids were not going to do it. It is not in our nature and thus it won’t make any difference what innovations businesses and science come up with. As for oil itself it is going to take something like nuclear fusion or a more advanced solar cell to move us a way from oil. Nuclear power has always been taboo or in simpler terms a ‘Not in my back yard’ energy source. Nuclear fission is a source of energy that is viable and being used to day however the need to increase nuclear fission sites has the environmental community in an uproar. It is a well-known fact that these types of reactions produce waste products that are extremely dangerous not to mention a nuclear fission plant can either be attached or have an issue that would cause an environmental catastrophe which makes the idea of building newer, safer plants an unrealistic idea. The consequences of nuclear fission just do not out way the ramifications of environmental issues that could come of a disaster like Chernobyl. Nuclear fusion is a far more environmentally safe way to produce nuclear power and produces no waste products unlike fission and if an issue were to arise the reaction of fusion just stops and no radiation is not leaked nor is there an explosion of any kind. The proble m again with nuclear fusion is at the moment costly and cannot produce enough power to out way the cost and energy it takes to produce power. This like solar power is where we need to be placing our faith in the future of power in our country and around the world because oil will run out or it will become too costly to produce or something is going to happen that will be so catastrophic that we as a race will say enough is enough but until that time comes were not going to change our ways. Despite nuclear energy’s role as a significant power supply source, it is highly unlikely it will survive past the 21st century, especially since the recent Japanese  disaster. Many people are against it, storage of its highly radioactive wastes is difficult and costly. There are not enough ores available to maintain continued production of nuclear energy, and most of today’s nuclear plants will reach the end of their life span within the next 50 years. McLamb, Eric(2010). Just another reason for moving towards fusion and putting the money that we might use to build new fission plants which could again like the Japanese r eactor disaster fusion will not have that problem. There are many other forms of alternative energies such as geothermal and hydro power as well but again just like all the other sources, it is not producing as much power as fossil fuels and we are not spending our time and resource to improve these more available and attainable but again we sit with oil still. At the end of the day something dramatic is going to need to occur to push humanity towards a different source of energy but until we can see positive results on a massive scale we are never going to change our ways. As stated before if our planet were to end tomorrow I still don’t think we would change how we do things because we as a people are selfish and only care about what goes on in our homes as opposed to what is going on around the world. Will alternative energy source replace fossil fuels and clean up the environment. The answer is yes but what is it going to take to push us over the edge. Will it be a major environmental disaster, a global shortage of oil, or a scientific advancement that will revolutionize our way of life in a way that oil did when we first started to use it for our day to day to day lives. We can only hope but we are going to have to do something because we cannot continue down this path of ruining our resources and our planet. References Berger, A.A (2008). Seeing is believing (J. Wetherington, Ed. 3rd ed), Boston: McGraw-Hill Mc,Lamb, Eric(2010). The Secret World of Energy(http://www.ecology.com/2010/09/15/secret world-energy//)

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Have Been Found - In America! :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Have Been Found - In America! In the past year, weapons of mass destruction have caused the biggest global uproar since the Cold War. Saddam Hussein has been accused of manufacturing and concealing illegal (according to UN Regulations) weapons. The United States has urged the UN to take action to disarm Iraq of its illegal weapons. After months of tensions building, George W. Bush gave Saddam an ultimatum to either disarm and leave Iraq or the US military would force him to. Bush’s statement captured the attention of people all around the world. US citizens, including college students, realized that we might soon be at war. After Saddam’s last chances had expired, bombs were soon raining down on Baghdad and other parts of Iraq. College students show many levels of interest in the war and spend much of their time watching news stations like CNN and MSNBC, constantly wanting updates. Other students only pay attention to major headlines in the news and newspapers. There were also groups that did not pay any attention about the war and carried on with their lives as usual. For college students, paying attention to the weaponry in this war is important because the US military will physically and mentally change how an entire country exists. Families all throughout Iraq will soon have to deal with bombings all around them. The residents of Baghdad will have to prepare the most for an abrupt change in their lives. As future leaders of our country, are college students prepared to handle the future dilemmas of Iraq, with or without Saddam in power? I would like to talk about the issue of weapons used by the US and Iraq and look at the complexity of the issue from moral, technological, and expense approaches. I want to show how they each have their own niche and how they play intricate roles in the overall topic of â€Å"weapons.† There has been and will continue to always be political discussions on the use and users of military weapons. An approach to these debates that is significant and should not be ignored is the moral use of weapons. Questions arise of knowing how, when, and where it would be wrong to use certain weapons like nuclear bombs or biological weapons.

Henry James :: American Scence Henry James Essays

Henry James In August of 1904, after more than two decades abroad, the sixty-year-old Henry James returned to the United States for a year. While William James had famously remarked that his brother was "a native of the James family" (W James 517), with little else in the way of national affiliation, Henry considered himself as American as ever after his twenty years in Europe. The book he wrote about his American journey was titled The American Scene only because James's first choice had been taken; he would have preferred to call it The Return of the Native.[1] But James's sense of himself as a native, as one at home in the United States, was shaken by his alienating experience of the American public, both as readers and as fellow citizens. Today I want to consider ways in which James struggled to preserve a secure sense of himself, the private identity he called "my me,"[2] in the midst of disorienting encounters with the American press and the American people -- encounters, I ar gue, that share a certain uncanny logic. The American press staged a lively debate over the meaning of Henry James, in reviews of The Golden Bowl and of the early chapters of The American Scene, accounts of James's lecture appearances, cartoons of the elusive "Master," and parodies of his ornate late style. The name "Henry James" came to serve as a kind of shorthand for a complex nexus of anxieties about ethics, art, and nationhood. James's writing and life gave rise to debates about morality (was he decadent or just sophisticated?), manliness (was he effeminate or just sensitive?), and modernity (was he an aristocratic anachronism or was he avant-garde?), all entangled with the question of James's supposed patriotism or lack of it. James himself experienced the press attention paid him as an assault, and felt a visceral sense of violation at the way that journalists used him to define their own positions in debates that often meant little to him. He felt like a freak, ogled for the benefit and entertainment of the American crowd: "only those can understand," he maintained, "who have been terrified & paralyzed absentees restored hither after long years & with every one wanting to see (or to deny) the strawberry marks on different parts of their persons.

Rugged Individualism

History as we know has many ways of describing it, with all the historical events that occurred in the past it is a result of our American system. As Americans, we live in a land of opportunity and because of that we have the freedom to live . â€Å"Every individual should be able to support themselves out that wouldn't include the government's aid†. This idea was originally introduced in Herbert Hoover's speech when he was president of the United States. Although this idea refers back during the Great Depression, Hoover believed that Americans shouldn't be assisted somehow by the government, financially speaking.In my perspective, I see rugged individualism as to any individual who is not being aided from the government, but also not just financially, but incentively through the mind. As I read along through books that relate to the American Dream, Hoover's idea of rugged individualism became more visible. Similarly books like â€Å"Ragged Dick† by Horatio Alger, †Å"The Great Gatsby† by Scott Fitzgerald and â€Å"A Raison in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, are comparable that the idea of rugged individualism is still being used and even through today's society.To illustrate rugged individualism through the book Ragged Dick, Alger created a book disclosing the 19th century lifestyle of a poor boot black. In this book rugged individualism shows because of how Alger describes the motivation through his main character â€Å"Dick†. He was fourteen years young and worked as a ‘bootblack' aka shoeshiner boy and slept in dirty torn up clothes on the streets of New York City. Alger portrayed him as any ordinary boy that lived the hard life in the streets; he smokes and drinks occasionally.However, Dick would still practice good deeds and some gentlemen would be impressed that how would a bootblack be so humble and attentive in his work in the streets of New York. â€Å".. He was above doing anything mean or dishonorable. He would not steal, or cheat, or impose upon younger boys, but was frank and straight-forward, manly and self-reliant. His nature was a noble one, and had saved him from all mean faults. † Dick is a good example of someone who I thought that reflected rugged  individualism.He was brought up by himself and never had much of a role mode to look up to while growing up. He relied on himself to get customers to get their boots shined, he didn't complain about living on the streets or how filthy is his clothes was from the work that he does. In my point of view, Dick didn't have help from anyone, or didn't expect anything from anyone, and if he did he would be more than grateful and smart enough to invest it in the right ways.In the book, he was treated very well by an older man and his son, and during that time in the book he acted very humble as he explains that he lives on a cardboard box on the streets and didn't really see that hygiene wasn't so important to him, but what was im portant was how he was going to feed himself and live in the future. And as soon as he found a plan to get better at what he does he uses that money to save for an apartment and to invest in for the future. Although wealth can bring you happiness and success in life, it can also you direct you in the wrong places.The main character of the book by Fitzgerald is Gatsby who is a wealthy man. He tries to use his wealth to attract the attention of a women named Daisy. This is not the right way of to get someone to love you but he's also thinking that his money can bring him success of happiness. He believes that his money will make him succeed in his attempt to get Daisy to fall back in love with him. He would be known to throw the largest parties every saturday, and his guest wouldn't even know who is he truly and why there's a party. At that time in the early 1920's, every person in new york city loved to party.Furthermore Daisy likes the fancy things, the partying and it all seems so good, but her heart is still committed to her husband. Therefor Gatsby's plan was not successful because his plan wasn't a way of receiving love back. Rugged individualism may not seem evident, but it does in a way that Gatsby wanted to help from his money to get his dreams to come true didn't work out. For he wanted the parties to draw her attention, even his large land and big mansion couldn't help him to fulfill his dreams with Daisy. Lorraine Hansberry created a book that was about dreams.In the story A Raisin in the Sun, the main characters each have their own dream that they want to fulfill. The Youngers family struggle to attain these dreams through out the end of the story. Walter who is the man of the house wants to afford things for his family and give them a decent life to live and not having to hold back for his wife and kids. There's Beneatha his sister who wants to be a doctor and their Mama who just wants to best for their family. Although things didn't go as planned, fights and tension between Walter and his family even his wife, things became a learning lesson to each one.Mama always knew best, and when it all came down to one decision, it had to go Mama's way. That Walter had to turn down the offer of a big check to keep them from staying away from living at a all-white neighborhood. This taught Walter that his son, Travis, looks up to him as the man of the family, and in the long run, his decisions will be reflected on his son. He wouldn't want his son to think this is right. Walter was stubborn throughout the book that he just wanted to money to provide for his family, another house to live in, pearls to wear on his wife, and a better life for his son.But Walter didn't earn that money, it was just the life insurance of his father and he didn't earn any of it himself. In this book Walter is the example of rugged individualism because although he was stubborn to realize that it was wrong to receive that check to not live in an all-white neigh borhood. If he accepted it, the money coming in wouldn't be because he worked hard for it, it would because he wanted the white people to have their way of keeping their neighborhood an all-white neighborhood.But no one shouldn't be told to live a certain area because of their skin color. So when Walter rejects the offer, he is also accepting the fact that he will have to work harder to provide, and try to uplift his family in some way. It's better than uplifting his family in the wrong way by accepting that offer. That insurance check was tempting for Walter to accept, but he didn't and later when his son would grow older, he can then explain to him that he has worked for every bit of that money that kept his family together.In America today, we still struggle with people who don't live up to the idea of â€Å"rugged individualism†. I believe it isn't really called by that term, but people know it as the American Dream. People who aren't familiar with both are those who thin k reaching your lifetime goals don't require any effort or any struggles. For those who become millionaires are results of hard work and labor that put in to achieve in life. Anything worth having is worth fighting for, and along the path there needs to be struggles and failures, but it is still a choice to keep trying and to not give up.History as we know has many its ways of describing it, throughout all the historical events that occurred in the past it is a result of our American system. As Americans, we live in a land of opportunity and because of that we have the freedom to live. With the three books that i've mentioned, they are examples of the having the opportunity to uplift themselves in their lives. In each book they have reflected to the idea called â€Å"rugged individualism† which was introduced by Herbert Hoover when he was president of the United States.According to Hoover this idea meant that â€Å"any each individual should be able to support themselves out that wouldn't include the government's aid†. Even so, I see rugged individualism as to any individual who isn't being aided from the government, but also not just financially, but incentively through the mind. As I read through the three books, each author had their ways of reflecting rugged individualism through their characters, and with the struggles and decisions they made through the books.

Colored Smoke Recipes - Easy Formulations

Colored Smoke Recipes - Easy Formulations One way to make smoke is to craft a smoke bomb, but you can make a smoke powder, too. Here are some formulations for colored smokes. The parts or percents are by weight. Basically what you do is measure the ingredients, sift them together to mix them, and ignite the powder to produce smoke. Up to 2% sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) may be added to slow the combustion/cool the reaction, if necessary. White Smoke Recipe Potassium nitrate - 4 partsCharcoal - 5 partsSulfur - 10 partsWood dust - 3 parts Red Smoke Recipe Potassium chlorate - 15%para-nitroaniline red - 65%Lactose - 20% Green Smoke Recipe Synthetic indigo - 26%Auramine (yellow) - 15%Potassium chlorate - 35%Lactose - 26% Reference: The formulations for colored smoke bombs came from Wouters Practical Pyrotechnics, who cited the recipes as originating from L.P. Edel, Mengen en Roeren, 2nd edition (1936). Wouters website is very helpful. Though I didnt see recipes for other colors of smoke, he has an extensive list of formulas for colored fireworks, which you may be able to adapt to make colored smoke. More Dyes and Colors If you can order chemicals, here are some of the dyes used to produce more colors: Red: Disperse Red 9 (older formulation)Solvent Red 1 with Disperse Red 11Solvent Red 27 (C.I. 26125)Solvent Red 24 Orange: Solvent Yellow 14 (C.I. 12055) Yellow: Vat Yellow 4 with benzanthrone (older formulation)Solvent Yellow 33Solvent Yellow 16 (C.I. 12700)Solvent Yellow 56Oil Yellow R Green: Vat Yellow 4 with benzanthrone and Solvent Green 3 (older formulation)Solvent Yellow 33 and Solvent Green 3Solvent Green 3Oil Green BG Blue: Solvent Blue 35 (C.I. 26125)Solvent Blue 36Solvent Blue 5 Violet: Disperse Red 9 with 1,4-diamino-2,3-dihydroanthraquinoneSolvent Violet 13 Use care if you try these additional dyes. If you know of a reliable reference for additional colored smoke formulations, please feel free to contact me. Colored Smoke Safety Information Read and follow the safety information for all the chemicals that you use. Use colored smoke outdoors only, in a well-ventilated area. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

The Success of the American Revolution essays

The Success of the American Revolution essays In 1775, war broke out between the British and the American colonists. By 1776, the colonists had declared their independence, and after eight years of a prolonged and bloody war, in 1783 Britain was forced to recognize the independence of the United States. Many people never thought that the Americans would win the battle. Their chances of winning were very little at the beginning. The British should have won the Revolution easily because their government was the most powerful in the world at that time. But due to key American military victories and advantages, the British were defeated. There are certain inevitabilities about American success. First, there is the domestic enthusiasm in the United States. Americans went to war to defend the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty. It had only one objective to accomplish to win the Revolution, and that was to hold out until the end of the war. The Americans could do this because they were fighting for their freedom, which was of great importance to them. The war took place on American soil; they were fighting at home, so the British had to bring troops and supplies from across a wide ocean, which favored the Americans by making it hard on Britain to control their troops. Also, the war was unpopular in Britain, which did not encourage their people to want to fight. Second, the founding fatherWashington's leadership was another one of the main factors in American success. It seems fair to say that the American Revolution could hardly have succeeded without him. He was honest, brave, and sure that the Americans could win. He never gave up hope that he would reach that goal . "I can answer but for three things, a firm belief in the justice of our Cause, close attention in the prosecution of it, and the strictest integrity" (1967 p28). He used his steadfast but badly equipped armies to weaken the forces of the king. Time and again when defeat seemed unavoidable, his strategy turned t...

Origins of the Arab Spring The WritePass Journal

Origins of the Arab Spring Abstract Origins of the Arab Spring ), the Middle East was run by tyrants who had taken up ownership of their countries. Many Arabs had a feeling that they had been cursed and that the running of affairs in their countries was a source of moral embarrassment. All the events in the Arab Spring originated from an act of protest by Bouazizi, a 26-year-old man from Tunisia on 17th December, 2010. He set himself on fire after a brush with police forces.   As reported by The Telegraph (2011), â€Å"his cart was confiscated by a policewoman who slapped him and spat in his face†. This adds police brutality to the perils that Arabs were going through in regimes prior to the spring. This report aims to present an in-depth look into events before, during and after the recent Arab spring. 2.Events During the Arab Spring Bouazizi succumbed to injuries sustained after torching himself in protest. However, the events that followed transformed Tunisia’s political landscape. Mass protests were organized over oppression, unemployment and the wide gap in income between the rich and the poor. The ultimate goal of the protests was to ensure that Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the then president of the country, is removed from office. Slightly less than a month after the protests started, Ben Ali fled Tunisia on 14th January, 2011 after ruling for twenty four years (Willis, 2012). This victory of Tunisian reformists inspired protestors in neighbouring Egypt, who believed that they had to end Hosni Mubarak’s thirty-year reign of the country. Egypt protests were brutally resisted by security forces. In February 2011, the persistent protestors succeeded in making Mubarak to leave office (Abou-El-Fadl, 2012). The third casualty was Libya, whose protests were triggered by the arrests of human rights lawyer s in February, 2011. These protests took a violent turn, with the opposition being assisted by NATO in destabilizing the Libyan army. In October 2011, after eight months of fierce exchanges between the army and protestors, Gaddafi’s rule was brutally ended when he was captured executed (Prashad, 2012). In the Middle East, countries that experienced Arab spring protests were Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Just like it was experienced in North Africa, protests in these countries were violent and received brutal resistance from police and other security forces. After surviving an execution attempt, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been Yemen’s president for over 30 years, resigned in 2012. However, Bashar Al-Assad, Syria’s president managed to cling to his presidency amidst criticism from the international community (Weyland, 2012). 3.Characteristics of Arab Countries that triggered the Arab Spring Springborg (2011) argues that the economic conditions in Arab countries are not conducive for democratic leadership. There is a high dominance of governments in the private sector, a fact that limits the sources from which autonomous organizations can draw capital. As a result, these countries score negatively in terms of employment and other aspects that contribute to economical stability. Dominance of businesses by the government gives it an economic advantage over its opposition. Unless reforms are made to reduce the economic power of governments, attainment of democracy is difficult (Campante Chor, 2012; Stepan Linz, 2013). With no financial power to match that of the government and minimal avenues through which grievances can be made, mass protests were the only viable options for the oppressed. Thus, the majority of the population collaborated against the few who were in power. However, there is no assurance that ousting one person from power and transferring it to another ca n bring instant economic transformations to a country. According to Springborg (2011), the attainment of democracy in the Middle East is challenged by the fact the economies are too young, poor and rural. For a democratic transition to effectively take place in a country, Cincotta and Doces (2011) established that the median age of the country’s population has to be approximately thirty. However, Arab countries have the second lowest median ages in the world. Tunisia is the oldest, with a median age of 29. Such youthful ages, according to Springborg (2011), are associated with volatility, a characteristic that was displayed in the Arab spring. For democracy to be effectively sustained, the per capita annual income for citizens was approximated in 1997 to be $6,000 (Przeworski Limongi, 1997). Given that this was 15 years ago, the current figure is $12, 000. Apart from Tunisia, the per capita GDPs of Arab countries are currently less than $6,000. The attainment of democracy is also closely related to how urbanized regions are (Davis Henderson, 2003). Even though there are varying degrees of urbanization in the Arab world, the overall level of urbanization is lower than expected. This is even worsened by the fact that Egypt has been in the process of de-urbanizing since 1986 (Springborg, 2011). Other factors that pose a challenge to democracy in the Arab world include shrunken middle classes, high illiteracy levels among populations, insecurity and overdependence on governments. Arabians from the poor, rich and middle class heavily rely on their governments for their wellbeing. This has increased the governments’ budgets on subsidies of energy and food (Springborg, 2011). For these reasons, governments are largely authoritarian. This leaves those in power at liberty to do whatever they please with the resources of their countries, regardless of what effects it shall have on other citizens. This also contributed to the rage among protestors who complained about the ineffective distribution of resources. 4.Impacts of the Arab Spring There are several impacts that resulted from the Arab Spring on both local and international levels. For countries that actively took part and ousted their leaders, the vacancies had to be filled. This led to the competition of leadership among several groups, each considering itself the right heir of leadership (Brom, 2012). These included groups fighting for democracy, Islamic organizations, military groups and groups allied to previous regimes. However, the current reality in these countries is that the potential of Islamic organizations getting power is higher than that of the other groups. In the entire Middle East, the Arab Spring brought about a shift in the interests of each country. Prior to the spring, countries in the Middle East had segmented themselves into groups, each contesting to attain regional leadership. The two main groups into which these countries were divided were the anti-western camp and pro western camp. The anti-western camp was against the ideologies of countries from the west and posed certain challenges for the international community. On the other hand, the pro-western camp was moderate and supported some ideals of the west. After the spring, countries quit contesting for supremacy and concentrated on their own domestic issues. Relationships between these countries have considerably reduced to a minimum (Yadlin, 2012). Vacuums that were left after the revolution are being filled and measures are being taken to prevent such uprisings from taking place in countries that did not experience them. On a global scale, countries are competing for a chance to participate in reshaping the Middle Eastern countries in the aftermath of the revolution. The Russians and Chinese are competing with western countries to support these countries, each pursuing its own interests in these countries. Several countries from the European region have also shown interest in assisting these nations to undergo a successful democratic transformation (Perthers, 2011). Businesses have also seen an opportunity in investing in these countries. Just like the Spring of Nations, the Eastern European Spring and the Prague Spring in 1848, 1980s and 1968, respectively (Susser, 2012), attaining an equilibrium state after the Arab spring is expected to take quite some time. Whether the regimes that shall take over leadership shall overcome all challenges and embrace democracy is a fact that is unknown at present. 5.Conclusion The Arab Spring was triggered by political and social problems that are synonymous with most of the Arab countries. As it has been indicated in this report, most of these problems have occurred because of the lack of democracy. The key cause of this revolution was the utter dissatisfaction of the people with their rulers, whose leadership had been characterized by huge gaps between the rich and the poor, violations of the rights of their citizens, dictatorial rules, high levels of unemployment and poverty. It is also argued by some researchers that the spring might have been inspired by the Kyrgyz revolution that took place in 2010. Impacts of the Arab Spring have been felt across the globe, with countries competing to participate in the transition of these countries while at the same time pursuing their personal interests. However, addressing the challenges that face Arab countries needs a lot of resources and time. 6.Bibliography Abou-El-Fadl, R., 2012. The Road to Jerusalem through Tahrir Square: Anti-Zionism and Palestine in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Journal of Palestine Studies, 41(2), pp.6-26. Ajami, F., 2012. The Arab Spring at One. Foreign Affairs, 91(2). Brom, S., 2012. Regional Implications of the Arab Spring. In Guzansky, Y., Heller, M.A. (ed) One Year of the Arab Spring: Global and Regional Implications. Tel Aviv: Institute for National Security Studies. pp.39-43. Campante, F.R. Chor, D., 2012. Why was the Arab World Poised for Revolution? Schooling, Economic Opportunities, and the Arab Spring. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 26(2), pp.167-87. Cincotta, R. Doces, J., 2011. The Age-structural Maturity Thesis: the Youth Bulges Influence on the Advent and Stability of Liberal Democracy. In Goldstone, J.A., Kaufmann, E. Toft, M.D. Political Demography: identity, conflict and institutions. New-York, Palgrave-MacMillan. Davis, J.C. Henderson, J.V., 2003. Evidence on the political economy of the urbanization process. Journal of Urban Economics, 53(1), pp.98-125. Perthers, V., 2011. Europe and the Arab Spring. Survival, 53(6), pp.73-84. Prashad, V., 2012. Arab spring, Libyan winter. New York: AK Press Pub. Przeworski, A. Limongi, F., 1997. Modernization: Theories and Facts. World Politics, 49(2), pp.155-83. Springborg, R., 2011. The Precarious Economics of Arab Springs. Survival: Global Politics and Strategy, 53(6), pp.85-104. Stepan, A. Linz, J.J., 2013. Democratization Theory and the â€Å"Arab Spring†. Journal of Democracy , 24(2), pp.15-30. Susser, A., 2012. The Arab Spring: The Origins of a Misnomer. Tel Aviv Notes, 6(6). The Telegraph, 2011. Arab Spring: timeline for the African and Middle East rebellion. The Telegraph, 25 October. Weyland, K., 2012. The Arab Spring: Why the Surprising Similarities with the Revolutionary Wave of 1848? Perspectives on Politics, 10(4), pp.917-34. Willis, M.J., 2012. Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring. London: C. Hurst Co. Yadlin, A., 2012. The Arab Uprising One Year On. In Guzansky, Y., Heller, M.A. (ed) One Year of the Arab Spring: Global and Regional Implications. Tel Aviv: Institute for National Security Studies. pp.11-20.

Classroom management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classroom management - Research Paper Example Interviews conducted with Asian teachers who had migrated to the United States revealed rampant discipline problems inside the classroom. These problems include students arriving late, yawning too loud, sleeping during lectures, bullying, and putting feet up on desks, among others. These classroom discipline problems are not confined to the United States alone, as they are beginning to spring up in the Singaporean school system, where discipline problems have in the past been extremely rare. Previously, discipline problems have existed in schools to a minor extent. However, in the past ten years, survey results show the condition escalating, thereby necessitating the development of new classroom discipline methods in order to keep the focus on learning (Tan & Yuanshan, 1999). Discussion Because all behavioral problems, and bullying in particular, have harmful effects that can undermine the learning process, some sectors suggest that teachers should be strict in implementing school ru les and regulations in order to curtail the persistence of bullying and other disruptive behaviors in the classroom. However, often behavioral problems first arise in the home, and therefore enforcing discipline at school does not address the whole problem. There is also the possibility of teachers misunderstanding the limitations of strict discipline, and abusing the power they have been given by being aggressive and causing physical and verbal abuse. Psychological research shows that children learn best in a safe and supportive environment; therefore, enforcing strict rules may not be the solution to behavioral problems. Instead, a discipline solution should be developed based on the principles of understanding and encouragement. Children need stability and structure; therefore, rules should be made and enforced consistently but fairly. Students must be aware that bullying or any kind of disrespect towards others will not be tolerated, and must be informed of the consequences in a dvance. Teachers can also emphasize team building within the classroom by placing students into groups (or families), thereby encouraging students to be supportive of each other and work together to achieve common goals. Collaborative learning entails utilizing human relationships to promote safety, accomplishment, and mastery (Bruffee, 1999). Others suggest teachers should be equipped with skills to create their own strategies to resolve whatever behavioral problems they may encounter in the classroom. This applies particularly to immigrant teachers. In a study conducted by Oriaro (2007), it was revealed that teachers from Kenya struggled to resolve discipline problems due to a lack of formal training in the area of classroom discipline. These teachers did not necessarily understand their school’s policies and procedures, and tended to rely on their past experience to manage their classroom. However, sometimes past experience is not enough, and specific training must be give n to assist teachers in classroom management skills, although there is no guarantee that such training will eliminate all classroom discipline problems. Teachers must have an intuition about which behavioral

Repent Harlequin, said the Tik Tok Man, by Harlan Ellison Essay

Repent Harlequin, said the Tik Tok Man, by Harlan Ellison - Essay Example The masked Harlequin is the person that is making people late by destructing them on their way to work. He uses bullhorns and jellybeans to confuse people going to work. The behaviour of the Harlequin is just to cause mischief and disrupt the rigid society governed by the need to keep time. The effect of the disruption of people to manage their time is economic problems. The story then goes back to the beginning and talks about life as it is today. People value time although they do not give it so much power (Ellison & Berry Pp. 27). This makes the authority and power of the time in the future world understandable, as one understands its origin. The book brings out clearly the theme of nonconformance. This is seen when the author uses the Harlequin to initiate havoc that disrupts the order and organization of the future society (Westfahl Pp.139). The society started to manage their time and avoid all instances of being late. Those who did not keep the societal obligation of time mana gement faced the wrath of the Ticktockman. However, Harlequin does not keep time, moreover, he engaged in activities that make other people not to conform to the laws of the society. The author also tells the story in a no conformational way. He starts the story in the middle and then goes to the beginning then to the end. The quotes that the author uses in the poem are important as they emphasize better the information that the author is bringing out. The author uses a quote in the beginning of the play, â€Å"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman†, to explain further the book (Ellison & Berry Pp. 27). The quote although short is very expressive and gives readers an idea of what the book is about. The use of the quotes makes the novel even more interesting by breaking the monotony of storytelling. The book brings out the thoughts of the author concerning the way the world is moving. He is thus able to express his thought about how different things in the society have chan ged (Burgess Pp. 72). However, how time controls what people do does not change. In the future, the time becomes a powerful tool and people stop being the master of their time and become slaves. People become slaves of time and they are thus forced to lose their humanity. They no longer use their conscience. They do the same things daily and at the same time. The Harlequin is the only person that is using his conscience. He sees that the routine and time keeping is not good and goes out of his way to do what he wants (Burgess Pp. 72). He is not controlled by the time and contradicts the norm everyone in the new world. This way the book shows the contradictions that come into a system that has controlled all the activities that people do. I believe that the author did not clearly show why and how the present world transitioned to the future world that was ruled by monotony. The book does not have historical processes that bring continuity from this present world to the future world. This is because the author uses some imagery in the book from the future world. The author depicts well how bad the society has become because of putting so much emphasis on time. However, he does not put the events properly into historic events that follow a sequence and develop over time. The characteristics of the bad society just prop up without any origin or event that influences its creation. From the book, the events in the future

Human Rights Campaign Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Rights Campaign - Research Paper Example Human Rights campaign has two functional divisions and one is called HRC Foundation and it primarily focuses on research activities and educating people on how the nature of human rights is changing in the modern era of the 21st century. The second division goes by the name of Human Rights Campaign and it works as a political action group that looks to support the rights of suppressed people with the help of nonviolent demonstrations and moments. Additionally, it is engaged in the application of power politics so that it can pressurize the political leadership of the countries to respond favorably towards their demands.  The most powerful people in the world often say that the NGOs come down to blackmailing when they have something to obtain. The story of HRC is not expected to be different in this regard. The NGO has to use every means to grow its political power in order to remain effective with respect to the attainment of its goals. The HRC is a non-profit organization and it i s majorly funded by people at top positions who support its ideology. The political action committee is also responsible for raising funds for sponsoring the operations of the organization. HRC is also engaged in working against hate and abhorrence based crimes in society. Furthermore, it is supporting multiple awareness campaigns that are designed in order to tell people about sources of contracting HIV and AIDS. The group is guiding people about ways in which these deadly diseases can be avoided. The organization is fundamentally focusing to promote the habit of having safe sex and clean blood transfusion because these are the most common reasons for abovementioned conditions.

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Aristotle - Essay Example p.)Aristotle reaches the threshold of spirituality but stumbles there. He is unable to cross the final hurdle to the land of the divine, where bliss alone reigns. It is the conflict –free land of peace, with no secular dualities. The question is how to reach the level of eternal and universal truth? Aristotle’s ethical theory is incomplete and creates a vacuum. How can an ethical man know about the correctness of a moral decision? His theory does not explain how to act morally and it suffers from lack of specifics. There is a â€Å"brain† behind the working and functioning of this entire cosmos of which humankind is the part. A brain that is par-excellence, supreme and extraordinary! The top-scientists of this world are unable to withstand its power. One has no option but to agree that such an out of the world genius could only be hailed as God. In this context, let me give a practical example. Take it that we are in a railway station waiting for the arrival of d estination train. We have a heavy suitcase that consists of apparel and currency notes. All of a sudden, we are required to go somewhere for a short while. But the suitcase is heavy and we are not comfortable to carry the suitcase while rushing over there. In such a situation, will we handover the suitcase to some unknown person with whom we are not acquainted with? No! Never! Suppose some of our known person, our neighbor with whom we are well-acquainted with, or a relative happens to be there? Undoubtedly, we will trust that known individual, handover the suitcase to him and will go for the intended purpose, without any worry. A known person is worthy of trust. Meaning, introduction and knowledge are the foundation stones of the edifice of trust. It is but natural, that which is worth the trust, is worthy of love as well. To such an individual we will handover without hesitation the costliest of the things. Meaning, at the root of all this procedure is—knowing or introducti on! For the glow it is necessary to light the bulb. For enjoying the taste, it is necessary to eat the item. Just by watching the game from the gallery, one will not be able to gauge the level of enthusiasm that goes on in the heart of the player on the ground. To know that he has to be the player, take active part in the game, and reach the ground, after its practice. For a student of science, it is not sufficient, if he learns some theorems and the theory part of the syllabus. He has to reach out to the laboratory, and it is necessary for him to do the experiments. On the same line, in the field of practical vision of God, only study of texts, discussions and meditation, are not adequate to reach the goal. Practically experience and view the glorious procession of divine designs and creations within! Aristotle does not have a clear picture about the inner world. Therefore he falters and his arguments are incomplete. They reach the dead end. Theoretical wisdom is not adequate to re ach the level of â€Å"eternal and universal truth.† Now the question arises, after all, how this matchless world has been accommodated in this tiny human body? In what form and by adopting which procedure one can have the practical vision of its entire details? Let me illustrate this position through a scenario: Once a Realized Soul, (one who knows the â€Å"eternal and universal truth†) was giving a spiritual discourse. Amongst the audience, one intellectual Surgeon (Doctor) was there. The moment he heard that human body was the abode of the Lord and an inner world exists within, he was unable to digest that reasoning and was agitated much. He expressed his doubts about what was told in the spiritual discourse. Putting forth the arguments he questioned RS (Realized Soul), â€Å"

The Purpose of Friendship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Purpose of Friendship - Research Paper Example The question of why an individual will be attracted to another as a friend when he already has a family he belongs to is a basic curiosity that we usually take for granted. Rubin, Fredstrom, and Bowker (2008) came up with a basic operationally defining features of friendship as: I have been fortunate to have had established several friendships in my life and each one has its own kind of bond. There are friends who I have met in certain social circles who naturally gravitated towards me and vice versa. There are those who naturally fall into fast friendships with me because we share a common interest. All these wonderful friends pass the defining features of friendships as described above. The famous writer, C.S. Lewis (1960) theorized that friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions realize that they share some common insights or interests. Initially, each thought they were the only ones who did, but now a common bond surrounds them, tightening their hold on each other. Emerson qualifies the love that binds friends in relation to Lewis’ theory that when one asks, â€Å"Do you love me?† it means â€Å"Do you see the same truth?† or at least, â€Å"Do you care about the same truth?† (Doyle & Smith, 2002). Pahl (2005) agrees, adding that friendship is becoming an increasingly essential ‘social glue’ since it holds together various kinds of social bonds. My varied interests have led me to various sets of friends†¦some are from my childhood, several from school and others from various groups I have been involved with. With each friend, I can recall a certain common thing I share, be it an int erest for a particular hobby, a liking for a certain celebrity, an aversion for another person or even a sense of humor that clicks with each other.

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Aristotle - Essay Example p.)Aristotle reaches the threshold of spirituality but stumbles there. He is unable to cross the final hurdle to the land of the divine, where bliss alone reigns. It is the conflict –free land of peace, with no secular dualities. The question is how to reach the level of eternal and universal truth? Aristotle’s ethical theory is incomplete and creates a vacuum. How can an ethical man know about the correctness of a moral decision? His theory does not explain how to act morally and it suffers from lack of specifics. There is a â€Å"brain† behind the working and functioning of this entire cosmos of which humankind is the part. A brain that is par-excellence, supreme and extraordinary! The top-scientists of this world are unable to withstand its power. One has no option but to agree that such an out of the world genius could only be hailed as God. In this context, let me give a practical example. Take it that we are in a railway station waiting for the arrival of d estination train. We have a heavy suitcase that consists of apparel and currency notes. All of a sudden, we are required to go somewhere for a short while. But the suitcase is heavy and we are not comfortable to carry the suitcase while rushing over there. In such a situation, will we handover the suitcase to some unknown person with whom we are not acquainted with? No! Never! Suppose some of our known person, our neighbor with whom we are well-acquainted with, or a relative happens to be there? Undoubtedly, we will trust that known individual, handover the suitcase to him and will go for the intended purpose, without any worry. A known person is worthy of trust. Meaning, introduction and knowledge are the foundation stones of the edifice of trust. It is but natural, that which is worth the trust, is worthy of love as well. To such an individual we will handover without hesitation the costliest of the things. Meaning, at the root of all this procedure is—knowing or introducti on! For the glow it is necessary to light the bulb. For enjoying the taste, it is necessary to eat the item. Just by watching the game from the gallery, one will not be able to gauge the level of enthusiasm that goes on in the heart of the player on the ground. To know that he has to be the player, take active part in the game, and reach the ground, after its practice. For a student of science, it is not sufficient, if he learns some theorems and the theory part of the syllabus. He has to reach out to the laboratory, and it is necessary for him to do the experiments. On the same line, in the field of practical vision of God, only study of texts, discussions and meditation, are not adequate to reach the goal. Practically experience and view the glorious procession of divine designs and creations within! Aristotle does not have a clear picture about the inner world. Therefore he falters and his arguments are incomplete. They reach the dead end. Theoretical wisdom is not adequate to re ach the level of â€Å"eternal and universal truth.† Now the question arises, after all, how this matchless world has been accommodated in this tiny human body? In what form and by adopting which procedure one can have the practical vision of its entire details? Let me illustrate this position through a scenario: Once a Realized Soul, (one who knows the â€Å"eternal and universal truth†) was giving a spiritual discourse. Amongst the audience, one intellectual Surgeon (Doctor) was there. The moment he heard that human body was the abode of the Lord and an inner world exists within, he was unable to digest that reasoning and was agitated much. He expressed his doubts about what was told in the spiritual discourse. Putting forth the arguments he questioned RS (Realized Soul), â€Å"

A Picture of Ministry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Picture of Ministry - Assignment Example people to join the ministry was for them to fulfill God’s will, for example, preach the good news and free the people held in bondage (Tidball, 2008). As such, pastors should pray that their preaching of the gospel is faithful, truthful, and patent. In fact, it is important that pastors reform the ministry by emulating the apostolic ministry of Paul. Although he was a persecutor of Christians prior to reforming, he is among the most referenced ministers of the word of God. For him, it is important for pastors to believe in what they preach, so that, their audience could also believe. The ministry should focus on Jesus Christ, and not the pastors. Therefore, the pastors are servants of God (Stevens, 2001). Ministry in the current world portrays some contrasting features when compared to the times of Jesus. From such a context, contemporary ministry has focused on insiders, whereas Jesus’ ministry was on the outsiders. In fact, Jesus viewed insiders as fit to go to heaven, but the outsiders needed the ministry more than they needed the insiders for them to reach their level. Current ministers, thus, focus on satisfying the needs of their members. There is a justification of the same; members are paying pastors’ salaries (Tidball, 2008). In this context, then, pastors qualify as employees, which is a significant contrast to Jesus’ ministry. As employers of the church, then, pastors will one day be accountable of how they conducted their ministry. Focusing on the insiders means that pastors are using the congregation to maintain their career, at the expense of the outsiders who require hearing the word of God (Devers, & Alexander, 2005). Ministers are to emulate teachings evident about Jesus’ ministry, and focus on outsiders rather than insiders. Although adopting Jesus’ ministry might encounter stiff resistance, but as leaders, pastors should open up and show their concern to outsiders in respect to their spiritual welfare (Devers & Alexander,

Why Get a Degree Essay Example for Free

Why Get a Degree Essay Why should we have a college education? What role does that play in our life? Growing up I have always thought of education as something that was obligated of everyone. Going to Elementary School, High School, and then right after that College was just a routine that was included in the â€Å"apart growing up† phrase. Little did I know that the so called routine wouldnt be the exact routine Id take part of in my life. After changing it up and thinking I may not pursue a college degree, my dad then influenced my pursuit of a college education. Growing up I attended Elementary School, Middle School, and High School, but after High School I ended up taking a year off and attending a Christian gap year program called Link Year. I moved to Branson, Missouri and spent a year strengthening my foundation and growing in my walk with the Lord. Little did I know that after attending this gap year program and taking a year off, that it would make my desire for a college education shrink. Why should I attend college? What was the point of getting a degree when I could go out into the world and work on furthering the Kingdom? Doing things that when I die would matter most to me. These were questions I would ask myself. I didnt think getting a degree would matter or effect those desires and goals I had or would put a limit on them. But wait, could they?Would I regret not getting a degree when Im older? Once I even hinted at my dad about not wanting to go to college and get a degree, he brought a new mindset that eventually would change my mind. My dad pointed out many things. For starters, having a college degree opens up job opportunities. I never thought about having a degree effecting if I could get some jobs or not. Looking into specific jobs, almost every job seems to require some type of degree which totally makes sense. Adding to that when jobs see that you got a college degree they see that you were capable to take on a difficult task and finished it, which also will give you pride and self confidence that you accomplished something challenging. Going to college and getting a degree isnt easy. It takes time, effort, and hard work! Going into jobs they will require time, effort, and hard work! Not going to college and getting a degree would limit my job opportunities  and what places would hire me, which would limit the opportunities to be a light for Christ among people. My dad continued to point out more reasons why getting a college degree was important, but these reasons werent necessarily aimed at the education aspect or job opportunities. Going to college and getting a degree allows us to meet people from many different interests and backgrounds. There are people from all around America who can attend different colleges, and you never know who you will run into and get the opportunity to meet. It allows us to grow socially as we interact with other people who are also striving to improve themselves, and it is challenging us to grow intellectually as we hear from many people with different beliefs as well as have opportunities to share our own. My dad influenced my pursuit of a college education. Now that I am aiming at a college degree, I will have more job opportunities to be a light in for Christ. I will have pride and confidence that I accomplished something challenging and can finish something that is difficult. I will meet many people with different backgrounds, and grow socially as I interact with other people. I will be challenged to grow intellectually as I listen to other peoples beliefs but also have the opportunity to share my own belief and the love I have for Jesus Christ. My dad influenced my pursuit of a college education, and because of it I will be forever grateful.

Construction Practices in China

Construction Practices in China Construction practices in China Abstract Chinese economy has experienced rapid growth since the adoption of the open door policy in the past over 20 years. Real estate and construction, which act as a core industry in mainland china, developed quickly as well. Quality professional services in the area of real estate development and construction is one of four main industries in Hong Kong which is internationally renowned. Since the Central Government of China has continually introduced policies like the signing of CEPA to stimulate economic growth, the real estate market will booming in the coming decades. The Hong Kong professionals in the field of real estate and construction industry should take these opportunities to explore mainland China market to give full play to their advantage of the ability to combine economic and financial principles with project management and construction technology. The objective of this paper is to estimate the market opportunities for Hong Kong professionals in the areas of real estate, building and construction consultation in Mainland China. This paper will analysis the market environment using SWOT method and give some suggestions to the clients while they are making strategic management plan. Introduction China, the worlds second largest economy, enlarge their demands for professional consultancy services in the field of real estate and construction market which including real estate, surveying, planning, project finance, development, building and construction after access World Trade Organization (WTO). In the meantime, the competition patterns of Chinas construction industry have been formally changed since China became a member of WTO. These changes comprise three perspectives. The first one is the growing foreign competitions in the Chinese construction industry. Secondly is the increasing participants of native construction firms in the worldwide construction market. The third one is changes of construction market environment by envisaging Chinas WTO commitments. The implementation of the WTO framework raised the level of legal enforcement in the construction industry which means a quick response to the changes is essential for Chinese contractors in developing their competitive advantage. This increase the numbers of professionals and consultants who are intend to expend their business in mainland China with their unique insight and professional advantages. Hong Kong professionals and consultants are familiar with western laws as well as both eastern and western culture, they c an take their advantages in this particular chance. Moreover, Hong Kong real estate and construction industry is a developed and competitive field, explore mainland market can release some competitive pressure during process of talent output . Market environment in Mainland China The demand on the construction industry is closely related to the national fixed capital construction investment scale, which has been increasing rapidly along with the country’ s economic growth. The growth can be seen in the chart below and we can conclude that the fixed asset investment will increase continually in the coming years as china still define construction as a pillar industry. Although China accepts open-door policy and some economic innovation to develop the country, mainland China market still hold its unique characteristic as uses Centrally controlled system. The hierarchy in China is too complicated that the Joint Ventures have difficulties in developing business in China (Walker, 1991). Chinas Background Information Nature of work Qualification Human resources Management skills Technical / Financing ability Organisation structure Social influence (CSR)China-related factors Qualification in China Business coverage Public relation There are many types of Joint Ventures in China Mainland, namely, equity joint ventures, co-operative ventures, compensation trade and wholly foreign owned ventures. China uses this way to develop for many reasons: 1) The investors bring the professionals and advanced equipments which contributing to rapid development 2) China can save a lot of money of the construction development 3) The modern construction methods have been brought into China To sum up, China welcomes international and competitive investors like the developers of Hong Kong to have business in China Mainland and if the company does not know too much about China or it has no qualification of construction work in China, it should co-operate with local government or local companies and this is main part of the paper. Identification of business objective As a Hong Kong developer needs to start business in mainland China, first of all, the objectives must be confirmed in the initial stage: Objectives: 1) Qualification of construction in China Mainland Since the company does not have any qualifications of construction work in China, it must co-operated with the government or some local firms, the best strategy is to have long term partnership with one company which possesses relevant qualifications, so when there is a new construction project, less time is needed for getting government’s approvals. 2) Expend the reputation in mainland China 3) Business extension The company is still in the developing stage and intends to occupies part of the market in main cities of China. SWOT assessment for the business development SW (Strengths and Weaknesses) Good project management skills Hong Kong developers are equipped with mature project management internet system. Project workshop like project process management, risk management are increase their management ability in a large extent. Better information management facility Hong Kong has new information and technology and these become the advantages when developing business in China Mainland, e.g., the cyclical and sustainable system are widely applied to different fields of construction work in Hong Kong (Lam, et al., 2010). Moreover, the communication systems including project management system and business administration system make sure the process and linkup between different parties proceed effectively and smoothly. The use of building information modeling (BIM) also improve effectiveness of construction practices. Advanced machinery and equipment t Higher labour productivity In general, labour productivity growth increases the capacity of the economy as more outputs could be generated from any given amount of labour inputs, thereby enabling the economy to expand at a faster pace. In the case of Hong Kong, a city with limited natural resources as well as modest population growth, the continued enhancement in labour productivity is particularly vital for rendering growth impetus to support a sustainable and healthy economic development. Moreover, Hong Kong labour own a good reputation in high productivity as they are keen on improving their living standards continually. Good finance-raising ability Compared with local developers, Hong Kong developers own more comprehensive finance raising method which including RIETS, foreign loan and bonds, securities or even raise the money from their parent companies. Base on the statistic annual book of China, for the native developers, there are over 80 percents of funds for property development only comes from direct and indirect bank loans. This factors also illustrate that Hong Kong developers are easier to diversified their invest risk through combining different sources of investment amount. Good cost control ability the utilize of modern information facilities ensure Hong Kong developers control project cost better than local companies. The cost control system generate a higher profit and monitor the construction cost during project life cycle. Attraction to good human resources Hong Kong government pays great attention to the quality of the construction worker and managers, take the Construction Industry Training Authority (CITA) which was established in September 1975 with an amendment in 1991 (Rowlinson and Walker, 1995) as a example, CITA offers trainings and helps to the ones who are in the construction field or will enter in the near future and it level up the quality of the staff, furthermore, numerous professional from western world come to Hong Kong which is also contributes to the high quality construction design and build. Higher production costs Increasing production costs on the Chinese mainland will eating into thin profit margins for Hong Kong developers definitely. Demographic dividend in China is reduce day by day and developers are facing manpower shortage as well. Limited channels for market information Although the internet smaller the world and it seems that all the information can be found from it, actually, in China Mainland some real information of the market will be to some degree blocked by the government, so some depression parts cannot be clearly found and there would be more risks when having construction projects in China. Lower businesses qualification, Nothing can be done if the developer of Hong Kong has no qualifications of having construction work in China Mainland, such as safety qualification, construction qualification and some land acquisition problems. Every place has its own guideline of design and build, and the developer who wants to have business in China should learn relevant law and regulation, if something is done over China’s law and regulation, the project cannot get the stamp from the authority department even though the project is in the final stage. Limited businesses relationship One of the most important things of having business in China is the relationship with China’s government, it is very common for China’s government to assign projects to the companies they have good relationship with, even in the tendering, both reputation of a company and the relation with government are important, in short, without government’s help, the project cannot be approved in the initial step. Leung, Chan and Chong (2010) also mentioned that relations meant a lot in China, people in the construction industry should have good relations with friends in the society, especially the ones within construction organizations. Zhang (2011) also illustrated that in China, prior to the commencement of construction work, the company must apply to the Planning Bureau and obtain a Construction Planning Permit, so to build up good relations with the local Planning Bureau is very important. OT (Opportunities and Threats) Improved policy environment for foreign business The policies published by China government stated that they would continue to improve economy environment to attract foreign businesses such as the accession to the WTO and signing of CEPA. Government promotion of construction The 12th Five-Year Plan which begins in the year 2011 set the mission that the whole social fixed assets investment on construction industry must grow more than 15% every year. This is a strong evidence that Chinese government want to cement the pillar industry status of construction industry which also strengthen confidence of Hong Kong developers to explore their business in mainland China. establishment of credit system China will promote the establishment of a nationwide social credit system comprehensively in the next five years, or the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015). The Chinas State Council stated that the country will accelerate legislation and regulation improvement concerning the credit system and push forward the construction of credit systems within industries and government departments, and at local levels. The government will also give their mind to make sure the credit system be shared in the nationwide, develop credit rating agencies and promote use of credit products in an orderly way. Meanwhile, the government should enhance its own credibility by increasing transparency, and strengthen education on social honesty. development of understanding of international practice certain restrictions on foreign investment China uses law to restrict the foreign investors in China, e.g. China welcomes the investors who hold advanced technology and can improve the living environment of China, can provide international level products, etc., so China’s government would spend a lot of time to assess whether the investor is suitable or not. increasing intense competition The open door policy creates opportunities for many foreign companies to enter China’s huge market which increase the competition among companies. the risk of breaching contracts. Reassessment of the feasibility After the SWOT analysis, it is necessary to reassess based on the advantages and the disadvantages. References Ganesan, S., Hall, G. and Chiang, Y. H. (1996). Construction in Hong Kong. England. Lam, P. T. I., et al. (2010). A sustainable framework of â€Å"green† specification for construction in Hong Kong. Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 16-33. Leung, M. Y., Chan, Y. S. and Chong, A. M. L. (2010). Chinese Values and Stressors of Construction Professionals in Hong Kong. Journal of construction engineering and management. Shen, L. Y., Leung, B. Y. P. and Hao, J. J. L. (2010). Construction and real estate practice in China. Department of build and real estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Hong Kong. Walker, A. (1991). Land, property and construction in the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong. Zhang, X. L. (2011). Social risks for international players in the construction market: A China study. Habitat international, 35, pp. 514-519. Chan, J. H. (2012). A hybrid knowledge-sharing model for corporate foreign investment in China’s construction market. Expert Systems with Applications, 39, pp.7585-7590. Shen, L. Y. and Tam, V. W. Y. (2002). Implementation of environmental management in the Hong Kong construction industry. International Journal of Project Management, 20, pp. 535-543. Zou, P. S. W., Zhang, G. M. and Wang, J. Y. (2007). Understanding the key risks in construction projects in China. International Journal of Project Management, 25, pp.601-614.

The Power of Women in Death of a Salesman Essay -- Arthur Miller

In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, there are several female characters. Linda Loman is a loyal and nurturing wife and mother and is the person who holds the family together. The other women in the play are wanton and pull the Loman family apart. Both types of women in the play hold a position of power over the pitiful men, whether it is as a matriarch or a whore. Willy, Biff, and Happy Loman all have a common weakness: lack of self-control. Willy had an affair with a woman when he was younger, sleeping with secretaries that could help him make sales to their bosses. Biff â€Å"stole [himself] out of every good job since high school† (131). Happy sleeps with his bosses’ wives because he cannot advance in his profession and taking his bosses’ wives’ loyalty away from them is the only thing that brings him satisfaction. This senselessness that afflicts the Loman men renders them all unhappy and poor. Linda however, remains rational throughout the social and economic insecurity in her life. The other women too, never fail to manipulate the men into a puppet-like state. The ability to remain rational and manipulate others renders the female characters in Death of a Salesman more powerful than the male characters, despite the patriarchal demeanour of the play. Linda loves Willy unconditionally. As Willy’s mental health becomes more and more unstable, he becomes more irritable. No matter how abusive Willy behaves toward Linda, she never gets angry or allows Willy to become aware that he is losing his mind. Whereas Willy and his sons lack self-control, Linda proves to have an abundance of it by remaining calm during Willy’s fits of his inferiority complex. Although Willy does not admit it, he knows that he has failed to ach... ...ported by the neck: Linda. All of the Loman men have very flawed characters. They are steered greatly by their sex drives, leaving them as helpless as puppets. The women, Linda and the prostitutes, are all talented puppeteers. Linda works as a sort of purifying force as she tries to keep the family together while the other women work as corrupting forces, having affairs with the Loman men, which pulls the family further apart. In both cases, the women gain power by exercising their ability to reason or manipulate to gain power over the men. It must be true that the women of the play are more powerful than the men, because the men are powerless without self-control. â€Æ' Works Cited Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin, 1976. My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Dir. Joel Zwick. Perf. Nia Vardalos, Michael Constantine, and John Corbett. IFC Films, 2002.

marketing Essay -- essays research papers

Race and Racism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Race and racism have been around since mankind made its first steps on the planet and it has brought upon violence, submissiveness, cruelty, and sexism into the world. A great representation of these themes and issues was brought by LeRoi Jones, who wrote â€Å"The Dutchman†. The play itself is a great representation of the relationships of races in America during the 60’s and can even been connected to today’s society. The Dutchman mainly focuses on the black-white relationship but can also be drawn to other cultures and races. I, myself, can also relate to what LeRoi Jones wrote in one way or another. Being a different culture and not being accepted was the first faà §ade of America that I got to experience and even though things have changed for me, I do have resentful feelings because some things just do not seem to change. LeRoi Jones made that clear because he wrote a play that can be related to events that are still happening today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dutchman is a fast paced play that makes an amazing transition from scene one to scene two. After doing some reading online, it has been said that the play actually resembles the version of the Adam and Eve story, where a white, insane, smart, and seducing woman prepares to kill a naà ¯ve black man. Clay and Lula are the main characters on the train and they engage in an intriguing and mind twisting display of word play. The play wants to steer the audience into a revolutionary thought process by proposing the idea of not being afraid, oppressed, and fighting back. The audience or readers feel stupid through the first act because Lula plays mind games and tries to bait Clay. LeRoi Jones did this on purpose because he wanted the audience to feel suspicious and stupid. He succeeds in this because Lula throws so much at the reader in act one that it’s almost impossible to even comprehend what she is saying. Clay is a twenty-year-old black man. Clay is a typical bourgeois black male and he seems to be very predictable that Lola is actually able to tell his history just by the way he acts and dresses. Clay is at first attracted to Lula who begins to flirt with him and invites herself to the party. But Clay is rather shocked by Lula because she is violent and racist. Even as she is behaving like that, he tries to keep his composure and maintain a certain ... ...se this play to educate others just by having someone else read this. I read this and did not understand the meaning first but this does apply to today’s society. LeRoi Jones wants underrepresented groups to be heard, especially when being pressured to conform or change by the dominant culture. I think America is great. It has given me an opportunity to start a new life after leaving the war in Bosnia. I did not know of many things that have happened here. The irony of it all is the cornerstone of the American history is freedom and equality. Yet, it’s so hard to think of everyone as equals. I just have a hard time grasping why things can not change. I come from Europe and things there are different. Yes, there is a lot of fighting, especially in my area of the world, but people appreciate each other more than they do here in America. It will be a long time before America changes but its going to be a long journey simply because there are still ignorant people out there who will pass that ignorance on to their future generations. In my opinion, America should not be called a nation yet because it’s not even united on a level that is more important than anything else in the world.

BLK Enjoy the Dark Side of Water Essay

BLK is the first ever fulvic- enhanced all natural mineral water. This is a recent item that has recently entered the market. This product derives from a proprietary blend of fulvic acid which is a yellow brown substance. It is a derivative of plant matter that is mined from an 80 million year old source deep within the earth. Naturally black in color, the formula binds to the molecules of pure Canadian spring water giving BLK its signature black color, with no artificial dyes, coloring, or additives. Fulvic acid is critical in the growth of plant life, helping the transportation and absorption of nutrients. Fulvic acid’s small molecular structure allows for the fast absorption of over 77 different trace minerals and elements, powerful electrolytes, and antioxidants that are overall good for the body. BLK is distributed by BLK Enterprises LLC in New York, NY. It is a private company categorized under Water Distilled Manufacturers. It was established in 2011 and incorporated in New York. Product Decision As a group we wanted to choose a product that was different and nutrious and yet at the same time was astetically appealing to the eye of the consumer. We found BLK water to be a product that met these needs. One of our group members knew of this product and introduced it to our group and we all agreed that it would be a great product to learn about as 3 out of 4 of us had never heard of or come across this product. After our group sampled this product and learned more about it we were all curious as to why this product was not more widely known or advertised to become more popular. Research Objectives Our group will be using the five following criteria’s to evaluate the product as it will help us to explore the BLK Water in order to determine if the product is a success or failure in the competitive market. To have a successful product in the market, we question BLK’s attributes based on the following: A) Customer Interpretation: evaluative reactions ( perception) B) Product packaging/ Product appearance: package design, size, price, color, bottle volume C) Advertisements: T.V, events, word of mouth, celebrity endorsements, D) Distribution: grocery stores and specialty stores E) Market Segmentation: who are the main customers that are trying to be reached? Research Hypothesis BLK Water is a successful company. This water is a new emerging phenomenon that is sweeping its way across shelves nationwide. However, due to a major lack in marketing, we believe that this product is a failure on the overall business model and will not catch on like the other major bottled water companies such as Vitamin Water, Smart Water, Evian, or Fiji. We believe that BLK can do much better if they promote their product through different channels. Methodology A) In order to accomplish the previous section mentioned, we will need to research the product and locate it, determining the places that the product is most sold at: * Location of the product- we found this product to be available at all grocery stores, but not available at convenience stores, coffee shops, or fitness centers. * Placement of the product- BLK water is displayed in grocery stores along with all other popular waters and is lacking any display that really makes it stand out to the consumer. * Price- The price of BLK water is slightly higher than regular bottled water such as deer park, being about one dollar more; But is in the average price range of specialty waters such as Figi and Vitamin Water. Therefore we agree that the price is acceptable for the product. B) Take notes on our first reaction with the product in the grocery store environment. We all the same similar shocking reaction when we first found BLK Water in the grocery store which we will be explaining in our presentation. C) Do some research, then based on these, form hypotheses of the product to discuss why the product may or may not be doing well in the bottled water market. D) Develop surveys and distribute to the public using the following information: * Male/ female * Occupation * Age * Income * Would they consider buying the product? * Would they try the product? * Would they buy the product? * This will allow us to have an overall idea of what the consumers think of the product, thus providing us with a better understanding of the customers’ viewpoint. E) Collect data and compile all survey results- completed 11/13/2012 F) Review data and interpret the product G) Conclusion about the product Questionnaire Design We distributed this to our whole Marketing Research 342 class. This is our cover from our questionnaire. We asked 14 different questions in hopes to understand the potential customer basis. In our questionnaire, we questioned the product. We mainly focused on the water’s appearance. We used interval scales on our survey asking the question on a 1-5 non-forced scale. The participants could rate how they felt about the question 1 being definitely not and 5 being most definitely and 3 being neutral. For our demographics we asked questions regarding gender which was a simple, male/female choice, income, age, and education in a range format, which we asked at the end of our survey as these are sensitive questions and participants are not always willing to share these answers with strangers. Our screening question was our first question of the survey which would tell us the Here is a copy of our actual survey we used. BLK WATER Consumer Water Preference Survey BLK is the first ever fulvic- enhanced all natural mineral water. This is a recent item that has recently entered the market. This product derives from a proprietary blend of fulvic acid which is a yellow brown substance. It is a derivative of plant matter that is mined from an 80 million year old source deep within the earth. Naturally black in color, the formula binds to the molecules of pure Canadian spring water giving BLK its signature black color, with no artificial dyes, coloring, or additives. Fulvic acid is critical in the growth of plant life, helping the transportation and absorption of nutrients. Fulvic acid’s small molecular structure allows for the fast absorption of over 77 different trace minerals and elements, powerful electrolytes, and antioxidants that are overall good for the body. BLK is distributed by BLK Enterprises LLC in New York, NY. It is a private company categorized under Water Distilled Manufacturers. It was established in 2011 and incorporated in New York.

Reflection Journal Essay

This is the first time I have had the opportunity to study this subject. Being a science student, I have a very basic understanding on the different aspects of Organisational behaviour. I am interested in learning the different theories, concepts and practises that are a part of this course and relating the same with experiences I have had in the past at my previous workplace. This course would also benefit me at my future workplace by honing my job-related and inter-personal skills.Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. The five major functions of management are planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. Planning refers to the process of setting goals and how best to achieve them, organising refers to evenly distributing resources so that the plans can be carried out successfully, Staffing pertains to recruitment, selection, development and compensation of subordinates aiming to place right people in the right job, directing refers to the process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the workers to achieve predetermined goals and controlling refers to the process of regulating organisational activities so that actual performance conforms to expected organisational standards and goals. Organisational behaviour can be assessed at three major levels – At the individual level, of analysis, At the group level and At the organization level. Even though the basic skills required for a manager are networking skills, traditional management skills, HRM skills and communication skills, the focused skillset is different for different management levels.There are five basic trends in managing contemporary organisations. Globalization refers to the company’s desire to be a part of the global market. Changing workforce implies increased diversity among the working population, primarily more women being part of it. Employment relationship refers to the flexibility and ease of work schedule and culture. Information technology refers to the increased ease with which employees interact and how organisations are configured. Values and ethics refer to important long-lasting beliefs and moral principles for the benefit of the company. Based on these trends, there are many challenges and opportunities for organisational behaviour.An organisation’s Intellectual capital is of three types – human capital, structural capital and relationship capital.The process of knowledge management can be broadly classified into acquisition (learning and experimenting), sharing (communicating) and use (application). In my last workplace, My organisation overcame many challenges related to various aspects of organisational behaviour. Emphasizing on the final result, they allowed the employees to have a flexible work schedule and/or to work from home. This made it very convenient for the employee. We also used trends in Information Technology and scheduled a Video call between a particular project team and our most potential clients once a month. This improved communication and strengthened our relationship with the client.My previous company had its major clientele in the US but it made a lot of attempts to go global. They were trying to pursue projects in the Middle East, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, and India and succeeded establishing a clientele in the Middle East. This was an advantage for the employees as it gave us opportunities to experience the work culture in different markets.| 11/12/2012| Unit 2:Individual Behavior, Personality, and Values| There are various factors that influenced my behaviour at my workplace. I can particularly relate to the MARS model in this instance. Positive and negative (that I would look at from a positive angle) motivation from others throughout the tenure of my work has help me become more passionate about my career. Early on in my career, I had not defined my set of goals properly. As a result, the amount of time and effort invested into achieving those unstable goals was wasted. It is very important to have a sound understanding of our work tasks from every angle. During the last few months of my work, I was simultaneously allocated to three projects. I was not able to concentrate on any project properly as my roles and tasks were not clearly defined. Now, after having a clear, sound understanding of the MARS model, I have realized the importance of clearly defining my goals to get self-motivated and my tasks to increase productivity. With respect to my personality, I am responsible for things that happen to me. I am a little low on self-esteem but realizing that future failures will decrease it all the more, I will take considerable steps to improve the same. I am more of a Type-B person by nature and will take that as an advantage in my life as I love setting aside time for leisure and moving at a normal pace. With respect to the CANOE personality model, I am a combination of the Agreeableness and the Extraversion type. With every company trying to become a part of the global market, it is good for everyone to be able to adapt to all cultures. In my previous workplace, I was deployed in the US on a short-term assignment. It would have been great if someone had emphasized the importance of globalization so that I would have mentally prepared myself to adapt to the culture there instead of going there and taking time to get adjusted. Cross cultural issues are predominant in every workplace though a lot of companies are striving hard to get rid of the same. My company has recently acquired a clientele in the Middle East. A few of my colleagues who were deployed on projects there were not aware of the work culture and practises there. They took a while to get used to the culture there. It would have helped them a lot had they had been given a nugget on the importance of being open-minded and flexible.| 17/12/2012| Unit 3: Perception| Perception is an apprehension or intuition that a person has about somebody or something. The world plays a major role in influencing perception. Perceptions in most cases are superficial and far from reality. Perceptions are generally a result of trends, emotions and trying to fill in missing information. Stereotyping is also a kind of perception that and it refers to assigning traits to people based on their social category. It is possible to minimize the trait of stereotyping but is difficult to prevent it. Stereotyping causes unnecessary discrimination and generalization. Perceptions can be more accurate by being wary of perceptual biases, improving self-awareness and increasing meaningful interactions. The self-fulfilling prophecy cycle refers to the way an employee reacts to his leader’s expectations and the way the leader reacts back to the employee’s performance. Leaders should maintain realistic positive expectations towards their employees. A person is an achiever if he does a particular task differently, better than others and maintains his performance consistently. The Johari window improves self-awareness and understanding between colleagues. It asks an individual to be more expressive and also be open to feedback from others so that people are aware of the individual’s level of perception.A global mindset refers to a person’s ability to perceive, interact and get along with people from other cultures. We can cultivate a global mindset by getting to know about other cultures, cross-cultural trainings and understanding oneself and comparing the mindset of people from different cultures. Emotional intelligence refers to a person using his emotions intelligently while dealing with other people. It can be used to motivate oneself and work well with others. Consequences refer to results of a particular behaviour. If the consequence is positive, a reinforcement strategy is applied and if the same is negative a punishment strategy is applied. Perceptions demotivate leaders and the people working with them. In my previous workplace, I had a perception that freshers did not have sufficient technical knowledge to play a major role in challenging projects. But many freshers working with me excelled their tasks well within their deadlines. Therefore, perception is not reality but what we see of reality.Emotional intelligence is an important leadership quality. The project manager at my previous workplace never motivated any of her subordinates and we always had a very negative view of her managerial skills. Now, since I have a fair idea about how to motivate my peers and subordinates using Emotional Intelligence and setting realistic goals, I will learn from my ex-project manager’s mistakes and do the right thing when I become a future leader. | 18/12/2012| Unit 4:Motivation| Motivation refers to the processes that arouse and sustain a person’s desire to attain a particular goal. The main reasons for a person being motivated in a workplace are money, opportunity, belonging, involvement and satisfaction. There are many theories related to what motivates a person. Taking an example of the Maslow’s theory, it applies when one wants to be motivated to succeed in his job and further, but the same does not apply when one wants to be motivated to play a role in Social Responsibility. The other theories are ERG theory where the main reasons for motivation are existence, belonging and growth and McClelland’s theory where the main reasons for motivation are the need for affiliation, power and achievement and Herzberg’s theory where the reasons for motivation are the factors involved in performing a job that lead to satisfaction. All the above content motivation theories confirm that rewards are what play an important role in motivating a person. There are process theories that emphasize on why and how a person gets motivated in the workplace. These theories emphasize on factors that managers have more influence over. If managers get their employees to love their jobs by clearly defining their roles and setting their goals to give them a strong support system and encouraging them, that will be the best form of motivation. Goal setting plays a major role in motivating an employee. A manager and employee should work together and set the employee’s goals. A goal that is moderate to challenging will generally result in a higher employee performance. An employee will also perform better in his job if he is trusted by his manager, given the right level of independence, allocated well-defined tasks and exposed to increased client interaction. The other aspects that motivate an employee are providing them with options like telecommuting, flexible timing and job sharing. Remuneration and rewards do motivate people to a great extent. But that form of motivation does come with a few disadvantages as well.My first team lead at my previous workplace was very stringent with respect to us putting in long hours of work. That demotivated the entire team and decreased our work productivity in the long run. Had he not insisted on long work hours, the team would have achieved its required targets much faster. Opportunity is a key motivation factor as well. One year into my job, my manager promoted me and gave me the opportunity to interact directly with my client. Interacting with the client directly for the first time, I took it up as a challenge and was determined to perform well. The client was very happy with me and gave me a very positive feedback at the end of the project. Unnecessary pressure from the senior management is not a motivating factor. When my project was going through very tight deadlines, the senior management would never be satisfied with our work. Lack of satisfaction and appreciation from our leads made us very disinterested in our work. Had they understood the amount of pressure we were going through and motivated us the right way, We could have gotten through that rough phase a lot more easily. | 7/1/2013| Unit 5:Team Dynamics| Team work is one of the most important aspects of corporate culture. A team is a group of people who are together to achieve a common goal. Teams motivate employees, increase the ease of information sharing and increase work productivity. The major disadvantage of a team is social loafing. In order to minimize social loafing, smaller teams should be formed and individual performance needs to be measured. It is a good idea to plaster the walls of a team space with key issues. This will give instant access to information to quickly resolve issues. Teams are better at complex, structured issues that require a lot of co-ordination. Good team members must be able co-operate, resolve conflict, co-ordinate, comfort and communicate. There are four stages of team development – forming, storming, norming and performing. The better performing team is always a cohesive one. Virtual teams are teams that operate across time, space and organisational boundaries. These teams are more necessary because of factors like globalisation. Brainstorming is a practise that is followed amongst the world’s most creative firms.Team work has always played an important role in my work life. I am a very strong team player. I was working with this client called Toyota and we were a sixteen member team. Though we completed our project successfully at the end, there were many cases of dismal individual performance. People took advantage of the fact that they were part of a team. Had I known then that smaller teams were more productive, I could have suggested to my manager to split us into sub-teams and designate individual tasks at that level. I have been part of a brain storming session many times. Those sessions would have been much more valuable and productive had we defined a set of rules that needed to be followed while brainstorming.| 8/1/2013| Unit 6:Power and Politics| Power is the ability of a person, team or organization to influence others. Power can be legitimate or otherwise. An example of legitimate power would be Obama. An example of misuse of power would be historic Adolf Hitler. The other types of power are reward, coercive, expert and referent power. Reward power is when someone has the power to control rewards and remove negative sanctions. Coercive power is power that can be used to punish. Expert power is power resulting from possessing valuable knowledge or skills. Referent power is power that arises out of respect. Non-substitutability refers to power that comes out of being unique in an environment or industry. Centrality refers to the interdependence between the power holders and others. Centrality is a phenomenon that will strengthen the spirit of a team to a large extent. Influence refers to any behaviour that alters someone else’s behaviour. A person can influence or get influenced positively or negatively. The person can resist, comply or commit to influence. Politics exists at every level of the organisation. Politics increases as management hierarchy increases. It exists at the upper management level the most. People trigger politics to make things easier for themselves. It disturbs the peace and cohesion in a team. Politics cannot be abolished but depending on the individuals in the organisation, it can definitely be minimized and controlled. As with any other organisation, abusive power and politics existed at my previous workplace as well. It existed at a more intense level as we were a very small organisation. We were terribly understaffed when compared to the amount of projects that needed to be completed. Managers used their power and over worked the employees to get work done. Had they been taught to use their authority and power properly they would could have used their power in the right way and implemented long term solutions to the understaffing problems. Politics probably brought individual gain to the person responsible for it but brought about a very negative atmosphere in the team. | 14/1/2013| Unit 7:Leadership| Leadership refers to the process of guiding someone in a work environment to achieve organisational objectives. Followership refers to the process of following a leader. A leader need s to have the drive to lead, integrity, motivation, self-confidence, emotional intelligence, intelligence and a sound knowledge of the business. A leader’s style can be rigid (autocratic), understanding (democratic) or unsuccessful (Laissez-Faire). A leader can be production-oriented or employee-oriented. Though the former will ultimately get the work done, the latter will get the work done bearing in mind the needs and concerns of the employee. For a manager to be successful, It is very important for him to have leadership qualities. He will be able to inspire and drive the team towards reaching its necessary targets. There was gender discrimination with respect to leadership. But now, female leaders have been rated more favourably than male leaders. There have been very few leaders in my previous workplace who have had the right leadership traits. Most of the others were very bossy and managerial by nature. They did not have the right Emotional Intelligence to understand their employees, nor did they have any integrity and did not have the leadership drive in them. It would have been easier for us to complete our tasks without them interfering and troubling us.| 15/1/2013| Unit 8:Change| Change is the only thing that does not change. Change in an organisation is inevitable and is intended for the betterment of the organisation. In the conventional perspective, change had three stages – recognizing the need for change and fighting those resisting it, making the change and finally confirming the change. But this model does not promote continuous change. Lewin’s force field analysis model classifies two forces with respect to change – there are restraining forces that oppose change and driving forces that encourage change. People resist change due to fear of the unknown, saving face, breaking routines and loss in current perks. We can minimize the resistance to change by communicating the change well in advance, implementing the change over a stretched period of time and involving everyone necessary to be a part of the change. Change can also be made through social networking. Change agents refer to anyone who can facilitate the change correctly. Typically, change agents are consultants from outside the company who diagnose the change, introduce it, stabilize it and finally collect feedback. Change in an organisation will take its employees some time getting used to. Initially, my company had an attendance register that we used to sign every time we got into the office. Then, the management implemented a policy asking us to swipe our access cards insisting on us clocking a minimum of eight hours in our office. A lot of people suffered salary cuts because of forgetting to swipe in or swipe out. This change was sudden and took us quite a while to get used to. | 16/1/2013| Unit 9:Organisational Culture| Organisational culture is the backbone of every organisation. It is the company’s DNA, invisible but the most important part of the organisation. It is important for an employee to be comfortable and adapt to the company’s culture. A strong organizational culture involves innovation, stability, respect for people, outcome orientation, attention to detail, team orientation and positive aggression. Culture can be defined at the organisational, local, regional and national level. The basic artefacts of organisational culture comprise of rituals, ceremonies, language and physical structures/symbols. A company with a strong culture has better performance. When one company acquires another company or merges with another company, the cultures of both the companies are usually combined into one corporate culture. An organisation’s culture becomes stronger by attracting applicants, selecting applicants to become company employees and the employees finally quitting the company. Socializing refers to learning and adjusting to strategic and cultural dynamics of an organisation. An employee goes through three general stages of socialization first being an outsider, then a newcomer and finally an insider (employee) of the organisation. | | Overview Summary| This course has stressed on the significance of various concepts that are a vital part of organisational behaviour. I have realised the significance of motivation, managerial leadership, minimizing workplace politics, team building and cohesion, knowledge management, change management, efficient use of authority, perception evading, emotional intelligence, modern organisational trends and overcoming of cross cultural issues amongst others. In my previous workplace, I was deployed on an onsite assignment in the US to work at Twentieth Century Fox. There, I was allocated to work for two projects at the same time, all of which involved getting work done from my inexperienced subordinates in India. I can relate to a lot of OB concepts that could have helped me manage my all aspects of my work better. The work culture in the US differed a lot from that in India. It took me some time to adjust to the differences. At Fox, My challenge was to interact with people from all cultures at a global level. Also, my senior management had not defined my roles in both the projects properly. Since I had freshers working with me from India, I perceived them to not be capable of working in such critical projects and hence did not motivate them. That did not spread any team spirit among our project members. If I had been enlightened with the importance of workplace motivation, it would have been easier for us to complete the project tasks. I have also understood the pertinence of positive leadership. I lacked the leadership qualities to drive the project in a positive manner even though I had a sound understanding of the business. In the future, I will motivate my subordinates and address all their concerns so that they contribute better to the project. My company did not have a knowledge management process in place. When I was leaving the company, since there was nobody else competent enough to replace me, we lost one project to a competitor. This loss could have been avoided if there had been an efficient knowledge management and succession planning strategy in place. In future, as a leader, I am very sure all the concepts learnt as part of this course will help me overcome a lot of organisational level obstacles at my workplaces and make my road to success a lot easier.