Price for education Essay

The observation of the university official is incomplete. While she might be correct in her assertion that demand for admission may be completely price inelastic, basing such a conclusion on the fact that the number or quality of the students applying over the last 15 years has not decreased despite the doubling of the tuition fees over the same period of time is not the only consideration that should be examined. In finding out if the demand for admission is completely price inelastic, it is important to not only examine the figures from a single university but also the figures from other universities. Education and therefore admission is a good that is not easy to quantify. The continued influx of students despite the doubling of tuition fees could merely be a function of the improved performance of the university over the same period of time. Given that this is the case, it cannot be said that the demand for admission is completely price inelastic. Another factor that must be examined is the number of students who are applying for all universities. According to the law of supply and demand, the price of a good can continually increase without a noticeable change in demand if the supply is limited. Applying this theory to the case at hand, it can safely be argued that the demand for admission is not completely price inelastic but is rather explained by the fact that there is a lack of universities to begin with. Given the limited supply, students will still enroll at the said university despite the doubling of the tuition rates because of a lack of universities. Price elasticity or lack thereof can be explained by many factors. The presence of alternatives or lack thereof would be one possible explanation. Another perspective would be to consider the fact that even if the price for education has increased, there has also been a corresponding increase in the wages/income of people and improvement in the standard of living. Basing the assumption on a single observation is not enough such as the assertion of the university official in this case.

Develop Marketing Streategies Essay

The company is named Houzit Pty Ltd, it is a retailer for home wares. Houzit is a chain of homewares stores in Brisbane that specializes in bathroom fittings, bedroom fittings, mirrors and decorative items.. It is a growing business. It has 15 stores in Brisbane area, with all stores being managed and coordinated from their head office in Milton. It has 150 staff members. The analysis of each of the aspect of the company overview is provided under the following heads. Strategic direction and Organizational objectives STRATEGIC DIRECTION The strategic directions of Houzit can be ascertained from the company’s vision and mission. Houzit is a national retail brand that is satisfying the home makers’ needs by providing them unique, wide variety of quality homeware products with an easy payment procedure. The mission of the company asserts that the organization is planning to move towards enlargement of its business by ensuring its presence in all the major cities of Australian market by the year 2020. The basic focus of the company is on three parameters: Quality, Unique items and Selection In this post modern era every organization should direct their marketing strategies in way that the strategic goals could be achieved smoothly and efficiently. Strategic direction is a course of action that leads to the attainment of the set goals of a company. It is also the vision of the company that is necessary for success in giving direction for employees to follow in order to achieve set goals. Setting strategic direction involves finding a target direction and committing to get there.  It begins with developing a clear vision for a company thereby increasing its competitive advantage. Mission and vision of a firm Mission is what the firm is, whereas vision is a forward-looking view of what the organization wants to become. Mission statement may include a vision, business definition and values and/or statements about an organization’s purpose. >By 2020,Houzit will have a significant retail presence in home wares in every Australian capital city >Starting with 15 stores in the Great Brisbane area and growing to 100 Australia wide. >Houzit will be a national retail brand, catering to the needs of home makers with a range of unique, high quality home wares made accessible to all through our easy to manage payment plan. Therefore some marketing opportunities have to be analyzed in reaching its goals, so the manager has to provide brief summary evaluating two alternatives, including the benefits and risks associated with each option and finally recommending for the opportunity most likely to produce results. ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES Here I outline the following marketing objectives: >To bring an annual sales increase of $ 5 million by moving the sales figures from $15 million per year to %20 million per year during the next three years period. >To enhance the list of loyal customers from 10,000 to 15,000 >Considering Brisbane as a potential market, brand recognition need to be established so that one out of every 3 people will recognise the Houzit brand in a random survey that is conducted in 18 months’ time. Current size, capabilities and resources of the organization ORGANATIONAL SIZE The size of the organization occupies 1,000-1,500m2. CAPABILITIES Capabilities: Each of the Houzit store has a capacity to generate the following sales breakup Bathroom fittings: 30% Bedrooms furnishings: 35% Mirrors and decorative items: 20% Lighting fixtures: 15% The organization is able to manage a high customer loyalty among repeat customers as it is a valuable assets for any organization. Moreover they can exceed competitors by offering in quality, range and accessibility. RESOURCES OF THE ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURSES Houzit has the valuable assest ,that is human resources ,15-20 fulltime employees along with number of casual workers .Staffs works are excellent with highly skilled and knowledgeable about home wares. PHYSICAL RESOURSES Especially for a commercial urban district Houzit possesses a great retail space that is bright, functional and efficient. Gaps between the objectives and the current capabilities and resources Gap analysis serves as the tool that will help to decide between multiple marketing options (Precision Group, 2009). The objectives that are set by Houzit are difficult to be achieved with the current capabilities and resources. It is because company has limited number of employees. In addition to it, the focus with which company operates to have its stores as bright and comfortable for shopping is not in alignment with the legislations that are put forth by the government. In this manner Houzit will have a gap between the objectives set for the company and the current strategies, capabilities and resources of the company. Opportunities With the help of external environment analysis, a company will be able to develop a list of opportunities and threats that are provided by the environmental factors (David, 2006). This section of task 1 highlights the two major opportunities for Houzit along with their analysis. Two marketing opportunities that meet the objectives and the evaluation of risk and benefits of each opportunity are: * A growing market in high growth area with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of Houzit’s offer. * Increase sales opportunities outside of our target area-greater Brisbane. Marketing mix Houzit’s marketing mix is comprised of these following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service.

Early Brain Development and Learning

It is not commonly known that the brain is 90% developed by age five. Most people believe that at age five children are just starting to learn. In fact, the brain absorbs more from birth to age five rather than from age five on. Parents and family can do many things to aid in the development of a baby’s brain, ultimately assisting in their learning. The sequence and rate at which the brain develops predicts the optimal times for a baby to learn. Sequence and rate is measured by milestones that a baby may reach by a certain age. Experiences are one thing that helps promote brain development. Our five senses give us these experiences. How in the first few years of life do we develop into the complex people we are today? We will look at how nature versus nurture; sensory perception; positive and negative experiences and both our social and physical environment contribute to and develop everything about whom we are as individuals. The brain is influenced in many different ways. The most important factors in brain development start with genetics, nutrition, and responsiveness from parents, daily experiences, and physical interactions. Parents need to know that children are learning and accepting more information that a fully grown adult. Children need positive and sensitive feedback from family. In the past, scientist believed that the human brains development was determined by a biologically determined path (Brotherson, 2005). This means that the brain would develop genetically through family, but leading technology and science proved that the brain is not predetermined genetically by family. The brain matures through the five senses: smell, touch, vision, taste, and hearing. The experiences that the five senses bring are very crucial to help build the connections that guide brain development. The importance of the parents understanding of the first few years of his or her child’s life is extremely important. As Titzer, P. H. D, (2008) uses a computer metaphor to explain brain development he put it this way â€Å"Your baby’s brain could be thought of as a highly responsive, self-programming computer. For the first few years, the hardware is still coming together – a baby is not a finished product, but a growing, developing individual, complete with organic â€Å"circuitry† – the central nervous system† (p. ). The brain will absorb more with more stimulation. At an earlier age stimulation for the brain circuitry is at its best. This will cause the brain circuitry to develop more effectively. The main function of the brain in the first three years of life is to create and support connections between neurons. The con nections are referred to as synapses. Synapses could be envisioned as the limbs on the tree. Imagine a large family tree with its trunk as the original lineage. Then the main branches are the families as they grow and have children. Neurons are like the trunk and the main branches of the tree. The number of neurons a baby is born with remains constant in the first three years of life. Synapses (all those years of lineage on the family tree) are all the little twigs and branches that come off the main trunk. In the first three years of life our brains synapses increase to a number in the hundreds of trillions. However, after age three the number of synapses begins to slow until age 10. During this period there are more synapses created than needed. A person creates more synapses than needed and the â€Å"use it or lose it† theory applies to all the unused synapses. The synapses being used the most, meaning the circuits that transfer information the most become permanent to the brain. The synapses not used are lost in a process called pruning. In fact, the ability to see light is lost if the eyes are not exposed to light within the first three weeks of life, hence â€Å"use it or lose it† theory (Hawley, 2003). This will happen because the synapses that can see light will be lost because they will not have been used. That is why we want to give our children as much experience socially and with learning as possible. With this kind of experience these synapses will become permanent. Brotherson (2005) describes a baby’s brain at this point like a â€Å"†super sponge† absorbing everything given to it (para. 4) The first three years are the most sensitive for learning and development (Gable & Huntington, 2001). The brain takes in these experiences through our five senses. According to Gable & Huntington (2001) â€Å"an infant’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and language development are stimulated during multisensory experiences† (para. 12) During these first few years of life is most rapid growth period for the brain. At birth the brain is 25% developed, at six months it is 50% developed , at 30 months 75% developed and at age five it is already 90% developed. There have been many optimal opportunities for parents to teach their children many things from birth to this point already. Children at the age of two have been known to read at the reading level of a fifth grader because they were taught at the â€Å"prime time. † Acquiring the knowledge of how a baby’s brain develops and what can be done to influence it in a positive way can make a world of difference for a child. A positive influence during this critical period is very crucial. Let us take a look at nature versus nurture; sensory perception; positive and negative experiences and both our social and physical environment contribute to and develop everything about who we are as individuals. Take the study of nature, for example, our individual innate qualities versus nurture, and our personal experiences. As evidences by the recent Human Genome Project, it is currently believed that there is much more nurture than nature in the result of each of us. With this, how does nurture become nature? Let us look at the example of ‘perfect pitch’ to show the relationship between genetics and environment. This is an example of how† heredity and environment can interact† (Davies, 2001, para. 3). Davies (2003) describes perfect pitch as â€Å"The ability to recognize the absolute pitch of musical tone without any reference note. People with perfect pitch often have relatives with the same gift and research show this is a highly inherited gift, possibly the result of a single gene. However, studies also demonstrate a requirement for early musical training (before age 6) to manifest perfect pitch. Many personality and behavioral traits will not be exclusively the result of nature or nurture, but rather an inextricable combination of both† (para. 5). _ Nature versus nurture and the role that heredity and environment have in human development indicates that with almost all biological and psychological traits genes and environment work together in communication back and forth to create us as individuals . No one questions it; this is the ying and the yang, the Adam and Eve, the Mom and Pop of pop psychology and genealogy. Nature and Nurture is what made us what we are today and will determine what our children will be tomorrow. I have heard the expression that life is all about perception. We all know people who are positive and those who are negative. And each of us has either an optimistic or pessimistic personality. How we perceive the world around us is i nherently a matter of our sensory perception of the world and largely that done in the first several years of life. We have many senses but we most often refer to the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. We are born with the need for a multisensory environment. Research shows that interactions that are associated with many of emotion are more â€Å"readily remembered and recalled†_ __(Gable & Huntington, 2001, para. 17)_. With this, it is proven that with a multisensory environment we develop out temperament and emotions during an early the early stages of life. Developmental milestones are certain things that a child should be able to do by a certain age range. A child’s doctor will use these milestones to assess the development of a child in the area of his/her gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive, and social skills. Even though each milestone has an age range, each child is different and unique so the age can vary significantly. One child may start to walk as early as seven months old and another child may not begin to walk until 16 months old and both would be considered normal. They both would be within the normal age range. In conclusion, we have looked at how genetics and environment in early brain development occurs as well as the importance of multiple sensory experiences, positive interactions, and social and physical stimulation in early development of a variety of cognitive and behavioral skills. It was briefly discussed that there are many interventions and treatments for improvement in many areas of interrupted brain development due to early childhood trauma, stress, and neglect with appropriate intervention. Many agencies today focus on education for parents and caregivers to ensure a more positive and educational experience for the early brain development. References Brotherson, Gable,S. & Hunting, M. (2001). Nature, Nurture and Early Brain Development. Retrieved from http://extension. missouri. edu/publications/DisplayPub. aspx? P=GH6115 Hawley, T. (2003). Starting Smart. How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development. Titzer, R. Ph. D. (2008). Your Baby Can Read. Carlsbad, Ca

Creating an Innovation in the Organization Essay

Creating an Innovation in the Organization - Essay Example Innovation is the â€Å"process by which an idea or invention is translated into a good or service for which people will pay. In business, innovation results often from the application of a scientific or technical idea in decreasing the gap between the needs or expectations of the customers and the performance of a firms products† (Business Dictionary, 1). The objective of the essay is to proffer an innovation that could be created or designed and to discuss how one will implement it in the identified organization. For this purpose, the organization one is familiar with and one which could use an innovative process to improve organizational performance is a health care institution, St. Luke’s Medical Center. The essay would use at least three models related to innovation and would be structured to include sections on opportunity, ensuring success, impact on results, the innovation, creating customer value, implementation process, measuring the impact, and reflection on learning. The mission of St. Luke’s Medical Center is to improve the delivery of quality health care conforming to the strict standards of the Joint Accreditation Commission of Health Organizations (JACHO, 2010). It came to the attention of the Vice President for Nursing that their Nurse Managers are torn between prioritizing functions which are administrative in nature vis-à  -vis functions that cater to the delivery of patient care. Due to the Nurse Managers’ theoretical orientation for health care, the administrative tasks such as completion of reportorial requirements, monitoring and upkeep of equipment and supplies, staff requirements and budgeting are frequently neglected or seconded with priorities being focused to patient care. In this regard, the VP for Nursing sought the assistance of the VP for Human Resources and the CEO to resolve this issue.

The Magna Carta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Magna Carta - Essay Example Historical records stated that King John considered these rights granted to the nobility are done under duress (National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, p. 1). Until these days, the Magna remained significant for human rights advocacies and for its defenders because this was the first document which challenged the monarchical power of the King and systemically becomes the legal foundation against feudal relations -- that ‘no man should be above the law (National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, p. 1).’ The document expressly stated, "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land (National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, p. 1)." The Magna Carta has therefore dismantled the king’s feudal control over lands in England and its professed power of such elitist rule of the hierarchy where barons directly report to the King in the performance of their responsibilities (National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, p. 1). ... 1; Walenta, 2010, p. 1). At the utmost, these principles are embed in universal declaration of human rights and in the Constitution of United States of America. Mulligan (2004) opined that the Magna Carta also ushered positive reform in legislation of laws and paved for the restoration of legal and political institutions after that tragic period of civil strife and social degeneration brought by social inequities and tyrannical control (pp. 41-65). This was affirmed by King Henry I and those subsequent rulers. Expert scholars considered the document as the best enduring legacy to humankind because those principles strengthened the institutionalization of universal concepts of legal doctrines on judicial procedures that aided in the protection and promotion of civil rights. Franklin D. Roosevelt has succinctly expressed in his 1941 inaugural address when he stated that the Magna Carta is the written document that integrated the democratic aspiration in human history (National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, p. 1). When the Declaration of Independence was sealed and signed as the American Charters of Freedom in 1776, the great Fathers recognized the Magna Carta as the historical context in asserting their liberty from King George III and the English parliament (National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, p. 1). They honoured that meeting of 40 barons and King John 561 years earlier at Runnymede, now home of the Windsor Castle, where barons finally considered themselves as freemen and later became an inspiration for Americans. They have likewise earned the reconfirmation of Henry I’s Coronation Oath and hence limited the King’s access to resources and funds. At that time, this charter was only

How closely management and leadership are connected for maintaining Essay

How closely management and leadership are connected for maintaining the normal flow of an organization - Essay Example The concepts management and leadership differ greatly in terms of organising people, but the two are closely linked as they both maintain the normal flow of the organization. They entail setting what needs to be acted upon, mobilize individuals to achieve a certain goal, and lastly ensure that individuals perform their duties. Leadership is often about setting a direction for individuals to follow, but on a complementary perspective management directs these individuals based on established principles or values. As stated by Lopez (2014) leadership involves realizing potential in oneself and others. Above all, managing has planning and budgeting, this means that managers create appropriate plans that will contribute to the success of the organization, and leaders ensure that they direct their followers to the right direction that will enable them to work towards achieving the goals of the organization. In addition, while managing deals with organizing and staffing to help in achieving organizational goals, this is as clarified by Ratcliffe (2013) â€Å"†¦ management is a set of processes that keep an organization functioning†. On the same note, leading is all about aligning individuals in a more effective manner in order to achieve the goals of the organization, this indicate how these two concepts aims at maintaining the normal flow of the organization. Furthermore, management and leadership are linked in ensuring that organizational activities flow normally is based on the nature of their functions. For instance, a leader creates the organizational vision and it is the manager’s duty to accomplish it (Gillikin, no date). Management is about establishing specific functions and assigning them to specific individuals. Moreover, it involves leading and regulating individuals and assisting them to move toward a common purpose in coordination. As clarified by Maccoby (2000 pp.57-59) â€Å"The functions of management include

Wealth and Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wealth and Inequality - Essay Example Racial, ethnic, religious and professional rivalries and jealousies have augmented class discrimination, and haves and haves-not observe enormous gulf between them. Hence, taking apposite measures immediately for the eradication of continuously increasing socioeconomic abyss appears to be the need of the hour, which could be performed by including the suppressed and oppressed stratum of society in nation-building programs, so that the society could be protected from becoming the prey to the severe anguish, hatred and bloodshed among the citizens for the future years to come. Before the French revolution, ninety-nine percent of the French population died of hunger and starvation, while remaining one expired due to over digestion. (Mahajan, 2002: 21) Thus, the authorities should move swiftly in order to introduce and implement socioeconomic schemes for the uplift of the poor and down-trodden masses in order to avoid the revolution the world has already observed in the form of French Re volution 1789, Iranian Revolution of 1979, and several other rebellions and revolts. The Paper Wealth serves as one of the most significant social phenomena, which helps the people get involved into the odds and ends of life by purchasing the commodities of their needs and choice, as well as by selling different commodities or offering their services against the wealth in order to keep the wolf from the door on the one hand, and for leading a comfortable and respectable life in society on the other. Since every human is directly or indirectly connected with financial activities, and strives in pursuit of earning more and more money and pecuniary gains, wealth has always been of vital importance in everyday individual and collective life. All that is because of the very reality that wealth decides and determines the status and position of individuals in a social hierarchy; it is therefore people seek professional education and learn technical skills, on the basis of which they work f rom dawn to dusk in various occupations in order to make both ends meet. However, they do not obtain the same amount of wealth according to the proportion of the efforts they make. Wealth is distributed less equally than labor income, total money income or consumption expenditure. While Gina coefficients in developed countries typically range between about 0.3 and 0.4 for income, they vary from about 0.5 to 0.9 for wealth. (Davies & Shamrocks, 1998) Thus, distribution of wealth, resources and opportunities has always been unjust, unequal and unfair since the known history of the social establishment. Inequality of wealth and opportunities is not confined to developing countries only. On the contrary, the developed western states are also undergoing the same problem within their social establishment. Both income inequality and the poverty headcount have risen over the past two decades. The increase is fairly widespread, affecting two-thirds of all countries. Income inequality has ris en significantly since 2000 in Canada, Germany, Norway, the United States, Italy, and Finland, and declined in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Greece and Australia. (OECD, 2008) Taking the example of the US society, it becomes crystal clear that on the one side, the wealthiest business tycoons and entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Sheldon Adelson and others are leading the affluent and luxurious life, and on the other side, one sixth of the total population is living under the UN determined poverty line. Not only this that all social classes have their valuable

Thomas Hobbes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thomas Hobbes - Essay Example Man’s capriciousness is a threat to themselves and the desire for what others have gained in pursuit of the so-called equality without examining what can make them truly satisfied serves as self-destructive factors. Such claim could be further examined with Hobbes’s three principal causes of quarrel which are: competition diffidence and glory. The concept of the three principal causes can be associated with the example on man’s thrive to equality. In war, time hold a specific and essential role. c. Hobbes opined that time in war is as essential as time in weather. Bad weather cannot be measured with the amount of rain but the rainy days altogether; just as war where threat is not apparent in the battle itself but how long is it going to take for war to persist, because after the war, there is an assurance of peace. The state of war and argument is caused by man himself, and only he can make means to end it by making a pact or covenant in which both parties have t o observe. Section 2: Question 1 â€Å"J.J. Thompson claims...† According to J.J. Thompson, abortion is not always morally impermissible. She noted that a woman must be given the right to choose whether or not the baby should live, in case that the pregnancy was due to rape. She contends that the impermissibility of abortion is a case to case basis. And because of that argument she created thought experiments to further defend her view on that matter. There are few thought experiments she presented in her essay where one is an example analogous to pregnancy due to rape and the other is based on the concept of people-seeds. The first mentioned tells about you being kidnapped. A famous violinist needs your body so that he could live and so, he is ‘plugged’ into your body by some medical tube, where it should stay there for nine months (or more). The doctor said that you have no choice because until he recovers and removing the tubes would mean killing him. In the s ame way, pro-life views would say that abortion of pregnancy due to rape is still impermissible because the life in the womb is innocent, the same way as the violinist is innocent. Because of this, the woman in the example, and the woman being pregnant by rape has the same situation. Thompson further asserts that if right to life is given more weight than right to choose in any circumstance, it is just like saying that the person in the example does not have the right to remove the tubes from her body because it would mean murder; and murder is always and absolutely impermissible. The second thought experiment tells about â€Å"people-seeds.† Thompson argued that unwanted pregnancy even due to voluntary intercourse with contraception gives the mother the right to abort the baby because using contraception infers that the woman does not desire to have a baby. Thompson compared it to a person who puts in mesh screens so that pollens will not be implanted. If in case a seed drif ts in and takes its root, this gives the owner the right to remove it. Thompson’s arguments are direct to the point. She has clear associations which illustrate the points she wanted to express. However, she missed two points in her arguments which made her thought experiments unsuccessful. First, women have an in born motherly instinct and conscience and second, it is well documented that there is no 100% effective birth control method except for abstinence, so

Financial Management Individual Work 1 Week 8 Essay

Financial Management Individual Work 1 Week 8 - Essay Example Adding 200 safety units we get 392units. Expected delivery time is 2 weeks hence (392/2) 196 units per week. If the usage remains constant, then the Webster could operate at 4 weeks (392/4) when waiting for delivery of each order. It should be noted the discount has reduced the unit price. The TIC IS $24800 so if the Webster now orders 1000 units at a time, the incremental annual cost become $(24800-20000) = $4800. The 1 per cent on each unit of chip will amount to savings of 0.01$(200)*(5000) = 10000 dollars (Tajbakhsh, 2007). The effective savings is $(10000-4800) = $5200 if the firm accepts the discount which is advised to take. i. The EOQ model can be used at different short constant kind of situations taking into account that the assumptions made in the derivation of the model calls for constant variables. It can therefore be used using the annual rates of each period. 4. The manufacturing trend is skewed to flexibility of designed plants, which give a go ahead in production without incurring high costs of setting up. This immensely reduce inventory holding of final

The Popularity of Mixed Martial Arts Essay Example for Free

The Popularity of Mixed Martial Arts Essay For many fight fans, the allure of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has surpassed a traditional boxing match in terms of action and excitement even though Mixed Martial Arts is nothing new. In a sense, all martial arts styles have guided us to the creation of what we now refer to as MMA. Along with this and for quite some time, possibly before history was ever documented, fighters of all levels and styles have been practicing and testing their skills. But with change in time, so did the sport in many aspects. Through the many years of evolution, Mixed Martial Arts is currently the most popular and the fastest growing sport in the world. Having started around 648 B. C. in Greece, the most primitive contact sports or martial arts with few rules or a â€Å"no-holds-barred† concept was called pankration, placing itself amongst the other sports in the Olympic games. (Rousseau) It was an aggressive sport, a combination of boxing and wrestling techniques. In the 1800s, â€Å"no-holds-barred† events occurred when wrestlers who represented various martial styles competed throughout Europe. â€Å"Merikan† fighting in the early 1900s, which featured boxing versus Jiu Jitsu masters. Bruce Lee was significant having influencing MMA as he conquered in boxing, karate, judo, and other styles and combined them to develop a form of fighting greater than any other. His contributions have not gone unnoticed, as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has gone so far to call Lee, â€Å"the father of mixed martial arts. † (â€Å"Mixed Martial Arts Timeline†, 2007) With a new legion of fighters who train in various styles, the sport of MMA has greatly come together, to include the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, which quickly became an overnight success. Mixed Martial Arts has â€Å"achieved a high level of popularity around the globe in recent years† thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, especially being supported in Japan and the United States. With stars such as Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, and Wanderlei Silva leading the way, the sport was venerable to a break through and achieved mainstream popularity. Regular coverage on ESPN and promotion in the pages of such popular publications has shown mixed martial arts continuing its spectacular rise having â€Å"surpassed boxing in popularity and poised for bigger and better things†. Megamass). Besides being a real show of entertainment, MMA is a sport of high-performance. As was the case with most martial arts at the time, fighters were typically skilled in just one discipline and had little practice when facing opponents with different skills. When the Ultimate Fighting Championship first started, there were few rules, no division of weight classes, time-sensitivity, or security equipment. For example, Keith â€Å"The Giant Killer† Hackney, with a 9† height difference and 400-pound weight difference, faced Emmanuel Yarborough at UFC 3. â€Å"UFC History†) Many martial artists held that having the skill could overcome such advantages, that a â€Å"skilled fighter could use an opponent’s size and strength against him. † (â€Å"UFC History†). It was quickly proved with the many defeats by 170-pound Royce Gracie that the outcome is not always determined by the size of a person. The UFC hit success on Pay-Per-View and home video almost instantaneously due to the originality, realism, and wide press coverage, even though not all of it was positive. The blood and brutality of the sport generated a loud and powerful backlash. The disposition of the rapidly increasing sport hastily brought attention to the authorities. UFC events were then banned in a number of States. In order to subsist, the UFC improved its cooperation and collaborated with the state athletic commissions and deliberated its rules to eliminate the less acceptable elements of fights, while preserving the core elements of striking and grappling. Weight classes were established, and gloves became mandatory. Then there was the introduction of restrictions on permissible striking areas, barring head butts, groin strikes, strikes to the back of the neck and head, kicks to an opponent who was down, small joint manipulation, pressure point strikes, and hair pulling. When the time limit of five-minute rounds was introduced, the UFC had become acknowledged as a sport rather than an act or spectacle. By 2001, the UFC â€Å"brand† had completely restructured Mixed Martial Arts into a highly systematic and controlled combat sport. With Mixed Martial Arts booming with popularity, training centers and dojos are filling up with new students everyday. Many of the professional fighters have opened gyms where they train the next generation of fighters to become the next champion. Amateur fight nights are organized all the time in order for the more novice fighters to work their way on getting recognized for a chance to go professional. Shows like Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV is an example of up and coming professional fighters training and fighting to win a chance at a professional contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If not for the next championship title, many people fight for the fun nature of the sport. Combat sports, even now with the rules and regulations, is still and always will be a popular blood sport. The fans are intrigued to see strength and skills prevail in fights. Adrenaline runs through the roaring crowds as they cheer on their best contenders. From the days of the Coliseum to â€Å"the Octagon† at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the quick rise in gym openings and more live-aired Pay-Per-View events, Mixed Martial Arts has become a prominent commonplace in both the martial arts world and the entertainment industry.

Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Theory

Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Theory Introduction Researchers have applied Hofstedes categorization of national cultural traits not only in studies of ‘average’ employee samples, from which the categorization was originally obtained, but also to à ©lite senior executives, and even to firms, on the assumptions that top management teams (i) are culturally homogeneous with average employees and (ii) directly reflect cultural characteristics in strategic decision-making. Such assumptions are questioned by research finding that country sub-populations are culturally heterogeneous and that individuals cultural characteristics are moderated by organizational and task contexts. Using the construct of collectivism/individualism, this study tests the applicability of Hofstedes generic national cultural norms to senior executives using Anglo-Saxon and Chinese samples. Results cast doubt on the applicability of Hofstedes classifications to senior manager populations and suggest several avenues for further research. In recent years the work of Dr. Geert Hofstede and his cultural dimensions has been carefully reviewed and applied by academic scholars and educators around the world. Some scholars and educators criticize his findings, whereas others highly praise Hofstedes research. One of the most critical voices comes from Dr. Brendan McSweeney. However, Geert Hofstede has appropriately shown that his criticism is not all that valid. Read for yourself in Dimensions do not exist: A reply to Brendan McSweeney by Geert Hofstede and originally published in Human Relations vol. 55 (II) – 2002 The outcome of his survey is that employees in the same national context share similar attitudes towards these four dimensions. Differences only arise when they are different in national. Defining culture Culture has been called the way of life for an entire society. As such, it includes codes manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior and systems of belief.[2] Various definitions of culture reflect differing theories for understanding — or criteria for evaluating — human activity .More recently, the United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization UNESCO (2002) described culture as follows: Culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.[4] Key components of culture A common way of understanding culture sees it as consisting of four elements: values norms institutions artifacts Geert Hofstedeâ„ ¢ Cultural Dimensions Geert Hofstede gathered extensive data on the worlds cultures. Geert Hofstede’s Value Survey Module is designed for measuring culture-determined differences between matched samples of respondents from different countries and regions. Prof. Geert Hofstede conducted the most comprehensive study of how values in workplace are influenced by culture. Geert Hofstede analyzed a large data base of employee values scores collected by IBM between 1967 and 1973 covering more than 70 countries from which he first used the 40 largest only and afterwards extended the analysis to 50 countries and 3 regions. In the editions of GH’s work since 2001, scores are listed for 74 countries and regions, partly based on replications and extensions of the IBM study on different International populations. From the initial results and later additions hofstede developed a model that identifies four primary dimensions to assist in differentiating cultures: Power Distance—PDI, Individualism—IDV, Masculinity—MAS, and Uncertainty Avoidance—UAI. Geert Hofstede added a fifth dimension after conducting an additional International study with a survey instrument developed with Chinese employees and managers. The dimension based on Confucian dynamism is Long-Term Orientation—LTO and was applied to 23 countries. These five Hofstede dimensions can also be found to correlate with other country, culture and religious paradigms. 1) Power distance Index (PDI) that is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and they expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a societys level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Power and inequality, are the most extremely fundamental facts of any society and anybody who have some international experience will be aware that all societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others. 2) Individualism (IDV) the one side versus its opposite, collectivism that is the degree to which individuals are inte-grated into groups. On the individualist side we can see societies where the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him/herself and his/her immediate family. On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. The word collectivism in this sense has no political meaning: it defines to the group, not to the state. 3) Masculinity (MAS) versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. The IBM studies shows us that (a) womens values in the societies are less than mens values; (b) mens values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from womens values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to womens values on the other. The assertive pole is known as masculine and the modest, caring pole is called by feminine. The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring, social values as the men; in the masculine countries. However they are somewhat assertive and competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries represent us a gap between mens values and womens values. 4) Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty. What is the level that a society can accept with its unknown and unseen subject. It ultimately refers to mans search for Truth. It shows us how a culture reflects its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; there can only be one Truth and we have it. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. On the other side uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions. In the situation of certainty people try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. People within these cultures not expected by their environment to express emotions 5) Long Term orientation (LTO) versus short-term orientation: this fifth dimension was found in a study among students in 23 countries around the world, using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars it can be said to deal with Virtue regardless of Truth. Values which are associated with Long Term Orientation are thrift. On the other hand values which are connected with Short Term Orientation are respect for tradition, fulfilling social obligations, and protecting ones face. Logical Argument As human resources are mainly developed in local organizations and cultural institutions, we begin by looking at the formation of local work cultures and the international debate about how multinational companies are influencing local work cultures. How resistant are different national working cultures to the cultural impact of multinational companies? Do HRM discourses in multinational companies encourage global convergence or local divergence? Convergence, transnational communication and a ‘third culture’ The different interpretations of the impact of multinational companies on management and organization in foreign subsidiaries have breathed new life into the convergence debate from the1950s and 1960s. In contrast to the old convergence approach, which laid great emphasis on institutional systems and structural processes, the new approach focuses more on the actors and carriers of convergence processes. The new focus is on transnational processes in multinational companies and not so much on differences in National Business Systems industrial relations or societal effects (Maurice et al.1980), which were the dominant issues in international management and organization research in 1980s. The authors within the new convergence school do not argue against the influence of national social institutions on company strategies and organizational practices, but they raise the question of whether the increasing globalization of many companies does not reduce the influence of national instituti ons and cultural values. They pay greater attention to transnational actors’ potential capacity to reduce national differences in management and organization. They argue that the increasing internal and external competition in multinational companies searching for â€Å"best practices† is undermining the importance of national social institutions and local cultural values in company strategies and practices Criticism Hofstede has been criticized by number of authors for not taking into account the changing relationship between parent companies and subsidiaries in a globalized economy. Among his critics is Christina Garsten who, in her analysis of Apple Computer, ends up with a different view of the parent company’s impact on its subsidiaries. Garsten does not seek to identify national homogeneity and consensus in Apple’s national subsidiaries by analyzing common national cultural values. The cultural complexity that Christina Garsten seeks to identify in Apple Computers demands a more dynamic concept in the culture than Geert Hofstede’s categorization of attitudes which were pre-established theoretical dimensions. Using this concept of culture, a national group of employees in a multinational company does not act in accordance with one common set of collective national values. The group’s actions are motivated by various sub cultural contexts and shows different interp retations of and engagement with their company. Garsten’s approach very inspiring, especially the way in which she takes into consideration the influence of transnational communication streams in companies. Hofstede did not pay much attention to this subject because global human resource strategies were much less developed in the 1970s when he carried out his research. How can human resource management discourse be understood in the dialectical relationship between the global and the local in multinational companies? As a result of the growing networks in multinational companies, human resource management discourse is increasingly shaping the thinking of management groups in the individual units and the way in which they implement demands and tasks. It was also a roadmap for establishing a common language among the units. Manuel Castells has tried to describe these complicated processes in The Rise of Network Society (Castells1996). He describes that network structures and growing flexibility as two closely connected elements in the new global economic system. He argues that networking strategies give us the flexibility to the system, but they do not solve the problem of adaptability for the companies. In my opinion, this is a key reason why management in multinational companies seek strategies which can cope with flexibility. When management experiments with these network structures in multinational companies, it engenders cultural encounters between units that have different cultural backgrounds. What is the outcome of these encounters? Mike Featherstone uses the apt concept of a â€Å"third culture† to understand the outcome of these encounters in the globalization process (Featherstone1990: 7: 1-14). The third culture argument is that national and local cultures and identities increasingly have to relate to global discourses, but they do not necessarily adopt them. To demonstrate this argument, we will discuss two of the most powerful discourses in the present global debate: the free market and human rights. There are many different phenomena which suggest that globalization is a differentiated, multi-dimensional and polycentric process. It is not just a question of one multinational agenda or one dominant superpower discourse. The same logic can be applied when evaluating and analyzing management in subsidiaries which implement human resource strategies. Multinational companies with different parent company cultures set up human resource strategies inspired by global consultants and best practice examples. They transfer HRM strategies to subsidiaries, which develop a third company culture: a reflexive, discursive mix of the parent company culture, the local work culture and the multinational practices. Actually all multinational subsidiaries maintain different third culture outcomes, which together build a global company culture in practice. Conclusion Yes, I do consider my self defined strongly about my race/ethnicity or culture, but at the same time I do not. The way I do feel defined in my culture is the morals and traditions and values that I have take in. I am not saying I took all of them but most of them I applied by myself. As an Asian I grew up in Bangladesh for half of my life and then moved out to U.K. And as I grew up I was able to experience different cultures. In Bangladesh it was a lot calmer and easy going area but once I moved to London, it was fast moving. But while taking in both cultures my parents also put an influence on me to remember my heritage and traditions. They wanted to make sure that I new about my Bangladeshi. Discussing with different cultures people of another country can help give me an idea of how different my country is from other places. Talking to someone from another country enables one to have more respect for that person, because we able to learn their different way of living and learn to appreciate our own way of living References www.geert_hofstede.com www.bookrags.com Markus Richwien Kategorie: Betriebswirtschaft Funktional Organisation Organization allgemein MA-Thesis / Master June 2000, 135 Seiten, 1, 0 MB, Note 1, 3, Sprache English Ludwig-Maximilian-Università ¤t Mà ¼nchen Deutschland Schlagworte: Organization, Adler, weibliche Fà ¼hrungskrà ¤fte, Confuzianismus, Kollektivismus Countries and elites in 19 countries.

Timeliness And Method Of Internal Communication Management Essay

Timeliness And Method Of Internal Communication Management Essay This final chapter will provide an overview of the information and most important findings of the research. Next, a broad analysis of the conclusions and amelioration aspects will be provided in order for the organization to improve their current business strategies with regard to corporate reputation. Finally strategies for improvements will be presented. 5.2 Conclusions One of the variables analyzed in the research is the way, timeliness and method of internal communication within the organization is conducted as part of the Corporate Communication variable. In this specific case, the internal communication was not rated as high as it should be when evaluating its importance in the day- to-day business operations. Although the vast majority agrees that internal communication within an organization is important to smoothen and facilitate the core tasks that the organization has to carry out and that it also impacts the corporate reputation, it was established to be below average. When new projects are introduced, these are not explained internally as the employees would like them to. The lack of this information implies that they, in most of the cases, learn about certain developments in the media instead of being the first ones to be informed. It is also very remarkable that, although the SBAB is classified as a vertical organization, the management decisions are not well communicated to the employees, according to 50% of the respondents. If an organization has a vertical manner of doing business, where most of the decisions are made by the Di in dialogue with the management, it is a must for the organization to have an impeccable top down communication. This is with the main focus to prevent misunderstandings and miscommunications in the core business. The employees fully agreed, with a score of 70%, that the organization is being managed in a top down way. A lack of internal communication can also be perceived externally by the tax payers which will result in a lack of credibility towards the organization itself. This clearly shows that, although team meetings have as their main objective to communicate decisions taken by the management, this is obviously not the case. However, although the fact that decisions are not well communicated, the employees do not get information from the outside world. Another important aspect in the communication process is the timeliness of the communication. In this specific case the organization scored a low grade because a majority of the respondents disagreed with the statements that information is timely provided when a new event is about to take place in the workplace. Another aspect that did not score as well as it should is information regarding change management. Most respondents think that changes are implemented and afterwards when questions come on behalf of the employees, they get the information regarding the change. Based on the questions asked by the researcher on the internal communication aspect of the communication, the relationship with the organizations reputation was established to be a moderate one with a correlation coefficient of .615. In other words, a positive relationship was established between these two variables meaning that the internal communication moderately affects the corporate reputation. With regard to the external communication variable on the other hand, a rather large percentage of the employees neither agreed nor disagreed with the statements regarding the organizations efforts to communicate plans of new projects and other events with the external audience. These percentages surpass half of the amount of respondents. However, they acknowledged SBABs efforts in communicating effectively and efficiently with the external stakeholders but there is definitely more to be done. Furthermore, almost 82% of the respondents definitely agreed on the fact that the external communication has an impact on the organizations reputation. In this case the correlation coefficient for this variable, external communication, in relationship with the organizations reputation, this was established to be .880 which means that there is definitely a high correlation between these two. These responses on the statements regarding these two variables regarding communication, are the main reason why the employees gave a 6- (5.92) for SBABs overall communication efforts. The variable that has greatly impacted this mark is the internal communication aspect which they consider to be below what is acceptable. The last variable to be analyzed in relationship with the corporate reputation is the corporate social responsibility strategy. The SBAB has scored very high in its efforts to give back to the society. The organizations strategy of giving back to the less fortunate children of our society and the involvement of the personnel in this process is a big hit with 95% of the respondents agreeing that these efforts help in the corporate reputation building. The overall mark provided for this business strategy is an 8.05. However, the relationship between CSR and corporate reputation was also established to be moderate (.619) because, as stated in the literature review, it is not mandatory for an organization to adopt this strategy in the reputation building process. Nevertheless, if this strategy is well implemented and consistent, it will definitely affect the stakeholders perception of the organization. For the organization to know what the steps are that need to be undergone in order to improve its way of doing business, it should know how it actually performs. Based on this, an analysis was also performed on the current reputation of the organization. It can be concluded that, although a lack of internal communication was identified, the employees do not think that the SBAB currently has a less positive reputation. More than 80% say that through the years, they heard more positive news about the SBAB than negative. Although there is a relatively large amount (respectively 41.7% and 50%) that say that the news that they hear about the SBAB in the media is not always positive and that they do not always receive a positive reaction when they tell an outsider that they work for the SBAB. 5.3 Recommendations In order to improve the reputation of the organization, the following actions should be taken to stimulate a clearer, timely and transparent communication towards the employees. The management should involve the employees more in the process of making decisions that directly affect the employees. In other words, stimulate more bottom-up communication as the employees can give valuable input in certain situations because they work in the field and definitely know better. This can be done by polls managed by the manager of each team. In the case a certain rule will be adapted, for example the team managers must gather with the team members and let them vote on the proposed change. The manager of each team must present their results in the management meeting with the accompanying arguments. After these have been analyzed, decisions can be made in personnel related aspects. Assign a person and a substitute when absent who are solely responsible for all communication towards the organization itself and the external audience (a Communication Officer). This in order to prevent misunderstandings and confusion about who is the one that gives the accurate information. Management meetings are mostly held once a month. Decisions taken and other significant information with regard to new projects and personnel, for example must be communicated to the Communication Officer who will develop a newsletter, on a monthly basis, to inform the internal audience properly. After the employees have been informed, decisions regarding the external audience must be made public through press releases and, where possible, television interviews. This last part is in order to achieve a greater awareness. All of these efforts must be done by the Communications Officer, thus by centralizing of the information channel, in order to also prevent misunderstandings and confusion by the press. This monthly bulletin will only cover management decisions and other objective information. For more subjective information about new colleagues, birthdays and other personnel-related, non-work related activities, the BAB Aktueel must be published quarterly as it is currently done.. In order to create a higher level of awareness of the core tasks of the organization and its corporate social responsibility strategy, a monthly column can be publicized in newspapers (both in Papiamentu and Dutch) as well as in short television program of approximately 5 minutes to be aired during prime time on both local television channels, in which an employee of the organization is interviewed about tax legislation changes, the way and reason of a tax audit and to highlight the organizations efforts in helping 150 less fortunate children of the society etcetera. A timely and accurate communication is not only part of the reputation building process but also in the maintenance hereof. A method of continuously monitoring the corporate reputation is also through an evaluation form that has to be handed out by the tax auditor to the tax payer. Although paying taxes and correcting what did not go well is not the most favorite subject and people tend to be negative about it; however, if the process has gone according to the rules and with the respect needed, the organization can also receive valuable feedback from the external stakeholders also. If these recommendations are aligned next to each other, the conclusion can be drawn that in order for the organization to be perceived positively among both the internal and the external stakeholders, timely and accurate communication is the key aspect. The communication within the organization itself and from the organization towards the outside world is like the heart in a human body. It is the main organ and the one which life is not possible without. A smooth corporate communication will definitely facilitate the core business and from an external point of view the organization will be considered a transparent one. Corporate communication Organization Figure 1 Human body and the heart function

The Middle Passage :: essays research papers

Most history books has recorded that between the years 1701-1760, millions of Africans were literally stolen away from their native lands leaving behind their families, work, heritage, and everything that was familiar to them. Robbed of their independence and ‘humanness’; they were reduced to cargo. This was what ‘the Middle Passage’ also known, as the ‘Slave Triangle’ was all about; the trading of goods and commodities among continents including the trading of black men, women and children who were treated like property.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first leg of the journey was from Europe, mainly Portugal to Africa. Many of the goods produced in Europe were not available in Africa or America. The Europeans traded manufactured goods, including weapons, guns, beads, cowrie shells (used as money), cloth, horses, and rum to the African kings and merchants in return for gold, silver and slaves. Africans were seen as very hard workers who were skilled in the area of agriculture and cattle farming. They were also used to the extreme temperatures that people of lighter complexions could not bear. There had always been slavery in Africa amongst her own people, where men from different tribes/villages would raid other villages to kidnap the women for their pleasures, and the men to use as slaves. To learn that they could actually profit from this activity made the job of getting slaves very easy for the Europeans. Slaves acquired through raids, were transported to the seaports were they were help prisoner in forts until traded. Once the goods were off loaded in Africa and the slaves loaded, the second leg of the journey carried slaves across the Atlantic Ocean to the North Americas (the new world).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is prudent to speak here to the inhumane way in which the slaves were transported during this first leg of the journey. The trading of slaves was very lucrative for the Europeans. As it goes in business, the higher the demand, the larger the quantities supplied. All the slaves were branded to show to whom they belonged, and the male slaves were shackled together and packed in the hole like sardines, while the women and children were sometimes allowed to stay on deck.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any acts of aggression by the men or women resulted in severe beatings to discourage the behavior. Imagine being beaten and shackled with a rival tribe man or not being able to communicate with the person beside you because you both spoke different languages!

What is love? Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

The word Love may mean many things to different people. For some it can be dangerous and complex, whereas for others it can be simple, yet fulfilling. Many have also attempted to prove the meaning of love, some successful, others not. In the poems A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne and Sonnet 147 by William Shakespeare, both authors view love from opposite spectrums. They both attempt to argue what the meaning of love really is. They do this, by using imagery and symbols, and by writing in extended metaphors. In both A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning and Sonnet 147, Donne and Shakespeare’s use of imagery and symbolism are well used to describe the meaning of love according to them. Death is a recurrent image in both poems. In Sonnet 147, Shakespeare compares the love he has for a woman to a disease. Oftentimes disease is associated with death. He uses this imagery, first when he states â€Å"Desire is death† (8); meaning the desire or love he has for this woman, is indeed deadly; a disease which is figuratively leading to his death. Shortly after this, Shakespeare refers to this woman as â€Å"Black as hell, as dark as night† (14) although this may not seem like death right away, one must remember that the colour black and night often signify the idea of death. The line before this states â€Å"I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright† (13) Therefore the idea he had of this woman, used to be bright and loving, however he now finds her in a way, evil a nd associates the metaphorical death of his heart to her. Despite using death imagery, Shakespeare also uses medical imagery in the poem. Ultimately disease is associated with medicine. There are a slew of words in the poem which symbolize medical imagery; the words Shak... ...(31-34) In this metaphor, his wife is the fix’d foot which â€Å"in the centre sit†, as she always remains in the same spot, waiting for her husband, the other foot, to return home. Donne writes this, not so much as a love poem, but more as a plea for his wife not to worry about his absence, that their love will only grow stronger, and for her not to be scared that he wont return as (the compass) â€Å"makes me end where I begun.† (38) Despite not being classified a metaphysical poet, Shakespeare like Donne, was very famous for his wordplay and metaphors. Although both authors take different stands on the meaning of love, Donne a positive one and Shakespeare a more negative view; both authors attempt to prove this using imagery and symbols and extended metaphors. The use of metaphors in both Donne and Shakespeare’s poems are intricately intertwined with genius wordplay.

Audit Proposal Essay

There are many different types of audits including internal, external, and information technology. Companies should be familiar with the types of audits that may possibly be used on an Accounting Information System (AIS). Knowing the different types of audits and where they are used will help a company be ready for an audit and make the process much smoother. There are some circumstances where auditing through a computer is not always beneficial. Auditors want to make sure they are completing their audits fully and appropriately to the best of their abilities. Types of audits used for each process Attestation, SAS 70, SAS 94, and Findings and Recommendations are four main types of Information Technology (IT) audits. If Kudler wants the auditor to provide assurance for each part of the system, an attestation audit could be used. An attestation audit can assist Kudler by issuing reports on examinations, reviews, or agreed-upon procedures. An attestation audit can provide Kudler with independent assurance on the reliability or validity of information related to the four systems under review (KPMG, 2011). A Findings and Recommendations audit can provide Kudler with other information about each system. This kind of audit includes the following: system implementations, security reviews, database application reviews, project management, IT infrastructure, and IT internal audit services. If Kudler chooses to use the Findings and Recommendations audit, this type will not produce an opinion, only a summary of the audit for each of the systems (Hunton, Bryant, & Bagranoff, 2004). An SAS 70 audit is to provide assurance about the effectiveness and existence of the company’s internal controls around a service provided to others. Kudler is not a service  provider. However, Kudler does transmit data to the Electronic Payment Clearing House for automatic submission of the credit card transactions to the applicable financial institutions. An SAS 70 could be beneficial because it is a way to prove that adequate controls are in place to protect the consumer through e-commerce. SAS 94 audits are performed with a financial statement audit and focus on the client’s AIS. It addresses the effect of IT on internal controls in a financial statement audit. Kudler will need a much broader assessment than an SAS 94. Most appropriate audit for each process There are many routes to perform an IT audit. This audit is internal and will look at both Information Technology General Controls (ITGC) and Application Controls. Specifically, the audit will focus on these categories: systems and applications, information processing facilities, management of IT and enterprise architecture, client/server, telecommunications, and intranets/extranets. The audit style will be via Findings and Recommendations as management will have to consider recommendations and the ultimate decision to make changes according to priority and budget. The audit will verify the systems and applications for efficiency and controls to ensure validity, integrity, and security of data and transactions. Kudler will need the completion of an audit on information processing facilities to assess physical conditions of the main housing units and the offsite locations to support the company’s Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP). This type of audit will evaluate the organizational structure and procedures to ensure that an efficient, controlled environment is in place. These relate to any telecommunication controls between client and server, the entire network, and any servers communicating eternally including firewalls. Auditors will assess two types of controls: security controls and access controls. Each of these types should include all three sub-controls: preventive, detective, and corrective. The AIS has an imperative need for controls to address any risks that may exist for every process and transaction. Security access controls are in place to protect data from being stolen, lost, or damaged. Access controls protect data from being released to non-authorized users, hackers, and other intruders. How the audits are conducted Kudler will conduct an information system audit by examining and evaluating  their present hardware and software. They will also examine their IT controls, systems security, risk management, and the adequacy of their current systems. They can carry out their marketing audit by evaluating the effectiveness of their marketing program and examining its capabilities. It will evaluate their functions in respect to their goals, mission, vision, and their values of Kudler, which is done externally. Kudler will examine their faculty, and their deficiencies will be identified. Another suggestion is equipment be audited, the maintenance, and an examination to determine if it’s being operated at the designed levels, safety set-up, security, and access issues. Their audit will be done by an external auditor who will examine their accounts, vouchers to support, financial information tests, evaluation of their financial statements, and also examine the internal control and make comments f or improvements. Events that prevent reliance on auditing through the computer Using computer-based accounting systems does have its disadvantages, such as certain laws pertaining to confidentiality, the requirement to protect against the loss of data through power failures, the infection of viruses, and the abundance of opportunities for hackers to steal data. Computer fraud is also a major worry; the need to initiate internal controls for all those who have access to the business’s information, particularly confidential customer information. An event that Kudler may run into with the need of stronger controls is a security breach, which entails stolen data. Kudler management can be held liable for the loss of personal customer data (University of Phoenix Virtual Organization Portal, 2013). Another event is a computer-based system with feeble controls over the data input procedures and processing, this requires the need for more thorough testing of financial transactions. The incorrect input of data can not only cause misrepresentation of financial statements in the form of incorrect asset valuations but because a mistake in data entry will give Kudler false analytical data such as sales and inventory. Lastly, an auditor will have to assume that auditing through the use of their computer-based method that their CPU and other hardware are operating properly (Bargnoff, N.A., Simkin, M.G, & Strand, C., 2008). Conclusion It is important for companies to stay positive throughout the audit process. There are many different audit processes such as Attestation, SAS70, and  SAS94 which are all effective audit strategies that may be used when auditing the company. Companies being audited should be familiar with these audit processes as well as how the audits are conducted to ensure that the process will be as smooth and stress free as possible. References Bargnoff, N.A., Simkin, M.G, & Strand, C. (2008). Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems (10th ed.). The KPMG Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2013. 2014 KPMG International Cooperative. Retrieved July 10, 2013 from: http://www.kpmg.com/global/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/corporate-responsibility University of Phoenix Virtual Organization (2013). Kudler Fine Foods Intranet. Retrieved from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Kudler2/intranet/index.asp

AT&T †An Overview Of The Existing Organization Essay

AT&T is one of the top leaders of the telecommunications industry. It is one of the largest fixed telephony providers in the US and the company also provides broadband and television services to its customers. AT&T is also the second largest mobile telephony service in US, with somewhere around 85.2 million wireless customers and 210 million overall total customers. The headquarters of the company are situated in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, USA. Randall L. Stephenson is the CEO, President and the Chairman of the company. History of AT&T The history of AT&T goes a long way in the past; it goes back to the times when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. The invention of the first telephone was considered to be the foundation of the company which would later be known as AT&T Inc.   AT&T had been the only company providing the telecommunication services in the US, it can be said that it had the monopoly over the industry. (AT&T, 2010) In the year 1984 there was an agreement held between former AT&T and the US Department of Justice that the company (i.e. AT&T) would divest its local telephone operations but they will remain in control of their long distance services, R&D and manufacturing arms. The result of the agreement was the creation of SBC Communications Inc. (formerly also known as Southwestern Bell Corp). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 created drastic changes in the competitive telecommunication industry. After operating for 12 years, SBC Communications Inc. decided to go global. And it did it by acquiring Pacific Telesis Group in 1997, Southern New England Telecommunication in 1998 and then in 1999 it acquired Ameritech Corp. And finally in the 2005 SBC Communications Inc. purchased AT&T Corp. and thus the new AT&T was formed. (AT&T, 2010) In 2006 a merger was conducted between AT&T and Bellsouth. The acquisition of Bellsouth also bought in Cingular Wireless and Yellowpages.com which were actually the joint venture between these two companies. Now all these services (including the wireless ones) come under the name of AT&T. Now it has become the leaders in the telecommunication industry. The Values of AT&T AT&T values it employees, customers and suppliers a great deal, because they understand the significance of the relationship between them. The company strongly believes in working together as a team so that they are able to achieve excellence. AT&T believes that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is very important; therefore CSR is integrated within the culture of the company. In 2009 the company contributed somewhere around $155 million to the community. The company strongly believes in honesty, integrity, openness and respect, due to these values the company works hard to deliver on its promise and it always does the right thing. (AT&T, 2010)

Bus 475 Value Alignment

Value Alignment Paper Edleen English BUS/475 March 13, 2013 Carol Sommers Value Alignment Paper This paper analyzes individual values and the organization, HealthCare Synergy, Inc. ’s, values as reflected by their plans and actions. It includes the origin and subsequent evolution of my personal and workplace values. The paper explains how individual values drive actions and behaviors while analyzing the alignment between values and actions and behavior. The paper will demonstrate analysis of the degree of alignment between HealthCare Synergy, Inc. s stated values and their actual plans and actions. It will attempt to explain the differences and analyze the degree of alignment between your values and the organization’s values as reflected by the organization’s plans and actions. Origin of Personal and Workplace Values After careful analysis of the origin of my personal values, I realize a great amount of my values are directly influenced by the upbringing I receiv ed from my parents and other close family members and friends, teachers throughout my education, and maybe even television and movies.Culture, tradition, and social standards helped in nurturing values such as accountability, consistency, commitment, integrity, leadership, and respect to name a few. After considering the origin of my workplace values, I realized these too were in direct correlation with culture, tradition, and social standards learned from personal experiences with people I considered close and valued throughout my life, including previous job positions and employees I’ve worked with in the past.Subsequent evolution of my personal and workplace values have a lot to do with exposure to different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and social and political influences. As my personal and workplace experiences increase, so do my expectations. Actions and Behavior Driven by Individual Values My individual values drive my actions and behavior. Personal morals and val ues add balance and stability to my life and allow me to exist as a well-rounded individual, both in my personal space and my workplace.Without core values such as commitment, dedication, consistency, leadership, loyalty, and respect, it would prove difficult to fit or mold into business settings and adapt to an organization’s business cultures. I analyzed how my personal values alignment with my actions and behavior by predicting the outcome should my values be non-existent. If I display the inability to possess personal qualities employers look for in the workplace- commitment, accountability, loyalty, integrity, leadership, consistency and respect- I will not be trusted or seen as an asset to the company when it comes to achieving their overall goals and objectives.Degree of Alignment: Corporation’s Stated Values Versus Plans and Actions HealthCare Synergy, Inc. prides itself in providing their customers with multiple options for office automation solutions, superio r products and services, and a high level of customer service and technological skill. In order to achieve this, the company must make plans and take the appropriate actions necessary. The company must hire administrative personnel who are versed and knowledgeable in the home health industry.They must also employee software technicians who can fix glitches and trouble shoot software as well as work well with clients and prospects different cultures and ethnicities in order to assist their diverse client base. Medicare billing experts, clinical staff, and a development team are needed in order to keep the software compliant with state and federal health regulations. HealthCare Synergy, Inc. ill not be able to provide superior products and services and high levels of customer support that have kept them in the business for over years without staff who display commitment, dedication, accountability, integrity, consistency, respect, and leadership qualities. Individual Values Versus Cor poration’s Values Based on Plans and Actions To gain market share in the home health industry, HealthCare Synergy, Inc. must set themselves apart from other software vendors by having a competitive advantage. They’re competitive advantage is they not only offer one type of oftware, they offer a variety by working closely with other software vendors who do not mind sharing the market share and developing interfaces. In order for HealthCare Synergy, Inc. to offer these types of tools and automation solutions, they have to work with business people who are also dedicated and committed to doing what it takes to obtain the market share. Networking with the right vendors, working with the right consultants, employing the right technical support, training, marketing, accounting, and development teams is crucial to the company’s success.These individuals will need to display qualities such as loyalty, commitment, dedication, perseverance, accountability, responsibility, integrity, consistency, and leadership outside of knowledge of the industry and how to gain the confidence and trust and cater to the wants and needs of home health agency owners. This paper analyzed my individual values and the organization, HealthCare Synergy, Inc. ’s, values as reflected by my plans and actions and their plans and actions.It includes the origin and subsequent evolution of my personal and workplace values. The paper explained how my individual values have driven my actions and behaviors while analyzing the alignment between values and actions and behaviors of HealthCare Synergy, Inc. The paper also attempted to explain the differences and analyzes the degree of alignment between my values and the organization’s values as reflected by the organization’s plans and actions.

Renaissance of Filmmaking: French New Wave

Maybe the period right after the world war was the most revolutionary period in film history with the Italians having their neo-realism and the French having their new wave. French new wave was set miles apart from the traditional French cinema. It was bold, young, strong, sharp, and innovative and honestly a New Wave in every sense. In the ass's some French film critics led this informal movement, which would in turn, inspire and change the way the world viewed cinema.It can be called the renaissance of film-making. The directors of French New Wave were not set into any McCollum. Each had their own style, specialty and a thirst to make something unique. From the movies made during this era some may be forgotten but many are still viewed and highly recommended. The tides of this new wave reached to shores of all big film industries across the world. The direction styles were distinctive. The director did not follow a pre-determined script.A lot of work was done impulsively. The locat ions weren't artificially created. All real locations were used: the directors believed that it would help maintain the authenticity of the story. The same was the reason to use natural lighting instead of artificial lighting. The sounds in the films were natural and direct unlike the mainstream indirect sounds. All these factors contributed to making French New Wave movies extremely real-like.Not Just this, the language was kept colloquial-no heavy dialogues, no larger-than life emotions venting through the words-everything was kept as day-to-day as possible. To add on to this colloquialism the actors were almost always non-professionals, which meant that their body language wouldn't be conditioned, their expressions would be real and their ordinary appearance would make the characters look authentic. All these actors also resulted in the fact that the director did not need a horde of man force and could work conveniently with a select few people.The low budgets that these films we re given suited the directors Just fine because they anyway needed very basic things for their films: Real locations did not cost anything, no need for artificial lighting and non-professional actors did not need to be paid handsomely. The two much captioned adjectives that could be used for French New Wave could be Free and Original. Free in a way that nothing about the New Wave movies was confined to a form or a single method. Freestyle direction, camera handling, storytelling methods, etc were the identifying traits of French new wave.The fact that many scenes did not use a stationary camera and instead used a handheld camera sets it apart. When it came to French new wave nothing was set in stone. The director acted on his intuition. Discontinuity of scenes is a major aspect of French new wave. It is very simple to notice it in any movie that belongs to it. The same went with the sound part of French New Wave films. The fact that these directors used direct sound sometimes gave t he films a very documentary feel and also to add that there wasn't a particular ay of narrating the story.The 1960 French new wave film, ‘Breathless' came and it did have a lot of elements which made it a very characteristic French New Wave film. The bold scenes of sexual appeal or the selfishness of who are supposedly lovers is very unprecedented. A simple story and yet with so much complexity- not in the plot- but in the way it's made, it's bold, vibrant and innovative. Even though now such movies are common, in the ass's it was a revolution. French new wave might not be a formal and pre-planned movement but It happened at the right place and at the eight time and its effect to this day are seen all round the world.The fact that the Indian Art-film industry holds a lot of influence from the French new wave is a good example as any. The stories of French new wave films were all different but what set them apart from the rest of the world was their difference in storytelling, even though this difference was not uniform in the French New Wave films. It has inspired a lot of big directors to make films which were the mark of excellence and will keep doing so. It showed that any story of any kind can always break rules and be shown in a different style.

Fall of the soviet union Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fall of the soviet union - Research Paper Example b. In 1985, Saudi Arabia refuses to support international oil-price. As a result, oil-production increased high, but oil-price fell. Consequently, the Soviets lost 20 billion dollars annually. c. So, the Soviets were forced to loan heavily from 1985-1988 and finally, soviet economy completely stalled. II. The economic crisis of Soviet Union, one of the main reasons of soviet downfall, began long before the fall of oil-price in international market. a. The agriculture policy, adopted by the Soviet authority in 1920s played a disastrous role in the country’s production sector. b. In international market, the Soviet Union turned into the largest grain-importer from the largest exporter of grains in the 1980s. c. Also the huge expenditure in the Afghan War pushed the country towards bankruptcy. III. Reagan Doctrine also played a crucial role in the downfall of the Soviet Union. The Reagan Government created effective defense against the communist expansionism in different countrie s of the world by providing the anti-communists with military and moral help. a. The Reagan Government provided military-support to the Taliban in Afghanistan. b. Also by creating a successful defense, it rather accelerated the fall of the Soviet Union by increasing the expenditure on the Soviet’s part. ... l of the Soviet Union Name Course Tutor Date Introduction The fall of the Soviet Union was essentially the result of the combined interaction of a number of factors such collapse of domestic economy, defeating situation in Afghanistan, growing resentment against communism at home and abroad, the United States’ confrontation against the communist expansion, etc. During the first half of the 1980s, the soviet economy began to face increasingly the economic crisis which put the soviet leaders in urgent necessity to deploy more troops in Afghanistan in order to reach the shore of the Indian Ocean. But fortunately Reagan Presidency in the White was far-sighted enough to build a line of confrontation in Afghanistan using the Taliban Militants.1 The situation in the 19980s for the Soviet leaders was somewhat like a dilemma. On one hand, they needed more economic resources to survive. The more they fed the gigantic soviet Army at abroad at the expense of domestic development and econo mic growth, the faster the domestic economy collapsed. Moreover, the Reagan Presidency was successful enough to grow a diplomatic defense in the Middle Eastern countries. As a result, around the middle of the 1980s, the Soviet troops gained popularity as an invading force, whereas the United States emerged as a pro-liberation power at home and abroad. Subsequently, in September 13, 1985, Saudi Arabian Government declared that it would, no longer, support the oil-prices. As a result, oil-depended soviet-export sector began to fall head down, losing $20 billion dollars annually, in the beginning of 1986.2 Indeed the subsequent soviet steps to prop up domestic economy were not effective enough to rescue the country from the oncoming bankruptcy, in 1989, made the collapse of the regime inevitable.

The Google Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Google Company - Case Study Example This amounts to employees hating their jobs hence low productivity. This case study explores how best performing companies and for this case Google motivate their employees to work to the extent of making these companies the top-producing organizations in the world. Top companies like Google have restructured their management model to provide leadership and an enabling environment that would motivate their employees to work hard and produce the highest output. Google didn’t become a household name just by chance, it is because it has a culture that values their employees and motivates them. It’s quite clear that any company that wants to proceed to the next level and become a household name has to find new ways of rewarding and motivating their employees for their good work. They therefore need to embrace a culture that promote free thinking, motivating employees to work together and provide a working environment that is comfortable, promotes humanity, individualism and personal freedom. Having a chance to work for Google is a dream for many and it’s not just because of what the company has achieved since its inception, it is because of its good working environment. ... (Think leader 2013) About a decade ago when the company was just a start up, the co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin had this dream of making Google where the worlds’ best talent will work. And they had an idea on how to achieve this i.e. by creating a working environment and culture that will keep every employee happy and also keep them motivated. This will ensure that they do their best and be loyal to the company. (Brain Mass 2012) Google also motivates its employees by ensuring that the managers assign tasks that are inspiring and challenging to the junior employees. This makes these employees feel the aspect of career progression and learning something new every day. It is a tradition that each employee is given an opportunity to dedicate 20 percent of their time on a project they choose. Employees will be actually be paid by indulging in these projects so long as they are within companies’ legal and business scope. This is how products like AdSense and Google S uggest came about. This makes them motivated as they feel that aspect of being managers. It also promotes innovation and this is no doubt why Google is one of the most innovative companies in the word. This kind of freedom to concentrates on a project they love make them move away for their routine jobs hence drawing an inspiration about their job. Therefore employees just don’t join Google because of the outward perks and rewards, they do it for freedom! (Gary 2007). Besides the compensation and other benefits alike free health and dental check-ups, insurance, tuition reimbursement and paid vacations, Google employees also enjoy other unique benefits. This includes a 100% paid maternity benefit of up to 18 weeks. Also new mothers and fathers enjoy help to make things

Discussion Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Discussion - Article Example terest groups should only be a particular group that feels it has been neglected but instead American society should consider each and every individual as worthy of special interest (Bartleby.com 1). One of the most interesting aspects in Marc Cooper and Greg Goldin’s article â€Å"Some People Don’t Count’ is the racial aspect that the authors brought out. The two argue that the Los Angeles riots were largely the fault of Chief Daryl Gates who did little to put in place fair measures to ensure that the riots did not occur in the first place (Cooper & Goldin 1). Arrests were distinctly racial in nature as evidenced by the fact that the large majority of men who were arrested were from the Black and Latino community. The media did little to calm racial tensions constantly referring to these communities as violent. Another interesting aspect is the fact that the black leadership also did not do their part to provide support to the black community leaving gay organisations to do the large amount of encouraging activism (Cooper & Goldin

Assisted suicide should not be legalized in Canada Essay

Assisted suicide should not be legalized in Canada - Essay Example The Canadian statutes prohibit physician-aided suicide. In Canada, ever since 1972, suicide has not been a crime. However, a physician-assisted suicide is against the law. Section 241(b) of the Canadian Criminal Code stipulates that any individual who assists another person to execute suicide, and whether the suicide is successful or not is actually responsible for the offense (Prado) 80). Regulations that do not allow physician-aided suicide together with euthanasia are constitutionally aimed at protecting the Canadian people. On the other hand, there have been debates on whether the state should decriminalize it or not. The most prominent case that opposed the law was the Sue Rodriguez against the British Columbia Supreme Court. Rodriguez pleaded with the Supreme Court of Canada to allow someone assist her end her life since she was suffering from a progressive brain disease (ALS) that would eventually kill her. Therefore, Rodriguez wanted to avoid the terrible suffering by having someone aid her take her life. In the same way, on March 2012, in Quebec, the legal institution ruled that the current regulation prohibiting assisted dying is discriminatory and overboard, as well as disproportionate. This ruling was followed by an appeal by the federal government. The proponents and opponents of the legalization of assisted dying continue to hold their views. In the province of Quebec, on June 2014, the physician-assisted suicide became legal. As cited by McLellan, between 1990 and 1998, Dr. Jack Kevorkian helped in the suicides of more than 120 terminally sick individuals. Pursuing this further, the proponents of criminalization of assisted-suicide argue that the recent developments in medical technology have made it possible for people to live for years prior to their natural death. Studies have demonstrated that patients who die by means of assisted suicide were most of the times diagnosed with depression. As cited by Kirkey, there is a

Response Journal 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response Journal 3 - Essay Example However, an attempt to minimize the greenhouse effect may lead to new problems that will appear in the nearest future. For example, according to the information presented by the French bank Credit Agricole, the consumption of cement will increase in half. The invention of carbon negative cement is an ethical situation as it does not stick to major principles of engineering ethics. It is known that every engineer must do everything to contribute to the health, welfare and safety of the society he/she lives in. Another important principle is to act only in the sphere of competence. Engineers have no right to suggest inventions in any other sphere. That is why it is possible to criticize the above-mentioned invention as it has not been done together with ecologists, who seem to be the first group to handle the problem with greenhouse effect. The growing demand of cement will not contribute to people’s welfare. It is necessary to inform the public about the advantages and disadvan tages of cement utilization to act according to the principles of ethic engineering. The next step will be to cooperate with ecologists and inform the public in case of any other innovations in the field. Works Cited Alok Jha. Guardian News and Media Limited, Feb. 2008. Web. 31 Dec. 2010