Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - 710 Words

‘’The hunger games’’ is a novel written by Suzanne Collins, published in 2008. The genre of the book is thriller/survival, and is written over 27 chapters with 454 pages. In this analysis, I will tell you about how the main character Katniss changes through the novel, and tell you a little about the central characters that plays an important role for her. ‘’The Hunger Games’’, is set in the future in the country Panem, and is about the sixteen-year-old girl, Katniss Everdeen. Panem is divided into twelve districts and one capital, called â€Å"The Capitol†. Each year one girl, and one boy from each district are randomly picked to take part in â€Å"The Hunger Games†. They fight to the death until there is only one champion. This game is for the entertainment of people in the Capitol, as a reminder that the districts are not free. Katniss volunteers to The hunger games when her little sister Primrose is nominated, and enters the games with a boy from the same district, called Peeta Mellark. In the beginning of the book, Katniss is described as a typical girl from the Seam, which is a part of District Twelve. She has grey eyes, olive skin, and long dark hair, which she wears in a braid. Her personality is described as quiet and reserved, except for when she is out in the woods, hunting with Gale. Gale is her hunting-partner, and best friend. Both their fathers died in the same coalmining accident, and they keep their families alive by hunting illegally outside of district twelve, asShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins3246 Words   |  13 PagesStudy Unit The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Steven Galloway’s The Cellist of Sarajevo demonstrates the way in which people are affected by war, and a brutal dictatorship. The authors illustrates the main purpose for writing their novel through the use of imagery, characterization, foreshadowing, flashback, similes, and symbolism. Suzanne Collins and Steven Galloway use imagery and characterization to vividly describe the effects and outcomes of war and dictatorship. Suzanne Collins portrays,Read MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1352 Words   |  6 PagesThe movie or the book the Hunger Games came out with a bang when it first hit theaters or the shelves of the bookstores. It was dubbed as one of the best films or books to read, interestingly enough it was a remake of the stories or myths most people heard when they were younger, but modernized and turned into a collage of all the best roman and Greek stories. Suzanne Collins brilliantly combined the Greek and Roman influences to make the movie/book unforgettable. By using stories from the romansRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collin899 Words   |  4 Pages Suzanne Collin’s â€Å"Hunger Games† seems to be about a dystopian society struggle to become a utopia. However, when the readers read further in to the book or watches the movie one can see that is about all the characters that make use human. As human, we feel the need to build an ethical framework based on our needs for authority rather than tradition. The Capitol in the Hunger Games exploits human needs to keep authority in place. After rising seas and poverty consumed much of the land, the CapitolRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1419 Words   |  6 Pagesemotional atmosphere within a dystopian state, there exists an absence of feeling which competes for dominance. Suzanne Collins’ demonstrates this competing apathetic mood in her novel, The Hunger Games, through the citizens of the divided dystopia of Panem. This essay will analyze the origins and influence of apathy on a people and an individual, in both a political and personal sense. Collins’ main argument, that citizens’ facing governmental oppression can either become compliant with apathy, or, insteadRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins854 Words   |  4 PagesIn a place where poverty is prevalent and a country is ruled b y a tyrannical dictator is it possible for an individual to trust others when their own life is always at stake? In the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the main character Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. In the novel she is put into an arena to compete against twenty-three other tributes to the death. This is not the only time during which she has to fend for herself; at home she had to care for her family and keep them aliveRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins986 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is about a sixteen year old girl named Katniss and how she needs to fight for her life. The Hunger Games takes place in an arena in the Capitol of Panem. There are 24 tributes, two from each District. The games were created to punish the Twelve Districts for trying to create an uprising against the Capitol. Suzanne Collins book could be compared to the United States and how people obsess with the way they look, discrimination is still occurring, and how the governmentRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins3514 Words   |  15 PagesThe Hunger Games is a science fiction, dystopian post-apocalyptic series that takes place in a futuristic North American nation called Panem. The film series is based on the novel series of the same title written by Suzanne Collins. Many who watch the films view them as an action-packed adventure series, but The Hunger Games, like many other dystopian films, feature social and political subjects that relate back to past and present culture. Dystopian films like the Hunger Games provide messages,Read MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1487 Words   |  6 PagesMy first text is The Hunger Games which is written by Suzanne Collins and it was written in September 14 2008; was set in the future, around the year 2087. My second text which is 1984, which is written by George Orwell and was written on Wednesday June 8 1949 and it was set in 1948. There are many themes in the book hunger games suc h as ‘the inequality between rich and poor’, ‘suffering as environment’ and ‘the importance of appearances’. In 1984 there is also many themes portrayed such as ‘theRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins2436 Words   |  10 PagesThe Hunger Games is a science fiction and adventure film, based on the novel written by Suzanne Collins, which explores concepts of Marxism and numerous aspects of its principles through the dystopian world of Panem. The Hunger Games follows Marxist theories on bourgeoisie and proletariat class structure as well as capitalist production and the distribution of good. Thelma and Louise, a 1991 film directed by Ridley Scott, is often referred to by critics as â€Å"the ultimate feminist film†. This filmRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1237 Words   |  5 PagesImagine you and your family suddenly have to move from Salt Lake City UT all the way to†¦ Antarctica! Of course it isn t reali stic for someone to live in Antarctica, but then again, The Hunger Games isn t that much different. Picture you are moving to Antarctica, away from people, friends, extended family, warmth, life, entertainment, happiness! You finally arrive to your isolated, barren planes of snow and ice for a home and realize, BAM! Where is religion in your life? Where will you go for church

Monday, December 23, 2019

Argumentative Paper Legalizing Euthanasia - 1728 Words

Most people do not like to talk or even think about death; much less the topic of ending one’s own life. However, for some, death is a desired alternative to living in agony. Euthanasia has been a topic of debate since antiquity, and both sides stand firm on their beliefs. The right to choose death is illegal in most countries. I believe in people’s freedom to do what they please with their own bodies. The basic right of liberty is what America was founded on. Euthanasia should be a legal option. It’s important to start by understanding the different types of euthanasia. Allowing someone to die is, â€Å"Forgoing or withdrawing medical treatment that offers no hope of benefit to the total well-being of the patient, or that imposes†¦show more content†¦By knowing what one would want under the given situation, the act would be active euthanasia. There are several reasons for the opposition of euthanasia. The first I would like to discuss is Natural Law. The argument is that killing ourselves goes against our very nature. I also think being in excruciating pain for the remainder of a short life is not very natural. What is natural is the want, rather the need to end such pain. If there is no hope of extending life without constant suffering, continuing on in such a manner is nothing but self-inflicting punishment. Natural Law has granted us free will, which brings me to the next point. â€Å"Autonomy is the right of a person to control his or her own body and life decisions† (Manning 26). This is absolutely correct. Governments, groups, and various people can argue against autonomy forever. The simple fact is we have control over ourselves, whether people like it or not. It gives us an added responsibility to thoroughly think about what it is we do with our bodies. These are decisions for the individual. Many of us go through life trying to control everything that happens around us and, at times, situations that do not involve us. The one thing we can control is ourselves. Everyone passes judgment and often overlooks what is within. Nobody takes euthanasia more seriously than those considering it. The choice is not a split decision. This is something people deeply meditate upon before going through

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Shizz Free Essays

Industrial Marketing Research PHASE 2 1) What are the strategy components of the NPD â€Å" New product Development† ch 7 * The expected life cycle of the product ( 2 years – 5 years ) before we develop it or 10 years. e. g. We will write a custom essay sample on Shizz or any similar topic only for you Order Now Peugot 504 Model 1968 was expected to stay in the market undeveloped for 5 years, it stayed for 17 years and there is still demand which affected the demand of other Peugot Models * How are you going to approach the market? * Why are people going to accept your product? Attributes of new products which affect their acceptability Relative advantage: the perception that the idea is better than the one it supercedes * Compatibility. Consistency with existing values, past experience, and needs of a firm’s buyers and influencers * Complexity: more complex ideas are adopted more slowly. * Trialability: if a firm can try out a small aspect for a new idea it will be accepted more quickly than a firm has to make a major switch * Observability: if the effects of an innovation can be easily observed this innovation maybe adopted more quickly. NPD Process Opportunity identification and selection: where new product opportunities are identified and selected. * Concept generation: research with customers and preliminary analysis take place. * Concept evaluation: careful review of new product concepts on technical, marketing and financial variables. Choose the most promising concepts to move forward to the next phase. * Development: both technical and marketing development takes place. Prototypes are designed and tested and the production pro * Launch: how are you going to launch this product and for which prospects? ) Description of services offered (Pure Services/ Pure tangible goods) as well as pricing strategies of services. Ch 8 Combinations of service and physical product * Pure tangible good: products no service * Tangible good with accompanying services: this is a tangible product with services added, highly technical products usually are more dependent upon services such as planning, installation, training, and maintenance. * Hybrid: equal offering of goods and services, so the service portion of the offering is equal importance to the tangible product offerin g * Major service with supporting goods and services. The most important part is the service but some goods and supporting services are required e,g, business travellers on air line they need food. * Pure service: the offering is primarily a service, such as consulting or advertising, very little tangible goods are required. * Phase 2 is an application of chapter 7 8 * Each member of the group should participate * A presentation is required next week in the tutorial * All members of the group should be present * You will be graded individually upon your presentation not how correct your research is * We will explain in the tutorial this week how this phase will be done. How to cite Shizz, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Imagine by John Lennon Analysis free essay sample

John Lennon is one of my favorite songs because it is so peaceful and full of life, love, positive feelings and happiness. Before analysing John’s work, I’d like to comment on the sophisticated structuring of this piece. Each of the three verses begins with Imagine and answers with an empathetic comment. And each verse is more challenging than the one before. So, we have: 1. Imagine theres no Heaven Its easy if you try 2. Imagine theres no countries Its not so hard to do 3. Imagine no possession I wonder if you can This increase of challenges that forms the opening of each verse is answered by a similar set of three imaginings to close each verse. This time, we have: Imagine all the people 1. living for today 2. living life in peace 3. sharing all the world Now, to analyse this brilliant piece of lyric. In the first lines: â€Å"Imagine there’s no heaven/It’s easy if you try† John Lennon is trying to implement the image of that there is nothing beyond death into our minds. We will write a custom essay sample on Imagine by John Lennon Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, what if the only life you had was on Earth? Would you do anything about it differently? The next few lines: â€Å"No hell below us/Above us only sky† signify what if there was not any bad place to spend eternity in; if you ended up not going anywhere after death as well? If there was not a hell, would you actually fear anything? There is nothing superficial or sometimes hard to believe in. It is just fact that you are going to get old, die and never have to worry about what happens after you die. Then comes the line: â€Å"Imagine all the people living for today† means that what if people did not put important things off for tomorrow? For me, this first verse is a bit controversial because everyone wants to â€Å"live forever† in a sense. In the second verse it starts off with: â€Å"Imagine there’s no countries/ It isn’t hard to do† explains a lot about the difficulty our world has been through ever since countries were established and taken over with governments. Lennon was in a way, spirited with this line because he wanted all of us to realize how much disorder comes out of greedy countries against other greedy countries. A lot of people would think that countries are necessary to preserve peace and for the human race to exist in. But in saying this, when Adam and Eve existed were they controlled by government? No, they were controlled by God and his ruling. â€Å"Nothing to kill or die for/And no religion too† are a way of saying, if there was nothing to put our faith in, would we have to put our faith solely in each other? † Lennon knew that war and violence come out of many religious differences. All religions have at least one thing in common, people worshipping. What if no body had to be in the war? Or wanted to be in the war? IMAGINE all the lives that would be back on earth. And the last line of the second verse â€Å"Imagine all the people living life in peace† which is pretty self-explanatory. If the humans of today would just accept each other’s differences, we might actually have a stable world for once. Starting the verse with â€Å"You, you may say I’m a dreamer/ but I’m not the only one† means that Lennon was not the only person who thought up all these things. I believe he wants people to know that there are people out there that think of the same things he does. He does not want to take all the credit for the incredible thoughts that he thought. In the lines â€Å"I hope some day you’ll join us/ And the world will live as one† is a metaphor for he hopes you want the same things he does. Then, the world will be on a good track. In the third verse â€Å"Imagine no possessions/ I wonder if you can† obviously means that if no body owned anything, there would not be greed and hunger. People could share the earth and everyone would have an even amount of everything. It is often hard to IMAGINE no life without computers, books, electronics, clothes, etc. The next lines go together: â€Å"No need for greed or hunger/ A brotherhood of man† goes along with the line above meaning there would not be world hunger. Each person would treat the other like they were family or a best friend. And the last line of the verse goes â€Å"Imagine all the people sharing all the world† which basically means the world is ours to have. Notice the word ours. That doesn’t mean I should claim land and not let anybody but myself, onto it. This song, simply, is telling how things are, currently, but how they dont have to be this way if we all come together as one, hoping for the same thing, a better world, so as one the world will be as one.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Descriptive Vietnam War Essays - Vietnam War, Paris Peace Accords

Descriptive: Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. It began as a determined attempt by Communist guerrillas (Vietcong) in the South, backed by Communist North Vietnam, to overthrow the government of South Vietnam. The struggle widened into a ward between South Vietnam and North Vietnam and ultimately into a limited international conflict. The United States and some other countries supported South Vietnam by supplying troops and munitions, and the USSR and the People's Republic of China furnished munitions to North Vietnam and the Vietcong. On both sides, however, the burden of the war fell mainly on the civilians. The war also engulfed Laos, where the Communist Pathet Lao fought government from 1965 to 1973 and succeeded in abolishing the monarchy in 1975, and Cambodia, where the government surrendered in 1973 to the Communist Khmer Rouge. The position taken by Diem won the backing of the U. S. The government in Hanoi, however, indicated its determination to renunify the nation under Hanoi. The truce arranged at Geneva began to crumble and by January 1957, the International Control Commission set up to implement the Geneva accords was reporting armistice violations by both North and South Vietnam. Throughout the rest of the year, Comunist sympathizers who had gone north after partition began returning south in increasing numbers. The Vietcong's began launching attacks on U. S. military installations that had been established, and in 1959 began their guerilla attacks on the Diem government. The attacks were intensified in 1960, the year in which North Vietnam roclaimed its intention to liberate South Vietnam from the ruling of the U. S. imperialists. ?The statement served to reinforce the belief that the Vietcong were being directed by Hanoi. On November 10, the Saigon government charged that regular North Vietnamese troops were talking a direct part in Vietcong attacks in South Vietnam. to show that the guerrilla movement was independent, however, the Vietcong set up their own political arm, known as the National Liberation Front (NLF), with its headquarters in Hanoi. In the face of the deteriorating situation, the U. S. restated its support for Saigon. In April 1961, a treaty of mity and economic relations was signed with South Vietnam, and in December, President John F. Kennedy pledged to help South Vietnam maintain its independence significantly. In December 1961, the first U. S. troops, consisting of 400 uniformed army personnel, arrived in Saigon in order to operate two helicopter companies; the U. S. proclaimed, however, that the troops were not combat units as such. A year later, U. S. military strength in Vietnam stood at 11,200. On November 1, 1963, the Diem regime was overthrown in a military ?coup.? Diem and his brother and political advisor, Ngo Dinh Nhu, were executed. The circumstances surrounding the ?coup? were not fully clear at the time. The government that replaced teh Diem regime was a revolutionary council headed by Brigadier General Duong Van Minh. A series of other ?coups? followed, and in the 18 months after Diem's overthrow South Vietnam had ten different governments. None of these proved capable of dealing effectively with the country's miliary situation. A military councilunder General Nguyen Van Thieu and General Nguyen Cao Ky was finally created in 1965, and it restored basic political order. Later, in September 1967, elections were held and Thieu becambe president of South Vietnam. A Deepening U. S. Involvement The Vietnam War was unlike any other conventional wars, in the respect that, the war had no defined front lines. Much of it consisted of hit-and-run attacks, with the guerrillas striking at government outposts and retreating into the jungle. The war, however, began to escalate in the first week of August 1964, when North Vietnamese torpedo boats were reported to have attacked two U. S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. As a result of this attack, former-President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered jets to South Vietnam and the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. Throughout 1965, U. S. planes began regular bombing raids over North Vietnam, but a halt was ordered in May in hopes of initiating peace talks. Bombings were resumed after North Vietnam had rejected all negotiations. During this time the United States continued to build up its troops in South Vietnam. By the end of 1965 the American combat strength was nearly 200,000. The Vietnam War had much, much more details and complexities, but for the sake of time, I only covered a few of them. Peace... Despite the stepping up of U. S. bombing, both sides appeared

Monday, November 25, 2019

Example of a Bad Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter

Example of a Bad Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter If youve been dismissed from your college or university because of poor academic performance, its only natural to feel embarrassed, angry and defensive. You may feel like youve let down your parents, your professors, and yourself. Because a dismissal can be so humiliating, many students try to place the blame for the low grades on anyone but themselves. After all, if you view yourself as a good student, then those Ds and Fs cant be your fault. However, to make a successful academic dismissal appeal, you need to take a long hard look in the mirror. While many factors can contribute to academic failure, that person in the mirror is the one who got the low grades on those papers, exams, and lab reports. The person in the mirror is the one who didnt attend class or failed to turn in assignments. When Brett appealed his academic dismissal, he did not own up to his own blunders. His appeal letter is an example of what not to do. (see Emmas letter for an example of a well-written appeal) Brett's Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter To Whom It May Concern:I am writing because I would like to appeal my dismissal from Ivy University for poor academic performance. I know my grades were not good last semester, but there were a lot of circumstances that were not my fault. I would like to encourage you to reinstate me for next semester.I work really hard at my schoolwork, and I have since high school. My grades dont always reflect my hard work, though, and I sometimes get low grades on tests and essays. In my opinion, my math professor was not clear about what would be on the final, and did not give us notes to study from. His English is also really bad and made it hard to understand what he was saying. When I emailed him to ask what I made on the final, he did not reply for several days, and then just told me I should come by to pick up the exam without emailing me my grade. In my English class, I think the professor just did not like me and several of the guys in class; she made a lot of sarcastic jokes that were no t appropriate. When she told me to take my essays to the Writing Center, I did, but that just made them worse. I tried to revise them on my own, and I worked really hard, but she would never give me a higher grade. I dont think anybody made an A in that class.If I am allowed to come back to Ivy University next fall, I will work even harder and maybe get a tutor for the classes like Spanish that I was struggling with. Also, I will try to get more sleep. That was a big factor last semester  when I was tired all the time and sometimes nodded off in class, even though one reason I didnt get sleep was because of the amount of homework.I hope you will give me a second chance to graduate.Sincerely,Brett Undergrad Critique of Brett's Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter A  good appeal letter  shows that you understand what went wrong and that you are being honest with yourself and the appeals committee. If your appeal is to succeed, you must show that you take responsibility for your low grades. Bretts appeal letter fails on this front. His first paragraph sets the wrong tone when he states that many of the problems he encountered were not my fault. Immediately he sounds like a student who lacks the maturity and self-awareness to own up to his own shortcomings. A student who tries to place blame elsewhere is a student who is not learning and growing from his mistakes. The appeals committee will not be impressed. Working Hard? It gets worse. In the second paragraph, Bretts claim that he works really hard sounds hollow. How hard is he really working if he has just failed out of college for low grades? And if he is working hard but getting low grades, why hasnt he sought out help in assessing his learning difficulties? The rest of the paragraph actually suggests that Brett does  not  work hard. He says his math professor was not clear about what would be on the final and did not give us notes to study from. Brett seems to think he is still in grade school and he will be spoon fed information and told exactly what will be on his exams. Alas, Brett needs to wake up to college. It is Bretts job to take notes, not his professors job. It is Bretts job to figure out what information has received the most emphasis in class and is, therefore, most likely to be on exams. It is Bretts job to work hard outside of the classroom so that he has mastery over all of the material covered throughout the semester. But Brett is not done digging himself into a hole. His complaint about his instructors English sounds petty if not racist, and the comments about receiving his grade over email is irrelevant to the appeal and shows laziness and ignorance on Bretts part (because of privacy issues and FERPA laws, most professors will not give out grades over email). When Brett talks about his English class, he again looks to blame anyone but himself. He seems to think that taking a paper to the Writing Center will somehow magically transform his writing. He seems to think that a feeble effort at revision represents hard work deserving of a higher grade. When Brett complains that she would never give me a higher grade, he reveals that he thinks grades are given, not earned. It's Not the Professor's Job to Like You Bretts claim that the professor didnt like him and made inappropriate comments raises a couple of issues. Professors arent required to like students. Indeed, after reading Bretts letter, I dont like him very much. However, professors should not let their fondness or dislike of a student affect their evaluation of the students work. Also, what was the nature of the inappropriate comments? Many professors will make snide comments to students who are slacking off, not paying attention, or being disruptive in some way. However, if the comments were in some way racist, sexist or in any way discriminatory, then they are indeed inappropriate and should be reported to the professors Dean. In Bretts case, these vague accusations of inappropriate comments sound as if they belong in the former category, but this is an issue the appeals committee will want to investigate further. Weak Plans for Future Success Finally, Bretts plan for future success sounds weak. Maybe  get a tutor? Brett, you need a tutor. Get rid of the maybe and act. Also, Brett says that homework was one reason he didnt get enough sleep. What were the other reasons? Why was Brett always sleeping through class? How will he address the time management problems that have left him exhausted all the time? Brett provides no answers to these questions. In short, Brett has made a losing appeal in his letter. He doesnt seem to understand what went wrong, and he put more energy into blaming others than figuring out how to improve his academic performance. The letter provides no evidence that Brett will succeed in the future. If youd like Allen Groves help with your own appeal letter,  see his bio for details. More Tips on Academic Dismissals Jasons Appeal Letter and Critique: Jason was dismissed because of alcohol abuse. See how he appealed his dismissal, with feedback.10 Tips for an In-Person Appeal: You may be able to appeal in-person to the scholastic standards committee. See tips for making the best case.10 Questions You Might Be Asked When Appealing a Dismissal: Be prepared to answer these questions appropriately.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Why I find the Lemon Law interesting and what the Lemon Law Is about Research Paper

Why I find the Lemon Law interesting and what the Lemon Law Is about - Research Paper Example This was the first ever consumer protection law filed in the U.S. (Paterson The History of the Lemon Law). The creation of the Federal Trade Commission in 1914 provided consumers with further protection from deceitful business practises and brought in regulations to prevent collusion in the marketplace. In the 1930s, a flurry of government activity at all levels during President Franklin Roosevelts New Deal era saw the creation of a number of regulatory bodies to protect consumers. The Lemon Law also saw its first incarnation in 1906 under the guise of the Uniform Sales Act. Cowan (The History of Lemon Laws) explains that before 1952s Uniform Commercial Code, commerce laws were not really united under one law. In fact, it was not until 1970 when the Song- Beverly Consumer Warranty Act was created. This was the basis for our modern lemon laws. Under this particular act consumers would be protected against defective products. The Federal version of the Lemon Law which is known as the Magnuson-Moss Act was finally passed in 1975 and this act became the basis of our modern Lemon Laws. (Cowan The History of Lemon Laws). Under the Magnuson-Moss Act the buyer is protected when purchasing a vehicle because: This lemon law states that any advertised guarantee should explicitly state relevant information about a warranty. This law ensures that any warranty for goods above $15 should be clearly expressed on the goods and should be clear and easy to understand. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty act enables a consumer to bring suit to any manufacturer, supplier, warrantor, or service contractor for any defective piece of good or services. (StateLawyers.com) The term Lemon Law was originally coined by the government in an effort to describe the laws that the government had set into place in order to protect automobile (thats a car to you and me) buyers from defects. The basic definition of the law basically states that: Lemon Law refers to the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

W6 Asign BA541 Customer-Based Metrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W6 Asign BA541 Customer-Based Metrics - Essay Example For example, at the peak of their popularity with people willing to buy coffee with a more expensive price tag, Starbucks spent a lot of money opening several stores, expanding rapidly locally and internationally. In 2008, however, it was forced to assess which stores were making profit and proceeded to close 600 stores in the Unites States. (The Associated Press, 2008) Not all customers have the same value to a company. A company should be able to know who among their customers they should create relationships with to earn revenue. Some customers may buy big ticket items occasionally, but are less significant when compared to customers you regularly buy less expensive items. The customer equity test must be applied to know the degree of marketing efforts to be exhausted in acquiring and retaining customers. (Peppers, D. & Rogers, M., 2011) Seeing that Starbucks is able to maintain a loyal following, this metric appears to have been satisfied. The company offers a variety of products, dependent on the location of the store. For instance, some of their products in the United States are not available in their branches overseas. With this scenario, it can be said that the company was able to understand what their loyal customers like about them and thus made sure those items were available. An issue with this is in order to be competitive and have an edge in the industry, the company needs to come up with other ideas. One of these is providing alcohol at a certain time of the day to reach a possible market and this is problematic because as a survey has shown, some of those who have quit drinking gather at Starbucks for their support group meetings and drink coffee. (Williams, G., 2014) Knowing what the customers want is a very important strategy in a business. Customers need to feel important and needed. Thus, a company that wants to build lasting

Monday, November 18, 2019

State your side of the issues on, wheater stricter gun control laws Research Paper

State your side of the issues on, wheater stricter gun control laws reduce crime rates or does it increase the crime rates in texas - Research Paper Example The idea of gun control in the State of Texas is absurd for all reasons already mentioned in addition to the independent nature of the culture in Texas. Much the same as in other states, guns are a tradition passed from father to son, a way of life. Even if some types of guns were outlawed, the logistical problem and practicality of collecting them would also be absurd. According to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, â€Å"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed† (â€Å"The Constitution†, 2006). This, as were the entire Bill of rights, was added by the founders of the country so as to provide a clearer definition of the specific rights granted to all Americans. Gun control supporters consider the Second Amendment to be â€Å"obsolete; or is intended solely to guard against suppression of state militias by the central government and therefore restricted in scope by that intent; or does not guarantee a right that is absolute, but one that can be limited by reasonable requirements† (Krouse, 2002). However, they only question the need for people to own firearms that are not primarily designed for sporting purposes such as hunting. Clearly, the right to own guns was of utmost importance to the Founding fathers given that it was listed second, after the freedom of speech and religion was acknowledged in the First Amendment. The Founders recognized that by ensuring the right to own arms, the public would have the ability to defend themselves from that which may jeopardize their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. This could include physical protection from animals and persons and or from an tyrannical government that endangered the freedoms outlined in the Constitution. â€Å"The Second Amendment reflects the founders’ belief that an armed citizenry, called the ‘general militia’ was a necessary precaution against

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler Since its establishment in 1924, Chrysler has been the leading automobile company manufacturing various motor vehicles such as the Chrysler Six; which was the one of the first modern cars to be built. Chrysler Six was claimed to be the first car scoring several firsts, for instance, oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four wheeled hydraulic brakes and other such tech parts. Chrysler took over its competitor, American Motors Corporations in 1987. This was one of its initial mergers and acquisitions that placed Chrysler on the third position of United States auto manufacturers. On the 12th of January 1998, Chrysler Corporation merged with the German company, Daimler. In the period leading up to the merger, both companies were experiencing high profit growths. Daimler admired Chryslers entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking while Chrysler respected the methodological engineering and technical capabilities of Daimler. The two companies were interested in a merger as it would complement their capabilities and resources which would produce greater profits. The merger was touted as a corporate merger of equals and held high expectations among all stakeholders of the organizations (Darling, Seristo, Gabrielsson, 2005). Soon after the merger, both subgroups experienced various conflicts due to different national and corporate cultures, business practices, management and leadership styles and inefficient communication networks. Negotiations between senior leaders frizzled and led to the lay-off of then Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton. Due to the lack of management support, communication and the eventual domination of Daimlers culture over Chryslers, key executives who had been credited with Chryslers success in the 1990s left the organization. This resulted in a management brain drain which evolved into a crisis situation for DaimlerChrysler. Subsequently, an organizational restructuring, production cutbacks and cost cutting measures were announced. However, it was unable to resolve the crisis and thus faced huge losses which eventually resulted in a merger failure. Chrysler dropped from its third position in the United States automobiles chart when it went through a merger with Daimler-Benz. Although it was a merger of equals, it was soon overridden by Daimler-Benz due to Globalization, Classical Approaches, Systems Approaches, Management Styles, Leadership Processes as well as Culture. Soon it was realised that Daimler and Chrysler could not function successfully, and thus in 2009 DaimlerChrysler filed for bankruptcy which left a mark on the history of United States automobiles. The main focus of our report will centre on Chrysler, throughout the period before and during its merger with Daimler, and how internal and external factors affected its operations. GLOBALIZATION When Chrysler first started out, it scored several firsts in the industry such as an oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, and other advanced Chrysler parts. As the company progressed on, it went through several disturbances in its environment continuing into its merger with Daimler. Globalization started taking its toll on Chrysler.Globalization, according to Miller, K. (2009), is the improvement of transportation and telecommunications system making our world, both on a personal and organizational level ever more connected, efficient and interconnected towards a more global economy (p. 2). Chrysler embarked on its journey of manufacturing efficient automobiles through various improvements such as significantly expanding the electronics and computer content on vehicles, with applications ranging from power train controls for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, to enhanced safety systems and chassis controls and to on-board communication systems. Moving on in the years, Chrysler developed vehicles using outdated and expensive structures even as its sales and resources shrinked. Since Chryslers business was heavily weighted to North America, this made the organisation more vulnerable to local economic fluctuations and less able to take advantage of developing markets, as stated by the New York Times. Climate change also made an impact on Chrysler. As Stephen J. G. said, The decision to drive cars long distances to work was common among people in North America and Europe in the past 60 years. Cities grew larger. The development of suburbs often placed homes far from work places; massive road construction encouraged extravagant car useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Driving a car is the most air polluting act an average citizen commits. Chrysler produced auto vehicles that were manufactured without any consideration to its environment. Stephen J. G. (2008), said that Chrysler faced criticisms for their larger vehicles as they were exploiting the innate human tendency to seek domination over othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Bigger is better. However, in 2009, due to climate change, Chrysler changed their tactics, targeting buyers with their higher fuel efficiency and smaller automobiles. Soon after, Chrysler came up with a Hybrid car which boasted fuel efficiency. Chrysler is further expanding on this idea by following it through till 2011 by making new models of the car but using the same technology, for instance, the electric vehicle Dodge Ev. We can view Chrysler in two different views, namely the Utopian view and the Dystopian view. For the Utopian view, we know that Chrysler will continue to change along with globalization and expand its horizons further than North America. It can also adapt with other cultures and societies by learning from its past and bringing it forward to use it in its future. Despite several downfalls, Chrysler always manages to pick itself up and survive through mergers, with Daimler in 1998 and Fiat in 2009. In terms of the dystopian view, clearly, due to its several changes, Chrysler is losing its original organizational structure. Chrysler is maintaining its image by retaining the Chrysler logo for its automobiles despite merging with various other organizations. Nevertheless, even though Chrysler has worked hard to preserve its external image, it has undeniably lost its charm to potential buyers and its customer base. SYSTEMS APPROACHES During the period of cultural change in the 1990s, Chrysler made some improvements to its organizational system. It increased the involvement of people in its operations which improved the permeability of its operations with its suppliers and customers. Before the merger with Daimler, Chryslers management had allowed permeability in its operations in which there was a two way communication between Chrysler and its customers through feedback and information flows. Recognizing the importance of receiving information from customers for improving their focus on development, Chryslers system processes utilized positive, growth and deviation amplifying feedback. In which, customers were requested to provide feedback about their products. Through processing these inputs from customers and workers, Chrysler modified its products to achieve higher profits (Zatz, 1994). In addition, Chrysler improved its system properties namely, holism and negative entropy. The CEO, designers and assembly line workers held meetings together to create and gather information and ideas. This resulted in the creation of successful products by the company (Zatz, 1994). This shows the property of holism where the end product achieved was greater in value than what the employees could have created individually. Chrysler also practiced negative entropy as it valued customers feedback and provided information of its operations to the public. However, after the merger with Daimler, Chryslers existing organizational system processes and properties were replaced by the dominant Daimlers system. This resulted in organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs. The loss of Chryslers successful system resulted in high losses for DaimlerChrysler (Darling et al, 2005). The merger also brought about a high level of uncertainty among employees of Chrysler. According to Cervone, T (2009), communication was an area where DaimlerChrysler fell apart, because there were differences about what needed to be communicated and how to communicate. Daimlers style of communication was solely top-down management communication. However, Chrysler used a more in-depth and extensive communication network with its employees. Therefore as employees were unable to receive important information after the merger, equivocality was high among employees of Chrysler. This was due to the different enactments by employees which created multiple informational environments due to the limited information received in the communication networks. Karl Weicks Theory of Organizing states that reducing equivocality is central to the process of organizing in an organization. It also states that through the use of assembly rules and communication cycles, equivocality should be resolved. In the case of DaimlerChrysler, no effort was made to reduce equivocality and this eventually resulted in the departure of key executives of the organization, creating huge losses for the merger (Darling et al, 2005). The period of merger was a time of uncertainty, disorder and constant conflicts among employees of Daimler and Chrysler. There were various conflicts that stemmed from a vast difference in national and corporate cultures, conflicts on compensation as well as travel expenses. Failure to integrate or assimilate the organizational practices and cultures of both companies created disorder in the merger. Furthermore, the period after Chryslers CEO was fired by Daimler due to differences and the subsequent domination of Daimlers management, pulled Chryslers employees further into disorder (Darling et al, 2005). The New Science Systems Theory states that when systems are at the edge of chaos, order can emerge from disorder. It emphasizes the importance of relationships and being open to information to create new and innovative organizational processes. The high level of disorder present in the merger could have been advantageously used by the management of DaimlerChrysler to create a sustainable and innovative new system. However, as there were problems in the management itself and a lack of information flow and disharmony among employees in the organization, this opportunity was lost to DaimlerChrysler. CLASSICAL APPROACHES As with most German companies, Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality. There was a high emphasis placed on the respect that junior workers had to show those higher up in the hierarchy, and it was expected of workers to take extreme care not to make mistakes when names and titles were concerned. Chrysler, being an American company, was practically the complete opposite of this. There was very little emphasis placed on hierarchies within the company, and the management encouraged a very comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Many a time, mid-level executives could make decisions without fear of negative repercussions from higher-ups. In fact, it was this spontaneity and risk-taking attitude that Chryslers success was partially attributed to. (Vance Paik, 2006.) Upon the merger of the two companies, the actions of Daimler-side co-chairman Schrempp made it clear that despite touting the merge as a marriage of equals, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The Chrysler executives were used to ensuring that their opinions were heard by the rest of the board, no matter what their level was in the corporate hierarchy. This style of communication was unheard of in German companies, and Schrempp felt so threatened by this openness that he removed them from the company to preserve his position and power. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) Schrempp also axed some individuals from the post-merger management board, and a large majority of those fired hailed from the Chrysler division. Communications-wise, we can see that Daimler favored a top-down, formal style of communication within the company as seen from their strict hierarchy and style of decision-making. Chrysler, on the other hand, preferred to encourage an open floor of discussion, allowing as many employees as possible to participate and took their input into consideration. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was that of being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. (Vance Paik, 2006.) In Daimler-Benz, all decisions were made by a board of management executives in the main headquarters in Germany. Those in the lower levels of management had no power in making decisions, as everything would first have to be put past those at the very top of the corporate hierarchy. This cost the company their stability in the time period immediately after the merger, where many problems had the tendency to occur. Despite Chryslers executives being those who were used to making decisions on their own, without having to go through higher levels of authority, they were unable to make any quick decisions which might have saved the company due to Daimlers insistence on forcing them to adopt German style of decision making, which was an arduous, intricate process, and thus took a very long time. Although Frederick Taylors theory of Scientific Management offers that there is only one best way to accomplish any task, the case of DaimlerChryslers failed merger shows that this is not necessarily so there are situations which call for spontaneous, quick thinking as well. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) The reason for Chryslers apparent assimilation into Daimler, as opposed to there being a stabilized platform of equals between the two, was made clear by the remark passed by Schrempp in an interview conducted in October 2000. In it, it was insinuated that the German co-chairman had intended for it to be an acquisition of Chrysler instead of a merger of equals from the very beginning. This was ironically the exact same view that Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton had rejected so vehemently. It is then easy to see exactly why such a large majority of the Chrysler executives (about two thirds) had been either fired or left the company and replaced by managers from the Daimler corporate grid (Darling et al., 2005). DaimlerChryslers Hierarchy MANAGEMENT STYLE Despite many labelling the merger of DaimlerChrysler as the deal of the century (Keegan, 2005) where the merger of equals would bring out the best of both organisations, DaimlerChrysler went under major crisis after their merger. According to Darling, Seristo and Gabrielsson (2005), crisis is defined to be situations that interrupt an organisations usual activity and process (pp. 346-347). Crisis occurred within the newly merged company due to a few reasons; Firstly, the merger of Daimler and Chrysler resulted in irreconcilable differences in its managerial and leaderships styles. Managerial-leadership, or the lack of it, makes or breaks an organisation in times of crisis. According to Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid, Chryslers management belonged to the Country club style of management, where organisational leaders exhibited a high concern for its people as compared to the low concern for production. Chrysler, being an American based company, had its managers concentrating efforts on the establishment of a pleasant workplace with friendly and comfortable human relations. On the other hand, Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management. As quoted from Daimlers Chairman Dieter Zetsche, Daimler systematically train [their] employees so that every one of them clearly understands that compliance is not optional its an integral element of [their] corporate culture (2009), which is characterised as high concern for production and low concern for people. The organisations main objective would be to ensure that its managers focus on arrangements of components in the workplace to maximize efficiency and attain goals. Hence, unlike the American based Chrysler, German Daimler management had little concern for human needs. According to Darling et al. (2005), The DaimlerChrysler merger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was not an ordinary merger. This merger had embedded within it the existence of two very strong yet different organizational cultures that were expected to become integrated to facilitate achievement of the goals and objectives of the merged cross-cultural global enterprise. Failure to successfully integrate the two cultures gave rise to a crisis that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ threaten[ed] the existence of DaimlerChrysler. As there was no clear distinction of a culture after the merger, employees from both companies encountered various intergroup conflicts. These conflicts escalated during the interactions of these now interdependent sub bodies of an organisation that lived in mistrust and continued to perceive opposition of goals, aims, and values, each perceiving the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals. Both companies failed to drop their existing organizational culture and find a shared direction or vision. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust between the two subgroups, as could be seen from how Daimler and Chrysler both openly showed their conflict. They failed to reach a compromise, much less a collaboration to solve the differences to resolve the conflict. Many later commented that the DaimlerChrysler merger was nothing more than an outright acquisition of Chrysler by the German automaker (Keegan, 2005). American President of Chrysler group Jim Holden, together with the management, was eventually replaced by Zetsche and the German management from Daimler, who tries to instil the German practice on the American organisation, hence causing the organisational culture of Chrysler to be dominated by the Daimler management. As the merged organisation fought to survive in the highly competitive manufacturing sector, they adopted the Likerts System I due to the Blake and Moutons Authority-Compliance leadership style, the exploitative authoritative organisation, which is characterised by motivation through downward communication, top-level decision making, the giving of orders, and top level control. Although the strict hierarchical regime might have worked with the German Daimler, it only served as a harsh culture shock to American based Chrysler. Chrysler and Daimler succeeded on their own because of their unique features. Merging without collaboration simply meant that their uniqueness had to be sacrificed, hence causing them to lose their edge in the market. LEADERSHIP PROCESSES After the merger of DaimlerChrysler both subgroups experienced a high level of change. Many problems surfaced during the organizational change process. Firstly there was a lack of management support by Daimler and Chryslers management. According to Darling et al. (2005), Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton who was in charge of the integration of the two companies, lacked the leadership skills or political savvy needed to help the new entity develop a unique culture that represented the best of both worlds. Secondly there was inconsistent action on the part of the management on both sides. Daimler-Benz and Chrysler both had extremely different styles of management and corporate culture. As a result, both companies experienced clashes in operational practices during and after the merger, which quickly escalated in intensity and frequency to the point where the merged company found itself entering a state of crisis (Darling et al, 2005). The leaders of DaimlerChrysler were thus unable to form a clear management vision to be shared with others in the organization. Ownership tension, characterized in this case by these two issues, hampered the successful implementation change efforts and subsequently resulted in a failed merger. In addition, communication between the two subgroups was poor. Daimler practiced an autocratic top down communication style, while Chrysler used an in depth and extensive communication style (Cervone, 2010). As the cultures and communication networks of the two subgroups were not assimilated, there was no clear communication network to both subgroups. Also there were differences about what needed to be communicated. This resulted in uncertainty and anxiety among all organizational members. Despite the multitude of problems experienced by DaimlerChrysler, during the change process, there was no clear effort by the leaders to successfully implement the change process by providing effective management support and reducing uncertainty for organizational members. These problems escalated and subsequently became one of the main factors that caused the merger failure. CULTURE In the early 1990s, Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Its relationships with its customers and various stakeholders deteriorated. These problems adversely affected the companys profits (Zatz, 1994). In order to boost its falling profits, Chrysler made efforts to create a strong organizational culture that increased individual and organizational performance to greater levels. Chrysler began by revamping its core assumption of innovation with a multitude of effective values. These values supported individual participation, growth and improvement in processes which resulted in an overall increase in organizational performance. They are also described as themes for excellent cultures by Peter and Waterman. The values Chrysler incorporated are; the involvement of people in which ideas were solicited from suppliers, customers wants and needs were collated via customer feedback, assembly line workers were included in the planning process and mechanics were consulted early in the process. The value of learning or the Hands-on, value driven theme in which members actively took part in the analysis of past mistakes and achievements in order to improve their overall processes was implemented. In addition the value of quality was created. Chrysler had in place a product quality improvement partnership program to improve quality by increasing teamwork. This is similar to the theme of Simultaneous loose-tight properties as employees exhibited a unity of purpose of achieving quality through diversity in the form of teamwork. The program was a success as it produced the 1966 Grand Cherokee and Chrysler PT cruiser which consistently appeared at the top of the quality charts (Zatz, 1994). These values were encouraged by top management and in time, supported by all employees. This form of synergy was represented in the organizations behaviours and artefacts. Chrysler adopted a participative decision making style, practised wide communication on all networks, implemented low power distance which resulted in a freewheeling open culture that was indifferent to positions or hierarchy. Chryslers Onion Model in the 1990s In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler. The merger was touted as the merger of equals. However, Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures during merger negotiations. This led to conflicting corporate cultures, unresolved problems and ultimately a failed merger (Darling et al, 2005). The German culture of Daimler-Benz was generally less individualistic then Americans. They were uncomfortable with anxiety and ambiguity, practised indirectness in communication and gave respect for title, age and background. While, Daimlers culture consisted of an autocratic leadership style, top- down management and limited involvement of employees. Daimler was characterized as being conservative, efficient and safe. This collided with Chryslers values and opposed its American values of a free-wheeling and open culture. They were characterized as being risk-taking and innovative. Therefore, misunderstandings soon occurred due to the differences in their communication styles, planning and decision-making processes and leadership styles (Darling et al, 2005). During the merger, there were long heated discussions between the CEOs of Daimler and Chrysler about the differences in their corporate cultures and behavioural traits. They recognized the differences but were unsure of how to assimilate the cultures. Finally, they decided that if the differences were far apart, they would pick a spot in the middle and they would merge (Cervone, 2010). By doing so, the CEOs failed to recognize that organizational cultures are often ambiguous. There are potentially multiple manifestations to a corporate culture which are diverse and dynamic. Thus, picking a spot in the middle of two different cultures will not create an effective culture for DaimlerChrysler. Also, organizational cultures are not unitary. It is impossible to characterize an organization as having a single culture as there are multitudes of subcultures existing in conflict or harmony with one another. As such, the CEOs decision to pick a culture that is midway between their cultures will not result in success. This would fail to recognize the subcultures within the organization that largely impacts its behaviours and decisions. In addition, organizational cultures are complicated. Integrating two independent companies with divergent cultures into one cohesive organization is a major undertaking (Zatz, 1994). Simply picking a culture will not create a sustainable culture for DaimlerChrysler. This objectifies culture by simplifying it and de-emphasizing the complex processes via which organizational culture is created and sustained. Culture is in actuality pervasive and it affects the everyday business of the firm (Weber, Camerer, 2003). Thus, more effort is needed to collaborate both cultures. The leaders should create joint basic assumptions and related values for the organization. This would create a shared meaning among all employees and subcultures which would in turn create similar behavioural traits. This level of synergy in cultures will result in success for DaimlerChrysler. Furthermore, organizational cultures are emergent. It is a product of constant interrelationships between organizational members in different contexts and settings. After the merger, cultural workshops were put in place to integrate both subgroups of the company. These workshops were not supported by both members and thus failed. Subsequently, no other efforts were made by the management to integrate the members. As no clear distinction of a culture was made, Daimlers culture grew to be more dominant and oppressing to employees of Chrysler. Employees became increasingly dissatisfied and there were constant cultural collisions in the interrelationships between Daimler and Chryslers employees. This led to the departure of key Chrysler executives who had led the company to success in its domestic and international markets for creativity, efficiency and profitability. As a result, the companies faced huge losses (Zatz, 1994). This situation could have been avoided by integrating employees of both corporations. By creating opportunities for employees to interact in settings such as orientation of members to the newly merged company, company events, department dinners or joint work teams, would have increased familiarity and created cohesive relationships between employees. Also, communication networks should be expanded and fully utilized to disseminate information during the merger in order to reduce uncertainty and increase support of the merger. These methods would have allowed a cohesive culture among members of both companies to emerge over time. CONCLUSION Why was Chrysler a success? Chrysler initially pioneered several automobile parts, making it more accepted in the automobile market. After being criticised for not being environmentally friendly, Chrysler replied to the criticisms by introducing a new line of automobiles such as Hybrid cars and electric cars in the Dodge EV series and brought the brand back into demand. Why was DaimlerChrysler a failure? The merger of Daimler and Chrysler did not thrive as many people had predicted. It would have became the collaboration of the century if only they had managed to solve the problems that occurred within the newly formed DaimlerChrysler. The issues they faced were: There were problems with the organizational system processes of the newly merged organization. Chrysler, on its own, constantly strived to improve its system properties, for instance, holism and negative entropy. However after it was merged with Daimler, they went under organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs resulting in a high level of uncertainty among employees due to limited information received in communication network. Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality, while Chrysler placed very little emphasis on hierarchies within the company. Furthermore, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was them being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. The lack of a suitable managerial-leadership also caused a crisis. Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management over Chryslers style of management of the Country club. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust when they failed to even reach a compromise to resolve their conflict. Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures and assimilate them during merger negotiations, thus causing DaimlerChrysler to lose its edge in the market, which ultimately led to a failed merger. What they should have done to solve the problems? During the negotiations prior to the merger, leaders of Daimler and Chrysler should have identified the vast differences in the national and corporate cultures of both companies. As both of the companies merged to complement their capabilities and resources, the domination and oppression of Daimlers culture over Chrysler adversely affected the merger. Chrysler experienced a loss of culture and an erosion of its successful values which reduced its overall capability. Therefore, the leaders of DaimlerChrysler should have exhibited cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence to facilitate the growth of a cohesive culture. Through the collaboration of shared meanings and values, DaimlerChrysler would have created a successful merger. What happened to Chrysler in the end? Chryslers sales tumbled 30 percent in 2008 and it ended the year with only $2 billion in cash and reliant on a government bailout to keep it afloat. After which Fiat took an interest in Chrysler after thorough research of whether it will have minimal downside and be profitable. As JP Morgans analyst Himanshu Patel said, the merger for both Fiat and Chrysler could help the U.S. automaker secure another round of bailout funds. This is a strategic alliance, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer with Solaris Asset Management in New York By Gilles Castonguay and Poornima Gupta We hope that Chrys

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Sherman Alexie Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Sherman Alexie The odds were against Sherman Alexie on that day in October 1966. Not only was he born a minority, but he was also hydrocephalic. At the age of 6 months, he had a brain operation, but was not expected to live. Though he pulled through, doctors predicted he would be severely mentally retarded. Fortunately, they were wrong, but he did suffer through seizures and wet his bed throughout his childhood ("What" 1). Rather than being called "Native American," which he feels is a "guilty white liberal term," he prefers to be called Indian. He is a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, in fact, and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. To avoid being picked on by the other reservation kids, he spent most of his time indoors, where he developed a love for reading. But as he grew older, alcoholism, which plagues most reservations, found its way to Alexie, and he suffered this disease for five years until he became sober at 23 ("What" 1). He graduated high school with honors and originally planned to become a doctor until a fainting episode in a Human Anatomy class changed his mind. He attended Gonzaga University on scholarship and graduated in American Studies from Washington State. He then received two consecutive Fellowships in 1991 and 1992, and shortly thereafter wrote six poetry and poem/short story books. Two of these, The Business of Fancy Dancing and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, earned him literary awards (What" 1). By 1998, his list of accomplishments grew to include Reservation Blues (1995), which earned him Granta’s Best of Young Novelists, the Before Columbus Foundations Book Award, and the Murray Morgan Prize. Indian Killer (1996), his second novel, was The New Yo... ... reders in and keep them turning pages. He writes so visually that they feel they are actually there with the other characters. But most importantly, his stories make them think, not only about the characters and what is happening to them in the stories, but also about themselves and the world in which they live. His fiction echoes Chinua Achebe’s idea that the strong must listen to the weak. They are stronger in number only, which doesn’t make them right. Those who are outnumbered, the weak so to speak, have something to say. They have a voice that deserves to be heard. Alexie has a powerful voice, and it would do us all good to listen. Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. New York: Harper Perennial , 1994. "What it Means to be Sherman Alexie". The Official Sherman Alexie Site. Online. America Online. 8 April 1999.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Marketing Qantas

The report discuss all the crucial information on Qantas Airways Limited required for business and competitor intelligence needs and contain a study of the major internal and external factors affecting Qantas Airways in the form of SWOT and PESTEL analysis as well as a breakdown . And examination of leading product revenue streams of Qantas Airways. Data is supplemented with details on Qantas Airways history, key executives and business description, location and subsidiaries as well as a list of products, services and the latest available statements from Qantas Airways Limited.To undertake the report, primary/qualitative (Qantas Web site) and secondary/quantitative (Internet journals, reports and news) data was collected. The oil market is going through dramatic shifts in regional demand and supply balances. In 2012 the influence of OPEC and strong demand from the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, and Chinese (BRIC) economies prevented a decline in price (IATA, 2014, p. 12). This can be se en as a major factor affecting Qantas International’s profitability. With socio political factors in Middle East and North Africa may have low potential impact on the growth of aviation business.Aviation Industry’s growth was always linked to technology. New developments in this front are gathering pace and will continue to influence future dynamics of the industry. New trends in aircraft technology will continue to influence the delivery. Aviation Industry continues to make progress in the area of environmental protection where new aircraft models are designed to cut back emissions and to improve efficiency. On the legal front, industry continues to achieve harmonized legal framework for aviation industry. 2. Qantas International –Important Macro environmental factors2.  1 Crude Oil PricesAviation fuel process follows trends in crude oil prices. One of the most important macroeconomic factors affecting Qantas International Operations and profitability will be fuel prices. Looking at the latest financial statements (Fig 2) it is obvious that fuel contributes to the expenses in a large scale. Thus any changes in fuel prices are going to affect the bottom-line. As mentioned in the PEST Analysis in the previous section, crude oil prices maintained position preventing a decline in fuel oil prices. Source: Qantas Group Annual Report 2013Fig. 2 2.2Technology Technology will be one of the important macroeconomic factors which will be driving Qantas International’s transformation. Qantas group will continue its investments in new aircraft technology, customer experience technology, training, customer service etc. Emerging technologies like New Distribution capabilities (NDC) are going to transform customer shopping experience. Technology will continue to impact following areas of the business†¢Aircraft Design ( Fuel efficient designs, reduced carbon footprint)†¢Customer Experience †¢Ground Handling†¢Customer shopping e xperience Marketing Qantas The report discuss all the crucial information on Qantas Airways Limited required for business and competitor intelligence needs and contain a study of the major internal and external factors affecting Qantas Airways in the form of SWOT and PESTEL analysis as well as a breakdown . And examination of leading product revenue streams of Qantas Airways. Data is supplemented with details on Qantas Airways history, key executives and business description, location and subsidiaries as well as a list of products, services and the latest available statements from Qantas Airways Limited. To undertake the report, primary/qualitative (Qantas Web site) and secondary/quantitative (Internet journals, reports and news) data was collected. The oil market is going through dramatic shifts in regional demand and supply balances. In 2012 the influence of OPEC and strong demand from the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, and Chinese (BRIC) economies prevented a decline in price (IATA, 2014, p. 12). This can be s een as a major factor affecting Qantas International’s profitability. With socio political factors in Middle East and North Africa may have low potential impact on the growth of aviation business. Aviation Industry’s growth was always linked to technology.New developments in this front are gathering pace and will continue to influence future dynamics of the industry. New trends in aircraft technology will continue to influence the delivery. Aviation Industry continues to make progress in the area of environmental protection where new aircraft models are designed to cut back emissions and to improve efficiency. On the legal front, industry continues to achieve harmonized legal framework for aviation industry.2.Qantas International –Important Macro environmental factors2.1 Crude Oil PricesAviation fuel process follows trends in crude oil prices. One of the most important macroeconomic factors affecting Qantas International Operations and profitability will be fuel prices. Looking at the latest financial statements (Fig 2) it is obvious that fuel contributes to the expenses in a large scale. Thus any changes in fuel prices are going to affect the bottom-line. As mentioned in the PEST Analysis in the previous section, crude oil prices maintained position preventing a decline in fuel oil  prices.Source: Qantas Group Annual Report 2013Technology will be one of the important macroeconomic factors which will be driving Qantas International’s transformation. Qantas group will continue its investments in new aircraft technology, customer experience technology, training, customer service etc. Emerging technologies like New Distribution capabilities (NDC) are going to transform customer shopping experience. Technology will continue to impact following areas of the business†¢Aircraft Design ( Fuel efficient designs, reduced carbon footprint) †¢Customer Experience †¢Ground Handling †¢Customer shopping experience

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Laziness caused by Technology

More and more in this time, all I can see is people being lazy. Children do not want to play outside. Instead of playing outside children sit inside all day playing on their videogame systems, tablets, computers, and phones. Adults are just as bad sitting around glued to whatever tech toy they have. Technology is making people lazy. People hardly have to leave their homes to do anything anymore. Technology has made it so easy for people to get virtually anything and everything they could possibly want or need at the touch of a few buttons. No longer do people have to walk around a store and haul their own things in and out of their cars. All people have to do is go online and those things will be delivered right to their front door. When people do leave their homes to go to work, a lot of them are going to jobs where they sit behind computers all day. Even students staring in elementary school do a lot of school work, tests, and school projects behind a computer or tablet now. Many college students are picking careers to do with technology and can even get their education all online. Don’t get me wrong, technology is not all bad. Technology has helped our culture in the fields of medicine and science greatly, but our society is letting technology take over. People are not being active enough anymore. Laziness is spreading like a disease. Being so lazy and depending so much on technology is causing health issues of its own. Technology is ok in moderation. People need to stop letting technology take over their lives. Sitting at home in their pajamas ordering what they want and need instead of getting out and being active is just plain lazy. With everything so readily available with a few clicks of a button technology is winning. Technology is definitely making people lazy.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Analogous Structures in Evolution

Analogous Structures in Evolution There are many types of evidence supporting evolution, including studies in the molecular biology field, such as DNA, and in the developmental biology field. However, the most commonly used types of evidence for evolution are anatomical comparisons between species. While homologous structures show how similar species have changed from their ancient ancestors, analogous structures show how different species have evolved to become more similar. Speciation Speciation is the change over time of one species into a new species. Why would different species become more similar? Usually, the cause of convergent evolution is similar selection pressures in the environment. In other words, the environments in which the two different species live are similar and those species need to fill the same niche in different areas around the world. Since natural selection works the same way in these environments, the same types of adaptations are favorable, and individuals with favorable adaptations survive long enough to pass down their genes to their offspring. This continues until only individuals with favorable adaptations are left in the population. Sometimes, these types of adaptations can change the structure of the individual. Body parts can be gained, lost, or rearranged depending on whether their function is the same as the original function of that part. This can lead to analogous structures in different species that occupy the same type of niche and environment in different locations. Taxonomy When Carolus Linnaeus first began classifying and naming species with taxonomy, the science of classification, he often grouped similar-looking species into similar groups. This led to incorrect groupings compared to evolutionary origins of the species. Just because species look or behave the same doesnt mean they are closely related. Analogous structures dont have to share the same evolutionary path. One analogous structure might have come into existence long ago, while the analogous match on another species may be relatively new. They may go through different developmental and functional stages before they are fully alike. Analogous structures are not necessarily evidence that two species came from a common ancestor. It is more likely they came from two separate branches of the phylogenetic tree and may not be closely related at all. Examples The human eye is very similar in structure to the eye of the octopus. In fact, the octopus eye is superior to the humans in that it doesnt have a blind spot. Structurally, that is the only difference between the eyes. However, the octopus and the human are not closely related and reside far from each other on the phylogenetic tree of life. Wings are a popular adaptation for many animals. Bats, birds, insects, and pterosaurs all had wings. But a bat is more closely related to a human than to a bird or an insect based on homologous structures. Even though all these species have wings and can fly, they are very different in other ways. They just happen to fill the flying niche in their locations. Sharks and dolphins look very similar due to color, placement of their fins, and overall body shape. However, sharks are fish and dolphins are mammals. This means that dolphins are more closely related to rats than they are sharks on the evolutionary scale. Other types of evolutionary evidence, such as DNA similarities, have proved this. It takes more than appearance to determine which species are closely related and which have evolved from different ancestors to become more similar through their analogous structures. However, analogous structures themselves are evidence for the theory of natural selection and the accumulation of adaptations over time.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Burj Khalifa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Burj Khalifa - Assignment Example From the outset, we decided a leader and set about delegating tasks and dividing labor to be more productive (Murphy, pg.12). Someone was assigned to draw the schematic that we were to follow. Another pair was assigned to make the measurements and do the adequate research to ensure accurate replication. Moreover, assignments were made to ensure that there were a few people that were dedicated solely to the actual building of the tower, while someone was delegated the task of painting the tower, and finally, the most diligent of us all was selected to make final measurements and check to see whether everything has been up to par. Delegation of tasks really helped us save time, while allow each individual to focus on one task, making the whole project efficiently done throughout (Lussier & Achua, pg. 194). We started by drawing out a schematic picture of the tower, as we wanted to build it. This stage involved a lot of work as every line and angle had to be accurately drawn, as it woul d be the blue print we would be working against. Pictures of the tower were downloaded, and much research was done to get the images of the inside of the tower, with its floors, ceilings, and curvatures. Those of our team that were the best with a pencil got to work, and drew a good, detailed and revealing picture of the tower, with exact dimensions and angles. ... We used rulers, setsquares, and many protractors while building the erect tower. The base of the hotel was built using plaster of Paris hard clay that was left to dry overnight to give the model a hard, sturdy texture. The plaster was shaped into the curved "sail" that the hotel is often compared to by building it upright by adding layer upon layer of the plaster and making minute changes as it grew taller and took on its final shape. The final, top most portion of the tower, which was pointy was the hardest bit, and was made using a blade and a softer plaster to allow for finesse that is more delicate. Finally, after leaving the figure to dry, the rough edges of the top layer of the tower were scraped off with a blade, leaving a smooth, tall tower behind, that appeared majestic, even without being coloured into. Once the base of the tower and the building itself had been made, the painter got to work by painting the tower, adding details such as windows and lights that gave the towe r a realistic look. To ensure the colors were close to the actual building, we used color charts and different shades of paint. Finally, last measurements were made using the finest of rulers and vernier calipers to check whether the plan was adequately followed, and that the tower was really a miniature version of the hotel we had set out to replicate. Even though this was a very hard project, we were pleased with what we had achieved, although it was not without challenges. For example, during our planning stages we had not allowed enough time for the Plaster to dry up and harden, and so, once we continued to mold it after letting it stand for a few hours, we felt it give.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Website evaluation for a destination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Website evaluation for a destination - Essay Example The font size and color combination was not so good. Here we can have a same theme of heading. Each heading in the webpage has different color that gives the feeing of distraction to the users. 14 Acceding to most of the questionnaire respondents the website navigation is good. In this web site we have a clear view of our presence in the website. Here we have proper and functional hyperlinks that offer us the capability to navigate through the whole website in an effective way. 14 Web based information platforms are aimed at offering the people valuable information about the relevant area or subject. The human computer based analysis offers the capability to weigh up and assess these systems working and performance regarding their interaction to users. This research and analysis based report will also offer deep and comprehensive overview of the website evaluation through the human computer interaction rules. This website is an E-Tourism website that belongs to Bangladesh. It is an official website of Bangladesh Government for tourism and its online address is: www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd. The main intention of this research is to evaluate this website regarding its design, content, usability and interactivity for the better and effective system development that can effectively interact with its audience. The subject of Human–computer interaction deals with the analysis of the interaction among people and computer. In this paradigm we analyze how we can build a system (web site) that is able to offer better support and facility during the usage of system. This subject investigates the user psychology, behaviors and develops the system or designs the web site that is capable to meet the user expectations regarding system working. Website evaluation for better design, content, usability and interactivity is main area that developer needs to address while developing a web site for the user. Human computer interaction rules based evaluation process is

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Domestic Partner Benefits for American Corporations Research Paper

Domestic Partner Benefits for American Corporations - Research Paper Example Despite that fact that this concept contribute positively towards creating a positive attitude on the labor force, this issue has led to numerous debates with many corporate stakeholders wondering whether benefits should be given to domestic partnerships or not. This paper will bring into perspective this issue by arguing for and against domestic partner benefits of employees and later provides its own opinion. The phrase domestic partner benefits could most probably be taken to refer to employee benefit programs offered to non-married couples the same or even similar benefits as those provided to the married couples. It is worth noting that domestic partner benefits can be categorised into two; same sex and opposite sex partners. According to Woodlink, 36) it is therefore upon the employer to decide which category to give the benefits. It has been observed that due to the escalating number of employers, majority of the corporations have extended the benefits to homosexuals, lesbians, bisexual as well as transgender employees and their families. It is imperative to define who domestic partners are. These are two individuals who have been in an intimate relationship for a long time and in addition to this, are financially and emotionally interdependent. However, the employers are at liberty to define who a domestic partner is. Additionally, employers wishing to implement a domestic partner plan need to create an accurate definition of what a suitable domestic partner should have. To mention but a few of these element: the partners must have attained the age of eighteen years, neither of the partner should be related by blood closer than permitted by state for marriage. In addition to this, the partners must share an intimate relationship and the relationship must be exclusive. It is worth noting that documentation of proof of a domestic partner relationship may take a number of forms. It is left to the liberty of the employer to determine what is most suitable. Some get contented with their domestic partners signing a written statement of their relationship while others just require a proof of some financial relationship for instance a joint lease or mortgage. Village Voice newspaper is said to be the first private company to provide domestic partnership benefits in 1982. By 1985, the cities of Berkeley, West Hollywood and California State followed suit. And since then, both private and public corporations have embraced this program. As a matter of fact, it was said that by 2006, most of the Fortune 500 largest American corporation provide health insurance for domestic partners of their employees. The corporate employers offer a variety of domestic partner benefits in terms of packages. These packages are either soft or hard benefits also referred to as low-cost and high-cost benefits. Majority of the American corporations offer the low-cost benefits to their domestic partners. These may include among others; sick leave, access to a corporation facilities, permission to attend both company and personal functions and relocation expenses. Other than this there are the high-cost benefits that some corporate employers offer to their employees. This may include benefits such as health and medical insurance among others (Quizterson, 78-82). Federal Defense of Marriage Act

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Geological Influence on the Battle of Gettysburg Essay Example for Free

Geological Influence on the Battle of Gettysburg Essay Battles fought on land have always been influenced by topography as well as geology. Soil conditions, and types and strengths of bedrock are important considerations for building fortifications. Availability of water may determine where military is installed. Mountainous areas may provide cover for guerilla troops. All such topographical and geological considerations combined are studied by military geologists (Haneberg). The information thus gathered is called â€Å"terrain intelligence (Haneberg). † Geology had a major influence on â€Å"[t]he greatest battle of the Civil War,† that is, the Battle of Gettysburg (Copley). Brown describes the area where the battle was fought thus: Each year thousands of sightseers clamber over Little Round Top and Devils Den on the Gettysburg battlefield, and gaze with awe over the mile of treeless plain across which Pickett’s men charged toward â€Å"the little clump of trees† on July 3, 1863. All are impressed by the rocky heights—the Round Tops, Cemetery Ridge, Cemetery Hill, and Culps Hill—against which Lee’s men hurled themselves in vain throughout three days of bitter fighting. Few, however, know that these heights are the outcrop of a diabase sill, appropriately enough called the Gettysburg sill, that about 200 million years ago intruded the Triassic sandstones and shales that floor the broad Gettysburg plain. Even fewer have any concept of the extent to which the movements of the two armies toward Gettysburg, and the battle itself, were influenced by the geology of the region in which the campaign was conducted. The Gettysburg battlefield covers an area of about 15 square miles. The battle, however, was but the climax of a campaign that covered an area of about 11,000 square miles (Brown). The area of the campaign was 140 miles in length, from Fredericksburg on the Virginian river called Rappahannock to Harrisburg on the Pennsylvanian river called Susquehanna; and 80 miles in width, â€Å"from a line drawn on the southeast through Fredericksburg, Washington, and Baltimore, to the northwestern edge of the Great Valley of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania (Brown). † The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on lowlands of the Triassic Age and â€Å"rocky ridges† that are believed to have been developed on diabase of the early Jurassic Age (Cuffey et al. ). Militarily, the most important hills of diabase were said to have been â€Å"formed on a York Haven Diabase sill running from Culp’s Hill†¦ in the north through Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, and Little Round Top to Big Round Top†¦ in the south – the Union ‘fishhook’ (Cuffey et al. ). † The Battle of Gettysburg began when Confederate General Lee commanded his troops on to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, referred to as â€Å"the hub for ten roads (Cuffey et al. ). † This was done in order to drive out the army of the Union from an outcrop of Gettysburg sill (Brown). G. G. Meade responded by marching north and ordering the Federal armies to reach the battlefield (Cuffey et al. ). On the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863, deep cuts on a railroad that was unfinished played an essential role in the action (Copley; Cuffey et al. ). During late afternoon, the Union had to start using the diabase-sill strategically for its defense (Cuffey et al. ). The area where the Union army defended itself was shaped like the hook of a fish (Copley). It extended to the north approximately three miles from the Round Top through the Little Round Top and the Cemetery Ridge to the Cemetery Hill; it also extended south and east to the barb of the area shaped as a fish hook, that is, Culps Hill. The Round Top is known to stand at approximately 785 feet, while the Little Round Top stands at 650 feet above sea level. Between the Cemetery Hill and the Little Round Top, the ridge is said to drop to approximately 570 feet above sea level. The town of Gettysburg itself has an elevation of around 500 feet above sea level (Brown). The fish hook was strategically important on the second day of the battle as well. The Seminary Ridge is â€Å"the trace of a diabase dike,† an offshoot of the Gettysburg sill; it rises approximately 560 feet; but where it rises to the north, it is around 650 feet at the Oak Ridge (Brown). Confederates were positioned on Seminary Ridge before they tried to move across the lowland in order to displace the Union army. The latter moved away from the fish hook before returning to it again as the Confederates had started to gain some ground. In the evening, the Confederates tried to displace â€Å"the Federal right (Cuffey et al. ). † However, â€Å"breastworks of timber† in addition to boulders of diabase on the Culp’s Hill proved themselves almost invincible (Cuffey et al. ). On the third day of the battle, the â€Å"Union center† was heavily bombarded (Cuffey et al. ). The Confederates had launched the attack from their previous position against the Cemetery Ridge. A downpour accompanied this day of the battle. According to Cuffey et al. , â€Å"[d]espite the difficulty of entrenching, crude fences of diabase boulders had provided the Federals with adequate cover in many sectors. † The importance of the diabase sill to the Battle of Gettysburg must be reconsidered in order to understand the outcome of the battle. The diabase sill is resistant; it is closely attached to the surface. As a matter of fact, the bedrock of diabase is so closely attached to the surface that it is virtually impossible for army men to dig in. Stone walls are the only form of protection, for example, rock outcrops and boulders that are isolated. Because the Union army was unable to find a place to thoroughly entrench itself, it suffered a great number of casualties. This was the defending side throughout the Battle of Gettysburg. The Confederates, on the other hand, suffered a greater number of casualties while trying to attack the Union army on the flanks and in the center. Because the Confederates were well-entrenched, they did not lose as many men as the Union army when the latter attacked them (Brown). On July 4, the two armies were burying the men they had lost and succoring those that were suffering from wounds. A day before they had faced each other across the Rapidan River. The bridges across the river had to be rebuilt within ten days before the Confederates could try to cross it. But, as soon as it was made possible to cross the Rapidan River, the armies found themselves facing each other across the river, once again, in the position they had occupied on July 3 (Brown). Geology as well as topography came into focus for a victory another time. The most terrain-intelligent army was, of course, expected to win the ultimate war. Works Cited Brown, Andrew. â€Å"Geology and the Gettysburg Campaign. † Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Jun 2006. 23 Oct 2008. http://www. dcnr. state. pa. us/topogeo/education/es5/es5. pdf. Copley, Judi. â€Å"The Battle of Gettysberg. † 23 Oct 2008. http://www. scsc. k12. ar. us/2000backeast/trip/members/CopleyJ/Default. htm. Haneberg, William C. â€Å"Geologic and Topographical Influences on Military and Intelligence Operations. † 2008. 23 Oct 2008. http://www. espionageinfo. com/Fo-Gs/Geologic-and-Topographical-Influences-on-Military-and-Intelligence-Operations. html. Cuffey, Roger J. , Robert C. Smith, John C. Neubaum, Richard C. Keen, Jon D. Inners, and Victor A. Neubaum. â€Å"Lee vs. Meade at Gettysburg (July 1-3,1863): The influence of topography and geology on command decisions and battlefield tactics. † Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and State Tree. 23 Oct 2008. http://www. dcnr. state. pa. us/topogeo/gsaabstr/gettysburg. aspx.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effect of Capitalism on Society

Effect of Capitalism on Society ABSTRACT Relationships in business management values and beliefs play a critical role in establish long-term mutual benefits to organizations, However back in history capitalism was envisaged through religious beliefs which apply even to date in our daily lifes, however social networking and educations systems have opened up markets globally, This research paper looks on the impacts associated with capitalism and ethical responsibilities to society; that business and government both have important roles to play in the modern economy; and that ethics and integrity are essential to personal fulfillment and to business success. INTRODUCTION The world today believes in change and liberation due to beliefs and values of every society, the quality of living based on individual decisions and moral values are critical in building and of business relationship. It is therefore vital to understand how business and society can be governed and all manner of people and races respected. Every society has taboos and social entities that control its environment; however business and society is based on values that can be created by others though scientific research. According to Weber, The Protestant Ethic is a starting point towards understanding the multiple dimensions of social change. The relationship between business and ethics is interlocked in the sense that a successful company is one which can effectively maintain the relationship which exists between them and the other parties. For effective corporate management, organization varies due to policies and systems of operation in service deliver, most professionals governed by professional code of ethics invent individual personality. Religious beliefs critically affect each individual spiritual being. Today businesses that have strong corporate codes of ethics are performing well in the long-term. Government policies and competition is vital for survival in every business entity, customer expectations and organization relationships to society are critical in branding and corporate image which differentiates companys offering from those of competitors. To manage it demand for in the long run demands commitment and sound moral behavior. This demonstrates dedication to all stakeholders, ethics enhance how a company operates and also enhances a companys reputation and this brings more profits to the organizations. MAX WEBER PROTESTANT ETHICS Max Weber a German sociologist and political economist (1864 1920) aim at understanding the revolution power based of political stability and control of capitalism. With his social and religious beliefs, he investigated to known why the districts that were most economically developed were also most favorable to a revolution. In his findings, Weber argues that according to the occupational statistics of countries of mixed religious composition, business leaders and owners, as well as the higher skilled laborers and personnel, are overwhelmingly Protestant. He aimed at bring change and revolution. The argument was based on development and education by the Catholics which he believes lead was a cause to nationality imbalance. Resources were unfairly distributed thus the districts ended up converting protestant, it plumbs the deep cultural forces that affect contemporary work life and the workplace in the capitalist communities, and it plumbs the deep religion forces that affect contemporary work life and the workplace. He professed religion balance between the Catholic and Protestant parents tend to give their children different kinds of education, in which his believe was that education is an equal asset to both the Catholics and protestants, however he was not font that Catholics have more of a tendency in education while protestants stay in handicrafts and sectors rather than to go into industry. This suggests that their environment has determined the choice of occupation and seems all the more likely because one would normally expect Catholics to get involved in economic activity. His argument was based on political power and influence and his believe that Protestants had stronger tendencies and capabilities to develop the economy rationalism. To him this was not a philosophy of mere greed but a statement laden with moral language. Creating modern capitalism that affects contemporary life and work place ethically. Lacks of ethics contribute to a state where the corporate bottom lines make profits through immoral acts. This relents to damaged image and leads to corrupt dealings and poor ethical practices. Managers who promote an atmosphere with high ethical standards create a competitive concept that positions a company above rivals. This will impact help increase revenues for the benefit of all stakeholders. SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit. Decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investment are made within a free market. Profit is sent to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers. The world of business is where religion demands high moral and values; Webers idea of modern capitalism as growing out of the religious pursuit of wealth meant a change to a rational means of existence, wealth. Looking at this argument the world today has changed due to advancement of human knowledge and technological advances, religion affects business depending on relationship created among business partners, however religion is an obligation to look at, basically the impact can be based on critical values of entrepreneurs or markets targeted. Every organization is critically evaluated through its promise and purposes to deliver its products and services. The compliment can be on ability to abide by the vision and mission statement. Weber says, at some point the Calvinist rationale informing the spirit of capitalism became unreliant on the underlying religious movement behind it, leaving only rational capitalism. In essence then, Webers Spirit of Capitalism is effectively and more broadly a Spirit of rationalization which can be too personal. Webers argues that the first and probably most vital feature of the spirit of capitalism was that it invested economizing with high moral significance. The individual engages in capitalistic economizing not only for the expediency of making a living, but in the expectation that such activity would test his inner resources and thus affirm his moral worth. Today communication among business entities has created a link to doing business better, the advancement of technology e.g. the use of electronic mode of payment has brought about cross boundary relationships which can easily be manage and monitored. In this regard, likewise, the individual entrepreneur isnt allowed to become overly absorbed into or preoccupied with him. His existence revolves around an objective concern outside himself, which unceasingly demands his devotion and thus, becomes a test of his self-worth; Weber aims of scrutinizing individual strength and builds trust which is critical to business operations. This is to provide opportunities for resistance in the organizational structures with emancipation alongside those for repression and subordination. In most economies equal business opportunities are applied to allow free movement of labour and interest payment are legitimate returns on capital which provides legal mechanism for state in mobilization of funds and partnerships and create a modern state. The challenges in the society today are; highly competitive environments, global warming, inflation, which puts pressure on companys leaders to create profitable relationships remain competent to create channels which circumvent to stakeholders returns on investment. The pressure of delivering positive results can lead to unethical decisions by individuals. However Governing legal frameworks therefore become critical as a key competency for quality productivity. Every organization has to avoid unethical environment because if it occurs it usually gets passed down through the organization ruining its reputation. In the world today China and India are believed to be federal capitalist who excises economical power, capitalism depends upon a delegation of power from the state to economic actors and upon the coercive power of the state to design, monitor, and ultimately enforce market regulation. The pricing mechanism coordinates supply and demand within a given market framework, while the visible hand of government enforces the framework and keeps it up to date. (Bruzz Scott: the root of modern capitalism journal 11 June 2008/ LUTHER CONCEPTION CALLING According to Weber his conception calling was on realization that people have got duty to fulfill and obligations imposed on them which must be attain, this believe adds value to letting each individual practice his capabilities and beliefs for betterment of living. He argues that each person has got a legitimate calling or purpose by his God; however the society is a mix of races as others rarely believe in God. He came to believe in absolute obedience to Gods will, and acceptance of the way things were. According to Weber he was not trying to evaluate the ideas of the reformation in either social of religious worth. He was only trying to understand how certain characteristics of modern culture can be traced to the reformation. Scientifically most of Webers unforeseen believe are today engulfing physically through research challenging this believes. Today the society demands quality products and services with gratification of immediate results, perhaps a reason some companies practice corporate values to deliver results based of professionalism and not mere religion hindrances. Due to bureaucratic leaderships it is obvious that ones individual moral capabilities impacts decisions and choices made in a business and in the process of it the immoral acts will decline. This in today business relationship is based on training and staff motivation. The staff morale is critical; at such a case Webers religion plays a role as most organization start a day with a word of prayer as a way of building courage and etiquette among employees. Thus, Weber capitalistic spirit was not the goal of these religious reformers; their cultural impact was unforeseen and maybe undesired. Webers moral values were that his study will hopefully contribute to the understanding of how ideas become effective forces in history. He in his calling was to civilize other believers and create a more ethical responsible society with a better lifestyle. In the modern society Weber also notes that societies having more Protestants should be those that have a more developed capitalist economy. Webers transformation approach was not personal for monetary gain but based on passion for his Lutheran faith. In the other part, his calling was that people be saved, and accumulate wealth as the resources were to be reinvested in worthy enterprises. The spirit of capitalism constituted a sort of moral habitus which burdened the possessor of money with a stewards obligation toward his own possessions. Weber argues that, the individual entrepreneur isnt allowed to become overly absorbed to a none ethical relationship, rather their existence revolves around an objective concern outside himself, which unceasingly demands his devotion and thus, becomes a test of his self-worth. It is in the best interest of a company to promote universal ethically good behavior in the workplace. This can be through Consumer trust and confidence in a business. This ultimately enhances economical benefits to a company and its network will grow. Thus, Weber concludes that the simple idea of the calling in Lutheranism is at best of limited importance to his study GLOBALIZATION Modern capitalism is about blended revolution aimed to create systems across boundaries; technology is factor that has influenced positively capitalism development on perspective of social systems, most government political challenges also affects the relationships by compromising relationships management across boundaries. However, this can be done through international marketing e.g. development abroad, franchising licensing and many others or through outsourcing services. Trade is increasingly global in scope today. Technological has improved transportation and communication opportunities and trade is now more practical. Thus, consumers and businesses now have access to the very best products from many different countries. Increasingly rapid technology lifecycles also increases the competition among countries as to who can produce the newest in technology. In part to accommodate these realities, countries in the last several decades have taken increasing steps to promote global trade through agreements such as the General Treaty on Trade and Tariffs, (Lars Perner, Ph.D) At glace ethical organizations create a stable organization culture and affects the level of decision making, the relationship between business and the society is vital, thus ethics is a component of doing good business. It would be a better world if the alternatives to source professionals could be utilized. However a population of unskilled workers is high and various governments rules of socials and dictatorship style of management insulates countries with anti market policies creating a non conducive environment for investments. However adapting ethical social governance can change for well created government for capitalism has got to start somewhere due to poor leadership opponents of globalization worry that many of the economic opportunities afforded the world while in many developing countries. CONCLUSION As the world advance and relationships are made, it is vital to understand the impact that matters to our daily lifes devotions. All aspect and merits of life are contacted by beliefs and creation of ones faith. REFERENCES www.sparknotes.com/philosophy: webers conception of calling http:/ www.the-dissident.com/globalization.shtml www.consumerpsychologist.com/international_marketing.html http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/international_marketing.html http://www.america.gov/st/democracy