Monday, September 30, 2019
Learning New Research Concepts or Techniques by Writing and Other Research Activities Essay
The way to go about determining if certain resources are adequate for college assignments would be through an evaluation process. In chapter five of the course material, it provides the six tests of evidence that helps to conclude if discovered information can be utilized for a paper. The first test is regarding credibility. If a source is credible it should be information based on fact rather than opinion. The next test to examine is if the material is unbiased. Be sure founded information has room for other points of view about the issue so that the presentation of material in your paper is fair and balanced†(Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. Another test to examine would be to verify if the information is relevant and relates to your topic. Next, is the source complete? â€Å"Do not take information out of context and mislead the reader by using only the portion of the information that supports your opinion about a topic†(Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. The logical test is to make sure the information makes sense and is consistent with other known evidence. The final test would be to determine how current the resource is. Confirm the sources you use are as current as possible and have not been replaced by more recent research findings. Check to find the date an article was written or, if it has no date, check the copyright or revision date on the Web page to determine how recently the information was updated (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. An example of a suitable source would be an article from the Ashford Library, because Ashford Online Library have been archived by professional information management specialists, and Ashford University professional staff have selected specific databases for the library that are the most appropriate for your college courses. In other words, they are university and faculty approved. Sole, K. (2010) Writing College research papers. An unsuitable source would be Wikipedia, but can often be used to lead to other sources of information for an assignment.
Cold War Case Essay
The Cold War was a contest between the USA and the Soviet Union. It led to the existence of thousands of nuclear weapons, two universal ideologies in conflict, and two different self-images, the United States championing a world made safe for democracy. Its opponent, the Soviet Union advocated world Communism. The United States prides itself on its heritage of freedom, a refuge for persecuted religious groups, a land of liberty that successfully rebelled against the imperial power of Britain in 1776. Its guiding principles were the protection of the individual’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and the establishment of a constitution that embodied the best political idea of modern times, a system of checks and balances so that the president, Congress or parliament and judiciary or Supreme Court shared power, checking each other’s work to guard against dictatorship. While the United States did not always live up to its ideals, nonetheless, on paper at least, it looked good compared to its Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. Led by a murderous dictator, Joseph Stalin (1928 to 1953), the Soviet government was brutal, outlawing all opposition, banned political parties opposed to the Communist Party, murdered millions and set up a vast prison camp system known as the Gulag. In the years 1937-38 alone, Stalin ordered the execution of one million citizens of the Soviet Union. In the fifty years of the Cold War, the United States only executed two of its own citizens, the husband and wife Rosenberg spy team. Even though the Rosenbergs should not have been executed because their crimes were tiny in the context of the Civil War, the difference between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of political mass murder of its own citizens is obvious. Despite this fact, one third of the world went the Communist way and other countries were tempted by the promises of Communism. How could this be? In theory, Communism promised a more equal world and at its greatest extent in the 1970s, Communist governments ruled one third of the world’s people. These were mostly poor countries looking for a quick way to industrialise. These countries looked upon the United States as a champion of the rich and powerful, an exploitative superpower that exported its economic system of capitalism only because it suited its interests to do so. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States strides the world as the sole superpower. The United States maintains its grip on this unipolar world without having to make too much effort. The United States spends only about 5-6% of its economy (its gross national product) on defense. The Soviet Union spent somewhere between 20% and 33% of its economy to try to keep up with the United States during the Cold War. It couldn’t keep up the pace. The position of the United States has declined only slightly in the twentieth century. In 1928, its economy was four times the size of its nearest rival (France) and in 1950 its economy was three times the size of its nearest rival (the Soviet Union). It is not just a question of economic or military power. American films and popular music dominated the mass culture of the world from World War One to the present day. In 1994, the biggest-selling film in Austria, France, Germany, Argentina and Mexico was the The Lion King, an American cartoon. The Flinstones was the best-selling film in Poland and Turkey. Forrest Gump won Finland and Norway. It is important to remember that power is projected and wars can be won not just by military and economic means but also by winning what is now an international culture war. A reluctant empire? The United States expanded its frontier in North America throughout the eighteenth century and after victory over Spain in 1898 became a maritime power whose empire stretched as far west as the Philippines. Ever since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, the United States has pledged itself to prevent the European powers from intervening in the western hemisphere, specifically Latin America. Following its victory over Spain in 1898, the Untied States arrived as a world power. For many Native Americans and African-American slaves, some of the rhetoric of freedom did not ring true. But America’s promise of freedom and opportunity attracted migrants from all over the world. They arrived in New York at the rate of a million a year in the early 1900s. As a result of Europe’s self-destruction in World War One (1914-18), the United States became the dominant economic and political power in the world. It would later describe itself as a reluctant empire, a democratic state whose aim was to spread its ideals over the world but not to control in the way that European empires had done in the past. But what would it do with this power? Britain and France, weakened by the loss of Russia through revolution, were able to overcome Germany only with America’s help. Wilson believed that the values of the United States were in fact universal values of peace and democracy. In 1918 Woodrow Wilson, the American president published his Fourteen Points which called for a democratic peace based on the rights of self determination of all nations and the setting up of an international body, the League of Nations, to solve conflicts. But the world was changing. In Russia in 1917 Lenin and his Communist Party had come to power. Even worse for Wilson, his ideas were rejected in his own country, the United States. Wilson was pleased that the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War One established a League of Nations, but then found that the United States would not join. The League of Nations was rejected by the Senate, the upper house of the US Congress. Instead the Untied States tried to secure its future through the Washington Conference of 1921-22 which agreed that the US Navy should be of equal strength to the largest navy in the world, the British. In the 1920s and 30s, American foreign policy was dominated by isolationism, a refusal to intervene in Europe even when fasicsts, nazis and communists were on the march against American-style democracy in Europe. Those who support American power in the world today still worry that if the rest of the world criticises the United States too much it will retreat into its shell again and leave Europe and Australia at the mercy of a new (presumably Asian) religious fascim. Despite or because of its spectacular economic growth, American capitalism hit a major snag in the Great Depression that began in 1929 and economic problems increased the mood of isolationism in the US public, that is a mood of cutting the United States off from the world’s troubles. The president to take the US out of the Depression was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who introduced his New Deal. It was Roosevelt who would take the USA into the Second World War but only after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941, putting an end to the argument for isolation. The USA suffered more than three hundred thousand deaths in World War Two, mostly soldiers. But as in World War One this was a relatively small price to pay for what was a huge victory. The Soviet Union now under Joseph Stalin lost 27-30 million people, the majority of which were civilians. At the end of world War Two, the United States had a new and powerful weapon, the atomic bomb that it had to used to force japan to surrender in 1945. Under president Truman from 1945-52, the United States staked out a new role as the world’s policeman whose task it was to protect the democratic and free ‘West’ from the tyranny of Stalin’s Communism in the Soviet Union. The United States would win the Cold War, in large part because of its continuing economic success. On the eve of its collapse in 1990, the GNP of the Soviet Union was approximately one third of that of the USA, even though the United States and the Soviet Union had almost identical population sizes. The secret to America’s success? Unlike the Soviet Union, which experimented with a new and untried economic model of a state-rune economy, the Untied States had a proven economic model of capitalism. It had its faults such as inequality and crises of unemployment but encouraged innovation and efficiency in a way that the Soviet system did not.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations Essay
Absolute monarchy Introduction            The belief in an understandable world, under a methodical Christian God, offered much of the motion for philosophical investigation. Beside that, religious philosophy paid attention on the significance of godliness, and the splendor and secrecy of God’s definitive nature; aside from that, thoughts such as Deism strained that the planet was accessible to the supremacy of human reason, and that the â€Å"laws†which administer its activities were comprehensible. Outstanding illustrations which support demonstrate why several historians divide the Age of Reason from the explanation are the installation of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes, whose opinion are a result of the age of reason, scientifically follows and classify human emotion, and conflict for the requires of an inflexible system to embrace back the confusion of nature in his attempt Leviathan. While John Locke is visibly a scholar descendant of Hobbes, for Locke t he form of nature is the basis of all unity and, rights and the state’s function is to guard, and not to seize back, the state of life.            Galileo Galilei, was a university lecturer in Padua, Italy, who used a telescope, basically recently made, to observe the heavens. Telescope sustains the inspection that allowed Galileo to perceive things of his predecessor which had basically not been acknowledged about. The complexity of the universe that speedily became obvious was in direct antagonism to medieval analysis. Galileo exposed the rings around Saturn, that there were mountains on the moon, moons orbiting Jupiter, and spots moving across the sun.            In count for his effort on astronomy, intelligent Galileo as well made significant contributions in physics. He revealed that objects fall at an expected rate and formulated the mathematical method to illustrate their acceleration. Galileo’s effort was a significant step in the path of the fundamental principles of current physics: that the entire nature matches to consistent laws that can be articulated mathematically.            Equally, the combination of geometric philosophy which had conquered Western mathematics and philosophy ever since at least Eudoxus, and algebraic philosophy, attained from the Islamic world over the earlier two centuries impulsive mathematical and a scientific revolution. Sir Isaac Newton’s most claims to fame came from a methodical use of algebra to geometry, and synthesizing a practicable calculus which was appropriate to scientific troubles. The Enlightenment was an occasion when the solar system was accurately â€Å"discovered†: with the correct calculation of orbit, for example Uranus by William Herschel, Halley’s Comet, discovery of the first planet ever since ancient times, and the computation of the mass of the Sun using Newton’s theory of universal gravitation. The result that this sequence of discoveries had on equally practical commerce and philosophy was important. The eagerness of creating orderly and a new vision of the world, `and the identity for a philosophy of science which may well include the new innovation would demonstrate its fundamental persuade in both secular and ideas religious. If Newton may possibly order the cosmos with â€Å"natural philosophy,†therefore, lots of disputed, may perhaps be political philosophy sort of the body expedient.            Francois Marie Arouet, was famous philosopher acknowledged universally as Voltaire. Francois was expelled from England in 1726 and 1729, and at hand he considered Locke, Newton, and the English Monarchy. Voltaire’s philosophy was that â€Å"individuals who can make a person believe illogicality can make that person commit atrocities†that if individuals believed in what is irrational; they will do what is irrational. Like Newton, the philosophers highlighted the value of sensory understanding for gaining facts not simply about the substantial world, but about the social and political worlds as well.            The philosophers were as well strong supporter in liberty, which prepared them adversary of such practices as slavery. Philosophers were also optimistic of the utmost possible independence in economic and political life. Mainly the famous book formed in this era was Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Causes and Nature of the Wealth of Nations, printed in 1776. Smith calls for as little regime intervention as feasible. Adam Smith reasoned that the country well being is merely the collective of the well being of all the persons living in that state. Given that persons are motivated by self awareness and because they identify best what is in their self interest, administration must let the instrument of self attention operate to the advantage of the condition.            Additional basic thoughts also were put forward by the philosophers or their instantaneous precursor. John Lock put down the theory of understanding that was of great significance in Enlightenment contemplation. In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), Locke distinguishes the human brain at birth to an empty slate, a tabula rosa, on which thoughts are emblazoned through knowledge. The empiricism was a vital aspect of the Enlightenment.            The Enlightenment strike on absolutism came from numerous quarters. In 1690 John Locke, a challenger of James II and, Charles II wrote his well-known Two Treatises of Government partly to validate England’s overthrow of its king. Locke disputed that administration had a definite responsibility to those they administer; when administration fail to perform their requirement (including the safeguard of life, property and liberty), the citizens are warranted in restoring the government with another that will guard the people’s freedom.            Other philosophers continued to challenge the philosophical basis of absolutist rule. For example The Baron de Montesquieu, in the book Spirit of the Laws (1748), argument was that there were a small number of absolutes when it came to structure of government. Relatively, an administration should act in response to its surroundings. Montesquieu calls for the division of powers in the administration to permit for it to react to its environment.            Jean Jacques Rousseau in the Social Contract (1762) upholds that equality and freedom were necessary for a just civilization. In order to endorse equality and freedom, people have to place the regular good before individual own personal interests. This is why persons make regulation once they systematize themselves into societies. Rosseau’s model society was self regulating equality, in which every person subordinated his or her own significance to the broad will and in which the common will of the society truly reveal the welfare of the populace who willingly comprised that population.            Under the recent model of the rule of law, the supremacy of government is restricted by apparent and unmistakable lawful canons. Differently in 17th-and-18th-century monarchs hold on to absolutism or the rule of will the credence that they were monarch and their wills only were law. There were, though, reasonably conflicting rationales for absolutism.            Some definitions of sovereignty were concerned with the nature of man. In his most famous and controversial work, Leviathon (1651), the English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes held that it was the natural state of human beings to be at war with each other. Sovereignty, he reasoned, is located in the people but, out of self interest and the need for peace and security, they delegate it to the state (i.e. the monarch). The understanding between the people and the monarch, then, is a contract; in return for protection the people owe the monarch their total loyalty. If they rebel, the monarch may punish them as he sees fit. Otherwise, Hobbes maintained, there could be no order, and humanity would return to its â€Å"nasty, brutish,†disorderly state of nature. The method of the cosmos was observed as proof of God; consequently it was an evidence of the authority of monarchy. Natural law started, not as an effect against religion, bu t as an alternative, as a notion: God did not rule capriciously, but throughout the natural laws that he ratifies on earth. Thomas Hobbes, while an absolutist in regime, drew this dispute in Leviathan. A long time ago the notion of natural law was appeal to; still, it seized on existence of its individuality. If natural law may perhaps be used to support the arrangement of the monarchy, it may well also be used to emphasize the rights of focus of that monarch, that if present were natural laws, subsequently there were natural constitutional rights linked with them, just as there are privileges under man made regulation.            French Absolutism: influential as it was as grounds for absolutism, Hobbes’s philosophy did not essentially appeal to the monarch of his day. More striking to most was the presumption of absolutism that warranted the statute of Louis XIV of France, the mainly dominant monarch of his period. It assumed, contrary to Hobbes, that sovereignty resided directly in the person of the monarch and that it was given by â€Å"divine right.†Responsible only to God, the monarch’s word was law. Even the church was subject to royal authority (something that could only be justified after the Reformation, but the papacy still did not embrace this).            In 1648, at the end of the Thirty Years’ War, the Holy Roman Empire was hardly an empire at all. It was really a confederation of about 300 independent kingdoms only loosely united under a member of the Austrian Habsburg family who held the title of emperor. The Habsburgs, however, had little real power; what they did have came mainly through bargaining and compromise with local bishops and princes. Their hereditary lands included Bohemia, part of Hungary, Croatia and Transylvania, but even there they needed the cooperation of the local nobility in order to exercise power. Their fondest goal was to create some kind of unified state that they could control. They were held back, however, not just by geography and local politics, but also by great diversity in languages and cultures – a problem that has persisted in the area to the present day (i.e. Slavics, Huns, Germans, Protestant, Orthodox, Catholic, etc). References Bernstein, John Andrew. Shaftesbury, Rousseau, and Kant: an introduction to the conflict between aesthetic and moral values in modern thought. Rutherford [N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1980. Print. Brue, Stanley L., and Randy R. Grant. The Evolution of Economic Thought. Mason: Thomson Higher Education, 2007. Print. Hill, L.. â€Å"The hidden theology of Adam Smith†. The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought . 2001.Print. Rousseau, Jean, and Immanuel Kant. Rousseau: on the origin of inequality.. Chicago: Great Books Foundation, 1955. Print. Smith, Adam, Edwin Cannan, and Max Lerner. An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. Canaan ed. New York: The Modern library, 1937. Print. Smith,A., 1976, The Wealth of Nations edited by R. H. Campbell and A. S. Skinner, The Glasgow edition of the Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith, . Print. Vianello, F. â€Å"Social accounting in Adam Smith†, in: Mongiovi, G. and Petri F. (eds.), Value, Distribution and capital. Essays in honor of Pierangelo Garegnani, London, Routledge. 1999. Print. . Source document
Friday, September 27, 2019
Product and Brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Product and Brand Management - Essay Example This will make it possible for the company to compete effectively with established competitors in the market. Branding is a vital marketing tool to this effect. Branding will ensure that the company will have a competitive edge for this product and will also be a visible name in the market. Product and Brand Management Part1: Competitive Analysis (Positioning map) Competitive positioning is all about describing Kooler Refresh will be differentiated as well as the creation of value for the product in the market. This will be done after developing the business’s analysis of competitiveness. The company carves a spot for itself in the competitive landscape centering on delivering strategies (Daft, 2010). Kooler Refresher’s delivery strategy encompasses: Market profile-competitors, size, growth stages Customer segments-collection off potentials with same wants and requirements Competitive analysis-opportunities, dangers in the landscape, strong points, weaknesses Value posi tioning- the kind of value the business will deliver to the market Positioning strategy-how the provisions will be positioned to triumph mindshare It becomes easier generating this fresh prospect and steering it to purchasing, when the market visualizes how the business provisions are distinct from those of the competitors. Without distinction, it takes more resources and time to prove to prospects on the reasons why they ought to pick on this business, therefore ending up competing on price, a move meant to sustain the business over the long term (Gorchels, 2012). Value proposition stands out as a key factor in the strategy of positioning. It is a key to setting up a well recognized company and this product offering. It is therefore imperative that when developing and determining the company’s positioning of the Kooler Refresh product, the following questions are necessary in the offering of a guideline in accomplishing this task. Does the product address the expectations of the market according to the two prime attributes? Does the product offered address the entire market? Does it represent only a sub-section of the market? The objective here is to arrange the company and Kooler Refresh product donation relative to the competitors. A take-away from a competitive analysis function is on the product positioning against the competitors. Especially prior to a product’s lifespan, this is vital.  It is important and very necessary to avoid blurting out about the competitors ventures. Being well prepared for any situation is very essential and can be done by typically carrying out a quick reference sheet, listing the competitors being researched upon. Kooler Refresh Company is concerned with how it will deliver its value propositions. The words of activities are also followed by actions in the quest to win over customers. Rather than letting the positioning and value proposition go to chance, establishing of a strategy is very significant. It call s for thinking impartially about the needs and craves of the Kooler Refresh customers as well as what the competitors make available on offer. In the course of these deliberations, it is possible an unmet requirement amongst the market needs could be come by or rather it could be realized that the business requires an alternative
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Websites Comparison Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Websites Comparison - Coursework Example The two websites have the different secondary audience. The secondary audience for the WebMD is patients of sick people or people carrying out research on medical subjects. Students studying medicine can use the information for studies. The secondary audience for Nationals Institutes of Health is the learning institution, NGO’s and government agencies. In order to provide medical help to the community NGO’s can use the information to identify the health institution available. The government can also monitor the health program available in order to make an improvement. The two websites use connection strategies to deliver the information to the primary audience. WebMD uses a connection from Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. People can share the information on the website to those social media platform and increase audience. National Institutes of Health uses You Tube, Facebook, Twitter and email updates connections. The subscribers are updates through email on daily basi s. Some of the jargons in WebMD include prodigy, sclerosis facts, schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis. Those jargons are used to explain different body complication. National Institutes of Health web has more scientific jargons and experiments that are technical. The images in the website include images of practical being carried out in a scientific lab. An average sentence length in the WebMD website is ten words and a paragraph is seven to eight sentences. Each paragraph is composed of different information.
Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Leadership - Essay Example I quickly recognized that opening up these sales channels would gain product exposure and substantial revenue growth for the company and thus made appointments with department store buyers to present our product lines. However, our President of Sales discouraged me from pursuing department stores and told me to focus on our current sales channels because it was too late in the season to change our designs and our production level was close to maximum capacity. Not one to be easily discouraged, I approached our Chief Operation Officer and Chief Financial Officer and presented my idea of special productions: uniquely designed and specially allotted productions for the department stores. They liked the idea and assigned me to head the project. I contacted the department stores’ senior buyer groups and marketing teams and worked with the production department to establish new production channels. I also worked with our design department to create exciting designs for our buyers. T he special production was further streamlined when I aggregated the department store’s marketing department with our own to create campaigns to strategically promote our products.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
How to be a good parent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
How to be a good parent - Essay Example The research paper consists of the children that are in between 2 to 16 years. In this age, considerable changes occur in children because this is the age in which developments is in ongoing position. Then parents have to be conscious while behaving wrongly in front of the children because they are in learning position (Fontenelle, 2011). Each and every behavior effects on their mental and physical development. Parents have to be conscious while talking with the neighbors, friends and any other person in front of the children because children learn most of the behaviors from the parents. Parents should maintain stable behavior with the children. Too much leniency and strictness spoil the child’s mental health, and he or she cannot be a strong person in the future life. Parents should be concerned in the activities of their children so that they know the behavioral changes and the reasons of these changes. In this way, parents can easily solve the problems of children (Steinber g, 2004). Parents should know the children’s liking and disliking such as what sport they like, what television show they want to watch, who are their friends and why do they like them. Through the strong connection, they can know mostly about the children. Parent should tell the children what is right and what is wrong, what is good and bad for them. Parents should tell them the limits so that in the future they will become responsible and self reliant (Hawkins, 1972). Mostly young and inexperienced parents do not know the behavioral changes of the children because they are inexperienced. According to the writers, young parents need assistance for knowing these changes so that their children will become confident and self reliant in their lives. Parents should observe the children’s behavior and attitude keenly so that they can know their children's behavioral changes. In this way, they can easily know the problems that children are facing in the life. Parents should have a friendly attitude with children so that they feel protective and comfortable in their parents company. In this way, whenever child faces some problem, he or she firstly will tell their problem to their parents. In this way, they will secure from crucial issues. The parents who created a comfortable environment between children and themselves, these children will become more confident and self reliant (Kerr, M., & Stattin, 2000). The children who have confidence take more accurate decisions in the future for themselves. Parents have to be conscious while selecting their name. In that way, the child will become more confident and self reliant. Name is the first and most valuable gift that parents give to their children. Name is the identity of the children. This identity he has to use in his or her whole life. That is why parents should be more conscious in the selection of name. Writer tells name should be in the way that the person can carry in the whole life. Names should no t be look like the name of child and any elderly person. The name of the child gives him or her confidence to become more socialized and confident in the future. Second and most important thing he told is that love is the most important thing for the children’s confidence and maturity. The more you provide love to your children, the more they will become more confident in making important decisions in life. Good name gives
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Informal report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Informal report - Assignment Example HTC Desire HD has a 4.3 inch touch screen. The phone has been designed in such a way that it incorporates a big screen, which can be used to access websites, social media and other modern tasks undertaken by users. HTC Desire HD also comes with an easy grip coating on the phone, so that it does not slip out of the hand of the user too easily (see figure 1). Another main design feature of the phone is the way in which it makes it easier for users to put covers on them. The batteries and digital storage cards (microSD cards) can easily be interchanged. HTC Desire HD comes equipped with the Google Android 2.2 system, which is extremely easy to use. One of the core advantages of this operating system is that the user can easily customize the phone features according to his or her specific use. Another major aspect of the phone is the touch screen. The screen gives an instant response to the user, which enables him or her to learn from mistakes and without any specific need to read complicated manuals. All new HTC Desire HD’s come with a full 1 year manufacturer warranty. The maintenance is low, as the phone is equipped with a lithium ion battery, which lasts at least 2-3 years. Another main feature of the phone is that the battery can easily be changed by the user, as opposed to iPhone batteries which can only be changed by authorized centers. HTC Desire HD is loaded with a number of features which make it highly desirable to the user. The phone enables users to use Active Sync, which integrates email, calendars and contacts from a Gmail or an exchange account. The phone also comes preloaded with a number of social networking applications such as twitter, Facebook and Picassa. The phone also has wifi connection, in addition to the standard Bluetooth and USB cable links. A unique feature of HTC Desire HD is a accomplished camera, which can take pictures of up to 8MB resolution. The camera can also take stunning HD quality videos. Another key feature of the
Monday, September 23, 2019
B2C Compared to B2B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
B2C Compared to B2B - Essay Example (2006c) By combining both the aspects, Internet and supply chain, we can define B2B as those "portals that allow businesses to deal directly with their suppliers and distributors online, thereby allowing electronic transfer of orders, invoices, payments etc. Wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers fall in this category". (2006a) B2B websites serves as primary or direct link, which connect suppliers to suppliers or business-to-business while "B2C websites are intermediary portals that link customers to suppliers as its main concern is selling to the end user". (2006a) "From a 'solution-oriented' perspective, a B2C site is just the end point of B2B and B2C supply chain". (2006c) "Research suggests that that both the e-commerce and advertising expenditure numbers for B2B will grow faster than B2C in the coming years. Given the consensus about the importance of B2B e-commerce and advertising, it is surprising that B2C websites have received much more than their fair share of research attention in the Journal of Advertising Research as well as in other journals". (Chakraborty et al, 2003, p. 50) "Distributors have not lagged behind in fulfilling the need of bridging the gap between manufacturer and end consumer". (2006b) "This would be less of a concern if the advertising objectives and the sales processes were similar between B2B and B2C domains. But, many differences exist between these two domains." (Chakraborty et al, 2003, p. ... Security issues are centered on transmission and storage of transactional information by a website. As in the case of privacy, consumers experience a lack of control over the payment information provided to a website. Security issues are shared by the websites and consumers. This has led many websites to resolve the technical issues related to security. In spite of these measures, visitors may still perceive the website to be unsafe. Reduction in perceptions of security concerns affects web usage. (Chakraborty et al, 2003, p. 50) B2C websites includes on-line trading, biddings, auctions, stock trading markets etc. Ebay and Amozon.com are one of the most successful B2C integration these days. If we look at the causes of building e-business integrations, it would be noticed that "a primary reason for building such initiatives internally is that value chains are only as strong as their weakest link, devoting extensive time, resources, and capital to B2B projects seldom yield substantial return on investment if internal systems are not integrated. Simply connecting applications on a point-to-point basis is not enough. Without a thoroughly integrated internal infrastructure, B2B initiatives are sure to provide little value in the best-case scenario, or no value in the worst. To fully achieve the kind of business process visibility required to gain true insight into the enterprise and supply chain, companies must rise out of the fiefdoms of information and departmental approaches to conducting business. They need the ability to define enterprise business processes that can span across multiple systems and business partners that reside beyond the firewall. These processes are
Sunday, September 22, 2019
History Behind Moulin Rouge the Movie Essay Example for Free
History Behind Moulin Rouge the Movie Essay It was 1899 in Paris, France, it was the time of the Bohemian Revolution, and it was the summer of love. Christian, played by Ewan McGregor, was a writer and came to Paris to experience this revolution and be surrounded by the artists, singers, and dancers of this new Bohemian world. Little did he know that he would experience something he had never felt before but always believed in: love. Moulin Rouge, directed by Baz Luhrmann, is an exquisite movie musical based off of a real life cabaret called Moulin Rouge in Montmartre. The movie tells the story of the love triangle between Christian, Satine aka the â€Å"Sparkling Diamond†of the Moulin Rouge, played by Nicole Kidman, and The Duke. Although Christian and Satine are fictional characters, the story includes real life characters such as Harold Zidler, the co-mastermind of the Moulin Rouge and Toulouse-Lautrec, a famous French artist. Moulin Rouge is a great look into what life was like back in Paris in 1900, but also adds in the love story between Christian and Satine to make for a great movie musical. In the beginning of the movie, Christians optimistic love shines some light into Satines dark materialistic reality. To make a living, Satine became a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. She gets paid for making men believe what they want to believe, so she sells her body to make money. She mistakenly became attracted to Christian for his pure and optimistic belief in love. Seeing that Christian did not have a lot of money, she becomes hesitant of loving him because he would not be able to support her and her dreams of being an actress. With Christians pure and optimistic belief of love, he captures Satines heart by loving her for who she really is, not for what she is. Although Satine dies in the end of the movie, Christian learns that true love lasts forever even through death. Harold Zidler, who is not a fictional character, is the man who helped to run the real Moulin Rouge cabaret. In the film, and in real life Paris, Zidler was the man who was, â€Å"a ‘brother’ to the artists and the man in the shadows who watched over the dancers and the rest of the personnel with a benevolent eye and ruled with an iron fist†(History). In the film he is the one who is in charge of making sure everything goes perfectly at the cabaret and makes sure all his dancers, especially Satine, know what they are supposed to do and who they should impress that night. Not only did he run the Moulin Rouge he was also a showman and performed with his dancers in the shows. Toulouse-Lautrec was also an important person when it comes to the cabaret in Paris. In the film he does not have a huge role other than help Christian get inside the Moulin Rouge and find a way for him to meet Satine. In Paris in the 1900’s, though, he is said to have been â€Å"the eyes of the Moulin Rouge.†Toulouse-Lautrec attended every evening show when the cabaret opened; and as mentioned before he was an artist, so every night he would sit in a corner and draw the dancers accompanied by a glass of absinthe (History). The fact about the absinthe is also in the movie; Toulouse-Lautrec, Christian, and a few others take a shot of absinthe before they head to the Moulin Rouge one night and the next few minutes of the film are just filled with pure craziness and hallucinations. His artwork, though, was extremely important in the success of the Moulin Rouge. â€Å"In 1891, he drew the first advertising poster for the Moulin Rouge, which today remains the best known image of the Moulin Rouge around the world†(History). His work is still famous today and without him the Moulin Rouge in Paris would not be as well known as it is today. The dancers of the Moulin Rouge were masters of the â€Å"cancan.†One of the stars and also known as â€Å"Queen of the Cancan†was Louise Weber, but her nickname was â€Å"La Goulue.†She is not specifically in the film, but in a biography about her, it states that, â€Å"one evening when she was dancing a frenetic cancan, between two cartwheels she spotted the Prince of Wales, who had come to spend an evening on his own at the Moulin Rouge, and called out, with the Parisian cheek for which she was well know, ‘Hey, Wales! The champagne’s on you?’†(History). La Goulue is relatable to Satine in the film, because Satine was also the star and best dancer and she spotted Christian the first night he was there and while she was dancing called him out in front of everyone who was in attendance at the Moulin Rouge that evening. Moulin Rouge is one of Baz Luhrmann’s best films. The movie came out in June 2001 and has won many awards and is one of the best movies in the musical genre. The set design, costumes, casting of roles, and music all is so perfectly put together to create this brilliant film. Luhrmann, who also co-wrote the movie with Craig Pearce, traveled to Paris with Pearce and the production designer to conduct historical research and write the synopsis for the movie. â€Å"To find ways to depict 19th century Paris and the Moulin Rouge as it may have felt to its audience then at the cutting edge of sex, music, dance, theater and modern thinking the filmmakers immersed themselves in the neighborhood, venues and culture of their story†(Luhrmann). Through their research and learning about the culture, they came to understand that the Moulin Rouge was a club that brought all different classes together and Pearce quotes that is the equivalent of â€Å"Studio 54 in New York in the late 70’s; a place where the rich and the powerful can mix with the young, the beautiful and the penniless†(Luhrmann). This is shown in the movie because we see the powerful, such as The Duke, and then Christian who is just a writer, come to the same club to experience th e same thing, women and entertainment. The first half an hour of the movie is nonstop music, dancing, lights, and just absolutely craziness. Audiences are not given a chance to â€Å"relax†and just slowly take the movie in; it is fast paced and keeps the movie viewer on their toes just waiting for what will come next. In a movie critique, shortly after it came out in 2001, the movie reviewer describes Moulin Rouge as â€Å"grandiose, glorious, absinthe-soaked excess.†When filming, Luhrmann wanted everything to be over the top and wanted more out of the production; more songs, more sound, more color, more everything (Kaplan C.D.). This is what it was like in the real cabaret, the dancing and songs were all so intense and crazy so the men would be fully entertained and never get bored. There was a lot going on in Paris in the late 1880’s and 1890’s. The Eiffel Tower was built, the first cinematographic screening was shown by the Lumiere brothers, and the most famous cabaret opened its doors. â€Å"The public came in mass to discover this extravagant place with its huge dance floor, mirrors everywhere, and galleries that were the last word in elegance, to mix with the riffraff and girls of easy virtue†(History). The Moulin Rouge was a place for the rich and poor men to come for dancing, music, and entertainment from the ladies; it is said to have been an atmosphere of â€Å"total euphoria.†This was a time where workers, aristocrats, artists, and the middle-class could all gather together to experience cabarets, music-halls, and other night time activities. As mentioned before, this movie takes place during the Bohemian Revolution. This revolution was not a revolution of fighting, but a revolution of art and culture. It was a time for artisits, poets, writer, singers, dancers, and anyone else who wanted to express themselves to show off their talents and be recognized. These were the â€Å"children of the revolution†(Moulin Rouge). In the beginning scenes of Moulin Rouge, Christian is told that to really be a child of the revolution, he has to believe in beauty, freedom, truth, and most importantly love. Which of course he believes in love, it is what he lives for and as stated earlier, he is given the chance to experience love for the first time. Not only is the movie based off of the real cabaret in Paris, but it is also partly based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and partly on the opera La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi (IMDb). The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is somewhat like the story between Christian and Satine. Orpheus is said to have been the best musician that ever lived and until he met Eurydice, he lived his simply and carelessly. Orpheus and Eurydice fell in love and it meant everything to both of them but someone else wanted Eurydice’s beauty and wanted her but she did not care for this other man. To make a long story short, she ends up dying and Orpheus tries to get her back from the underworld but could not save her; all he had left was the love they once had (â€Å"Orpheus†). For Christian, he lost Satine and would never get her back again but what he got from her death was a story of true love that he has to share with the world. Satine was already dying before she fell in love with Christian, but at least she was able to die knowing what it was like to be in love. The opera La Traviata is another love story that ends tragically. Violetta, who is a courtesan, claims that love means nothing to her until she meets a young man named Alfredo which makes her then wonder if he could be the man that she could love. In the end of the story, though, Violetta is diagnosed with tuberculosis and does not have long to live and dies at Alfredo’s feet (â€Å"La Traviata†). This opera, the myth of Orpheus, and Moulin Rouge, are all similar in the way that the woman never really believed in love until they met that one man that changed their views on love, there are challenges to face one the man and woman fall in love, and then it is the woman who dies in end leaving their lovers all alone. Each story is a little different but the same basic idea, from the opera and Greek myth, are apparent in the film. From twentieth century Paris, the Bohemian Revolution, the myth of Orpheus, Harold Zidler, and other historical moments, Moulin Rouge is a one of a kind musical film that is an amazing piece of work put together by Luhrmann. Knowing the history behind the film makes it exciting to watch and understand what it was like back in Paris in 1899. Works Cited â€Å"The History of the Moulin Rouge and its Shows.†Moulin Rouge.fr. Le Bal du Moulin Rouge, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. Kaplan, C.D. Rev. of Moulin Rouge, by Baz Luhrmann. Louisville Eccentric Observer, Louisville, Ky.: 30 May 2001. Vol. 11, Iss. 30; pg. 21 â€Å"La Traviata.†The Metropolitan Opera. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Luhrmann, Baz,, and Craig Pearce, commentary. Moulin Rouge. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. Film. Moulin Rouge. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. Film. â€Å"Moulin Rouge.†IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Orpheus and Eurydice.†Paleothea Myths. N.p., 10 Jan. 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2011.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Developing management skills by David A Whetten Circumstances
Developing management skills by David A Whetten Circumstances Sitting at a corner table bathed in sunshine, I was enjoying reading the textbook Developing Management Skills written by David A. Whetten Kim S. Cameron. The cafe pub was not so busy at noontime. Unconscious distraction to the conversation at the adjacent table immersed me deeply in self-reflection. That was a conversation between a superior and his three subordinates, an usual coffee talk as I offered to my subordinates countless times in the past years, but now, an unusual talk as I concepted not a talk scene but a show of many vivid strategies and skills in practice. Easily and also unconsciously in my mind, things underlying the talk-show surfaced, coaching, counseling, motivation, reciprocity, reasoning, gaining power and influence, managing conflict, etc. Its amazing suddenly I felt. Why? There are something very different happened in me I know. Such feelings recalled me a piece of story from Chuang Tzu-Cook Ting Slicing Up An Oxen. Highly praised by Lord Wenhui for his superb performance, the Master butcher mentioned that, when he first began cutting up oxen, he could see nothing but the whole ox, but after three years, he no longer saw a whole ox. Now, reviewing my past six years working experience as well as management practice, on the basis of the systematic learning of the theories of management organizational behavior, I can see no whole images from my prospective, but more clearly the underlying driving forces of fragments formulated the whole story. In 2004, after graduated from the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, I became a wilder job hunter among millions of undergraduate in the HR market. Clearly I remembered that on the date of October 10, 2004, I stepped into this company named Teamhead Marine Surveyors Co., Ltd, and then stuck to the company (never think about jump-out) until taking the Bimba education here. Like watching a baby grow up day by day, during these six years, I have gone through her expansion from a group with 3 members only to a medium-sized survey company with over 20 staffs in the head office and three branch offices in Dalian, Shanghai and Huangpu, her development from the inception to the No.1 independent marine survey company in Tianjin Port, her metamorphosis from a merely self-employed to a normal company with her management system approved and certified by DNV ISO9000. Concurrently with the growing of our company, I have also experienced a remarkable period of my career life, promoting through the rank of an assistant and surveyor to the Deputy Manager of this team. In retrospect the beginning of my career, considering my lacking of maritime background, and also for attaining a better understanding about marine survey, I gave up all my Sundays and holidays for studying marine books and going through hundreds of veteran surveyors survey reports. From the second month of my join-in, I can manage my job as an assistant without making many mistakes. And as a reward for my quick integration to the marine survey society, my boss recognized and contracted me as a formal employee from the third month. In the following days, when there short of hands, I took another role as a rare female surveyor who burst into a mans field, examing the quality of steel tubes, bars and slabs in rural mills, participating in cargo dimension survey (climbing up and down for t he figures in the quayside yards), and fighting with stevedores for dunnage and cargo securing during stuffing operation to containers. I am not a genius. But in those processes, my spirit of perseverance, outstanding abilities, industrious efforts and continuously emerging ideas on improvements in work finally won me the trust of my boss, the respect of my colleagues and the approval of our clients. In 2007, I was promoted to the position of Deputy Manager of this company, with full responsibility for routine survey organization and supervision. However, a person with strong working abilities doesnt mean that he or she can perform management very well. In my understanding, management consists of only two parts, managing business and, managing men. I am good at managing business (narrow meaning), but really awkward at managing humans, those employees younger or older than me, those colleague graduates, Captains or Chief Mates with years of marine experience, and even those under-educated foremen or stevedores from ports. What confronted with me was a real harsh dilemma situation. On the one hand, I want to implement strictly the survey regulations on procedures and standards and ultimately to improve our service standard to clients; however on the another, the really challengeable complex employee composition for me a green-hand manager to cope with. Very soon all my disadvantage as of lacking experience in management exposed. Earthquake is a nightmare. Almost at the same time when the 2008 Earthquake happened, our company experienced our own Earthquake, which triggered by the intensification of accumulated contradictions and divergences to conflicts between I (as a manager) and majority subordinates. Deeply involved in the battle, I faced with a situation wholly out of my control. Then for solving the conflict, our boss stood out and, had to think about making a very difficult decision, actually focusing on whether to retain my position and let those dissenters go or otherwise. My boss choose the FORE option, though bearing a clear mind on foreseeable hardships the company would suffer immediately, from the extensive turnover. The only chance I appreciated throughout my life it would be. Valuing the chance and appreciating my bosss trust and efforts on cultivating me to be a good manager, I started to reflect on my doings of the past years and, try to implement improvements incrementally. Since then, simultaneously with my progress and gradual maturity in management, all atmospheres in our company renewed. Following my leadership, all my subordinates unitize harmoniously and contribute their best efforts to provide international recognized highest standard of service to our clients. Though unavoidably being impacted by the Global Economy Recession, our company still runs steadily with zero layoff and zero clients loss. With the guidance of theories I learnt from the Managing Organizational Behavior class, and marking our companys Earthquake as a watershed, hereinafter I would like to progress and deepen the refection on my personal management development. From Self-boast to Self-diagnosis To be honest, before attending this class, I am very boasted of past performance (exactly management performance after the company earthquake) and even self-definite to be already a good manager, being right person doing right things and in right ways, though most often being humble and modest in appearance. However, after finishing the first on-line Diagnostic Survey-Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS), as well as comparing the result with the reports from the PAMS Associates (two previous assistants invited for the survey) and with those of a national norm group, I blushed actually at the first glimpse of the ratings that far behind my expectations. Score Categories Your Maximum Norm Group Norm Group Scores Points Comparison Mean Self-assessment 405 510 Second Quartile (395-424) 394.6 Associate I 413 510 Second Quartile (395-421) 394.6 Associate 2 447 510 Top Quartile (422 or above) 394.6 Skill Area Your Rater1 Rater2 Norm Score Score Score Group Developing Self Awareness 26 24 28 24 Managing Stress 28 29 31 26 #Solving Problems Creatively 62 58 59 53 *Communicating Supportively 39 44 50 41 Gaining Power and Influence 38 40 40 38 *Motivating Others 41 42 43 42 Managing Conflict 44 45 49 44 Empowering and Delegating 44 45 52 43 *Building Effective Teams and Teamwork 46 48 53 47 Leading Positive Change 37 38 42 37 Comparing my score against the maximum possible (510), I am in the second quartile only, not as outstanding as I thought should be in the top quartile and, there exists a WIDE gap between my rating to the maximum. Compared to a norm group of approximately 5,000 business school students, majority of my skills rate just NORMAL, even with skills for Communicating Supportively, Motivating Others and Building Effective rated BELOW the average performance. And, comparison between self-assessment and Associates version exposes obviously the difference on rating my skill for Solving Problems Creatively. In general, the most impressive, and also valuable lessons from the starting class are that, my realization of the fact that I am NOT AS EXCELLENT AS I thought to be; so be REALISTIC and MODEST; do careful diagnosis on my management practice as to identify skill strengths and weaknesses for further self-improvement and perfection. And, for carrying out the diagnosis as well as therapy work effectively, I tailored myself a reflection method and named it Match Patch. Match refers to basing on my past experience, match my behavior with what I have learnt from this class, to analysis definitely my behavior, its nature, causes as well as outcomes. And stepping further, apply the guidelines of strategies and skills to plan and implement a Patch necessary, filling the gaps identified out, and to enhance a successful career in management. Diagnosis and Reflection on Personal Skills Developing Self-Awareness Diagnostic Surveys for Scale Self-Awareness PRE Self-Awareness Scores Category My score Maximum Score Norm Group Comparison Norm Group Mean Total Score 53 66 I am in the second quartile 52.20 Skill Set Score Norm Group Mean Self-disclosure and openness to feedback from others 25 23.54 Awareness of own values, cognitive style, change orientation, and interpersonal orientation 28 28.67 Relying on seeking feedback information about my behaviors and sharing beliefs and feelings is really an effective way for me to pursue self-improvement. Admittedly, before the Earthquake, I am a quite self-centered person. I concepted management simply in the model of Give order Follow order, and seldom did I think about getting feedback about my behavior from my subordinates, let alone to create any chance to seek such feedbacks from them. At that time, I can see only their disadvantages and pin them with kinds of label such as lazy, tardy, low IQ, dishonest, passive, petty, thickheaded, etc., and from my inner heart, never prepared with real respect to those people I work with. The only channel I could get feedback on my behavior in the company was from my boss. And, I have a strong preference tendency to communicate with elder persons in both the work and life circumstance, or persons who perform better than me in scopes I am not good at but concerned with. From those people, I can accept even negative feedback willingly. However, habitually I would resist negative feedback from the younger and or the persons who I am not valued or appreciated very much. Different people have different prospective to feedback to you. Later after the Earthquake, in practice I realized that if I can seek feedback information from more people, I will have more mentors. And actually until that time, did I realize that I possess a great advantage-complexity of employee composition which I should value. There are not only young specialty students and undergraduate students, but also Captains, Chief Officers, Chief Engineers with years of sailing experience, Experts at maritime field, and even under-educated foremen and stevedores from ports. It is their continuous sincere feedbacks that expedite my improvements on work. Emotional Intelligence Assessment Total Overall Score: 85.00 Quartile Ranking: Second Quartile (71-85) Key Dimension: Emotional Awareness Points (1) When I get really upset, I. . . a. Analyze why I am so disturbed. a. 10 b. Blow up and let off steam. b. 0 c. Hide it and remain calm. c. 0 (5) On important issues I usually. . . a. Make up my own mind and ignore others opinions. a. 5 b. Weigh both sides, and discuss it with others before making a decision. b. 10 c. Listen to my friends or colleagues and make the same decision they do. c. 0 (9) In a situation when I have an important obligation and need to leave work early, but my colleagues ask me to stay to meet a deadline, I would probably . . . a. Cancel my obligation and stay to complete the deadline. a. 0 b. Exaggerate a bit by telling my colleagues that I have an emergency that I cant miss. b. 0 c. Require some kind of compensation for missing the obligation. c. 10 Key Dimension: Emotional Control (Balance) Points (2) In a situation where a colleague takes credit in public for my work and my ideas, I would probably. . . a. Let it slide and do nothing to avoid a confrontation. a. 0 b. Later in private indicate that I would appreciate being given credit for my work and ideas. b. 5 c. Thank the person in public for referencing my work and ideas and then elaborate on my contributions. c. 10 (6) When someone that I do not particularly like becomes romantically attracted to me, I usually. . . a. Tell that person directly that I am not interested. a. 10 b. Respond by being friendly but cool or aloof. b. 5 c. Ignore the person and try to avoid him or her. c. 0 (10) In a situation in which another person becomes very angry and begins yelling at me, I . . . a. Get angry in return. I dont take that from anyone. a. 0 b. Walk away. I doesnt do any good to argue. b. 0 c. Listen first, and then try to discuss the issue. c. 10 Key Dimension: Emotional Diagnosis (Empathy) Points (3) When I approach another person and try to strike up a conversation but the other person doesnt respond, I. . . a. Try to cheer up the person by sharing a funny story. a. 5 b. Ask the person if he or she wants to talk about whats on his or her mind. b. 10 c. Leave the person alone and find someone else to talk to. c. 0 (7) When I am in the company of two people who have diametrically opposing points of view about an issue (for example, politics, abortion, war) and are arguing about it, I. . . a. Find something upon which they can both agree and emphasize it. a. 10 b. Encourage the verbal battle. b. 5 c. Suggest that they stop arguing and calm down. c. 0 (11) When I encounter someone who has just experienced a major loss or tragedy, I . . . a. Really dont know what to do or say. a. 0 b. Tell the person I feel very sorry and try to provide support. b. 10 c. Share a time when I experienced a similar loss or tragedy. c. 0 Key Dimension: Emotional Response Points (4) When I enter a social group I usually. . . a. Remain quiet and wait for people to talk to me. a. 0 b. Try to find something complimentary I can tell to someone. b. 10 c. Find ways to be the life of the party or the source of energy and fun. c. 0 (8) When I am playing a sport and the game comes down to my last second performance, I. . . a. Get very nervous and hope that I dont choke. a. 0 b. See this as an opportunity to shine. b. 5 c. Stay focused and give it my best effort. c. 10 (12) When someone makes a racist joke or tells a crude story about a member of the opposite sex in mixed company, I usually . . . a. Point out that this is inappropriate and not acceptable, and then change the subject. a. 10 b. Ignore it so I dont cause a scene. b. 0 c. Get really upset and tell the person just what I think of what he or she said. c. 5 The overall score of my emotional intelligence assessment here proves only an important fact that, ones emotional intelligence CAN be enhanced. Previously as a stiff manager who knows only giving orders, I am rather autocratic and seldom think about listening first others opinions before making decisions. What I expected from them were their complete obedience and performance to my standards. However, if viewed from present prospect, all mentioned behaviors exposed nothing but my lack of confidence as well as the fear of lose control in management due to experience deficiency. On this point, later I changed my way of decision making on some important issues. With more team members participated in the decision making process, the risks of decision mistake or failure as well as members resistance on implementation were greatly lessened. Besides, it is true that in life I am aware of my emotion status and changes, especially demonstrating emotional control because my emotions would directly influenced my team members mood for work. And, I also try to sense others emotions through observing and capturing tiny signals such as their tone, gestures or facial expressions, and then give proper response appropriately. However, as shown in the survey, still I am not confident enough to handle the situation on the spot, especially when facing the public as well as recognize and attribute my own contributions. Besides, when presented in unfamiliar social group activities, though I aware of the emotional climate of the group, my behavior is passive and inappropriate. Cognitive Style Score Name my score (Mean) 5925 Young Mngrs 2215 Young Mngrs MBA Stdts Mean/Std Dev Mean/Std Dev Knowing Style 4.25 3.89/.65 4.06/.96 Planning Style 4.14 3.78/.77 3.81/1.16 Creating Style 3.71 4.01/.60 4.16/.80 As shown in the report, my cognitive style is very typical of knowing style and planning style, which proves my great preference on facts and data, as well as structure, preparation and planning as of basis for information interpretation and decision-making. Meanwhile, my score is low on Creating Style exposed my less creativity and, intolerance on uncertainty, novelty and ambiguity. Interpreting the Defining Issues Test Story Statement Chosen By Importance/Stage The Escaped Prisoner Every time someone escapes punishment for a crime, doesnt that just encourage more crime? (Stage 4) Would it be fiar to prisoners who have to serve out their full sentences if Mr. Thompson is let off? (Stage 4) Wouldnt we be better off without prisons and the oppression of our legal systems? (Antiauthority) Wouldnt it be a citizens duty to report an escaped criminal, regardless of the circumstances? (Stage 4) The Doctors Dilemma Can society allow suicide or mercy killing and still protect the lives of individuals who want to live? (Stage 5) Can society afford to let people end their lives whenever they desire? (Stage 4) What values has the doctor set for himself in his own personal code of behavior? (Stage 5) Should the doctor have sympathy for the womans suffering, or should he care more about what society might think? (Stage 3) The Newspaper Would the students start protesting even more if the principal stopped the newspaper? (Stage 2) If the principal stopped the newspaper, would he be preventing full discussion of important problems? (Stage 5) What effect would stopping the paper have on the students education in critical thinking and judgment? (Stage 5) Is Rami using the newspaper to stir up hatred and discontent? (Stage 3) On the case of Escaped Prisoner, most of the statement I chosen were in Stage 4, which indicates that I am in the conformity level of maturity. My moral reasoning is based on conforming to laws and authority. Whether or not Mr. Thompson did something benefit the society, he violated the law is undeniable and, punishment should not be counteracted. Regarding the Doctors Dilemma, most of the statement I chosen were in Stage 5, which indicates that I am in the principled level of maturity. Judgments are made on the basis of a set of principles or core values that have been developed from my experience, not on the basis of whether or not the action is violated the law. Sympathetic for the suffered people, I support mercy killing to relieve them from pain if they truly desire. For the Newspaper case, most of the statement I chosen were in Stage 5 again, which indicates that I am a principled individual and based my judgment on my own internal principles. Stopping the paper may not be an appropriate way to minimize the negative effective as well as to avoid unexpected side-effects. The Learning Style Style Score Concrete Experience 18 Reflective Observation 33 Abstract Conceptualization 33 Active Experimentation 36 According to the survey result, my learning style is flexible and diversified, with similar strength in reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation, whereas less tendency to concrete experience. As I am weak in concrete experience learning style, I should apply and strength the skills by means of creative thinking, trial and error, personal feedback, or a study partner who are strong in learning styles where I am not, to experience fully the learning cycle as well as to deal more effectively a broader range of challenges and situations. Tolerance of Ambiguity Score Categories Your Maximum Compared to Norm Group Scores Points Possible Range 44-48 Total Tolerance to Ambiguity 63 112 Over Average Range of 44-48 Subscore My score Novelty 21 Complexity 31 Insolubility 11 My decision making preference actually proves my intolerance score to ambiguity to be reasonable. In practice, especially for the company business, I am habitual to make decisions on a basis of at least 70~80% predictable probability of success, otherwise I would hesitate to or feel uncomfortable to make any decisions. And, being somewhat intolerance to ambiguity, I am less adaptive behaviorally and non-flexible to cope with ambiguous or unstructured situations resulted from information-overloaded and or rapidly changeable circumstances. Hence, I should now focus on some ways to improve my tolerance for ambiguity and my cognitive complexity. Managing Personal Stress Diagnostic Surveys for Managing Stress PRE Stress Management Scores Score Categories My scores Maximum Points Possible Norm Group Mean Total Stress Management 49 60 44.69 Skill Area My score Norm Group Mean Eliminating Stressors 21 18.26 Developing Resiliency 19 18.18 Short Term Coping 9 8.25 This survey shows that there are still more promotion spaces for me to improve my competence to cope with stressful or time-pressured situations, though I have already make some progresses on stresses management. Now I keep close track of my time, set and check task priorities in due course. And also understood how to organize others to accomplish common goals, as well as to avoid upward delegations. However, as you know, the shipping industry is special and, it seems that we could never expect a stop of its engine and anchor-drop. Vessels call and departure at any time of a day. So just as our catch phrase goes, Plans go no faster than Changes. (à ¨Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ ’à ¦Ã‚ ²Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¦Ã…“†°Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ËÅ"à ¥Ã…’-à ¥Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ «), except for prioritizing some routine work or contracted service appointments, I seldom prepare myself to-do lists because I have no idea whats waiting for me before I stepped into the office door. Resiliency is the most under-developed skill for me to cope with long lasting stresses. Always in the excuse of busying and or being exhausted, seldom did I take exercise for body building and fitness, as well as participate in some social activities with friends to share feelings or seek any reliefs. No less than 90% my times and energies were occupied with work or at least thinking about business. Whats the worse, suffering from insomnia, I stood in the line of sub-health group. Definitely, my life lost balance at that time. Time Management Scores Overall Time Management Score 97.00 Your Quartile Ranking Second Quartile Norm Group Mean 95 As per survey instruction, as I am scored only 97, it is very necessary for me to consider improving time management skills. However, I disagree with it to some extent. On the first hand, I have very good sense of timing and understood how to utilize it more efficiently. For avoiding any delays, tardiness and expediting my work, my watch is set exactly 10 minutes faster than the standard time. I also prioritize the tasks according to their importance and urgency, and frequently check and make adjustment if necessary. On the other hand, I think here it is also a depend-on situation just as I mentioned-above. For me, as I was working in the shipping industry and vessels call and departure at any time, except for prioritizing some routine work or contracted service appointments, we can plan nothing in advance because the time is not in the hands of ours but in the tomorrow. The only thing we can do is to make ourselves well prepared for meeting any disruptive business occurred. But here, I do agree with idea that I should leave myself some time at least, to do plan, meditation, exercise, etc, so as to seek personal relief from stresses, otherwise, before any vessels calling at port, our engines stop first. Type A Personality Inventory Scores Behavioral Tendency My score Competitiveness 13.00 Life Imbalance 16.00 Hostility/Anger 8.00 Impatience/Urgency 7.00 TOTAL TYPE A 44.00 Quartile Ranking Third Quartile Before taking this assessment, I have never thought myself as a competitive person. From my prospective of view, I think it is a positive attitude to pursue better performance than others, or setup a higher benchmark for self-improvement. Then here again exposed the problem of imbalanced life in my past six years. Because of the great enthusiasm and interest in the job, I put all my efforts and energy to make the company better and I enjoyed fully in the process. However, being too obsessed in one thing just leads to ignorance of all other important things in life. I took work as life but in fact life is not work only. And, the imbalanced life sourced not only from being over engaged in one thing and lack of time, but also from very narrow scope of personal interests outside of work. Diagnosis and Reflection on INTERPersonal Skills Building Relationships by Communicating Supportively Diagnostic Surveys for Supportive Communication PRE Communicating Supportively Scores Score Category Your Score Maximum Points Possible Norm Group Comparison Mean Comparison Total Communication 93.00 120 Second Quartile (92-98) 92.05 Skill Area My score Group Mean Coaching/Counseling 16.00 13.88 Effective Negative Feedback 30.00 27.13 Communicating Supportively 47.00 51.04 Learnt from my past experiences, supportive communication is one of the key determinants of effective management. After the company Earthquake, this is the first thing I focused on to improve my interpersonal relationships, to stand up from the place where I fall. In the aspect of coaching, I began with setting complete and detailed standards covering each kind of our survey business. And in our self-developed MIS system, all those standards set were then well integrated into the Employee Performance Evaluation Section, which would automatically affect the scale/grade of employees working allowance as well as their year-end bonus on a case-by-case basis. Driven by such kind of economic force, team members actively study the work regulations and procedure guidelines to meet the standards, and also initially seek coaching chance to acquire more advice and information for better performance. We also scheduled some periodic training programs to them. Being open and make my support available, I gradually won their respect and trust in the company. Regarding to the Eight Attributes of Supportive Communication, my performance before the company Earthquake actually disobeyed most of the rules, especially when I giving negative feedback. When a guy failed to finish a task up to the standard, I always started our talk in this way, You made same mistake again. I have told you this matter many many times. You just one ear in and one ear out. Do have any hearing disorders or understanding problems? Why this happened again. Now, as our client asked me why, you tell me why Yes, I did act in this way, frequently in the first few years before Earthquake. Thinking in others shoes now, if I faced with a manager communicate in such manner, how could I expect building/enhancement of positive relationship between the two communicating parties? My first reaction to the unfavorable occurrence was not solving the problem but finding out who is to
Friday, September 20, 2019
Assimilation Integration And Multiculturalism
Assimilation Integration And Multiculturalism There are different conceptual frameworks and theoretical models in social sciences to conceptualise and describe the relationship between different people and cultures. In this section, some of the various focal points regarding the process of integration of immigrants and minority groups into their host country or mainstream society will be discussed and used as a springboard for our analysis of the German Sinti and Roma minority integration in to the German society with particular reference to the city of Oldenburg. 2.1. Assimilation Is a term that refers to attempts to incorporate one micro culture into another or efforts to make one group more homogeneous in relation to another. The term first surfaced during colonial times and re-emerged at the turn of the 20th century. The term is used both to refer to colonized peoples when dominant colonial states expand into new territories or alternately, when diasporas of immigrants settle into a dominant state society. Colonized peoples or minority immigrant groups acquire new customs, language, and ideologies through contact and education in the dominant society. Assimilation may involve either a quick or gradual change depending on circumstances. Full assimilation occurs when new members of a society become indistinguishable from older members (Christine I. Bennett, 1995). The term `assimilation has been also used to describe both the model and the process of absorption of people from different countries and different cultures, brought together as the consequence of the migration process. In this context, assimilation is often interpreted as a process of progressive adaptation of leading towards inclusion in the host society whose final outcome should be the disappearance of cultural differences. This unidirectional process is considered the `natural way for migrants to adjust gradually to their new environment by absorbing the values of the dominant culture. The model of assimilation is a precise political strategy which intends to keep the national community as homogeneous as possible by endeavouring to ensure that the same basic values are shared by the whole population (Bolaffi et al. 2003:19). Assimilation refers to giving up of ones own ethnic identity and adopting that of the mainstream society. The American melting pot concept is an example of assimilation. 2.2. Meaning of Integration/Social integration The notion of integration is broadly employed by sociologists and social anthropologists to indicate the process of immigrant adjustment in their destination country and the experiences that could be acquired and shared between the new settlers and the host societies at the various levels of social organization. According to different scholars Integration is a long term and two way process of change that relates both to the that relates both to the conditions for and the actual participation in aspects of life in the given geographical area (Ager and Strang 2008:12). The term integration is considered as the longer-term process through which immigrants or particular social groups become full and equal participants in the various dimensions of society (Gray and Elliott 2001). Integration is also sometimes referred as a multicultural concept that denotes the removal of barriers that segregate human beings. For some writers integration can only happen when tolerance in the form of mutual respect and acceptance occurs on the part of racially and ethnically different groups of human beings (Banks 1994). Integration, in a sociological context, also refers to stable, cooperative relations within a clearly defined social system. It can also be viewed as a process that of strengthening relationships within a social system and of introducing new actors and groups into the system and its institutions. Integration is accepting, recognizing, valuing and celebrating as well as giving equal rights for the participation of minority groups. This means social integration includes analysis of differentiation of ethnic groups action and relations, and of quantitative and qualitative aspects of relational structures (civic and political participation, participation in social networks, involvement in economic, political, cultural life of society, representation at different levels of governance, participation in units and organisations of fellow citizen (http://www.escwa.un.org) Dimensions of integration According to different social researchers there are four basic dimensions of social integration in which minority groups or immigrants use to integrate to the mainstream society social system. Structural integration Structural integration means the acquisition of rights and the access to position and status in the core institutions of the host society: the economy and labour market, education and qualification systems, the housing system, welfare state institutions (including the health system), and full political citizenship. These are core institutions as participation in them determines a persons socioeconomic status and the opportunities and resources available to them, in a modern market society. Cultural integration Acquire the core competencies of that culture and society. In this respect, integration refers to an individuals cognitive, behavioural and attitudinal change: this is termed cultural integration. While cultural integration primarily concerns the immigrants and their children and grandchildren, it is also an interactive, mutual process one that changes the host society, which must learn new ways of relating to immigrants or minority groups and adapting to their needs. Interactive integration Interactive integration means the acceptance and inclusion of immigrants/minority groups in the primary relationships and social Networks of the host society. Indicators of interactive integration include social networks, friendship, partnerships, marriages and membership in voluntary organizations. Certain core elements of cultural integration, particularly communicative competencies, are preconditions for interactive integration. Identificational integration It is not possible to participate in a host societys core institutions without having first acquired the cultural competencies by which these institutions function. It is, however, possible to participate without identifying with the goals of these institutions and without having developed a feeling of belonging to the host society. This feeling of belonging may develop later in the integration process develop as a result of participation and acceptance. Inclusion in a new society on the subjective level identificational integration is indicated by feelings of belonging to, and identification with, groups, particularly in ethnic, regional, local and/or national identification (Bosswick and Heckmann 2006). Assimilation versus Integration The conceptual dissection between assimilation and integration is controversial among sociologists in the analysis of minority groups and immigrant practices and interactions with their new societal setting. Some of them prefer integration, while others assimilation and some use the terms interchangeably to express the different aspects of the process. Park and E.W. Burgess (1969) provided an early definition of assimilation, which showed assimilation as the one-way process: a process of interpenetration and fusion in which persons and groups acquire the memories, sentiments, and attitudes of other persons and groups and, by sharing their experience and history, are incorporated with them in a common cultural life (Alba and Nee, 1997:827-28). The classical assimilation framework implies that the various dimensions of assimilation -socioeconomic, social, cultural, and spatial assimilation are interconnected (South et al.,2005). The Socioeconomic assimilation as showed by high levels of education, income, and wealth is hypothesized to enhance immigrants mobility neighbourhoods. Social (or,Gordons terminology, structural) assimilation is also likely to increase immigrants prospects for spatial assimilation with the majority. Cultural assimilation (or, acculturation) indicates ethnic minorities adoption of the cultural practices and norms of the majority and the degree to which minority group members identify with the host society. Spatial assimilation is expected to influence immigrants geographic mobility into neighbourhood with the mainstream population (South et al., 2005). Therefore, assimilation means replacing ones previous identity with that of the host society. Whereas integration is refers to the capacity to acces s aspects of the dominant culture, while simultaneously retaining an ethnic identity. Kritz and his colleagues have defined these concepts by corresponding to the two fundamental dimensions of societal systems: structural and cultural. Integration refers to participation in the structure of a societal system and measured as the degree to which a system unit occupies positions on structurally relevant status lines. Whereas, assimilation is defined as participation in the culture of a societal system and measured as a degree to which a system unit occupies positions on culturally relevant status lines (Kritz 1981:80). Assimilation has also to be distinguished from acculturation, which is defined as cultural change resulting from direct contact between two cultural groups. It is unlikely to the accultured individual to completely ignore his/her ethnic identity, but adopts some elements of the immigration system (Ibid, 81). In international migration, it is more likely for the immigrants eventually to come to terms with the question of whether or not they and their families maintain the language and culture of their home country or adjust to the culture and language of the host country. With succeeding generations, assimilation to the new country becomes dominant, but the conflicts are most difficult for the first generation migrants (Glazier and De Rosa, 1986:314). The first generation immigrants usually compromise and hesitate, which makes it difficult to relate to the new environment. If immigrants/minority groups have never expected of such prior to their migration, the outcomes to the crisis become rather strong, painful, and intense (Ibid, 305). Immigrants and social groups develop about four strategies in terms of two major issues: cultural maintenance versus cultural contact. The question is whether to remain primarily among their original culture and community or to get involved in the host society, and several possible strategies exist (Kritz, 1981 Mesch, 2002). 2.3. Multiculturalism In the cultural and political arena multiculturalism can be described as the coexistence of a range of different cultural experiences within a group or society. It is often used as being synonymous with `cultural pluralism, resulting in a certain amount of theoretical and conceptual confusion. More recently, the trend in literature has been to use similar terms, such as interculturalism and `trans-culturalism, with far more precise meanings (Bolaffi et al. 2003). According to the International Organisation for Migration, a multi-cultural society aims to allow diversity, equal rights and equal opportunities to migrants and minority groups, at the same time allowing them to keep a cultural affiliation to their country of origin. [1] Multiculturalism rejects the simple integration process proposed by assimilation theory. Scholars from this perspective view multicultural societies as composed of a heterogeneous collection of ethnic and racial minority groups, as well as of a dominant majority group. This view has been forcefully illustrated in the context of the American society. Most scholars argue that immigrants actively shape their own identities rather than posing as passive subjects in front of the forces of assimilation and also emphasize that some aspects of the cultural characteristics of immigrants may be preserved in a state of un-easy co-existence with the attitudes of the host country. The multicultural perspective offers then an alternative way of considering the host society, presenting members of ethnic minority groups as active integral segments of the whole society rather than just foreigners or outsiders. With large-scale immigration into Europe, multiculturalism has become a major topic of political and intellectual discourse. The terms multiculturalism and multicultural society have been advocated as concepts that could help clarify the confusing picture of European immigration and integration, both in a descriptive-analytical and in a politico normative sense (Bosswick and Heckmann 2006). Main variables to evaluate the integration process In order to evaluate the Integration of German Sinti and Roma minority group in Germany we took the different variables presented by EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020. In sociology and other social sciences Social integration requires proficiency in an accepted common language of the society, acceptance of the laws of the society and adoption of a common set of values of the society. It does not require assimilation and it does not require persons to give up all of their culture, but it may require forgoing some aspects of their culture which are inconsistent with the laws and values of the society. In tolerant and open societies, members of minority groups can often use social integration to gain full access to the opportunities, rights and services available to the members of the mainstream of society. Social integration is inextricably linked to broad-based participation. This entails the participation of all social groups in the process of policy development, as well as in the benefits of economic growth and social progress. Social integration strives to facilitate the emergence of a cohesive and equitable society for all through the inclusion of all people in social, economic and political decision-making and development. As such, social integration is considered both a goal and a process. It is a multidimensional concept that embraces socio-economic and political objectives and strategies. There are different variables to evaluate the integration of minority groups such as ethnic minorities refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies. According to the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 there are four main variables to evaluate the integration process of minority groups and immigrants in the host community. The framework uses four main policy indicators to measure integration. In Its latest report, in (2010), measured how well policies relating to integration in labour market access, family reunion, long-term residence, political participation, access to nationality and anti-discrimination helped promote integration. Overall, each policy area was found to be only halfway to best practice. The EU integration policy commonly includes work, education, housing, health service, social inclusion and active citizens to measure the successful integration of minority groups in the mainstream society. Generally, In order to create a fertile ground for social inclusion Policies and strategies that promote the social, economic and cultural inclusion of migrants/minority groups within existing legal frameworks in the host countries needed. Minority groups need to have a chance to fully engage with their host society from a socioeconomic, political, and cultural perspective. *Access to education, employment, housing, health Care, are the major variables in EU framework to evaluate the integration process.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs :: Free Essay Writer
Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs in To Kill a Mockingbird In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author uses the small town of Maycomb, Alabama as a forum for different views on civil rights. On a smaller scale, Lee uses the relationship between Scout, her aunt, her father, and her housekeeper, to show how racism affects everything. The question of civil rights plays out not only through the trial of Tom Robinson, but also through the everyday interaction between the Finch family and their housekeeper Calpurnia. In the process of growing up Scout must chose where she fits into the whole racial scheme, and her relationship with her housekeeper plays a crucial part in deciding this. Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, focuses on the maturation of a brother and sister in the "tired old town(Lee 3)" of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930à s. Maycomb, a classic southern town full of gossip, tradition and burdened with a legacy of racism, seems a strange place to stage a drama which encourages equal treatment and non prejudice. However, the narratoràs fresh outlook on the sleepy town furnishes the reader with a multitude of viewpoints on civil rights. The traditional Southern racism of Maycomb is looked at through the eyes of our young narrator, Scout Finch. Scoutàs innocent perspective compels her to ask questions about why whites treat blacks the way they do. These questions are crucial in Scoutàs search for her own identity. Scout must come to terms with the racism of her town and how it affects the people in her life. She must find her own position and what role she will play in the whole racial game. A number of people greatly influence Scout. The t wo major role models in her life, her Aunt Alexandria and her father Atticus, pull Scout in two opposing directions. Through their dealings with Calpurnia, the Finch's black housekeeper, both the reader and Scout are able to distinguish what path each individual wants Scout to follow. Brought into the Finch household to teach and act as a female role model for young Scout, Aunt Alexandra begins by demonstrating to Scout Calpurniaàs inferior position. For Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia will not do as a role model for Scout. Aunt Alexandra from the beginning shows Scout who posses the power. "Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia,' was the first thing Aunt Alexandra said(Lee 127).
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Marriages in China :: essays research papers
Many different countries celebrate marriages different ways. In the US, the bride wears a white gown, and the groom wears a tuxedo. In countries like China, the bride wears a brightly colored dress. From ancient times marriage has been regulated by law and religious practice. China has a very interesting marriage celebration. In the 19th century, A wedding represented the transfer of a woman’s dependence on money from her family to her new husband. There was also a transfer of the woman's property, called a dowry, from the bride’s father to her husband. This transfer of property was made if the marriage was voluntary or an arranged marriage where the woman's consent was not asked for. Most times in the 19th century, when a couple got married, it was arranged by the parents, and the couple had no say in it. In the 20th century, things changed for the better. China proclaimed a marriage code giving spouses equal rights in the control of property in 1950. Laws of most countries require the husband to support his wife and children. With the increase in the number of women working outside the home, the women sometimes support themselves and child support has fallen upon her nearly as much as her husband. Couples now choose their own partners, but must get the consent of their parents. As a wedding give, it is customary for the parents to buy appliances for the couple’s new home. They have a simple ceremony, and the date is chosen by the parents. A popular date for weddings in China is the seventh day of the seventh moon. They say that a fairy from heaven can bless their marriage on that day.
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