Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner - Essay Example Ludwig van Beethoven was also a masterly composer. His compositions are grouped according to numbers, and a significant composition by him is the by opus number. The numbers were assigned by publishers, which follow the order by which his famous compositions were published, and not what they meant. By this way, he created a second theme that sounds like an outgrowth or variation of the first theme. Though it is an inadequate statement it can actually be pinned down when some of their work is compared like; the opening movement of Beethovenââ¬â¢s Symphony 5. Mozart, on the other hand, was conservative and followed the rules. His music is in the confines of boundaries which he imposed on himself, yet they were still so marvelous, and he left us many incomparable masterpieces. Mozart was zealous in opera and stood unsurpassed and Wagner agreed that Mozart was a formidable competitor to him in the opera world. Mozart was also prominent in the world of composition for churches and his skills stand unsurpassed by Wagner and Beethoven. Beethoven, on the other hand, took a little touch of music from the two and them and infused his own unique personality into his music. Mozart composed less technical music it was precise and thematic and was designed to be played by any level while Beethoven and Wagnerââ¬â¢s music was more aggressive. The two latter wrote their music with tension this does not come as a surprise since the Mozart played for royalties while Beethoven and Wagner played for the people.... Another renowned composer is Wilhelm Richard Wagner who was German by decent. One of his compositions was the Siegfried which is the 3rd that make up ââ¬ËDer Ring des Nibelungââ¬â¢. Siegfried is the third of Wagnerââ¬â¢s operas, which he wrote, in 1851. Siegfried premiered as part of the complete ring cycle at Bayreuth on August 16, 1876 (Kivy, 2001). The three composers concentrated mostly on the classical style. It was the most popular style which both the three used alongside other styles like the romantic style. The use of sonata was the most defining characteristic of the style which was classical. Sonata was so pervasive at the time, that it invaded each and every genre of music eve church music as well as opera. The three composers above under discussion each created compositions that are a hybrid of other forms and the sonata form. An example is the fact that they used rondo form, variation form and blended it all with the sonata form. ââ¬ËSonata form begins with simplicity and tonal stability, builds in tension towards a middle section, and reduces complexity and tension in the last section. The climax is always in the middle. That is where the most complex textures are usually found, as well as the most far-ranging key changes, and the most agitated rhythmic patternsââ¬â¢ (Wolff, 26). Beethoven liked to use a combination of Mozartââ¬â¢s use of multiple themes and Wagnerââ¬â¢s monothematic technique. By this way, he created a second theme that sounds like an outgrowth or variation of the first theme. Though it is an inadequate statement it can actually be pinned down when some of their work are compared like; the opening movement of Beethovenââ¬â¢s symphony 5 (Wolff, 1990).
Monday, October 28, 2019
Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility of Organizations Essay Example for Free
Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility of Organizations Essay Introduction Proper ethical behavior is a significant part of conducting business. Organizations must therefore find ways to incorporate ethical considerations into their strategic plan. Firms need to practice self governance and obey existing laws if they are to ensure their survival and the well-being of the society in which they exist. The decisions made by an organization affect society as a whole. This paper will examine the social responsibilities of organizations to each of their stakeholders. These include: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, the local government and the environment. Each section of this report is supplemented with a case study illustrating the consequences of unethical behavior in business. Defining Ethics Ethics is a ubiquitous term that is subject to personal interpretation. Individuals and groups are guided by moral principles or values. Their beliefs help them to set standards for deciphering right from wrong (Little, 2011). Ethical values are dynamic and are therefore subject to renegotiation and change. These changes are often influenced by periodic and contextual circumstances. As ethical beliefs differ from person to person, it may not be entirely possible to instill a universal set of values. Also, many individuals have different points of reference when determining what is right and what is wrong (Little, 2011). Domestically, ethical values tend to be closely aligned. Individuals who have been socialized in a particular region are more likely to have similar values, laws, religion, knowledge and culture. With the emergence of free-trade agreements, many firms have the opportunity to conduct international business. Although these organizations are usually successful in aligning their economic interests, many have failed to recognize or understand the cultural norms, laws and ethical practices of the country they are conducting business with. Defining Social Responsibility An organizationââ¬â¢s approach to social responsibility can impact its image and reputation. Depending on how an organization addresses this aspect of business, ethics can either be a strength or a weakness. Social responsibility can be divided into three categories: obligatory, reactive or responsive behavior (Duening Ivancevisch, 2008). An organization that acts out of social obligation tends to direct its behavior to the legal pursuit of profit (Duening et al., 2008). Socially reactive organizations often adhere to social norms, values and performance expectations (Duening et al., 2008). These organizations must be accountable for the ecological, environmental and social costs incurred by their actions (Duening et al., 2008). Lastly, socially responsive organizations often engage in behavior that exceeds the actions taken by socially obligated and socially reactive organizations. For example, these firms take stands on public issues, account for their actions, anticipate future needs of society, move toward satisfying them, and communicate with the government regarding existing and anticipated socially desirable legislation (Duening et al., 2008). As illustrated above, social responsibility can mean different things to different people. In a broad sense, social responsibility is a compliance to the legal obligations, social norms and ethical standards of society. For the purpose of this paper, I will use the broad sense of the term, unless otherwise specified. Social Responsibility of Organizations to Internal Beneficiaries Social Responsibility to Employees Legally, organizations are responsible for providing their employees with a minimum wage, safe working conditions and the freedom to form a union (Duening et al., 2008). These laws discourage management from creating workplaces that violate employee civil rights (Duening et al., 2008). However, many part-time employers, fast food restaurants and retailers provide only the minimum. Historically, employee benefits emerged out of pressure from employees, unions and the community. Today, most organizations are expected to go beyond the minimum legal requirements by providing their employees with ââ¬Å"fringe benefitsâ⬠, such as retirement funds, health and accident insurance (Duening et al., 2008). Many socially reactive and socially responsive organizations have extended their benefits to include training, career development, counseling, employee assistance programs, day-care and flex-time policies. As employee family life becomes more complex, organizations must find ways to offer support. Many modern organizations are concerned about employee satisfaction and the benefits associated with it. Employees who are content demonstrate a higher commitment to the organization, which often translates into less absenteeism, higher morale and higher productivity. Overall, the modern worker wants his job to be both meaningful and fulfilling (Duening et al., 2008). Social Irresponsibility to Employees: Wal-Mart Wal-mart is one of the most profitable and efficiently run organizations in the world. In 2005, the corporation grossed two-hundred and forty billion dollars in sales, yet still failed to provide its employees with health care benefits and a livable wage (Greenwald Gilliam, 2005). On numerous occasions, the organization neglected to provide its employees with the basic legal requirements. As a result, Wal-mart is now facing a number of class action law suits. Reports suggest that the organization is also notorious for keeping its stores understaffed. Although overtime is rarely an option, employees are still expected to work off the clock to get the job done (Greenwald et al., 2005). Workers are ordered to complete their tasks and are often told that they can be replaced. Given their unfortunate personal circumstances, many employees put up with this abuse. In terms of employee well-being, a large majority of Walmartââ¬â¢s workers cannot afford the companyââ¬â¢s basic medical insurance at just seventy-five dollars per month. (Greenwald et al., 2005). However, Wal-mart encourages its employees to seek out section-8 housing, food stamps and government-provided health insurance. (Greenwald et al., 2005). Evidently, Wal-martââ¬â¢s everyday low prices are a result of taxpayer subsidies. Nationwide, Wal-mart is costing taxpayers over one and a half billion dollars a year in subsidies for its employees (Greenwald et al., 2005). As a result of these policies, Walmartââ¬â¢s average sales employee is living below the Federal Poverty Line. (Greenwald et al., 2005). In 2001, Barbara Ehrenreich conducted a sociological study to determine whether or not she could survive on a low wage. She found a job at Wal-mart in Minnesota. Her study reaffirmed the poor working conditions that Wal-mart employees often endure. In the following quote Ehrenreich talks about a shirt that she wanted to purchase for work: ââ¬Å"One of the rules is that our shirts have to have collars, so they have to be polos, not tees. Somehow Id missed this during orientation At $7 an hour, a $7 shirt is just not going to make it to my shopping listâ⬠(Ehrenreich, 2002, p.88). Given the low wage that she earns, she has difficulty justifying the purchase of a seven dollar work shirt. In the next quote, her co-worker Alyssa finds herself in a more difficult situation: ââ¬Å"Alyssa is another target for my crusade. When she returns to check yet again on that $7 polo, she finds a stain on it. What could she get off for that? I think 10 percent, and if you add in the 10 percent employee discount, wed be down to $5.60. Im trying to negotiate a 20 percent price reduction with the fitting room lady when rotten luck Howard shows up and announces that there are no reductions and no employee discounts on clearanced items. Those are the rules. Alyssa looks crushed, and I tell her, when Howards out of sight, that theres something wrong when youre not paid enough to buy a Wal-Mart shirt, a clearanced Wal-Mart shirt with a stain on it. I hear you, she says, and admits Wal-Mart isnt working for her either, if the goal is to make a livingâ⬠(Ehrenreich, 2002, p.100). Wal-mart is also notorious for squashing unions. If a branch plans to hold a union vote, the organization will hire new employees to dilute the number of people who are pro union. Moreover, the organization allots each store a seven-thousand dollar anti-union package; a thirty-thousand dollar undercover spy van, access to the organizationââ¬â¢s one hundred thousand dollar anti-union hot-line; and the use of its seven-million dollar corporate jet for rapid response (Greenwald et al., 2005). If a branch is successful in a union vote, Wal-mart will not hesitate to close down that particular retail outlet. In summary, with the absence of unions and the current mind-set of management, it is highly unlikely that employee working conditions will improve any time soon. Social Responsibility to Shareholders Organizations have a social responsibility to their shareholders and must provide accurate information for investment decisions. (Duening et al., 2008). As stated by Duening and Ivancevich, ââ¬Å"the ultimate action a stockholder can take is to sell the stockâ⬠(2008). It is important that organizational information be transparent and accessible. Also, organizations must be as efficient and effective as possible with the use of their resources. Any process or product feature that does not add value is wasteful and has an adverse effect on the bottom line. Investors of the twenty-first century want instant gratification and are therefore often fixated on short-term earnings. As corporations and their managers face pressure from shareholders to produce appeasing quarterly results, they often fail to think about the long-term well being of the organization, its employees and the environment. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in performance-based bonuses. In many multinational organizations, executives earn exponentially more than their lowest paid employees. As an incentive, executives often receive options for shares in the company. The value of those options is contingent upon the companyââ¬â¢s short, medium or long-term performance. In 2010, chief executives at the United Statesââ¬â¢ five hundred largest firms collectively took home four billion dollars (DeCarlo, 2010). The value realized from exercised stock options accounted for the main component of their pay (DeCarlo, 2010). When managers act in their own self interest, bonus-based compensation schemes can have dire consequences for all parties involved. Social Irresponsibility to Shareholders: Enron In 2001, Enron filed for bankruptcy (Bryce, 2003). At the time, it was the largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States. The management cooked the books and misrepresented their position to shareholders (Little, 2011). Enron used mark-to-market accounting practices to manipulate earnings and to create a mirage of success. On several occasions, company executives lied to investors, overstated earnings and omitted critical information (Bryce, 2003). As a result, stakeholders lost billions of dollars. Also, the employee pension plan contained over two billion dollars in assets with sixty-two percent of the funds invested in Enron stock (Bryce, 2003). Thousands of Enron employees lost a bulk of their life savings. In addition, the California Public Employees Retirement system lost three billion dollars (Bryce, 2003). Many individuals, investment firms and hedge funds lost billions of dollars as well. While thousands of individuals lost large sums of money, Enron executives netted significant returns from their unethical stock manipulation and insider trading. Social Responsibility to the Supply Chain The supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from the supplier to the consumer (Shafer et al., 2010). Within the chain, an organization can be both a supplier and a customer. Today, many organizations realize the importance of strengthening relationships and working with fewer suppliers. In effect, suppliers and their customers have become interdependent on one another. Traditionally, customers pitted suppliers against each other in hopes of getting the best price. Today, however, many suppliers play a vital role in the operations process. Through vendor-managed inventory systems, organizations have been able to avoid stockouts, thus reducing inventory costs (Shafer et al., 2010). Corporations that rely on sole sourcing have a partner-like relationship with their suppliers. The just-in-time delivery system is based on customers pulling their orders through the supply chain while suppliers ensure the inputs arrive according to schedule. Companies are also responsible for ensuring that their suppliers are treated respectfully and paid on time. In this relationship, both organizations have to turn a profit to ensure their survival. Social Irresponsibility to the Supply Chain: Monsanto Monsanto is an organization that has little regard for the farmers who use its products or the end users that consume them. In 1994, Monsanto introduced Posilac to the American market. Posilac is a bovine growth hormone that was developed to increase milk production. Today, ââ¬Å"the United States is the only developed nation that permits humans to drink milk from cows that have been given artificial growth hormoneâ⬠(Laskawy, 2010, para 3). This product was banned in twenty-seven countries including Canada and the European Union (Achbar et al.,2004). Moreover, Posilac was tested for only ninety days to assess for human toxicity (Achbar et al., 2004). There is widespread concern regarding the long-term effects of this product on the well-being of humans and animals. Despite these concerns, this product was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Either Monsanto misreported its findings or the Food and Drug Administration did not look at them. Health Canada research showed that bovine growth hormone could be absorbed by the human body with the possibility of a link to cancer (Achbar et al.,2004). In addition to being harmful, Posilac is of little value to farmers and end users. Prior to Posilacââ¬â¢s release, there was an abundance of milk in the marketplace and farmers were told to produce less of it (Achbar et al.,2004) Monsanto is an organization that supplies harmful products and expects farmers to distribute them to the general population. This organization is responsible for the premature release of bio-engineered foods in the marketplace. The long-term effects of genetically-modified food are still unknown. However, Monsanto requires a high level of coordination to get its products to market. The firm often requires help from politicians, professors, scientists, experts, the general public, reporters, and the Food and Drug Administration (Achbar et al.,2004). Monsanto also engineers terminator seeds. These are seeds that terminate themselves through a suicide gene (Achbar et al.,2004). Since terminator seeds are only good for one season, Monsanto has lowered the intrinsic value of them. In nature, seeds are meant to be replanted annually. However, this product goes against evolution and human well-being. There are billions of people around the world who are starving to death and farmers have been denied the opportunity to replant their seeds on an annual basis.This product is immoral to its customers, the end users, and humanity as a whole. Nonetheless, Monsanto still expects its customers to distribute these products to the end users. Social Responsibility to Customers Value is defined as any action or process that a customer is willing to pay for (Shafer Meredith, 2010). To eliminate unnecessary waste, organizations should always be mindful of customer needs. Processes that drive up costs but do not increase the overall value of a product are wasteful. Firms should strive to reduce overproduction, inventory costs, unnecessary processing, wait times, transportation costs, and unnecessary human motions while minimizing the number of defects (Shafer et al., 2010). Competitive organizations continue to improve the quality and durability of their products (Shafer et al., 2010). However, if an organization fails to use its resources efficiently and effectively, it will likely be punished in the marketplace. A consumer has the ultimate decision on whether or not they will purchase a particular product. Therefore, companies should be adequately prepared to address consumer concerns and after-service needs, should they arise. Also, consumer goods should not do any biological or psychological harm to their customers. Products that have the potential to do harm to others should be put through rigorous testing to ensure they are safe for human use and consumption. Social Irresponsibility to Customers: Aguas del Tunari For twenty years, the World Bank has been working alongside successive governments toward independent development in Bolivia. The World Bank believes that a high proportion of leaders in developing nations are susceptible to corruption, including those in Bolivia. As a result, the organization has played a significant role in assisting the Bolivian government with privatization of its state-owned enterprises. In 2000, Aguas del Tunari corporation signed a forty-year contract with the Bolivian government to provide water to impoverished citizens in Cochabamba City, Bolivia. Aguas del Tunari was guaranteed a minimum annual return of fifteen percent on their two-and-a-half billion dollar investment (Salina Starr, 2008). As part of the deal, Aguas del Tunari Corporation agreed to repay thirty million dollars of debt accumulated by the state utility company (Salina et al., 2008). In an effort to pay off the debt, Aguas del Tunari corporation increased water rates to twenty dollars per month a thirty-five percent increase (Achbar, Abbott, Bakan Simpson, ,2004). However, the company failed to consider the fact that many of its new clients were surviving on only two dollars a day (Achbar et al., 2004). This meant that the cost of water would account for roughly twenty-five percent of their daily income (Achbar et al., 2004). To make matters worse, the government had privatized rain water, making it illegal to collect the rainfall (Achbar et al.,2004). When the newly-owned utility company shut off the water supply to non-paying customers, violent protests erupted across all classes of society. Ninety-six percent of citizens demanded that the contract with Aguas del Tunari be terminated (Salina Starr, 2008) . The government of Bolivia refused and told its citizens that there was nothing to negotiate. Protests spread to other major cities in Bolivia, eventually causing a ripple effect that would put the country into a state of emergency. To remedy this problem, the Bolivian government kicked Aguas del Tunari out of the country and resumed its role as the nationââ¬â¢s utility operator. In this unique case, it is difficult to conceptualize water as a commodity. Water is essential for survival and is seen as a birth right. Many would argue that the local government is responsible for regulating the cost of water and ensuring that it is affordable for all citizens. Since water surrounds us and falls naturally from the sky, it is difficult for a corporation to add value to it. Privatization of rain water is an extreme concept and certainly crosses some ethical boundaries. Social Responsibility of Corporations to External Beneficiaries Social Responsibility to Local Governments Elected officials have a social responsibility to the people whom they represent. Although corporations cannot directly cast a vote, they can leverage their power by donating large sums of money to political campaigns. In return, they often expect regulatory favors, exceptions, and preferential treatment. Corporations must however respect the local government and prohibit themselves from lobbying, bribing or manipulating local officials for the financial benefit of the organization. Although firms should not tempt government officials, politicians should also avoid situations where they may become vulnerable. As governments and organizations continue to work closely to achieve their objectives, they must ensure they maintain their ethical boundaries. When corporations gain power, the relative authority of local government diminishes and their authoritative power is often confined to their given jurisdiction. As organizations continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to be audited by local governments and regulatory bodies. For this reason, governments should consider implementing more rules and tougher sanctions to prevent legal and ethical misconduct. As history has shown, corporations are not always capable of self- governance. Social Irresponsibility to Local Governments: Long-Term Capital Management Deregulation of public enterprises and new business practices may not always be in the best interest of the general public. In 2000, the Clinton administration passed a bill that would deregulate the derivatives market and establish legal certainty for bankers (Lowenstein, 2002). The three major classes of derivatives are: futures, options and swaps. In detail, the derivatives market is not well understood by policy makers. There have been numerous cases of corporate fraud, financial mismanagement and unnecessary risk. Moreover, taxpayers have fronted billions of dollars to bail out financial institutions. In 2008, the value of the overall derivatives market was an astonishing six-hundred and sixty-eight trillion dollars (Sheridan, 2008). In 1994, Long-term Capital Management took the financial world by storm. This hedge fund was established by two proven Wall Street traders and two Nobel Laureates (Lowenstein, 2002). The fund started with four billion dollars in capital from its investors. The firm enjoyed four straight years of prosperity without a single monthly loss to be reported on their balance sheet. LTCM was thought to be the perfect hedge fund. It simply could not lose. LTCM leveraged its balance sheet trading by 30 to 1, while leveraging its off balance sheet trading by 250 to 1 (Lowenstein, 2002). At one point, the company had in excess of one trillion dollars in derivatives exposure (Lowenstein, 2002). In a short period of time, LTCM had lost nearly everything and turned to banks and the federal reserve for a bailout. At the time, this was the largest bailout ever. In Wall Streetââ¬â¢s eyes, LTCM was simply too big to fail. It was thought that its demise would have had dire consequences for the entire economy. Since then, bigger investment firms have failed, bigger bailouts have been distributed and derivatives are still being heavily traded. It appears Wall Street still has a lesson to learn. It was the governmentââ¬â¢s deregulation of derivatives that allowed LTCM and other investment firms to behave unethically and do as they pleased. As a regulatory body, the Federal Reserve sent out the wrong message by bailing out LTCM. Condoning the behavior of this hedge fund created an environment that would encourage other financial institutions to take the same risks. Social Responsibility to the Environment and Future Generations Today, consumers and citizens increasingly expect more from organizations. Traditionally, firms externalized their costs while internalizing their profits. Today, however, many corporations are becoming ethically conscious and are working toward minimizing their carbon footprint. They have started to use mechanisms known as stakeholder management devices to respond to stakeholder claims (Duening et al., 2008). Progressive organizations have started working toward sustainable development to help create a world that is suitable for future generations. Many firms are also taking an interest in social issues. Some have started practicing corporate philanthropy. These positive efforts enhance a corporationââ¬â¢s good will and improves its overall image. This often translates into more sales and higher profit margins. Organizations that fail to take responsibility for their actions are often looked down upon. For example, an organization that shows complete disregard for the environment will likely tarnish their image and build up ill will. In effect, companies that act out of social obligation are viewed less positively than those that are socially responsive. Social Responsibility to the Environment and Future Generations: Tokyo Electric Power Company In March of 2011, the Japanese coast was rattled by a forceful 9.0 earthquake and a gigantic tsunami. The Fukushima Dai-chi and Fukushima Dai-ni power plants sustained critical damage (TEPCO to Compensate Nuclear Plant Victims, 2011). Both of these power plants are privately owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO to Compensate Nuclear Plant Victims, 2011). The nuclear disaster revealed the companyââ¬â¢s misplaced confidence and a failure to adequately forecast its worst case scenario. Furthermore, the company chose to disregard Japanââ¬â¢s tsunami history and relevant GPS data. TEPCO engineers did not factor in earthquakes that occurred prior to 1896 (TEPCO Dimissed Important Scientific Evidence in Planning Nuclear Plantââ¬â¢s Defense, 2011). Tsunami modelers at TEPCO factored in an earthquake of 8.6 magnitude in its worst case scenario model (TEPCO Dimissed Important Scientific Evidence in Planning Nuclear Plantââ¬â¢s Defense, 2011). The earthquake that occured on March 11, 2011 was four times more powerful than the maximum presumed (TEPCO Dimissed Important Scientific Evidence in Planning Nuclear Plantââ¬â¢s Defense, 2011). Given Japanââ¬â¢s geographical position and the volatility of nuclear energy, TEPCO should have put more thought into their calculations. After much delay, the Japanese government has ordered TEPCO to pay partial retribution to the citizens affected by this nuclear catastrophe. Beginning on April 28, 2011, TEPCO has started to compensate families in the nominal sum of twelve-thousand dollars for losses attributed to evacuation, having to stay indoors and nuclear contamination (TEPCO to Compensate Nuclear Plant Victims, 2011). These partial retributions are miniscule. Often times it is cheaper for a corporation to hire a good public relations specialist than to rectify the actual problem. This nuclear disaster has crippled local businesses, fishing operations, tourism and the livelihood of citizens. TEPCOââ¬â¢s greed and irresponsibility has cost the citizens of Japan and the nation at large by causing tremendous losses. Moreover, citizens in neighboring countries and the Western part of the United States have grown concerned over their personal well-being. In TEPCOââ¬â¢s case, the local government should have taken extra measures to ensure the facilities were built to withstand an earthquake of great proportion. Local governments are elected and represent the interest of the people. Therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure private organizations behave ethically. Companies should be forced to take full accountability for their actions. In regard to privatization of nuclear energy, governments should pressure organizations to strive for seven-sigma quality. As we have witnessed, a defect in nuclear energy can have significant implications for the general population. Conclusion As illustrated in this paper, organizations have a social responsibility to both their internal and external beneficiaries. Firms should always conduct business with integrity and concern for others. Although many organizations may feel pressure to increase their short-term earnings, they must retain their focus and uphold their social responsibilities to their stakeholders. Through long-term objectives, organizations can set standards that will ensure their survival. Itââ¬â¢s important to emphasize that the decisions an organization makes will often affect society as a whole. As illustrated in the case studies above, companies that go astray or act in their own self interest can adversely affect the well-being of many stakeholders. However, tougher sanctions and an organizational credo may help give an organization ethical focus. In conclusion, by practicing self-governance and obeying existing laws, corporations will be well on their way to becoming socially responsible and dependable organizations. Works Cited Achbar, M. (Director/Producer), Abbott, J. (Director), Bakan, J. (Writer), Simpson, B. (Producer) (2004). The Corporation (DVD). Canada: Big Picture Media Corporation. Bryce, R (2003). Pipe Dreams Greed, Ego and the Death of Enron. New York, NY: Public Affairs. DeCarlo, S. (2010). What the Boss Makes.Forbes.com.Retrieved on April 18th, 2011 from http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/27/compensation-chief-executive-salary-leadership-boss-10-ceo-compensation-intro.html Duening, T. N., Ivancevisch, J. M. (2006). Managing Organizations Principles Guidelines. Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog. Ehrenreich, B. (2002). Nickel and Dimed On Not Getting By in America. New York, NY: Owl Book. Greenwald, R. (Director), Gilliam, J. (Producer) (2005). Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price (DVD). United States: Brave New Films Disinformation Company. Laskawy, T. (2010). Court Rules rBGH-Free Milk Milk is Better Than the Kind Produced With Articifical Hormones. Now What? Retrieved on April 19, 2011 from http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-10-06-court-rules-on-rbgh-free-milk. Little, C. (2011). Ethics [class lectures]. Texas AM University-Commerce. Spring 2011. Lowenstein, R. (2002). When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-term Capital Management. Great Britain: Clays Ltd and St. Ives plc. Salina, I. (Director), Starr, S. (Producer) (2008). Flow: For The Love of Water (DVD). United States: Oscilloscope Laboratories. Shafer, S. Meredith, J. (2010). Operations Management for MBAs, 4th Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Sheridan, B. (2008). 600,000,000,000,000? Newsweek. Retrieved on April 20, 2011 from http://www.newsweek.com/2008/10/17/600-000-000-000-000.html. TEPCO to Compensate Japanââ¬â¢s Nuclear Plant Victims. (2011). BBC News Asia_Pacific. Retrieved on April 17, 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13090304 TEPCO Dimissed Important Scientific Evidence in Planning Nuclear Plantââ¬â¢s Defense. (2011). Japan Today. Retrieved on April 24, 2011 from http://www.japantoday.com/category/commentary/view/tepco-dismissed-important-scientific-evidence-in-planning-nuclear-plants-defense.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The Collapse of the Greenland Norse Essay -- european history
In Jared Diamondââ¬â¢s novel 'Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed' he discusses many civilizations that moved away from their homelands, grew in population, and then either failed or succeeded in their new environments. Throughout this essay I will attempt to explain the Collapse of the Greenland Norse, one of the many societies to rise and fall. The Greenland Norse faced multiple challenges including economical, agricultural, and unfriendly neighbors. Alongside Greenland other North Atlantic islands faced geographical challenges that lead to some of their falls as well. Yet, first I will discuss why the Norse left Scandinavia in search of new terrain. Similarly to other expansions the Norse, also known as Vikings, expansion was most likely caused by whatââ¬â¢s commonly known as ââ¬Å"push/pullâ⬠triggers. ââ¬Å"Pushâ⬠means that the population pressure lead to a lack of opportunities in their homeland while ââ¬Å"pullâ⬠represents good opportunities and empty areas to colonize elsewhere (Collapse pg. 185). Another reason for their sudden expansion is autocatalytic process. For the Norse two very distinct events set of this type of process: one was that in A.D. 793 a raid took place in Lindisfarne Monastery yielding a rich haul of booty that lead to even larger yields in following years and the second reason being the discovery of the unpopulated Faeroe Islands lead to the finding of larger, more distant islands (Collapse pg. 186). Even though the islands looked promising the Norse soon found out otherwise as the geographical environments posed many problems. For instance, Orkneys which lays in the Gulf Stream was perhaps their most successful island as it enjoyed mild climates and allowed for great agricultural production, but on... ...the Norse (Collapse pg. 255). Furthermore, the Inuit was able to outlive the Norse due to their advanced fishing skills that the Norse refused to learn from their neighbors largely in part to religion. In the end though it was the Norseââ¬â¢s decision to refrain from eating fish, ringed seals, and whales that potentially could have saved them from collapse (Collapse pg. 274). Even though the Greenland Norse only survived for four hundred and fifty years they werenââ¬â¢t necessarily failures. After all their unique European society was able to survive longer than weââ¬â¢ve been able to survive here in America (Collapse pg. 276). If we, Americanââ¬â¢s, donââ¬â¢t learn from others past are we doomed to follow in their footsteps? In my opinion, the answer is yes, but hopefully weââ¬â¢ll be able to turn the tides before its too late and we fall into collapse like so many other societies.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Research on Legalizing Marijuana Essay
Legalizing Marijuana has been a controversial and extremely volatile topic ever since the 1970ââ¬â¢s. Many people hold strong beliefs regarding this topic and the subsequent laws that have been passed in certain states for the use of the recreational drug. However, marijuana is not just a recreational drug, but has many different wonderful medical purposes for the American people. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational and medical purposes throughout this country. This ââ¬Å"drugâ⬠should be legalized throughout this country because unlike many of the legal substances that the United States provides, no one has died or been hospitalized for the use of marijuana. Additionally, marijuana would be an amazing product that the government can have their hands on, and provide it to the people all while taxing and regulating its product. This would have multiple benefits throughout every major city, depleting the use of illegal drug cartel and being able to extract millions, maybe even trillions amount of dollars in tax revenue. Finally, one of my concluding reasons as to why marijuana should be legalized is because marijuana, unlike all the legal substances, is not a gateway drug and according to many studies ââ¬Å"A small minority of Americans- less than 1 percent- smoke marijuana on a daily basisâ⬠(CQ researcher 531). Those who are opposing this highly beneficial and amazing drug that could help potentially save lives, hide behind their numerous walls of misconception. A famous quote once said by Bob Marley says ââ¬Å"herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.â⬠This quote, I believe, was said to the nation of the United States indirectly. The damages that alcohol can do to ones body is much worse than of that of marijuana, and yet it is still legal. Whereas marijuana is illegal in most states and has more medical uses and benefits. ââ¬Å"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 37,000 an-nual U.S. deaths, including more than 1,400 in Colorado, are attributed to alcohol use alone (i.e. this figure does not include accidental deaths). On the other hand, the CDC does not even have a category for deaths caused by the use of marijuanaâ⬠(Saferchoice 1). Just because marijuana has been referred to as a drug many perceive it as being the type of drug where it controls the household, or breaks up the family, ruining the lives of the ones who used it. However I believe that this ââ¬Å"drugâ⬠needs to be reevaluated for the good of humanity. ââ¬Å"If people are truly growing it for personal consumption, its not an issue with usâ⬠(CQ Researcher 527) said Marc Alcantara and his 22 officer unit focus on commercial marijuana growing. Officers of the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force has his priorities straight when it comes to marijuana, but he is not talking about your ââ¬Å"backyard smokers.â⬠Marc is talking about the indoor growing operations that have skyrocketed in the last 5 years over 265 percent. ââ¬Å"Indoor growing operations are capable of turning out three crops a year, typically grossing $250,000 per crop.â⬠( CQ Researcher 527) With marijuana already a lucrative California crop, Alcantara believes that we should go completely legal in the state of California, and legalize the entire cannabis industry and tax the product. Of course, Alcantara is not the only person who gets a say in this, as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks that it is not a time where we can just legalize something as powerful as this, but its defiantly time to talk about it. Unfortunately ââ¬Å"right now is a hard time to convince the U.S. Congress that smoking weed is medicineâ⬠(CQ Researcher 527). The big question as to why marijuana hasnââ¬â¢t been legalized yet is out on the table. People have been talking about this proposition for the last five to six years. Evaluating marijuana as a revenue source requires solid estimates of the size of marijuana crops, and the figures vary widely. A nationwide cannabis crop estimate of 10 million metric tons- worth 35.8 billion- was whatà was recorded by the White House drug- policy office in 2003. But some dismiss this fact because individuals believe that the United States would need somewhere between ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ 4 to 10 times more cannabis than it needs to cover domestic consumption.â⬠(CQ Researcher 530) Even with a high demand of consumptions the United States government would be able to regulate and tax the marijuana accordingly to help stimulate the economy. ââ¬Å"If you made it licit, and taxed it, the price would collapse.â⬠(CQ Researcher 530) Stating that it would be harder to sell on the streets making the product more of a pharmaceutical drug instead of a street drug. In 2005 cigarette smoking had declined drastically, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦378 billion cigarettes sold in the United States was the lowest number since 1951, when the nations population was about half its present size.â⬠(CQ Researcher 530) Marijuana was not only more safe than the effects and harm of alcohol but also it is more safe than the effect of tobacco as well. Although marijuana has its perks, it is still a drug and can very well have its down sides. ââ¬Å"Long term marijuana use can be addictive for some peopleâ⬠(CQ Researcher 531). For those people who smoke marijuana 27 out of 30 days, critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours. But although these side effects will happen, they will however not kill you, unlike the effects of alcohol and tobacco. Also with the effects of marijuana in early adolescents, can increase the likelihood of drug problems later in life. Legalizing marijuana would not only help the individuals who could use the powerful effects of it, it could also make room in our jails and make it easier on our police officers out on the streets. No more will an officer have to make a report for someone who was casually smoking a joint on the park bench. ââ¬Å"The budget issue is very important, but we should not loose sightà of the moral component- 700,000 Americans are being arrested every year for nothing more than a marijuana possession. Those arrested are separated from their loved ones, branded criminals, denied jobs and in many cases prohibited from accessing public assistance for life.â⬠(CQ Researcher 533) Marijuana is used in our lives for entertainment purposes, for recreational purposes, and most of all health purposes. A recent Washington Post review of a concert by The Dead (formerly the Grateful Dead) described seeing in the audience a ââ¬Å"50-something with a tucked in polo button down shirt, and a blackberry holster at the hip slyly taking a hit of a joint.â⬠(CQ Researcher 532) This individual wasnââ¬â¢t trying to hurt anyone, nor was he trying to bother anyone, but because the substance he was smoking was illegal he was targeted. This man in any other setting wouldnââ¬â¢t be looked at as a criminal but instead he is now getting a ticket and a humiliating felony on his recored, that could potentially ruin his life. Marijuana has been a topic of discussion for the last decade. Whether to legalize it, or keep it a street drug. Some say that legalizing it will only make it worse for the environment, making it everywhere around us, and having the whole world high. Others say that legalizing it will help, not only the economy, but the people living in the United States tremendously. Some say that keeping it illegal is better, but then complain about how bad the economy is, while others say that keeping it illegal will only hurt us in the long run. Whichever side your on, make sure you have evidence that supports your reasoning. There are so many different opinions to this matter and I feel that in the sooner years it will should be legal. My thoughts I felt as if this article not only brought both elements to the table butà also gave me different ways to look at the certain situation. This article was both inspiring and reasonable. It showed me that there are certain reasons as to why this product isnââ¬â¢t quite legal on the street just yet. This article gave me facts that I had no idea about and I really liked how it didnââ¬â¢t side with one specific side. Having both sides of the argument in this topic showed me a new light towards why not legalize it. There are many reasons as to why you shouldnââ¬â¢t legalize it, but not too many for the side of why too legalize it. I found a lot of great and intellectual information in this article that I would love to use in my life, and found a few new ways to think of things towards this situation. I enjoyed reading this article a lot and actually look forward in reading some more in my future.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
On the Job Training Essay
The students now days, enrolling related to Hospitality Industry. Because it is the in-demand course in all Universities and it has higher job opportunities. One of the fastest growing sectors of the economy of our time is the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry alone is a multi-billion dollar and growing enterprise. The hospitality industry includes cooperative relationships with multiple organizations. For example, hotels are allied with airlines, car rental agencies, other hotels, suppliers, travel agencies, and restaurants. Thus the hospitality industry includes multiple dimensions such as the tourism industry, the restaurant industry, and sundry other industries that are related to these industries. The hospitality industry includes the following segments: lodging (hotels), commercial food service (restaurants and catering), institutional food service, casinos, cruise lines, travel agency services, event services, convention hosting, arena services, sport complex management, resorts, parks, clubs, tourism, and transportation services related to the other segments of the industry. Read more:à OJT Experience in Restaurant It is exciting; in hospitality industry it will be never boring and offers unlimited opportunities to us. The hospitality industry is diverse enough for people to work in different areas of interest and still be employed within the hospitality industry. The Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management is a 4 year degree course that aims to develop the student to become a hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs and executives in the city of San Pablo in the province of Laguna and the entire country in general. It will provide the students with basic, liberal education and professional skills and entrepreneurship in the hotel and restaurant industry. Aside having a four year course it also offers a 2 year course which is the Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management that aims to provide skilled in hotel and restaurant employees and entrepreneurs in the San Pablo City Laguna. Being a certified student of the Laguna State Polytechnic University one of the pre-requisite of a student to be able to pass the courses chosen is On the Job training to undergo, On the Job training (OJT) is one of the best training methods because it is planned, organized and satisfied as the employeeââ¬â¢s worksite. OJT will generally be the primary method used for broadening the employeeââ¬â¢s skills and increasing productivity it is particularly appropriate for developing proficiency skills unique to as employeeââ¬â¢s job- especially jobs that are relatively easy to learn and require locally-owned equipment and facilities. Through the experience and through the hard-work, the students the students itself will be urgently by its employment. The employability refers to a personââ¬â¢s capability of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment, and obtaining new employment if required (Hillage and Pollard 1998). In simple terms, employability is about being capable of getting and keeping fulfilling work. More comprehensively, employability is the capability to move self-sufficiently within the labor market to realize potential through sustainable employment. For individuals, employability depends on the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAââ¬â¢s) they posses, the way they use those assets and present them to employers and the context (e. g. personal circumstances and labor market environment) within which they seek work due to it. (Campbell, J. P. 1990) First, Campbell defines performance a behavior. It is something done by the employee. This concept differentiates performance from outcomes. Outcomes are the result of an individualââ¬â¢s performance, but they are also the result of other influences. In other words, there are more factors that determine outcomes than just an employeeââ¬â¢s behaviors and actions. In Laguna State Polytechnic University the prestigious school provides a quality of education to pursue the students to learn everything that covers their chosen career; they give the students a lot of opportunities to experience a lot of things that some other students canââ¬â¢t experience in their chosen courses. The training affects the performance of the Hotel and Restaurant Management students in terms of what they experienced and what they have learned. Having training makes the students more confident to face any challenges that will measure the capabilities of their skill to handle the responsibilities given to them. Thus, training plays a big role in every Hotel and Restaurant Management studentââ¬â¢s career, from this they will be out of their shell and will start to grow. Locking for a bright future with their mind and heart holding the learningââ¬â¢s they have got to make their performance the best of all the best. This research study could provide information that can help the department to pursue more possible opportunities for the Hotel and Restaurant Management Students, especially second year students, this could be a basis for them to know if the past graduate students learn from their OJT program, and if theirs something they can do for their selves to progress their training when its already their turn. Because to keep the students abreast to this fast changing industry the students need to updated and competent to be and effective Hotel and Restaurant Management students, because the industry needs an effective people in their chosen field, competent enough for what they have learned and more for development. Not only for their own development but also for the countryââ¬â¢s development. Background of the Study: The researcher wants to find out what is the difference between the 4th year On the Job Training from their 2nd year On the Job Training to their employability. In the Laguna State Polytechnic University the On the Job training of the Hotel and Restaurant Management students will be conduct during their 2nd year and 4th year level of the school period. The students is supposed to use the things they have learned in school and consign it in during their practice this can improve their acquire skills and knowledge to Front office Management, Food and Beverage Management and Housekeeping Management, for them to be competitive enough and be employable in the future. There are trainees who seemed not too learned from their chosen establishment, maybe some students are not taking their training seriously because they think OJT is a simple requirement they need to complete, to pass the semester. Some establishment does not prioritize the trainee thatââ¬â¢s why they only gained limited skills and facts from their chosen establishment. Sometimes the student is immovable in one area and do not swivel to another. So the result of this is lacking knowledge and skill to another area, because the establishment concentrates the students to what rea they have start with. The 4th year level On the Job training Program for the students is the verdict time for them to apply what they have really learned in four years of studying Hotel and Restaurant Management. In this level the researcher wants to find out the improvement of the students from their past training, whether the traineeââ¬â¢s are physically and mentally fit? Are their learningââ¬â¢s enough for them to be competitive is this field? Or are they are still the juvenile students that donââ¬â¢t take seriously from what they are doing?
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Judaism Essays
Judaism Essays Judaism Paper Judaism Paper Judaism Name: Institution: Instructor: Course: Date: Section A The three people who have the main covenant are: Noah Abraham Moses Section B Every individual has a social responsibility towards other members of the society. The books of Deuteronomy, Exodus and Numbers give the guidelines that ought to govern manââ¬â¢s social relations. The social themes addressed are like those of equality, compassion, integrity, forgiveness and love. I believe that society has implicit rules that demand coexistence from the members of the society. There are particular pillars that enable the society to exist. These pillars are like those of love, compassion and equality. In my opinion, these pillars are similar to the moral virtues of Judaism. Equality is a core value that will promote harmony in the society. I believe that every individual is equal. This is by the virtue of them being human. Social status should not be the yardstick used to determine how individuals are treated. The moral attitude of Judaism encourages that our acts be governed by equality. The modern day society is dominated by biased attitudes. The wealthy members of the society receive better treatment and services. I believe that they are treated this way because of the influence they have. Integrity in the society is a sign of high levels of morality. The books of Torah talk about lending money to the poor without charging them interest and not hording the wages of a labour. Judaism upholds the virtue of being honest in ones actions. I. believe that these practices are seen as idealistic in the modern society. They are not a reflection of how social relations are governed today. Section C I find that the Jews had very high expectations of the Messiah. According to them, the expected Messiah was to save them from the political oppression that they had been subjected to by the Romans. I, however, feel that too much emphasis was laid on the political aspect of the Messiah. The Jews anticipated a political triumph that would then be justified be morality. This morality was embedded in the moral advancement that the universe would experience in the coming of the Messiah. In forming this kind of expectation, I believe that the Jews painted an idealistic view on the Messiah. The Jews were expecting a leader born in an influential family and one who was wealthy. In my opinion, these perspectives were what made the Messiah to be rejected when He dwelt on earth. I feel that the expectations of the coming Messiah were focused on the physical change that would be marked in his coming. In my opinion, Messianism signifies a period of Spiritual change and that the second coming of t he Messiah will bring about spiritual freedom. Section D I believe that the Sabbath is a day that is dedicated to the worship of God. I know that it is believed that worship should be an everyday affair, but the Sabbath is one day of the week where you isolate yourself and focus on activities that bring give God glory. These activities are like assembling with others to sing hymns, pray and fellowship. I know that the Sabbath is manââ¬â¢s way of emulating Godââ¬â¢s rest after the six days of creation. I feel that individuals should take a rest from the normal activities and focus on showing God gratitude to God for His kindness. These normal activities are like carrying out oneââ¬â¢s occupational duties, and going to school.
Monday, October 21, 2019
How to Test for Protein in Food
How to Test for Protein in Food Protein is an essential nutrient that builds muscle in the body. Its also easy to test for. Heres how: Protein Test Materials Calcium oxide (sold as quicklime in building supply stores)Red litmus paper (or another method to test pH)Ã WaterCandle, burner, or another heat sourceEye-dropperTest tubeMilk or other foods to test Procedure Because milk contains casein and other proteins, its a good food to start your testing with. Once you understand what to expect from testing milk, you can examine other foods. Add a small amount of calcium oxide and five drops of milk to a test tube.Add three drops of water.Dampen the litmus paper with water. Water has a neutral pH, so it should not change the color of the paper. If the paper does change color, start again using distilled water rather than tap water.Carefully heat the test tube over a flame. Hold the damp litmus paper over the mouth of the test tube and observe any color change.If protein is present in a food, the litmus paper will change color from red to blue. Also, smell the test tube: If protein is present, you should be able to detect the odor of ammonia. Both of these indicate a positive test for protein. If protein is not present in the test sample (or is in insufficient concentration to produce adequate ammonia during testing), the litmus paper will not turn blue, resulting in a negative test for protein. Notes About the Protein Test Calcium oxide reacts with protein to break it down into ammonia. The ammonia changes the acidity of the sample, causing a pH change. If your food is already very alkaline, you wont be able to use this test to detect protein. Test the pH of food to see if it changes the litmus paper prior to performing the protein test.Milk is an easy food to test because its a liquid. To test solids, such as meat, cheese, or vegetables, you must first grind the food by hand or by using a blender. You may need to mix the food with some water to make a sample you can test.The test registers a change in pH, which is the concentration of hydrogen ions in an aqueous or water-based solution. Most foods contain water, so they work fine for the test. However, oily foods may not work as well. You cant test pure vegetable oil, for example, because it doesnt contain any water. If you test greasy foods, such as french fries or potato chips, youll need to mash them up and mix them with a bit of water first.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
The Anti-Semitic Dark Side of Martin Luther
The Anti-Semitic Dark Side of Martin Luther Without a doubt, Martin Luther is one of the most influential personas in European history. As a reformer, he played huge parts in creating the Protestant Christian Church. In translating the Bible from Latin into German, he created the foundations of the High German that is spoken in the country today. He singlehandedly made a mess out of Europe that resulted in the divide of Western Christendom leading to Luther being labeled The Great Divider. The aforementioned divide was followed by long and cruel struggles. Dukes and Kings soon had to choose whether they and their subjects would be Catholics or Protestants. These struggles finally led into the Thirty Years War. Many historians find, that Luther is to blame to some extent for a lot of pain and suffering. Martin Luthers Surprising Anti-Semitism From what we know about Martin Luther, we can tell, that he was very uncompromising and somewhat stubborn. The former monk had strong opinions on many issues and just as his views on scholarly matters, he felt urged to express them. He felt no remorse attacking his enemies and adversaries or those he deemed to belong to that category. What might come as a surprise to some, is that this category also included the followers of another major religion: the Jewish people.ââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹ A Hate Speech Book In 1543, Martin Luther wrote a short book called ââ¬Å"On the Jews and their Liesâ⬠. It seems that Luther had hoped for the Jewish people to convert to Protestantism and as that didnââ¬â¢t happen, he was deeply disappointed. In the centuries after Lutherââ¬â¢s death, it had no special place among his literary works or underwent particular treatment. It became quite popular in the Third Reich and was even used to justify the discrimination of Jewish people. Was Hitler a Fan? Adolf Hitlerà was a declared fan of Luther and his views on the Jews. Extracts of the book were even quotedà in the propaganda movie ââ¬Å"Jud Sà ¼ÃŸâ⬠by Veit Harlan. After 1945, the book was not reprinted in Germany until 2016. The recently published edition, which was translated into modern German, proves that the reformer basically demanded the same fate for Jews that the Nazis did, with the exception of a systemic annihilation (maybe, because he could simply not fathom such a thing in the 16thà century). In earlier years, Martin Luther expressed different feelings for Jewish people, probably connected to his high hopes of them converting to Protestantism. Unsettling Views Unfortunately, the views in Luthers book reads like a manual for the National Socialistà German Workers Partyà (Nazi Party). Excerpts from his works areà as follows: ââ¬Å"(â⬠¦) set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them.ââ¬Å" But in his wrath, he not only turned against their synagogues. ââ¬Å"I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed. For they pursue in them the same aims as in their synagogues. Instead they might be lodged under a roof or in a barn, like the gypsies.ââ¬Å" He propagated to take the Talmud from them and to forbid the rabbis to teach, and he wanted to prohibit Jews from traveling on the highways. ââ¬Å"(â⬠¦) and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping.ââ¬Å" Finally, Luther further wanted to force young Jews into manual labor.à Though ââ¬Å"On the Jews and their Liesâ⬠is his most infamous work on Jewish people, Luther published two more texts on the matter. In the book ââ¬Å"Vom Schem Hamphoras (Of the Unknowable Name and the Generations of Christ) he put the Jews on the same level as the devil. And in a sermon, released as ââ¬Å"Warning Against the Jewsâ⬠he stated that Jewish people should be expelled from German territories if they refused to convert to Christianity.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Madeleine Leininger's Transcultural Nursing Theory Research Paper
Madeleine Leininger's Transcultural Nursing Theory - Research Paper Example During her early nursing career, Leininger identified the need and importance of ââ¬Å"caringâ⬠concept in nursing. She got her motivation from frequent appreciative statements from her patients. This acted as a leeway to her focus on ââ¬Ëcareââ¬â¢ as being an important or central nursing component. She experienced what she termed as a cultural shock during the 1950s while working as a child guide in childrenââ¬â¢s home. She realized that certain children behavioral patterns appeared to have cultural basis. She also recognized and realized that the missing link to nursingââ¬â¢s comprehension of the several variations necessary in patient care improve and support healing, compliance, as well as, wellness. The insights acted as the beginnings of a phenomenon and construct related to nursing care known as transcultural nursing. Leininger is the founder of the popular transcultural nursing movement in education practice and research. She defined transcultural nursing as a ââ¬Å"substantive area of study and practice focused on comparative cultural care values, and practices of individuals or groups of similar or different cultures with the goal of providing culture-specific and universal nursing care practices in promoting health or well-being or to help people face unfavorable human conditions, illness, or death in culturally meaningful waysâ⬠(Leininger, 1989). ... It emphasizes on the universality and diversity with an aim of providing culturally related and wholistic care (Leininger & McFarland, 2006). The theory is, however, not a grand one since it has certain dimensions to assess for a given picture. It is a comprehensive and wholistic approach, which has given a leeway to a broader and wider nursing than expected with a reductionist and middle-range approach. The theory has a role of providing the required care measures while taking into consideration an individual or patientââ¬â¢s cultural beliefs, values and practices. Leininger came up with and coined the fundamental goal or aim of transcultural practice in nursing. She referred to it as culturally congruent care. It is only possible on the occurrence of the following within the client-nurse relationship: the nurse, together with the client, defines creatively a different or new lifestyle for the well-being or health of the client. This requires the use and application of both profe ssional and generic knowledge and ways in order to fit these diverse and new ideas into nursing practice and goals. Another important and unavoidable aspect of this theory is that knowledge and skills are normally re-patterned for the clientââ¬â¢s best interest. This implies that all care modalities and means need co-participation of the client and the nurse. The two have to perform identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation of each mode of caring for culturally congruent or related nursing care. The modes normally stimulate nurses to come up with and design appropriate nursing decisions and actions with the use of the acquired new knowledge, as well as, the culturally based ways to give satisfying and meaningful wholistic care to various
Friday, October 18, 2019
World Hunger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
World Hunger - Essay Example Poor countries that are in the process of developing do not have enough economic reserves and human capital to provide for the sustenance of their population. Furthermore, they are made to export their few assets particularly their natural resources that leads to a reduction in their capital stock. Also, investors ignore developing countries because they cannot produce feasible profits due to lack of infrastructure. Thus, major businesses do not invest their capital in the developing countries and without the investment, the productivity ceases to increase. Cycle of economic distress keeps the countries in a permanent stage of poverty and under development. Developing countries all around the globe basically lack the general infrastructure that is important for these countries to rise above the economic deficiency that is the leading cause of hunger. The general infrastructure includes a solid road system, warehouses and good irrigation systems and the lack of these causes an increase in transport expenses, deficient facilities for storing and poor water supplies. This limits the average farming produce and hence results in a lower amount of food being available. Considering the major problems, the answer to hunger is building reliable systems of energy, effective means of transportation and communication. This would provide incentives to the potential investors and hence result in generation of capital in the developing nations. Economic growth is possible by the investments coming from the private sector. Business activities increase proportionally to the growth of investment which in term increases the productivity as well as the distribution of goods. This assists in the satisfaction and fulfillment of the common people. In the underprivileged areas of the world, for example the sub-Saharan Africa, poor geographical location and political turmoil has led to small and unreachable
Services Marketing and Characteristics of Services Essay
Services Marketing and Characteristics of Services - Essay Example The inseparability of a service means that the production of service cannot be separated from its consumption; thus, the customer is a party to the production of the service. Hence, one can not provide banking services to a customer who is not present (either physically or through other means). A waiter cannot serve to a customer if there is no customer present in the restaurant. This is what inseparability of the service means; that the service is generated and consumed at the same time. This makes the quality control process even more difficult and hence efforts are made to overcome the inseparability aspect of the service by separating production and consumption of services. This is another important characteristic of services and refers to the change in service quality and effectiveness each time the service is produced and consumed. For instance, the same waiter serving two different customers, or even the same customer two different times, may provide different quality of services. Sometimes, it is essential to adapt to the specific needs of the customer while providing services like dentists who spend more time with children than adults, assuring and reassuring them that the treatment will not hurt. At other times, a quality control system may be put in place to eliminate the inconsistencies in services, for example, in call centers where all operators are taught to communicate similarly with customers. A drawback of service is that it is difficult to store it and reuse when required. Since services are generated and consumed at the same time usually, these are perished hence minimizing idle time is critical to provide quality services.Ã Ã
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Global Strategic Management in the Business World Research Paper
Global Strategic Management in the Business World - Research Paper Example à One of the major myths prevailing in the organizational world until recent times was that if a company wishes to be a global corporation, it does need to locate in every continent or at least in American and European continents. However, such beliefs have been changed in recent times. It is illogical to argue that a company should invest even in unprofitable continents to know as an international company or global corporation. In order to become a global company, a company should invest only in profitable continents. ââ¬Å"Global business consists of transactions that are devised and carried out across national borders to satisfy the objectives of individuals, companies, and organizations. These transactions take on various forms, which are often interrelatedâ⬠(Czinkota, et al., 2004). However, it is not necessary that the business should be established in all continents to label it as a global business. For example, the majority of the American and European companies are currently trying to establish manufacturing units in India and China as a cost reduction strategy. It should be noted that India and China are the most heavily populated countries in the world at present and these countries have abundant skilled manpower. At the same time, the manpower shortage is a big problem in America and Europe. In other words, America and Europe are expensive labor-oriented regions whereas Asia is a cheap labor-oriented continent at present. Since the international market is heavily competitive, all companies are currently looking for the cost reduction strategies as far as manufacturing is concerned. It is impossible for American and European companies to manufacture goods in their own territories and compete effectively with Indian or Chinese companies in the international market. Therefore the majority of these companies are currently establishing manufacturing units in India or China. For example, Apple, Ford, BMW, Benz etc are some companies which have ma nufacturing units in India or China. In fact, these companies are manufacturing their products in India or China and exporting them to the overseas market. The Indian city of Bangalore is famous for outsourcing business. Plenty of American and European IT companies are currently operating in Bangalore in order to exploit the cheap labor and IT skills of the Indians. Microsoft and IBM like companies have business units in Bangalore. It is illogical to ask these companies to establish the business in Antarctica or Africa to achieve global status. Instead of globalization, modern companies are thinking about glocalization. ââ¬Å"Glocalization encourages companies to ââ¬Å"think global, act locallyâ⬠, and they could do so by using the global brand while localizing certain elements of that brand in order to suit a particular countryâ⬠(Luigi & Simona, n.d., p.1).
Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Pollution - Essay Example Global warming has also been attributed in part to pollution. When these chemicals and toxins become a part of the environment they affect not just the environment but humans as well. If we can control our actions then we can make the world a better place to live. Air pollution occurs because of toxins that are released into the air by cars, aerosols, factories etc. what it basically does it make the air unclean and unsafe to breathe in and can cause many kinds of respiratory diseases. It has also been known to affect the wild life as it has killed many birds. Many people in china and Japan are known to wear masks to work and school because of the pollution there. The sad reality is that because of air pollution we do not just harm ourselves but harm the planet for the future generations. Water pollution refers to contaminants that find their way into the water reservoirs i.e. lakes and streams along with the ocean. Large companies have been known to dump toxins in streams that later on become a part of our drinking water. Many people use filters these days so that they can have clean water for their use but the sad reality is that the industrial world has a huge negative impact on the developing world and water pollution is making life tough not just for them but also sea life, fresh water fish life, and harming the plant life as well. Sewage water is also released into streams and the coastlines of many countries and have a very detrimental effect overall. Land and soil pollution refers to the detrimental state of affairs because of unhealthy and unsafe trash and toxicant dumping habits employed by humans. It has been mainly attributed to urbanization and industrialization, both of which destroy natural resources that are already present in order to build and become successful. The tearing down of God made things results in a lot of problems for example, in order to
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Global Strategic Management in the Business World Research Paper
Global Strategic Management in the Business World - Research Paper Example à One of the major myths prevailing in the organizational world until recent times was that if a company wishes to be a global corporation, it does need to locate in every continent or at least in American and European continents. However, such beliefs have been changed in recent times. It is illogical to argue that a company should invest even in unprofitable continents to know as an international company or global corporation. In order to become a global company, a company should invest only in profitable continents. ââ¬Å"Global business consists of transactions that are devised and carried out across national borders to satisfy the objectives of individuals, companies, and organizations. These transactions take on various forms, which are often interrelatedâ⬠(Czinkota, et al., 2004). However, it is not necessary that the business should be established in all continents to label it as a global business. For example, the majority of the American and European companies are currently trying to establish manufacturing units in India and China as a cost reduction strategy. It should be noted that India and China are the most heavily populated countries in the world at present and these countries have abundant skilled manpower. At the same time, the manpower shortage is a big problem in America and Europe. In other words, America and Europe are expensive labor-oriented regions whereas Asia is a cheap labor-oriented continent at present. Since the international market is heavily competitive, all companies are currently looking for the cost reduction strategies as far as manufacturing is concerned. It is impossible for American and European companies to manufacture goods in their own territories and compete effectively with Indian or Chinese companies in the international market. Therefore the majority of these companies are currently establishing manufacturing units in India or China. For example, Apple, Ford, BMW, Benz etc are some companies which have ma nufacturing units in India or China. In fact, these companies are manufacturing their products in India or China and exporting them to the overseas market. The Indian city of Bangalore is famous for outsourcing business. Plenty of American and European IT companies are currently operating in Bangalore in order to exploit the cheap labor and IT skills of the Indians. Microsoft and IBM like companies have business units in Bangalore. It is illogical to ask these companies to establish the business in Antarctica or Africa to achieve global status. Instead of globalization, modern companies are thinking about glocalization. ââ¬Å"Glocalization encourages companies to ââ¬Å"think global, act locallyâ⬠, and they could do so by using the global brand while localizing certain elements of that brand in order to suit a particular countryâ⬠(Luigi & Simona, n.d., p.1).
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Examine an episode of the Colbert Report through the lens of Geoffrey Essay
Examine an episode of the Colbert Report through the lens of Geoffrey Baym's article on discursive integration - Essay Example Baym examines The Daily Show as an example of this hybrid format stating how The Daily Show new format has spark a new genre, of hybrid of many, and has become an important part of the media. As a show that is packed with lots of comedy satire but still disseminates real news, The Colbert Report is a hybrid. It opens with a serious news opening, then shows him running and jump carrying a flag. Then, the camera pans to the audience, who are clapping and cheering. Similar to TDS starts of serious shows, the show then moves to some more like a late-night show with audience cheering. Typical Colbert shows include mock reportage on political events, using a strong degree of sarcasm and irony to mock traditional news programs that claim to be ââ¬Å"fair and balanced,â⬠but really are not. This use of satire can be favorably compared to Baymââ¬â¢s idea of ââ¬Å"The Daily Showââ¬â¢sâ⬠John Stewart, as another show which acts to criticize the very object of culture which it is serving up to the people. Both shows use the trappings and production values of real news programs in a subversive, surreal manner. The first segment of The Colbert Report, like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, focuses on news updates on current events. Both shows share many similarities in this segment. They both incorporate a great deal of comedy satire into the news while taking aspects from both late-night shows and comedy shows (Baym, 263). Another great example of the similarities between these shows is that the hosts provide subjective nature on the subject. As Baym points out in his essay, Stewart ââ¬Å"instead engages in subjective interrogationâ⬠going against all normal journalist standards (265). In the episode of The Colbert Report used by the current investigation, Stephen displays his subjective nature while talking to Arturo Rodriguez on immigration, or
Monday, October 14, 2019
U. S. Leadership Essay Example for Free
U. S. Leadership Essay Minorities are concentrated in urban areas or CBDââ¬â¢s by a variety of forces. After World War II, many people (mostly African Americans) migrated from the South to the North. The housing demand was much greater than the housing supply. The FHA and other organizations, supported by the U. S. government, began offering low interest loans to white people in the newly developing suburbs. ââ¬Å"While many organizations were providing low-cost financing for houses in the suburbs, such as the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration and the Veteranââ¬â¢s Mortgage Guarantee Program, the FHA refused to guarantee suburban loans to poor people, nonwhites, Jews and other ââ¬Ëinharmoniousââ¬â¢ racial and ethnic groups because the value of homes in the neighborhood, according to the FHA, would drop in value (Chudacoff 270). Because of these low interest loans to aid whites in moving to the suburbs and the restrictive covenants that kept blacks and other minorities out of suburban areas, minorities were not able to move out of CBDââ¬â¢s. So whites fled to the suburbs (a phenomenon called white flight), but minorities were forced to stay. Many jobs went to the suburbs as well, which means that urban jobs became decentralized as well. Black neighborhoods were then further divided by freeways and other projects of urban renewal. The freeways became barriers between whites and other races, as Graham Greene called this ââ¬Å"the racing and placing of Americaâ⬠(Greene 39). Jalbert also sums this up with ââ¬Å"Suburbanization was a decidedly white experience enforced by blatant racism, unequal access to economic opportunity, and restrictive housing covenantsâ⬠(Jalbert). This segregation affects schools in a variety of ways. Since schools are funded chiefly by state property taxes (except for the 8. 5% from the federal government), suburban schools have always fared better. Economic differences exist between CBD and suburban areas obviously. Because of white flight, enhanced by the FHAââ¬â¢s low interest loans for whites to buy in the suburbs, and restrictive covenants that left minorities out of the suburbs, economic inequity remains. Houses in the suburbs are assessed generously while houses in the CBD are redlined, or assessed for less money because the neighborhoods are mixed). Education is unequal. This is a large and seemingly insurmountable problem in American education. Harris (2002) sums up the entire problem quite eloquently in the following quote. It is perfectly obvious that the highest at-risk students have the poorest, most run-down physical environments, the greatest instability of teachers coming and going, the fewest fully qualified teachers, a shortage of textbooks and instructional materials, far less availability of technology in the classroom, overcrowded classrooms, poor working conditions for the teachers, and fewer resources to teach students to pass the tests that they have little chance of being properly prepared to take. To compare these schools with those serving the most affluent majority of students is akin to comparing a backward, emerging nation with a highly industrialized nation. It is no contestâ⬠(Harris. 37). The inequities in education are directly caused by the breakdown of the CBDââ¬â¢s. The U. S. government put money behind the loans the FHA program and others gave to whites. The government even financed the freeway system with 50/50ââ¬â¢s so that suburban people could have roads for a faster commute. Minorities were relegated to the CBDââ¬â¢s. Even in recent years, projects of urban renewal have further harmed CBDââ¬â¢s, like Dodger Stadium in an area called Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles. Schools in this country are more segregated than they were before Brown vs. the Board of Education, and schools in CBDââ¬â¢s are mostly minorities. To further illustrate the reality of these inequities in education, a quote by Jonathan Kozolââ¬â¢s recently published article for The Nation is needed. ââ¬Å"The contrasts between what is spent today to educate child in the poorest New York City neighborhoods, where teacher salaries are often even lower. than the city averages, and spending levels in the wealthiest suburban areas are daunting challenges to any hope New Yorkers might retain that even semblances of fairness still prevail. Teachers in the schools of District 7 in Mott Haven, for example, where some 99. 8 percent of children are black or Latino, now receive a median salary that is approximately half the median salary of teachers in the affluent communities of Great Neck and Manhasset. (The actual numbers, which are annually compiled by the state, are $42,000 for a teacher in Mott Haven, versus $82,000 for the teachers in these two Long Island suburbs.) Including all the other costs of operation of a public school, a third-grade class of twenty-five children in the schools of Great Neck now receives at least $200,000 more per year than does a class the same size in Mott Haven, while children in a comparable classroom in Manhasset now receive a quarter-million dollars more. â⬠(Kozol 1) Kozol sums it up absolutely. These are the cold hard facts of urban economics in the schools of New York City. Schools in CBDââ¬â¢s are inequitable; they are segregated. They contain the students who need the most help with the teachers who are least prepared to help them. They need more money for remediation programs, but do not have the property taxes nor the influential parents to get the money. They never had an equal chance from the start, and if education is to play the role of the great equalizer, these problems need to be fixed. Works Cited Chudacoff, Howard. ââ¬Å"The Politics of Growth in the Era of Suburbanization, 1945-1974, in Chudacoff and Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society, pp. 263-296. Greene, Ronald Walter, Malthusian Worlds: U. S. Leadership and the Governing of the Population Crisis, 1939. Harris, Louis (2002). If You Want to Know About the Schools, Ask the Teachers: A Survey of the Status of Public Education in New York. Prepared for Recruiting Teachers, Inc. (July 2002). p. 37. Jalbert, Matthew, ââ¬Å"Burbs, Blockbusting, and Blacks: Morphosis of the Postwar American City, ââ¬Å"Radical Urban Theory, Accessed March 29, 2007, at www. radicalurbantheory. com/mjalbert/burbs/index8. html Kozol, Jonathan. (2002) Malign Neglect. Children in New York public schools are being shortchanged-again. The Nation. June 10, 2002. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from http://www. thirdworldtraveler. com/Third_World_US/Malign_Neglect_Kozol. html
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Effect of Brexit on the UK Economy
Effect of Brexit on the UK Economy Many academic and non-academic writings tackled the issue of Brexit from different angles. The focus will be one important aspect of Brexit; that is the economic part; i.e. the effect of Brexit on the economy of UK after being outside the EU. The UK, governmentââ¬â¢s White Paper (Department for Exiting the European Union) suggests headlines of taking the UK out of the EU. In this White Paper, the aspect of the economy is covered on different headings such as protecting the rights of the worker and securing free trade with European markets (The White Paper, Policy paper The United Kingdomââ¬â¢s exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union, 2017). It reflects how important this issue is for the UK government, as well as for all UK people. What is clear that there will be many positive and negative economic implications for both parties EU and UK after Brexit! This essay sheds light on two main issues related to the UK economy after Brexit. First, the signal market, the definition, the status of UK in the signal market after leaving EU, the expected scenarios. Second, the economic relationships between the UK and other countries of EU. The expected options mentioned here are based on the current relationships between the EU and some countries that are not full members of the EU. To start with, what is the meaning of the Single Market? According to European Commission website, Single Market indicates the EU as one territory that has no internal borders or any other controlling complications that lead to the free movement of booth services and goods (The European Single Market European Commission, 2017). According to the same source, single market has great benefits. It encourages competition and trade, increases efficiency, promotes quality, as well as helps in cutting the prices. In addition, the same source considers the European Single Market as one of the EUââ¬â¢s ultimate accomplishments that powered the economic growth and made the everyday life of European businesses and consumers easier (The European Single Market European Commission, 2017). On the other hand, UK is playing a major role in the single market. Thus, by leaving this market, UK can direct this budget to a new direction that suits its economy better. The UK is ranked in the top five economies in the world, after United States, China, Japan and Germany (Bajpai, 2017). After Brexit, Bajpai expects the raking of the UK to decline and that UK will be ranked the 7th, taking the place of France (Bajpai, 2017). Dhingra and Sampson in their article Brexit and the UK Economy, claim that after leaving the EU, the UK will no longer be constrained by the EUââ¬â¢s external tariff. On the other hand, the UK can set its own MFN[1] tariffs on imports. The UK could adopt to reduce its import tariffs below the levels of EU in order to lower import costs for UK consumers and companies. This will result on increasing the competition played by businesses run in the UK (Sampson, Dhingra and Sampson, 2017). In addition, the same article, states that there is a limited scope for further tariff decreases. According to the World Bank, the tariff rate of the EU (applied and weighted mean for all products) is 1.5% (Word Bank, 2017). Also, if UK goes for this it will require more harmonising polices, regulations or product standards across countries. Achieving this level of business requires international agreements with different countries. The overall effect of Brexit is still estimated to be negative (Dhingra and Sampson, 2017 4-5). These circumstances make it very difficult for the UK to reduce tariff rates, yet possible. à The second essential issue in the UK economy after Brexit is the economic relationships between the UK and other EU countries. Clarke, Goodwin and Whiteley in their book Brexit Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union, suggested three scenarios regarding the relationship between the UK and other EU countries. They based their expected scenarios on existing relationships between the EU and non- member states. First scenario, ââ¬ËNorwegianââ¬â¢ option, where Norway is not an EU member state but has full access to the single market, which is called European Economic Area (EEA), where Norway has to pay for this privilege by contributing to the EU budget as well as accepting free movement of labour. In other words, UK can leave EU and pay to access EEA. The second option is based on a mutual agreement with EU, like Switzerland and Canada. A Comprehensive Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada made it possible to lowers tariff barriers, coordinates trade arrangements and encourages cooperation, yet does not include free movement of labour. The third and last option is, World Trade Organization (WTO) that is arising from trade agreements negotiated by the World Trade Organization over many years between a massive number of countries that are aiming to shrink tariffs and other obstacles to trade (Clarke, Matthew and Paul, 2017: 176). The report UK trade options beyond 2019, published by House of Commons, International Trade Committee suggests some of the above-mentioned scenarios. The report mentioned some options that the UK might have after Brexit. First, ââ¬Å"No dealâ⬠-trading under WTO rules alone. Second, ââ¬Å"No dealâ⬠-Trading under WTO rules alone. Third, UK Free Trade Agreements with non-EU countries. For each option, there are details about the expected sequences (Committee, 2017). The international ranking of UK economy might go backward at the first couples of years after Brexit until the government makes new trade agreements with different counties and organisations around the world. Afterwards, the UK economy might go better or worse than before. All the above-mentioned ideas are uncertain. It is very clear that the government is working hard to leave the EU will minimum loss possible. No one can tell the exact actions taken by both EU and UK until the negotiation is over and both the UK and the EU sign the final leaving agreement. Bibliography: Bajpai, P. (2017) The Worldââ¬â¢s Top 10 Economies | Investopedia, 07-07-2017. Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/022415/worlds-top-10-economies.asp (Accessed: 15 October 2017). Clarke, H., Matthew, D. and Paul, C. (2017) Brexit Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union. Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316584408.009. Committee, I. T. (2017) UK trade options beyond 2019. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmintrade/817/817.pdf (Accessed: 15 October 2017). Dhingra, S. and Sampson, T. (2017) ââ¬ËBrexit and the UK Economyââ¬â¢, A series of background briefings on the policyà issues in the June 2017 UK General Election, p. 13. Available at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/ea040.pdf (Accessed: 9 October 2017). Sampson, T., Dhingra, S. and Sampson, T. (2017) ââ¬ËBrexit and the UK Economy Swati Dhingra and Brexit and the UK Economyââ¬â¢, (June), p. 14. The European Single Market European Commission (2017). Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market_en (Accessed: 10 October 2017). The White Paper, Policy paper The United Kingdomââ¬â¢s exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union (2017). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-united-kingdoms-exit-from-and-new-partnership-with-the-european-union-white-paper/the-united-kingdoms-exit-from-and-new-partnership-with-the-european-union2#strengthening-the-union (Accessed: 11 October 2017). Word Bank, T. (2017) EU Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%). Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.TAX.MRCH.WM.AR.ZS?end=2015locations=EUname_desc=truestart=2010 (Accessed: 13 October 2017). [1] MFN: most favoured nation
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Capital Punishment Essay - The Fatal State of the Death-Penalty System
The Fatal State of the Death-Penalty System à In 1997, the state of Florida botched Pedro Medina's execution. When the switch was flipped on the 50-year-old electric chair, nicknamed "Old Sparky," the mask covering Medina's face caught on fire. Flames up to a foot long shot of his face for 6-10 seconds. A thick, black smoke filled the room, and the prison guards closed the curtain, hiding the rest of the job from the shocked witnesses. Bob Butterworth, then Florida's attorney general, said that Medina's agonizing death would be a deterrent to crime. People who want to commit murder, he said, better not do so in Florida because "we may have a problem with our electric chair." Such cases are likely to horrify death penalty proponents and foes alike. (After another botched execution in 1999, this time with the new electric chair, Florida gave inmates the option of lethal injection or the chair). What is even more abominable than these clear instances of "cruel and unusual punishment," however, is the mounting evidence that many people being convicted of murder, sent to death row, and probably even executed in the United States are simply not guilty. The only way to reasonably evaluate the system without running the risk of executing more innocents in the process is for Congress to issue an immediate national moratorium on executions. On Jan 31, 2000, Governor George Ryan (R-IL), a death-penalty proponent, announced a moratorium on executions in his state until the system is investigated. Governor Ryan had more than sufficient grounds to say that Illinois's criminal-justice system is "fraught with error": Since 1977, when Illinois reinstated the death penalty (following a 1976 Supreme-Court ruling allowing states to do ... ...s-16,000 of them, dating back five years." While rapists can be feed from prison if DNA evidence clears them, executions are irrevocable. Given the problems in state and national DNA databanks, it is crucial that those on death row get more time to explore any evidence that could exonerate them. Governor George W. Bush of Texas (where 463 people are on death row) maintains that he is certain that every person of the over 100 who have been executed during his tenure is guilty. The fact that Texas has no public-defender system and that Bush has spent much time over the past year campaigning outside the state has not made a dent in Bush's certainty. For those who, regardless of their stance on the death penalty, would like to take the time to examine the evidence and aim for a higher standard, state and national moratoriums are presently the best course of action.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Meaning of supervision and my professional life Essay
Instructional Supervision Instructional supervision is a very important concept which must be understood by all educators for the sake of achieving their teaching objectives. For this case, the process of instructional supervision must be applied for the sake of delivering effective instructions to the students. Supervision of instruction for example in England began as an external inspection where some people were appointed to go around the school to observe what the students were learning and what the teachers were teaching the students. The main aim of these supervisors was to ensure that the set curriculum was being followed and the students were actually being taught. On the other hand, in United States, supervision began in 1830ââ¬â¢s after the formation of common schools. Initially, supervision in schools was undertaken by superintendents after the formation of city school system due to increased population in major cities. Later on, the role of supervision by superintendents became impossible as the number of schools increased. The role of supervision had to be delegated to the principal to oversee that the teachers we following the curriculum in their teaching. In order to promote growth of teachers and recognizing practice of supervisors time restrain, Sergiovanni and Starratt (1998), suggested that a supervisory system be created that would contain a number of processes of supervision even summative evaluation. The system was not to involve direct formal supervision every year for every teacher. This system was to evaluate the teachers within a period of three to five years. In this kind of evaluation, the teachers were to receive a variety of evaluation during the three or five years and finally be evaluated formally only once. Professional growth evidence is required during once-a-cycle formal evaluation. The work of supervision was also attempted to be opened at international involvement by Sergiovanni and Starratt. In a school setting, the principal has the overall responsibility of supervision of the whole school. For this case, he supervises, teachers, students and all the other staff working in the school that include: librarian, gardeners, drivers, cleaners etc. The supervision role is not an easy task especially of teachers and for this case, the principal has to carry out the exercise with intelligent and diplomacy. The teachers of course knows their role and they would feel not motivate if they see they are being supervised like factory workers. This would in turn kill their morale at work and finally they would not deliver the required knowledge to the students and the end result would mean that the teaching objectives will not be achieved. The principal on the other hand has a responsibility of supervising the work of the students and together with their behaviors. Students tend to acquire deviant behaviors from other students like smoking and unless this behavior is corrected at an early stage, the student will not concentrate in his learning. In some situation, the supervision of students gets out of hand as they tend to have acquired more serious behaviors such as carrying of weapons and may be killing of their fellow students. For this case, this becomes criminal offence and is not likely to be handled the principal. Principal should be very strict when it comes to discipline for the sake of ensuring that education objectives are achieved. Since the students are in a crucial stage of adolescent stage where influence of behavior is at high level hence their behaviors should supervised keenly. According to Glickman (1990), there are a number of supervisory approaches within clinical supervision structure. He developed a supervision model that provides theoretical framework that with four supervision approaches that would be found in supervision concept. These approaches are similar in the intended end goal but they differ differs slightly in the power and control that is accorded to the teacher. The four approaches are a follow: The first supervision approach is the nondirective supervision whereby the teacher has the freedom of formulating his own plan on the future development. In such a situation, the supervisor is there to give advice to the teacher when he comes up with his own ideas on the way forward. This kind of approach indeed motivates the teaching staff members as they feel they are in control with their undertakings. For this case it should be encourage at situations where the teachers are experienced in their work and they can work with little or no supervision. (Glickman, 1990) The other supervision approach is collaborative supervision. In this approach, the teacher and the supervisor do share idea before the supervisor makes decision on whatever decision he wants to make. This approach too is a good one also as the teachers feels motivated as they are consulted before any decision can be arrived at. For this case, the teachers contribute their ideas and the supervisor weighs various options before settling on the best idea that has been contributed by the teachers. By merely brainstorming of ideas, the approach is of much help for the sake of choosing the best approach to be used. For this case, this kind of approach should be encouraged at situation where teachers involved are experienced in their work. The third supervision approach is the directive informational approach. In this situation, the supervisor formulates the supervisor plan and it is the responsibility of the teacher to decide if he is going to follow the plan. In this kind of an approach, the teachers are not motivated with it as they feel they are not consulted before a decision is being made in their work. Although some of the approach since it consumes less time before it is formulated, majority of them especially the experienced ones feels that some ideas which are better are overlooked. In this kind of approach, the teachers are given an opportunity to follow or not to follow the approach directives. However, the approach is appropriate mostly to teacher who are not experienced or the novice teachers. Lastly is the directive control approach in which the teacher formulates the supervisory plan and expects are the teacher to follow it. For this case, the teachers have no alternative on whether to have another idea. They have to follow the supervisory plan that has been formulated by their supervisor. This approach however does not motivate the teachers as they are not given an opportunity to contribute their ideas toward formulation of a supervisory plan. For this case, they have to follow the directives as formulated by their supervisor. This approach is popular where the teachers being supervised are less experiences of novice. It is also very appropriate in situations whereby there is not time to gather in a meeting and brainstorm on the way forward as far as supervisory plan is concerned. Before the supervisor can know on which approach he should use, he should consider knowledge and experience of the teachers concerned before settling on the supervisory approach plan to use. The issue of responsibility and accountability should also be looked into in order to decide on the approach to use for the sake of at least motivate the teacher in their work. Motivation is the inner drive to do something, and unless the teachers have that inner drive to deliver knowledge to their students, teaching objectives might never be achieved Glickman (1990) asserts that collaborative approach is very popular among the teachers and they really enjoy their work if used. For this case, school principal should at least ensure they use this kind of an approach when they are formulating their supervisory plan to be applied in their school. There are three supervisor responsibilities that should be considered in the supervision process. They include: ? The Supervisor to carry our observations to both the teachers and students. ? The supervisor to give guidance and support to teachers and students. ? Lastly is for the supervisor to give feedback to the teachers. According to Knoll (1987), the information that a supervisor gather after carrying out a classroom observation is very important. He is able to have an access to a wide range of skills necessary for teaching which he can in turn share it with other teachers. The main aim of carrying out a classroom observation is to collect data that is necessary for carrying out an evaluative rating which is accurate. As far as supervision is concerned, guidance and support should be the main idea of supervision in the first place. Supervision is not done just to see whether teachers are following the curriculum or not and then note that one down, no. One should continuously offer guidance and support as he supervises. For this case, the supervisors are urged to make correction on the spot while carrying out their supervision roles in order for them to achieve their objectives. In order for teachers to improve on their areas of teaching, the supervisor must ensure that he gives feedback to them on the areas he has observed that would like to be improved. There would be no need of supervision if the teachers are not given the feedback as it is this feedback that they will know what areas they need to improve in while carrying out their duties. There is very big difference between evaluation and supervision though the two terms interrelates. Evaluation is the art of making judgment about the performance of a teacher. On the other hand, supervision is mere the art of ensuring that the teachers are following the laid down rules and regulation in their work. Evaluation comes after one has carried out an observation on the teachers. Appendix Literature Review Instructional supervision improves teaching performance if it is carried out in the manner that is desired by teacher. If the collaborative supervision approach is used according to Knoll (1987) is used, the teachers will be motivated in their work and the overall performance of the school will be felt. In his book ââ¬â Supervision for better instruction: Practical techniques for improving staff performance, Knoll (1987) asserts that teachers are motivated in their work of teaching when collaborative supervisory plan approach is applied in their supervision. Pfeiffer and Dunlap (1982) in their book ââ¬â Supervision of teachers: A guide to improving instruction asserts that teachers need to be motivated in their work for the sake of achieving their teaching objectives. Motivation can only be achieved if the supervisors uses collaborative supervisory plan in their work. On the other hand, Rettig (2000) in his journal ââ¬â Leslieââ¬â¢s lament: How can I make teachersââ¬â¢ supervision meaningful? ââ¬â asserts that unless guidance and support is given to teacher, there is no need of supervision in the first place. He further states that teachers should be given a feedback after they have been successfully evaluated by their supervisor in order for them to improve in their teaching. He concludes that teachersââ¬â¢ supervision will be meaningful after the guidance, support and feedback is given to teachers by their supervisors. References Bourisaw, D. M. (1988): Anticipatory set bias: Effects on teacher observation in Evaluation: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Iowa State University, Ames Glickman, C. D. (1990): Supervision of instruction: A developmental approach, 2nd Edn: Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Knoll, M. K. (1987): Supervision for better instruction: Practical techniques for Improving staff performance: Englewood Clif, NJ: Prentice Hall. Odell, S. J. (1986): Induction support of new teachers: A functional approach. Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 26-29 Pfeiffer, I. L. , & Dunlap, J. B. (1982): Supervision of teachers: A guide to improving instruction: Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. Rettig, P. R. (2000): Leslieââ¬â¢s lament: How can I make teachersââ¬â¢ supervision meaningful? Educational Horizons, 79(1), 33-37. Sergiovanni, T. J. (1982): ââ¬Å"Toward a Theory of Supervisory Practice: Integrating the Scientific, Clinical, and Artistic Views. â⬠In Supervision of Teaching, ed. Thomas J. Sergiovanni. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development Sergiovanni, T. J. and Starratt, R. J. (1998): Supervision: A Redefinition, 6th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Shantz, D. , & Ward, T. (2000): Feedback, conservation and power in the field experience of preservice teachers. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 27 (4), 288-294.
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