Monday, September 30, 2019
Politeness in Life Essay
Politeness has been well defined as benevolence in trifles. Like benevolence on a larger scale, it includes a feeling in the mind as well as the performance of those outward actions by which that feeling is manifested. The internal feeling, which is an essential part of true politeness, is the same all over the world, however much its manifestations may differ. It is the desire to put those whom we meet perfectly at their ease, and save them from every kind of petty discomfort and annoyance. Benevolence in its ordinary sense implies love of our fellow-men and a desire to do all we can to promote their permanent happiness. The limited part of benevolence called politeness requires only an inclination to make them happy temporarily, while they are in our presence, and when this can be done without any sacrifice on our part or only with a slight sacrifice of personal comfort. It is possible that politeness may be dissociated from general excellence of character, as in the case of Charles II., who exhib ited his remarkable urbanity of manner even on his death-bed by apologising for being â€Å"a most unconscionable time dying.†In certain cases there may even be a conflict between politeness and ordinary benevolence. For instance, a doctor may, by politely sacrificing his place in a conveyance to a lady, arrive late at a sick bed where his presence is urgently required. In such cases, of course, politeness should yield to the higher obligation. The particular actions in which politeness is manifested differ according to circumstances and according to the customs of dif ferent countries. As long as society recognises distinctions in rank, politeness requires us to show marks of respect to our superiors, that are not expected in the presence of our equals and inferiors. Different rules of behaviour have to be observed, ac cording as we are in the street or in the drawing-room, at home or at school, in the company of friends or of strangers. There is also to be considered the great diversity of social etiquette which distinguishes one country from another. A polite Frenchman in his own country raises his hat to a shop-girl when he enters a shop, but if he did so in England, he would be laughed at, and the object of his polite attention would probably resent his con duct. The difference in these matters is so great between the East and the West, that it is very difficult for Europeans and Indians to meet in social intercourse without unintentionally offending one another. In such circumstances a more liberal interpretation of the rule of politeness requires a large amount of mutual indul gence. Politeness, besides being a duty that we owe to others, is a valuable possession for ourselves. It costs nothing, and yet may in many cases bring much profit. The great advantage of this excellence of conduct was very clearly expressed by Dr. Johnson, when he said that the difference between a well-bred and an ill- bred man is that one immediately attracts your liking, the other your aversion. â€Å"You love the one,†he observes, â€Å"till you find reason to hate him; you hate the other till you find reason to love him.†In this way, the well-bred man has in his politeness what is equivalent to a valuable letter of introduction, that recommends him to every one with whom he comes into contact.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Basque Conflict Essay
Introduction I. Conflicts are not entities in themselves. They have to be viewed and analyzed within the context of various factors; those that lead to conflict in the first place and also those that keep them fuelled. II. The Basque conflict in Spain is a result of cultural repression and intolerance. III. We propose to examine the Basque conflict with a particular focus on the Spanish interests in the matter and intent to present the historical context of the conflict in a socio-political manner, then move to the cultural implications of the issue, then analyze the cultural conflict that has both been born of and furthered Basque nationalism. I. Causes of Basque conflict A. Ideology B. Culture II. Consequences of Basque conflict A. Kidnappings-for-ransom B. Extortion C. Terrorist acts II. Solutions A. Refusing to negotiate with who it refers to as terrorists B. A propaganda war C. Increase anti-terrorist activities D. Grant full independence to the Basques subject to a plebiscite within the Basque country .Conclusion I. The government has to show it is ready to concede some more autonomy to the Basques. II. Peace is not possible in the years to come in Spain without a radical reconsideration of the government as well as the unilateral support from both Spaniards and Basques of the dismantling of the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna. Script Conflicts are not entities in themselves. They have to be viewed and analyzed within the context of various factors; those that lead to conflict in the first place and also those that keep them fuelled. The Basque conflict in Spain is a result of cultural repression and intolerance. The Comunidad Autonoma Vasca, or Basque region in the South of France and the northeastern edge of Spain is currently riddled with violent conflict. In this presentation we propose to examine the Basque conflict with a particular focus on the Spanish interests in the matter. We intent to present the historical context of the conflict in a socio-political manner, then move to the cultural implications of the issue. The Basque Independence Party (Batasuna) with its military wing Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) has employed military means to achieve its goal of Basque self-determination. The Basque organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) was formed in 1959 and began waging a small scale war against the Spanish government. The causes for conflict lie in ideology and culture according to Fukuyama and Huntington respectively. The arguments of Friedlander and Cohen do not agree with these two theorists as they both posit that individuals do much less to influence history than the overarching powers of collective peoples. The argument that Fukuyama brings forth in his work; â€Å"The End of History†, conjectures that history is composed of a string of ideological shifts brought about by conflict in an evolutionary manner. He argues that history is the cyclical build-up of new competing ideologies which escalated into a military conflict which leads to a victorious ideology and then the arrival of new competitors. In order to finance its operations, ETA has used kidnappings-for-ransom, extortion, and (less frequently) robberies. The main targets of such money-rising activities have been Basque entrepreneurs, who have since begun to abandon the Basque Country in large numbers in order to escape extortion or abduction by the terrorist group. In addition, the terrorist conflict has been frequently cited as deterrence for domestic and foreign direct investment in the Basque Country. Finally, although terrorist attacks have occurred in almost all Spanish regions, most of ETA’s violent activity has been concentrated in the Basque Country. Almost 70% of the deaths caused by ETA in Spain during 1968-1997 occurred in the Basque Country. During the period 1968-1997, ETA’s activity measured as number of deaths per inhabitant was 37 times larger in the Basque Country than in the rest of Spain. Now let’s look at the options open to the Spanish Government because it is obvious that ETA will not just go away. Firstly, refusing to negotiate with who it refers to as terrorists. This is the course of action presently taken by the government in Spain at the moment. It does not however mean that the Basque conflict will disappear. By ignoring the problem it won’t go away. People in Spain are getting fed up living in continual fear of a bomb attack. Secondly, a propaganda war. This could have the scope of showing Basques that their lot is better by remaining Spanish, and also isolate the more militant nationalists from the bulk which are wary of the conflict. Thirdly, increase anti-terrorist activities. This has been done in the past and it does not seem to have worked except to drive ETA even more underground. Anti-terrorist groups are too much of a liability as has been shown by the â€Å"dirty war†. Everything has to be done within the law something favoring the separatists. The state could attempt to eliminate all the separatists but it is hardly possible, whilst eliminating them of their leadership has not worked due to the separatists’ system of having autonomous branches all capable of committing anti-state activities. Then, grant full independence to the Basques subject to a plebiscite within the Basque country:- This is a â€Å"hard to swallow†option for any Spanish Government. Firstly a plebiscite in the Basque country would most probably (although not certain) result in favor of independence, secondly it would mean an electoral defeat for the party putting it in action in Spain itself. The Basque country is too important both for economic and industrial reasons and also for the ethnically Spanish people living there. The government has to show it is ready to concede some more autonomy to the Basques .It is our belief that peace is not possible in the years to come in Spain without a radical reconsideration of the government as well as the unilateral support from both Spaniards and Basques of the dismantling of the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna. We believe that in some cases this unilateral front will need to engage in military action. The terrorist leaders of ETA are identifiable and can be eliminated publicly and legally Reference List Flash Points/World Conflict Basque-Spain Conflict http://www.flashpoints.info/countries-conflicts/Spain-Basque-web/Spain-Basque_briefing.html United States institute of Peace The Basque Conflict: New Ideas and Prospects for Peace http://www.usip.org/resources/basque-conflict-new-ideas-and-prospects-peace The Economic Costs of Conflict: A Case Study of the Basque Country Author(s): Alberto Abadie and Javier Gardeazabal Source: The American Economic Review, Vol. 93, No. 1 (Mar., 2003), pp. 113-132 Published by: American Economic Association Stable a
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Can Agros enter the chinese market -An investigation about chinese Essay - 1
Can Agros enter the chinese market -An investigation about chinese consumers' attitudes towards the Argos business modle - Essay Example The research tries to find out the market potential of the Chinese consumer market. It also tries to find out the effectiveness of the present business plan of the organization and also its effectiveness in the Chinese market. This is because of the fact that different nations exhibit different buying behaviour which requires a different strategy. The study would try to formulate the best possible strategies for the organizations so that it gains a significant market share in the Chinese market. The main objective of the study is to analyse the effectiveness of the business model of Argos in the Chinese markets. The study would try to analyse the business plan of Argos and would find out whether the same model can be effectively applied in the Chinese market to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Research questions provide the details of the main research. These questions provide an insight into the main subject of research. They convert the main topic of the study into answerable form of questions. The two main factors associated with research questions are framing answerable questions and making the correct questions. The research questions must be answered by the application of various scientific methods. The selection of a research topic must be followed by the framing of the hypothesis for the research. The nature of the questions should be such that these questions are reproducible when the research question is again presented under the same set of conditions. The selection of research questions is followed by the selection of the right combination of variables to answer the main research question (Bordens,2006, p.34). The main focus of the present study is to analyse the effectiveness of the business model of Argos in the Chinese consumer market. The research tries to analyse the consumer buying behaviour of the Chinese consumers and tries to analyse whether
Friday, September 27, 2019
Analysis of Crisis Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Analysis of Crisis Management - Article Example Construction companies are an example of companies faced with high possibilities of developing crisis. This is due to the risky environment within which they operate that may result to an injury of their employees due to accidents, lawsuits that may be as a result of injured persons claiming compensation and also the possibility of laborers getting involved in boycotts due to poor salaries etc. A crisis is an event that occurs as a result of the disagreement between two or more people, or out of the conflict of interest on a subject which may result to disruption of normal activities. In businesses, a crisis can have negative effects on the financial status if they are not well handled. A crisis can occur due to natural disaster, human error or technological failure (Friedman 2003 p 85). Crisis management is the process through which a company dedicates its efforts to ensuring that threats that occur without the anticipation of the management are solved professionally and effectively. Unlike the risk assessment process which concentrates on the prevention of risks from occurring, crises management is concerned with managing threats that have already occurred (Reason 2002 p 51). It, therefore, requires understanding and experience in the field which is important in saving time and resources required in containing the threat. It involves various strategies and set guidelines which are followed when responding to threats. These guidelines include well-defined methods of solving threats that have already happened, the well-established definition of crisis into categories that would determine the response period and the communication between the various personnel involved in executing the response mechanisms This refers to the challenges that face the construction industries. These industries are faced with many risks due to the working environment that pose danger to humans. Â
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Miniscule-Pro-Vision Phone Projector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words
Miniscule-Pro-Vision Phone Projector - Essay Example There will mainly be two product segments. The first and most strategic product segment will be the one aimed at manufacturers of phone handsets where the projectors are tiny Pico projector chips. The second entail complete phone projectors which are conveniently smaller in size, and easily integrated into a number of specific smartphones that have iOS, Android and RIM operating systems. These products will be built on RGB (Red Green Blue) laser projection technology ad will have the capability of forming high quality images projected on a surface: that is 35 lumen, 13 inch full colour images with WVGA (820 * 480 pixel) resolution, and using an infrared sensing technology be able to project interactive images that are responsive to touch. The Target markets: the company’s phone projector targets two key customers: end-user consumer aged between 20-44 years of age earning an income of ? 40,000 and above per year and delight in media sharing and content consumption in newer enla rged ways. The second and most important and strategic target market for the company will be the mobile handset manufacturers who constantly redefine their gadgets through innovative features that are fun, convenient and revolutionary. Market Research: 84% of the consumer respondents would like to own a phone with a projector, and 63% of them would be willing to pay a higher price for the phone, and a standard market price for the phone projector. 67% of phone manufacturers were experimenting with the embedded phone projector technology; they were though taking it slow observing end user consumer behaviour towards the gadgets and towards the already released Samsung galaxy with an in-built phone projector. 47% of them thought that while the phone projector technologies were a revolutionary technology, consumers had not yet found solid imperative uses for such projections as most only focused media sharing. They though all agreed that highly responsive touch enabled phone projectors would certainly find a lot more uses, and consumers would be highly responsive towards such phones than phones which only projected images and videos. It is projected that by 2015, the projector phones that will have been sold will be more than 20 million units. Projected sales: Profits in the first second and third years of operations are projected to be ?895,000, ?1,051,000, and ?1,350,000 respectively. This is in view of the high cost of initially promoting the product. Closing Summary: in conclusion, the product is found to be viable and profitable Table of contents Slogan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Mission Statement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Environmental Scanning †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 SWOT Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 PESTLE Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 Marketing Research †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Segmentation ...............................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..16 Demographics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..17 Targeting †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.19 Positioning †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Do men make better managers then women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Do men make better managers then women - Essay Example This essay starts by explaining why men earn more income than women. Women don’t even work because they don’t have any chances to get a job. Therefore, people can’t judge whether women could be good managers or not depending on this assumption. Secondly, it will give an example of women who are able to open their own businesses by themselves would be shown with a case of successful businesswoman named Martha. The final parts of essay will introduce concluding ideas about different perspectives on job criterion depending on characteristics between the genders. Until middle of the18th century, before the start of industrial revolution, most of the occupations were relative to agriculture, livestock and fishing-related industries. (Lambert, 2013). Therefore, those types of jobs required relatively strong physical abilities than sophistications so it could be assumed as unsuitable for women but attractive for men. For that reason, most of men tended to be breadwinners who earned money for their living, and naturally women did housework and took care of their babies at home. Thus, most of establishments and rulers were men, and they ignored women’s abilities since people have regarded women, as they were not able to work like men in workplaces. Hence, it was more and more difficult to earn money for women by themselves, and if women involve in working places, their working efficiency cannot be equal to or better than the men’s, so they have paid lower wages than men’s have. Eventually, doing housework gradually became ste reotyped to women. This meant that men moved away from chores related with house. For those reasons, there were almost never women managers in the world. Understandably, it was impossible to make a judgment that which gender possesses better management skills. However, as time passes, the types of jobs get extremely varied from physical production and supply focused works to social and ethical concerned works. This
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Critical issue in global health ( a grant proposal to support efforts Thesis
Critical issue in global health ( a grant to support efforts to improve maternal and child health, in Kachere, a village in Kasungu. ) - Thesis Proposal Example As such, the CBO has come up with five strategies in the proposal namely; Improvement of maternal health in the community, Promote gender equality and empowerment to women, Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Ensure that the environment is sustained, Eliminate poverty and hunger. Through these strategies, there will be direct and indirect solutions to this challenge and the community will remain healthy and full of life. Moreover, this project has incorporated stakeholders such as Traditional Authority (TA), Religious Groups, and Malawi International Organization (MIO) who will assist in planning and implementing the project. Apparently, it is evident that Kachere Village in Kasungu District has serious cases of poor health and poverty that has emerged from the poor living conditions of people in the village. Ideally, Eva’s two dead children serves as a perfect example how children have died from diseases such as pneumonia and malaria and those surviving are still suffering from related diseases. Moreover, the agricultural activities revolve around tobacco and maize farming, which are not easy to farm due to their inadequate returns. Furthermore, her husband who is alleged to be absent from home for extensive periods of time in search of employment has also became a challenging issue for Eva since is fear contracting HIV from the existing polygamy set up (Skolnik, 2008). As a community based organization (CBO) on the ground, we have taken Eva’s living conditions as a sample to work with in the improvement of the living conditions of people in Kachere village (Hovenga & Mantas, 2005). Nevertheless, the CBO is aware that the community has three main stakeholders who are contributing towards development and health issues namely: Nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and International Organizations where the International Organizations have assisted in facilitating loans and savings to most groups that have been formed in the community. Of
Monday, September 23, 2019
Live8 and Democratic Republic of Congo - What changed Essay
Live8 and Democratic Republic of Congo - What changed - Essay Example In the cold-war era, Africa became the battleground for super-power rivalry and many of the ills facing the continent can be traced to this period. It is only now that the developed world has woken up to the magnitude of the crisis engulfing Africa prompting the Tony Blair sponsored ‘Commission for Africa’ to note, â€Å" African poverty and stagnation is the greatest tragedy of our time,†(Commission for Africa 2005, p 13). There are some who question why the world should be so concerned about poverty and why the world community should contribute to Africa’s development when the same resources can be used domestically to improve the living standards of their own people. The answer is simple. Because Africa, where one child dies every second is a blot on our collective conscience. Prime Minister Tony Blair has spoken of â€Å"recognising the common bond of humanity†, as has Bob Geldof, the social activist, musician and brain behind the Live8 concert, â€Å"to extend the hand of sympathy and shared humanity to reach above the impenetrable roar and touch human beings on the other side (Commission for Africa 2005, p 66). To that extent the objectives of both Prime Minister Tony Blair and Live8 organiser, Bob Geldof seem to match. There is also another factor; self-interest. In the post-9/11 era it has become more and more evident that poverty spawns terrorism and that terrorism is a global phenomenon that recognises no boundaries. Black holes such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) can and are becoming sanctuaries where terrorists can hatch their plans undisturbed by weak and inefficient governments. When such countries are themselves embroiled in conflict, as in the case of the DRC, where government control does not extend to the whole of the country, the situation is even more critical. Prime Minister Tony Blair also acknowledges this fact when he says it is imperative
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Sociology Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Sociology Religion - Essay Example The wedding itself is considered to be a sacrifice to the fire deity, Agni. A wedding ceremony cannot thus be considered complete without the completion of the fire ritual. In the ritual, sacred fire encirclements are made around the bride and the groom to signify unity. This custom is however getting faced out with some of the religions within the Hindu culture. The wedding culminates after a precision of processes that include courtship and the pre-wedding. During courtship, the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents agree on common terms for their son and daughter to begin dating. The dating is however formal and restricted. During this time, the groom’s parents organize visits to the prospective bride’s home and take their son along with them. Such is meant for the bride and the groom to first get acquainted formally. Then, informal meetings between the two can be arranged for them to develop a connection. During this time, it is expected that a lady may have several suitors and date them till the appropriate time to choose a suitor. The same is the case with the man. The prospective groom has to go on several dates to find the compatible partner for there to be a match. The pre-wedding ceremony involves engagement in which two forms of engagement are done. The verbal engagement, known as the vagdana and the written agreement is known as lagna-patra. Wedding arrangements begin immediately the lagna-patra is signed as the wedding is taken seriously and may take several feasting days depending on the wealth of the couple. Typically, the celebrations begin when the bride is taken to her new home but it may be by the time the dowry is paid. In India, the bride pays the dowry unlike most cultures and religions where the groom is expected to pay the dowry. A wedding ceremony is considered holy and thus conducted using the holy language Sanskrit. However, as times change, some wedding rituals have been dropped to accommodate intermarri age of Hindus with other religions in India. During the wedding, two main rituals are conducted. The first is the saptapadi. Saptadi is a Sanskrit word that means ‘seven steps’. Essentially, the couple conducts seven circuits of the holy fire (Agni). The essence of this is that the holy fire is considered a witness to the vows they make. The vows must thus not be broken as it would be considered a sacrilege to do so. The manner in which the circuit ritual is conducted differs from North, South and central India. In the north, the first six circuits are led by the bride with the groom leading the last one. In central India, the bride leads the first three circuits while the groom leads the remaining four circuits. The second ritual is the shanthi muhurtham. This ritual involves decoration of the matrimonial bed. It is expected in Hindu culture that the wedding night is the night of consummation of the marriage. The ritual is performed by the groom’s relatives. The government of India acknowledges intermarriage between various religious sects as legal. Intermarriages involving the Hindu and other cultures or religion is conducted based on such culture and religion. In most Hindu weddings, a sense of pride, purity and heritage is maintained. The bride and the groom must be presented to the ceremony as chaste. This entails not bringing children born out of wedlock to the ceremony. Hindu traditions strongly oppose remarriage and divorce. It is considered that once a couple ties the knot, they are unified forever by the god of fire. The possibility of divorce is thus not admissible. Conclusion Indian weddings are fun to attend as they involve a lot of interesting rituals. The importance of the rituals is often
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay Example for Free
Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay The Financing of Health Care Economic Issues Simulation Paper Health care system has evolved tremendously in the last few years, with many changes with the health care laws including but not limited to Universal Health Care, many individuals have choices when it comes to their coverage. According to healthcare. gov, in January of 2015, an employer with 50 or more full time employees will have to make an Employer Shared Responsibility Payment if a full time employee gets a lower health coverage premium cost if insurance is purchase in a marketplace. However, employers are not subject to this law if the numbers of employees are lesser than 50 but are still expected to offer coverage for their employees. (healthcare. gov) Employers must make sure that when choosing coverage for their employees, these should be within their needs; within health care requirements as well as inexpensive keeping in mind that lower cost may not necessarily mean better. With many varieties in health care plans such as Preferred Provider (PPO), Point of Service (POS), and Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO); the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is the most preferred and utilized group health insurance plan. As a HMO representative of Castor Insurance, health care coverage will be built, including the potential utilization of the services by different enrollees. Castor Collins Health Plan Castro Collins Health Plan is a regional HMO that was founded in 1999. As a HMO, they provide health care services as well as health insurance to individuals in its statewide network of physicians and hospitals utilizing a capitation model to compensate their network of providers. Currently, there are 100,000 enrollees and these numbers are increasing. The responsibility of a Vice President in Strategy and Financial Planning is to interact with new clients and formulating health plans that will suit their needs. With the help of colleagues such as the Chief Financial Officer Helen Fouerman, the Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Wikes, and the Executive Vice President of Planning and Development, Adam Hunter, a plan will be put together that will include pricing and setting insurance premiums. In January of 2006, Castro Collins was approached and met with two groups of people for health insurance coverage. These groups are Constructit and E-editors, neither of them have group employer’s insurance. Constructit have 1000 people and they are willing to pay a maximum of $4000 per person as an annual premium, meanwhile E-editors will pay a maximum annual premium of $4500 per person with 1,600 people. Castor Collins offers three types of health plans: Castor Standard, Castor Enhanced, and the customized plan called Castor Enhanced Minor. The standard plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, the enhanced plan, however, cover pre-existing medical conditions and offers more services. Castor Enhanced Minor is a customized plan that is almost equivalent to Castor Enhanced with somewhat lesser services that requires high utilization. Demographics and Health Care Risk Factors There are 550 men and 450 women employees in Constructit with ages 26 to 45 and 60 percent from this age group ranging from 26 to 42 are married. This means, spouses and children need to be considered in getting health plan. Also, great physical activities are involve within thirty- two percent of the people at Constructit, while 25 percent of the people has moderate physical activity. The remainder which is 43 percent of the people involves activities that are sedentary. There are no major health risks out of the thirty-eight percent an equivalent of 170 men and 210 women in the workforce. Injuries, respiratory system diseases, digestive disorders, migraine and allergic conditions are the major causes of absenteeism in Constructit. Obesity related diseases such as hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are moderately high for this workforce that consists of 36 percent of men and 43 percent of women. In E-editors, there are 750 men and 840 women with ages 35 to 54 and most of them are married. For the past ten years, ninety-five percent in the workforce have largely been sedentary; their job involves sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time. Only five percent are required moderate activity. Stress related injury (SRI) and problems with vision were acquired by at least 95 people who had this job for a while. There are no major medical health risks for the 170 men and 182 women (22%) from this group. Respiratory disorder is the 26 percent of the group problem because they are heavy smokers. There are 720 people who are obese in this group because of the heavy sedentary lifestyles, eating habits, and lack of exercise. This also means that there are increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. Plan Analysis Based on the plans, I would recommend Castor Standard to Constructit and not to provide insurance to E-editors. Since Castor Standard does not cover pre-existing conditions, the risks of providing this plan are low. The premium that Constructit will be responsible annually is $3,428, with Castor Collins Health Plan earning $3. 43 million. Given the health profile and the expected utilization of services for E-editors, I think that not providing insurance is the right decision. There is a high risk of insuring this group and whatever Castor Collins earns from this group are inadequate to cover those risks. The goal is to maximize earnings. If E-editors are willing to pay a different premium they will be considered by providing an appropriate plan that minimized risks and increased earnings. Risk-averse consumers buy health insurance to avoid losing income or wealth when they are unwell. In other words, consumers pay insurance premium to transfer their risks of medical expenses to the insurance company. The premium that Castor Collins receives is a source of revenue. It is compensation for bearing risk and for bearing expenses such as payment to health care providers. If Castor Collins know that a particular group of enrollees is more susceptible to a particular disorder, its risk for providing coverage for that disorder is higher. However, if, as in the case of Constructit and E-editors, a group of individuals is not willing to pay a higher premium to cover greater risks, Castor Collins may not be able to provide coverage for greater risks. Therefore, while selecting a plan and the services to provide under that plan, Castor Collins has to weigh various considerations – the premiums that enrollees are willing to pay, the risks of providing a particular plan or service, the expected utilization and hence, the costs, of providing various services in the plan, and the premium Castor Collins needs to charge to maintain profitability.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Green Energy Bricks in Construction
Green Energy Bricks in Construction NON – STRUCTURAL MATERIAL (BRICKS) The General Concept of Green Material The concept of sustainable building incorporates and integrates a variety of strategies during the design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and products represents one important strategy in the design of a building. There are many benefits of using green material to the building owner and building occupants which is, it can reduced maintenance or replacement costs over the life of the building, it can supply energy conservation, it can improved occupant health and productivity, it can lower costs associated with changing space configurations, and it has greater design flexibility. Roodman and Lenssen (1995) said that the building and construction activities worldwide consume 3 billion tons of raw materials each year or 40 percent of total global use. Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of dwindling non-renewable resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building p rojects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these building industry source materials. Spiegel and Meadows (1999) said green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than non-renewable resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the product. During construction or at the end of useful building life, construction materials and components are often discarded with construction debris accounting for nearly 28 percent of landfill waste. So, using the green elements to the building can protects environment safely. For bricks, Energy Bricks are made for committed to energy savings. In addition, using the Energy Bricks, a wall can be constructed much faster than conventional brick laying. From the Journal Green Technology and Environmental Conservation (GTEC2011) by Sandasamy D, Govindarajane S, Sundararajan T, sustainability means to minimize usage of energy and resources, thereby reducing waste generation and pollution, as byproduct of construction. Therefore Engineers, Environmentalist, and Architects have been directing their efforts to find ways for using the byproducts of any manufacturing process, as input or source material for manufacturing other items. Sustainable buildings maximize the energy efficiency by using sustainable materials and construction technology, generation of industrial waste by products, through better planning, designing, construction, operation, maintenance and removal, throughout the complete life cycle. So, Energy Bricks are made for energy savings and safe envir onment from pollutions. Besides that, the Energy Brick can save time, cost and gives the maximum energy savings when it comes to building a home. Eco Labeling Eco-label is a method of environmental performance certification and labeling also been practiced throughout world. Eco-label is a label that identifies in overall environmental preference of a product or service proves the particular product or service category. Labeling will be provided by a third party who can be trusted based on consideration by the party that is not biased in relation to the products or services specified independently for environmental leadership criteria .The purpose of eco-label is to guide consumers to choose products and services deemed to be less harmful to the environment than other products in the same category. Eco-label is designed to encourage industry to produce more environmentally friendly product for their consumer. Bricks product selected is Green Energy Brick. Green Energy Bricks introduce the latest innovation, They have been designed with a massive R8+ insulation rating, they cut down on construction time, save on construction costs, are load bearing, require no core filling, are light weight, are easy to install, are fire resistant, can be used in all cyclonic zones. Moreover, wall can be constructed much faster using green energy brick compared to the conventional brick. The Energy Brick fulfills all the criteria to save time and cost yet gives the maximum energy savings when it comes to building a home. Advantages of eco labels are as follows: Inform consumer choice eco-label is an effective way to inform customers about the environmental impact of selected products. Promoting economic efficiency, eco labeling generally cheaper than the controlled rules product .By empowering customers and manufacturers to support environmental decision making. Stimulate market development, when customers are choosing eco-labeled products, they have a direct impact on the supply and demand in the market. This is a signal that the benchmark towards environmental awareness. Encourage continuous improvement, a dynamic market for eco-labeled products promoting corporate commitment to continuous environmental improvement. Encourage certification, environmental certification program is the seal of approval that indicates that the product reaches a certain degree of eco-labels. Assist in monitoring, another benefit of the program is the official eco labeling that environmental claims can be more easily monitored. Function of Green Energy Bricks The Green Energy Brick was developed to avoid adding extra layers of materials and labor, which would add cost to conventional construction. They have been designed with a massive R8+ insulation rating, they cut down on construction time, save on construction costs, are load bearing, require no core filling, are light weight, are easy to install, are fire resistant, can be used in all cyclonic zones and much, much more. Using the Green Energy Bricks, a wall can be constructed much faster than conventional brick laying. First function of Green Energy Brick is to become the external skin and they replace all other forms of standard clay bricks, concrete blocks, weather boards etc. This function were gain by the design criteria of Green Energy Bricks that come with a 9 mm Magnesium Oxide internal and external skin, already bonded ready for paint or texture or other applied finishes. Second function of Green Energy Brick is to replace slab foundation that made of concrete. By using Green Energy Brick, it will save the concrete from providing a rebated base or foundation made of concrete in conventional building processes. Third function of Green Energy Brick is to closed cell foam resists any vapour transfering. By this specialty of Green Energy Brick, there will no requirement for building sislation or a foil vapor barrier for a building to be constructed. Fourth function of Green Energy Brick is to replace the need for any separate structural frame, as the energy brick is load bearing. It means that there will be no needs for load bearing support such as column structure made of reinforced concrete as the Green Energy Brick have the strength to support load. Lastly, the function of Green Energy Brick is to replace the wall with finishes. Applying an interior finish like plaster is not required as it already comes with an interior skin, but is optional and will further increase the walls R rating value of the building walls. Specifications on Functions of Green Energy Bricks The design criteria and objective in the development of the Energy Brick was to make a radical cost effective improvement in the thermal performance of buildings for both concrete slab and above ground construction. Firstly, Green Energy Bricks come with a 9mm Magnesium Oxide internal and external skin, already bonded. With this specification, Green Energy Brick become the external skin and they replace all other forms of standard clay bricks, concrete blocks, weather boards etc. The Energy Brick with its Magnesium Oxide board skin allows for all types of applied finishes, render and painting.So, applying an interior finish like plaster is not required as it already comes with an interior skin, but is optional and will further increase the walls R rating value. Secondly, Green Energy Bricks brings you the ultimate in structural light weight bricks. Even though they are light weight, the bricks from Green Energy Bricks are structural or load bearing. Green Energy Brick unique formulat ion consists of a central core of rigid Polyisocyanurate Foam (PIR) with an external and internal skin of 9mm Magnesium Oxide Board. This makes it both light weight, yet load bearing and with an attractive finish. Thirdly, Green Energy Bricks is a Single wall system, but has superior properties and functions than a double brick wall. The design includes a 80mm diameter hole running vertically every 300mm to allow for running of electrical cabling, telephone lines, TV or sound cabling after the wall has been constructed. This deletes the need to run conduits or install electrical metal boxes during the wall construction process. This also makes it easier to know where electrical cabling can be run if there is a need to add any electrical points at a future time. Fourthly, this Green Energy Bricks is fire-resistant brick product compared to other brick that available nowadays. The Green Energy Brick Magnesium Oxide skins are non-combustible and the foam core self-extinguishing from fire. This makes the Green Energy Brick one of the most fire resistant building materials available on the market. As a conclusion, Green Energy Bricks were made with better specification that brings them the better function compared to the conventional brick on market todays. e) Development and Erection Process The development of the Energy Brick was to make a radical cost effective improvement in the thermal performance of buildings for both concrete slab and above ground construction. The Energy Brick was developed to avoid adding extra layers of materials and labour, which would add cost to conventional construction. The Energy Brick from Green Energy Bricks achieves four to five times the insulation rating of conventional housing. It designed to reduce the labour content of wall construction. Over five processes, all with different materials and trades can be reduced to one or two processes, with skills that can be learned in a few hours. While the bricks are more expensive at present than the material components of conventional walls, the labour to assemble is considerably reduced, it means Green Energy Bricks increase the insulation rating considerably, while at the same time it can reducing the labour complexity and costs. From the case study (Fritz Moedinger), the environmental impa ct of the production process is mostly due to the consumption of energy for the firing of the bricks and quarrying of raw materials. The average direct energy consumption of the production process is to be found ranging between 1.840 and 2.800 kJ/kg of fired brick (of which about 150 kJ/kg are electrical). f) Comparison of Convention Material and Green Material in Term of Cost From the case study (Fritz Modinger), all of the energy used is traditionally generated with fossil fuels. At the Gasser brickyard fossil fuels have been substituted successfully with renewable fuels such as biogas and liquefied rendering fat. The biogas is generated in an own plant based upon a process patented internationally by the brickyard itself. Rendering fat is supplied from rendering plants. Renewable fuels have the main advantage over fossil fuels that the resulting flue gases feature a lower content of contaminants such allowing to heat up the brick dryer directly by recycling the flue gases instead of having to have a separate source of heat to run the dryer. The achieved total heat requirement reduction alone by this measure is about 30% of the former total heat requirement. So from this case study, cost can reduce because renewable energy are used during the development of Energy Bricks. We know that convention material usually has more cheaper than modern material, but the reality is Energy Bricks also has their own benefits when we choose it. There can save cost which is no rebate are required as part of the concrete slab and only an outer square edge is required. Energy bricks also is single wall system which replaces the external skin of brickwork or any other type of lining, replaces the need for a structural stud wall as the Energy Brick itself is load bearing, replaces any need for insulation as it is already at a massive R8, replaces any need for sislation, and replaces the need to add other materials to the external wall. It can increase the wall’s energy rating. The Energy Bricks can be laid from inside where it is a flat platform. This also avoids the use of expensive scaffolds to perform the work from the outside and lessens the possi bilities of OSHA issues. It also reduces ongoing utility costs, which equates to continued savings year after year. g) Impact to use Green Energy Bricks Green building is one of the most important trends in the construction industry today. When build a house it cannot avoid impacting the environment, but it can work towards reducing that environmental impact. Impact to use Green Energy Bricks is to help accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. Informed choices will help reduce energy bills, while providing a healthier living environment, it also reduce the need to burn fossil fuels and help fight climate change. Besides that, the Green Energy Bricks has taken the initiative through our super energy efficient bricks to assist builders and consumers with a unique environmentally friendly building technique and to lessen the impact on our environment. The foam can be sourced from petroleum oils, coal oils and a series of vegetable based oils like soy, corn, palm oil etc. In all cases the carbon in the materials is sequestered in the bricks for at least the life of the building, as recycling is a realistic probability. Energy Bricks pass all the tests for superior energy efficiency with a massive R8+ energy rating. This makes a dramatic difference in assisting to lessen the impact on the environment. This makes Green Buildings cost less to operate because they will use less energy and water, and require less maintenance Green Building using Green Energy Bricks for the building envelope is the only choice for the future.  APPENDIX Figure 1 : Energy Bricks. Figure 2 : Clay Bricks. Figure 3 : Energy Brick Detail (Side Elevation). Figure 4 : Energy Brick Detail (Front Elevation). REFERENCES Chan, C.-M. (September 2010). Journal of Sustainable Development. Development of a Strength Prediction Model for â€Å"Green†Compressed. Garzoli, K. (2009, June 10). Green Energy Bricks. Retrieved from http://www.greenenergybricks.com/. Moedinger, F. (2003). CASE STUDY. SUSTAINABLE CLAY BRICK PRODUCTION. Mohd Syahrul Hisyam Mohd Sani, F. M. (2012). IEEE Symposium on Humanities, Science and Engineering Research. Comparison Study of Common Brick with. Sandasamy D, G. S. (2011). Green Technology and Environmental Conservation.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Dreams in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Essay -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dreams in Buffy the Vampire Slayer    The battle between Good and Evil. Nothing could be more timeless or universal. And each week, when presented as a contest between a teenage vampire slayer named Buffy and legions of vampires, demons, and assorted destructive forces on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, millions of modern American television viewers watch that conflict as represented in late-nineties popular culture. As any frequent TV viewer knows, Good wins, vanquishing Evil with some ratings-garnering kicks and punches, and the episode concludes, at least until next week. Right? Not quite. Although Buffy consistently protects the world from destruction, her supremacy as a force of good remains challenged and incomplete. In part, this is a television necessity; forces of evil must always remain to be battled in next week's episode. But within the text of the series itself, the character of Buffy's boyfriend Angel -- a two-hundred odd year old vampire with a soul -- further complicates this blur ring of the lines between good and evil. Angel, whose very nature embodies a coexistence of and struggle between good and evil, functions as a site within which the war between Good and Evil take place on a microcosmic level. In the episode "Amends," Angel's dreams and visions of his past destructive acts drive him to a suicide attempt. The episode's dual reading of the evil force responsible for Angel's dreams as an external demonic force and as an element of Angel's own psyche ultimately suggests the appropriate response to evil is not more destruction but rather comprehension of and vigilance against the complex and competing forces present within individuals.  On its most literal level, the episode "Am... ...itive constructive power even in the face of his darker nature. For Buffy and Angel, dreams are not solutions. Rather, dreams serve as insights into their situation, themselves, and their emotional connection. Though the revelations and lessons of self and of loved ones come from dreams, the solution and "fighting" against evil and weakness comes from the characters working together. Though it presents surprisingly complex view for a television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's exploration of the interactive forces of good and evil on two narrative levels ensures that while episodes like "Amends" entertain, they also touch at deeper issues of concern to audiences across time and place. Good, evil, and dream visions -- Tuesdays on the WB.  Works Cited Whedon, Joss, creator. "Amends." Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The WB Network. 15 December 1998.  Â
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Graduation Speech: A New Adventure :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address
No amount of education can completely prepare us for the world that lies ahead of us. Because it presents many unknowns, it is exciting yet at the same time frightening. I know that there are still so many things that can only be learned through experience; a challenge with which we will soon all be faced. I would like to read a letter written by a woman by the name of Avril Johannes which was published in the book "Chicken Soup For the Soul." She writes this letter to the world upon her son's and his classmates' graduation and it relates some of these same ideas. "Dear World: Our children finish school today. It's all going to be quite strange to them for a while, and I wish you would treat them kindly. They are starting out on a new adventure. It is an adventure that may include war and tragedy and sorrow. To make their way they will require a great deal of faith, love, tolerance and understanding. So world, I wish you would look after them. Take them by the hand and teach them the things they will need to know, but please, world, do it gently if you can. They will have to learn that not all people are just, that not all people are fair, and that not all people are true. But also teach them that for every villain there is a hero, that for every crooked politician there is a great and dedicated leader, and that for every enemy there is a good friend. It will take time, world, but teach them that a nickel earned is of more value than a dollar found. Teach them to lose gracefully so that they will enjoy winning that much more. Steer them away from envy, if you can, and teach them the secret of quiet laughter. Teach them to be at peace with their God. Teach them to be strong inside so they can stand the hurt of failure and keep the desire to try again until they succeed. Teach them to be gentle with gentle people, and to be tough with tough people. Teach them to follow their judgment and not the crowd. Teach them to listen to all people, but to filter all they hear through a screen of truth. Teach them to laugh when they are sad, but also teach them that there is no shame in shedding tears.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Effect of Motivation on Employees Productivity Essay
1.1BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY One of the most erratic of all available organizational resources is human. As a matter of fact, a major perplexing issue facing the Nigerian organization over the last few years is not that of retaining the workforce because they (the workers) want to leave voluntarily, rather, it is that of finding ways and means of retaining them because the opening environment makes it difficult to continue to keep employees beyond a certain maximum number. Research reports has shown that employees motivation is essential in an organization as it is a key to a successful organization need for maintaining continuity and survival. Motivating the staff leads to broaden their skills to meet the organizational demands. The need for achievement always results in a desire for employees to do extra effort to have something done better and have the desire for success. Motivation creates a productive employee who save time and effort. Thus, the motivated employee volunteers to do more than what is expected and more successful achievement than others. Such employee could be a good resource and a model to be followed by other staff and adds positive input to the work within the organization. Furthermore, it is not just the matter of how motivated the staff are, but also how prepared they are for the job. Good performance depends on whether the staff are able to do things or are willing to do things. The level of productivity depends on the level of motivation that stimulates someone to work and carryout necessary tasks to achieve the set goals. Motivation is important in any workplace and it is personal and different for each employee. Motivation depends on different needs; different strategies will be created to satisfy these needs. The management have to learn to place the right person in the right place. A person should be given the role where they can use their skills and abilities and be concentrated towards the organization’s goals and personal goals. Misplacements can cause dissatisfaction, less motivation, less concentration that leads to turnover and shortage of staff, commitment of mistakes and loss to the organization. Several need and motivation theories have been discussed in the study to clarify what might affect the motivation. So, without motivation nothing unique will ever happen that allows the organization to specialize with its production. Quoting Charles de Gaulle , he said : â€Å"In order to become good in anything, the only talent you need is motivation††¦ Although there is general agreement among psychologists that man experiences a variety of needs, there is considerable disagreement as to what these needs are and their relative importance. There have been a number of attempts to present models of motivation which list a specific number of motivating needs, with the implication that these lists are all-inclusive and represent the total picture of needs. Unfortunately, each of these models has weaknesses and gaps, and we are still without a general theory of motivation. All organisation are concerned with what should be done to achieve sustained high levels of performance through people. Consequently the subject of adequate motivation of workers as derived from the so many attempts made by management practitioner is to look for the best way to manage so as to accomplish an objective or mission with the least inputs of materials and human resources available. A lot of theoretical concept, principles and techniques of management have evolved in response to these challenges. In general management authors have tended to view motivation as a key component of the managerial function of leading or directing. However, leading or leadership style, although an important factor in determining the attitude of employers toward assigned job responsibilities is not the only determinant, other managerial function such as planning, controlling, staffing and organizing also play a role. In any serious and competitive society, workers are one of the tools for economic progress. Their welfare is taken into serious consideration because without a dedicated workforce an organization crumbles. The nations (Nigerian) reward system is probably the poorest in the entire globe were an average take home of the worker is put at $120 per month. Workers are used and abused harassed, treated, offended and discarded without any appreciation for their contribution to their organization and to the society at large. It is therefore apparent that the issue of adequate motivation of worker has relevance in managerial function and activities that are aimed at directing the productive effort of the workforce toward achieving organizational objectives. Babalola (2006) quoting â€Å"Knotz et al (1980)†, holds that management strives to create and maintain an environment that is conducive to the performance of individuals who are working together in groups towards the accomplishment of pre-selected objective result in the conflict of goals between individuals and their groups. Motivation is the key of a successful organization to maintain the continuity of the work in a powerful manner and help organizations to survive. Motivation is finding a need inside the employees and help to achieve it in a smooth process. Motivating the staff leads to broaden their skill to meet the organizational demands. Each manager should have the responsibility to work with the staff to find out their individual needs and put them side by side to the organization needs. Dissatisfaction also, might work as guidance for the manager to explore the need of the staff and start with it to motivate them and attract them to do better performance. Motivation drives the human beings to reach their goals and organization goals through every challenge and constraint they face in their workplace; considering it as an advantage to go ahead in the direction they have put for themselves. The need of achievement always results in a desire to do extra effort to have something done better, and have the desire for success. The management should motivate the employees to get things done through them without asking them what to do. Motivation creates a productive employee who saves time and effort. The motivated employee volunteers to do more than what is expected and more successful achievement than others. Such employee could be a good recourse and a model to be followed by other staff and adds positive input to the work within the organization. In this project, the nursing organization was chosen because it is a sensitive career that affects patient’s life; if it is not given the important consideration that is supposed to be given. In an attempt to project the ideal enhanced employees productivity, it is therefore apposite for an organization to examine what type of motivation need to be put in place for their staff as every individual is unique and each desire of every individual differs. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Nursing is a sensitive career that plays an important role in the society. It is a multi-skill career that should be rewarded because nurses are the eye of the health center staff about patient’s conditions. Nursing is associated with multiple health care professionals which increases the workload thereby conflicting demands, good discharge of duties, stresses,etc which may be the as a result of the following factors ; a)Long working hours b)Feeling underpaid c)Effect of night shift. d)Workplace hazards and injuries e)Lack of appreciation, e.t.c The questions are often asked as to what workers in general and particular want from their employers. Can there be an end to the clamour for increases in wages? Why do workers work and what induces them to give in their best? The aim of this research therefore is to find out from empirical studies whether workers, given the right incentives other than money can put in their best to contribute to the productivity and growth of the organizations to achieve the following objectives, amongst others: Reduce labour turnover, Increase workers productivity, Redesign and put in place appropriate labour laws and policies, eliminate or reduce industrial unrest, Improve management and staff relations, create a productivity culture in the organization. 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION In other to achieve the purpose of this work, the following questions were raised. i.Is there any relationship between workers comfort and higher workers performance? ii.Is there any relationship between motivational factors and higher productivity for experienced staff of State Hospital Ijebu-Ode? iii.To what extent is the effect of motivation of employee’s productivity? iv.Will monetary incentives and rewards exert a stronger influence on workers than any form of motivational incentive? 1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES I believe that work can be meaningful and satisfying to a given job incumbent only when the job elicits and stimulate his inner motivation. These views raise some research questions, which form the basis of the hypotheses for this study. The following hypotheses were formulated for testing : (Null and Alternate hypotheses) HYPOTHESIS 1 H0 There is no significant relationship between motivational factors and higher productivity for experienced staff. H1 There is significant relationship between motivational factors and higher productivity for experienced staff. HYPOTHESIS 2 H0 There is no significant relationship between monetary reward only and workers satisfaction in the organization H1 There is significant relationship between monetary reward only and workers satisfaction in the organization. HYPOTHESIS 3 H0 There is no significant relationship between workers comfort and higher organizational productivity H1 There is significant relationship between workers comfort and higher organizational productivity. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY In this project, the primary objective is to assess the quality of performance in nurses and motivation process used with them, categorized the different types of motivation theories, emphasize how importance of the relationship between motivation and the performance, proffer answers to the question agitating the minds of management of the State General Hospital, as to what to do to adequately motivate her medical staff to contribute their quota to the organizations productivity. This project also will look at the motivation from the perspective of the medical staff while seeking to validate the various models and theories of motivation by finding out from the â€Å"horse mouth†what really motivates the workers of today. 1.6SCOPE OF THE STUDY The relationship between the organization and its staff is governed by what motivates them to work and the fulfillment they derive from it. However, this study is delimited to the senior and junior medical staff in the State General Hospital. 1.7SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The findings from this study will help to highlight those areas where there are problems among the medical staff. It result will help to further highlight the likely problems of frustration and how motivation can be used to either reduce or eliminate the problems amongst the medical staff.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Mobile Phone and Children
Should children be allowed to own and use mobile phones? Mobile phones keep children safe Mobile phones keep children safer, as it is easier for parents to stay in touch with their children and for children to contact someone in an emergency. Through calls and texts, parents can know where their child is and be reassured that he or she is safe; all the while their children know they are never more than a phone call away from help. As Leslie Sharpe argues, ‘I wanted to ensure that they had a way of contacting me in an emergency’.It is, however, true that some children carrying the most sophisticated or ‘Smart’ phones are more susceptible to being robbed, but thieves are always after something new. Phones now are both much more widespread and security coded, so the benefits to thieves are no longer as great or immediate. Traffic accidents that are the result of children being distracted by their phones while walking across roads should be blamed on bad safety education rather than on the actual phones.Ultimately, mobile phones provide parents and young people with peace of mind and children with a safety net in emergencies, whether calling parents or the emergency services. Children should be comfortable with modern technology Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is now a normal part of modern life, used by everyone from toddlers to pensioners. So children need to grow up making use of technology such as mobile phones if they are to be able to fully participate in contemporary society. The average age at which children get their first mobile phone is eight according to a recent study.To prevent a child from having a mobile phone at that age is to put them at a clear social disadvantage compared with their peers. Mobile phone use develops skills for the modern workplace with its need for tech-savvy employees with communication skills and the ability to work flexibly. In any case, children often have better phone manners than adu lts – they are less likely to shout into the phone, more likely to text discreetly, and more aware of text and phone etiquette. Such manners are the direct consequence of familiarity with the device and an understanding of appropriate use in certain contexts.Mobile phones encourage the development of independence and interpersonal skills Education is as much about the growth in character and dealing with risks as it is the accumulation of knowledge; mobile phones provide for children a means to converse with peers, develop friendships and resolve disputes, all within minutes of each other, night and day. For them, ‘getting a cell phone is a step towards independence and a status symbol among their friends’. The confidence and self-esteem derived from having a mobile phone cannot be underappreciated, as proven by the corresponding negative impact of losing one’s phone.An Independent study in 2004 found that 55 per cent of people cited ‘keeping in touc h with friends or family as the main reason for being wedded to their handsets'. Furthermore, the increasing potential of smart phones facilitates the accessing of information in real-time and on the move; a determined child with a grasp of the potential of their mobile phone can illuminate themselves on matters like directions to destinations, opening times for activities and immediate weather forecasts.With such information, children can begin to reason with each other and make decisions without resort to more mature advice. Schools can implement programs to encourage responsible and considerate mobile phone use All technological platforms have the potential to be abused or act as a negative medium, what is important is that children are taught to use their mobile phones responsibly. Schools should introduce programs and classes that teach children not only how important the devices are to their personal safety, but also how to exploit the advantages of the software.All children w ith sufficiently smart mobile phones should know how to find out where they are at any given time using map functions, and how to use the internet to find information on the go but to be vary of revealing their location to others and possible commercial exploitation of certain location based services. This advice should be taught alongside warnings about the limits of mobile phone technology, ensuring that the children don’t trust them blindly but use them as verification tools or means of starting enquiries.What should emerge is an environment where phones can be used as teaching tools and facilitating social cohesion rather than simply being a distraction in class. There are long-term health risks to mobile phone use Mobile phones are medically safe for children to use – we should ignore scare stories in the media. The latest research has not proved that mobile phones damage brain cells. Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, has been quoted as sa ying ‘the risk of brain cancer is similar in people ho use mobile phones compared to those who don’t, and rates of this cancer (glioma) have not gone up in recent years despite a dramatic rise in phone use during the 1980s’. Furthermore, the European Union’s public health body concluded in 2008 that ‘mobile phone use for less than ten years is not associated with cancer incidence. Regarding longer use, it was deemed difficult to make an estimate’. Even those earlier studies that suggested there might be a problem thought that people would have to use a cell phone for hours a day for there to be an effect.It is true that there is no 100% proof that mobile phones are safe to use, but that is true of any scientific study. Further investigation should be encouraged, but without conclusive proof, the benefits of mobile phone use will continue to far outweigh the costs. Mobile phones are too expensive for children Mobile phones are not too expensive for children – children use pocket money to buy credit and often inherit ‘hand-me-down’ handsets initially. As noted by the opposition, basic models are cheap and the subscription itself is at the mercy of the buyer. Parents can always say â€Å"no†or set limits on what the children can spend.With modern payment plans children can be given a set amount of credit for calls and texts. Learning to work within financial limits is an important part of growing up. In any case, many young people have part-time jobs so they are spending their own money, not their parents and learning to control use and financially managing phone use is a very good skill to learn. Nevertheless, even if it were the case that mobile phones are too expensive, that does not render their ability to keep children safe negligible, for one cannot place a price on a child’s safety. Mobile phones are inappropriate distractions in schoolMobile phones are now a valuable part of studen t life. They can be used for ‘creating short movies, setting homework reminders, recording a teacher reading a poem and timing science experiments’. Moreover, because parents feel their children are safer carrying a phone, they are more likely to allow them to travel to school on their own rather than driving them. This promotes greater independence for the children, while taking traffic off the roads which is environmentally-friendly. Like many other things, mobiles can be distracting in class but this doesn’t mean they should be banned. Many chools allow – some actively encourage – phones to be carried providing they are turned off in lesson. Mobile phones are open to abuse Anything can be abused or used to harm other person, including pencils and paper. New technology carries some risks but we should not be rushed into panic measures. Children got hold of pornography, gambled and bullied each other long before mobile phones were invented. The rel ationship between childhood and new mobile technologies is complex. These problems won’t go away if we ban phone use – they can only be dealt with through good parenting and moral education.In the meantime, parents can get phones which block inappropriate content, and ensure that their children do not have credit cards to pay for it. They should make sure that children know how to report abuse or what to do if they receive inappropriate material on the phone. An American company Disney Mobile is also one of an increasing number of phone makers who ‘provides families with mobile phones specifically designed for tweens, young teens and parents who want to keep an eye on them’. The potential for the abuse of mobile phones is low if parents are informed and vigilant and ensure they buy their children the right phone and right plan.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
The Systematic Study of Organizational Behavior
A country's culture is the conventional behavior of a society that constitutes beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices. Evidently, it influences human behavior, even though it is rare that it enters into their conscious thought. People depend on culture as it gives them stability, security, understanding, and the ability to respond to a given situation. Culture complements their well-being. This is why people fear change. They fear the system will become unstable, their security will be lost, they will not understand the new process, and they will not know how to respond to the new situations (Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). The organization's base depends on a company' philosophy, values, vision and goals. A company's mission and vision are its very core. This, in turn, drives the organizational culture, which is composed of the formal organization, informal organization, and the social environment. A country's culture determines the type of leadership, communication, and group dynamics within the organization. The workers perceive this as the quality of work life, which directs their degree of motivation. The final outcomes are performance, individual satisfaction, and personal growth and development. All these elements combine to build the archetype or framework that the organization operates from. A social system is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. Within an organization, the social system includes all the people in it and their relationships to each other and to the outside world. The behaviors that come about within organizations are of utmost concern and importance. Studying these behaviors may help the consumers to comprehend why some sales agents or employees are able to introduce and sell their products and services with efficiency and effectiveness (cited in Johns, 1988). Also, the social system does not have boundaries. It exchanges goods, ideas, culture, etc. with the environment around it (cited in Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). A matter like this could become quite a balancing act. Individualism favors individual rights, loosely knit social networks, self-respect, and personal rewards and careers. One aspect begets another aspect, which is why it is integrated in nature. Socialization or collectivism favors the group, harmony, and asks â€Å"What is best for the organization?†Organizations need people to challenge, question, and experiment while still maintaining the culture that binds them into a social system (Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). Autocratic – The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation of authority. The employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The employee need that is met is subsistence. The performance result is minimal. Custodial – The basis of this model is economic resources with a managerial orientation of money. The employees in turn are oriented towards security and benefits and dependence on the organization. The employee need that is met is security. The performance result is passive cooperation. Supportive – The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial orientation of support. The employees in turn are oriented towards job performance and participation. The employee need that is met is status and recognition. The performance result is awakened drives. Collegial – The basis of this model is partnership with a managerial orientation of teamwork. The employees in turn are oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The employee need that is met is self-actualization. The performance result is moderate enthusiasm. Individualization is when employees successfully exert influence on the social system by challenging the culture: Less socialization and too little individualization create isolation. More socialization and too little individualization create conformity. Less socialization and too high individualization creates rebellion. While the match that organizations want to create is high socialization and high individualization for a creative environment. This is what it takes to survive in a very competitive environment having people grow with the organization, but doing the right thing when others want to follow the easy path (Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). Compensation as a motivational factor Many companies mistakenly assume that what works for one organization will work well for all organizations. Companies often attempt to create incentive programs without thinking in detail about how each program feature will best suit their targeted audience. Providing pie and ice-cream when employees desire flexible work hours, paid time off, training, or the ability to work from home is an example of a negative incentive. To facilitate the creation of a profitable program, every feature must be tailored to the participants’ interests. A successful incentive program requires clearly defined rules, suitable rewards, efficient communication strategies, and measurable success metrics. By adapting each element of the program to fit the target audience, companies are better able to engage program participants and enhance the overall program effectiveness (â€Å"Incentive†). An incentive program represents a substantial investment to most organizations. Receiving a sufficient return on that investment requires the full participation of the program participants. Incentive programs are based upon the concept that effort increases as people perceive themselves progressing towards their goal. In â€Å"The Art of Motivation: An Incentive Industry Primer,†the Incentive Marketing Association ties incentive programs to the psychological equation: Ability x Motivation = Performance. In order to properly motivate, programs must be designed to offer a variation of products and services to program participants based on their unique interests and diverse needs. Successful programs need to carefully develop their reward methods to keep participants eager to approach a new goal once they have achieved a reward (â€Å"Incentive†). In order to create an effective program, organizations must keep the overall objective in mind when considering program design and implementation. Objectives should be formed based on the organizations overall goals and should be straightforward and specific so participants clearly understand the expectations. Program objectives can vary depending on the needs of each individual organization. They must be challenging, yet achievable. If objectives are viewed as unattainable, the program will be destined for failure. Management By Objectives is crucial for a company to achieve progress and success in order to manage the company in an objective manner. With this in mind, Companies have set various standard order procedures for employees. Managers are always at the forefront of this matter. Objectives may include motivating employees, recognizing performance, persuading customers to make a purchase, or even reinforcing a marketing message. Once the program's goals have been determined, every aspect of the program must be measured against this goal in order to ensure the programs success in goal achievement. Whenever successful, objectives should provide measurable results allowing the organization to monitor performance and measure the overall success of the program. References Borne, P.A. (February 21, 2007). Organizational Behavior. Retrieved December 12, 2007 from http://www.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx?aid=144899&c=1. Incentive Marketing Association. The Art of Motivation: An Incentive Industry Primer. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from http://incentivemarketing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=51. Knoster, T., Villa, K.T., & Thousand, J. (2000). Restructuring for Caring and Effective Education: Piecing the Puzzle Together. A Framework For Thinking About Systems Change. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Johns, G. (2004). Organizational Behavior: Understanding and Managing Life at Work 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Â
Paul Levy Essay
How would you describe the situation Levy inherited at the BIDMC? What challenges did he face? Why did previous turnaround efforts fail? (4 points) Two unique corporate cultures, Beth Israel Hospital and Deaconess Hospital merged in 1996 to become Beth Israel Deaconess (BID). To compete with Partners, BID and a few other hospitals combined forces and formed Care Group Systems (CGS). Lacking leadership commitment, BID was in chaos and consistently posted operating losses in millions of dollars per year. Additionally, although advised on numerous occasions, BID was inept in implementing restructuring plans and consequently had excessive employee turnover, which resulted in poor patient care. Succinct and expert advice to reorganize BID was never implemented. Although BID would agree to change, execution was postponed or disregarded due to the myriad level of management and bureaucratic processes within each department, which appeared to function independently of one another. Unable to move forward, management was locked in mental prisons. Groupthink was common practice for making essential business decisions, which resulted in escalation of commitment in continuing past practices and refusal to accept recommended changes. BID could be referred to as egocentric as the organization maintained the status quo. As President and CEO, Levy was expected to create a rapid turnaround of the deteriorating financial condition of the hospital. He was also expected to stop the several year trend of flawed implementation of restructuring recommendations. Furthermore, he was working under intense scrutiny and pressure from many officials, including the Attorney General’s Office of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the BID Board of Directors (BOD) and the Board of Directors of the BID parent company, CGS. How did Levy get started in his new job? What were his objectives and what did he accomplish 1) prior to his first day of work? 2) on his first day? 3) during his first week? (4 points) Before Levy accepted the position, he made conditions for his employment. These conditions included that he be hired before the Hunter Group Report was released, that the BOD be considerably reduced in size and that the BOD stay out of the day-to-day operations of the hospital. Even as he talked to the search team, he knew the responsibilities and his own abilities. Levy wanted to be hired prior to the Hunter report so that he could use the report in ways that he thought would be best. The second condition was to shrink the BOD from a 44-member group to a more-manageable group of 18 members, which was accomplished just a few months after Levy’s appointment as CEO. The third condition of employment, that the BOD remain out of the day-to-day operations, showed that he believed in a chain of command. Levy clearly communicated any meeting between board members and staff required prior approval. On his first day, he sent every employee of the hospital a memo that included: †¢ A promise of an open administration †¢ A warning that the hospital had been given this one last chance for a turnaround †¢ A promise to post the findings and recommendations of the Hunter Consulting Group †¢ Encouragement to employees to read and make comments regarding the report †¢ A promise that changes would be implemented and measured †¢ Warning of an unavoidable elimination of several hundred staff positions in the hospital †¢ A promise that the staff reductions would be carried out as humanely possible and people would be treated with dignity and respect †¢ His expectation of successful turnaround of BID because of the employees, their commitment, their strong sense of teamwork, and their ability to succeed In his message, Levy also conveyed that: †¢ He considered all staff (not just key players) to be team members †¢ All team members must share a common goal of carrying out the mission †¢ There is a sense of urgency †¢ The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had legitimate authority and control over the future of BID †¢ Staff would be held accountable for their actions †¢ Levy would be open, honest and inclusive with information, even in the case of bad news †¢ High quality care was essential to BID’s future †¢ Together, the BID team could show the world success Levy created a sense of reality for employees whom previously had been told half-truths, lies or nothing about the serious nature of BID’s problems. In doing so, Levy gained â€Å"buy-in†from employees grateful that problems were being clearly identified by effective leadership. Also on his first day, Levy shared his message with local news agencies, which accomplished among other things letting the community know that he considered â€Å"buy-in†from the staff critical to success. According to his daily calendar, Levy spent much of his first week meeting with BID staff. What (if anything) was distinctive about the way Levy went about formulating, announcing and implementing the recovery plan? How did he overcome resistance? (3 points) Levy’s practice of speaking with staff likely induced his ability to gather as much information as possible regarding the current mood and culture. This information was needed to develop and implement a plan. Initially, his recovery plan had to include huge cost-saving initiatives. He had already set the stage for a massive lay-off by posting the Hunter Report for all employees to read. Therefore, it was relatively easy for him to fire/permanently lay-off 150 people by the end of the month. After all, he was only doing what the experts recommended. Who could argue with that? At the same time, purchasing controls were implemented in an effort to reduce costs. The next week, he rolled out additional strategic efforts. His plan was three-fold: regain a reputation for quality patient care and maintain an academic status; adopt some of the recommendations of the Hunter Group Report, implementing change; and, analyze why previous restructure plans failed and why this new one would work. Another of Levy’s implementation plans was to promise low and deliver high. In other words, he knew the importance of meeting deadlines and plans by being conservative and not over-estimating. This practice is often referred to as â€Å"sand-bagging†and believed to be a useful tool. Levy’s intent was not to be deceitful; rather, it is a way of keeping forward momentum by delivering good news. How did Levy tackle the problem of the BIDMC’s â€Å"curious inability to decide?†(3 points) It was not until Levy came in and talked with the doctors and staff, really listening to each other’s problems and concerns that change could happen. Levy realized that the culture of BID played a significant role in the organization. People reacted and performed their jobs considering how they had performed their jobs in the past. The current structure and hierarchy defined who the chiefs were and the importance of their roles. They were caught up in this psychic prison. Levy had to help them overcome it by making sure they realized that they were not wrong and that they just needed to be open to change. Levy tried to get to the underside of the human emotions for these chiefs and let them see the benefit of changes. He made sure to give credit but also expected results and acceptance of the new strategic plan. While there is no indication as to which personnel were fired/laid-off, it was clear to the remaining staff that Levy was in charge and that â€Å"slackers†wou ld not be tolerated. This is a powerful motivator (albeit via fear) to eliminate resistance. Also prior to Levy, it seemed that committee meetings often resulted in groupthink. Levy knew that the chiefs were usually involved in those meetings, and that there was now a tremendous need to see results from those meetings. In the past, no one spoke up at meetings. Many participants kept quiet instead of actually saying what they thought. Staff members were afraid to rock the boat. Once Levy came on board, many decisions and changes were implemented via steering committees instead of from the chiefs. This was a significant change in the hierarchical structure. No longer did all decisions and ideas come straight down from the boss in the tower. This change allowed staff members to get involved and present ideas. Ultimately, it would be staff members whom had a key role in the implementation of turnaround plans. This â€Å"empowerment†of the staff led them to have less resistance toward change. In describing his leadership style, Levy speaks of the CEO as teacher. How has he defined that role? Why has he chosen to focus on it? What skills does it require? (3 points) Levy’s leadership style is a strategic facilitator, through developing employee ownership by illuminating the nature of the problem and seeking their involvement in finding solutions. Levy believed it essential to build a core management team that is in accord with the plan, mission and values and who are willing to assume risk in embracing change. The CEO role is to support the management team and remove those who are obstructionists. The byproduct is improved decision-making and accountability. He uses peer pressure as an accountability tool so there is public acknowledgment of responsibility for specific tasks. By redirecting comments from naysayers, Levy places the onus on others to provide a solution for problems. Additionally, Levy understands the dynamics of each meeting and what can and cannot be accomplished in each. Levy used a human resources view in assessing various situations. He leveraged this framework while making a majority of his decisions. He valued feedback from his employees and kept them abreast of pertinent information, which resulted in efficient and satisfied employees. Levy accomplished this literally by roaming the hospital with the intent on knowing the staff in person. He would engage in conversations seeking suggestions for change in their occupational area and reassured skeptics that his plan for change would be successful. Levy’s efforts to include everyone in the day-to-day progress as well as helping employees find answers to their problems, made the work more satisfying to his employees. What did members of your team learn from completing this case? How might members of your team use this information in their current or future jobs?
Saturday, September 14, 2019
St. Augustine’s Confessions
During his time, St. Augustine wrote thirteen autobiographical books entitled â€Å"Confessions†. The book tells how St. Augustine life was changed from living a sinful life to his conversion to Christianity. After studying the Confessions by St. Augustine, several parallelisms can be seen between the said autobiography and the Old and New Testament of the Christian Bible. Parallelisms do not appear only within the text but as well as in structure and format. One of the major parallelisms that can be seen between Augustine’s Confession and the Bible is the pattern or way of developing each stage or part of each one. The Bible started by the creation of everything perceivable by the human senses. On the other hand, Augustine’s Confession started by telling the story of Augustine’s childhood, his birth. Thus, Augustine’s birth symbolizes the creation in the first of book of the Bible, in the book of Genesis. The development of Augustine’s Confessions also followed the same trend as the Bible. The first eight books of the Confessions told the story of Augustine’s life from infancy to living in sin and then, finding his way to God. The story of Augustine’s infancy can be related to the story of Adam and Eve in the Old Testament. As an infant, Augustine knows nothing of sin, innocent as Adam and Eve were in the beginning. Then, Augustine was exposed to the world along with its sinful desires that causes Augustine to live a life afar from God, just as Adam and Eve after eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. Augustine continues to live his life following the desires of the flesh until he sees hopelessness without God. This part of Augustine’s life somehow reflects the Old Testament. The Israelites continued to sin causing them to reach the promise land in a lot longer time. The later part of the Confessions can also be linked to the New Testament. Augustine was Christianized that also symbolizes rebirth, rebirth in his attitudes and views of life just as the New Testament signifies the birth of Christ, the one who is to save the people. The dark ages in Augustine’s life can be viewed as the Old Testament wherein the people lived in sin. On the other hand, Augustine’s conversion can be viewed as the New Testament wherein God provided salvation and a new birth. Thus, it can be noticed that the transition of events in the two books are also similar to each other: the conversion of Augustine to Christianity and the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Consequently, it can be said that the first part of the Confessions, like the Old Testament speaks of past events: the birth and early life of Augustine and the creation in the Old Testament. The last parts of the two books are also connected; they both speak of future events. The last part of Augustine’s Confessions stated the eagerness of Augustine to interpret the inner meanings and messages of the Bible. He ended the Confessions by referring to the Sabbath, the seventh day when God rested. Augustine refers to the Sabbath figuratively that can also be interpreted as the final rest of the soul in the presence of God, the eternal life. In the same way, the Revelation or the last book of the New Testament speaks of things to come in a metaphorical sense. Thus, it can be concluded that both the last part of the two books are to be viewed in a metaphorical way in order to understand its true meaning. The Revelation was full of symbolisms in the same way as the last book of the Confessions. Both leaves the readers time to reflect and to search for the true meanings and essence of the text in their own way. Both in the Old and New Testament of the Bible, God reveals himself to man through angels, visions and others because of the inability of man to reach Him. In the same way, Augustine sees God through the life of his mother: through her actions and advice. Both show the inability of man to reach to God in their own way and thus, it was God providing man the means of understanding and obeying Him. Another similarity is that the Bible was comprised of different books (67 books in all) that also include several chapters. In the same way, Augustine wrote several books of which each were named by their order, that is, Book 1 to 13. Each book of The Confessions is also divided in to chapters that are similar to the chapters of the books in the Bible. Thus, it can be said that parallelisms indeed occur between the Holy Bible of Christianity and the Confessions by St. Augustine both within and outside of the text. It can also be said that most Christian literatures of the contemporary time follows the same format as the Confessions in which the original pattern can be rooted to the Bible of Christianity.
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