Strategic role of information system in contemporary business Essay

Strategic role of information system in contemporary business - Essay Example It goes ahead to consider some marketing strategies that companies can adopt to gain competitive advantage over the other competing organizations, and how they can use information systems to achieve this. A practical look is given to how Microsoft has managed to beat competitors using information systems Strategic role of information system in contemporary business Introduction The knowledge of information systems and its applications in business is of important consideration for managers in the current business world owing to the increased use of technology ((Kotsoukis & Mitra, 2003, p.3). The staff in the organization as well as the other available human resource should have the basic knowledge necessary for the incorporation of these technologies, which is now a necessity, into their operations. There are several uses of information system in business organizations. They are used in organizing the business processes and its operations. It is also used to assist the organization du ring complex decision-making processes using the necessary application software. Information systems can also be used by the companies as strategies to compete and beat their competitors in the market. This can be achieved using information technology to advertise or market the products of a company. However, it is also important to consider that in as much as the use of such systems are of importance in businesses, there are associated challenges that it poses to the management of the organization, which may impede their adoption. Information systems in business- conceptual framework The use of information system is increasing in business and other organizations. Regardless of the type of organization considered, there are always many sets of data to be managed or manipulated (Kotsoukis & Mitra, 2003, p.3). The use of information system in business ranges from simple applications like the calculation of wages to the more complex techniques like the use of application of software th at can be used to aid operations or decision-making process of the organization. Its extensive use will enable the business organization to survive in a market with many competing firms. Michael Porter had suggested that there are five forces that influence the operations in a given business industry (Strategic Management, n.d). These forces are the supplier’s power, barrier to entry, threat of substitutes, the power of the buyer, and the degree of rivalry among the competing firms. The management should consider the possibility of other firms getting into the business as well as the reputation of existing alternative products. Every company then needs to have a competitive advantage over the rival firms. Identifying the power and opportunities that a form has for investment, as well as the needs of the customers is fundamental in ensuring organizational success. The firms should identify the competitors and strategize their operations to beat them. The use of information sys tem can help an organization to obtain this competitive advantage. How an organization keeps the data that pertains to its operations as well as its employees will determine the success in managing the organization. A proper and efficient means of data storage and retrieval will facilitate the achievement of an organization’s objective. Mutilated sources of data call for approximation or estimation that can result into wrong course of action being taken by the management. It can also lead to losses in the event that financial data like pay roll is poorly retrieved. Organizations will thus

Great Pacific Garbage Patch Essay Example for Free

Great Pacific Garbage Patch Essay Everything that we throw into the environment as waste will always come back to haunt us in a larger form than we ever expected. With the level of consumerism that the society today have enjoyed because of the goods available in the market today, wastes also abound and without proper disposal mechanisms, it has led to the degradation of the environment. More so, the convenience of producing commodities in the form of plastic has led more and more wastes to be sent out in the environment. A great number of which has found their way into the oceans to become what is now termed as â€Å"The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. † It is noted for its relatively large size, the contents it has, and the area it has occupied. The Great Garbage Patch is an accumulation of plastic non-biodegradable wastes which have been dumped in the ocean or found its way to the sea from the land. The bottom line is that there is a great amount of garbage found in the ocean that is brought about by human activities. It affects marine life and will later on impact on the health of human beings. Interestingly, it has been noted that the ratio of plastic wastes in the water to that of sea life is 6 is to 1 (â€Å"The Great Garbage Patch,† n. d. ). In light of this information, it is no longer a surprising fact that there are indeed a significant volume of plastics that have been accumulated in the ocean because of the amount of materials dumped in it. The area which this garbage occupies is around 500 nautical miles from the coast of California up to Japan (Jacquot, 2008). The impact it has over the quality of life in the ocean is devastating as it grew more than the zooplankton and affects life within it (Kostigen, 2008). It is indeed proven that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has taken over a large area of the ocean. Knowledge of this term leads people to an informed judgment next time plastics are used and results to a heightened consciousness in terms of their behavior. Moreover, private organizations should adhere to the use of biodegradable plastic or a similar technology in order to help the environment. In the future, the efforts of the individuals and organizations will greatly help in saving the environment. References Jacquote, J. (2008). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: â€Å"Out of sight, of out of mind. † Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://www. treehugger.com/files/2008/02/great_pacific_garbage_patch. php. This site provides scientific and factual information regarding the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Kostigen, T. (2008). The world’s largest dump: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://discovermagazine. com/2008/jul/10-the-worlds-largest-dump. It is an account of the author’s experience in relation to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The great garbage patch. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www. greatgarbagepatch. org/. It basically provides information in order to persuade the readers to take action.

The Impact Of Televison On Behavior :: essays research papers

The Impact Of Televison On Behavior (Violence in television programs and movies and its impact on children and families is not a new topic. Almost 30 years ago the U.S. Surgeon General warned Americans about the negative effect of television have on the emotions and behaviours of children.) I just want to continue viewing our standpoints regarding the negative effect it has on society Talkshows "Husband Sees Prostitute," "Mistress Meets Wife," "Girl Sleeps with Over 100 Men," "My Girlfriend is a Guy," "Teenage Prostitution," "Maid-of-Honor Slept with Girl One Week Before Wedding," Commonly Jerry Springer topics! Why are people fascinated with such topics? What says it of our society? The biggest problem is that the behaviours are depicted are common, sensible, and, perhaps, even worth copying. Approximately six percent of daytime talk show viewers are under 11. Shows like Springer's according to a New York Times journalist cause violence in society and argued that the source of the problem lies in the insatiable lust of the audience for more and more gory violence. The only way to stop violence on television---either on the news or on Springer-type shows--is to cut the demand for it, thereby removing the profit. Television news, due primarily to its obsession with crime and violence, definitely has a negative impact upon our society. TV news broadcasts use dramatic, usually violent stories and images to capture and maintain an audience, under the pretence of keeping it informed. This overabundance of crime and violence on TV news inflate the public's fears for personal safety. People, for the most part, believe that TV news is an accurate reflection of reality. They become frightened of the cities they live in, and fear that criminals will harm them or their loved ones. Graphic coverage of wars, bombings, murders and natural disasters can quite possibly lead to nightmares or even depression. Research tells us the following about children and television: †¢ School-age children watch an average of 28 hours of television per week. †¢ Children are influenced by advertisements. They want what they see. †¢ Over 50 percent of children have a TV in their bedroom. †¢ Children who watch a lot of TV are more overweight than other children. †¢ Children under 2 years old: no TV (or other media, such as computers or videos) †¢ Children over 2 years old: maximum of 1 to 2 hours of TV (and other media) per day According to experts, children who watch too much TV tend to be less interested in physical activity, often develop verbal skills more slowly and tend to be less confident in social situations.

Esssential of Negotiation

Helsinki School of Economics Advanced Negotiation Practices Course Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Lewicki, Roy J. , David M. Saunders, and John W. Minton. 2001. Essentials of Negotiation: 2nd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Reviewed by Mohammad Moshtari February 2008 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Book Introduction This book represents authors’ response to faculty who wanted a briefer version of the longer text, Negotiation. The objective of this shorter volume is to provide the reader with the core concepts negotiation in a more succinct version. The book is organized into 9 chapters. The first four chapters introduce the reader to ? Negotiation Fundamentals?. The first chapter introduces the field of negotiation and conflict management, describes the basic problem of interdependence with other people, and briefly explores the problems of managing that interdependence. The second chapter introduces the concept of ? framing? or how parties come to decide what a negotiation is all about, and how parties need to plan for an upcoming negotiation. Chapter 3 and 4 then present the two core approaches to negotiations: the basic dynamics of competitive (win-loss) bargaining (chapter 3) and the basic dynamics of integrative (win-win) negotiation (chapter 4). The next two chapters present two key sub processes of negotiation: cognition and communication, and power and persuasion. In chapter 5, basic processes of cognition and communication in negotiation is reviewed, especially communication dynamics is examined as well as a number of common cognition and judgment biases made by negotiators. In chapter 6, authors looked at the tools negotiators can use to pressure the other side, using the tools of persuasion and power to get the other to change his or her perspective or give in to our arguments. The next two chapters review two key context elements of negotiation. In chapter 7, authors examined the ethical context and standards that surround negotiation and create unique challenges for negotiators in deciding how fully and completely they are going to disclose their bargaining positions. In chapter 8, authors attempted to clarify how national cultures around the world shape the diverse ways parties approach negotiations. The last chapter emphasizes strategies that can be used by the parties to resolve breakdowns in the negotiation process. Chapter 9 explores the techniques that negotiators can use on their own to get negotiations back on track. Authors made some of related materials (secondary chapters) accessible on the World Wide Web (at www. mhhe. com/business/managment/lewicki) including social context of negotiation, multiparty negotiations or managing difficult negotiations: theirs party approaches. The organization of the book also parallels more closely the organization of a companion volume, Negotiation: Readings, Exercises and Cases by Roy J. Lewicki. , David M. Saunders, and John W. Minton. Contents in Brief ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The nature of negotiation Negotiations: framing, strategizing, and planning Strategy and tactics of distributive negotiation Strategy and tactics of integrative negotiation Communication, perception and cognitive biases Finding and using negotiation leverage Ethics in negotiation Global negotiation Managing difficult negotiations: individual approaches Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 1: The nature of negotiation The structure and processes of negotiation are fundamentally the same at personal level as they are at the diplomatic and corporate level. Negotiations occur for two reasons: (1) to create something new that neither party could do on his or her own, (2) to resolve a problem or dispute between the parties. There are sev eral characteristics common to all negotiation situations: (1) there are two or ore parties, (2) there is a conflict of interest between them, (3) The parties negotiate duo to get a better deal (4) the parties, at least for a moment prefer to search for agreement, (5) when they negotiate they expect to give and take, (6) successful negotiation involves the management of intangibles (such as need to look good) as well as resolving the tangibles (such as the terms of agreement) In negotiations both parties need each other. This situation of mutual dependency is called interdependence. Interdependent relationships are characterized by interlocking goals; the parties need each other to accomplish their goals. The structure of the interdependence (wind-lose or win-win), determines the range of possible outcomes of the negotiation and suggests the appropriate strategies and tactics that the negotiators should use. Interdependent relationships are complex. Both parties know that they can influence the other’s outcomes and their outcomes in turn be influenced by the other. This mutual adjustment continues throughout the negotiation as both parties act to influence the other. Making and interpreting concessions is no easy work, especially when there is little trust between negotiations. The search for an optimal solution through the processes of giving information and making concessions is greatly aided by trust and a belief that you are being treated honesty and fairly. Two efforts in negotiation help to create such trust and belief: perceptions of outcomes that attempts to change a party’s estimation of the perceived importance of something and perception of the process may help convey images of equity, fairness and reciprocity in proposals and concessions. One potential consequence of interdependent relationship is conflict that can be duo to the highly divergent needs of the two parties, a misunderstanding that occurs between two people, or some other intangible factors. One way to classify conflicts is by level, and four levels of conflicts are commonly identified: intrapersonal conflict, interpersonal conflict, intra-group conflict, inter-group conflict. Conflict may be destructive or productive, so the objective is not to eliminate conflict but to learn how to manage it so that the destructive elements are controlled while the productive aspects are enjoyed. Negotiation is a strategy for productively managing conflict. Many approaches to managing conflict have been suggested. The below two dimensional framework is represented as the dual concerns model. The model postulates that individuals in conflict have two independent levels of concern: concern about their own outcomes and concern about the other’s outcomes. As mentioned in the figure, there are five major Problem Yielding strategies for conflict management. Each strategy has its Solving advantages and disadvantages and is more or less appropriate given the type of conflict and situation in which (compromising) the dispute occurs. Thus, conflict theory and research have moved toward a contingency approach advocating that the Inaction Contending strategy selected should be based on the objectives of the parties and the nature of their dispute. Two major mechanisms for resolving conflicts-third parties and Concern about own outcomes conflict management systems- extend above and beyond the strategies of the parties themselves. Concern about others’ utcomes 3 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 2: Negotiations: framing, strategizing, and planning In this chapter, authors discuss what negotiators should do before sitting down at the table: framing, strategizing, and planning. Framing is the means by which the parties in a negotiation define the problem. They mention that there are three ways to understand frames: as cognitive heuristics, at categories of experience, and as a process of issue development. In continuation, they try to introduce the negotiator to the power and prevalence of frames via: different types of frames, how certain frames may be invoked or ignored in a given situation, the consequences of framing a conflict in a particular way and the approaches that negotiators can use to manage frames more effectively. Understanding frames- which means understanding how parties define the key issues and how conversations can shift and transform those issues- is the first step in effective planning. After framing, negotiators must anticipate what they want to achieve in a negotiation and must prepare for these events in advance. The preparation must include attention to substantive items including goals, goal priorities, and multi-goal packages as well as procedural concerns dealing with agendas and bargaining histories. the choice of goals and frames are strongly interactive and the existence of one will rapidly produce evidence of other. Afterwards negotiators move to the third element in the sequence: selecting and developing a strategy. According to below suggested model, negotiators have some choices of a negotiation that is reflected in the answers to two simple questions: how much concern does the actor have for achieving the substantive outcomes at stake in this Substantive outcome important? negotiation and how much concern does the Yes No negotiator have for the current and future quality of relationship with the other party. Yes Collaboration Accommodation In the last part of chapter, authors explain the importance of planning. hile success in negotiation is affected by how one plays the game, the most important step for success is No Competition Avoidance how to one gets ready for the game. effective planning also hard work on a number of specific steps: ? Defining issues ? Assembling issues and defining the bargaining mix ? Defining interests ? Consulting with others ? Identifying limits ? Setting targets ? Developing supporting arguments ? Analyzing the other party Frames, goals, strategies and stages set the background for an effective planning process. If the negotiator is able to consider and evaluate each of these factors, the negotiator will know what he or she wants and will have a clear sense of direction on how to proceed. The sense of direction, and the confidence derived from it will be the single most important factor in achieving a desired negotiation outcome. Rational choice important 4 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 3: Strategy and tactics of distributive negotiation In a distributive bargaining situation, the goals of one party are usually in fundamental and direct conflict with the goals of the other party. Resources are fixed and each party will use a set of strategies to maximize their share of resources to be obtained. While distributive strategies are useful, they can also be counterproductive and costly. Often they cause the negotiating parties to focus so much on their differences that they ignore what they have in common. These negative effects notwithstanding, distributive bargaining strategies are quite useful when a negotiator wants to maximize the value obtained in a single deal and when the relationship with the other party is not important. Both parties to a negotiation should establish their starting, target and resistance points before beginning a negotiation. Starting points are usually in the opening statements each party makes. The target point is usually learned or inferred as negotiations get under way. The resistance point, the point beyond which a person will not go and would rather break off negotiations. The spread between the resistance points, called bargaining range, settlement range or zone of potential agreement, is particularly important. In this area the actual bargaining takes place, for anything outside these point will be summarily rejected by one of the two negotiators. It is rare that a negotiation includes only one item; more typically there is a set of items, referred to as a bargaining mix. Each item in a bargaining mix can have opening, target and resistance points. The bargaining mix may provide opportunities for bundling issues together, logrolling or displaying mutually concessionary behavior. Negotiators by employing strategies attempt to influence each other perceptions of what is possible through the exchange of information and persuasion. Regardless of the general strategy taken, two tasks are important in all distributive bargaining situations: discovering the other party’s resistance point and influencing the other party’s resistance point. The negotiator’s basic goal is to reach a final settlement as close to the other party’s resistance point as possible. Four tactical tasks are suggested for a negotiator in a distributive bargaining: (1) to asses the other party’s outcome values and the costs of terminating negotiations, (2) to manage the other party’s impressions of the negotiator’s outcome values, (3) to modify the other party’s perception of his or her own outcome values, and (4) to manipulate the actual costs of delaying or aborting negotiations. The other decision to be made at the outset of distributive bargaining concerns the stance to adopt during negotiations. A reasonable bargaining position is usually coupled with a friendly stance and an extreme position is usually couple ith a tougher, more competitive stance. A key concept in creating a bargaining position is that of commitment. The purpose of a commitment is to remove ambiguity about the actor’s intended course of action. There are several ways to create a commitment: public pronouncement, link with an outside ally, increase the promi nence of demands, reinforce the treat or promise. There are a set of hardball tactics to beat the other party. Such tactics are designed to pressure targeted parties to do things they would not otherwise do, and their presence usually disguises the user’s adherence to a decidedly distributive bargaining approach. Some of them are: good guy/bad guy, highball/lowball, bogey, the nibble, chicken, intimidation, aggressive behavior, snow job. The authors suggested three ways for responding to typical hardball tactics, including ignore them, discuss them and respond in kind. 5 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 4: Strategy and tactics of integrative negotiation In many negotiations there need not be winners and losers; all parties can be winner. In integrative negotiation- variously known as cooperative, collaborative, win-win, or problem solving- the goals of the parties are not mutually exclusive. The fundamental structure of an integrative negotiation situation is such that it allows both sides to achieve their objectives. Integrative negotiation requires a process fundamentally different from that of distributive negotiation. Those wishing to achieve integrative results find that they must manage both the context and the process of the negotiation in order to gain the willing cooperation and commitment of all parties. The following processes tend to be central to achieving almost all integrative agreements: ? creating a free flow of information ? ttempting to understand the other negotiator’s real needs and objectives ? emphasizing the commonalities between the parties and minimizing the difference ? searching for solutions that meet the goals and objectives of both sides There are four major steps in the integrative negotiation process: 1. Identifying and defining the problem, ? define the problem in a way that is mutually acceptable to both sides ? keep the problem statement clean and simple ? state the problem as a goal and identify the obstacles to attaining this goal ? epersonalize the problem ? separate the problem definition from the search for solution 2. understanding the problem and bringing interests and needs to the surface (focusing on interests will allow the parties to move beyond opening positions and demands to determine what the parties really want, what needs truly must be satisfied) 3. generating alternative solutions to the problem (tactics such as expand the pie, logroll, nonspecific compensation, cut the costs for compliance, find a bridge solution 4. Evaluating those alternatives and selecting among them ? narrow the range of solution options ? agree to the criteria in advance of evaluating options ? evaluate solutions on the basis of quality and acceptability ? be willing to justify personal preferences ? be alert to the influence of intangibles in selecting options ? use subgroups to evaluate complex issues ? take time out to cool off ? explore different ways to logroll ? keep decisions tentative and conditional until all aspects of the final proposals are complete ? inimize formality and record keeping until final agreements are closed Authors identified seven fundamental preconditions for successful integrative negotiation: some form of shared or common goal, faith in one’s own ability to solve problems, a belief in the validity and importance of the other’s position, the motivation and commitment to work together, trust in the opposing negotiator, the ability to accurately exchange information in spite of confl ict conditions, and an understanding of how the process works. 6 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 5: Communication, perception and cognitive biases Communication is at the heart of the negotiating process. This chapter focuses on the processes by which negotiators communicate their own interests, positions, and goals and in turn make sense of those of the other party and of the negotiation as a whole. Weather the intent is to command and compel, sell, persuade or gain commitment, how parties communicate in negotiation would seem to depend on the ability of the speaker to encode the thoughts properly as well as on the ability of the listener to understand and decode the intended messages. There are two critical sub-processes of communication: perception and cognition. ? Perception is defined as the process of screening, selecting and interpreting stimuli so that they have meaning to the individual. The complexity of environments makes it impossible to process all of the available information, so perception becomes selective, focusing on some stimuli while turning out others. As a result people have several shortcuts in their perceptual systems that allow them to process information more readily. Unfortunately these shortcuts come with cost-perceptual errors such as stereotyping, halo effects, selective perception or projectionswhich typically occur without people being aware that they are happening. Stimulus Attention Recognition Translation Behavior Perception ? Rather than being perfect processors of information, negotiators have a tendency to make systematic errors when they process information. These errors, labeled cognitive biases, tend to impede negotiator performance: the irrational escalation of commitment, mythical fixed pie belief, the process f anchoring and adjustment, issue and problem framing, negotiators overconfidence, the winner’s curse, self-serving biases, ignoring others’ cognitions, the law of small numbers and reactive devaluation. Failures and distortions in perception, cognition and communication are the most dominant contributors to breakdowns and failures in negotiations. Three main techniques have been proposed for improving communic ation in negotiation: the use of questions, listening and role reversal. 7 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 6: Finding and using negotiation leverage In this chapter, the authors focus on leverage in negotiation that means the tools negotiators can use to give themselves an advantage or increase the probability of achieving their own objectives. Leverage is often used synonymously with power. Authors explain three major sources of power: information and expertise, control over resources, and location in an organizational structure and then point to the process for using power as an attempt to change the other’s position, view or perspective. During negotiations, actors frequently need to convince each other, influence the other party’s positions, perceptions and opinions and for doing these they employ a group of tactics that are called persuasion. Authors consider four key elements of persuasion: ways in which sources of information can be powerful, ways in which messages can be structured to be more powerful, ways in which targets of persuasion can enhance or reduce their power and ways in which the elements in social context can exert indirect influence on the target. There are some ways in which to think about the key factors in the persuasion/ leverage process. One of them is shown in below figure. Message factors Resultant attitudes (positions) Initial attitudes (positions) ? Message content ? Message Structure ? Persuasive style Source factor ? Credibility ? Attractiveness Target factors ? attending to the other ? Resisting the other’s arguments Context factor Reciprocity, Commitment, Social proof, Use of reward and punishment, Scarcity Central Route Peripheral Route ? ? ? ? Message factors or ways in which he content of the message can be structured and presented to enhance its effectiveness Source factors or ways in which the sender of the message can enhance his or her credibility and attractiveness in order to make the message more believable or more friendly Receiver factors or ways in which the receiver of the message can either shape and direct what the sender is communicating or intellectually resist the persuasive effects of the message Context factors or elements inherent in the social structure (such as the relationship between the parties, the setting in which the message is sent or the amount time taken to communicate the message) that can determine whether a message is more or less likely to be received and complied with. There are at least three major things that you as the listener can do to resist the other’s influence efforts: have a best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), make a public commitment (or get the other pa rty to make one) and inoculate yourself against the other’s persuasive message. 8 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 7: Ethics in negotiation In this chapter authors explored the question of whether there are or should be accepted ethical standards for behavior in negotiation. Ethics are broadly applied social standards for what is right or wrong in a particular situation or a process for setting those standards. Ethics proceed from particular philosophies, which purport to (a) define the nature of the world in which we live and (b) prescribe rules for living together. The authors present a model to help explain how a negotiator decides whether to employ one or more deceptive tactics. Intentions and motives for using deceptive tactics Consequences: 1. Impact of tactic: does it work? 2. Self-evaluation 3. Feedback and reaction from other negotiator, constituency and audiences Influence Situation Identification of range of influence tactics Selection and use of a deceptive tactic Explanation and Justification Deception and disguise may take several forms in negotiation as follows: misrepresentation of one’s position to another party, bluffing, falsification (introduction of factually erroneous information), deception (collection of true and/or untrue arguments that leads the other party to the wrong conclusion) and selective disclosure or misrepresentation to constituencies. The authors predicted that (1) when motivated to be competitive and when expecting the other to be competitive the negotiator would see the marginally ethical tactics as appropriate and (2) when both parties were competitively motivated they would exhibit the greatest tendency to employ marginally ethical tactics. From the negotiator’s perspective the primary motivation to use a deceptive tactic is to gain a temporary power advantage. Using these tactics then produces consequences: the tactic may work (produce desired results) or not work; people evaluate their own use of the tactics( asking themselves if they were satisfied with the results, and if using the tactic was personally acceptable) and people also may receive evaluative comments from the other negotiator from constituencies and from audiences. Those evaluative comments may serve to increase or decrease the use of similar tactics in the future. If using the tactic allows negotiators to attain rewarding outcomes that would be unavailable to them if they behaved ethically and if the unethical conduct is not punished by others the frequency of unethical conduct is likely to increase because the negotiator believes he or she can get away with it. Negotiators frequently overlook the fact that although unethical or expedient tactics may get them what they want in the short run these same tactics typically lead to diminished effectiveness in the long term. (Consequences of these tactics on the negotiator’s reputation and trustworthiness, other party retaliation and revenge) If negotiators think the other party is using deceptive tactics he/she can do the following acts: Ask probing questions and recognize the tactic. 9 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 8: Global negotiation In this chapter authors examined various aspects of a growing field of negotiation that explores the complexities of negotiating across borders. Negotiators from different cultures (countries) use different negotiation strategies and communication patterns when negotiating intra-culturally than when negotiating cross-culturally. Two overall contexts have an influence on cross border negotiations: the environmental context, includes forces in the environment that are beyond the control of either party but that influence the negotiations, and immediate context, includes factors over which the negotiators have influence and some measure of control. To know more cultures, Hofstede suggested that there are four important dimensions that can be used to describe cultural differences: power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity and uncertainty avoidance. Foster suggests that culture can influence global negations in several ways, including: the definition of negotiation, the selection of negotiators, protocol, communication, time, risk propensity, groups versus individuals and the nature of agreements. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how to manage cultural differences when negotiating across borders. Weiss presented the options that people have when negotiating with someone from other culture. According to him, when choosing a strategy, negotiators should be aware of their own and the other party’s cultures in general, understand the specific factors in the current relationship, and predict or try to influence the other party’s approach. His suggested responsive strategies may be arranged into three groups, base on familiarity (low, moderate, high) that a negotiator has with the other party’s culture. Within each group there are some strategies that the negotiator may use individually (unilateral strategies) and others that involve the participation of the other party (joint strategies). Low familiarity ? Employ agents or advisors (unilateral Strategy) ? bring in a mediator ? Induce the other party to use your approach Moderate familiarity ? Adapt to the other party’s approach ? Coordinate adjustment High familiarity ? Embrace the other party’s approach ? Improvise an approach ? Effect symphony 10 Book Summary Assignment Essentials of Negotiation Chapter 9: Managing difficult negotiations: individual approaches Through any number of different avenues – breakdowns in communication, escalation of anger and mistrust, polarization of positions and refusal to compromise, the issuance of ultimatums or simply the inability to invent options that are satisfactory to both sides – negotiations often hit an impasse. Productive dialogue stops. The parties may continue talking but the communication is usually characterized by trying to sell or force one’s own position, talking about other’s unreasonable position and uncooperative behavior or both. This chapter reviewed actions that the parties can take to return to a productive dialogue. In general there are five major conflict reduction strategies that can be applied in contentious situations: 1. Reducing tension and managing the de-escalation of hostility (via methods such as tension release, acknowledgment of the other’s feelings (active listening), separating the parties, synchronized de-escalation) 2. Enhancing communication, particularly improving each party’s understanding of the other’s perspective (via methods such as role reversal or imaging) 3. Controlling the number and size of issues in the discussion ? Reduce the number of parties on each side ? control the number of substantive issues involved ? state issues in concrete terms rather than as general principles ? restrict the precedents involved, both procedural and substantive ? search for ways to fractionate the big issues ? depersonalize issues: separate them from the parties advocating them 4. Establishing a common ground on which the parties can find a basis for agreement (via methods such as determining super ordinate goals, clarifying common enemies, agreement on the rules and procedures) 5. Enhancing the desirability of the options and alternatives that each party presents to the other (give the other party a â€Å"yes-able† proposal, ask for a different decision, sweeten the offer rather than intensify the threat, use legitimacy or objective criteria to evaluate solutions) The order of above steps is the one most frequently used by third parties in resolving disputes and hence we believe it also will be the most effective if employed by negotiators themselves. If the conflict cannot be controlled effectively, third-party intervention may become necessary. 11

Endosymbiotic Theory Essay

The endosymbiotic theory explains the evolution of the eukaryotic cell and eukaryotic organelles by phagocytocis of small prokaryotic cells. This theory states that some of the organelles in today’s eukaryotic cells were once prokaryotic bacteria. In this theory, the first eukaryotic cell was probably an amoeba-like nucleated (probably DNA in a nucleoid region not an actual nucleus) prokaryotic cell that got nutrients by phagocytosis (engulfing nutrients or other cells) Some of these unicellular amoeba-like organisms engulfed prokaryotic cells that somehow were not digested within the organism. In the process of being engulfed the smaller cells would have been wrapped in membrane from the larger cell, today we see double membranes in mitochondria and chloroplasts.  The symbiotic relationship was beneficial because the host cell would have provided essential nutrients to the engulfed prokaryotic cell in exchange the smaller prokaryotic cell used these nutrients to synthesize ATP molecules, this ATP was used as an energy source by the host cell. The smaller prokaryotic cell was given a safe environment as well as receiving nutrients from the larger host cell. The small prokaryotic cell developed a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with the host cell. This smaller prokaryotic cell would eventually become mitochondria or chloroplasts. Mitochondria would have been formed when bacteria capable of aerobic respiration were ingested by a much larger cell. Chloroplasts formed when photosynthetic bacteria were ingested. They eventually lost their cell wall and much of their DNA because they were not of benefit within the host cell. Mitochondria and chloroplasts cannot grow outside their host cell in normal conditions because they now depend on the cell for protection and nutrients. The reason we do not see this type of symbiotic relationship today is because conditions are much different now then they were on earth millions of years ago when this symbiotic event first took place. Scientists can support the endosymbiotic hypothesis because the characteristics of energy organelles are so similar to those of prokaryotes. Energy organelles have their own set of genetic information it is not found  enclosed in a nucleus but a circular ring in a nucleoid region just like prokaryotic DNA. Mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own ribosomes this would imply that at one time energy organelles were able be self sufficient. Both organelles have a double membrane, a remnant of ancient endosymbiotic event. Also when a cell divides by mitosis the energy organelles replicate the same way as do prokaryotic bacteria, by binary fission. Mitochondria and chloroplasts are about the same size as prokaryotic cells. The DNA of these energy organelles is different from the DNA found in the cells nucleus. There is some evidence of bacterial DNA in these energy organelles that suggests that long ago they were once prokaryotic cells. Biology, Neil A. Campbell & Jane B. ReeceBenjamin Cummings; 7th Edition, 2006Investigating Biology, Neil A Campbell & Jane B.ReeceBenjamin Cummings; 6th Edition 2007

5 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity

5 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity The experts at GlassDoor.com have put together a list of suggestions to improve your working-from-home productivity! The independence is priceless but the distractions are endless- these tips will help you make the most out of working from the couch or coffee shop in your sweats.1. Have an Office SpaceThe couch is your enemy when youre working from home. No, hear me out! The couch is where you watch TV, read, snooze, cuddle with loved ones, put your feet up. Your brain is wired to unspool when you feel its comfy embrace.Even if its just a basic dining room chair and a laptop desk, try to carve out a dedicated office space in your home. My husband and I each have ownership of a corner of the living room, and I rearrange my desk and bookcase configuration every 6 months or so to keep it fresh since I get tired of staring at the same walls all day.2. Schedule Your Work WeekThis one has been huge for me as I start a full-time freelance and teaching  schedule- I have to plot out deadlin es for my classes and fit freelance writing and editing projects in around those. If I dont know whats coming, I wont know when I need to pull a late night and when its okay to knock off early.Every week, take a few minutes to plan ahead- its vital time well-spent that will save you stress and scrambling down the line.3. Have a Regular RoutineThe beauty of working at home is that if I wanted, I could work from noon to 8 p.m. and lounge around every morning. But  Ive found that while I am the worlds crankiest morning person, getting up early, walking the dog, having breakfast and coffee, working diligently from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then doing smaller, less demanding projects in the afternoon hours is the way to go.Come up with some rituals that replace the morning commute (mine is an extra long shower), and reward yourself with a trip to the kitchen or the corner store when youve accomplished your goals for the day.4. Know Your MotivationThere is something about noise-canceling he adphones that immediately puts me in a ready-to-work mindset. Even if the apartment is quiet, confining my senses to my immediate surroundings helps me zero in on the work at hand.Figure out what motivates you to buckle down. Is it consistency? Variety? Do you need a different coffee shop table every day of the week or are you better off wearing a groove in your home office floor from sitting in the same spot?5. Get in a Working MindsetA tricky part about the omnipresence of Gchat or texting when you work from home is that you can actually stay just as connected to your friends at work as you could when you shared office space. Sometimes my husband works from home and I wind up relocating to the bedroom because Ive gotten so used to the empty space around me.Figure out how to filter out the distractions that might derail you- and remember, you are the only one responsible for getting your work done! Be gentle with yourself as you adjust, be realistic about what you can take on, and dont be afraid to draw firm work-life boundaries. Just because your home office is right next to your couch station is no reason you have to be on call 24/7!And truthfully, working from home isnt for everyone. There are likely co-working spaces near you where you can set up shop on a weekly or monthly basis if you find you need a background hum of things happening.

Robert Moses essays

Robert Moses essays I had no idea that Robert Moses had so much influence on so many people, and was surprised to find out that he is not as well known, as he should be. I asked ten people at my job and out of the ten only one person knew who Robert Moses was. The person that did know about him said that they heard of Robert Moses Park but didnt know any of his other accomplishments. After that short tally I didnt feel that bad not knowing who he was. Another thing that surprised me was when I was talking to one of my friends about this paper, he actually knew who Robert Moses was without me telling him. He then confessed that the only reason he knew about him was because he works on bridges. Honestly I think he wouldnt have know who he was if he wasnt working on bridges. Even though Robert Moses has a direct affect on a lot of people in New York City he really hasnt had that great of an impact on mine. The reasons I will go into, a little later on in the paper. So who really is Robert Moses? He is known to many as a masterbuilder and the power broker, which are two great terms to define a person such as himself. He is responsible for what New York City is today and with out his contributions New York City wouldnt be the same. Lets imagine no bridges in New York City, no parks, no beaches or no housing authorities it would be extremely hard to get by in New York City. Having to use main streets to travel around New York City would be a serious problem and would take forever. How would we get from one borough to another? If it werent for some of Robert Moses roadways that wouldnt be possible. Robert Moses is responsible for the Long Island Expressway, better yet know to everyone as the LIE. Which is the way many people suburbs get to work in New York City, one of them is my aunt. Other creations of Mr. Moses are the Meadowbrook State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway, which are known to almost all...

8 Steps to Creating a Great Nursing Resume

8 Steps to Creating a Great Nursing Resume You’ve finished your course load and you’re ready to join the work force in your new career. Or, maybe   you’re looking to switch hospitals or positions. No matter what the reason for a job hunt in the nursing field, you need the  best resume tips to help you write a quality resume that will net you an interview. Here are 8 tips to ensure success.Make it short, sweet, and to the pointDon’t make the hiring manager wade through tons of dense language. Just make it catchy and succinct. Think one page for entry-level nurses and 2-3 for veteran nurses, depending on your amount of experience.Go for the big pictureInstead of including the â€Å"Job Objectives† section at the top, why not consider a â€Å"Career Profile† instead? Talk about your professional nursing career to date and where you’re looking to steer it to give hiring managers the best idea of why they should take you on.Go SEOUse keywords, just as you would when trying to in crease traffic to a webpage. HR departments frequently search through resume databases hunting for keywords. â€Å"Registered Nurse† or â€Å"RN† and â€Å"staff nurse† are a good start.Get GeekySimply writing â€Å"Computer savvy† just won’t cut it anymore. Describe your particular computer skills by name. And be sure to include any electronic medical records systems (EMR) that you’re familiar with, plus any medical-related software (and the usual office programs).Squeeze from the bottom upPresent your work history in reverse chronological order, from the most recent down to the earliest job.Glitz it upIf you have any professional achievements to boast of (speaking engagements, articles published, awards, positions in any organizations or societies), it’s great to include a section highlighting those achievements. You never know, it could make all the difference.Label itMake it easy for you to find your resume file, and for your empl oyer to find it also. Save it clearly with your surname first, then your first name or initials, and the date of submission.Proof itThis is a no-brainer. When you’re all finished, make sure to go over it with a fine-toothed comb looking for formatting, punctuation, spelling, and style errors. Then do this several times more. Errors on a resume are like a black mark. If possible, have a friend look it over, as well, with fresh eyes. And don’t use any crazy fonts. Standard fonts in a standard size (12 pt) will do.

Services Project Management Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Services Project Management Four - Essay Example ful completion of any project, and ties together various participating components of the project on the basis of deliverables over a planned time frame. Although a contract maybe written or oral, the former is overwhelmingly more popular due to its comparative permanence strength and verifiability. Relationships in any project are defined by a series of contacts between the owner, the consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and vendors. There are other legally binding documents that may take the form of MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding), agreements or LoIs (Letter of Intent), used between the owners and others contributing through goods or services during and after the project. In a civil engineering and construction scenario, a contract between the client and any contractor implies stage-wise payment against a defined series of chronologically spaced deliverables from the client where the process as well as the product meets contractually defined standards. Each of these contract sub-types have different advantages and have a different degree of risk exposure to the client and the contractor. It is in the interest of the project for the correct type of contract to be formulized in order to avoid the 3 reasons for failure of contract discharge. We shall discuss below each type of contract, the problems faced during the execution of such a contract and methods by which these problems can be dealt with so as to minimize friction during project execution. It is an agreement creating an obligation on the contractor to complete works as shown and specified by drawings and documents, subject to incidental and pre-mapped variations, supplying of all labour, materials and equipment so as to complete the contracted for work for a fixed amount subject to adjustments and payable by the owner as a reciprocal obligation either as a single payment or as a series of payments triggered by intermediate goals during the project. Indivisibility: A fixed price contract is

The Marketing Strategies of Beauty Companies Like Lux Beauty Soap Research Paper - 10

The Marketing Strategies of Beauty Companies Like Lux Beauty Soap - Research Paper Example The marketer takes stock of the demographic forces in a market population in order to best tailor their marketing strategies to suit it. This is manipulation of the marketing environment whether or not it is for its good (Micheal). Marketers know that in order for the consumer to be manipulated into buying a product that they need to: â€Å"Remember a cultural sign gets its meaning from the system or code in which it appears†¦.the image it portrays†¦.the social context in which the image is accepted†¦.†(Maasik 81). That means that marketers have to stay ahead to consumers to be able to predict their wants and needs. In the case of Lux Beauty, soap this means knowing the need of women for beauty and acceptance in a society that adores the beautiful. It is not only important to understand wants and needs but also to comprehend consumers concerns and motivations. This will enable the producers of goods to properly adjust product specifications and tailor them to co nsumer’s needs. This means that marketers have to research and scan the market so that the continually acquires information on consumers and their response to their products. It is the job of marketers to monitor events that occur outside the product to identify trends, opportunities and threats to the product from competitors or changes in consumer needs. With the onset of globalization, these activities are carried out on a global scale. Lux Beauty Soap is a globally bought product. This has led the company to use different images to portray beauty according to the societal norms of beauty.

Methods rasearch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Methods rasearch - Essay Example The best design depends on the research question as well as the orientation of the researcher. The study will adopt descriptive survey as a method of collecting information by using a standardized form of interview schedule and administering a questionnaire to a sample of individuals. This method is most appropriate for collecting information to determine if high school teachers and middle school differ in their attitude towards education reform. Both the secondary and primary data will be used in the analysis. The design is also suitable because it gives an in-depth description of the phenomena in their existing setting. Descriptive survey is also preferred because it is economical in collecting data from over a large sample with high data turn over. Variables Since it is a quantitative research, this proposed study has both dependent and independent variables. The independent variables for the study is the teaching levels (middle and high school teachers) while the dependent variab le are the attitude towards school reforms. On the other hand, this proposed study will seek to establish the relationship between the dependent variable (school reforms) and the independent variable (teaching levels). Participants The Purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference in attitude between high school teachers and middle school teachers towards education reform. The researcher will carry out 30 questions on a questionnaire survey to determine the attitude of high school and middle school teachers towards education reform. The target population of the study is high school and middle school teachers across the country. 500 participants will be interviewed during the study. For preciseness, the teachers will be divided according to various age and sex. This will give a spread of responses and the opportunity to identify interesting differences. Sample and Sampling Design Sample selection depends on the population size, its homogeneity, the sample media and i ts cost of use, and the degree of precision required. The study will use the stratified sampling technique to get the required strata Khan (2011). This is a technique where the population is organized into strata, with each member occupying a specific stratum possessing homogenous characteristics. Each member of a particular stratum then has a probabilistic chance of being chosen into the sample. The population of this study was organized into four strata; male and female teachers, those under 30 and over 30 years old. Simple random sampling technique was then used to select the 500 respondents that were used from the study Procedures The study will rely mainly on primary data from the questionnaires and secondary data on large scale variables. The questionnaire will be based on likeard scale and ordinal scale. Besides, non-quantifiable statements within the questionnaire will be developed on non-ordinal scale which entails personal views Khan (2011). Open and closed ended questionn aires will be used to when asking the responds about their attitude towards school reforms. Specifically, self-administered questionnaires will be used. It is considered that a combination of self-administered questionnaires and in-depth personal interviews are, for the research, the most appropriate

The Civil War Produced More Radical Changes in America than the Essay

The Civil War Produced More Radical Changes in America than the Revolutionary War - Essay Example Here in this essay, I would discuss that whether the civil war produced more radical changes in America or the Revolutionary war. REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The ideology of John Locke impressed American Colonies and provoked them to fight for their rights. Locke wrote in â€Å"Two Treaties of Government† that it is beyond humanity to rule individuals and rejected the claim of kings and queens of having a divine right to rule masses. Locke infused the spirit of liberalism and democracy. (John Locke, 1821) The main idea of Revolutionary movement was to address the differences that lay within a mother country like religious, traditional and social differences. He stated: â€Å"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of Nature for his rule. The liberty of man in society is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth, nor under the dominion of any will, or restraint of any law, but what that legislative shall enact according to the trust put in it.† (John Locke, 1821) Evolutionary War was more than a political agenda and took course during 18th century which initiated in 1763. The seed was sown earlier after the British forces enforced the series of taxes on the American Colonies which was imposed in the name of defense and security cost. American colonies felt the discrimination that was made by British regulatory authorities as British person were not made liable to pay tax. The discrimination enraged American Colonies and in retaliation their Thirteen Colonies in North America collaborated and stood united to form a separate nation which would have no influence or governance from the British Empire. To make their move official, they rejected the rule of Parliament of Britain and together they cast out the royal officials. The colonies demanded for an elected representative in the ruling Brit ish Parliament and within the span of two years, American colonies formed Committees for Correspondence which would direct their own Provincial Congresses in majority of the colonies. The advantage of committees was enormous as it was easy for individuals to share and comment on different issues between British community and American Colonies. With a little more efforts, the provincial congresses proved to be effective and dismissed the parliament and replaced all British ruling bodies. In response to this political setback, British government tried hard to assert pressure and reform authority by dissolving local governments with the help of British troops and to impose rule directly from Royal officials. British troops were confronted by American militia in 1775. George Washington was chosen as commander in chief to guide and lead the army as American Militia lacked in almost every essential skill or training. Washington finely used both army and militia for his strategies to defea t British combat troops. Blacks were promised to be freed if they serve the army and soon blacks in large numbers were recruited in both the armies. Large number of blacks escaped and joined the British Army against Americans. After a constant fight between both nations, the Independence of America was declared on July 4, 1776. The main purpose was to achieve liberty, democracy and equality among the nation which was severely lacking in the British Empire. CIVIL WAR: (Nicolay, 2009) In the middle of 19th Century, Abraham Lincoln was chosen

History. Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History. Questions - Essay Example During this period, the baby boom stimulated migration to suburbs (Rusty, 2010 p 4). Growth of suburbs led to numerous developments witnessed across the country. As a result of the suburbs, there emerged the need for automobiles. Thus, the government constructed new roads. The population of the United States increased significantly from 1946. The need to provide for the high population made the government come up with policies that enabled people to access basic needs such as healthcare, education, and provisions for social security. The various developments that happened in the United States after the war can be attributed to the baby boom (Rusty, 2010 p 12). Q2. Eisenhower caution and inactivity can be regarded as a wise prudence in the exercise of power. He reacted cautiously towards the beginning of the civil rights movement and sent troops who enforced court orders. His domestic policies used to be conservative, while the foreign policies appeared to be cautious. He is credited for avoiding military involvement in Vietnam and pressuring Britain, France and Israel to resolve the Suez crisis. Eisenhower sought an end the cold war by seeking negotiations and refusing to get involved in the Hungarian revolt. America become more prosperous during the era of Eisenhower, as science and technology advanced significantly. Women had the opportunity to join the workforce and get white collar jobs (Thomas, 2005 p 20). Q3. The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in 1949. This led to public anxiety as the Americans feared the Russia’s superiority. The US government started investigating who had revealed the US atomic secrets to the Russians (Fried, 1991 p 32). As a result, the red hunting came to being; high profile individuals such as Rosenberg faced persecution. Senator Joseph McCarthy recruited communist hunter Roy Cohn, a prosecutor. McCarthy visited his opponents and campaigned against them; he accused his critics as traitors. He formed a red-hunting c orporation known as AWARE Inc, which prosecuted communists. During his tenure, anticommunist agencies questioned teachers; those suspected of communism lost their jobs. Children took loyalty oaths and pledged not to overthrow the government. This way, he forced many Americans to have a skeptical look at secret subversives (Fried, 1991 p 37). Q4. The invasion of Vietnam by France shortly after the Second World War can be termed as the major cause of the Vietnam War. The French occupied the country, leading to an imbalance of the Vietnamese cultural lifestyle. The communists took advantage of the disruption of a peaceful Vietnamese life. Communist countries such as Russia wanted to exercise their political ideologies on small and weak countries that had been destabilized by the French. After World War II, communist countries wanted to gain control over nations that seemed weak and politically unstable. As a result, the Vietnam War came into being (Thomas, 2005 p 22). The cold war and the differences between the capitalist and the communists also resulted to the cold war. America was opposed to communist ideals of the Soviet Union. Russia and China had supplied arms to the government of North Vietnam. The arms included war materials such as machine guns, rifles, artillery, war boats, and ammunitions. America wanted to slow the growth of communism in the Middle East. The United States joined the war following a call to protect South Vietnam from invasion by North

The Civil War Produced More Radical Changes in America than the Essay

The Civil War Produced More Radical Changes in America than the Revolutionary War - Essay Example Here in this essay, I would discuss that whether the civil war produced more radical changes in America or the Revolutionary war. REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The ideology of John Locke impressed American Colonies and provoked them to fight for their rights. Locke wrote in â€Å"Two Treaties of Government† that it is beyond humanity to rule individuals and rejected the claim of kings and queens of having a divine right to rule masses. Locke infused the spirit of liberalism and democracy. (John Locke, 1821) The main idea of Revolutionary movement was to address the differences that lay within a mother country like religious, traditional and social differences. He stated: â€Å"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of Nature for his rule. The liberty of man in society is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth, nor under the dominion of any will, or restraint of any law, but what that legislative shall enact according to the trust put in it.† (John Locke, 1821) Evolutionary War was more than a political agenda and took course during 18th century which initiated in 1763. The seed was sown earlier after the British forces enforced the series of taxes on the American Colonies which was imposed in the name of defense and security cost. American colonies felt the discrimination that was made by British regulatory authorities as British person were not made liable to pay tax. The discrimination enraged American Colonies and in retaliation their Thirteen Colonies in North America collaborated and stood united to form a separate nation which would have no influence or governance from the British Empire. To make their move official, they rejected the rule of Parliament of Britain and together they cast out the royal officials. The colonies demanded for an elected representative in the ruling Brit ish Parliament and within the span of two years, American colonies formed Committees for Correspondence which would direct their own Provincial Congresses in majority of the colonies. The advantage of committees was enormous as it was easy for individuals to share and comment on different issues between British community and American Colonies. With a little more efforts, the provincial congresses proved to be effective and dismissed the parliament and replaced all British ruling bodies. In response to this political setback, British government tried hard to assert pressure and reform authority by dissolving local governments with the help of British troops and to impose rule directly from Royal officials. British troops were confronted by American militia in 1775. George Washington was chosen as commander in chief to guide and lead the army as American Militia lacked in almost every essential skill or training. Washington finely used both army and militia for his strategies to defea t British combat troops. Blacks were promised to be freed if they serve the army and soon blacks in large numbers were recruited in both the armies. Large number of blacks escaped and joined the British Army against Americans. After a constant fight between both nations, the Independence of America was declared on July 4, 1776. The main purpose was to achieve liberty, democracy and equality among the nation which was severely lacking in the British Empire. CIVIL WAR: (Nicolay, 2009) In the middle of 19th Century, Abraham Lincoln was chosen

Project Management Capstone - Problem Identification Assignment - 1

Project Management Capstone - Problem Identification - Assignment Example It has also been identified that for an organization to run efficiently, management should take the responsibility of ensuring that all the necessary factors of effective project management are put into consideration. Thereafter, develops a proper plan to mitigate chances downfalls within the business. However, one of the major problems that automobile companies face is the inability to influence broader market margins. Therefore, this paper unravels problems affection project implementation in an organization and various measures to mitigate such occurrences. Similar to any other project management, project scope addresses initiatives at all levels of project management and the implementation strategies agreed at the initial stages of project development. Based on the human resource problem, several scholars have clarified that poor human resource management would directly affect capital market. For instance, training of newly recruited employees is a large problem to most of the businesses compared to competitors who prosper by retaining their employees. No company would ever love to incur expenses in training employees only to lose them. Besides, constant shifting of employees reduces outcome and competitive development of business. Wagner & Bode (2009), illustrates that the use computerized services and internet facilities within an organization are vital to changes in various ways thus relating organizational skills towards the contribution of adequate returns to the company. It has also been clarified that companies that use technol ogy often has customized response to any slightest change in liaison to consumers demand by producing goods and services through controlled production process Wagner & Bode (2009). Moreover, it may affect some sections of the organization especially members of the staffs who feel that they are ill targeted by the change process. The main purpose of a

The Comitatus Bond Essay Example for Free

The Comitatus Bond Essay â€Å"So now, Beowulf, I adopt you in my heart as a dear son. Nourish and maintain this new connection, you noblest of men. . . (63)†. Beowulf is an epic poem about the adventures, journey and maturation of a young legendary warrior from adolescence to his adulthood as a noble king. He gained his great reputation from his brave deeds of slaying the monstrous Grendel, his avenging mother, and the fiery dragon while being an honorable and selfless hero and ruler. Beowulf also presents an ideal of loyalty to thane, the comitatus bond. The failure to live up to this ideal bond on the part of some thanes point up the extraordinary faithfulness of Beowulf. The comitatus bond is a comradery between a master and his warriors. This relationship requires the warriors/thanes to defend their master to the death in exchange for share of wealth, protection and weapons. However, this comitatus code goes beyond the typical warrior-defending-master relationship but rather into a bond of love and friendship. The epic story of Beowulf started out with the portrayal of a failed brotherhood. Grendel was a descendant of Cain, the most notorious slayer of his own brother and of the comitatus bond. â€Å"Cain got no good from committing that murder because the Almighty . . . exacted a price . . . [and] made him [an] anathema . . . (9).† Grendel’s lineage and the idea of a person against his family were very dishonorable and looked down upon by the Anglo-Saxon culture. Thus, Grendel came to represent a character of resentment and malice. The unfulfillment of this comitatus bond continued with the failure of King Hrothgar’s thanes to defend Haerot Hall and their lord from the vicious Grendel. This inadequacy demonstrated the complexity and the difficulty to uphold the bond between a lord and his warriors but paved as a good introduction for our valiant hero who shall overshadow all with his extreme allegiance and honor. Beowulf was considered a perfect hero through the idea of always living up to the comitatus. He started out as a young hero with a questionable reputation who needed to prove himself. After he heard about the attack on Haerot Hall, Beowulf felt his duty to defend it when the king’s current thanes could not. King Hrothgar believed that â€Å". . . His goodness guided him here to the West-Danes to defend [them] from Grendel. . . (27).† Beowulf believed in what Hrothgar stood for and was willing to fight for him. Besides his allegiance to the king Hygelac, Beowulf felt obliged for a man of great power and strength to defend Haerot in order to preserve life. This obligation fulfilled the comitatus bond between King Hrothgar and King Hygelac as well as Beowulf’s duty as a warrior to defend and protect his lord. Even after he defeated Grendel, Beowulf still did not leave until Haerot Hall was rid of all evil and malicious creatures. He knew the threat and danger Grendel’s vengeful mother posed and willfully eliminated her in order to protect the people and fully fulfill his mission. His actions and morals were defined in the comitatus code. He portrayed this comitatus image with such perfection that he can be no less than a hero and treated as such for â€Å". . . his heroism . . . will recompense him with a rich treasure (27).† This excellently depicted the lord and thane relationship for it showed the great appreciation the lord, King Hrothgar, has for his thane, Beowulf. Even when he was given such compensation and fortune, Bewoulf further demonstrated his honor and commitment to the comitatus bond by sharing the prizes with his brave thanes, who defended and helped defeat Grendel and his mother, and to his homeland. This act depicted and emphasized his chivalrous and selfless character. Even after Beowulf’s legendary feats as a warrior and thane, his extraordinary loyalty to the comitatus code still remained intact as a great and wise king. â€Å"He ruled it well for fifty winters, grew old and wise as warden of the land. . . (151).† Beowulf provided his people and thanes with wisdom, protection and prosperity for fifty years. His gradual ascension to the throne gained him more experience, knowledge and patience on ruling Geatland. However, his and his thanes’ loyalty was tested when the ferocious dragon was provoked and wreaked havoc in his kingdom. Beowulf’s amazing comitatus relationship to his people and his thanes as well as his pride and prowess ultimately led him to his own demise. His decision to fight the dragon with just a few warriors failed to prevail because of his thanes’ worthlessness and cowardice. â€Å"No help or backing was to be had then from his high-born comrades; the hand-picked troop broke ranks and ran for their lives to the safety of the wood (175).† The thanes’ unfulfillment of their comitatus bond to Beowulf proved to be the fatal defeat for their lord and their kingdom. But despite his most of his thanes’ disgraceful actions, Beowulf’s loyalty and commitment to the comitatus persisted and finally destroyed the dragon. It accentuated his amazing devotion and allegiance to his people and his thanes for it emphasized how he’s rather die of a worthy and noble cause than of old age. Beowulf has accepted his fate in confidence and perfection and that even the greatest of heroes cannot live forever. Throughout Beowulf’s life, he has adhered exceptionally to the code of conduct in which all warriors should live by. He has formed ties and set standards for lord and thane and turned a relationship of service into a bond of brotherly love and friendship. In spite of conflicts and disloyalty of some, his faithfulness and allegiance to his people and thanes endured and proved to be one of his greatest assets to turn him into a perfect model hero and a defender of the comitatus code.

Zuzanna Zommer Case Study

Zuzanna Zommer Case Study The following essay examines a case study on a young child that was sexually abused and murdered by a known sex offender, and the serious case review that was written on the case. This essay will also discuss the basic legal policies and the frame work of the Children Act 1989, 2004 and Every Child Matters: National Service Framework. It will demonstrate the understanding of the different types of abuse, an understanding of the child protection system and how it applies to the common assessment frame work. Also the importance of working in a child centred manner will be understood. This essay will criticise the different approaches of multi-professional tactics on child protection. It will take a look at the Lord Laming and Munro reports that were put in place between the death of Victoria Climbie and baby P and safeguarding reforms planned to prevent future deaths. Zuzanna Zommer was a 14 year old girl who came to live the United Kingdom with her parents and young bother from Poland. Not long after the move, Zuzanna was sexually abused and murdered by a known sex offender named Michael Clark who lived two doors down from the Zommers. Unknown to the family and his past history, Clark befriended the Zommer family and would go to family barbeques (Brooke 2008). See appendix 1. Statistics show that nearly a quarter of young adults are sexual abused during childhood, in 2010 and 2011 17.727 children under the age of sixteen were sexually abused in England and Wales (NSPCC 2012). Several agencies failed in the case of Zuzanna Zommer (BBC News England 2012) due to failed communication between agencies. Michael Clark moved to Leeds after being released from Hull prison prior to meeting the Zommer. Humberside police failed to provide the public protection agencies in Leeds with enough warning that Clark would be moving to the area (BBC News England 2012). See appendix 2 A serious case review was released in March 2012 on Zuzanna Zommer which states that Clarks childhood was unhappy. His parents divorced when he was three years old and was brought up by his mother and stepfather, of which he witnessed domestic violence with his mother regularly using physical abuse. Clark was bullied at school and then expelled from junior school before going to a school for the deaf (Cocker 2012). See appendix 3 Over the past thirty years, theories of child maltreatment have shifted from single- cause models (e.g. the transgenerational transmission of child maltreatment, which saw children who grew up with abuse becoming abusive adults) to more integrated and multi-faceted perspectives, emphasising instead a number of interacting factors (Azar et al, 1998; Thomas et al, 2003). Research repeatedly suggests that a history of childhood abuse is associated with low educational attainment and poor physical and mental health in adulthood (Gilbert et al, 2009b; Safeguarding and protecting children are supported by a complicated system of legislation, guidance, regulation, and procedures (Stafford,Vincent,Parton 2010). Within the UK, the Department of Health defines child maltreatment in terms of inflicting harm and/or by failing to act to prevent harm to children (Department of Health, 2006 p26). Significant is not defined in the Act, although it does say that the court should compare the health and development of the child with that which could be reasonably expected of a similar child. So the courts have to decide for themselves what constitutes significant harm by looking at the facts of each individual case (NSPCC factsheet 2012 p2) Within the overall category of child maltreatment, four categories of abuse are traditionally recognised (WHO, 2006) World Health Organisation (2006) Preventing child maltreatment: a guide to taking action and generating evidence. World Health Organization and International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The abuse towards Zuzanna Zommer took 11 months to result in her death during which the sexual abuse of the child went undetected. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2006/9241594365_eng.pdf [Accessed 25 Feb 2010] Sidebotham et al (2006) observed that a wide range of factors are associated with child maltreatment, with the strongest risks coming from socio-economic deprivation and parental background, including poor mental health. Community-level variables consistently linked to child maltreatment include lack of social support (including the availability of childcare), neighbourhood poverty and the accessibility of alcohol (Coulton et al, 1995; 1999; 2007; Korbin et al, 1998; Molnar et al, 2003). Social factors, such as beliefs about using physical punishment to discipline children and the portrayal of violence and sex in the media may additionally contribute to abusive behaviour towards children (Belsky, 1993; Straus and Mathur, 1996). Belsky, J. (1993) Etiology of child maltreatment: A developmental-ecological analysis. Psychological Bulletin 114: 413-434. Following the death of Victoria Climbie, who was known to the social services and many other agencies within the social sector? Victorias parents stated they had noted that the social worker blames the doctors, front line staff blames the management, mangers blame the council, and the councils blame the government for lack of funding. Response to the fallings were I am poorly managed, not my job, (Laming,2003, evidence 19 February 2002,p97). Lord Laming was invited to carry out an enquiry looking at the situations leading up to Victorias death. His report had a 108 recommendation to safe guard children in the future, this inquiry became known as the Laming Report (Laming 2003). Deryk Mead of Action for Children stated, I do believe that inquiry reports have made a positive difference to the child protection system, and I have every confidence that Lord Lamings report will do so too (Katwala and Ciglerova 2003 p5). However there was some criticism to his report Caroline Abrahams and Debora Lightfoot from the Action for Children stated the report was looking more at the case of Victoria Climbie and not at children in general in regards to child protection (Abraham and Lightfoot 2003). .According to Harry Ferguson, a professor of social work at the University of the West of England, Lamings report focuses too heavily on the implementation of new structures and fails to understand the keen intuition that child protection work demands. (Ferguson 2003 p5) All areas of the UK have policies to safeguard children and young people, to be able to protect them and advertise their general well-being. In 2006 Working Together was re- published on which ideas have been further developed which was again called Working Together to safeguarding Children: A Guide to inter- agency Working to Safeguarding and Promote The Welfare of Children (HM Government 2006). In 2004 England and Wales were the first to deliver the policy frame work Every Child Matters and recognised the five outcome for children and young people. This was a response to the Laming Report (2003) and to safeguarding children (Department of health 2002). From this the Common assessment framework (CAF) was implemented and used when assessing children and familys Suffolk County Council (2012) Every Child Matters was planned to be put in place in 2008, however before it was due to be released the tragic death of baby P happened and the medias response was very critical to all the services involved in his case (Stafford,Vincent,Parton 2010). The system had failed again baby p there had been over sixty visits with the family different health and social care professional he died after 48h of being in hospital (Stafford,Vincent,Parton 2010). Criticism has been made regarding Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004 on what should have been a positive social policy programme, is that it only relates to England. Hilton and Mills (2006) Stated that Every Child matters invades the rights of childrens privacy under article 8 of the European Convention Rights. The loss of space the officer of the Information Commissioner found that children themselves were worried about the invasion of their own privacy (Hilton and Mills 2006). While they create a way of seeing and suggest a way of acting, they also tend to create ways of not seeing, and eliminate the possibility of actions associated with alternative views of the world.(Morgan, 1986, p 202) Other criticism has been made regarding Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004 on what should have been a positive social policy programme, is that it only relates to England (Hoyle 2012) All areas of the United Kingdom are committed to promoting all areas of the national frame work for young people and children. (Stafford,Vincent,Parton 2010). There is no separate legislation for child protection but legislation covers childs welfare, including support for children in need and children in need of protection (Lindon 2008). While all parts of the United Kingdom have had some restructuring in recent years to the child protection policy, not much change has been done to the legislation. The children Acts which was put in place the 1980s and 1990s these acts are an intervention in family life to help protect children from abuse and neglect ,and the definition of significant harm and children in need theses have not been amended (Owen,2009) The 1989 Children Act still remains, but the Children act 2004has made some amendments. The Children Act 2004 is primarily about new statutory leadership roles, joint planning and commissioning of childrens services, and how organisation ensure their functions are discharged in a way which safeguards children and promotes the welfare (Owen 2009 p.17). Section eleven enforced agencies that are working with children and young people to safeguard and promote their welfare, another change was that the Child Protection Committees were replaced by Local Safeguarding Boards ((Stafford,Vincent,Parton 2010). In 2010 the Government- commissioned Professor Eileen Munro to evaluate the safe guarding practice one of the recommendation was to ask that the ministers establish a national chief social worker whom will advise minister and that the council should be obliged to ensure sufficient provision such as sure start and other support schemes.(Butler 2010) The report found that safeguarding had indeed become overly dependent on procedures and paperwork, with frontline professionals spending over 60% of their time in front of computer screens(Butler 2010 p4) Munro said: A one-size-fits-all approach is not the right way for child protection services to operate. Top-down government targets and too many forms and procedures are preventing professionals from being able to give children the help they need and assess whether that help has made a difference.( Munro review 2010) Some key weakness were found in with the Munro Review this was from social workers, stating that the review states what is being done but dose not offer the path to a better child protection system in the future? (Parliament 2012). In Conclusion this essay has examined an horrific news report on the sexual abuse and the death of Zuzanna Zommer and the back ground of her perpetrator it has looked at how the system failed to protect her from such an ordeal. It has also

Laws, Lawyers, and Punishment in the Victorian Period :: Victorian Era

Laws, Lawyers, and Punishment in the Victorian Period The Law †¢At the beginning of the 19th century there were 3 types of law in England: -Common Law: the â€Å"law of the land†(Pool 127), which was built up over many centuries *referred to in order to determine such cases as the validity of a contract or whether or not someone was guilty of murder †¢3 courts that heard cases: -King’s Bench- criminal cases -Eschequer- disputes about money -Common Pleas- disputes between citizens -Equity: seen over by the Chancery Court; designed to give relief from strict decisions made by the common law -Church Law: 4 courts -Court of Arches-Court of the archbishop -Court of Faculties-granted special permission to do things such as hold multiple livings -Consistory Court-handled divorce and wills -Prerogative Court- wills of bishops However, this system of laws changed much throughout the century. The Chancery became merely a joke for there you could not present evidence during trials and Parliament came to view it as necessary for matters of will and divorce to be referred to new civil courts instead of the church. In 1873 the 3 common law courts and the Chancery were combined to make the Supreme Court Lawyers †¢There were two types of lawyers: -those who argued in court- barristers, sarjeants, and advocates -those who prepared the cases for these lawyers- attorneys, solicitors, proctors †¢Courtroom lawyers held more prestige especially the barrister, who was often well born †¢To become a barrister one had to go to a certain number of dinners at the Inns of Court for 3 years. Then if you were approved of by the older lawyers you’d be â€Å"called to the bar† and then could become a barrister. There was no exam required. †¢Solicitors had to serve as an in-between between the barristers and their clients. So they were â€Å"in trade† which was less respectful to become solicitor one had to be an apprentice for 5 years to a practicing lawyer Punishment †¢In 1800 there were over 200 offences punishable by death including sheep stealing and doing damage to the Westminster Bridge -This harshness was probably due to the lack of real paid policemen at the time. So when someone was actually caught and convicted they were made an example.

Midterm Reflection: Health Literacy Essay

When listening or reading to the news, it is hard to avoid a topic on the health care crisis. It seems that everyone has an opinion on what needs to be fixed, but there is one underlying factor in the system that could be a key player in the delivery of health care for the future. Health literacy has become an issue that is affecting every part of the system, and could be a path leading to improvements in the system (Nutbeam, 2000). After watching the health literacy video exposing various Americans with low health literacy, I was completely shocked. I had heard of health literacy before, but seeing this video was really eye-opening as to the extent that people cannot communicate with health care providers. I knew right away that this was a topic that I wanted to explore. When learning about health literacy, I found it important to note the similarities and differences in health literacy and literacy. Literacy can be defined as one’s ability to read, write, or understand written and spoken language in his or her native language. Health literacy is different to literacy, as it is one’s ability to understand the terms of health and apply that knowledge within the scope of health care (Mayer and Villaire, 2007). However, literacy plays an undeniable role in health literacy, in that those that are illiterate will have an even harder time when trying to understand health terms. While watching the movie about health literacy in class, I could not help but be disturbed when watching adults that had the literacy levels of middle school children (Kalmbach, 2003). It made me wonder how many people are illiterate in the country, and how this is playing a role in health care. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) offers extensive information on past studies done on adults for literacy. A study conducted in 2003 showed that thirty million adults (about fourteen percent) had literacy levels below basic, which includes simple, minimal skills. In addition, sixty-three million, or twenty-nine percent of adults, had a literacy level of â€Å"basic,† which means that simple, everyday skills are met, but nothing beyond that. Knowing this, it is clear that there is a problem in America with literacy in adults. With adults that cannot meet even intermediate literacy skills, that means that over 100 million adults are health illiterate because people that are illiterate tend to also be health illiterate (â€Å"National Assessment,† 2003). Some of these adults may have health care plans, and their lack of literacy may be preventing them from understanding those plans and understanding the services with which they are provided through those plans. Because there is correlation with literacy and socio-economic class, I believe that there needs to be more emphasis put on educating those that have not been properly educated (Mayer and Villaire, 2007). Healthy People 2020 has a great system for approaching this goal in terms of health literacy, but more promotion of this movement is critical (â€Å"Educational and Community-Based,† 2011). In the movie, Mr. Brown reads at the fourth-grade level. Due to this low literacy level, he says that he does not like going to the doctor because of the amount of paperwork he needs to fill out. Even being someone that can read at a proficient level, I can agree with Mr. Brown that filling out paperwork at a doctor’s office can be stressful. There are many abbreviations and words that relate to health care that I simply do not know. However, because of my literacy level, I am able to overcome some of these problems and figure out what the form is asking. It concerns me that people of a low literacy level such as Mr. Brown’s would not be able to do this problem-solving successfully (Kalmbach, 2003). There is no doubt that this can lead to medical miscommunications between the patient and the doctor in regards to billing, medical background information, and future diagnoses and prescriptions. These miscommunications can be costly for insurers, those paying out-of-pocket, and the physicians (Mayer and Villaire, 2007). As a college student, I still have much to learn about living independently without the help of my parents. After learning about health literacy, I feel that I need to educate myself and become more health literate. Because I am a biology major, and I am interested in science, I do try to communicate well and fully understand what my doctor is telling me, but I do not always ask all of the questions needed to improve my health literacy. For example, when I am prescribed a medication, I normally take it without knowing why I am taking that specific dosage, what it will do for me, what side-effects it may cause, etc. Those are questions that I, and others that go to a physician, should be asking. College students are in the years where they prepare for living on our own. Part of that preparation should be becoming more health literate in order to make the best decisions regarding health care options in the present and future. In a study of college students, 21. 7% of the students could not appropriately take a medication four times throughout one day, and 41. 4% would not figure out financing for primary care when taking family size and income into consideration. Since these are issues that may be in the near future for college students, this implies that something needs to be done to better educate students. Melinda Ickes and Randall Cottrell (2010) say that a possible solution to improving health literacy would be to offer consumer health courses. I believe that this could be an option, but there needs to be a great incentive, or it must be mandatory for students to take these courses; with the combination of a busy course load and students simply not knowing their health literacy levels, many students may not enroll. One growing issue with health literacy that I find extremely interesting is the effect that the Internet has played in health care over the past couple decades (Ickes and Cottrell, 2010). As more information about health care is available on the Internet, many people find it more convenient to self-diagnose themselves instead of making the trip to the doctor. I know that when I have a health problem, one of the first things that I do is look it up on a website such as WebMD. While some people, like myself, know that this is not sufficient information, others that are not as health literate may not understand that the most reliable source is a face-to-face interaction with a physician. When a doctor visit becomes necessary, doctors may then have the task of re-teaching the medical information if a person relied heavily on the wrong information from the Internet. This is not just a problem locally or nationally. The Internet is worldwide, so this problem of becoming Internet-dependent for health care may be affecting global health literacy and therefore the quality of global health care. Though those that do not have access to health insurance and cannot see a physician may find this to be easy access at the fingertips, proper health literacy is needed to interpret the information in a way that is safe (Lancellotti-Young and Suk, n. d. ). Because I want to be a genetic counselor, health literacy will definitely play a major role in my future practice. Genetic counselors are responsible for doing genetic tests, interpreting those tests, and communicating results with patients effectively. Having a good understanding of the health literacy of my patients will be critical when advising them to make safe decisions for their health and the health of their future children. Especially in regard to sex education and prevention, health literacy is a problem that needs to be addressed in a major way. With more understanding of the benefits and results of genetic testing and prenatal care, patients may be able to make adjustments related to health and financing health care (â€Å"Health Literacy,† 2010). In my practice, I would highly value health literacy and make an effort to incorporate health literacy education into my practice as much as possible. Health literacy is a growing topic in health care, as it should be. Someone that can effectively communicate with a physician well may be saving time and money for themselves, the physician, and the insurance provider. However, many adults that are responsible for their own health care are not health-literate on a proficient level. While current news has put emphasis on many aspects of health care such as financing and access, health literacy should be emphasized more, especially because it could potentially benefit those financing and access issues (Nutbeam 2000). Watching the health literacy video gave me a perspective on health care that I did not have before. Not only did I begin to learn of this issue on a national level, but I realized that I need to educate myself so that I can become more health literate to be a better contributor to the health care system. Health literacy follows each person that interacts with the health care system, whether he or she is a receiver or provider of that care. Resources Educational and Community-Based Programs. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. healthypeople. gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview. aspx? topicid=11 Health Literacy. (2010). Genetic Counseling Cultural Competence Toolkit. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://www. geneticcounselingtoolkit. com/cases/resources_referral/rrf7. htm Ickes, M. J. , & Cottrell, R. (2010). Health literacy in college students. Journal of American College Health, 58(5), 491-498. Kalmbach, Lewis (Producer). (2003). Health Literacy Video [Motion Picture]. United States: Kalmbach Advertising. Lancellotti-Young, C. , & Suk, D. (n. d. ). Online access to health information: The Internet’s impact on the patient-physician relationship. Internet and Social Change. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from.