Race and Ethnicity in the US Education System Essay

The United States has a strong history of immigration. As a result it has become a nation composed of different races and different peoples coming from different ethnic backgrounds. This has impacted American society in terms of the economy, the peace and order situation, employment, and the education system. These things are constantly interacting to create opportunities and problems for all US citizens. But in recent decades – in spite of the rhetoric on equal opportunity for all Americans – numerous studies show that minorities are in a disadvantage. Two major ethnic groups, the African Americans and Hispanics are finding it hard to succeed in a highly competitive world and the root cause why many of them are poor, unemployed and involved in a life of crime is the lack of access to quality education. Background The United States was founded by immigrants coming from Europe. After a few centuries these immigrants had taken over major portions of the United States, that it is no longer proper to call them immigrants. But in recent decades there was a new wave of immigration that swept across America; it was an influx of migrants coming from Asia, Latin America, and Mexico. The last two will comprise the second largest minority group in the US – the Hispanics. In May 2006 the US Census Bureau provided the following statistics: Hispanics are the largest subgroup (42. 7 million) roughly half of all the minorities in the US (Sullivan, 2007). Furthermore, according to experts, â€Å"The terms ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’ are used interchangeably by the U. S. Census Bureau †¦ to identify persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, Spanish, and other Hispanic descent; they may be of any race† (Kohler & Lazarin, 2007). In this paper the terms â€Å"Hispanic† and â€Å"Latinos† will also be used interchangeably. African Americans on the other hand are also a part of the minority group but they achieve that status via a different route. African Americans did not arrive in America through traditional means of migration. They were forcefully taken from their homeland and sold to American plantation owners as slaves. At any rate, when both African American and Hispanic groups entered America they started from a disadvantageous position and that is why even today they find it hard to experience upward mobility in American society. In spite of the rhetoric on equality and civil liberties there are many Americans who are living like second-class citizens in their own country. In order to improve the lives of those who belonged to minority groups there is a need for assimilation; an increase in funding in areas where there is a high concentration of African Americans and Hispanics; and to change the mindset of the members of these minority groups so that they will value the importance of education in their lives and the lives of their children.

Federal Bureaucracy

The Federal Bureaucracy hires thousands of employees to complete specific goals. Those employed attempt to achieve these goals proficiently, however their goals and procedures are part of a continual struggle for power; which inevitably leads to ineffective behavior known as red tape (Pearson Education). Many have attempted to change the way the federal bureaucracy does business in order to help improve the services provided to the public. The federal bureaucracy falls into many categories – line agencies and staff agencies. Line agencies provide services while staff agencies gather information for the chief executive officer. Line agencies are comprised of executive departments, government agencies and corporations, independent regulatory commissions, and other central agencies and services. It is these line agencies that constrict and regulate the lives of citizens (Pearson Education). For the most part, the executive branch controls the federal bureaucracy; however Congress monitors the bureaucracy to ensure that it acts properly. Many if not all people are affected on a daily basis by the federal bureaucracy some more than others depending on what their daily life consists of. While some of these regulations are excessive the agencies were created as a way to protect lives and the environment. One area that regulates all citizens is taxes. No one can escape this. If property is owned taxes are paid each year to not only the state but also the county in which property is located. Aside from property tax there is also sales tax which people will pay even if property is owned or not. Everyone who works will pay a federal tax at the end of the year on their wages and interest earned. Each household or person will pay taxes based on their marital status, dependent, and gross yearly wage. There are those few select that will not have to pay a federal tax due to the fact that they make a salary that is below the poverty line (IRS, 2008). Aside from the IRS regulating daily living, the Federal Bureaucracy also has a hand in regulating our transportation. The Department of Transportation (DOT) was created by Congress in 1966 and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson to ensure efficient, safe and prompt transportation for the nation. It was created to provide a convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people (DOT 2010). The mission of the DOT is to develop and coordinate policies that will provide a proficient and economical national transportation system while keeping the best interest of the environment a priority. However, with all these new forms of transportation came pollution something that our nation has been and is continuing to struggle with. Just as the United States needs the military to protect issues around the world, it also needs an agency to protect its natural resources at home. President Nixon proposed The Environmental Act in 1970 to fulfill the role of protecting the land, air, and water along with the health of the citizens living in it. The EPA was established not only to reverse years of neglect from industrial growth, but also as a way to ensure that the government, industry and public take better care to protect the delicate balance of nature for upcoming generations. The primary responsible of the EPA is to enforce environmental regulations such as the clean air act. This agency also has the task of helping Congress pass environmental laws and has the power to issue sanctions and levy fines. On a local level the EPA assists state government with their own environmental concerns by providing research grants and graduate fellowships, working with the public on environmental projects helping them get directly involved with the cause. Another area that has regulations on our daily lives is in healthcare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States Government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans. They represent a quarter of all federal expenditures, and oversee more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined. The Department of Health and Humans services works hand in hand with state and local governments, and many HHS funded services are provided at the local level by state agencies. This department includes over 300 programs covering a wide variety of different services. Some include financial assistance, head start programs, and child and substance abuse. One service in particular the FDA or Food and Drug Administration has become a well known federal agency and effects the lives of all. The FDA assures the safety of foods and cosmetics, and the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. These products account for almost 25 cents of every dollar in consumer spending. FDA is responsible for advancing the public health by aiding in the progress of speeding up advances that make medicines more effective and affordable. The Food and Drug Administration also has responsibility for regulating the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of tobacco products to protect the public health and to reduce tobacco use by minors. What most are not aware of is that the FDA plays a very important role in the Nations counterterrorism as well. They do this by ensuring the security of the food supply along with helping develop medical products to aide in the response to emerging public health threats. The FDA acts as a watchdog for our society to ensure the companies are complying with standards that are safe and have the patient’s best interest at heart. Without the FDA regulating society doctors would be able to hand out drugs and write prescriptions without knowing what reactions and side effects could happen to the patient. While this is only five federal agencies that affect the lives of many on a daily basis, it is hard to pick one out since each one is very important. The one of most importance would seem to be the Environmental Protection Agency. The main objective of the EPA was to streamline several other programs as a pollution control. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water and Toxic Substance control were all established to control pollution. Currently the EPA is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get regulations on Greenhouse Gas emissions. They are taking appropriate steps to enable the production of a new generation of clean vehicles on light duty vehicles. These steps were presented by President Obama in May 2010. Finally on September 30, 2010 The EPA and NHTSA issued a notice of intent to begin developing new standards for greenhouse gases and fuel economy for light-duty vehicles for the 2017-2025 model years (EPA, 2010). This goes to show that while 2017 seems like a long time the EPA is taking the initiative to make a difference and continue to find ways to help the environment and public health.

FedEx Corporation Essay

Complete the following exercise (Research and Application 11-30) and submit to your instructor. The questions in this exercise are based on FedEx Corporation. To answer the questions you will need to download FedEx’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2005 (file date July 14, 2005). You do not need to print this document to answer the questions. Required: †¢What is FedEx’s strategy for success in the marketplace? Does the company rely primarily on a customer intimacy, operations excellence, or product leadership customer value proposition? What evidence supports your conclusion? †¢What are FedEx’s four main business segments? Provide two examples of traceable fixed costs for each of FedEx’s four business segments. Provide two examples of common costs that are not traceable to the four business segments. †¢Identify one example of a cost center, a profit center, and an investment center for FedEx. †¢Provide three examples of fixed costs that can be traceable or common depending on how FedEx defines its business segments. †¢Compute the margin, turnover, and return on investment (ROI) in 2005 for each of FedEx’s four business segments (Hint: page 99 reports total segment assets for each business segment.) †¢Assume that FedEx established a minimum required rate of return of 15% for each of its business segments. Compute the residual income earned in 2005 in each of FedEx’s four segments. †¢Assume that the senior managers of FedEx Express and FedEx Ground each have an investment opportunity that would require $20 million of additional operating assets and that would increase operating income by $4 million. If FedEx evaluates all of its senior managers using ROI, would the managers of both segments pursue the investment opportunity? If FedEx evaluates all of its senior managers using residual income, would the managers of both segments pursue the investment opportunity?

The Growth of Media Corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Growth of Media Corporations - Essay Example It perceived homogenisation on account of cultural hegemony. The global growth of mass media corporations based in highly developed capitalist countries and chiefly in the United States gave rise to the annihilation of local cultures and their surrogate by a single, uniform set of cultural forms fastened to consumer capitalism and American political domination (McChesney, 2004). Europe occupied an indefinite middle position in this literature. European media were observed as part of the dominant Western cultural sway on developing countries; simultaneously, the early cultural royalist literature also raised the matter of U.S. influence over European culture. American indoctrination still governs many media corporations, in some industries- for example films- possibly as much now as ever earlier. Furthermore, in terms of the types of media practices and media structures that are coming into sight and the direction of change in the association of media to other social institutions, it is coherent to say that homogenisation is to a considerable degree a junction of world media toward forms that originally evolved in the U.S. The U.S. was once just alone among developed countries in its system of marketable broadcasting; now marketable broadcasting is turned into a standard. One of the main objectives of economic globalisation is that everywhere on earth should be relatively like every other situate. Whether it's the US, Europe, or far-flung places like Asia, Africa, or South America, all nations are inescapable to expand the same way. The progression of homogenisation commenced with the periphery of a usually exceptional culture; and for a while the core may be apt to get more distrustful against the external influence. The young and the other trivial groups and the core by more conventional constituents of the community typically take the periphery. And consequently, the homogenisation process as stimulated and enlarged by the global and worldwide transportation and links will very probable is a conflict locally as well as globally. The process of homogenisation has already begun remarkably with the most meaningful figures of culture. The same area monopoly fast chow, the same pictures and melody, the identical jeans, shoes, and cars, the same urban backdrops, the matching personal, enriching, and sacred values and so onwards are being speedily homogenised to look identical throughout the world. As for culture, the notion itself grows to be increasingly diffusive. For example, what is monetary, what is political, and what is civilizing will be complicated to discriminate. Cultural eccentricity of the public and the associated series of mores of the many communities of the world will give way to the swift homogenising process (Chang, 2003). The immediate global interactions and the mass intercontinental activities are undoubtedly the aggressive media of such homogenisation. If you've journeyed a lot, you've perceived that this is wildly happening already. Such a mock-up serves the advertising and efficiency requ irements of the gigantic global corporations that the structure is devised to gain. Whether civilizing, political, or natural, assortment is a direct menace to the effectiveness targets of universal

Local Transport Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Local Transport Plan - Case Study Example Around 3.6% employed personnel use bicycle as a mode of transportation. The Local Transport Plan (LTP) has made broad arrangements to cope the problems in tourism, Island's environment, road traffic, safety, health, education, transportation, economy and employment. The roads in Isle of Wight are unstable due to coastal erosion and frequent landslips that require maintenance every then and now. There are many incidents where routes leading certain roads were shutdown due to landslips and coastal erosion. The western end of A3055 military road is unstable due to coastal erosion and slippages that create havoc to the traffic. Due to landslip, Public Footpath C34 Whale Chine that is located 170 meters south of A3055 military road to the beach will remain closed until 21st November 2009. There is no alternative route. Due to landslip, Public Footpath NT48, NT49, NT50, NT51 and V124 will be closed until 21st November 2009. Diversion route: A3055 Under cliff Drive. The structures of the Island's roads were not specifically designed to match the present vehicular traffic. Every now and then the roads have to go through maintenance.

Trends in Adventure Lodging For Housekeeping Department in Chateau Research Paper

Trends in Adventure Lodging For Housekeeping Department in Chateau Hotel - Research Paper Example To begin with, it is essential to note that Chateau hotel occurs in an exquisite ecological territory. The New Orleans area receives the aesthetics and ecological benefits of the Mississippi river. In addition, the hotel can exploit the historical narrative of Louisiana and New Orleans to its advantage. To begin with, a major trend in adventure lodging concerns with music. New Orleans is credited with its birth of Jazz. Jazz is a soulful and sensuous music that still attracts individuals with keen sensibilities. In this sense, Jazz can be incorporated as part of the ambience of rooms. In addition, the hotel can organize certain concerts that visitors attend in the evening. In this sense, the hotel enhances the appeal of raw occupation of rooms. Adventure lodging also entails adventurous wall decoration and interior design. Visitors are continually looking for exotic settings that are detached from the ordinary fast-paced life. In this sense, they crave to be virtually transported to earlier peaceful eras while still retaining the conveniences of modern age (Timothy & Teye, 2009). For instance, the use of antique-looking phones will add onto the old age appeal of the hotel. Louisiana’s history entails notable events such as its purchase, French colonization, and the growth of Jazz. It is, therefore, essential to decorate walls of rooms with artefacts that reflect key events and choreograph key people who contributed towards the history. In addition, the idea of unconventional room design may entail concepts such as exquisitely wooden beds and large windows. In addition, indoor costal adventure is huge attraction to visitors. This means that investment in pools should surpass the traditional convenience of swimming. Indoor pools should resemble real beaches such that customers attain the natural experience as much as possible. For instance, the hotel should incorporate trees and exceptionally

Global scholars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global scholars - Essay Example The Global Scholars Programme As the world is becoming a global village it is very important to understand each other’s cultures and work together cherishing the power of diversity. Slippery Rock University (2013) Website states and I quote â€Å"Diversity is an educational, functional, and institutional resource that should be cultivated, enhanced, and leveraged for optimal learning†. The Global Scholars Programme is focused on linking the students of different cultures so that they can share experiences and explore new international opportunities that can help them in their future endeavors. Students enrolled under this Programme are given the opportunity to work with foreign students of partner institutes under the supervision of a staff member on social enterprise projects. This Programme offers the students an opportunity to meet business leaders in other areas to identify their future career development options. UK and Brazil Partnership To present our project, th e country we had to visit was Brazil. The whole idea of the project was to empower our targeted people and make them skilled so that they find themselves capable enough to gain employment during the Football World Cup 2014. Our target population mainly constitutes of marginalized community and Brazil Favelas was best to access these people. When we were in Brazil we met those people and shared ideas with them to understand their living conditions and take their opinion on this project. I had a variety of learning experiences and I gained several skills throughout my time in Brazil that are discussed in upcoming paragraphs. Skills Acquired through the Global Scholars Programme Global Scholars experience has polished my skills; although I am a confident person but most often I do not talk unnecessarily and take a passive role while in a team. However, with this experience I learnt that sometimes it is very important to be expressive and communicate ones opinions loudly. As a person, I do not take the role of a decision maker; I can well term myself as a ‘team worker’ who according to Belbin is a person who listens to others, care for other members and finds it more easy to implement decisions than taking decisions (Belbin’s Team Roles 2013). However, as I progressed I felt a positive change in myself; now I not only help others take their decisions but also, at times, assume the role of team leader where required. One of the most important skills I acquired during this project was time management. I can relate tis with our situation that how we realized the importance of being time conscious. One we were in Brazil, we had the specs of the project, we had the plans and we have visited different places that gave us insights into the issues we need to tackle to make our project viable; however, we hardly had anything structured. It was then we realized the importance of giving structure and shape to our ideas within the specified timeline. From this experience, I acknowledged how stress is reduced (Emmett 2009) and self-esteem is improved (Frings 2004) through time management. Another important area where I

Labor Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Labor Economics - Assignment Example Becker’s concept of taste based discrimination states that firms that do not employ minorities do bear the cost of discrimination together with the minorities themselves. Discriminating firms usually have a higher cost of operation since they bear the cost of discrimination. Becker’s concept shows that minorities in such an environment usually work harder and are more productive hence would accept a lower wage. This means that the cost of production is lower hence the firms become more profitable. The discriminating firms however are at a higher cost as majority employees tend to demand relatively higher wages and their productivity is average. As a result more employees would be required to achieve acceptable productivity. Entry of a non discriminating firm under a constant return to scale means increase in number of employee is directly proportional to productivity. A non discriminating firm that has a high specialization of minorities would ideally have higher productivity per employees and therefore an increase in number of more productive employees would mean a subsequence increase in productivity and thus more profitability. This is because the wage bill is also lower than that of a discriminating firm. Entry of non discriminating firm under decreasing return of scale DRTS would lead to constant production and decreased overhead cost. Also since increase in work force does not adequately increase the production. The cost of having more employees is drastically reduced and since the minority workers produce maximally the cost of the wage bill remains relatively low and hence the firm becomes more profitable. In such a firm it would lead to more efficiency as the production process require less man power for efficiency and use of minority who are efficient and extremely productive would lead to the most desired state of profitability. 3. Suppose that men earn on average

Baroque period Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Baroque period - Movie Review Example The self-portrait shows Argan who is a character in the play. It portrays his physical appearance and the characterful face of the character. He is an old wealthy man with two wives and three children. He is the head of the household and a proud person who always wants to be involved with rich people. He is always joyful even though he is ill and is married to an ill-minded woman who plans to take his wealth after he dies. The portrait shows the play in progress. The portrait focuses on fashion by showing the great outfits worn by the characters. In this portrait, Angelique and his father show their differences. Argan decides to marry his eldest daughter to a young doctor in order he could have a doctor by his side. On the other hand, his daughter wants to marry another man who she falls in love with and so he refuses his father’s proposal. This results to a conflict between Argan and his daughter but eventually he is convinced and accepts the situation. The painting appears t o be an extension of real space. It makes the viewers feel like their taking part in the scene. The play uses this paint to show how Thomas Diaafoirus, a graduated physician, looks on his father Doctor Diafoirus to negotiate his marriage to Angelique with Argan. Thomas wants to marry Angelique since she is a beautiful woman. He asks his father to accompany him in negotiating the marriage since he knows that his father is a good friend of Argan who is Angelique’s father. Argan also is in the fever of Thomas marrying his daughter.

Don Quixote Essay Example for Free

Don Quixote Essay Fiction and Metafiction in Borges Ficciones and Cervantes Don Quixote dela Mancha Unbelievable and amazing may perhaps best describe the literature that the world has as of the moment. It is unbelievable because who would have thought that the wide spectrum of literary works would be so great in number? At the same time, it is amazing as the progress and history which literature has gone through are truly marvelous. The literary works which are within humanitys reach are incomparable to what people back then had. The literary works of the moment which are within humanitys reach is a compilation of history, art, language, the sciences, and politics of every generation, culture, and nation. Truly, literature has such a monumental scope within its pages that sometimes, a person may be lost with so many things literature has to offer. Literature is both fact and fiction and is inspired both by history and creative imagination. The elements within literature are all reflections of the realities of society, but these things can still be considered as fictional—after all, fact is fact and pure truth—nothing more. But what if something fictional seems so real that it seems to be factual and true? What if a person or a character which is just imagined seems to be a real person of this world? What if the line between reality and imagined is confusing and seems to be separated by nothing at all? Two authors by the name of Jorge Luis Borges and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra are the answers to such questions. Saavedra who wrote (or â€Å"supposedly re-wrote) the famous adventure of Don Quixote dela Mancha and Jorge Luis Borges who wrote the seventeen literary pieces contained within Ficciones are fictional writers. When a person talks about fiction, it usually pertains to one thing—created by the imagination. Thus, it means that any work of fiction is merely invented by any person and that any fictional work is not true, is false, and can never be a fact. Yet, Saavedra and Borges have created literary works which are fictional but they seem so real and true that a person is left to believe that they are indeed the truth—metafiction. Metafiction, according to Patricia Waugh, is â€Å"a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality† (qtd. in Liu). Thus, metafiction is indeed fictional and from the imagination, and it aims to confuse readers about what is real and what is merely created by a person. How does a person achieve this? Again, according to Patricia Waugh, â€Å"such writings not only examine the fundamental structures of narrative fiction, they also explore the possible fictionality of the world outside the literary fictional text† (qtd. in Liu). Thus, an author creates a fictional world and creates another fictional world within the already imagined world—creating a metafictional world. In Borges Ficciones and Saavedras Don Quixote dela Mancha—this metafictional world is truly what they have conjured up. Ficciones is a book which contains seventeen fictional literary pieces that seem to be real. Each piece has its own world, own elements of characters, settings, and even at some point, its own mind and language. There are pieces such as the Library of Babel that appears to be real and true that a reader also wants to believe that such place is true. In that particular piece (from Part One of the book), Borges describes a library in length and in awe. The whole thing seems to be an introduction to a novel of some sort, and yet at the same time, it also seems to come from a real book full of factual evidences that such a library exists. In the following excerpt, Borges describes the library and the people who are fascinated with it: â€Å"When it was proclaimed that the Library comprised all books, the first impression was one of extravagant joy. All men felt themselves of a secret, intact treasure. The universe was justified, the universe suddenly expanded to the limitless dimensions of hope† (83). However, further in the Library of Babel, Borges even talks of mystical books such as the Vindications which are â€Å"books of apology and prophesy which vindicated for all time the actions of every man in the world and established a store of prodigious arcana for the future† (83). What Borges has created is a fictional world, but a reader may find that world to be so palpable and genuine that it appears to be impossible that it is just imagined. The same conclusion can be given to Saavedra and his work on Don Quixote dela Mancha. In Saavedras work, the book is divided into two parts—one is the tale or adventure itself of Don Quixote and the second part is the metafictional work wherein the author talks directly to the readers and even to the characters that they all seem to be real people when clearly, they are all imagined. The ridiculous adventure of Don Quixote and his â€Å"squire† Sancho Panza is so preposterous (as with the example of the enchanted peasant girl or the basin turned into a knights helmet), far-fetched, and humorous that a person will not for a second think that the entire tale is true. However, when Saavedra writes the second part of the book, doubts and hesitations replace the earlier convictions. For example, in the first part, Saavedra writes about a Dulcinea who was believed by Don Quixote to be a princess in disguise of a peasant girl when in fact, she really is a peasant girl. Later on though, Saavedra explains this turn of events in Don Quixotes life: â€Å"I have reason to think that Sanchos artifice to deceive his mater, and make him believe the peasant girl to be Dulcinea enchanted, was in fact, all a contrivance of some one of the magicians who persecute Don Quixote † (369). Therefore, Saavedra has created two worlds—one that is entirely fictional wherein the character of Don Quixote resides, and the other is metaficitonal wherein the character of Don Quixote does reside still but which it is explained why he has such ridiculous notions of chivalry and enchantments. In conclusion, though metafiction may seem to be such a complex and wondrous thing, it cannot exist without a person knowing first what is fictional. Metafiction exists in the world of fiction—a person cannot write or create a metafictional world without going into a fictional one. That is like a person wanting to break the rules without knowing what were the rules in the first place. Literature is truly complex but at the same time unbelievable and amazing—Saavedra and Borges can attest to that. Works Cited Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. New York: Grove Press, 1962. Saavedra, Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote dela Mancha. New York: Penguin Group Incorporated, 1957. Lui, Kate. â€Å"Theories of Metafiction. † Postmodern Theories and Texts. 1998. Department of English Language and Literature, Fu Jen University. 4 Aug. 2009.

Contrast Between Leadership And Management Management Essay

Contrast Between Leadership And Management Management Essay The paper is about todays leadership and discuss about the impact on leadership from diverse culture. Two leadership models are introduced with application of one famous leader. Mullins (2007) defined leadership as a relationship, which a person influences others on their behaviors. It is always associated with group activities. Many people may be confused with leadership and management. Leadership plays one function of management (Anon., 1997). Management has four major functions, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (Kinicki Williams, 2006). Leadership has the function of leading. Leaders have followers by influence them, while managers get subordinates and rule them. Vick (2012) distinguished them by regarding managers as the liaisons between individual success and organizations success, and regarding leaders as instigators. Although its very ideal to play a role with the combination of leader and manager, a manager is not necessary to be a leader, vice versa. 1.3 The way leaders influence others One major reason is leaders can influence others by their power. Bartol and Martin (1991) stated that Power is the capacity to affect the behavior of others. It includes legitimate power, reward power, coercive power, expert power, information power, and referent power. By using different type of power, the followers may have different reaction. Hellriegel, Jackson and Slocum (2002) classified the reactions into three types: commitment, compliance, and resistance. Most Likely Response from Followers Type of power Used by Leader Expert Referent Reward Legitimate Coercive Commitment Compliance Resistance 1.4 Leadership with cultural diversity Nowadays, with the development of globalization, leaders are more likely to face followers with different cultures than before. In organizations, whether companies have international activities, they may have a workforce with diverse culture (Den Hartog Dickson, n.d.). 2 A Leader for Example Todays would is heavily affected by the developed technology. PC has become an indispensable part in the life. And the person who made PC universal is the co-found and chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates. He also founded Bill Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife, Melinda Gates (Bellis, n.d.). Bill Gates is an entrepreneur and a philanthropist as well. He had been the wealthiest man in the world for a long period. Bill Gates has many common traits which also appear in many other successful leaders. The following ones are some of them: Passion on career: Since first exposure to computers in 1968, Bill Gates was inspired passion on computers. He took part in many computer related activities, such as being hired by CCC to find bugs. He even dropped out of Harvard and set up Microsoft to devote into developing software (EVAN CARMICHAEL, n.d.). Spirit of innovation: Bill Gates has the spirit of innovation. Windows 1.0, an operation system which was far cry from existing ones at that time, is a brainchild of Bill Gates (Microsoft, n.d.). Ambition: 3 Leadership Model Leadership models are established for people to follow to 3.1 Transformational Model DuBrin (2010) stated that Transformational leadership focuses on what the leader accomplishes yet still pays attention to the leaders personal characteristics and his or her relationship with group members. Transformational leadership was firstly proposed by James MacGregor Burns in 1978. She conceptualized leadership as either transactional or transformational (Bass Riggio, 2006). The latest transformational model includes four elements, idealised influence (II), inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS) and individualized consideration (IC), which are also known as 4Is. The variables of transformational leadership (Bass Riggio, 2006) Idealized influence: Idealized influence refers to the leaders generating trust, respect and loyalty from followers by their high level of ethical and moral behaviors. Followers approve the leaders and intend to imitate them. Idealized influence has two aspects, the leaders behaviors and followers perception. Inspirational motivation: Transformational leaders have strong vision for the future. They stimulate followers by giving challenge and meaning to followers work. Leaders make followers involve in imaging fascinating future and drive up followers enthusiasm and optimism. Intellectual stimulation: Transformational leaders encourage followers to be innovative and creative. Individuals mistakes are not to be criticized publicly. New ideas and approaches from followers are encouraged. Individualized consideration: Transformational leaders act as a coach or mentor and lay emphasis on individual followers needs for achievement and development. Different needs and wants of individual are recognized. Leaders prefer a two-way communication with followers and personalized interaction. The full range of leadership model The full range of leadership model is a combination of both transactional and transformational leadership. The components of transactional leadership include contingent reward (CR), management-by-exception (MBE), and laissez-faire leadership (LF). Fig.3.1 The full range of leadershipThe components are evaluated by two dimensions, activeness and effectiveness. Bass and Riggio (2006) stated that optimal leaders display LF leadership most infrequently, and display MBE and CR higher frequently. They choose transformational leadership, 4Is, most frequently. In contrast, poor leaders preform oppositely. Bill gates, a transformational leader Bill gates started Microsoft with a strong vision, a computer on every desk and Microsoft on every computer. He attributed the astounding success of Microsoft to the vision. (EVAN CARMICHAEL, n.d.). 3.2 Situational leadership model 4 Impact from cultural diversity Leaders use a combination of different leadership style. National cultural is one of the important factors which affect the decisions of choosing leadership style (Robbins and Decenzo). With the increasing globalization, the situation of cultural factor becomes more complex for the leaders. 5 Conclusion

Realism And Narrative Techniques In Short Stories

Realism And Narrative Techniques In Short Stories Alice Munro is one of the most well-known and highly praised representative of Canadian short fiction writing, both on the Canadian and on the international scale. As American writer Mona Simpson notes, [Munros] genius, has the simplicity of the best naturalism, in that it seems not translated from life, but, rather, like life itself. In other words, she is praised for being a realist writer. In another article, Canitz and Seamon showed what techniques Munro uses to create the impression of her stories not being stories, but truth, or the reality as such. Also, they comment on how the narrator in Munros stories reflects from time to time on the narrative technique or the plotline and the development of the story. However, they have omitted some aspects of Munros work which would, in fact, support the argument that despite her realism, her short stories are in fact very well-structured, and fit into the general pattern of traditional criteria towards short stories: they excessively us e foreshadowing technique, the opening sentence initiates the predesigned effect and every word has its place in the story line, they are indeed chosen very carefully in order to contribute to the effect that the author wants to create, and thus creating a dense text. (Critical perspective online) In this paper, I show how the techniques described by Canitz and Seamon can be depicted in Munros novella Miles City, Montana. Then the essay goes on to discuss the other techniques employed by Munro in this short story, including the ones that do not fit into this analysis of realist fiction. Canitz and Seamon explain how Munro, as all realists, must somehow persuade her audience that her fiction is not a product of imagination and creativity, but it is rather the truth. (Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 67) This is done in her writings through a variety of subtle strategies which she uses to build our faith in her reality. (Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 68) Moreover, as Munro is aware that including realistic details into her stories would not suffice to convince readers that the story presented to them is not fictional, she rather chooses, in a post-modern manner, to acknowledge that she is making up a story. So, we are not simply exposed to the story line, but we are included in a way in the process of writing down the story and creating the characters. Ironically, this technique is in fact a doubly-twisted tool: the fact that she drags the reader into the process of writing does not mean that the writing in fact happened in the way as she told us within the frames of the story. Ho wever, this is not obvious at the first glance, and is indeed an effective method to persuade readers on the reality of what they read. Interestingly, the short story Miles City, Montana, involves a triple twist as to the narrative technique: the narrator is also a character at the same time, who reflects on her story-telling. For example the narrator says at one point: It seems to me now that we invented characters for our children. (Munro, 1985: 661) And indeed, all happenings are told from one point of view, and we only know about other characters what the mother and wife, who is also the narrator, reveals about them. Moreover, this point of view is not consistent in itself: both childhood and adult memories are involved, (Tragedies that help online) which means a change in the way events are seen by the narrator, and also a change in her feelings. This fluctuating view-point, or in better words multiple perceptions of single events can be seen as a post-modern feature in the narrative construction. (New, 2003: 239) In other words, what we read is not the reality, but we are explicitly told that it is not real, th erefore we are more willing to trust the narrator. The second method used by Munro to create the impression of reality is, as the pair of authors point out that the storyline is not linear. Rather, it fluctuates in time and location and subject, and it is left to the reader to figure out the reasons why the shifts are made where and how they are made. (Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 69) Sometimes Munro reflects on the shifts I have forgotten to say that but in Miles City, Montana, the shifts are not explained. However, careful reading reveals why the chunks of paragraphs follow each other in the way they do. Steve Gauleys story is told first to open a frame structure, to set the tone and to begin the foreshadowing sequence that follows. The view of the landscape on their road trip to Ontario evocates childhood memories from the narrator, so this time, it is a stream of consciousness that links together the paragraph on their trip with the following sentences on her past. Then when the mother talks about her hope of Meg not having a tem perature, and then jumping back right next to her relation with her parents-in-law, it might be not too far-reaching to conclude that the link that bounds together these two events is the feverishness of the mother to meet up to Andrews parents expectations. I hope she isnt feversih, says she, and at the same time she herself is overly anxious about what opinion her husbands parents would have on their family life. She even compares herself and her husband to strenuous children. (Munro, 1985: 668) Finally, while she goes to get some drink in the park in Miles City, she observes the environment very carefully -as carefully as she is supposed to watch out for her daughters. [Y]ou feel their singleness and precise location and the forlorn coincidence of your being there to see them. (Munro, 1985: 670) This is the sentence that precedes her sudden thought of the children, and it can be interpreted in both ways: meaning the nature, and meaning Cynthia and Meg as well. So, Munros story-te lling is of a rambling nature (Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 68) which reminds the reader constantly that what he or she is reading is only a recollection, and successfully creates the impression that we are not being exposed to a story, but to a real, true event. Finally, the article notes that [m]any brief passages in Munros stories quietly create the reality effect she seeks. (Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 73) For example when the parents reflect on Megs accident, both reject its unnatural, or supernatural features. The mother denies that she would have a mothers instinct, and attributes her sudden thought about the children to mere luck. Similarly the husband does not recollect properly how he had jumped over or climbed the fence, but plainly states that he cannot understand it, rather than mythologize what had happened. Thus, the narration becomes free of legend-making. (Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 77) On the other hand, this episode could be also interpreted as a sign of the ambiguity and unreliability of experience, a sign of how à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾events and memories, experience and fictional reconstruction, never precisely coincide which is also characteristic of Munros style. (New, 2003: 239 and 299) In addition, by the end of the short story, w hen we already know that Meg had survived the accident, we are nevertheless confronted with another possible ending to this story details of a tragic ending with Meg being dead are elaborated in a lengthy paragraph, at the end of which the narrator poses the question: Theres something trashy about this kind of imagining, isnt there? (Munro 1985: 673), again reflecting on the story-telling. Having showed all this, and before turning towards other techniques that are in contradiction with the claim of reality in the short story, let me point out some further evidence that support Munros realism, but are not elaborated in Canitzs and Seamons article: Firstly, Munros language is not very poetic or literal. She prefers to use everyday langauge, which adds to the real life taste of her stories. As one crticic puts it, Munros stories are translations into the next-door language of fiction of all those documentary details, those dazzling textures and surfaces, of remembered experience. (Ross, 112, quoted in Canitz and Seamon, 1996: 68) However, simple language does not exlude the use of lirical devices. All characters in the short story create images, and make lirical similes themselves. The narrator compares Steve Gauley to a heap of refuse (Munro, 1985: 656) and draws a parallel between the Gauleys tumbledown house and their shackly family life. The children, who play import ant, but not dominent [sic!] role (Jakabfi, 2003: 195) give an old-lady like image to their previous family car, and a sporty image to the new one. The parents make fun of their daughters by the father telling them about the beach which would be after the next curve and the mother pretending to produce some lemonade and grape juice with her magic wand. Cynthia adds that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾[i]n Miles City, there is a beautiful blue swimming pool for children, and a park with lovely trees. (Munro, 1985: 668) In short, it seems that they are creating reality around themselves. Canitz and Seamon claim that Munro creates the impression of realism [by giving] a significant place to improbability and contingency, elements that are opposed to the conventionally well-constructed realist narrative. However, some techniques utterly contradict the claim that this story would be developing before our eyes, with no obvious plotline at hand at the beginning, but through accidents rather. The most obvious such tool is that of foreshadowing. In Miles City, Montana, there are several hints in the story that imply what the readers can expect to happen by the end. Throughout reading the story, as soon as we learn about the road trip, we fear that one family member, possibly one of the children, will die. This impression is already created in the very first sentence of the novella: My father came accross the field carrying the body of the boy who had been drowned. (Munro, 1985: 656) Immediately, the tone is set: it is rather sinister. The narrator continues to give readers hints about an expected tragedy. Meg waves good-bye to the house, and although Cynthia, the elder girl assures her it is not forever that they are leaving it, the readers are left with a feeling of doubt and uneasiness whether the family would really return. On their way to Ontario, they see a dead deer on the road, which was probably hit by accident readers wonder is one of the family members going to suffer an accident? This fear of one character dying at the end is reinforced by Cynthia song, in which five little ducks go out, but only four come back. Then we learn about the narrator and her husband not living together anymore, which raises the question did their marriage got ruined because of the death of a child? This is followed by the recollection of the narrator and her father saving turkeys from drowning, and finally, the family plays Who am I?, and Cynthia is someone dead. This massive amount of hints indicate a very consciously used foreshadowing technique by the author. To sum up, I have showed in the above paragraphs how the narrative technique of Miles City, Monatana, is in accord with what the Canitz-Seamon article argued about Alice Munros techniques to create the sense of realism in fiction. I have added that language and creating imagery are also techniques used in this short story, while at the same time pointing out that the excessive use of foreshadowing technique does not fit into the line of argument about Munros realism and conscious restraint from linear story-telling. A look at other Munro short fiction could lead to a better understanding of Munros status as a realist writer.

Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War During the Vietnam War, a rift between government officials and journalists emerged. The American government felt the need, for various reasons, to censor many war developments. In an attempt to act ethically, the press fought the censors, trying their hardest to report the truth to the general public. Despite claims of bias and distortion by several prominent government officials, these journalists acted completely ethically, allowing the general public to obtain a fair, informed opinion. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) provides a very clear and thorough Code of Ethics, which serves as a good definition of ethical journalism. According to this code, an ethical journalist must try to minimize any potential harm done to people directly involved with the event being reported. Such a journalist should also act independently of any personal biases, and be responsive to any criticism of their work. Finally, a truly ethical journalist must seek to find and report the truth (Society). Common sense reaffirms these guidelines. When one thinks of ethical behavior, one usually thinks along terms of being truthful, appreciative of others, acting responsively and using fair judgement. All of these concepts are explicitly stated in the SPJ's Code of Ethics. Minimizing harm done by journalism in times of war is a difficult task. Naturally, there are bits of information that the government needs to keep secret for one reason or another. There is also the danger of victims' stories being exploited and sensationalized. The SPJ's Code of Ethics recommends that journalists should "treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings worthy of respect" (Society). During the extreme... ...t 29, 1968: 71. Hallin, Daniel C. The Uncensored War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Janson, Donald. "Police Assault on 21 Newsmen in Chicago Are Denounced by Officials and Papers." New York Times August 28, 1968: 36. Kenworthy, E W. "Agnew Says TV Networks are Distorting the News." New York Times November 14, 1969: 1-2. Kifner, John. "On the Road to Chicago With Some Protestors." New York Times August 23, 1968: 22. Mitchell, Michael C. "Television and The Vietnam War." Naval War College Review 37.3 (1989): 42-52. Nixon, Richard. No More Vietnams. New York: Arbor House, 1985. Roberts, Steven V. "McCarthy Group Seeks to Put Antiwar Candidate on Ballot." New York Times August 22, 1968: 1. "The Parties Respond." New York Times March 17, 1968: E12. "Violence of Police Decried by Callers." New York Times August 29, 1968: 21.

The Indian and the White Communites in Dances with Wolves and Machimani

The Indian and the White Communites in Dances with Wolves and Machimanito The film Dances with Wolves shares a lot of its content with the story Machimanito. In Dances with Wolves, two nations come to interact with each other. While the white man is dominating the land, the Indians are trying to protect both their land and themselves. In Machimanito, the story describes the epidemic and its effects on the Indians, while describing the ongoing conflict between Indians and the white man. There is a huge cultural difference between the white man and the Indians, which is reflected on their ways of life and communities; each lives a different life style including their interaction with nature and themselves, their authority within this community and finally the resulting conflict the interactions of these two nations. John Dunbar makes contact with the Indians while being posted on the frontier. As his relationship develops with Kicking Bird and both gain each other’s trust, he becomes part of the Indian community; his final transition can be seen when he is known by the name Dances with Wolves. The differences between the white and the Indian community are shown to the viewer while Dunbar is exploring it and is becoming aware of the differences himself. Some of the differences are shown in the ways and objectives of hunting the buffalos. While the Indians use the buffalos for both food and use the skin for clothes, the white man hunts down buffalos for their skin and horns â€Å"killed only for their tongs and the price of their hides.† Dunbar says â€Å"One thing is clear however there is no buffalo and it weighs heavily on their minds.† This shows how important the buffalos are for the Indians, as their absence is a problem for thei... ...e and accurate approach of the Indians, where the reader can feel the story and the events as if he was Nanapush himself, as apposed to see and try to figure out the feelings like in Dances with Wolves. We can see that in both Machimanito and Dances with Wolves, there is a conflict between the white society and the Indian society. The white trespassing society intervenes with the traditions and customs of the Indians which causes a threat to their culture. Since the white man views the Indian community as being native and tries to educate it by colonizing and implementing their own ways. Both these literary pieces show this conflict and the effects of the colonization on the Indians. While Dunbar comes to the conclusion â€Å"Nothing I’ve been told about these people is correct. They are not beggar and thieves. They are not the bogie men they’ve been made out to be.†

Quote of the mind Essay

Some people think that the mind is the brain or some other part or function of the body, but this is incorrect. The brain is a physical object that can be seen with the eyes and that can be photographed or operated on in surgery. The mind, on the other hand, is not a physical object. It cannot be seen with the eyes, nor can it be photographed or repaired by surgery. The brain, therefore, is not the mind but simply part of the body. There is nothing within the body that can be identified as being our mind because our body and mind are different entities. For example, sometimes when our body is relaxed and immobile, our mind can be very busy, darting from one object to another. This indicates that our body and mind are not the same entity. In Buddhist scriptures, our body is compared to a guest house and our mind to a guest dwelling within it. When we die, our mind leaves our body and goes to the next life, just like a guest leaving a guest house and going somewhere else. If the mind is not the brain, nor any other part of the body, what is it? It is a formless continuum that functions to perceive and understand objects. Because the mind is formless, or non-physical, by nature, it is not obstructed by physical objects. It is very important to be able to distinguish disturbed states of mind from peaceful states. As explained in the previous chapter, states of mind that disturb our inner peace, such as anger, jealousy, and desirous attachment, are called ‘delusions’; and these are the principal causes of all our suffering. We may think that our suffering is caused by other people, by poor material conditions, or by society, but in reality it all comes from our own deluded states of mind. The essence of spiritual practice is to reduce and eventually to eradicate altogether our delusions, and to replace them with permanent inner peace. This is the real meaning of our human life. The essential point of understanding the mind is that liberation from  suffering cannot be found outside the mind. Permanent liberation can be found only by purifying the mind. Therefore, if we want to become free from problems and attain lasting peace and happiness we need to increase our knowledge and understanding of the mind.

A Study of Recruitment & Selection Process in Bank

A STUDY OF RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PROCESS IN BANK A project proposal (synopsis) report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the award of the degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) From Guide: Dr. Nitin G. Vighne By: PRN. No. :- 200801737737 Study Centre No. :-44175 *SESSION: 2009*-10 To YASHWANTRAO CHAVAN OPEN UNIVERSITY, NASHIK (M. S. ) Title: A STUDY OF RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PROCESS IN BANK Without a sound and effective banking system in India, it cannot have a healthy economy. The banking system of India should not only be hassle free but it should be able to meet new challenges posed by the technology and any other external and internal factors. For the past three decades India’s banking system has several outstanding achievements to its credit. The most striking is its extensive reach. It is no longer confined to only metropolitans or cosmopolitans in India. In fact, Indian banking system has even reached to the remote corners of the country. This is one of the main reasons of India’s progress. During the first phase of financial reforms, there was a nationalization of 14 major banks in 1969. This crucial step led to a shift from Class banking to Mass banking. Since then the growth of the banking industry in India has been a continuous process. The Government’s regular policy for Indian bank since 1969 has paid rich dividends with the nationalization of many private banks of India. As far as the present scenario is concerned the banking industry is in a transition phase. The Public Sector Banks (PSBs), which are the foundation of the Indian Banking system account for more than 78 per cent of total banking industry assets. Unfortunately they are burdened with excessive Non Performing assets (NPAs), massive manpower and lack of modern technology. On the other hand the Private Sector Banks in India are witnessing immense progress. They are leaders in Internet banking, mobile banking, phone banking, ATMs. While at the same time, the Public Sector Banks are still facing the problem of unhappy employees. There has been a decrease of 20 percent in the employee strength of the private sector in the wake of the Voluntary Retirement Schemes (VRS). As far as foreign banks are concerned they are likely to succeed in India. Some Banks in India: – ING Vysya Bank, HDFC Bank, Industrial Development Bank of India, SBI Bank, ICICI Bank; etc. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations have to respond quickly to requirements of the people. The Financial market has been witnessing growth which is manifold for last few years. Many private players have entered the economy thereby increasing the level of competition. In the competitive scenario it has become a challenge for each company to adopt practices that would help the organization to stand out in the market. The competitiveness of a company of an organization is measured through the quality of products and services offered to customers that are unique from others. Thus the best services offered to the consumers are result of the genius brains working behind them. Human Resource in this regard has become an important function in any organization. All the practices of marketing and finances can be easily emulated but the capability, the skills and talent of a person cannot be emulated. Hence, it is important to have a well-defined recruitment policy in place, which can be executed effectively to get the best fits for the vacant positions. Selecting the wrong candidate or rejecting the right candidate could turn out to be costly mistakes for the organization. Therefore a recruitment practice in an organization must be effective and efficient in attracting the best manpower. Like in the case of BPO’s, banking sector too faces the problem of attrition. Thus, recruitment is an ongoing process carried through out the year. The project is based on the study of recruitment process. The various recommendations suggested have been the result of the study. The idea is to generate ways of dealing with high attrition and making hiring process manageable and efficient. To know the recruitment and selection process in Banks. To know the purpose & importance of Recruitment & Selection process for the banks. To know the challenges faced by HR Department in these Processes. To know the sources used by the banks for the recruitment and selection process. To know factors effecting the on the Recruitment & Selection process & working of the banks. To evaluate the recruitment and selection process in banks. 4. HYPOTHESIS 5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research design is simply the framework of plan for a study that guides for the collection and analysis of data. The study is intended to know the Recruitment and Selection Process in the two banks and comparing the processes held. The study design is descriptive in nature. Descriptive study is a fact-finding investigation with adequate interpretation. The descriptive studies come under formal research. It is the simplest type of research and is more specific. It is mainly designed to gather descriptive information and it also provides basic information for formulating more sophisticated studies. Nature of the Study – This research is ‘Quantitative’ and ‘Qualitative’in nature. RESERCH METHODS:- SAMPLING DESIGN Sampling Method Used: – DATA COLLECTION:- Sources of Data collection Primary data Sources– Personal Interview Structured Questionnaire Ope_n-ended Questions_: – It is a type of questions that requires participants to respond in his/her own words without being restricted to pre-defined response choices. Close-ended Questions: – It is a type of questions which restrict the interviewee’s answers toper-defined response options. Secondary data Sources – Study of recruitment and selection at ICICI & HDFC Banks by the manual provided by the HR department. Internet Books Newspapers Magazines Journals 6. *Expected Contribution Attract and encourage more and more candidates to apply in the organization. Create a talent pool of candidates to enable the selection of best candidates for the organization. Determine present and future requirements of the organization in conjunction with its personnel planning and job analysis activities. Recruitment is the process which links the employers with the employees. Increase the pool of job candidates at minimum cost. Help increase the success rate of selection process by decreasing number of visibly under qualified or overqualified job applicants. Help reduce the probability that job applicants once recruited and selected will leave the organization only after a short period of time. Meet the organizations legal and social obligations regarding the composition of its workforce. Begin identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will be appropriate candidates. 10. Increase organization and individual effectiveness of various recruiting techniques and sources for all types of job applicants 6. CHAPTERISATION Introduction Research methodology & limitation Company profile Product profile Problem analysis Data analysis conclusion & recommendation Bibliography

If i were the prime minister of India Essay

The Prime Minister of India, aha! The highest executive of the largest democracy of the world, what a promising position, what a status, and Oh! What laurels. However I see this position as it were with a pinch of salt as, it is more a thorny crown on the head of the person who wears it. Dealing with the daily affairs of the country, is not easy, so, this positions, this status, this name are not without the demerits. If I was to be the Prime Minister of India, the first and most difficult thing I would deal with would be the building of the character of the people of the nation. I feel that, all the drawbacks and failures of the country and its people are, mainly due to the lack of character of its people, its Executives, its politicians and all others. Now developing characters is not something that can be done in a day or something that can be imposed on a generation. There is no magic cure for this malady which is inherent in the Indian scene. Since I know that neither can character be infused overnight, nor can it be eliminated from the scene, I would ensure that all bad characters no matter that, are booked for their wrong doings, punished as per the laws of the land. I really believe that even if just a few wrong doers are punished strictly, instead of being shielded by their patrons, then others will not indulge in similar malpractices. I earnestly feel that punishment is the only approach to this Herculean problem of character. If few, yes, just a few are punished all others will be frightened of the consequences of wrong doing. This exercise of punishments I would start from the highest rungs of the ladder and then come downwards, though the lower rungs would get cleaned by themselves if the cleaning be done at the top. The next area of influence I would try to work upon would be the education of the masses. Our education as I understand it had been framed by the British rulers. They had the objective of creating bab es for their Government administration who would slave for them. It is this heritage of creating babus that we have continued for the last so many decades, and made a real mess of our education. The area of higher education has been pampered but the sphere of primary education which lays the foundation of the country ‘s literacy has been neglected totally. I would lay greater stress on primary education and make higher education a choice for the children and that also only according to their choice and merit. I would not allow any admissions in institutes of higher education on the basis of just donations.  My heart feels so very hurt when I see all around me the influence of westernisation in our country. It appears that we have just nothing of our own and we are learning and have learnt everything from the West. A culture as rich as India ‘s having to borrow everything from the west depicts the slave mentality of us Indians and I feel very sad when I see it all around me. My next priority as the Prime Minister would be the Indianisation of the Indians. I do wonder where our culture has disappeared, where our life style and our heritage are. How could we throw such riches of a great culture to the winds? I would infuse the teaching of Indian culture in every school and college. T his would not mean that we stop learning from the west no, not at all. We would continue borrowing all knowhow from the west but, only in spheres in which we have to, not just because it is western but because it is necessary for our growth. Besides all this, I would ensure that social changes are brought about evenly throughout the country, keeping in mind beautiful blend of our culture and the western ethos. For social changes I would mobilise and encourage non Government agencies because I feel that social changes can be brought about smoothly only by social welfare organisation and not laws of the Government. With all these priorities I would also try to ensure infusion of patriotism in the younger generation. Sometimes I really wonder at the whereabouts of our patriots of the early decades of this very Century, where are they, and have we stopped producing the like now? With this much achieved or at least the trend set, I would be happy and a person absolutely satisfied with my achievements. With so much to be done within the country, I would try also to produce good neighbourly relations with all the neighbours of India, as; I believe a good neighbour is an asset to an individual and even country. I would send peace delegations to all the neighbours and invite them on peace missions to India. I do think that such activities would yield satisfactory results and we would have friends all around.

Belonging Essay – the Crucible

Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to achieve a sense of belonging; whether it to be a group, culture or city, some people will try anything. Techniques such as stage directions, hamartia, and dialogue are used in the set text Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible† to display belonging and not belonging. Other techniques such as symbolism and camera shot are used to exhibit belonging and not belonging in the supplementary text Your Favorite Martian’s â€Å"Zombie Love Song† film clip. In Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†, stage direction is used to demonstrate belonging and not belonging. This technique is used throughout the text to show both belonging and not belonging, stage direction shows the audience, what the characters are doing, such as their movements and emotions about what has happened. Without stage direction the characters would appear motionless and with a blank face. Examples of this technique can be seen throughout the text, but only some demonstrate belonging or not belonging. An example of when it is demonstrating not belonging is in the first scene of Act one when Tituba is about to talk, in parentheses it says that she is already moving backward, like she already knows she isn’t wanted. Another example of how stage direction is used is when Abigail and John are alone together, in Betty’s room. In the beginning the stage direction leads us to believe that they belong together, then it quickly turns around and it is evident that they do not through the use of stage direction. These examples are how stage direction is used to demonstrate belonging and not belonging in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†. Hamartia is used in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible† to reveal not belonging. This technique is used throughout act one and two to show that John Proctor doesn’t belong with Abigail, hamartia shows the audience the fatal flaw within John’s personality that consequences in him not belonging. An example of how hamartia is used to reveal not belonging is also when John and Abigail are alone together. John’s flaw is that he has lusted after Abigail, and because of this he now feels like he doesn’t belong with either his wife or Abigail. This is apparent as he shy’s away from Abigail when she tries to get closer. Another example is when he is at home with his wife and straight away we can tell that they do not feel at ease with each other because of his lust for Abigail. These examples are how Hamartia is used to reveal not belonging in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†. In Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†, dialogue is used to expose belonging and not belonging. This technique is obvious through the entire text as this is what and how people talk to each other. Dialogue shows the audience how the characters feel about each other through their words and particularly how they say them. An example of how dialogue exposes not belonging is also when Tituba is first speaking, Parris yells at her â€Å"Out of here! † and she says something back then he yells again â€Å"Out of my Sight! Out of my – â€Å". The next example of how Dialogue exposes belonging is also when john and Abigail is alone. The dialogue of the two characters highlight their belonging together, when only looking at what their saying. They stop belonging together when he says â€Å"child† then an argument starts which displays a sense of not belonging. These examples are how Dialogue is used to expose not belonging in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†. Symbolism is used in Your Favorite Martian’s â€Å"Zombie Love Song† film clip to display belonging. This technique is predominant in the middle of the text when the two characters are chatting online. Symbolism shows the audience, when referring to this text, how the characters interact with each other before they actually meet in person. Examples of this technique can be found when the characters are chatting online, the use of hearts to symbolise love is evident. Another symbol is when they use themselves as emoticons and dance with each other, this symbolises that they can be together when one character is not even breathing. Also there is another example of symbolism is when, while chatting online, the zombie is chasing two people and then stopped when seeing the girl, and then gives her a flower which turns her into a zombie which symbolises that they should be together. These examples are how symbolism represents belonging in the supplementary text â€Å"Zombie Love Song† In Your Favorite Martian’s â€Å"Zombie Love Song† film clip camera shots are used to present not belonging. This technique is used throughout the text but does not present not belonging until later in the text. Camera shot shows the audience what is happening, without proper camera shot the audience could miss out what is happening, but since this is a cartoon it has perfect camera shot. Not belonging that is presented by camera shot is given by examples when the female character is running away. When she opens the door to find a zombie, the camera is zooming in to give a close up of the zombie’s face when it smiles, the camera goes back to the girl’s face when she screams and runs away. While she is running away the camera zooms out from a mid-shot to a long shot to emphasise how far and fast she is running away. She runs to the back door and the zombie is there, the process is repeated twice to emphasise how much the zombie doesn’t belong. These examples are how camera shot represents not belonging in the supplementary text â€Å"Zombie Love Song†. In conclusion belonging and not belonging is represented in various ways in many different texts. Varied techniques are used to represent the belonging and not belonging. In Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible† Stage direction and dialogue are the main technique used while hamartia is hardly used, only with one character and mainly only in the first two acts. In Your Favorite Martian’s â€Å"Zombie Love Song† symbolism is more predominant than camera shot in representing belonging or not belonging.

Pick ad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pick ad - Essay Example The imagery in the ad further reinforced this feeling of healthiness, with the Heineken having almost the exact same color as an apple (a traditionally healthy food) and being coated in water, something that is common in exercise imagery, implying that this will keep you hydrated and healthy. Though not being marketed as healthy per se, the ad attempts to connect Heineken to healthy concepts through imagery. This ad is for young, stylish men, and it attempts to connect with them both through positive body image (through the healthy angle) and through the clean, compact lines of the advertisement. There is another beer ad in the magazine, for Budweiser, but it goes more for the social angle, and does not directly compete in ideology. This is a good investment, as it makes Heineken seem like a healthy, young, vibrant drink, something which beer often has trouble doing, so it probably has a corner on the young, style-oriented beer drinking

Energy and Environment in New Jersey Research Paper

Energy and Environment in New Jersey - Research Paper Example The population of this state is 8,864,590 as per the 2012 census and population density of 459 per square. The population rate has been increasing gradually. This necessitates for the advancement of more energy to cater for the vast demand for the numerous industries and also for the home user. The rapid increase in population also will lead to the construction of more housing facilities for its population. This will have to be done in accordance with care for the environment (The Telegraph). Climatic conditions in New Jersey greatly affect its environment. The Atlantic Ocean and Delaware River surround the region. This causes moderate climate experiencing cold winters from November to March and warm humid summers from April to July. The average mean temperature around Atlantic City is 24Â °C that ranges from -1Â °C in January to around 24Â °C in July. Precipitation is very plentiful averaging 117cm annually; snowfall accumulates to about 41cm. The annual mean humidity is usually 81% at around 7 am in the morning, and it reaches a peak of 87% around September. Hurricanes and violent strong storms are common over the years. Floods are also a common phenomenon mostly along Passaic river basin. Serious droughts do occur on average mostly once in between 15 years (The Telegraph). Department of Environmental Protection of the State of New Jersey has organizations such as Sustainability and Green Energy. Sustainability and Green Energy (SAGE) help in promoting and supporting programs that aid in minimizing emissions and at the same time preserving and expanding natural carbon sinks which include soils, forests, and wetlands to ensure that it complies with the New Jersey "Global Warming Response Act". It also helps in promoting and supporting initiatives that are designed to help New Jersey adapt to the climate-related impacts which are unavoidable (Tangley). The high energy demand in New Jersey has forced more power and heat generation.

Survey method and discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Survey method and discussion - Essay Example It involves group of students discussing a lecture or students from different schools working in groups together on a shared assignment. The growing body of international researchers explores the relationship between social emotional learning and the cooperative learning in academic achievements. In the study most of the students were of the view of cooperative learning to improve their academic performance. In cooperative learning individual student performance was more superior as compared with the individualistic or the competitive method where everyone is for himself or herself. The cooperative method is found superior for promoting metacognitive thoughts, transfer of learning from one setting to the other, persistence in working towards a goal and it also helps in one’s motivation intrinsically. In cooperative learning, the members of the group are obliged to rely on one another to achieve the set goals, all the students are also held accountable for doing their part of work in order for them to master all the content to be learnt (Durlak et al, 2010). The method also involves face to face promotive inter action with group members required to provide the members with feedbacks, challenging reasoning, conclusion and in most cases they teach and encourage one another in order to improve the level of understanding compared to the case where the teacher does all the lectures and the student may not be free and ready to ask the questions. The primary goal of this study which is carried among 20 respondents is to measure the academic achievements for social emotional learning cooperative learning methods as ways of instruction and to compare the findings on the achievements with those of the lecture method or the teacher based method where the teacher does all the talking and the student the listening. When assessment was carried out on these two kinds of methods were carried out, it was found that the students who undergo the cooperative method were

Business HR Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business HR Research Paper - Essay Example The major findings of the research showed that the system of compensation of an organization determines the motivation of the employees towards their work and the skill of the employees of the organization. This illustrates that the productivity of an organization partly depends the compensation structure in the organization. The paper also has provisions on how to improve productivity of the human resource departments of organizations and the general organization in the form strategies concerning compensation structures revisions. Key words: skills, motivation, rewards Contents 1 Introduction 4 2 Competitive compensation system 4 2.1 Objectives of competitive compensation structures 5 3 Effect of different compensation structures 5 3.1 Motivation 6 3.2 Strategies to incorporate in motivating employees 6 3.3 Skill set of the employees 7 3.4 Strategies for the increasing and retaining the numbers of skilled employees 7 4 Challenges of the compensation systems 8 5 Conclusion 9 1 Introd uction In the business world, compensation refers to all rewards that employees can earn in relation to the labor they provide. A good compensation system is an important aspect of a successful human resource management program, which is vital for the success of a management enterprise as a whole. The compensation may be in the form of direct financial compensation that is provided after regular intervals like wages and bonuses, indirect financial compensation that consists of financial rewards that are not part of the direct compensation, and non-financial compensation that deals with the work environment. However, the compensation should put into consideration the uniqueness of each employee. Compensation systems seek to create a rational method for the determination of the pay of employees in accordance with their performance in their respective jobs (Bhattacharya and Sengupta, 2009). This creates a feeling of equity among the human resource. The compensation in terms of wages is important in the determination of the maintenance of an organization’s human resource that implies the goal of developing a good compensation system attract, motivate, and retain a quality human resource department that will improve the company’s prosperity. 2 Competitive compensation system A competitive compensation system is a product of trying to attain external equity within a market. External equity is a situation where the pay rates for the employees of an organization are at least similar to the average pay rates in the market (Walker, 2004). If the compensation system of the organization is quite similar to the average compensation system in the market, the goals of developing compensation systems in terms of attracting, motivating and retaining employees are not achieved as they might seek the employ of similar organizations. This prompts employers to take steps enabling compensation of employees using rates that are necessary for the finding, keeping and mo tivation of an adequate qualified employee number. This creates a market compensation structure that is competitive with the employers seeking to provide the most attractive policies and rates (Walker, 2004). 2.1 Objectives of competitive compensation structures The competitive compensation structures of most organizations therefore have four basic objectives; To regularly measure

Media Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Media Journal - Essay Example in her Ballet class and she often hears them pass weird remarks about themselves such as their skin is blemished or with pimples or that they had had a fat day. Some of them went to the extent of saying that they looked disgusting. Being a blogger herself, Julia brought this problem to the attention of other bloggers by starting an online petition drive. Julia took it a step further by taking the Seventeen Magazine to school and showing it to many of the kids, both boys and girls and asked them if they agreed with the petition where she asked the Seventeen Magazine to â€Å"commit to printing one unaltered — real — photo spread per month.† (Julia Bluhm, 2012) Most of them agreed with it and signed the petition. In fact, the total was a staggering 46,000 people. Julia, with the help of her mother and a few friends visited the Seventeen Magazine office and held a demonstration outside. Ann Shoket, the editor -in - chief invited them inside and both parties thrashed out the problem together. Even though the editor explained that things like freckles and moles could be covered by make up, Julia was not convinced stating that it was not possible to cover up everything and so strongly feels that they were using digital

To What Extent is a British Immigration Policy a Product of a Essay

To What Extent is a British Immigration Policy a Product of a Hollowing Out the State - Essay Example Britain has had to redefine itself as a nation-state and to create for the first time a national citizenship. The confused and bitter politics of immigration during the last quarter-century have been due to the absence of a strong identity as a nation-state and a well established national citizenship until 1981. Thus Britain lacked a criterion for deciding whom to admit to its territory. The government later drew distinctions in the immigration law between persons of Britain and its colonies; it the created a special second-class citizenship status, without the right of immigration for the residents of Hong Kong and others (Black and Kniveton 2008). With the continued influx of persons, Britain had to change the immigration policies, aiming to integrate and assimilate those immigrants who had already settled and being closing its borders to any further immigration. The concerns of the British government were not only social, cultural and political, they were also economical in that u nemployment and other risks had started to crop up (Ian and Spencer 2007). With reference to the discussion question given, this paper assess the hollowing out the state Rhode’s theory has an effect on the main British policies in the case of immigration. The paper will also assess to what extent a British immigration policy a product of hollowing out the state. To the economy of Britain, immigration has become highly significant in that immigrants comprise more than 12% of the total workforce in Britain with the biggest portion of these immigrants being based in London. However, it was found that the argument that was being made by the British government that net immigration – immigration minus emigration – generates significant economic benefits for the existing British population had no backing evidence. The GDP, which the government uses in making its argument, was found to be an irrelevant and misleading criterion for assessing the economic impacts of immig ration of the British population. It was suggested that the focus of analysis should rather be based on the effects of immigration on income per head of the current population (Ian and Spencer, 2007). The economic impacts if immigration depends critically on the skills acquired by the immigrants. Immigrants with different qualifications and levels of education can have different impacts of the economy of a country. It was found out that many business and public services at the present in Britain make use of the skills and hard work of the immigrants. Sind the implementation of successive immigration acts since 1962, Britain successfully managed to keep the net migration levels low heading into the 1980s. This was by accepting and overall number of migrants at a rate which was lower than the other European countries. In addition to that it allowed Britain to successfully control and channel migration which is the strength that the core executive enjoys within the immigration policy m aking process (England 2009). In the 1970s for example, the British immigration office began allowing male immigrants to bring their wives and children into the country from other countries but discouraged women from bringing their husbands into the country from other countries. The 197 Immigration act was the only piece of legislation in Britain which gave the resettlement rights to the immediate family members of the immigrant residence. This

Legal Environment of Business and Employment Coursework

Legal Environment of Business and Employment - Coursework Example In order to determine whether there was a valid legal contract between A2Z Co. Ltd and Bling Stores and to best advice the parties it is necessary to discuss the above mentioned essential elements for formation of a contract and how the presence of each element is achieved. An offer has been defined as an expression of willingness by one party known as the offeror, to contract or be bound on stated terms, provided that such terms are accepted by the party to whom the offer is made that is the offeree. The courts have drawn a distinction between an offer and an invitation to treat, as the latter is merely an expression of willingness by one party to enter into negotiations and is not unconditional and there is a lack of intention to create legal relations. The most important and land mark cases which distinguished between an offer and invitation to treat are of Gibson v Manchester City Council1 and Storer v Manchester City Council2. In Gibson, where treasurer had sent a letter to Mr. Gibson, stating that council may be prepared to sell the house, was held to be an invitation to treat, which was further confirmed by the fact that Mr. Gibson was asked to make a formal application to purchase the house. The courts therefore took into account the correspondence between the parties. However, in Storer the courts found that a contract had come into existence as negotiations had moved beyond what had happened in Gibson but an exchange of contracts had not taken place. These cases clearly point out that fact that judges can interpret and differ in the results and so the decision would be said to be based on its own facts. The next step is that of acceptance. The general rule for the acceptance of an offer is that the offer should be accepted unconditionally and must be communicated to the offeror. (Holwell Securities v. Hughes3). However there are certain exception to this general rule and one of them is the infamous postal rule. The postal rule states that when an acce ptance is sent by means of a post, it takes place as soon as the letter is validly posted. (Adams v. Lindsell)4, furthermore Instanta Instantaneous modes of communication has lately been scrutinized by the courts (Lord Wilberforce in Brinkibon Ltd. v Stahag Stahl GmbH)5, however the problem of when acceptance is effective has clearly not been addressed and still lies in an area of uncertainty. instantaneous modes of communication has lately been scrutinized by the, however it is a settled law that a communication made through instant mode of communication is deemed effective if it is despatched and received during working hours i.e if a fax is sent on Sunday evening it will only deemed to be effectively communicated on Monday morning, when office working hours start. Acceptance must be looked into carefully, as the fact that it must be unconditional is strict and so if new terms and conditions are introduced that would not be acceptance and would merely be a counter offer, which can then be accepted by the original offeror, who now becomes the offeree as in (Hyde v Wrench)6.If the offeree does not accept all the terms and conditions proposed by the offeror and introduces new terms to the original offer is not an acceptance but a counter offer which kills the original offer The general rule for acceptance is that communication must actually be made to

Has Apple done enough to help Foxconn workers Essay

Has Apple done enough to help Foxconn workers - Essay Example 12 on Apple products manufactured in China; there has been mounting criticism of labor malpractices in the manufacturing processes, leading to conduction of investigations by international labor groups into companies which contract to make Apple products. The makers of iPad have specifically largely been criticized for a number of labor related problems, some of which are quite serious in nature (Andrzejcyzk, 2015). Thus the workers who toil night and day at manufacturing plants in China to ensure that Apple customers are satisfied, usually do so under harsh working conditions including work hours beyond the 8 hour day, forced overtime as well as other health and safety risks(Chang, â€Å"Audit Faults Apple Supplier’s Factories in China†).Foxconn Taiwanese company is Apple’s key supplier for the iPad and employs over I million people there. In March 2012,Fair Labor Association(FLA) conducted research(almost 3,000 hours at 3 of the Foxconn factories) and found the following; that the average work week was 60 hours with 36 hours overtime for the month at all the Foxconn manufacturing sites, some employees did not have a single day off for the entire work week, with several employees logging in a 7 day work week before they got a day off, over 60% of employees surveyed claimed that their pay did not cover enough to â€Å"meet basic needs† .A group called Students and Sc holars also compiled a report in May 2012 against Corporate Misbehavior(SACOM).The report derived its content from interviews conducted with factory workers and supervisors in Shenzhen and Zhengzhou, China. The SACOM report cited that while the company increased wages, it also increased production quotas by some 10%.Moreover the living conditions were described as being â€Å"cramped and unpleasant† with at times as many as 30 workers sharing space in an apartment with just 3 bedrooms (Musil, â€Å"Foxconn Working Conditions Slammed by Workers Rights Groups†).Te employees were also strictly warned not

Integrated research Essay Example for Free

Integrated research Essay Introduction A family comprises of mother, father, children, grandparents and others united together by blood or adoption. A family results from a marriage. Family structures are built through marriage and that is why it is said that proper marriages lead to proper families . The family functions that are outlined in marriage settings are almost similar and that the challenges that are experienced in the marriage are those challenges that will eventually impact negatively on the family. This research will outline various challenges that marriage as a practical identity possesses and their eventual implications in the family. Marriage Marriage can be defined as the interpersonal relationship between most commonly a man and woman who are united legally via social, religious are or governmental recognition. There are different types of marriages; †¢ Arranged marriages-this is where marriage partners are chosen by the society e. g. monarchies †¢ Boston marriage-marriage between two partners not necessarily for sex e. g. between two women. †¢ Common-law marriage- involves a class of interpersonal status where people united by a common believe on marriage law marry on that basis †¢ Digital marriage-a kind of marriage where two people with no connection in their ‘gaming’ lives come together within a virtual community and declare that they are married †¢ Covenant marriage- in this case two people come together as partners in union and make a long life commitment for the marriage. Divorce is made more difficult here. In some jurisdictions, the legal concept of marriage has been recently expanded to emerging social beliefs such as same sex marriages. Marriages are considered part and parcel human stage of life and most people believe that at one point in their lives they should get married. People marry for different reasons ranging from; to achieve social and economic stability, to have and nurture children, to form a family unit and finally to legitimize sexual relations. Marriage is considered the main factor and the pillar of a family. Better families result from better marriages as the people involved are given enough guidance to form the next generation of the family. The persons in the family learn good values and teachings from their parents hence this will ensure that any subsequent marriages are strong and stable. Contemporary critics also suggest that modern marriages have become extremely very disadvantageous for women. When it comes to economic or social considerations, women do not compare with women. Contrastingly, the continued bias towards women will mean that in the near future, mean will be on the other side of the fence-where women were in the last century. This is evident from the fact that modern policies and divorce laws have been specifically designed to protect women. However, with the emergence of same sex rights, the situation will be more complicated due to the legal prohibitions and social taboos that deny the practices full recognition. Loss Loss of one of the marriage partner leads to termination of the marriage . Loss may result form death, divorce or any other factor that will mean that one of them is left alone. This is usually disastrous for the family setting where one parent or spouse is left alone to meet all the family requirements, in a case where the children still young and need to be taken care in terms of education provision, health, love, shelter etc. Grief usually results from loss and it is very various legal systems and societal family arrangements offer different legal directions and guidance on handling properties (finances, assets etc. ) developed by the couple incase one dies or incase of a divorce. Some cultures believe that both the wife and the husband are entitled to equal property rights. Other societies also prohibit children especially the girls from inheriting the family’s assets including land. A widow may also lose family property if she decides to remarry. Partners in a marriage are jointly responsible and liable for the debts of the marriage practice and therefore if there is any misunderstanding on the responsibility of the same, then, it might be solved on an individual basis. The era of the myth ‘doctrine of necessities’ where the husband remains the sole provider for the family is gone. Today, all partners in the marriage share responsibilities equally depending on the income generation level of each.

Rapid developments in technology

Rapid developments in technology Global trends and technological development and their effect on strategy and technology on organisations, with a focus on the Sony Corporation. Abstract In recent years there have been rapid developments in technology which have lead to the opening up of a global market. This has brought both opportunities and challenges to enterprises. Enterprises that want to operate globally have to plan appropriate business strategies. When formulating these strategies they have to consider the importance of the domestic and global situation of the enterprise. This study examines the effect of technological progress and global changes, with a particular focus on how they have affected the Sony Corporation. There is a discussion of Sonys business strategies and their strong points and shortcomings. The study ends with suggestions as to how Sony could resolve some of its recent problems. Introduction In recent years the phenomenon of globalization has taken place. This has come about because of rapid progress in technology and communications. Now the world has become one marketplace and goods and services which were available only in one place in the past can now be bought almost anywhere in the world. This has many advantages for industries as it has expanded their market, but it has also brought many challenges. Among the challenges which must be dealt with by companies wishing to enter the globalization are tariffs and international competition, particularly from newly industrializing counties (NICs) such as Malaysia, China and so forth. This has lead to many enterprises formulating global strategies and many of them have achieved success in the global market. However, to succeed in the global market it is not sufficient to have good global strategies; it is also necessary to be able to use these strategies in a balanced manner. The domestic market and the local culture are ke y elements which must be carefully taken into account in global strategies. Many enterprises look to the example of Japanese companies when determining their global strategies, as it is generally considered that their global strategies have been very successful and have permitted them to enter and succeed in many international markets. The principal focus of this study will be the Sony Corporation. There will be a discussion of Sonys management of new technology and globalization. Examples will be given of Sonys global strategies, and the advantages and disadvantages they have encountered due to these strategies will be presented and discussed. Globalization Every firm should understand the implications of globalization in order to develop a global strategy successfully. The term globalization signifies the increased mobility of goods, services, manpower, technology and worldwide. Globalization may be described as a process by which countries all over the world are joined in a worldwide interdependent community. This process is driven by a combination of economic, technological, socio-cultural and political factors. Raskin (2002) defined globalization as the worldwide integration of economical, cultural, political, religious, and social systems. He added that globalization, through the increasing integration of economies and lifestyles worldwide, leads to similarities in production and consumption patterns, and hence cultural homogenization. From an economic perspective, globalization signifies the convergence of prices, products, wages, rates of interest and profits towards standards of developed countries (Ismail, 2003). Similarly, Theodore (1983) argued that the main factors driving economic globalization of the economy are movement of labour force; international trade; movement of capital; integration of financial markets; cross-border transactions; and free movement of international capital. Basic components of globalization are the globalization of markets and the globalization of production. The former signifies a move away from a system in which national markets are separate entities, divided by trade barriers and barriers of distance, time and culture, towards the merging of national markets into a single global market. The latter, globalization of production, refers to a tendency by individual companies to spread their production processes over various locations around the world in order to benefit from differences in cost and quality of elements of production (Hill, 2007). Drivers of globalization The principal driving forces that facilitate or support the extension of globalization are the following. Advances in transportation: A reduction in the cost of transporting goods and services from country to country assists in bringing prices in the country of manufacture nearer to prices in the export market. Developments in transport technology have lead to a reduction in the cost of transport as well as to an improvement in the speed and reliability of transporting both goods and people. This has meant that it has become cost-effective to access new and expanding markets, thus enabling companies to extend their business further than would have been feasible in the past. Technological advances: The huge reduction in the cost of transmitting and communicating information in recent years has played a vital role in the global growth of enterprises. This phenomenon has been called the death of distance, and is particularly noticeable in the growth of trade in knowledge products through the Internet. De-regulation of financial markets: The process of the de-regulation of financial markets has lead to the abolition of capital controls in many countries. Capital markets have opened up in both developed and developing countries, facilitating foreign direct investment and encouraging the flow of money across national borders. Avoidance of import protection: Many enterprises seek to avoid the tariff and non-tariff barriers imposed by regional trading blocs in order to gain more competitive access to rapidly-growing economies such as those in the emerging markets. Economies of scale: Many economists take the view that there has been a rise in the estimated minimum efficient scale (MES) related to particular industries. Technological changes, innovation and invention in various markets have been factors contributing to this increase. An increase in the MES means that the domestic market may be considered as not being large enough for the selling needs of these industries, making expansion into overseas markets essential. The effect of globalization on international business In recent years, companies have been required to deal with business issues in an international context due to the move towards globalization and internationalization as well as the nature of competition. The principal aspects of global business environments are the following. The forces of globalization Every aspect of the global business environment is affected by the drivers of globalization. Although globalization increases business opportunities, it also leads to an increase in competition. Companies must be aware of the basic and often sweeping changes in both society and commerce resulting from globalization (Wild, Wild and Han, 2008). National business environment Although globalization has initiated a process of homogenization among different cultures, political systems, economic systems, legal systems, and levels of economic development in different countries, many of these the differences remain marked and enduring. Any enterprise wishing to expand overseas must be aware of these differences, and be able to formulate and implement appropriate policies and strategies to deal with them successfully (Hill, 2006). International business environment The international business environment has both a direct and indirect effect on how firms carry out their operations. As can been seen by the long-term movement to less rigid national borders, no business can remain entirely isolated from occurrences in the international business environment. As globalization processes lead to the increasing interrelation of the flows of trade, investment, companies are required to seek production bases and new markets at the same time. Firms must monitor the international business environment closely to determine the impact it may have on their business activities (Wild, Wild, and Han, 2008). Management of international companies The management of a completely domestic firm is not at all the same as the management of a transnational one, as market rules differ and forms must take these differences into account. Thus, it is national business environments which define the context of managing an international firm (Wild, Wild and Han, 2008). Competitive Advantage in the Global Market In the global marketplace, it is vital for companies to sustain competitive advantage. The term competitive advantage was used first by Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School in the U.S.A. Basically, it means the place a company has in relation to its competitors in the same industry. Firms seek to obtain a competitive advantage and then to sustain it. According to Porter (1998), there are three ways that a firm can do these things. The first way is by cost leadership, which means that a firm will have cost advantage is it can offer the same goods or services as its competitors, but at less cost than them. The second way is differentiation. The differentiation advantage refers to when a company can offer better goods or services than its competitors, but for the same price. This company will then become a leader in the industry. The third way is focus. This means that a company can concentrate on a narrow part of the market, which is known as a market niche, to obtain competit ive advantage. Some of them may focus on cost and some of them may focus on differentiation (Porter, 1998). However, it is not easy for a firm to gain competitive advantage and it is even more difficult to keep it (Passemard and Kleiner, 2000). This is because if a company has a differentiation competitive advantage, soon another company will find how to make the same product with the same quality. If a company has a cost competitive advantage, then other companies will look for ways to make their products as cheap (ibid). However, there are several factors that contribute to a firm obtaining competitive advantage. One of these factors is having good resources. Another factor is having a skilled work force. Countries governments also can affect firms, as taxes vary much from country to country and some governments may offer tax incentives or subsidies to companies (Passemard and Kleiner, 2000). The advent of globalization has offered companies with markets all over the world. This has offered many opportunities to expand, but it has also faced them with challenges. According to Ari (2008), globalization is a process of increasing interconnectedness, integration and interdependence among not just economies but also societies, cultures and political institutions. He adds that a result of globalisation is that the borders between countries lose their significance and can no longer deter trade and communication. Regarding business and economics, globalization means that there is liberalisation of trade and creation of world markets (ibid). However, it also means that global industries are competing with all industries in the world. There are many strategies industries can use to obtain and keep competitive advantage in the global market. According to Porter (1998), companies should make their strategy on a basis of strong analysis of the industrys structure and nationally or internationally there are five forces that they should consider carefully, as follows: The threat from new firms in their industry. The threat of products that could replace their products. The bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of customers. Competition between companies in the same sector Segal-Horn (1996) points out that companies must be very careful when they are planning global strategy because some strategies which are effective in one country are not effective in another country. Companies have to decide if they want to have one product and marketing strategy for every country or if they have to adapt their strategy for different countries. Adaptation is more necessary for some industries than for others. For example, requirements of steel are more or less the same globally, but there will be large differences for consumer products and food and drinks. Companies have to consider this very carefully. For example, if they can use the same advertisement all over the world it is much cheaper for them, but the advertisement may not be effective in some countries, so they would lose money (ibid). To make such a strategy it is necessary for companies to have very good information about the country they want to sell their products in, which is called market intelligence (ibid). They have to be careful not to miss the differentiation advantage in any country (ibid). To have such information, they must do much market research. Many companies find that it is useful to have a joint venture with a local company in the country because that company already has good information and expertise about the market there. De Toni et al (2008) state that In global industries, competitive advantage derives in large part from the integration and co-ordination on an international scale of various activities. According to Ward et al (1990) companies in a global market should have five competitive priorities, which are cost; delivery performance (dependability and speed); quality; flexibility (product mix and volume); and innovativeness. If companies are looking for cost advantage there can be many benefits to them from globalization. This is because the can choose to buy their supplies from the cheapest supplier in any country in the world and they are not limited to suppliers in their country, as they were in the past before globalization facilitated communication and transport (Ari, 2008). In addition, they can choose to produce their products in a country where labour costs are less than in their country (ibid). Moreover, they can also sell their products through the Internet and reach millions of customers that were impossible for them to reach in the past Sony Corporation Profile Sony was founded in Japan just after the Second World War by Ibuka and Morita and was known initially as the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company. At first their business consisted of radio repairs and manufacturing voltmeters in small quantities. However, Ibuka and Morita were interested in innovative electronics products and were also aware of the importance of international markets. They developed Sony into an international brand, expanding their business first into the U.S.A. and then into Europe. The companys name was changed to Sony Corporation in 1958. Currently, the Sony Corporation employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. It is one of the largest media conglomerates in the world and has six operating divisions, which are electronics, games, music, films, financial services and miscellaneous. Sony Electronics is one of worlds foremost makers of electronic products for both the business and individual consumer markets, while its games division produces, among other products, Playstation, and its music division is the second largest such company in the world. Sonys film division produces and distributes films for the cinema as well as for TV and computers and its financial services segment includes savings and loans. Under the miscellaneous division, Sony is involved in advertising and Internet-related business. For the financial year 2007-2008, Sony reported combined annual sales of  ¥8,871.4 billion with a net income of  ¥369.4 billion. Historical background The Sony Corporation has long been in the forefront of technological innovation and has devoted a considerable portion of its budget to research and development (RD) in order to obtain and keep its competitive advantage. Some of Sonys main developments were the following: In 1949 Sony developed a prototype for a magnetic tape recorder prototype in 1949 and introduced paper-based recording tape a year later. In 1955, the company introduced Japans first transistor radio and was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Sony Corporation of America (SONAM) was subsequently set up in the U.S.A. and the worlds first direct-view portable TV was introduced in 1960. Also in that year, Sony Overseas S.A. was set up in Switzerland; while a year later Sony became the first Japanese company to offer shares on the New York Stock Exchange in same year. Further technological innovations followed throughout the 1960s, including worlds smallest and lightest transistor television and the Trinitron colour television. Since then, the Sony Corporation have developed and produced the worlds first personal cassette player, the Sony Walkman, which was introduced in 1979, the worlds first CD player, launched in 1982. More recent innovations include the home-use PC VAIO in 1997, Blu-ray Disc drive Notebook PC in 2006 and the OLED television in 2007. The Sony Corporation also expanded into the mobile telecommunications business in 2001 with the establishment of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, while a year later it acquired one of its rival companies, Aiwa, through a merger. Sonys Global Strategies The World Marketplace In the 1950s Japanese products suffered from a poor reputation. In an effort to overturn this, one of its founders, Mr. Morita, went to the United States travelled to U.S.A to learn from companies there and with a view to introducing his companys products to the American market and beyond. In 1958, having obtained the licensing right to the transistor patent from U.S. company ATT, they developed the worlds smallest transistor radio, which they launched in both Japan and the U.S.A. It was at this point the decision was taken to change the companys name to Sony, as it was short, easy to pronounce and memorable. The intention was to make Sony an internationally recognised brand, and in this they have succeeded, as, according to Richard (2002), Sony has become one of the most widely recognized brands in the world (Richard, A. 2002). Global marketing and operations According to Kikkawa (1995), only nine major Japanese companies Sony; Toyota; Honda, Nippon Steel; Toray; Teijin; Sumitomo Chemical; Shin-Etsu Chemical; and Matsushita. Kikkawa argued that these companies succeeded in the international marketplace by supplying products globally and/or carrying out global operations. Sonys products have been developed to fulfil the requirements of consumers worldwide; therefore, the corporation can offer the same products all over the world. One instance of this is the Sony Playstation, which appeals to consumers in every country in the world. In its ability to anticipate and fulfil the requirements of consumers Sony has gained an advantage over its rivals. The strategy of innovation Masaru Ibuka, one of the founders of the Sony Corporation, stated that the key to Sonys success was never to follow the others. In effect, the companys central strategic advantage in its global strategy has always been continual innovation. Global expansion and market selection As far as global expansion is concerned, Sony has always given careful consideration to operating in markets they considered to be important and where they had reason to believe the companys products would be most in demand (Richard, 2002). This lead to the initial decision to expand first to the United States, where they could market their products while at the same time learning from U.S. technology. The rationale behind this was that it would easier to expand to other markets once they had established a strong brand name in the United States. This in fact proved to be the case and expansion to European markets soon followed, as mentioned previously. Advantages of Global Strategy Reducing costs Sony has used several elements global strategy to its advantage. For instance, every Sony factory is able to produce at full capacity due to Sony products being sold all over the world; this results in a reduction in production costs. In addition, although Sony has numerous product lines, they are standard worldwide. This means that Sony does not have the expense of producing several versions of a single product to suit various markets. Worldwide recognition As Sonys products are known, sold and serviced all over the world, brand recognition among consumers is extremely high. This results in increased sales, as consumers feel secure about purchasing Sony products. Enhancing competitive advantage In addition, in recent years Sony has been an enthusiastic participant in the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign, making efforts to produce energy-efficient products. The corporation is also involved social and environmental concerns through its active and high-profile Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. These activities have contributed greatly to Sonys ability to increase their competitive advantage over its rivals. Sonys CSR programme Sony developed their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in the awareness that the corporations business has direct and indirect effects on society and the environment in which their business is conducted. The programme is concerned with the interests of all the corporations stakeholders, such as shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, business partners, and local communities. This has contributed to the improvement of Sonys corporate value. The European Commission awarded Sony a Sustainable Energy Europe Award in early 2007, in acknowledgement of Sonys efforts towards increasing the energy efficiency of its products and its participation in the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign. By 2007, Sony had modified all their TV sets to consume less energy than the market average. This was a result of their research and development and lead to Sony TV sets increasing their market share. In this way, consumers can be satisfied that their television viewing is consuming a good deal less energy than previously, other stakeholders such as shareholders and suppliers are satisfied by the increase in sales of Sony TVs and electricity consumption also decreases. Another element in Sonys CSR programme is its improvement of its system for its employees to take leave to look after their children. Sony modified this system in the spring of 2007, with the aim establishing a working environment in which taking child care leave was facilitated. They also attempted to encourage fathers to become more involved in caring for their children. This modification has lead to an enhancement of the work-home life balance of Sony employees. It can be seen from these examples that Sony has made use of the advantages of globalization in its CSR programme to achieve a competitive advantage over its rivals. Disadvantages of Global Strategy While global strategy offers many advantages for international enterprises, it also brings with it certain disadvantages. These consist mainly of costs related to greater coordination, reporting requirements, and added staff. In addition, international enterprises must be careful to avoid the pitfall of allowing over centralization to lead to a reduction in the quality of management in any country, as this can result in quality toward individual country can be reduced due to which damaging the motivation and drive of local employees. There is also a risk inherent in offering standardised products, as such products may prove to be less appropriate in some countries than in others. Similarly, use of standardised marketing strategies may not always be successful, as, without cultural adaptation, certain strategies may be inappropriate in specific countries. Finally, the over-use of global strategies may also result in unnecessary or inefficient expenditure. In the case of Sony, a considerable portion of the corporations budget is spent on in RD to fulfil international requirements and this may have led Sony to over-diversify. In order to compete with global competitors, Sony has a finger in every pie, so to speak, and this may have led the corporation to stray too far from its core competency which is electronics product expertise. Moreover, the possibility exists that over-diversification may result in clouding consumers perceptions of the brand. Currently, Sony is facing a challenge to its market supremacy from the Samsung Company. In contrast to Sony, Samsungs global strategy consists of limiting its diversification and focusing its resources on a small number of dominant businesses. This strategy has so far proved very successful for Samsung. Recommendations Although the Sony Corporation has succeeded in building one of the most widely recognised brand names in the world, its market dominance appears to be based on increasingly unsteady ground. This is indicated by the fact that Sonys net profit for the third quarter of 2006 fell by 94% to  ¥1.7 billion, compared to  ¥28.5 billion for the same period in 2005 (Benson, 2006). This dramatic fall in profits may be attributed to the crucial strategic concerns confronting Sony. Sonys manufacturing process is in need of restructuring, as the quality of some Sony products has declined. This has resulted in damage to their reputation and a consequent decrease in the competitiveness of their products. For instance, Forbes magazine reported in October 2006 that 9.6 million Sony laptop batteries has had to be recalled as they were prone to overheating and were therefore dangerous. In addition, Japanese consumers expressed their dissatisfaction with the new system of the Sony PS3 (Wonova, 2006). It would appear from these examples that Sonys quality control system is not always as efficient as it should be. Apart from quality control issues, Sony has shown itself unable to respond rapidly and effectively to changes in market demand and its competitive advantage is therefore compromised. One example of this is the delay in the European launch of PS3 because of manufacturing problems (BBC, 2006). Sony was unable to satisfy the market demand, leaving the way open for rivals in the field such as Nintendo and Microsoft to increase their market share. Moreover, Sony did not respond as quickly as certain other television manufacturers to the increasing demand fro plasma television and therefore allowed their competitors to gain a head start on them in this market. Mintzberg et al. (1999) pointed out that the first mover may gain advantages in building distribution channels, in tying up specialized suppliers or in gaining the attention of customers, adding that the first product of a class to engage in mass advertising tends to impress itself more deeply in peoples minds than the second, third or fourth. Hence, Sony forfeited its competitive advantage and a considerable part of the market share in the games and television market. It is evident that Sonys operational strategy is deficient and requires improvement. In order to address these issues, Sony is putting into practice strategies from both the inside out resource-based perspective (Hamel and Prahalad, 1990; Barney, 1991) and outside in positioning perspective (Porter, 1980; Mintzberg et al., 1998), also known as the market-based perspective (Finlay, 2000). It has been suggested that combining these perspectives can optimise an enterprises capabilities and result in achieving and maintaining greater competitive advantages (Finlay, 2000; Thompson and Strickland, 2003; Johnson et al. 2005; Lynch, 2006). According to Hatch (1997) competitive strategy necessitates the exploitation of a companys existing internal and external firm specific capabilities and the cultivation of new capabilities. Sony should determine appropriate methods for managing external changes in the constantly shifting business environment, and also determine how to make full use of their existing capabilities and resources to respond effectively to this environment. Mor eover, Sony must be attentive to potential threats in the future and put in place the mechanisms required to neutralise these. Conclusion It can be seen that globalization brings both advantages and disadvantages for businesses. On one hand, they can sell their products in almost any country in the world, while progress in communication and transport means that they can choose cheaper suppliers and make their products in countries where labour costs are lower. On the other hand, it brings disadvantages in that they also have competitors from all over the world. Appropriate planning and implementation of global strategies within the constantly evolving environment of technology can provide enterprises with opportunities for survival and expansion in an increasingly competitive market. However, inappropriate global strategies which are not well-conceived or well-implemented can result in losses. Several factors could contribute to such losses including increased costs due to additional staff and insufficient attention to the requirements of the local market. It is vital that enterprises find an appropriate balance between over-globalisation and under-globalisation, although there are no precise guidelines for determining such a balance. Among the keys to obtaining and sustaining competitive advantage in a global market is careful planning and strategy, which includes obtaining detailed information about the target country and focusing on cost or differentiation advantage . References Ari, A. (2008). Globalisation. Online at http://www.geocities.com/anil.ari_global/index.html# Accessed on 10th August, 2009 Barney, J. B. (1991), Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 99-120. Barney, J. B. (2001), Is the resource-based view a useful perspective for strategic management research? Yes, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 41-56. De Toni, A., Filippini, R. and Forza R. (1999). Interational Journal of Operations and Production Management. 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