Racism In Flags Essays - Vexillology, Flag, Swastika, War Flag

Racism in Flags Racism can be represented in many forms. Flags are on of them. Flags can be used to represent something. Many flags mean different things such as freedom, democracy and respect for something such as a country. However, some flags can been seen as something bad or something that they disprove of, but to another person it can be something they believe in. What I am talking about is racism and how it can be shown in flags. The Confederate flag is a very controversial flag. Some people see it as a flag that represents the United States' History. Other people do not like the flag because it reminds them of the time in the United States history where there was a lot of slavery, violence and hate. The flag was used by the Confederacy when fighting the Yankees in the Civil War. The flag is still used in some of the state flags of the USA. The states that use the confederate flag in their state flag are Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, and Alabama. The flag is used in the Army for ceremonies and for graduation. Some African American officers do not like to use the flag, and argue that it is stands for racism and hate. Other officers say that they use the flag just for the tradition and to keep the history. To some the flag may seem to be just a plain piece of history but to others it can be real painful just to look at because it may have caused some pain to the person personally or to their family in the past. One reason why this flag, to some people, stands for racism is because there are some hate and racist groups that use the confederate flag. Some people just want to ban the confederate flag but other people say that would be going against the first amendment in the United States, which is freedom of speech. Banning the flag may not be bad but its the principal of keeping the flag to show that we can handle this flag by having the right to wave that flag but we can show that we don't need to. I think that just because we can do something does not mean we should do it. In World War II a man named Adolf Hitler introduced a flag that he used to represent a group he made up called Nazis. The flag has a real famous symbol in the middle of it, the symbol is called a swastika, it looks like a cross (mabey he thought of it like a religion) and the ends of the cross were bent in a clockwise direction. The flag probably has the same impact it did then as it does today. When people see the swastika it almost every person will think of Nazis or the World War II and the bad things that happen in the war. The Nazi flag is still used today by hate and racist groups. The swastika used to mean the sun and good luck and many different things to other religions. That shows how something can just change so easily from one meaning to another. The flag now would never be viewed as good unless someone stood for what the swastika stands for. The flag has been shown to other countries as a bad symbol and something they do not want in there country, so the following counties banned the Nazi flag, Germany, Israel, France, and Italy. That may have been a good idea to ban them but again we have the right of freedom of speech but that does not mean we should use that swastika for anything. But then again the swastika changed its meaning so fast mabey we can change it again to something good. The use of hate flags and symbols is still around but another problem is the creation of new flags and symbols. There are also flags that are racist but not many people are familiar with them. There are flags out there people do not know what they stand for or represent. There is one flag with FAP written on it which is used by one of Germanys

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Free Online Research Papers Looking at the statistics of domestic violence, how serious is the problem of domestic violence? Somewhere in America at this very moment, a woman is being abused. Yet, as America progresses through time, no one solution has been proven to significantly reduce the ongoing domestic violence occurrence. Domestic Violence. It shatters lives, destroys families, damages communities and affects every part of our world – and it’s affecting the next generation. Domestic violence can happen to anyone. 4 million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period (Abuse in America). Domestic violence is a serious crime that often goes unreported by the victim, mostly in fear of even more retaliation. People need to be educated about what domestic violence is, who it affects, the specific types of domestic violence, the cycle of domestic violence, and how people can help if they have a loved one who is experiencing domestic violence. Domestic violence is qualified as violence that occurs within a household, most frequently between spouses, and the husband is most often the instigator of the event. Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Violence against women is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime. Domestic violence is definitely on the rise in Louisiana. It seems like every day you are hearing about it on the news or reading it in the newspaper. Not only are you hearing about women being abused, but also about women being murdered or seriously injured by their husbands, boyfriends, ex- husbands, or ex- boyfriends. There are laws in Louisiana for domestic violence that have been enacted to protect the victims of such violence. However, these laws need to be better enforced. Over the last decade in the United States, domestic violence has qualified as a public health epidemic. In fact, The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence indicates that, â€Å"a woman is beaten by her intimate partner every fifteen seconds†. The abuse may be emotional, mental, or physical and done through intentional threats, intimidation, and/or physical violence. Oftentimes, the abuser is the husband and the victim is the wife. Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed every October nationally by victims, survivors, as well as friends and families of victims and survivors. Precisely so there is a reminder that domestic violence is a crime against a human being. In Louisiana alone, we lead the nation in number of deaths from domestic violence as reported by The Violence Policy Center, based on FBI data. That is not surprising, as the crime of domestic violence happens in Louisiana nearly six times the national average. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. 85% of domestic violence victims are women. Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew. Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence. Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police. Many times, womens self-esteem is so low as a result of spouse abuse that they are unable to see themselves as worthy of seeking help, or they rationalize the abuse, believing they caused or deserve it. Police complain that often when they arrest an abuser, the victims want them to drop the charges. Victims of domestic violence are reluctant to report abuse. Women very reasonably fear retaliation against themselves and their children by the abuser and fear the economic upheaval that may follow the report. Studies show that the highest risk for serious injury or death from violence in an intimate relationship is at the point of separation or at the time when the decision to separate is made. Threats and violence are control strategies used by the batterer, the womans leaving may threaten his sense of power and increase his need to control the woman and children. When a person wants to protect themselves from their abuser, they are able to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order. In turn, the victim goes to court to get a permanent injunction against the abuser. That document is put in place to offer full protection of abuse to the victim, but more often than not, that document is not being enforced to the fullest extent of the law. With more women than ever being abused and murdered by the hands of their significant other, we need stricter, more enforceable laws. Laws that will put the abuser behind bars, take away some of their rights and privileges, as well as get the abuser the much needed counseling they obviously need. Domestic violence crosses all age, ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, and educational boundaries. There are doctors, ministers, psychologists, police, attorneys, judges, and other professionals who beat their partners. Battering also occurs in same gender relationships. Domestic violence is virtually impossible to measure with absolute precision due to numerous complications including the societal stigma that inhibits victims from disclosing their abuse and the varying definitions of abuse used from study to study. Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year to 3.9 million women who are physically abused per year. Thirty percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year. Abusive relationships can be defined as a relationship in which one partner uses a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors to maintain power and control over the other partner. This includes couples who are married or unmarried, gay or straight. Types of abuse can include physical, emotional, social, economic, and sexual aspects. Does your intimate partner. Insult or drive away your friends or family? Continually criticize you, call you names, shout at you? Ignore your feelings? Use lies and contradictions to manipulate you? Humiliate you in private or public; refuse to socialize with you? Mock or insult your personal beliefs, religion, race, or heritage? Regularly threaten to leave, or tell you to leave? Threaten to get custody of the children? Threaten to kidnap the children? Abandon you in dangerous places? Drive recklessly or force you to drive recklessly? Hide or take away your car keys? Lock you out of your house or apartment? Prevent you from taking medication? Refuse to help you when you are sick, injured, or (if applicable) pregnant? Threaten to, or abuse your loved ones? Threaten to, or abuse your pets? Demand that you account for your daily activities, expenses, travel? Use a hidden tape recorder or camera to spy on you? Stalk you either physically or through e-mail or repeated phone calls or text messages? Check your mail, answering machine, caller ID, e-mail? Insist you dress in a more sexual way than you want? Minimize the importance of your feelings about sex? Become jealously angry, accuse you of sexual activity with others? Insist that you perform sexual acts which make you uncomfortable? Force you to have sex? Forbid you to use protection against sexually transmitted diseases? Forbid you to use birth control? Force you to have sex with others, or force you to watch others having sex? Videotape you during sex? Pressure you to view or read pornography? Force you to incur debt or ruin your credit? Control your money? Hide income, bank accounts or investments? Gamble, borrow money that forces you into debt? Refuse to pay family bills? Force you to sign fraudulent claims, checks, tax returns? Threaten to call your employer and lie about your mental health or personal history? Forbid you to work, go to school, accept a promotion? Force you to regularly be late to work, absent, or leave work early? Corner you, push you, throw you down? Throw things at you? Pull your hair? Slap or grab you? Scratch or bite you? Kick or punch you? Choke you? Threaten to use or use a weapon against you? Inflict any type of physical abuse during pregnancy? Emotional abuse is when an intimate partner has: continually criticized you. called you names or shouted at you. insulted or driven away your friends or family. humiliated you in private or public. kept you from working. controlled your money. made all the decisions. refused to work or to share money. taken car keys or money from you regularly. threatened to leave or told you to leave. threatened to kidnap the children when the abuser was angry with you. abused pets to hurt you. manipulated you with lies and contradictions. Physical abuse is when an intimate partner has: pushed or shoved you. held you to keep you from leaving. slapped or bitten you. kicked or choked you. hit or punched you. thrown objects at you. locked you out of the house. abandoned you in dangerous places. refused to help you when you were sick, injured or pregnant. forced you off the road or driven recklessly. threatened to hurt you with a weapon. Sexual abuse is when an intimate partner has: minimized the importance of your feelings about sex. criticized you sexually. insisted on unwanted or uncomfortable touching. withheld sex and affection. forced sex after physical abuse or when you were sick. raped you. been jealous or angry, assuming you would have sex with anyone. insisted that you dress in a more sexual way than you wanted. The best way to define an abusive relationship is when one partner uses violence to control the other. When a victim lives in constant fear, the abuser is in control. This use of violence is usually part of a pattern that gets worse over time. It has been described as the cycle of violence. Phase 1 Tension Building A victim often senses that the abuser is becoming edgy and more prone to lash out at trivial frustrations. The victim may learn to anticipate abuse and try to control it by being more nurturing and compliant or by simply staying out of the abuser’s way. This phase is marked by many â€Å"minor† abusive actions that gradually increase in severity. Quite often the event which will trigger the battering phase is initiated by the abuser who may make a demand which the victim cannot meet, and responds to her/his refusal or inability to act with explosive behavior. A victim of abuse often accepts the building rage in a partner as being legitimately directed towards her/him. The abused individual internalizes the responsibility of keeping the situation from exploding. If she/he does their job well, the abusive partner will become or remain calm; if she/he fails, the victim believes it is their own fault. A victim who has been battered over time knows that she/he can do nothing to stop the tension from building, but denies this knowledge to help cope with the partners behavior. Phase 2 Acute Battering Incident (Explosive Incident) When the abuser finally explodes, the severity of the assault and where it occurs is impossible to predict. This phase is characterized by explosive and unpredictable rage. This may involve pushing, shoving, shaking, or hair pulling. It may involve hitting with an open hand or a closed fist. It may involve intense yelling and name calling. It may be over in a moment or last for hours. If the assault has been physical, there may be visible injuries, but often an experienced batterer will leave no marks. The attack rarely takes a single consistent form. The attack is followed by shock, denial and disbelief. Most victims consider themselves lucky that it was not worse, no matter how bad their injuries are. They often deny the seriousness of their injuries and refuse to seek medical help if it is needed. The abuser denies violence, and justifies the behavior by saying the original intent was to simply teach the victim a lesson, and she/he just lost control. Phase 3 Aftermath: Loving Respite (Re-engagement Phase) Victims may enter the criminal justice system after an acute battering episode, but after the assault comes a period of calm, loving, contrite behavior. Both the abuser and the victim feel guilty about the event and resolve never to let it happen again. The batterer will very typically treat the victim with apparent respect, love and affection. This is a great relief for the victim and is precisely what was desired from the relationship all along. The abuser apologizes for what happened and asks for forgiveness. The abuser may even believe she/he will not do it again. The abuser promises to control her/himself and will never again hurt the partner she/he loves. An abuser may even agree to go to therapy (but will usually drop out when the relationship resumes the tension building phase). The abuser tells the victim that she/he would fall apart without them, and the victim wants to believe she/he will no longer have to suffer abuse. An abusers reasonableness and loving behavior during this period support the victims wish that the partner can really change. The victim takes responsibility for their abusers well-being and for the abuse. If the victim has made police charges against the reformed partner, she/he may consider dropping them. As long as the abusive partner continues to behave affectionately, the victim becomes increasingly reluctant to jeopardize such good behavior by proceeding with a prosecution or any other consequences to the abuser. Long-term effects of domestic violence on women who have been abused may include: Anxiety Chronic depression Chronic pain Death Dehydration Dissociative states Drug and alcohol dependence Eating disorders Emotional over-reactions to stimuli General emotional numbing Health problems Malnutrition Panic attacks Poor adherence to medical recommendations Poverty Repeated self-injury Self neglect Sexual dysfunction Sleep disorders Somatization disorders Strained family relationships Suicide attempts An inability to adequately respond to the needs of their children In a 1999 study from Johns Hopkins, it was reported that abused women are at higher risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths, and are more likely to give birth to low birth weight children, a risk factor for neonatal and infant deaths. In addition, children of abused women were more likely to be malnourished and were more likely to have had a recent untreated case of diarrhea and less likely to have been immunized against childhood diseases. Most battered women take active steps to protect their children, even if they do not leave their batterer. Domestic violence can severely impair a parents ability to nurture the development of their children. Mothers who are abused may be depressed or preoccupied with the violence. They may be emotionally withdrawn or numb, irritable or have feelings of hopelessness. The result can be a parent who is less emotionally available to their children or unable to care for their childrens basic needs. Battering fathers are less affectionate, less available, and less rational in dealing with their children. Studies even suggest that â€Å"battered women may use more punitive child-rearing strategies or exhibit aggression toward their children.† When children cannot depend on their parents or caregivers for emotional support and for practical support their development can be seriously delayed or, in severe cases, permanently distorted. Children without an emotionally availabl e parent may withdraw from relationships and social activities. Since childhood is the time when social skills and attitudes are learned, domestic violence can affect their ability to form relationships for the rest of their lives. One of the greatest concerns for any victim of violence is how the relationship has affected the children. For any child growing up in a home where violence occurs, the impact is huge. A victim who is not safe, cannot keep the children safe. Parents who have been traumatized by violence must cope with their own trauma before they are able to help their children. The perpetrator may be the child’s own parent, step-parent, an other relative or a domestic partner. There is a high correlation between growing up in an abusive home and becoming either a victim or perpetrator as an adult. The important message here is that witnessing violence affects kids in profound ways that shapes their personality and coping abilities throughout their lives. If your child is watching abuse, get help. If you do nothing, he/she will carry this burden alone throughout his/her own life, and the legacy of violence will pass to the next generation. Every child reacts differently depending on his/her age or temperament, but here are some common responses: Fear: Fear of harm, fear of abandonment, fear of losing family, fear of having to run away. Anger: Anger at the abusive parent for the pervasive violence, anger at the victimized parent for not stopping the abuse, anger at self for not knowing what to do to make things better. Guilt: Guilt because a child feels responsible for the family problems, guilt for loving a parent regardless of the abuse, or guilt for hating a parent who is causing so much pain. Shame: Shame for the family trouble, wondering â€Å"What is wrong with us? Will anyone else find out what is happening? Nobody else knows how this feels.† Confusion : Confusion about why this is happening to the family. â€Å"What can I do to fix it? What is wrong with me?† Powerlessness: Children have no control over any of the circumstances. They are absolutely powerless to change anything. â€Å"I did not choose this family, I cannot choose to leave, I do not want to stay. I don’t know what to do. I just want the bad stuff to stop.† Withdrawal: Kids who are scared and confused can close off relationships and isolate themselves from friends and family. This can lead to problems in school and at home. Aggression: Kids who are scared and angry can strike out and have difficulty managing their own relationships. Fights at school and aggression toward siblings are common. In conclusion, there are different kinds of domestic violence, but all kinds are very hurtful and damaging to a family and it’s members. To stop the violence we must make sure facts and information about violence in homes are well publicized. If they are not the statistics will never change and the amount of domestic violence cases we are seeing today will never drop. Having stricter laws and regulations is important since most abusers are given a slap on the wrist, and it usually does not teach them a lesson at all. All it does is give our society a message that domestic violence is not a major crime and that they can get away with it. When communities can establish policies to arrest abusers, a message is sent from the police to the society that domestic violence is a crime that will and should not be taken lightly. Research Papers on Domestic ViolenceEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentQuebec and CanadaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andTrailblazing by Eric Anderson19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is Art

Environmental Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Environmental Economics - Essay Example To a great extent, this has impacted on the quality of life of the population. The market economy has various implications on the general wellbeing of the environment. Relative effects are both negative and positive. Although negative effects are apparent in the short run, positive effects are more pronounced. It is against this background that this paper reviews the impacts of the market economy on environmental protection. To enhance a harmonic view, it begins by reviewing the negative effects and then proceeds to evaluating the positive effects. The market decisions place emphasis on increased production. According to Morgen, Pizer and Shih (1998), increased economic production implies an increase in production of wastes. This contributes to environmental pollution and resource depletion. Although incomes are likely to rise, environmental protection remains at risk. Under-valuation of natural resources has made it difficult for the environmental damages to be addressed effectively . The profits that firms and producers enjoy are not reflective of the environmental damages that production processes impose on the environment. In this consideration, market decisions compromise the wellbeing of the environment. In his research, Kolstad (2010) indicates that the market economy has had significant negative effects on the holistic wellbeing of the environment. ... Ideally, the environmental and naturally resources are considered public property (Harrington, Morgenstern & Nelson, 1999). For this reason, nobody takes responsibility for the negative effects that they suffer. It is contented that waste of important natural resources and resultant environmental destruction dis-economises the society. From an economic point of view, this undesirable status has the ability to reduce the marginal cost of economic firms and instead increase the consumer’s marginal utility. Thus market economy does not have the ability to address the various concerns that are related to resource sustainability. While the environment places emphasis on the need for resources to benefit future generations, market economy considers the benefits of the environment to present populations only. In this respect, market decisions greatly harm environmental wellbeing and undermine its protection. Besides the preceding negative effects, market decisions also promote enviro nmental protection in different ways. Notably, the government has a stake in market decision making. Relative environmental departments push for formulation and implementation of environmental regulation. Its provisions require that individuals and firms who engage in environmental pollution and destruction be punished accordingly. Stringent laws can culminate in investment in environment protection by economic firms. In addition, respective firms assume environmentally sound practices in order to prevent the economic losses that are associated with violation of environmental protection laws (Lomborg, 2001). Seemingly, decision making under the market economy is done by the government in collaboration with

Fixing Pubic Education in the United States Essay

Fixing Pubic Education in the United States - Essay Example This paper stresses that in the US, elementary education is compulsory and begins at age 5. According to Avril Toffler, compulsory education was premeditated to fabricate obedient factory personnel who are used to performing repetitive errands. Besides, compulsory education is a criminal, communist and unconstitutional because it is unusual and cruel punishment. Hence, the education system constitutes unintentional solitude. Thus, this is what the US education system does to the junior citizens who are in elementary schools. It is evident to deduce that what the children will specialize at will be mastering their alphabet but not being creative. Thus to yield creative citizens in the future, the federal government should do away with the compulsory system of education. This will enable children in elementary school to apply appropriate principles, values, and reasons to make a sound decision in their lives. This will enable them to become responsible citizens too. This discussion makes a conclusion that the US education system trains students to be employees and consumers. The system is unable to give rise to critical thinkers and aggressive entrepreneurs in US. If the system is not fixed, there will be no room for inventors and innovative citizens in the future to solve future challenges. To change the trend above, the government should implement a system where talent of individuals is nurture from a tender age thus enables development and specialization of an individual in his field of study. With such a system, there will inventions in the country thus economic growth. The system will also encourage entrepreneurship; thus this will lead to job creations and reduce pressure on the few available jobs hence decline in the unemployment rate, which is currently on the rise. The US system does not give rise to critical thinkers and thus the students are taught to obey rules and regulations in elementary school. This, in turn, confines the student s and suppresses them to express themselves. Since the students are not given room to express their views, their creative talent is curbed. The federal government should introduce a system which promotes a one on one free interaction between teachers and students. This will facilitate a favorable learning environment; thus it will nurture the students public relations and elevates student’s power of thinking. Besides, interaction between the students and the teacher will enable the teacher recognize the student’s area of difficulty; thus it will enable him to strengthen it. Besides, once the student is perfect through one on one discussion with the teacher, he will become more specialized and innovative too. One on one interaction also encourages group discussions and exchange of ideas. The US education system resembles a state penitentiary because of the incarceration, constant surveillance from the teachers; bells ringing at intervals, age segregations and lack of pr ivacy thus prevent children from learning how to think because they will be in constant fear of being punished by their teachers. When children are exposed to such circumstances, they are forced to addiction behavior. Constant surveillance retards students from being critical thinkers thus lack in creativity. Besides, it gives the teachers room to manipulate, harass and punish students incase they have done something erroneous. The federal government should introduce a system which does not tolerate teachers’ harassments to students. Besides, classes should be conducted in the

SEC Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SEC Accounting and Auditing Enforcement - Essay Example In this regard, The Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against three auditors who violated federal security laws. They failed to comply with the U.S. auditing standards in conducting their audits. Among the three audit failures and in their SEC enforcement efforts, the one on WOWJOINT Audits is the most shocking. Wowjoint is a company with its headquarters and operations in and around Beijing, China. Its ordinary shares, warrants, and units are registered with the commission pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange act. The manner in which its audits are conducted makes it the most shocking given the series of the failures and the magnitude of the same. The facts around these audit starts by stating that there was no adequate planning and supervision of the audits as required by the PCAOB Standards. This means that in the first instance the Auditors did not possess adequate knowledge of the firm they were auditing as required by the standards. The second and most s ensitive part of the failure is the fact that the Audit team failed to Test Wowjoint’s Revenue computations and this is again due to Valleau and Epstein’s lack of proper audit planning, failure to design and perform adequate audit procedures and general lack of knowledge of how firms in China operate (Murphy, 2013). Furthermore, there was a failure in conducting enquiry a scenario that resulted into insufficient information. The failure to conduct sufficient inquiry and procedures contravened the Standard AU Section 561. The other critical failure in this auditing procedure was the failure by the auditors to perform adequate auditing procedures to aid in determining the collectability of Wowjoint’s large and long outstanding Accounts Receivables hence a contravention of PCAOB Standard 326- Evidential matter. The ignorance of accounts receivables normally have great impacts on assets most so current. In addition to the above, there was inadequate retention of doc umentation as well as review of the work papers. Al the reasons stated above support the fact that among the three audit failures, the manner in which audit was conducted in Wowjoint is the most shocking (Murphy, 2013). B. Violations in the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and the NYS Rules The act by the Auditors in Wowjoint’s case has generally gone against the general provisions as prohibited by the Rules of the Board of Regents, part 29-Unprofessional Conduct. Under  § 29.10 Special provisions for the profession of public accountancy, unprofessional conduct shall include all the conduct prohibited by this section. The first violation is the failure to adequately plan and supervise the audit as required by AICPA and the NYS rules. According to this, an accountant is therefore obligated to always disclose material fact concerning financial statements as this makes such statements not misleading (Murphy, 2013). The section further prohibits a professional accountant allo wing a any other person to practice other than a partner, furthermore, the accountant must not at any point issue the use of their name in presentation of reports as this is only accepted for a qualified public accountant or with the approval of the same individual (http://www.op.nysed.gov/title8/part29.htm#cpa). Secondly, the flouting AICPA rules by audit when they failed to Test Wowjoint’s Revenue Computations. The accountant is required to submit working papers at all times. Failure to do so will result into scenarios where the applicability of a requirement is within the documentation and is rendered redundant. Definition as used in paragraphs will as well be impaired concerning what work papers mean, the documentation of such working papers and the time

Telstra The Largest Telecommunications And Information Services Company Marketing Essay

Telstra The Largest Telecommunications And Information Services Company Marketing Essay Telstra is the largest telecommunications and information services company, and is the largest mobile operators and internet service providers. Telstra supplies most homes and business with the basic access, and local, long-distance telephone call services, as well as mobile and internet services, which are the series telecom services all over the Australia. The report composes of a short introduction (landscape) of Telstras main area of operation. Also, this report includes environmental analysis, competitive analysis and strategic analysis of Telstra Corporation. In the section of environmental analysis, we analyze the present and future progress condition of Telstra Corporation. Then we use SWOT to analyze Telstras Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. At last, base on the SWOT analysis, this report analyzes the companys strategies. We can achieve conclusions that Telstra is becoming a media company. Content List 1. Introduction Telstra is the largest services company offering telecommunications and information, and is the largest mobile operators and internet service providers. Telstra can not only supply to all of Australians with a full range of telecommunications services, but it also is one of the largest nationwide telephone network. Nowadays, the internet users of Telstra have been excess 0.4 million. The company established a specializing department to be responsible for the Telstra datas future development, promoting the development of value-added business. Telstra Company listed in the Fortune magazine as one of the world top 500 companies, is the worlds 13th-largest telecommunications company. 2. Competitive analysis for Telstra Corporation Telstra Corporation (Telstra) is one of the leading telecommunications enterprises in Australia. It supplies a wide range of telecommunication, advertising and information services. Telstra Corporation backs its operation and strengths a competitive being against other players with its the stronger network infrastructures. However, saturation in the mobile market of Australian could have an impact on margins of Telstra Corporation. SWOT Analysis for Telstra Corporation Strengths Weakness Strong network infrastructure Strong retail broadband performance Dominant market position Relations with the regulatory bodies Opportunities Threats Expanding operations in China Saturated Australian mobile market Regulatory environment 2.1 Strengths Telstra has a strong network of infrastructure, which supports its operations. The strong network infrastructure backs the business operations and provides Telstra with a two-edge sorrow on competition with other companies. In the retail business board, Telstra made a record about its growing strongly. The operation had a better performance, due to the Telstras strong retail broadband performance. In the telecommunications market of Australian, Telstra is one of the most meaningful companies. Telstra launch new services and improves its competition, which result from its strong market position. 2.2 Weaknesses Stockholders faith and its brand worth are damaged for the weak relationship between the Telstra and regulatory bodies. 2.3 Opportunities In the telecom market of China, the operations business is expanded. In addition, the internet users of China have reached 298 million up at a high of 42%. What more, the internet penetration of China users is at 22.6% that is very low, which has left a growth room. Chinese internet market can stimulate companys growth seeing from the its expanding at present. 2.4 Threats In Australian, the mobile market has saturated. Telstra got amount of revenues from the Australian mobile market, at the same time, operating performance of Telstra could be influenced in near term. However, in the future years, the regulatory environment could have an impact on the Telstras operation performance. 3. Broadband planning and strategies of for Telstra Corporation The market is full of variables, risk of investment increases, income is difficult to control, value chain becomes more complex, but also Telstra faces competition and the complaints of its monopoly from other rivals. By 2012, whether Telstra is still able to occupy the leading position in information and ICT services market or in the pipeline to dominate the wholesale market is unknown, which are the great challenges Telstra will face. Facing these challenges, Telstra has adopted the following strategic initiatives: From the original technology-driven shift to market-oriented, Telstra is based on the market in the management of corporation. Enhance consumer research and costumer segmentation. Telstra subdivided all the customers into seven major customer base and more than 100 micro-customer base, and take the budget market. Explore new revenue and expand the content of services. Provide widely media services such as fixed and mobile convergence services, movies, music, content services, broadband and mobile bundled services, etc. Telstra is to expand its business oversea, such as the purchase of Chinas SouFun Sensis for the corporation to develop ICT services. Reduce costs and achieve the mode of One Factory. Reduce technology products and engineering investments; improve the investment of the products market launch, projects and infrastructure. Such as reducing the number of networks and systems, taking budget management of products and prices to connect to the One Factory mode; reduce the NGN investment and labor costs. A series of restructuring measures Telstra has taken are from a clear understanding of the company that the traditional fixed line is not the driving force of revenue growth and the revenue growth will come from other services. To this end, Telstra made the way of technical revolution in 2005 to build the most modern wireless broadband system in the world in a years time and to introduce the simple technology of mobile phone products. Secondly, Telstra sold the non-core assets of its businesses and use the proceeds obtained get the acquisition of Sensis for business advertising, transaction and directory services. Now Sensis has been one of the core platforms to achieve revenue growth. Thirdly, Telstra is becoming a media company. Foxtel service which is on behalf of the entertainment industry has also become one of Telstras the most famous brands. Fourthly, expanding oversea actively is also a major strategic choice of Telstra Corporation, such as Telstra Corporation has the largest local wireless service in Hong Kong, holding 51% stake in Chinas SouFun, which opened the door to enter Chinas highly competitive online advertising market. In short, Telstras strategic transformation is steadily moving forward. We have seen the positive effects of Telstras strategic transformation in fiscal year 2007 and 2008. 4. Conclusion As one of the leading telecommunications companies in Australia, Telstra offers a full range of telecom services throughout Australia. This report includes a brief introduction of Telstras main area of operation. Also, this report includes environmental analysis, competitive analysis and strategic analysis of Telstra Corporation. We use SWOT to analyze Telstras Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. At last, base on the SWOT analysis, this report analyzes the companys strategies. We can achieve conclusions that Telstra is becoming a media company.

Lynchings In America Essay -- essays research papers

Recently, an L.A. Times article (dated 2/13/00) reviewed a new book entitled "Without Sanctuary", a collection of photographs from lynchings throughout America. During the course of the article, the author, Benjamin Schwarz, outlined some very interesting and disturbing facts related to this gruesome act of violence: Between 1882 and 1930, more than 3,000 people were lynched in the U.S., with approximately 80% of them taking place in the South. Though most people think only African Americans were victims of lynchings, during those years, about 25% were white. Data indicates that mobs in the West lynched 447 whites and 38 blacks; in the Midwest there were 181 white victims and 79 black; and in the South, people lynched 291 whites and 2,462 African Americans. Though most people believe lynchings were just the manifestation of racial hatred, the author indicates that 20% of Southern lynching victims were killed by mobs of their own race. In addition, other societies such as An cient Rome and Greece, Germany, China, Nigeria, and East Africa lynched their own. It is for this reason that Mr. Schwarz believes lynchings cannot be explained only in terms of racism and paranoid "white psyche". To find the true reason, we must consider a different point of view. According to Mr. Schwarz, in the late 19th century, there arose in the South a large proportion of transient black men who, as their labor became expendable in an increasingly industrial and commercial econo...

Black, White, and Color

Who am I? That is the hardest question to answer for a college freshman. In a sense my life has just begun. I am finally on my own trying to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life. Does anyone find out who they are as a person at the age of eighteen? This is the age where a major transition is made from teen to a legal adult. I am going from being a child to being on my own making my own decisions. When I look at myself I see so many different things, some are things I learned in the past and I carry with me and others are things I hope to achieve or become. In Core 110 this year I learned that I could connect myself into what we were learning through studying psychology and science. At the beginning of the year I didn’t understand why we were learning psychology and science together but now I understand they go together. Without science there would be no psychological evidence and without psychology scientist would not be able to test certain theories. Because of Core 110 I can look deeper into myself by the insight I gained by studying psychology and science. In the book Forty Studies That Changed Psychology, by Roger Hock, he discusses Julian Rotter’s Locus of control theory of how individuals place the responsibility for what happens to them. Rotter explains that there are two types of people: internal locus of control and external locus of control (Hock 192). â€Å"When people interpret the consequences of their behavior to be controlled by luck, fate, or powerful others, this indicates a belief in what Rotter called an external locus of control. Conversely, he maintained that if people interpret their own choices and personality as responsible for their behavioral consequences, they believe in internal locus of control† (Hock 192). This is basically saying do you believe that your destiny is controlled by yourself or by external forces? Rotter believed that if a person’s likelihood to view events from an internal, versus an external, locus of control is fundamental to who we are and can be explained from a social learning theory perspective (Hock 192). In his view, as a person develops from infancy through childhood, behaviors in a given situation are learned because they are followed by some form or reward, or reinforcement† (192 Hock). From the rewards and reinforcements you learn from as a child follow you throughout life and make you develop an external or internal interpretation of the consequences of your behavior. Rotter wanted to demonstrate two points; first, make a test to measure how individuals posses an internal or an external locus of control orientation towards life. Second, is to show how internals and externals display differences in their interpretations of the causes of reinforcements in the same situations (Hock 193). Rotter came up with a test called the I-E Scale, which measured the extent to which a person possesses the personality characteristics of internal or external locus of control. He did this by asking certain questions that internal people would only answer a certain way and vice versa for the external people (Hock 193). In Rotter’s theory of locus of control I believe I have an internal locus of control because I control my own fate and destiny. My parent were very strict and always made sure I knew from right and wrong or else I would be punished. I grew up realizing I wouldn’t win the lottery and I had to work hard to become successful. My locus of control is very grounded and I don’t believe in luck. My portrait shows me on the playground looking towards the city in the background. It shows my goals and what I want to achieve but I am still in black and white; I’m not there yet. Being at college has only given me a taste of what it means to be an adult and be independent. I will one day achieve all my goals, but until then I’m still a kid stuck on the playground until one day I can reach the exciting city life. Another example from Roger Hock’s book is the study done by Langer and Rodin who look at the effects of choice and how it affects people. Everyday a person makes a choice or decision, â€Å"When your sense of control is threatened, you experience negative feelings (anger, outrage, indignation) and will rebel by behaving in ways that will restore your perception of personal freedom† (Hock 150). It’s like what kids do when they are told to do something or forbidden to do something, they either refuse to do it or do the exact opposite. Hock states, â€Å"What it all boils down to is that we are happier and more effective people when we have the power to choose† (Hock 151). This is a problem for both teens and elderly people, the only exception is that elderly people lose their rights where teens just aren’t old enough to get them yet. Elderly people lose their rights and control when they enter a nursing home. Langer and Rodin thought, â€Å"If the loss of personal responsibility for one’s life causes a person to be less happy and healthy, then increasing control and power should have the opposite effect† (Hock 151). They wanted to test this by directly enhancing personal power and choice for a group of nursing home residents. They predicted that the patients who were given the control should demonstrate improvements in mental alertness, activity level, satisfaction with life, and other positive measures of behavior and attitude (Hock 153). Langer and Rodin compared two floors of a nursing home, one given privileges the other stayed the same. The floors were given questionnaires about how they were treated by the end of the three weeks. The results showed (on chart 20-1 on page 154) that the differences in the two groups were extreme, which proved Langer and Rodin’s theory correct about the positive effects of choice and personal power (Hock 153). Langer and Rodin pointed out that their study, combined with other previous research, demonstrated that peoples’ lives improve when they are given a greater sense of personal responsibility (Hock 153). Being in control is a big thing for everyone. When I turned eighteen last year nothing changed for me except I was one year older and I could vote. My parents still treated me the same and I still had the same curfew. In their eye I was still a child. However, everything changed when I went to college. I became in control of almost everything except I still had to go to school. Being in control is such a powerful thing. I couldn’t imagine losing all my control like the elderly do. When I went home for Thanksgiving I lost most of my control to my parents and it upset me. I felt like the elderly people. My picture shows a divided line between black and white side and the color side showing I can’t get to what I want to be until I completely grow up and my parents treat me like a true adult. I’m stuck on the dark side wanting control, wanting color. In the book Accidental Mind, by David J. Linden, he discusses how perception is tied to emotion. Linden states, â€Å"Clearly, the perception/emotion distinction cuts deep into the way we think about the brain and the ways we deal with its dysfunctions† (Linden 98). He is basically saying that the time we realize or are aware of a sensation, emotions are already engaged. Two examples are Capgras Syndrome and people who have been blinded by damage to the primary visual cortex. Capgras syndrome is when someone can still visually identify objects and human faces, but they don’t evoke any emotional feeling. People who are blinded by damage to the primary visual cortex can accurately locate an object in their visual field even though they have no conscious awareness of seeing anything (Linden 99). The important point here is that visual information is rapidly fed into emotional centers in the brain, which make it impossible to separate emotion from perception in experience† (Linden 100). Linden concludes that the examples may only use vision, the principle still applies broadly to all of the sense, â€Å"emotions is integral to sensation and the two are not easily separated† (Linden 100). In my self-portrait everything is pastel t o show that where I am in my life is distorted yet connected and flows. I’m transitioning from being a teen to almost an adult. I see and experience things that are fair and also unfair. The color is so close to me yet I still have to wait for it. I am stuck on the playground trying to amuse myself until I am allowed to enter the real world. The playground and city are tied together because I will one day play on both. Another example from Linden’s book is the study on identical twins. Linden states that in certain cases some mental and behavioral traits come from genes. In the experiment they used identical twins (monozygotic twins) who were separated after birth and raised by different families and monozygotic twins who were raised together to compare with (Linden 53). â€Å"For example, identical twins given psychological tests to pin-point personality traits, such as extroversion or conscientiousness or openness, showed that identical twins have tended to share many of these traits whether or not the twins were raised together† (Linden 53). The point was to see if twins in the same environment and twins in separate environments were tested on being similar. Lindens conclusion was that, â€Å"in children and young adults from middle class or affluent families, in studies that have used a combination of twins, identical and nonidentical, raised together and apart, about 50 percent of â€Å"general intelligence† can attribute to genes, with the remainder determined by environmental factors† (Linden 54). Basically, genes influence general intelligence but to a lesser degree than they influence personality (Linden 54). When dealing with general intelligence, â€Å"both genes and environment contribute, but in the extreme case of environment deprivation seen in the poorest household, the effects of environment become much greater and largely overcome the effects of genes† (Linden 54). In the end the tests concluded that, â€Å"identical twins raised apart are significantly more alike in measures of personality than nonidentical twins raised apart† (Linden 54). This can conclude that there is some contribution due to genes. The main point of the twin experiment was to show that twins who grew up in separate environments were surprisingly more similar then expected. No matter what environment I am in I am still the same person. I can be on the playground playing or in the city working but no matter what I am still me. I grew up on the playground and learned many lessons that I will carry with me when I leave there. No matter how old I become or how aged I become I will still have the same personality and drive to achieve all my goals and dreams. Anything can happen if I set my mind to it and be patient. Eventually I’ll be in color like Mickey Mouse. My self-portrait shows the growth a person going from a child to a young adult. In humanity it is normal for a child to continually get frustrated about their age. A twelve-year-old is almost a teen, eighteen-year-old is a legal adult but not a true adult, and a twenty-year-old is so close to being twenty-one. Being a teen at any age is rough but every year is a year closer to something different. I may be stuck as a legal adult thriving to be ndependent from my parents but in reality I’m not even close to being able to be on my own. I’m stuck, like most of the other eighteen-year-olds in the world, trying to figure out who they are. I am just one of millions who feel this way, yet in reality what would I even do with all my independence and freedom? I am a freshman in college who really doesn’t know what I want to do with my life. I wont know until I figure out who I am as a person. This is why my self-portrait is in transition because before I can do anything with my life I have to answer the question: who am I?

Organizational Behavior Taking Motivation and Teamwork Into Perspective

Organizational Behavior Taking Motivation and Teamwork Into Perspective Free Online Research Papers TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Declaration 1 2. Acknowledgement 2 3. Summary 4 4. Introduction 5 5. Findings 7 5.1. Teamwork 7 5.1.1. Creative Innovation 8 5.1.2. Cultural aspects 10 5.2. Motivation 11 6. Discussion 14 6.1. Teamwork 14 6.2. Motivation 15 7. Conclusion 18 7.1. Teamwork 18 7.2. Motivation 18 8. References 20 9. Annexure 21 9.1. Starbucks Corporation: Case Study in Motivation and Teamwork 22 9.2. Diagram of Maslows Needes Pyramid†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦31 9.3. The Saint Paul Hotel 31 SUMMARY This report is made with the intention of displaying how motivation and teamwork are two pivotal factors ensuring success in hospitality. Literature finding coupled with case studies like that of Starbucks and Saint Pauls hotel will be used to illustrate the above statement. Using GAP analysis, the difference in theory and practical working of the company will be seen. INTRODUCTION The evolution of economies worldwide showcases the fact that the hospitality sector is expanding the fastest. Contrary to this, the quality of service and product in this sector is declining. The success of the hospitality sector depends on various aspects. These aspects remain constant under any given circumstances. The application of these factors in an efficient and accurate manner is what dictates the success of the establishment. Due to a rapid rise in globalisation in the recent past, competitiveness has increased tremendously. This is even more so, between companies marketing the same product or service, as in the case of the hospitality industry. Researchers have found that it costs for more to attract new customers than to retain current customers (Oliver, 1999; Rosenberg Czepiel, 1983) Motivation and teamwork are two of these integral factors. Here, there is a constant connection felt by the patrons and the employees. This forms a potential situation where the glass can be viewed as half full or half empty. Optimists believe that this medium of connection is what enables companies to initiate and hopefully sustain a steady relationship. The initiation can be created. It is the sustainment that poses the potential problems. The entire burden of this endeavour lies in the hands of the employees. Motivation of the employees is one of the key factors to ensure augmented success. Rensis Likert, one of the pi oneers in the field of motivation theory, and after which the Likert Scale is named, said The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals. The hospitality sector, as mentioned above, attains success based on various factors, like motivation. One of the other key factors that assist this attribute is teamwork. Any unit in the hospitality sector relies on their employees working in a single, cohesive unit. Hoegl Gemuenden (2001) observed that the definition of teamwork is a social system including more than three people in an organization or context. These members identify others as one member of the team and they have the same goal. Robbins (2001) stated that the factors influencing teamwork are relation of leadership, roles, principles, status, size, composition and the power of agglomerate. This is true in case of the hospitality industry as well. Being dependent primarily on the abilities and capabilities of its employees, teamwork forms an important aspect. FINDINGS TEAMWORK Different hospitality units focus on teamwork in different ways. None the less, the motive is the same, which is to improve results for better customer satisfaction and better revenue. Few organizations, however, are totally pleased with the results their team improvement efforts produce. If a team’s improvement efforts are not living up to the organization’s expectations, there are self-diagnosing check points that may illustrate why. Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams, must lay emphasis on the following. Competence Clear expectations Context Commitment Charter Control Collaboration Communication Creative innovation Cultural change Coordination Consequences In this report, focus will be given to the creative innovation and cultural aspects of teamwork. CREATIVE INNOVATION In today’s world, the level of competition cannot be faced with primitive methods. To give the guest something that is not being offered by another organization is the prime motive. This is not a responsibility that can be successfully carried out by any one individual. In the hospitality sector, every member of each organization may have creative input that may not be replicated. Since group processes have been said to be an important predictor of innovative performance (West and Anderson, 1996) and creativity (Amabile et al., 1996), there has been an expanding focus in research on elaborating factors within teams that facilitate team and innovative performance. A comprehensive model is offered by Hoegl and Gemuenden (2001) as well as Hoegl et al. (2004) who link the success of innovation projects to team performance and holistic success. For successful team performance communication, its frequency, degree of formalization, structure, and openness is important. Communication contributes to team performance (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001) as well as to the achievement of exceptional outcome (Sethi and Nicholson, 2001). Coordination, the synchronization and harmonization of individual tasks, is fostered by aligned goals with clear sub goals as well as defined roles which do not overlap each other (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001). Shared objectives and vision are linked to innovativeness (Anderson and West, 1996; Pearce and Ensley, 2004). Also, including all team members in the decision making process without having individuals on a team, who dominate discussions (balance of team member contributions), has been found to be links positively to innovation (Anderson and West, 1996; De Dreu and West, 2001; Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001; West and Anderson, 1996). Mutual support refers to intensive collaboration and cooperation between tea m members (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001). Collaboration is also one of the dimensions of Sethi and Nicholsons (2001) charged behaviour that is linked to innovation; trust and support is found one factor that enhances creativity (Amabile et al., 1996). Also, the finding that an equally high level of effort contributes to team work quality (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001) is in line with Pearce and Ensleys (2004) argumentation that social loafing is affecting innovation negatively. Feeling committed to the work of the group supports individual creativity (Amabile et al., 1996). Finally cohesion has been a topic of several studies around creativity and innovation (Craig and Kelly, 1999; Gully et al., 1995). It covers interpersonal attraction of team members, commitment to the teams task and team spirit. CULTURAL ASPECTS Within cultural concepts we concentrate on two different aspects. Hall and Hall (1990) identified three dimensions of culture though interviewing practitioners who are interacting with other cultures. In their communication model they suggest the following dimensions to differ between cultures: Various degrees of tabulating information via language. A different need for areal space. Dissimilarity in the applicability of time and working styles (monochronic/polychronic). Hofstede (1983) instead delivers less visible concepts than Hall and Hall. The cultural concept of Hofstede (1983) identified four cultural dimensions which refer to values as a guiding idea. Power distance, the acceptance of differences in hierarchical status. Uncertainty avoidance, an individuals motivation to keep away from uncertainties and changes. Individualism/collectivism, the importance of independence from ones company, and own activity. Masculinity/femininity, the importance of income, recognition and advancement as well as the degree of role allocation between men and women. Confucian dynamism or the long term orientation of a country was added to the concept (Hofstede and Hofstede, 2005). Throughout the term multi-cultural team it is seen that the considered teams have expansive cultural values and communication styles due to their affiliations to different nationalities and socialization in diverse cultural groundings. Through this approach, the fact that cultural values can differ within one country (Kirkman and Shapiro, 2005) and that only concentrating on a diverse national background ignores potential changes of personal behaviours which are culture related are take into account. MOTIVATION Motivation is a key factor that influences the daily operations of any hospitality unit. It is the key factor which influences an employee to go above and beyond the call of duty. The pioneering hospitality organizations in the world believe that in some way or the other, employee motivation plays an integral role in their success. â€Å"There is one key to profitability and stability during either a boom or bust economy: employee morale.† - Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines. There are various factors by which motivation can be attained. Many of these factors are based on models. Some of these models are:- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. -Dr. Abraham Maslow. ERG Theory of Motivation. –Clayton P. Alderfer. ARCS Model of Motivation. – John Keller. Motivational Theory. -Frederick Herzberg. In this report, Maslow’s theory will be used. This is done as they have some overlapping views, which will assist a simpler understanding. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. He called these needs deficiency needs. As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy, while preventing gratification makes us sick or act evilly. As a result, for adequate workplace motivation, it is important that leadership understands the exertive needs active for individual employee motivation. Maslows model indicates that basic, minor needs like safety and physiological requirements have to be satisfied in order to pursue higher-level motivators along the lines of self-fulfilment. Maslows Needs Pyramid or Maslows Needs Triangle, shows how after a need is satisfied it stops acting as a motivator and the next need one rank higher starts to motivate(Diagram present in Annexure). To summarise the above theory, a manager’s goal is to ensure that his employees have a reason to be motivated at all times. The needs that will motivate employees, changes with time. To recognise these needs is the job of the manager. Given below are the various needs of the employees. Physiological Motivation: Provide ample breaks for lunch and recuperation and pay salaries that allow workers to buy lifes essentials. Safety Needs: Provide a working environment which is safe, relative job security, and freedom from threats. Social Needs: Generate a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by reinforcing team dynamics. Esteem Motivators: Recognize achievements, assign important projects, and provide status to make employees feel valued and appreciated. Self-Actualization: Offer challenging and meaningful work assignments which enable innovation, creativity, and progress according to long-term goals. There are a few limitations present in Maslov’s theories. In some cultures, social needs are higher on the priority list than others. Maslows hierarchy fails to explain the starving artist scenario, in which the aesthetic neglects their physical needs to pursuit of aesthetic or spiritual goals. Additionally, little evidence suggests that people satisfy exclusively one motivating need at a time, other than situations where needs conflict. DISCUSSION TEAMWORK Starbucks is an internationally recognized hospitality chain. A case study based on this organization will be taken into consideration. This establishment is known for its ability to sustain its customers and have a relatively low turn-over rate. Here, team work is given monumental importance as they believe it to be the reason for their holistic success. The managers of the establishment refer to their peers and the people working under them as â€Å"partners†. By doing so, the corporate gap of title is bridged. The managers of the unit work aside the employees at the front line of service. This shows no discrimination in work, leading to self respecting employees who love their job. This is transmitted via the employees to the customers, creating satisfaction and loyalty. Simultaneously, it creates an open environment that contributes greatly to expression of innovative thinking. Starbucks has invested in creating a place where its employees can rest and enjoy. This also for ms a platform for creative inputs which are valued. As has been mentioned before, creativity of a person may never be replicated. The cultural barrier is present in every organization. How it is dealt with, is subject to change. Starbucks’ managers have authority to reschedule work timings of individuals. This is done in accordance with an employee’s personal or religious needs. Furthermore, emphasis is given to understanding an employee’s needs and problems. By following such exercises, the cultural barrier is overcome. At a particular shift, there are 6-8 employees working. As the unit of people working together is relatively small, people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds converse and know each other well. This again is another manner in which the cultural barrier is overcome at Starbucks. MOTIVATION The Saint Paul Hotel is a four star hotel located in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. This will be the case study for motivation that will be used. The hotel believes, like many others worldwide, that employee motivation is an important aspect attributing to the company’s success. The Saint Paul Hotel will provide training both for job skills and safety. Standards-based training occurs weekly in each department. Managers and employees will spend about 15 minutes to talk about their ideas. It is an opportunity to fine-tune or learn new skills. This training provides an opportunity for communication within the departments. For the employees to have their ideas heard and processed (if valuable) creates a sense of belonging and motivates them, as they have instilled in them the fact that they are valuable. Given below is a list of benefits given to the employees with the intention of motivating its employees. Uniforms: provided and maintained on the premises. One meal a day in employee dining room at no cost. Health, dental and life insurance. Employees of the month/year Manager of the quarter/year. Paid time off program used for sick pay, day off, vacation. Departmental incentives for safety/revenue generation/expense savings. Higher pay than the other hotels: Salary increases will occur on a schedule for Union employees, or annually for non- union employees. The Saint Paul Hotel will reward longevity with a watch for five years and a diamond pin for ten years. That diamond pin then has a new jewel set in it at each subsequent five year interval. After twenty years with the Hotel, a pin would have a diamond, a ruby and a sapphire. The Saint Paul Hotel prefers to promote from within whenever possible. However, this can be frustrating because often employees assume they are entitled to promotion based on seniority. Sometimes attendance/performance issues preclude allowing transfers or promotions. Sometimes lack of required experience interferes. While the Saint Paul Hotel trains many individuals in their jobs, even if they have had no experience, certain jobs (sales, accounting, etc.) require a certain level of expertise that must be grown into, as opposed to handed over (Personnel Communication, October 25, 2001). As said by Maslov (1943), there are various needs, that when fulfilled, create a motivated spirit and environment to work in. Saint Paul’s hotel is providing their employees with various benefits and perks. It can be seen that basic psychological needs are being fulfilled. By doing so, the basic level of motivation is instilled. Safety needs, being the second level of Mallow’s Hierarchy of needs, is also being given, in the form of health, dental and life insurance. By doing so, it is visible that the hotel cares about its employees and their well being. Gina Soucheray, training and employee development manager at the Saint Paul Hotel, stated that â€Å"right now we continue to look at how to get better support in the transportation process. However, nowadays we would like every employee to take the bus. We are looking at providing a better support structure for people who have to 29 take the bus or people who have to drive. Moreover, we are looking for the opportunit y for childcare for both union and non-union employees. That’s two key things right now transportation and childcare. We have a lot of employees who have problems with a good childcare system and we have a candidate who has come down to fill out memo about not enough parking space what we should do, and who’s going to pay for parking† (Personnel Communication, October 25, 2001). This is the extent to which Saint Pauls hotel engages itself in employee satisfaction, which is grounds for motivation. CONCLUSION TEAMWORK Teamwork is a wide field of study. In this report, two aspects of teamwork have been dealt with. These aspects are creative innovation and cultural aspects. A GAP analysis has been shown by applying views of established authors, like Hoegl and Gemuenden, Hofstede and Kirkman and Shapiro, to a case study of Starbucks. The importances of the two aspects shown are explained in this report. It is shown how Starbucks, being a multi-national company, promotes creative innovation from its employees. It also focuses on overcoming cultural backgrounds of individuals. Two people hailing from different backgrounds are evident not to have everything in common. The aim is to understand the other individual’s culture and needs, and to compromise. By doing so, the employees and managers of Starbucks are able to work harmoniously. MOTIVATION Today, there is an irrefutable connection between employee satisfaction and financial performance. This is based on numerous studies that support the analogue. Therefore, companies have a rare opportunity to emolument competitive leverage and contrasting by domesticate their greatest asset which is their employees. Employees are the most critical point of differentiation for any company in today’s business environment. The correlations are evident. Satisfied employees transfer their joy to attain satisfied customers, who in turn build long-term relationships, and spend more money. This presents a finding for American corporations, most of which do not utilize their employee potential to the max. A major survey conducted by the Public Agenda Forum indicates that fewer than 25 percent of American workers are working to their full potential. And 75 percent said they could be significantly more effective in their jobs than they are. Plus, 60 percent believe they don’t work as hard as they did in the past. These are not the characteristics of satisfied, engaged and happy employees. With a closer analysis of the different models mentioned in this report, and practical implication of those guidelines, would open doors to financial growth and holistic betterment of the industry. REFERENCES 1. Hoegl, M Gemuenden, H G (2001) Teamwork Quality and the Success ofinnovative Projects: A Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence Organization science, Vol 12, No. 4, pp 435-449. 2. Nicholson, N (1998) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behaviour Blackwell, pp 215 3. Robbins, S P?2002?Organizational Behavior America: Prentice-Hall, pp 335 4. Assessing the Work Environment for Creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 39(5), 1154-1184. 5. Hoegl, Martin and Gemuenden, Hans Georg, 2001. Teamwork quality and the success of innovative projects Organization Science, 12(4), 435-449. 6. Hofstede, G., 1983. National Cultures in Four Dimensions. A Research-based Theory of Cultural Differences among Nations. International Studies of Management and Organization, 13(1-2), 46-74. 7. Kirkman, Bradley L. and Shapiro, Debra L., 2005, The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Multicultural Team Performance, vol. 18. Elsevier Ltd. 8. Sethi, Rajesh and Nicholson, Carolyn Y., 2001. Structural and Contextual Correlates of Charged Behavior in Product Development Teams. Journal of Product and Innovation Management, 18, 154-168 9. West, Michael A. and Anderson, Neil R., 1996. Innovation in Top Management Teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(6), 680-693. 10. Amabile, Teresa M., Conti, Regina, Coon, Heather, Lazenby, Jeffrey and Herron, Michael, 1996 11. Pearce, Craig and Ensley, Michael, 2004. A reciprocal and longitudinal investigation of the innovation process. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 259-278. 12. De Dreu, Carsten K. W. and West, Michael A., 2001. Minority dissent and team innovation: The importance of participation in decision making. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(6), 1191-1201. 13. Abraham Maslows book Motivation and Personality(1954), formally introduced the Hierarchy of Needs. Websites 1. http://orgsci.journal.informs.org/cgi/content/abstract/12/4/435 2. www.netmba.com 3. envisionsoftware.com/articles/Maslows_Needs_Hierarchy.html 4. envisionsoftware.com/articles/ERG_Theory.html 5. uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2002/2002petcharakp.pdf 6. employeebenefits.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?h=365;category_cs=14;link_cs=2 7. articlesbase.com/sales-articles/using-incentives-to-effectively-motivate-employees-1169188.html 8. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Motivate-Employees-Effectivelyid=1864705 9. businessballs.com/employeemotivation.htm Research Papers on Organizational Behavior Taking Motivation and Teamwork Into PerspectiveResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Free Essays on Fall of Man Through Knowledge (comparison of Frankenstien and Genesis)

Throughout history, man has been fascinated with the origins of life. Questions like, â€Å"where did we come from?† and â€Å" how were we created?† have been asked for ages. We have even fantasized about creating life ourselves and the never-ending quest for knowledge pursues to this day. Genesis reflects how one ancient people explained not only their own beginnings, but also the creation of the world. The first few chapters also introduce the â€Å"fall† of humanity. We were created along with the rest of the world and were in paradise, until the opportunity to gain knowledge arose. â€Å"And the serpent said to the woman, ‘you shall not be doomed to die. For God knows that on the day you eat of [the fruit from the tree in the midst of the garden] your eyes will be opened and will become as gods knowing good and evil’† (ch.3, 4-5). Man chose knowledge, which led to his downfall. In my opinion this theme of man’s search for knowledge ultimately leading to â€Å"fall† of humanity is also present in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both texts are similar in that they serve as warnings for foolish quests for knowledge and power. Shelly wrote in her introduction, â€Å"Frightful must it be for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the creator of the world† (viii). Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the attainment of knowledge and trying to immortalize himself through an endeavor. So much so, that his morals seem to be forgotten. Adam and Eve consumed a fruit to feed their hunger for knowledge and Frankenstein became consumed with science to fill his appetite. Victor was longing for God-like power by trying to create life. He did not consider the consequences of his actions of seeking God’s knowledge and neither did Adam and Eve. Victor said, â€Å"What had been the study and desire of the wisest men since the creation of the world was now within my grasp† (11... Free Essays on Fall of Man Through Knowledge (comparison of Frankenstien and Genesis) Free Essays on Fall of Man Through Knowledge (comparison of Frankenstien and Genesis) Throughout history, man has been fascinated with the origins of life. Questions like, â€Å"where did we come from?† and â€Å" how were we created?† have been asked for ages. We have even fantasized about creating life ourselves and the never-ending quest for knowledge pursues to this day. Genesis reflects how one ancient people explained not only their own beginnings, but also the creation of the world. The first few chapters also introduce the â€Å"fall† of humanity. We were created along with the rest of the world and were in paradise, until the opportunity to gain knowledge arose. â€Å"And the serpent said to the woman, ‘you shall not be doomed to die. For God knows that on the day you eat of [the fruit from the tree in the midst of the garden] your eyes will be opened and will become as gods knowing good and evil’† (ch.3, 4-5). Man chose knowledge, which led to his downfall. In my opinion this theme of man’s search for knowledge ultimately leading to â€Å"fall† of humanity is also present in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both texts are similar in that they serve as warnings for foolish quests for knowledge and power. Shelly wrote in her introduction, â€Å"Frightful must it be for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the creator of the world† (viii). Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the attainment of knowledge and trying to immortalize himself through an endeavor. So much so, that his morals seem to be forgotten. Adam and Eve consumed a fruit to feed their hunger for knowledge and Frankenstein became consumed with science to fill his appetite. Victor was longing for God-like power by trying to create life. He did not consider the consequences of his actions of seeking God’s knowledge and neither did Adam and Eve. Victor said, â€Å"What had been the study and desire of the wisest men since the creation of the world was now within my grasp† (11...

Marcel Duchamp Prefigure Walter Benjamin's Thesis Essay

Marcel Duchamp Prefigure Walter Benjamin's Thesis - Essay Example The essay "Marcel Duchamp Prefigure Walter Benjamin's Thesis" explores Walter Benjamin's thesis and Marcel Duchamp. Art has evolved since it was first discovered and the reason behind all these forms of evolution is to ensure that the production of works of art suit the aesthetic needs of the people to whom it is presented. A key point in global art history in terms of evolutionary art is the early 20th century when Benjamin Walter hypothesized and further came out with an essay on art in the age of mechanical reproduction. In this paper, the ways in which the work of Marcel Duchamp prefigures Walter Benjamin’s thesis in his essay shall be analyzed. Marcel Duchamp has been a major contributing icon to the work of art, especially in the 20th century. The 1887 French born had the opportunity of having his first exhibition in 1908 in what was termed Salon d’Automne through the influence of his brother . But since then, Duchamp took a lot of control over what he could do as an artistic personality. It is not for nothing that Perloff notes that Duchamp’s readymades now commands sky-high prices, with people applying for permission to reproduce some of his related images in a scholarly book on modernism paying as much as $200 apiece. This means that Duchamp has continued to remain a very influential figure in art since the 1990s and continues to dominate modern artistic theories. As far as the mechanical reproduction is concerned, a number of great pieces of art works could be attributed to Duchamp., most of which shall be discussed into detail in later sections of the paper. However, it is worth mentioning that the influence of Duchamp on art through the challenging commands of conventional thoughts he had over artistic processes gave so much scheme to what was yet to be born essay of Benjamin Walter3. Though it is said that Duchamp did not succeed in producing as many works of art as some of his predecessors and those that came after him, the fe w he did and some of his subversive actions predicted that he was a revolutionist of art who wanted the old aura to be replaced with a new one, which Walter later came to champion as a thesis in his essay. Overview of Walter Benjamin’s Thesis The major thesis of Walter Benjamin’s essay touches on the conceptualization that the form of technical reproduction of works of art that takes place today are not a modern phenomenon but that modernity has played a contributing factor in ensuring and enhancing much accuracy in the course of mass production4. Throughout the essay, this thesis is elaborate to more or less praise the role of modern artistic discoveries into making what used to be even better. The essay therefore analyses various for m of the development of mechanical visual reproduction including photography, stamping and engraving5. In each of these artistic practices, which in the opinion of Walter are not new but an exhibition of mechanical reproduction that has been with us for long, a new line of

Revolutionaries are the Best Ways to Effect Positive Change in Research Paper

Revolutionaries are the Best Ways to Effect Positive Change in Opressive Regimes When Human Rights are Violated - Research Paper Example Revolutionaries are the most effective means of effecting positive change in oppressive regimes. Examples of revolutionaries that succeeded in bringing positive change and ending injustices include American Revolution, French Revolution and Recent revolutions in Arab countries. Revolutionaries are the best ways to effect positive change in oppressive regimes when human rights are violated and injustices exist Introduction Revolutionaries are the best way to effect positive change under any oppressive regime. Revolutionaries are justified when citizens experience continued injustices and violation of basic human rights by the ruling government. Revolutionary refers to drastic change that occurs when citizens break laws in order to protest against government policies. Examples of revolutionaries that were precipitated by oppressive regimes include the Civil Rights Movements in the US and recent Arab World uprisings. Citizens engage in revolutionaries by refusing to pay taxes, damaging government property and civil protests that aim at blocking traffic flow in major highways. Revolutionaries occur when the oppressive regime blocks the channels of negotiation or when the government is not willing to address the problems affecting the citizens (Spielvogel, 2011). This paper will discuss the importance of revolutionaries in bringing positive change in oppressive regimes when citizens experience injustices and violation of fundamental human rights. John Locke (1632-1704) asserts that governments derive their authority from the people thus civil liberties of the citizens should be protected by the government (Grant, 1991). Citizens should engage in revolutions if the government violates their human rights and curtails freedom of expression. According to Locke, if regimes alter the laws in order to curtail the rights of individuals, the citizens are justified to protest and overthrow the government (Grant, 1991). The ruling regime should adhere to the social contract be tween the government and citizens. John Rawls asserts that civil liberties enable citizens to live harmonious in the society thus all individuals should be accorded equality in rights and freedoms (Grant, 1991). Government economic policies should not disadvantage of the minority or create inequalities in income and wealth distribution. Most of the Arab uprisings were occasioned by high income inequalities that created high unemployment and poor living conditions to the low income earners. The ruling regime should promote civil rights and minimize social classes in the society in order to promote the welfare of the whole society (Richards, 2004). Revolutionaries are the best method of affecting positive change when several minority groups encounter discrimination and injustices from the oppressive regimes. Such regimes are characterized by dictatorship rule, disrespect for humanity and lack of freedom of expression in the society (Spielvogel, 2011). For instance, President Mubarak v iolated Egyptian constitution by hindering the freedom of media and civil liberties of individuals who criticized government policies. In oppressive regimes, citizens have no economic and political power to change the ruling government. Oppressive regimes have total control of the media thus citizens should engage in mass civil protests and boycotts to effect positive change in the political leadership. For instance, Gaddafi’s oppressive regime targeted journalists who criticized or reported of atrocities that were committed on the