Africa – 5

â€Å"Before the twentieth century, it would have been incorrect to speak of the Igbo as a single people† (XIX, Achebe). Although all these people lived in Igboland, there were hundreds of different variations of Igbo, resulting in cultural differences and differences in language so great, that one Igbo group could be misunderstood by another only thirty miles away (XIX). Colonialism, a disease that spread through Africa causing destruction, disarray, and fear, was also directly responsible for the overall unity of the Igbo people observed throughout the twentieth century.Although colonialism broke up the unity of villages and forced different political, social, and economic lifestyles on the groups of Igbo people, colonialism also had a direct impact in forming national unity; in forming â€Å"a common Igbo identity† (XIX). Although colonialism diminished the values each Igbo group held dear to them throughout the generations, this was necessary in the development of t he identity of Igbo people as a whole as they were becoming part of a new, industrialized world.Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, showed both how destructive colonialism was and how detrimental it was to the close-knit Igbo villages. Destruction of entire clans by massacre was not out of line for white men during the beginning of colonialism, as this was the punishment of the Abame clan for killing the first white man they saw. The Umuofia and Mbanta clans knew better than to kill any white men before discovering their purposes, and reluctantly allowed the white, Christian missionaries to enter their villages.Okonkwo, a strong, important man from Umofia, was serving his seven-year exile in his motherland Mbanta when these missionaries became more profuse and active. He despised the white men and their new religion, and wanted action to be taken against them. At first, the churches were only able to attract people without a title, however, as time progressed, outcasts were attract ed and women who despised their village laws, such as throwing their â€Å"abominable† twins away, also joined (101). Christianity appealed to the people who had nothing if they followed their village’s culture and beliefs.It eliminated the emotional burdens women had to face if they had twins, allowing the twins to live freely, rather than to be disposed of in a forest of death. During his exile, Okonkwo’s own son, in spite of his father, joined the missionaries in his hatred of village law, especially the fact that innocent children could be killed so easily, such as the boy Ikemafuma, taken prisoner by Umuofia and eventually killed. When Okonkwo returned to an unrecognizable Umuofia, his hatred of the white men increased. Real trouble began after a man from the Christian church unmasked one of the sacred egwugwu, an ancient god.This led to the council of chiefs from Umuofia to take action and burn the church down, leading to their imprisonment by the white Di strict Commissioner, leader of the white law. The ex-leaders of the village were shackled at the leisure of white men. No longer did these esteemed Umuofia chiefs hold the power; they were not the â€Å"men† of the village anymore. The white men were more powerful than them, subjugating them to their religion and law. Politically, white men now ruled Umuofia, with punishment settled by the white men in command, rather than a council of chiefs.After the release of the chiefs, an assembly of men met in the village to decide what they would do in response to these latest happenings. A group of white messengers arrived at the meeting and informed everyone that the District Commissioner said the assembly was to end. Okonkwo, in his anger, killed one of the messengers, and when no one else reacted, letting the others escape, he realized there was nothing he could do. White men were breaking up his community, and no one was man enough to take action and fight.Inside â€Å"he mourne d for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women† and he realized his community was lost to colonialism (129). Okonkwo knew that all of his hard work for power had been for nothing. He lived in a town filled with people readily allowing their selves to be taken over by foreign men implementing their own beliefs, religion, and power, and as a result he ended his own life. In the early phases of colonialism, it is easy to see how destructive its effects were on the idea of community; the churches separated people from each other, while the colonial law stripped the village of its power.Buchi Emecheta’s, The Joys of Motherhood, not only shows how Igbo communities are broken up, like Things Fall Apart, but it also shows how Igbo groups are brought together. In the time of Nnu Ego, wealth was not determined by the amount of wives a man had or how big his farm was, as it was in pre-colonial times. Instead, wealth was measured with money, money earned from hard labor, usually serving the white men and women or working for the government. People of Igbo groups, like Nnaife, Nnu’s husband, moved from farming lands to cities to attempt to live â€Å"better† lives. Moving to these cities, many different groups of Igbo people were iving together and had to learn to get along, because as Igbo people realized, although they may speak a little different, it was extremely difficult to live in a new place without being able to relate with anyone. In Lagos, the British colony where Nnaife and Nnu lived, Yoruba people and Igbo people did not get along well, practicing very different beliefs and ideas. With tension from other cultures, there was no need for any tension among the subgroups of Igbos, which is why regardless if they came from west or east Igboland, they would be understanding of each other.Being friendly with people of other Igbo groups provided a sense of family in a place where family did not exist. The I gbo people met in the cities, regardless of the clan they were from, became the â€Å"brothers† and â€Å"sisters† of the newcomers, who left their real family in their homeland, far away. Igbo groups living in cities merged together, not seeing each other as different groups, which was common in their own lands, but recognizing each other as Igbo; another who understands the same language and beliefs.Although moving to cities assimilated to Western culture was beneficial to Igbo people as a whole, the idea of family was greatly diminished, especially in the eyes of women. At a young age, Nnu Ego felt being a mother was an extremely important part of her life. She felt it was her purpose to have many kids, because they would eventually take care of her and bring her happiness. However, she discovered how hard being a mother actually was in a society dominated by Western beliefs and culture.In a farming society, such as Ibuza, having more kids meant having more help aro und the farm and the house. In an industrial society, like that of Lagos, the more kids meant more mouths to feed, more clothes to buy, and more money spent on education. Not only did the Nnaife have to work, but Nnu also had to devote all of her energy to earning money, specifically to make sure her kids received an education to be successful. As a result, children growing up in these societies lost their sense of responsibility for their family, an important part of Igbo beliefs.With all the hard work and suffering Nnu put forth for her children, just to have food in the house, her two oldest sons she sent to college didn’t even show their thanks and send anything back to her (224). Her idea of a family and happiness coming from her children was only a dream, and Nnu died a lonely death on the side of a road. Socially, western culture viewed it to be more beneficial to achieve self-success than care for family, which eventually drove Nnu’s family apart, and led to Nn u’s death. Colonialism affected every Igbo person, whether they liked it or not. It gave women different outlooks on life, on being a mother.It stripped men of their power and manlihood. It brought a different religion, with a single god and different morals. It brought a new type of wealth, and education. Colonialism changed the ways of the Igbo forever. The groups were not all separate anymore, if you were Igbo, you were Igbo. That was all that mattered in a society run by Europeans, filled with people of many cultures for different reasons. Colonialism took away unity, but it created a new kind of unity. Colonialism not only introduced it’s economics, politics, and lifestyle; it also gave Igbo a reason to come together, which is important in an ever-changing society.For a culture that took generations to build, it is surprising that within a matter of a century, the distinguished characteristics of each Igbo clan were diminished, as each clan assimilated into the We stern way of living (XLVIII, Achebe). However, in the larger scheme of things, maybe the Igbo knew they were placed in a war they could never win, unless they gave in to their opponent; unless they gave in to change. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. South Africa: Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann Educational, 1996. Print. Emecheta, Buchi. The Joys of Motherhood. New York, New York: George Braziller, Inc. , 1979. Print.

Big Dig

A stakeholder is a person, group, or organization that has a direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can be affected by the organization’s actions, objectives, and policies. In a business, there are many people and organizations who are able to support and have responsibility to keep the business survive. Stakeholders are one of them. They are people who have an interest in the activities of a firm or business, however, they do not have to own any finance in that business. There are two types of stakeholders –Internal and External stakeholders.The external stakeholders in construction project are: Local, and National authorities and government, Social organizations, Political organization, Local communities, the General public, Environmentalists, Interests groups, Real estate owners, Nearby residents, Trade and industry, Social Services (schools, Hospitals etc. ), Media, anyone else who believes he or she has a stake in the project. Internal stakeholders are: Project owners, Client organization, Project Management team, Customer user, Suppliers contractors’ subcontractors, Employee, Financiers, and Creditors.Major stakeholders for the big dig project are: the Massachusetts Highway Department, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA), the Metropolitan Highway System (MHS), Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff (B/PB), and the General public. The main direct stakeholders who are benefiting from the completion of the project are the Boston commuters. The main objective of the Big Dig project is relieving highway traffic congestion, reducing traffic jams in Downtown Boston, and decreasing the accident rate. The elevated Central Artery had been designed to carry up to 75,000 vehicles per day when it opened in 1959.However, the size of traffic continued to increase, with traffic mounting to 200,000 vehicles per day, and approximately 190,000 of those going over the Charles River crossing in the 1990s. The two tunnels under Boston Harbor b etween downtown Boston and East Boston/Logan Airport were facing the same problem. The accidents were concentrated around exits from the elevated highway onto local streets in downtown Boston, and this was linked to the lack of an ‘Inner Belt’ highway that was supposed to complete the Central Artery design.Such an Inner Belt was never built because of community opposition to the construction of an additional highway, which would have required displacing thousands of residents and businesses. Through the years, it became clear that without major improvements to the Central Artery and the harbor crossings, the congestion was only going to get worse. The annual costs from this congestion were significant, including wasted fuel from idling due to still traffic and related deficiencies to air quality, as well as charges for delayed deliveries.All of these were estimated to cost $500 million per year. In addition, Boston's North End and Waterfront neighborhoods were cut off f rom the downtown, limiting these areas' ability to participate in the city's economic life. The success factors are the contributions made by the management towards a successful project. These can be classified into five groups as follows: †¢The project manager: Having a project manager is not going to guarantee the success of a project. The person needs to have an array of skills under his arm to use during the project.He must guide the rest of the team to successfully complete all the objectives. †¢The project team: Project managers are very lucky if they have the option to choose their project team. More often, their team is inherited to the project from various sectors of the organization. The team needs to consist of variety of skills and experience. Collectively as a team, success is easy to achieve with proper guidance. All members of the project team must be committed to the success of the project and the overall mission of the company. Project: The scope and timel ine of the project are crucial. For example, if a project is urgent, the critical factor in that case is time. †¢The organization: Top management support is the principal success factor for many independent research groups. The organization needs to provide support to both the project manager and the project team. †¢External environment: External environment can be the political, economic, socio-culture and technological context in which the project is executed.Factors like the weather, work accidents or the government’s favorable or unfavorable legislation can affect the project in all of its phases. External constraints should not affect the project. Back up plans need to be in place in case daily tasks cannot be carried by the team. Yes, the project is successful. The economic impacts of the projects are as follows: †¢There has been approximately 62% improvement in the traffic flow, which exceeded project expectations. †¢A 12 percent reduction in citywi de carbon monoxide levels was achieved. Improvements and substantial reductions in traffic delay is providing approximately $168 million annually in time and cost-saving for travelers. †¢Average travel times from the I-90/I-93 interchange to Logan Airport during peak periods have decreased between 42% and 74%, depending on direction and time of day. †¢Average afternoon peak hour northbound travel time on I-93 through downtown has dropped from 19. 5 minutes to 2. 8 minutes. †¢The opening of the I-90 connector to Logan International Airport has added 800,000 residents to the 1. million who can access the airport within a 40-minute drive of their home. Overall, the project is successful as can be seen from the above economic impacts of the project. The major objective to relief the traffic has been successful and there is a much better traffic flow now. This project gives us a good idea about the success criteria used here and gives us a practical example of the required contributions by the management and employees to make the project successful.

Barriers to Effective Communication Paper

Barriers to Effective Communication Paper Tametrius Walker Mrs. Alsup CJA 363 February 2, 2011 In this paper I will be discussing the process of communication and its components, discuss the difference between listening and hearing in communication, talk about the formal and informal channels of communication, talk about the different barriers to effective communication, and lastly discuss the strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers. Communication is very crucial in the criminal justice system; it is the key element for success. From a rookie all the way up to a chief, every police officer must be able to speak, listen, and understand without excuses. There is no room for poor communication in the criminal justice system, because it is a waste of time and a waste of everyone’s energy. An author named A. Richard in 1928 gave the best definition of communication he said, â€Å"Communication takes place when one mind acts upon its environment and that another mind is influenced. In that other mind an experience occurs just like the experience in the first mind, and is caused by that experience† [(Wallace, 2009)]. Communication is not an isolated event, it is a process. It is five steps that the communication process contains and it is transmitting an idea, sending the idea through a medium, receiving the message, understanding the idea, and providing feedback to the message sender. The communication process becomes flawed, when failure occurs during any of the five steps, and the information that is at hand will not flow in a smooth and accurate manner. The first step to communication is transmitting an idea. This step is the information of several thoughts and the desire to express the ideas. Sending the idea through a medium, which is the second step means that the message needs to be sent once it is formed. Transmitting an idea can be done in writing, orally, or by action. Each method is interpreted in a different way, no matter what medium is used to send a message. The critical part of communication is receiving the message. This is the reverse of message transmission. In order for the message to be effective, it must be received and acted on. An important part of communication understands the idea. What is the point of transmitting the idea in the first place, if nobody can comprehend the message? The sender should always take into consideration the person or people that are receiving the information before the message is even sent, putting themselves into receiver’s shoes so that that the essence of the idea is communicated. Providing feedback for the message sender is the last step in the communication process. The communication loop comes to an end, when this step occurs. At this point the recipient let the sender know if the information that was received was understood or needs clarification. Exchanging information that involves at least two people is the primary reason for communication. The communication process is the essence of our lives and how we get everything we do across to the rest of the world that is why it is so important. There are two steps when it comes to communication. Step one is hearing and step two is listening. Both of these words are different. In order for the communication process to be successful you have to hear first and then listen. Hearing is when a person ear picks up sound waves and then sends it to the brain. Listening which is the active process is the second part of communication. You need to be an active participant in other words. The active listener not only evaluates the message before they respond, they also think as the speakers relay the message. The thought speed of listeners is a lot faster than the speaking speed of listeners, which will result in lagging and may lead to day dreaming. A listener must concentrate on the message so that they may become an active listener to be successful in communication to overcome this. The traditional communication method in an organization most of the time is formal and informal. In formal communication this channel follows the chain of command, which is typified by detectives, formal orders, and written memorandums. These forms provide order and security. The use of excessive and exclusive communications has certain disadvantages. Strict adherence to formal channels can be personal and time consuming, this is one disadvantage. Memorandums must go through the chain of command, then forwarded to the right personnel in order to be drafted carefully. It will also require written records and a lot of people do not like putting their information on paper because it will restrict the flow of the written information, this is another drawback of formal channels. Formal communications also have advantages, however. Formal communication makes it easy for officers because the new information that are about crimes that need to be given to all officers, can make the situation critical, then formal communication is very clear and less confusing regarding the contents. Informal channels which is departmental gossip. This is used between detectives and patrol officers. Using informal channels can save time when time is critical. Instead of going through the entire process, informal channel allows an officer to take the short cut and pass the information on quickly and responsibly. It is also used so different departments can share information. For instance, if a robbery crime resulted in a homicide. This situation allows both departments to team up and solve the crime. When it comes to barriers to effective communication, there are four different types; they are emotional barriers, physical barriers, semantic barriers, and ineffective listening. An emotional barrier means that everyone takes a situation in their own way. Emotional barriers happens in the sender or receiver of a message, majority of the time an individual will let their experiences get in the way while transmitting or receiving information. Examples include fear, anger, and hostility. A physical barrier is anything that allows the free flow of information difficult. A semantic barrier is studying the meaning and development of words. For instance, officers interpret juvenile delinquent in different ways such as youth acting out, hard core, or under age youth. It can result in bad communication having the inability to understand one another. Ineffective listening which is the last barrier is failure to receive or hear another individual message. There are many strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers. When it comes down to emotional problems peer support system will help because this allows officers to work with one another to solve roblems. When addressing physical barriers, not allowing anything to slow down the flow of information will overcome communication barriers. If semantic barriers are guarded against it will help officers to agree on the meaning of terms, which will help them to effectively communicate. Lastly, I think the best way to overcome communication barriers is to help people improve their listening skills. It will help the criminal justice department if officers will use these strategies because it will overcome all their barriers to communicate. As you have read communication is very important. In every aspect of the criminal justice system, it is the key element for success. Not only will it better ourselves as officers, with these skills of communications, but we can also strive for better goals which will not only help the department, but also the judicial system and our communities. We can overcome barriers and encourage others that are striving to do the same, As long as we push forward and follow these strategies. Reference Harvey Wallace J. D. , C. R. (2009). Oral and written communication

Local Lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Local Lawsuit - Essay Example Company’s prosperity has significantly been contributed by acquisitions between the company and smaller manufacturing companies in the same field. The company has also embarked on cutting all its operational cost by shifting its production off the United States. For instance, in 2004 the company announced a plan to move 350 jobs from Tennessee to Mexico. In 1998, Black & Decker Corporation was involved in a lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service regarding allegations by the company to be refunded 57 million dollars from its earlier tax payments. The company had purchased 10,000 shares for 561 million dollars and later sold them at the price of 1 million, making a loss of 560 million dollars. The company therefore wanted a refund equivalent to the loss incurred. In addition, the company argued that the money should be refunded since the tax shelter it had implemented was valid. Tax shelter in this case is lawful technique of minimizing taxable income of a company depending o n local and universal tax laws. On the other hand, the Internal Revenue Service argued that the company strategy of tax shelter was abusive. Black & Decker Corporation had created a Black & Decker Healthcare Management Inc. and then transferred to it 561 million dollars in exchange for stock shares of 10,000. ... Although the company had a contingent liability and tax protection, it was difficult to estimate the exact cost on health insurance. This was because of uncertainty on how many employees would be ill at a go. However, there a number of risk management strategies Black & Decker Corporation management could have implemented to avoid the lawsuit. The first one is that the company can opt to reinsure since by doing so the company would have transferred the risk to other entities. This will enable it to handle risks beyond its capability. The second one is using technological facilities that can work in place of a number of employees. Therefore, the company will not have so many employees to insure as well as reducing its operational cost. Finally, the company should execute a cost reduction program that does not involve tax shelter. This will help the company avoid legal conflicts with the federal taxing body as well as the occurrence of lawsuits. In case a business is involved in transa ctions that has no economical value, but help reduce or avoid tax on returns, such practice is regarded to be unethical. In this case, Black & Decker Corporation main aim is to avoid the risk of paying health claims to its current and retired employees. Instead, the company transferred that risk to Black & Decker Healthcare Management Inc. one of its subsidiaries. Black & Decker Corporation also wanted to evade taxation on 303 million dollars gain it had made by selling some of its businesses by faking a loss (Browning, 2004). This therefore shows that Black & Decker Corporation was motivated by the tax benefits, and the loss was just a strategy to evade taxation. Use of such discriminative strategy where a business puts its

Report to the Board of Directors of ABC Limited on the proposed Essay

Report to the Board of Directors of ABC Limited on the proposed acquisition of additional shares in the company XYZ Limited - Essay Example Provided that a share premium account and a capital redemption reserve fund may, for the purposes of this regulation, only be applied in the paying up of un-issued shares to be allotted to members of the company as fully paid bonus shares. Hence declaration of dividend and issue of Bonus shares are to be treated differently. However while issuing the bonus shares in lieu of dividend the following provisions governing the declaration of dividend are to be considered. 91. At the first annual general meeting of the company all the directors shall retire from office, and at the annual general meeting in every subsequent year one-third of the directors for the time being, or, if their number is not 3 or a multiple of 3, then the number nearest one-third, shall retire from office. The directors to re... Shall not make a distribution EXCEPT out of profits AVIABLE FOR THE PURPOSE Distributable profits are Accumulated Realized Profits Less Realized Losses Accountants usually regard a profit as realized if the company concerned has obtained cash. Thus, a book profit is an unrealized profit. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. Change in the composition of the Board: The following provisions of Table A which govern the appointment and term of office of the Board of Directors are worth noting: Clause 91 of Table A 91. At the first annual general meeting of the company all the directors shall retire from office, and at the annual general meeting in every subsequent year one-third of the directors for the time being, or, if their number is not 3 or a multiple of 3, then the number nearest one-third, shall retire from office. Clause 92 of Table A The directors to retire in every year shall be those who have been longest in office since their last election, but as between persons who became directors on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot. Clause 93 of Table A A retiring director shall be eligible for re-election. Clause 109 of Table A 109. The directors may from time to time appoint one or more of their body to the office of managing director for such period and on such terms as they think fit, and, subject to the terms of any agreement entered into in any particular case, may revoke such appointment. A director so appointed shall not, whilst holding that office, be subject to retirement by rotation or be taken into account in determining the rotation of retirement of directors, but his appointment shall be

Discuss whether the company is moving away from its core competency of Essay

Discuss whether the company is moving away from its core competency of being a leading online retailer. Present areas where Amaz - Essay Example Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3): According to Amazon Web Services (2010); S3 is an online data storage service that enables the users to store and retrieve data from anywhere in the world. Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2): Engleman (2010) stated that initially, Amazon had started selling individual users computing resources from their own data hubs but now they are trying to compete with tech giants, Google and Microsoft, to offer extensive cloud computing power to federal agencies. Microsoft and Google have been in the market for offering web services over a longer period of time as compared to Amazon. Amazon has been a market leader in the field of e-commerce and has possessed the core competency in online retailing since over a decade. Hiner (2009) stated that the respective retailer company acquired technical expertise after developing the infrastructure for their online retailing service; this expertise cannot be compared or competed with the technical skills and experience that are possessed by the high profile teams at Google and Microsoft. The main objective and mission of the two tech giants have been web services or technical products whereas Amazon has always focused on the retailing business. The Amazon’s shift of focus to web services will affect their position as the market leader in online retailing. An

My Essence of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Essence of Happiness - Essay Example In these regards, when I awake in the morning I feel excited to enter the day. I am confidant with who I am and the social relationships I have developed. I feel energetic and motivated to learn new things and explore new pursuits. I feel like I smile a lot, and many of the people I am around reflect such an upbeat demeanor. I am always willing to help other people and I find ways to make others’ lives easier. I tend to wear bright clothes and outfits that demonstrate my internal feelings of contentment. Even though I have no idea what will occur in most of my days, I still feel optimistic about my life and the future. Ultimately, while I find it difficult to exactly define my happiness, I recognize that there are is a collection of things that combine to constitute my happy existence. In considering the essence of my happiness, I recognize that there cause and effect relationships that contribute to this state. One of the primary things that contribute to my happiness is having an optimistic outlook on life and specific circumstances. I truly believe that thinking positively is a great contributor to happiness. Another prominent thing that I think contributes to my happiness is the fact that I exercise and remain physically active. In these regards, I believe that a large part of happiness is rooted in biological and physiological mechanisms and that exercise is essential to a healthy and happy lifestyle. Another prominent aspect of my happiness is that I keep a regular schedule and work hard at work and school. All humans must have a sense of meaning and purpose and in working towards my goals I am able to find meaning and purpose in my life. The collection of these elements causes my happy lifestyle. In conclusion, this essay has considered the essence of my happiness. In self-reflexively considering my happiness I have come to better

Standard Deviation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Standard Deviation - Essay Example When the data points are spread apart and the bell-shaped curve is flat, the standard deviation -- and the variation -- is great. Standard deviation with regard to finance can be defined as "Statistical measure that shows the likelihood of an investment to yield above- or below-average returns over a period of time. For example, if hypothetical XYZ Fund has an average annual total return of 11% and a standard deviation of 6.00, which means XYZ Fund's performance is likely to vary from a low of 5% to a high of 17%. Calculated by the fund, standard deviation is only relative to the asset class being measured." (2) The standard deviation of investment returns is widely accepted as the best, and perhaps only commonly used indicator of portfolio risk in the investment management business. However, its usefulness is actually quite limited. In fact, relying on it can often produce misleading and inaccurate conclusions. Although standard deviation does provide some insight, and in many circumstances is in fact meaningful but there are a number of flaws associated with relying on the standard deviation of returns as a risk measure. The bigger flaw with standard deviation is that it isn't intuitive. ... Although standard deviation does provide some insight, and in many circumstances is in fact meaningful but there are a number of flaws associated with relying on the standard deviation of returns as a risk measure. The bigger flaw with standard deviation is that it isn't intuitive. Sure, a standard deviation of seven is obviously higher than a standard deviation of five, But are those high or low figures Because a fund's standard deviation is not a relative measure-which means it's not compared with other funds or with a benchmark-it is not very useful to you without some context. Another limitation to standard deviation lies with the underlying data. Most investors will recall normal distribution from their introduction to statistics course. This bell curve underlies all of the assumptions about standard deviation. If the underlying data is not normally distributed, then the standard deviation is likely to give misleading results. It's worth noting that a number of studies show that investment returns are not normally distributed. There are some drawbacks to using standard deviation as a measure of risk, however. It interprets any difference from the average, above or below, as bad. This runs contrary to the way most investors feel about returns. Few investors fret about their portfolios doubling; most only worry about the downside--their returns being below average. There is another theory which is called Utility Theory. "This theory gives us a way to measure investor's preferences for wealth and the amount of risk they Aftab 04 are willing to undertake in the hope of attaining greater wealth. This makes it possible to develop a theory of portfolio optimization. Thus utility theory lies at the heart of modern portfolio theory." (3) Definition of

What do you expect from leadership in a Non profit organization such Essay

What do you expect from leadership in a Non profit organization such as a Church - Essay Example Let us discuss the roles of readership in a non-profit organization, such as, a church. One of the roles that leadership can play in churches is to motivate church administration to provide best available facilities to the people who come to offer prayers. â€Å"A non-profit organization exists to serve some need or group of people† (Meyers, 2012). The fact is that when people coming to churches to offer prayers and to get spiritual relief will get all facilities and a peaceful environment, they will continue coming there and a religious culture will continue to develop. Therefore, leaders need to motivate administration to do the best they can for the people coming to churches. Another role that leadership can play in churches is to motivate priests to preach Christianity from their hearts and souls. Priests are the sources of inspiration for people to whom people look for religious guidance. They need to do this to convey true messages of Christianity to the followers. The fact is that in the present world, economic and social situations have become so much complex that there need to be some people who should be able to neutralize the feelings of anxiety, anger, and resentment in people. Churches can perform this role very effectively by arranging religious programs to refresh spiritual and religious self of people. The aim of non-profit organizations is to provide free of cost services to people (Tatum, 2012). In churches, leadership should play the role of servant leaders who can see the bigger picture of the issues by considering both positive and negative aspects of social and religious issues, social constructs, and moral perceptions. â€Å"The servant leader understands that power is to serve others and not for self-aggrandizement† (Mark, 2011). Humility, trust, empowerment, and service are the virtues that should be there in a church’s leadership. Some core responsibilities of a church’s leadership should be to provide

Emil Durkheim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emil Durkheim - Essay Example A change in any part is seen as leading to a certain degree of imbalance, which in turn results in changes in other parts of the system and to some extent to a reorganization of the system as a whole. The development of functionalism was based on the model of the organic system found in the biological sciences. (Theodorson and Theodorson 1969, page 167) Accordingly, the three elements of functionalism are: 1) The general interrelatedness, or interdependence of the system's parts; 2) The existence of a "normal" state of affairs, or state of equilibrium, comparable to the normal or healthy state of an organism; and 3) The way that all the parts of the system reorganize to bring things back to normal. In analyzing how social systems maintain and restore equilibrium, functionalists tend to use shared values or generally accepted standards of desirability as a central concept. Value consensus means that individuals will be morally committed to their society. The emphasis on values is the second most important feature of functionalism. As such, it contrasts directly with the other major macro-sociological perspective, the conflict theory. Whereas functionalism emphasizes the unity of society and what its members share, conflict theorists stress the divisions within a society and the struggles that arise out of people's pursuits of their different material interests. (Wallace and Wolf 1999, page 19) The Collective Conscience (later called Collective Representations). Another key theory that Durkheim developed was The Collective Conscience. In his own words - Of the totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the same society that forms a determinate system which has its own life, one may call it the collective or common conscience (Durkheim [1893] 1947, pages 79-80). People are born into the collective conscience, and it regulates their perceptions and behavior. What Durkheim was denoting with the concept of collective conscience, then, is that social systems evidence systems of ideas, such as values, beliefs, and norms that constrain the thoughts and actions of individuals. Durkheim was concerned with morality and moral facts. This area is now termed culture. Durkheim was concerned with the systems of symbols - particularly the norms, values, and beliefs - that humans create and use to organize their activities. In the course of his analysis of the collective conscience, Durkheim conceptualized its varying states as having four variables: 1) Volume, which denotes the degree to which the values, beliefs, and rules of the collective conscience are shared by the members of a society; 2) Intensity, which indicates the extent to which the collective conscience has power to guide a person's thoughts and actions; 3) Determinateness, which denotes the degree of clarity in the components of the collective conscience; and 4) Content, which pertains to the ratio of religious to purely secular symbolism in the collective conscience. Functionalism in action. Functionalism is macro-sociology. An airport is an example of the interrelatedness expressed within the functionalism framework. There are the pilots, maintenance crews, air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, and ticketing and reservation personnel .What could cause "disequilibrium" of the airport

Values & Ethics Essay Example for Free

Values Ethics Essay Within this essay I will look at my own personal and professional development in relation to the case study of Mrs Begum, a British South Asian women aged 79 who has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. Although I recognise that there are many more values that could be explored I have chosen the following values to discuss; respect, self-determination and empowerment. I will also explore anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory values in terms of age, disability and race as they are all included within the case study. I will analyse my learning in regards to personal and professional values and the reading undertaken to support my learning. Throughout this essay I will identify areas of development personally and professionally in order to use values successfully within social work practice. To date I have learnt about social work values through various sources, how they apply and how they can be implemented. I will outline some of these sources and their value guidelines which will highlight the values that I have chosen to discuss in relation to Mrs Begums case study. The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has a Code of Ethics which every social worker who becomes a BASW member is required to be committed to. This Code of Ethics comprises of five basic principles; social justice, human dignity and worth, integrity, service to humanity and competence. These principles all include key social work values such as ‘respect the diversity of the societies in which we practice’, ‘respect, promote and support people’s dignity and right to make their own choice and decisions’, ‘uphold and promote human dignity and well-being’ BASW (2012) [online]. The Code of Ethics is there to ensure that service users receive a quality service. It does this by providing social workers with a guideline and checklist to enable them to provide the best service possible. As Parrott (2011, p. 17) states ‘The purpose of social work values is to provide a common set of principles, which social workers can use and develop as a means of working in an ethical way with the service user’. Parrott continues to go on and say ‘The importance of having a value base for social work is that it is intended to guide the action of social workers and protect the interests of the service user’. The National Occupation Standards for Social Work (NOS) also set out key values that social workers must adhere to. These are; have respect for the users and their carers and the expertise and knowledge they may have about their own situation, empower users and carers in decisions affecting them, be honest about the power invested in them and their role and the resources available to them, respect confidentiality and inform them when information needs to be shared with others, be able to challenge discriminatory practices affecting users and carers and put them first. The TOPSS (2002) [online]. The Health and Care Professions Council also provide a clear guideline on how to apply the practice. Some of the values I will be discussing in relation to Mrs Begums case study such as self- determination and respect were spoken about by Biestek (1961) over 50 years ago but they remain relevant today. Biestek writes about seven traditional values and they have been cited by Thompson (2009) and Dominelli (2009). These values are Individualisation, Purposeful expression of feelings, Acceptance, Non-judgemental attitude, Client self-determination, Confidentiality and Respect for persons. Firstly I will look at Mrs Begum’s case study in terms of the value respect. A value that is included within NOS, BASW and Biestek’s set of values. NOS sets out that as a social worker I will need to respect the service user regardless of their age, ethnicity, culture, level of understanding and need, also the knowledge the service user may have about their own situation TOPSS (2002) [online]. Therefore I would show Mrs Begum respect by treating her in a way I believe all people should be treated and in a way that I would wish to be treated myself. As stated by Thompson (2009, p. 35) ‘the basic point is a simple one really, namely the importance of treating people with respect – not treating them in a way that you would object to if other people treated you like that’. On meeting Mrs Begum her age, ethnicity and culture would not be an issue. More importantly I would treat her as an individual in order to be able to assess the services that can be pr ovided to her to help her improve her quality of life. Mrs Begum has an insight into some of the difficulties she has been experiencing and is aware of the danger she faces should she have another fall. Mrs Begum’s son has said that his mother ‘must go into a home’. While I would take his concerns and the information he has provided me with very seriously, it would be my job to respect the fact that Mrs Begum has expressed on a number of occasions that she wishes to return home and I would focus on the help she would need and work with Mrs Begum in order to fulfil her wish. Respect is a value that I’ve always held and pre-course I still would have treated her with the respect she deserves. The next value I would employ is empowerment . To give service users a meaningful choice of courses of action for the present and to enable them to create valuable options for their future (Clarke, 2000). As a social worker it is important to try and provide community care where possible. In order to make Mrs Begum feel empowered enough to live as independently as possible and remain in her own home, I would focus on her, listen to her and respect her wishes while showing her compassion, empathy and understanding of her situation. I would discuss with Mrs Begum what assistance she thinks she needs in order to achieve her wish of living at home, for example meals delivered, help with mobility, home help, help with medication or direct payments. It is suggested by Adams (2008, p. xvi) ‘the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities to take control of their circumstances, exercise power and achieve their own goals, and the process by which, individually and collectively, they are able to help themselves and others to maximise the quality of their lives’. I would act as an advocate for Mrs Begum by providing her with as much information and contacting relevant service providers on her behalf. This would ensure that she was aware of the services that are or are not available to her. To empower Mrs Begum it would be important that she knows that I have taken her wishes seriously and in order to do this I would summarise the points she has made to me so that she has a chance to add or correct anything that I have said but at the same time it will let her know that I have listened and understood what she has been telling me. These actions will help to build a good relationship with Mrs Begum and help her to feel that we are working in partnership towards achieving her wishes. I would also have to respect that not all individuals wish to be empowered. They would be happy for the social worker to take control of their situation. I believe that all people should be empowered but some to a lesser degree than others as some people’s abilities are stronger than others. The value of self-determination is a bit more complex. As suggested by Beckett Maynard (2010, p. 130) ‘it would appear that a service user’s right of self-determination should be respected, but only as long as it doesn’t harm others, conflict with the interests of society, or harm the service users themselves. The service user’s right of self-determination is therefore, provisional, and a social worker is very often placed in the position of deciding whether or not the service user’s wishes are permissible’. As a social worker it is my duty to care and not put the service user at risk, it is also my duty to risk assess and should the assessment show that there is a possibility of significant harm to the service user or others it would restrict the service user’s right to self-determine. I would have to take in to account that Mrs Begum had been found walking in the street near her home appearing lost. As a social worker I would play an active role in helping the service user to understand the risks. Therefore, I would help Mrs Begum recognise the choices that were available to her to help her remain at home, as mentioned before home help, help with mobility etc. I would provide enough information so that Mrs Begum and her family can make informed decisions about the options and resources available to her and to help her explore these options. Supporting her and encouraging her to make her own decisions. As mentioned previously within my essay, one of BASW values is to ‘respect, promote and support people’s dignity and right to make their own choice and decisions’ BASW (2012) [online]. I believe it is a person’s human right to be able to express and give their opinion as well as make decisions even if they are unpopular or seem unwise to another individual. This belief has developed during my time on the course. Other factors that Mrs Begum may experience are ageism society’s views that older people can be a burden or nuisance in turn being treated insensitively by being shouted at, excluding them from conversations and being patronised. As Butler and Lewis (1973) suggests ‘ Ageism can be seen as a process of systematic stereotyping of the discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish this for skin colour and gender’. Due to Mrs Begum’s disability assumptions can also be made such as, she isn’t as capable, her opinion isn’t as valid and her cognitive ability may be questioned. These are all based around dominant ideas within society which makes things acceptable or unacceptable. According to Disability Rights Activist, Justin Dart (1992) [online] ‘The hard reality is this, society in every nation is still infected by the ancient assumption that people with disabilities are less than fully human and therefore, are not fully eligible for the opportunities which are available to other people as a matter of right’. Mrs Begum is of South Asian decent she may experience racism due to tereotypical believes formed by society about an individual’s race/ culture. ‘The belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others. Abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief’ (Collins English Dictionary, Standard Sixth Edition, 2003). These factors and society’s influence can lead to oppressive or discriminative behaviour. While looking at the case study in terms of values it has become apparent to me that prior to doing the social work degree I did think in an oppressive and discriminative way even if it was not consciously. I would have been looking at the aspects that Mrs Begum could not do for herself and the difficulties she would face rather looking at it from a can do perspective. Stereotypes would play a role. In terms of elderly people I thought they could be stubborn and didn’t always know or want to listen to what is best for them. In terms of a disability such as dementia I would have thought that someone was practically incapable of making a rational decision as to what was best for them in certain situations and would possibly need full time care and supervision and probably need to go into residential care. Since being on the social work course, I have been able to develop my understanding and instead of sympathising with an individual I empathise with them. I am able to work in a much more anti-oppressive and anti-discriminative way by putting stereotypes to one side and not making assumptions about an or a particular group of people. By doing so it redresses the power balance within society and enables the social worker and service user to work in partnership. As Parrott (2011, p. 23) states ‘AOP represents a general value orientation towards countering oppression experienced by service users on such grounds as race, gender, class, disability, etc. On the other, it also contains specific practice values; these are values of empowerment, partnership and minimal intervention’. Also learning about what services are available to individuals such as community care and direct payments I have realised that people of different ages and disabilities are able to achieve a lot more and have their wishes met. To ensure that Mrs Begum did not experience any inadvertent discrimination I would do research in to her culture and her religion if applicable as she is a British South Asian women and therefore, may have different ideas from myself about family and the way society works. Age, disability and race are all characteristics that are protected under the Equality Act 2010. In conclusion I feel that from the beginning of the course until now I have developed personally and professionally in terms of values and being able to implement them by looking at and putting aside stereotypes I had which in turn has helped me to work in a less anti-oppressive and anti-discriminative way. When I first started the course I thought equal opportunities was about treating everybody the same but I have since learnt that as everyone is an individual each person’s case should be treated according to their needs. This is done by giving them the same opportunities available to everyone in order to provide them with the best service. I have also become aware of how complex values can be as they are personal beliefs that vary from person to person. Some of the values such as self-determination and the respect for people to make their own decisions may not be able to be fulfilled due to the level of risk to the service user or others involved. I am now able to look at myself critically and can recognise areas that I need to develop. My self-determination will need to be developed further because there will still be a part of me that will feel that some service users may be making the wrong decision but I will have to respect this as a social worker. I will need to continue to be aware of my development when facing new situations. I believe the way in which I have developed my original value base will help my career as a social worker.

Concussions in football Essay Example for Free

Concussions in football Essay The quarterback drops back into the pocket and begins looking down field towards his receivers. One of the defensive linemen breaks through the offensive line and the quarterback quickly throws the ball away, but not before he is slung to the ground. As the quarterback lands on the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage, players often suffer from long term mental problems. So what is the NFL doing about this? Surprisingly enough, very little. Before we get started, its very important to know what exactly a concussion is. A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion involves a transient loss of mental function. It can be caused by acceleration or deceleration forces, or by a direct blow to the head. Whether a player is hit with a helmet to helmet type of hit, a face mask, or just hits his head to hard on the turf; they can all cause serious concussions. Concussions werent taken very seriously until the middle of the 20th century. Often times, if a player said he was ok to go back onto the field after a concussion; the team doctors would let him. Recently, however, the NFL began doing studies on concussions due to the career ending injuries to Troy Aikman and Steve Young. In 1994, the NFL commissioned a research committee to learn more about concussions and the lasting effects that they had on players. The lead investigator, Dr. Elliot Pellman, took a look at videotapes from 174 different concussion instances to determine what designs they could make in the NFL helmet to reduce the amount of concussions that players suffered. Pellman and his colleagues wrote in January 2005 that returning to play after a concussion does not involve significant risk of a second injury either in the same game or during the season. However, a 2003 NCAA study of 2,905 college football players found just the opposite: Those who have suffered concussions are more susceptible to further head trauma for seven to 10 days after the injury. Pellman and his group have also stated repeatedly that their work shows no evidence of worsening injury or chronic cumulative effects of multiple concussions in NFL players. But a 2003 report by the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina found a link between multiple concussions and depression among former pro players with histories of concussions. A 2005 follow-up study at the Center showed a connection between concussions and both brain impairment and Alzheimers disease among retired NFL players. Pellman told the NFL commissioner that half of the players that suffer concussions in game are allowed to return to the game. Pellman has no objections to having the players return because he doesnt think the players risk any significant long term damage by returning. However, many experts completely disagree with Pellman. The Second International Conference on Concussion in Sport met in Prague in 2004 and released the following statement: When a player shows ANY symptoms or signs of a concussion the player should not be allowed to return to play in the current game or practice. Many sports doctors agree that no players should return after concussions for a while because they are extremely susceptible to further brain damage. Many NFL players report having blacked out after returning from a concussion in the same game. According to Pellman though, they are completely fine. Several of the countrys preeminent neurosurgeons and neurophysiologists have grown increasingly concerned that the league is putting players at risk by following Pellmans lead. For one thing, Pellman is a rheumatologist by training a specialist in the treatment of joints and muscles not a neurologist. To be honest, that is all I really need to hear about him. How is a guy that is not even a certified neurologist giving advice to the NFL about the seriousness of concussions? Not only that, Pellman refuses to look at other data regarding concussions because he only wants to look at the data that he extracted from his players. Pellman reportedly left out many different cases involving players with concussions that did not coincide with his data. An associate he worked with said that 850 or so baseline cases were left out of their study when they should have been included. The NFL has to decide how much longer it can afford to send players back into games after theyve been knocked out. How much longer it wants to tell players that multiple concussions pose no threat to their future mental health. And how much longer it wants to keep relying on Elliot Pellmans research to make its calls.

Role Of SMEs In The Mauritius Tourism Industry

Role Of SMEs In The Mauritius Tourism Industry Jones and Haven- Tang (2005) studied 10 characteristics that are popular for SMEs: SMEs are job opportunities generator; there is the risk of business failure; SMEs are more flexible than are large enterprises and small entrepreneur are have a closer relationship with their customers however not too proactive to innovation and technology; motivations of SMEs depends on the entrepreneurs way of living and even differentiate through gender; business strategies differs from one SMEs to another some are well managed some are deficient in business and managerial skills; entry of business is easy but preparations in surviving depends on owners abilities to manage; SMEs are resistant to external assistance due to cultures of self reliance that act like barriers; owners are resilient to invest in managerial trainings; SMEs have poor market research and knowledge management about customers; thare are lack of an integrated approach to business planning and functionality. According to Beyene (2002) entrepreneurship is a function of opportunities, technical and commercial skills, entrepreneurial spirit, finance, infrastructure and the overall environment within which the SMEs operate. Studies (Brigham and Smith, 1967; Walker, 1975) stated that SMEs tend to be riskier than the larger organization. Cochran (1981) found SMEs were subject to higher failure rates, and Markland (1974) suggested that SMEs tend to keep less adequate records than big companies. World Bank (1994, 2002, 2004 cited Beck et al., 2003) state 3 core characteristics of SMEs which are firstly, SMEs enhance competition and entrepreneurship and hence have external benefits on economy-wide efficiency, innovation, and aggregate productivity growth; secondly, SMEs are generally more productive than large firms; and thirdly, SME boosts employment more than large firm because SMEs are more labour intensive. Dagmar Recklies (2001) stated SMEs are characterized by factors like size of enterprise or independent ownership (family of small group of people). These traits may lead to disadvantages and advantages with respect to globalization shown in table1 below: Buhalis (2009) said that the tourism industry, although the largest industry in the world, is dominated by SMEs and encapsulates any varied and disparate economic sectors. Harvey and Lee (2002) described the role of SMEs as economic in East Asian Countries. SME, according to Harvey and Lee (2002), is a source of employment, innovation and creating export opportunities and act as a means to grow into larger firms. These aspects of SMEs are important prospects that will continue in the future. According to UNIDO (2006), SMEs are the driving force in industrial development. They comprise more than 90% of all enterprises in the world and are on average providing 60 to 80% of total employment, thus help to contribute to Millennium Development Goals, in particular poverty eradication and developing global partnerships. Migiro and Ocholla (2005) suggested that SMEs account for a significant share of production and employment in many countries and are directly related to poverty alleviation. While in many respects the South African economy is different from that of other countries in the continent, SMEs are relevant for employment and as an income source. In country after country, statistics show that even during these years of economic crisis and recession, the one robust sector providing economic growth, increased productivity and employment has been that of small and medium-sized enterprises, WIPO. In 130 countries, 140 million SMEs employed 65% of labour force in July 2006, World Bank (2006, cited Kotelnikov, 2007). According to Fadahunsi and Daodu (1997, cited Beyene, 2002, p.131), in Asian countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan Korea, India and Sri Lanka, 90% of businesses are small enterprises and this represent 98% of the employment in Indonesia, 78% in Thailand, 81% in Japan and 87% in Bangladesh. The tourism industry of Australia primarily consists of SMEs, with more than 90% of businesses employing fewer than 20 staff, OECD. According to the European Commission SMEs play a central role in the European economy. They are a major source of entrepreneurial skills, innovation and employment. In the enlarged European Union of 25 countries, some 23 million SMEs provide around 75 million jobs and represent 99% of all enterprises. Duarte (2004) stated that the role played by SMEs in any society is undoubtedly important, for instance, in Portugal around 98% of the industrial fabric is composed by SMEs. Duarte (2004) describes the role of SMEs as an engine of economic growth and the proportion of SMEs in the industry is large in percentage. Shumpeter (1934, cited Duarte, 2004) emphasizes the role of SMEs as a principal cause of economic development. Lukasc (nd) studied that SMEs are recognized as the backbone of the British economy, accounting for more than half of the UKs turnover. 93 % of all European enterprises have less than 10 employees and there are 20.5 million enterprises in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, providing employment for 122 million people. Alistair et al. (2003) studied the role of SMEs in China and stated that SMEs are important as they contribute to the national income and employment. Jones and Haven- Tang (2005) described the role of SMEs in developing a tourism destinations image and service quality along with other stakeholders of the industry (especially government). They described the contributions of tourism SMEs in defining service quality and thus exploring the relationship between quality of services and products by local SMEs and destination competitiveness. Jones and Haven- Tang (2005) explained that the nature of tourism SMEs makes it important for policy makers to consider in order promoting destination development. Andersson et al (2007) discussed the role of SMEs owned by women as contributing in job creation. The authors stated that women entrepreneurs are more likely to employ women, thus providing jobs not only for themselves but for other women, which helps to reduce the effect of discrimination against women in the labour market. In addition, reducing female unemployment assists in fighting women trafficking. Finally, female entrepreneurs serve as role models for the younger generations, demonstrating new employment (self-employment) opportunities. According to UNIDO (2003) the only way to reduce poverty in a sustainable way is to promote economic growth, through wealth and employment creation. In developing countries, SMEs are the major source of income, a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and a provider of employment. SMEs may be characterized as the principal building blocks of the Pakistani economy, providing the country with opportunities for increased employment (including female employment), poverty eradication, enhanced productivity, competitiveness and international market penetration. Kotelnikov (2007) studied the contributions of SMEs to employment and the countries GDP and innovations. It is commonplace for governments to have policies to encourage the growth of SMEs as they can help to directly alleviate poverty by increasing income levels and creating jobs. Kotelnikov (2007) stated that SMEs encourages technological progress and benefit either as producers of ICT or as users of ICT for purposes such as increased productivity, faster communications and reaching new clients. As TSMEs increases, entrepreneurs become more aware of the managerial skills as well as knowledge of the industry expands resulting into innovation of their products and services thus gaining a competitive advantage to increase profits thus encouraging people to invest to establish TSMEs because of the market opportunities captured by the profitability. He described SMEs as efforts to develop women entrepreneurship that helps in return in increasing gender equality by providing women with a source of income. Manyara and Jones (2005) describe the importance of the TSMEs development in Kenya that can help in the goal of alleviating poverty and developing of new tourism product. Sustainable livelihoods are considered to be possible through SMEs in the tourism industry and the authors explained the economic impact of SMEs on the poverty alleviation. They consider tourism SMEs to benefit local communities and creation of SMEs will enable better linkage with the local economy and will support complementary partnerships. Di Dominico (2005) studied the concept of lifestyle entrepreneur that is the non-economic factors of TSMEs. She describes the non-economic business values and orientations like the lifestyle of small business owners. Establishing a small enterprise may not have same significance to different people. Different person belonging to different groups have different aims and objectives in mind while setting up a business. People have incentives according to their social, economic and cultural environment in which they live. Some people start a business to be their own boss, and not be controlled by other person. Therefore people have different motivations like liberty and independence other than economic ones like profitability to start forming small businesses defining a way of living or lifestyle. The author analysed that lifestyles of SMEs reflect a less objective definition of quality of life that consider aspects of work, family, gender and variations of consumption and the relationsh ip between these aspects. However, she added that in TSMEs there must be a more objective approach to ownership and management in order to have development and success. Baldwin (1995) studied the characteristics of SMEs that make success possible. He talked about innovation being the prime factor that contributes to success. The use of proper technological, marketing, management, human resource, investment and competitive strategies are necessary to increase or decrease profitability. Theses factors are the growth factors associated to success. The study shows that SMEs stress the importance of management. SMEs focus on often stated problems in the area of training, capital cost and innovation. TSMEs are conscious of the need for a highly-skilled work force and rank themselves above their competitors in this regard. He stated that successful SMEs have to consider three dimensions that are growth, profitability and productivity. The best way to achieve these dimensions according to Baldwin (1995) is by innovation. According to Migiro and Ocholla (2005), SMEs and ICT have a direct connection in improving the business efficiency, productivity and the development of new products and services, thus creating new business opportunities and markets. The use of technology is widely used in marketing, advertising, doing transaction with foreign clients and adopting the concept of e-commerce. ICT have a role in improving business services, as in the hotel and tourism industry (Duncombe and Heeks, 2001, cited Migiro and Ocholla, 2005). Chandra (2002) stated that SMEs have to go through the technology ladder in order to remain competitive. Lal (2007) studied the adoption of ICT in the Nigerian SMEs. According to him, globalization is among the factors that influence SMEs to make use of technologies. However, he explains that good electricity supply and connectivity is necessary for SMEs to make use of IT. E-Commerce is one of the most visible examples of the way in which ICTs can contribute to economic growth. It helps countries into the global economy. It allows business and entrepreneurs to become more competitive. And it provided jobs, thereby creating wealth (UNCTAD 2004a, cited Lal 2007). However, the human capital should not be ignored as Cunningham and Rowley (2008) studied the role of SMEs in China and a system of HRM that will boost competitive capabilities of SMEs. They stated that SMEs acts as non-governmental investment booster while contributing to the improvement of the economic structure. Hence, SMEs play an important economic role in China. The traditional personnel practices of SMEs should shift to HRM, which are resourcing, rewards, development and relations, and to more management dimensions. Proper management skills as well as considering other factors such as an organizational strategy and taking account of the national context are necessary for sustaining growth, prospects and ultimately survival.

The Powerful Ideal of Freedom Essay -- Incidents in the Life of a Slav

The Powerful Ideal of Freedom Developed in Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Blood-Burning Moon, by Jean Toomer, and W.E.B DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk Slavery played an overwhelming role throughout the history of the United States. The riches created by the unpaid labor of African Americans helped to guarantee the country’s industrial revolution and succeeding economic strength. Yet, that wealth created incredible political power for slaveholders and their representatives. African American slaves brought with them many languages, cultures and values, which helped shaped America and it’s exceptional cultural and natural environment. Continuing a brutally cruel system, African slaves developed a profound commitment to liberty and became a living testament to the powerful ideal of freedom. As Harriet Jacobs’ wrote in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, she stated, â€Å"No pen can give adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery† (Jacobs 289). This relates to a reference to both the author’s personal struggles under slavery and as a significant theme throughout her narrative. During her personal story, Harriet revealed that the institution of slavery crippled the accepted family structure. For instance, slave women similar to Harriet herself, needed permission from their masters to marry, which frequently delayed or destroyed their ability to wed and reproduce. Slave women were often faced with sexual abuse and mistreatment from their slaveholders. The traditional family structure was further threatened by the dispersal of its member. For example, it was not uncommon that the children of slave women would set to be sold right after their birth. Consequently, those attem... ...m and slavery are extremely evident throughout history. Yet, the word freedom has been a topic of debate, and for good reason. There are so many different views on what freedom truly defines and what influence it has on our daily lives. Therefore, whites had to accept the fact that African Americans were gaining rights and liberties that once never existed. Those who had a voice within the black movement gave others the courage to go out and work for themselves and their futures, wanting to forget any old sayings making blacks inferior to whites. Works Cited Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Bantam Company, 1989. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Ed. Jean Fagan Yellin. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1987. Toomer, Jean. â€Å"Bood-Burning Moon.† Cane. New York: Livericht, 2010. 39-49. Print.

Individuality :: essays research papers

Individuality is a characteristic that sets you apart from everyone else. The author Tim O’Brien illustrates this through Rat Kiley, Kiowa and Mary Anne in his novel, The Things They Carried. Individuality shows the personality of a character, reveals the link between personality and the physical items the soldiers carried, and how individuality is used to create teamwork.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When overlooking the personalities of the characters; they all are unique. Rat Kiley is the medic of the operation. He is often known to being humorous, cracking jokes, and telling stories. Religious and cautious would be words to describe Kiowa. Being a Native American, he is careful around others not like himself. Though there are only two main characters that are female in the novel, Mary Anne is one like no other. She is introduced into the chapter as, â€Å"Just a kid, just barely out of high school† (90). Seen having a bubbly and flirtatious personality, she is still naà ¯ve, young and curious like a â€Å"kid†. Tittering between the notions of safety with her boyfriend or joining the thrill of a Green Berets life, she is overcome by her desire of danger, and goes with the Greenies. Though her boyfriend and his friends try to convince her to stay with them, she does not waver in the end. Many see her shrouded in mystery because they’re bewildered by her actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If comparing personality to personal belongings, there are few differences to distinguish them. In Rat Kiley’s case, carrying a â€Å"canvas satchel filled with morphine, plasma, malaria tablets and surgical tape† (5) as well as comic books would not be a surprise. Being a medic, a first aid kit would be essential. Since Rat is a funny and an amusing person its no wonder why he owns comic books. Entertainment and kits would not be objects found with Kiowa. In his backpack you would find a hatchet and a copy of The New Testament. Kiowa is a devout Baptist and a bible is natural for him to be carrying. A hatchet may be a symbol that ties him with his Native American heritage. Opposite life and items from the soldiers, Mary Anne arrives with a suitcase and plastic cosmetic bag. Since she was arranged for a visit, a suitcase with her clothes is assumed. For her to wear and carry makeup reflects her girlish attitude and fresh-faced appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teamwork can not be done alone; it’s distributed to different people who assist in different ways.

Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell Essays -- Papers Immigration Bell F

Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell Out of This Furnace tells a impressive story of a multigenerational family of Slovakian immigrants who comes to the United States in search of a better life in the New World. The patriarch of the Slovak family was Djuro Kracha, who arrived in the New World in the mid-1880s from the "old country." The story tells of his voyage, his work on the railroad to earn enough money to afford the walk to the steel mills of Pennsylvania, his rejection by the larger mainstream community as a "hunkey," and the lives of his daughter and grandson. As the members of this family become more generally acculturated and even Americanized, they come to resent the cruel treatment and the discrimination they suffer. For the Kracha family, a slow rise to proud business ownership was ended by a series of events: (1) a summer of drunken abandon by Djuro; (2) his return to the steel mills (3) his daughter's (Mary) marriage to a fellow countryman also in the mills; and (4) his grandson's growing discontentment with unfair labor practices and abuses. These events in the Kracha family's lives become intertwined with the story of America's own transformation between the 1880s and the 1940s. At the time that this family arrived in the United States, a new wave of Eastern European immigration - spurred by growing industrialization and the advances in technology leading to the establishment of steel mills and other manufacturing and raw material processing factories and plants - was reshaping the American labor force. Djuro's experiences, and those of his son-in-law, Mike Dobrejcak, reflect a certain level of hostility towards these Eastern and Central Europeans from "mainstream" Americans and earlier, more acc... ...erica has come to mean many different things to many different people. At the very heart of the "American dream" are the twin ideas of freedom and equality. This nation was founded on the republican principles of justice for all, friendship with all nations, and entangling alliances with none. These basic principles have, over time, undergone some changes. The United States today has, for example, any number of "entangling alliances" that are highly influential in shaping its domestic and foreign policies. Nevertheless, the principle of "justice for all" remains in force and continues to attract new immigrants each year, while fostering conflicted efforts to determine what actually constitutes "justice and equality." Works Cited: Bell, Thomas, Out of This Furnace: a Novel of Immigrant Labor in America, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1976.

Happiness Essay

Happiness is something the world struggles with on a daily basis; maybe it’s not about the happy endings, but maybe it’s the stories along the way. Throughout my life I have encountered several trials that tug on my ability to become happy, robbing just a little ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel. With some of the situations I have been in, people may say I should be unhappy, but that’s just the opposite. I grasped onto the trials or maybe lessons and brought them to a positive time in my life making me appreciate the little things most take for granted. We all have stages of happiness in our lives; according to the Authentic Happiness Inventory score of 4.08 out of 5 that I’m at a pretty happy stage. I can say there are time were I feel lonely or depressed, but what truly matters is how you react to the moments and make them positive. The three main ambitions that I constantly live by contribute to my happiness are family, serving, and faith. During my childhood my father wasn’t always around, due to work. Being a truck driver’s daughter can be difficult by not having him around. Needless to say a little girl needs her father. Growing up not being able to participate in the father daughter dances or dinners put strain on our relationship, making me feel depressed and unloved. Pushing through those emotions, it made me appreciate the moments we do have together, just talking and enjoying each other’s company. When he’s able to be at home, the whole family gets together and have either a movie night or a BBQ. Not always having those moments often make them special, making you appreciate what I have. In the movie Happy, Psychologists explain how during social activity the brain releases the chemical dopamine that helps with the process of feeling happy. Coming together with family will always be a special moment in my life, which is another reason why happiness shining bright in my life. There comes a time in everyone life when we need help. Starting as a child to adulthood we should strive to be a serving person. If it’s to helping a friend through hard times or maybe feeding the poor, one little positive  moment in time could change a person’s perspective on life. For instance, an acquaintance from the church I attend was in need of a nanny due to her cancer-ridden father. Waking up around 4:30, ready to take on a day with her boys, I loved every moment of it. Making sure they had breakfast, was tidy, and ready to go to school, I proudly took care of them as an unpaid nanny. For me I didn’t need the money to make me happy, all I needed as the satisfaction of knowing I was able to help her while she took care of her cancer-ridden dad. In the article â€Å"If Money doesn’t make you Happy, then you probably aren’t Spending It Right† (Dunn, Gilbert and Wilson 440) helping others instead of yourself was a main principle, stati ng we should strive to serve others not just ourselves. Serving others can make you forget about your problems and help you realize you are truly blessed beyond means. Being lost through some of my teenage years I felt I was alone; faith wasn’t a big part of my life at this moment. Striving to be in the â€Å"popular† group or to have the next â€Å"big thing† was something I struggled with on the daily. Pushing to be known I eventually began to be bully over how dark my complexion was and how I wasn’t â€Å"pretty† enough to be in the popular group. As I got older and into high school it seemed like everything got better, but finally my senior year I went from the ugly duckling to being confident in my skin. Finding out why I was made the way I was, and that I’m never alone in the world, no matter if people come and go I will always have my faith in god to push me through. Faith helped me find who I am and to love who I am. It taught me to never hate myself because of the standards the world puts me under, but to embrace the inner beauty on how he made me. Faith helped me to love and to be the happy confid ent women I am today. Life is full of experiences, temptations, and hurt yet we love every moment of it. Wonderfully made moment and heart-wrenching situations, but we react in a craze. How we react to the situations and if we are positive or negative that affect the way we are happy. Life tests us to see if we can get up and take it like a champ. How we react is one of the shining moments a person will always remember about you, so stay positive they might look up to you. The way I was able to conquer my hurt was to find my flow. Engaging through your flow takes your mind off of the world for just that moment in  time and turns something negative to positive. Serving others in need helps one to move forward and helps you remember all of the blessings you have. Having positive friends and family encouraging you can help to your happiness also. Happiness isn’t in the happy endings, but in the stories it takes along the way. Work Cited â€Å"Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology.† Authentic Happiness :: Using the New Positive Psychology. The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 2006. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. < http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx> Diener, Ed and Richard Davidson. Happy. Wadi Rum Films, Inc. Roko Belic. 2010. Film Dunn, Elizabeth W., Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson. â€Å"If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy, Then You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right,† Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12th ed.2013 Print.

John Proctor: Honorable or Not Essay

Many people believe John Proctor plays role of the dishonorable character in the play of â€Å" The Crucible † . I honestly believe he is actually honorable by his actions of goodness and redemption in the play . He proves this by the rejecting of continuing the affair with Abigail , confessing of his affair to Hale , and dying. In the beginning of the play , there is a scene in which he is with Abigail . Abigail says , â€Å" Give me a word John . A soft word . † . Proctor then says , â€Å" No , no , Abby . That’s done with † ( P 1224 ) . This shows that when John Proctor had the affair , he saw it as a mistake and started to reject Abigail . This shows how he sees his mistake and does anything to prevent himself from committing that error once again . Later , in Act II , Proctor confesses to his affair with Abigail . He confesses to Hale about his affair to ease himself of what he has been keeping to himself for quite some time . This explains how he is honorable by admitting his mistakes . He does not keep something of this dishonorable character to himself . He feels as if he must correct any mistakes he has committed in the past . I believe this action shows the audience that he is honorable to be able to confess the truth to any negative actions . Towards the end , during the final Act , he is just waiting to die . He confessed about his affair with Abigail , in addition , he also did confess to being a witch even though he was not . He believes that he is taking responsibility for his actions and even for those he did not do. Many people believe John Proctor is dishonorable because of his affair , but did he not confess ? Did he not die for something he did not even do ? I believe that his death gave him redemption for his actions with Abigail. I believe John Proctor is a very honorable in his confession of his mistakes in life and the mistakes of others . He has proven his honor throughout different actions in the play.

Ethics during Change Paper Essay

The purpose of change in the work place is to help motivate the people there and make a difference in the company. Change is needed to make improvements and better things so that a company can move forward and focus on the future. In this paper one will help the reader understand some ethical issues that organizations may face when making changes to their companies. Understanding this will help the reader identify ethical issues with in their own company when implementing change. Companies face many challenges when it comes time for change. However, ethical challenges are more difficult to figure out when it is detected. There may be many ethical issues that companies have to go through, but some are easier to focus on. One major issue can start with self-control. Even though companies have their own set of policies, rules, and other directions all ethical issues are still a problem that management has to handle. It is best that when implementing changes that the employees are still informed with the changes that will be made. Not only will change help motivate but it will also impact the employees on new knowledge within the process of change. Companies want for their employees to have self-control when it comes to making ethical decisions. Change can be overwhelming at times, not only for the people who work within the company, but everyone who plays a part in that company. Even though it can be disruptive it is best to make sure that everyone is involved. Figure out how to change the focus on making it less of a problem. The company needs to plan ahead, so that they will be ready for the different outcomes that come with innovation and change. Companies may want to give their employees a heads up on the process but may not be able to until a certain point of the process is met. Changes will affect the way the employees do their jobs but management needs to speak up so that they do not become a disruption in the change process that they are trying to implement. This can be a down fall for some companies because giving information to soon may affect the process of change. Communication also plays a role in the process of change and dealing with ethics. An open line  of communication is best to help communicate the nee ds and wants for change within that organization. When communicating with the employees and staff this helps build the trust between the two. When companies are not honest and giving the employees the information about the change they are trying to make it makes it difficult for the employees to trust when the change is implemented because they were not aware of what was going on. Not letting the staff know what’s going on can cause problems of trust, how they do their jobs, and the way that they perform. Team work is essential because the ethical behavior to the employees and community can help the business more than they know. Participating in the process of change can help the company see where their future may be when they work for the greater purpose in making these changes. These changes that will be made for companies can benefit everyone in the organization. Rewarding the ones who helped with the change process and treating them in an ethical manner, will bring greater results for them in the long run. Ways to resolve ethical issues can be to educate the employees on a code of ethics and how they want their company to be run. Giving them examples and leading with confidence can help them resolve common ethical dilemmas. Companies need to be clear in what they want and show their employees ethical behavior through their eyes. Let the employees know what is expected when ethical problems appear give them the chance to show them that they know how to handle the situation. Again reward those who make the good ethical decisions. There are plenty of ethical challenges companies will come across throughout time. The way to understand how to address these problems, and each of the different challenges, is to think of the source of the problems and how the company is affected by those results. Companies want to come out on top and show that they are better than their competitors. If an organization focuses on the right things such as ethics and how they run their company they will come out on top. Making sure that all the factors above are address when situations in the change process accrue then they should be able to handle the issues with no problem. Problems accrue when the management is not ethically tr ained and when they don’t know how to focus on the right subjects. All focus during the change process needs to be on the employees and how the change will affect the company.

A man to be admired Essay

Looking at the â€Å"holy† concept, the fact that Proctor’s death was part of the reason why it stopped steadily, it seems as Miller depicts him as a 17th century version of Jesus. How Christians believe he died for their sins; Proctor dies for the welfare of those accused and the stop of this fundamental accusations. He did do wrong: he committed a sin. But doesn’t religion teach us about the road to redemption? Religious morals even allow sinners into heaven or paradise if in salvation. So therefore Proctor should be admired as he knows he has done wrong and which leads him to becoming a better man.. All throughout the play, there is friction between Proctor and Elizabeth, obviously due to the incident between Proctor and Abigail, but hope is at the horizon because funnily enough, the worst case scenario brings their relationship and marriage to its strongest point. Proctor attempts all that he can to regain her trust and forgiveness; even bribing her with land is attempted. Elizabeth, being supremely virtuous but with a flair of coldness, tries to forgive but the sense of Christian judgment still lays in her mind. Pride, revenge, fear, honesty, puritan ethics, and honesty are some of the themes in The Crucible, but these are the ones that apply to Proctor. Revenge had put Proctor in fear of losing his beloved wife, Elizabeth, by Abigail. Abigail had seen Elizabeth from more than an inconvenience to a threat. Proctor restricted himself from his feelings and even the subject, when spoken to her. This now showed her only vulnerability, her feelings for him, which is ultimately the reason for this havoc. Self-interest. Fear is what drove the hysteria on; the risk of facing the devil had put people in positions of self-interest and paranoia. How can a man of such caliber be down played? He had raised a family, even though he divorced his 1st wife and married Elizabeth, brought them up in religious fashion, tend his land, helped those in need, is respected by the village and does good deeds. To conclude, John Proctor’s integrity has such a overcoming substance, and the way Miller captures it is just admirable. He faces death, just to keep his name clean, to live or die with respect. For him to go through so many calamities and distress that the only time he feels at peace is when he dies. And he still remains as an admirable figure after he’s public confession of being an adulterer. He put his own wife in front of himself, just to receive her forgiveness and trust. â€Å"He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! † Elizabeth accepts it, the only way; his death is the answer to all their problems. His Christian morals and beliefs lead him to becoming a better man; a man with faith is a man to be admired in my opinion. He knows that even if he confesses a lie, he can not base the remainder of his life on another lie, which will then jeopardize his relationship; other innocent people will die and will evidently never forgive himself. Overall, Proctor is a: religious, emancipated, loving, family, integrity-filled and respected man, and if these are not the quality of being admirable then I do not know what is. John Proctor, a man to be admired. Discuss. By Ranja Faraj Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

How does the devil solve life's most serious problems Essay

How does the devil solve life's most serious problems - Essay Example He deals with serious matters by destroying the good things in life such as happiness, love, and joy replacing them with emptiness. Sins and evil consist of a certain level of selfishness that, at most times, consists of things that people do for personal gratification and pleasure (Gellner 21). The devil deals with serious things by allowing people to do their will for personal satisfaction. Goodness has delayed gratification compared to evil. If an individual takes care of his family, helps the needy, and shares what he has with others, then he will be rewarded in heaven. For Muslims, such a woman would come back as a prettier version of herself to serve her husband better while a man would receive 12 virgins to be his wives as soon as he got to heaven. Evil has instant gratification. For example, if a man wants justice for his brother’s killer, then it is likely that he would prefer to kill the individual in vengeance as opposed to waiting for a court trial or for him to wait for God to judge him. An evil person or the evil in any person delights in doing as it pleases. The devil does not require a man to practice good traits like patience, gentleness, kindness, or sharing. If a poor man begs a person for money, that person will probably prefer to keep the money and spend it on himself, instead of helping a needy person. Similarly, in the case of rape, the rapist enjoys personal gratification while the victim suffers an immense amount of pain and emotional torture. According to many cultures and religions, the devil thrives in darkness, suffering, and chaos (Gellner 13). Subsequently, he deals with things by ridding the world of light, joy, and happiness. For instance, when a marriage results in divorce, the children suffer and some are hurt emotionally and mentally for life. He constantly causes misfortune to people attempting to pursue love, peace, and happiness. He does not want people to enjoy life

The Unreported Facts about Building Seven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Unreported Facts about Building Seven - Essay Example In the mainstream news it was cited that this building had been burning shortly after the planes hit the Twin Towers. As such, the collapse is attributed to the structural damage from the collapsing towers coupled with the prolonged fire which affected the fuel stores for emergency generators (Glanz). In addition, the United States government published a report that aims to clarify the issue pertaining to the collapse of Building 7 despite the fact that it was not hit by hijacked airliners unlike the two ill-fated towers. According to the published report, there were no known casualties due to the collapse. Furthermore, it concurs with the mainstream news that the collapse is primarily due to the fire rather than any impact damage from the collapsing towers. However, the report admits that prior to the 9/11 tragedy, there is minimal record of fire-induced collapse of large fire-protected steel buildings. Apart from this, the report also mentions that the study conducted regarding the structural design and construction features of Building 7 needs to be confirmed by further studies and analysis (Gilsanz, DePaola, Marion & Nelson). Due to some disconcerting observations with regard to the collapse of Building 7, some have formulated