Multi-faceted character Essay

In Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tempest†, Prospero has been represented variously as a good, caring man or as a manipulating, devious â€Å"puppeteer†. Compare and contrast how he has been represented and make your conclusion as to what kind of character Prospero actually is. A-Prospero, the protagonist of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Tempest†, has been variously presented as a kind, wise man as well as an uncaring, power hungry tyrant. A very real and multifaceted character with plenty of grey shades, Prospero has been seen as some as a manifestation of the play writer himself. I believe that, although Prospero has his faults, all his seemingly callous actions are directed towards a happy ending for every one. The best side of his personality is reserved for his daughter, Miranda. Though he is, at times, domineering towards her – (â€Å"Hence! Hang not on my garments! â€Å") – he loves her deeply. He tells her that he done ‘nothing but in care of her’, and all his actions are for her benefit ad to secure her future. He calls her a ‘cherubin’ and uses various terms of endearment for her – ‘wench’ – which bring out his love for her. However, Prospero also ‘meddles’ a lot with his daughter’s emotions. She is led to fall in love with Ferdinand, and Prospero’s comments, â€Å"It goes on, I see† shows that the relationship is all part of his master plan. He spies on her clandestine meeting with Ferdinand, and he is, often, a puppet master and she is his puppet, docile and obedient. This underlines the control he has over her, and his lust for power, but he is redeemed by the fact that he is doing it all for her good, after all, ‘the end justifies the means’. His test for Ferdinand is because Elizabethan romantic convention holds that a man’s love must be proved to be true through feats of tests. Towards his estranged brother, Antonio, and his companions, Prospero is less kind. He subjects them to mental torture by conjuring a violent tempest, leading them to believe they are ship wrecked. He is portrayed as a master puppeteer manipulating his puppets as he watches the company blunder about the island. But however sinister his attitude was, the fact remained that Prospero instructed Ariel to keep them ‘unharmed’. His frequent praise of Gonzalo, ‘honest old lord’ shows the audience that he does not really intend any malice. He did not want to use physical violence, even though it could be justified by the cruel actions of Antonio. Even though Antonio is a thoroughly ‘bad’ character, Prospero’s lack of violence redeems him to the audience. At the end of the play, Prospero forgives all his misdeed that had taken place and it is this forgiveness that labels him as a kind wise man. The only time Prospero shows a truly ugly side to his character is when he deals with Caliban. He hurls epithets such as ‘tortoise’ and ‘earth’ to him and inflicts him with ‘cramps’ and ‘side stitches’. Caliban terror on seeing Stephano shows the fear instilled in him by Prospero’s spirits. Prospero’s actions towards Caliban are also, however, justified. Caliban’s attempted rape of Miranda and his repulsive desire to ‘people the island with Calibans’ rightly earns a harsh punishment from Prospero. The only unjustified act of Prospero is that he seems to put too much stock by Caliban’s birth and appearance. He calls him a ‘freckled whelp’, ‘hag born’. But even here, the prevailing Elizabethan belief was that anyone so misshapen was evil and deserved to be treated as such. Towards his other servant, the ‘airy’ and ‘light’ Ariel, Prospero is much kinder. He frequently calls her a ‘brave spirit’ and ‘my tricksy Ariel’, using possessive pronouns to signal acceptance and pride. The only time he is angry with Ariel is when the spirit demand its freedom, just when Prospero’s master plan is about to unfold. He is understandably angry: she is the key to a plan he has waited twelve years to operate and it is an opportunity not be given again. Prospero is a man who is multi-faceted and perhaps that is why he is so human. Though he has shades of grey, he is essentially a good man, who has been usurped of his dukedom. Shakespeare realised that Prospero was dealing with great evil, and could not afford to be too good and therefore nai ve. He had to be written as a firm, stern man who knew what he wanted and how to achieve it. Prospero may have manipulated his daughter, but only to restore her future and her status. He is callous to Ariel, but promises to set it free. He leads the company all over the island, but reunites them in the end. ‘All’s well that ends well’ and Prospero delivers, restoring his dukedom, marrying the lovers and ensuring happy endings.

Quality Metal Service Center Essay

The key issue in the case is that the incentive compensation system does not motivate district managers to make decisions which are consistent with the strategy of Quality Metal Service Center (QMSC) because it is tied to the district’s target ROA. Acquiring the new processing equipment reduces the incentive bonus of the Columbus District Manager, Mr. Ken Richards, from 11.1% to 4.28% of his base salary. This happens because the asset base increases with the new equipment and will exceed the target for 1992. This may motivate him to not proceed with the purchase even if the proposal of the Sales Manager, Ms. Elizabeth Barret, shows that the acquisition results to a positive NPV and thus, should be sent to the home office for approval. To solve the issue, QMSC should use EVA instead of ROA as the measure of district and manager performance. Since EVA is the best proxy for shareholder value at the business unit level, improving EVA will also improve the company’s overall performance. The managers’ district objectives will then be congruent with the company’s overall objectives. This will induce Mr. Richards to employ additional assets which will promote the growth of both the Columbus district and QMSC, such as the one in Ms. Barret’s proposal. The purchase of the new processing equipment is also in line with the company’s objective to develop techniques and marketing program that would increase market share in identified industries and geographic markets of specialty metal users. Having the equipment will allow QMSC to provide the demand for processed metals in the Columbus District with a short lead time, addressing the concern of potential customers. Another aspect of the issue that needs to be looked into is the decision on what assets should be included in the investment base and what expenses should be charged from profits. QMSC includes land, warehouse buildings, and equipment at gross book value in its investment base. This results to an EVA that signals a decrease in profitability during the early years of the assets when in fact, profits increased. It will be better for the company to use annuity depreciation so that the profitability calculations will show the correct EVA. Leased buildings and equipment are also part of the asset base. This motivates managers to lease rather own assets whenever the interest charge that is built into the rental cost is less than the capital  charge that is applied to the investment base. Thus, the head office must think carefully before approving the leases of the districts as the managers might just be using it to window dress their performance. QMSC also includes inventory and accounts receivables, without subtracting standard accounts payable, using average values for the period. This is a good practice because these are representative of the assets used during the period and thus, conceptually a satisfactory measure of the amount that should be related to profits. On the other hand, QMSC’s computation for district profits is a fair approach because it only considers expenses that can be controlled by the district managers.

Status Demand Respect

Respect has a great importance in our everyday life. As children we are taught to respect our parents, teachers, elders, school rules, traffic laws, family and cultural traditions, other people's feelings, and people's differing opinions. We come to value respect for such things when we're older as well as through our experiences in life. Sometimes we may shake our heads or fists at people who seem to have not learned to respect them. We develop great respect for people we consider pure and lose respect for those we discover to be artificial, and so we may try to respect only those who are truly worthy of our respect.In reality at some level, all people are worthy of respect. Respect is also important in today’s society. If you want a job and go to an interview for one, and you are rude to the boss you are most likely not going to get the job. Jobs and relationships become unbearable if we receive no respect in them and we don’t perform at 100 percent as a consequence. The price of disrespect if we violate the street law, â€Å"Diss me and you die. † is an increasingly part of public life this time of days.Members of racial-ethnic minorities and those discriminated against because of their gender, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, and economic status demand respect both as social and moral equals for their cultural differences. We live in a diverse nation made up of many different cultures, languages, races, and backgrounds. A variety that can make our lives very different and exciting if we get along. You may not like every single person you meet but if you respect them they will respect you and that will make life a bit simpler.We learn that our lives are better when we respect the things that deserve to be respected and that we should be courteous in giving respect to all equally. It is crucial that are lives depend every bit as much on whether we respect ourselves. The value of self-respect is something we take for granted in most cases, or we may discover how very serious it is when our self-respect is threatened, or when we lose it and struggle to regain it. In some cases people find out that finally being able to respect themselves is what matters most in life and they accomplish this by kicking a disgusting habit, or defending something they stand for.Others sadly discover that life is no longer worth living or cherishing if self-respect is irretrievably lost. It is essential that respect and self-respect are deeply connected with each other. It is tough if not merely impossible both to respect others if we don't respect ourselves and to respect ourselves if others don't respect us. One of the keys to building or tearing down ego is respect. The interchange of respect or failure to interchange respect can affect ones self esteem greatly. Sometimes it can take an eternity of investment to exhibit love, respect, admiration for ones self as well as for others.Respect to me, is a way of showing someone t hat you think highly of them and well, respect them. Respect is a very important part of life. If a person is respected, it makes him fell good and in return, he or she respects you. Respect is important to me because if a person didn’t respect anyone, he himself would not be admired, and over time, he would grow up to be a very rude and inconsiderate person. Rudeness and kindness are also two very big components of respect. Everyone has a different opinion on respect and who deserves theirs. If you are rude to people or a person, you are disrespectful.If you are purposely mean or nasty to people, you are disrespectful. Respecting teachers is a very important part of education and life. Teachers feel good when they are respected and tend to be less grumpy and nicer during the day. Respect can take years to earn or it can almost be earned overnight. Teachers, priests, authority figures and other groups of people spend years in school before they earn their respect. Musicians c an right a song and earn respect almost immediately. Respect is ten Gaining respect from someone is one of the hardest things to do.I think nowadays that it's even harder to gain respect from people than before. Most respect goes to the actors, actresses and musicians, so I guess people have some competition when it comes to that. Sure, there are people who do get respect for being kind, for not being a pushover, but most respect is given to those in â€Å"gaudy† careers, action can loose a person their respect. People can spend their whole lives thinking of ways to earn respect, but unless they do something they will never get it. In contrast respect is something everyone wants and something no-one wants to loose.

Sentencing and penology law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sentencing and penology law - Essay Example 175 in particular. Corlett argues that Kant’s theory does advocate for fairness and human dignity (61). Shoham, Beck and Kett’s examination of Kant’s theory of punishment in International Handbook of Penology and Criminal Justice is very instructive and intuitive and will be relied on it to a greater extent than the others. Kant’s theory is interpreted to mean that if society does not punish offenders, society is complicit in the crime†¦see pp 384-385 for further discussion. Another relevant area of study is the general theory of punishment in the field of criminology: Look at the deterrent principle and how it development as a discipline in criminology see Cragg’s The Practice of Punishment: Towards a Theory of Restorative Justice, beginning at p. 42. Also note Braithwaite’s theory of punishment as expressed in Not Just Deserts: A Republican Theory of Criminal Justice and the move away from deterrence. Use Lord Dennings quote as a lead-in: Lead into the move toward rehabilitative justice as opposed to retribution and deterrence as theories of punishment. See Gaines and Miller Criminal Justice in Action: The Core beginning at p. 259. See also Tonry’s Sentencing Matters on the move away from rehabilitative justice (190 onward). Braitwaite’s discussion on restorative justice in Restorative Justice and Therapeutic Jurisprudence 244-262 should also be incorporated into this section to demonstrate the principles of sentencing and developing theories of punishment. Also tie in Walgrave and Aertsen’s Reintegrative Shaming and Restorative Justice and Bandura’s Mechanishms of Moral Disengagement for arguments in favor of restorative justice as a means of demonstrating that Kant’s theory of punishment is not conducive to the aims and objective of criminal justice. Also look at Austin’s Using Early Release to Relive Prison Crowding: A Dilemma in Public Policy to demonstrate that Kant†™s theory of punishment is

Spanish Language in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spanish Language in Schools - Essay Example The first study to track Toronto high school students through Ontario's new four-year curriculum also show that students who speak Spanish, Portuguese or Somali are at higher risk than kids who speak any other of the city's most common languages. And they are more likely to fail Grade 9 math and flunk the Grade 10 literacy test, and are less likely to apply to college or university. (American Renaissance, 21 September 2008). The result of the survey is without a doubt shocking and this is the biggest pitfall which is taking place in many schools around the globe. Once a student drops out, his/her whole life will be affected because of that decision and not all can become Bill Gates even after dropping out. The whole census was taken in order to find out what exactly was the reason of the students not faring well in their exams and the facts which came out were really shocking. The background of the student matters a lot, if a student belongs to Mexico or Portugal and the school authorities have Spanish as a compulsory language in the curriculum, the student would be very disappointed because his background is not apt in learning the language and moreover if he fails to show any improvement, the disappointment will reach a different level and the student will surely think of dropping out. All these things matter a lot to the students; the pressure these days on days in huge and coping with that pressure is not that easy. Spanish should be taught in the schools but it shouldn't be made compulsory because the students in a school will surely be from diverse backgrounds and some other language other than Spanish can be introduced but in that case also it should not be made a compulsion. By learning a language no student can become intelligent and develop as a person, a schools curriculum should have subjects which will develop the overall personality of the s tudent and learning Spanish will certainly not do that. "The purpose of learning Spanish is to communicate with the people who speak the language and to understand their cultures." (Kuala High school, 21 September 2008). Though it can be argued that learning Spanish has many advantages but overall its effects on students is very negative, especially for the students from diverse backgrounds. Spanish is very difficult to learn and the pronunciation is very complicated, the same makes the language very tough to learn. The schools which include Spanish in their curriculum make a big mistake and those schools never take into consideration the students from diverse background, which is the biggest mistake which they make and the same results in the students dropping out from the school and ultimately spoiling their career. The situation should be well understood by the school authorities and it should not continue, the people responsible behind introducing Spanish in the school's curriculum should learn from their mistakes before it's too late . The most important point here is the diversity of students studying in various schools and the immigration policies. There are so many people who travel and settle in different countries and if the native language of that country is included in the curriculum then they will surely be discouraged and will feel like giving up studies forever. So many times it so

Procopius secret history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Procopius secret history - Essay Example He was also on the Gothic campaign, in Italy, until 540. He finally lived in Constantinople after describing the immense plague of 542 in the capital. This paper will analyze the source and determine the author’s reliability (Arbor 1). The contemporary history reader should characteristically depend on the investigation of similar contemporary historians. Contemporary historians can access a large number of sources and frequently aim to give an impartial notion of the past life. Nonetheless, past historians did not appreciate objectivity in creating their stories on what would have been for contemporary figures and events (Arbor 1). There should be a balanced method to history and occurrences of the past life. Moreover, Procopius was the best placed historian to give information on the existence of Belisarius, Theodora, and Justinian of the eastern Roman Empire. This is because he published eight works on one of the most popular emperors, Justinian. He not only sets aside panegyrics, in the Secret History, but Procopius looks keenly into the revolt he experienced at his mighty empress and emperor (Arbor 1). Procopius illustrates the cruelty and greed of his emperor, in addition to the lasciviousness and malice of Theodora, his wife. The Secret History is under-supported and overstated, despite being an interesting resource. Early writers did not have the will to cite their resources. One cannot simply presume that because the author, Procopius, was Justinian’s contemporary, he was a witness of everything he documents. This raises a lot of concern on his reliability. Readers cannot ascertain what composition of his work is hearsay, or if it is rumor found in rumor, and the component of the resource that can be advanced. Nevertheless, the resource depicts both Justinian and Theodora as largely suspicious individuals (Arbor 1). Also, when Procopius asserts that Justinian was the most terrible ruler of all time, we are not sure how much

Legal Envirn of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Legal Envirn of Business - Essay Example On reviewing the executive employment agreement between Jonny Bee Good and the Big Bad Company, there was a valid agreement made on the twenty first day of April in the year 2010. On this issue, the signature part is provided at the end of the terms and provisions’ script. This means that the executive should only sign to the contract after going through the entire script. On allocation of duties, Jonny Bee Good was hired as the president of the company expected to serve with much loyalty, faithfulness, and total devotion. However, the company had the right to modify or change the executive’s position and duties during the term of their agreement. On the issue of compensations, the company offered compensation with respect to its customary payroll practice. Two hundred and twenty five thousand dollars was the executives’ base salary by the Big Bad Cars Company. The salary was to be reviewed annually by the board in accordance to the company’s review polici es and practices. Incentive compensation programs would be in operation whereby the executive would be eligible to in participation. On the issue of termination of the contract, according to the contract, the agreement was supposed to operate in full force with no breakage until the two parties are associated in breaking it. The two parties could only terminate the contract upon agreement. The company could also terminate the agreement in absence of the executive but only upon a written notice, while the company would pay executive the compensation to which he would be entitled. The executive held the right to terminate the contract with or without a good reason but upon a written notice of ninety and thirty days respectively. Contract between the two parties was meant to last for a period of two years according to their agreement. In that case, a total or $450,000 would be entitled for Jonny Bee Good as his compensation after the contract. Centrally

An Approach to Productive Feedback for Teachers Essay

An Approach to Productive Feedback for Teachers - Essay Example First and foremost, Krissia Martinez started her article by presenting the struggle that teachers face, of which after an observation, became a required part of their evaluation systems in many states and districts. The author believes that there is a relationship between feedback and conversations, potentially the related coaching and teacher’s performance evaluations. In addition, the author believes that the relationship makes teachers weary and anxious, feeling threatened during classroom observations. Of course, anyone could feel the same if the observations are based on a certain area with no clear protocols, useful feedback or coaching ways with no helpful information and professional support (Martinez, 1). Also, Krissia Martinez explained the reasons that make teachers struggle during classroom observations. Then, she provides strategies to enhance the post-observation feedback conversation by The Carnegie Foundation, which is the key point of her article. The various strategies include an individual starting a conversation with a positive statement; good listening skills, addressing teacher’s concerns, co-developing next steps, and sequencing the conversation into a predictable format (Martinez,

Identify the key reasons for privatisation of public utilities or Essay - 1

Identify the key reasons for privatisation of public utilities or institutions and discuss the likely effects in Australia - Essay Example o gradually privatise a large number of its public utilities particularly within the three sectors known as the: (1) financial services; (2) electricity and gas; and (3) transport and communication (Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin, 1997, p. 7). Basically, there is absolutely nothing wrong with privatising public enterprises especially when there is a strong need for the government to come up with large amount of money to finance the development of public infrastructure or given that the government is no longer capable of properly managing a business enterprise. However, it is also possible for the entire society to experience economic and social problems given that the selling of public utility to the hands of the private sector heavily involves infrastructure (Strachan, 1998). To enable the readers to have a better understanding why the Australian Government heavily relied on privatisation back in the 1990s, the key reasons behind the privatisation of public utilities in Australia will be thoroughly discussed. In the process of going through the main discussion, the possible consequences or effects of implementing the privatisation of public utilities in Australia will be tackled followed by demonstrating real-life examples to support the student’s point-of-view. As part of the conclusion, whether or not the key reasons behind the privatisation of public utilities in Australia can be considered as a good political strategy in terms of being able to provide the general public with affordable and good quality services will be justified. For many years, Australians had become very dependent on the Australian government when it comes to the delivery of good quality public services. As part of considering the social welfare of the general public, the government had to spend a large sum of money to improve the public utility services without overcharging the people with the quality services they receive. Partly because of globalization and the limited amount of

Family studies on TV show-breaking bad Research Paper

Family studies on TV show-breaking bad - Research Paper Example It is the nucleus of civilization and the simplest social unit within the society that is established through marriage between the two couples (Dallos & Draper, 2010). According to Aristotle, the family is the first community, the first society and the simplest form of government that has the power to determine the destiny of its people in the face of challenges and opportunities. Bad breaking, an American TV series explores the elements of a family and the devotion that parents make to their families to enable them live a better life in their presence and absence. The thought of an early death before the financial stability of his family is assured convinces him to begin producing methamphetamine, an illegal drug to maintain the status of his family. As a man, he feels obligated to care for his family and use any means available to secure their present and future, even if the spouse leaves him due to his actions. In this paper, the elements of family as the basic unit of the society will be analyzed in line with the movie bad breaking to demonstrate the principles and elements of a family system. The development of a family is covered under the family development theory that discuss the process of family development and the systematic changes that families experiences as they move up the development hierarchy. The family cycle theory was conceived by Reuben Hill and Evelyn Duvall in the 19th century to describe the stages of development that a family undergoes till death. Based on the two social researchers, family development underwent stages that began from the early marriages, couples with young children, children beginning independent lives out of home and the empty nest of retirement and death (Dallos & Draper, 2010). Based on this approach, the family development can be studied from three levels of development which include the individual-psychological stage, the interactional-associational and the societal-institutional models

Seasonal Workers Essay Example for Free

Seasonal Workers Essay Seasonal work, the ideal job for young people, college students, and those in need of working urgently. We will show how some companies benefit from seasonal jobs and how individuals make these jobs an opportunity to reach their goals using this chance as a stepping stone. Different ways to reach out those in need of a job, and the trouble these seasonal jobs cause companies when not fill completely or in time for the summer demands. Review/Analysis of the Case Being able to fill positions during demanding times is crucial for all businesses regardless of their affiliations. For companies like High Sierra pools that need lifeguards and pool staff, but can’t obtain them throughout promoting the positions locally, using outside agencies is the best choice. With the policies Congress has impose over the H-2B visas that will prevent previous employees under the visa program apply again, will generate a significant problem while trying to hire employees for the season. Businesses must result to other strategies in order to accommodate their needs. Requesting volunteers from within the company to work extra hours, or add more days to their schedules could help them resolve the current issue. Other ways to fill up the empty positions would be to promote a program that will secure individuals looking for a possible permanent position; having the flexibility to hire for the season with high probabilities of keeping the job would attract more people for those positions locally. Also promising your business directly to one agency may give them the motivation to work the extra mile and bring the best seasonal workers out there. I would recommend them to create a hiring program that would brings students looking for a chance within a business, that will allow them to start at a certain position with the opportunity to apply for others within the company. This would allow them to bring in those looking for interships in business environment. Adapt the program to allow those with a business major to be selected as trainees in different positions within the company, allowing the the chance to stay as a permanent employee or even come back next year during the same time frame. This could serve as a experience stepping stone for those about to graduate and looking for a background experience for other promising jobs. Other strategies that could be use to gain more employees, would be to seek students directly. Going to campuses and providing briefings about the company, their vision, employment programs, and benefits for those young future employees facing the business world. Could promote a higher rate of employment for the company, not only throughout the seasonal time but chances of permanent and best experienced workers in a near future. By providing a good advertisement, the company can be found easier in the many search engines used now days. Making it easier for students to come across them while in the internet. High Sierra Pools, should take this strategies to consideration and give them a try, it could help them find workers faster, easier, and expend less money searching for employees instead of using an outside agency to do the work for them like the previous years. Summary and Conclusions If High Sierra Pools maintains the current employment issue without searching for other alternatives. They will eventually face a major downfall when the summer season comes around. This could hurt their business greatly, not only by not having enough employees, but the current customers may notice a change in the services provided and change their location comes next year season. Being able to adapt to the demanding load of customers and service will be a key tool for the success of their business. Make themselves reliable and flexible to future employees and candidates will maintain the flow of seasonal employees they need to succeed every year. Whether is a company or corporation being able to supply the required number of employees and provide an attractive work environment with good opportunities, will provide the business with a steady growth every season.

Lockheed Martin Exercise Essay Example for Free

Lockheed Martin Exercise Essay Question 1: The Lockheed Martin website gives the impression that this company strives to make ethics a top priority among its employees. Lockheed has successfully integrated marketing ethics throughout its corporate culture by instituting mandatory ethics training sessions. The company requires that employees make every effort to attend in-person training; however Lockheed makes online training available to those who are unable to attend to live training. This ensures that each and every employee has the opportunity to attend the ethics training session. In addition to having training sessions and requiring employees to acknowledge their completion of the course, Lockheed also has a clearly defined code of conduct, and the company expressly states its vision and values. The message of â€Å"doing what’s right,† respecting others, and doing the very best job possible are often repeated on the corporate website. The website also lists numerous additional links and resources for employees’ use. Question 2: The current ethical minute series does seem like it would be effective in establishing an ethical culture because the videos present realistic scenarios. First, the videos describe the ethical issue along with potential consequences. Next, the characters experience a conflict in the workplace, and they must decide whether they should follow the company’s procedure and possibly face negative consequences, or simply let the incident go unreported. The video shows the characters as they go through a thought process that is very similar to the way a real Lockheed employee might react. Overall, the video series appears to be effective because it presents ethical issues to employees in a way that is informative, entertaining, and the many employees will likely understand and relate to the message that is being delivered. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Question 1: R. J Reynolds must make many considerations when formulating a marketing strategy. The company’s website indicates that the information that has been released on health risks related to tobacco use is a large concern. The website seems to reflect that the company feels obligated to state that individuals who have ceased using tobacco and those who have never started should avoid tobacco products. There is also a statement that minors should not use tobacco under any circumstances (including exposure to secondhand smoke) and that tobacco is harmful and no tobacco product has been deemed safe. The company also states that individuals should rely on statements by the Surgeon General and the CDC when making decisions about tobacco use. These statements reflect pressure from governmental agencies and outside groups to inform the public about the serious health risks that are associated with tobacco. The company also mentions that tobacco use should be allowed in adult venues. This indicates that the company feels that recent trends in smoking regulation are unfair and far too strict and are counterproductive to the business interests of tobacco companies. Question 2: R. J. Reynolds Company has used the negative impact that increased health concerns have had on the company to portray itself as a morally and socially responsible. Not only does the website convey information about health risks, but the company also uses changes in smoking regulation laws as a basis to encourage political activism, as stated on the Smoker’s Rights page. The media page also shows that the company has made large donations to community causes. These actions serve to portray the tobacco company as socially responsible and positive, though the company sells a product that has a negative impact on health and has consequently come under fire as a result.

The poverty trap

The poverty trap SHORT ESSAY Topic: Getting households out of the poverty trap requires a greater focus on the â€Å"demand† side rather than the â€Å"supply† side. Introduction Despite the substantial amount of research undertaken to study the economic growth and development and analyse how it facilitates the poverty reduction, there has not been still one remedy discovered to make poor countries rich. Poverty continues to be the cause of suffering of millions of people around the globe, who are caught in a poverty trap. Azariadis and John Stachurski (2005) define the poverty trap as â€Å"any self-reinforcing mechanism which causespoverty to persist†. Those mechanisms causing poverty to persist can include, for instance, limited access to education, inadequate nutrition, lack of public health care, limited access to credit and capital markets, inefficient governance, social instability and poor infrastructure. We can use one of the listed mechanisms to illustrate the emergence of the poverty trap. Limited access to education leads to an increased level of illiteracy among the poor, which further determines the niche the poor can take in the labour m arket. Being uneducated, the poor is restricted to perform unskilled labour, which does not pay high wages and brings the poor’s income level down. Income deprivation subsequently leads to inadequate nutrition, limited access to education, etc. That is the trajectory poor households follow towards falling into the poverty trap. What are the ways to get households out of the poverty trap? There are two types of policies, â€Å"supply† and â€Å"demand† side policy interventions, which are applied to break the poverty trap. â€Å"Supply† side policies aim to directly provide services to the poor that may focus among other spheres of concern on education, health, or infrastructure, whereas the â€Å"demand† side policy proponents argue that first poor should demand these services, otherwise they are going to be ineffective. The author of this essay shares the latter point of view as well. Evidence suggests that enabling poor people to participate in determining services they need, their quality and quantity is critical in ensuring policy intervention’s success. To guarantee sustainability of the results there should be social accountability in place, which allows poor people to hold the government accountable for the decisions and choices it makes for the poor. We also build our argument based on a country example from Bangladesh, where a â€Å"demand† side financing intervention has outperformed a â€Å"supply† side financing intervention in the healthcare sector. Hence, this essay aims to argue that getting households out of the poverty trap requires a greater focus on the â€Å"demand† side rather than the â€Å"supply† side. Voices of the Poor Mani et al (2013) argue that being preoccupied with pressing financial concerns the poor have fewer cognitive resources to guide their choice and action; therefore, they are unable to take informed decisions due to their poor mental capabilities. Thus, taking this fact into consideration â€Å"supply† side policies are designed to help the poor to get out of poverty without hearing their voices. It is believed that the government can decide better what is needed to get the poor out of the poverty trap on poor people’s behalf. However, according to the World Development Report (2004), â€Å"public services often fail people – in access, quantity, and quality†. The report emphasizes that the main reason of the failed efforts of the developing countries to make services work for the poor is the extent to which poor people themselves are engaged in determining the quality and the quantity of the services which they are entitled to. Services can work better if â€Å"poor people are put at the centre of service provision by enabling them to monitor and discipline services providers by strengthening their voice in policymaking and by reinforcing the incentives for providers to serve the poor† (World Development Report, 2004). However, the â€Å"supply† side proponents will argue that a well-targeted strategy of the â€Å"supply† side performance incentives could on its own be enough to achieve the desired outcomes, for instance, drawing upon an example from Nicaragua where a conditional cash transfer program showed â€Å"significant improvements in immunizations, growth monitoring, and reductions in stunting† (Regalà ­a, F. and Castro, L., 2009). Upon completion of the program an evaluation was conducted to identify the impact the combined â€Å"supply† and â€Å"demand† side intervention had. The evaluation showed that combining â€Å"supply† and â€Å"demand† side policies can significantly increase the use of health services among poor households and improve health outcomes. Furthermore, the evaluation aimed to assess the impact â€Å"demand† side incentives alone played in this intervention. For this purpose, an evaluation about ten months after â€Å"demand† side incentives had been stopped in certain areas was conducted, and it revealed that take-up rates for preventive health care services still remained high. The evaluation explained this result by the possibility that the program strategy dramatically improved provider outreach activities during the initial stage of implementation and thus the access of poor households to health services, reducing the costs of time and travel to reach healthcare service delivery points was also improved. It is possible, therefore, that a well-targeted strategy of â€Å"supply† side performance incentives could, on its own, be enough to achieve and maintain high levels of health care service use among poor rural populations in Nicaragua (Regalà ­a, F. and Castro, L., 2009). Although this example shows that â€Å"supply† side policies on their own can be efficient in helping the poor to get better access to health care services, we need to bear in mind that this is only one example and, therefore, it cannot be representative of all â€Å"supply† side policy interventions. It is also stressed by the evaluation that the success of the program might be because provider outreach activities were improved; thus, we question here that should â€Å"demand† side incentives, such as incentives for health providers to develop efficient plans to expand coverage rapidly in underserved areas, were not there from the beginning of the program the outcome of the program could have been less successful. Sustainability and Social Accountability Designing policy interventions based solely on the â€Å"supply† side approach ensures less sustainability. When the poor are not knowledgeable enough about the policy intervention and, therefore, less concerned about maintaining the results of the policy once it is completed, the intervention will have a short-term impact. This is one of the concerns often raised by aid agencies (International Labour Organization, 2001). A policy intervention is regarded as sustainable in case it carries on indeterminately with no further donor involvement or support, whether it be financial or otherwise. With a greater focus on the â€Å"demand† side, this concern is more likely to be addressed. In particularly, focusing policies on capacity building of the poor in terms of educating them about their rights, public services they are entitled to receive, the role they can play in improving their livelihood, providing more information about the stakeholders involved in policy design and implementation, etc., can be conducive to poverty reduction and, hence, to sustainable development. For instance, Economic Development Institute (1996) suggests that non-governmental organizations can assist the poor to identify their needs and identify their priorities. These measures will build poor people’s capacity to demand services they need and hold policymakers accountable for their actions and policy choices. In other words, this will strengthen social accountability that relies on civil engagement, i.e. in which â€Å"the poor can participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability† (World Bank, 2004). This mechanism can function only through the demand side approach as it operates from the bottom-up (World Bank, 2004). It can be though argued that poor people caught in the poverty trap will be less concerned about social accountability when, for instance, they lack basic access to nutrition and clean water in the first place. Therefore, it is inefficient to consider developing soft skills of the poor until they have basic infrastructure, which would allow them to sustain their living and only then they can take a next step to improving their capacity and benefiting from social accountability. Poor people need immediate help today. Building capacity of the poor will take longer time to show its results. Additionally, the â€Å"supply† side of governance already uses certain measures such as checks and balances, administrative rules and procedures, auditing requirements, and formal law enforcement mechanisms to tackle the challenge of accountability. Indeed, â€Å"supply† side policies aim to address immediate needs of the poor. However, the intervention can be considered successful if it is sustainable. Relying on the present-bias, i.e. immediate provision of services â€Å"today† rather than investment in developing capacity of the poor for greater results in the longer term, does not guarantee sustainability in the long run. As a result, the poor can only temporary get out of the poverty trap and then again be trapped into poverty once the intervention is completed. Empowering the poor through social accountability enables sustainable development. While the supply based approach is an intervention that is limited to provision of services only and does not spread much beyond to improvement in governance, social accountability serves a multiple purpose and, therefore, has a long-lasting effect. As such, social accountability facilitates improvement in governance, ensures development effectiveness through a more-pro -poor policy design and, lastly, empowers poor people to demand goods and services they need most. As to the accountability measures used by the â€Å"supply† side of governance, evidences suggests that â€Å"these â€Å"top-down† accountability promoting mechanisms have met with only limited success in many countries, both developed and developing† (World Bank, 2004). As a result, social accountability measures described above are preferred. â€Å"Demand† Side Financing Furthermore, having analyzed a number of â€Å"supply† side interventions and behaviors of the poor we can restate that it’s crucial to focus more on the â€Å"demand† side interventions. One of the main sectors covered by the â€Å"supply† side polices is a healthcare sector. Studies show that despite considerable subsidies allocated towards the supply side the access to the health care systems among the poor remains low. To address this drawback new â€Å"demand† side financing mechanisms are introduced (Schmidt, J., Ensor, T., Hossain, A. and Khan, S., 2010). These mechanisms transfer purchasing power to the targeted groups for defined healthcare goods and services. This measure is aimed to increase poor households’ access to specified goods and services. In particularly, such mechanism was applied in Bangladesh, where a maternal voucher scheme was implemented. The scheme provided vouchers to poor women that entitled them to receive skille d care at home or a facility and also provided payments for transport and food (Schmidt, J., Ensor, T., Hossain, A. and Khan, S., 2010). The evaluation of the program suggests that the take-up of vouchers was more rapid when the scheme was implemented through the â€Å"demand† side financing than previously through the â€Å"supply† based financing. Authors of the report describe the earlier implemented scheme through the â€Å"supply† side financing as an â€Å"apparent failure†, when all resources were allocated to the supply side and it was assumed that those with need will be able to access services. While â€Å"supply† side financing schemes can improve their outreach to the poor by constructing hospitals in the remote rural areas or providing funds for transport or transport itself to reach hospitals in cities, and improving service quality, so that people can have easier access to public healthcare services. However, as practice shows that is rather challenging. Gupta, I., Joe, W. and Rudra, S. (2010)state that policymakers in developing countries have come to realize that public health services have not been achieving desired outcomes due to â€Å"a significant lack of efficiency, fairness in service provision and its quality†. Although, the â€Å"demand† side financing can be questioned with regards to the quality of healthcare services left to the providers’ discretion, the â€Å"demand† side interventions are implemented with an assumption that service providers are responsible for the service quality assurance, and if intervention beneficiaries are left to choose from a set of service providers, it is assumed that there is a considerable number of service providers to choose from. However, returning back to the example from Bangladesh we conclude that demand-side financing schemes are more effective based on the available data, which suggests that the rise in the voucher take-up appeared to be more rapid through the â€Å"demand† side financing scheme than through other non-demand side financing (â€Å"supply† side financing) areas. Conclusion In the course of this essay we aimed to emphasize that getting poor households out of the poverty trap requires a greater focus on the â€Å"demand† side interventions rather than the â€Å"supply† side interventions. In particularly, we highlighted the evidence proving this argument through examples of the assumed cognitive poverty of the poor, where practitioners on the contrary bring evidence that those interventions that involve the poor in determining the quantity and quality of services they need prove to be more efficient. We also brought up the idea of social accountability that is critical not only in ensuring effectiveness and efficiency of the poverty alleviation programs, but also in improving governance and maintaining sustainability of the policy outcomes. Finally, we dwelled into a particular example of a policy intervention from Bangladesh, which aimed to provide vouchers to poor women that entitled them to receive skilled care at home or a facility and also provided payments for transport and food. The evaluation of this intervention helped us to analyze the results of both â€Å"demand† side financing and â€Å"supply† side financing. We reconfirmed that evidence from Bangladesh also proves that â€Å"demand† side policies are more effective in reaching the poor and addressing their needs. Bibliography: Azariadis, C. and Stachurski, J. (2005). Poverty Traps,Handbook of Economic Growth. World Bank, (2004).World Development Report 2004: Making Services Work for Poor People. Washington D.C.: World Bank. Regalà ­a, F. and Castro, L. (2009).Nicaragua: Combining Demand- and Supply-Side Incentives. Washington D.C. Economic Development Institute (1996).The Design and Management of Poverty Reduction Programs and Projects in Anglophone Africa: Proceedings of a Seminar Sponsored Jointly by the Economic Management Institute. Washington D.C. Mani, A. et al (2013). Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function. Science, 341(6149), p. 976-980. International Labour Organization, (2001).Mainstreaming Poverty Alleviation Strategies through Sustainable Rural Infrastructure Development. p.14. World Bank, (2004).Social Accountability: An Introduction to the Concept and Emerging Practice. Social Development Papers. Participation and Civic Engagement. Paper No. 76. Washington D.C.: World Bank. Gupta, I., Joe, W. and Rudra, S. (2010).Demand Side Financing in Health: How far can it address the issue of low utilization in developing countries?. World Health Report. Background Paper, 27. Schmidt, J., Ensor, T., Hossain, A. and Khan, S. (2010). Vouchers as demand side financing instruments for health care: A review of the Bangladesh maternal voucher scheme.Health Policy, [online] 96(2), pp.98-107. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.01.008 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2014].

Gender Roles in the Media Essay -- Socialization Female Male Differenc

From the moment they are born and wrapped in a pink or blue blanket, a child's gender is unmistakable. From this point on, they will continuously be bombarded with the socialization into their gender by many sources. One of the main sources of this socialization is media, more specifically television. The purpose of this paper is to describe gender roles and stereotypes, and to take a closer look at how the media's representation and portrayal of males and females affects children. Gender differences are the "sets of attributes socially and culturally constructed on the basis of birth assignment as male or female" (Creedon, 1993, p.5). When a baby is born and wrapped in a colored blanket based on their gender, one of the first things many parents think about his how perfect their little boy or girl is; How strong and handsome their son will be with his dad's strong hands; How beautiful their daughter is because of her "big blue eyes." The last question on the minds of the parents however, is how, by choosing that blanket for their child and thinking these thoughts, they have commenced the idealistic gendering process. Many parents fail to think twice about setting guidelines for their children from birth on what it means to be either male or female, because doing so has become so natural to our society. "We live in a culture built on a particular set of gender assumptions and structured to amplify if not produce gender asymmetries and inequalities, and we come to view these differences as part of the natural world" (Creedon, 1993, p.5). In the media, the roles of males and females differ immensely. "Women, especially young women, are primarily depicted as sex objects and men as success objects. In both cases, the ... ...isual stereotypes in american mass media. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. Kundanis, R. (2003). Children, teens, families, and mass media: the millennial generation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers. Pollack, W. (1998). Real boys: rescuing our sons from the myths of boyhood. New York, NY: Holt. Spangler, L. (2003). Television women From lucy to friends: fifty years of sitcoms and feminism. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Strasburger, V.; Wilson, B. (2002). Children, adolescents, and the media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Wartella, E. (1979). Children communicating: media and development of thought, speech, understanding. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Woods, J. (1994). Who cares: women, care, and culture. Carbondale, Ill: Southern Illinois University Press.

Possible Explanation of Kierkegaard’s Reasoning :: Essays Papers

Possible Explanation of Kierkegaard’s Reasoning As some philosophers suggest, an individual may only know what he knows through experience. What is sensed equals what is known. Because we understand things through our senses, then what we understand must also be expressed through our senses. We represent that knowledge through language. Language is a means of transferring our experiences to a concrete, literal form, so the sensuous can be made known in the psyche. To describe a snake (itself a linguistic representation of my experience), I might use the word, â€Å"slimy,† thus, I have distinguished one feeling from another feeling. Language also informs our perceptions of an object. We hear the sound of a word, and our brains conjur an image of the object the word represents. This image is then transferred into our own experience. If I say, â€Å"slimy,† you may think of mud or butter or a kiss, not necessarily a snake. These images are not right or wrong, but are based on your experiences. You will think of those things until, through my comparison of a snake to other objects and characteristics you do know, you can understand another thing that could possibly represent the word, â€Å"slimy.† What if someone wishes to discuss something outside of sensual or intellectual human experience? Because we cannot escape the use of sensual-psychic language to explain experience and knowledge of experience, even an experience beyond the sensual-psychic must be expressed through the common language that is received through the ear and processed through the brain. Jesus knew this full well, choosing to speak in parables rather than outlining theories and spiritual realities. We listen better to stories with objects and plots we can understand. His audience identified with agriculture, shepherding, wedding feasts, and inheritances. And although he knew the people could not comprehend the fullness of meaning behind his stories, storytelling was the most effective way to shed any light on the world of the spirit. As Paul Tillich says, once we take literally the language we use to represent â€Å"ultimate concerns† (things of the spirit), then we have made language into an idol ____________. Kierkegaard predated Tillich with his statement that â€Å"all human language about the spiritual . . . is essentially transferred or metaphorical language†(199). To prevent our understanding of language from remaining in the literal or sensuous-psychic state, and thus becoming idolatrous, then we must see it as a symbol, participating in the actual, but not the actual itself __________.

Been Trees :: essays research papers

The Bean Trees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, many social issues are discussed. One social issue that is addressed is adoption. Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. Adoption offers a chance at a new beginning for many children previously cared for by orphanages and foster homes. Families constitute the building blocks of society. They provide children with the love and security needed to grow into healthy adults. This paper will discuss how Kingsolver illustrates adoption in her novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taylor was sitting in Cynthia’s office with Turtle. It was their third week of seeing her. Turtle was talking again, after the incident in the park. As the history of Taylor and Turtle slowly began to seep out of Taylor, Cynthia has no choice but to inform Taylor that she has no legal claim to Turtle because she has no papers on Turtle. She cannot prove the way she got Turtle. Taylor, felt that if she has no claim to Turtle then no one else should either. The state of Arizona would take Turtle into custody. Taylor, depending on how long she had been a resident in the state, and depending on her income and stability, might be able to adopt Turtle in the future. Taylor does not know how to respond to this news. She is beginning to think that she will not be a good mother for Turtle. Kingsolver expresses how people may get discouraged, but they are somehow encouraged by the people around them. She conveys this message through the way Taylor feels about her role in Turtle’s life. However, the people in her life help her to realize her love and need for this child. I believe this is a common problem faced by many people who want to adopt. They begin to doubt whether they would be good parents. They have many questions that they need to consider. For example,will they feel like the child’s parents? Or would they treat an adopted child differently than their birth child? Most importantly, will they be able to handle the emotions, if and when, their child wants to meet their birth family? These fears come between the questions and the answers. It thrives on the unknown. In most, the fear is turned around, as exemplified in Taylor’s case.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another scene that articulates adoption is the scene with Mr. Armistead. Taylor, Turtle, Estevan and Esperanza were all together.

A person I would like to become

Everybody goes about life being whatever he is or doing whatever he is supposed to be, but in the heart of hearts, everyone has a longing – a longing to be someone else other than being himself. ‘What do you want to be’ is an often-asked question. If I were to be asked whom I want to be, at least for as brief a time as one day, my answer would be Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa’s life is what I would call a perfect life. To leave one’s own country and people and go to a totally alien county at a tender age to serve the underprivileged people requires tremendous strength and faith. Mother Teresa was an embodiment of purity, love, and selflessness. Mother Teresa, as everyone knows, had to endure a lot of tribulations because she started from absolutely nothing.   Yet her love and compassion for the poor and neglected made her stick to her task. Nobody can imagine the strength and determination housed in the fragile body. She was a blessed soul with a vision, and it was her faith in God and humanity that kept her going ahead with her noble task. It is a boon to even know her. So, if there is one person who I would want to be, then without any doubt, it would be Mother Teresa. Even at the peak of her popularity, Mother Teresa was simple and modest.   That a person can still be so simple in the midst of all the popularity baffles me. Her life had a purpose.   Mother Teresa has made the lives of countless people worth living.   Known also as â€Å"Saint of the Gutters,† Mother Teresa started an order of nuns, the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta and the strength grew from 12 sisters to over 3000 in just 50 years. To see God in all His creation, especially the poor, the underprivileged, the neglected, is something very rare, and it is this rarity in her which inspired me all the more, and I would embrace any opportunity to be Mother Teresa, at least for a brief   period. Reference The Mother Teresa of Calcutta Memorial page, [Electronic Version] Retrieved on June 4, 2005, from http://www.catholic.net                                    

Imt Case of Study Tech Essay

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Evolution of Fort Wayne Plant The Fort Wayne plant facility, originally from WILMEC, was constructed in mid-1960’s specifically to manufacture the type of custom machine called a â€Å"large vertical†. In 1985, WILMEC moved its â€Å"medium horizontal† production capability to Fort Wayne, Indiana. After 5 years, GE Inc. abandoned its custom machine business and sold it to WILMEC’s. GE’s production equipment was then moved to WILMEC’s Fort Wayne plant, however, the GE technology is very different from the 2 custom machines which WILMEC produces, it is called â€Å"large horizontal†. With the 3 machine types, Fort Wayne continued its production until in mid-1995 WILMEC’s sold all of its custom machine engineering, manufacturing and sales operation to IMT. The Fort Wayne Plant transitioned from a busy single-product, focused factory to a factory that was nearly closed (due to a lack of orders) and employed only a few hundred workers. It then evolved into a facility that supported three technically different products (large-horizontal, large-vertical, and medium-horizontal custom machines) that had originated from three different factories with three different engineering design systems. In mid-1993, IMT closed the Cleveland site and transferred the engineering and marketing staffs to either Fort Wayne or Chicago. As the Fort Wayne plant evolved to support multiple product lines, numerous informal procedures emerged to handle day-to-day situations. These undocumented processes worked despite the incompatibilities among the three different technologies, which used three separate drafting systems as well as unique manufacturing processes. Very little capital had been invested to upgrade the operations during the last several years of WILMEC’s ownership. Not until IMT had completed the purchase of the technology and the factories in 1995 had a major capital upgrade program even been considered. Low margin and capital budget limits had prevented significant upgrades. In early 1996, the plant was reorganized into three product lines. Each of the three machine types was considered a separate product line and profit center. The Hardware Platform of the IS Division The IS division uses IBM mainframes: †¢IBM model S/390- The current mainframe †¢IBM AS/400- inherited from General Engineering during the acquisition. The MIS personnel attempted to facilitate these mainframes, transferring data between the two systems. However this was not easily achieved due to information security issues. Since 1996, the heaviest use of the mainframe was from the computer-aided drafting (CAD) and engineering users. Its usage was approximately sixty-five percent (65%) of the current mainframe and about fifty-four percent (54%) of the S/390’s CPU capacity. Statement of the Problem In this study the major problem is how to find a good decision and direction for IMT Information Systems without the need of exerting too much effort and money in the hardware platform or system’s upgrade. Cited below are some of the specific problems of the case study: †¢How will the company balance the need for technological changes to continue accomplishment of routine task? †¢What are the problems encountered by the current IS environment? Objectives General Objective The objective of the study is to propose a new and latest hardware platform that will suit best on the applications needed by the Fort Wayne’s Information System. Specific Objectives †¢To improve the software used by the company for several years. †¢To evaluate the managerial issues of computing, including the centralization and decentralization of computing. †¢To make an assessment of which of the three (3) given options by Browning are more appropriate for the company to use. CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY Research Design The study used qualitative research at the beginning of the design process to uncover innovations. This results with the advantage of being useful when budgetary decisions have to be taken into account. This research design is also useful even if you know little about the topic. It uses plain observation as a main source of data. Naturalistic observation was used since the objective is to examine each department for root causes of problems. Sources of Data The study acquires data simply through observations, existing studies and documentations. Research Instruments Since the research design has limited means to gather data, the only research instrument used in developing the entire system was the case itself and some readings from the internet. Data Gathering Procedure Data were gathered through data mining, which is much easier than the survey and interview techniques. The proponents simply took time in going to the school library and surfing the net collecting various information from books, websites and other documentations which is required to begin and to finish the study. CHAPTER 3 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS In this chapter, the data acquired through the examination of the different subunits under the Information System’s (IS) division are further discussed. Figure 2.1 Data Flow among Functional Areas of IMT CMCI’s Information System Figure 2.1 presents the flow of significant data among the different subunits under the IS division. From the different division the following findings below were notably considered: †¢Marketing – This unit uses a mainframe negotiation program written in COBOL where results from the technical description of specification for a new machine of a customer were interpreted and has a Query System used to analyze data from ongoing negotiations as well as contracts won or lost. †¢Admin and Finance – The purchase order, accounts payable and accounts receivable were the three (3) systems, which were custom developed by GE’s MIS staff on the AS/400. †¢Engineering – This subunit was responsible for handling three (3) separate design systems for the three (3) types of custom machine that Fort Wayne produces. †¢Drafting – At Fort Wayne, CAD applications ran on the IBM mainframe and consisted of eighty-five (85) seats of CAD. (A â€Å"seat† was one hardware CAD setup with a high-resolution screen, keyboard, function button box, and a pointing device that functioned like a mouse.) The development of the automatic drawing progress was very convenient with both CAD and the custom machine design program on the same platform. †¢Manufacturing – When all the drawings for a custom machine were completed, the BOM (Bill of Material was manually transferred from the drawings into the BOM database system, called DBOMP. With the three (3) types of custom machine, DBOMP could not handle the large drawing numbers and no one at Fort Wayne knew the DBOMP code well enough to make changes. In this case, the MIS group was backlogged in supporting the rapid changes that were occurring at the Fort Wayne Plant. †¢Test – Test information was written on a form that was interpreted and copied from the customer’s specification in marketing and engineering. Test department had several PCs connected to LAN. †¢Human Resources – There were no plans to connect the LAN with Fort Wayne’s mainframe due to security corners over the confidentiality personnel records residing on the HR’s computers. Besides, the HR organization was not even considered a local support issue because its applications were supported from the corporate MIS group in New York. After acquiring the findings above, the group cited specific problems encountered on some of the subunits of the IS, and they were as follows: 1.The Admin and Finance is the only subunit which is not under the current mainframe of the Fort Wayne. The systems for this department are developed in the IBM AS/400 mainframe. 2.At the Manufacturing Department, when a computerized system failed to provide needed functionality, paper systems were created to support the information needs. This is due to the large number of drawings in CAD that DBOMP could not handle. 3.PCs in the Test Department are connected to the mainframe but only used occasionally. Furthermore, electronic test result data were not shared on the mainframe but remained in the test department LAN only. Below are three (3) major options presented by Charles Browning: 1.Centralized Computing. Commit to staying with the current mainframe for all important applications such as the CAD and the DBOMP though it would be a long-term venture. Discourage the use of UNIX work stations and eliminate the AS/400 and place the Admin and Finance along with the other department systems in one mainframe. 2.Workstation Computing. A strategy that will discard the mainframe, make significant investments in the UNIX workstations, PCs, servers and LANs and will architect a full client/server environment. Install high-speed network to link all computers via LAN and install gateways to bridge between networks. One database would serve the entire UNIX network system. And CAD and other major applications will be shifted off the mainframe to dedicated UNIX workstations. But the process is expected to take approximately 10 years before mainframes could be downgraded and migrated to workstations. 3.Watch Carefully. Do not act yet. Wait and see what develops and decide only as circumstances force key issues. This means that each decision would be made in response to immediate demands and on lowest risk and least expensive alternative at decision time. CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Summary The case study was conducted to propose an intelligent strategy for the Information Systems Department of the Fort Wayne Plant, which is a subsidiary company of International Machine and Tool (IMT-USA). The IS division made several proposals of incremental solutions for the needs of their system, however, they could not acquire the specific solution which will show them what modifications should be done and how would it be done. The proponents examined different units under the IS departments and searched for the root problems existing in the division. The third option, â€Å"Watch carefully. Do not act yet.† was chosen by the group as the best among the options presented and strategically developed the plans to solve the problems. Conclusions After the study has been conducted, the proponents concluded that to be able to plan a working solution for an existing system. A careful observation and examination of functionality of units under the system must be done in order to trace the root causes of problems and to provide direct solutions to it.

Marketing Concept for Environmental Welfare

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MARKETING CONCEPT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL WELFARE From a long time ago, manufacturers are competing with each other to provide a product that can fulfill the needs of consumers. One type of product can be produced by various manufacturers. With so many manufacturers who produce things that can fulfill the needs of consumers, other producers with low marketability will automatically be eliminated from the marketplace because it is not chosen by the consumer. One of the ways to attract consumers to buy a product is to use the societal marketing concept.Societal marketing concept is the highest evolution form of marketing concept, where in addition to get a profit, manufacturers are also trying to improve the life of the community (Crane, Andrew, Desmond, & John, 2002). One of the example is the anti-mosquito aerosol Force magic, where the manufacturer states that the compound used in anti-mosquito aerosol derived from natural substances that are not harmful to humans. For c ompetitors Force magic, such as Baygon and Hit, does not seem to use the same content with the Force magic.Some aerosols are using the contents injurious to consumers, but proved to be more powerful than the other content. There is even one of the brands of aerosol mosquito which was being pulled out from marketing because they contain ingredients that are dangerous to health. Anti-mosquito Force Magic uses natural ingredients that repel mosquitoes effectively but not harmful to humans. The natural materials can disappear in the air and can be neutralized by mammals.We can see from the advertisement, a manufacturer of Force Magic also emphasized that anti-mosquito aerosol is safe for children, where children's health is one thing that considered by consumers who have a family. Consumers are essentially buying and using a product to satisfy their needs. However, with the societal marketing concept, manufacturers are not only provide products to meet the consumer needs but also provid es effect or another impacts that are useful for the welfare of consumers and the environment (Crane, Andrew, Desmond, & John, 2002).Would the consumers be more interested in buying products that are marketed by sales strategy of societal marketing concept? Societal marketing concept is the highest evolution form of marketing concept. Starting from the production concept, which assumes that all consumers would be more interested to buy products at low prices. Furthermore, the product concept assumes that consumers will buy the product with the best quality. Then there is the selling concept, which is a growing assumption that consumers will not purchasing a product if they did not get a hard persuasion .Subsequently there is marketing concept which emphasizes the rational consumer and intends that all the sales should be able to meet the consumer needs. Finally, the concept of product sales in societal marketing concept is in addition to profit. Beside that, the manufacturers are al so trying to improve the life of the community. Societal marketing concept intended to meet the needs of the target market in a way to support the welfare of society in general, but still implement the main goals of the company (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2007).According to Maslow (Feist & Feist, 2007) humans have needs that stratified. Maslow's hierarchy of needs indicates the degree level of human needs. If the basic needs have not been fulfilled, the above needs can not be fulfilled. Maslow's hierarchy of needs starting from biological needs, followed by the need for love, and the need for security, the need for self-esteem, and the latter the need for self-actualization. Basically, consumers who have met the biological needs will try to meet next.If the urgent needs have been met, then the consumer will look for products with other things that could fulfill the higher needs. Therefore, consumers will be interested to choose a product, in this case the Force Magic, because it can eradica te mosquitoes and ensure the health of consumers and families. Consumers should feel happier and more motivated to buy the product because of the good impression posed by producers which helps the welfare of society.Logically, manufacturers will attract more interest of the consumer because by paying the same price to other products, consumers can get more profit. To apply the societal marketing concept, preferably all products must be in the category of desirable products. The manufacturers have to change the products they create in order to improve the life of customers in a short or long term. It requires many innovations and breakthroughs to make it.In the field of anti-mosquito aerosol, producers should do more research on ingredients which are effective to repel mosquitoes and harmless to human. Manufacturer must seek to emphasize the positive effects obtained from the use of the products and reduce the negative effects of these products. Therefore, manufacturers use societal marketing concept to sell their products. Beside the benefits from the sale, they also meet the needs of consumers and ensure their welfare. It is also the main attraction for consumers.Sales of products with the societal marketing concept can surely meet the needs of consumers directly and to guarantee the well-being of consumers in the future. Manufacturers have always wanted to get profit from the sale of its products. However, it should not make manufacturer forget about the customers. Manufacturers also have to consider the welfare of the consumer, which is the most important element in their sales. Manufacturers provide products that can fulfill customer needs and ensure the welfare of the community.Consumers will put a trust on the products and choose products that can guarantee their welfare. In that way, manufacturers can still achieve its main objective, which is to benefit, and ensuring the welfare of consumers. References Crane, Andrew & Desmond, John. (2002). Societal M arketing and Morality. European Journal of Marketing, 548-569 Feist, Jess & Feist, G. J. (2006). Theories of Personality 6th edition. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Schiffman, L. G. & Kanuk, L. L. (2000). Consumer Behavior 7th edition. USA: Prentice Hall International, Inc.

Collaboration Essay

†¢ What are the advantages of having diversity in a collaborative learning environment? There are several advantages to having diversity in collaborative learning environment and it enriches all of us. We, as students, learn to work with all types of people. We learn from each other, which, adds to our perspective based on our cultural differences. The outcome is positive by building respect, appreciation, achievement of common goals and commitment to equality. Because I work in retail, I have become more culturally aware. I realize the importance of everyone traditions and religious views. Learning from different cultures has helped me create new traditions for me and my family. In some ways, it has changed my whole outlook on life as well. †¢ How might factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles affect collaboration? Diversity enables students to learn how to work with different types of people and understand other points of view. A positive or negative attitude will affect one’s performance while learning will improve competition while work styles will determine which one is more effective. This can open windows for many of us in the career field such a travel, opportunities, and education. The disadvantages would be the individuals who do not see the good in cultural experiences and act prejudice. With that, people respond negative making the rest of us look bad. All of us have unique characteristics, looking for the same thing, â€Å"respect:† †¢ How does personal responsibility influence the work and success of a group? Personal responsibility in a group helps in the effective fulfillment of the goal set by the group. Assignment of roles according to an individual’s capacity in the group ensures that a task is completed as a result of teamwork. Personal responsibility also greatly builds trust amongst the group members. All of us have unique characteristics, looking for the same thing, â€Å"respect.†

Middle Managers

Managers are the most important human resource in any organisation because they are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the organisational goals are achieved within the specific time through spending less financial resources. Both organisations and people need each other to further their different goals or objectives. Therefore if mutuality is missing, it makes no sense in trying to assemble a group and develop a cooperation because there is no common base on which to build. Therefore, for attainment of organisational effectiveness, human resource and especially the middle level managers is the most important asset that must be paid attention by the management.Management practices are employed by middle managers in order to enhance the effectiveness of any organization including learning institutions, and these management activities are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The middle managers through the planning function is responsible in coming with a schedu le of business activities that will result to attainment of the set goals. The middle managers outline what to be done and the expected output from the employees.The organizing function of any organization has to deal with the issue of allocating the tasks to the employees respectively according to their competence. Resistance by the workers may be experienced if the allocating process used is viewed to be inappropriate and oppressing which always leads to poor organization performance. So middle managers have to convince the employees that everything will be okay and there interests will be taken care of.The leading/directing function of any organization is faced with the tasks of demonstrating to employees how to do various activities and also involves the employment of charismatic leaders in form of middle managers who can influence the employees towards positive attitude of performing their work and also capture the attention of the top management. The Controlling management pra ctice by the middle managers is responsible for monitoring the results of any undertakings and thus can make any corrections or adjustments if need to do so arise. (Maund, 2001)There are three levels of management in any organisation. The first level is the top level managers who include the senior managers and the executive officers and they are responsible for formation of organisational goals and objectives and they play an important role in decision making process. The second level is that of middle level managers who are responsible for ensuring that all the functional strategies from various departments are workable and can be achieved with certainty.This level of management is the most critical one in that both the lower and top management attracts attention regarding to various activities within the firm.   For example, the top management may exert pressure on them to achieve better results while the lower management may want them to reduce their level of supervision withi n the workplace. The third level is that of operational management or lower level managers who ensures that organisational activities are undertaken to achieve the set objectives or goals. . (Dale, 2001)How Middle Managers can meet their demandsAccording to the latest research, reports suggests that middle level managers have a discrete and decisive function in all organisations   particularly in the learning institutions and they do not only act as a medium between the top managers and the subordinates. Middle managers in many learning institutions in an effort to be effective and efficient in the workplace have the responsibility of balancing the ever competing demands of their roles brought about by conflicts from both the top management and the subordinates or the low level management. In order to attain the above objective this middle level managers have embarked on various critical roles in order to avoid any misunderstandings in the workplace and thus achieve the desired ou tput. Such roles include the following: (Fiddler, and Atton, 1999)Middle managers in learning institutions act as change agents within these organisations. Globalization has taken the centre stage almost in all sectors of the economy including learning institutions. There is increased interaction of people from different cultures, societies, and various backgrounds in undertaking various business activities with the aim of achieving their goals for example opening learning branches in other countries. Because of invention of advanced technology the world has increasingly become a village and as a result global business is the modern form of business in this 21st centuryBecause of globalization in relation to learning institutions there have been great disregard to national borders, governments have lower hand in controlling the flow of their economies and large companies including learning institutions are now not restricted to only one particular country as it was before. Middle le vel managers in learning institution have to cope with changes brought about by this aspect of globalization and they should brief the top management on decision making process. They also have the task of ensuring that the teachers in this institution are equipped with skills, expertise, and knowledge that can tap new knowledge from other people from different countries without hindering the learning process.Middle managers have the duty of being a strategist in order to cope with the increasing demands from both the top management and the low level management. This implies that they have the tasks of ensuring that the strategies formulated by the organisation are implemented and executed in a good way that will lead to achievement of goals. They should therefore have the ability to interpret direction from the top managers in to functional departmental strategies and policies that will avoid any conflicts in the organisation and those plans must be viable and supportive for the mis sion of the organisation. (Baker, 1999)In order to enhance this responsibility the middle level mangers must pay much attention  Ã‚   to formulation of workable strategies. A strategy may be defined as the calculated means by which the enterprise deploys its resources to accomplish its purpose and basic objectives under the most advantageous circumstances. Therefore the middle level mangers have the task of ensuring that the organisation   for example learning institution must be overall low cost effective system which will ensure good returns for example high performance through use of competent teachers and using of advanced technologies. So the work of middle managers is to ensure sourcing of competent teachers and application of approved high quality technologies e.g. the use of white boards.Middle level managers must also act at ethicists in any organisation in order to balance the competing demands brought about by the interactions with both top and low level managers. Thi s role implies that the middle managers especially those from learning institutions should develop a system that will help them sustain pressure from both top managers and subordinates in the process of promoting moral conduct within the organisation   that will foster good results. For example teachers will be motivated to lecture/teach and students too will be motivated to work hard and achieve their results.   The other role middle managers have to embark on is the responsibility of being a team player in the organisation or in the workplace. (Klagge, 1998)This implies that the middle managers must show commitment and support cooperation among the top management, low level management or the subordinates and themselves. For these middle managers to maximize the concept of teamwork in the organisation then they should emphasize on formation of groups within the workplace.A group can be defined as social unit which people interacts face to face when working. If an organisation e mphasises group work then it is more likely that good results will be achieved. Sometimes some kind of work require teamwork participation in order to achieve goals, so managers should encourage group decisions too because they bound to succeed unlike individual decisions. With the concept of teamwork for example the subordinates will be motivated when they work together with the subordinates e.g. head teachers working together with teachers in trying to achieve good learning process.The other role that will help balance the competing demands in an organisation is that of being the mentor of employees especially the subordinates.   Leading by example for example engaging in groups with the subordinates and demonstrating what the subordinates are supposed to do. Also to get admiration from both the employees and the top management they should act as top manager’s advocate to subordinates as well as being subordinate supporter to top level managers.Another useful role that wi ll balance the competing demands is that of middle managers embracing the concept of being tacticians. This means that middle managers have to understand the organisational environment e.g. internal and external factors that may cause conflicts within the organisation. The main aspect of being tactician is that of middle managers encouraging collective decision making thus parties involved in carrying out duties will be motivated to work because they were part of the decisions arrived. (Fiddler, and Atton, 1999)Advice to Middle ManagersFor these level of managers to be effective and efficient in the organisation   and more so to be able to balance the competing demands they need to be committed in their roles and especially being change agents in the learning institutions. Proper communication is essential to any organisation or group effectiveness and learning institutions are not exceptional. Research indicates that poor communication is probably the most frequently cited source of interpersonal conflicts. It is only through transmitting meaning from one person to another that ideas and messages can be conveyed.Communication can play the following functions; controlling employee’s behaviour, motivating the workforce, provides a release for emotional expression of feelings and performs the role of facilitating decision making in organisation. Proper channels of communication should be put in place in learning institution and this will help the organisation to attain their set goals for example teachers reporting to their head teachers then the head teachers to senior managers then to the executive arm respectively if there have been a problem to be solved. (Edmondson, Bohmer and Pisano, 2001)Leadership is another concept that middle level managers should emphasize on. Without proper leadership, organisation’s effectiveness and efficiency cannot be achieved and bad leadership in an organisation may cause poor results and thus lack of attainment of objectives.   It should also be noted that not all managers are leaders and not all leaders are managers. Leaders can emerge from within a group as well as by formal appointments to lead a group. A good leadership style should be adopted in an organisation and especially in the learning institutions.This implies the way in which the functions of middle managers with particular regard to the concept of leadership are carried out. Styles like autocratic style of leadership should be discouraged as this does not give the opportunity subordinates in decision making and only top managers are responsible to do so. Learning institutions should prefer the use of democratic style of leadership whereby the focus of power is more with the group as a whole and not in the top managers and there is greater interaction in the group. The middle managers of learning institutions should practice laissez faire style of leadership in that the employees especially the subordinates are left to choo se groups for themselves and make their own decisions that will help them achieve the organisational goals. (Azzar, 2001)The middle managers’ impact on control mechanisms in any organization is great and immeasurable.   It is therefore important that managers look for convenient, cost-conscious and appreciated ways of control mechanisms in order to build a dynamic, committed and, a motivated workforce that will result in better productivity and profitability of the organization thus enhancing effectiveness and efficiency of the organizationConclusion:For middle level managers to meet the demands of top management as well as that of subordinates they should fully define their roles to avoid conflicts that may arise in the course of work. They should also use proper leadership and good communication skills in order to achieve the organisational effectiveness. Middle level managers has a greater need to understand organisational   behaviour in order to achieve the organisati onal   effectiveness and particularly in learning institutions and much attention should be directed to people, structure, technology and the environment.Organisational   effectiveness can only be achieved if the middle management is be able to incorporate good leadership, motivation, a well defined organisational   structure, forming group dynamics and setting up good structures for communicating in the workplace. The organisations should also be flexible in the sense that they should be ready to cope with change without affecting their productivity.References:Ardts, J. (2002): Developing people in line with corporate needs. Human Resource Management International.Azzar.J. (2001): The Heart of School Leadership-Educational LeadershipBaker, D. (1999): Strategic Human Resource Management-Performance, alignment, and management. Librarian Career Development.Bhindi, N. (2003): Practicing creative leadership- Pipedream or possibility? The Practicing AdministratorDale, M. (2001): Th e Art of HRD: Developing Management Skills  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   , Vol. 3, New DelhiCrest Publishing HouseEdmondson, A. Bohmer, R. and Pisano, G. (2001): Speeding up team learning. Harvard Business Review.Farson, R. and Keyes, R. (2002): The Failure-tolerant leader. The Innovative EnterpriseFiddler, B. and Atton, T. (1999): Dealing with poor performance and range of solutions in poor performing staff in schools and how to manage them. London and New York, RoutledgeKlagge, J. (1998): The Empowerment Squeeze-Views from the Middle Management Position. Journal of management development, 17(8)Maund, L. (2001): An Introduction to Human to Human Resource Management: Theoryand Practice: Macmillan, Palgrave

Compare the criminal justice system of the United States with England Term Paper

Compare the criminal justice system of the United States with England in their handling of cases of domestic violence, rape and - Term Paper Example The justice systems employ a punitive system that utilizes a court system, police and regional prisons. England and the United States are home to some the best justice systems in the world. Both countries have justice systems that aim at controlling crimes against women. The two systems seem similar on the surface, but have obtrusive differences when analyzed critically. The following report is a comparison of the justice systems of the two countries, their similarities, differences, as well as the efforts that each country has put in place to put an end to such crimes. Introduction to Justice Criminal Systems There are numerous types of criminal justice systems around the world, all aimed maintaining peace and order in their jurisdiction area. These justice systems forces individuals to abide by law in an attempt to deter them from disrupting peace and order. The systems achieve this by pressuring the individuals with the notion of punishment, which is either punitive or rehabilitat ive1. All criminal justice system is divided into three main parts; policing, courts and corrections. Policing refers to where the investigations are held, the courts are where judgment takes place whereas correction is where correctional authorities overlook the punishment passed in the courts. Every nation state varies in the criminal justice system that it employs on various issues such as rape, abortion and violence. This paper seeks to compare the systems of criminal justice in the US and the UK on the issues of domestic violence, rape and abortion. Globally, women have the right to undergo the justice system whenever they face sexual assault or even rape. Additionally, such women have the right to be safeguarded by the law and be offered any payment for the harm done to them by the offender2. In America, rape is regarded as the climax of any sexual offence and it is punishable by the laws of the land. This law of rape was adopted by the US colonies in the 17th and 18th century . However, each state in the US has a different definition of what rape is. All the states agree that when a man coerces a lady to have sex with him without her agreeing to it, then that may be deemed as rape. Currently, diverse states have been able to pass various laws of reform on what rape is. For instance, they have made the rape law to consist of certain occurrences that are nonconsensual, that need no coercion. Furthermore, marital rape has been included in the state laws3. Additionally, the laws state that any sexual activity performed on a child is rape. According to the law, any girl who is from the age of 14 to 18 that is coerced to have sex may file for rape. This is even in instances whereby the girl has agreed to perform the sexual act. Rape also may be charged on a person who has intercourse with a woman who is considered by the law to lack the ability to consent to the act. For example, in instances where the individual is drugged, mentally handicapped or even drunk. In most American states, rape shield laws have been enacted to safeguard the victims from the emotional trauma that may occur especially during court questioning on their sexual history. This is because most witnesses feared being put down and were demoralized from whether reporting rape or pursuing the charges. Hence, on a federal level, the American Congress passed Rule 412 of the