Stakeholder analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Stakeholder analysis - Essay Example Other stakeholders who worked together with Cicero were the board chairman, chief auditor, general counsel and the top real estate executives. Another stakeholder at the center of the bribery claims was the company chief executive, Eduardo Castro-Wright. Castro-Wright encouraged payments, whereby he described bribes as payments for some specific purposes, which aimed at enabling the company to build hundreds of new stores. These bribes were being recorded in the accounting records as simple legal fees (Barstow). As a result of the fast growth of the company’s outlets through bribes, Mr. Castro-Wright was promoted to a senior position and even included on the executive committee of the companys inner sanctum. The company CEO Lee Scott, Jr. is among the company’s stakeholders. He is the person who holds the top most position in Wal-Mart Company. Therefore, he was the one to create awareness the public about the bribery claims against the company. Investors or shareholders are other stakeholders of the company since their finances are for development purposes among other tasks. The government of Mexico and that of the United States are other stakeholders since the company operates in their territories. The Government of U.S and Mexico could salvage the firm from bribery claims. They should have influenced and dictated how the business of Wal-Mart was being carried out. Unfortunately, government officials accepted bribes so as to pave way for some business malpractices to be operated in their territory at the expense of other stakeholders and the general public at large. Therefore, government officials would have taken urgent steps in order to prevent the growth of business malpractices in the business fraternity of the two countries. The company CEO, H. Lee Scott Junior is another stakeholder and the company official who was very

Informaiton System Essay Example for Free

Informaiton System Essay Assess the advantages and disadvantages of using a Web-based compensation tool versus a client-server based or stand-alone PC-based system and then give your opinion on which system would provide the most value to an organization’s stakeholders. Include three (3) facts to support your opinion. e-Compensation represents a web-enabled approach to an array of compensation tools that enable an organization to gather, store, manipulate, analyze, utilize, and distribute compensation data and information. The advantages of using a Web-based compensation tool versus a client-server based or stand-alone PC-based system include the automated approach that replaces tedious manual processes to make any compensation program easy to manage and virtually error free. Web-based compensation tools do not require installation and updating which saves a lot of administration work and can be access from anywhere with the Internet. The data in Web-based compensation tools is stored remotely and requires little disk space. It also becomes more important that Web-based compensation tools are cross-platform and work on different Operating System. Whereas using a client-server based or stand-alone PC based system would need an administrator to administer, maintain, develop and implement policies and procedures for ensuring the security and integrity of the client/server database, and also resolving any database issues. However, Web-based compensation tools have some serious disadvantages. The most important problem is their poor user experience, because of the performance problems and browser limitations. Another disadvantage of the Web-based compensation tool is that the remote server could be compromised disclosing private information. The fact that the Web-based compensation tool requires Internet connection can also be a limitation. Although Web-based compensation tool seems to have more advantages than a client-server based or stand-alone PC based system, in my opinion, client-server based would provide value to an organization’s stakeholders. Three things initially attract people to web-based over client-server: they are easier to deploy and upgrade, demand less IT support, and require less hardware. While it is true that web-based deployment and upgrades are easier, client-server technology actually delivers far superior benefits and long-term cost savings. Client-server software affords a richer, crisper user interface that outperforms browser- or web-based software in terms of the number of clicks and the ease of use. The client-server based provides set-ups and can be altered without disturbing the clients, while the other two systems require accessing every peer in the network (www.client-serverbased). For example, the client server arrangements aid security requires efforts, because there are fewer servers, limiting the number of persons with access to them and increasing security features of the servers. The two-tiered model enables file sharing between the client and the users. Justify the use of e-Compensation tools in the job-evaluation process from the perspective of HR, management, and the employee. Through e-Compensation tools organizations can adapt to shifting demands for information. e-Compensation tools enhance the practice of designing and administering compensation programs in a dynamic and competitive environment in three key ways. First e-Compensation tools can increase access to critical compensation information without the need for sophisticated or dedicated IT staffs and sophisticated technology infrastructures. They can simply access key information electronically on an as needed basis. Second, e-compensation tools enable round-the-clock availability of meaningful compensation information to senior managers, HR managers, and employees. Third, e-compensation tools can streamline cumbersome bureaucratic tasks through the introduction of workflow functionality and real-time information processing. Job evaluation is the process of methodically establishing a structure or hierarchy of jobs within an organization. This is based on a systematic consideration of job content and requirements. The purpose of the job structure, or hierarchy, is to provide a basis for the development of a wage structure. The job structure, however, is only one of the determinants of the wage structure, with other factors becoming increasingly more important. Job evaluation develops a plan for comparing jobs in terms of those things the organization considers important determinants of job worth. e-Compensation tools enhance the practice of designing and administering compensation programs in a dynamic and competitive environment. HR views the use of e-Compensation tools in the job-evaluation process as a means to streamline their processes and reduce administrative burdens. HR can electronically distribute them to target employees or managers via a corporate intranet. From management perspective e-Compensation can assist in reducing HR administration and compliance costs, help compete more effectively for global talent and provide real-time metric to allow decision-makers to spot trends and manage the workforce more effectively – managers can review a list of proposed merit increases for his or her direct reports. Managers and employees have access to key information to make completing a job analysis or job evaluation project relatively easy. Employees are able to gain access to data which is improved by utilizing e-Compensation to make critical decisions. The use of the e-Compensation tools empower employees with a collaborative employee compensation application that shows their complete compensation package in an intuitive format and provides the tools they need to plan their financial futures. Evaluate three (3) benefits and three (3) drawbacks of a centralized approach to managing merit pay programs compared to a more decentralized approach. Merit pay refers to the process of determining employee compensation (base salary or bonuses), in part, on the basis of how well each employee performs at work. A centralized approach bases an employee’s pay rate on the value of the job/role held, the degree to which the employee has mastered that job/role and how well the employee has performed over time. The most apparent advantages of centralization are an organizations ability to closely control operations, provide a uniform set of policies, practices and procedures throughout the organization, and better use the knowledge of centralized experts. Companies also adopt different approaches to compensation administration responsibilities. Some rely on a centralized approach where the design and administration of compensation programs are performed by a single company department. Some rely on a decentralized organizational structure that allows faster decision-making and better adaptability to local conditions and context. In the decentralized approach managers across the organization forecast the pay increases they expect to recommend in the coming year to retain their key employees and to remain competitive. The decentralized approach can make it difficult to transfer employees from one department to another and may bring about a lack of internal consistency. The drawbacks to the centralized approach are that a compensation program may suit general corporate needs, but not individual department needs, communication between different computers is not easy, resulting in configuration problems, and it does not provide built-in knowledge management capability that would guide or empower managers to make their own decisions. Suggest three (3) types of integrated analytic features that are needed for compensation planning and decision support in e-Compensation systems. Integrated analytics brings together information from a companys ERP, customer relationship management, human resources, financial management, supply chain and e-business systems, and enhances it with advanced analytics, empowering the company to react more quickly to a rapidly changing business environment. Integrated analytics better integrates an organization’s information assets across the value chain, delivers role-based business intelligence to the information consumer in a personalized manner, and includes advanced analytical models focused on decision making. Many human resource information systems, however, do not yet provide integrated analytic features needed for compensation planning and decision support, such as the ability to also see related real-time competitive market salaries. Some integrated analytic features needed for compensation planning and decision making are analytic engines for data enrichment and analysis, analytic applications such as Budgeting, Planning and Balanced Scorecard, and integrated analytic applications that provide process-specific analytics and allow the developers to add more features based on user needs. In order to survive and win in todays market, ERP vendors have recognized that they must have improved information delivery and analytics as core components of their products. The rapid flow of information has increased the need for executives and managers to keep their fingers on the pulse of their companies and to be able to easily access timely, accurate information. It is clear that the market is moving away from the realm of custom and nonintegrated applications and into pre-delivered products that are closely linked to ERP systems. Assess the barriers that prevent organizations from realizing the potential of Web-based internal equity tools and propose three (3) approaches to overcome those barriers. Internal equity refers to establishing the relative worth of jobs inside the organization. It is hard to determine the value of the information before you pay. Organizations can find free web-based services such as HR-Guide’s job evaluation tool. There are several factors that hamper organizations from fully realizing the potential of web-based internal equity tools. First, most of the tools are not generally integrated across software programs in the market that support the design and maintenance of internal equity policies and practices, relatively few are currently both integrated and web-enabled. Second, the challenge facing organizations in implementing these e-compensation tools is that these tools are only as good as the data they access. Third, proper training is required to ensure user acceptance and competent use of the technology. Fourth, some users find data entry tends to be slower and less flexible using web applications than client-server-based software, particularly with nonlinear processes. Finally, while web-based software tools increase access to and distribution of information, the quality and efficiency with which decisions are made still remain ultimately with the manager. There must be organizational commitment to gather, manage, and maintain accurate and relevant data. Organizations need to obtain an integrated web-based compensation software solution that automates and integrates internal equity and external equity software applications and can be used stand-alone, over an intranet, or over the web on an outsourced basis. Lastly, organizations need to implement software and invest in training programs. Recommend three (3) strategies that HR managers can use to evaluate the quality of market data (surveys, benchmark salary studies, etc.) that they receive from outside sources. Paying people fairly is good for business. Underpay, and employees will eventually look for a better offer. Overpay, and the payroll budget and profitability will suffer. That is why companies use market data to research the value of their jobs. HR managers use the latest market data to get accurate data relevant to positions within their organizations expertise. Gathering background information is critical in building a pay structure from scratch to articulate the compensation philosophy, clarify concepts that define the fundamental beliefs about the structure, and design and develop the strategy. To determine the prevailing rate for a job, organizations can benchmark jobs against compensation surveys that are detailed and specific to the organization’s industries and regions. A good compensation survey uses standard, proven methods of data gathering and statistical analysis to determine how much companies pay for a specific job in a specific industry. Commercial and association surveys, Pg 458 Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources. http://www.humanresources.pro/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=50Itemid=73

The Italian Essay -- essays research papers

In Ann Radcliffe's "The Italian", the very first thing that we see described is a veiled woman: "It was in the church of San Lorenzo at Naples, in the year 1758, that Vincentio di Vivaldi first saw Ellena di Rosalba. The sweetness and fine expression of her voice attracted his attention to her figure, which had a distinguished air of delicacy and grace; but her face was concealed in her veil. So much was he fascinated by the voice, that a most painful curiosity was excited as to her countenance, which he fancied must express all the sensibility of character that the modulation of her tones indicated" (5).Even without knowing anything about Gothic elements, this indicates very clearly what the quality and tone of the book are going to be like. Vivaldi's pursuit of the veiled woman is a signal that his is the pursuit of the mysterious, with the certainty that it will be beautiful. This certainly does seem to be a great fascination in the novel; it is a component and often a catalyst for that anxiety which runs throughout.It is this anxiety which causes the heightening of our emotions; our emotions are heightened as we watch the characters' pursuit of the mysterious; and our curiosity is excited more and more until we are nearly begging for its gratification. But Radcliffe heightens our emotions without satisfying our curiosity, or at least not enough. For example, the very first chapter establishes a sense of mystery about the assassin in the Church. The Englishman inquires as much for himself as for us about the assassin. His concern and state of shock invoke our own inquiry into this odd circumstance and then his Italian friend tells him a mystery without actually telling him anything:"'He [the assassin] sought sanctuary here', replied the friar; 'within these walls he may not be hurt'"(2).He makes it clear that there is a story here but that it is long and suspenseful, maybe shocking:"'It is much too long to be related now; that would occupy a week; I have it in writing, and will send you the volume'" (3).What it is exactly, or what the tale is going to be is only hinted at in a very curiosity invoking way: as if it is a secret.Instead of the Englishman and his Italian friend going down to the street cafà © and relating the story, the Italian friend says that he will send him something written the following day and t... ...ld be suspect and it was. Her susceptible nature often led her into the suspicion out of which the novel's Gothic tone is constructed; just like Vivaldi's and Paolo's susceptible natures lead them to jump to most horrifying conclusions earlier in the novel.When talking about perceptions, it is impossible to omit the distinction between the real and unreal in "The Italian". The strand of reality, interwoven with fantasy, seems to be a driving force in the plot. In the episode involving Ellena, her suspicions are confirmed; her fantasy becomes confirmed as reality as her fears about Spalatro's intentions are confirmed (although not until the end). Of notice is also Vivaldi's constant desire to solidify his fantasy (getting married) with Ellena; as if the real thing will finally restrict the fearful possibilities into a single reality. Yet it is this reality from which Vivaldi derives his fearful fantasies. It is this drama between what is real and unreal that gives the novel its impetus. For example, when Marchesa is speaking to Schedoni, they are both thinking of murder, but both refuse to 'say' it, as if doing so would make it more 'real' than merely thinking about it.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Essay

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a chain of restaurants located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and France, specializing in burritos and tacos. Its name derives from chipotle, the Mexican Spanish name for a smoked and dried jalapeno chili pepper. The restaurant is known for its large burritos, assembly-line production and use of natural ingredients. The company has released a mission statement called Food with Integrity, which highlights its efforts in using organic ingredients,[3] and serves more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant chain. Chipotle is one of the first chains of fast casual dining establishments. Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle had 16 restaurants (all in Colorado) when McDonald’s Corporation became a major investor in 1998. By the time McDonald’s fully divested itself from Chipotle in 2006, the chain had grown to over 500 locations. With more than 1400 locations in 43 U. S. states, Washington, D. C. , two Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and France, Chipotle had a net income in 2012 of US$278 million and a staff of 37,310 employees. Chipotle Mexican Grill in 2012 2012 has been the year of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG -0. 92%). The stock is an absolute superstar, hitting 37 new record highs so far, according to CNBC. -When the company went public in January 2006, the stock doubled on its first day from $22 per share to close at $44 per share. – At late of Febuary 2012, Chipotle’s stock price had climbed to $380-$385,up more than 80% since january 1,2011 and up 334% since january. – Chipotle shares traded at $421. 37 Mar 27, and are up nearly 26% this year. Over the last 12 months, the stock has gained 65%. Chipotle’s run has obviously been the subject of much chatter among investors. Why is this stock so high, and how much further can it go? Many investors think that Chipotle’s numbers are just headed up, and the stock has room to grow as well. Chipotle’s growth is mentioned with the launch of ShopHouse, the Asian-themed restaurant the company has opened in Washington D. C. ShopHouse has been wildly popular with little to no advertising. The success had opened up the possibility that Chipotle could very well strike gold a second time. The company isn’t saying much about whether it will expand ShopHouse, but investors are certainly pricing the idea into Chipotle shares. Chipotle has no debt and about $400 million in cash, according to Seeking Alpha. And Chipotle is in that best-of-both worlds position because it can compete directly with fast food, but also stand up against more upscale restaurants, such as Panera Bread (PNRA -1. 01%). Finally, Chipotle is gunning for international expansion, recently opening new locations in London and planning one for Paris.

Culture and Communication Essay

According to new research done in the field of linguistics and cognitive science, the balance is starting to tilt again in favor of linguistic relativity. This concept proposes that there is a systematic relationship between the nature of the language a person speaks and the way the person understands the world. Although, it is still not known how much influence language wields over thought, it is now agreed that it does affect the way we perceive and understand the world. At an individual level, we take for granted the role language plays in our thought processes. But, every time we formulate a thought, we almost subconsciously express it in a tongue we are most comfortable with. Language has, over our growth period (especially the formative early childhood years), become intertwined without cognitive faculties. A majority of our thoughts and memories employ language as an expression tool. As such, one must agree that it most influence our thought processes to a certain extent. The intricate features of any language such as grammar and the role of gender to play a significant role on how we perceive the world. Although this influence plays a lesser role when it comes to tangibles like objects for instance, it does have a significant influence on abstract concepts such as time, space and even political concepts. For example, Dan Slobin of the University of California in Berkeley tells us in Alison Motluk’s article You Are What You Speak that while a third of the world’s languages describe locations in absolute terms, many Pacific Islanders use phrases such as â€Å"north of that tree†. Benjamin Whorf, one of the pioneers of linguistic relativity, in his famous analysis of the differences between English and Hopi language, claimed that a Hopi speaker would find relativistic physics easier to understand that an English speaker due to the structure of Hopi language. This facet of language becomes even more important when it comes to worldview and religion. As both of them are in essence, abstract concepts, it can be understood that language does have a significant relationship with them. One can for instance compare how the same religion is interpreted by groups with different languages. Also, once we consider the use of metaphors in languages, we can see how they relate to people’s culture. As the worldview of a people is formed due to the shared experience of a people and the sharing of this unique experience largely employs language, it can be understood that language wields an influence over it. Coupled with the effect of language on an individual basis, one can clearly see the significance a person’s language plays on not only his/her own thought processes, but on the formulation of grander systems of thought. Therefore, one can conclude that language helps shape a people’s worldview and their understanding of religion. The diversification in religion can then potentially create new religions due to conflicts with other prevalent interpretation. The extent of language’s influence can still be argued and should be argued until a conclusion can be reached. But all languages in general should be preserved as we never know when a particular language’s insight might come in handy for resolving modern problems. How has the internet changed global communication? What effect might this have on cross-cultural communication? The Internet probably ranks among one of greatest inventions man has yet made. A relatively young invention, it has revolutionized global communication, and yet, its true potential remains to be seen. It has transcended geographical borders and provided people with a forum to convey their thoughts to the world, unfiltered and unregulated. It has led to the rise of new social groups, ones which have no need for proximity, and given rise to whole new cultures. Although global communication has existed for centuries, never before has it been observed at such an unprecedented scale. With the advent of the internet, rapid information sharing became possible and at virtually no cost. Today, one can find material of any nature on the internet and can access it almost anywhere in the world. One can share information of any nature, be it audio or video or plain text. The fact that it’s unregulated allows people to channel their thoughts in the purest form possible. Social networking sites have created new online societies with their own set of rules and cultures. Instant messaging has provided us with a facility to engage in real time conversations with people from halfway across the world. Used in conjunction with webcams and microphones, we have in essence, the next best thing to face to face conversation. As such, one can see that we are witnessing a new chapter in cross-cultural communication. The internet has the potential to bring people together, from diverse backgrounds, and to promote understanding regardless of geographical, religious, political and ethnic division. One can interact with people at an individual level and due to the vast spectrum of opinions that the internet holds, one can form a more neutral worldview. Hence, in theory, the internet should usher in a new age of global understanding and ultimately form a global worldview. But there still is a catch to it all. Yes, in theory this should all be true, but there still are factors that hamper us all from achieving this. These begin with our own preconceived notions. The internet contains a lot of unregulated information. How do we decide what is true? We use our preconceived notions and hence keep our limited understanding of the world. Furthermore, the internet provides a highly selective information and communication tool, meaning that a person can choose what he/she wants to access and who he/she wants to talk to. Furthermore, the vast majority of people in the world still lack access to the internet and of those that have access to it, a large number still lacks unregulated access. For example, countries such as China monitor internet content and limit access to sites which carry â€Å"inappropriate† material. As such, the internet is still far away from reaching its true potential. But this is no cause to lose hope. The internet is still in its infancy and it still has a lot more avenues to explore. Also, if one is to consider the rate at which the internet has grown so far, one can conclude that it will grow a lot faster in the future. Perhaps ultimately, the internet will truly let us share our thoughts worldwide and finally transcend language and cultural barriers. If so, we can then truly reach a new era of global understanding and perhaps, create more than a global worldview; we can create a collective consciousness. In conclusion, the internet is an extremely powerful tool for global communication and will have far reaching consequences on cross-cultural communication. Works Cited 1. Motluk, Alison. â€Å"You Are What You Speak. † New Scientist. 30 Nov. 2002: 34-38 2. Carroll, John B. â€Å"The Relation Of Habitual Thought And Behavior. † Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. 1997 3. Lakoff, George and Johnson, Mark. Metaphors We Live By. 1980 4. Cass, Stephen. â€Å"How Much Does The Internet Weigh? † Discover Magazine. June 2007 5. D’Emanuele, Antony. â€Å"The Internet: A global communication tool† International Pharmacy Journal. 1995: 68-72

Lab Report on Paper Towels Essay Example

Lab Report on Paper Towels Essay Example Lab Report on Paper Towels Paper Lab Report on Paper Towels Paper The purpose of this experiment is to find out which brand of paper towel, Decorator or Sparkle, is stronger and more absorbent. Of the two brands that will be tested, the Sparkle brand will absorb the most liquid because it has the thirst pockets and will be the strongest because it feels thicker. Materials and Methods For the first experiment we did the test for strength. We used a 600 ml beaker which we placed the sample paper towel over the opening of the beaker. The size of the sample towel was 234 mm. The paper towel was held it in place with a standard rubber band that was wrapped around the top of the beaker one time. We then took 5 ml of water and poured onto the paper towel. The weights that we used were 27 g each. The weights were placed on the paper towel one weight at a time until the paper towel ripped. The total amount of weight that it took to rip the paper towel was recorded. The process was then repeated for the second brand of paper towel. For the second experiment we did a test for absorbency. We used a graduated cylinder which was filled with 100 ml of water. The paper towel, which was . 34 mm, was immersed into the water for 15 seconds. The paper towel was removed from the water and allowed to drip until the drips were 25 seconds apart. At that time, the amount of water that was left in the cylinder was recorded. The difference in what was left and the amount that was originally in the cylinder is the amount of liquid that each paper towel held. The process was then repeated for the second brand of paper towel. The independent variable for the experiment was the paper towels. The dependent variable was the absorbency and strength. The constants for the experiment were the size of he paper towels that were used, the amount of water, the size of the beaker, the size of the cylinder and the amount of the weight. Results The results of the experiment for the test of strength were that the Sparkle brand proved to be the strongest. The average amount that the paper towel would hold before ripping was 583. 6 g, which was 159. 2 g more than the Decorator brand held. The Decorator brand only held 424. 4 g before it ripped. The results of the experiment for the test of absorbency were that the Sparkle brand proved to be the most absorbent. The average amount of liquid that the Sparkle brand paper Lowell held was 17. 4 ml which was 4. 6 ml more than the Decorator brand held.

Biology experiment essays

Biology experiment essays To investigate the factors affecting the rate of growth of mustard seeds. The key factors that will affect the germination of the mustard seeds: Temperature: as many plants germinate more rapidly in the warm. Water: as water normally controls germination. Oxygen: as seeds rapidly take in oxygen during germination. Light: as some plants need light to germinate. Dark: as most plants germinate in the dark. Soil composition: the richer in nutrient the soil is the better the seeds. Temperature: helps the plants to grow. Sunlight: gives the plant energy to grow and energy for photosynthesis. Moisture level: water is needed for growth and is absorbed and circulated Soil composition: depending on how rich in nutrients the soil is will help the Space: is needed for the plant to survive. Nutrients: help the plant to grow. Carbon dioxide: is essential during photosynthesis. In my experiment I am going to test how the mustard seeds grow in different soils and materials. 1) I predict that from my experiment the mustard seeds in the compost will grow the fastest and strongest because compost is a fertiliser and is rich in minerals and nutrients and this will make the seeds grow faster and stronger. 2) I also predict that the seeds in the cotton wool will grow the slowest as there are no nutrients in the cotton wool and because it will soak up the water. My experiment will show how Mustard seeds grow in different soils and materials. I think the seeds that will grow the strongest will be the ones that are planted in the compost. Compost is an Organic material decomposed by bacteria under controlled conditions to make a nutrient-rich natural fertilizer for use in gardening or farming. Compost is a fertilizer and all fertilisers contain Nitrogen for the growth of the leaves and stem, Phosphorus f...

How Much Money Can You Make as a Truck Driver

How Much Money Can You Make as a Truck Driver Truck drivers are currently in high demand. You’ll have to study for and pass your CDL exam. This means a training program. But once you do get licensed, you’ll find there are many lucrative opportunities available to Class A CDL drivers. Here are how much money you can make as a truck driver in different positions.Standard RateIf you don’t choose to specialize, you can expect to make an industry or company standard rate per mile.Specialized Training/OrientationWhen you’ve chosen to specialize in, say, Hazmat driving, you will undergo special training with the carrier that hired you. You’ll be paid a particular rate for the first few weeks of your training. These rates are more likely to be per hour, day, or even week.Solo OTRThe largest percentage of the workforce. Starting drivers will usually make $40-45k in their first year, but this rate depends a bit on the carrier and available bonuses.Team OTRPairs can traverse longer distances faster by swi tching on and off. This can be quite lucrative- with a pair splitting $100-150k per year.TrainerMore suited to the classroom than the open road? Done your drive time and ready to linger in one place? To experienced drivers, training positions can be a great career- making $60-80k per year, on average.Owner-OperatorIf you have sufficient experience working for a carrier, you might be ready to make the big transition into being your own boss and maybe even running your own fleet one day. There’s more stress, to be sure, but you will also earn more per mile by cutting out the middle man.BonusesEvery company is different, but potential extras include signing bonuses when you’re first hired, monthly mileage rewards, fuel-efficiency bonuses, safety pay when your driving record is exemplary, layover pay, bonuses for clean DOT inspections, and referrals of friends as new drivers to your company.  BenefitsWhile they may not be tangible as cold hard cash, benefits can be a luc rative addition to your compensation package. Anything from paid sick time and vacation to life insurance, medical insurance, dental insurance, job security, and 401k retirement plans.The road you take will be your own, but these are a few things to keep in mind (and in your pocket!) on your journey to becoming a CDL truck driver.

Efforts to Revive Membership in the British Trade Unions Essay

Efforts to Revive Membership in the British Trade Unions - Essay Example Any laxity on the side of the unions in the push to champion employee rights may lead to the uncalled fall and liquidation of initially successful trade union. It is worth acknowledging that British trade unions enjoyed the advantage of high membership registration immediately before 1979. However, this high historic clamour did not last long as the trade unions faced a tragic resignation and defection of their member. The main causes of the fall of the British trade unions were due to the high risk of unemployment due to the financial crisis that resulted in a high lay-off of workers (Smith 2011). In addition, the employees were defeated by the government in their push for salary increment, an incidence used by the government to institute laws allowing the employers to sack their rebellious workers at will. Furthermore, the Labour government made depriving laws in 1974 with a move to revenge against the great miners strike by adopting the Tory anti-union laws designated to cut indus trial wages. Labour government also worked hard to weaken the momentary strong shop stewards’ organization. The initial moves accomplished by the Labour government demoralized individual workers from participating in national votes thus paving way for Margret Thatcher and Tories laws insurgence to power. Upon entrance of the Conservative government into power under the umbrella of Margret Thatcher, new mechanisms were devised to reverse the defeat suffered by the employers at the hands of the trade unions. In that line, Margret started by isolating the key trade unions after which Tory anti-union laws of 1980 was adopted. Conservative government began the fight with the steel miners and the health workers in the year 1980 and then the printers in 1985 whose defeats returned to the government. In addition, there was great contest between the leaders of the various trade unions over who could lead the entire trade unions in Britain. This led to the automatic weakening of the ef forts of the entire trade unions (Smith 2011). Since 1980, British trade unions have tried to regain their former stature and power with limited success. In a move to restore the initial membership of workers into the trade unions, British trade unions have adopted practical policies that have stood to bear desirable results that in reviving the image of the trade unions. According to Budd and Mumford (2001, 2), many trade unions in the British economy have adopted family-friendly policies, which have led to the recovery of particular trade unions. The family-friendly policy entails the provision of subsidized onsite daycare to the workers on board. In addition, family-friendly practices provide free health care services to the children of the employees. Furthermore, the family-friendly services offered by the trade unions in Britain avails free meals to the onsite workers, a practice ought to increase the performances of the employees. Family friendly practices include provision of benefits that allow flexibility of the employees to tune from full time workers to balance between work and family issues. According to Budd and Mumford (2001, 3), the most critical component of benefits offered by the family-friendly policy is the leave policies.

The Pricing Strategies and Programs of Etisalat Essay

The Pricing Strategies and Programs of Etisalat - Essay Example In 1983, the company changed its ownership structure when the United Arab Emirates government took over a 60 percent share of the company, giving it majority ownership, with the other 40 percent of stock offered to the public. Today, this company operates under the brand Etisalat. The firm is a diverse multinational company that operates in 18 countries throughout the Middle East, Africa, The United States, and Africa (etisalat.ae, 1). Etisalat services over 100 million customers in these countries and has achieved annual net revenues of AED 30.83 billion in 2009 (etisalat.ae, 1). The company is a major telecommunications provider to the private citizen and to corporate entities, with mobile services, voice and data services over satellite and fixed-lines. The business also is involved in providing managerial and technical training support services to enterprises as well as SIM card manufacturing, voice and data transit services, and even telecommunications in submarines (etisalat.ae, 1). The business is a major broadband hub for Middle East businesses and consumers with a very broad trans-national network. It provides also roaming and data services for corporate entities. In addition, Etisalat provides iPhone services and Blackberry services exclusive to the se products. Major competitors of Etisalat include Vodafone, MobiNil, Singapore Telecommunications and China Mobile. (BBC News, 1). Current regulations reductions in the UAE and other countries have also reduced barriers of new market entry for competition, thus the business faces even more competition from global and regional telecommunications companies as they are now allowed to enter the UAE and other Middle Eastern markets with less tariffs, taxations, and less governmental involvement. Data on the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat The CEO is currently Mohammed Khalfan Al Qamzi who has held this position since 2006. Al Qamzi has an excellent track record of bringing innovative solutions to Etisalat founded on years of business management and investment experience. Mohammed Al Qamzi is a graduate of Spokane Community College, attended from 1999 to 2002. Most of Al Qamzi’s experience is in real estate, with involvement in Jumairah Golf Estate, Palm Jabel Ali, and currently works as th e director of real estate venture Palm Jumairah (linkedin.com, 1). The CEOs credentials include vast knowledge of logistics, security, environment and sustainability practices, document management and project control (linkedin.com, 2). His vast resume of business success has brought Etisalat considerable market presence and growth opportunities over the last five years. Marketing Principles for Etisalat Etisalat understands the importance of marketing for brand-building and also to secure differentiation among competitors who offer similar products at similar pricing structures. Targeting for the company involves a blend of strategies. First, Etisalat considers geographic segmentation based on volume of citizens in a region and urban population and infrastructure. Targeting considers gender (considering most Mid-Eastern countries are male-dominated), literacy levels of international and domestic consumers, specific customs and traditions, the income levels of potential consumers, an d the current level of brand recognition of potential customers (marketingmixx.com, 2). Literacy is a significant factor when considering how to target advertising since this region does not support the highest literacy levels when compared to other developed countries across the world. The company’

Employee Relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Employee Relation - Essay Example This paper discusses the employee relations in a public sector organization – the UK Firefighters. The UK Firefighters has always been associated with the heroism and skills of largely working class masculinity but the firefighters’ dispute gave it a different dimension – conflict and dispute of class and gender (Kaplan, 2000). This was one of the longest and the most serious industrial disputes in British history (Dinan, Ford, McConnell & Pyper, 2006). While the reasons for the dispute were many, when it precipitated a public safety emergency, the government was forced to deploy emergency plans. This was the first national strike by firefighters in 25 years and had several complex themes and issues intertwined together. The dispute had started in May 2002 when the Fire Brigades Union lodged a 40% pay claim which was rejected by the local authority employers. The local authorities were prepared to offer 4% pay increase and also link future increases to national pay deals. By September when the government felt that the negotiations were not heading anywhere, it sough t an independent review. Based on the recommendations of the Bain Report, the government then added 7% as modernization package and also announced certain other benefits in working patterns and local pay additions. The FBU did not agree to any of these recommendations and first initiated a 48-hour strike in November followed by an eight-day strike from November 22. The FBU staged a series of walk-outs and pickets across Britain, suspending the national cover fire and forcing army ‘green goddesses’ to step in (Edwards, 2007). The two main issues at the heart of the dispute were – pay increase to be comparable or at par with other public services and the government led agenda of modernization based on the Bain Report was taken as an attack on the way that firefighters worked. The two issues were however interlinked because the modernization proposals linked pay to

OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT - Research Paper Example Myrrh possesses effective antimicrobial activity, which is why it has been used in the treatment of many diseases. The other substance used in natural wound healing is the propolis, which is collected by bees Apis mellifera from trees. It has antimicrobial, antiulcer, anti-oxidative and antitumor. Traditional wound care has shown excellent results since they support the scientific that a most environment helps the healing process. II. Natural wound care methods entail the stimulating of the body to produce hormones and cells to help in the healing process. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an example of a natural wound care method. It involves the inhalation of pure oxygen at three times the normal pressure. Blood carries the pure oxygen all over the body. It helps in fighting bacteria and stimulating angiogenesis. It promotes the release of stem cells and growth factors. Matrix therapy with OTR4120 also helps stimulates growth factors to speed up the process of healing. The OTR4120 helps in restoring the natural cell microenvironment, which aids in preventing an impaired wound healing process (Tong, et al., 2012). It helps the healing process by support an intrinsic regeneration of tissues. It corrects the factors that disturb the wound healing process. III. The healing of wounds in diabetes is done using many methods. The process can use traditional wound care practices that use honey, propolis, myrrh and other products with medicinal properties. Honey and propolis helps in speeding up the healing process for diabetes patients (Loft, Badra, W., & Alenzi, 2015). However, additional clinical evidence is required to determine the effectiveness of honey in clinical settings. In the use of honey, the MPH paste was applied to aid in the treatment of deep wounds. The natural methods of the healing of diabetes wounds are hyperbaric oxygen therapy and matrix therapy with OTR4120. According to research, both methods

Retail Marketing - John Lewis Company in the UK Essay - 1

Retail Marketing - John Lewis Company in the UK - Essay Example The retailing industry is essential to the modern consumer culture that depends on the speedy delivery of goods to the consumer in the market. A typical retail outlet may range from a handful of goods to entire shopping lists depending on the size of the retailing company. Historically retailing businesses in Great Britain have often diversified their total offered lineages as well as putting a focus on expansion since long. The first appreciable move towards assuming a large retailer framework is evident from the early business strategies of John Lewis Partnership that has been chosen for the sake of analysis. The company started out as a simple store but soon the owner John Lewis procured a few other stores before the First World War. Later his son introduced a novel framework for retailing by introducing an employee led partnership. After his death the entire business was bequeathed to the employees of John Lewis Partnership and this has continued as is since 1925. 1.1. Current St ate of the John Lewis Partnership At this point in time the John Lewis Partnership has diversified its business interests such that it owns and operates John Lewis departmental stores, the Waitrose supermarkets as well as a number of other services. The company is still owned by its current employees who are designated as partners. These partners all have an effective say in the manner in which business is conducted. Moreover each partner is provided with a piece of the annual profit of the company which generally ranged between 5% and 20% of the pays of partners throughout an average year between 2000 and 2011. 1.2. Market Standing Currently John Lewis Partnership stands out as the third largest private company in the United Kingdom with a revenue of 6.74 billion pounds in 2009-2010 (The Sunday Times, 2010) along with some 76,500 employees on the pay roll in 2010 (Madelaine, 2011). In addition to the above, John Lewis Partnership has become the United Kingdom’s â€Å"best h igh street† website after it took the place from Marks and Spencer’s in October 2010 (Bold, 2010). John Lewis also serves as the supplier for the Ocado web supermarket chain. Ocado is supplied with the Waitrose brand food products as well as with other non food items from John Lewis directly. Overall the image of the John Lewis Partnership brand and its affiliate’s image are upmarket. Historically John Lewis has appealed to the more fiscally independent customers namely customers present within the middle and upper classes. 2. Retailing Issues 2.1. Drop in Purchasing Power The downturn that has been visible in the global economy since 2008 has had the consequence of lowering the spending levels available to the average consumer. The drop in purchasing power has been all the most noticeable in the North American and Western European markets that were deemed as the markets with the greatest consumer purchasing power. The British market has felt similar problems as well when it comes to purchasing power. Overall consumers are spending less and less when it comes to commodities that are often stocked by retailers. In this respect the overall trend in the British retail industry reflects a slowdown as well. The emergence of other phenomenon related to the recession based phenomenon such as the Euro zone crisis have also shaken consumer confidence in spending at previous levels. Moreover a number of consumers are already spending less in an effort to save more money to avoid situations that

OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT - Research Paper Example Myrrh possesses effective antimicrobial activity, which is why it has been used in the treatment of many diseases. The other substance used in natural wound healing is the propolis, which is collected by bees Apis mellifera from trees. It has antimicrobial, antiulcer, anti-oxidative and antitumor. Traditional wound care has shown excellent results since they support the scientific that a most environment helps the healing process. II. Natural wound care methods entail the stimulating of the body to produce hormones and cells to help in the healing process. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an example of a natural wound care method. It involves the inhalation of pure oxygen at three times the normal pressure. Blood carries the pure oxygen all over the body. It helps in fighting bacteria and stimulating angiogenesis. It promotes the release of stem cells and growth factors. Matrix therapy with OTR4120 also helps stimulates growth factors to speed up the process of healing. The OTR4120 helps in restoring the natural cell microenvironment, which aids in preventing an impaired wound healing process (Tong, et al., 2012). It helps the healing process by support an intrinsic regeneration of tissues. It corrects the factors that disturb the wound healing process. III. The healing of wounds in diabetes is done using many methods. The process can use traditional wound care practices that use honey, propolis, myrrh and other products with medicinal properties. Honey and propolis helps in speeding up the healing process for diabetes patients (Loft, Badra, W., & Alenzi, 2015). However, additional clinical evidence is required to determine the effectiveness of honey in clinical settings. In the use of honey, the MPH paste was applied to aid in the treatment of deep wounds. The natural methods of the healing of diabetes wounds are hyperbaric oxygen therapy and matrix therapy with OTR4120. According to research, both methods

Men become victims of their misplaced trust in false friends Essay

Men become victims of their misplaced trust in false friends - Essay Example It is about the story of a prisoner, Gregory, who places complete trust in the friendship of his enemy. Gregory was given two chances to escape to save his own life but he fails to run away. Gregory is materialistic. He cares only for his present which is comfortable enough for him. He does not realize his friend must obey his superior and that means that his friend will kill him. Gregory is shot but he does not die immediately. He hangs on to his friend for life or for death. His friend is forced to shoot him several times in order to make a clean killing. His friend honors Gregory by not humiliating his body with a public hanging. Gregory thinks that his friend has breached his trust by shooting him. His soldier friend blames Gregory's stupidity for his death.Nabil Gorgy wrote Cairo Is a Small City in 1983. This story is about Engineer Adil Salim, who is killed in revenge for his murder of a bedouin man, Mubarak bin Rabia. Adil is a proud man who has a big ego. He thinks of himself being intelligent because he is educated as an engineer. He makes the false overture of drawing attention to himself by his blatant courtship of a beautiful bedouin girl named Salma. He is watched and recognized as the murderer of Mubarak. The bedouins plot their vengeance craftily. They are above reproach as they use the girl, Salma, as bait to ensnare Adil. Adil falls into their trap and is killed. Adil is a victim of his own carelessness, ego, lust, stupidity and trusting nature. Cairo Is a Small City uses an omniscient narrator. This essay uses these two short stories to compare the similarities on how trust is betrayed. The essay takes the position that the two victims, Gregory and Adil, deserve to die, because of the fault of gullible trust in their personal characters. Adil trusted in the shopkeeper's strategy of befriending the woman because he saw that it worked. Gorgy and the omniscient narrator want to blame the shopkeeper for showing Adil the flirtatious method of bartering for the woman's affections. The narration says; '...had it not been for that day, Adil's mind would not have given birth to the plan he was determined, whatever the cost, to put through, because of that woman who had bewitched his heart.' (Hirschberg & Hirschberg 24). Adil does not question the consequences if the trust goes wrong. He is gullible and the fault is his alone. Adil trusted in his own bravery. The evidence that supports this argument is in the narration; ''As every man, according to Adil's philosophy of life, had within him a devil, it was sometimes better to follow this devil in order to placate him and avoid his tyranny.' (Hirschberg & Hirschberg 24). When Salma's father asks Adil many questions, alarm bells started ringing in his head but Adil chooses to ign ore the feeling that something might be wrong. Instead, Adil sweeps the feeling of misgiving away. The narrator says; 'Though Adil noticed in the father's tone something more than curiosity, he attributed this to the nature of the bedouin and their traditions.' (Hirschberg & Hirschberg 27). Adil makes the mistake of taking the interrogation lightly. He places complete trust in Salma and her father who have invited him to their home. It is his mistake. Adil only realizes too late that his trust is misplaced; 'In the same way as Adil had previously built the seven storey building that represented the seven months, each month containing twenty-eight days, till he would see Salma's face whenever it was full moon, he likewise sensed that this was the tribunal which had been set up to make an enquiry with him into the killing of the man whom he had one day come across on the tracks between the oases of Kharga and Farshout.' (Hirschberg & Hirschberg 27). Adil was too trusting to walk into the lion's lair of the bedouins and he was served his punishment. In the story of Gregory, the narrator and

Pearl Harbor - Short Summary Essay Example for Free

Pearl Harbor Short Summary Essay Three-hundred and sixty Japanese planes broke through the clouds above Pearl Harbor at 07. 55. The planes attacked in rows of two or three, dropping torpedoes at 100 knots from 70 feet. The first wave of planes destroyed US hangers and the planes in the neat, anti-sabotage rows. Other attacks in the first wave were on Battleship Row, cruisers and other auxiliary ships. Most ships had numerous torpedo hits. To complete the destruction of the war ships, six submarines aided in the sinking and destroying of what was not already certain. When torpedoing planes left the vicinity, bombers carrying 1 600 pound bombs were sent to destroy any remaining ships. Overlapping the first wave of attack at 08. 40 was a second one. They concentrated on the not yet fully destroyed airfields. By 09. 45 any ship of the US Pacific! Naval Fleet that was not on the Ocean floor was drifting helplessly. It [the Arizona] sank like an earthquake had struck it, a survivor remarked, 1 200 of his crew mates died. US troops returned from church or brunch to defend as best they could. Fighting until they drowned or were crushed by exploding debris, sailors, fliers and anti-aircraft gunners fought heroically to save their doomed naval base. By reason of the attack occurring in what Americans thought was peace time, much of the ammunition was locked away, leaving the defending US troops with little defense. In the end, the US had eight battleships, three cruisers and a large number of smaller vessels sink or rendered out of use. The Japanese lost 0 30 planes and five submarines. Although the destruction was not total, Japanese foremost naval strategist, Yamamoto, found the result better than he had anticipated . Military records state that the attack sank or destroyed 6 ships. US casualties included 2 500 as well as over 1 000 wounded. The Japanese lost less than 30 aircraft and about 55 men. The bombing of Pearl Harbor can be seen as a turning point in the war. Essentially, the war had been of mainly European involvement, now it took a global turn. The bombing prompted a US declaration of war on the following day, as well as great American shock and outrage tempered by anger. The attack was dubbed a day of infamy by President Roosevelt, as no American could forgive or forget the actions of the Japanese nation. The Japanese could not have devised a better way to rally the American citizens into full support for Roosevelt and his governments plan of US involvement in the war. A previous promise between British Prime Minister, Winstin Churchill and President Roosevelt was honored when Britain declared war upon Japan two hours after the US declaration. The events surrounding the bombing of Pearl Harbor prove the US handled the situation very poorly. Many opposing tactics were noted and ignored. Warnings were thought of as routine. Even survivors, who were fully aware of the Japanese tendencies of war on China, the government war warnings and their countrys unprepared state, still describe the attack as a surprise. The Japanese military strategies were intelligent and well executed; although, the Japanese attack would not have been nearly as effective had the Americans not have been so blatantly ignorant. The US had no knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and it was their fault.

How Could Religion Cause Violence Religion Essay

How Could Religion Cause Violence Religion Essay How could religion cause violence? Almost all religions around the world are based on love, peace and order. They all have certain rules and principles that hold love, peace, and order together within a society, but as the widely known saying states: Rules are meant to be broken; many people twist and misinterpret the sacred texts like the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, etc. Even though religions around the world are considered to be peaceful and harmless, still every single religion in the world and its texts have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. The results of this are motivation and justification for violence. This essay will explore the various causes for violence in the religions around the world, and it will closely discuss that violence is, in fact, caused by the people who practice religion, instead of religion itself, influenced by other factors outside of it. Religion does posses a potential for extremism because it deals with extreme things. People can compromise with small disputes over borders and territory, but people cannot compromise with the will of God since it is absolute. However, religion should be based on love, but it can quickly be transformed into the opposite-hatred. It is the same as the passionate love between a man and a woman can be transformed into murderous jealousy. Often enough religion has been viewed as the prime suspect for violence between ethnic groups or within them. Religion can cause violence by misinterpretation of the messages that the sacred texts are supposed to send, and a lot of the sacred texts are, in fact, misinterpreted and because of that, extremists find inspiration and justification that it is in their religion that they have to exercise violence upon others (Hitchcock). A lot of the ancient and modern, major conflicts are considered to be connected to religion in some way. Any religion can be used as an excuse for violence. For example, The Crusade Wars resulted in a lot of bloodshed on both Christian and Muslim sides of the mass conflict. Jews have committed genocide over nations for the sole reason to fulfill their cause. The war in 1991 in Yugoslavia pitted Catholic, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims against each other in a very bloody war. Violence in religion even exceeds conflicts between different ethnic groups; it also happens within the same ethnic groups. In Burma, thousands of monks are being tortured and executed. Also during the Christian Reformation thousands of people were killed because of their religious beliefs. All of the followers of these religions believed that they were doing the right thing by going to war to protect their religion, eradicate the heretics or non believers, or to gain control over the holy land (Hopfe). On the contrary, every religion in the world is a peaceful one. In not one single religion that exists or existed, in both past and present, preaches violence to solutions of existential problems. In every single one of the sacred texts, the Torah, the Quran, the Bible, the Theravadas and all the others, there are principles and rules that require people to abide by them. These principles forbid murder, stealing, or doing any harm to any human, and sometimes any other being in the world. They are based on justice and impartiality, they dont tolerate terrorism or any other kind of extremism, in fact, they condemn it. In all of the examples that were stated above, it would seem that religious beliefs of people are the reason for major conflicts and various violent acts. That is not the case; in fact, the true reasons violence ever happens are economic, political, and even ethnic disputes. Even in the cultures that religion plays a vital part of everyday life there is nothing like a pure religious conflict. There is always some other outside factors involved. It could never be, and it never has been broad enough to cause terrorism or any kind of extreme violence. People only use religion as a justification for a violence rhetoric or behavior (Cline). For example, economics play a major role in conflicts that are attributed to religion. Many soldiers that fought in the crusades went for the wealth they would acquire from all the plundering they would do, aside from liberating the holy land from the Muslims. The Muslims, on the other hand, they can also be seen fighting for the economic perspective. They fought to preserve their recently conquered land, to protect and harvest the resources from it and collect taxes from the people that live there. So if the sole reason people go into these conflicts is their economic gain, than when the economic factor is taken out of the equation, people wont have anything to conflict about; the justification would be removed. So this same example should be considered for religion also. Even if religion is not the factor, it could still be called a religious conflict, if justifications are provided by religion. The existence of other factors means that the removal of religion might not end the conflict, but the removal of the primary justifications and explanations would have to make significant changes in how the conflict is understood and pursued, not to mention its ultimate goals (Cline). This means that religion is only the justification for a conflict, and when religion is removed from a conflict the real reasons are exposed; the reasons like hatred and greed for power and wealth. In fact, just because a lot of the people who engage in violence, like warfare and terrorism in the world happen to be religious, or claim any kind of religion and religious doctrines as their reasons for acting, doesnt necessarily mean that religion caused them to do those things. Indeed, for every violent religious extremist, there are many more people living peacefully aside from them who exercise their same beliefs but just choose to act in a different way. For example, for every violent Al Qaida Muslim terrorist in the world, there are many more innocent, Muslim people simply trying to go about their lives, and if they sympathize with Al Qaida, they are not agreeing with any violent extreme, which makes a huge difference in perspective. What about people that say that they act in accordance with their religion and wage holy wars? Even if the people believe that statement, the religious doctrine itself is not the cause of violence; ins tead, the person that acts with that justification is the cause of violence. People wage wars, religions do not. They simply use it as a tool to bring and unite others so they can achieve their personal, egoistic goals. In other words, religion is being used as an excuse by holy warriors that do not tolerate other religions. If they understand any kind of free will or the concept of human individualism, than they will realize that it is not the doctrine, rhetoric or the religion, but it is the individual that is responsible for his or her own actions (Newell). Although religion is still considered to preach peace and love, some of the messages religion sends are misinterpreted by individuals, which is the cause of violence. The biggest reason violence is connected to religion is because individuals that are driven by greed and hatred towards other religions, twist the views of a particular religion, and present their deferred standpoint to others, so by involving God or any other supreme being they would get more followers. It is not the religion or the belief itself, but it is the actions of the individual that cause mass damage and violence between people. If perhaps people actually lived the good principles and not the interpretations of the principles of religion like charity, forgiveness, and personal accountability, the world might, it just might be a better place (Newell).

Diversity in Video and Computer Games :: Technology Entertainment Essays

Diversity in Video and Computer Games Ever since the Pong and Atari 2600 consoles became commonplace items in the American household in the 1980s, video games have been part of the world culture. One may be challenged to find a college dorm room without at least one (if not all three) â€Å"next generation† video game systems. Yes, video games are common methods of entertainment among college students regardless of race. So it seems logical that, since the games are played by all races, they should have content featuring all races, right? Well, that’s what I’m here to examine. Violence and Gaming Up to this point, the majority of research based on video games was directed toward the two major concepts of gender and violence. The existence of violence in games is not up for debate; from Donkey Kong throwing barrels and Pac-Man eating ghosts during the birth of home gaming, to samurai Samanosuke slicing up demons in Playstation 2’s Onimusha series, violence has been prevalent in gaming. In fact, a study claims that, on average, 89% of video games include violent content (Children Now, 2001).The question is: how does the violence affect young players? There are two rival camps with opposing viewpoints on the matter of media violence. One, and arguably the more vocal of the two, states that violent content is likely to make the viewer/player act out in violent ways. The other claims that violence in games acts as a catharsis, thus preventing violence on the part of the user. Research on this aspect of video games, and in fact all media, has been conducted as long as the technology has been in existence (Dominick, J.R. (1984). Video games, television violence and aggression in teenagers.). As of yet, results have been inconclusive. Gender in Gaming Within the gender-based subset, most research involved the roles of women within the games, or quite possibly the lack thereof. In the often-referenced article â€Å"An examination of violence and gender role portrayals in video games: implications for gender socialization and aggressive behavior,† Tracy Deitz (1998) found the portrayal of women in games to be somewhere between negligible at best, and harmful to the perception of females at the very worst.

Chemical reaction Essay

1.Determine the enthalpy change for NaOH (s) + HCl (aq) → NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) using Hess’s Law. a. Write the balanced chemical reaction and enthalpy change for Part I (1pt) b. Write the balanced chemical reaction and enthalpy change for Part II (1pt) c. Calculate the enthalpy change using Hess’s Law. Refer to the lesson for an example of Hess’s Law. (2pt) 2.If the accepted enthalpy change value for the dissolving of sodium hydroxide in water is −44.2 kilojoules per mole, determine the percent error of the experimental value that you calculated in Part I. Show your work. (experimental – actual value) / actual value Ãâ€" 100 % 3.If the accepted heat of reaction for the neutralization of hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide is −56.0 kilojoules per mole, determine the percent error of the experimental value that you calculated in Part II. Show your work. (experimental – actual value) / actual value Ãâ€" 100 % 4.Using the accepted values of the processes you’ve examined, would your estimation of the enthalpy change for the reaction of solid sodium hydroxide in aqueous hydrochloric acid change from the prediction you made in question one? Explain your answer in complete sentences. 5.Give a detailed explanation, using what you know about bonds and forces of attraction, for the enthalpy changes you observed in parts I and II of this lab. Explain your answer in complete sentences.

Life without IT

Dad, you always say, â€Å"Ah†¦back then when I was a lil' boy†¦there were no computers, cell phones or video games. Tsk! You young lads have all of 'em now, eh? We kids back then had to send letters, had to listen for our mothers' call to have dinner, and we were fit and healthy as a horse! Humph! You just don't know how much fun you are missin'†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My, my, here we go again. What did I say about those â€Å"when I was a lil' boy† stories! Come on dad! You're so old school! Seriously dad, how can you possibly live without information technology? Now it's considered a basic necessity to have emails and websites, and be able to call, text and access anyone and anything at all times. Imagine how desperate you would be if you deliberately left the house without any technologies at hand. Just for one good day†¦I bet you'll probably cry for help. Okay, okay. That might be bit of exaggerating, but still, you'll be desperate; trust me. Computers, cell phones (well, not to mention video games) replaced life as we knew it. Is there any turning back? No way! They've already claimed the entire generation. Dating back to the 1450s, why did Johann Gutenburg invent the movable metal printing process? Well, to start the Printing Evolution and make printing books a hit! Why did Alexander Graham Bell invent the telephone? Obviously, to make it much easier for us to communicate with each other over long distances! All of the technologies we see and use today are crucial to us. Without them, I know that our lives would be simpler but what about â€Å"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind†? Dad, I'm not trying to criticize for thinking that your childhood or whatsoever is the best. I agree that life can also be superb if there were no advanced technologies. But since we live in the â€Å"Information Age†, information technology has become a part of our everyday lives, and we must admit that it really improves our quality of living. We must live our lives with information technology and accept new things or we'll be cavemen. So dad, how do you like your i-Pad I bought for you? Cool, eh? See? I told you so; you JUST can't ignore and resist the new generation of I.T.!

Religion and Morality Essay

(i)Examine the views of scholars concerning the idea that religion and morality are linked. In this essay I am going to be looking at all the different view points on why some people may think religion and morality are linked. I will talk about a few things that link them such as conscience, divine command ethics, Kant’s view and Aquinas’ view. Many people believe that morality is based upon religion and the rules written in the Bible and other holy books, although some say that religion is completely opposed to morality and it is wrong to mix the two. Some scholars believe there are three views on the relationship between religion and morality, one of them being that morality depends on religion. Religious leaders are expected to have extremely high standards of morality, R. B Braithwaite believes so, he states that ‘to be religious and to make religious claims is to be committed to a set of moral values’. Much religious language is the language of morality, and as we have seen religious believers have committed themselves to particular ways of behaving. Aquinas’ believed that if God exists morality exists and that God made humans only his image, ‘when we are good, we are reflecting God’s image’. He also believed that goodness on earth reflects on God’s morally good perfection, so because God made us based on his image, when we are good we are reflecting on his ‘perfect’ image. However Kant’s view is the opposite to this, he believed that if morality exists God must exist and that the highest of good is perfection, although no one is perfect, which means no one can be as good or great as God because he has this perfect image, and no one is perfect therefore cannot live up to those expectations. Kant’s argument was that for the existence of God based on the existence of morality: There must be a holy author of the world who makes possible the highest goods. Some people believe in Divine Command Ethics because they think that God’s authority is absolute and final, and that human reason has no authority. God tells us how to live, obedience is commanded. Disobedience to the word of God is a sin. He also thinks that the existence of God is necessary for the summum borum (which is the highest for of good) to be achieved, and that the summum borum is not achievable in this life, therefore the existence of God is necessary for the goal of morality to be realized. Another is that morality is independent of religion. Freud believed the conscience is a moral policeman. The internalized super-ego that controls and socializes human moral behavior. Capable of doing much damage to our mental health. Some people believe conscience has no supernatural origin, it is the product of how people are brought up. Parents and teachers, teach us right and wrong and we are effected by the environment we are brought up in. Everyone’s conscience is different depending on what they were taught and how they were raised and children, meaning they believe different things, and have different view points. Religion and morality is also linked by religious influences on moral matters. For example, a US abortion rights group have angered some conservative Christian groups by selling condom key rings that have a picture of Michelangelo’s Sistine chapel, with God handing Adam a condom. The president of the Christian group said ‘this does nothing to deal with the horrific promiscuity rate we have among teenagers. We believe the real approach particularly to the young people that this is targeted at is abstinence before marriage’. Another example is that CARE lobby for a reduction in the time limit for legal abortions, to 18 weeks, and against the growing swell of public opinion in favor of legalizing assisted suicide. Existentialists may argue without God morality is meaningless and ‘everything is permitted’. If this is true God is the guardian of morality. Without God moral chaos or anarchy would ensue. Some other reasons why people say that religion and morality are linked is that: Moral codes are derived from religion. Moral opinions are judged against religious teachings. Even secular society adopts or is influenced by religious moral teachings, for example, it seeks guidance from religious leaders in moral matters such as genetic engineering/abortion. In conclusion the strongest view to me is Social Conditioning, in which morality is independent of religion. I believe that peoples morality comes from the environment that they are brought up in, and the people around them such as parents and teachers. From a very young age we are taught what is right and wrong, and grow up respecting the law and people around us more than God. (ii)Comment on the view that religion and morality are not linked. Euthyphro’s Dilemma was that the problem of whether something is good because God commands it, or does God command that which is good. ‘Do that God’s love that which is holy, or is it holy because it is loved by the God’s’ – Plato. Almost all Christians will say something is good because God says so, his commands must be obeyed. A Christian’s dilemma is that either good is a whim or good is something that dictates to God. So if a Christian interprets that it is God’s will to murder, they think they are justified because it is God’s choice. A. C Grayling believes that religious morality is irrelevant to modern society because what people value has changed. He thinks that modern morality includes a great concern for human rights, animal welfare and the environment, not because of God but because of the instrumental value to themselves. Nietzsche has a view that Christianity is a disease on humanity and that morality is also a disease that imposes limits on human freedom. ‘Belief in God encourages ‘slave morality†. He believes that feelings of guilt, shame and remorse are forced upon us from the churches, and that we are made to feel bad for fulfilling our desires. ‘If more people believed in God there would be less immorality’ – R. A Sharpe believed this to be a misconception. He believes this because some churches teach that God hates homosexuals, or that contraception is wrong. A secular ethicist could argue that people are more likely to be morally responsible if God does not exist. If there is no afterlife then we should behave in this life as there will be no reward or punishment at the end, life is short, treat people well. I believe religion and morality are separate, being strong in one doesn’t make you strong in the other. I myself know not to murder someone, not because of a fear of God or that the Bible told me not to, but because I have been brought up to know it is wrong and against the law, and I do not wish to end up in prison. Although I don’t think it is the fear of punishment, it’s just in my heart not to want to hurt someone, not just my conscience and upbringing teaching me not too. People who claim that religion is their morality are basically saying that without the fear of going to hell they would have no motivation to follow the morals. R. A Sharpe believed that ‘If more people believed in God there would be less immorality’ is a misconception because he doesn’t believe that all Christian’s have the right morals. Another argument would be what if the divine changes his mind.. If God said that murdering children was the right thing to do, would it be?

Foundation of knowledge and Profesional Skills Essay

Foundation of knowledge and Profesional Skills - Essay Example Objectives. The author aims to establish that contemporary slavery exists and that there is need for more fair trade practices, and to explore how select marketing communications can enhance awareness, influence consumer perceptions and create actions that foment anti-slavery activities, human rights and fair trade in supply chains. The Rugmark and Cafedirect campaigns from the carpet and coffee industries respectively provide model cases for the study. Assumptions. The author's assumption is that, "Changing the nature of the coffee market to introduce fair trade, rather than free trade, would have immediate impact on several stakeholders in the supply chain and symbolic importance" which could "also influence trade practices in other commodities/industries." [pg. 646] Method. An interpretive research design, spread over three years, was adopted covering site visits, interviews, and examination of extant policies, documents and trends. [pg. 646] Eisenhardt's (1989) eight-step procedure for theory development was used. Analysis was done by a process of coding, memoing, and developing propositions, which were then confirmed through triangulation. When ambiguity arose respondents were invited to comment on the author's theoretical developments. The public confusion regarding the terms 'slavery' and 'fair trade' due to interpretations by various agencies is addressed by offering standard definitions. Slavery: People generally believe slavery to be a historical phenomenon abolished years ago. [pg. 648] Contemporary slavery is however a flourishing business despite its obvious cruelty and illegality (Lees, 1995; The Economist, 1996) and a matter of human rights. Anti-Slavery International (ASI) which works to promote 'the basic right of human beings to be subjects rather than objects' (Anti-Slavery International, 1995a) defines slavery as the status of a person on whom the right of ownership is exercised by capture, acquisition, disposal or exchange, tantamount to acts of trading or transportation of the individuals. Fair Trade. Culled from interpretations of several fair trade organisations including the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) the article suggests that when organisations benefit artisans, work with co-operatives employing democratic principles, reinvest profits to benefit communities engaged in production, and work towards moving more processes to the Third World, it constitutes fair trade [pg. 643] and their products display a fair trade label. The Rugmark and Cafedirect Campaigns. The Rugmark Campaign espoused by ASI in 1994 is an illustration within the UK of interconnections between the first and third worlds. A Rugmark label on hand-knotted carpets from India indicates that no child labour was used during production, and that workers were paid the prescribed minimum wages. The author agrees that the ASI initiative was intended more to convey to the developed world the alienation suffered by 'slaves' lacking the basic human right of freedom and how their efforts to merely subsist sometimes impacted environment, making it a green issue also, than an utopian effort to close the North-South divide. [pg. 650] As for Cafedirect, UK's pioneering fair trade coffee brand, its phenomenal success (4% market share since launch in 1992) was attributed to the impact on distributors and

History of Canadian Labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Canadian Labour - Essay Example Unlike many nations, Canada was not built by soldiers, politicians, and traders. It was built on the toil and sweat of those who built canals, cleared forests, prepared vast, uncultivated land for agriculture, and built railways. Cities and downs were made by labors in Canada - the working class people who were designated to write the future course of progression for this country. 'The Best Poor Man's Country' - the term which is ascribed to Canada frequently, hints at how the country's resources were utilized by the working class people under the supervision of labor unions and organizations. Considering the social nature of Canada, especially with regards to the immigration factor, getting cheap manual labor was never easy. In addition to this, the difference between the skilled labor force and not-so-competent workingmen was palpable in early Canada. The early unions in the country, instead of organizing various labor clans, aimed at maximizing their own profits out of the dearth of essential hands. The skilled workers demanded security and status in exchange for a total work commitment. History of Canadian labor in the twentieth century is marked by both achievements and setbacks. The role of unionism in the history of Canadian labor deserves a special mention. Despite the anti-union legislation that was formed in Nova Scotia in 1816, groups of workers in many parts of the country formed their own unions. In those early times in Canada, these labor organizations included shoemakers in Montreal and Hamilton; printers in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Hamilton, and Toronto. Blacksmiths, shipwrights, carpenters, painters, tailors, and seamen also built their unions. Traders coming from the United Kingdom at the beginning of the nineteenth century introduced the British tradition of trade union movements. An international relation between Great Britain and Canada was established, leading to the merger of labors and intellectuals.  Ã‚  

Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Public Policy - Essay Example ulted to the enactment of the Marijuana tax act, and later the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 that contained CSA establishing the ban for marijuana use, not even for medical reasons. In the late 1990s, states began legalizing marijuana use for medical purposes, which challenged the congress to develop other accommodating laws over the issue of medical marijuana. The last one decade has been a struggle, with every amendment being rejected, at most five times in the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment (2003-2007) of the federal drug enforcement administration (DEA). Towards the end of the decade, some light has been shed for marijuana use through the approved reforms, showing a congress relaxation trend towards medical marijuana. Marijuana has been known as a pain reliever for intensively suffering patients, but the use has raised so much controversy in the public and occupational domains, due to issues of legitimacy and morality in the society. According to historical records, the cannabis sativa plant (marijuana) has been used for healing purposes, for a wide range of ailments more than 2000 years ago, within America and beyond its boundaries. People could grow and use marijuana under the legal federal and state laws in America between the 18th century and early 1930s, from which it declined following the development of other alternative drugs (aspirin, morphine, and opium derived medication) in pain treatment (Eddy, 2010, p. 1). However, even after the congress and legal federal law classified marijuana as an unsafe drug, medical practitioners have held its benefits that are high in pain treatment, leading to several states having to legalize marijuana only for medical purposes. Initially, state of California was the first to legalize its use, from which others followed bravely. Although there are cases of illegal users of the drug taking advantage of the medical marijuana law, the patients with conditions or symptoms such as chronic pain, cancer,

Renewable Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Renewable Energy - Research Paper Example This has led to establishment of measures to switch to renewable energy sources like wind and photovoltaic electricity. These renewable sources are clean and also maintainable considering that they do not emit gases or toxic that can pollute the environment. Some sources like wind are plentiful, easily affordable, require less maintenance and cannot get exhausted. These renewable sources can be established in rural areas and therefore this encourages establishment of industries in those areas. Wind energy convertors have a strong inbuilt framework that enable them to convert the free moving air which has kinetic energy to rotational movement whereby then it can make the generator to start working-mechanical energy (David, 2009). This is through the friction of the rotating wind and the wind turbine blades. However, before any electricity is generated there are stages that are involved. The first stage is the stage of revolution. In this stage, the blades are made with certain dimensions to help harness as much free moving air as possible. They should be able to rotate easily and should have a considerable length of about forty meters. They should also be placed in certain degrees depending on the direction of the wind. The blades are able to rotate because of the two main forces that are involved. The first one is the drag force which is horizontal to the wind direction and the lift force which is vertical to the direction of wind (David, 2009). These forces depend on the shape of the rotating blades and the angle in which the wind meets the blade. Either of these blades can be used to propel the blade. It is important to note most of the Wind Energy Converts depend mainly on the lift force. All this is illustrated in the diagrams below. The blades rotate on a rotor which is connected to the shaft. The rotor then makes the generator to convert the waves to electricity. This stage is referred to as the mechanical stage. The wind turbine should be

Gender and sexualities. Qustions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender and sexualities. Qustions - Essay Example From the very ancient age these rules and regulations are present which differentiate men and women in the society. Cultures of the people differ on the basis of their ethnicity, race, religion, class, age, nation etc. People of various cultures follow different rules and regulations. For this reason believes, values and actions of people of diverse cultures vary from each other. In this essay various theories, philosophies, social norms regarding sexualities and gender will be discussed. In the present scenario the idea and concepts of the people regarding gender are influenced by their professional world and social environment. Various issues of gender and sexualities are discussed in history by sociopolitical and historical theory. Racism and gender discrimination are major problems which are present in many countries of the world. For these issues the lives and activities of the people are influenced a lot. Many movements took place against gender discrimination and racism which helped to change the perception of the people regarding these issues. Question 1 According to me culture plays an important role in shaping up the perception of people regarding gender and sexualities. The lives of men and women are strongly affected by cultural rules and regulations.

Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics Essay Unlike morals, which are deeply held convictions held by an individual in regards to right and wrong behavior, ethics are recognized rules of conduct in regards to a specific action or a particular group of people. In short, ethics come from an external social structure whereas morals come from within – a person’s own perceptions of right and wrong regardless of what society’s rules say. The three primary schools of ethics that can be used in discussing ethical problems and dilemmas are care-based ethics, rule-based ethics, and end-based ethics. In the case of ethical dilemma number 2, if one were to apply care-based ethics, then both of the adult parties in the situation would yield to what would be best for the child. Care-based ethics involves having the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes and see a situation from his or her point of view. The ethical dilemma clearly states that the girl was taken away from her foster parents against her will after her biological parents sobered up and wanted to regain custody. To abide by care-based ethics, the adults would need to let the girl make the decision; everyone would have to consider how the child feels. ; care-based ethics is not determined by law, courts, or duty. Utilitarian ethics looks to solve a dilemma by producing the greatest good for the greatest number. In ethical dilemma number 2, utilitarian ethics would most likely favor the girl living with the foster parents because it would be the case of three people against two. The girl spent her entire life with her foster parents, growing up to love and respect them. In addition, her foster parents more than likely developed mutual feelings for her. Her biological parents have had absolutely no connection to the girl and so by a court ruling in their favor they are setting up a family of strangers. In addition, it is unfair to the foster parents who were probably under the impression that they would raise the girl throughout her entire childhood. Both of the laws applied to ethical dilemma rule in favor of the girl living with the foster parents and not the biological parents. However, care-based ethics does so out of genuine concern for the child’s interest. It doesn’t really consider what the outcome for other parties would be. End-based ethics, though coming to a similar conclusion did so by a different route. All parties in the situation were considered and the pros and cons are weighed out based on what is most fair for those involved. I think that though the schools of ethics can be applied to many real life situations and provide a good springboard for making judgments; I believe that applying formulaic standards to something life like could ultimately be hazardous. Life isn’t a math problem where you can plug and chug a situation into an ethical framework and get only one correct outcome. There are many different factors and feelings that need to be considered when making decisions on real life matters. Aristotle’s idea of virtue factored in the uncertainties of everyday life. To Aristotle, to be virtuous was to practice practical wisdom. In other words, he believed that making ethical decisions was dependent on choosing the right thing at the right time for a situation. I think Aristotle would have agreed with the both of the decisions to let the girl live with the foster parents because it would be the most practical choice to keep a loving family together than to tear it apart by giving the girl back to her biological parents.

Problem Diagnosis Using Organisational Behaviour Concepts Business Essay

Problem Diagnosis Using Organisational Behaviour Concepts Business Essay There are several significant concepts which are used when managing the workplace in changing business environment. The workplace environment becomes more complex in which the complexity of interactions, relationships and processes often makes difficult to understand. In the organization, managers are required to be effective in organizing, decisive, and maintain good relationship with employees (Kimball 1997). According to the case analysis, practise of empowerment is used as the new tool by Becker for the hotel to be more effective and implement the capacity of employees to make decisions and to be innovative in the working environment. On the other hand there are certain situations where employees were not familiar with change in the management. Focuses on issues and problems of implementing empowerment within the organization. Motivation refers to the forces acting on and coming from within a person that account, in part, for the wilful direction of ones efforts towards the achievement of specific goals (Dennis Michael) According to the case, in the past Regency Grand Hotel was one of the most prestigious hotels in Thailand and the employees enjoyed working. Example: The hotel provided good welfare benefits and good salary rates to the employees. End of the year employees were given a salary increment regardless of the hotels overall performance. This could be due to personal relationships to build a more close relationship with the employees. Employees were motivated and they enjoyed working with the current general manager. Motivation theories are very important in the corporate world. Primarily motivation theories are divided into two types. (Dennis Michael) Theory 1: Content theory This focuses on identifying the specific factors that motivate people internally which contributes to strengthen and direct the behaviours of employees within the organization. (Dennis Michael) Content theories focus on specific factors that motivate people. McGregors Theory X and Theory Y and Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory will be discussed linked to the case. 3.1 McGregors Theory X and Theory Y Douglas McGregor proposed two different motivational theories. Managers tend to believe one or the other and treat their employees accordingly.   Theory X states that employees dislike and try to avoid work, and must be coerced into doing it. Most workers lack ambition and value job security more than anything else. According to the case the employees were rewarded with a yearend bonus regardless of the hotels overall performance, may be due to lack of motivation which the manager saw in his subordinates to work within the organization. Due to that we can identify that employees were satisfied and job security was ensured and also for it to become a prestigious hotel the efficiency of the fellow employees would have been a reason. 3.2 Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory According to Herzberg, job satisfaction and dissatisfaction exist in the corporate world. Hygiene factors could cause an employee to become unhappy with their job. Lack of motivation could bring out job dissatisfaction such as pay, job security, and physical work environment. On the other hand Motivation can increase job satisfaction by providing recognition for their achievements and more responsibilitys. Change Internal and external factors affect the organization towards the complexity and changing situations. Mostly, people do not accept and understand the benefits in changing the management. Organization needs to consider the internal and external factors in implementing a new strategic management. It is important to develop strategy to help employees learning about the change (Cameron Quinn) Managers are also required to develop good communication within its employees since people may come from different cultural background, skills, age, and gender (Holden 2001). These differences will create barriers in communication based on different values and perceptions. The effective management of workplace in organization requires an understanding of leadership and motivation in managing the workplace on performing the job and being motivated to do so. (Holden 2001) In the case with the change of ownership there will be a change in the organizations business practises. Its important that the existing employees are aware of the change and that they should adopt according to the change. For that there should be trainings, workshops organized by the management in order to make them understand about the change. Without effective diagnosis, managers may believe that the problem is significantly different than it is, and the change alternative may be ineffective in resolving the problem. (Dennis Michael) In organizational development one should recognize; The need for change Diagnose problems Develop change alternatives Implementation of change Reinforcement of change Evaluation of change Implementing further change actions 4.1 Delegating authority When delegating authority Becker did not explain properly what are the responsibilities of the employees. As stated in the case he did not give a criterion to differentiate minor and major issues which arose in the organization. Proper organization structure was not implemented. 5. Culture   According to the case the Regency was able to merge with a large American chain that was very keen on expanding its operations into Thailand. With the new ownership the current general manager decided to take early retirement. There is nothing more valuable than local knowledge or understanding culture of a particular organization when merging with an organization. It is important to be aware of the culture and business practices especially when changing ownership with a different country. Organizational culture is referred to, a code of attitudes, norms and values and the way an individual thinks. It determines how we see ourselves and how we see the world. Culture can be either right or wrong inherited about individual behaviour. Organization culture affects the way strategy is determined, how goals are established and how the organization operates. (Marie Roger, 2008) With the retirement of the current general manager a new general manger from the US was appointed to the Regency. According to the case, John Becker the newly appointed general manager has 10 years of management experience in the hotel industry and was selected because of his previous success. The case states that in his previous achievements he took over organizations with poor profitability and poor morale and managed to succeed in achieving desired objectives. Organizational culture can be different from one country to another. The success of an organizational culture has to do with external and internal factors (Marie Roger, 2008). With the change of the ownership one should identify the cultural variations from one organization to another or from country to country. Considering the culture in Thailand and in the US the business practices can be completely different there can be a cross cultural affect within the organization. Cross culture explains the behaviour of people in organizations around the world and describes and compares organizational behaviour across countries and cultures seeking to understand and improve the interaction of its subordinates (Adler, 2002: 11). Identifying organizational culture 6.1 Corporate Culture in the US The worlds third largest country both in size and population, the United States is a nation moving forward rapidly and successfully with its unique cultural diversity. Today, the US is considered to have the strongest and most technologically powerful economy. (Communicaid Group Ltd. 2009) In the US people are more work oriented where individualism and equality are two main important aspects in the US corporate culture which has a significant effect on their business etiquettes (Cameron Robert). In the US performance is more important and individuals will be rewarded according to their achievements this is why individualism is important in the US. American business culture is task oriented. Paying attention to guidelines and rules dictated by business policies, laws and procedures is important in the US. 6.2 Corporate Culture in Thailand Thai people are mo re relationship oriented when doing business. International business practices are widely accepted for Thai business person. In general, Thais are naturally friendly and open-minded; however, there are some practices and values to be considered (Thailand Business Guide, 2010) Thai business people can accept new ideas quickly. Thai people are calm and quite. Thais take confrontation extremely seriously. In the west you loosing temper may be familiar and accepted where in Thailand its not accepted. There is nothing worse than an upset, impatient employer who is making demand on Thais. Acting this way will serve no purpose other than alienate. (Thailand Business Guide, 2010) 6.3 Cross Culture (United States Thailand) According to the research carried out its clear that from one country to another their business practises diverge. Culture in one country can be different from one another. What is suitable in the US will not be applicable in Thailand. Certain practises used by Becker will not be applicable in Thailand. His success in previous organizations can be a failure in the Regency. Understanding organizational culture at all levels is important because the culture points out both appropriate and inappropriate behaviours of the employees. According to the case Becker wanted his employees to think out of the box. He expected the employees to be creative, innovative and to make judgments to satisfy guest needs. Throughout my research I identified that being innovative and creative will help to achieve organizational goals. The culture Becker previously worked is a culture based on innovation and creativity. With his new placement in a different country (culture) he implemented the same theory assuming he will succeed. Contrary to the culture in Thailand and the US, the existing employees were used to a different organizational culture from the culture Becker worked previously. According to the case, under the previous management the responsibilities of the employees were to ensure that the instructions from their managers are carried our diligently and conscientiously. Innovation and creativity were discouraged. Indeed, employees were punished for their mistakes and discouraged from trying out ideas that had not been approved by management. As a result, employees were afraid to be innovative and to take risks. This can be due to the normal organizational culture carried out in the industry in Thailand. We assume that they were more task oriented. Team work was not encouraged and individual achievement was encouraged. An organizations culture also determines the way in which employees are rewarded. (Business Management Group, Inc) But without considering the performance of the employees everyone was rewarded with a yearend bonus. Because of this there can be dissatisfaction and un-equality among employees. Management tends to focus on a dominant source of motivation, such as pay, status, or opportunity for personal growth and achievement. The accessibility of management and the ways in which decisions are made are reflections of an organizations culture as well. (Business Management Group, Inc) Empowerment Empowerment can be defined as a term used to express the ways in which employees can make independent decisions without consulting their superiors. Employee empowerment can begin with training and converting a whole company to an empowerment model. Conversely it may merely mean giving employees the ability to make some decisions on their own (Murrell   Meredith) According to the case Becker is a strong believer in empowerment. He believes empowerment increases employee motivation, performance and job satisfaction. He expects employees to go beyond guidelines and make work more effective. According to Becker employee empowerment has always been a successful tool for him in the corporate culture. He believes that by introducing empowerment to the new organization will replicate his previous success in the industry. Implementing empowerment might not work in the new place where it will be difficult to change ones perception and employees will not like to deviate from his/her believes, attitudes and routines. Since empowerment is new to the existing employees they might not understand what Becker is expecting unless he should provide certain trainings to educate his subordinates. On the other hand empowerment will encourage the employees to be innovative, creative and make judgments. Managers believe when they delegate jobs, they are empowering their employees; empowerment is more than simple delegation. It is giving the employees the authority, training and resources to make decisions within defined boundaries. Through these actions, employees gain the power and potential to both grow and strengthen the company  (Weiss, W. H.) Existing employees at Regency had to go through administrative control which result more bureaucratic procedures in the organization. The front-counter employees needed to seek approval from their manager before they could upgrade guests to another category of room. The front-counter manager would then have to write and submit a report to the general manager justifying the upgrade With Beckers implementation of empowerment, the employees will have to follow his instruction if not there will be a contradictory between the employees and the general manager. In the previous management employees were punished for mistakes and they did not have the freedom to be innovative or creative or make decisions on their own. With Beckers new plan the employees might hesitate to adopt directly according to the change if relevant training and briefing isnt done appropriately. So Becker should communicate fully in order to build confidence among the fellow employees. 7.1 Advantages of implementing Empowerment at the Regency Gives more freedom for the employees to be innovative, creative and make decisions End output will be more effective More flexibility within the organization Motivated employees creates a good working environment 7.2 Disadvantages of implementing Empowerment at the Regency Fear about job security when the lower level employees in the organization have power/authority the existing managers will have a fear of losing their jobs. Employees might use the power un-necessarily There will be more people involved in the decision making process which might take more time and disagreement will rise resulting divergence. (Murrell   Meredith) Problems and symptoms Employees had lack of confidence High employee turnover rates within the organization due to delegation of authority With the implement of the new plan Becker did not monitor the progress of the new plan implemented Becker did not have alternatives if the plan of implementing empowerment failed Becker failed to identify/study the corporate culture of Thailand didnt study the culture before implementing new tools to the organization he is not a good consultative leader Assumptions were made without any prove based on personal judgement Employees who displayed initiative and made good decisions in satisfying the needs of the guests rarely received positive feedback from the superiors Becker did not take in to account the feedback he got from several managers the body language (nodding their heads) meant a disagreement to some extent Delegated authority without considering the impairment which will occur within the organization Proper organization structure was not implemented employees didnt know to whom they should report. Lack of organizing, planning and controlling Solutions 9.1 Having alternatives Empowerment is not the only tool to motivate employees in the corporate world.   By using performance appraisals, superiors can praise and recognize the employees at Regency who displayed good innovative and good decisions to satisfy customers. Employees like been appreciated and like to hear the superiors say that they have done a good job. Reward systems for their accomplishments such as incentives, salary increments, yearend bonus for good performers and promotions can be used to motivate employees rather than only using empowerment. A manager should always be transparent and should not be biased when evaluating ones performance. 9.2 Conduct research When implementing a new plan one should always study the culture and identify the need for change. According to the case, Regency was a profit making organization and the need for change was not necessarily important. Without studying the culture Becker implemented empowerment in to the organization based on his personal judgements. To motivate employees at Regency, Empowerment was not the appropriate tool. If prior research was conducted Becker would have introduced different tools to motivate employees. Its very important understand that corporate culture can vary from one country to another. 9.3 Conduct Trainings With the implementation of empowerment employees at Regency was not aware of what exactly they should do and was afraid to be innovative and to take risks due to the bureaucratic procedures conducted by the past management. In order to build confidence in employees, trainings, workshops such as Employee Performance Management trainings can be conducted to educate them about how important empowerment is to succeed in the corporate world. 9.4 Observe the employees By observing the employee superiors can identify what employees should stop doing, what employees should continue doing and what employees should start doing and write reports about relevant employees in order to be more effective and achieve desired goals. 9.5 Have a proper organization structure Becker had lack or planning, organizing and monitoring. He did not monitor after implementing the new plan. Once a new plan has been implemented its important to monitor the progress to see whether it has been effective throughout the organization structure. Close relationship with the employees According to the research Thai people are more relationship oriented so its important that Becker should have a more close relationship with the subordinates. Having meetings at least twice a week is important in order to build up a good relationship. Its important to listen to your subordinates. Active listening guarantees that the other party understood him or her. It is a necessary part of any exchange to motivate employees. 9.7 Decrease employee turnover To decrease employee turnover in future superiors existing should consult ex-employees and discuss the reasons for leaving and make decisions to avoid turnover in future and try to maintain a lower number of employee turnover within the organization. Implement better hiring decisions to fill in the existing gaps. 9.8 Keep employees up-to-date Its important to keep the employees informed about all changes that may affect them. When implementing tools within the organization its important that you make them aware about every single rule and regulation in order to avoid stress and un-efficiency. Recommendation Considering the above solutions the most appropriate recommendation is to first identify the difference between organizational cultures and when implementing new business practises its important to train and provide sufficient information to the employees in an organization. Conclusion The purpose of this report was to diagnose the problems in this case using organisational behaviour concepts and recommend solutions to overcome or minimise the problems and symptoms in this case. There are several solutions identified in order to minimise the problems and symptoms occurred during the implementation of empowerment at the Regency. Using several organizational behaviour concepts to diagnose the problems at the Regency, such as motivation, organizational culture, employee empowerment, crosses cultural effect and change. The report found out that what may be applicable in one culture will not always be applicable/suitable in a different organizational culture. Empowerment was not effective in Thailand though it was effective and gave excellent results in the US. There are a number of contradictory findings among different authors and therefore due to a lack of clear findings at this stage it is not possible to definitively state whether empowerment is the only method of motivating the workforce. Monitoring the progress once a new plan is implemented will greatly increase efficiency and productivity within the organisation. Having alternatives will have a great deal to do with the organizations progress and how it handles the various unexpected situations such as employee turnover and low profitability. Planning, organizing and monitoring the organization are important tools in order to succeed.