A Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

A Journal opinion article - Essay Example As compared to the same period last year, JP Morgan registered a reduction in bond trading revenue by 21%. Additionally, the bank revenue obtained from the mortgage reduced to 84%. Major aspect that caused the poor performance by the bank was due to uncertainties that surrounded the US economy as far as lending to consumers and trading volumes are concerned. Being one of the Wall Street banks to post the reduced earnings, JP Morgan indicates how the financial sector has been faced with difficulties in the first quarter of 2014. Additionally, majority of the businesses owned by the bank including the commercial lending and the credit cards indicated low profits. This resulted to reduced total revenue for the bank in the first quarter an aspect that may result in reduction of annual revenue if the trend of the low performance in the financial sector continues in the remaining quarters. According to the bank, the net income fell to $5.27 billion which is equivalent to $1.28 per share fo rm the $6.53bn, or $1.59 per share which was experienced in the same period in 2013. According to the analysts, the bank earning per share was expected to stand at $1.40 per share. However, this was not achieved due to the reduction in net revenue which experienced 8.5% fall to stand at $22.99bn while the bank expected total revenue to stand at $24.53billion. Similarly, in the premarket trading, JP shares reduced by 3.3% to sell at $55.50 deviating from $61 highest prices that the bank has maintained for the last 13 years. This is a major indicator of poor performance of the bank an aspect that may result to low level of trust from the customers as well as investors. Despite the low performance by the JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, the chief executive officer indicates that the largest bank in US is creating confidence in the country’s economy. As the result of

Crowd Management in Sport Facilities Essay Example for Free

Crowd Management in Sport Facilities Essay When conditions or circumstances warrant substantial levels of wariness, crowd management as a consequence becomes prudent. The key in getting a safe and comfortable environment for large packs of people is in planning for their management. There is considerable prominence on crowd management planning and implementation since it is important to provide a safe environment for everyone. Crowd management must take into account all the rudiments of an event especially the type of event, for example a circus, sporting, concert, or carnival event. It must also view characteristics of the facility, dimension and demeanor of the crowd, methods of entry, communications, crowd control, plus queuing (Herb, 1998). As in all management, it must also include planning, arranging, staffing, directing in addition to evaluating. Crowd management is best defined as every element of the game or event from the design of the stadium to the game itself as well as the protection of the customers from unforeseeable risk of danger from other persons or from the actual facility itself. The main criteria for gouging if crowd control procedures are sufficient and suitable depend on the kind of event, threats of aggression, existence and sufficiency of the emergency arrangement, expectation of crowd size in addition to seating arrangement, known rivalries among teams along with schools, and the use of security personnel (Herb, 1997). Crowd management is therefore paramount in sports facilities and venues because of the large masses that throng such places. Some facilities involve more sport management than others, thus would require more crowd management during functions. Venues should be primarily assessed for safety and its ability to hold large crowds. From the evaluation, the results should be processed, conclusions drawn, proposals made and a report written to all parties involved. The team that carries out such a task should be well trained in this area and used to dealing with all sorts of events, particularly sports. Reference Herb, A. (1998) Risk Management in Sport: Issues and Strategies. London, Carolina Academic Press Miller, L. (1997) Sport Business Management. New York, Jones Barlett Publishers.

Citizenship and The French Revolution Essay -- European History Resear

Citizenship and The French Revolution The French Revolution of 1789 changed the meaning of the word â€Å"revolution.† Prior to this year, revolution meant restoring a previous form of government that had been taken away. Since then, revolution has meant creating a new institution of government that did not previously exist. This required that a constitution be drafted. After a series of four mini-revolutions from May to July, the â€Å"Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen† was released on the twenty-sixth of August, 1789. When the French revolutionaries drew up the Declaration, they wanted to end the traditions surrounding hereditary monarchy and establish new institutions based on the principles of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment brought the application of scientific laws and formulas to society through the use of observation and reason rather than religion or tradition. The Declaration â€Å"brought together two streams of thought: one springing from the Anglo-American tradition of legal a nd constitutional guarantees of individual liberties, the other from the Enlightenment's belief that reason should guide all human affairs. Reason rather than tradition would be its justification.†1 â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights,† began the â€Å"Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen,† a document that was supposed to be applicable to all Frenchmen. But did the Declaration really apply to the Jews, Black African slaves, and women in the same respect as it applied to its creators, and was it even intended to do so? Historians have taken diverse approaches to the study of the French Revolutionary era. Perhaps this is because the French Revolution impacted different groups of people in quite contradictory ways. The interests o... .... PRIMARY SOURCES Hunt, Lynn, ed.. The French Revolution and Human Rights: A Brief Documentary History. Boston, New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1996. Very useful collection of primary sources including from the French Revolution including The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen and the Declaration of Rights of Woman among others, with good biographical references. WEBSITES Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution. Washington, D.C.: the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, and New York: the American Social History Project at the City University of New York, supported by the Florence Gould Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. American Social History Productions, Inc., 2001. [cited 4 November 2001.] Available from the World Wide Web: (http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/index.html.)

Battle of Thermopylae

The rise of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BC is shrouded in mist of antiquity. It sprang in the region encompassing present day southern Iran and Iraq. A disparate group of tribes of Indo-European origin serving as vassals to the Medes controlled the region east of Tigris from their capital Ecbatana (near Hamadan). Here, around 650 BC the religion of Zoroastrianism was founded uniting the populace as an enlightened people into a political force.In 559 BC a devout Zoroastrian, Cyrus became the head of an obscure tribe and he set about uniting the other into a fighting force and in five years he had defeated the Medes and conquered all Persia. Lydia in Asia Minor and Babylon soon followed and by the time he died, as Cyrus the Great in 529 BC had founded the Persian Empire. After his death, his son Cambyses conquered Egypt in 525 BC. Indeed, the growth had been so rapid that rebellions sprang up and it fell upon Cambyses’s son Darius (The Great) to quell these uprising s and institute satrapies or self-governing colonies across the empire.It was sheer administrative genius, military planning with a humanistic view that transformed disparate tribes into a formidable world power. By the 5th century Persian power extended from the river Indus to the shores of Mediterranean, North Africa, Thrace, Greece and Macedonia on the European continent. Following the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization large numbers of Greeks moved to Asia Minor and significant among them were three tribal groups, Aeolians, Dorian and Ionians who settled around Lydia and Caria establishing twelve cities which made up Ionia.These were independent states but they all acknowledged a common heritage. They enjoyed this status till they were conquered by the Lydian King Croesus. The Ionians were invited by Cyrus the Great to rebel against Lydian rule which was turned down forcing Cyrus to conquer Ionia in 540 BC and thereafter to be ruled by local satraps. During the rule of Dariu s the Great in 499 BC the cities of Ionia were incited to rebellion against the tyrants representing Persian rule and in 498 BC the Ionians with support from Athens and Eretria destroyed Sardis provoking the Persians into decisively beating them at the battle of Ephesus.The Ionian Rebellion was the first major conflict between the Greeks and the Persian Empire. Asia Minor was subdued but Darius the Great saw the myriad Greek states as a threat to the stability of the Empire and was bent upon conquering the whole of Greece. In 492 BC as a consequence of this rebellion first steps were taken to secure land routes to Greece by re-taking Thrace and forcing Macedonia to become a client state of Persia. In 491 BC Darius sent emissaries to Greek cities seeking their submission.Most complied with the terms but Athens put the ambassadors to death and in Sparta they were thrown down a well. Thus both cities were now effectively at war with Persia. Darius next dispatched a force which besieged and destroyed Noxos and Eretria and then confronted a vastly outnumbered Athenian army at Marathon. The ensuing battle of Marathon was a remarkable victory for Athens resulting in the withdrawal of the force to Asia Minor. A major campaign against Greece was now in preparation when Darius died in 486 BC leaving son Xerxes I in command.A rebellion in Egypt delayed progress on this front and preparations resumed once the rebellion had been quelled. By early 480 BC Xerxes was ready and marched his army across the Hellespont to Europe using pontoon bridges. Spartans and Athenians were also preparing for war and in 481 BC the Congress of Corinth was held at which confederation of the city states was formed and they thought that the invader would have to traverse the narrow pass at Thermopylae on way to southern Greece, which could be blocked by a smaller force.Furthermore, to prevent Persians bypassing Thermopylae by sea a naval flotilla gathered to block strait of Artemisium. It was Au gust by the time the Persians arrived. This is a time of year when the Spartans celebrate the festival of Carneia and the Olympic games. A time of truce, during which war is forbidden but the urgency of the situation persuaded King Leonides I of Sparta to take 300 royal bodyguards and support troops as an advance expedition to block the pass and await the arrival of the main Spartan army.According to historian Herodotus the Spartans had consulted the Oracle of Delphi, (The high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Pythia) was credited with powers of prophecy O ye men who dwell in the streets of broad Lacedaemon! Either your glorious town shall be sacked by the children of Perseus, Or, in exchange, must all through the whole Laconian country Mourn for the loss of a king, descendant of great Heracles (Rawlinson translation of Herodotus VII, 242) In keeping with this prophecy Leonides I was convinced he was going to certain death.Once the Persians were sighted the Allies decide d to make a stand at Thermopylae. The Persians offered surrender terms and asked the Greeks to lay down their weapons to which Leonides 1 is said to have responded â€Å"come and get them† (Holland, p269–270). The Persians had mustered an overwhelming force even though historians don’t seem to agree on a precise number. Modern scholars estimates vary from 25,000 (Hans Delbruck) to 100,000 -200,000 (Ulrich Wilcken and Tom Holland). There were 11,000 -12,000 Greeks in a combined force.Five days after arriving Xerxes launched a frontal attack. The Greeks formed a phalanx of overlapping shields and layered spear points across the width of the pass stopping the Persians from breaking through. This proved most effective as the wicker shields and shorter spears of the Persians prevented an effective engagement. On the second day too, the Persians fared no better but later that day the Persians got help from a traitor in locating a mountain path round the pass thereby o ut-flanking and encircling the Greeks.Some suggested withdrawal, but Leonides resolved to stay with the Spartans at the Pass forming a rear-guard to enable other allied contingents to withdraw. At dawn on the third day the Allies came forward to the wider part of the pass to engage the Persians. They fought with spears and short swords and Leonides 1 also perished in this assault. Thereafter the Persian surrounded the Greeks and rained down volley after volley of arrows opening up the pass to the Persians who proceeded to burn and sack cites which had not submitted. Xerxes then retreated back to Asia leaving a Satrap to complete the conquest.Thermopylae was undoubtedly a defeat for the Allies but is arguably the most famous battle of European ancient history. References Bradford, Ernle (2004). Thermopylae: The Battle for the West. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0306813602. Cartledge, Paul (2006). Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN 1585 675660. Green, Peter (1996). The Greco-Persian Wars. University of California Press. ISBN 0520203135. Pressfield, Steven (1998). Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae. Doubleday. ISBN 0385492910.

Disability Discrimination Essay

Physical disability discrimination is when people are being treated less fairly because of their disability such as broken leg, deaf, or blind. People can be discriminated direct or indirect. Unfair treatment means that a disable person will be treated disadvantaged in the society and doesnt have the same opportunity or choice as a non-disable person in situation like employment, education, and access goods, services and facilities. Personal Experience I have no personal experience in physical disability discrimination but I have found a story about customers getting rejected by a restaurant because a person is in a wheelchair and the waiter is unwilling to rearrange the table for the customer. He is being discriminated because the waiter wouldn’t treat him the same as other customers and service them, the waiter doesn’t want to give service because he is disable. Main Views Christian ChurchesThe Christian churches views about disability discrimination are based on what is written in the bible. Christians think that everyone should be treated equally no matter if a person is disabling or not as bible referred in John 13:34 â€Å"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. This means that there should be no discrimination in this world because everyone should love one another as god has loved us. Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. This verse show that god has destroyed the barriers (e.g. differences) and the dividing wall of hostility between people, therefore people should all be treated the same and everyone should be friendly to each other, no one should ever be discriminated against for their disability, everyone should be equal despite their ability. God indicates that if we verbally abuse someone that means we are harming a person that is created in Gods image, which means that we are mistreating someone that God loves and who Jesus gave up his life for. â€Å"People with Disabilities are called, like all people, to respond in faith to the God revealed in Christ. People with disabilities have gifts which contribute to the building up of the whole body of Christ. Through people  with disabilities Christ may work and bear witness to himself.† (Include Me In – Uniting Church of NSW)This quote is said from Uniting Church of NSW, its said that disability people have different contribution to the community to us, they put in something else for Christ, their disability is helping Christ to work and bear witness to himself. They are contributing equally to those who are not disabled so therefore they should be treated equally. Political View Disability discrimination Act is being created by the government in 1992 to prevent discrimination of a person with disability in public areas. The Disability Discrimination Act allows the Attorney-General to make standards on particular topics. The standards give more information about what needs to be done to ensure people with disability are not discriminated against.The Discrimination Act shows that the government really cares about how people with disability is treated and make sure they do not get further discrimination when they travel around public area. It is against the law to discriminate someone with disability. The two standards of discrimination act is disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport and Disability Standards for Education to let disable people feel free to travel with public transport and educate just like other kids. The government view is to get everyone in the society equal no matter if they are of a different culture or if they have disability. Value Analysis For this issue the political views and Christian views are similar, they are all trying to support people who suffer from disabilities in the society to not get discriminated by other people without disabilities. Christians tries to get their views across by the church and use extracts from the bible to show that god wants us to treat everyone the same, and people with disabilities contributes to Christ just as much as everyone else. Government tries to get their views across by giving out laws about disability discrimination so now in the society people with disabilities are being treated fairly. Example, theres ramps and lift build for public transport for the disabled and there is special school build for people with disabilities. Both government and Christian is trying to make  people with disabilities feels just as normal as the rest of us and not letting them feel left out because there is something different about them. My Decision I think that the government and Christians is doing a really good job at making people with disabilities to live like everyone else and fit in the society. Bible gives a really good outline as to what we should and should not do; the bible says that we should not discriminate against the disabilities because they are just the same as us and sometimes they might do a lot more contribution to the society than us, they shouldnt be discriminated. I think that we should actually learn a lesson from people with disabilities; they have a very high spirit in life, they dont give up on life just because they have disabilities, they are very brave to live through everyday with something missing from them. I think disability discrimination should be stopped and government and Christians should continue raise awareness throughout the society to let other people know people with disabilities is not much different from the rest of us. Bibliogr

Whose Responsibilities for Tragedy Outcome of Othello essays

Whose Responsibilities for Tragedy Outcome of Othello essays At the end of Othello story, some characters were fated to die. There was not only element; a villain of Iago took advantage of everyone toward his goal, but also had other causes to lead the tragic end. In order to discuss responsibilities for tragic outcome of Othello, there could divide into several parts. First of all, most powerful influence of tragic outcome was by the villain of Iago. Hostility of Iago was against Othello because Othello had appointed the great position of lieutenant for Michael Cassio, but not for Iago who considered himself more qualified than Cassio to serve as lieutenant. Iago felt betrayed, so he was able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moved him closer toward his goals. He was the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards their tragic end. On the other hand, if evil of Iago did not take advantage of everyone toward his goal in this story, the tragic end would not occur at least. Next is tragic hero of Othello whose tragic fault was his gullibility in believing Iago and distrusted his wife. Even he was superior and respected by everyone, he had no way of knowing about women and domestic life. Apparently, his jealous blindly tended to take everything that he saw and Iago told he everything at face value without questioning the circumstances. If Othello did not insecure over Desdemona and communicated with her that Iago could not have a chance to control Othello into killing Desdemona. Furthermore, Emilia, the wife of Iago, was unforeseeable her and others death by taking handkerchief for Iago who wooed Emilia hundred times to steal it from Desdemona. Even Emilia didnt know what purpose of Iago was, she still stole handkerchief to please her husband. However, Desdemonas handkerchief itself appeared to exert unusual powers. For example, Othello saw the handkerchief as proof of Desdemo ...

Essay on Business Communication Skills

Essay on Business Communication Skills Essay on Business Communication Skills Ethical business communication skills allow managers to effectively communicate with internal and external staff on a personal basis. Organizational communication skills are used with internal and external stakeholders for the purpose of coordination of leadership and staff behaviors. Managers use leadership skills to utilize key external concepts such as stories, metaphors and strategic dialog to establish supportive relationships with colleagues. It seems that more and more emphasis are being placed on corporate relationships and less on authority. This relational focus has been accompanied by a growing interest in the phenomenon of trust which is considered as an important component of the social structure. Exchanging thoughts and nonverbal communication by sharing information, providing feedback and maintaining social relationships are the steps that has to be taken to develop and nurture such an environment. Today's emerging ethnic consumers represent the largest which is the most overlooked market in America. According to the 2000 U. S. Census, by 2050, people of color will represent 55 percent of the population. Ethnic Americans have economic clout and their spending power has grown tremendously doubled in the past decade and is now almost $3 trillion. There has been a fair amount of research describing the portrayal of racial minorities in advertising. For some time advertisers have attempted to communicate the look and feel of their messages in accordance with the makeup of their targeted audience. For example African Americans have been shown to display a more positive attitude toward the advertisement and the product itself when black models are portrayed. In general (non-ethnic) audiences have shown to react positively to the increased incidence of African Americans in advertisements. By the same token, studies have shown that the white audience reaction to black characters range from neutral to negative, depending on elements of their demographic profiles. The lack of effective communication can make or break a company, a product, or a diversity initiative. Currently I am working for an organization that is more the 95% Indian; I find their very heavy accent is a daily challenge for me. By now I am use to being the minority (being

Listening Comprehension Strategies

Listening Comprehension Strategies Listening comprehension, also known as oral comprehension, can present a struggle for learning disabled children. Many disabilities can make it difficult for them to attend to information delivered orally, including difficulties in processing sounds and prioritizing sensory input. Even children with mild deficits may simply find auditory learning difficult since some students are visual or even kinesthetic learners. What Disabilities Affect Listening Comprehension? Auditory processing disorder, ADHD or a language-processing deficit can have serious impacts on listening comprehension. These children can hear, but imagine a world in which every noise you heard was at the same volume- its just impossible to sort out the important sounds from the unimportant ones. A ticking clock may be as loud and attention-grabbing as the lesson being taught by the teacher.    Reinforcing Listening Comprehension at Home and School For a child with these kinds of needs, listening comprehension work cant only happen in school. After all, parents will have the same struggles at home. Here are some general strategies for children with auditory processing delays. Reduce distraction. To help regulate volume and keep a child on task, its essential to eliminate extraneous noises and motion. A quiet room can help. Failing that, noise-canceling headphones can do wonders for easily distracted learners.Let the child see you when you speak. A child with difficulty interpreting sounds or making them on her own should see the shape of your mouth as you speak. Let him put his hand on his throat when saying words that present difficulty, and have him look in a mirror while speaking.Take movement breaks. Some children will need a refresher in the struggle to listen. Let them get up, move around, and then return to the task. They may need this support more often than you think!Read aloud, at least 10 minutes a day. You are the best example: Spend time reading aloud one-on-one to kids with auditory deficits. Its important to cater to the childs interests.Help her with the process of listening. Have the child repeat what youve said, summarize what shes read, or explain to you how she will complete a task. This builds the foundation of comprehension. When teaching a lesson, present information in short and simple sentences.Always check to ensure that the child understands by repeating or rephrasing your instructions or directions. Use voice intonation to keep his attention.Whenever possible, use visual aids and or charts. For visual learners, this can make all the difference.Help children with organization by presenting the sequence of the lesson before you teach it. e Reference them as youre giving instructions.Teach strategies to these students that include rehearsing mentally, focusing on keywords and using mnemonics. Making connections when presenting new material can help them overcome the sensory deficit.For students for whom distractibility is not the main issue, group learning situations may help. Peers will often help or direct a child with deficits and lend additional support that will preserve a childs self-esteem.   Remember, just because youve said it aloud doesnt mean the child understands. Part of our job as parents and as teachers is to ensure that comprehension is happening. Consistency is the most effective strategy to support children with challenges in listening comprehension.

The negative impact of multiculturalism (Multiculturalism highlights Research Paper

The negative impact of multiculturalism (Multiculturalism highlights difference and can lead to hate crimes) - Research Paper Example My mind does not accept this. Dear fellows, terrorism is on its rise, and racial differences have been a part and parcel of the whole scenario. The stigma attached to the Arabs, for example, makes them aliens among us. We are not able to feel comfortable in diverse workplaces, where people from other cultures work, because we are afraid they might have hidden bombshells under their clothes. This fear has elevated after the 9/11 attacks. How are we going to trust people of other cultures and races now? Cultural and racial profiling that involves blaming people belonging to other races and cultures is on its rise after the terrorist attacks. It is â€Å"the practice of targeting individuals for police or security interdiction, detention, or other disparate treatment based primarily on their race or ethnicity, in the belief that certain minority groups are more likely to engage in unlawful behavior† (Muffler, 2006, p.1). Cultural profiling is simply a violation of the constitution that gives protection to al l cultural groups of a society. It has led to shooting and killing of people of other cultures for the sake of security, based on stereotypes attached to certain cultural groups. For example, Travon Martin was â€Å"the unarmed teenager allegedly killed by a neighborhood watch captain while walking home from a store† (Lee, 2012, para.1). He was an African-American. Hence, multiculturalism has given rise to cultural profiling, especially in America, as people of other cultures have been targeted, shot, gunned down, punished, and tortured, just because of their cultural backgrounds. What is more, my dear friends, multiculturalism has also given rise to conflicts and disputes at workplaces. The difference in salaries and benefits seen at workplaces is actually what gives rise to discrimination, which eventually leads to hatred between members of the same community

Micro economics assignments(video response) Assignment

Micro economics assignments(video response) - Assignment Example In tandem with the second video, the third video focuses upon engaging the consumer â€Å"outside the traditional ad†. As such, the video focuses upon the fact that individuals have lost interest in the traditional advertising spot and have ultimately to get out; oftentimes relying upon alternative approaches as a means of integrating with the consumer. Finally, the fourth video engage the viewer with an understanding of the importance of consumer sentiment and the relevance of test groups, market outreach, market research, and psychology with regards to ultimately selling a product to a given consumer. Within such a level of analysis, each of these specific videos helps to discuss and analyze the manner through which human activity is formed on a subconscious level and the manner through which an advertiser/marketer can impact upon this. ... Likewise, this reduction in the cost of most goods would lead the reader to question why the consumer price index itself has not dropped further. The video explains that whereas consumer goods have come to be much lower in overall costs, the â€Å"basket† of goods and services that is measured as a means of determining CPI and inflation rates is predicated not only upon consumable goods; rather, it includes luxury items, things such as the average mortgage, services to include legal and repair, and even out of country holidays. As such, almost each and every single one of these has risen; thereby creating a situation in which inflation continues to rise even though salaries are rising at the same time and the cost of consumer goods is dropping. Work Consulted Addicted to Cheap Shopping? Why the Real Cost of Goods Keeps Going Down. Dir. BBC News. Perf. n/a.  2012. BBC News, 2012. Film. Frontline. Dir. PBS News. Perf. n/a/=.  2012. PBS, 2012.

Descartes Discourse on the Thinking and Existence Essay

Descartes Discourse on the Thinking and Existence - Essay Example Descartes goes ahead to explore the origin of the human thinking ability in order to justify the perfection of knowing than doubting. He explains that by doubting we get to come up with explanations that lead to knowing. This leads him to the conclusion that the ideas of the imaginable things exist within him, but they do not originate from him, rather they are imposed on him by a more perfect being than him (God). The incorporation of Descartes existence with God is quite convincing. He argues that since he knew more than what actually existed in his conscience, then it meant the extra knowledge was derived from an external source. If the external source did not exist, it should mean that he could not have been the way he was; mortal, changing, finite and impotent. God according to him added unto him the perfection that he needed to erase doubt from his mind. So one’s nature will allow him/her to know as much of God’s nature as he/she could. Descartes in his quest to discover more about himself ends up proving that God exists. I agree with him because he clearly outlines man’s imperfections, thus looks up to God for guidance in almost everything. However, a person’s thinking limits them within a very short scope of imagination that they end up not questioning what they think is true. We are so much rooted in our cultures and superstitions until we are rendered intellectually impaired.  

Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Leadership - Assignment Example Basically leadership includes an influencing relationship between leaders and the followers intended for bringing real changes and optimal policy ramifications which perfectly reflects the shared purpose. By picking up one of the definition of leaderships from a wide variety the most applicable in this can be stated as a shared mindset which acts a representative of understanding a fundamental way of thinking about, perceiving and understanding the mechanics of the business environment of today’s world (Daft &   Lane, 2008, pp. 5-7). Leadership is even more significant in crisis situation. Helio Fred in his article, â€Å"Effective leadership response to crisis’’ states that the organization generally survives a crisis with reputation by the timeliness as well as the effectiveness of the response which heavily depends upon the strategic focus and implementation of the policies by the leaders of any organization (Garcia, 2006). The paper directs towards the exh ibition of leadership with respect to an organization in times of crisis situation and how the leadership maintain the pace of operation in difficult times and shows the way for future growth which will be highlighted in the subsequent sections. Problem statement & Discussions The positions of the leadership are established in the settings of the work of the organizations for the purpose of achieving the purposes for which their existence is omnipotent within a larger system. The crux of the paper lies with the notion of organizational leadership. In an organization, the processes of leadership are generally directed towards defining, establishing as well as translating the direction for their followers with the provision of the enabling the process for the achievement of the purpose. The operation of the leadership is vehemently attached to the continuous development as well as attainment of the goals within the organizations (Zaccaro & Klimoski, n.d.). The company which will be di scussed in this paper is Hewlett Packard better known as HP. HP is an American multinational corporation with its headquarters in Palo Alto, California. The sectors where the company caters are mainly small and medium sized businesses and large enterprises as well as customers in the government, health and educational sectors and the products delivered by this company are software, technologies, solution s and services (Hewlett-Packard Co, n.d.). In the time span of 1995- 1999, the company was facing several restraints like fierce competition from the traditional competitors as well as new competitors entering into the market. In the field of computer as well as corporate computer business the biggest rivals of HP were Dell and IBM. The company lacked performance in the sphere of technology as well as field of innovation and encountered slow pace of growth. The aftermath was that the company lost its competitive edge among its competitors unable to develop any path breaking strategy for growth. Another significant cause of the generation of crisis situation was that of the serious bureaucracy within the organization itself which practically paralyzed the day to day operation of the organization and initiated severe inefficiencies and heavy decline in sales (Hoopes, 2001, p.4). But the situation changed with the appointment of Carleton S. Fiorina as the new Chief

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Essay

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis - Essay Example The article makes use of concepts derived socio-technical theory as well as the role theory in an attempt to show the relationship between technostress and productivity. In the article, CFA and EFA approaches are applied in investigating the theoretical constructs and the factors represented in the study about the relationship between technostress and human productivity (Chilton, Hardgrave, & and Armstrong, 2005). The two approaches enhance the hypothesis that the factors used are correlated. Three hypotheses are thus developed. In hypothesis 1, stress comes out as people try to respond to various factors. Hypothesis 2 depicts stress as correlated to the roles of individuals within organizations. Hypothesis 3 also shows a correlation between technology and organization roles (Tarafdar, Nathan, & Ragu-Nathan, 2007). The two approaches are used in accessing the quality of every item used in the study. Both the CFA and the EFA are applied for both confirmatory and exploratory purposes. This aspect is seen in the three hypotheses, which address the three variables differently. While EFA and CFA are seen to have several similarities in their statistical applications, they greatly contrast in certain ways as well. The use of EFA required that a decision is made on the number of factors applied through an examination of the output from an analysis of principal component (Nygaard & Dahlstrom, 2002). For the article, a five-factor structure is first established to analyze the items. Conversely, the use of CFA requires a specification of the number of factors before the analysis. (Tarafdar, Nathan, & Ragu-Nathan, 2007) Again, the CFA involve the specification of a particular factor structure with an indication of the factor on which each item would load while in the case of EFA, all items load all the factors. In estimating factor loading, maximum likelihood is used, but

Gender leadership style in the workforce. Who is more respected Assignment

Gender leadership style in the workforce. Who is more respected - Assignment Example There are various diversity conceptualizations as highlighted by the researchers, which define the equality in gender representation at the place of work (Qin, Muenjohn & Chhetri, 2014, 133). b). Nowadays men and women are fighting for gender equality in the executive and management positions with the study results showing that men are more effective in fighting for gender change compared to women (De Vries, 2015, 28). ii). The findings of the research indicate that an executive composed of both genders is more effective in the execution of the organization duties than one with no gender diversity (Qin, Muenjohn & Chhetri, 2014, 134). ii). The executive can use its powers to influence diversity in the workforce through allocation of posts to women by proposing a percentage for women representation (Qin, Muenjohn & Chhetri, 2014, 134). ii) In some financial institutions, the participation of women is very important in the development of the economy yet the disparity in the recruitment of managers reduces their participation (Shelley, 2011, 151). d). However, for the 200 top universities researched globally, only 28 are headed by women showing that gender bias is still a concern. Other universities lack women in te top leadership positions (Of the top 200†¦, 2015 n.p). ii). Sex, gender, perceptions, and disparity can affect the behavior of various leaders and lead to the discouragement of female leaders to take top leadership roles (Kenneth, & Tracey 2015, 109). Ghulam Abbas, JavedIqbal, AjmalWaheed, & M NaveedRiaz. (2012). Relationship between transformational leadership style and innovative work behavior in educational institutions.Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 22(3), 18. Shelley Reciniello. (2011). Is the woman the future of man? an exploration of the potential of women in the knowledge economy and of the problem of gender inequality in the workplace.

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Essay

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis - Essay Example The article makes use of concepts derived socio-technical theory as well as the role theory in an attempt to show the relationship between technostress and productivity. In the article, CFA and EFA approaches are applied in investigating the theoretical constructs and the factors represented in the study about the relationship between technostress and human productivity (Chilton, Hardgrave, & and Armstrong, 2005). The two approaches enhance the hypothesis that the factors used are correlated. Three hypotheses are thus developed. In hypothesis 1, stress comes out as people try to respond to various factors. Hypothesis 2 depicts stress as correlated to the roles of individuals within organizations. Hypothesis 3 also shows a correlation between technology and organization roles (Tarafdar, Nathan, & Ragu-Nathan, 2007). The two approaches are used in accessing the quality of every item used in the study. Both the CFA and the EFA are applied for both confirmatory and exploratory purposes. This aspect is seen in the three hypotheses, which address the three variables differently. While EFA and CFA are seen to have several similarities in their statistical applications, they greatly contrast in certain ways as well. The use of EFA required that a decision is made on the number of factors applied through an examination of the output from an analysis of principal component (Nygaard & Dahlstrom, 2002). For the article, a five-factor structure is first established to analyze the items. Conversely, the use of CFA requires a specification of the number of factors before the analysis. (Tarafdar, Nathan, & Ragu-Nathan, 2007) Again, the CFA involve the specification of a particular factor structure with an indication of the factor on which each item would load while in the case of EFA, all items load all the factors. In estimating factor loading, maximum likelihood is used, but

Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Case Analysis - Essay Example   This is due to low costs, and a new  division  is rapidly taking root. This paper will focus on a SWOT analysis of ISHR firm (Anja 1). Strengths of ISHR lie in the fact that they are a highly profitable firm. The company records excellent profit results from its business undertakings. The company also enjoys the benefit of having large companies such as Coca Cola and General Electric as their clients. The company lacks a chief financial officer to control and manage its finances. The company’s website is also not well built. The company has a poor marketing strategy that relies on word of mouth and no face to face marketing. Poor marketing strategy ensures that the company has a poor relationship with its clients. ISHR firm recorded double digit growth in 2008, and this signifies that the company can improve and continue its growth financially to enable its sustainability. The company can also strengthen its business acumen by enabling a proper and robust website for prospective clients. ISHR  firm’s total sales, nearly eighty percent, come from two large  corporations. The company over relies on these two clients for its financial success. This provides an extensive threat towards the company since if the two clients pull out; they face a significant financial collapse. ISHR firm should focus on improving its website to allow for a more user friendly interface that enables for easier navigation. The company should focus on networking for clients using its two prominent clients. This will ensure that they are able to spread the source for their sales. They should not rely entirely on the two corporations for the majority of their sales. The company can also use social sites, facebook and twitter, to reach out to prospective clients as a marketing tool. The company should develop a business plan which will detail on their business activity, goals, objectives, vision and mission. A business plan

Russia Pestel Essay Example for Free

Russia Pestel Essay Recent dissolution of the form Communist state of the Soviet Union to the Russian Federation. Russia’s economy is in transition from a a state-controlled to a market-controlled economy. †¢Vladimir Putin, moved to reduce the political influence of oligarchs soon after taking office, forcing some into exile and prosecuting others. Bbc Still strained relationship between the Russian Federation and the West (U.S) rooted from the cold war Uncertainty of control within the Russian government 2003 October Billionnaire Yukos oil boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky arrested and held in custody over investigations into tax evasion and fraud. Mr Khodorkovsky had supported liberal opposition to President Putin. (bbc) The energy giant Gazprom is close to the Russian state and critics say it is little more than an economic and political tool of the Kremlin. Existing taxes on oil companies * Royalty (6-16% of gross revenue).  * Mineral resource tax (10% of gross revenue less the value of the taxpayer spending on exploration). * Excise tax (66 rubles/tonne of oil, equal to 2.5%, according to calculations of the Ministry of Finance based on the weighted average price of Russian oil and taking into consideration export and domestic sales). http://www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-99/issue-33/special-report/the-russian-oil-gas-industry-analysis-raises-questions-about-russian-tax-proposal.html Uncertainties about legal rights, infrastructure, ownership, and liability have slowed development despite the high hopes of many western corporations. http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/arctic99/reports/blackice-8.html Yet, by end of 1998, the oil industry was fully privatized, substantially  deregulated, and had undergone significant internal restructuring (see Table 1 below). Even more recently, the Russian government has adopted (1998-2000) and enacted (1999-2002) a new Tax Code that by most accounts exceeds Western standards.5 For example, it introduced a 13 percent flat tax on personal income, capped corporate contributions to the social insurance fund, reduced the profits tax (a.k.a. corporate income tax) rate from 35 to 24 percent, abolished turnover taxes (as of 2003), tied export tariffs directly to the price of oil, and established new accounting procedures that are on par with International Accounting Standards Foreign Investment policies The Yukos crisis began when Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, chief executive of Yukos and Russias richest man, was jailed at gunpoint Oct. 25 on charges of fraud, forgery and tax evasion. Mr. Khodorkovsky insists his arrest and the prosecution of other large Yukos shareholders are politically motivated. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/world/signs-of-damage-control-in-russia-s-oil-scandal.html Tax and royalties http://new.aibse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Patton2008.pdf

The Paperless Office and Paperless Society Will Never Happen

The Paperless Office and the Paperless Society Will Never Happen With the widespread introduction of computer terminals into offices, and the growing popularity of the personal computer, futurists and computer proponents envisioned the arrival of the â€Å"paperless office†. They predicted that in the near future, virtually all paper consumed in offices would be replaced by electronic, computer based mediums. Office workers, who before the advent of the computer relied entirely on typewriters, paper filing systems, and printed documents, could now create, store, and share information using computers. There would be no need to print out documents, because they would be always conveniently available for view using any available computer terminal. Even libraries, which traditionally contain shelves upon shelves of printed books, could be replaced by a large collection of books in electronic form. There are several main advantages of electronically stored information, as opposed to paper-based information. Content deep within an electronic library can be found using searching algorithms, and a single item within an electronic library can be shared and accessed by a nearly unlimited number of users simultaneously, who can be located in diverse geographic locations. Another advantage of a â€Å"paperless society† is environmental in nature: a dependence on paper takes its toll on our world’s forests, which are vital to the planet in many ways, such as providing oxygen, absorbing rainwater, protecting soil, and regulating climate. I would argue, however, that this environmental advantage is somewhat stretched out of proportion by computer advocates, because the manufacture of computers requires natural resources, and there are new environm... ... Industry Key Statistics As Published by the Pulp and Paper Products Council. American Process Inc. [v] Statistics Canada CANSIM Data Base. CANSIM is an official Mark of Statistics Canada. Series: C892268, Source: SDDS 3604 DEMOGRAPHY DIVISION [vi] Statistics Canada CANSIM Data Base. Series: D10505, Source: SDDS 4432 STC (63-016XPB) [vii] Same as (4). [viii] Laser Printer History. 4 Apr. 2001. American Calco Inc. [ix] Information Technology and Structural Change of the Global Forest Sector. 28 Feb. 2003. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. [x] Healy, Sean. No Technofix for the Third World. 4 Oct. 2001. ZNet.

Race: Biological or Cultural? :: essays research papers

Through research of DNA samples, scientists have been able to declare that race is not biologically constructed due to the similarities between human genes. Nevertheless, in reality, people still emphasized on biological aspects such as skin color, or hair texture to categorize others into different races. This in turn, denied the true identity of race, which it is culturally constructed. Ethnicity, by definition is also culturally constructed, therefore it greatly resemble race. There is no real clear line to distinct the two. According to Nicholson, encounters between explorers, such as Christopher Columbus and Henry Hudson, and Native Americans were always friendly. There was no â€Å"expression of hostility based on physical appearance† (Nicholson 15) between the two groups. When there was any hostility, it was not based on physical appearance, but rather more of culture practices or values. Cannibalism, for example, â€Å"seems to take place without any regard to race, creed, or religion.† In another case, Nicholson mentions that during the Crusade, about ten thousands Jews were massacred by Crusaders. It â€Å"was a religious slaughter without racial implications.† (Nicholson 26) Through these examples, we can see that Nicholson suggested that race is not scientifically valid because people did not judge others based on physical appearances, but the notion of race is mainly described by one’s skin color or hair texture. Nicholson’s arguments coincided with modern scientific views, which conclude that race doesn’t exist, due to the fact that DNA inside people with different skin color and hair texture is 99.9 percent similar. Therefore, the notion that race is biologically constructed in invalid. Social reality of race simply refers to the fact that people still believed that races are based on physical traits such as skin color or hair texture to judge others. However, what they are doing is stereotyping which lead to discrimination and racism. Also, their actions denied the fact race is culturally constructed, meaning people have different customs, religions, and values from culture to culture. The patterns of biological variation among humans are extremely complex and constantly changing. All of us could be classified into a number of different "races", depending on what genetic traits are emphasized. For example, if you divide people up on the basis of stature or blood types, the geographic groupings are clearly different from those defined on the basis of skin color. Focusing on such deceptive distinguishing traits as skin color, body shape, and hair texture causes us to magnify differences and ignore similarities between people.

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay

Question: a) Discuss the opportunities and challenges of having access to a broader workforce. Answer: The Workforce is the total number of a country’s population employed in the armed forces and civilian jobs, plus those unemployed people who are actually seeking paying work. In other words, workforce also refers to Total number of employee (usually excluding the management) on an employer’s payroll. It may also mean all those that are available for work. Workers may be unionized, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a coordinating role in organizing ballots of the workforce, and strike action. As the world becomes globalize, the workforce in industries/companies become diversifies. The broader workforce make up from employees that come from different age groups, race, beliefs, gender etc. Opportunities Provide training on core competencies Devise training is needed to address the needs of different levels of workers, including training directed at entry-level and less skilled staff, workers with degrees not directly relevant to afterschool, and workers pursuing credentials. We cannot afford to ignore the workers who stay only a short time or work part-time, because they make up too large a portion of our workforce. They need some minimum level of knowledge in the core competencies required to work in afterschool programs. Moreover, providing training and supporting pursuit of a credential is an excellent way to foster an attachment to the field. Expand Quality training and professional development opportunities Quality training and professional development opportunities are needed to be expanded for all workers, including encouraging programs to give workers paid time off to attend training. Another need is for approaches such as distance learning to increase access to training in rural areas. We also should establish a core group of high quality, recognized, and approved trainers and promote ways to share the knowledge of experienced afterschool staff, for example, through mentoring younger staff. Provide afterschool/youth work content in higher education curricula We need to work with institutions of higher education to provide more course work relevant to youth work and afterschool that could be accessed by workers and students pursuing credentials or a degree. We also need to work with these institutions to address the needs of the adult learners in our workforce who would be candidates for these courses. Advocate for funding for training and professional development Policymakers at all levels need to provide more funding specifically for training and professional development for afterschool staff through supports such as scholarships and loan forgiveness. In advocating for such funding, the afterschool field needs to highlight the connection between positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschool—a goal endorsed by policymakers—and the qualifications of the staff that provide afterschool services. Provide human resources staff with the training and resources they need to recruit and hire Although the focus of this project and resulting report is on the current afterschool workforce, it’s difficult not to consider the need for effective recruiting and hiring techniques in afterschool programs. A program’s workforce begins with, and its success reflects, the recruiting and hiring of employees who are adequately matched to a program’s core competencies and needs. Challenges Developing specific strategies for reaching the target populations There are people 18- 59 years old in the population who are all needed in the workplace and who need the education/training to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. The challenge is to develop marketing campaigns and services that focus on each of these groups, their specific education/training needs, and their need for user friendly access, delivery, and support systems. Further, there are significant shifts in the gender, ethnicity, and work experience within these populations. Studying these shifts identifies targeted opportunities for increased participation and support. The lack of clear, systemic, and complete information continues to be one of the major barriers to these populations. Several recent studies suggest the lack of useful labor market information contribute to the lack of participation. Developing a series of strategic alliances with business/industrial associations, professional associations, and assessment organizations Education curriculum and competency standards are no longer within the sole domain of the academy. Such areas as education content, achievement, and application are all reflections of constant evolutions in the world external to higher education. It is no longer possible for free standing independent education and training organizations to unilaterally maintain currency with the rapidly changing demands of the new economy. Curriculum is no longer fixed, singular, or limited in scope. Competency standards are evolving at increasing rates as are the related assessments. Further, the expansion of multiple employer related delivery options as well as the growth in industry recognized credentials suggest the need for formal alliances with external partners. Employer Associations Three fundamental shifts have shaken the employer world: 1) the rapid changes in technology and productivity and the resulting impact on workforce skills, 2)the dramatic shift in demographics with the loss of skilled workers and the lack of skilled entrants, and 3) the difficulty identifying effective educational ‘pipelines’ for skilled applicants. Both employers and educators are looking to industrial associations as partners in developing the definition of new skills and competencies, the related curriculum, the required assessments and, the resulting credentials. The move towards alignment (tuning) is increasingly dependent on association partnerships. Effective associations will have systems of continuous improvement that will ensure alignment between their education and training partners as well as their employer membership. This communication system opens up the pipeline for skilled workers and provides a communication system for internships, work based learning, and ultimate support for placement of graduates within the industry. The primary purpose of these alliances is to ensure both the continuous alignment and portability of academic content and outcomes with the constantly changing expectations of both the employer and academic world. Industry Recognized Certifications (IRC) Opportunities for more formal alliances occur with associations that sponsor formal industry certifications. These offer industry recognition of credentials and their accompanying competencies. They offer the individual portability of their recognized credentials and the institution a means of aligning curriculum, competencies, and assessments. An exceptional opportunity exists in providing academic credit to students enrolled in programs resulting in industry recognized certifications. Students engaged in technical training would be more inclined to stay in a program if they receive industry recognized credentials as well as specific credits toward academic or technical Associate degrees. This creates a unique prospect to engage students in seamless system of lifelong continuous learning. The prospects for long term strategic alliances with industry associations are enormous and offer great marketing benefits. Alliances with Professional and International Organizations Forming strategic alliances with professional organizations and accreditors ensures both alignment of curricula and outcome standards as well as ensuring the portability of the credits and credentials. These alliances are becoming increasingly recognized as significant pipelines for qualified professional applicants and they offer exceptional marketing opportunities to both student applicants and industry. Development of a ‘One Stop’ access to the new economy A ‘one stop centers’ is needed for individuals to: 1) get labor market information about high wage/high growth industries, 2) obtain available skill standards and/or IRC’s, 3) accredit their past training, education, and experience, 4) gain advice and counseling on entering post secondary education, 5) receive assistance with entrance to recognized academic and training programs, and, 6) get assistance with placement within the industry. The major problem with the labor market adjustment system in the United States is a completely bifurcated and user unfriendly information, counseling, advising, crediting, accessing, financing, and education/training system. Both the unemployed, re-entering adults and first time students are highly mobile learners who are looking for the access portal to the new economy. Stagnate outdated agencies, policies and systems are simply incapable of delivering such services. It is time to develop a new on-line system that would ensure all citizens ongoing and easy access to understandable and timely job matches, labor market information, and credentials needed for the new economy. All post secondary institutions have a unique opportunity to participate in the building of this broader set of services into a publically transparent system. Ability to offer, give a perception of and have the reputation of providing a ‘Guarantee’ This is the outgrowth of the need to close the loop between employers, students, and educators. The primary question is: does the institutions system of identified learning outcomes meet the academic and technical standards of the new economy and, then, does it ‘ensure’ that every graduate meets those standards? This means establishing standards, curriculum, and assessments that achieve these levels and ensuring that every graduate meets them. When substandard performance is recognized there is a system of remediation and ultimately the failure to graduate if the student simply cannot meet the institutional standards. Some would add that for any student hired which the employer believes does not meet the standard, the school would take them back and remediate them at no cost. While this would come with a cost, it is far more important to develop a reputation with employers for producing graduates that meet the industry standards for tomorrow’s economy. While this important for employers, it is imperative for students who want to be certain that the education/training they are engaged in will in fact prepare them for the new economy. Action on this challenge represents a fundamental shift away from the old system of ‘education opportunity’. For the future, it is about highly mobile students accessing a system that ‘ensures’ their achievement of the competencies required for the new economy. America’s exceptionally diverse post secondary education system has the capacity and commitment to implement this new relationship. (b) What extend Malaysia has benefited and also able to develop own Knowledge worker. The Malaysian labor force is generally educated. This is because youths who enter the labor market would have undergone at least 11 years of schooling. Furthermore, the proportion of labor force with secondary and tertiary education has risen over the years, making them easier to be trained and to learn new skills. Nonetheless, it has been argued that there is a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia. This shortfall in skilled labor was believed to be one of the causes for the tightness in the Malaysian labor market during the 1980s and 1990s, alongside a mismatch between demand for and supply of labor. Malaysia’s response to this matter is one of the reasons for the nation’s focus on human capital development in recent years. Since the mid-1990s, Malaysia has entered into a phase where new emphasis and demand for high technology and knowledge-based industries were in place. A change in the Malaysian economic policies was, therefore, needed in order to maintain the nation’s competitiveness. Knowledge-based economy is defined as one that is â€Å"directly based on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information†¦ towards growth in high technology investments, high-technology industries, more highly skilled labor and associated productivity gains†. Malaysia adopted this definition into its Knowledge-based Economy Master Plan, which defines a knowledge-based economy as â€Å"an economy where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an ever-increasing and important role in generating and sustaining growth†. The Master Plan was developed to provide a strategic framework outlining the required changes to the fundamentals of the Malaysian economy. Since the concept of a knowledge-based economy revolves around knowledge and information as the key contributors to economic growth and development, the move towards a knowledge-based economy is expected to provide Malaysia with the necessary competitiveness in order to achieve a developed nation status and meet the objectives of Vision 2020. Several reasons were given as to why Malaysia should move into the knowledge-based economy. First, the nation has lost its global competitiveness in attracting FDI when it fell from the 18th place in 1994 to the 29th spot in 2001, as reported the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, various years). Related to this is the increasing competition for the country’s products from other developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia that enjoy cheaper labor and more abundant resources. This is especially true in the case of China, where it has been reported that cheaper and equal quality goods from this new economic power, mainly in labor intensive textiles, would bring about stiff competition to Malaysia’s export goods in its domestic and international markets. Third, Malaysia’s economic policies have been affected by globalization and liberalization as barriers and protective walls that help sustain local industries are slowly removed and brought down. As a result, Malaysia, like all other developing economies will have to search for new products and services that are feasible in the emerging global market where the distinction between local and world markets is gradually disappearing. Such goods and services like aircraft, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce, tourism and educational services and ICT industries are common in the knowledge-based industries. Fourth, as Malaysia strives to become a developed nation by the year 2020, this would result in its current edge in producing goods and services for the global market, which hinges on low wages, to be eroded. This is because its cost levels would approach those of developed countries. To face this anticipated escalating labor cost, Malaysia needs to ensure higher value is added to its products in order for its industries to remain viable. Thus, for Malaysia to be competitive, it must produce goods and services to compete at comparable levels as those in developed countries. Again, such high value-added is generally provided by knowledge-based industries. Fifth, Malaysia needs to move into more profitable and wealth-generating stages of production. In other words, it has to make its manufacturing sector more profitable. To do so, Malaysian firms have little choice but to move into the pre- production stage (which includes product conceptualization, research and design, prototyping etc) and/or post-production stage (packaging, branding, marketing, retailing etc) of manufacturing, because there is less profit to be made from the core production process. These pre- and post-production stages also happen to be more knowledge-intensive compared to the existing core production process stage. Sixth, Malaysia needs to find new sources of growth in its economy as the old sources of growth have become less productive. A knowledge-based economy will provide some of these new sources of growth to enable Malaysia to sustain growth and dynamism. Finally, Malaysia needs to improve the contribution of the â€Å"total factor productivity† (TFP) in terms of improving the quality of workers, methods of doing things and other delivery activities (EPU, 2002: 5). To what extend do Malaysia able to develop own knowledge worker? Education: At the primary and secondary levels, some of the indicators for quality that tend to raise concerns have to do with the teaching profession, the curriculum, and the grading of schools. The most serious concern is that of teacher recruitment, salary, career path, work load and training. These concerns have discouraged many potentially good teachers from joining the profession. As regards the school curriculum, there are two sets of issues. The first has to do with content. The second set of issues deals with implementation of the curriculum, classroom size, expertise of teachers and courseware development. Overcrowding in urban schools can impede teaching and learning, including the effective delivery of the curriculum. At the tertiary level, concerns centre mainly on the issues of research, resources, faculty qualifications, and the quality of output. Some public institutions are not keen on being assessed and ranked by an external body. Consequently these institutions become less aw are of their weaknesses. This lack of awareness about their performance does not contribute to accountability. The public requires detailed information on the performance of various institutions in order to have confidence in them. In terms of the use of ICT, the largest provider for programmes in schools is the government, mainly the Ministry of Education (MOE). MIMOS, MDC and the private sector, including parent-teacher associations, are also involved. Some observations are made on the current trends and development of the ICT programmes in schools: ââ€" ª At this stage, ICT programmes at the school level are still heavily centered on infrastructure or procurement of hardware. Software (content development for courseware) and people ware (training) in the ICT programmes are more urgent. The hardware focus alone is inadequate to create the environment for e-education which can enhance teaching and learning and accommodate life-long learning. The software and people ware aspects that are necessary for e-education have to be considered and expanded. ââ€" ª There is a lack of co-ordination among the various agencies, namely MOE, MIMOS and MDC, in their supporting activities for the ICT programmes. Redundancy and wastage of resources can be avoided if there is better co-ordination. ââ€" ª In many schools, computers are often locked up in a special room or a lab, impeding their use for teaching and learning. The class time-table often does not include time for working or playing with computers. The costly equipment forces teachers in charge of the room to be cautious in allowing access, and this adds to the difficulty in utilizing the computers. ââ€" ª Most teachers have not had sufficient training to maximize the use of computers to enhance teaching and learning, and often merely impose traditional methods of drilling and rote learning using computers. This is mainly due to the emphasis on ICT literacy in teacher training programmes. ââ€" ª Due to the lack of a standard approach in the utilization of computers, student contact hours with computers cannot be established. ââ€" ª Teachers take charge of ICT centers in schools on a voluntary basis. Most of them do not have any formal training in ICT. There is often no technician who can assist the teachers with maintenance. Public higher education institutions, especially the universities, have been expanding their ICT programmes, especially over the past five years. Computer labs at the faculty level and computer centers for the university have been initiated and are in progress. ICT’s capacity to contribute to greater efficiency of work and resource management has not been fully exploited. E-mail facilities are not being maximized, and downloading lecture notes from the web or interacting with lecturers via e-mail or the web is still uncommon. The Internet is not being adequately accessed for lecture content. Another issue requiring attention is the need to develop quality private education. Private education in Malaysia is a relatively developed sector, particularly at the higher education level. As regards technical education, the system at the upper secondary level needs to address a number of issues: ââ€" ª Greater efforts should be made to improve hands-on skills among technical school students. The Technical Education Department has already introduced the contextual learning delivery system, which essentially recognizes that learning is a complex and multi-faceted process. Such learning goes far beyond theory, drill-oriented, stimulus and response teaching methodologies. It was introduced in Secondary Technical Schools in 1998 to help all students master higher-level academic and work skills. Instruction based on this strategy is being structured to help students apply their knowledge more effectively. ââ€" ª Greater efforts are required to improve the links between schools and industry. Currently the School Advisory Committees, established in all schools, comprise representatives from industries, higher education, Parent-Teacher Associations and Head Teachers who advise schools on curriculum and equipment. The Career Guidance, Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit in every school also provide career guidance and placement of students in industries. These should be further improved. B. Skills Training and Retraining Malaysia currently has several drawbacks with regards to the education and skills profile required for a K-based economy. It lacks an adequate pool of knowledge workers, sufficiently high enrolment in the sciences at tertiary levels, and a broad base of workers with minimum literacy, learning ability and skills. Educational reform takes time while the recruitment of foreign talent is merely a temporary measure. An effective response would be to train managers and workers to cope with the new demands of the K-based economy. Private and public sector managers need to be trained to reengineer their organizations into ‘learning organizations’ which can attract, retain and develop K-workers to make their organizations more competitive, service-oriented and efficient. To increase the quality and relevance of skills, greater autonomy and flexibility should be given to public sector training institutions to make them more responsive to the rapidly changing labor market requirements of a K-based economy. To minimize job dislocation resulting from the transition to the K-based economy, ‘bridging’ courses need to be organized for displaced workers, especially those who are old, uneducated, and un-trainable. The power of the Internet should also be harnessed to establish ‘net communities’ for citizens with special needs and interests to interact among them and with the government. For the economy as a whole, there is also a need for an efficient and speedy labor market information system to help ensure effective planning to meet the manpower demands of the K-based economy. This may require the establishment of a specialist study group, improved career counseling, and a directory of training institutions. In addition to providing basic education for all, in a K-based economy it is essential to stress Lifelong Learning and Education to help citizens cope with expanding knowledge and rapid change. The challenges of Lifelong Learning and Education in the context of the K-based economy include the following: 1. Producing a highly skilled, knowledge-rich workforce. 2. Reducing unemployment and re-skilling the workforce. 3. Addressing and adjusting to the needs of an aging society. C. Global Talent A world shortage of high level manpower is likely to increase the brain drain from Malaysia. While the high growth East Asian economies compete for Malaysian talent, particularly in ICT the more serious long-term competitors are the advanced K-based economies of the US and Europe which suffer serious shortages of ICT personnel. It is estimated that Europe and the US alone need two million more ICT workers by 2002. Recent changes to immigration laws enacted to attract foreign talent to the US have serious implications for Asia and for Malaysia’s efforts to retain domestic talent and attract foreign, particularly ICT talent. A Bill passed by US Congress in late 2000 allows US firms to recruit 600,000 foreigners, a third of them from India. The three-year programme takes effect from 2001. The US recruitment drive occurs in the context of a world-wide shortage of ICT talent, with Asian countries too unable to meet their domestic demand. Despite this the best and brightest Asians ( including Malaysians), are likely to be lured by better wages, work conditions, occupational mobility and the quality of life in the US and Europe. This ‘brain drain’ has already begun, with European and US recruiters scouring Asian universities for talent. This situation signals several dangers for Malaysia. Firstly, like the Asian countries, Malaysia too is likely to lose young graduates from local and foreign universities to firms in the US and Europe. Secondly, experienced Malaysians may also be recruited, with the Malaysian labor market serving as a ‘training ground’ for developed K-based economies. Thirdly, since the Asian shortage and US demand will deplete the international talent pool, Malaysia’s option of utilizing foreign talent will be limited. Foreigners who are recruited to work in Malaysia are also likely to treat Malaysia as a ‘training ground’ for eventual entry and settlement in the US and Europe. There are several ways Malaysia can cope with this situation: ââ€" ª One current advantage Malaysia has is that except for Singapore, other countries in the region including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, all of which also have ambitious ICT plans, have not moved fast enough to recruit foreign talent. Moving quickly to simplify immigration rules and ease recruitment of foreign talent will give Malaysia a competitive edge in recruitment. ââ€" ª Secondly, of all countries in the region, Malaysia probably has the most balanced set of attractions in terms of wages, low costs, quality of life, stability and safety. This advantage should be exploited to the fullest. ââ€" ª Thirdly, Malaysia’s rich and tolerant multi-ethnic heritage makes it attractive to a wide spectrum of expatriates, whether Caucasians, Middle-Easterners, East Asians or South Asians. Unlike its competitors in the region, Malaysia can therefore alleviate the problem of the world-wide shortage by recr uiting from a wide variety of countries and labor markets. The government itself has made several clear efforts to recruit foreign talent. In 1995-98 the Returning Scientists Programme managed by the Ministry of Science attracted 93 overseas-based foreign and Malaysian scientists on short-term contracts to local institutions. But their high wages posed a financial strain and contributed to wage inequities vis-a-vis local scientists. Recognizing the need for talent, the Returning Scientists Programme was revived in early 2001, and the recent national Budget provided incentives to encourage Malaysian experts abroad ‘who have the required expertise’ to return and serve the nation. Income remitted within two years from the date of arrival will be exempted from income tax. Two cars registered in the country of origin for at least six months will also be exempted from import duty and sales tax, while the husbands/wives and children of Malaysian citizens will now be given PR status within six months of the date of arrival. Previously, husbands who were non-citizens were not entitled to PR status, while non-citizen wives could only apply for PR after five years residence in Malaysia. The programme took effect from 1 January 2001. Under this programme, six fields of expertise and skills have been identified, i.e. IT, Science and Technology, Industry, Finance and Accounting, Arts, and Medicine and Health.

Nike in Brazil: a Host Country View

Negative effects of Nike from Brazil’s point of view Brazil is rapidly privatizing many industries and its attitude toward a free market economy has changed significantly in the past 10 years. However, it seems the country still has a perception that often times associates capitalism with â€Å"greedy† developed countries. If the opinion of Brazil’s president is a reflection of how some of its people feel this is certainly the case. In 2008, Brazil’s president lambasted US corporations and the US government for â€Å"infecting his nation with problems that were not of its making (The New York Times, 2008). This attitude seems to have created some problems for Brazilians in terms of their view of Nike. The kind of leverage and control that such a large company can exert on football in the country is huge. This issue was thrown into the light when in 1998 the Brazilian national team lost in the World Cup finals to France. Earlier on in the year, Nike had in vested a record amount ($200 million US) for the right to sponsor the Brazilian national team in the World Cup. As a requisite for sponsorship, Nike demanded that the team play an inordinate amount of exhibition games leading up to the event. Many Brazilians, including Brazilian football legend Pele (who filed a lawsuit against Nike), still blame Nike for Brazil’s loss. They claim that the unusual number of exhibition games tired the players out. Similarly, another interesting problem is Nike’s effect on competition in Brazil. Nike’s recent acquisition of UK sporting wear company Umbro allowed it to eclipse Adidas as the biggest brand in the world of football (The Financial Times, 2007). This is particularly troubling for Brazilian retailers, who worry about the concentration of brands between two large Multi-Nationals and the effect this might have on their business. Lastly, as with many interactions between MNC’s and developing countries environmental issues have been a problem. Brazil is a massive supplier of leather used for products like Nike shoes. However, much of the cattle that the leather comes from graze on what was once Amazon rain forest. A host of Brazilian ranchers have clear-cut entire swaths of rainforest in an attempt to make room for more cattle. This goes against Brazil’s need to preserve what is arguably its most precious natural resource (The Ends Report, 2009). In future business interactions, Nike needs to be weary of using tactics that could be perceived by the Brazilian people as greedy, dominating, or imperialistic. Such tactics may erode trust within the Brazilian population and could turn out to be a bigger PR headache than they are worth. Advantages of having Nike in Brazil from Brazil’s point of view On the other hand, the fact that Nike is such a large and powerful company can have its benefits for the Brazilian people. With its enormous buying capability Nike can actually shift the way products are produced in some countries by pressuring suppliers. As was discussed earlier, Nike has been using leather procured from suppliers who have clear-cut forests in order to make room for their cattle. However, in August of last year, Nike along with help from Greenpeace enacted a set of regulations that all its suppliers must follow. The policies included a rule against clear-cutting, as well as other important environmental conventions. It seems that where there are problems between Brazil and Nike, there are also opportunities (The Ends Report, 2009). Programs like this are exactly what Nike needs. Not only do they foster trust and goodwill, they also facilitate much needed changes in Brazil. Without Nike the changes in the Brazilian leather industry might be difficult to encourage. The cattle lobby in Brazil is well funded and has many political ties making initiatives that may affect productivity hard to pass. However, it seems that environmentally conscious Brazilians have found a solution and a partner in Nike. In addition, Nike also decided to make its entire 2010 World Cup kit (a collection of football clothing) out of recycled bottles. This initiative took 13 million plastic bottles out of landfills. Furthermore, the Nike project created an association between Brazil and sustainability that will be seen all over the world (Al-Bawaba Reporters, 2010). Lastly, in recent years Nike has invested enormous amounts of money in the Brazilian football infrastructure. Nike is one of the chief supporters of the Brazilian Football Confederation and has extended its contract with this association until 2018. In addition, Nike also sponsors all three of the largest football teams in the country (Sports Marketing Quarterly, 2006). This reflects a direct commitment to improving and fostering football in the Brazil. The support of such a large sporting powerhouse seems to have had some positive effects on Brazil in terms of their attractiveness as a host for future events. In the past year, Brazil secured the 2014 world cup. This event is extremely lucrative for local vendors (among other parties) and will allow Brazil to display its incredible culture on a worldwide scale. Bibliography

Broadsheet and tabloid artical comparison Essay

The incident that all three papers are discussing is a cable car accident in Italy in which 20 people died. This tragedy occurred on 3rd February 1998 as a low American fighter jet severed the wire on which the car hung. This caused the cable car to crash down 300ft leaving another cable car in suspension. This event happened nearby Mount Cermis, Northern Italy. The Mirror takes it account from all spectrums but focuses on British tourists in the area. The Times do not mention their eyewitnesses but focus on the American and Italian view on the subject. The Newsweek discuss mainly with American officials but they do feature any eyewitnesses. The major differences is that the Mirror is a daily tabloid, the Times a daily broadsheet and the Newsweek is a fortnightly American publication. The Mirror and The Times reported on the incident the next day, whilst Newsweek reported on it thirteen days after. The Newsweek will obviously be bias as its country is involved in the accident and the other two papers should share the same views as they are not involved. Due to the Times being a broadsheet it should have a more sophisticated language and its attitude should follow this. The Mirror has a lot of factual information on the accident. It states the number of deaths (20 skiers). It mentions the area in which it happened (Cavalese, Northern Italy). It describes the type of American jet (American Marine EA-6B Prowler). It informs the reader of the victims nationalities (at least six German, two Hungarian, two Polish). Also followed with the sex of the victims (nine women, ten men and a child). The Mirror goes on to talk about a similar incident which happened in previous years in the area of Cermis informing the reader of the number of deaths, the date, the nature of the incident and who was blamed. The Mirror gives the reader all the information needed and due to them adding information about a previous accident they are giving them that extra information this shows they researched the area and attempted to familiarise readers with the area. The Times, is a conventional broadsheet. They give the reader information of were the incident took place (Dolomites, Mount Cermis). They share the same number of deaths as the Mirror and describe the model of the plane as a ‘Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler similar to the Mirror. They include the maximum capacity of the cable car. (40 people). They mention the exact time of the incident (3:25) and the height it was going up to (6,000ft). The report does mention the nationalities of the victims in this area but it generalises saying ‘most of them German’ so it does not give figures like the Mirror. The Times also mentions the previous incident in the area in 1976 when 42 people died due to ‘the failure of automatic safety systems’ in the third column second-to-last paragraph. The American publication does not discuss the event in detail. It mentions the area in which it took place (Dolomites). It refers to the cable car as a ‘yellow gondola’. It includes the number of those killed and adds the area of origin (20 tourists from seven European countries). The Newsweek report also states the type of plane and how low the Italian air chief sad it was flying ( 3,300ft) below the allowed altitude. They also inform the reader in the about an Italian plane that went missing in 1980 by Ustica and how the US were suspected to of shot it down. This report differs significantly from the Times and the Mirror. These reports all differ. The British tabloid, The Mirror will differ as it uses sensationalism and wants to shock rather than inform and the vocabulary should be restricted and compressed, there are constant puns and word plays. The Mirror seems to take a view on the incident The Mirror’s language is pacy and dramatic. They use several forms of language to achieve this. It applies emotive language to stir up sympathetic feelings from the reader. The words such as ‘plunged’ in the first paragraph is used to describe the way in which the cable car fell to the ground. They also use figurative language to describe the cable car, this could be to make the reader able to envision the horror and harshness of the accident. They do this by using a simile. They refer to the way the cable car saying ‘it opened up like a cardboard box’ as cardboard is not very strong and can be destroyed easily. This emphasises the fragility of the cable car and the violence in which the cable car was so effortlessly ruined and reinforces the severity of the accident. A dramatic form of language is constantly used throughout the report, this accentuates the incident. The plane is described to of ‘screamed down†¦ ripped the wire’, this use of onomatopoeia including other words such as ‘limped and screamed’ This shows the reader the speed and power of the plane. This use of language is used to exaggerate the incident. They also do this when describing the car using words such as ‘crashing†¦ ripped†¦ smashed†¦ dangling perilously†¦ torn†¦ plunged’. This language is also a use of hyperbole in which he event has been exaggerated for effect and to expresses the horror of the incident and visualises it to the reader as they follow the report. The Times is a broadsheet and uses a formal language, not a form of dialect as it is circulated throughout the UK. They also like the Mirror use hyperbole and onomatopoeia to exaggerate the event. They use a simile ‘screaming through the sky like a thing in torment’ this figurative use of language personifies the plane. They also use several word to describe the plane such as ‘sliced†¦ roaring’. They go on to use several words relating to the cable car such as ‘crashed†¦ crumpled†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ dangling’. They also use phrases to describe the report such as’ smashed bright yellow cable car’ and ‘twisted cabin wreckage’. The Newsweek an American paper is constantly cynical in its language. It is less formal then the other reports. It does not use an hyperbole as it is not interested in the event so it has no need to exaggerate it The Mirror interviewed people from all spectrums of the incident. They talked with a British couple who were tourists in the area and claimed they missed being in the incident by minutes. The Mirror included these British tourists to give the report a personal aspect, this may gain interest from readers who would be attracted to the article as it brings the incident to the British shores that there own were involved. They also discussed the incident with a police chief Andrea Russo who described the scene saying ‘all four wall of the car opened up like a cardboard box ‘ and tells of the severed bodies and the bloodstained snow. This shows what the scene looked like after the incident. They talked to a fire services spokesman to confirm the number of deaths and the US Defence Secretary William Cohen who gives the official American statement and view on the disaster. They also get an official statement from the Italian Regional President Carlo Andreotti who condemns the Americans. He was interviewed to give an impression of the Italians view on the accident. Cristina Antoniazzi a hotel owner nearby, she discusses what she heard at the time of the accident. This gives a view of a normal resident in the area and their view on the deaths, free from all the spin and censorship a government statement may have. The Times does not offer any statements from British officials or those on the scene. They do not care for their opinion as they are not involved and do not need their view on the matter. They have an account from an eyewitness but the name and status was not given. The report contains a statement from Fausto Colasanti, a police official describes the location as a ‘terrible scene of carnage’ . The Times also talk to a rescue worker and the Italian Deputy Defence Minister to add an official look on the cable car incident. A Signor Brutti is also mentioned but his status is unknown. This mainly has an Italian viewpoint, not that it holds a bias view but not many American opinions are given on the accident. The Newsweek does not feature many interviewees. It has views from American Gen. Tim Peppe who defends the pilots. Italian Gen. Mario Arpino said the warplane was flying 3,300ft below designated altitude and the U. S Ambassador Thomas Foglietta is said to of ‘finally conceded’ that it was flying ‘below the minimum approved altitude’. The report includes a U. S activist Grace Potorti who describes the incident as her ‘worst fear come true’. The Newsweek includes the Italian President Luigi Scalfaro who hoped ‘the accident wasn’t caused by someone†¦ who didn’t care about others’ lives’. They do not include any actual comments on the scene of the accident or from those around the area or nearby the incident. They do this because they are bias and are not in favour of the Italian view that the pilot were being reckless. They include mainly phrases and not full statements from any of their interviewees.

Creative exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creative exercise - Essay Example river’s behavior, he might have had his reasons to behave the way he did as a way of carefully responding to such a situation but then again if it made you feel uncomfortable please accept our apologies. We will talk to him to know exactly why he behaved so and hope that it won’t happen again. Thank you for contacting us. 3. Surge pricing occurs when there are extreme demands that are generated by special events, holidays or peak times. During such times, we are subjected to multiple fares so as to maximize the number of Uber cars on the system just to make sure our customers get a car when they need one. Please note that you were not charged unfairly but on such occasions our customers should expect their fares to be subjected to a surge multiplier. Sorry for any of any cause inconvenience to you, but we hope that u have understood. Thank you. Reason for the order response is that we have to respond first with the frustrated customer and calm him down. Then to our customer whose flight is at 6 A.M to ensure that he does not miss his flight if at all he finds it convenient to use our service. Then the physical damage just to ensure that the driver’s personal insurance policy will be able to cover him. If it does not, we at Uber have a policy that covers such drivers up to $ 50,000 and with a $ 1,000 deductible. Then I respond to the customer who wants a refund as he/she doesnt seem angry all he wants is a refund which will not take long to do. And lastly option b since we are certain that the customer will get his jacket back provided he is certain that he left it in one of our cars 1.Kindly confirm your email address on file if it is correct by logging into uber.com then click the ‘settings’ link at the top of the page. This should help, or you could also check your spam folder. Thank you. 1. We do not allow that due to security purpose and privacy options. If your friends wish to drive your car on the Uber system, then they have to be on your

How valid is this assessment of the july plot of 1944 The plotters Essay

How valid is this assessment of the july plot of 1944 The plotters were not courageous men whose purpose was honourable but reckless men who acted out of their own self interest - Essay Example Gisevius (1998) describes the situation in Germany, under Nazi control in that period, as a nation whose leaders felt â€Å"only in terms of violence.† He further explains: How easily naked violence is spread & practiced! We can observe this even more in the sub-leaders than in Hitler†¦ Party leaders and sub-leaders found themselves in positions of power beyond their wildest dreams†¦ They had no professional training. They knew nothing about the law. They did not trust the professional officialdom who worked under them. They simply dictated, in the firm conviction that their subjects would obey†¦ First, they conquered power. By means of power they achieved totality. Soon they tasted the pleasures of arbitrary rule. And then, swiftly, they plunged into excess†¦ (pp 101 & 102). Thus began the savage rule which was to become a canker sore in the mouth of not only Europe, but the entire world for years. It is also interesting to note that several moves had been made to overthrow Hitler even before the war began. Even though it seems clear, it is important, at this point, to insist that the plot of July 1944 was not just an attempt by a bunch of renegade army officers to kill Adolf Hitler and take over his government, but a truly patriotic and humanitarian move to liberate and distance the German nation from the vices of greed, hate, genocide and absolutism, all of which the Nazi government embodied. Germany was in the heart of the Second World War, and there was a wanton killing of Jews in German concentration camps all over Europe. â€Å"If the plot had succeeded, the war could have been shortened, the slaughter ended and the lives of millions of Jews saved† (Holocaust Educational Trust of Ireland). At the immediate conception of the plot, however, opposition to Hitler’s government was not military, but simply political. But by the mid 1930’s, several trade and political opposition groups, which existed or voiced their discontent with his