Fictitious Business Description Essay

The main purpose of this study is to discuss the importance of a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) in Castle’s Family Restaurant. We are therefore going to discuss on the HR problems in Castle’s Family Restaurant and how the implementation of HRIS will enable the company to reduce costs together with ensuring efficiency in HR operations (Randall S. & Susan E. 2007). Business assessment Castle’s Family Restaurant in Northern California is the business to be assisted. It is large in size since it runs several branches in different locations and also has over 300 employees and this makes it to be a company. Depending on the size of the business, I have in my description assumed that Castle’s Family Restaurant is a since it has many employees and many branches. This assumption is based on the background of restaurant work environment and industry. Based on the basic theory of business complexity and getting work done restaurants should employ many workers to ensure that work is done efficiently like in the case of Castle’s Family Restaurant. Identified problems In the review of the HR of Castle’s Family Restaurant, I have noted the following: I have discovered that business does not have a human resource manager rather the operations manager served as HR manager. The company has not implemented HRIS which is important in monitoring the employee’s performance (Randall S. & Susan E. 2007). It is therefore evident that the HR is experiencing problems since the HR manager is unqualified and had so many duties to handle which is quite tiresome for him. Some of the functions of a HR include manpower planning, recruitment and training of employees, hiring employees and monitoring employees to ensure high performance. In my analysis I will focus much on monitoring of employees performance which will help me design a business plan. The main reason for focusing on this HR function is because the company seems to have failed in its implementation of HRIS which could be useful in reducing the HR managers travel time and travelling costs and that is why the HR manager has to travel to the branches to monitors employees performance. According to the resource-based theory of Human Resources, strategic management of the company resources leads to its success (Randall S. & Susan E. 2007). Increase in the costs incurred by the company is wastage of company resources since a better method can be implemented to reduce these costs and improve company’s performance. HRIS needs assessment According to Michael J. & Mohan T. (2008), HRIS is an online solution used by Human Resources to enter data, track data and manage accounting and payroll functions of the company. The main purpose of implementing HRIS in a company is to reduce the manual workload in HR administrative activities through tracking existing workers. Implementation of this software will create a more efficient process from the HR in the sense that it will help the HR manager to manage information about the employees, analyze employee information, manage resumes and new applications and also complete payroll integration with other financial accounting software in the company (Michael J. Mohan T. 2008). Automating all HR functions saves a lot of time and resources and hence increasing efficiency in HR operations as suggested by the resource-based theory of Human Resources. By implementing HRIS in Castle’s Family Restaurant, the HR manager will not have to travel to all company branches to monitor and answer employees questions rather he will perform his duties in his office. All questions that need to be answered will be answered through this software. Application or implementation of HRIS in Castle’s Family Restaurant will therefore enable the HR manager to complete all of his tasks in a cost-effective manner. Conclusion As a HR consultant, I would advise Castle’s Family Restaurant to implement HRIS as this software will solve much of the HR problems and hence leading to reduced costs and improved HR efficiency. Implementation of HRIS will make the company to effectively use it resources for better operations.

Evaluate the Usefulness of a Range of Criteria Available for Measuring

Development is ‘the use of resources and the application of available technology in order to bring about an increased standard of living within a country'. *1 There are variations in the economic development of different countries; this has lead to the formation of the ‘Development Gap'. In 1980, the Brandt Report divided the world into rich (North) and poor (South) sectors and found that in developing countries more than 800 million are impoverished and 17 million die needlessly before they are five years old. 25 per cent of the world's population live in the north but consume 80 per cent of all the goods made. Over the years there has been a wide range of criteria used for measuring development. These measures have included GNP which is used when looking at the wealth of a country and GNP per capita which looks at the wealth of a country when divided by the number of people. There are specific measures, for example number of people per doctor, adult literacy, food intake and birth & death rates. These are useful measures when looking at specific areas of development but are too specific when dealing with development as a whole. HDI is also used to bridge the gap between GNP and the other specific measures. It is made up by using a range of data. This report will investigate which measures are the most useful at giving a true and fair view of how fast development is taking place in a sample of countries and the reasons for this. The countries used (as shown on appendix 2: a world map) were selected by choosing every seventh country from appendix 1, The World: Social and Economic Statistics) *1 Source: Letts, A2 in a week: Geography. Analysis The Gross National Product (GNP) of a country is one of the most recognisable measures of development. It is an estimate of the value of the countries production and measures the value of goods and services provided in a country, plus the balance of income from abroad. Until it is split by the population of the country (creating GNP per capita) GNP it is not an accurate measure of development. This is because one country with 7 million people could have the same output as a poorer country with 700 million people. HDI was devised by the United Nations and ranks all countries, taking into account their national income, life expectancy, adult literacy and year's people spend in education, which in themselves could be used as measures of development. It is a measure of national human progress. It is measured on a scale of between 0 and 1 with the more developed countries near 1 and the least developed countries nearer 0. Food Intake is the average number of calories a person consumes per day. The more developed a country is the more calories are person is likely to intake, as food is more readily available. Adult Literacy is the percentage of males and females that are unable to read or write a simple sentence. Again, the more developed a country is the lower this figure will be. In more developed countries there tend to be more doctors per a smaller section of society, so health care tends to be better, this could lengthen life expectancy of a country. The semi-log graph shows that countries with a high GNP per capita tend to have a low doctors per population figure but for those countries with a low GNP there is no pattern for doctors per population, with Burkina Faso having a GNP of US$ 180 and having 34804 people per doctor where as the Gambia has a GNP per capita of US$ 320 but Gambians have 1400 people per doctor. The only apparent anomaly on this graph was for the data for Mozambique that has a GNP of US$ 2000 and 36225 people per doctor. In relation to Togo, they have fewer doctors per person but a higher GNP. This could have been because in 1975 the government, nationalized health services and so doctors that were practicing for profit may have stopped practicing as they did not want to practice in a nationalized health service. In 1985 Mozambique, was effected by drought leading to a loss of 25% of all grain produced, leading to mass starvation, so people with specialist qualifications such as doctors may have found employment in other countries in order to keep their families from starving. This is likely to have been similar in 1991 when the country was affected by drought again. The Gambia The Gambia is a LEDC in West Africa. The Gambia has a GNP of US$ 354 million, this is extremely low when compared to US$ 1094734 million but when split between the 1.2 million inhabitants equaling a GNP per capital of US$ 320 million, where as Britain's GNP per capita when split between its 268 million inhabitants is US$ 18700 million, so Gambia's GNP per Capita is relatively very low as well. The Gambia's GNP is split, 1.8% spent on health (Britain sends 2.5 times this amount on health care), 2.7% spent on education (half of what Britain spends) and 3.8% spent on the military (which is 0.7% more than Britain, but of a smaller figure so Britain is spending more money on its military, just a lesser percentage). Gambians take in approximately 2360 calories per day and have 1400 people per doctor. This compares to 3732 calories per day and 421 people per doctor in Britain. In the 1980's there was a sudden drop in the production of agricultural exports due to several severe drought. This led to an increase in unemployment, migration to the capital and an increase in foreign dept to import food. In 1993 agriculture and tourism was hit by the consequences of the European economic crisis. The Gambia's trade with Senegal was also damaged when the Central Bank of Western African States decided to stop financing trade. The economy is now improving due to a developing tourist industry with new hotels being built to capitalize on the European tourist. Cuba Cuba has a GNP of US$ 13700 million but with a population of 11.3 million its GNP per capita is US$ 1250 million. Although Cuba has a higher GNP than Gambia, it also has a larger population to share it between, although Cuba's GNP per capita is still high. Cuba's GNP until 1990 relied on highly upon the former Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries and so with the fall of communism, Cuba's GNP will have fallen. Its 1994 Cuba's HDI position was 0.723, this in relation to The Gambia is high because the Gambia's HDI is only 0.281, but in comparison to Sweden Cuba has a low HDI as Sweden's HDI is 0.936; while Cuba's population food intake (in calories per day) is 2833. There are 275 people per doctor; this could be because Cuba spends 7.9% of its GNP on health services. In the 1960's the Cuban government, under their leader Castro, ran campaigns to free Cuba of illiteracy and improve health services and by 1964 the illiteracy campaign was complete and Cuba was free of illiteracy. Cuba could remain free of illiteracy today because they spend 6.6% of their GNP on education. The military budget will have been gradually reduced over recent years after the threat from the United States of America had subsided after the Cold Was finished, and now only 2.8% of the GNP is spent on the military. Now Cuba is been advertised as a tourist destination, this will help to raise their GNP as there will be more money coming into the country, which can then go into services such as health, benefiting the whole of the country. Ethiopia Ethiopia (an LEDC in Africa) has a GNP of US$ 5722 million, this figure is lower than that for Cuba but higher than that for the Gambia (another LEDC in Africa) and a GNP per capita of US$ 100 million when split between the 58.5 million inhabitants. The Gross National Product has been split 1.1% on health, 6.4% on education and 2.1% on their military. Ethiopians take in approximately 1610 calories per day, this shows that many people in Ethiopia suffer from malnutrition. There are 32499 people per doctor, which is very high compared to Cuba, which only has 275 people per doctor; this is possibly because not much of the GNP is spent on health care. In 1984 Ethiopia was badly affected by drought and famine, this had started 2 years earlier and caused hundreds of thousands of people to die from starvation. It also caused the crops for those years to fail and so there was nothing to sell causing GNP to fall dramatically. In the late 80's Ethiopia was involved in a civil war that consumed more than 60% of Ethiopia's national budget and agriculture was still slumping. United States With a GNP of US$ 7100007 million, the United States of America has the largest GNP of all countries (22187 that of The Gambia's) but when split between its 268 million nationals its GNP per capita equates to US$ 26980 million, this is lower than that of Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Japan. This GNP is then split down into 14.3% on health services, 5.5% on education and 3.8% on its military forces. The US has a HDI rating of 0.942 and the American people consume 3732 calories per day, which is the most after Ireland and Cyprus. American's have 421 people per doctor, which is double the number of people per doctor in Austria. A high GNP could be as a result of American Transnational companies which spread around the world in the post Second World War period. In 1991, 15% of the US population lived below the poverty line. Those most affected were those citizens from African and Latin American origins. In January 1994, the US joined with Mexico and Canada to form The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which reduced trade with Europe as Americans found it cheaper to buy and sell to Canada and Mexico. Tourism is the biggest industry in the US but after the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, visitor numbers fell dramatically, having a significant effect on the American economy as people were scared to travel in case of reprisals. More recently, visitor numbers have fallen as a result of the conflict in Iraq as people feared more terrorist attacks to revenge the invasion of Iraq.

Cleopatra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cleopatra - Essay Example To draw the comparison of Cleopatra’s portrait figured in films during 1963 and late twentieth and early twenty-first century, it is quite essential to draw the reference and go through a thorough analysis for the first appearance and portrayal of the image of the oriental queen on the silver screen. Cleopatra was first unveiled as a queen on the silver screen, in the year 1917. The first role of Cleopatra was played by Theda Bara where she was projected as an enchantress and iconic figure of mysterious orient with all her mystical aura which culminated into a figure that was sexually manipulative, threatening to be married and abandoned men with all her exotic appeal. The press clubbed this exotic predator as â€Å"the torpedo of domesticity† Here the intention and the objective for the portrayal of the oriental queen were transparent and evident. She was projected as the mistress of oriental extravaganza and empress of a mystic land with an aura half-veiled around her . This iconic portrayal of the queen became analogous with her name until in the year 1934, Cleopatra was reincarnated as a modern brand queen in the epic of Cecil B De Mille. Cleopatra revisited the minds of her audience as a flirtatious queen gazing at the hollow pomp of the Caesar and is less threatening.

GDP - Gross Domestic Product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

GDP - Gross Domestic Product - Essay Example Nominal GDP is the GDP according to current year prices while real GDP accounts for the effect of inflation on prices and is therefore also known as inflation adjusted GDP. By the use of a base year and elimination of effects due to price changes, real GDP allows useful comparisons to be made regarding the production of goods and services in an economy. For instance if the economy were growing at the rate of 4% per year while the rate of inflation was 1% then only 3% of the growth would be due to an increase in the economic output while 1% would be only due to price changes. GDP per capita describes the average number of goods and services consumed per person in a country. The significance of GDP as an instrument for channeling of aid and investments into countries is highlighted by Canoy and Lerais in the research titled ‘Beyond GDP’ that was composed for the European Commission in which they say: ‘GDP is the best-recognized measure of economic performance in the world, often used as a generic indicator of well-being. GDP is used in a large variety of political and financial arenas. It serves as a criterion to decide who has access to funds at international organizations such as the EU, UN, IMF and World Bank, GDP plays an important part in the Stability and Growth Pact, and it is a lead indicator for forecasts of financial markets and banks, to mention just a few examples. It is also used for international comparison and rankings and plays a crucial role in political debates.’ (Canoy and Lerais, 2007) The GDP of any given country fails to adequately explain its overall economic well being since its calculation either excludes or overstates a number of crucial aspects that describe the standard of living of a population. The notion of ‘well being’ has been described as a multidimensional concept ‘with both an individual interpretation in the Aristotelian spirit and a collective one to capture the progress of a nation’ (Canoy and Lerais, 2007).   Although GDP per capita i.e. goods and services consumed by the average person measures the spending by an individual yet it does not accurately depict an individuals’ well being. Materialistic expenditure is not all that characterizes individual well being. Rather it is a much more comprehensive idea including psychological well being as well as happiness derived from non material sources. An individual’s health, diet, achievements, mobility and participation in society are all essential sources o f contentment that are not included in calculation of GDP.

Implant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Implant - Essay Example A 10 year prospective clinical research study by Karoussis et al (2004) evaluated the periodontal and peri-implant conditions in a cohort of 89 edentulous patients (mean age 58.9 years) in order to assess the environmental, physiological and radiographic changes in the dental implants over a long period of time post-implantation. The rationale for this clinical research study involves the need to establish reliable data relevant to the use of dental implants in patients who have had tooth extractions. These types of data are difficult to obtain since they require long term assessments of patients who have received dental implants. These longitudinal single subject studies also require recruitment of large patient cohorts and need to address physiological and environmental factors that affect long-term success rates for dental implant procedures. The study participants were evaluated at one year and again at 10 years post implantation to evaluate the changes periodontal peri-implant c onditions in individual patients. This study also incorporated an evaluation of risk factors associated with sub-optimal patient outcome post-implantation. Patients recruited in this study had previously been treated for periodontal disease and also had received prosthetic structures such as fixed partial dentures and crowns. ITI dental implant system was used in all patients enrolled in this study. Within this cohort a total of 179 implants were assessed; the same number of control natural teeth were included as a basis of comparison. In addition, all remaining teeth were examined in these patients. Patient behavioral risk factors, particularly cigarette smoking, were also evaluated in this study. The data parameters assessed in this study included plaque index (PI) for teeth and modified plaque index (MPI) for implants, gingival index (GI) for

Apples Work-life Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apples Work-life Policy - Assignment Example Fr communication to be effective, it must be accessible and readily available, which is not the case, at Apple.com (Lockett, 2012). However, the firm does an impressive job I am articulating the company’s work-life policy. Apple business values are entrenched I treating its employees and others with honesty and respect. The values that inform the work-life policy are clearly articulated on the company’s website (Lockett, 2012). Apple places a huge emphasis on work-life balance. In apple when an individual works hard, they get to enjoy some free personal time. Employees get to enjoy both vocational and family leave policy during Thanksgiving and Christmas (Lockett, 2012). The other work-life policies that the firm adopts include healthcare and contribution to retirement plans or pension. This is in-line with Apple Inc. A motto, which that ‘we love working at Apple, we work hard, nevertheless, when it is all said and done, go enjoy your life. Apple’s motto summarizes its work-life policy as â€Å"employee focused; customer focused and innovative.† Apple has a stimulating and challenging workplace, Amazing workplace, culture, and it is customer-focused (Lockett, 2012). This is a company that I would like to work for (Lockett, 2012). Apple is envied as being a start-up in a big organization. Employees at the firm are offered a chance to contribute to the satisfaction of customers across the globe with the novelty of its products (Lockett, 2012). Even with its huge salaries and benefits, the satisfaction that employees feel when they contribute in changing the nature and lifestyle of many people across the globe is mind-blowing. At Apple, employees work with very smart people, this enhances employees to work somewhere else (Lockett, 2012). The company has always endeavored to maintain its bureaucracy to as low as possible.

How to take risks in business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How to take risks in business - Research Paper Example Every business in the competitive world has to take charge of its own operations specifying clearly, what they really want to achieve (Ferrell etal, 2011, p.89). Whatever the specifications, they have to be in form of plans and in fact lifelong plans and future aspirations and endeavors. The plans have the impact of helping the business in question visualize in the manner in which to attain the enjoyable heights in operations that have since only been dreams. Risk taking plan process only brings business dreams to a clear view in terms of how they could be achieved (Rees, 1977, p.53). It is a fact that any merits that are normally realized in the life of any business normally only opens the doors to the realities that such forms of businesses are faced with. The realities to achieve greater heights of business operation, realities to make greater profitability, realities for future business expansions and even the realities of the likelihood of beating all the fierce competitors in t he market of their operations and become the giants, holding closer to if not 100% of the market share (Rees, 1977,p. 53). Assumptions, procrastinations, and fears are normally the sole and foremost obstacles to the attainment of the above aspirations. As it is always very clear that fear is the first step and sign towards failure (Ferrell etal, 2011, p. 90). The moment’s one individual decision maker in any form of business takes the first step geared towards what the individual really wants for the business. Then in such instances, the individual must as well be prepared to accompany the relevant decisions with an equal amount of risks. The risks that we are referring to in such a case are the risks that are likely to help the business be recognized, get the required attention, and forcefully propel it forward in its operations. They are the risks that the business really

Merit & Public Goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Merit & Public Goods - Essay Example The services provided by the government to some extent are related to the public goods, the merit goods, and the private goods. However, the relationship varies most when it comes to the public and the private goods as they involve the government. The public goods mostly revolve around, justice public order and defense; the merit goods revolve around education, health, and the other services that the private sector can provide. The relationship between the private and the merit goods differs totally from the relationship between the private and the public goods; hence, finally the government and the private consumption complement each other (Savas, 2005). The public goods are often under provided by a free market, as its characteristics are usually non-excludability and non-rivalry. Non rivalry means that the consumption of goods does not reduce the amount available for the other residents in the public, For example, the people benefiting from lights in the street cannot reduce the amount of light for the others. Non-excludability is only possible when the provision of a certain good also results in the enjoyment of others, for example, the provision of law and orders. Non excludability means that one cannot prevent the ‘free riders from enjoying the good or services, in many cases the provider of the good or the service cannot charge for the consumption of the good. In non-rivalrous consumption, the issue of the free rider effect comes in (free ride problem comes in as one is unable to prevent other from enjoying the good). The private cases are more complex than public and the merit goods, even with the problem of the free rider effect private goods and services pose more problems than the public and merit goods. In most cases the private good and services need to be bought for consumption, the goal of the producer or the service in the case of private goods is to make profits. Without the incentive to create revenue than the private good

Crime in International Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Crime in International Context - Essay Example The researcher states that application of the state-territorial principle is argued to give rise to a dualistic approach towards a particular crime because of the significant amount of differences between countries’ stance and legislation to tackle to various offenses. The exact nature and limitation of this principle will be discussed through the example of Raymond Davis and Aafia Siddiqui in later parts of the prose to help further understanding of the state-territorial principle and why criminologists need to look beyond it. The substance of this prose will systematically assess all aspects of transnational crimes and demonstrate both national and international contexts in which the crime is prosecuted and demonstrate it primarily through the scourge of human trafficking in the United States. The prose will also assess the strategies adopted by countries to help curb the problem. II. State-Territorial Principle The state-territorial principle dictates that sovereign states are able to prosecute crimes that are committed within their borders and hence, triggers a number of complications when it comes to dealing with crimes that require legislation beyond the country’s borders. The principle bars the country from exercising control and prosecuting the perpetrator outside its border. However, the principle stands null and void for those countries that possess universal jurisdiction or those who have been granted to exercise their control by other principles such as the â€Å"Principle of nationality†, â€Å"the passive personality principle† or the ‘protective principle†. The territorial principle is based on the premise that criminal jurisdiction is based on the place where the crime was perpetrated. Having defined the state territorial principle and the dynamics involved in its application on the prosecution and tackling of crimes, criminologists have often argued that criminology needs to move beyond the state-territor ial principle. It is a logical approach to decide the course of jurisdiction; however, there are several arguments for and against it. As the state-territorial principle bars research analysts from establishing theories to study international and transnational crimes. It is an undeniable fact that every country establishes legislation to tackle crimes according to the perception and gravity of the crime that depends upon the cultural stance of the country. Therefore, in order to pave way for the researcher and establish a more uniform approach to these crimes, it is important to move beyond the state –territorial principle. Furthermore, sometimes people may feel that the culprit of a transnational crime has not received a punishment that is proportional or equal to his or her offence; however, it is the country’s law and regulation that allow that punishment for the crime as a result in order to draw a verdict that is acceptable to the legal system of both countries. S tate territorial principle has been met with a highly dual approach by researchers and critics. Some critics have argued, â€Å"As a matter of convenience crimes should be dealt with by those states whose social order is most closely affected, and in general this will be the state on whose territories the crime are committed†¦

Didions on Morality Essay Example for Free

Didions on Morality Essay What is it that forms and drives our â€Å"moral behaviors†? Are we born with a basic sense of morality or do we develop a set of moral â€Å"social codes† to keep society from falling into chaos and anarchy? In her essay â€Å"On Morality,† Joan Didion dissects what lies beneath the surface of humanity’s morality. By recounting several stories and historical events, she shows that morality at its basic â€Å"most primitive level† is nothing more than â€Å"our loyalties to the ones we love,† everything else is subjective. Didion’s first story points out our loyalty to family. She is in Death Valley writing an article about â€Å"morality,† â€Å"a word [she] distrust more every day.† She relates a story about a young man who was drunk, had a car accident, and died while driving to Death Valley. â€Å"His girl was found alive but bleeding internally, deep in shock,† Didion states. She talked to the nurse who had driven his girl 185 miles to the nearest doctor. The nurse’s husband had stayed with the body until the coroner could get there. The nurse said, â€Å"You just can’t leave a body on the highway, it’s immoral.† According to Didion this â€Å"was one instance in which [she] did not distrust the word, because [the nurse] meant something quite specific.† She argues we don’t desert a body for even a few minutes lest it be desecrated. Didion claims this is more than â€Å"only a sentimental consideration.† She claims that we promise each other to try and retrieve our casualties and not abandon our dead; it is more than a sentimental consideration. She stresses this point by saying that â€Å"if, in the simplest terms, our upbringing is good enough – we stay with the body, or have bad dreams.† Her point is that morality at its most â€Å"primary† level is a sense of â€Å"loyalty† to one another that we learned from our loved ones. She is saying that we stick with our loved ones no matter what, in sickness, in health, in bad times and good times; we don’t abandon our dead because we don’t want someone to abandon us. She is professing that morality is to do what we think is right; whatever is necessary to meet our â€Å"primary loyalties† to care for our loved ones, even if it means sacrificing ourselves. Didion emphatically states she is talking about a â€Å"wagon-train morality,† and â€Å"For better or for worse, we are what we learned as children.† She talks about her childhood and hearing â€Å"graphic litanies about the Donner-Reed party and the Jayhawkers. She maintains they â€Å"failed in their loyalties to each other,† and â€Å"deserted one another.† She says they â€Å"breached their primary loyalties,† or they would not have been in those situations. If we go against our â€Å"primary loyalties† we have failed, we regret it, and thus â€Å"have bad dreams.† Didion insist that â€Å"we have no way of knowing†¦what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong,’ what is ‘good and what is ‘evil’.† She sees politics, and public policy falsely assigned â€Å"aspects of morality.† She warns us not to delude ourselves into thinking that because we want or need something â€Å"that it is a moral imperative that we have it, then is when we join the fashionable madmen.† She is saying this will be our demise, and she may well be correct. Hitler’s idea that he had â€Å"a moral imperative† to â€Å"purify the Aryan race† serves as a poignant reminder of such a delusion. In 1939 Hitler’s Nazi army invaded Poland and started World War II. World War II came to an end in large part due to the United States dropping two atomic bombs. If the war had continued and escalated to the point of Hitler’s Nazis and the United States dropping more atomic bombs we could have destroyed most, if not all, of humanity, the ultimate act of â€Å"fashionable madmen.† We may believe our behaviors are just and righteous, but Didion’s essay makes us closely examine our motives and morals. She contends that madmen, murders, war criminals and religious icons throughout history have said â€Å"I followed my own conscience.† â€Å"I did what I thought was right.† â€Å"Maybe we have all said it and maybe we have been wrong.† She shows us that our â€Å"moral codes† are often subjective and fallacious, that we rationalize and justify our actions to suit our ulterior motives, and our only true morality is â€Å"our loyalty to those we love.† It is this â€Å"loyalty to those we love† that forms our families, then our cities, our states, our countries and ultimately our global community. Without these â€Å"moral codes,† social order would break down into chaos and anarchy.

Sara Lee Retrenchment Strategy

Sara Lee Retrenchment Strategy In order to focus on being more profitable in designated industries, Sara Lee reduced its business units in 2006. A total of eight businesses had been retrenched and divested, which included, direct selling, U.S. retail coffee, European apparel, European nuts snacks, European rice, U.S. meat snacks, and European meats and Sara Lee apparel (site case study). Sara Lee expected to obtain approximately $3 billion net after proceed from divesting those businesses. Five of Sara Lees divest businesses had negative net profit margins as well as negative operating margins. Four of the five businesses had a negative margin greater than 10%. The other businesses were declining in revenues at an accelerating rate, prior to the strategic decision to divest in them. One of Sara Lees strategic goals was to increase sales by two percent in addition to increasing the profit margins to 12% by the year 2010; a company goal to increase sales nearly $14 billion. In order to do this, Sara Lee had to focu s solely on the goods, beverage, and product household industry, areas where profitability flourishes. This also allowed the organization to follow a strategy that would provide them with the necessary resources to increase corporate profits, as opposed to being unprofitable before. Since 1939, the Sara Lee Corporation has maintained their vision which identifies they want to and plan to be the first choice to their customers and consumers all over the world by innovative ideas, and continuous improvement (Sara Lee website). Sara Lees mission focuses on delighting consumers every day. Sara Lee has also employed a differentiation strategy, and diversifying by acquisition. What was very creative on the organizations part was launching an initiative called Project Accelerate. In 2008, Project Accelerate was launched and is a program designed to reduce costs and increase productivity. To do this, the company had to focus on overhead cost, reform its supply chain and outsource. This program was projected to save up to $400 million by the end of 2012. In 2010 alone, Project Accelerate saved Sara Lee nearly $180 million. Within a three-year period, management also bought back close to $3 billion in common shares (site case study). Unfortunately, by the end of 2010, Sara Lee only obtained revenue of just $10.8 billion. The company then dissociated the international household and body care business. Sara Lee continued its same strategy: employing broad differentiation strategy. It does not specify in this case study or on their website if the goal was to have the lowest priced products, but the idea of differentiating from other brands allow Sara Lee to show value of their brand and provide high quality products. After the retrenchments, Sara Lee focused more on food beverage, and food service, in which their fresh bread sales, for an example, increase to over $600 million within a three year time period. This increase was due Sara Lees grocery-store and fast-food restaurant leverages. Sara Lee had a strong market share in that particular area of the industry and eventually beverage profits increased, international products increased, and low-calorie desserts met the needs of consumers all over the world. Since Sara Lee has a successful business strategy that focuses on product innovation and customer demand, its products have been successful in many business markets. In addition, displayed under the Sara Lees Matrixes,' Sara Lees retrenchment strategy of their 8 business units have help the business future prosperities. Strategically, Sara Lees decision to retrench eight business units was in the best interest of the company, and as a result they have strong, successful products in food within many retail and food-service industries. In addition they were also able to have a strong meat service business, which yield to cost savings without compromising on quality and customer, consumer, and company relationships. As far as the beverage and bread products, Sara Lee is near 50% of their profits; and selling to local retailers can expand successful profitability through international countries such as North America and Europe, who are heavy bread, coffee and tea consumers. Gearing back to the case study, Sara Lees intentions was to retrench business units that were not useful toward the direction that the company wanted to go. Doing so allowed Sara Lee to focus more on food, beverage and household products. Their objectives were met and continually to meet by the increasing sales, profitability and even market shares through their competitive pricing, strong brands and innovation ideas/concepts. One recommendation includes Sara Lee focusing on beverage products internationally. Sara Lee can start out by selling beverages to local retailers internationally and model closely behind their strategy for their food-service industries and utilize the knowledge and network gained from that. The second recommend includes focusing more on North America because they contributed to the 86% of the profits back in 2010. So Sara Lee must re-evaluate the profitability in selling those single-serve coffees pods (Senseo) and gear them towards the United States. A third recommendation would be Sara Lee expanding its household products, not body care products. Sara Lee should tap into and expand its air freshener brand because there is a great market share for it in the United States and Europe. Consumers automatically assume that the air fresheners will be of similar smell to the desserts and breads that Sara Lee makes. Can you imagine walking into a house that smells like warmed apple pie, or banana nut bread? Air fresheners can satisfy consumers who indulge desserts as they have a sweet tooth, or consumers who refrain from many desserts for dietary reasons, but would definitely enjoy the aroma around the house. Another household product could be insecticides that can be useful a nd affordable in many countries, including Africa. Providing this product can help improve farming, which trickles down to the items that we eat, a food-service beverage industry that Sara Lee plans to continue its markets and profitability in. Introducing new products to the market can refrain from any significant loss in business units currently and in the future.

European Animals Incite Ecological Changes in the New World Essay

European Animals Incite Ecological Changes in the New World When Columbus and the first landed in the Americas, he was confronted with a totally new world. This was not just new in the sense of people and land, but also in an ecological one as well. Columbus had stumbled across a land that, although already populated by people, was basically untouched. The people who lived in these new lands were completely in sync with nature. They valued the land for what it was worth and as such, they preserved it. Then came the waves of Europeans, and as we all know, things changed. Not only were the lives of the Amerindians drastically changed, but also the ecology of the Americas was completely and permanently altered. Although the Europeans helped in these changes to the ecosystem, their part was minor when compared to the true criminals: the European animals. It was the European animals that were introduced into the New World that had the most destructive effects on their new environment and forever altered the ecology of the Americas. Before taking a look into the effects the European animals had on the environment, we must first view the way things were prior to their introduction. During the time which pre-dated the arrival of the Europeans, the Americas were basically untouched. The land was populated with not just Indians, but also vast numbers of plants and animals. The land provided almost all of the needs of the Indians and in return, the Indians took care of the land. The Amerindians used animals sparingly in work. The domesticated animals which they had included: dogs, guinea pigs, and various types of fowl (Crosby, 74). They had no types of ridden animals and they chose to use themselves as beasts of burden. Thi... ...lear huge tracts of land. They were able to outcompete their American counterparts and the Amerindians by taking food from them and out-breeding them thus taking up more space. This caused not just destruction to the land, but also a decline and in some cases, extinction in the native plant and animal species. These animals not only had a destructive effect on their new environments, but also permanently altered the ecology of the Americas thus forever marking their spot in history. Works Cited Crosby, Alfred W. The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Company, 1972. Crosby, Alfred W. Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Roberts, Neil. The Holocene: An Environmental History. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1989.

A Perfect Day in the Ocean Essay examples -- Descriptive Essay Examples

A Perfect Day in the Ocean As I watch, the waves from the shore look fun and almost innocent as they crest and then crash over one another. I can taste the salt in they air and watch little rainbows glisten through the prisms of the ocean’s spray. The warm ocean water toward the shore is covered with foam and bubbles from the rumbling waves as children and their families play in the gritty tan colored sand. I think to myself, â€Å"This is perfect†. I make the final preparations on my Yamaha Waverunner. All of the fluid levels check full and there is a faint smell of gasoline mixed with the aromas of salt and fish in the air. I am now ready to brave and jump the mighty ocean waves of South Padre Island! Before the truck backs the trailer into the warm waters at the dock and lowers the Waverunner into the blue-green abyss, I crank the engine for a final systems check. It roars powerfully, drowning out the sound of the birds circling overhead, as thick black and gray smoke initially pours from the exhaust and then slowly drifts away on the wind’s light breeze. I turn the impressive machine off to finish my final preparations. As I put on the Jet Pilot lifejacket and tighten the thick blue straps, I remind myself to stay calm and not to make stupid or impulsive decisions during my journey into the ocean. It is easy to push oneself to the limits and lose track of reality. I must remember to respect Mother Nature at all times and keep in mind that I am not invincible. I climb aboard the Waverunner and grab hold of the handbars, warm from the bright sun. Now the truck begins to back up, gently lowering me on this powerful machine into the calm waters of the docking area. As I drift from the trailer, I take a moment to lo... ... spot two more dolphins and then another joins them. The first dolphin emerges again to make a total of four. They are swimming in front of me, playing in the surf. It is almost as if they are leading me to shore. As I idle through the channel, they slowly disappear back to their home in the Gulf. Once the dolphins are gone, I gently squeeze the throttle and head back to the docks. With a final look back, a see the sun’s reflection off of the glassy smooth water as the ripples of my wake break the surface behind. I think about what a wonderful experience this day has been. Approaching the boat trailer, I realize how physically tired I am from the constant rush of adrenaline brought by my adventures. I have the memories of the exciting jumps of the waves and the vivid pictures in my mind of the graceful dolphins swimming in the sunset. I am ready to go home. A Perfect Day in the Ocean Essay examples -- Descriptive Essay Examples A Perfect Day in the Ocean As I watch, the waves from the shore look fun and almost innocent as they crest and then crash over one another. I can taste the salt in they air and watch little rainbows glisten through the prisms of the ocean’s spray. The warm ocean water toward the shore is covered with foam and bubbles from the rumbling waves as children and their families play in the gritty tan colored sand. I think to myself, â€Å"This is perfect†. I make the final preparations on my Yamaha Waverunner. All of the fluid levels check full and there is a faint smell of gasoline mixed with the aromas of salt and fish in the air. I am now ready to brave and jump the mighty ocean waves of South Padre Island! Before the truck backs the trailer into the warm waters at the dock and lowers the Waverunner into the blue-green abyss, I crank the engine for a final systems check. It roars powerfully, drowning out the sound of the birds circling overhead, as thick black and gray smoke initially pours from the exhaust and then slowly drifts away on the wind’s light breeze. I turn the impressive machine off to finish my final preparations. As I put on the Jet Pilot lifejacket and tighten the thick blue straps, I remind myself to stay calm and not to make stupid or impulsive decisions during my journey into the ocean. It is easy to push oneself to the limits and lose track of reality. I must remember to respect Mother Nature at all times and keep in mind that I am not invincible. I climb aboard the Waverunner and grab hold of the handbars, warm from the bright sun. Now the truck begins to back up, gently lowering me on this powerful machine into the calm waters of the docking area. As I drift from the trailer, I take a moment to lo... ... spot two more dolphins and then another joins them. The first dolphin emerges again to make a total of four. They are swimming in front of me, playing in the surf. It is almost as if they are leading me to shore. As I idle through the channel, they slowly disappear back to their home in the Gulf. Once the dolphins are gone, I gently squeeze the throttle and head back to the docks. With a final look back, a see the sun’s reflection off of the glassy smooth water as the ripples of my wake break the surface behind. I think about what a wonderful experience this day has been. Approaching the boat trailer, I realize how physically tired I am from the constant rush of adrenaline brought by my adventures. I have the memories of the exciting jumps of the waves and the vivid pictures in my mind of the graceful dolphins swimming in the sunset. I am ready to go home.

Educational Literacy in the Context of Environmental Ethics Essay

Educational Literacy in the Context of Environmental Ethics ABSTRACT: I explore the concept of literacy and the role it might play in environmental ethics. One of the goals of environmental ethics is to describe and contribute to the creation of an ecologically responsible culture. The creation of such a culture requires the development of knowledge and abilities that will help sustain such a culture. Since education is one of the key institutions for instilling values and world views, it is important for environmental philosophers to think about the institutionalization of environmental theories in terms of their implications for the environmentally literate person. I argue that attention to literacy is significant for two reasons. First, it provides one way of evaluating the differences between competing environmental philosophies. Second, it raises the important question of what kind of person is required to carry out a particular vision of environmental responsibility. By addressing the issue of education and literacy, philosophers intere sted in environmental ethics can help create a vision of citizens who have democratically internalized and integrated environmental values and priorities rather than having them imposed from above. Environmental ethics presents us with a plurality of different theoretical positions, from sophisticated forms of anthropocentrism to competing views of ecofeminism and social ecology to various versions of biocentrism. The ethical discussions these positions have prompted reveal how difficult it is to extend or revise existing moral traditions in a manner that appears both plausible and socially legitimate to mainstream audiences. Traditional human-centered world views have a strong hold o... ...rz, Ecology as Politics (Boston: South End Press, 1980), p. 17. (2) Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, with Essays from Round River, A Sierra Club/Ballantine Book (Oxford University Press, 1966), p. 246. (3) Lawrence Blum, "Moral Perception and Particularity" in Moral Perception and Particularity (Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 30-56. (4) cf. Justus Buchler, Nature and Judgment (New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1955); and Toward a General Theory of Human Judgment, 2nd ed. (New York: Dover Publications, 1951). (5) Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, translated by Myra Bergman Ramus (New York: Continuum, 1983), pp. 27-56. (6) Holmes Rolston III, "Environmental Values in and Duties to the Natural World" in Ecology, Economics, Ethics: The Broken Circle, eds. Herbert Bormann and Stephen Kellert (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991), pp. 82-96.

Connecting Sociological Theory and Social Issues

Running Head: Connecting Sociological Theory and Social Issues Connecting Sociological Theory and Social Issues The topic of choice is the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States and around the world. HIV/AIDS has been a main concern for the world since its emergence in the 1980’s. â€Å"The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the United States through 2009 was about 1 million cases. Worldwide, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS varies from less than 0. 1 percent to 15–28 percent of a country’s population†. (Schaefer 394)This essay will explore the three major socialization perspectives on this issue; the interactionist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the functionalist perspective. Each perspective will give a greater insight on how society reasons. The functionalist perspective is described as â€Å"a sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability†. (Schaefer 440) On the topic of HIV/A IDS, a functionalist will most likely focus on how this issue has affected health care for those infected with the disease.Without proper healthcare, there will be a sociological imbalance. So in order to bring back balance and stability, other alternatives have to be established. A functionalist will emphasize that â€Å"if established social institutions cannot meet a crucial need, new social networks are likely to emerge to perform that function. In the case of AIDS, self-help groups have organized, especially in the gay communities of major cities, to care for the sick, educate the healthy, and lobby for more responsive public policies†. Schaefer 395) On the other hand, the conflict perspective is focused on the tension that comes about with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For a long time AIDS was seen as a homosexual, drug user, African American disease. From the conflict viewpoint this could be a reason why the government did not respond as quickly as they should have. â€Å"St udies show that African Americans and Latinos are diagnosed later and are slower to receive treatment than other racial and ethnic roups. † (Schaefer 395) However, to correct the injustice there has been new programs to reach out to minorities and those less fortunate to receive treatments. An interactionist perspective looks at an issue on a smaller scale (micro) than the conflict and functionalist perspective. The interactionist is defined as â€Å"a sociological approach that generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole†. Schaefer 441) The HIV/AIDS epidemic on a micro level was predicted that the outbreak â€Å"would lead to a more conservative sexual climate among both homosexuals and heterosexuals, in which people would be much more cautious about becoming involved with new partners. † (Schaefer 395) However, statistics have shown quite the opposite. â€Å"People in the United States have not heeded precautio ns about â€Å"safe sex. † Data from studies conducted in the early 1990s indicated a growing complacency about AIDS, even among those who were most vulnerable. † (Schaefer 395)To conclude, no sociological perspective or approach is the precise method of viewing society as a whole. It is best to take a little bit of each perspective. Although, each perspective is different, they all depict that HIV/AIDS is a huge concern for society. If we do not continue to make progress and become lax in spreading the education on HIV/AIDS, history will have a way of repeating itself. Reference Schaefer, Richard T.. Sociology: A Brief Introduction, 9th Edition. McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2011. .

In The Heart of Darkness Essay

In The Heart of Darkness, Marlow learns firsthand the consequences, cruelty, commerce, and corruption of color consciousness in European colonialism. The mercantilism and capitalism which were gaining currency in Europe officially spread throughout the world by the colonialism. This focus on wealth acquisition drives the Europeans to loot African territories of the precious ivory, ignites the vicious cycle of violence and cruelty, dehumanizes the Natives of Africa, and takes modern racism to a whole new level under the pretext of civilizing and pacifying the African peoples. Marlow, who is the protagonist in this book along with Kurtz, bears testimony of his voyage to Africa that: â€Å"I have seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire† (Conrad 34). These explanation sums up what Marlow encounters in Africa and gives a hint as to crimes of colonialism which existed in the name of trade and conquest. The Heart of Darkness explores the darkest motivations of colonialism and highlights its pillaging agenda by commercialization of a culture, the denuding and exploitation of great wealth. In the Scramble for Africa, European countries unanimously agreed on sacking and claiming portions of it. The agreement legitimized the groups of pirates posed as traders to exchange with and enslave the native peoples in a second round of Neo-Slavery. The significance of the title, Heart of Darkness, flows in tandem with the love of money which is the root of all evil. This imperialist greed is what exposes â€Å"the criminality of inefficiency and pure selfishness when tackling the civilizing work of Africa† (Hawkins 286). The heart is wholly given over to the selfish pursuit of wealth and encumbers the masses by enslavement and deception. Kurtz is the embodiment of European colonialism â€Å"for mostly his expeditions had been for ivory† (Conrad 92). The price of ivory is invaluable. As testament to the presence of the extraction of Ivory in colonial times, we have the Ivory Coast. The natives would hunt the elephant for the ivory and then would trade it for shells, strings, rum etc with the European ‘explorers.’ Just as Kurtz’ life revolves around the hunt and gain for ivory (wealth), the central purpose of the Scramble for Africa which instigated the European colonialism is commerce, which was only exploitation of an ignorant people. Kurtz is introduced to Marlow as a man â€Å"grubbing for ivory† (Conrad 72). Marlow/Conrad uses a skilful literary technique in dehumanizing the Europeans for only animals grub for food. Ivory becomes not only the food which feeds their insatiable desires for self-aggrandizement, but also holds an enshrined position as a god, to whom their veneration ascends. As a newcomer on the expedition, Marlow heard â€Å"the word ivory rang in the air, was whispered and sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all† (Conrad 44). These men sell their souls for a natural resource in the name of commercialization and prosperity. Under the aegis of a company, plans were made to undermine the rights of the people and to acquire more territory. Marlow frequently alludes to â€Å"the Company† for whom he works. It is the East Indian Company which established trading posts and for whom Marlow, Kurtz, and several other British men render service. Conrad states that â€Å"the Company had the right to every bit of information about its territories† (Conrad175). Here is a bold statement which demonstrates the company authorizing decrees, setting up surveillance, annexing territory, and claiming rights to ownership and governance. The embryonic signs are already being made manifest that Neo-colonialism is going to rear its head to prominence. As if to emphasize the financial nature of their purpose and intercourse with the people, Conrad underlines that the team of the Company were like those of El Dorado, â€Å"hunters for gold or pursuers of fame† (Conrad 17). Conrad makes a pertinent connection with the conquistadores and Spanish explorers of the ‘New World’ who searched and hunted for gold due to the mythological tale of hidden treasures in the jungles. The motives and the techniques have not changed. The goal of the men to Africa is specifically to conduct trade although there is full-blown cartography going on along the book similar to the early Spanish explorers. Describing the manager of one of the Company’s stations, Marlow describes him as one whose â€Å"eyes glittered like mica discs† (Conrad 45). This comparison of his eyes to mica tells of his mercenary vision and objective. Mica is a silvery precious stone which gleams like diamond-like crystals which a hexagonal shape. It was considered a jewel since it was rarefied in Europe thus highly costly. The cruelty of European colonialism is plain to the sight in Heart of Darkness, and is a by-product of a darkened heart. The presence of rifles, guns, and bayonets of the Europeans versus the spears, bows, arrows, and clubs of the Native makes this novel very bloody, dehumanizing, violent, and brutal. The paragon of cruelty is of course, Kurtz who embodies the Machiavellian ethic of colonizers who do whatever is necessary to achieve their own ends. As Marlow enters Kurtz’ dwelling, Marlow is greeted by the heads which stand on stakes and adorn his home like medals (Conrad 94). What barbarous man would have dead cadavers of beheaded victims constantly surrounding him! The reeking of death in Heart of Darkness is â€Å"the scent of the lies’ taint as it emanates from the symbolic corpses and metaphoric decay that litters the course of the story† (Steward 319). Moral decay and decadence are what corrupts Kurtz and which becomes materialized in the cadavers around which he surrounds himself. Whatever the colonizers could not obtain by deception, they take by force. Cruelty comes naturally to Kurtz to the point that it overtakes him. Even Kurtz threatens to kill Marlow on one occasion in demand for some of the latter’s ivory. Often intertribal war would erupt because of hunting conflict and robberies-it was a bloody, cruel affair. Marlow depicts the hunting as â€Å"just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale† (Conrad 69). In one instance Marlow witness to the merciless beating of an African by one of the European traders as punishment (Conrad 23). Cruelty is a tactic employed to subject and to intimidate people. A startling case of this is the beating of the African which Marlow records earlier in the book. The castigation occurs in front of several of his own people who stand around doing nothing to help the beaten victim. Marlow sees the strong Africans around him and knows that they can overpower the white men, however, the mind is already enslaved and terrorized therefore the Europeans have free rein over Africa. Whipping is a punitive method which recalls the times of slavery where slaves had to be lashed as incentive to toil harder or as an example of warning to others. Sometimes cruelty is the means and sometimes it is the end. Violence breeds violence. As the Europeans continue to assume rights and invade territory, the people of Africa rise up in rebellion. A few men of their team are killed by the African artillery. Marlow attests to the ammunition where he observes â€Å"a heavy rifle, and a light revolver carbine – the thunderbolts of that pitiable Jupiter† (Conrad 98). Moreover, Africans negotiated the ivory trade provided that they could acquire the high caliber weapons of the Europeans so that in their local wars, they could have a greater advantage. The proliferation of arms serves the Europeans’ purpose to divide and rule so that cruelty against the Africans advances the ruin of the Africans when they kill one another. The consequences of colonialism are too many to be enumerated; however the primary ones are dehumanization, exploitation, poverty, and the death of a culture. The European colonizers place a negative construction on Africans which Marlow himself has done. Although he only narrates the story based on his Eurocentric perspective, it is still colored with bias, prejudice, dehumanization, and condescension toward the Africans. Viewing a people as inferior justifies their slaughtering and the plundering of their goods. Marlow says that he sees â€Å"twenty cannibals splashing around and pushing† (Conrad 61) in a river. This epithet ‘cannibal’ represents the less than flattering aspect of the African upon which the European fixates thus debasing them and their culture as subhuman. Cannibalism existed in some areas of Africa; however, for all the time that Marlow remains in Africa he is not eaten. Calling Africans cannibals was a normal act however which was in vogue among the Europeans. The Africans are never considered human in the novel. They are named â€Å"black figures† (Conrad 48), â€Å"savages† (Conrad 98), barbarian â€Å"naked human beings† (Conrad 97), â€Å"nigger† (Conrad 23), â€Å"shadows† (Conrad 100). Matched up against animals, Marlow compares their sounds to â€Å"a violent babble of uncouth sounds† (Conrad 38). No African speaks intelligibly in the novel seeing that their foreign tongue has a cacophonous, guttural, and animalistic note. As a result the power of discourse solely belongs the white man. â€Å"Edward Said suggests that colonial power and discourse is possessed entirely by the colonizer† (JanMohamed 59). The dehumanization of the African serves to yoke them with The White Man’s Burden masterfully expounded by Rudyard Kipling. â€Å"Marlow feels that colonialism can be redeemed by embracing an idea unselfishly. That idea can be compared to Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden† (Farn 16). Broaching more in depth the theme of European colonialism, Marlow comments that â€Å"all Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz†¦the International Society for the Suppression of the Savage† (Conrad 83). Here he admits Kurtz’ collusion with Britain and other members of Europe in oppressing African peoples. The beating of the Africans like little children or animals also contributes to the debasement of this people from whose lands they were benefitting. A savage is semi-human if he is at all, and since to the colonizers he has nothing to say, nor are they interested in deciphering his tongue, they take greater liberty at enchaining him in a web of incomprehensible deceit. Dehumanization is crucial in the process of colonialism for enslavement of the mind comes first and then the enslavement of the body and person. The colonized individual’s will must be broken, set at nought value and then the colonial is at liberty to dominate, exploit and commodify the human being. â€Å"The colonial legacy in Africanist ethnography can never be negated, but must be acknowledged under the sign of its erasure† (Apter 577). Commodification converts the ‘sacred into the profane’ (Marx 1848). The English explorers were the colonists of their day and once they constructed the Africans as inferior, or below their culture, dehumanization becomes easy and an almost natural step. The bitterest servitude was imposed and cruel aggressions executed and perpetrated against the Africans. Brutality, demonization and savagery are justified for the indigenous peoples are not fully human; consequently the Indians are wholly in their power through gratuitous cruelty and carnage. European colonizers profited from servility and subjugation. Through force, coercion and duress the European colonizers manipulate for ivory or exact ivory, while treating the natives like excrement. The role of color in European colonialism is easy to fathom in The Heart of Darkness. The depth of the color of darkness has several connotations which Marlow picks up along the way. First of all, the association of black has both positive and negative meanings. Blackness exemplifies richness, depth, and unity; on the other hand, black also is equated with evil, corruption, colonialism, and the devil. By the book’s name, one can see that there is a colored system which Marlow has to see for himself to believe. Views about the human nature and the human heart are also studied as one sees its enormous capacity to perform beastly, monstrous acts and these are the traits which color and taint his heart. Heart of Darkness conveys the â€Å"timeless myth about the exploration of the human soul and the metaphysical power of evil† (Raskin 113).Colonialism is all about color and thrives on, the color line, the division of the races. The European whites are distinguished about the African blacks; the color on the maps is a legendary key indicating the colonized areas of Africa. Marlow realizes that Kurtz’ heart is black as hell toward the end of the novel. The ignorance and primitiveness of the Africans are contrasted with men who lived in the light of civilization. Hence, the reader gains a broad and deep insight in understanding the color codes as Marlow himself comes to grasp, as he represents the vicarious witness through whose eyes, the reader observes the process of colonization in Africa. In sum, Conrad effectively critiques colonialism and places before the reader the darkened heart: the commerce, cruelty, corruption, and color consciousness in European colonialism in Heart of Darkness. These elements plunge both the colonist and the colonizer in an abyss of ruin where both become dehumanized, financially or morally bankrupt, and violent. The period of Neo-colonialism in Africa accomplishes great havoc in the name of progress, commercialization, and prosperity.

Beethoven Symphony No. 5

The C minor Symphony is not only the best known, and therefore the most generally enjoyed, of Beethoven's nine Symphonies, but it is a more universal favourite than any other work of the same class. It is the only one of the nine which is sufficiently well known to have broken the barriers of a repulsive nomenclature, and to have become familiar, outside a certain more or less initiated circle, by its technical name.The C minor Symphony is often spoken of as if it were a miracle of irregularity, and almost as if in composing it Beethoven had abandoned the ordinary rules which regulate the construction of a piece of music, put down whatever came uppermost in his mind, and by the innate force of genius produced a masterpiece which seized the world with admiration, and has kept it in astonishment ever since. The C minor Symphony is the fifth of the series.It was intended to follow the Eroica, and was begun in the year 1805. The first performance took place at Vienna, December 22, 1808; the first performance in England was by the Philharmonic Society, April 15, 1816.The modern Romantic movement, whether called so or not, seems to have taken place earlier in music than it did in literature; and, whoever else may aspire to the honour of leading it, Beethoven was really its prophet, and the C minor Symphony its first great and assured triumph.The end of the Symphony in D, the Eroica, the Overture to ‘Leonora' are all essays in the Romantic direction, animated by the new fire; but the C minor is the first unmistakable appearance of the goddess herself in her shining, heavenly panoply (Hoffmann 1971).The C minor Symphony at once set the example, and made possible the existence of the most picturesque and poetical music of Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Tschaikoffsky. The first movement of Beethoven's C minor Symphony is framed as exactly as is the first movement of his C major Symphony – as the Trios and Sonatas with which he started on his career befor e the public.To give an outline of the construction of the Symphony. Its structure – in musical language, its ‘form' – is as follows. The opening subject is in the key of C minor, and is quickly answered by a second, in the key of E flat, the ‘relative major,' in which key the first section of the movement ends.That section having been repeated, we go on to the workingout, by no means long, and confined for its construction almost entirely to materials already furnished. Then comes the reprise of the opening, with the usual changes of key, a short Coda, and the movement is at an end!These sections are all, with a rare uniformity, almost exactly of the same length: to the double bar, 124 bars; the working-out, 123; the reprise, 126; and the Coda, 129. In fact, the movement is much stricter in its form than that of the Eroica, which has two important episodes, entirely extraneous, in the working-out, while its reprise is by no means an exact repetition of wha t has gone before. If all art is a representation – and surely it must be a representation of the idea in the mind of the artist – here we have the most concise representation that has ever been accomplished in music (Hoffmann 1971).No, it is no disobedience to laws that makes the C minor Symphony so great and unusual – no irregularity or improvisation; it is obedience to law, it is the striking and original nature of the thoughts, the direct manner in which they are expressed, and the extraordinary energy with which they are enforced and reinforced, and driven into the hearer, hot from the mind of the author, with an incandescence which is still as bright and as scorching as the day they were forged on his anvil – it is these things that make the C minor Symphony what it is and always will be.It is impossible to believe that it will ever grow old.BibliographyHoffmann E. T. A. Review of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, New York, 1971.

Motivation of Nurses in Healthcare

Nurses and the healthcare industry are having to deal with stressed and De-motivated employees, and never before has levels of Job satisfaction, stress and burnout been so high among nurses In the healthcare industry (Graham, 2006) . The aim of this Annotated Bibliography is to examine the motivation of nurses in healthcare, and specifically to find and study the different motivational theories which Improve levels of motivation among nurses.As stated by (Wham and Ogle, 2007) the question of how to improve the level of motivation in the healthcare industry is perceived to be at the heart of the contemporary health care management debate. The study builds to show that motivation Is multidimensional and complex needing clearer definitions, If searchers and practitioners are wanting to influence behaviors to motivate others. Similarly, (Hugh, 1995) had the same conclusion that motivating staff to Improve Involves many Interlinking factors. Hugh, 1995) goes on to show that through traini ng and continuing education a team's confidence and capability are enhanced creating an environment which is essential to maintaining momentum of continuous Increases In staff motivation and enthusiasm for improvement. Likewise, (Lee, 2000) suggests that motivation Is gained by empowering nurses to become role models, to mentor and motivate others. Which in turn enhances employees' motivation and professional development. The two articles (Wick.DOSS and Northman, 2009) and (Young. Albert, Apaches and Meyer, 2007) are similar in there approach by both identifying incentives to motivate employees. Both articles indicate a breakdown exists between nurse management and nurse practitioners with management not actively listening to nurse who express job stress and dissatisfaction. Both articles suggest flexible work schedules to improve levels of job satisfaction and individualized work incentives. Reference Externally, V. , and Satellite, E. 007) Improving motivation among health care wo rkers in private health care organizations- a perspective of nursing 1 OF 7 personnel, Baltic Journal AT Management, 2(2), 213-224 Alma/ Purpose 10 explore ten experiences of nursing personnel, in terms of their motivation and satisfaction. To identify areas for sustainable improvement to the health care services they provide. Article Type Research Article( quantitative) and brief literature review Method Sample 237 registered nurse practitioners and 30 nurse executive with a 97% returning quota of questionnaires.Data Collection 2 week response time to return survey. 9 close ended questions divided into 11 evaluation parts. Data Analysis: in order to identify barriers to motivation 99 questions were divided into 11 parts based on: Social-psychological competencies Clinical expertise competencies Educational competencies Managerial administration competencies Activity environment Communication and collaboration Responsibility Results and encouragement Autonomy Self realization Activi ty purposefulness.Each question had two elements or responses to them either reflecting the external or internal motivators of each situation. A score was arranged between the responses Findings Findings were presented individually in 11 parts. Interestingly nurse practitioners and executives both believe personnel empowerment and motivation comes from continuing development and evaluation of personnel problems. Both didn't foresee that the development of teamwork competencies and structuring of activity of scope of practice as affective ways of motivation.Conclusions The article concluded that with an increase demand for higher productivity, a changing health care systems and managed health care activity restrictions staff motivation is affected, with higher Job dissatisfaction and increased burnout rates. The research concluded that social factors influenced motivators: Motivation decreases when nurses aren't empowered and not autonomous in activity. Motivation increases when nurs es collaborate with physicians by parity. Results showed no difference between nurse practitioners and executives.Strengths Clearly written and articulated The authors is neutral in undertaking research and the viewpoints between nurse practitioners Ana nurse executives. I en autonomous plants toner areas AT research needed. The validity of the research paper can't be questioned and is therefore a useful reference in future studies. Weaknesses The quality of nursing cannot be assessed in terms of performance referenced criteria, but only in terms of personal qualities displayed in that performance. The characteristics of the provided sample limited the results. Reference Hugh, K. 1995) Motivating staff through teamwork: process review and data display. Health management Journal. 21(4), 32-35. Aim/purpose identify interlinking factors to motivate staff, in terms of total quality management and team work in a healthcare setting. Article type Critique Approach Examines claims there are four interconnecting intervention factors which are essential to motivating staff are: Understanding the psychology of excellence in teams Establishing cross-functional quality improvement teams Understanding and reviewing processes of care and service Using data display to motivate.The article also uses psychology to understand total quality management and seeks to show how through teamwork staff become empowered in numbers and motivated. The author attempts to involve six issues which attempts to be a key determinate of staff motivation levels: Awareness of the employee trail Awareness of psychological issues Managing the existing culture of staff Increasing quality improvement attitudes in staff Integration of human resource management into operational teamwork Keeping jargon too minimum. Conclusion Describes four major factors which have practical implications, to motivate staff.The author points out that training and continuing education enhances team's confidence and capabili ty, and that these factors are essential to maintain momentum and increase staff motivation and enthusiasm for improvement. Strengths The strength of the paper is it is descriptive in nature, and provides the deader with numerous way to improve motivation of employees. Weaknesses The weakness of the paper is it use limited sources back up it claims. The author also appears to be bias in his approach drawing on his own experiences or opinions rather then using evidence based practice.Reference Wick, K. , Dols, J. , and Northman, S. (2000)What nurses want: the nurse incentives project. Nursing economics Journal. 27(3), 169-201. Aim/purpose To explore the relationship between specific factors, which can be managed or changed to improve motivation and Job satisfaction. The authors aims to show that nurse Job distraction, physician interactions, policies or autonomy are all related to staff motivation. Article type Research Method An anonymous survey involving 22 hospital systems and 5,1 76 Runs was circulated. Only 1 ,559 of the anonymous surveys were analyses.This study was designed to allow predictive modeling of a set of independent variables, by including incentives and disincentives, in relation to what causes nurses to be dissatisfied and unmotivated in their Jobs. An online survey was also conducted over a 3 month period using the hospitals intranet, staff were made aware of the online survey through use of flyers. The data collected from both surveys, were analyses using the perceived stress scale. This scale isn't specifically for nurses and therefore isn't clinical oriented. The scale is a simple 10 item scale, involves respondents to respond from a range of â€Å"never† to â€Å"very often. The ASS score ranged from 10 to 50. The data used was then compared the mean age of nurses involved and the ethnicity. Findings The article shows that the mean age of nurses involved in the survey is 42. 24 years, with 88. 5% of respondents being female. The e thic breakdown was 5. 3% African American, 6. % Asian, 70. 3% Caucasian, 16. 4% Hispanic, and 1. 3% listed other or no response. Conclusion The results were compared with the levels of staff dissatisfaction and stress showing a direct correlation between increased stress results in De-motivated staff and higher levels of Job dissatisfaction.The levels of dissatisfaction and De-motivation was also comparatively different between the generations, as well as the incentives which staff through the survey identified as means of improving motivation levels. The article recommends that to improve levels of motivation management needs to revive flexible benefits to help create a cohesive work environment. By regarding the role of incentives in designing an environment where benefits and perks will be seen as incentives to perform tasks promptly and thrive in the current nursing workplace.Strengths The strength of this paper is it draws information from a variety of sources increasing the re liability of the document. The data collected is presented statistically and clearly. By using a variety of methods it increases the validity of the paper. Weaknesses A low response rate of 30% could serve as a attention source of bias as some groups or hospitals maybe under-represented. Rather then present ways to improve motivation and levels of dissatisfaction, the article shows that levels of dissatisfaction and motivation are low. With high levels of staff indicating that they are unmotivated and stressed in there Jobs.Reference Lee, L. (2000) Motivation, mentoring and empowerment. The nursing management Journal. 1 (12) 25-27. Aim/purpose To define motivation, and to show that through empowerment and mentoring staff become more motivated to perform. Article type Meta-analysis of literature Approach The author uses the evidence presented by 7 well known nursing journals to define motivation as â€Å"that which impels or compels movement or action. † I en paper contributed to ten area Dye suggesting Tour stages to Deescalate motivation, mentoring and empowerment: Input: motivate employees.Process: mentoring to channel motivation to reach goals. Output: completed goals creates empowerment. Feedback: empowered nurse has greater self-esteem and competence. The article is based on nursing practice to improve quality of care and enhance understanding of the nurse leaders role in motivation, mentoring and empowerment. The article suggests taking a test to identify how one can implement motivation, mentoring and empowerment to encourage higher achievement, to identify characteristics of a successful mentor/protog relationship, and differentiate the stages of motivation, mentoring and empowerment.Conclusion The article shows how mentoring and empowerment of nurses gives nurses freedom to be creativity and to turn ideas into action. The article shows how current literature suggests that a creative climate in which employees can perform, become motivated in th eir work and are able to motivate themselves and others. The author states that motivation, mentoring and empowerment aren't separate identities. The author shows how motivation and empowerment fuel mentoring. And that through mentoring protogs become empowered, which enhances professional development and motivation.Strengths The article in itself is motivation, encouraging researchers to become empowered and motivated and to think about think about other means to motivate others that haven't been thought of before to contribute to this area of knowledge and research. Weaknesses The paper is limited and weakened by not using enough information from scholarly peered reviewed resources. , making very generalized statements. Reference Young, C. , Albert, N. , Apaches, S. , and Meyer, K. (2007) The ‘parent shift' program: incentives for nurses, rewards for nursing teams.Nursing Economics Journal. 25(6) 339-344. Aim/purpose To introduce the ‘parent shift' program as innovativ e model of attracting, retaining and motivating nurses to return into the workforce. The study aims to show how the parent shift nurse program decreases stress, improves time efficiency of full time staff and also improves motivation of involved staff and those that work with them. Article type Research (quantitative) Method The prospective, descriptive, comparative survey research study was conducted in a 1000+ bed hospital.The survey was anonymous and conducted over a 12 month period, and conducted on day one of commencement and 4 months after. This survey was also conducted in reference to the nursing management, who were given a salary survey wanly was contacted 4 months rater ten Implementation. I n data was summarized by mean and standard deviation. Nursing motivators were ranked on percentage and nursing management and URN roles responses were compared. Conclusion A brief literature review was conducted at the start of the article which found that in one study that those invo lved in the parent shift program that 98. % of respondents found the program extremely useful. And also found that in terms of nursing management it decreased overtime and burnout, and collaboration and team work was also enhanced among nurses. The literature review also stated that nurses motivation and retained in the workforce improved 41. 5% when the current employer accommodated their scheduling needs. In all areas it was found that nurse involved were less stressed, team work improved and URN cohesiveness improved. It was found that a supportive work environment, was created due to flexible working environment.Strengths The study suggests other areas to be improved upon if research is undertaken in the same field again. (program affects on teamwork, interruptions, models of care implementation, ability to meet non-patient care responsibilities and the dynamics of specific roles and responsibilities could strengthen the program). Weaknesses Large sampling size resulted in a gen eralization of results. Only operated for a short time. Other staff members working along side those involved in the program weren't revered.And was identified as an important factor in continued program participation. The literature review which was conducted prior research was short and didn't provide enough information. Conclusion This annotated bibliography highlighted many different opinions and studies related to motivating employees. The research into this topic supports the belief that employee motivation is related to empowerment, mentoring, continued education and autonomy within the workplace. Of the five articles in this annotated bibliography all come to the similar conclusion and finding .They analyses and viewed a sufficient number of studies and theories in the area of motivating staff in the healthcare environment. It can be concluded that motivation increases when nurses collaborate with physicians, the nursing profession is respected and recognized as autonomous a nd valued by themselves and other healthcare professionals. After analysis of the sources of motivation among nurses as shown through the respective annotations, it is evident that management needs to listen to employees and recognize when motivation is an issue in their unit and the incentives needed to re-motivate staff.

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