Manifestation Music Essay

Robert Allen Zimmerman, or Bob Dylan, was born to become a star. As a child he had dreamed of becoming a musical icon which he tried to achieve during his younger years. As part of his ambition to become a famous musician and icon, at age ten, Bob Dylan started to write poems and even taught himself to play the guitar and piano (Millar n. p). His musical style was primarily influenced by Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis which became apparent in the progression of his career. The drive and passion of Bob Dylan in pursuing his musical career escalated when he went to the University of Minnesota where he began to consider the folk and rock songs of artists such as Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie and Robert Johnson (Millar n. p). During his college years, he had a hard time attending schools because of his preoccupation in music. He finally dropped out of college to pursue his dreams. When Bob finally had his break in 1961, he first played folk songs instead of his own desired genre. His first album was not how he expected it to be because he really wanted to do his own songs. However, Bob Dylan turned his situation around in the next albums that he made. His succeeding songs were basically inspired by the profound â€Å"political activism† of the young people during the 1960s (Lemieux 1). The people were very empowered to make a stand and respond to the pressing problems of the society like gender, class, and race. This escalating emotion ultimately paved the way for mass protests and movements for social change. These situations during the 60s also influenced the music of Bob Dylan which is distinctively political in nature. Although Bob would assert that he is more of a social commentator, the people listening to his music are actually receiving a different vibe or perspective (Lemieux 1). Bob Dylan’s Music One of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs, â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind,† became an anthem in America’s 1960 counterculture. He wrote it during the Vietnam War era as a response to the eventualities and casualties of that period in American history (Mason n. p). The song greatly depicts Bob Dylan’s observation of the political and social status of the society and how the people tends to shrug-off the escalating problem in the Vietnam crisis which eventually worsened. This is perceived in the second stanza of the song stating: Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind. (Dylan n. p) Aside from the song â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind,† Bob Dylan also created another politically inclined song entitled â€Å"The Times They Are A-Changin† (Mason n. p). The song, which was actually written after John F. Kennedy was assassinated also became significant as it expresses the confidence and the hope perceived in the political and social movements during the 60s. As observed in the song, the singer is inviting the people from different walks of life to come together and pursue the future with a glimmer of hope and unity. Moreover, in the latter part of the song, Bob Dylan gave a great amount of effort in creating a beautiful lyrical stanza which encourages the people never to give up and continue looking for the silver lining in their current social instability. Bob Dylan is indeed a great singer during his time. His passion for music and empowering lyrics really enabled the people to make a difference and stand firm for what they believe is right. It is also because of the socio-political awareness imparted by Bob Dylan’s songs that he was seen by the society as a great protest singer and an inspirational person as well. Works Cited Dylan, Bob. â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind. † 1962. 16 May 2008 . Lemieux, Nicole. Bob Dylan and the Sixties: A Social Commentary Reflecting Politics and Existentialism. Diss. Pace University, 2006. Mason, Catharine. â€Å"Bob Dylan: A Biography. † March 2005. Bob Dylan’s Performance Artistry. 16 May 2008 . Millar, BJ. â€Å"The Life of Bob Dylan. † n. d. 16 May 2008 .

College vs. High School Essay

High-quality education is a significant part of everyday life. To accomplish that education, most people went through a transition from high school to college, two major milestones in most people’s lives. There are many differences between these two institutions. Some students may adapt and transit from the life of high school to the life of college without much difficulty, while others may take years to grasp the differences and cope with it. High school and colleges are both made to educate, but with differences in terms of classes, responsibility, and social life. One of the main differences between college and high school is the classes in general. In high school students attend class for six hours every day for five days. Information is provided mostly through classroom discussion and reading that is assigned. Assignments in high school are usually broken down into a step-by-step task. Quizzes are usually given on a weekly basis, and tests come up at the end of every chapter. College, on the other hand, consists of twelve to eighteen hour school weeks and the classes are split in to semesters. There is more writing with longer papers and essays, a lot of out-of-class research that is usually done in the library on the students’ own time, and few to no assignments given in class. Compared to high school, there are few quizzes in college and only about one test a month that covers much more material. The level of responsibility is a big difference between high school and college. In high school teachers monitor the students’ progress and are likely to offer clarification when to them when it is needed. They also take attendance every day, check students’ work constantly, and briefly lecture while highlighting the main points. In college professors lecture and expect the students to acquire knowledge and facts from outside reading and library research. The students must also monitor their own progress and ask for clarification if needed. Out of the classroom responsibility is also very distinguishable. Some students come from a home where their parents do a lot of things for them such as laundry, cooking, and making sure they make it to school. In college it is all up to the students to do all of these tasks themselves. The social life between high school and college students has a noticeable difference. Parents can control or have a big say in what their kid is doing in and out of school. They can make their kids be involved in different activities such as sports, clubs, and plays. They can also have a big influence on who their children hang out with, and can restrict the hours in which they do hang out with those friends. This can be a good and bad thing. When parents don’t let their kids learn from their own mistakes they may repeat them later on in life when their parents aren’t there to help them back up. College is a completely different story. It all becomes the kids choice, what they want to be involved in, who they what to hang out with, and when they want to hangout. Making these choices can also be very stressful for students resulting in bad judgment. Although there are many differences between high school and college there are also some similarities. Grades are very important in both high school and college because they reflect the student’s future whether it’s for the career they are pursuing or the college they would like to get accepted to. In high school and college the main objective is to learn and become more knowledgeable to help prepare students for the big world ahead of them. The courses taken in college are very similar to those in high school, just more advanced. They have a similar structure in the way they teach. They both have teachers, textbooks, tests, some sort of homework, and of course the dreaded final exams. Throughout the entire course the teachers are preparing the students for the final exam so they can move on to a more advanced class. A lot of the basic rules in high school and college tend to be the same. Athletics plays a big role in both high school and college. Schools depend on sporting events to bring in additional money. Every step of education from kindergarten to college has the same goal in mind, to teach their students how to play a productive role in society. Learning how to read and write in elementary school, and improving it in middle and high school makes it possible for college student to write fluent essays, and read and understand chemistry and literature books. If the students are able to understand it all, pass the classes, and earn a degree, they can now get a job and become a productive member of society. Even though high school and college may have many differences, they are very closely connected and are major milestones in most people’s lives.

Learning Theory of Career Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Learning Theory of Career Counseling - Essay Example Technically, career counseling is a dominantly verbal process between a career counselor and counselee which focus on the counselees goals and aspirations in life (Bandura, A. (1989). The process of career counseling generally involves four elements namely (1) to help the person attain greater self-awareness in the areas of values, abilities, personality style and work interest, (2) to connect the person to resources that can help them be more prepared to tackle certain types of jobs and occupation (3) guide the person towards a decision-making process to choose a career path that suits their values, interest, abilities and personality style and (4) to help the person become an active manager of his or her career path and become lifelong learners in professional development through his or her life (Herr & Cramer, 1996). There are a number of counseling theories that are used by career counselors today. One of the first and perhaps simpler ways to explore career opportunities and learn problem-solving behavior is through Krumboltzs learning theory pf career counseling (Krumboltz 1979). The social learning theory of career counseling suggests that the interplay of factors such as the genetic endowments and special abilities of the person, the environmental conditions and events, the learning experience of the person and the magnitude of the task at hand has significant impact on the career choices of a person (Krumboltz, 1979; 1994). The perception of the person of his or her abilities can shape his or her choice of a career and may contribute greatly in establishing his or her career beliefs. In some cases, career beliefs become so deeply ingrained in the culture of a community that it now guides the career choice of the person who belongs to such a community (Krumboltz, 1994). A good example of career belief can be seen in the way family members decide to become doctors because their forefathers

Elisa and Ellen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Elisa and Ellen - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that Elisa has quietly asked her boss to consider extending her health benefits to her spouse and this is still in negotiation. Elisa and Ellen have been together for seven years. They are committed same sex partners and they have a home together. They were "married" after five years and they have lived as any heterosexual couple would live. They understand that there are no laws that protect them but Ellen works only part-time because she is also going to school to gain her bachelors degree. Elisas firm offers academic reimbursement and healthcare to the spouses of heterosexual couples but they do not extend them to homosexuals. They do not have to offer these benefits and most do not. Elisa may have to take a few days off from work when Ellen has the baby which would be allowable if they were a heterosexual couple. Elisa will have to take her vacation days if she wants to take off because there are no provisions for partner leave. Most benefits are given to "married couples" when someone works in a job and gays and lesbians cannot marry in most states. Beyond healthcare and leave, there are other issues of retirement income. Currently Ellen would not be able to collect retirement benefits if something happened to Elisa because they are not married. Although Elisa can make Ellen the beneficiary there are no laws that would give her the retirement if someone from Elisas family would contest it.

Quantitative and Qualitative How smartphones influence teenagers in EF Research Paper

Quantitative and Qualitative How smartphones influence teenagers in EF Cambridge - Research Paper Example The study will aim at carrying out a study of Smartphones in the teenage world. It will also aim at performing the study how Smartphones have affected the daily lives of teenagers at EF Cambridge. Teenagers feel that Smartphones reduce their work load. For instance, Smartphones allow teenagers to slide their screens effortlessly rather than tapping keys like conventional phones. Smartphones have applications like facebook, twitter, whatsap, and other social sites that help in the creation of new friendships (Zheng and Lionel 2006, p.1). Alternatively, Smartphones seem to have created more problems because teenagers have become lonesome, exposure to bullying, and exam cheating. The study gained more information from journals and books on Smartphones and their markets. The study used questionnaires as the main method of collecting data for the study. The questionnaires contained two sections; the first section required teenagers at EF Cambridge to give their views toward the pros and cons of utilizing Smartphones. The second section of the questionnaires required several teenagers who did not own Smartphones to give their reasons and the present trend of owning Smartphones. One hundred and twenty (120) teenagers took part in the study but only 100 questionnaires were received. The study possessed several limitations. The data collected was inadequate to give a definite answer regarding the influence of smart phones amongst teenagers at EF Cambridge. The study occurred between 120 students whereby only 100 return their questionnaires. The number of participants was very small to represent the high number of teenagers in EF Cambridge. Hingorani, Woodard, and Askari-Danesh (2012), p.33) all from Alabama State University discovered that smart phones have become powerful gadgets amongst young people compared to computers. Sarwar and Soomro (2013, 217) discovered that mobile communication has

Travel Agency HR Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Travel Agency HR Plan - Research Paper Example As such the key concerns for every human resources department have always been job satisfaction, employee commitment and motivation which are the determinants of the level of performance and job growth. The resources based approach to the role of human resources management proposes that the company has a competitive advantage if it can effectively execute its human resources strategy. As such the human resources strategy serves certain functions including creating competitive advantage. The focus of the firm’s competitive edge is the potential for effective and efficient execution of the production process. This is mainly associated with the firm’s workforce and how the workforce responds to the firm’s objectives and goals. People management The organisation’s human resources strategy ensures that the employees remain objective to the firm’s overall goals and objectives. Each employee has their own personal goals and objectives which are either simi lar or different from those of the organisation. The human resources strategy ensures that the employee aims and objectives are incorporated in the mission and objectives of the organisation. Job growth. ... This acts as a motivation mechanism for the employees by driving their efforts towards a particular achievable and well laid out objective. 2. Challenges in the implementation Change management in the organisation has always presented serious concerns to the human resources department. The implementation of the human resources strategy will therefore be confronted by the resistance to change among the employees who are not as willing to adjust to the new strategy. Further the new human resources strategy will require the managers to change their systems of administration and instruction to allow for the adoption and effective implementation of the new strategy. The new strategy also requires a particular skill set that acts as the basis for the allocation of duties and responsibilities. As such not many employees bear these skills. This causes the projections of the strategy to deviate from the practically possible results. The recruitment of the new employees will also create new tr aining costs to ensure that the employees maintain a strict standard of responsibility to the strategy. Finally the production line of the travel agency has an industry best practice standard which is commonly used among the travel agencies. Any deviation from the common standards creates doubts of actual effectiveness. 3. The purpose of HR metrics and their effect on senior management Human resources metrics are the series of factors and circumstances that allow the organisation to quantify the participation of the human resources as resources to the business. The effective implementation of corporate strategy depends on the ability to effectively manage the organisation (Lawler, Levenson, and Boudreau 2004). The

Contemporary Issue in Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Contemporary Issue in Accounting - Essay Example Correspondingly, managers have control but possess relatively small (if any) residual claims.’(Stephen G. Marks, 10 August, 2007, page 694)1 It is said that ‘corporations are easy to create but hard to understand.’(Robert Hessen, 1999-2000)2 The working style of corporations change as such organizations become larger and larger, as only then the intricacies of its decisive feature of separation of ownership and control come to the fore. Apparently this separation of control from ownership feature is the delegation of power from shareholders to managers in best of interests of residual claimants, but this delegation of power also bring a number of complexities and disadvantages for owners that ultimate benefits from it seem so small that entire exercise appear like playing in the hands of managerial omnipotence. However ‘it is argued that separation of ownership and control and managerial omnipotence must be distinguished. While the separation of ownership and management can be explained as a result of the search for efficient capital formation, managerial omnipotence can be understood as the unintended result of government regulations originally designed to protect shareholders’ property rights from managerial opportunistic behaviors.†( Padilla, Alexandre and Kreptul, Andrei, 5 may 2004)3 In fact, ‘Adolf Berle and Gardiner Means coined the phrase ‘the separation of ownership and control’ in their landmark 1932 book The Modern Corporation and Private Property and it remained the most widely used expression in the voluminous literature on corporate governance. It refers to their observation that during the 1920s the structure of ownership in large corporations changed from traditional arrangement of owners managing their own companies to one in which shareholders had become so numerous and dispersed that they were no longer willing or able to manage the corporations they owned.’(Donald G. Margotta, Jan- Feb

Strategic Initiatives Required of easyJet plc to maintain its Dominant Dissertation

Strategic Initiatives Required of easyJet plc to maintain its Dominant Market Share in the United Kingdom - Dissertation Example The venture failed, being squeezed out by the established airlines, but the concept remained and was revived in the 1980s, when deregulation in the airline industry in the U.S.A. witnessed Southwest airlines using this strategy to gain dominance in the domestic market. Liberalization in the airline market by the European Commission resulted in this concept reviving in the European sector in the 1990s. Consequently, â€Å"no frills airlines† sprung up by the mid-1990s in the United Kingdom and began dominating the European Market. easyJet came into being in 1995 as the brainchild of the Cypriot businessman Stelios Haji Ioannou, having a background steeped in the shipping industry. The early days of easyJet did not witness much success in proving to be a profitable venture. However, between the period 1998 to 2002 easyJet demonstrated the hunger and drive for larger market share and profitability through an impressive record of raising its 77 million pound turnover and 5.9 milli on pound profitability to 582 million pound turnover and 71.6 million pound profitability over this period. Strategic initiatives in the form of mergers and acquisitions of competitors and brand extension resulted in easyJet rising to a dominant market position in the United Kingdom market (Homer & Swarbrooke, 2004). ... Such a study would add to the body of knowledge of strategic management, providing insight into sustaining competitive advantage. 3. Literature Review easyJet has its headquarters in Luton England, providing direct employment to 7,300 people that include 1,900 pilots and 4,300 cabin crew. It has revolutionized the manner in which people in Europe travel for business or for pleasure. It has led the way in utilizing the Internet as means of providing convenience in ticketing and quick dissemination of information. It operates on more than 540 routes in Europe with its 196 aircraft. In 2010 it carried fifty million passengers. It has strong market positions in key markets in Europe. It holds the dominant position at Gatwick, Milan and Geneva and is a strong contender in Paris (easyJet plc, 2011). The business and financial highlights of easyJet for the year 2010 shows a total revenue of 2,973.1 million pounds, profit before tax of 154.0 million pounds, return on equity of 8.6% and retur n on capital of 8.8%. easyJet has demonstrated continuing growth, with passenger numbers up by 7.9% and total revenue per seat up by 5.1% (easyJet plc, 2011). With the passing of each year easyJet’s market position in the European short haul aviation sector has only grown stronger. In the first half of 2010 it increased its market share from 6.5% to 7.6% (easyJet plc, 2010). easyJet has demonstrated how to use the resource based model to attain competitive edge and success in the business world. In its initial days it imitated this business model used by Southwest Airlines of U.S.A. which was characterized by use of one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737; catering to short haul needs; no

Tort Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tort Law - Case Study Example Charman argued that the book was defamatory. The judge decided that the book as a whole would mean that Charman had abused his position by committing substantial fraud as a police officer in collusion with a fraudster from whom Charman and a fellow police officer received payments. The judge find the defence of qualified privilege without merit stating that although the problem of corruption in the police force was a matter of public interest, the subject books were neither "reportage" nor responsible journalism because the author's approach was not able to achieve the necessary neutral balance. Both the appellants argued that the judge committed an error in rejecting the responsible journalism defence. In allowing the appeal, the court ruled that the reportage defence would be established where the effect of the report as a whole was not to adopt the truth of what was being said but to record the fact that the statements that were defamatory were made.2 The instant case was a long way from the confines of reportage properly understood because a defining characteristic of reportage was missing. The book was not written to report the fact that allegations of corruption were made against Charman and the fact that he denied them and accused the investigating officers of plotting against him. The whole effect of the book was, as its sub-title made plain, to tell the inside story of Scotland Yard's battle against police corruption and that tale included Charman's alleged corruption. The book was not a neutral, disinterested report, even if the excerpts reported were factually accurate. Furthermore, it was stated that the application of the Reynolds principles had recently been clarified by the House of Lords in Jameel v Wall Street Journal Europe3 such that if the publication, including the defamatory statement, passed the public interest test, the inquiry then shifted to whether the steps taken to gather and publish the information were responsible and fair. In assessing the responsibility of the article, weight had to be given to the professional judgment of the journalist. The Reynolds principles were not intended to present an onerous obstacle to the media in the discharge of their function. Proper care was the essence of responsible journalism and the test was whether the author acted with proper professional responsibility and his assertion that he did not intend to convey the imputated words was a relevant fact to consider.4 The judge thus erred in not considering the book as whole and failing to consider what the author omitted in his editorial judgment. Applying the Reynolds principles in the light of Jameel, the court ruled that the author's writings wer e responsible journalism. Hence, the passages in the book complained by Charman were protected by qualified privilege. In unanimously upholding the Wall Street Journal Europe's appeal in the abovementioned Jameel case, the House of Lords has breathed new life into the doctrine of qualified privilege and has reanimated its decision in Reynolds v Times Newspapers.5 The decision has been widely welcomed, especially in light of the hesitant application of the Reynolds doctrine by our lower courts over the last seven years. It is fitting that such a decision came in a case related to perhaps the most important and newsworthy story of the 21st century so far, namely the events of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath. Jameel contains some strong statements in support

Animal welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal welfare - Essay Example This report highlights some of the best and worst farming trends in European countries and discusses the effects of such practices on the welfare of the animal. Further, it suggests good farming practices and some alternative to fast animal farming. The report concludes that while organic farming of animals is often costly, most people prefer such meat products. Animal welfare is defined as the care for the physical and mental wellbeing of animals in general by having proper farming practices that take into account the animal’s â€Å"species, its size, weight, age, and sex†. While most laws have made cruelty against animals illegal, the mare absence of cruelty does not define animal welfare. In Great Britain the government has appointed an a wholly independent body (Farm Animal Welfare Council-FAWC) that comes up with acceptable definitions and standards with regards to treatment of farm animals. FAWC defines animal welfare in terms of conditions of stay of farm animal- their shelter, food, space. Such definitions are always in line with the Five Freedoms of animal. The five freedoms of animal welfare outline five preconditions of a good animal welfare system: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom to from fear and distress. These clamor for animal welfare has become a great debate especially now with the increasingly fast food world where the demand for some animal meat, like chicken, has outstripped natural production cycles. It is estimated that in the Great Britain alone, over 850 million broiler chickens are reared each year, and approximately 26 chickens are slaughtered every second (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2010). In fact, over the past thirty years, the demand for chicken meat has been exponentially rising which makes poultry farming a very viable commercial activity. And like

Load Sheding In Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Load Sheding In Pakistan Essay There are number of problems which exist in Pakistan,among these problem Load sheeding is the one major problem of Pakistan .There are several reasons of Load shedding.Here we discussed few of them and then its effect on the Pakistan.The first main reason of load shedding is energy crisis,these crisis are due to small number of dams or may be due to miss use of electricity or may be some other reasons also effect,a huge number of person used electricity without pay its bill so it also cause load shedding in Pakistan. In presence of load shedding progress is not possible in Pakistan.Here we also discussed about some problem which happens due to Load shedding.load shedding in pakistan essay is discussed here. The first problem which happened due to load shedding is the failure of industry in Pakistan .This effect badly on all types of industry.In mini industry there is no alternative source of electricity so when load shedding started these industries stop their work.In big industry although they have a source of electricity but if they produce electricity from their own source then its cost become very high.So due to this work is not done in any type of industry.But the mot badly effected industry is the electronic industry.So due to this no investor invest on industry in Pakistan and day by bay Pakistan goes down rapidlly. Another problem which exist due to load shedding is the business in markets due to this markets also effected, no work done mostly in night time.Although many problems occurred in day time but some business has to be done but in night time all shops in markets closed.So economically its has very worst effect on Pakistan.As every one know that students are ingredient for the progress of any country but major bad effect occurred on studies is due to load shedding, students do not decide proper time for their studies. Basically Pakistan is a agricultural country most of Pakistan economy depend on its agriculture Due to load shedding , water problem damaged the crops.There are many other aspect through which load shedding effect on agriculture.

Critical Social Work And Its Values Analysis Social Work Essay

Critical Social Work And Its Values Analysis Social Work Essay The essay analyses theories underpinning and key elements of critical social work and its values. An exploration of counselling as a form of social work practice and how it is influenced by the critical social work approach will be included. Examples from practice experience/ literature and the influence of inequalities, power and social divisions will be discussed. The views of service users and their contribution towards the practice will also be take into account in the essay. Payne (2005) traces social work in the UK back to the 19th century as a community and charitable activity to support the disadvantaged and poor. From the charitable and community origins it developed into a broader field. Jordan (2004) cited in Collins (2009) believes social work owes its origins to Christian morality than a commitment to social problems affecting individuals. Following the economic crisis in the UK in the 1970s due to escalating oil prices social issues like poor housing, unemployment, and poverty and homelessness social work shifted and broadened its focus and tried to address social issues and problems. Adams et al (2005). Adams et al (2009) mentions that in attempting to address social problems, disadvantage and inequalities social work practitioners have drawn knowledge and ideas from various disciplines such as sociology, psychology, philosophy and politics. From this multi-disciplinary knowledge base the underpinning ideology was anti oppressive principle which provides theoretical tools to understand intervene and respond to the complex experience of oppression. This means social work practitioners have a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to challenge inequalities and disadvantage (Payne 2005). Fook (2002) claims that critical practice can be traced and associated with radical social work in the 1960s-70s deriving ideas from Marxist theory. Marx analysed the capital society he lived in Germany and argued that the structures within society derived from the economy and the changes in the industrial revolution influenced some people to be more powerful and others not. Individuals were restrained by the demands of capitalism. Marx highlighted issues of class and class struggle where there is a struggle between powerful and powerless resulting in different societal classes. Those in power will seek to retain it mostly by exploitation of the powerless. Thompson (2006) affirms that society comprises of a diverse range of people in which social divisions emerge which in turn forms the societal structures which networks relationships, institutions and groupings. These groupings determine, control and regulate the distribution of power, privilege, status and opportunities resulting in social stratification and dimensions. From these groupings however it is important to mention that unfairness, inequality and oppression is witnessed in the group of people who are vulnerable and marginalised. Radical social work upheld the following themes: structural analysis of personal problems, ongoing social critique mainly focusing on oppressive ideas/practice and goals of self emancipation and social change. Parallel to these traditions empowering and anti-oppressive practice to participation in research and community work Adams et al (2005). Several key principles were shared from radical critiques to present critical social work which are: challenging dominant forces and oppression in all forms, a critique of positivist ideas and the need to challenge dominant constructed ways of knowing by developing other ways of knowing. This would be achieved through recognising that knowledge may reflect reality but may also be socially constructed through language and ideology. In order to create more/new knowledge self reflection and interaction are essential tools using communication processes Allan et al (2009). Moya et al (2009) believes that critical thinking was further enhanced by Marxism through academics from the Frankfurt School of Sociologists (Horkeimer (1979), Adorno and Horkeimer, (1979) and Marcuse (1964) from the 1920s/30s and Habermas (1984, 1987)s writing in the late twentieth century. The sociologists held that social interpretation was based on assumptions of a fixed social order mainly derived from religion, politics and social beliefs. When this order is rejected and challenged, sociologists believed that this would enhance knowledge of the environment which makes individuals more effective. Gerth and Mills (1948) and Durkeim (1972) cited in Harrington (2005) established that if we understand how social relationships work we would be able to achieve our objectives in society. This is how critical thinking in modernist way is about and it was termed modernism but has expanded and embraced other theories concerned with transformation and social change. Gray and Webb (2008) argue that critical theory is shifting from the Frankfurt school but at the same time it has not defined its critical base. Allan et al (2003); Fook (2002); Healey (2000) acknowledge that there is tension in defining critical theory as it comprises different theories, some argue that it is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of theories and approaches including Marxist, radical, feminist, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory, post colonial, critical constructivist and structural perspectives. This suggests that there are many theories although different they all try to understand the r elationship between an individual and society. Thus critical practice involves ones judgement in a reflective and diverse manner Adams et al (2009). Critical practice involves exploring different options in a situation or actions in judging the best way to address issues. The practitioner would review their ideas, perspectives and options of others before deciding a best way forward. This is underpinned by the fact of accepting change and continuity as practitioners encounter different situations and ideas. Payne et al (2005) further mentions that in order to fulfil the requirements of critical practice which include liberation and empowerment social workers need an open mind, reflective stance that encompasses diverse perspectives, experience and assumptions. This would result in acknowledging individual differences, equal opportunity and respect. Fook and Garner (2007) further identify three aspects of critical practice which are critical thinking, critical action and reflexivity as essential tools to apply when seeking social justice and change. From these theories we can trace the ideas of critical perspective and acknowledge that the powerless can influence policy, societal views and self emancipation from the oppressors. An example of theoretical development implemented by service users was the theorising of disability from the medicalised interpretation to social model of disability. This shift was championed by disabled peoples movements to express how they felt and were treated for more than a century. This shift and theory influenced societal attitudes, influenced policies and to some extent changed societal attitudes in UK and abroad. Abberley (1998); Barnes, (1998). Morris, (1993) supports this by mentioning that the disability movement has overhauled societal perceptions and upheld disabled peoples rights to live independently, promote anti discriminatory practice, fairness and equal opportunities. Systems theory is another major theoretical source underpinning social work. The theory emphasised that peoples existence is determined by the environment they live or grow in. It highlighted that peoples problems are a result of how they interact with their resource systems which are either formal or informal. The informal include friends, neighbours and colleagues. The formal include support groups/ social clubs and associations. The public/ societal include housing, hospitals, work and school which provide certain structure or particular function in society. The system theory encourages growth and provides a wider range of solutions to problems by identifying areas of improvement or needing improvement. However it is said not to be acknowledging power differences within society and with different roles Adams et al (2009). Coulshed and Orme, (1998) clarifies that the nature of diversity in society makes it difficult to be entirely dependent on one theory or approach. Different situ ations and different circumstances entail different approaches through reflective practices and perspectives. Harris and White (2009) further explored events and changes within the welfare state from administering to managing the welfare state. They observed that the Conservative 1979 -1997 and Labour 1997-2010 were influenced by neo-liberalist ideas. This idea upheld the belief that market was superior to the state and as such professionals including social workers were meant to implement competitive government policy and approaches to meet global standards. These changes affected the vulnerable people in society as well because managers had been given the powers to speak on their behalf. These changes, debates and contradictions have put social work practice into a contested dilemma profession although this definition states that Social work is a profession that promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. (International Federation of Social Workers, 2000 p1). Parton (1998) points out that the present political environment is dominantly global, modernized and authoritarian. As such policies are informed and regulated by market principles which prescribes and narrows professional boundaries which affects the rights of service users. In order to achieve their objectives social workers need to challenge and resist the authoritarian elements by employing critical practice. Fook (2002) articulate that critical social work practice should be concerned with promoting a society without domination, exploitation and oppression. In order to achieve these practitioners need to reflect, reconstruct, deconstruct and unpack more processes for change through careful negotiation within the dominant framework. Many critical social theorists have challenged the existence of a social order and have questioned social order as evidenced in the work of Habermas (1984, 1987) who distinguishes between the system and the life world which interact and sometimes conflict with each other. The system represents the structures like the government departments, transnational companies emerging from globalisation, ideas promoted by communicative reasoning, education and media. All these structures are relaying a world view through different reasoning. As such social work is not excluded as an agent of systematic managerialism in agencies Pease (2005). Fook (2002) and Gardner (2007) proposed alternative forms of critical theory which are feminism and post modernism. They focus on the understanding that the world reflects personal experience and social historical context. They argue that personal experience constructs and is constructed by the world we live in. They advocate to listening to peoples experiences (narratives) seriously and from these we can hear how they view and experience the world in different ways. Powell (2001) suggests that feminists maintain that the narration of experiences by individuals gives us a clue on how they construct the world and how they want to engage with their problems and situations. Thus postmodernists say there is an alternative way of viewing the world than what it seems to be. Post-modernity argue there is a different way of viewing the world and different ways to deal with societal problems hence critical social work seeks for different options and take the best way forward. Adams et al (2009) suggests that in order to seek the best way forward social workers are encouraged to adopt the eclectic approach which entails selecting crucial aspects from different theories and blend them together as one approach. Alternatively they can use different theories for different cases. This has an advantage of addressing inadequacies in particular theories as they compensate one another. However there are also limitations as to master different theories and selecting crucial aspects may be difficult. It might as well be difficult to select the appropriate theory to use in the first place. To overcome these limitations Epstein (1992) suggested that continuous reflection, agreement, debate and teamwork would encourage flexibility in complex issues. Milner and Obyrne (1998) propose that in trying to address social injustices and inequality social work uses a variety of skills and knowledge based on theory perspective and methodology. This empowers social workers to put in place intervention which is appropriate to individual circumstances. This intervention empowers social workers with skills to engage service users to bring positive outcomes. Banks (2001) holds that values are diverse, may overlap, can conflict and socially constructed. Traditional social work and critical social work values overlap and are based on Biestek 1961 and consist of the following: Individualism, non judgemental, self determination, purposeful expression and controlled emotional development. In post modernity terms these can be interpreted to promotion of social justice, emancipation, anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory, empowerment, non judgemental and respect and dignity. Above all the language used may affect the way we interpret the world resulting in assumptions, overrepresentation or misrepresentation of issues and ideas, Adam et al (2009). Critical social work as discussed explores the best way forward to individuals problems and seeks to listen and engage with the individual to tell their story and work in partnership to find the best way forward. The limitation is critical social work is surrounded by external forces which are beyond it control, for example resources in the current economic climate globally and at home. It is also criticised as its values and origins are Eurocentric and do not represent universal circumstances as what seems to work in UK might not necessarily work in Afro/ Asian communities. For example the issue of confidentiality is valued and essential in UK and Europe whereas in Afro Asian cultures they value kinship support in times of distress. However they would not want anyone else outside the kinship clique to know about their situation. This brings interpretation problems to confidentiality Morley (2003). In order for all these theories to be implemented there should be contact with individuals in society who experience inequality and disadvantage. Furthermore it is also important to mention at this point that social work intervention and practice is broad and spreads into other disciplines. Group work, Counselling, Advocacy and Assessment are examples of different forms of practising social work. I will not focus on the broadness of disciplines but will focus on the aims of the essay which are to explore how the critical social work approach influences counselling. Counselling requires a lot of skills and approaches as it seeks to address and resolve individual dilemmas, decision making and resolving issues. According to Dryden (2004:40) cited in Adams et al (2009) counselling is described as principled relationship characteristics by the application of one or more psychological theories and a recognised set of communication skills, modified by experience, intuition and other interpersonal factors, to clients intimate concerns, problems or aspirations. Its predominant ethos is one of facilitation rather than of advice-giving or coercion. It may be of very brief or long duration, take place in an organisational or private practice setting and may or may not overlap with practical, medical and other matters of personal welfare. The Barclay report in the early 1980s mentioned that it was essential for social workers to engage in counselling as it helped to engage with individuals to help them manage their problems, worries and anxieties, Barclay Committee,(1982). This is no longer the situation today as noted by Brearley (1995) when he states that political, administrative, legislative changes and ideologies have affected the relationship between counselling and social work. Some social work practitioners are in dilemma as to whether they can do counselling or not and where to start with counselling and when to stop. Because social workers operate in a legislative, organisational, ideological, value and ethical context it is becoming increasingly difficult to engage in counselling without pushing boundaries, Furthermore the economic environment, budget cuts and lack of resources makes it difficult to manoeuvre and employ uncontested interventions McLeod (2009). However despite the above constraints social workers at some point carry out counselling as not carrying it out would render their job inadequate and inefficient. McLeod (1998) identified a number of counselling theories which are Person centred, Existential, Cognitive Behavioural (CBT), Motivational, Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Karpmans (1969) Drama triangle and Eclectic or Integrative approaches. Some of the theories have been criticised as inadequate and resource straining. One approach that is complimentary to social work is the eclectic/ integrative approach. Integrative theory is adaptable to the needs presented by the client or specific circumstances which is flexible and adoptable to client needs. McLeod (2003) supports this statement when he maintains that eclectic approach enables the counsellor to choose the best option and techniques from a range of theories to meet the client needs. It can mean employing different elements from different theories to blend them into a new suitable model or theory. These compliments with one of the social work theory of eclecticism which seeks to integrate different theories to intervene (Adams, 2009). It can be argued that the aims of social work and the aims of counselling are both focusing on individuals and their interaction with the society, problems they face and how they solve them. As Egan (2006) puts it and complimented by Coulshed and Orme (2006) social workers adopt skills that compliment counselling skills such as empathy or understanding, respect, self knowledge and acceptance and honest. Although there are criticisms on Egans work as being ignorant of psychodynamic ideas meaning it has limited application and effectiveness. A reflective practitioner would seek to promote social justice, anti -oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice based on knowledge to promote inclusive practice. Both professions are being challenged by increasing literature developing and need to engage in best, critical and anti discriminatory practice to reach all individuals and communities Morley (2003). My privilege in practice working with clients is that I have acquired knowledge and on values of social work issues and intervention. I also have a black African background which has some conflicting values to social work. I will focus on the social work values to overcome any prejudices and biases which may jeopardise my work. I also have the law on my side which would give me power to intervene and practice. In my experience as a caseworker at Refugee Action (RA) I used counselling as a technique to working with clients. Clients from different background accessed the service to resolve their immigration matters. Mostly the approach we used was the integrative approach which meant that the outcomes met the needs of individual circumstances. I did not allow my own values and prejudices to influence my practice. The advantage of having my own values and knowledge made it easy for me to overcome any prejudices and stereotypes towards my clients. As a person from an African background with different values from those of the British society, it was easy for me to understand how it is to be in the clients shoes. I also observed that Muslim women preferred to work with female caseworkers and male Muslims preferred male caseworkers. They appeared not comfortable working with people from the opposite sex and tended to withhold information if that was the case. I therefore ensured Muslim clients were assisted by a person of preferred gender. Above all I applied the Narrative approach which solicits encouragement to clients to tell their stories. This enabled me to explore clients situation at their own pace and actively listened to assess and establish the real problem in the situation. Carniola (2005) observed that social workers are in the right direction of developing critical consciousness about the psychological impact of oppression on individuals. He further expressed that there is concern on the degree of awareness among social workers on the impact of privilege or dominant status on individuals subjectivities and world views. Rossitter (2000) concurs that the position/ impact and ways in which professionals engage with clients is overlooked and underestimated as they possess a certain class in the form of gender, race, and sexual privilege. Having explored critical social work practice and theories underpinning it, it is important to acknowledge that there is continuous transformation and contest within the academic field and socio-political arena. This is greatly impacting on vulnerable people and how they are treated and marginalised in issues affecting their lives. If the values of critical social work could be fulfilled and the theories underpinning it are integrated social work and counselling would be forces for change to promote social justice.

Burger King Operation Strategy Analysis

Burger King Operation Strategy Analysis Operation Strategies Todays operation managers must have a global view of operation strategy. As the barriers such as cultural, religious, political that constrain the productivity across the countries disappear, simultaneous advances are being made in technology, reliable shipping, and cheap communication. The unsurprising result is the growth of world trade, global capital markets, and the international movement of people which drive the globalization. It is not surprising that fast food sales are doing so well in this generation. Fast food is a fast and inexpensive food choice for everyone no matter youngster or elder. Although there are many criticisms about the fast food, they remain favorites from the consumers around the world. They have more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and in 73 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Burger King known as the second largest fast-food chain around the world which is a reputation of which they should be proud. Understand the Environment (SWOT) There are many fast-food restaurants around the world such as McDonalds, KFC, and Wendys. Burger King knows that the potential competitor which is the McDonalds, serve the similar foods as hamburger. McDonalds are doing the multidomestic strategy that can maximize the response to the local market. Besides that, McDonalds have a lot of services and promotions such as the McValue meal, McDelivery, Drive Thru and others. McDonalds are also welcomed by everyone and recognize as the largest fast-foods burger chain. The strengths of the Burger King may include wide selection of menu items and fast and efficiency services. Burger King offers different varieties of menu items and choices for the consumers. It also has a different process in order taking and preparing the orders of the customers. One is where the customers order and one is where the customers collect their foods. This process of order taking and serving is considered very fast and efficient. In contrast, the weaknesses of Burger King are not able to communicate with the customers. It has lesser promotions or advertisement in compare with other fast-food chain. On the other hand, there are the opportunities for Burger King to expand their business internationally. In year 2007, Burger King opened 441 new restaurants around the globe. It also entered into other countries such as Indonesia, Japan, and Egypt. This is the benefit for the company to seek more profit. However, there are also some threats for the company such as potential competitors. Burger king is considered as the second larger fast-food chain next to McDonalds. Price wars, product innovation and growth strategies have increased the competition. Consumer health expectation also another threats for the fast food chain. In this generation, people more concern about the health. Consumers are demanding quality, healthier menu items. Missions An effective operations management effort must have a mission so it knows where it is. The mission states the rationale for the organizations existence and provides the boundaries and focus for the organization and the concept around which the firm can rally. Burger King Corporations mission is: The Burger King Corporation moves proudly into the future with over 50 years of experience tucked safely under our belt. As a brand, our company has never been stronger. Weve got millions of customers, who we love to bits. And our Executive Team, along with each of our individual employees, ensures our customers always receive exceptional, consistent service (as well as burgers, fries and drinks.) The mission statement states that the operations need to fulfill the customers needs, exceed the customers satisfaction and expectations. Besides that, we also found that the values of Burger King (Malaysia) are fairness, diversity, respect, caring, clear accountabilities, teamwork, high standards, commitment to excellence, celebrating their successes. These provide an environment and ethics which can encourage the employees to work with fully commitment. Competitive Advantage and Strategy With the mission established, strategy and its implementation can begin. Strategy is an organizations action plan to achieve the mission. Burger King has employed the differentiation strategies to enhance its profit. The Have It Your Way slogan has encouraged the company to differentiate their products and services. Some of its innovative products are BK Chicken Fries, BK Stacker, BK Value Meal and BK Breakfast. Thus, consumers are given more choices. Furthermore, the efficient services also make customers experiencing the unique dining ways. Besides that, Burger King also competing on response. The drive-through and delivery services promote the quick and flexible response to the customers. Franchising strategy also helps to offer different foods to customers. We explored that Burger King Corporation employed the franchise strategy to expand their business and enhance the profitability. The advantage of this strategy is maximizing a competitive response for the local market. Burger King provides different menus and foods in different countries. For example, American need to eat more in a meal, so the Burger King has served the Double Whopper, Triple Whopper, BK Quad Stacker, which are larger and larger. In addition, Burger King also serves the foods according to the common favor of the citizens. Besides that, for the Burger King Malaysia, they serve the halal foods. Furthermore, vegetarians have been avoiding taking the fast-food; however, in response to the vegetarians, Burger King also has served the BK Veggie which is a vegetarian soy-based meatless sandwich that is served at Burger King Restaurants. Burger King was also the first to offer the drive through services which can make the customers much more convenient to take away their fo ods. It also helped the company can operate in more effective and efficiency manners. All these strategies can have a quick response to the local demand and expectation in order to enhance the profitability. Moreover, this is also the key success factor for Burger King because of the ability to explore the new market and survive for longer time. Some of the Strategic Operation Decisions In the products and services design section, as mentioned earlier, Burger King has designed the products which meet the customers expectations and needs such as the BK Veggie, halal food and others. Burger King also has designed the efficient services such as the drive through. After that, when going into the process, Burger King adopts the make-to-order approach to produce the goods and provide the services. Burger King can customize the products because it builds sandwich one at a time rather than batch-process them. For instance, meat patties will be holding in the steamer after being grilled until an order comes in. Then, the patty is taken out from the steamer and then is added the requested condiments. Finally, the completed sandwich chutes to a counter worker, who gives it to the customer. In contrast, many of Burger Kings competitors, such as McDonalds, apply the make-to-stock. They made a batch of sandwiches in one time with the same ingredients. If a customer wants a sandwich without lettuce, he or she needs to wait for another batch of sandwiches for extra several minutes; however, Burger King can make it in several seconds. Besides that, as a service provider, one must unceasingly look for ways to improve operational efficiency. Burger King has introduced a series of innovations that have helped make the company more efficient and profitable throughout the half century history. For example, Burger King was the first who initiated the drive through service. Location selection is the most important issue when starting or expanding a service business. A poor location can cost the owners and customers because of inaccurate estimation for demand and therefore influence the quality. The first consideration for selecting the location is the ability to attract the customers. The favorite catchphrase for looking a spot for expanding the business which is used by the Burger Kings planners (United States) is Through the light and to the right. In picking a location, Burger Kings planners execute a detailed analysis of demographics and traffic patterns. The most important consideration is the number of cars or people pass by and the population at the specific area. In the United States, Burger King finds for busy intersections, interstate interchanges with easy off and on ramps. Besides that, crowded areas as shopping malls, tourist attractions, downtown business areas, or movie theaters were also the primary concentration for location selection. Public transportation which is very common in Europe makes the planners focus on the subway, train, and bus stops also. Furthermore, for the size and layout option, it is also important for the operation which the size and layout must be designed to attract the customers and make them more convenient while buying, serving, dining, storing and others. In the first three decades, each Burger Kings restaurant had about four thousand square feet of space. Yet the planners decided to reduce the space to continue growing and to meet the customers expectations because the customers tended to be in hurry, and more customers preferred the convenience of drive-through instead of dining in. So, the restaurant trims the size of a restaurant from four thousand square feet to as little as one thousand. The reduction of size had enabled the company to enter the markets that were once cost prohibitive such as airports, center-city areas and even schools. On the other hand, forecasting demand for capacity design is easier for Burger King. Burger King can estimate the sales for a new restaurant by combining its knowledge of customer-service patterns at existing restaurants with information collected about each new location, including the number of cars or people passing the proposed site and the effect of nearby competition. Service organizations emphasize on scheduling workers because of the stability and availability to handle the fluctuating demands. Burger Kings managers not only schedule the workers for peak period such as the three main meal time which are breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also arrange enough workers for other period in between. If the managers staff too many people, labor cost per sales dollar will be too high. If there arent enough employees, customers have to wait in lines. This phenomenon will discourage the customers and make the owner loss the customers and sales. That will also influence the reputation of a company. Scheduling is made easier by information provided by a point-of-sale device built into every Burger King cash register. The register keeps track of every food items sold by the hour, every hour of the day, every day of the week. Thus, to determining the staffing levels for a specific time, managers can set it based on the data provided. Each manager can adjust this forecast to account for other factors, such as current marketing promotions or a local sporting event that will increase customer traffic. Moreover, to do a business, everyone will worry about the inventory control problems such as high holding cost or shortage of inventory that will alter the smoothness of operations. Burger King Corporation has used the technology system which is the point-of-sale registers to track everything sold during a given time and lets each store manager know how much of everything should be kept in inventory. It also makes it possible to count the number of burgers and buns, bags and racks of fries, and boxes of beverage mixes at the beginning or end of each shift. Due to there be fixed numbers of materials or supplies in each box, employees can count boxes and multiply easily. In a consequence, manager also can detect the theft quickly. Ethics and Social Responsibility Burger King Corporation defines corporate responsibility as a strong bottom line to consider the impact of everything they do. These are also the guideline for the company to follow to make sure their business can do well. There are four corporate responsibilities which are commitment to food, commitment to people, Care for the environment and corporate governance. For the commitment to food, Burger King Corporation promises to customize and design more menu options for the customers to meet the individual diets and lifestyles. They will continue to explore the new ways to make their food innovative as well as nutritious. On the other hand, Burger King Corporation also promotes commitment to people. They will continue to distinguish themselves from the competitors by being an exceptional employer. They will accomplish this goal by creating a culture that is bold (innovative thinking), accountable (responsibility to shareholders and franchisees), empowered and fun (commitment). Furthermore, there is also an important issue which is care for the environment. Burger King Corporation also continues to make changes that will be a positive on the environment. They are researching ways to deliver consistent policies and practices across all of their operations globally. They have begun holding Burger King Green Sessions for employees, members of supply chain and others. Furthermore, as importance, Burger King Corporation has committed to purchase beef from suppliers that source only beef that has been raised in environmentally responsible ways. As a result, none of our beef comes from recently deforested tropical rainforests. At last, Burger King Corporation will continuously reinforce their policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the law as well as openness and accountability. Conclusion As conclusion for the operation strategies of Burger King, we found that Burger Kings operations are focusing on the customers site. They always consider about the expectations and demands of all customers include the vegetarians, kids and others. They also provide the efficient services. Both of this can enhance the profit and reputation of the Burger King. In my opinion, this is the potential strengths and strategies of Burger King and that is also a big opportunities to expand their business due to the innovative thinking that will always offer the new products that are welcomed by everyone.

Handspring SWOT Analysis :: Business

Handspring SWOT Analysis Strengths 1. Strong Board of Directors. Jeff Harkins, Donna Dubinsky, and Ed Colligan are considered industry leaders. In fact they had been credited with reviving the handheld computing industry. The Palm Pilot which they developed was the most successful product launch in computing history. 2. Good brand identity, strong reputation. By the summer of 2000, Handspring had a 40% market share. There was a four month backlog in orders when Handspring first entered market. 3. Integration of hardware and software for ease of use. Handspring had a license for the Palm operating system. Hawkins created what he called a â€Å"virtual company† to bring hardware design and manufacturing companies together to bring the product to market. Also unlike Palm, Handspring had their hardware and software developer working together to develop a communicator that addressed how people actually use their wireless devices. In developing the Treo, Handspring employed ethnographer who observed how people used their cell phones and PDAs. 4. A company with focused products. The Visor line was continued to have a large market share in the PDA user market. The Treo line was to focus on the increasing functionality by combine PDAs with Cell phone technology to become a communicator. 5. Convenience seen in all in one Treo product. Phone + organizer + e-mail + Web Weaknesses 1. Inability to differentiate from competitors. The Palm OS had been licensed to many companies and made up the lion’s share of the PDA business. All of the major competitors have the same OS. 2. Low expertise in other areas and functionality. A Strand Consulting report stated that handspring would have difficulty surviving the smart phone market because the lack experience in the mobile phone market. 3. Profit margins are shrinking despite an 18% increase in sales. This was a result of downward pricing pressures from an increasing amount of competitors. 4. Divided focus of Harkins. Harkins had recently formed the non-profit Redwood Neuroscience Institute to pursue his lifelong passion for brain research. This of course meant that he no longer 100% focus on Handspring. Opportunities 1. The handheld industry is still changing and currently no company is standing on stable ground. Handspring SWOT Analysis :: Business Handspring SWOT Analysis Strengths 1. Strong Board of Directors. Jeff Harkins, Donna Dubinsky, and Ed Colligan are considered industry leaders. In fact they had been credited with reviving the handheld computing industry. The Palm Pilot which they developed was the most successful product launch in computing history. 2. Good brand identity, strong reputation. By the summer of 2000, Handspring had a 40% market share. There was a four month backlog in orders when Handspring first entered market. 3. Integration of hardware and software for ease of use. Handspring had a license for the Palm operating system. Hawkins created what he called a â€Å"virtual company† to bring hardware design and manufacturing companies together to bring the product to market. Also unlike Palm, Handspring had their hardware and software developer working together to develop a communicator that addressed how people actually use their wireless devices. In developing the Treo, Handspring employed ethnographer who observed how people used their cell phones and PDAs. 4. A company with focused products. The Visor line was continued to have a large market share in the PDA user market. The Treo line was to focus on the increasing functionality by combine PDAs with Cell phone technology to become a communicator. 5. Convenience seen in all in one Treo product. Phone + organizer + e-mail + Web Weaknesses 1. Inability to differentiate from competitors. The Palm OS had been licensed to many companies and made up the lion’s share of the PDA business. All of the major competitors have the same OS. 2. Low expertise in other areas and functionality. A Strand Consulting report stated that handspring would have difficulty surviving the smart phone market because the lack experience in the mobile phone market. 3. Profit margins are shrinking despite an 18% increase in sales. This was a result of downward pricing pressures from an increasing amount of competitors. 4. Divided focus of Harkins. Harkins had recently formed the non-profit Redwood Neuroscience Institute to pursue his lifelong passion for brain research. This of course meant that he no longer 100% focus on Handspring. Opportunities 1. The handheld industry is still changing and currently no company is standing on stable ground.

Is Perception Reality? :: essays research papers

Assignment: Is Perception Reality? A few years ago I moved to Arizona. I was to be the office manager of a Real Estate Appraisal firm. Unbeknown to me the Company owed back taxes to Internal Revenue Service. The IRS came in and seized all of the Companies bank accounts and assets. All of a sudden I had to scramble to find a new job. I did not immediately find work as an appraiser but took a job with the Arizona Department of Corrections. What I thought to be true and what the reality was; were two different things. I believed that the individuals incarcerated were being punished and were not able or allowed to do much of anything. Additionally, I believed that they basically sat in a jail cell and read books, drew pictures or wrote letters. I also believed that they were law abiding while in prison. In other words, I believed that they were limited in not being able to break the law. Additionally, I assumed they had virtually no contact with the outside world. I completed some traini ng in self-defense, first aid, conflict resolution, Radio Communications, etc. I was then sent to Cell Block 6 AKA Death Row. This is where my perceptions began to give way to reality. I found that almost every inmate (as called by officers and staff) had a Television and that free cable was provided with many movie channels available. Most had stereos with many CD’s. They were required however, to wear headphones while listening to their music. I was surprised to find that the law mandated many privileges to the incarcerated individuals. Three hot meals a day were served the inmates. Also, family members could send them care packages at Christmas up to about 100 lbs., containing homemade food and clothing items. In addition, there is a prison store that the Incarcerated could order items from. A list of items would be filled out by the inmate with an account # and each week the items would be delivered to them. Many ordered their favorite food items such as; Corn Chips, Twin kies, cookies, candy, etc†¦ Family members could send them money that was deposited to their account for future purchases. If an inmate had no money he could apply for welfare and get money from the state. Family members were also allowed contact visitation on a weekly basis.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay -- Workplace Harassment Essay

Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that makes one feel uncomfortable, fearful or powerless, and interferes with work. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone; male or female, student or adult employee. Sexual harassment has been at the forefront of businesses for years whether it has been brought to court or settled under mediation, it is a constant in our society today. In 1964 Title VII was established in order to prohibit sex discrimination in employment, this didn’t include sexual harassment. After four cases of â€Å"non-sexual harassing† acts deemed sex discrimination sexual harassment was finally recognized in 1986. In the Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson case the Supreme Court saw it as a violation of Title VII and established the standards for analyzing whether the conduct was welcome and levels of employer liability. Finally in 1988 the first-class action sexual harassment lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Minnesota mining employee who described a pattern of harassment and abuse beginning when she went to work there in 1975 in the case of Jensen v. Eveleth Travonite Co. From then sexual harassment would be disputed and fought in court under the Title VII in order to protect the character and capacity of others. The constitution of sexual harassment include the submission to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors etc. either explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of an individual’s employment, submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual used as the basis for employment decision affecting such individual or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or of... ...). European Union Commission Recommendation of 27 November 1991. the protection of the dignity of women and men at work, (p. (L49) 1.). Psychology's voice in sexual harassment law, American Psychological Association (August 1998) Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 578-589 (1997); Fitzgerald, L.F., Swann, S. & Magley, V.J., But Was It Really Harassment? Legal, Behavioral and Psychological Definitions of the Workplace Victimization of Women, in W. O'Donohue (Ed.), Sexual Harassment: Theory, Research and Treatment (1997); and Schneider, K.T., Swann, S. & Fitzgerald, L.F., Job-related and psychological effects of sexual harassment in the workplace: empirical evidence from two organizations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 401-415 (1997)). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay -- Workplace Harassment Essay Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that makes one feel uncomfortable, fearful or powerless, and interferes with work. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone; male or female, student or adult employee. Sexual harassment has been at the forefront of businesses for years whether it has been brought to court or settled under mediation, it is a constant in our society today. In 1964 Title VII was established in order to prohibit sex discrimination in employment, this didn’t include sexual harassment. After four cases of â€Å"non-sexual harassing† acts deemed sex discrimination sexual harassment was finally recognized in 1986. In the Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson case the Supreme Court saw it as a violation of Title VII and established the standards for analyzing whether the conduct was welcome and levels of employer liability. Finally in 1988 the first-class action sexual harassment lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Minnesota mining employee who described a pattern of harassment and abuse beginning when she went to work there in 1975 in the case of Jensen v. Eveleth Travonite Co. From then sexual harassment would be disputed and fought in court under the Title VII in order to protect the character and capacity of others. The constitution of sexual harassment include the submission to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors etc. either explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of an individual’s employment, submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual used as the basis for employment decision affecting such individual or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or of... ...). European Union Commission Recommendation of 27 November 1991. the protection of the dignity of women and men at work, (p. (L49) 1.). Psychology's voice in sexual harassment law, American Psychological Association (August 1998) Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 578-589 (1997); Fitzgerald, L.F., Swann, S. & Magley, V.J., But Was It Really Harassment? Legal, Behavioral and Psychological Definitions of the Workplace Victimization of Women, in W. O'Donohue (Ed.), Sexual Harassment: Theory, Research and Treatment (1997); and Schneider, K.T., Swann, S. & Fitzgerald, L.F., Job-related and psychological effects of sexual harassment in the workplace: empirical evidence from two organizations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 401-415 (1997)).

Why we shouldn’t have more school days

The roots to education are bitter, but the fruit Is sweet. † unfortunately, our fruit hasn't become the sweetest. The recent Programmer for International Student Assessment (PISA) has shown that although the US may spend the most on Its students, we aren't all high and mighty. U. S students ranked 36 In Math, 28 in Science, and 24 in Language Arts. Shanghai, China ranked number one in every subject. You have proposed many times before on extending school hours or days to help students reach their full potential.I wish it were that simple, but nothing comes to us that easily. If this were to happen, it would surpass the real reasons we aren't ranking high enough. Let's take a look at high ranking countries such as Finland, Australia, and of course China. China Is number one, but also very high on another list. China's suicide rate Is among the highest In the world, ranking number 6. When you add more school, you add more stress. Students are stressed out enough with trying to be that perfect body they see In the magazines. School shouldn't add onto that, school should be a unforgettable and fun learning environment for kids.In China, falling Is not an option. You must attend school 260 days a year and if you con not, a parent steps in place to take notes for you. That is no way to live. Students are put under so much pressure they think the only way to be freed is to take their own life. Education and intelligence isn't worth it at the cost of someone's life. Both countries ranked significantly lower on the list of countries by suicide rate, Finland ranking at 22 and Australia ranking at 50. Although Peru, ranked last on the PISA, they ranked 99 on the sit of countries by suicide rate. It isn't worth the risk.As If school wasn't hard enough! School breaks are treasured by families because It Is the only time they really have together. Family time Is cherished by many and overlooked by many. I am one of the people that cherishes family time. With family tha t lives in the randomness parts of the country, I count down until breaks to be given the opportunity to wrap my arms around them again. Parents have jobs, students have homework, and after school activities. All the more reason to cherish family time. Whether you like it or not, they are your family, and you can't get rid of them.You are pretty much stuck with them so why would you take away the fun memories? Lastly, three simple words: quality over quantity. It doesn't matter how many school hours we have or school days. It how we spend that time Is what matters. Ever since I can remember, I have always spent my time In school preparing for a standardized test. These evil green monsters bring more stressed, but that Is a completely different topic. In Finland, they only take one standardized test when they are 16. Finnish schools have an educational system the US should new.In Finland students have smaller class sizes, and have little to know homework. Whereas in China, they were very well mannered students that wear uniform, learn in large class sizes, and have many hours of homework when they return home. Finland ranked 12 in Math, 5 in Science, and 6 in Language Arts. The Finnish education system has to be doing something right. They even have the same amount of school days as us, thus proving the amount of time spent in school isn't the greatest factor even if other states have men improvement.Speaking of same amount of school days, we have the same amount of days as Australian children. But instead of having a long two month break, they have smaller breaks given each season throughout the year. Australia ranked 19 in Math, 16 in Science, and 13 in Language Arts, all ranks are better than ours. Even Peru, that ranked last in every subject, has the same amount of school days as us. It is all about what we doing the time we have not the actual amount. In summation, school can be stressful, we should cherish family time, and it is all bout quality over quan tity.You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you don't share your intelligence, it is put to waste. As you can see, its not about the hours or the days. In order to fix the dent in our system, we can't Just put a piece of duct tape and call it a day. We have to investigate and connect the correct wires. These wires include such things like the school environment and students working to their full potential. We will get better in time, our system Just needs a few tweaks. Sincerely, Alexandra

Organization Behavior and Leadership Essay

The Expectancy Theory of Motivation One of the most widely accepted theories of motivation is Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. â€Å"Expectancy theory argues that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual.† (Robbins & Judge, 2007, p.208) [i] In other words, employees will have the motivation to put forth a strong effort, if: They believe the effort will give them positive recognition. (This is called the â€Å"effort-performance† relationship.) That positive recognition must then lead to some kind of desirable reward, such as more money or an increase in status or power. (This is called the â€Å"performance-reward† relationship.) That reward must also be something that fulfills a personal goal for the employee. (This is called the â€Å"rewards-personal goals† relationship.) All three components need to be present for an individual to exert the kind of effort needed to be considered an intense motivation for action and performance of a duty or task. Let’s consider the following example: A company that produces a high quality audio products has recently introduced a new production process in an effort to help the employees meet a goal of high production standards. Supervisor A’s team of employees are not doing well with the production process. Some do not strive to master the process, those that have mastered it are not putting forth effort to reach the goals, and even top-producers don’t seem interested in achieving the goals. After speaking to some of Supervisor A’s team, Supervisor B has discovered that the following concerns are expressed by the team: Some do not feel they can be successful because they believe lack the dexterity needed to implement the process. Some feel that it is not worth the putting forth the extra effort to reach the goals because there is no difference in salary increase for those that meet the goals and those that do not. They believe that performance has to be very slow before it affects the rate of pay. They also say that when a bonus is given, after the withholdings are taken out, the bonus is so small that overtime actually is seen as better way to earn more money than trying to earn a bonus. This scenario lends itself to the perfect situation to implement the expectancy theory of motivation. The employees feel: That there is no recognition for achieving the goal. That there is no reward for achieving the goal. Since there is no recognition or reward, there is no opportunity for employees to evaluated their personal goals to see if reaching the performance goal will help to fulfill a personal goal. The company could implement the expectancy theory by enacting the following steps: Create a specific recognition for those that master process. For those that master the process bonuses can be implemented that exceed those monetary rewards that overtime would bring. Personally interview each employee to discover what their employment goals are and create a personalized plan to reach those goals, make mastering the process one of those steps needed to reach the personal goal. This plan would address all three components of the expectancy theory. However the plan should not be created as one-time policy implementation. Rather it should be tested and evaluated to discover what rewards and recognitions created the most effective levels of motivation. ——————————— [ i ]. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organization behavior. (12 ed., p. 208). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Schedule

Brian Tran Dr. U. Lynn Jones GOVT 2302 – S11 November 8, 2012 Court Observation Paper For my court observation, I was able to sit in a Texas State District Court. The judge of the court I observed was Honorable Judge Etta J. Mullin. Everything was pretty much what I expected to see. I wasn’t expecting anything outrageous to happen like on the television. I was expecting everything to be very professional and very boring, like watching the C-SPAN channel. The walls were a dull brown color and most of the furniture was wooden.The Judge sat on a little stand and next to the stand was a seat where people would go to present evidence or tell stories under oath. On the Judge’s right side, there were two rows of seats that the Jury would sit in. There were police officer standing in the room and people sitting down in the audience like me. I couldn’t tell if they were just spectators in the audience, or family/friends of the people on trial. When I first entered the courtroom, I walked in the middle of a court case. Most of the court cases were pretty straight forward. People pleaded guilty and the Judge moved on to the next case.The most interesting case was an assault because it was assault. The defendant of this case also pleaded guilty, but afterwards the Judge talked with the lawyer to discuss what sort of punishment or jail time he should receive. Because there were three counts of assault, the defendant was fined $40,000 and 3 years of community service. I thought it seemed fairly reasonable since the one of the victims suffered injuries such as skull fractures. I, however don’t think that I am experienced enough to know what is considered a good punishment for a crime. Other cases were simple things, like people being caught with possession of marijuana.The penalty for that is a small fine. That reminded me of a time when a guy I knew was caught in possession of marijuana on his was to Waco. He was kept in a holding cell and I had to drive to Waxahachie to help my friend pay for his bail. Personally, I have never done any illegal substances, and I believe that it is wrong even when Colorado and Washington had recently made it legal in those states. The experience was new and fresh, but I don’t think I’d ever go back and watch a court case for fun. I can see how the trial could be interesting, but I was fairly bored by the end of my two hours.It wasn’t as gripping as an episode of Law and Order. A more memorable event that happened while I was at the court house was that one of the people that worked the (in a family court setting) told me a story about this one family. There were 2 siblings, a brother and a sister, and they were trying to get away with taking their Grandmother’s social security check. To do this, the siblings had morphine patches that they would stick on to her spine to make her appear senile. But one day the Grandmother’s friend came over and took her to meet up with the people that worked in the building and everything was good.

Fire Extinguisher Inspection and Accessibility

Fire Extinguisher Inspection and Accessibility BY crashers Fire Extinguisher Inspection and Accessibility: Class Project University of AXES Professor XX Fire Protection Proposal A critical aspect for a successful business is the ability to motivate employees to increase and maintain their productivity. One key element in accomplishing this is to provide a safe working environment by addressing and mitigating risks or hazards facing employees. Although, it is impossible to create a completely risk free work environment, there are certain risks that can be addressed effectively, particularly he risk of a fire in the workplace.The risk of workplace fire is a concern for any business and can be mitigated in many ways. This proposal will focus on a very effective and simple form of fire protection, fire extinguishers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) governs the use, location, maintenance and training of portable fire extinguishers. This is accomplished through OSH A Standard 1910. 157, â€Å"Portable Fire Extinguishers†. A recent walk through of this building revealed a clear violation(s) of OSHA standards regarding fire extinguishers.This reports will bring to the attention of Executive Management the importance of fire protection, attempt to identify the exact safety concern, determine what OSHA standard governs this concern and develop a feasible solution to correct the issue. The solution will take into account both the physical and economical feasibility of correcting the issue, while maintaining focus on employee safety. Fire Protection: It is not an uncommon event to have a fire occur in the workplace. Fires can result in serious bodily injury, including burns and smoke inhalation.It can also lead to aerospace fatalities. According to OSHA, between 70,000 and 80,000 fires occur each year within the workplace in the United States (2013). Despite this number of workplace fires, fire and explosion only make up on average about thre e percent of the total workplace fatalities (BILLS, 2007). However, it can also cause enormous property damage and, depending on the type of business, can lead to serious environmental issues. It is also estimated that businesses suffered roughly 2 billion dollars worth of property damage each year from fires in the workplace (OSHA, 2013).Fire protection, to include fire extinguishers, can be utilized to mitigate these risks, resulting in the reduction of on the Job injuries, fatalities, the loss of property, environmentally concerns and the negative impact fire can have on a business's bottom line. There are many measures to combat fires in the workplace. One of the simplest and most effective measures in fire protection is the fire extinguisher. It can provide the means to extinguish small fires before they become larger and more destructive.It can also be used to protect and clear egress routes that may become locked by fire during an evacuation, providing a safe means of escape for all employees. Fire extinguishers, in the hands off trained employee, can offer an important weapon in combating fires in the workplace, creating a safer environment for all employees. However, in order for a fire extinguisher to be useful, it must be readily available, in proper working order and must be matched to the proper fuel classification for the workplace environment, which is mandated and enforced by OSHA.Violation: A walk through inspection was conducted of the building to include all five floors. On the third floor it was discovered that of the four fire extinguishers located on that floor, two out of four fire extinguishers were out of date by two months (see appendix A). Of the remaining two functional fire extinguishers, one of those was located in a locked storage room, on a shelf, behind a green plastic container (see appendix B). This is a clear violation of OSHA standard subpart Fire protection 1910. 157, Portable Fire Extinguishers, specifically the following sections: (c)(l).The employer shall provide portable fire extinguishers and shall mount, locate and identify them so that hey are readily accessible to employees without subjecting the employees to possible injury. (e)(l). The employer shall be responsible for the inspection, maintenance and testing of all portable fire extinguishers in the workplace. (e)(3). The employer shall assure that portable fire extinguishers are subjected to an annual maintenance check. Stored pressure extinguishers do not require an internal examination.The employer shall record the annual maintenance date and retain this record for one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less. The record shall be available to the Assistant Secretary upon request (2014). As one can see, the company is in violation of the OSHA standards governing fire extinguishers, particularly the placement, maintenance and inspection. It should be noted that three out of the four fire extinguishers on the th ird floor were clearly marked and readily accessible to employees.They were strategically located and were appropriately matched to the fuel classification for each floor. The fire extinguishers on the remaining four floors were all in compliance with OSHA standards. It should be noted the fire extinguishers on the each floor were inspected annually at different times or months, which could be a contributing factor. This factor, along with another observation, should be analyzed in order to develop a feasible solution.Analysis: In order to resolve this safety hazard and find a feasible, yet effective solution, a couple of factors need to be considered. A direct and obvious factor relates to determining if the third floor poses a reduced perspicuity for fires. After careful review, there does not appear to be any evidence to support that fires occurring on he third floor are less or more likely to occur than on any other area of the building. There are no unusual activities occurring on the third that would warrant such a conclusion.After a review of the company's Hazard Communication Program, to include an inventory of chemicals for each floor and the Material Safety Data Sheets or Safety Data Sheets, the third floor does not house any different chemicals than the other four floors of the building. The number of employees occupying the third floor in a given workday is comparable to the remaining floors of the building. Therefore, he third floor warrants the same fire protection as the rest of the building, to include accessibility and maintenance of fire extinguishers.The inspection schedule for the building, as it relates to fire extinguishers, appears to be on different rotations. This leads to another interesting factor as to why the inspection dates for fire extinguishers on each floor of the building are during different months? After careful review of the company's Fire Protection, Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Audits from 2002 to 2013, there appears to be no documented or social reasoning for having the fire extinguishers inspected on different dates.It does not reduce cost, time or effort on the part of the company. Research and inquiries could not determine an actual benefit to this practice. Therefore, it should be concluded that this practice should be revisited in order to find an effective solution. Solution: After careful research and analysis, it was determined the third floor of the building does not warrant any special attention or need elaborate measures to maintain the fire extinguishers. Therefore, the solutions to correct these violations re simple, straightforward and cost effective.They are as follows: a) Mount fourth fire extinguisher outside the storage room with proper markings, which will provide easy access to all employees. B) Ensure the annual inspection of all fire extinguishers in the building is conducted on the same date. C) Create a maintenance log and record the monthly maintenance che cks with either the log beginning or ending with the annual inspection. D) Incorporate maintenance and inspection checks into the annual fire protection training. E) Challenge employees to check the inspection date n the fire extinguishers by offering an incentive to whomever brings to the attention of management an issue.An example would be a privileged parking spot for a week or a free lunch for a day. All of the above are easy, cost effective suggestions to correct and prevent these issues from occurring in the future. Any one or a combination of these suggestions can be utilized to create a safer working environment for, not Just the third floor, but also the entire building. Conclusion: This proposal was designed to bring to the attention of executive management a rise of OSHA violation(s) concerning fire protection, particularly fire extinguishers, for the third floor.Even though the company has made a good faith effort to ensure the building is properly outfitted with several devices to alert and prevent workplace fires, it should not neglect the very basic concept of the fire extinguisher. It can be a vital, cost effective tool to prevent injury, loss of life, property damage, environmental issues and the interference or shut down of business due too workplace fire. It can prevent a small fire from becoming much larger and be used to aid in an evacuation f employees due to a workplace fire.The simple steps purposed will correct and ensure these violations do not occur in the future, ensuring a safer work environment for all.