Course: Contract and Liquid Chemical Co.

The Cost Analysis for Decision Making project is intended to be a comprehensive evaluation of the key objectives covered throughout this course. It will challenge you to apply your knowledge of cost information when evaluating the decision to make or buy a product. Please use this outline and grading rubric as a guide to completing your course project. It provides specific details of the required elements of the project, and it will be used by your instructor as a grading guide. Read Integrative Case 4-61, â€Å"Make versus Buy,† on pages 151 and 152 of the course text.Assume that you are the general manager (Mr. Walsh) faced with this decision. You have identified the following four alternatives available to Liquid Chemical Co. †¢Alternative A: It is the status quo. (i. e. , Liquid Chemical Co. will continue making the containers and performing maintenance. ) †¢Alternative B: Liquid Chemical Co. will continue making the containers, but it will outsource the maintena nce to Packages, Inc. †¢Alternative C: Liquid Chemical Co. will buy containers from Packages, Inc. , but it will perform the maintenance. Alternative D: It is completely outsourced. Packages, Inc. will make the containers and provide the necessary maintenance. Your project should include the following items: †¢Part (a): Discuss each of the four alternatives outlined above. Identify the relevant costs (including amounts) for each of the four alternatives, and explain why these costs are relevant to the decision. Identify any costs that are not relevant, and explain why they are not relevant. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative? Who benefits and who loses? Part (b): Other than the relevant costs identified in Part (a), what additional information would you use when making your decision? Are there financial factors other than those identified in the case study that you would incorporate into your decision? What nonfinancial information would affect y our decision? †¢Part (c): As the general manager, which alternative would you choose, and why? Support your conclusion with facts and figures, as necessary. The Liquid Chemical Company manufactures and sells a range of high-grade products. Many of these products require careful packaging.The company has a special patented lining made that it uses in specially designed packing containers. The lining uses a special material known as GHL. The firm operates a department that maintains and repairs its packing containers to keep them in good condition and that builds new ones to replace units that are damaged beyond repair. Mr. Walsh, the general manager, has for some time suspected that the firm might save money and get equally good service by buying its containers from an outside source. After careful inquiries, he has approached a firm specializing in container production, Packages, Inc. and asked for a quotation. At the same time, he asked Mr. Dyer, his chief accountant, to let h im have an up-to-date statement of the costs of operating the container department. Within a few days, the quotation from Packages, Inc. , arrived. The firm proposed to supply all the new containers required—at that time, running at the rate of 3,000 per year—for $1,250,000 a year, the contract to run for a guaranteed term of five years and thereafter renewable from year to year. If the number of containers required increased, the contract price would increase proportionally.Packages, Inc. , also proposed to perform all maintenance and repair work on existing packaging containers for a sum of $375,000 a year, on the same contract terms. Mr. Walsh compared these figures with Mr. Dyer’s cost figures, which covered a year’s operations of the container department of the Liquid Chemical Company and appear in Exhibit 4. 13. Walsh concluded that he should immediately close the packing container department and sign the contracts offered by Packages, Inc. He felt an obligation, however, to give the manager of the department, Mr.Duffy, an opportunity to question his decision before acting. Walsh told Duffy that Duffy’s own position was not in jeopardy. Even if Walsh closed his department, another managerial position was becoming vacant to which Duffy could move without any loss of pay or prospects. The manager Duffy would replace also earned $80,000 per year. Moreover, Walsh knew that he was paying $85,000 per year in rent for a warehouse a couple of miles away that was used for other corporate purposes. If he closed Duffy’s department, he’d have all the warehouse space he needed without renting additional space.Duffy gave Walsh a number of considerations to think about before he closed the department: â€Å"For instance,† he said, â€Å"what will you do with the machinery? It cost $1,200,000 four years ago, but you’d be lucky if you’d get $200,000 for it now, even though it’s good for another five years. And then there’s the stock of GHL (a special chemical) we bought a year ago. That cost us $1,000,000, and at the rate we’re using it now, it’ll last another four years. We used up only about one-fifth of it last year. Dyer’s figure of $700,000 for materials includes $200,000 for GHL.But it’ll be tricky stuff to handle if we don’t use it up. We bought it for $5,000 a ton, and you couldn’t buy it today for less than $6,000. But you’d get only $4,000 a ton if you sold it, after you’d covered all the handling expenses. † Walsh also worried about the workers if he closed the department. â€Å"I don’t think we can find room for any of them elsewhere in the firm. However, I believe Packages would take all but Hines and Walters. Hines and Walters have been with us since they left school 40 years ago. I’d feel bound to give them a supplemental pension—$15,000 a year each for five years, sa y.Also, I’d figure a total severance pay of $20,000 for the other employees, paid in a lump sum at the time we sign the contract with Packages. † Duffy showed some relief at this. â€Å"But I still don’t like Dyer’s figures,† he said. â€Å"What about this $225,000 for general administrative overheads? You surely don’t expect to sack anyone in the general office if I’m closed, do you? † Walsh agreed. â€Å"Well, I think we’ve thrashed this out pretty well,† said Walsh, â€Å"but I’ve been turning over in my mind the possibility of perhaps keeping on the maintenance work ourselves. What are your views on that, Duffy? â€Å"I don’t know,† said Duffy, â€Å"but it’s worth looking into. We wouldn’t need any machinery for that, and I could hand the supervision over to the current supervisor who earns $50,000 per year. You’d need only about one-fifth of the workers, but you cou ld keep on the oldest and save the pension costs. You’d still have the $20,000 severance pay, I suppose. You wouldn’t save any space, so I suppose the rent would be the same. I don’t think the other expenses would be more than $65,000 a year. † â€Å"What about materials? † asked Walsh. â€Å"We use 10 percent of the total on maintenance,† Duffy replied. Well, I’ve told Packages that I’d give them my decision within a week,† said Walsh. â€Å"I’ll let you know what I decide to do before I write to them. † Assume the company has a cost of capital of 10 percent per year and uses an income tax rate of 40 percent for decisions such as these. Liquid Chemical would pay taxes on any gain or loss on the sale of machinery or the GHL at 40 percent. (Depreciation for book and tax purposes is straight-line over eight years. ) The tax basis of the machinery is $600,000. Also assume the company had a five-year time horizon for this project and that any GHL needed for Year 5 would be purchased during Year 5.

Corrective Essay: Military Bearing and Respect

According to Field Manual 6-22, â€Å"Military Bearing is defined as having or projecting a commanding presence and a professional image of authority†. The United States Army is structured on several values and principles that it upholds, among these are military bearing, discipline and respect. Leaders should be able to make these big decisions with all his confidence projecting out with his military bearing. A leader should look like a leader, disciplined, confident, and has the skills and abilities to persuade and provide their subordinates with the motivation, direction and purpose so as to accomplish a mission without being easily rattled by problems that arises. The Three General Orders of a Soldier, The articles of UCMJ, as well as our own Soldiers Creed illustrates how a military service member should conduct himself or herself on a daily basis, on and off duty. Honor is to live up to all the Army values. Integrity is to do what is right, legally and morally. Be willing to do what is right even when no one is looking. It is our â€Å"moral compass† an inner voice. Army regulations and The Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice show us how a military service member should conduct themselves on a daily basis. Military bearing has many components that are involved such as self-discipline, discipline of others, taking appropriate actions for events or taskings, addressing superiors appropriately and dependability. Not just one thing can prove you have military bearing its takes being a professional and and a leader in all aspects of life to prove that you have military bearing. Self-discipline means that you have the ability to control yourself. If you do not have self-discipline you may be viewed as hot headed and unreliable. If you cant help maintain discipline of others it shows poor leader ship therefore making the unit from the lowest level to the highest level. Taking appropriate actions for events or taskings means that in the event that something bad happens contact the chain of command and the appropriate authorities so the situation can get handled. Dependability is a major aspect of military bearing. Without dependability, one can neither perform properly in the workspace nor be depended upon by their coworkers, or chain of command to carry out their military duties adequately. A military member is required to be punctual, and reliable. Duty requires a willingness to accept full responsibility for your actions and for your subordinate's performance. It also requires a leader to take the initiative and anticipate requirements based on the situation. Duty means accomplishing all assigned tasks to the best of your ability. The proper and faithful performance of duty is the standard. The value and efficiency of the soldier is measured, and the measure of his efficiency and value is not determined by the prominence of the duty which he performs. Military bearing is to conduct yourself with dignity and in such a manner to reflect credit upon the armed services. Military bearing exists when this individual is proud of their military service. When you exhibit military bearing you are showing lower enlisted soldiers how to act and giving them an example to follow. Knowing how to properly march, stand at attention, parade rest, as well as all other facing movements establishes one’s ability to follow orders precisely. A lot of self-discipline comes with having good military bearing, which explains and reinforces the necessity to have it. Not everyone has good military bearing. Military bearing and respect are something that you have to work on and maintain control of, you can earn it but if you do not work on a maintain control of it then you will lose the respect or bearing you may have earned. Having good military bearing means you are tactful and polite while also being neat in appearance and can carry out the highest level of professionalism. It's very important to follow directions, or else the world would be in chaos. Respect, especially in the Army is a very important value to live by. It is much more than just talking kindly and listening to someone. It is the process of taking into consideration someone’s emotions, feelings and needs. It is showing someone that you value their time; that you care what they have to say. Behavior and attitude will allow the person demanding respect to feel that respect. When we respect each other, there are fewer conflicts. Respect is not only shown verbally, but also by one’s behaviors and actions. If someone you respect asks you to do something, you should do it immediately and without hesitation. You should do it quickly. Earned respect builds a stronger relationship between people, can be more specific then demanded respect, and is more stable than demanded respect. Also, true respect must be built on experience, and therefor it is illogical to instantly demand it. Earned respect builds a stronger respect and a stronger relationship between people. So you should always be respectful to others so they will treat you the way you want to be treated.

Economic Factors Affecting to Two Wheeler Industry Essay

The two-wheeler market in India is the biggest contributor to the automobile industry with a size of Rs.100,000 million. The two-wheeler market in India comprises of 3 types of vehicles, namely motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds. Foreign collaborations have been playing a major role in the growth of the Indian two-wheeler market, and most of them are Japanese firms. The modern two-wheeler firms in India have been manufacturing new categories of two wheelers such as Step Thrus and Scooterettes. These have been produced by combining two or more two-wheeler segments. Foreign firms have already taken initiatives to own their two-wheeler subsidiaries in India. Among the 3 segments of the Indian two wheeler market, major growth trends have been seen in the motorcycle segment over the last four to five years. One good reason for such increase in demand for motorcycles is due to its resistance and balance even on bad road conditions. Most of the rural areas in India do not have decent roads and hence the need for good, shock-resistant, and steady two-wheelers such as motorcycles had been felt. Some of the major players in the Indian motorcycles market are Hero Honda CBZ, Bajaj Pulsar, TVS and Apache. Other brands include Splendor, Passion, Fiero, Victor, Star City, Boxer, CD Dawn, Karizma, Caliber, etc. Having classified the motorcycle brands into economy, executive, and premium segments, Bajaj stands as the leader in the economy segment, Hero Honda leads in the executive segment, and there is a competition in the premium segment between Hero Honda and Bajaj. The following are the main factors that affect two-wheeler sales in India: †¢Increase in credit and financing for auto vehicles – Two-wheeler loans and financing has been on the rise. †¢Increase in consumer’s salary – Due to opportunities offered by multinationals the disposable incomes of salaried individuals have increase manifold. †¢Constant petrol prices – Today, the government of India has been working on reducing subsidies on kerosene and diesel which will keep petrol prices at more or less the same level. †¢Delay in initiation of Mass Transport System – Probably a future threat to the two-wheeler market, the implementation of the mass transport system has been delayed. However, the two-wheeler market in India is a fast growing market due to its technological advancements in product manufacturing and emphasis on design innovation.

Business Information and the Management of Organisation Essay

Business Information and the Management of Organisation - Essay Example (Nutt) Strategic decision making is one of the most critical tasks in organizations as it has became increasingly important to consider strategic decision making more from a transaction costs as well as behavioral point of view. (Papadakis, Lioukas and Chambers). One of the strategic decisions which company might make is market development i.e. to enter into new markets such as Asia or South American market. Enter into a new market is a strategic decision because top management of the firm, considering the overall mission of the firm, may decide to exapnd into new markets in a bid to reduce costs and achieve differentiation in terms of cost. It is also critical to know that in order to make strategic decisions, it is not necessary that the information required to make such decisions shall be coherent and complete in all respects as strategic decisions are often based on fuzzy information. Tactical decisions involve the "How "of strategic decision making because by making tactical decisions, organizations basically decide how to materialize strategy. Tactical decisions need to support the strategy and are of medium term in nature with moderate level of consequences. A tactical decision for AstraZeneca might include deciding on how to enter into new market The question therefore would be directed in terms of whether a Greenfield project shall be started, whether the firm should enter through exporting, franchising etc. In terms making a strategic decision of entering into new market, taking tactical decisions would involve how to enter into those markets. The information at this stage is more formalized however, information requirements are still not formalized in nature. Operational Decisions Operational decisions are the common and routine decisions which managers take in their day to day affairs. These decisions often require access to technical information and tend to support tactical decision making. For example, if AstraZeneca make a tactical decision of entering through a Greenfield project in one of the Asian Markets than operational decisions might involve the decision making process of how to acquire land, plant, machinery and hire labor to start production. Further, operational decisions are critical in the sense that they are the basic decisions which are taken to materialize or give shape to the overall strategic management decision making of the organization. Overall, the specific dynamics of each category of decision making may vary as each level of decision making require different set of information and information needs vary. Information required As discussed above that the information requirements vary with each decision making category therefore the information needs as well as its form varies differ in each case. Strategic Decisions Strategic decision making process is dependent on behavioral decision theory as well as transaction cost economics (Papadakis, Lioukas and Chambers) therefore in order to clearly outline the information required to make strategic decisions would require consideration of above set of factors. Considering the dynamics of the behavioral decision making, it is critical to mention that research studies have particularly concentrated on individual as well as group decision making processes. (Dean and Sharfman) therefore on individual level, strategic decisio

Satisfying and dissatisfying scenarios and two service incident Essay - 1

Satisfying and dissatisfying scenarios and two service incident analyses - Essay Example There are many satisfying service incidents that I have experienced, but I would like to share this particular experience with McDonald’s. McDonald’s is one of the leading firms in the fast food chain industry around the globe today. Fast food chain restaurants are very popular in today’s fast-paced world where everybody seems to be looking for an instant in almost everything. This incident happened on August 27, 2011, at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Together with my family, we enjoyed not just good tasting foods from McDonald’s, but including their fast and reliable service. It took only around less than 5 minutes and we enjoyed eating our orders. We were looking for nearby restaurants at that time. Our hunger and thirst were remarkable by then, but they subsided right away after we were able to receive product and service offerings based on our expectation. The researchers thought it would be much better to try McDonald’s instead of o ther restaurants because we were trying to consider the time and our level of hunger for food. It happened that McDonald’s was one of the nearby restaurants we saw so we considered it our primary choice. The researcher was so satisfied because there were many customers in the queue at that time but the service crew attendants did a remarkable favor for everyone. They ensured that customers’ orders have been taken already while they were still in the queue waiting their time to be served.

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Employment Law - Essay Example Accidents and disease are the leading causes of disability and they are the major contributors to work related problems. Disability has been identified as a major cause of discrimination in the work place, and not only in the United States (US) but all over the world. Denial of employment opportunities on the basis of disability is a major cause for concern which led to the formulation of various legislations to protect employment opportunities for the disabled. This falls under various anti-discrimination laws that were instigated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act set the precedent for the formulation of various laws that protect individuals against discrimination based on disability, gender and a myriad of other factors that are causes of discrimination in the work place. This paper seeks to highlight, through the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application and Conclusion) method of analysis, discrimination in the work place presented by two separate cases. Issue: John worked for XYZ Mo tor Company for 10 years before he developed a back problem that led to surgery to deal with the problem and relieve his pain. The company allows for a 30 day sick leave, which in John’s case proved to be an inadequate period for him to fully recover. He was forced by circumstances to return to work before fully getting healed to avoid the risk of being fired. His request for additional days off as recommended by his doctor was denied by his supervisor, which contributed to the deterioration of his back problem, work quantity and quality. Barry who is John’s supervisor taunts John and encourages other employees to treatment him badly because of his condition. This ultimately leads to the breakdown of John’s morale and he misses work for three consecutive days, which causes his firing under the company’s attendance policy. John has been fired from his job for three consecutive days of absenteeism at work, an issue that was instigated the treatment he got f rom the work place due to his condition. This leads to the question of whether John’s treatment at his work place was lawful, and whether there are laws that protect individuals from such circumstances. Rule: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a US government agency that is tasked with enforcing federal employment discrimination laws. The EEOC enforces laws that are meant to protect individuals from discrimination based on gender, disability, sex, national origin, religion, age, race and color(Rothstein & Liebman 78). Disability discrimination in the work place occurs when the employer or other entities as covered by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) treats a qualified candidate who is an employee or job applicant unfavorably because of their disability. The Law requires that an employer provide appropriate and reasonable accommodation to an employee or job applicant as long as it does not cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer (Roth stein & Liebman 48). The law also forbids discrimination in any aspect of employment that includes firing, hiring, pay, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits and job assignments. The disability discrimination and harassment law makes it illegal for some one to be subjected to severe offensive remarks due to their disability that creates a hostile work environment leading to adverse employment decisions like being fired and demotion (Rothstein & Liebman 58). John’s case presents a case where multiple laws were broken according to the legislations that are enforced by the EEOC and the rights that fall under the ADA. Application: Barry who was John’s supervisor represented the XYZ Motor Company and its policies, which means that the company as a whole should bear the responsibility of the

An Approach to Recruitment and Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

An Approach to Recruitment and Selection - Essay Example Therefore, his belief regarding customer response and employee enthusiasm has created a considerable influence on the corporate vision of TyCoffi. Notably, the corporate vision of TyCoffi depicts that customers do not only buy a cup of coffee, but also intend on consuming memorable experiences which can be derived particularly from efficient service. Due to this reason, Mr. Mike Jones intends to provide with significant emphasise to boost the collaboration amid employees and encourage them to be more productive in their assigned work maintaining a healthy, coordinated and decentralised organisational structure. Another major facet that Mr. Mike Jones considers to be quite vital is the recruitment and selection process executed to employ competent, enthusiastic and candid employees. He wishes to expand the company with additional five coffee-houses in the Cardiff area, Penarth, Cyncoed, Cardiff Bay, Roath Park and Pontcanna for which he is willing to execute his recruitment and select ion process in a structured, rational and beneficial manner. With due consideration to Mr. Mike Jones’ objective towards overall organisational growth, this report will intend to summarise a detailed approach to recruitment and selection process that can be beneficial for enhancing the relationship between employer and employee in TyCoffi. 2.0. An Approach to Recruitment and Selection The process of recruitment and selection is perceived to be quite significant for an organisation operating in the 21st century with the intention of being competent and sustainable in the highly competitive environment of the era. From a strategic point of view, an effective recruitment and selection process assists the organisation to acclimatise itself in the continuously changing business environment as well as enhances the overall organisational productivity1. Hence, it is of no doubt why managers focus with immense significance to the recruitment and selection process. As often noted by pr actitioners, recruitment can be referred to as the process where the employers intend to attract potential candidates from the external as well as internal (i.e. from within the organisation) business environment2. As noted by Dale (2004), â€Å"The primary purpose of recruitment and selection process is to achieve one desired end: appointing the right person to the right job†3 (pp. 1). Considering the importance of an effective recruitment and selection process in rewarding sustainable growth to an organisation, various factors can be identified that should be taken into account by recruiters while developing the process. These factors can exist both in terms of micro and macro elements in the organisational structure. The micro environmental factors can be stated as the organisational culture, structure, human resource policies and practices along with the overall organisational objective. Similarly, the macro environmental factors can be identified as the availability of p otential candidates for the job offered relative to the pay scale along with the employment rules and regulations as prescribed by the regulatory bodies4. It is worth mentioning that the organisational culture followed in TyCoffi is decentralised in nature which depicts independent participation of individuals in the decision-making process.

United States vs Recio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

United States vs Recio - Research Paper Example The two drivers help the police arrest two other individuals, Recio and Meza, the defendants in this case. The two truck drivers are found in possession of the illegal drugs together with Recio and Meza who come for the drugs, rounded up and charged with conspiracy to commit a criminal offence of distributing illegal drugs (www.oyez.org). It is clear that the two drivers were part of the conspiracy because they were actually found with the drugs. However, it requires careful interpretation of the law to determine whether Recio and Meza who are only arrested after police lays a sting by the help of the truck drivers, are also guilty of the offense. The two, Recio and Meza, are tried in the Supreme Court and the jury find them guilty of conspiracy. The trial Judge advises that the precedence on similar case and the law dictates that conspiracy ends when its object is defeated by the government and so joining conspiracy scheme after seizure would be meaningless since the object of conspiracy would be impossible to achieve in such circumstances. Based on this, the trial judge orders a new trial and the new jury are advised on the circumstances of the seizure so as to be able to establish whether or not, Recio and Meza, joined the conspiracy before the seizure. The Constitutional Issues in the Case Following the trial on the two counts of charges presented against the defendants, Jimenez Recio and Adrian Lopez i.e. possession of i llegal drugs- marijuana and cocaine and the charge on distribution of illegal drugs, several constitutional issues emerge. It is clear that, there is an issue on the interpretation of the law of conspiracy as to when someone is deemed to have conspired. The law herein dictates that a person can only be found guilty of conspiracy if it can be proved that the person entered into conspiracy, before withdrawal of such intention or before the object of conspiracy was defeated by government intervention and the object became difficult to achieve. The state fails to prove this but the defendants are found guilty by the jury on both trials. There is also a constitutional issue that emerges from the trial judge in the Supreme Court during the first trial, from an error in the jury instruction. The jury are not adequately informed on the requirement of the law in relation to the case before them. The jury is not advised on which circumstance the defendants are guilty of the charges and so the y pass a verdict on the defendants being guilty without actually being able to ascertain their involvement in the conspiracy. The other issue that emerge is the precedence on similar case notably United States versus Cruz and United States versus Castro which had similar circumstances but the courts argued that they joined the conspiracy when its object had been defeated and thus became impossible to achieve. If this was the case that was referred to, then the state had to provide evidence showing the involvement of Recio and Adriano Lopez to the conspiracy of drug possession with intent to distribution. This was obviously not achieved during the two trials at the Supreme Court. The precedence on other cases provides a guideline and benchmark for ruling on subsequent cases. Decision of the case in terms of the vote In this case, the jury found the defendants guilty of both charges in a vote of 8 for guilty with 1 vote against the state, and thus becoming a unanimous vote. The defend ants appealed against the vote and the case was remanded to the court of appeal which ruled that the conviction of guilty for both charges be removed. This was basing its argument on

Cyrus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cyrus - Essay Example One of King Cyrus’ servants, after being given one of the singing girls, says that, â€Å"I would far rather be serving on this campaign than sitting at home† (Xenophon, 2010). This quote reveals the servant’s loyalty to King Cyrus. He offers loyalty as an appreciation for being given a singing girl. Loyalty is also seen through trust. People trust unquestionably other individuals who are loyal to them. Cyrus sends for his trusted servant, Araspas, whom they have been friends since childhood. King Cyrus entrusts Araspas with guarding the captive Susian woman, Pantheia the wife of Abradatas his rival. Araspas loyalty is earlier doubted when he says, â€Å"have you seen the lady whom you bid me guard† (Xenophon, 2010). This is because he is not sure to fulfill his master’s will fully as he stumbles by falling prey to the captive’s beauty. Love is voluntary to human will. Therefore, beauty should not be compromised to love, but it should only enhance the process of loving someone. The use of metaphor is observed and is majorly used to expound on beauty. Beauty has been equated to â€Å"fire† while love to flowers. This is because â€Å"fire burns all men equally, it is its nature to do so, but these flowers of beauty, one man loves them and another loves them not, nor does every man love the same† (Xenophon, 2010). In contradiction to this statement, Cyrus reiterates the aspect of slavery in relation to love. He gives an instance of men who vowed to stand against every form of life circumstances to remain strong willed and never falls. However, when love knocks their doors to their souls, they fall and even refuse to let go and acknowledge. Love is eternal to human nature since we are bound forever to whoever we choose to love. Our souls are imprisoned by love the moment we allow it to. Xenophon shows th is through rhetoric where Cyrus asks, â€Å"If love be voluntary, why cannot a man cease to love when they forget, the bigger problems they were able to overcome?†

Master Degree program Essay Example for Free

Master Degree program Essay Education is a key to individual development. It is imperative that one should not to cease learning new things in life, whether within the confines of the classroom or on the outside world. A teacher having a Master’s degree provides additional opportunity for students to widen their perspective and understanding of different academic fields, from economics, politics to the sciences, which will later on contribute to their success. One can easily distinguish a difference in the mode of teaching between a teacher with a Master’s degree and one who has not. The former enables him/her to elaborate topics and lessons into its specifics, not just general ones, thus enabling the students a clearer grasp of the lesson. One must not rely only to theories specified in the textbooks and lecture notes. Hence, a teacher with a graduate degree has the advantage of experience over a holder of Bachelor degree only. Making research papers, dissertations and projects are expertise of a Master’s degree holder, thus it enables him/her to teach what he/she has learned to his students. In addition to these, a Master Degree program hones the skills and capabilities of teachers taking up the degree making him/her more aware of the different areas needed to be developed relative to student learning in the classroom. The fact is that it is not only the students that benefit from having a teacher with a Master’s Degree but the teacher him/herself. Individual earnings and productivity are related to educational attainment, thus one having this degree feels more accomplished and secure in terms of intellect, financial security, as well as emotionally. Education is indispensable to one’s character and intellectual development.

Impact of Economic Competitiveness on Wages

Impact of Economic Competitiveness on Wages The growth of low wage jobs is inevitable as national governments seek to promote economic competitiveness. Discuss. Introduction This essay discusses the hypothesis that governmental policies aimed at improving a nation’s relative performance in the global economy must lead to an increase in the low paid jobs. If considered in a global context the subject covers a wide spectrum. So the essay considers the United Kingdom’s (UK) economic experiences from the late 1970’s, with particular emphasis on the Thatcher era from 1979-1990 when the foundations for the UK’s economic reforms were laid. The profound change in economic management coupled with the rapid advances in communications and information technology has accelerated the effects of â€Å"globalisation† and led to severe disruption in the UK labour market. Evidence exists that the erosion of the bargaining power of employees due to the twin effects of government policy and globalisation has exacerbated the decrease in real earnings amongst the less skilled workforce. However this vulnerability can be partially off-set by some of the benefits due to improvements in the UK’s international economic competitiveness and an effective mix of domestic labour market policies. Economic Competitiveness: A Definition For centuries, international trade has been the bedrock of the UK’s prosperity. Economists have long debated the effect of government policies on trade and national prosperity. In 1817 during the first stirrings of the industrial revolution David Ricardo developed an argument which can be summarised as: â€Å"The classical theory of international trade and its role in economic development is based on the principle of comparative advantage. The comparative advantage paradigm states that a country performs better by concentrating on the production of those goods and services for which it possesses a comparative advantage over others, and then trade those goods for those of other countries.†[1] Modern economic theory still supports the basic tenets of Ricardo’s argument, which was primarily developed as an attack on government’s protectionist agricultural policies at the time. Recent research, however, goes a step further. Michael Porter devised the concept of National Advantage [2] which argues that governments have a significant role to play in enhancing a nation’s comparative advantage when competing in the global economy. His â€Å"Diamond of National Advantage† (below) suggests that perusing policies that enhance company performance by, say, strict product standards, stimulating demand for advanced products, focusing on factor creation, with improved worker skills and stimulating rivalry by enforcing antitrust legislation will support the development of a strong and internationally competitive trading economy. The UK Experience After the Second World War the UK government pursued policies to reduce unemployment through subsidies, direct support for industry, including nationalisation of some economically challenged sectors such as coal-mining, railways and a major automotive manufacturer, limiting external competition through protectionism. Trade policy was largely governed by favouring Commonwealth countries, through the â€Å"Commonwealth Preference† arrangements. This approach was largely self-defeating as suggested by the Economist as early as 1960. â€Å"A comprehensive system involving the granting of large margins of preference might be expected to have results of two kinds: it should ensure to exporters a larger share of the market than they would otherwise obtain, or enable them to charge higher prices for their goods than in non-preferential markets. An examination of Commonwealth Preference suggests that its effects in both directions are more limited than is implied by the support which it commands in the Commonwealth and the hostility it sometimes arouses in non-Commonwealth countries.† [3] In particular, it was in conflict with some of the concepts of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, (GATT) formed in 1947 to promote economic recovery after the war by reducing barriers in international trade, particularly the reduction in tariff barriers. The UK economy prospered under this regime particularly in the late 50’s and early 60’s but by the 70’s the cracks were beginning to show. By the mid 70’s it was obvious this economic model was not in tune with the needs of a modern nation in a rapidly changing world. Some of the old tenets were under scrutiny and the entrenched bastions of economic power were at loggerheads. In particular, the power of the union movement and the entrenched conservatism and resistance to change of management in the traditional industries such as coal, rail and manufacturing led to conflict and industrial disputation which were ruinous to the economic health of the nation. Successive governments failed to address the underlying economic causes of the problems, until Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 with a new approach to economic governance. Her philosophy was not necessarily based on economic theory, although some of her advisors and ministers were well versed in Keynesian economics. Her government embarked on a series of structural economic reforms including the privatisation of government-owned industries, deregulation of large swathes of UK economic activity, particularly financial services and the pursuance of an aggressive free trade agenda. â€Å"What became known as Thatcherism may have been an agenda which benefited corporate capital, as left critiques emphasize, but its ideological formulation was populist and it employed the petty bourgeois values of thrift, hard work, and family solidarity as the central justifications for privatization, tax cuts, reduction of state expenditure, and hostility to trade unions.†[4] Since that period it is true to say that â€Å"Thatcherism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦was†¦. to become the ruling consensus of the British government . soon established and exported around the world[5] It is interesting to note that Thatcher’s economic policies predated Porter’s research outlined in section 2, as Hood and Young observed: â€Å"While what has occurred falls short of a systemic approach to counteract market-distorting behavior or to build up created assets, there is little doubt that there have been consistent themes pursued since the Conservative government came to power in 1979. Deregulation, privatization, the restructuring of the handling of labour disputes, and so on have been driven by a clear philosophy concerning the role of the market and the negative economic and social effects of certain types of market distortions†[6] Effect on Employment and Wages As the Thatcher reforms began to bite, the short-term results reverberated around the UK. For example the industrial midlands in the late 70’s was the heart of the automotive and machine tool manufacturing industries. By the mid 80’s it was an industrial wasteland with acres of empty and derelict factory space with many thousands of workers displaced or redundant. This picture was repeated in many communities previously reliant on â€Å"smokestack† industries in the north and west of the UK. Anecdotal evidence suggested many of those displaced from manufacturing jobs had joined the informal self-employed workforce and those still in full-time employment had migrated to low-wage jobs in service industries such as retailing. This is backed up by comments from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which reports: â€Å"The labour market plays a crucial role in reaping potential gain from globalisation by facilitating a shift of jobs from decli ning sectors or occupations to expanding ones, in line with the changes in comparative advantage. However, this labour market adjustment is not always smooth because many workers displaced from declining sectors are poorly positioned to move into newly-created jobs in export sectors, which may be located in different regions or require different qualifications†[7] The International Labour Organisation (ILO) also echoes a similar theme: â€Å"Policies aimed at increasing competitiveness by lowering unit labour costs should consider the potential consequences on either workers (via wages) or firms and economic growth (via productivity). For example, on the one hand, an excessive and long-run emphasis on wage moderation may threaten a country’s productivity growth rate as it might discourage innovation and investment in human capital†[8] In the longer term, however the overall benefits to the UK economy were substantial. The shift from a manufacturing to serviced based economy has brought significant benefits to the nation. â€Å"The UK, a leading trading power and financial centre, is one of the quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. Since emerging from recession in 1992, Britains economy has enjoyed the longest period of expansion on record; growth has remained in the 2-3% range since 2004, outpacing most of Europe.†[9] Not everyone has benefited from this development. In relative terms the rich have got richer whereas the lower-paid workers have seen their relative position decline. â€Å"The UKs growth in wealth equality has been the fastest among the worlds 30 richest and most developed countries. But in 2005, when the organisation compiled its latest data, the UK remained a more unequal society than three-quarters of OECD countries, with the richest 10% earning nine times more than the poorest 10%.†[10] Striking the Balance Based on the UK government’s experience, seeking to promote economic competitiveness can be beneficial for the national economy overall. â€Å"Open trade and investment policies can be a powerful force for raising living standards. Economists have long emphasised this point and it is confirmed by much research. For example, the OECD’s Growth Study estimated that a 10 percentage point increase in trade openness translates over time into an increase of around 4% in per capita income in the OECD area.†[11] However to mitigate the disruptive effects of such aggressive economic policies, suitable social policies should go hand in hand. For example policies to enhance labour mobility and relocation, income security packages linked to retraining to increase re-employment options, skill-development programs and minimum wage policies to limit low-pay traps. A balanced policy approach can help offset the growth and pervasiveness of low wage jobs. Bibliography Fidelis Ezeala-Harrison, Theory and Policy of International Competitiveness, page 4 Greenwood Publishing Group Michael E. Porter The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, 1998 Economist Intelligence Unit, The Commonwealth and Europe (London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 1960.) Philip Abbott, Leadership by Exemplar: Reagans FDR and Thatchers Churchill, Presidential Studies Quarterly 27.2 (1997) Simon Jenkins, Thatcher and Sons, page 1, Allen Lane 2006 Neil Hood, and Stephen Young, 8 The United Kingdom, Governments, Globalization, and International Business, ed. John H. Dunning (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999) Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007 ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market KILM 4th Edition 2005 Central Intelligence Agency Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20505 The Guardian, Wednesday October 22 2008 Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007 Footnotes [1] Fidelis Ezeala-Harrison, Theory and Policy of International Competitiveness, page 4 Greenwood Publishing Group [2] Michael E. Porter The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, 1998 [3] Economist Intelligence Unit, The Commonwealth and Europe (London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 1960.) [4] Philip Abbott, Leadership by Exemplar: Reagans FDR and Thatchers Churchill, Presidential Studies Quarterly 27.2 (1997) [5] Simon Jenkins, Thatcher and Sons, page 1, Allen Lane 2006 [6] Neil Hood, and Stephen Young, 8 The United Kingdom, Governments, Globalization, and International Business, ed. John H. Dunning (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999) [7] Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007 [8] ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market KILM 4th Edition 2005 [9] Central Intelligence Agency Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20505 [10] The Guardian, Wednesday October 22 2008 [11] Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007

Causes of Islamic Radicalism

Causes of Islamic Radicalism Anastasiya Sernetskaya Problem Solving in a Global Age: Islamic Radicalism Since the 18th century, the Wahhabi movement vied for the rejection of new Muslim ideas, instead reverting back to the original beliefs set by the Prophet Muhammad (Commins 5). From their roots in Arabia, multiple groups that embraced radical beliefs of Islam grew. They now span the whole globe with major groups such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the Middle East, the Caucasus Emirate in Russia, Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, and Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram in Africa. However, radical Islam originated from the Middle East (Commins 3), an area with a deep history of poverty (Long 7) and, in turn, a history of religious government institutions that only teach upcoming generations militarism and the Quran (Tavernise). Instead of solving for symptoms of Islamic radicalism, it is important to solve for its root cause (Hamid) and help fund nonreligious private education because of the Middle East’s importance to the global economy and future relations concerning oil (Tà ©treault). The first cause of Islamic radicalism lies in what can be called the ‘Western Grip,’ the strong presence of American and colonial culture. After World War 2, oil resources developed and sent imperialistic powers to the Middle East. This created a dependency on the Middle East and their resources. However, the relationship between major global oil economic powers and local populations in the areas of extraction has not been fostered; instead, an irreconcilable divide between Islam and the West emerged (Tà ©treault). Similar to British imperialism, the United States involves itself in the politics of the Middle East and takes it upon itself to solve the Middle Easts problems, initiating conflict and invasions. As Western influence increased, industry created a connection to Western culture, one that includes provocative clothing, music, and habits- all of which go against the fundamentalist interpretation of the Quran. These directly oppose the ideals of the fundamentalis ts and thus fuel anti-Americanism and further rebellion against modern progression. The reason why such radical religious organizations thrive is by their use of religious persuasion to impose the ‘true’ interpretation of the religious text. They oppose modernity and instead act on Sharia law, which instead of governing by secular laws, only looks toward Muslim rules and regulations based on strict interpretations by the Quran. In addition, when the United States began to occupy Iraq, it created an anti-American sentiment in the area that only grew as Muslims realized a long history of American negligence and indifference towards supporting followers of Islam (Long 1). Conflicts in Bosnia, Chechnya, and Gaza, directly targeted Muslim victims, and these conflicts are â€Å"†¦given as an example of where Western nations have failed to act quickly or effectively to protect Muslim civilians (Baksh 2). Their occupation of Iraq and their refusal to aid Muslims created a strain on the Middle Easts relationship with the United States and further fueled anti- American sentiments while turning to a more radical solution that incorporated their religious values that they place great value onto (Long 201). Another cause of Islamic radicalism in the Middle East is the high poverty rate. Their huge variation in oil wealth across the region drives income disparities (Long 6). Historically, the Middle East has not expanded or modernized along with the rest of the world. Instead, their history shows a reliance to turn to religion whenever they needed consistent governing. This led to the creation of Sharia law and an importance placed on religious education. The poor who live difficult lives were much more susceptible than those who could afford a strong, secular private education (Long 7). It has been stated that countries like Pakistan have never really taken their education seriously, and rely only on the Quran for educational resources. As students learn about the way of the Prophet Muhammad, most either see no value of further schooling and drop out or they further their religious education and learn how to preach as a career opportunity. Many of the organizations that take up teaching young children and organizing preaching groups have been linked as stepping stones to Al- Qaeda or the Taliban (Tavernise). The third cause of Islamic radicalism is the political backing by Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini who had a crucial position in the rise of extremist government. While in power he stressed the spiritual over the material, (Sorenson 45) and implemented Sharia law. As fundamentalists first began to pop up and run for official power, there was a tense struggle between factions. As Khomeini backed the radical Muslims, he in turn increased radicalism in Iran and pushed for the execution of moderates. Radical leftist guerrilla groups sprouted all over the area as they became more organized under a provincial government and gained le gitimacy and power (Long 59). This highly contrasts to the Philippines where Abu Sayyaf, the major Islamic terrorist organization, has not been able to gain such a strong political backing and thus radical Islam has not been able to grow with such vigor (Ankerson 241) The primary cause of Islamic radicalism cannot be the Western influence or the politics of Iran. The Western Grip that was created affects many countries but none have spurred radicalisms like countries in the Middle East have. As scholars Long, Reich, and Gasiorowski stated in their book The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa, The inescapable American influence affects almost every other part of the world with no radical consequences,† (23) so why is the Middle East so unique? To find its primary cause, one must look to the root cause of all problems instead of just looking at symptoms, like the politics of Khomeini, who began his radical backing after a mass influx of broken governments and fundamentalist groups who promised to stay true to the Quran and bring Allahs glory to the area. The Wahhabi movement was another symptom of the people reaching to find stability in their government and life. All of the corruption spurred from the true root cause o f Islamic radicalism- poverty. The poor began to and continue to turn to radical ideas because of fewer opportunities in their society other than ones to preach religious ideas. They are facing a socioeconomic delay behind the rest of the world, and it corrupts their education, which builds a foundation for the upcoming generations in the Middle East, thus progressing the radicalism and turning fundamentalism into a standard in the government (Burhania 16). The most viable solution to Islamic radicalism lies in funding secular education. Other past attempts to go in and fight the groups out has only spurred more violence and backlash against Westerners, pushing the divide between the two regions further and further. Attempts to change the government cause progress but not enough to effect poor areas that radicalism grows from. Instead, it is important to solve their education as †¦ poor public education forces them to turn to Muslim education sources and breeds radicalism (Rasizode 54). Education that is secular creates a more western-positive approach and educates about democracy therefore solving both other causes of Islamic radicalism. Islamic radicalism is a complex problem that is multifaceted. Although there are many proposed solutions, one must look at how radicalism is bred and how it spurred in the Middle East to see that education could help solve poverty and fundamentalism.

Essay example --

History / Educational Influences Marina City, as a modernist urban solution, was possible by Bertrand Goldberg because of his formal architectural training as well as his early practice and interaction with key architects. Exposure to architectural, socioeconomic, and cultural context that shaped modernist architecture developed him as an architect. Influence began early on from his physics teacher, George Vaubel, which inspired him with a lifelong love for logic and â€Å"reasoning backwards† and finding evidence for what was taught to him. Goldberg studied at the Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape then at the Bauhaus in Berlin, Germany and lastly, at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago. He discovered architecture while studying at Harvard in 1930. The dean, Henry Frost, allowed Goldberg to study with his graduate studio as an undergraduate. During the Great Depression, Goldberg was studying at Harvard where debates with professors and fellow students centered on the political and soc ial problem, dealing with poverty. It unleashed and influenced his lifelong consciousness of social and political factors because he took social and political problems into consideration when designing. Harvard exposed Goldberg to the Beaux-Arts architecture and he desired to go to Paris to study but instead went to the Bauhaus after being advised. The Bauhaus introduced Goldberg to the new ideals of art and architecture. The Bauhaus emphasized on vision and spatial skills. Goldberg was greatly influenced by Mies van de Rohe and Josef Albers. Goldberg embraced â€Å"less is more† and was disciplined to work out details of the total design by creating an aesthetic out of structure and seeking alliance with an industrial world. At the B... ... solution of a central core and columns made the structure safe and efficient. The concrete also acted provided security against uplift because of concrete nature of heaviness. Mechanical systems were engineered within the floors which allowed for more spatial freedom. The efficient solution to the foundation was also achieved through engineering and the use of caissons. Construction initiated after structural issues were resolved. Machine and hand became the medium to create the building. While the tower crane allowed for the fast construction of Marina City, artisanship was also required. The use of formwork to create the petals require of artisanship while being mass produce implied machine. The hand work can be seen in the uneven surfaces were molding was required. Marina City became the biggest structural and residential building at the time of its completion.

Teen pregnancy Essay -- Social Issues, Sex Education, health

There are many risks that teenagers take when they decide to have a child at a young age. The baby, as well as the parents, may face long-time problems from the pregnancy. These problems may include school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. Babies born to teenagers are at greater risk for neglect and abuse than those of a woman. Teenage mothers may feel like they are being demanded to do the job and they may take their frustration out on the child (When 2000). It is proven that traditional approaches to reducing teenage pregnancy rates such as sex education class or better sexual health services are not effective on their own. (DiCenso. 2004) This research has generated increased interest in the effects of interventions that target the social disadvantage associated with early pregnancy and parenthood. A social disadvantage refers to social and economic difficulties such as poverty, unemployment, and discrimination, and is distributed unequally on the basis of soc io-demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, socio-economic position, educational level, and place of residence. (Anand, 2006) Being a teen parent not only affects the parent but it also affects the child. Children from homes run by teenage mothers have to face almost insurmountable obstacles in life. The incidents of depression and mental health problems, the lack of father figures, and the high rate of poverty often connected to children in homes run by teenage mothers put them at serious disadvantages when compared to children raised in nuclear families. Many people believe that the implementation of sex education in schools and the addition of more federal aid for single parents are major causes for the country's high rate of teen pregnanci... ...ncouraged to finish school if at all possible. This will increase the chances of obtaining a good paying job. There are programs that help teenage mothers complete their curriculum and obtain their diploma such as home bound teaching, and online courses. It is also important for parents and community support to encourage these teens to set realistic goals for their life and give them something to look forward to. It is important for them to know that this is not the end of the world and that they can make it and go far with the love and support of their family. So many teens fall by the wayside because their families give up on them. This is one of the worst things that can be done to them. They are already afraid and feeling alone and when their support system pulls out from under them that can cause major problems for them and possibly the baby as well. Teen pregnancy Essay -- Social Issues, Sex Education, health There are many risks that teenagers take when they decide to have a child at a young age. The baby, as well as the parents, may face long-time problems from the pregnancy. These problems may include school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. Babies born to teenagers are at greater risk for neglect and abuse than those of a woman. Teenage mothers may feel like they are being demanded to do the job and they may take their frustration out on the child (When 2000). It is proven that traditional approaches to reducing teenage pregnancy rates such as sex education class or better sexual health services are not effective on their own. (DiCenso. 2004) This research has generated increased interest in the effects of interventions that target the social disadvantage associated with early pregnancy and parenthood. A social disadvantage refers to social and economic difficulties such as poverty, unemployment, and discrimination, and is distributed unequally on the basis of soc io-demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, socio-economic position, educational level, and place of residence. (Anand, 2006) Being a teen parent not only affects the parent but it also affects the child. Children from homes run by teenage mothers have to face almost insurmountable obstacles in life. The incidents of depression and mental health problems, the lack of father figures, and the high rate of poverty often connected to children in homes run by teenage mothers put them at serious disadvantages when compared to children raised in nuclear families. Many people believe that the implementation of sex education in schools and the addition of more federal aid for single parents are major causes for the country's high rate of teen pregnanci... ...ncouraged to finish school if at all possible. This will increase the chances of obtaining a good paying job. There are programs that help teenage mothers complete their curriculum and obtain their diploma such as home bound teaching, and online courses. It is also important for parents and community support to encourage these teens to set realistic goals for their life and give them something to look forward to. It is important for them to know that this is not the end of the world and that they can make it and go far with the love and support of their family. So many teens fall by the wayside because their families give up on them. This is one of the worst things that can be done to them. They are already afraid and feeling alone and when their support system pulls out from under them that can cause major problems for them and possibly the baby as well.

Communication Strategies for Leaders Essay

A leader must be able to communicate effectively. When asked to define leadership, theorists and practitioners alike frequently use the words â€Å"influence,† â€Å"inspire† and â€Å"transform,† all of which depend on communication, verbal and nonverbal. Leaders lead through their words and actions. This text focuses on both, thus the emphasis throughout on emotional intelligence, the ability to understand the self and others (Barrett, 2011). Effective leadership communication requires the ability to anticipate to the potential interruptions in the transmission of the message, appreciate the context, understand the audience, select the right medium and craft a clear message that allows the meaning to reach the specific receiver as intended (Barrett, 2011). In my quest to achieve superior communication leadership skills I have had the opportunity to assess and evaluate my effectiveness in communication leadership. This personal assessment has indicated I must become more strategic as strategy is the foundation on which any effective communication depends on. Leaders must be able to analyze their audience in every situation and design a communication strategy that facilitates accomplishing their communication. Communication is critical to every organization and for any aspiring leader. I plan to be strategic in developing a plan to be a more effective communicator by reaching out to external constituents as that is an area for communication improvement. Overall, effective communication strategy depends on ones thinking and planning strategically understanding your audience, and structuring your communication for different situations, delivery methods, and audiences to ensure that you connect with your audience and deliver your intended message (Barrett, 2011). III. As a leader and manager in my organization I take pride in being an effective leader and communication. I have been at my non-profit organization for the  past 6 years and have made significant improvement and learned to grow my communication skills. Owens (1998) mentions two key features of leadership which are: (1) the engagement of persons in a process that identifies them with goals, and (2) the potential to change the institutional environment (e.g. values, beliefs, etc.) by implementing diversity goals into the organizational culture. At the same time, I am a leader that promotes integrity to motivate ethical behavior across the entire organization. Also, it is important for me to create an open environment in which followers and employees feel free to speak up and come forward to me when any action needs to take place. Overall, I am always striving to be a better communicator in all situations as it teaches as I want to be recognized by others as a transformational leader. IV. Score Skill Area 3 Communication Strategy 2 Written Communication Skills 1 = substantial need to improve 3 Oral Communication Skills 2 = some need to improve 3 Ethos/Image 3 = little need to improve 3 Skills at Dealing with Others 4 = no need to improve at this time 3 Observation and Feedback Skills 3 Team Communications and Dynamics Skills 3 Skills at Dealing with Your Own Feelings 3 Internal Corporate Communication 2 External Corporate Communication I consider my oral public speaking skills to be my major strength when communicating to internal colleagues at my organization. I am always poised to conduct presentations and participate in public speaking engagements. I always maintain a sense of confidence and take pride in my public speaking skills. At the same time, I feel much more comfortable in situations where I can communicate effectively with my team members and demonstrate my dynamic skills to engage them effectively. I tend to be a coach and a motivator among my employees. I use different means to get my employees to want to be better at their duties and take full ownership of their tasks and goals. I also have a lot of confidence in being able to utilize my skills in dealing with others feelings and communicating with them solutions to help them with their particular situation. I would consider my interpersonal communication skills with external relations as an area for improvement. I tend to be an extrovert when it comes to public speaking and very confidant with communicating with large audiences but I tend to be introverted when it comes to communication in smaller groups or individual communication with members of external organizations. Barrett (2011) suggests that selecting the right spokesperson to deliver external messages can be almost as critical as the message themselves. I need to work on this part of my communication leadership by participating in more social and networking events to work on my confidence in communicating with external constituents. I also plan to travel more with my executive leadership team and attend meetings and events to get a better understanding of how to communicate more effectively in my external communication. Improvement Goal Action Steps to Achieve Goal (Program) Deadline Method to Measure Success Develop better oral communication skills with external corporate relations Attend more external corporate events and meetings with the executive team. Solicit feedback from executive team members concerning areas for improvement and change any behavior based on feedback Participate in more networking events with external constituents. December 31, 2013 Attend various events. Listen to the feedback given and start to implement that feedback in my future interactions. Achieved: No Further development of my written communication skills Solicit feedback from my supervisor and other employees about my written communication. Conduct more proofreading and be more strategic in my research. December 31, 2013 Compare written material from previous months. Have others review my written communication. Effective leadership communication requires the ability to anticipate to the potential interruptions in the transmission of the message, appreciate the context, understand the audience, select the right medium and craft a clear  message that allows the meaning to reach the specific receiver as intended (Barrett, 2011). I always maintain a sense of confidence and take pride in my public speaking skills. At the same time, I feel much more comfortable in situations where I can communicate effectively with my team members and demonstrate my dynamic skills to engage them effectively which include motivating and coaching. I would consider my interpersonal communication skills with external relations as an area for improvement. I tend to be an extrovert when it comes to public speaking and very confidant with communicating with large audiences but I tend to be introverted when it comes to communication in smaller groups or individual communication with members of external organizations. I have action steps in place to help me in my leadership development which include attending more external corporate events and meetings with the executive team. Solicit feedback from executive team members concerning areas for improvement and change any behavior based on feedback. Also, I plan to participate in more networking events with external constituents. References Aamodt, M. (2013). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An applied approach. Seventh edition. Cox et. al (2007). Evaluating organizational-level work stress interventions: Beyond tradition methods. Work & Stress, 21, 348-362. Ebbers, L., Conover, K., Samuels, A. (2010). Leading from the middle: preparing leaders for new roles. New directions for Community Colleges.Wiley Periodicals. Frese, M (2009). The changing nature of work. In N. Chmiel (Ed.) An introduction to work and organizational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 397-413). Oxford: Blackwell publishing. Lawler, E.E. (2001). Organizing for high performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Owens, Robert. (1998). Organizational Behavior in Education (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

What Weapons and Transportation Machines Were Improved the Most Between World War One and World War Two?

What Weapons and Transportation Machines were Improved the Most between World War One and World War Two? During World War One, tanks, guns, chemical weapons, bombs, airplanes, ships, submarines and grenades were used to kill. A lot of these weapons and machines were difficult to use, really easy to destroy, too heavy, didn't last too long, not accurate enough, and didn't shoot too far. The weapons and Transportation machines were improved in World War Two to make it easier to kill; therefore soldiers would kill more of the enemies. Also, if the machines were too easy to destroy, they improved them or eliminated them. New technologies were invented after World War One because the soldiers realized that they needed better strategies to kill the enemies without themselves getting injured and killed. Some of those technologies were used for defensive purposes as well. For example, the radar was a new technology that was used to identify where the enemies are so they could kill them, and the radar was used to identify when the enemies were attacking so that they could defend ahead of time. Transportation machines such as airplanes, tanks, submarines, ships, and weapons such as different types of guns were improved in World War Two. Airplanes, tanks, submarines, and ships used in World War One were improved for World War Two. Airplanes in World War One didn’t have as much technology as in World War Two and couldn’t fly a long distance in a short amount of time like the planes from World War Two used to fly. Airplanes in World War Two had more space for bombs on board and they had radars. Tanks in World War Two had more weight than in World War One, meaning that they had more metal on them so bullets wouldn’t damage the tanks easily. In World War One war most tanks would have a range of 25 miles[1], while in World War Two a tank could reach the range of 400km[2], which is 248. 5 miles. The armor inside the tank also increased, that’s why the tanks got heavier in World War Two. Submarines had more deck guns in World War Two because more guns were invented during World War Two[3]. The Radar was invented after World War One and before World War Two; therefore they installed the radar in the submarines for World War Two. The Submarines in World War Two had air conditioning and new battery-powered engines, which was not used in World War One either[4]. The ships in World War One didn’t have radars because the radar was invented after World War One. Ships in World War Two had the radars installed, got their speed increased, and the cannon range increased as well. The usage of machine guns in World War One brought new ideas to built better models of machine guns and submachine guns in World War Two. MP40 is a submachine gun that was produced from 1940 to 1945. The MP40 is an automatic gun, and it’s really accurate. Its effective range is 100 meters, and its rate of fire is 550 rounds per minute. 5] Another model of a commonly used submachine gun is the Thompson. This submachine gun was produced in 1921. The Thompson is an automatic gun as well. It is very accurate, and the fire rate is very high: 800-850 rounds per minute. Its effective range is 50 meters. [6] A very commonly used and successful machine gun is the SG-43, which was in service from 1943-1968. This machine gun was gas operated, and it wa s automatic. The machine guns in World War One were not gas operated and didn’t have the rate of fire that the machine guns from World War Two have. The rate of fire from the SG-43, which was used in World War Two, is 500-700 rounds per minute,[7] while a machine gun from World War One would only fire 400-600 small-calibre rounds per minute. [8] The performance of the rifles in World War One was really poor; therefore they improved some rifles and even made new models for World War Two. Rifles in World War One would usually fire only 15 rounds per minute. Their range was about 1,400 meters, but the accuracy could only be guaranteed at around 600 meters. [9] Before World War Two, the performance of the rifles was improved and new Rifles were created. The STG-44 was a gas-operated assault rifle that was developed during World War Two in 1942. Its effective range is 300 meters, but its fire rate was 500-600 rounds per minute. [10] The Karabiner 98k is a bolt-action rifle that was produced from 1935-1945. Its effective range with iron sights is 500 meters, and over 800 meters with optics. [11] The M1 Garand is a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle that was produced from 1936-1957. Its effective range was 402 meters. [12] All weapons and transportation machines such as airplanes, tanks, submarines, nd ships that were used in World War One had a poor performance; therefore they were improved before and during World War Two. Works Cited Day, V. , 14, A. , 1945. , produced, o. f. , & Army, m. t. (n. d. ). Rifle, Cal. .30 06, M1, Garand. GlobalSecurity. org – Reliable Security Information. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from: http://www. globalsecurity. org/military/systems/ground/m1garand. htm (February 6, 2010). StG 44. Retrieved Fe bruary 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stg_44 (February 16, 2010). Karabiner 98k. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Kar98 (February 16, 2010) M1 Garand. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/M1_garand (February 16, 2010). MP 40. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/MP40 (February 14, 2010). Thompson submachine gun. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Thompson_submachine_gun First World War. com – Weapons of War: Rifles. (n. d. ). First World War. com – A Multimedia History of World War One. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from:  http://www. firstworldwar. om/weaponry/rifles. htm guns, 1. h. (n. d. ). First World War. com – Weapons of War: Machine Guns. First World War. com – A Multimedia History of World War One. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from: ht tp://www. firstworldwar. com/weaponry/machineguns. htm I, t. e. (n. d. ). World War One, The Submarine. World History International: World History Essays From Prehistory To The Present. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from: http://history-world. org/world_war_i_and_the_submarine. htm (January 4, 2010). SG-43 Goryunov. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/SG-43 Rusty coot. (2010) What is the difference between World War 1 submarines and World War 2 submarines?. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from WikiAnswers website: http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_World_War_1_sub marines_and_World_War_2_submarines St. Christopher House & The Working Group Inc. (2004). World War II Tanks. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from The Valour and the Horror website: http://www. valourandhorror. com/DB/SPEC/WW2tanks. php (Thursday, February 13, 2003). WW1 Tanks & Cars. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from Mailer. fsu. edu website: ttp://mailer. fsu. edu/~akirk/tanks/ww1/WW1. html ———————– [1] Katya Kuersteiner, Witold J. Lawrynowicz, John Stevens, Auke Smit, John Wilson, (February 13, 2003). â€Å"WWI Tanks & Cars†. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from Mailer. fsu. edu website: http://mailer. fsu. edu/~akirk/tanks/ww1/WW1. html [2] (2004). â€Å"World War II Tanks†. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from The Valour and the Horror website: http://www. valourandhorror. com/DB/SPEC/WW2tanks. php [3] â€Å"World War One, The Submarine†. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from: http://history-world. org/world_war_i_and_the_submarine. htm [4] (2010). What is the difference between World War 1 submarines and World War 2 submarines? † Retrieved February 16, 2010 from WikiAnswers website: http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_World_War_1_submarines_and_Wo rld_War_2_submarines [5] (February 16, 2010) â€Å"MP40†. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/MP40 [6] (February 14, 2010). â€Å"Thompson submachine gun†. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Thompson_submachine_gun [7] (January 4, 2010). â€Å"SG-43 Goryunov†. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/SG-43 [8] Michael Duffy, (22 August, 2009). â€Å"Weapons of War – Machine Guns†. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from: http://www. firstworldwar. com/weaponry/machineguns. htm [9] Michael Duffy, (22 August, 2009). â€Å"Weapons of War – Rifles† Retrieved March 2, 2010, from: http://www. firstworldwar. com/weaponry/rifles. htm [10] (February 6, 2010). â€Å"StG 44†. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stg_44 [11] (February 16, 2010). â€Å"Karabiner 98k†. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Kar98

Costco History

The History of Costco Wholesale DeAna Castro Wilmington University MGT 6501 Abstract Costco is a members only, international retail chain discount warehouse Club. They combine high quality merchandise with low prices. Costco began in 1976 as Price Club and restructured in 1997 as Costco Wholesales. Costco’s passion, mission, and ethics have been the key to the leading membership warehouse retail giant to supply their customers with low prices. Their low cost business strategies and dedication to their employees, suppliers and shareholders have proven success. The History of CostcoThe history of Costco began in July, 1976, in San Diego, California, and its name was Price Club. It was cofounded by Sol and Robert Price. The newly designed business was the first ‘warehouse’ business of it’s kind. This retail business originally targeted other business owners, but blended retail and wholesale. Price Club had unbeatable low prices and sold bulk items. Three years later, 1979, Price Club expanded two new locations. They acquired 200,000 members and profited 1 million dollars. Price Cub showed a loss of profits the first year, but the expansion proved profitable.Jim Sinegal is a key player to the success of Costco because he started his career being mentored by Sol Price. He worked in the warehouse business at Price Club and another warehouse business called Fedmart, both owned by Sol Price. (Cardon). In 1983, Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brottman would open their own warehouse club near Seattle Washington, and it was called Costco (Daft, 2012 pp. 605). One year later, Costco expanded to nine warehouses in five states. It was not long before Price Club realized they could achieve larger cliental if they served a selected audience of ‘non-business’ members.This payed off by the year 1984, Price Club sales would be greater than one billion dollars and is the first company to achieve this mark in a six year period. Almost ten years later, 1 993, Costco and Price Club, would merge and become PriceCostco. This merge was nicely matched because they were very similar in business model and size. The combined companies included 206 locations and generated $16 billion in annual sales. Jim Sinegal would also become Costco’s President and chief executive (Priceviewer). The merger only lasted about four years and, in 1997, PriceCostco became Costco.Jim Sinegal remained President and chief executer (Carden, 2011). Costco’s Mission statement: To continually provide our members with quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices in order to achieve our mission we will conduct our business with the following Code of Ethics in mind: Obey the law, Take care of our members and our employees, and respect our vendors/suppliers. â€Å"If we do these four things throughout our organization, then we will realize our ultimate goal, which is to reward our shareholders. † Jim Sinegal. (Costco, 2011)Costco’ s operating philosophy is to keep costs down, and pass the savings on to their customers. To offer high quality brand name merchandise at prices below any other avenue of retail. They accomplish this several ways. They buy high volumes of merchandise directly from manufactures and not distributers. The merchandise is shipped directly to a selling warehouse and not a storage area, and this also reduces freight costs. Costco warehouses are located on sites where property costs are minimum not on high real estate locations. Merchandise, or stock, is placed directly on a selling floor and on the pallets that they are delivered on.By doing this, labor and handling, costs are reduced to save the customer money. Sales and service employees are kept at a minimal to also reduce overhead costs. Last, because Costco’s has such an incredibly large membership base they have influence and power to haggle prices with their manufacturers and suppliers. â€Å"Costco is able to offer lower pr ices and better values by eliminating virtually all the frills and costs historically associated with conventional wholesalers and retailers, including salespeople, fancy buildings, delivery, billing and accounts receivable.We run a tight operation with extremely low overhead which enables us to pass on dramatic savings to our members. † Jim Sinegal (corporate, 2012). Costco pride’s themselves as a leading warehouse/big box retailer. Sales volume exceeds that of their competition and they use a â€Å"consumer first† business model. This business model is a creative way that has expanded sales. Costco has developed additional ways to continue to save money for their customers. They did this by creating their own brand. Costco’s personal brand is ‘Kirkland Signature. Kirkland, Washington's the root of Costco and is where their headquarters is located. Kirkland Signature brand was introduced to Costco stores in 1995. It was designed to be equal or bette r quality than national brands. Kirkland Signature products include diapers, coffee, tires, clothing, film, housewares and more. (Priceviewer). Often, national brands are co- brands with Kirkland Signature products. Some manufactures realize the success and power of Costco and have agreed to manufacture products with the Kirkland Signature label. Some companies include Hanes and Whirlpool. Branch, 1999). â€Å"Costco continues to prove their â€Å"consumer first† business model, through the creation of new and unique business concepts, included Costco Pharmacy (1986) Produce and Bakery (1987), Optical labs (1987), 1-Hour Photo (1989), Hearing Aid Centers (1994), Costco Gas stations (1995), Costco business Centers (1996), Costco Travel (2000), Costco Home (2003), and Car Washes (2006)† (Walker, 2011). Costco’s structure and culture, meets customer needs further than low prices. Costco focuses on value of it’s products but also focuses on value of itâ€℠¢s employees.They believe that achieving a long term objectives of reducing employee turnover and enhancing employee satisfaction is beneficial. To accomplish this they hire employees at an above average hourly rate, they train and promote from within. Doing this, their employees feel loyalty and valued. Costco Continues to be financially successful today and has expanded internationally. Their mission and ethics have proved to be successful and beneficial to all that the organization is involved with to include, customers employees, suppliers/vendors and stockholders.What does organizational design truly mean? Have you considered how it can work best? If yes, how? If no, why not? Organizational design is a formal process for integrating people, information, and technology. Organizations are people that have a declaration of purpose, vision and strategy. This structure matches people to the purpose it seeks to achieve a common goal or purpose. It is designed to enhance communication , information, and resources to optimize human achievement. The end product is an integrated system of people and resources tailored to the specific direction of the organization.Organizational design basically is an execution of an administrative plan guided by a leader/leaders. The design of the organization can work best if the people work together as a team. It will also work best, if the mission, vision, strategy, purpose and needs of the organization are identified and the goals are achievable. Organizations also work best if it’s leader understands, guides and assures the process is followed and encourages creative thinking. If their is not an effective leader who does not have a mission, vision, strategy and followers, the organization can and will fail.Costco has proven to have a successful organizational design. Describe the â€Å"Trap of favored ways of thinking†? How did it impact your thinking? In Organizations ‘traps’ can be hazardous to thei r success. These traps can prohibit and restrict creativity, limits capabilities and limits ability to progress into the future. Some common traps are: Group Thinking- Productive conflict is critical if common traits are shared in a group because it prevents bad ideas from being implemented without discussion or consideration. Non productive conflict is not productive and can become a hostile situation.Group thinking is pervasive. â€Å"We have never done it like this before† If you always do what you do, you always get what you got. Be courages and attempt change. Make sure to make meaning changes. â€Å"You’re Gooder† syndrome- Respect is over emphasized to their authorities and lacks candor, honesty and courage. Inbred Culture When hiring employees is based on time, ore years of service and loyalty rather than exceptional performance. Problems will arise. The leadership chain of command will be incompetent and will breed more incompetence. Arbitrary Directive s and policies are determined by top management.If decisions and policies are made with randomness and for unknown reason then those are signs that indicates that the leader is disconnected and out of touch. This truly impacted my thinking because I was not aware and I learned many things! It made so much since why organizations struggle, fail and succeed. It caused many flashbacks to my military career, and also, my teachers, mentors and friends. When I think about this, in reference to Costco, any of these trapped ways of thinking could have jeopardized their success. â€Å"The Ugly Face† often stifles an organizations growth. How? Did you position to circumvent it in your design?The ugly face refers to organizations that exploit employees, the global economy, or the natural environment as instruments of domination that furthers selfish needs and dominance. Taking what they need and throwing or destroying what isn’t needed. â€Å"Whether by design or default, organi zations often have a large negative impact on our world. † (Morgan,1998 pp. 261). Pollutants, poisons and other cancer causing hazards are ingested or promoted by food and tobacco companies. Similar threats are caused from environmental pollutions that are legally and illegally dumped in water and land.Contaminated air, land and water hurt people causing cancer or other health problems and big corporations that cause these hazards are sometimes not penalized. These organizations place profits before human welfare. Foreign countries are easily manipulated by employment with hazards, disease, and degradation. Costco has circumvented many of the â€Å"ugly face† views by taking care or rewarding their customers, employees, and suppliers. They take care of their employees by giving them a substantially higher pay than other companies, they promote from within and they are rewarded and valued as people.Globally, Costco has expanded to foreign countries and has provided emplo yment and opportunities for others by creating employment, giving them higher above average salaries and valuing them as people with respect and appreciation. References Branch, S. (1999, 09 06). Inside the cult of costco. Fortune, 140(5), Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/detail? [email  protected] Cardon, B. (n. d. ). Costco company history. Retrieved from http://goarticles. com/article/Costco-Company-History/4651134 Costco Wholesale Corporation SWOT Analysis. 2011) Costco Wholesale Corporation SWOT Analysis. Daft, R. (2013). Organizational theory & design. (11 ed. , pp. 54-61). Canada: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Walker, S. (2011, 05 16). The history of costco. Retrieved from http://www. vendor. com/_blog/VENDORCO_BLOG/post/The_Hisory_of_Costco Retrieved from http://www. costco. co. jp/eng/costco. htm Retrieved from http://phx. corporate-ir. net/phoenix. zhtml? c=83830=irol-homeprofile Retrieved from http://priceviewer. com/costco/costco. htm Retrieved from h ttp://www. referenceforbusiness. com/history2/91/Costco-Wholesale-Corporation. html

Cultural Critique on the Internet

Through the onset of industrialization, countries all over the world had experienced remarkable changes in its society. Sophisticated technologies, gadgets and facilities had been made available to man. These inventions, which are results of man’s work, pave the way to the society’s advancements. One of the most remarkable artifacts that the new milieu brought into picture is the internet.The advent of the internet came into vision â€Å"when people in the early 1960s saw great potential value in allowing computers to share information on research and development in scientific and military fields† (Brief History of the Internet). J. C. R. Licklider was said to be the pioneering person of the internet. In 1962, he proposed a global network of computers and work to develop it (Brief History of the Internet). The initial efforts of Licklider had inspired other people to participate in designing and bringing internet into a complete picture.The theory of pocket switc hing developed by Leonard Kleinrock ‘forms the basis of internet connections. ’ In the year 1969, ARPANET (initial name given to internet) was brought on line. It was first used to connect four Universities in the United States to provide a channel for research communication and exchange. Early times of internet use and connection were very complex. Furthermore, the used of the internet was only limited to education, government and research use.Commercial used of the internet was then prohibited. This prohibition was put to an end when the ‘dot-com boom’ in the second half of 1990’s hit the stock market and media (Gozzi Jr. 470). Investments for the commercialization of the internet were in demand during these years. It was also during these times when Microsoft had its ‘full scale entry into browser, server and Internet Service Provider market completed the shift t a commercially based Internet’ (A Brief History of the Internet).As seen today, the internet industry or the ‘dot-com’ economy is continuously growing and taking an advance step everyday. The definition as well as the description of the internet was finalized and passed as a resolution on October 24, 1995. The following statement provides the definition and description of the internet: RESOLUTION: The Federal Networking Council (FNC) agrees that the following language reflects our definition of the term â€Å"Internet†.â€Å"Internet† refers to the global information system that — (i) is logically linked together by a globally unique address space based on the Internet Protocol (IP) or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons; (ii) is able to support communications using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons, and/or other IP-compatible protocols; and (iii) provides, uses or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high level services layered on the communications and related infrastructure described herein (Leiner et al n. p).This technology grants mechanism to people throughout the globe to process and relay information without regard for geographic location. It has been a channel for communication, business, community operations and education. It opened the possibilities of on line learning and business negotiation and made the life of individuals to be modern and sophisticated. Through the onset of this technology, advancement in the society and man’s culture also took place. The benefits that this technology bring is said to be limitless and essential. However, at present times, people seem to abuse the used of the internet.Such abuse initiated the negative implications and harm of the said artifact to the society as a whole. The community had too much relied on the features of the internet. In an article written by Greenblatt, he argued that the rise of the internet had negatively affected traditional television (1 49). It is feared that the internet would eventually kill television as it does in the music industry and in the print media. Competition between traditional television and the internet arises. It was noted in the article of Greenblatt that people spend less time in viewing the television than they do in the net.Through on line streaming, watching sports, concert of artists, etc is now possible. It is showed that the traditional way of watching (i. e. with the use of television) had been altered due to internet boom. While it can be said that the presence of internet provides the benefit for individuals to watch programs in their most convenient time, it is still unfair because other industries suffer. Too much dependence of the public to the internet had brought the problem of unfair competition. People’s way of socializing was also altered through the used of the internet.The usual way of meeting and knowing a particular person had been changed. Most people use the internet to meet and socialize with new people. This has been made possible through the used of chat rooms as well as other internet sites like friendster. The value of having friends is not the main question being posed. The threat for such sites and chat rooms is the opportunity for on line prostitution and other crimes to take place (Clemmitt 450). The internet had (in no doubt) expanded prostitution, bringing it available not only on the area where a certain prostitute lives but also in nearby cities or town.The invention of the internet has also given rise to a new kind of addiction, which is online porn addiction where ‘there's no doubt that some people's porn consumption gets them in trouble — in the form of maxed-out credit cards, lost sleep, neglected responsibilities, or neglected loved ones’ (Martin F. Downs). Violent acts of children are also partly blamed on the internet. On line games which most children and youngsters play depict violence which eventually changes their psychological behavior.The increase in violent acts of these youngsters eventually contributes to an increase in crime. Early exposure of these youngsters to act of violence and other adult materials can bring unfavorable effect to their perception about the reality. Addiction to these on line games had also reduced their time for physical activities therefore bringing the problem of obesity. ‘Dr Robinson from the British Nutrition foundation said 40% of boys and 60% of girls were found to spend less than the recommended one hour per day in physical activity’ (BBC News).The most controversial and frightening contribution of the internet is the opportunity that it provides for act of terrorism. Terrorist are availing the opportunity to connect with the internet and used this artifact as a propaganda tool (Anderson 25). Since every machine that is connected to the internet is potentially a broad casting station, a printing press or a place of assembly, terro rists can now disseminate their information undiluted by the media and untouched by government censors. In the past, the al-Quaeda had benefited from the extensive use of the internet not until their network was intercepted.The following statement, which basically tackles on how terrorists’ actions were improved through the aid of the internet, was cited in Anderson’s work (2003). â€Å"Using the Internet for communication can increase speed of mobilization and allow more dialogue between members, which enhances the organization’s flexibility, since tactics can be adjusted more frequently. Individuals with a common agenda and goals can form subgroups, meet at a target location, conduct terrorist operations, and then readily determine their relationships and re-disperse† (27).Documents accessed through internet connection also provided the Al-Queada to obtain details regarding the design lay out of the World Trade Center which contributed to the success of making their plans. The Al-Queada group had developed their action in using the internet as a tool for terrorism. It is alarming to think that future terrorists would follow the step taken by the mentioned group and may even develop more powerful and sophisticated programs that would aid in the threat of terrorism. The internet had initiated the risk of cyber terrorism.Internet’s role in shaping today’s culture is indeed remarkable and at the same time threatening. Pioneers of this artifact may have the pure intention to bring the world in the state of modernization. However, it is sad to know that upon the onset of modernization comes the threat and harm that the internet posed. Overuse, misused and overdependence of people in this artifact will in no doubt bring several detrimental effects. As discussed from the examples above, actions of people as well as their cultural identity are negatively being altered by the mere presence of the internet.The internet’s original purpose of making information accessible, sharing this information in a fast pace and making long distance communication possible had been abusively used by some people therefore bringing a negative impact on the society’s culture. Our world nowadays is continuously progressing and accompanying this progress is the innovation of new artifacts. Truly, these new artifacts had taken a vital role in shaping our society’s culture as well as shaping the minds of people. These innovations would be more likely to be inevitable.Every new artifact is invented to somehow benefit and bring people a comfortable way of living, however, one should not overlook the harm that these new artifacts may bring. Every time that we take a step towards advancement comes the opportunity for societal and cultural change. These changes bring forth several issues and problems that are more likely to have negative outcomes. The internet has had its effects on society at present and it wil l have its effects in the future. The future of the internet is faced with the question on how management of change and evolution would be done.Let us not keep ourselves to be tongue tied and see how the negative outcomes abolish our cultural and societal identity. We should act on this matter. Work Cited Anderson, Alison. â€Å"Risk, Terrorism, and the Internet. † Knowledge, Technology & Policy 16 (2003): 24-33 BBC News, â€Å"Health Symptoms in Obese children. † 16 May 2008 . â€Å"Brief History of the Internet. † 28 May 2008 . Clemmitt, Marcia. â€Å"Prostitution debate. † CQ Researcher, May 23, 2008: CQ Researcher Online. Capella Lib. 29 May 2008 . Downs, Martin F. â€Å"Is pornography addictive. † 16 May 2008 . Greenblatt, Allan. â€Å"Television's future. † CQ Researcher, February 16, 2007: CQ Researcher Online. Capella Lib. 29 May 2008 . Leiner Barry M. , V. G. Cerf, D. D. Clark, R. E. Kahn, L. Kleinrock, D. C. Lynch, J. Postel, L. G. Roberts and S. Wolff. â€Å"Brief History of Internet. † 10 December 2003. Internet society. 28 May 2008 . Cultural Critique on the Internet Through the onset of industrialization, countries all over the world had experienced remarkable changes in its society. Sophisticated technologies, gadgets and facilities had been made available to man. These inventions, which are results of man’s work, pave the way to the society’s advancements. One of the most remarkable artifacts that the new milieu brought into picture is the internet.The advent of the internet came into vision â€Å"when people in the early 1960s saw great potential value in allowing computers to share information on research and development in scientific and military fields† (Brief History of the Internet). J. C. R. Licklider was said to be the pioneering person of the internet. In 1962, he proposed a global network of computers and work to develop it (Brief History of the Internet). The initial efforts of Licklider had inspired other people to participate in designing and bringing internet into a complete picture.The theory of pocket switc hing developed by Leonard Kleinrock ‘forms the basis of internet connections. ’ In the year 1969, ARPANET (initial name given to internet) was brought on line. It was first used to connect four Universities in the United States to provide a channel for research communication and exchange. Early times of internet use and connection were very complex. Furthermore, the used of the internet was only limited to education, government and research use.Commercial used of the internet was then prohibited. This prohibition was put to an end when the ‘dot-com boom’ in the second half of 1990’s hit the stock market and media (Gozzi Jr. 470). Investments for the commercialization of the internet were in demand during these years. It was also during these times when Microsoft had its ‘full scale entry into browser, server and Internet Service Provider market completed the shift t a commercially based Internet’ (A Brief History of the Internet).As seen today, the internet industry or the ‘dot-com’ economy is continuously growing and taking an advance step everyday. The definition as well as the description of the internet was finalized and passed as a resolution on October 24, 1995. The following statement provides the definition and description of the internet: RESOLUTION: The Federal Networking Council (FNC) agrees that the following language reflects our definition of the term â€Å"Internet†.â€Å"Internet† refers to the global information system that — (i) is logically linked together by a globally unique address space based on the Internet Protocol (IP) or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons; (ii) is able to support communications using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons, and/or other IP-compatible protocols; and (iii) provides, uses or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high level services layered on the communications and related infrastructure described herein (Leiner et al n.p). This technology grants mechanism to people throughout the globe to process and relay information without regard for geographic location. It has been a channel for communication, business, community operations and education. It opened the possibilities of on line learning and business negotiation and made the life of individuals to be modern and sophisticated. Through the onset of this technology, advancement in the society and man’s culture also took place. The benefits that this technology bring is said to be limitless and essential.However, at present times, people seem to abuse the used of the internet. Such abuse initiated the negative implications and harm of the said artifact to the society as a whole. The internet has also brought succor to the lives of many people in economically less developed countries that have a somewhat substandard educational system. This is by way of accessing the on line learning materials of world-class universities around the world. They are able to access up-to-date information on almost all subjects and upgrade their knowledge.The community had too much relied on the features of the internet. In an article written by Greenblatt, he argued that the rise of the internet had negatively affected traditional television (149). It is feared that the internet would eventually kill television as it does in the music industry and in the print media. Competition between traditional television and the internet arises. It was noted in the article of Greenblatt that people spend less time in viewing the television than they do in the net. Through on line streaming, watching sports, concert of artists, etc is now possible.It is showed that the traditional way of watching (i. e. with the use of television) had been altered due to internet boom. While it can be said that the presence of internet provides the benefit for individuals to watch programs in thei r most convenient time, it is still unfair because other industries suffer. Too much dependence of the public to the internet had brought the problem of unfair competition. People’s way of socializing was also altered through the use of the internet. The usual way of meeting and knowing a particular person had been changed.Most people use the internet to meet and socialize with new people. This has been made possible through the use of chat rooms as well as other internet sites like friendster. The value of having friends is not the main question being posed. The threat for such sites and chat rooms is the opportunity for on line prostitution and other crimes to take place (Clemmitt 450). The internet had (in no doubt) expanded prostitution, bringing it available not only on the area where a certain prostitute lives but also in nearby cities or town.The invention of the internet has also given rise to a new kind of addiction, which is online porn addiction where ‘there' s no doubt that some people's porn consumption gets them in trouble — in the form of maxed-out credit cards, lost sleep, neglected responsibilities, or neglected loved ones’ (Martin F. Downs). Violent acts of children are also partly blamed on the internet. On line games which most children and youngsters play depict violence which eventually changes their psychological behavior.The increase in violent acts of these youngsters eventually contributes to an increase in crime. Early exposure of these youngsters to act of violence and other adult materials can bring unfavorable effect to their perception about the reality. Addiction to these on line games had also reduced their time for physical activities therefore bringing the problem of obesity. ‘Dr Robinson from the British Nutrition foundation said 40% of boys and 60% of girls were found to spend less than the recommended one hour per day in physical activity’ (BBC News).Moreover, child pornography on the internet is one of the bad practices that the internet has been able to cultivate. Aside from children being used as prostitutes, other young children also visit pornographic sites. This does untold psychological damage to these children as they do not know what is right and what is not. They are sometimes compelled to practice what they have seen, thereby contributing to the increasing level of moral decadence. Also the danger of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and other forms of bad deeds has been blown out of proportion by exposure to the internet.The most controversial and frightening contribution of the internet is the opportunity that it provides for act of terrorism. Terrorist are availing the opportunity to connect with the internet and used this artifact as a propaganda tool (Anderson 25). Acts of terrorism can now be perpetuated now, easier than before with the use of the internet. The most benign way of this act is the production of malicious softwares i n the form of computer viruses, worms, Trojans and crawlers. This causes instability of these computer machines, to the detriment of the user.every machine that is connected to the internet is potentially a broad casting station, a printing press or a place of assembly, terrorists can now disseminate their information undiluted by the media and untouched by government censors. In the past, the al-Quaeda had benefited from the extensive use of the internet not until their network was intercepted. The following statement, which basically tackles on how terrorists’ actions were improved through the aid of the internet, was cited in Anderson’s work (2003).â€Å"Using the Internet for communication can increase speed of mobilization and allow more dialogue between members, which enhances the organization’s flexibility, since tactics can be adjusted more frequently. Individuals with a common agenda and goals can form subgroups, meet at a target location, conduct terr orist operations, and then readily determine their relationships and re-disperse† (27). Documents accessed through internet connection also provided the Al-Queada to obtain details regarding the design lay out of the World Trade Center which contributed to the success of making their plans.The Al-Queada group had developed their action in using the internet as a tool for terrorism. It is alarming to think that future terrorists would follow the step taken by the mentioned group and may even develop more powerful and sophisticated programs that would aid in the threat of terrorism. The internet had initiated the risk of cyber terrorism. Internet’s role in shaping today’s culture is indeed remarkable and at the same time threatening. Pioneers of the internet may have the pure intention to bring the world in the state of modernization.However, it is sad to know that upon the onset of modernization comes the threat and harm that the internet posed. Overuse, misuse an d overdependence of people in this technology will in no doubt bring several detrimental effects. As discussed from the examples above, actions of people as well as their cultural identity are negatively being altered by the mere presence of the internet. The world is increasingly been described as being ‘westernised’ since everyone, especially the youth, are increasingly turning to the way of life of the Americans and Europeans.The internet’s original purpose of making information accessible, sharing this information in a fast pace and making long distance communication possible had been abusively used by some people therefore bringing a negative impact on the society’s culture. Our world nowadays is continuously progressing and accompanying this progress is the innovation of new artifacts. Truly, these new artifacts had taken a vital role in shaping our society’s culture as well as shaping the minds of people. These innovations would be more likel y to be inevitable.Every new artifact is invented to somehow benefit and bring people a comfortable way of living, however, one should not overlook the harm that these new artifacts may bring. Every time that we take a step towards advancement comes the opportunity for societal and cultural change. These changes bring forth several issues and problems that are more likely to have negative outcomes. The internet has had its effects on society at present and it will have its effects in the future. The future of the internet is faced with the question on how management of change and evolution would be done.The internet has got the potential of turning the world to a single-culture, single language world. This would have far reaching effects as it would eliminate the numerous world cultures that have been built since the beginning of time. All the ancient civilizations are still visible today because they have been preserved in one way or the other. Because of this, people travel to the se locations as tourists. In this way, the memories are kept alive. The rate the internet craze is going, this trend is likely to be reversed since people can see these locations on the screens of their computers.Let us not keep ourselves to be tongue tied and see how the negative outcomes abolish our cultural and societal identity. We should act on this matter. Action, they say, is louder than voice. Work Cited Anderson, Alison. â€Å"Risk, Terrorism, and the Internet. † Knowledge, Technology & Policy 16 (2003): 24-33 BBC News, â€Å"Health Symptoms in Obese children. † 16 May 2008 . â€Å"Brief History of the Internet. † 28 May 2008 . Clemmitt, Marcia. â€Å"Prostitution debate. † CQ Researcher, May 23, 2008: CQ Researcher Online. Capella Lib.29 May 2008 . Downs, Martin F. â€Å"Is pornography addictive. † 16 May 2008 . Greenblatt, Allan. â€Å"Television's future. † CQ Researcher, February 16, 2007: CQ Researcher Online. Capella Lib. 29 M ay 2008 . Leiner Barry M. , V. G. Cerf, D. D. Clark, R. E. Kahn, L. Kleinrock, D. C. Lynch, J. Postel, L. G. Roberts and S. Wolff. â€Å"Brief History of Internet. † 10 December 2003. Internet society. 28 May 2008 .