Wednesday, December 25, 2019

George Orwell’s 1984 and the Internet Essay - 1965 Words

In the United States of America, over 85 percent of people use the internet more than once in a single day (Internet Society). Why is it that this sensation called the internet is becoming such a phenomenon? Simply because all the services that the internet has to offer, but how could this fantastic internet be composed of only positive services? Here’s what is kept in the dark. The internet, also known as cyberspace or interweb, has an impeccable memory. With this said, this means that the internet stores every piece of information ever logged in the depths of the web. The web catches everything that comes in contact with it like a spider’s web, hence the name web. At first thought, this may not seem bad, but this information is permanent†¦show more content†¦In the beginning of 1984, written by George Orwell, he starts off the novel by introducing the Two Minutes Hate. The submission power that The Party possesses over The Party members intensifies as time go es on, in fact to an extent â€Å"that it was impossible to avoid joining in† (Orwell 14). The part taking in the Two Minutes of Hate was obviously obliged, but the fact that The Party members like Winston, who were rebels, could not help but join in truly shows the power of The Party’s authoritative power. This overwhelming power makes The Party members follow and support the ideas of The Party. This supreme authoritative power shaped The Party into the dystopia that Orwell predicted to come true today, as Orwell’s negative society is being created with the reliance on the internet. The first social media website to exist was called Friendster. Friendster blew up in popularity, causing many people to become hooked on it within the first few months: â€Å"It grew to three million users within its first three months (Introduction). That is approximately 33 thousand new users registering in a single day, for three months. The number of social media websites being created as of today, are increasing rapidly. Today in the real world people are becoming hooked on the internet. Individuals cannot resist the urge to join in on this new phenomenon. In some cases, the internet and social media is also seen as a negative place to be. Likewise to the Two Minutes of Hate in theShow MoreRelated1984 Argument1249 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Orwell’s book 1984 is a very interesting novel. The novel is set up in Airstrip One. In George Orwell’s book 1984 it has many situations. One of the many situations are that some people refer society as â€Å"Orwellian.† What does Orwellian mean? Orwellian means, of or related to the works of George Orwell ( especially his picture of his future totalitarian state.) People believe that Orwell is realistic and say his work part of our society now. George Orwell was a writer in the twentieth centuryRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Dangers Of Power Through A Totalitarian Government1186 Words   |  5 Pa gesWhile writing 1984, George Orwell strongly displayed the theme of the dangers of power through a totalitarian government. Not only were Orwell’s ideas of corruption in an all-powerful government portrayed in his novel, 1984, but comparisons can be made with the story’s points of a spying authority, keeping the lower class ignorant, and an unscrupulous corporate influence with America’s power-heads today. Big Brother could be considered the main antagonist of George Orwell’s 1984. Serving as aRead MoreOppression and Dehumanization in George Orwells 1984 Essay1621 Words   |  7 Pages12 April 2012 Oppression and Dehumanization of Society in George Orwell’s 1984: The Manipulation of Technology, Language, Media and History George Orwell uses his novel 1984 to convey that human beings, as a species, are extremely susceptible to dehumanization and oppression in society. Orwell demonstrates how a government’s manipulation of technology, language, media, and history can oppress and degrade its citizens. In 1984 the political manipulation of technology oppresses the peopleRead MoreEssay on Society’s Influence on 1984 and George Orwell1391 Words   |  6 PagesSociety’s Influence on 1984 and George Orwell To say I accept in an age like our own is to say that you accept concentration-camps, rubber truncheons, Hitler, Stalin, bombs, aeroplanes, tinned food, machine guns, putsches, purges, slogans, Bedaux belts, gas-masks, submarines, spies, provocateurs, press-censorship, secret prisons, aspirins, Hollywood films and political murder (Bookshelf I). Politics, society, economy, and war during the forties had a direct impact on life at the timeRead MoreComparing Orwells 1984 to Todays Government Essay1599 Words   |  7 Pages 1984 has come and gone. The cold war is over. The collapse of oppressive totalitarian regimes leads to the conclusion that these governments by their nature generate resistance and are doomed to failure. The fictional world of George Orwells novel, 1984, is best described as hopeless; a nightmarish dystopia where the omnipresent State enforces perfect conformity among members of a totalitarian Party through indoctrination, propaganda, fear, and ruthless punishment. In the aftermath of the fallRead MoreCensorship In 1984 By George Orwell717 Words   |  3 PagesThesis Statement: 1984 is a well-written cautionary tale that is perfectly applicable to today’s political climate and other current events. This is shown through George Orwell’s intuitive predictions of the use of censorship, his discu ssion of the perception and nature of reality, and his timeless depiction of a too-real society. 1984 contains an intuitive look at the role censorship plays in the lives of human beings. One way this plays a main part in his novel is through government use of technologyRead MoreOrwells 1984 Essay1962 Words   |  8 Pages Orwell’s Warnings in Nineteen Eighty-Four are Irrelevant to a First-World (our) Society Nineteen Eighty-Four (referred to as 1984 from here on) written by George Orwell is a cautionary novel set in a totalitarian society maintained and controlled by the government through censorship, fear, and a total lack of human rights. George Orwell’s novel 1984 depicts what he saw in the society he was living in, and to warn future societies of what he thought the world was headed towards. However, my hypothesisRead More Common Threads in George Orwells 1984 and Todays Society Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesCommon Threads in George Orwells 1984 and Todays Society Big Brother is Watching You(Orwell 5). This simple phrase has become the cornerstone of the conspiracy theorists dialog. George Orwell may have writing a cautionary novel with 1984, but there is little possibility that he could have foreseen how close to reality his novel would truly become. In the past 50 years, the world has become a much more dangerous place. Along with this danger has come a call for governments to do moreRead MoreIn George Orwell’S Famous Book 1984, The Party Runs The1536 Words   |  7 PagesIn George Orwell’s famous book 1984, the Party runs the slogan â€Å"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past† (Orwell 74). This slogan is a common idea when it comes to The Ministry of Truth. The Ministry of Truth is Orwell’s way of predicting both modern day media manipulation and propaganda because it shows how the media can and does change the past, present, and future. In 1984 propaganda is used to manipulate the population by turning them against oneRead MoreCultural Death During The Melting Pot Of The World883 Words   |  4 Pagesto Huxleyan prophecy, a population that relies on constant distractions and entertainment by technology contributes to the downfall of human development . An example of this is shown through American citizens developing a growing dependency on the internet, which has led to a society of conformity and control. Based on the Huxleyan prophecy, America is experiencing culture-death as a consequence of citizens utilizing social media, disconnecting with nature, and depending on databases as a resource

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Book Review Joe Stark - 1479 Words

Book Review: Joe Stark Wounded By School: Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up to Old School Culture Kirsten Olson Olson’s premises for the book are that engagement in learning is the key to a happy life and that school separates many individuals from that possibility. School practices that wound and make students hesitant learners have to be investigated so they can be changed. If we understand what school wounds are, why they occur and what can be done about it, we don’t need to harbor these wounds forever. The â€Å"average† child is possibly the most wounded child in our school systems. These students often come away feeling that they are not smart and that their abilities are set in stone. Many experience shame that results in†¦show more content†¦Students who once had passion become burnt out with no curiosity. †¢ Wounds of underestimation occur when students face low expectations based on who they are. Students almost as soon as they enter school are classified, tracked, and categorized. They know it and lower expectations become self-perpetuating. These wounds were the most commonly confronted during Olson’s research. †¢ Wounds of perfection happen to students who continually chase the highest grades by doing precisely what the teacher wants. They may be reluctant to take risks due to fear of failure. Pressure takes the enjoyment out of learning. †¢ Wounds of the average happen when students are made to feel stuck in the middle. They are squarely between programs for the gifted and handicapped since they qualify for neither. They put in the time, do the least they can, and are not challenged. They spend their time trying not to be noticed and don’t see themselves as unique in any way. They see their abilities as rigid and not able to be improved through effort or focus. All of these wounds are produced in school environments that are intolerant of cognitive, emotional, or identity differences. They produce alienation for the learner, and reduce pleasure in learning. Olson sees the basic problem as schools not changing much since they were invented. Students are sorted and tracked, resulting in schools bolsteringShow MoreRelatedA Hectic Journey in Their Eyes Were Watching God was written by Zora Neale Hurston633 Words   |  3 Pages1937. Hurstons book guides us through character Janie Crawford’s hectic journey while taking place in the 1900s. The story starts out with Janie, a middle-aged black woman, returning to her hometown in Eatonville, Florida. Her surprise visit gets the town talking. They wonder where she had gone, what she was doing, and why she was gone so long. Janie’s friend, Pheoby Watson, visits Janie to find out what happened. The conversation that they share frames the rest of the entire book. Janie beginsRead MoreOverview: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston1641 Words   |  7 PagesHurstons book guides us through character Janie Crawford’s hectic journey while taking place in the 1900s. The story starts out with Janie, a middle-aged African American woman, returning to her hometown in Eatonville, Florida. Her surprise visit gets the town talking. They wonder where she had gone, what she was doing, and why she was gone so long. Janie’s friend, Pheoby Watson, visits Janie to find out what happened. The conversation that they share frames the rest of the entire book. Janie beginsRead MoreThe Sentiment of Oprah, Not Hurston: Their Eyes Were Watching God1502 Words   |  7 Pagesopus, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and remade it into an entirely different story that did not comply with the book. By altering Janie’s character, moral fiber, relationships, and public acts, it changed the meaning of the novel. The symbolism and the significance of the title varied from the book and the story morphed into a tale of love when made into a movie. Zora Neale Hurston’s book held a disparate meaning before it fell into the hands of Oprah, who annihilated it. Janie’s character obtainedRead MoreSelf-Actualizing Through Loving Others1685 Words   |  7 Pagesthis story, as she attended four different schools after growing up in Eatonville, Florida, Americas first African-American town, where Janie first escapes for a new beginning (McLeod). Hurston studied cultural anthropology and started writing her books during the Great Depression (McLeod). The negative portrayal of blacks in the novel could allude to the sad times of prejudice when she grew up. Hurston struggled when growing up from her mothers death at an early age, her fathers quick remarriageRead MoreCritique of Oprah Winfreys Film Version of Their Eyes Were Watching God1771 Words   |  8 Pagesread the book. Winfrey totally eviscerated Hurston’s unsurpassed novel, extrapolating what she thought important without going in depth in to the true meaning of the story. Oprah took Hurston’s writing and morphed it into her own abominable movie. Oprah’s first mistake, changing Janie’s character to making her equal to men, strengthened Janie in order to show that she controlled her life. Zora Neale Hurtson wrote Janie as a woman subordinate to men, such as Logan Killicks or Joe Starks. â€Å"‘She’s uhRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God- Janies Self Realization2063 Words   |  9 Pagesstart. As the main character she sought to finally find herself, true love, and have a meaningful life. Growing up, in itself, provides a perfect opportunity for finding that essential state of self-realization and ideal comfort. Michael G. Cooke reviews Their Eyes Were Watching God in his article The Beginnings of Self-Realization; within the article it is falsely criticized that every time Janie is negatively impacted she grows to become more self-sufficient, however, was correct in observingRead MoreInfluence Of Social Status On Comics2307 Words   |  10 PagesComic Books Changing With The Times Growing up the biggest dream of mine was to wake up one day and have a super power. I would be able to help defend the world, save people from bad guys, and make the world a better place. Sadly, I ended up just going to college and studying to be a mechanical engineer, but the dream is still alive! Even now while going through my studies, comic books still intrigue me and one of the aspects that has me the most curious is the sudden shift recently taking placeRead More â€Å"Ships at a Distance†: Dreams in Their Eyes Were Watching God1945 Words   |  8 Pagesdid not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman† (Hurston 25). Discontent with lack of passion in her first marriage, Janie decides to abandon her dream of finding love with Logan and does not hesitate to run away with Jody Starks when the situation presents itself. Deborah Clarke comments on this change in heart, writing, â€Å"Janie thus gives up a vision she has seen - that of the pear tree - in favor of one she can only imagine: horizons, chance, and change† (605). With Janie’sRead MoreFairness and Purity: Why American Baseball Players Should Know Better1927 Words   |  8 PagesP. Farhi Keuka College February 2013 Fairness and Purity: Why American Baseball Players Should Know Better Reading the recent articles â€Å"We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals† by William Moller, and â€Å"Cheating and CHEATING† by Joe Posnanski, I found occasion to consider the use of steroids in baseball for the first time. In these essays, Moller and Posnanski tapped into the running commentary about performance-enhancing substances and their relative acceptability in the baseballRead More Finding Hope in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay3095 Words   |  13 Pagesrealizes that she is living Nannys dreams rather than her own. She also realizes that with protection comes obligation--Killicks feels he deserves to slap her around. With that discovery, she makes the choice to escape with Jody and his ambitious ideas. Joe seems closer to her ideal, closer to the dream of marriage that she has nourished despite opposition.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Jody is complex. He represents a whole host of things, including the attempt of the black man to gain wealth and power, his effort to pattern

Monday, December 9, 2019

Dell Inc. Business Policy Paper free essay sample

Introduction Dell Inc. is one of the world’s largest information technology firms, serving individual consumers as well as small businesses and large enterprises. The company manufactures and sells PCs and related equipment, including network servers, printers, displays, projectors, and storage systems. Founded from Michael Dell’s dorm at the University of Texas in 1984 with a mere $1,000, Dell’s revenues have grown to approximately $61 billion in 2009. This stemmed primarily from a direct-sales model and a well-managed supply chain, which provided Dell with significant operating margin advantages over competitors. Despite its historic success and legacy, in recent years Dell experienced difficulties in an evolving marketplace, which necessitated a change in the company’s strategy and culture. Industry Analysis Despite its diversification, Dell’s overwhelming competitive presence resides in the personal computing industry, comprised of desktops, laptops, servers, and handheld devices. In 2007-2008, worldwide PC retail revenues topped $330 billion. Although PC unit sales are projected to continue growing, reaching 384 million by 2014 from 281 million in 2009, revenues are expected to remain stagnant due to considerable price declines. We will write a custom essay sample on Dell Inc. Business Policy Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This dynamic will shape the competitive landscape of the industry as well as Dell’s own position. [i] Buyers. Although Dell recently launched products in retail outlets, direct-sales (bypassing the retailer) remains Dell’s main distribution channel. End consumers – home users as well as private and public businesses – have several options in the marketplace with very low switching costs and are thus quite powerful. In addition, the commonality of technological advances essentially commoditized the computers industry. Accordingly, customers rank cost as the most important factor when purchasing a PC, followed by customer service and reliability. (See Appendix A: Deciding Factors) This price sensitivity hinders differentiation and fosters little brand loyalty. [ii] Historically, Dell cultivated brand loyalty through a price leadership strategy, building an efficient value chain with just-in-time and similar operational policies and circumventing retail stores. This allowed Dell to consistently offer lower prices than competitors. Still, Dell recently lost consumer loyalty as competitors and new entrants have bridged cost advantages and offered an ever-increasing number of substitutes. Suppliers. While there are several dozens of computer vendors worldwide, many integral components of a computer are manufactured by a few key players. For instance, Intel and Advanced Micro Ddevices dominate the microprocessor industry. Moreover, fear of retaliation limits a buyer’s (Dell) ability to pit microprocessor producers against one another: a 2003 Dell presentation noted that if Dell were to purchase chips from A. M. D. , Intel’s retaliation could affect all of Dell’s product lines. [iii] Similarly, in the operating systems industry, Microsoft enjoys near monopolistic bargaining power with PC vendors. Even in industries with several suppliers, computer manufacturers (buyers) do not necessarily exhibit stronger power. Thus, in 2005 several of the world’s largest memory makers were found guilty by the DOJ of price-fixing, which significantly impacted six of the largest PC manufacturers, including Dell. [iv] While such collusion was illegal, it nevertheless remains a part of industry practices. Accompanied by strong brand names, this renders the bargaining power of suppliers high, forcing computer manufacturers – rather than component suppliers – to absorb downward pressures in PC prices. (See Appendix B: Personal Computer Industry Value Chain) Potential Entrants. With the commoditization of components, lack of brand loyalty and the resulting reduced ability to achieve economies of scale, barriers to entry are fairly low and the threat of entry is high. As a result, many small PC vendors have formed. These may focus on a product niche – such as low-power usage PCs or ultra-light notebooks – or a geographic location, such as India and the Netherlands, where large manufacturers have not yet fully penetrated. [v] In addition, many suppliers integrated forward and offer products similar to those of their buyers, allowing flooding consumers with clones of the same product to be presented under different brand names. For instance, Taiwan-based computer manufacturer MSI introduced a netbook named the MSI Wind U100 only to have twenty-two exact clones released around the world, some at lower prices. vi] (See Appendix C: MSI Wind and its Variants) While an individual entrant does not significantly impact larger corporations, their presence collectively increases competition and decreases the ability to differentiate, thereby forcing a price war, which ultimately drives price levels downward. Substitutes. PCs and mobile devices – especially music players and smart ph ones – are converging rapidly. Smart phones, which currently match notebooks in worldwide sales, are projected to surpass the entire personal computer market by 2012. Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world’s leading PC manufacturer, is criticized for not positioning itself to capitalize on the next great phase of the computing revolution. [vii] Since the industry is incorporating possible substitutes into its own product lines, real substitutes are vanishing. Thus, the power of substitutes is low. Industry Competition. Industry competition in the computing industry is fierce and dominated by five players: HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba. However, due to new entrants, the market share held by the top five companies decreased from 58. 9% in 2003 to 41. 1% in 20093. viii] (See Appendix D: Global PC Vendor Market Share) This translates into fierce competition between these large players as each strives to maintain market share and utilize factory capacity. Sustainable competitive advantage is limited since competitors quickly imitate others’ successful advances. For instance, all major manufacturers have implemented variations of direct s ales and efficient operations – Dell’s main competitive advantages. Retaliation is prevalent, as well: when Dell entered the printer business, HP severed its supplier contracts of printers, cameras, and scanners with Dell. ix] Thus, strategic actions are often undermined. Conclusion. While still one of the largest in the world, the PC industry is clearly saturated. Four of the five forces affecting industry profitability are high, lowering industry profitability and establishing an unfavorable environment for existing players. To have success in the industry a company must rely on the following key success factors: (1)value chain management, (2)management, (3)technological innovation, (4)reliability and support, and (5)comprehensive product offerings. For further detail refer to Appendix E: Key Success Factors in the PC Industry) Firm Strategy Historically, Michael Dell’s built-to-order concept – selling personal computers directly to enterprises and gov ernment organizations as well as, to a lesser extent, individual consumers – drove the evolution of the company’s strategy. Dell believed that integrating vertically and reaching customers directly would allow the company as a whole to offer greater value than the sum of its parts. Cost savings were directly related to successful integration and effective inventory management practices. Furthermore, harvesting information about customer needs created potential for repeat business and cross-selling. [x] Recently, Dell was forced to break from its historical roots by shifting focus away from large organizations and seeking shelf space at retail locations for pre-built computers, reducing or altogether forfeiting many of the competitive advantages that originated in its unique value chain. As a result, Dell morphed from a manufacturer of customizable, differentiated computers to a vendor of commodities. [xi] Corporate Strategy. Vertical integration formed the basis for most of Dell’s corporate-level decisions. By strictly adhering to a â€Å"just-in-time† production method, components would be purchased from and delivered by suppliers as needed, and the finished product was immediately shipped from the factory to the customer. Thus, Dell kept minimal stock of components, allowing the company to maintain small warehouses and reserve space in production facilities. Moreover, since the rapid advancement of computer technology meant frequent obsolescence of core components, Dell was able to minimize such inventory risk. [xii] The direct-sales strategy provided an opportunity to establish value-added relationships with customers beyond mere delivery of the physical product. These were particularly beneficial to Dell with enterprise and government clients (the vast majority of the company’s customer base). Often, a large organization would receive technical support from permanent on-site Dell employees who were thus able to gauge the organization’s needs and transfer the information to Dell’s corporate headquarters. This cultivated brand loyalty and increased switching costs, thereby reducing the risk of losing an important client to a competitor. xiii] Business Strategy. Though large organizations comprised a critical segment, Dell targeted the growing base individual and small business consumers, as well. Prior to 1995, Dell marketed to these consumers primarily through catalogues and magazines and received orders by phone. The decision to launch Dell. com to market the company and re ceive orders online was a major milestone in the company’s business-level strategy. Ultimately, the Internet provided a unique platform that complemented Dell’s built-to-order and total customization foundation perfectly: Internet sales reached an average of $4 million daily within 3 years. To further target this segment, Dell launched a series of television advertising campaigns in 2000. [xiv] Functional Strategy. The company’s functional strategies were designed to support the basic tenets of built-to-order manufacturing, complete customization and just-in-time delivery. Since the mid-1990’s, Dell operated its production facilities with a â€Å"cell† organization. This system, which employed a team of technicians who worked together on a single product at a time, facilitated substantial advancements in productivity and reductions in assembly time. xv] Core Competencies Competitive Advantage. Dell’s core competencies resulted from its strategic decisions, all of which reinforced vertical integration. Historically, the level of customization, speed of delivery and technical support competencies led to a clear advantage over the competition. However, in the changing industry environment, the contributions of Dell’s core competencies to its competitive advantage have reportedly vanished; Michael Dell’s return to the helm in 2007 supports this argument. Kevin Rollins A part of Dell’s team from 1996-2007, Kevin Rollins played an integral role in many of the company’s successes and failures during a key period for the industry. Mr. Rollins was initially brought in as a consultant following poor performance in 1993, when industry consolidation signaled a need for diversification. Shortly after, Rollins oversaw a massive expansion into the overseas market – including the establishment of manufacturing plants globally – and was appointed president of Dell Americas in 1996. In addition, Rollins was involved with one of the most important strategic maneuvers in Dell’s history: selling PCs online. Dell. com allowed consumers to receive support and track shipments via the web. As President and COO, Rollins may have foreseen financial issues that would befall the PC industry in the early 2000s. Noting that other IT markets provided higher margins, Rollins oversaw the 2002 acquisition of Plural, a web-integration company that gave Dell a foothold in the services market. xvi] Under Rollins’s leadership, Dell used its expertise in operations efficiency to weather the difficult environment at the turn of the century. Eliminating inefficient practices, slashing over 1,700 jobs, and restructuring outdated operations models kept Dell at the forefront of a price war that many others lost. With prices below the tolerance levels of competitors like HP and Compaq, Dell claimed the top in market share for the first time in 2001, at 13. 3%. [xvii] Despit e Dell’s strong market position and solid financial footing, investor concerns led to a tremendous decline in Dell’s stock value. In 2002, Rollins responded by focusing on corporate governance with an initiative called â€Å"The Soul of Dell†, which doubled as a marketing tool and internal ethics review. Stock prices rebounded, reaching a high in 2004. [xviii] Of the many successes Rollins had at Dell, the main failure during his tenure as CEO (2004-2007) likely led to his ouster from the company. In early 2005, Fortune named Dell as the â€Å"Most Admired Company† while the company’s stock price and profits were soaring. [xix] By November, however, Dell was experiencing the most difficult financial issues in its history, ailing to meet earnings forecasts for the first time. Analysts surmised that in its dedication to cost-cutting and efficiency, Dell had compromised customer service and product quality. As high-quality rivals, such as Apple, and low-price competitors, such as Acer, gained share, Dell’s 15-year position as an industry leader was in question. [xx] The trouble continu ed in 2006, as the SEC launched an investigation into misstated earnings. Investors were disappointed with the lack of transparency at Dell, which remained tight-lipped on the course and scope of the check and delayed financial reporting to the SEC and NASDAQ. xxi] In early 2007, Dell completed a restatement of financial results from the start of fiscal year 2003 through the first quarter of 2007, reducing revenues by $359 million and cumulative net income by $92 million. [xxii] Mr. Rollins already resigned in December 2006, paving the way for Michael Dell’s return, and the company started an aggressive restructuring. Michael Dell Upon his return, Mr. Dell established units for different segments and geographic markets and began developing a corporate-level strategy to effectively lead the businesses. By leveraging the company’s unique resources and sharing knowledge, the units would benefit from a sustained competitive advantage and achieve superior performance. Dell’s growth would originate in targeted acquisitions, where the company would add tangible value and enter new fields early. [xxiii] In addition, Mr. Dell hired experienced executives from major competitors – such as Oracle and Motoroa – to manage the company’s individual businesses. [xxiv] This structure positioned Dell to compete with HP and IBM by offering a complete solution to its customers. Historically, Dell cultivated notable resources. One relates to the company’s massive scale, which promotes supplier relationships and reportedly one of the strongest negotiating powers in the world. [xxv] Coupled with Dell’s superior use of capital, this allowed the company to achieve cost advantages that rivals were able to minimize yet not fully replicate. [xxvi] Still, unlike HP, Dell’s ability to consistently transfer its cost advantages to other businesses was not clear. [xxvii] Other distinctive resources include Dell’s impressive customer base, which numbers the world’s largest corporations, such as Yahoo and Microsoft. xxviii] In addition, the company boasts an extensive distribution network with presence in virtually every corner of the globe. [xxix] As a result of its growth, Dell accumulated over $9 billion in cash reserves by mid-2009 and supplemented these with $1 billion in bonds. [xxx] Financial resources are essential to revamping businesses and investing in new skills, such as design, which Dell pioneered in mid-2007 with its patterned laptops. Finally, the Dell brand, famous for reliability, durability and low-cost, protects from new entrants. The specialized nature of Dell’s resources mandates a narrow scope of business, sharing (rather than transferring) of skills, a focus on operational strategy rather than financial results, and a broad corporate staff to support business units. Intent on restoring Dell’s growth, Mr. Dell began to implement these principles. Thus, Dell’s acquisitions focused on areas related to its original computer business: storage, memory, networking, and software. [xxxi] To leverage its brand, Dell contracted with one agency to execute uniform marketing campaigns worldwide, clarifying the company’s image. xxxii] Furthermore, Mr. Dell sought to transform the corporate culture from a short-term focus on achieving sales and profit targets to a long-term outlook. To facilitate this change, Dell asserted that legacy practices can change and instituted an â€Å"amnesty† period. [xxxiii] In this context, the mid-2007 purchase of EqualLogic, a company that pioneered a s imple storage technology for small and medium-sized businesses, proved highly relevant to Dell’s strategy of offering straightforward, user-friendly computing services. xxxiv] The acquisition allowed Dell to establish a presence in a booming segment, strengthening the company’s competence in serving corporate customers and preferred position among smaller enterprises. By applying its purchasing power and operating expertise to EqualLogic’s production processes, Dell would be able to significantly lower EqualLogic’s costs. Access to Dell’s wide distribution network would promote volume production, reinforcing these cost advantages. xxxv] By 2009, the added value was clear: deemed as Dell’s most successful acquisition, EqualLogic boosted storage revenues. [xxxvi] Similarly, Dell’s acquisition of services provider Perot Systems in late 2009 is promising. Perot’s customers are concentrated in the domestic health-care field, where Dell has limited presence. Thus, the partnership could offer substantial cross-selling opportunities on both ends: Dell could promote Perot globally and win new customers in the medical field, which is expected to show explosive growth over the next several years. xxxvii] Furthermore, Dell’s access to low-cost computer components and financial leverage would help win larger contracts for Perot, which previously sidestepped such offers to minimize risk. Finally, Dell and Perot share a collaborative past and the companies’ CEOs are close, contributing to additional synergies. [xxxviii] As an indication, Dell is expecting a 7%, or $300 million, in savings merely from the integration effort. [xxxix] Recommendations The central challenge facing Dell relates to the imitability of its value proposition by competitors, most notably Compaq and Acer. xl] By losing former advantages grounded in the built-to-order and just-in-time delivery concepts, Dell is left with little mo re than its reservoir of brand equity filled during its market dominance. Though the company’s technical support strategy succeeded with corporate accounts, in other markets, such as individual consumers, Dell fails to offer apparent value superior to competitors. In fact, many consumers felt that the customer service provided by Dell post-purchase was sub-par at best. xli] With its legacy advantages no longer relevant, Dell is forced to compete principally on price, reinforcing trends towards commoditization. Alternatively, the firm may attempt to develop new core competencies; still, the latter requires substantial financial commitments, particularly difficult given the current economic climate and Dell’s stock performance, which lost approximately 2/3 from its peak market capitalization. A third option for Dell would be to reinvigorate its advantages and restore differentiation of its value proposition through acquisitions. Clearly, Mr. Dell has mbarked on thi s path, which appears most appropriate for the company. In the future, Dell should continue with acquisitions that strengthen the company’s offering to its primary clients: small and midsize businesses. To build its corporate advantage, Dell should focus on midsize companies, similar to EqualLogic, which would allow the company to avoid major mishaps while perfecting the integration process. Until Dell earns substantial experience in purchasing and applying its unique resources across all business units, the company should steer away from considering large companies that warrant such advanced resources. Nevertheless, persisting with this corporate strategy is critical to Dell’s viability, particularly in light of the ability of HP, IBM and other competitors to win market share and profits from the company. Appendix A:: [pic] http://www. informationweek. com/news/hardware/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=164008 Appendix B: [pic] http://dataplusinsight. com/general/the-personal-computer-industry-value-chain/ Appendix C: [pic] http://cloudbookumpc. com/the-many-versions-of-msi-wind Appendix D: [pic] |Global PC Market Share by Units, Percent. 2006-2010. | Rank |2006 [1] |2007 [2] |2008 [3] |2009 [4] |2009Q4 | |1 |Dell |16 |HP |18 |HP |18 |HP |19 |HP |20 | |2 |HP |16 |Dell |14 |Dell |14 |Acer |13 |Acer |14 | |3 |Lenovo |7 |Acer |8. 9 |Acer |11 |Dell |12 |Dell |12 | |4 |Acer |5. 8 |Lenovo |7. 4 |Lenovo |7. 2 |Lenovo |8. 1 |Lenovo |8. 7 | |5 |Toshiba |3. 8 |Toshiba |4 |Toshiba |4. 5 |Toshiba |5. 1 |Toshiba |5. 3 | |Others |   |52 |   |47 |   |45 |   |42 |   |41 | |-based on year end summary released by Gartner Technology Business Research Insight Appendix E: Key Success Factors in the Personal Computing Industry There are five key success factors in the personal computing industry which are needed for a company to succeed in the unfavorable industry conditions. 1. Value chain management: As the industry faces continuing pressure to reduce prices it is imperative that companies continually optimize the value chain to reduce costs and maintain margins. This is particularly important in this industry where some of the largest growing products carry margins less than 1%. 2. Management: In this saturated market, competitive advantage is difficult to produce yet easy to imitate. Poor strategic decisions can quickly lead to loss in market share. Management must constantly be focused on eliminating the competitive advantage of its competitors, while protecting the competitive advantage it possesses. 3. Technological innovation: With the industry quick to imitate any success, companies must constantly offer technological advances. New technology generally carry the highest value premium, therefore those who introduce the technology are in the best position to profit from it. 4. Reliability and support: With the commoditization of hardware, and the narrowing ability to differentiate on price, companies must differentiate on reliability, product quality, and customer service. Satisfaction in these areas is the biggest driver of sales after price. 5. Comprehensive Product Offerings: With the margins on personal computers being reduced to dangerously low levels, companies must supplement this revenue with higher margin complements such as peripherals, software, and services. Inability to offer these type of products, gives a competitive advantage to those who can. [pic] [pic] [pic] Endnotes [i] â€Å"Worldwide PC Market. † Computer Industry Almanac. Jan 2010. 243. Print [ii] Greenemeir, Larry. â€Å"Analyzing The PC Vendors. † InformationWeek Dec. , 2003. Print. [iii] â€Å"Microchips and Monopolies. † Rev. of Intel’s Antitrust Actions. New York Times 28, October 2009, sec. A: 32+. Print. [iv] Flynn, Laurie J.. â€Å"Samsung to Pay Large Fine In Price-Fixing Conspiracy. † New York Times 14, Oct. 2005. Web. 20 Apr. 2010 [v] Levere, Jane. â€Å"Standing in the Niche, Trying to Hold Your Own. † New York Times 15 Apr. 2004. Sec C. Pg. 9. Print. [vi] Atticus, T. MSI Wind Clones Galore. JCloudbook UMPC. N. p. , 2 Sept. 2008 Web. 20 Mar. 2010. [vii] Vance, Ashlee. â€Å"H. P. , Tech Powerhouse, Stumbles in Smartphones. † New York Times 24 Apr. 010. Sec B. Pg. 1. Print. [viii] Gartner [ix] Fried, Ian. â€Å"HP to quit supplying printers to Dell. † CNET News. N. p. , 23 July, 2002 Web. 20 Apr. 2010. [x] Magretta, J. 1998. The power of virtual integration: An interview with Dell Computer’s Michael Dell. Harvard Business Review (March-April): 72-85. [xi] Dell: Where’s The Competitive Advantage? http://seekingalpha. com/article/93343-dell-where-s-the-competitive-advantage [xii] Kraemer and Dedrick: Dell Computer: Organization of a Global Production Network, Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations, 2002. xiii] Strategic Management, Thompson Strickland, 11th ed. (case study) http://www. mhhe. com/business/management/thompson/11e/case/dell5. html [xiv] Ibid [xv] Inside Dell’s lean machine http://www. allbusiness. com/management/960195-1. html [xvi] Rooney, Paula. â€Å"Dell Acquires Plural†, CRN, May 31, 2002. http://www. crn. com/it-channel/18828446 [xvii] Williams, Tish. â€Å"Downturn Saw PC Makers Get Weaker†, The Street, May 26, 2002 http://www. thestreet. com/story/10014677/1/downturn-saw-weak-pc-makers-get-weaker. html [xviii] Tischler, Linda. â€Å"Can Kevin Rollins Find the Soul of Dell? , Fast Company, October 31, 2002. http://www. fastcompany. com/magazine/64/rollins. html [xix] â€Å"Dell Beats Wal-Mart as ‘Most Admired’†, CNN Money, February 22, 2005. http://money. cnn. com/2005/02/21/news/fortune500/most_admired/ [xx] Lee, Louise. â€Å"It’s Bad to Worse at Dell†, Business Week, November 1, 2005. http://www. businessweek. com/technology/content/nov2005/tc20051101_088420. htm [xxi] Krazit, Tom. â€Å"Dell profit surges, but investigations cast pall†, CNET News, November 21, 2006. http://news. cnet. com/Dell-profit-surges%2C-but-investigations-cast-pall/2100-1014_3-6137736. html? ag=mncol;txt [xxii] Shah, Agam. â€Å"Dell restates earnings after internal probe†, Computerworld, October 31, 2007. http://www. computerworld. com/s/article/9044858/Dell_restates_earnings_after_internal_probe [xxiii]http://www. nytimes. com/2008/12/16/technology/companies/16dell. html? pagewanted=1%2359;%20dell%2334sqst=cse%2359;back%20against%20the%20wallscp=1 [xxiv] http://www. nytimes. com/2007/09/09/technology/09dell. html? pagewanted=3_r=2 [xxv] http://www. businessweek. com/technology/content/mar2009/tc20090324_741292_page_2. htm [xxvi] http://74. 125. 47. 132/search? q=cache:A8p9TUYTleAJ:knowledge. harton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid%3D1799+dell+strategic+managementcd=9hl=enct=clnkgl=us [xxvii] http://www. nytimes. com/2008/12/16/technology/companies/16dell. html? pagewanted=2%2359;%20dell%2334%2359sqst=cse%2359;back%20against%20the%20w allscp=1 [xxviii] http://www. nytimes. com/2007/09/09/technology/09dell. html? pagewanted=4_r=2 [xxix] http://www. dell. com [xxx] Dell Looks To Ramp Up Acquisitions For Growth [xxxi] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_Dell_ownership_activities [xxxii] http://www. nytimes. com/2007/09/09/technology/09dell. html? pagewanted=3_r=

Sunday, December 1, 2019

West Gate Bridge Project

An Analysis of the Project’s Structure and Management The project structure of West Gate Bridge Project had obvious cause of worry from the day it was commissioned.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on West Gate Bridge Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking a simple reflection into the genesis of the project, in 1961, Lower Yarra Crossing Company Limited was established with the sole purpose of seeing to it that either a bridge or a tunnel is developed to ensure that the services of ferry is faced out because its capacity was low. This company had the original vision for this project. It had the understanding of what was needed and apparently the will and ability to see into it that a bridge was successfully constructed as per the need as at that time. However, the events that led to its closure were not very clear. Although the report indicates that it went under voluntary liquidation, the immedi ate replacement by Lower Yarra Crossing Authority, which was affiliated to the government, raises question about the management of the project. When Maunsell and Partners which was the engineering consultants doubted their capacity to handle the project given its magnitude LYCA acted diligently by contracting the services of Freeman, Fox and Partners (FFP) which appeared to have greater capacity. However, the management of LYCA failed to lay a proper structure of how the two consultants would relate. When the two contractors (JHC and WSC) were given the green light to start the construction, again a clear lapse was evident in the structure and management of the project. Although JHC was able to finish their assigned task without many incidents, it was by lack. The consulting firms failed in their duty to offer guidance to the contractors.Advertising Looking for case study on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, because JHC was specialized at the task they were assigned, they were able to sail through their task, especially because their staffs were well coordinated and satisfied with the way the company treated them. Things were not the same at WSC due to several factors. At first, the structure of the project and the management did not favor them. The joint consultants failed to specialize categorically on which areas to offer their service to this firm. Instead, FFP took control of everything. This was in contrary to the spirit of a project structure which, as Daft (2009, p. 123) states, requires every unit to be assigned a specific role that would result in the success of the entire team and not individual’s success. Maunsell and Partners would have been assigned a distinct role in the project however little the role would be. The strained relationship between WSC and the consultants, in particular FFP was an indication that there was a serious problem with the managemen t of the project. As Sharma (2008, p. 56) says, the management of a given project should have a clear relationship structure for all the concerned members when drawing the project structure. However, this was lacking and for this reason, WSC complained that FFP was not releasing all the copies of structural designs that were to be implemented in the construction process.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on West Gate Bridge Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This resulted in a situation where the engineers of WSC were straining to implement these structural designs. FPP would be held liable at this early stage of the failure of the project. As a consultant, they were expected to make the work of the contractors easier by giving advice to them at every stage, as Anderson (2011 p. 34) notes. They were therefore not only expected to release all the copies of the designs to be implemented, but also induct and work hand in hand in the implementation process. It was to work hand in hand with the contractors, being the overseer of the project. The inability of WSC to manage its employees, which resulted in a strike, further worsened their performance. When WSC pulled out of their assigned role, there was another dangerous assumption made by the management team of the project. They changed the structure of the project from what was the initial design in as far as the task allocation was concerned. The success of a team or an individual in its assigned task in the project does not automatically mean that the team or individual can succeed in other departments (Swanson Holton 1997, P. 167). By assigning, the remaining task to JHC because of its previous successes was a suicidal move. It became evident after awarding the contract to them that they did not have the capacity and therefore had to rely on the professional services of FFP. FFP given the role to manage employees, changing the initia l structure, which had them as consultants in this project. Because of this double role, FFP failed to notice when the vertical height difference that was between half spans started exceeding the required height, which was 110 mm.Advertising Looking for case study on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The approach taken by JHC to reverse the mistake was professionally uncouth. Once again, FFP was on sight as the manager of the workforce besides being the consultant, failed to notice this leading to an ugly incident, which claimed several lives, besides leading to extended time and increased cost of the project. A Proposal for the Structure and Management of the Project The structure above is a proposal of how the structure of the project should be and how it should be managed. At the top should be JYCA, which is the financier of the project. It would entrust the work of supervision and consultancy to the two consultants, FFP and MP. The two should have a clearly defined role and if possible, the management of the two consultants should work as a single unit. The effort of each of the consultant should be evidenced at every stage of the implementation process. They will have the task of supervising and assisting the contractors, which are the implementing parties in the project. Among the contractors, there is a third slot named ‘others’, besides JHC and WSC. JHC and WSC will have their roles as specified in the original structure. They will have to work hand in hand with the two consultants. They have the responsibility to ask for a technical advice at every stage they feel they need some and they have the responsibility to manage their employees. As can be seen in the structure, there is a direct link between the contractors and the JYCA which is the overall sponsor of the project and therefore if either of the two contractors have an issue, they can approach the financer directly and so is the financer to the contractors. The third column for others will be a list of the best losers in the tendering process for the contractors. In case JHC or WSC fails, they may be considered, instead of assigning JHC the roles of WSC or vice versa without determining the capacity to accomplish the task. List of References Anderson, M 2011, Bottom-Line Organ ization Development: Implementing and Evaluating Strategic Change for Lasting Value, Elsevier, Burlington. Daft, R 2009, Organization Theory and Design, Cengage Learning, New York. Sharma, R 2008, Change Management, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi. Swanson, RA Holton, E 1997, Human Resource Developement Research Handbook: Linking Research and practice, Berrett- Kohler Publishers, San Fransisco. This case study on West Gate Bridge Project was written and submitted by user Dominic Hill to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to Overcome College Student Homesickness

How to Overcome College Student Homesickness Being homesick in college is more common than most students want to admit. With these 5 tips, however, dealing with it can be a little easier. Call home. This may sound like common sense, but it can really help. The key factor, however, is not to call home all of the time. Dont call more than once a day, and keep the conversation positive. But if you miss your friends, family, boyfriend, or girlfriend, giving them a call can sometimes help ease the heartache. Go visit home once. Visiting home can be a great way to recharge yourself and get some of that TLC (not to mention home cooking) that you need. But going home too often can frequently make homesickness worse. Let yourself go home when you need it, but make sure it doesnt turn into an every-weekend occurrence. Go out with your college friends. Sometimes, a night out with your college friends can do wonders for homesickness. It can take your mind off of things back home, can help you relax and have a good time, and can reinforce relationships that will make your school feel like home sometime soon. Call a friend from back home. Chances are that your group of friends sp read out as each of you went to different colleges. And chances are that your group of friends is missing each other. Give a friend from home a call and catch up for a little while. It may do wonders for your homesickness to just touch base for a quick phone call. Get out of your room. Its incredibly easy to hide in your room in college. But doing so prevents you from meeting new people, trying new things, and experiencing college life in general. You didnt go to school to hide in your room, right? Make sure to spend large chunks of your time out of your room even if its just at a campus coffee shop, the quad, or the library and get your mind on other things. You never know what might happen, but you do know that it wont happen if youre alone in your room all the time.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Connection Between Gun Control Legislation and Gun Crime

The Connection Between Gun Control Legislation and Gun Crime In the aftermath of the June 2016 mass shooting in Orlando, a debate has again turned to whether gun control legislation actually works to reduce gun-related violence. Over the years studies have produced mixed results, which fuels the debate, providing science-based arguments on both sides. However, researchers at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health have now settled the debate by conducting a massive international review of studies published all the way back to 1950. They found that gun control laws are in fact associated with lower rates of gun-related violence in most countries. About the Study The study, titled  What Do We Know About the Association Between Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Injuries? was published in  Epidemiologic Reviews  in February 2016. Lead by Dr. Julian Santaella-Tenorio, a team of researchers examined the findings from 130 studies from 10 countries published between 1950 and 2014. The studies reviewed were all conducted to examine the connection  between gun laws and gun-related homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries and deaths. The laws in question covered a range of issues related to citizen access to guns. They included laws that govern the use of guns, like the right to carry and stand your ground laws; the sale of guns, including background checks and waiting periods; ownership restrictions, like bans on purchasing for persons with a felony record or documented mental condition; storage-related laws designed to prevent child access in the home; and laws that regulate access to certain guns like automatic and semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. The studies reviewed included numerous other laws within these categories, ​which are listed in full in the report. The Convincing and Consistent Evidence While the researchers did find some conflicting findings within their review, they found enough convincing and consistent evidence across various locations to conclude that laws that restrict access to and govern the use of guns are  associated with reductions in gun-related deaths, lower rates of intimate partner homicide, and reductions in unintentional gun-related deaths of children. The researchers, however, emphasize that their findings from the review of these 130 studies do not prove causality between gun control legislation and reduced rates of gun violence. Rather, the findings point to an association or correlation between the two variables. Santaella-Tenorio summed this up for Columbia Universitys online news outlet, saying,  In most countries, we saw evidence of the reduction in the firearm death rates after the enactment of firearm legislation.† A Look at Other Nations   Honing in on specifics, the study found  laws that target multiple aspects of gun control reduced gun-related deaths in some countries. They highlight the well-known clear evidence from Australia that followed the passage of the countrys 1996 National Firearm Agreement. Studies that have examined rates of gun violence following the passage of this legislative package found that it led to a decline in gun-related deaths, gun-related suicides, and mass shootings. The researchers point out that similar studies found similar results in other nations. Studies of Targeted Laws   Focusing on studies of more targeted laws, the researchers found that in some cases, restrictions on purchasing, access, and use of guns are associated with reduced gun-related deaths. Studies from the U.S. show that when background checks include restraining orders, fewer women are killed by current or former romantic partners through the use of guns. Further, some studies from the U.S. show that laws that require background checks to include local mental health facility records are associated with fewer gun-related suicides. Studies of Legislation in Place The review also found that studies that focused on legislation that relaxes gun laws, like stand your ground and right to carry laws, and the repeal of existing laws leads  to an increase in gun-related homicides. So, contrary to the belief of the NRA and many others in the U.S., the right to carry laws do not reduce gun violence. Theres never been more compelling evidence that legislative control of our access to and use of guns is a benefit to society.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discuss Augustines understanding of the relation between human loves Essay

Discuss Augustines understanding of the relation between human loves and the love of God, with particular focus on his experience of the death of his friend (described in Book IV of the Confessions) - Essay Example He emphasized loving the earthling and the immortal was same. God resided in the very heart of humans which stirred love. â€Å"Self love and love of others coincide with love of God when inserted into the ordered hierarchy of loves† (Cavadini and Fitzgerald, 29) Augustine opposed self love and termed it as evil, which misguides humans taking them in the opposite direction of the eternal power. For him human existence was a struggle where one copes with sin and salvation. The triumph over salvation could be achieved only through divine grace. For Augustine the concept of proper love was always directed to God as he believed that the very thought of love was incited by God himself. â€Å"All we can do is to love God, who is love, for God’s sake.†(Boeve, Schrijvers, Stoker and Vroom, 279) Loving fellow human beings in the right spirit was equal to loving God with full dedication of soul, heart and mind. Augustine implied the desire to find one’s inner self was synonym to the desire of attaining proximity with the Almighty. Yearning to love one’s fellow being was equal to the desire to love God. Augustine’s theory of love was inspired by Neo-Platonist tradition which encouraged the thought that love was a creation of God in which human participation was very essential for the welfare of humanity. God was the ultimate finishing point and love provided the path to reach that goal. â€Å"The ultimate vocation of the Christian then is grow in his or her relationship to God. The self must learn how to abandon itself for the sake of participating more and more in God’s love.† (Boeve, Schrijvers, Stoker and Vroom, 279) This understanding of love is called kenotic view. Augustine perceived love as the rescue boat which transports the fallen human beings to God’s grace. The underline of this thought was the relation shared between a human and God was a central relation,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Reducing Teen Pregnancy in Colleyville Case Study

Reducing Teen Pregnancy in Colleyville - Case Study Example Teenage pregnancy is the conception and followed development of the fetus by a girl whose age is between 13 and 19 years. Consideration of the age allowable for a girl to get pregnant varies with places and cultures in the world but the rate of pregnancy by under age girls is increasing due to other factors such as early exposure to sexual activities , poverty, and the declining of menarche factor. Unlike undeveloped countries where teenage pregnancy is normal in many ethnicity groups developed countries attribute this problem mainly to low or say poor life outcomes and low levels of education. Teenage pregnancies in developed countries are highly reported in the United Kingdom and the United States while they are very minimal in Korea and Japan. Teenage pregnancy in developing countries like Jamaica are mostly as a result of high rates of poverty and low levels of education in additional to ethnical cultural factors in countries such as in Africa. (UNICEF 2001) Teenage pregnancy in most cases becomes detrimental to the health of the mother and the child since in most times it is unplanned and the mother is not well developed to carry a pregnancy. On the other hand it affects the social welfare of the mother since in most a case it is when she is continuing with her education and it is usually associated with stigma in the society. (Dryburgh (2002). Aim of the report To design a program and outline its procedures that will ensure reduction of teenage pregnancy in Coleyville Jamaica Objectives To clearly study and evaluate the situation of teenage pregnancy on Coleyville To analye the cause effects of teenage pregnancy in Coleyvile To outlie a program of reducing teenage pregnancy in Coleyville usiung logic model in the program design. Teenage Pregnancy in Coleyville Jamaica Jamaica is an island in North America where the town of Coleyville is situated. Here in Coleyville teenage pregnancy is alarmingly high due to various factors such as ignorance, high rates of poverty among its citizens, cultural misinformation and negligence among male partners. This community is one of many examples that are in similar situation around the globe. Reasons for startling teenage pregnancy in Jamaica There are various reasons why in Jamaica there is always high rate of teenage pregnancy compared to many other places in the world. There is very little knowledge on contraceptives among Jamaican Girls. There are high incidences of unprotected sex among the members of he community of Coleyville. The belief by the women on acquisition of social status and identity in marriage make many girls get married at very tender ages rendering them pregnant at teen age (Aqarwal2008). Benefits of logic model as a method in use in the program. Logic model is a structural procedure of giving a working program descriptively in an organization. It outlines the resources, programs, and output of the programs and the outcomes of the programs (Mayeske 2002). Logic model is analytical and expressive in terms of the procedures used in the program It enables the programmer to

Sunday, November 17, 2019

American dream Essay Example for Free

American dream Essay Exploration of the theme of the American Dream In a country where liberty, freedom and the land of opportunity is a pivotal part of American society the American dream is born. The American dream is fundamentally the notation that no matter your race, religion, sex or social class if you work hard in America you will achieve materialistic wealth. Steinbecks novel, Of Mice and Men sets in the 1930s, the time of the great depression and depicts the flaws of the American Dream. Some of the themes in the novel include friendship, death, jealousy and loneliness. The exploration of this essay shall consist of me focussing on the theme of the American Dream by exploring the characters, George and Lennie, Candy and Crooks. Steinbeck also conveys the theme of the American Dream through the character of Candy- as the name implies Candy is a sweet character, the quote, yeah, nice fella too demonstrates this as Candy is talking fairly about Crooks who is black and looked down upon in society of that time. Candy is an old character, the old man put the yellow can in his pocket and this is illustrated by Steinbeck as one of the flaws of the American Dream which stops them achieve the A. D. and because everyone shall someday become old Steinbeck is implying that sometimes the American Dream is never achievable. Candy owns a dog which he has known for most of his life, Thats a hell of an old dog; Yeah I had im since he was a pup This dog of his is a very close possession and friend and it is implied that Candy has realised that he shall never achieve his American Dream but his dog is the closest he shall get to it so it is a part of his American Dream. However Candys dog was shot by Carlson due to it being old and smelly, I dont know anything that stinks so bad as an old dog hes got no teeth whynt you shoot him Candy? The death of Candys dog symbolises the death of Candys Amercian Dream, however in more depth, the death of his dog illustrates that anyone (animal or human) who is old or smells or has no teeth (basically out of the norm) is not accepted into society and shall not be accepted and death could be a possible out come. Although Candy;s dog had no use to the people around and society, to Candy he meant a lot and the death of his meant a death of part of candy himself. Similarly, Lennie like the dog was not accepted in society due to the deed he had committed and due to his disability however, he meant something to George and they too like Candy an his dog were loyal friends but it was because of society that cause the death of both the dog and Lennie which cause the death of their American Dream. Through the character of Curley, Steinbeck shows the Amercian Dream in a different light. He illustrates that the American Dream is achievable through Curley as he has his own ranch, the trophy wife, the money and power. However, Steinbeck is also showing that only a few people achieve the American Dream as only one of the Characters achieves the American Dream out of 6. Although Curley has achieved the American Dream, Steinbeck clearly shows through the nature of Curley that those who are able and do achieve the American Dream are not always nice people, in fact from Curleys character, the audience feels that they are in fact horrible people. The way in which Curley treats other people makes him perceived as a very horrible person. The way in which Curleys wife describes him, I don like Curley. He aint a nice fella shows how little liked he is. Also, the way in which Curleys wife is used as a possession of his shows the greed of power that Curley has. Also the way that Curley is perceived by George shows already within only a day of knowing Curley he is not liked as George refers to Curley as a son of a bitch vAlso, the way in which Curley treats Lennie is appalling, What the hell you laughin at? Lennie looked blankly at him. Huh? Then Curleys rage exploded. Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. Ill show ya whos yella. This shows the arrogance of Curley. The theme of the American Dream is finely woven through the entire novel and without a doubt this has been done very effectively . Steinbeck clearly conveys his message about the American Dream in much detail and has done in a very meaning full way.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

is social science scientific Essay -- essays research papers

Is Social Science Scientific? Sociology is undoubtedly a logical science; it has the characteristics that other sciences have, its own theories that can be proved, as well as having systematic theories and laws. John Maynard Keynes refuted the many statements made by Auguste Comte and Friedrich Engels, simply he described social sciences as â€Å"illogical† and â€Å"dull.† Thus, without providing any sufficient evidence, he had not proven that, in fact, sociology is not scientific. Auguste Comte regularly compared sociology to other familiar forms of science, like biology, physics, and chemistry. In doing so, he made the assumption that others believed sociology to be scientific. Comte, unintentionally, provided adequate evidence as to why sociology is scientific, while at the same time simply describing sociology as a whole. Much like Comte, Friedrich Engels also found social sciences to be scientific, Engels was able to apply Comte’s beliefs and the basis of sociology to practical situatio ns and groups of people. His strong belief in the science of sociology helped him form the basic idea that knowledge is what makes a person free; thus, ignorance is what restricts people. John Maynard Keynes is considered the challenger of Friedrich Engels, because he often disputed Engels’ work, especially his work on social sciences. Keynes found socialism to be a utopianism ideal, which caused people to be easily influenced without really being aware of all the facts. He didn’t believe that the...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Culture in Kuwait Essay

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign of the United Arab Emirates and considered as one of the Gulf countries. The name ‘Kuwait’ came from the Arabic â€Å"akwat†, the plural of â€Å"kout†, which denotes ‘fortress built near water’. The emirate has the population of 3. 4 million situated in its 20,000 square kilometers geographical area. During the 19th century, Kuwait came under the power of the Ottoman Empire and after the World War I, it became known as an autonomous sheikhdom under the defense of the British Empire. It was in the late 1930s that Kuwait’s large oil fields were discovered. Kuwait has a parliamentary system of government, under a constitutional monarchy with Kuwait City as the center of all political and economic activities. The country is the world’s fifth producer oil reserves and petroleum and petroleum products which account for its almost 95% export revenues, and 80% of government income. Based in per capita Kuwait is the eleventh richest country in the world. In addition, it has the highest human development index (HDI) in the Arab world. World Bank classified Kuwait as a high income economy. It is also designated as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, because of its close recent political and financial ties and affinities with the latter. Majority of the Kuwait’s population are Muslim and practices Islam as their religion, though it has a huge community of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. Islam means peace, love, and complete submission and obedience to God. Being a Muslin means accepting Islam and living a life in accordance to its teachings as well as setting as an example to other Muslims. Instead of the common greetings of â€Å"good morning† or â€Å"hello†, Muslims greet each other by saying â€Å"Assalamo Alaikum†, which stands for â€Å"May peace be upon you and may God blessings be with you†. It is the mission of every Muslim uttering these words to multiply love and peace anywhere one goes. Muslims pray five (5) times a day and normally clean their bodies before praying. In the analysis using Hofstede’s five model dimensions, religion plays a significant role the lives of its people. High power distance and uncertainty avoidance are evident attributes in this nation just like any other Arab countries. Leaders do not mix themselves into the group and usually issue detailed and particular orders. It follows a caste system and does not allow major upward mobility of its people. In order to reduce the amount of ambiguity, detailed rules, laws, regulations and controls are implemented. Discrimination in terms of influence and affluence has been consented to flourish within the society and is acknowledged by the population as their cultural legacy. Therefore, leaders can easily enforce their leadership and control which usually resorts to uprising to attain democratic change. Masculinity is on the average, evidenced by limited rights of women in Kuwait society, which again could be credited to the Muslim religion rather than its cultural pattern. Individualism is low, which translates into collectivist culture as noticeable in a close-commitment to the member ‘group’ like the family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty is vital in a collectivist society which overrides all other rules. In Kuwait, visitors are expected to be reserved, though does not pertain to clothing especially for foreigners. Regardless of the climate, most of the body must stay covered. For men, it is a requirement to wear a jacket and tie during business conferences. They should also be dressed in long pants and a shirt favorably long-sleeved and fastened up top the collar. There must be noticeable jewels specifically around the neck. Women must also be conservative especially in public. The necklines must be high, at least to the elbows, while hemlines must be ankle-low or below the knee. Pants are not advisable and scarf must be handy especially when going inside a Mosque. Too much appreciation of an item must be avoided, because the host might become compelled to grant said item. Rejection to accept the gift is impolite and rude. Receiving gifts must be done in public. Gifts such as alcohol, perfumes containing alcohol, pork, pigskin products, personal items such as underwear, knives, toy dogs or pictures of dog and image of nude or partially nude women should no be given to anyone in Kuwait. When going inside buildings it is proper to remove ones shoes. Muslims do not eat pork and drink alcohol. Grasping each other’s right hand putting the left on the other’s right shoulder and exchanging kisses on each cheek is the traditional greetings between men. Men may shake hands with women, but the latter must wait for the first to offer his hand. The left hand is regarded as dirty and must be set aside for personal hygiene.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Local and Global Effects of Deforestation Essay

Trees are one of the most important aspects of the plant we live in. Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals and mostly us humans. So deforesting them will cause local and global effects on the environment and therefore harming us as well. They are also important for the climate as they act as filters of carbon dioxide. Forests are known as habitats and shelters of millions of species. However, the trees on our planet are being depleted at very high rates. The deforestation that has taken place due to human activity is as big as 50% of the whole planet. The main causes of deforestation is Ranching, Plantations, Logging, Mining, Road Building, Shifting Cultivations and for other commercial purposes. The destruction of the forests is occurring due to various reasons, one of the main reasons being the short-term economic benefits. Urban Construction is the main reason why large area of land is cleared. This involves cutting down of trees for lumber that is used or buildi ng materials, furniture and paper products which have a major impact on forest life. Forests are cleared to accommodate expanding urban areas. Road building is also included in these developments and one successful link is the Trans-Amazonian highway. This results in loss of forest area and massive deforestation. There are also local causes such as the Agricultural reasons. Forests are also cut down to clear land for growing crops, build farms, ranches and other food growing lands. The process of plantation is one of the causes which increased deforestation rates. It clears a patch of land to grow crops by slash and burn. The patch is then deserted until the soil regains its fertility. While plantation clears land by burning it, Shifting Cultivation still is as bad as Plantations as a large agricultural area is usually used for growing one crop such as bananas, coffee, cocoa and rubber. This process is usually carried out by international and therefore deforestation again is for short-term economic benefits. A main harvest in Brazil is Soybeans. This type of growing brings huge amount of profit towards the government. Even though most of the deforestation is caused for economic reasons there are some local/personal reasons such as Ranching. Large-scale cattle rearing-: because of this farms are huge to ensure there is enough grass to feed cattle. This gives land for cows to graze on. This is a main business as main retailers like McDonalds buy huge amounts of beef from places like the rainforest as they get it for cheap prices. Commercial Purpose for many large companies is another causation of deforestation. Companies clear forest for oil and mining exploitation to make highways and roads. Natural reasons are a big problem as well due to acid rain and wildfires which spread swiftly across large areas of forest land. Forest fires can occur naturally or in most cases are deliberate attempts by man to clear huge deforestation. Most of the time, these forest may recover, but usually the cleared land is used for construction and agricultural purposes. This leads to loss of forest and loss of habitat for the local wildlife. Mining – removal of minerals from the ground e.g. copper, gold and iron ore form large mines require clearing of large forest land. Mining is a legal process but there is illegal logging to use timber for commercial reasons e.g. mahogany has a big market for furniture in MEDCs. In Brazil 80-90% of logging is illegal. The WWF, the worldwide fund (non-government organisation) said that 28% of the EU’s timber imports could be illegal. Therefore there are economic are local reason which causes deforestation.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay Example

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay Example Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Paper Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Paper In developmental psychology, there are different theories on how an individual grows and develops. One well known theory is the Ecological Theory Development of Urie Bronfenbrenner. This theory emphasizes the importance of the relationship between an individual and the different environmental systems and how they can be related to each other. During early childhood, a person’s development is influenced by various factors such as the different types of the environment. Thus, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory shows how an individual grows and matures. It also explains each system’s effect on a child’s development (Paquette Ryan, 2001). According to Bronfenbrenner, there are four different systems that influence an individual to develop as a person. First is the Microsystem which refers to the immediate environments such as family, classroom, friends, and neighborhoods. Second is the Mesosystem which pertains to child’s home and school. Third is called the Exosystem which the individual’s development is not directly involved in such as parent’s workplace. Last is the Macrosystem which points to a large cultural context such as Western and Asian cultures. These four different systems explain how a person changes and develops their personality traits in life (Paquette Ryan, 2001). In the first stage, when a child is born, he or she is taken care of by either the mother or a nanny. These individuals have a very big role in shaping the child’s characteristics. While there are studies which show that some personality traits can be actually inherited from both parents, the environment still has a big impact on developing a person’s characteristics. In the Microsystem environment, an infant usually spends the whole day with the family or the mother. Here, the characteristics of the child are already being developed. In the case of children whose parents are both working and the child is always accompanied by the nanny, there is a greater chance that the child will most likely acquire character traits of the nanny instead of the parents since they are always together and they spend the whole time together (Paquette Ryan, 2001). Neighbors and friends in school are also a big factor in the microsystem level. When the child starts to go to school, it would be a new environment for him or her to learn something and acquire new traits and characteristics from classmates and friends in school. As the child interacts with his or her classmates and gains new friends, there will be different influences from people around depending on how the child portrays him- or herself. Consequently, the child may develop a new personality trait that may be positive or negative. This continues as children grow old and mature (Paquette Ryan, 2001). Second is the mesosytem which is still related to microsystem. It is connected in a way that an individual is still significantly influenced by the microsystem, such as the parents who still influence their children even though the child goes to school already. A good example of this is a musically inclined child who has his or her talent developed through the teacher but at the same time, he or she may have acquired the talent biologically through the parents. Another example is when the parents are neglecting the child. In this case, it is likely that the child would be negatively affected and may not perform very well in school. Consequently, this can cause problems such as developing a negative attitude so he or she can be noticed and accepted by classmates or friends. On the other hand, when the parents always give positive regard to their child, he or she tends to develop a positive outlook in life. The exosystem is the third level, and this includes environment which the child or the person may not be directly involved in but may still leave an impact on his or her development. One good example of this as mentioned above is the workplace of the child’s parents. Although the child may not be exposed to the parent’s workplace, in some instances, it can still have an influence on the child. For instance, due to the exhausting demands of their job, some parents have no time to spend with their child. Their dissatisfaction towards their job may also negatively influence their desire to spend time with their children. Thus, the absence of parent’s assistance and support is likely to affect the child’s growth and development; it may cause the child to develop certain characteristics and traits that may be unpleasant, such as developing an anti social disorder or other behavioral problems (Paquette Ryan, 2001). The last system is called the macrosystem; it is a huge system that also has a significant impact on an individual’s growth and development. This is where the different cultures, religions, ideologies, and laws of the society take place. These factors have a great influence over the child’s developmental growth. In this system, both children and adults should already know their importance and goals in life. It is a stage where a person fully develops their individuality. For instance, a person’s religious beliefs may have a very big role in the development of an individual. There may be norms that are very different from another person’s standards, making things not work for different people. However, one should respect and understand the beliefs of others so that it will not create disputes with the different parties involved. Another example is one’s belief in parenting: that it should be the parents who will take full responsibility of their own child. This belief will most likely provide resources to guide the parents in raising their children as for shaping them in a way that parents think is right and the best for them (Paquette Ryan, 2001). However, there is one recently added system to the four different systems of a child’s development which Bronfenbrenner named Chronosystem. This stage is where the early four levels can change and intertwine, from the microsytem up to macrosystem. It is where an individual’s development is influenced by physical changes of an individual. For example, when a person gets older, there will be physical changes in his or her body, making his or her weak and vulnerable to some illnesses. These changes affect the behavioral patterns of the individual that he or she may not have when he or she was still young (Paquette Ryan, 2001). In an individual’s life, the environment is the most important factor that shapes people’s character other than the biological aspect. Considering Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development which shapes people’s identity, from the time that they were born up to the time they become adults and start to have a career and a family of their own, it will always be the environment affecting and guiding each and every individual in living their lives because it is where people grow, mature, and discover their selves. That is the reason why Bronfenbrenners ecological theory is divided into different stages. These stages help us fully understand how a person’s character is being shaped and develop. That is how important environment is in a person’s growth and development, as highlighted by Bronfenbrenner’s theory. There are several theories which explain that various biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of a child. Hence, understanding Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological theory of development will help us analyze and understand why people have their own personality and characteristics. It will also serve as a guide for understanding each and everyone’s developmental cycle. It is through learning this theory that one can accept each character traits and behaviors. It is also a good factor for tracing problems, especially when it comes to behavioral issues of a person. As adults, it is our goal and responsibility to shape a child’s growth and development by becoming a good example to them. It is always the adults that children always look up to in their life. If we will all work on having good environment or surroundings in life, then we will have a respectable, successful, and almost perfect society. However, this will always be impossible, and there will always be deficits in life. Thus, the nature of our environment and its influence on people make life challenging, and it makes them learn, grow, develop and be successful in living their lives. References Ajuha, Yukti Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. Montessori Academy. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from mymontessoriacademy. com/newsletters/websitebronfenbrennerecologicaltheory. pdf Paquette, D. Ryan, J. (2001). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. National Louis University. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from http://pt3. nl. edu/paquetteryanwebquest. pdf

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Release the geek! - Emphasis

Release the geek! Release the geek! Below are the correct and incorrect versions of some of the most commonly misspelt words. Can you unmask the criminal mistakes? They’ll get away with it if not for you meddling kids. Go on, let your inner geek out to play. Share this link and challenge your colleagues to a spell-off. You know you want to 1. neccessarynecessaryneccesary 2. separateseperateseprate 3. receivedrecievedreceeved 4. occuredoccurredocurred 5. definitelydefinately6.grammergrammar7.predjudiceprejudiceprejujice 8. minusculeminiscule 9. occasionoccassionocassion 10. proffesionalprofessional 11. accomodateaccommodateaccommadate 12. religeousreligiousreligous 13. harrassharass 14. questionnairequestionairrequestionnairre15. occurrenceoccurranceoccurence 16. mischiefousmischievousmischievious 17. embarrassembarassembarras 18. connoisseurconnoiseurconnoissouir 19. cemetarycemeterycemetry20.changeablechangablechangeible Once you have your score, why not leave us a message in the comments section below to let us know how you got on? And if you have any spelling tips youd like to share, such as mnemonics, wed love to hear them.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Reflections on Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflections on Learning - Essay Example This led to a great improvement in my prowess on the field, and quenched my thirst for knowledge as a student. Some of the practical applications of our course open new doors to many opportunities that would have previously seemed distant. This has showed me that the growth in technology is diverse and the information to be gathered even the more. The following paper describes how my experience has been with the different concepts that I have acquired. It will also show some of the challenges I faced, and how they helped me to learn more from them. Reflection During my course curriculum, I came across many ideas. The ideas helped me understand the working of things in IT. In systems theory, some of the paradigms I learnt really gave me an in-depth understanding of how things work. I got to appreciate the connection between the different branches of IT and how they are interrelated. The most amazing and course changing moments are those when I learnt how all the branches are inter con nected and how the concepts from one branch spreads over to the other branches. This information helped me understand how to apply some frameworks and systems semantics from one platform to another .This kind of learning helped me open my mind up. It gave me an opportunity to be creative with my practices. During practical sessions, it was interesting to see how development of systems could be made easier by using time saving methods (Skyttner, 2008). These methods include; how to use different classes for different programs, and how to use data sets across different programs. These are some of the practices we got to learn. It showed me how technology could be used to achieve so much and make man’s work easier. Some of the insights I got were mostly from system design analysis and development. I got to learn the dynamics of implementing systems in organizations. I also learnt how these systems are used to improve the functionality of that organization (Skyttner, 2008). I und erstood the cost implications that are incurred by the organization. This also made me see how organizations justify the cost they incur when they have deployed a new system. They improve performance and make the staff understand why they need to embrace information technology. I learnt that this is achieved through training and making the staff understand the importance of this change. During the course, I faced numerous challenges that helped me learn a lot from the curriculum. Some of the concepts that were taught I had a problem understanding them and seeing their practicality. They posed a challenge especially when I had to justify their use, some concepts that were taught were also contradicting and they left me confused on which to apply. I later learnt that some of the concepts and practices might be contradicting, but they are applied in different scenarios. This is because the different scenarios require different approaches. This explained why some of the ideas might seem contradicting. An example is the approach used in programming. The two models; bottom up and top down, are applicable in different scenarios. Due to the extent of exposure we got from the class. My level of understanding of the topics we covered is sufficient. I knew this by trying different exercises to check and the results were quite satisfactory. I did the tests on a practical and theoretical level. This showed me that my learning was all rounded, and not skewed to one aspect. Conclusion Throughout the course,

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Young College Female Students in early 1960 to 1963 Research Paper

Young College Female Students in early 1960 to 1963 - Research Paper Example It has become one of the basic needs alongside the other needs like food, shelter, and clothing. The need for education traces its roots to the ancient times with the need to read, write, and perform some arithmetic operations that were necessary for daily activities. Education enables individuals to understand different aspects of life in order to lead a positive way of life. It determines career and enables an individual to earn a living. Education at a higher level involves a form of training that equips individuals with knowledge and skills that can be used in different production practices. It helps individual develop a profession. It is a tool used to empower women and the marginalized groups. Education enables individuals to understand their rights and the roles that they should play in the society. Societies comprise different categories of individuals some of which are marginalized. Females and the minority groups have been the subjects of such forms of discrimination in the societies in the past. Education is essential in preventing and managing such kinds of discrimination. Access to education is affected by different social and economic factors. The financial status of an individual may deny one access to higher education that is quite expensive in most countries. The social factors like the culture that prevails in a given society may also influence access to education. In the olden times, more values were given to the males as compared to the females. In such cultures, females were not allowed access to meaningful education. The females were arguably destined to marriage and it was considered meaningless giving them higher formal education. This practice was witnessed in different parts of the world up to the twentieth century. The availability of the learning facilities is also another factor. Proximity to the educational centers can affect an individual’s access to education. Education saw significant developments across the globe over th e last century. It was observed that the number of students enrolled in tertiary colleges in the world increased over two hundred times from 500,000 students in 1900 to over 100 million in 2000.1 The proportion of female enrollment has also increased considerably in the recent decades. Various initiatives have been established in different countries aimed at empowering women and other disadvantaged individuals in the society. Various women activists have emerged to fight discrimination against women through promoting education of the girl child. The modern family planning methods have also enabled females to carry on with their education beyond high school. In the older days, women got married and were in the family way at their early twenties- mostly before college education. Thus, the enrollment of female students in institutions of higher learning changed significantly from the last half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Similarly, the enrollme nt of females in the colleges in the mid twentieth century is significantly different from the current women enrolment in colleges across the globe. This paper focuses on the college enrollment of female students in the United States in the early 1960 to 1963. The pattern of female enrollment that was seen before this period as well as the patterns that have been seen in the following period is also examined. The paper also focuses on the factors that could have contributed to the changes observed in the enrollment patterns. Thesis statement Despite the difficulties that the activists have encountered in the reform movements, female education has improved over the last decades with the female enrollment

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

In the light of the decision in Bankers Insurance Co Ldt v South Essay

In the light of the decision in Bankers Insurance Co Ldt v South (2003) EWHC 380, consider to what extent exclusion clauses in hooliday insurance contracts shou - Essay Example It is the high time to review whether these exclusion clauses are logical and whether the existing regulations are satisfactory, if not what additional regulations are needed in this regard. It requires the regulation of holiday insurance act considering the experience of policy holders in different contexts. However if one analyzes the definition of exclusion clauses, it would be revealed that the legal system has provided several safeguards for the consumers if they are interpreted accurately. Exclusion clause may be defined as a clause which may be inserted into a contract which aims to exclude or limit one partys liability for breach of contract or negligence. However, the party may only rely on such a clause if (a) it has been incorporated into the contract, and if, (b) as a matter of interpretation, it extends to the loss in question. Its validity will then be tested under (c) the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and (d) the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. This clearly implies that the incorporation of exclusion clause must must not violate the Unfair contract terms act 1977, otherwise its validity will not be considered. Hence the consumers must try to be in full possession of insurance exclusion clause details and attitude history of insurance company in case the problem arises due to exclusion clauses. In the context of recent judgment in bankers insurance company V Patrick South and Ian Gardener, the efficiency of unfair contract terms act 1977, unfair terms in consumer contracts regulations act 1999 and other related acts as far as the accurate interpretation of exclusion clauses has to be discussed. This judgment exposed several drawbacks that are still existing in the present holiday insurance act. Hence the present paper discusses the status of present regulations, inclusion of additional regulations for guaranteeing the fairness in protection of interests of policy holders in the context of above mentioned case. The review

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Whistleblowing Ethics and Policies

Whistleblowing Ethics and Policies Whistleblowing occurs when an employee discloses information. However, according to Armstrong, 90 of whistleblowers suffer from dismissal or demotions, 27 faced legal actions, 26 were referred to medical treatment, 17 went homeless, and 8% bankrupted. Whistleblowers may suffer some kind of harassment, lower performance evaluations, punitive transfer or violence by their fellow colleagues and/or superiors if they remain working in the organisation (Dellaportas al., 2005). Therefore, whistleblower protection is important to encourage employees in uncovering any fraud, and ensure that channels are open for whistleblowing. Supporting effective protection for whistleblowers can have advantages such as promoting an open organisational culture where employees have confidence in the reporting procedures, preventing and disclosing bribery in commercial transactions, safeguarding integrity, enhancing accountability, and supporting a clean business environment (Organization for Economic Cooper ation and Development, 2012). One can adopt a normative strategy when facing tough ethical choices as it can help people to evaluate and think carefully so as to prevent them from making irrational decisions. Normative ethics provides several philosophical approaches for making sound ethical decisions and it can be categorized into three parts: (a) consequentialist, (b) deontological and (c) virtue theory (Trevino Nelson, 2004). The consequentialist theory focuses attention on the results or consequences of the decision or action (Trevino Nelson, 2004). It includes philosophical approaches like egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism promotes an individuals long-term interests while utilitarianism holds ethical actions as those done for the greatest good or to maximize total utility (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2000). On the contrary, the deontological theory focuses on the rights of individuals and on the intentions associated with a particular behavior rather than on its consequences (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2000) and it embraces philosophical approaches like Kantianism and justice. Kantianism revolve around duty, not end goals or emotions, and their actions are performed according to some underlying principle or maxim that are entirely different from one another (e.g. honesty, fairness and justice), while the philosophical view of justice is rooted in ones belief in moral equity and equitable treatment for everyone concerned with a questionable action. Lastly, the virtue ethics approach focuses more on the integrity of the moral actor than on the moral act itself (Trevino Nelson, 2004). The above-mentioned normative ethical theories can be applied to decide if employees should have a duty to blow the whistle on unethical/illegal acts or not. From the egoists point of view, it is rare that employees will face the dilemma of deciding whether to blow the whistle. Be it due to fear of being investigated by the authorities or fear of being reported to the authorities as a scapegoat for following the policies, employees will seldom face these problems if they adhere to the egoism approach (Clairmont, 2011). According to Clairmont (2011), well-known whistleblowers (e.g. Ellsberg, Manning and Deep Throat) will never even consider whistleblowing if they follow the egoism method of making ethical decisions. This is because the upcoming hassle/trouble that they will face after they blow the whistle will deter them from doing so. As such, egoist employees will feel that it is not a duty but rather a choice to blow the whistle on unethical or illegal acts. They will only blow the whistle if it is within their self-interest and if they are not negatively affected in any way. However, some argue that if one is to take the negative cons equences of whistleblowing into consideration, some degree of egoist traits appears to be acceptable (Clairmont, 2011). From a utilitarian perspective, the act of whistleblowing is seen as the calculation results of different foreseen consequences, and the impact of possible consequences on the conflicting loyalties (Padgett, 2009). The availability of alternatives and whether the benefits of whistleblowing outweigh the cost determine the choice of whether or not to blow the whistle. According to Bentham (1996), acts that create the most amount of happiness for the majority should be treated as morally obligatory acts. Moreover, unlike the egoism approach, the utilitarianism approach encourages one to treat others wellbeing as a heavily weighted factor when making an ethical decision. Hence, whistleblowing should be considered as a duty when it is known that the consequences of non-disclosure will result in extremely negative impacts on the public. John Stuart Mills utilitarian perspective can also be used to discuss whether whistleblowing should be a duty. His utilitarian principle of do no harm supports the idea that whistleblowing is a duty if a non-disclosure act should cause harm since this principle holds that ones actions should prevent harm to others. Harm in this case can take a variety of forms and it is not just limited to instances of physical injuries. The intensity and amount of harm that the problem can bring also determines whether whistleblowing should be an obligation. Mill also emphasizes that one should be accountable for others if his inaction happen to cause harm to them. If one sees a responsibility to prevent others from being harmed, then blowing the whistle on acts that may cause harm to others will appear to be at least partially justified based on Mills principle of do no harm (Padgett, 2009). From the Kantian perspective, employees should have a duty to blow the whistle on unethical or illegal acts because it is the right thing to do. They are morally responsible to inform the public and/or stakeholders about the wrongdoings because the motive of moral action is more important than the potential consequences of not whistleblowing. Such courage to go against all odds and the possibility of punishment from the employer is necessary if those who are privy to immoral business practices are to make a positive contribution to the respect of consumer rights the world over (Masaka, 2007). Kant did not clearly state that whistleblowing should be a duty in all circumstances. However, what is clear from him is that he expects truth telling and the good will of the moral agent. Hence, based on these principles, one can will that an employee should blow the whistle if he/she has information of others or the organizations intentional wrongdoings (Padgett, 2009). Ones response to implementing a justice perspective would be identical to using a deontological moral philosophy. From the viewpoint of justice, employees would feel obligated to blow the whistle internally about any unethical or illegal action within the organization as the employers have the rights to know the truth about the misconduct. Hence, it will be unfair to the employers if the involved employees do not disclose the wrongdoings to them. Based on justice approach, whistleblowing externally should also be a duty because it will be unfair to all the stakeholders if the involved employees choose not to blow the whistle. This is because these parties have the rights to know the truth about any misconduct that affects them. As mentioned above, consequentialism focuses on the consequences (outcomes) of the actions while deontology emphasizes on adhering to ethical duties. Virtue ethics differs in that the emphasis is based on being rather than doing. According to virtue theory, whistleblowing is the right thing to do because it requires one to tell the truth, to speak up/sound out and to emphasize with others, thus promoting positive virtues like honesty, courage and empathy. An employee who upholds any of these virtues will feel obliged to blow the whistle because it can improve ones integrity. However, some argue that whistleblowing disregards virtues in different ways. For instance, whistleblowing can be seen as putting peoples lives at risk, publishing stolen data and degrading loyalty, privacy and integrity of data (Backhaus Dodig Crnkovic, 2011). Hence, if we look from this point of view, whistleblowing should not be a duty. A common conflict with regards to whistleblowing is between the virtue of loyalty and honesty (Bowden, 2005). Many whistleblowers following this ethical approach will often face the dilemma of being truthful or remaining loyal to their organisation. Therefore, employees should weigh their priorities be tween these two virtues and choose a side; loyalty or honesty. All in all, most of the ethical theories provide substantial grounds for discussing whistleblowing as a moral duty. From the utilitarian perspective, the duty to blow the whistle would follow from the principle of doing no harm and recognition of the extent to which our actions or inactions have significant consequences for the lives of others. From the deontological perspective (includes Kantianism and justice), it would consist of a duty to disclose the wrongdoing of another person (or organization) in recognition of the obligation to be truthful (Padgett, 2009). The virtue theory however provides two sides of the story; whistleblowing should be a duty based on certain virtues (e.g. honesty) whereas whistleblowing should not be a duty based on other virtues (e.g. loyalty). When comparing honesty and loyalty which are the most crucial virtues with regards to whistleblowing, one can note that honesty will supplant loyalty if there is a conflict between the two, as honesty is consider ed as the most important part of any honor code (Fraschini, 2007). Hence, based on this, one can deduce that whistleblowing should be a duty from the virtue perspective. Egoism is the only ethical theory that does not support whistleblowing as a moral duty. If we critically analyse the traits of this theory, one can observe that ethical egoism provides no moral basis for the resolution of conflicts of interest that form the only vindication for a moral code (Baier, 1990). Moreover, according to Rachels (2008), the ethical egoist may object that he cannot admit a construct of morality whose aim is merely to forestall conflicts of interest. As such, the egoism theory cannot be a good measure to determine whether whistleblowing should be a duty. Hence, based on all the above considerations, one can conclude that employees should have a duty to blow the whistle on misconduct. Since whistleblowing should be a duty, it is crucial that whistleblowers are under legal protection and have clear guidance on reporting procedures in Singapore. The provision of whistleblower protection encourages an open organisational culture where employees are not only aware of how to report but also have the confidence in the reporting procedures. The protection of whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting in good faith suspected acts of corruption and other wrongdoing is therefore integral to efforts to combat corruption, promote public sector integrity and accountability, and support a clean business environment. Whistleblowing protection systems are widely implemented in the western countries. For instance, in Italy, proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Bill state that whistleblowers cannot be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢penalized, fired or submitted to any direct or indirect discrimination, which would have an impact on the working conditions directly or indirectly linked t o the report. Protection is also provided under the U.S. law, against less severe disciplinary actions, such as admonishments or reprimands (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2012). On the contrary, whistleblowing legislation in Asia is not as sophisticated or as robust as it is in the US (Lord Cole, 2012). The workplace cultures in Asian differ from those in the West. Family businesses promote a distinct sense of patronage within themselves that are incredibly collective. Foreign companies operating in Asia reveal that the staff is not only loyal to the company, but also to their bosses and line managers (Lord Cole, 2012). These cultural norms hinder whistleblowing to prosper. However in recent years, Asian countries take whistleblowing seriously and are aware of Dodd-Frank, for example. Singapore code of CG expanded the role of the Audit Committee (AC) in Guideline 12.4 of the 2012. There are some changes made to the whistle-blowing provisions in the 2012; companies should disclose in its annual report the existence of a whistle-blowing policy, and the procedures for raising whistle-blower should be publicly disclosed as appropriate (Ernst Young, 2012). These changes align Singapores corporate governance practice in this area closely with that of the UK and US. According to a Singapore Institute of Directors survey, 70% of the listed companies have a whistleblower policy compared to 20% five years ago. Another 8% said they did not have a policy but intended to introduce one, while 3% reported that they had no plans to introduce whistleblowing (Deloitte, 2011). Koreas ACRC Act also provides protection against financial or administrative disadvantages, such as the cancellation of a permit or license, or the revocation of a contract (Park , 2008). In conclusion, based on the philosophical approaches, employees should have a duty to blow the whistle. Therefore, whistleblowers need to under legal protection and have clear guidance on reporting procedures. Protecting whistleblowers from retaliation can (a) promote public sector accountability, (b) combat corruption, and (c) support a clean business environment. Whistleblowing protection policy has been widely implement in the Western countries. Recently, Asian countries also take whistleblowing seriously and reinforce their whistleblower policy.