Functional Roles of Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Functional Roles of Managers - Essay Example Autocratic approach. This is the type of style in which, a leader instructs employees of what is to be done without leaving a room for deliberations. It is criticized for being non-participatory but if well utilized it is a source of effectiveness in work Democratic approach. This is a consultative approach in which the leader involves the employees in making decisions. Although the leader has the final authority for decision making, it is usually a participatory style. It is a kind of leadership very popular amongst employees. Delegative approach. It is a style whereby employees are decision makers. It is appropriate when there are job situations needing analysis and therefore requiring employees to make contributions. It works well in cases when the leader has trust in the employees. In practice, there is no ‘fit all’ style and good leaders, therefore, are required to employ all the above three styles depending on what particular situations demand. For instance, it is widely recommended that for new employees getting into the system, the authoritarian style works. The participative style is seen to be very efficient for teams whereby the leadership wishes to tap employees’ expertise in solving some problems. Finally, the democratic style is applicable in situations requiring professional expertise and the assumption here is that everyone knows what is expected of them and are responsible enough to function without coercion. In deciding the right leadership style, (Shonk, James, 1992) suggested that a manager should always bear in mind the following; availability of time, organizational conflicts and the level of expertise amongst employees. Managers drive business and therefore are tasked with ensuring that set standards are adhered to by all employees. This involves guiding the entire organizations operations within the set operational limits. It is also the mandate of managers to make the right decisions which are in line with organizations objectives. Finally, managers are responsible for organizational behavior change and are required to guide the employees’ in al interactions within the organization.

Understanding The Concept Of Depression Sociology Essay

Understanding The Concept Of Depression Sociology Essay A comparison of the social constructs of emotion in Asian and Western cultures shows that Asians are more prone to experience depression and suicidal behaviors than are Westerners. Studies highlighting the cultural similarities and differences in display rules, the emotion regulation norms, and the physical and emotional expression of depression in these two cultures are cited to support this claim. The Basic Emotion, Component, Appraisal, and Neo-Jamesian theories show that only elements from each provide a complete explanation of why Asians are predisposed to depression because of culture. The Social Constructionist Theory offers a thorough explanation of this phenomenon. The problems and possible remedies facing Asian cultures and the heightened risk of depression among its members are also addressed. Culture and the Understanding of the Concept of Depression Through numerous studies on cultural relativism and cultural categorization of emotion, emotion is shown to be, to a degree, contingent on cultural factors such as display rules, social roles, and culturally determined appraisals. The interpretation of depression eliciting stimuli and situations and expression of depression, in particular, is also influenced by these cultural factors. Furthermore, the social constructionist view of depression makes it possible to compare the concept of depression in Western and Asian cultures. The contrast between the relatively individualistic nature of Western cultures and the collective nature of Asian cultures, and their associated norms for emotion regulation, may offer differing perspectives of depression and therefore help form a cultural observation of depression within the two cultures. The cultural display rules, socially learned performances, and emotion regulation norms that guide the interpretation of and behavioral responses to depressi on in these cultures reveal that Asians are more prone to depression and suicidal behaviors than are Westerners. Cultural differences between Western and Asian cultures in individualism-collectivism (I-C), a dimension of cultural variability, show a strong possibility that Asians are predisposed to more negative emotions than are Westerners. Individualistic cultures, most of which are Western, promote individual needs, wishes, desires, and values over group and collective ones (Matsumoto, 1990). Consequently, hierarchical differences in status or power are minimized while equality is emphasized (Matsumoto, 1990). In contrast, collective cultures, many of which are Asian, promote the opposite; they stress the needs of a group, individuals identify themselves as members of a group, and ones social role is defined by an entrenched system of hierarchical differences and vertical relationships (Matsumoto, 1990). The I-C difference is also related to the social distinction between ingroups and outgroups (Matsumoto, 190). Members of individualistic cultures tend to display more negative emotions to in group members and more positive emotions to outgroup members. Conversely, members of collective cultures tend to display more positive emotions to members of ingroups and more negative emotions to those of outgroups (Matsumoto, 1990). These display rules should predispose Asians to more negative emotions, which may result in depression, at least in the social interactions with outgroups. Power distance, another dimension of cultural variability, which refers to cultural differences in status and power, is positively correlated to cultures that are more individualistic and negatively correlated to those that are more collective. This dimension may already show that Asian cultures foster more opportunities for the occurrence or passive harboring of negative emotions, while Western cultures seem to dissipate many of these potential risks. The importance of equality and the needs of the individual in Western cultures may make it less likely for people to experience depression on a large, societal scale. On the other hand, the vertical relationships encapsulated in collective cultures may make it more likely for people to acknowledge their differences from one another and any perceived inadequacies with those higher in power and status may contribute to the occurrence of depression. A Japanese-American comparison study by Matsumoto (1990) explored the relationship between I-C and PD cultures and the display rules of the members of those cultures. The study was conducted in two sessions; the first measured display rules through the subjects judgment of the appropriateness of displaying emotions in different situations, and the second measured how they judged the intensity of the same emotions. The results of the experiment supported the views that Japanese display rules made it appropriate to show negative emotions to outgroups and lower-status others while American display rules allowed people to express negative emotions more openly in ingroups (Matsumoto, 1990). In addition, Americans rated happiness in public and to outgroups as more appropriate than did Japanese. The Japanese display rules, indicative to some degree of Asian cultural display rules at large, show that in order to foster ingroup harmony and maintain the hierarchical differences in power and st atus, people find negative emotions to be appropriate when interacting with outgroups and lower-status others but not with ingroups and higher-status others. These display rules may reveal that Asian cultures are less tolerant than Western cultures of negative emotions in ingroups, which discourages them to express and share their negative emotions with their ingroups. A further finding from Matsumotos study suggests that although Asians may be more likely to express negative emotions to outgroups, they mask their negative feelings in the presence of others (Matsumoto, 1990). Overall, Asian cultures seem to discourage any expression of negative emotions whether with ingroups, outgroups, or those of different status. Emotion regulation norms for Asian and Western cultures also demonstrate a greater likelihood for depression among Asians than among Westerners. Since emotion regulation refers to the ability to manage and modify ones emotional reactions in order to achieve a desirable outcome, it reflects the different ways that culture tries to achieve social order (Matsumoto, Yoo, Nakagawa, 2005). Two aspects of emotion regulation, reappraisal-the way individuals appraise an emotion-eliciting situation to change its impact on the emotion-and suppression-the inhibition of emotional expressive behavior-can be used to compare Asian and Western cultures. Individualistic cultures are associated with more reappraisal and less suppression because these cultures value emotions and free expression more than collective cultures, which are associated with less reappraisal and more suppression in order to maintain ingroup cohesion and harmony (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Studies have linked emotion regulation t o different types of adjustment. Individuals high in reappraisal and low in suppression experienced more positive and less negative emotions, were more open in sharing their emotions with others, had better social support, were less depressed, and reported higher self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction; in essence, reappraisal has been associated with positive outcomes and suppression with negative emotions (Matsumoto et al., 2005). These conclusions can also be applied to individuals from Asian and Western cultures at large-Asians may feel more negative emotions, have less social support, and be more depressed than Westerners. Although suppression has been associated with negative consequences on the individual level, a study by Matsumoto et al. (2005) shows that it may have positive consequences on the social level. Suppression may play an important cultural function in organizing and maintaining cultural systems and groups. Thus, the social order is preserved at the expense of the emotional well-being of the individual. Part of their study, which held data about country-level emotion regulation, reveals that emotion regulation is positively correlated with both positive and negative indices of adjustment (Matsumoto et al., 2005). In other words, while individualism may promote high levels of both positive and negative adjustment because it values free, uninhibited emotional expression, collectivism may promote only either positive or negative adjustment. Despite the fact that suppression in collective cultures may lead to greater social harmony and a high level of positive adjustment, individuals may sti ll experience negative consequences. Therefore, while Asian countries and cultures may report a relatively positive adjustment for society in general, individuals themselves may report negative adjustment. This phenomenon may very well show that Asians who suffer from depression are stifled by cultural emotion regulation norms from receiving psychological or emotional help and support. The Social Constructionist Theory has helped define the social constructs of Asian cultures that make Asians more prone not only to negative emotions but also to social anxiety, a precursor to depression. Cultural display rules, social roles, and emotion regulation norms have effectively contributed to the predisposition of Asians to be more passive, non-assertive, and anxious in interpersonal situations than Westerners (Okazaki, Liu, Minn, 2002). The results from a study that examined differences between Asian American and White American on a trait measure of social anxiety and self-reports of anxiety-related emotions during a 3-min social performance task indicated that Asian Americans reported more anxiety than White Americans (Okazaki et al., 2002). Their data also revealed that some differences among Asian Americans of various ethnicities in their levels of social anxiety are related to their levels of acculturation. If there are indeed significant differences among Asian Ameri cans depending on their level of acculturation to American culture, they would be due to whether Asian Americans still prescribe to Asian social constructs of emotion. Although Asian Americans reported more social anxiety, they did not behave in an observably different manner than White Americans during the anxiety-provoking social task (Okazaki et al., 2002). In light of the emotion regulation norms that guide behavioral responses, both Asian Americans and Asians may be less willing to express any type of strong emotions, positive or negative, in front of people. This observation may support the view that Asians are exposed to social rules that increase the likelihood for anxiety, and subsequently depression, because those same rules prevent them sharing their emotional burdens with others. This culturally embedded formula for Asians to experience more social anxiety than Westerners is reinforced by culturally relevant risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Asian American youths. Asian American youths are at greater risk for suicide than majority group youths (i.e. White Americans and African Americans) because they experience risk factors that every youth experiences such as antisocial behaviors, substance abuse, and lack of familial stability, and those related to acculturation to the majority culture such as discrimination, alienation, and identity confusion (Lau, Jernewall, Zane, Myers, 2002). Asian American youths who fail to acculturate properly and develop an adaptive ethnic identity are prone to maladjustment, which entails life dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, pessimism, and depression. It is primarily the parents of Asian American youths that confound their efforts to acculturate and thus contribute to stress and frustration (Lau et al., 2002). Acculturat ion stress and intergenerational acculturation conflicts have been identified as factors that influence suicidal behaviors among Asian youths in Great Britain (Lau et al., 2002). A struggle between Western cultural norms and Asian cultural values can be seen in the parent-child conflicts of Asian American youths. A medical record abstraction at a mental health outpatient clinic identified correlates of suicidal behaviors in a sample of 285 Asian American youths (Lau et al., 2002). The records pointed out that adolescents were at the greatest risk for suicidal behaviors and were more prone to depression than were younger children. Consequently, depression was a strong predictor of suicidality as well (Lau et al., 2002). The data showed that youths who were less acculturated and experienced high parent-child conflict were at significantly greater risk than youths who were more acculturated and had lower conflict. Interestingly, youths who were diagnosed as suicidal displayed a higher number of internalizing symptoms and fewer externalizing symptoms (Lau et al., 2002). Perhaps the cultural sanctions against expression of negative emotions and the Asian cultural tendency to portray mental disorders as shameful and the tendency to downplay such disorders as temporary emotional states that do not r equire treatment, medical or otherwise, contribute to the prevalence of suicidal behavior among Asian American youths (Lau et al., 2002). Asian Americans as a whole, including both youths and adults, have had their mental health needs neglected by United States federal mental health policies (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). This neglect is perpetuated in part by the three myths about Asian Americans: they are a small group; they are a successful group and do not have any financial or cultural problems; and they do not experience mental health disparities (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). Although many, especially White Americans and the government, see Asian Americans as the model minority, they are not by any means exempt from problems surrounding their social and cultural position in the United States. The first myth is debunked by data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census showing that Asian Americans are proportionally the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. The second myth can be disproven by the sheer fact that not all Asian Americans receive the same education and opportunities to advance in society. Some groups have l ess education, greater unemployment, and higher poverty than others (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). Moreover, even Asian Americans who are successful by educational, employment, and income standards encounter problems associated with their ethnicity. The stress of acculturation contributes to the occurrence of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. Their overall success in integrating with American culture belies the reality that many experience mental health disparities due to clashing cultural values and display rules; as a result, this conflict and the neglect of their mental health needs predispose them to an increased risk of depressive symptoms and behaviors and (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). A specific look into the avoidance of mental therapy in South Korea further strengthens the argument that Asian cultures foster societies in which Asians are more likely to experience depression and less likely to seek help for it. Academic and corporate pressures contribute to an alarming rate of stress and suicide among South Koreans (Kim, Won, Liu, Liu, Kitanishi, 1997). Many Koreans, however, largely resisted Western psychotherapy for their growing anxieties, depression, and stress. The Buddhist and Confucian values that dictate much of South Korean society emphasize stoicism and modesty while subordinating individual problems and concerns to the good of society. In line with these ethics is preservation of face, or dignity for the family (Kim et al., 1997). If they do seek help, Koreans are compromising the dignity of their families by indirectly stating that they need mental therapy because their families are at fault. Koreans decide not to seek professional psychotherapy or c ounseling because the culture considers open expression of emotional problems as taboo. Thus, many Koreans forgo mental help and cope with their problems on their own (Kim et al., 1997). However, the suicide rate has doubled in Korea between 1999 and 2009 and it may continue to grow if Koreans do not seek therapy or some form of counseling to cope with depression and stress (Kim et al., 1997). The problem of depression in Korea is mirrored in other East Asian cultures perhaps because they all share the same cultural prohibition of expressing negative emotions to both ingroups and outgroups and the view that depression is not a serious mental health problem. A dangerous threat that can result from ignoring cases of depression and when individuals neglect or are incapable of seeking mental aid is a rising suicide rate. China, India, and Japan accounted for more than 40% of all world suicides in 2006 (Beautrais, 2006). Surprisingly then, although many Asian cultures believe that suicide is a source of personal and family shame, much of the worlds reported suicides occur in Asian countries. Problems of underreporting cases of suicides and suicide attempts such as inaccuracy of reports, prohibitions against the collection of suicide data, and the stigmatization of suicide make it difficult to assess the true numbers of suicides that occur in Asian countries. Nevertheless, limitations aside, there is still an alarming number of suicides that take place in Asian countries every year. As in Western countries, mental illness is strongly correlated with suicide in Asian countries (Beautrais, 2006). Indeed, many of the life stresses that cause dep ression-poverty and marital, family, and relationships problems-are equally shared by Asian and Western countries. However, some cultural, historical, and contextual features of suicidal behavior in Asia may show that life stresses may more often lead to suicide than in the West (Beautrais, 2006). The struggles of young rural families involving early marriage, low social status, and lack of personal autonomy; economic stresses for Asian businessmen who are pressured to work long hours and drink away their stress; and academic stresses for adolescents in Japan and Korea who compete for admission to prestigious schools may invariably lead to suicide. Not only do the societal conditions in which Asians live may engender more cases of depression and suicide, but also the social constructs of emotion particular to Asian cultures. While the Social Constructionist Theory argues that social roles, emotion regulation norms, and cultural display rules explain why Asians may be more prone to depression than Westerners, appraisal theories help highlight the role of appraisal as interpretations of emotion-eliciting situations in this phenomenon. Appraisal, which is involved in reappraisal in emotion regulation, is defined as the evaluation of an event. Appraisal, therefore, plays a significant role in emotion regulation because it allows an individual to interpret a situation as positive or negative, thereby influencing the emotion felt. Whereas in Asian cultures, appraisal is framed by values that promote embeddedness, power distance, and hierarchy, in Western cultures, appraisal is perceived through values that promote individualism, egalitarianism, and affective autonomy (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Asian cultures assess appraisal through the collective mind, or through the socially desirable outcomes of ingroup harm ony and maintenance of power distance. Therefore, Asians may tend to appraise situations as positive or negative depending on the goals of their societies. However, because Asians may appraise emotional situations under the context of social values, they may run the risk of both diminishing positive emotions and exaggerating the negative emotions for the individual. For example, if an Asian youth receives a relatively poor grade based on his parents standards, he may ignore the fact that although he did not please his parents, he scored the highest out of his class. Nonetheless, the youth appraises the situation negatively because he places the needs of the group (his family) ahead of his individual needs and concerns. In contrast, a Western youth may appraise the situation differently, seeing his performance as satisfactory and thereby feeling happier and less stressed. Appraisal theories are thus contingent on the social goals and values pertaining to culture. Component theories further elaborate how components that lead to depression occur more often in Asian cultures than in Western cultures. In addition to appraisal, subjective feeling, action readiness, expression, and instrumental behavior are all emotion components that help construct an emotion. Through Ortony and Turners conclusion that emotion components are dissociable elements and the results of the study by Okazaki et al., (2002), we can see that depression is caused by various components that by their own may not be indicative of the emotion. Asian cultures define these components in relation to social order and harmony, once again subordinating the needs and desires of the individual to those of society. Naturally, appraisals and behaviors that reflect restraint and inhibition of expressing negative emotions are more prevalent and readily used in Asian cultures. However, even if one were to experience components of depression, the full manifestation of the emotion may not occ ur because depression and other mental health disorders are looked down upon in Asian cultures (Beautrais, 2006). The individual would likely associate an experience of depression, despite having all the components that form depression, with a general negative emotion that can be overcome by sheer willpower or other non-professional therapy; in addition, the individual can choose to ignore one or several components of depression to deny that they are depressed. Unfortunately, component theories, like appraisal theories, do not offer a full explanation of why Asians may be predisposed to depression because they do not ensure the full manifestation of depression. The Basic Emotions Theory may support the universality of depression, but does not explain why or how Asians are more prone to experiencing it. The study on social-anxiety for Asian Americans and White Americans by Okazaki et al., (2002) showed that facial expression is not a primary or even reliable indicator of emotion. Likewise, another study exhibiting display rules in Japanese and American subjects showed that while the Japanese felt the same emotions as the Americans, they did not show negative emotions to strangers (Matsumoto, 1990). Facial expressions of emotion are but one part of socially defined components that generate an emotion. Depression is interpreted differently by Asian cultures than it is by Western cultures due to differing social values and roles (Beautrais, 2006). Moreover, the expression of depression is inevitably different for Asian cultures and Western cultures because of cultural display rules. In short, the Basic Emotions Theory merely states that depress ion exists, but not to what degree individuals in different cultures experience it. There is a link between the Neo-Jamesian Psychophysiological Perspective and a study by Arnault Kim (2008) that shows that Japanese and Korean women had higher somatic distress and depression than American women. The results of the study showed that there were certain somatic distress symptoms unique to depression among the Asian women: gastric and abdominal upset, weakness, dizziness, aches and pains, and palpitations (Arnault Kim, 2008). Through a comparison with American women, Japanese and Korean women were found to experience culturally-specific somatic symptoms. This finding supports the psychophysiological perspective that each emotion has its own pattern or signature of bodily changes. Therefore, according to this perspective, depression should also have its own unique signature of bodily changes. Although the study may support the claim that emotions are equivalent to physiological changes or can be purely defined by them, it also showed that the somatic symptoms felt by t he women were culturally-specific. American women would not be able to experience the same symptoms as the Asian women did, and they would probably not label their symptoms collectively as depression. Furthermore, the Japanese and Korean women used an idiom of distress used to describe their symptoms that highlighted the importance of cultural values and beliefs. The Social Constructionist Theory is, therefore, the best theory illustrating how Asians are more prone to depression and suicidal behaviors than are Westerners. It encompasses elements from the Appraisal theory, Component theory, Basic Emotions theory, and Neo-Jamesian Psychophysiological Perspective. Emotion components that form the emotion of depression are all influenced by the social norms of a particular culture. Asian cultures, which value embeddedness, power distance, and hierarchy, evaluate emotion components and somatic symptoms according to these cultural orientations. On the other hand, Western cultures evaluate emotion components and physiological symptoms according to individualism, egalitarianism, and affective autonomy. The culturally specific evaluations of Asian cultures increase the likelihood of people experiencing depression than in Western cultures. The downplay of negative emotions may also reveal that in Asian cultures, negative emotions are relatively hypo-co gnized concepts, emotion concepts that are not so thoroughly mapped out in a cultures emotion lexicon. Nonetheless, the expression of negative emotions is confounded and inhibited by a cultural reluctance to acknowledge that people have mental health problems. Socially learned performances, syndromes, and language all contribute to create a high disposition for depression in Asian cultures. While Asian and Western cultures seem to be the primary culture groups in the world, we can observe similar cultures such as that of the Utku if we focus on the more fundamental I-C dimension of cultural variability. The Utku society shares more values and traits with collective Asian cultures than with individualistic Western cultures. The Utku value ingroup harmony over individual needs and desires, which have the potential to disrupt society. Parents show affection to their children up until a certain age around 3 and 4 years old, in order to assimilate them into the larger social context of society (Briggs, 1970). Adults expect children to eventually abandon their childish, selfish ways and adopt a communal mindset of equal distribution of food and goods. In order to maintain their social harmony, the Utku try not to exhibit anger, which would be detrimental to the carefully monitored society by causing conflict and breaking relationship ties. In their efforts to avoid anger, they have effectively made it a hypo-cognized concept, indirectly doing away with one of the precursors to depression. Because none of the Utku claim to be angry and no one can observe any signs of anger, the Utku may not even experience depression. By eliminating not only anger but also negative emotions in general, the Utku may only perceive positive emotions. Unlike other collective cultures like Asian cultures, the Utku have a relatively limited and simple emotion vocabulary and thus may not even consider depression to be an emotion concept, much less experience it. While studies on cultural display rules and emotion regulation norms suggest that individuals in collective cultures are more prone to negative emotions, this does not seem to be the case for individuals in Utku society. The only possible instances where depression may have occurred, in Raigili and Saaraks sullen moods when their mother no longer carries them, do not guarantee that the children felt depression (Briggs, 1970). Even if they felt sadness, it would have been construed and interpreted through social values; they experience emotions through the context of their society. In essence, the Utku reveal one exception to the commonly held view that individuals in collective cultures are more prone to depression. The comparison of Asian and Western cultures and their disposition for depression brings up a problem of the immutability of culture. If Asians are truly more prone to depression because of culture, then how do we rectify this problem, if there even is a solution save the complete upheaval of deeply entrenched social norms and values? Even with the evidence citing that Asians experience more depression and are at greater risk of suicidal behaviors than are Westerners in America and in their native countries, the global rates of suicide in Asia seem to increase every year. The medical findings can be a starting point to influence government health, economic, and educational policies to change or perhaps sway cultural values. While the thought of completely or irreversibly altering a cultures values and beliefs is not only near impossible but controversial, government and public awareness of depression and suicide may help decline the rampant number of suicides that occur in Asia. Ther e is an important distinction to be made between countries and cultures-countries may comprise of one or several cultures, and conversely, a culture is not indicative of any countrys beliefs or values (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Changes in other dimensions like international politics have translated into changes in public sentiment and even cultural values. There is a great possibility for governments of collective cultures to perhaps assuage the dangers of emotion suppression and allow for more open and free expression of emotion. They can also try to establish medical and mental health institutions that allow people to meet with psychiatrists privately to prevent the patient from any associated familial or individual shame for having depression. The medical records of Asian American outpatient youths and U.S. mental health policies that neglect the special needs of Asian Americans can help direct attention to the increased likelihood among Asian Americans to feel depression. The transcultural study by Kim et al., (1997) showed that even Asian students have developed coping methods to deal with stressful events. Health reforms that pair Asian patients with those of same ethnicities may alleviate any barriers to full expression of emotion and provide a chance to better diagnose and remedy depressive symptoms among low acculturated Asian Americans or immigrants. An observation that American psychiatry should be more sensitive to the relationship between the mind/emotions and the body would also help assess and treat Asian patients who experience depression and stress (Arnault Kim, 2008). Programs to help Asian immigrants to become acculturated with American or Western culture may dissipate any tension between Asian values and Western values. Understanding of emotion concepts across Asian and Western cultures could also be more easily facilitated through these acculturation programs. These civil policies and other measures may make it easier for Asian Americans to adopt American or Western culture while at the same time not relinquishing their native Asian cultures. This process of integration would ensure that they do not lose their cultural identities but rather focus on the values and emotion constructs that promote emotional well-being and health. Although Western cultures seems to be a better culture in terms of emotional expression and general individual well-being, it is far from perfect and may even be worse than Asian cultures in maintaining social order. Cultures all share the desire for social order (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Western cultures seem to promote this relatively well by emphasizing individualism, egalitarianism, and affective autonomy. Individualism ensures that the needs of the individual are met and attention and care is given to the individual who has problems. Egalitarianism promotes the idea that everyone, regardless of any actual differences in power or status, sho

I Am a Conscientious Objector :: Example Personal Narratives

I Am a Conscientious Objector "I no longer wish to be a part of the military. I have come to the conclusion that war is not the answer to any of the world's problems. War is the failure of diplomacy and mindfulness." Those are the words that led to my current problems. Sometimes, in a momentary state of weakness I curse myself for uttering those words. I had joined the National Guard wanting to make the costs of college a little easier on myself, and that had grown into the belief that I was doing my patriotic duty--I was fighting for freedom and democracy, not only in my own country, but around the world. Now I have come to the conclusion that I erred in judgment. I believe that I allowed myself to be indoctrinated into a patriotic fantasyland where reality and illusion were intertwined to create a mythological belief in my country and my service. How did this drama begin? Some would say it began while I was growing up, surrounded by violent images in movies, video games, and the nightly news, and a certain stereotyping of what boys and men should be. This is not an illogical argument, but I don't think the violent images are the only factor. I was having problems at home and was looking for an escape. I thought that joining the service would give me an "out" to my--current problems--so I signed up for the National Guard (not wanting to make the full-time commitment to the regular Army). This, I'm afraid, constitutes the reasons many of my brothers and sisters have joined the ranks. My family dropped me of at the hotel on the eve of my departure to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. They were proud, happy, and sad at the same time. Military training is not really like they make it out to be on the TV commercials. It's extremely boring most of the time. The main catch phrase we often used between each other was, "Hurry up and wait," because that is what we seemed to be doing. Basically, for 90% of what we did we had to wait for ten or twenty other people to do it before and after us.

What Are Social Problems? Essay

A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Social problems directly or indirectly affect a person or many members of a society and are considered to be problems, controversies related to moral values or both. A few examples of social problems include murder, drug abuse etc. A social issue (also called a social problem or a social situation) is an issue that relates to society’s perception of a person’s personal life. Different cultures have different perceptions and what may be â€Å"normal† behavior in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues. Some issues have both social and economic aspects, such as immigration. There are also issues that don’t fall into either category, such as wars. List of social issues Personal issues versus social issues Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships.[1] On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread society.[1] For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent[2] in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a social issue. The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective, however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired is likely to generate social issues. Caste system Caste system in India resulted in most oppressed Untouchables on earth for the past 3000 years. The United Kingdom recently banned the caste system [1] and the US is also planning to ban [2] the caste system. Economy Main article: Economic problem Unemployment rates vary by region, gender, educational attainment and ethnic group. In most countries, including the developed countries many people are poor and depend on welfare. In Germany in 2007 one in six children depended on welfare. That is up from only one in one seventy twelve yes in 1965.[3] economy is undefined nowadays.[4] Social disorganization Main article: Social disorganization theory So called problem neighbourhoods exist in many countries. Those neighbourhoods tend to have a high drop-out rate from secondary school and children growing up in a neighbourhood like this have a low probability of going to college compared to a person growing up in another neighbourhood. Abuse of alcohol and drugs is common. Often those neighbourhoods were founded out of best intentions.[5] Age and the life course Main article: Agism Throughout the life course there are social problems associated with different ages. One such social problem is age discrimination. An example of age discrimination is when a particular person is not allowed to do something or is treated differently based on age. Inequality Main article: Social inequality Inequality is â€Å"the state or quality of being unequal†.[6] Inequality is the root of a number of social problems where things such as gender, race and age may affect the way a person is treated. A past example of inequality as a social problem is slavery in America. Africans brought to America were often enslaved and mistreated, and did not share the same rights as the white population of America (ex. voting). Education and public schools Main article: Educational inequality Education is arguably the most important skill in being a successful member of society, however there has not been an equal amount of distribution of funding to public schools.[7] The weak organizational policy in place and the lack of communication between public schools and the federal government has begun to have major affects on the future generation. Public schools that do not receive high standardized test scores are not being funded sufficiently to actually reach the maximum level of education their students should be receiving.[8] Work and occupations Social Problems in the workplace include theft, sexual harassment, wage inequality, gender inequality, racial inequality, health care disparities, and many more. Media Media or outlets that publicize information often socially construct social problems. Depending on who owns the media outlet often determines the types of social problems presented, how long they are air, how dramatic they should be, etc. The media is often based towards one end of the spectrum; i.e. media outlets have been accused of either being too conservative or too liberal. Health and medicine Main article: Public health Medication prescriptions have substantially risen in the past decade in our society. The question is whether these medications actually work or is it mind over matter. Studies have shown that placebos are almost as effective in helping with depression than antidepressants.[citation needed] Antidepressants are many of the pills that are being prescribed and make Americans even more addicted to medication because of the concept of taking the pills.[9] Advertising junk food to children The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2013) The food industry has been blamed by many for the increase in childhood obesity by targeting the child demographic in marketing. The food products marketed often are deemed unhealthy because of their high calorie, high fat, and high sugar contents.[10] In the advertisements the company’s have adjusted their ads to make them look much better, e.g. bigger, fresher, cleaner, smarter and much more. It was a main problem of all the world Obesity Main article: Obesity Obesity is a prevalent social problem in today’s society, with rates steadily increasing. According to the Weight Control Information Network, since the early 1960s, the prevalence of obesity among adults more than doubled, increasing from 13.4 to 35.7 percent in U.S. adults age 20 and older.[11] In addition, today two in three adults are considered overweight or obese, and one in six children aged 6–19 are considered obese. Alcohol and drugs Drugs are at times the cause of social problems. Drugs such as cocaine and opiates offer very limited positive effects and are extremely addictive. Many users of such drugs will commit crimes in order to obtain their fix. Occasionally, drugs such as methamphetamine or encyclopedic will cause deviant and violent behavior, which would be classified as a social problem.[12] Drunk driving is on the rise and is the number two cause of accidental deaths, it is a cause of around 17,000 deaths each year. All but 9 states have adopted the Administrative License Revocation where if you are caught drinking and driving and found guilty you will lose your license for a full year. This is a step that is being taken in order to try to avoid the occurrence of this social problem.[13] Crime and the justice system The federal prison system has been unable to keep up with the steady increase of inmates over the past few years, causing major overcrowding. In the year 2012, the overcrowding level was 41 percent above â€Å"rated capacity† and was the highest level since 2004.[14] The federal prison not only has overcrowding, but also has been the center of controversy in the U.S regarding the conditions in which the prisoners are treated. Environmental racism Main article: Environmental racism Environmental racism exists when a particular place or town is subject to problematic environmental practices due to the racial and class components of that space. In general, the place or town is representative of lower income and minority groups. Often, there is more pollution, factories, dumping, etc. that produce environmental hazards and health risks which are not seen in more affluent cities. Hate crimes Main article: Hate crime Hate crimes are a social problem in the United States because they directly marginalize and target specific groups of people or specific communities based on their identities. Hate crimes can be committed as the result of hate-motivated behavior, prejudice, and intolerance due to sexual orientation, gender expression, biological sex, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, or any other identity.[15] Hate crimes are a growing issue especially in school settings because of the young populations that exist. The majority of victims and perpetrators are teenagers and young adults, the population that exists within educational institutions. Hate crimes can result in physical or sexual assaults or harassment, verbal harassment, robbery, or even in death.[16] The lasting effects of hate crimes can result in mental illness and in disorders such as depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, etc. The issue is a social problem because it is widespread and affects many of our communities and the individuals within them who do not fit the norm. Valence issues versus position issues A valence issue is typically a social problem that is uniformly agreed upon.[17] These types of issues generally generate a widespread consensus and provoke little resistance from the public. An example of a valence issue would be incest or child abuse.[18] Unlike a valence issue, a position issue typically outlines a social problem in which the popular opinion among society is divided.[18] An example of a position issue is vegetarianism or veganism, due to the lack of widespread consensus from the public. Abortion Main article: Abortion Abortion is split between individuals who are either pro-choice or pro-life. Pro-choice people believe that abortion is a right. They believe that women have that right and shouldn’t be prevented from exercising that right by governments. Pro-life people believe that person-hood begins at conception and they believe that abortion is the wrongful killing of an innocent person.[19] Factors responsible for social problem: Social change Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. Social change may include changes in nature, social institutions, social behaviours, or social relations. What Is the Meaning of Social Disorganization? Answer Social disorganization is the inability of community members to come together to achieve goals or solve problems. Social disorganization usually refers to urban areas. It also usually refers to the poor. What Is a Social Evil? Answer A social evil is an issue which directly or indirectly affects members of a society and is considered a point of controversy or a problem in regards to moral values. Common social evils include racism, prostitution, domestic violence, child abuse, rape, pornography and corruption.

Friendship and Love in the Little Prince

Friendship and love are essential topics in anyone?s lifesince through them we can feel complete and alive. In The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery novel, elemental, but not always taken into account, aspects of life are highlighted from a deep point of view differentiating the perception an adult and a child can have from the same subject, being Friendship and love the prominent ones in my consideration. Firstly, Friendship is seen as the pure communion between an experienced man and an innocent child. The writer emphasizes the importance of a friend from the point of view of a child,this innocence is clearly opposed to the perception of an adult. Seen through the eyes of a child what is important are the perceptions, ideas and emotions that a child posses which makes friendship concrete and worthwhile. The Little prince points out that a friend is not valuable because of the material belongings someone has, but the qualities he or she posses. What makes a friend is the smile on her or his face, the sound of the voice and the desire to have or do something that makes somebody real. Alive and interesting. On the other hand, love is profoundly connected to friendship. In this case the superficial man becomes one with the imaginative child, being love the point in which they found each other and by means of which they would be one. The pilot finds in the sky a way of meting the Little Prince again, he says â€Å"look at the sky. Ask yourselves: Is it yes or not? Has the sheep eaten the flower? And you will see how everything changes†. In these meaningful lines, love, fraternal love is conveyed; whenever they look at the stars they will be together again. The feelings about friendship are arm to arm with love. In conclusion, the opposition made between adulthood and chilhood, the Pilot and the little Prince emphasize the importance of sentimental values in life. Friendship and love come up over any other subject.

Healthcare Worker Shortage Leads Some Hospitals to Take Extra Steps

Healthcare Worker Shortage Leads Some Hospitals to Take Extra Steps There is currently  a shortage of U.S. health care personnel, and  it is only likely to get worse. According to a study by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, within the next 10 or 15 years, 1 million nurses are expected to retire. Additionally,  the number of practicing physicians is expecting a shortfall of 55,000 by 2020. The aging population will have a large impact on the number of nurse jobs and other health-related positions sorely needed to keep facilities running.A large number of students require additional background coursework in order to take credited health care courses, which deters people from pursing health care careers. Often, these additional  courses are in more difficult areas of study, such as mathematics or chemistry. Instead of tackling them, students are switching career paths.Alternatives to Community CollegeSome hospitals are offering in-house training programs to ensure that appropriate staffing will continue. In Michigan, one pr ogram allows employees to work while training to obtain medical assistant jobs. Upon completion, the employee will be licensed and credentialed, a bonus for the hospital employer and a practical way for an employee interested in the health care field to gain knowledge.Hospital StrategiesMany hospitals realize that happy employees are more likely to stay on the job and may work past retirement age. Some offer in-house training programs, and others offer tuition reimbursement as incentive to continue toward a degree or licensure.Because of the anticipation of a continued shortage, some hospitals have found that pairing an entry level employee with a seasoned   one helps keep the older employee up on the latest technologies in the field, while the younger employee has the benefit of the other’s years of expertise.Hospital and Community College CooperationIn some areas, such as the San Francisco Bay area, hospitals have been working in conjunction with community colleges to off er training and additional support for nursing staff. By combining classes and residency experience at one time, trainees feel more confident, and the retention rate is higher.In addition, it gives the hospital the opportunity to train nursing students in needed positions, such as surgical assistants in the operating room. Other employees who are not taking nursing classes are offered tuition reimbursement, and the hospital continues to pay their salary while they attend school if the individual expresses an interest in furthering their career in health care.If you are looking for a job in health care, turning to TheJobNetwork makes your search simple. Sign up for free with this online platform and enter the type of job you want. The platform lets you specify criteria you are looking for in the job as well as letting you enter your qualifications and a resume. You can actively search for a job or let the platform do the search for you. You’ll receive an email when jobs are fo und. All you have to do is apply.

The Monopoly game and its Innovation Essay Example

The Monopoly game and its Innovation Essay Example The Monopoly game and its Innovation Paper The Monopoly game and its Innovation Paper The monopoly game was invented as the Landlord game by Charles Darrow. It has many variations in the rules, elements, etc. Monopoly can teach you to sell the realty and to use money wisely. (Walsh 2004, p. 48) Recently, most manufacturers of the monopoly game have invented many its versions in which the property names as well as other game elements have been removed and other ones have been used in the same game. This method is considered to be an effective innovation strategy which could be used again and again. The monopoly game of the Hasbro Corporation is ‘the most popular board game in the modern world’, the Corporation owners claim. – ‘More than 500 million people have played this game since its invention’. ’ (Walsh 2004, p. 48) Moreover, the Hasbro Corporation has the experience of implementing different platforms in a game that also contributes to an effective innovation strategy. Innovation helps to refresh the game of monopoly. All game improvements and modifications are good. However, there are those ones which are much better than others. The Hasbro Corporation and other companies producing the monopoly game should keep in mind a simple rule: improve or lose in the modern competitive world. To my mind, it is necessary to make some changes in the property improvements. The world is changing dramatically and the monopoly game has to develop in order to fit the current realities too. 3. Conclusion. The coursework briefly analyzes the monopoly game and its innovation. The paper proves the effectiveness and necessity of innovation in refreshing the game of monopoly. References Walsh, T. (2004) ‘The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys’. Keys Publishing, Page 48.

Harsh Punishment Backfires in Prison, Researcher Says

Harsh Punishment Backfires in Prison, Researcher Says Currently, the U.S. leads the world in the rate of incarceration. The current numbers show that 612 people per 100,000 residents age 18 or older are imprisoned.   According to some criminal justice experts, the current prison system puts too much emphasis on harsh punishment and not enough on rehabilitation and it simply does not work. The current system only provides a breeding ground for more aggressive and violent behavior, according to Joel Dvoskin, PhD of the University of Arizona and author of Applying Social Science to Reduce Violent Offending. Aggression Breeds Aggression Prison environments are replete with aggressive behaviors, and people learn from watching others acting aggressively to get what they want, Dvoskin said. It is his belief that behavior modification and social learning principles can work inside prison just as they do outside. Certainty vs. Severity of Punishment In criminological research performed by Valerie Wright, Ph.D., Research Analyst at The Sentencing Project, it was determined that certainty of punishment, rather than the severity of punishment is more likely to deter criminal behavior. For example, if a city announces that police will be out in force looking for drunk drivers during a holiday weekend, it would likely increase the number of people who decide not to risk drinking and driving. Severity of punishment attempts to scare potential criminals because the punishment that they could receive is not worth the risk. This is the bases behind why states have adopted the tough policies such as Three Strikes.   The concept behind severe punishments assumes that the criminal is rational enough to weigh out the consequences before committing the crime.   However, as Wright points out, since half of the criminals that are locked up in U.S. prisons were drunk or high on drugs at the time of the offense, it is unlikely that they had the mental capacity to logically asses the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, because of a shortage of police per capita and prison overcrowding, most crimes do not result in arrest or criminal incarceration. Clearly, enhancing the severity of punishment will have little impact on people who do not believe they will be apprehended for their actions. says Wright. Do Longer Sentences Improve Public Safety? Studies have shown that longer sentences result in higher rates of recidivism. According to Wright, accumulated data of 50 studies going back as far as 1958 on a total of 336,052 offenders with various criminal offenses and background showed the following: Offenders who averaged 30 months in prison had a recidivism rate of 29 percent. Offenders who averaged 12.9 months in prison had a recidivism rate of 26 percent. The Bureau of Justice Statistics did a study tracking 404,638 prisoners in 30 states after their release from prison in 2005. The researchers found that: Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.Within five years of release, about three-quarters (76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.Of those prisoners who were rearrested, more than half (56.7 percent) were arrested by the end of the first year. The research team theorizes that although offender services and programs may have a direct effect on desistance, individuals must decide independently to transform themselves into ex-offenders. However, the numbers do support Wrights argument that longer sentences result in higher rates of recidivism. Reaccessing the Economics of Current Crime Policies Both Wright and Dvoskin agree that the current money spent on incarceration has drained valuable resources and has not been effective in making communities safer. Wright points to a study done in 2006 that compared the cost of community drug treatment programs vs. the cost of incarcerating drug offenders. According to the study, a dollar spent on treatment in prison yields about six dollars of savings, whereas a dollar spent in community-based treatment yields nearly $20 in costs savings. Wright estimates that a savings $16.9 billion annually could be saved by a 50 percent reduction in the number of incarcerated non-violent offenders. Dvoskin feels that the rising prison population with the corresponding lack of increase in prison staff has reduced the ability of prison systems to supervise work programs that allow prisoners to build skills.   This makes it very hard to re-enter into the civilian world and increases the likelihood of going back to prison, Dvoskin said. Therefore, the priority should be placed on decreasing prison populations, he said: This can be done by paying more attention to those with the highest risk of violent behavior rather than focusing on lesser crimes, such as minor drug offenses. Conclusion By reducing the number of non-violent prisoners, it would free up the necessary money to invest in detecting criminal behavior which would increase the certainty of punishment and also allow for more effective programs that could help in reducing recidivism. Source: Workshop: Using Social Science to Prevent Violent Crime, Joel A. Dvoskin, PhD, University of Arizona College of Medicine Saturday, Aug. 8, Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Deterrence in Criminal Justice, Valerie Wright, Ph.D., The Sentencing Project.

Movie Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Movie Assignment - Essay Example This paper shall candidly and comprehensively elucidate on virtue ethics and the issues that surround it by considering its application and/or violation in the movie â€Å"Iron Man 2." One of the scenes that can adequately be used to describe virtue ethics in the movie â€Å"Iron Man 2† is Iron Man (Tony) and his Stark industries. As an industry that engages in the production of weapons for the American military, Business in this sector can be a persistent quandary for those involved. As the movie begins, Tony Mark has no doubts and strongly believes that the missiles that he creates protect and support American paramilitaries (Casey et al., 12). When Tony goes to Afghanistan to exhibit a newly created missile, a terrorist cell bombs his caravan. Tony looks at the grenade and sees the label â€Å"Stark Industries† before it explodes. After its explosion, Tony ends up interspersed with shrapnel and the terrorists easily apprehend him. Even after arrest, Tony does not face the anticipated sufferings. He is saved because the terrorist wanted Tony to create a similar missile for them. Eventually, Tony seepages and returns to his home country where he takes time to essentially reason about what his business does. Through his statements, Tony expresses embarrassment. â€Å"I never got to say good-bye to my father†¦.I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts† (Casey et al., 24). It had dawned on Tony that the terrorists acquired his weapons and were fully using them against the Americans; whom the weapons were meant to defend and safeguard. After this recognition, tony wonders what to do with the company; ethical dilemma skulks in. Despite the sheer fact that his company engages in other activities, weapon production was the main income generating activities. Tony attributes most of his

Strategic Choice and Evaluation Paper on Apple Inc Research

Strategic Choice and Evaluation on Apple Inc - Research Paper Example In this sense, the company cannot afford to relent on its path towards market domination because its rivals and new entrants can easily catch up and take over the market leadership position that Apple Inc. currently enjoys. This paper explores the three levels of strategy that the company can use to consolidate its position. The three areas of strategy include the identification of the best value discipline for the company, the best generic strategy option, and the most effective grand strategy that Apple Inc. ought to pursue. Value Discipline All companies usually choose between three broad value disciplines. This three value disciplines are operational efficiency, product leadership, and customer intimacy (Treacy & Wiersema, 1993). Operational efficiency refers to the ability of a company to provide a product without hassles and with minimal inconvenience to the customer. Usually, it calls for investment in powerful supply-chain management tools to ensure that there are no delays i n the production process. Companies that attain efficient operations as a value discipline also tend to provide basic products made with little or no embellishments, and with a very small parts-count. They employ advanced levels of designed-for -manufacture concepts. In order to attain product leadership as a value discipline, a company must invest in advanced product research and development techniques because it requires that the company retain leadership in its ability provide new products for its customers (Treacy & Wiersema, 1993). The IT industry seems to require this as a basic value discipline because of the high rate of innovation in the industry. The amount of game-changing discoveries in the IT industry renders new products obsolete within a very short time. Thirdly, adopting customer intimacy as a value discipline calls for the use of personalized methods of production and marketing that aims at developing a sense of personal attachment with customers (Treacy & Wiersema, 1993). This approach works best for low volume and high margin products for the target market. The best value discipline for Apple Inc. is product innovation. This comes from the fact that Apple Inc. is an IT based industry dealing with personal products. The main competitive edge for companies producing IT devices for personal use is in the innovativeness of the products. Pursuing operational efficiency will limit the innovative edge that Apple Inc. enjoys because of the efforts it will divert to attain efficiency. On the other hand, Apple Inc. develops products for the mass market. It is very challenging to implement customer intimacy as a value discipline when it comes to productions for the mass market. However, there may be strategic benefits in pursuing a two-fold strategy both as a product leader and as an efficiency operator because Apple Inc. may not always be a product leader in the unpredictable IT industry. Product Innovation alone may also make it too expensive for App le Inc. to return a profit because of the high cost of product development. Generic Strategy Porter identified three elements of generic strategy that informs the approaches organizations use to gain market share. In Porters model, the three strategies come from a matrix developed by comparing the scope of the target market with the source of advantage (Porter, 1980). In this sense, a company can pursue a strategy aiming for a niche market or for the mass market. In addition, it has to make a decision regarding whether it

Balanced Score Card Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Balanced Score Card - Essay Example According to various studies, the Balanced Score Card system affects strategy at the levels of finance, customer, internal, and growth. One advantage of this strategy is that it relies significantly on measurable outcomes that weigh against specific goals as spelt out in the organization’s specific mission and vision. According to a range of financial management literature, the application of the Balanced Score Card is manifest at the financial level of strategy (Punniyamoorthy, & Murali, 2008; Figge, Hahn, Schaltegger, & Wagner, 2002, p. 269). This is because, financial growth strategies are comparably easier to ascertain as compared to the other levels of strategy as customer growth and satisfaction. The universal characteristic of these strategies involve the active application of specific periods within certain financial goals are measured (Brown & McDonnell, 1995). The levels of success or failure are measured within the specified period in order to obtain the most accurate standards of measurement as spelt out within specific growth objectives and strategies. On this score, it becomes appropriate to consider the fact that time factor remains one of the most important considerations of the rate of growth. Financial Management In many organizations, the determination of growth using the Balanced Score Card method involves the determination of revenue growths and profits (Chavan, 2009). This usually entails the determination of the rate of growth in profits as understood together with certain financial measurable. The application of the strategy involves the determination of the strategic growth objectives and the outcome measures as the key determinants of growth within the strategy (Chavan, 2009). For instance, within a manufacturing company, strategic growth could involve the determination of various strategies for growth and other processes (Brown, & McDonnell, 1995). Some of the issues that relate to the development of strategy within the understanding of the Balanced Score Card relate to the need to adjust outcomes within definite operational paradigms. On this matter, it is necessary to consider the fact that the application of strategy remains an integral issue that applies within various factors an d strategies of growth. The determination of specific outcome measures assists in providing the management with specific indicators of telling whether the strategy relates well with the projected goals (Chavan, 2009). The assumption is that the end-result is significantly a factor of the strategy within, which it was achieved. The relationship between outcome and process depends on the manner in which the strategy relates with the financial objectives and the ability of the management to harness all the other aspects of the strategy towards the attainment of the same. The various processes that attach to strategy relate to other application specifics that combine to form some continuous link between the starting point of the strategy and the budgeted outcomes (Chavan, 2009). Critics of the Balanced Score Card strategy contend that other variables apart from the mechanics of the strategy could be involved in the achievement of the specific goals of the organization. Organization proc esses are subject to multiple internal and external factors, which affect the processes in different

Television programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Television programming - Essay Example These questions are basic essence of my research conducted and ABC channel being my prime lab rodent to experiment upon. What programs they air, why they air them and what strategy they are implying to attract the maximum number of audience in the post-dinner time. TV Ratings Any guesses how the intelligent people sitting in the ABC production offices know, when to air what, when most people are tuned in and most importantly which slots to offer the highest advertisement rate to add agencies and commercial vendors. The answer to this question lies in the name â€Å"Nielsen ratings†. It is an audience measurement system developed by Nielsen media research to do exactly the magic described above. The program uses set-meters, small devices installed behind television sets to monitor the channel activity and record time data of TV programs being watched at what time. A further sophisticated method implies that what audience is watching what. This is done by the help of viewers inp ut in the very same device. The audience enters this survey voluntarily and is a big help to create a data base and analysis which helps in securing maximum advertisement rates for the prime time slot (Frank, 20). American Broadcasting Company The TV channel under research is ABC. Some of the basic questions mentioned in the start of the paper will be answered with the help of forensic research into the media world of today where people can choose to record there TV shows and watch them add-less. What are they trying to accomplish? The basic purpose of any television broadcast company, to earn maximum profits. For that purpose on Thursday nights ABC airs the program â€Å"wipeout† to kick-off the evening. This reality game show has fast gained popularity to an extent that it is the second most watched TV show in the American TV broadcasting. They follow it up with â€Å"Grey’s Anatomy†, a well renowned serial related to doctors practicing and their issues. A tru ly griping hi-paced drama of common people saving people’s lives and complicating their own in the process. This medical drama is followed by a follow-up medical drama named private practice which is a spin-off of grey’s anatomy. A wide variety of household people have a keen interest in every new upcoming episode that is being shown. The people targeted with this include adults and also the ones in the bracket of being grandparents. Do not bold, italicize or underline the subheading. What audiences are they targeting and how? If you compare the first hour of the prime time with other network channels being broadcasted, ABC has created a clever strategy by targeting the young and adult audience by broadcasting wipeout, a funny reality game show whereas the other channels are broadcasting one after the other serious genre serials which are not a huge attraction to children and young alike. After that, they target the sample of audience that is parents and grandparents b racket by airing similar set up medical dramas. Coming to the fact that how did they end up devising a clear edge among the top ranked broadcasters? The answer lies in the post writers strike era, when a new team was formed to sail them out of a storm without a lot of financial blocks crumbling over them and sailed they did. They indeed came out on top of the storm and ended up being the most watched channel according to the post wipeout season ratings. The team had a

A Horror Show at the Cinemaplex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Horror Show at the Cinemaplex - Essay Example This brief paper is a case study of this entertainment sector that tackles major issues facing them. The word horror in the title of this case pertains to the financial bloodbath in this industry. Discussion The format of this paper follows a question-and-answer format and there are five major questions to be discussed in the case study pertaining to the film industry and its major players. 1. Perform a comprehensive analysis of the five competitive forces. Discuss what level of competition can be expected amongst industry rivals. A major determinant for industry profitability is the ability to provide content which are the films produced by the major movie studios. These studios dictate and control the release and the timing of new film releases, and with just a few major studios left today (without thinking of the independent film producers), supplier power is highly concentrated in these movie studios. A film distributor or a film exhibitor is at the mercy of these studios which c an dictate their terms. The threat of new entrants is much less, taking into account the high cost of producing a decent movie which ranges in the US$100 million and above; therefore, the barriers to entry is a very prohibitive barrier indeed (Gove and Matherne, 2009, p. 218) with a third of the costs going to marketing and distribution expenses. The only threat are the few independents who can make a few films which may not do well at the box office. Costs of putting up a theater is going up. The availability of alternative modes of watching movies such as cable television and a DVD player gives the buyers (moviegoers) considerable discretion with regards to movies. This means people need not go to theaters purposely to watch a movie since they can do these at the comforts of their homes without all the aggravations and accompanying hassles. Buyer power is not so concentrated but if moviegoers decide not to watch a movie, then nobody can force them. Two key considerations are the core demographic group (12-24 year olds) is a very fickle group and the other key factor is that there is no magic formula when making movies as box office hit. Buyer power is also shown by flat ticket sales, with revenue increases due to higher ticket price. It is the threat of substitutes that had caused some movie exhibitors into bankruptcy. A slew of new technologies such as the DVD player, cable television and now, the Internet using a new mode of distribution which is movie streaming, are t he main reasons for the sharp decline in movie attendance. Rental firm Netflix (and also Blockbuster before) has a considerable archive of classic and new films in addition to television shows (re-runs), sports and musicales. Better home viewing technologies like cheaper and larger television sets with flat screen has now made watching a movie at home a good approximation of the so-called â€Å"movie experience.† There is no more need to drive to a theater, find a parking space, buy snacks and then go back home. The degree of rivalry within this industry is bound to increase some more. With fewer people going to theaters because of all the hassles (long drives, sticky floors, projected pictures not in focus, noisy people chattering away in the next few rows and cellphone interruptions, etc.) and the core demograp

Job selection Practical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Job selection Practical - Essay Example y-rated computer and information systems professional with nine years of comprehensive knowledge in organization, maintenance, development and implementation of information systems along with software to assist firms to stay competitive through training staff, supervision of security operations and giving advice to management on the probable consequences of changes in technology, in addition to broad customer care experience in a fast-paced and highly technical environment. Demonstrated track record in regard to delivering excellent quality project governance that includes the assessment of risks, status reports, project proposals and plans as well as requests for project change 4. Have you improved the telephone or email system of your organization to VOIP or an integrated messaging system? Provide a description of the procedure and the attributes that influenced the choice of the new

A Horror Show at the Cinemaplex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Horror Show at the Cinemaplex - Essay Example This brief paper is a case study of this entertainment sector that tackles major issues facing them. The word horror in the title of this case pertains to the financial bloodbath in this industry. Discussion The format of this paper follows a question-and-answer format and there are five major questions to be discussed in the case study pertaining to the film industry and its major players. 1. Perform a comprehensive analysis of the five competitive forces. Discuss what level of competition can be expected amongst industry rivals. A major determinant for industry profitability is the ability to provide content which are the films produced by the major movie studios. These studios dictate and control the release and the timing of new film releases, and with just a few major studios left today (without thinking of the independent film producers), supplier power is highly concentrated in these movie studios. A film distributor or a film exhibitor is at the mercy of these studios which c an dictate their terms. The threat of new entrants is much less, taking into account the high cost of producing a decent movie which ranges in the US$100 million and above; therefore, the barriers to entry is a very prohibitive barrier indeed (Gove and Matherne, 2009, p. 218) with a third of the costs going to marketing and distribution expenses. The only threat are the few independents who can make a few films which may not do well at the box office. Costs of putting up a theater is going up. The availability of alternative modes of watching movies such as cable television and a DVD player gives the buyers (moviegoers) considerable discretion with regards to movies. This means people need not go to theaters purposely to watch a movie since they can do these at the comforts of their homes without all the aggravations and accompanying hassles. Buyer power is not so concentrated but if moviegoers decide not to watch a movie, then nobody can force them. Two key considerations are the core demographic group (12-24 year olds) is a very fickle group and the other key factor is that there is no magic formula when making movies as box office hit. Buyer power is also shown by flat ticket sales, with revenue increases due to higher ticket price. It is the threat of substitutes that had caused some movie exhibitors into bankruptcy. A slew of new technologies such as the DVD player, cable television and now, the Internet using a new mode of distribution which is movie streaming, are t he main reasons for the sharp decline in movie attendance. Rental firm Netflix (and also Blockbuster before) has a considerable archive of classic and new films in addition to television shows (re-runs), sports and musicales. Better home viewing technologies like cheaper and larger television sets with flat screen has now made watching a movie at home a good approximation of the so-called â€Å"movie experience.† There is no more need to drive to a theater, find a parking space, buy snacks and then go back home. The degree of rivalry within this industry is bound to increase some more. With fewer people going to theaters because of all the hassles (long drives, sticky floors, projected pictures not in focus, noisy people chattering away in the next few rows and cellphone interruptions, etc.) and the core demograp

Radio and the Music Industry Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15750 words

Radio and the Music Industry - Dissertation Example During the mid to late 1880’s numerous inventors including Edison, Berliner, and Bell were experimenting with a new invention called the gramophone.   By 1889 Edward Easton opened the Colombia Phonograph Company.   The recording industry was in its infancy.   The first recording Easton made was John Philip Sousa directing the United States Marine Corp Band that same year.   During this time, Marconi and his company made many advances during the next several years including: erecting the first commercial radio station in 1898 on Rathlin Island off the coast of Ireland. (â€Å"Brief History† â€Å"Pre 1900† 2004, screen 2).   In 1893 Emile Berliner made major breakthroughs with the phonograph.   His company, the U. S. Gramophone company the following year sold 1,000 of the machines, most crank type although a few were motorized.   The same year he discovered that shellac worked much better than what had been used for producing ‘records’, which until that time was a hard rubber.   In 1894 Guglielmo Marconi having heard about recent development with sound waves made the first successful radio transmission from his home, a distance of just over one mile.   The following year he travelled to England and received a patent for his â€Å"wireless† telegraphy.   By 1896, â€Å"Eldridge Johnson improved the gramophone with a motor designed by Levi Montross and his own patent 601,198 filed Aug. 19, 1897, for a simple and inexpensive machine that became the most popular disc phonograph by 1900; he then merged his Consolidated Talking Machine Co. with Berliner's company.

Definition of Reading

Definition of Reading Definition of Reading Reading is a mental process. There are many definitions of reading. Reading is when someone looks into a written text and starts to absorb the information from the written linguistic message. In Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistic, reading is said as: Perceiving a written text in order to understand its contents. This can be done silently (silent reading). The understanding that result is called reading comprehension. Saying a written text aloud (oral reading). This can be done with or without understanding of the content. Other definition by Collins English Learners Dictionary is that reading is an act of looking at and understanding point. This is very true because reading entails the use of vision to understand several words in a sentence and make them meaningful. Same goes to each sentence in order to understand the entire text. Besides all the definitions from the dictionary there are also definitions made by several people. According to William (1984), he defines reading as a process whereby one looks at and understands what has been written. Rohani Ariffin (1992:1) in her book entitled Anthropology of Poetry for Young People defines reading as a highly personal activity that is mainly done silently, alone. There is a clear understanding that reading is something related to the activity of acquiring information and it is done either silently or aloud. Reading is an interactive process between the reader and the writer. Brunan W.K (1989) for instance defines reading as a two way interaction in which information is exchange between the reader and the author. Smith (1973) also shares the same attitude. This is proved by his line: Reading is an act of communication in which information is transferred from a transmitter to a receiver (Smith 1973:2) Despite all the definitions given, there is also definition of reading given by teachers as well as by students. According to Stallfter (1969), teachers define reading as: a complicated procedure. Readers read to get information from the printed pages. They should be able to pronounce and comprehend the printed words, signs, letters, and symbols by assigning meaning to them. As for students, they define reading which cited from Jensen and Petty (1918) as: where words go into your eyes and out of your mouth. They said that books are written with many adventures and time and time again there are spots where they say I know it! it is interesting to them as they open the book, words flow out and float across the mind In order for a person to be able to read, there is in need of other skill to support the reader while reading. Reading is a mental process as mentioned earlier so it needs other skills to be integrated with such as listening, speaking and writing. According to Chitravelu et. al (1995), reading is not a single skill that we use all the time in the same way but it is multiple skill that used differently with kind of test and fulfilling different purpose. This was earlier being stated by Thomas and Loving (1979) where they alleged reading as a communicative skills along with listening, speaking writing and thinking. Purpose of Reading Many or any people can read a text but hardly can understand what the writing was all about. This is because the reading was not providing any information to the reader. Why is this happen? This happened when the reader merely read the text without understanding the content. So it defeats the purpose of reading as a means to gain information. According to Mariam (1991) she proposed that a major avenue of learning is through reading. Yet, if we do not understand what we are reading, we cannot learn or remember it. Comprehending is a major concerned, then, of all teachers who use printed material in the classroom. Since reading is very important in learning second language, a great effort has been given to develop reading skill. Although many ways have been promoted in order to improve reading skill among students, reading is still something that is seems problematic. Students cant understand English text. These problems occurred because according to Noormah (2000) the students are lacking of vocabulary, hardly understand the words and less interest to English subject. Besides that, there are also several factors contributing to the diffident of this particular skill. Based on Sivaguru (2000) those factors are home, school and social environment. If the student is living in a family where English to them is a familiar language, frequently spoken by the members of the family then the student will have the advantage of being exposed to the language. Unlike student with no English familiarity in his family where English is seen as a bizarre language to be spoken, this kind of environment demodula tes his motivation to learn the language. Moreover, school is also one of the factors that contribute to the incompetence in reading. This is where the role of teacher in promoting the language to the students. Some teacher just might not fully use English during English class especially in the primary school. This is just because the teacher intended to suit her level with the students and as a result a lot of code switching is used. This early exposure to the lack of using English in class causes a serious impact when they further their study in a higher education level. To them English is not something important. Even if it does, they still can code switch as what their teacher did during their schooling period. Another factor is the environment factor. We are from what we come from. If the environment around us allows us to speak English for example to have colleagues who are willing to speak English, this would be a good drive. But what actually happen in the Malaysian society is that people are hesitate to speak English in public among friends, neighbors etceteras. Although the factors discussed are concerning around the speaking skill, but as mentioned earlier that all skills are related to each other. When the students are no longer interested to speak in English, their passions for the language will also deteriorating. These will also affecting their reading skills and their ability to understand English text. Models of Reading This study will be focusing on the students of a tertiary level. Students of tertiary level are different from students of a secondary school in reading purpose. Secondary school students read because they are forced to read by their teacher. It is hard to find students who do extensive reading by themselves. Students of tertiary level on the other hand read because they have to. They have to read to keep up with lectures and assignments. If they do not read, they will be left behind. There are three theories related and being use in this study. The first theory is the traditional view of reading (Dole et al, 1991). According to this theory, novice readers needs to acquire a set of hierarchically ordered sub-skills that consecutively build toward comprehension ability. Contained in this theory, the students have the ability to comprehend the texts by making sense of the words within the context of the sentence. According to Nunan (1991), being able to read using this view is being able to interpret a series of written symbols to the auditory equivalents as a way for the readers to make sense of the text they are reading and to reproduce the meaning of the reading itself. In other words, this process is called the bottom-up. The bottom-up reading is done step by step as mentioned by Mariam Mohamed Nor and Rahmad Sukor Abd. Samad (2006). The technique begins with the eyes identifying visual information in the materials and this technique begins with the identification of the letter and the sounds follows subsequently. Next, the identification of the lexical items is done through grapheme-phoneme correspondence and being put in the short term memory (STM). This is where the phrases, clauses and sentences are being constructed. This model requires an accurate comprehension, sequential identification of letters, words, phrases, clauses, sentences and the pronunciation. The other meaning of this view is that it is also a process of outside-in as mentioned by McCarthy (1999). To make it simple, the bottom-up model recommends that reading should begins from the low-level processing. The printed texts that being read by the reader can only be interpreted and understood by the reader himself. Apart from the definition given below, this traditional view of reading always been under attack because of the insufficiency and lacking one or more of the usual forms of grammatical inflection mainly the words and structure. The second theory is the three major types of schemata. The types of schema mentioned by Carrell (1984) are the linguistic schemata, formal schemata and content schemata which are related to the reading comprehension. The linguistic schemata refer to the existing knowledge that the readers have in vocabulary and grammar. It is the foundation for other schemata as it is essential in helping the readers to grasp and decode the text they read. If the readers do not have this schema, it will be hard for them to understand and to decode texts they read. The more linguistic schema the readers have, the easier for them to understand and decode what they are reading. The second schema is the formal schema. This schema has been explained to be abstract, encoded, internalized, and having coherent patterns of meta-linguistic, discourse and textual organization that are being used to understand a text. The reader tries to use any information that they have in order to understand and to comprehend the English text they are reading at that particular of time. But the formal schema offers less power in the reading process as mentioned by Carrell (1984). In this study, the formal schema helps the students to make relations between the background knowledge that they have with the new one that they just bumped into under the same topic. This is to help them in comprehending the reading English texts in the possible way as they can. The third schema in the schemata theory is called content schema. In other terms, this schema explains about the reader having the information or background knowledge on the topic that is being brought up in the texts they read. A language is not only the combination of vocabulary or grammar but it also involves the culture of the language and this is where the information came. With the content schema, it can complete the lack of language schemata and thus helps the students in comprehending texts and to be able to put aside any ambiguities and irrelevant words or sentences in the texts. The third theory used in this study is the affective filter hypothesis by Stephen Krashen. This theory involves the attitudes towards the target language and its relationship with the input achieved by the students. It shows that how attitude is very important in learning language. If the students have a very high or strong affective filter, they tend to have less input. If the students do understand the input, the input will not reach part of the brain that takes charge of the language acquisition. It is different to students who have low affective filter who will have the tendency to obtain more information and because they have more positive attitudes to the language they are learning, they are more open to the input they obtain.

Using the video case study explain on which extent the organisation :: Business and Management Studies

Using the video case study explain on which extent the organisation keeps their side of the empowerment bargain? Coursework: Using the video case study explain on which extent the organisation keeps their side of the empowerment bargain? Nowadays, a new business process emerges, the empowerment. The context is that managers are working in pair with employees. Managers give opportunity to the staff to give their ideas, and being more involved in the firm as a whole. Its mean more confidence and trust in each other. Does the empowerment way is a threat against the organisation? The aim is to discuss the extent to which the organisation is able to keep their side of the empowerment â€Å"bargain†. Therefore, the following study is supported by the â€Å"Alliance and Leicester Building society†. It occurs in the banking sectors and this firm is a call centre on which the empowerment is present. The two mains actors are the managers on the first hand, and the Customers Service Agents (CSA) on the other hand. The customer service aim is to deliver a rapid answer to the client needs. The CSA are operating directly with the clients while managers are trying to improve the service efficiency. By improving efficiency it means implant and developed the empowerment. Different stages are identified in the firm. Firstly, there is the involvement process characterized by participation and managers attention to the CSA ideas. It is followed by the professional relation in the firms, between managers and CSA. The customers’ relation, like the greeting to the clients and how it is managed. There is an important and crucial step, which is the IT (information technology) point, materialized by the monitoring system. It is named as an â€Å"empowerment tool†. Moreover, there is a surveillance point, with tape record and office structure. Then the work atmosphere and CSA job feeling and future career. Beginning with a brief explanation of the empowerment origin, the following study (of the Alliance and Leiceister empowerment process) aims to focus on the previous empowerment stages to explain if the Control leads the organisation to keep the power of the empowerment â€Å"Bargain†. The call centres can be classified as the perfect example of the globalisation consequence. The globalisation was huge on the past 20 years. Companies grow and expand abroad. The market was not local anymore but international. As much as the firm grow, the competition increased in the same time. The firm were obliged to open their capital to rich investors and the market is now driven by the productivity and efficiency. As it was proposed, shareholders are now driving the firm goals and controlling the managers (Fama and Using the video case study explain on which extent the organisation :: Business and Management Studies Using the video case study explain on which extent the organisation keeps their side of the empowerment bargain? Coursework: Using the video case study explain on which extent the organisation keeps their side of the empowerment bargain? Nowadays, a new business process emerges, the empowerment. The context is that managers are working in pair with employees. Managers give opportunity to the staff to give their ideas, and being more involved in the firm as a whole. Its mean more confidence and trust in each other. Does the empowerment way is a threat against the organisation? The aim is to discuss the extent to which the organisation is able to keep their side of the empowerment â€Å"bargain†. Therefore, the following study is supported by the â€Å"Alliance and Leicester Building society†. It occurs in the banking sectors and this firm is a call centre on which the empowerment is present. The two mains actors are the managers on the first hand, and the Customers Service Agents (CSA) on the other hand. The customer service aim is to deliver a rapid answer to the client needs. The CSA are operating directly with the clients while managers are trying to improve the service efficiency. By improving efficiency it means implant and developed the empowerment. Different stages are identified in the firm. Firstly, there is the involvement process characterized by participation and managers attention to the CSA ideas. It is followed by the professional relation in the firms, between managers and CSA. The customers’ relation, like the greeting to the clients and how it is managed. There is an important and crucial step, which is the IT (information technology) point, materialized by the monitoring system. It is named as an â€Å"empowerment tool†. Moreover, there is a surveillance point, with tape record and office structure. Then the work atmosphere and CSA job feeling and future career. Beginning with a brief explanation of the empowerment origin, the following study (of the Alliance and Leiceister empowerment process) aims to focus on the previous empowerment stages to explain if the Control leads the organisation to keep the power of the empowerment â€Å"Bargain†. The call centres can be classified as the perfect example of the globalisation consequence. The globalisation was huge on the past 20 years. Companies grow and expand abroad. The market was not local anymore but international. As much as the firm grow, the competition increased in the same time. The firm were obliged to open their capital to rich investors and the market is now driven by the productivity and efficiency. As it was proposed, shareholders are now driving the firm goals and controlling the managers (Fama and

Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fellow and Samuel Beckett Essay -- Brendan B

Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fellow and Samuel Beckett Existential works are difficult to describe because the definition of existentialism covers a wide range of ideas and influences almost to the point of ambiguity. An easy, if not basic, approach to existentialism is to view it as a culmination of attitudes from the oppressed people of industrialization, writers and philosophers during the modern literary period, and people who were personally involved as civilians, soldiers, or rebels during WWII and witnessed the worst aspects of life and war. These attitudes combined the aspects of loss of identity and autonomy, the uselessness of pain, a sense of alienation, and the meaninglessness of a harsh life where death is the only way out; all of these things helped give birth to a new philosophy that for the first time dealt with the cold reality of life after WWII. The canon of existential literature almost singularly deals with native authors from France, Germany, Russia, and the former Czechoslovakia; however, there has yet to be a u niversally accepted Irish writer to belong to this category. Some argue that this segregation of Irish writers has to do with Ireland’s geographical location and its neutrality during WWII; however, if existentialism is purely an amalgamation of attitudes, then a country’s location and direct political policy play a meager role in the classification of a work as existential. Moreover, those arguments pay no attention to expatriates, or the simultaneously related socio-political condition of other countries; thus, a reevaluation of the canon, or at least a reconsideration of Irish works as existential is appropriate. Two Irish playwrights who epitomize the attitudes of existentialism a... ...which criticism and interpretation of modern society are available. Behan and Beckett are trying to open society’s eyes in order for them to question their lives and the world in which they live. When the representations are understood, the audience can begin to question the establishments of society, the rationality of blind or complete faith in a soulless and seemingly meaningless world, and the real purpose and meaning of their own lives. Behan and Beckett heighten expectations of existential writing and thought through their unforgiving and callous treatment of society, which reflects the abominable demeanor and absurdities of modern society and life. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. New York: Grove Press, 1954. Behan, Brendan. The Quare Fellow. Modern Irish Drama. Ed. John P. Harrington. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, Inc, 1991. 255-310.