A New Approach to Portfolio Matrix Analysis for Marketing Planning

A NEW APPROACH TO PORTFOLIO MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING 1 2 Vladimir Dobric , Boris Delibasic Faculty of organizational science, [email  protected] rs 2 Faculty of organizational science, delibasic. [email  protected] rs 1 Abstract: Portfolio matrix is probably the most important tool for strategic marketing planning, especially in the strategy selection stage. Position of the organization in the portfolio matrix and it’s corresponding marketing strategy depends on the aggregation of values of relevant strategic factors. Traditional approach to portfolio matrix analysis uses averaging function as an aggregation operator.This approach is very limited in realistic business environment characterized by complex relations between strategic factors. An innovative approach to portfolio matrix analysis, presented in this paper, can be used to express complex interaction between strategic factors. The new approach is based on the logical aggregation operator, a generalized aggregation operator from which other aggregation operators can be obtained as special cases. Example of traditional approach to portfolio matrix analysis given in this paper clearly shows it’s inherited limitations.The new approach applied to the same example eliminates weaknesses of traditional one and facilitates strategic marketing planning in realistic business environment. Key words: Portfolio matrix analysis, strategic marketing planning, logical aggregation, aggregation operator. 1. INTRODUCTION The portfolio matrix analysis is widely used in strategic management [2, 3, 6]. It offers a view of the position of the organization in its environment and suggests generic strategies for the future. Some of the most frequently used portfolio matrices are the ADL (developed by Arthur D.Little), the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) and the GE (General Electric) McKinsey matrix. Other models that can be considered as versions or adaptations of the original GE McKinsey matrix are the Shell directional policy matrix and McDonald’s directional policy matrix (DPM) that is used in this paper. The application of any of these portfolio matrices can be, roughly, divided into two stages: the first stage, which includes the analysis of the business position of the organization, and the second stage in which the strategies that should be used in future are recommended based on the estimated position.The difference between aforementioned matrices lies in number and meaning of factors used in the analysis process as well as in the number and generality of recommended strategies. It is common for all the portfolio matrices that the position of the organization in a portfolio matrix is based on estimated values of two factors: the one describing external environment (market attractiveness in DPM) and the other describing inner characteristics of the organization compared to the major competitors (business strengths/position in DPM).On the basis of portfo lio matrix analysis , a generic marketing strategy is recommended based on an organization’s position in the portfolio matrix. In the portfolio matrix analysis, values of two factors describing external and internal environment are estimated as aggregations of values of strategic factors influencing respective environment. The choice of the most adequate aggregation functions depends on the condition in which organization operates, i. e. an aggregation functions describing external and internal environment should have a behaviour which models organization’s external and internal environment conditions respectively.In the traditional approach to portfolio matrix analysis, weighted arithmetic mean is commonly used as an aggregation function. This aggregation operator describes an averaging behaviour, thus, it can be used to model business environment in which high and low values of strategic factors average each other. In the realistic business environment strategic fact ors can interact in a more complex way, i. e. they can average each other, reinforce or weaken each other (disjunctive or conjunctive behaviour), or exhibit various forms of mixed interactions [2, 3, 6].It is clear that the use of weighted arithmetic mean as an aggregation operator can’t express all the possible interactions between strategic factors that exist in a realistic business environment. This explains why the traditional approach to portfolio matrix analysis is highly limited, with the inherited weaknesses that can’t be overcome without substantial modification. Therefore, under previous conditions, it is obvious that a new approach to portfolio matrix analysis is needed.This new approach must take in consideration all the possible forms of interactions between strategic factors that can occur in a realistic business environment. These interactions can be expressed with a logical aggregation operator, so a new approach to portfolio matrix analysis can be base d on this operator. W eighted arithmetic mean and other known aggregation operators are just, as we will see in the following sections, special cases of logical aggregation operator. 2. THE MCDONALD’S DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX (DPM)Although the DPM, like other models of portfolio matrices, attempts to define an organization’s strategic position and strategy alternatives, this objective can’t be met without considering what is meant by the term „organizationâ€Å". The accepted level at which an organization can be analysed using the DPM is that of the „strategic business unitâ€Å". The most common definition of an SBU is as follows [3]: (1) It will have common segments and competitors for most of the products; (2) It will be a competitor in an external market; (3) It is a discrete, separate and identifiable „unitâ€Å"; 4) Its manager will have control over most of the areas critical to success. DPM has two dimensions each built up from a n umber of factors: (1) Market attractiveness and (2) Business strengths/position. Using these factors, and some scheme for weighting them according to their importance, strategic business units are classified into one of nine cells in a 3 X3 matrix. Each cell is connected to a generic strategy recommended by the DPM. Factors used to form aggregated dimensions of DPM vary according to concrete circumstances in which SBU operates. Notice that previous explanations taken rom [3] suggest weighted arithmetic mean as an aggregation operator, thus, traditional approach to DPM analysis only considers a case of averaging behaviour between strategic factors. That is only one of the possible interactions between strategic factors that can occur in realistic business environment. Other possible interactions like conjunction, disjunction or mixed interaction can’ t be modelled by using weighted sum of factors as an aggregation operator. Definitions of market attractiveness and business str engths/positions dimensions are g iven in [3].Market attractiveness is a measure of the marketplace potential to yield growth in sales and profits. It is important to highlight the need for an objective assessment of market attractiveness using data from the organization’s external environment. The criteria themselves will, of course, be determined by the organization carrying out the exercise and will be relevant to the objectives the organization is trying to achieve, but they should be independent of the organization’s position in its m arkets [3]. Business strengths/position is a measure of organization’s actual strengths in the marketplace (i. . the degree to which it can take advantage of a market opportunity). Thus, it is an objective assessment of an organization’s ability to satisfy market needs relative to competitors. DPM, together with generic marketing strategy options is shown in Picture 1. Picture 1: Directional policy matrix 3. TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX ANALYSIS In this section, traditional approach to DPM analysis using simple example will be presented, highlighting it’s inherited limitations originating from using non-adequate aggregation functions.Tables 1 and 2 are slight modification of tables that are used in DPM analysis example in [3] on pages 202 and 203, where market attractiveness and business strengths/position are evaluated by using weights and scores of relevant strategic factors. The only modification applied on tables in [3] is the normalization of weights, scores and corresponding evaluations to [0, 1] interval. This is done with simple transformation, which is covered in the following sections. Table 1: Market attractiveness evaluation Strategic factor (Fi) Score (si) Total (M) 0. 25 0. 25 0. 5 0. 15 0. 1 0. 1 1. Growth 2. Profitability 3. Size 4. Vulnerability 5. Competition 6. Cyclicality W eight (wi) 0. 6 0. 9 0. 6 0. 5 0. 8 0. 25 0. 15 0. 225 0. 09 0. 075 0. 08 0. 25 Total 1 0. 645 Table 2: Business strengths/position evaluation Strategic factor (Fi) 7. Price 8. Product 9. Service 10. Image Total W eight (wi) 0. 5 0. 25 0. 15 0. 1 1 You company Competitor A Competitor C Score (si) Total (B) Score Total (A) Score Total (C) 0. 5 0. 6 0. 8 0. 6 0. 25 0. 15 0. 12 0. 06 0. 6 0. 8 0. 4 0. 5 0. 3 0. 2 0. 06 0. 05 0. 4 1 0. 6 0. 3 0. 2 0. 25 0. 09 0. 03 . 58 0. 61 0. 57 Market attractiveness (M) and business strengths/position (B) are evaluated using weighted arithmetic mean as an aggregation function of scores {s1, †¦, s6} and {s7, †¦, s10} given for relevant strategic factors {F1, †¦, F10} using weights {w1, †¦, w10}: M = w1 s1 + w2 s2 + w3 s3 + w4 s4 + w5 s5 + w6 s6 = 0. 645 (1) B = w7 s7 + w8 s8 + w9 s9 + w10 s10 = 0. 58 (2) The same equations can be given in matrix form: M = W M SM (3) B = W B SB (4) where M and B are market attractiveness and business strengths/position evaluation respectively, W M = [w1, T , w6] and SM = [s 1, †¦, s6] are weighting and scoring vectors for market attractiveness strategic factors , T and W B = [w7, †¦, w10] and SB = [s7, †¦, s10] are weighting and scoring vectors for business strengths/position strategic factors. Notice that the exact position of the organization on the DPM is not given with business strengths/position value (B), but the relative business strengths/position value (BR), since business strengths/position is actually a measure of organizational abilities (B) (internal environment) relative to the competitors (i. e. respective abilities of market leader) [3].In our example market leader is Competitor A (from Table 2), thus, organization’s relative business strengths/position value (BR) is calculated as: BR = B/A (5) Relative business strengths/position value (BR) is then plotted on the horizontal axis of the DPM using a logarithmic scale [3]. These explanations are not of importance for the domain of our investigation, so no futher cons iderations regarding relative business strengths/position value (BR) and DPM plotting are given. In the rest of this paper, the only consideration will be given to market attractiveness (M) and business strengths/position (B) evaluation.W eighted arithmetic mean used for an aggregation function assumes that the interactions between strategic factors show averaging behavior, i. e. it is used to model business environment in which values of strategic factors average each other. This is the mayor drawback of traditional DPM analysis. Realistic business environment demands more modelling power for more complex factors interactions. Besides averaging, strategic factors can reinforce or weaken each other (disjunctive or conjunctive behaviour respectively), or exhibit various forms of interactions which are neither strictly averaging, conjunctive or disjunctive, but mixed, i. . aggregation function exhibits different behaviour on different parts of the domain (mixed behaviour). Under these circumstances, it is obvious that a new approach to portfolio matrix analysis demands an usage of different aggregation operator, the one capable of modelling all the possible interactions between strategic factors that can take place in a realistic business environment. The paper presents an approach to portfolio matrix analysis, using logical aggregation operator, which eliminates weaknesses of traditional one. If we return to ur example shown in Tables 1 and 2, we can restate possible business external and internal environment conditions in the following way: 1) It is possible that interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show averaging behaviour, i. e. scores {s1, †¦, s6} or {s7, †¦, s10} given to strategic factors {F1, †¦, F10} can average each other using weights {w1, †¦, w10}. In this case market attractiveness and business strengths/position are evaluated as shown in equations (1) and (2) , or in their m atrix equivalents (3) and (4). ) It is possible that interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show conjunctive behaviour, i. e. scores {s1, †¦, s6} or {s7, †¦,s10} given to strategic factors {F1, †¦, F10} can weaken each other. In this case market attractiveness and business strengths/position evaluation depends upon the lowest score among the relevant factors: M = min(s1, †¦, s6) (6) B = min(s7, †¦, s10) (7) 3) It is possible that interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show disjunctive behaviour, i. e. cores { s1, †¦, s6} or {s7, †¦, s10} given to strategic factors {F1, †¦, F10} can reinforce each other. In this case market attractiveness and business strengths/position evaluation depends upon the highest score among the relevant factors: M = max(s1, †¦, s6) (8) B = max(s7, †¦, s10) (9) 4) It is possible that interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show mixed behaviour. For example, scores {s1, †¦,s6} or {s7, †¦,s10} given to strategic factors {F1, †¦, F10} can average, reinforce and weaken each other depending on their values.Thus, the aggregation function can be conjunctive for low scores, disjunctive for high scores, and perhaps averaging when some scores are high and some are low (different behaviour of aggregation function on different parts of the domain). Example for this kind of aggregation function’s behaviour will be given in the following sections. Logical aggregation operator can express all previous types of interactions, so it naturally imposes itself as a replacement to weighted arithmetic mean aggregation operator in the new approach to portfolio matrix analysis.Notice that interactions between strategic factors from organization’s external environment (market attractiveness factors) and those from organizationâ €™s internal environment ( business strengths/position factors) are not recognized in traditional approach to DPM analysis [3]. If those interactions can be recognized, they can easily be integrated into the model in the new approach. In the following section basic theory of logical aggregation will be briefly examined. After examining the theory, a simple example of new approach to portfolio matrix analysis using Tables 1 and 2 will be presented. . LOGICAL AGGREGATION Aggregation functions are functions with special properties. The purpose of aggregation functions (they are also called aggregation operators, both terms are used interchangeably in the existing literature) is to combine inputs and produce output, where the inputs are typically interpreted as degrees of preference, strength of evidence or support of hypothesis [1]. If we consider a finite set of inputs I = {i1, †¦, in}, we can aggregate them into single representative value by using infinitely many aggregatio n functions.They are grouped in various families such as means, triangular norms and conor ms, Choquet and Sugeno integral, uninorms and nullnorms, and many others [1]. The question arises how to chose the most suitable aggregation function for a specific application. This question can be answered by choosing logical aggregation function – a generalized aggregation operator that can be reduced to any other known one. Logical aggregation is an aggregation method that combines inputs and produces output using logical aggregation operator [4, 5].In a general case logical aggregation is carrried out in two distinct steps: 1) Normalization of input values which results in a generalized logical and/or [0, 1] value of analyzed input ij: ? ? ? : I > [0, 1] (10) 2) Aggregation of normalized values of inputs into resulting globaly representative value with a logical aggregation operator: n Aggr: [0, 1] > [0, 1] (11) The first step explains the reason for modification of tables from [3] in previous section, in order to obtain Tables 1 and 2 with normalized values of strategic factors’ scores on which logical aggregation operator can be applied.Operator of logical aggregation in a general case (Aggr ) is a pseudo-logical function ( ), a linear convex combination of generalized Boolean polynomials ( ) [4, 5]: Aggr (? i1? , †¦ , ? in? ) = (? i1? , †¦ , ? in? ) = ? wj? j? (? i1? , †¦ , ? in? ) (12) where (? ) is a generalized product operator and (? ) is an aggregation measure as defined in [4, 5]. Generalized Boolean polynomial is a value realization of Boolean logical function ?. Boolean logical function is an element of Boolean algebra of inputs ? (i1, †¦ , in) ?BA(I), to which corresponds uniquely a generalized Boolean polynomial (? i1? , †¦ , ? in? ) as it’s value: : [0, 1] > [0, 1] n (13) Logical aggregation operator depends on the chosen measure of aggregation (? ) and operator of generalized product (? ). By a corresp onding choice of the measure of aggregation (? ) and generalized product (? ) the known aggregation operators can be obtained as special cases [4, 5], e. g. for additive aggregation measure (? := ? add) and generalized product (? := min) logical aggregation operator reduces to weighted arithmetic mean: Aggradd in (? i1? , †¦ , ? in? ) = ? wj (? ij? ) (14) After considering basic theory of logical aggregation, we can return to the domain of our investigation. In the following section the new approach to portfolio matrix analysis will be presented thoroughly using the same data from Tables 1 and 2. 5. A NEW APPROACH TO PORTFOLIO MATRIX ANALYSIS If we consider again Tables 1 and 2, and four cases of possible business environment conditions as defined in Section 3, we can design new aggregation functions that model all the aforementi oned conditions using logical aggregation operator.In this section an example to all four types of strategic factors interactions will be given, toget her with logical functions modeling them. A starting point for the new approach to portfolio matrix anal ysis is a finite set of strategic factors F = {F1, †¦ , F10} and a Boolean algebra BA(F), defined over it. The task of logical aggregation in DPM analysis is the fusion of strategic factors’ scores into resulting market attractiveness and business strengths/position values using logical tools. Logical aggregation has two steps: (1) Normalization of strategic factors’ scores (score Sj corresponds to factor Fj as its predefined value): ? ? : Sj > [0, 1] (15) that results in a logical and/or score sj ? [0, 1] of analyzed strategic factor Fj (j = 1.. |F|). Normalization of scores in S is done with simple transformation. In the original tables in [3], score (Sj) of strategic factor (Fj) belongs to interval [0.. 10], e. g. Strategic factor Growth (F1) has score S1 = 6 in the original table in [3]. The normalized score (s1) for this factor (F1) is given in Table 1 wit h the following equation: s1 = 6/10 = 0. 6 (16) The same transformation is applied to the rest of the strategic factors in tables in [3], resulting in Tables 1 and 2. 2) Aggregation of normalized scores {s1, †¦ , s6} and {s7, †¦ , s10} of factors {F1, †¦ , F10} into resulting market attractiveness (M) and business strengths/position (B) values with a logical aggregation operator: M = Aggr (s1, †¦ , s6) (17) B = Aggr (s7, †¦ , s10) (18) Aggregation of scores {s1, †¦ , s6} and {s7, †¦ , s10} for strategic factors {F1, †¦ , F10} is accomplished using generalized Boolean polynomials (? M? ) and (? B? ): Aggr (s1, †¦ , s6) = ? M? (s1, †¦ , s6) = [? M(F1, †¦ , F6)]? (19) Aggr (s7, †¦ , s10) = ? B? (s7, †¦ s10) = [? B(F7, †¦ , F10)]? (20) Generalized Boolean polynomials ? M? (s1, †¦ , s6) and ? B? (s7, †¦ , s10) are value realizations of Boolean logical functions ? M(F1, †¦ , F6) and ? B(F7, †¦ , F10) , which belong to Boolean algebra of strategic factors BA(F). Notice that interactions between strategic factors from organization’s external environment (market attractiveness factors) and those from organization’s internal environment (business strengths/position factors) are not stated in [3]. If they exist, they can easily be integrated into the model.Adequate generalized product operator (? ) in the domain of portfolio matrix analysis is min operator (? := min). If we return to the possible business environment conditions stated in Section 3, we can formulate logical functions to express corresponding types of interactions between the strategic factors: 1) If the interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show averaging behaviour, then the new approach to portfolio matrix analysis reduces to traditional one, as stated in equations (1) and (2), or matrix equivalents (3) and (4). ) If the interactions between market a ttractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show conjunctive behaviour, they are expressed in the following way: ? M = F1 ? F2 ? F3 ? F4 ? F5 ? F6 (21) ?B = F7 ? F8 ? F9 ? F10 (22) Market attractiveness and business strengths/position evaluation are given with corresponding generalized Boolean polynomial (? := and, ? := min): M = Aggrand (s1, †¦ , s6) = ? M min B = Aggrand min = [F1 ? F2 ? F3 ? F4 ? F5 ? F6] min (s7, †¦ , s10) = ? B min min = [F7 ? F8 ? F9 ? F10] min(s1, s2, s3, s4, s5, s6) = 0. 25 (23) min (24) = min(s7, s8, s9, s10) = 0. 5 3) If the interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show disjunctive behaviour, they are expressed in the following way: ? M = F1 ? F2 ? F3 ? F4 ? F5 ? F6 (25) ?B = F7 ? F8 ? F9 ? F10 (26) Market attractiveness and business strengths/position evaluation are given with corresponding generalized Boolean polynomial (? := or, ? := min): M = Aggror (s1, †¦ , s6) = ? M min min = [F1 ? F2 ? F3 ? F4 ? F5 ? F6] min max(s1, s2, s3, s4, s5, s6) = 0. 9 (27) B = Aggror (s7, †¦ , s10) = ? B min min = [F7 ? F8 ? F9 ? F10] min = max(s7, s8, s9, s10) = 0. 8 (28) 4) If the interactions between market attractiveness or business strengths/position strategic factors show mixed behaviour (aggregation function exhibits different behaviour on different parts of the domain), they can be modelled with the following logical functions, e. g. realistic external and internal business environment, where strategic factors show mixed behaviour, can be modelled as: ?If the external environment conditions are that profitabilty (F2), size (F3) and cyclicality (F6) are important, but if the profitability (F2) is not high enough, growth (F1), vulnerability (F4) and competition (F5) are important, we can write the following expression: ?M = (F2 ? F3 ? F6) ? (c(F2) ? F1 ? F4 ? F5) (29) ? If the internal environment conditions are that price (F7) and product (F8) are importan t, but if the price (F7) and product (F8) are not competitive, service (F9) and image (F10) are important, we can write the following expression: ?B = (F7 ? F8) ? (c(F7 ? F8) ?F9 ? F10) (30) Market attractiveness and business strengths/position evaluation, for organization’s external and internal environment conditions respectively, are given with corresponding generalized Boolean polynomial (? := min): M = Aggr? (s1, †¦ , s6) = ? M = [(F2 ? F3 ? F6) ? (c(F2) ? F1 ? F4 ? F5)] = = s2 ? s3 ? s6 + (1 – s2) ? s1 ? s4 ? s5 – s2 ? s3 ? s6 ? (1 – s2) ? s1 ? s4 ? s5 = 0. 25 (31) B = Aggr? (s7, †¦ , s10) = ? B = [(F7 ? F8) ? (c(F7 ? F8) ? F9 ? F10)] = = s7 ? s8 + (1 – (s7 ? s8)) ? s9 ? s10 – s7 ? s8 ? (1 – (s7 ? s8)) ? s9 ? s10 = 0. 6 (32) min min min min min minRemember that when plotting the DPM, the exact position of the organization on the business strengths/position axis (horizontal) is calculated using relative business strengt hs/position value (BR) and logarithmic scale (see equation (5)), for all aforementioned types of strategic factors interactions . 5. CONCLUSION Traditional approach to portfolio matrix analysis uses weighted arithmetic mean as an aggregation function, thus, it can only be used to model business environment in which strategic factors’ interactions show averaging behavior. This is only one of the four cases of realistic business environment conditions, i. . strategic factors’ interactions showing conjunction, disjunction or mixed behavior are not covered in the traditional approach. The new approach uses generalized aggregation function – operator of logical aggregation. This operator can model all the possible business environment conditions – types of interactions between the strategic factors. This paper shows that traditional approach to portfolio matrix analysis is just a special case of the new one, since the weighted arithmetic mean is actually a spe cial case of logical aggregation operator.Usage of logical aggregation operator in the new approach clearly improves the traditional one, allowing more modeling power for complex relations among the strategic factors. Since the new approach to portfolio matrix analysis covers all four types of strategic factors’ interactions, it facilitates strategic marketing planning in a realistic business environment. 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] Beliakov G. , Pradera A. , Calvo T. , Aggregation functions: A guide for practitioners , Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heilderberg, 2007. [2] Leibold M. Probst G. J. B. , Gibbert M. , Strategic Management in the Knowledge Economy†, Wiley VCH, 2005. [3] McDonald Malcolm, Marketing Plans (fourth edition), Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999. [4] Radojevic D. , â€Å"Logical aggregation based on interpolative Boolean algebraâ€Å", Mathware & Soft Computing, 15 (2008) 125 -141. [5] Radojevic D. , â€Å"(0,1) – valued logic: A natural generalization of Bool ean logicâ€Å", Yugoslav Journal of operational Research, 10 (2000) 185 – 216. [6] Roney C. W. , Strategic Management Methodology, Praeger Publishers, 2004.

Existentialism and Humanistic Psychology Essay

Angst, in the very nature of its use in Existentialism, is a state of being that is not completely negative in itself as common people might think. In a more positive sense, I believe angst is the full recognition of one’s freedom. Angst is the result of one’s realization that he is free and that nothing will ever hold him back. It becomes negative because once a person gets a deeper understanding of how free he is, he tends to fear that he might not be able to do things right and since nothing is holding him back, there is nothing to blame in case he fails. In short, angst is â€Å"fear of the nothing† (Park, 1999). It is different from normal fear which comes from the environment and has an object and a possible solution. For example, I fear spiders so I stay away from dusty and old places. The object of the fear is ‘spiders’ and the solution is to ‘stay away from dusty and old places’. In angst, the fear comes from within and there is basically neither object nor solution. There is only angst. And that is what makes angst a terrible state. I think it is very difficult to feel this way because it is like asking questions with no answers. And if ever I get into this terrible state, I think will do one thing: convince myself to believe that there is nothing to fear and that I have my family who will accept me no matter what. Meanwhile, the whole concept of Humanistic Psychology (the American version of Existentialism, I’ve read) interests me in a special way. The different theories of Rogers, Maslow, Csikszentmihalyi, among others that I learned from Chapter 13 gave me a step by step understanding into the inquiry of my existence. I can’t conclude though that they all are right but certainly, they provide interesting thoughts worth pondering (especially Rogers’ 19 Propositions). The humanistic theories they present are different from the ones we learned in previous chapters because they focus on the experiences of the human person rather than on things that are inherent or already existing such as biology, genes, or hidden motives. This means that since the theories of Humanists such as Rogers and Maslow focus on continuing experience of the person, they give a more positive approach knowing that these experiences that shape a person can vary depending on how he reacts to events. In a simpler way, while Bem’s theories seem to say â€Å"Your mother has cancer so you will have cancer, too. It’s in the blood† humanists say â€Å"Your mother has cancer. With the right attitude and lifestyle, you can prevent having cancer yourself. † Humanists are a lot friendlier. I agree with these humanists, for the most part at least. I agree with the general thought of a person’s experience shaping his personality. However, there is one thing I personally disagree based on experience. Rogers said that â€Å"this outcome [fully functioning person] could only occur for individuals who had received unconditional positive regard from the important people in their lives† (Funder, 2007). I disagree with this because I know some people who, despite suffering from neglect from the people they love, still feel good about themselves and have great personalities. On the other hand, I give my nod to Maslow when he said â€Å"higher needs such as self-actualization could come to the fore only after more basic needs related to survival and security became satisfied† (Funder, 2007). I personally believe self-fulfillment is a hierarchy and a continuing process. Thoughts on Punishment and Efficacy Theory â€Å"Punishment is a useful technique of operant conditioning if it is applied correctly, which it almost never is† (Funder, 2007). I am especially caught by the last phrase of the quote: it almost never is. I think punishment is something that is very tricky. It is difficult to use in the appropriate way but if you get it right, bingo! It is very effective. What’s wrong with punishment is when one uses it in the wrong way. Self-Efficacy has always been my thing from the start, but I never realized it until I learned about it from our discussion. I have always been a positive thinker even amidst hard times. My working in Intel gives me new challenges every day and because of my belief that I can do all the demands of work, I accomplish them well. I live by the adage â€Å"Believe in yourself because if you don’t, nobody else will†. With this, I get more confidence to push on higher.

Philosophy of War Essay

Human history is plagued with series of bloody conflicts and wars, which resulted into killing of millions of men, women, and children. Different historians and analysts have presented variety of theories debating on the root causes of war. What ever the reasons, wars bring destruction, annihilation, and sorrows to the humanity. Development of technology further compounded the situation. It simplified the obliteration of mankind with introduction of weapons of mass destruction. Man is now capable of wiping out the humanity with least efforts. Inventions created for warfare have also helped in maintaining a balance of power and were actually successful in preventing wars from materializing. This paper will focus on philosophy of war, highlighting various theories about causes of war, with an analytical scrutiny of the present scenario where weapons of mass destruction have deeply affected the world peace. War is an instrument of policy. It is the continuation of national policies through other means (Clausewitz 12-13). In general terms, war can be described as a method and an approach of pursuance of national goals and objectives. War in military terms is a state of widespread conflict between states, organizations, or relatively large groups of people. It involves use of bloody aggression between two regular armies or between armed civilian groups (â€Å"War,† pars. 1-2). A common perception of war is a military campaign between at least two opposing sides. The disagreement leading to war may involve a dispute over sovereignty, territory, resources, or religion etc. Wars take place despite majority of populace opposing them. There are a large number of theories debating over why wars happen regardless of strong opposition. Whatever the cause of war, the development of technology has intensified the resultant human destructiveness. Development of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction have altogether changed the nature of war. The latest deadly military arsenals have reshaped the war strategies. These weapons are proving to be a strong deterrence against outbreak of war between two states but their possession by belligerents and terrorists have serious implications. Human history is devoid of any era which can be termed as peaceful. There has always been some war or conflict taking place between two opposing sides. The war itself has remained a constant phenomenon throughout the course of history however causative factors for such conflicts are certainly numerous. There are a large number of theories explaining causes of war including the political, economical, psychological, sociological, anthropological, and historical theories. These theories identify specific circumstances and inescapable trends imposing war on humanity. Two important theories have been deliberated upon in following paragraphs which stem out significantly when viewed in concurrence with present scenario. The theory most affected with advent of weapons of mass destruction is the psychological theory, also known as human aggression theory. This theory professes that human beings, especially men are born aggressive and violent. History is witness of the fact that people are capable of committing the most terrible acts of violence on other people. Wars have been waged, and millions have been killed due to personal agenda of leaders. Even before recorded history men killed men for petty issues, and vested interests. People when equipped with weapons tend to be more threatening and provoked in their aggression. Experiments have indicated that the presence of a weapon can augment ferociousness. It increases the consequences of aggressive incidents (Hinde and Pulkinnen, pars. 2, 15). Psychologists have agreed to some extent that although human nature is violent but people forcing large scale destruction and wars do not possess stable personalities. These people are normally mentally unbalanced and lack rationale. This school of thought argues that leaders like Napoleon, Hitler, and Stalin were mentally abnormal. Just consider, any such leader, if in possession of nuclear arsenals in today’s world, can play havoc with the humanity. Inherent aggression of mankind coupled with modern weapons of mass destruction, if left uncontrolled and unchecked will ultimately lead the world to the end of times. The other important cause of war having serious implications in today’s world is rooted out of anthropological theories. Several anthropologists see the war as fundamentally cultural, learned by nurture rather than nature. To this school, religious, ideological, and nationalistic beliefs create an environment for acceptance of war (â€Å"War,† par. 16). Religion is often exploited to justify actions and motivate the masses to support the aggression. Most wars in the history are perhaps fought in the name of religion. It is fact that Crusades are more commonly attributed to the religion than any other war. There had been many other conflicts as well originating out of religious differences. Islam emerging out of Arab lands in 8th century started posing a major threat to various kingdoms ruled in the name of Christianity. Religion thus became a central theme in most conflicts fought there on (Armstrong 4). The late 20th century witnessed struggles for territorial sovereignty, political autonomy and access to resources. Religion remains the major motivating factor here as well, and dominates most of the post World War II conflicts. Issues in former Yugoslavia, Middle-East, South Asia, and Central Asia, are all evidences of anthropological theory about the causes of war (Dorfman 103). The ongoing war on terrorism highlights an interesting analogy regarding the previous discussion. The West (dominated by Christians) is threatened by the East (Islamic world). There are extremist elements existing in the East which are making all out efforts to crush the hegemony of the West. The attacks of 9/11 were perpetrated by Islamic extremists. The riposte in the form of war on terror is though not directed against the religion of Islam but it is manifested to root out the Islamic extremist elements which are causing grave concerns to the real existence of modern world (Conway, par. 7). Imagine, if Al Qaeda gets nuclear weapons, rest assure it will not hesitate a minute to use it against the West. Technology and nuclear arsenal held by former soviet republics provide an open market to religious terrorists. Most of this equipment was retrieved by Russia. The threat still exists due to presence of left over infrastructure and skilled human resource. The philosophy of war is deeply affected by the advent of weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear weapons deter the escalation of crises to war. The weapons of mass destruction may not help in stopping outbreak of disputes between two opposing states but certainly prevents a war. The cold war era is an evidence of this prevention. In the recent times, it stopped a major war between India and Pakistan. In year 2001, there was a long standoff between large conventional armies consisting of over one million regular troops of both the nuclear states. In the recent history, it was the largest concentration of troops on international borders. Armies of both the countries equipped with weapons of mass destruction stood face to face for complete one year. The only thing which prevented the deadliest war in the history of mankind from materializing was the nuclear capability of both the sides. Using weapons of mass destruction for peaceful purposes is always viewed apprehensively, and with doubts. In today’s transforming world, the idea of preventing a war by keeping nuclear arsenals is much debatable. The question arises that do we still need to parlay the fear of nuclear war in order to secure our national interests and international peace (Gompert, pars. 0-15). The facts however can not be ignored. The technology exists in the market. It is available to all and can be well exploited for all purposes. If we can not keep away the extremists, and mentally abnormal leaders from possessing it, then we need it too. It is not only necessitated from the point of view of our own security but it is mandatory for maintaining peace in the world. Modern weapon systems and latest war machinery will be required to harness the people with dreadful intentions (Orend, pars. 11-15). Once war commences, whatever its merits, philosophers disagree on the role of morality within war. Many have claimed morality is necessarily but it is discarded by the very nature of war including Christian thinkers such as Augustine, whereas others have sought to remind warriors both of the existence of moral relations in war and of various strictures to remain sensitive to moral ends. Sociologically, those going to and coming back from war often go through rites and rituals that symbolize their stepping out of, or back into, civil society, as if their transition is to a different level of morality and agency. War typically involves killing and the threat of being killed, which existentialist writers have drawn on in their examination of war’s phenomenology (Moseley, par. 4). Philosophy of war is a complex and intricate matter. It has an expanded horizon, with a broad spectrum of hypotheses. Simple and undeniable explanation of warfare would imply annihilation and sufferings. Man has killed man for various motives. No solid reasoning can be offered for an unimaginable scale of bloodshed caused by the humans against humanity. The subject lends itself to metaphysical and epistemological considerations, to the philosophy of mind and of human nature. It also encompasses more traditional areas of moral and political philosophy. With the invention of weapons of mass destruction, mankind is vulnerable to extreme dangers of extinction. Hope however is never lost. Eisenhower in 1953 while addressing United Nations General Assembly in the backdrop of the atomic bomb said that the United States does not wish merely to present strength, but also the desire and the hope for peace. The atom can be used for peace, and welfare of mankind. However, the constant threat of these weapons falling in the hands of extremists or abnormal leaders would keep haunting the humanity.

Structure And Anarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Structure And Anarchy - Essay Example majority votes to determine group positions, consensus, working to avoid having leaders or seeing everyone as a leader, group processes, and the time taken in efficiently reaching clear positions. Individual freedom and rights for expression of almost all sorts are enshrined in most democratic constitutions the globe over. Are these rights unbridled or uncontrolled letting an individual act in any manner either in group or as an individual? No these rights and freedoms are well defined and controlled often these find the forms of duties and responsibilities of citizens. Any organization has a structure and leadership. It is also recognized that an organization is primarily its people. In theoretical discussions it is widely agreed that social movements are not organizations. As Freeman (1978) says,† Granted, most movements are not organizations and thus not able to make conscious decisions about their direction. Usually they consist of numerous core groups and a large penumbra of sympathizers. Nonetheless, these core groups serve as the foci of a movements values and activities and determine much of its deliberate policy†. It is here that the crux issue rises. Lac king a resolute structure a social movement always faces instability and the conflict between group maintenance needs and goal achievement needs. The core values of the movement can have a constellation of other values supported by differing groups. These values can be parallel or opposed to core values. The opposing values and their support groups can be in a consensus and form a noticeable opposition. So long as the leadership and the majority that support leadership and movement’s core values are able to outnumber and control opposing opinions and groups structure prevails and the movement sails along smoothly with foci values. The instability of movements and opposite values and opinions are particularly strong in movements with democratic values, where the structure is deliberately loosely

The Life and Writing Style of Mark Twain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Life and Writing Style of Mark Twain - Essay Example By employing humor in his works, Twain was able to expose the bitter, realistic attributes of of society, religion and humanity. In fact, Twain’s two masterpieces â€Å"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County† and â€Å"Letters from the Earth† demonstrate Twain’s two kinds of humor. Mark Twain was born in 1835 as Samuel Langhorn Clemens, a man who had had numerous careers before he even turned 30 from being a journeyman printer to being a riverboat pilot. When he found a job at a newspaper company, he immediately adopted a pen name – Mark Twain. It was in 1865 when he gained overnight fame from his first masterpiece – a short story entitled â€Å"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,† and also a piece of work that practically displays Mark Twain’s typical writing style (Schultz). Most of Twain’s writings had in them local color realism and mainstream realism. For â€Å"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,† Twain employed local color realism and mainstream realism, while for â€Å"Letters from the Earth,† the author used sharp sarcasm and wit. In â€Å"The Celebrated Jumping Frog,† local color realism can be proven by Twain’s use of the dialect of the deep south. The vocabulary used by the character Simon Wheeler in short story is typical of local color realism. In the story, Wheeler uses â€Å"feller† instead of fellow, and contractions like â€Å"reg’lar† and â€Å"solit’ry† (Twain, â€Å"The Celebrated†).... ost curious,† â€Å"she don’t,† which is supposed to be â€Å"she doesn’t,† and â€Å"ketched† which stands for â€Å"catched† but which is supposed to be â€Å"caught.† (Twain, â€Å"The Celebrated†). Moreover, mainstream realism is also used in â€Å"The Celebrated Jumping Frog† as Twain mentions real life events like gambling and cheating. Both local color realism and mainstream realism attribute the realistic aspect of any literary work during the era of realism in literature. On the other hand, Twain employs sarcastic humor in â€Å"Letters from the Earth.† In fact, the whole story is heavily peppered with sarcasm. One of these instances is in saying that â€Å"[man] believes the Creator is proud of him; he even believes the Creator loves him† when in fact He does not (Twain, â€Å"Letters,† I). In fact, the picture of man as otherwise arrogant and proud is what he means by the aforemention ed example. Twain was therefore trying to awaken people through his sense of humor coupled with realistic elements. Satan also mentions in his letters that although human beings place sexual intercourse â€Å"far and away above all other joys,† they have somehow forgotten to include it in their idea of heaven (Twain, â€Å"Letters,† II). This now addresses a confusing issue about sex. If human beings consider the act as sexually and physically pleasurable as it is stated in the Bible, then why would the idea of sex be excluded from one’s perception of heaven? Twain addresses this issue in â€Å"Letters from the Earth† (Twain). As an addition to sarcasm, Twain used religious references in â€Å"Letters from the Earth† but references to the government in â€Å"The Celebrated Jumping Frog.† The purpose is to instill humor. Through the characters of the archangels Michael and Gabriel and

Ethical Businesses Vs Unethical Businesses Research Paper

Ethical Businesses Vs Unethical Businesses - Research Paper Example adership in depth and provides examples of how ethical and unethical behaviours of leaders persist in today’s globally diverse business environment. Increasing business competition, globalization, immigrations and technological advancements have changed the course of business. The way of conducting and managing businesses has been changed dramatically. It has become vital to understand the change required, incorporate it in the plans of business and efficiently implement the change needed. However, the idea of change and maintenance of loyalty among stakeholders is a very complex and complicated task. The increasing diversification around the globe has changed the communication, management and leadership techniques to continue with their effects. Business owners are now required to keep in view the needs of the diverse workforce, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. Business management and leadership has become a more complex phenomenon to deal with. More ethical and moral concerns are rising with the advancements and changes in business environment. Researchers are taking greater interest than ever in understanding the ethical issues that are continuously increasing. Ethical crisis has been taking more attention than ever knowing its devastating effects not only on the employees but also on customer behaviours, government perceptions and overall performance of businesses. It is important to understand the concept of ethical crisis and its factors in order to resolve or reduce the threats it brings. Where did ethical crisis come from? Who can resolve the issue arising from it? How? What is the public opinion about leaders? How is it affecting businesses? Can leaders help making the situation better? What are some current examples of ethical business operations and decisions made by leaders? The aim of this paper is to answer these questions and include all possible factors to understand the value of ethics in business. The paper also aims to understand

Phase 1 Individual Project (LOG676) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phase 1 Individual Project (LOG676) - Coursework Example The humanitarian logistics have the collaborations with the donors to source the funding for their engagements and helping disasters. IV. Both involve the human resources in their endeavors and activities. Business logistics require skilled labor and in the case of humanitarian logistics the engagement of volunteer labor is administered. V. In the both cases we have Key performance indicators. Ordinarily, the business logistics is usually based on the performance metrics while in the humanitarian logistics it is based on the time to respond to a given disaster. VI. Both the logistics have the financial flow in their engagements. The business logistics have a bilateral and a known financial flow. The humanitarian logistics have the unilateral financial flow from the donors to the beneficiaries. I. The objective of business logistics is profit maximization where the appropriate strategies are instilled to avoid losses. In contrarily, the objective of humanitarian logistics is to help and save the lives of people who are in disasters. II. The business logistics clients include the final consumers of goods and services while those of humanitarian logistics are include the beneficiaries who are usually the people who have been affected by the disasters. III. The business logistics have two to three supplies previously known by the business while the humanitarian logistics have multiple donors and suppliers who met without prior agreement or engagements. (Renata, 2012) V. Ordinarily, the demand patterns in business logistics are stable and can be predicted using forecasting techniques as opposed to the humanitarian logistics where the demand patterns are irregular, volatile and very uncertain. VI. The material flow in the business logistics includes the product market while in the humanitarian logistics it includes features such as shelter, food, hygiene, cleaning kits including the

A review of the literature on the effectiveness of acupuncture on Essay

A review of the literature on the effectiveness of acupuncture on chronic neck pain - Essay Example This effect however was not found to be clinically significant. The design of the study was a randomised, single-blind, placebo controlled, parallel-arm trial. The sample of participants was selected from two outpatient departments in the UK, with a total of 124 study participants in total completing the trial. The participants selected were between 18 and 80 years old, and were all selected on the criteria of having chronic, mechanical neck pain. The study was measured on an outcome basis, with the primary outcome being continued pain after one week of treatment. Secondary outcomes were pain at other time points, score on the neck disability index and the Short Form-36, and use of analgesic medications. Patients received either 8 treatments with acupuncture over the space of 4 weeks or 8 treatments of mock transcutaneous electrical stimulation of acupuncture points. While the acupuncture was found to be effective in relieving the neck pain, it was found not to be clinically signific ant as the placebo group were also found to improve from the baseline. Based on the primary outcome of pain one week after beginning treatment, the study found only a 12% better improvement in those receiving acupuncture than those receiving the placebo. This small percentage was not deemed to be clinically significant despite being classed as statistically so. There were recognised to be limitations in the study, however. Although the treatments were all carried out by one practitioner, the control did not mimic the process of needling, which may have affected the credibility of the placebo. There was also no control by means of a non-intervention group, which could have been used to measure the significance of the treatment in comparison to patients having received no treatment at all for the neck pain. The study did not make any assessment to the safety of the procedure. Overall from this study, it would be concluded that acupuncture is not effective enough in treatment of

Final Application Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Application - Term Paper Example It offers an overview on the management of diversity in the workplace. The paper will focus on the general concepts of managing diversity and its advantages to an organization. Managing diversity is defined by Taylor Cox as â€Å"planning and implementing organizational systems and practices to manage people so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized while its potential disadvantages are minimized† (University of California, Berkeley, 1994). Diversity among people can be with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, educational background, work experience and income. Today’s increasing globalization requires more interaction among people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Now more than ever, managing diversity becomes an important issue in the workplace. Managing diversity, in order for it to be successful requires certain skills from management. First, management must u nderstand that workforce diversity is a reality and that discrimination has its consequences. Second, managers must be able to recognize their own biases, prejudices and stereotypes. An example is in the area or recruitment where the HR manager is considering an Asian and an American for a certain job position. Although the manager is an American, he chose the Asian over the American because he was more qualified in terms of experience and educational background than the American. This case clearly illustrates that the HR manager put aside his biases/prejudices to come up with a decision that will be most beneficial to the company. Finally, managers must have the ability to recognize what will best work for the organization in terms of teamwork among its diverse employees and the dynamics of the workplace (Green, Lopez, Wysocki, & Kepner, 2008). If an organization is able to manage diversity effectively, it poses to gain several benefits. Foremost among these benefits is that it wil l be able to attract, recruit and retain people from a wide talent base. It will also reduce employee turnover and absenteeism. Management will also pave the way to develop the flexibility and responsiveness among its employees. Creativity and innovation is further enhanced by the heterogeneity of the workforce. The morale of the employees will be boosted; thereby, increasing their commitment towards the company. To illustrate, if one employee is physically disabled yet he feels that he is not discriminated and not looked down upon by his co-workers and by management, then he will be encouraged to perform his best at work because he knows that he is appreciated despite his handicap. Moreover, in this era of globalization and rapid technological advancement, a diverse workforce from all walks of life will certainly benefit the organization. One such example is when a company hired different nationalities in its sales force, their revenue incredibly increased. This was because they we re able to tap various markets and serve their clients better since their sales force understood the specific needs of their foreign clientele. To recognize diversity means understanding that people have differences and similarities which can be used for the benefit of both the individual and management. Managing diversity means that there is fairness and equality in the organization. â€Å"

Business Strategy Able Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Strategy Able Corporation - Essay Example To avoid this situation, it is important to take into account operational and measurable factors and data for various attributes. "A vision statement pushes the association toward some future goal or achievement, while a mission statement guides current, critical, strategic decision making" (Drohan, 1999 cited Cardani n.d.). At first, it is important to identify the target audience of the company and analyze whom the mission statement is addressed to. The mission statement is based on goals and performance of the company and answers the question: "Why do we exist" (Hamel, Prahalad 1996). The information needed for the mission statement includes current and future goals, purpose and main priorities of Able Corporation. This information can be found in financial documents of the company and its advertising slogans, strategic plans and corporate objectives of Able Corporation. It is known that Able Corporation operates on the electronic market proposing customers a wide range of portabl e electric power tools of professional and consumer quality. Also, it manufactures some products for the cordless business segment being an innovator in this market segment. Establishing a value creation agenda is paramount to meeting the challenges of today's competition. Organizations like Able Corporation must examine their value added in the services they provide, develop a capability to rapidly create and deploy product service offerings as customers' requirements evolve, realign the organization in order to make customer relationship management a core competency and establish a network of partners that provides a broad range of product offerings. Able Corporation must re-examine the value it add to products and determine what the primary added value is, if it will remain valuable over time and if it is perceived by customers as a clear differentiation in the market. When formulating a strategy to derive a value proposition, organizations should consider the following factors: technology will continue to alter consumer interaction, brand identity must be distinct and identifiable, mature markets are often areas of great change, major changes in the market create many new opportunities, etc (Frame, 2003). The main elements that might be contained in Able's value proposition should be the customer segment and the core differentiation of its products from competitors. Customers are the main driven force in this market, so it is crucial to take into account their needs and expectations. Simply reshuffling the existing organization provides little value as a beginning stage to reshaping the culture and attitudes towards a customer-focused orientation. Establishing a value creation agenda is vital to meeting the challenges of today's competition. Abel Corporation must examine its products and develop a capability to rapidly create and deploy product offerings as customers' requirements evolve, realign the organization in order to make customer relationship management a core competency and establish a network of partners that provides a broad range of offerings. The value proposition of the value network lies in the organization's ability to collect resources to fulfill a process and/or opp ortunities that may or may not be delimited by time. The main principles of strategic development will be innovations,

Ideal education Essay Example for Free

Ideal education Essay Education for children is something that can change their life. There should be a desire to better the educational system and to always be ready to improve it. There are many ideas as to what constitutes an ideal education. A number of factors come together to make an ideal education. Students, parents and teachers are the three key elements in a model education. A good relationship among these three parts is essential to a good education. Students are the main members of this ideal system. They must have faith in their education. If they identify their goals they will become more active and motivated. The role of the teachers and parents is to help students finding their goals by showing the abilities and talents they have. The role of students is that in one side inform their parents about their studying, feelings and teachers and one the other side consult teachers about the lessons, exams, method of teaching or any other problem. Students should be appreciative of their teachers efforts and show thankfulness to their parents. They should do their best. They must be prepared for class. They cannot expect good grades in courses without studying several hours for each hour of class timetable. If they do not understand the material should ask the teacher questions. They should attend all classes or meetings of their courses. If they would be absent should not expect the teacher to teach the lesson again. Parents are an important element in the perfect education. Parents who are not involved in their childrens education only inhibit the efforts made by children and teachers in creating a good education. They are not informed about the students progress and dont have any idea of the students weakness. To achieve the level of educational system, parents have to take an active part in it. Parents with active role assist the children with their nightly homework and studies. They may award students in order to encourage them. It is good if they have correspondence with teachers or attend the school occasionally but it is much better to discuss their childrens feeling about education. They can help them to make good decisions, to achieve high levels of education and support them to meet their goals. Devoted teachers are extremely important in a perfect education. The teacher is just about the most important of the three elements to create an ideal education. Teachers have the very important responsibility of shaping the lives of young, impressionable students. A positive or negative influence from a teacher can have a great effect on the life of a student. A good teacher can be defined as someone who always pushes students to do their best while at the same time trying to make learning interesting with creativity. Teachers also have the responsibility of forming good relationships with both students and parents. A good relationship between teacher and student come from mutual respect, trust, and honesty. The teacher should associate with the student to become aware of any special need that students may have and help them in any possible way. Beside that he can correspond or design some meeting with parents in order to inform them about the students problem, ensure them about their childrens education and answer their questions to avoid any misconception. It is very difficult to find out what is really an ideal education. Several factors are involved in this system. Students must have faith in their education and they should try hard to meet their goals. Parents have to be concerned with the education of their children in order to advise and support them. Teachers must be completely devoted to their students education. They should use interesting methods and try to have positive influence on the students. A perfect relation between these three groups is required. Every body should find his role and try to do his best to create this perfect system. Having an ideal educational system is the basic principle for improvement of every society.

Comparison of the surfer - judith wright and strictly ballroom Essay Example for Free

Comparison of the surfer judith wright and strictly ballroom Essay In order to feel a true sense of belonging, one must endure and overcome challenges, for in doing so they gain an appreciation of self and self worth. Conversely, those who do not test themselves and the barriers, can only experience a superficial sense of belonging that can not result in a deep connection. Judith Wright’s poem â€Å"The Surfer† presents an individual who puts himself up against the waves everyday, and thrives on the feeling he gets when he conquers them. Luhrman’s film â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† is focused around the standards of ballroom dancing by which an individual must abide in order to be accepted; the protagonist, Scott Hastings, finds in Spanish dance, a passion that allows him to successfully act against these norms. Both â€Å"The Surfer† and â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† notably exemplify the awareness and appreciation of self and self worth that is achieved from triumphing over challenges and to reach an enhanced sense of fulfillment. PARA 1- the surfer As a consequence of persistence and endurance, difficult tasks can be conquered and this can significantly benefit the individual, heightening their sense of self worth and consciousness of belonging. This idea is portrayed in â€Å"The Surfer†, as the individual defeats the waves everyday, although undergoing pain every time. The euphoric feeling he gets as he rides the wave is worth the pain he suffers. As the surfer dives through the wave, a shock of pain is to be born, as with â€Å"thorns in the face, stinging†. The use of kinesthetic imagery conveys to the reader just how harsh the pain is and â€Å"the gulls went wheeling in air as he did in water, with delight† is symbolic of freedom. The comparison made between the two, shows that he is not bound by restrictions.The word choice â€Å"delight† is also important as it evokes the significant amount of joy that the surfer feels when in the water. Wright uses the metaphor â€Å"last leaf of gold† to imply that the last moments of belonging must come to an end and in doing so has conveyed to the reader, all of the surfers hard work has given him a greater sense of belonging. It is evident that the surfer endures and overcomes his challenges, and through this he truly appreciates the outcome and the  achievement he attains. PARA 2- strictly ballroom A heightened sense of belonging through the overcoming of challenges are also seen in Strictly Ballroom. The main character; Scott works through the spanish dance culture with Fran to defeat the authority and therefore giving him the power and fulfillment of individuality he would not have gotten any other wise if he did not object and take upon the risks. The challenge of authority is established in the lingering gaze between Barry Fife and Scott Hastings. Both have facial expression of intent which intensifies the difficulty that Scott is confronted with to win over the federation. His acceptance of the challenge is demonstrated as he steps out of the spot light after dancing in and out, it is symbolic of his fight to whether he will be a follower or he will go his own way. His dance moves acquired from the spanish culture enhance his and his partners confidence shown in the medium close up shot as Fran and Scott spin around holding each other, their true happiness, tenacity and passion act as a substantial threat. They’re efforts are rewarded at the end when the diagetic sound of doug clapping is heard and a round of applause erupts, symbolizing the changing heart of the dance world and the respect and acceptance of the new dance moves. As a result of taking risks and overthrowing authority, Scott enlightened the ballroom dancers and deepened his sense of self worth to have a rightful place within the dance world. PARA 3- comparison and contrast Challenges faced by the Wright and Luhrmans protagonists represent barriers which restrict them from discovering or achieving an awareness and appreciation of a genuine sense of belonging. The texts reveal the unique obstacles they encounter and the ways they deal with them to achieve a deepened sense of self and self worth. Scott is oppressed by the federation, he breaks the rules by dancing the pace doble with an outcast, Fran, who becomes his support. This is depicted at the pan pacific grand final, as Barry Fife says â€Å"That is the future of dance sport, and no one but no one is  going to change that†. This dialogue is significant to the following scene as the camera cuts to a long shot of Fran and Scott posing confidently wearing colours of red, suggesting courage and gold, demonstrating strength. The costuming used shows they have contradicted Fifes statement and weakened the federation, as seen in the high camera angle and costuming as Fife falls down in a blue coa t that symbolizes power. Therefore, proving that Fran and Scotts persistence and development have allowed them to break down the barriers of their challenges. Whereas the surfer needs to overcome his physical pain to be successful in his challenge, in order to achieve fulfillment, Scott, by comparison, needs to both build his own confidence through practice and refinement of his craft and overcome the rules of the federation. The surfers minimum amount of time before he rides a wave into shore is crucial and is symbolic of his connection he has made to the surf. â€Å"Last leaf of gold† is metaphorical for the remaining time he has before the sun goes down. The word choice of â€Å"gold† shows that he savors the time and appreciates the fulfillment he has achieved from his efforts. It is evident that to achieve fulfillment, Scott must overcome the rules of the Federation with confidence and passion whereas the surfer needs to overcome his own physical pain resulting in a more complex understand ing of belonging. CONCLUSION- summary of points The barriers and challenges presented, notably enhance the understanding and appreciation of the outcomes. Luhrman and Wrights protagonists have significantly portrayed how challenges influence the overall achievement of the individual. Through going against the federation by performing illegal steps in which prove to be of more value, Scott achieves a greater degree of appreciation of self and self worth. Where as the surfer suffers the discomfort of the challenge and pushes through them due to his understanding of the achievement that will come through his perseverance. Ultimately, a true sense of belonging is obtained through the endurance of challenges and the overcoming of barriers to attain a genuine insight of self and self worth.

Second Punic War Could Have Been Avoided History Essay

Second Punic War Could Have Been Avoided History Essay I was born as Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, I am also known as Scipio Africanus, otherwise referred to as Scipio the Elder. I was the statesman of the Roman Republic and later a general during the Second Punic War. I defeated Hannibal during the final battle of the Second Punic War which took place at Zama. The victory at Zama earned me the name the Roman Hannibal, the agnomen Africanus; I am as well recognized as the best commander-in-chief in military history. The Second Punic War took place from 218 BCE to 201 BCE. The second Punic war could have been avoided, but since Carthage felt that the First Punic War was concluded on harsh terms, they ensure that another war followed in 218BC, approximately twenty three years after the end of the First Punic War. I believe that the treaty was fair, but since Hannibal hated Rome he believed that the treaty was complicated, and had several political results. Since Carthage violated the treaty, we asked them to totally relinquish Sicily and the Aegadian Islands, which was positioned on west of it, in addition to the tiny islands that located between Sicily and Africa. The most instant political consequence of the First Punic War was the collapse of Carthages naval authority.   They as well had to return all our prisoners of war without ransom to Rome; nevertheless they had to make a huge payment for the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were not allowed to hit Syracuse and her associates, and the as sociates of both Rome and Carthage were not permitted to have conficts on each other. An undersized group of Islands, Aeolian Islands which is north of Sicily as well as Ustica that had earlier belonged to Carthage were to be reassigned to Romes control (Tim, Boris and Philip, 10).    We equally had great powers of the Mediterranean; we had friendly agreements with each other that is, Rome and. Nevertheless, tensions increased as the economic interests of every party commenced to leave no space for the other. Whereas Carthage was larger and better-off with an excellent Navy, we had a strong government supported by inexhaustible land mass of citizens. I believe that conflicts particularly took place because of a clash of economic interests between Carthage and our country Rome. The Sicilian War as well referred to as the First Punic War started in 264BC because of both Rome and Carthage wanted to have exclusive power over Sicily. We became victorious in the Aegates Islands following twenty three years of war, by struggling to match Carthages tough naval power.   We decided the terms of the treaty ensuring that there was peace between Rome and Carthage (Howard, 16). Hannibal Barcas father imposed hatred in him when he was still young which made him dislike Rome. When Hannibal felt that Rome violated an accord which his brother-in-law, Hasdrubal the Fair of Carthage signed with the Romans at the end of the First Punic War, he decided to plot a Romans attack. Hannibal initiated the war, which could have been avoided through negotiations and understanding, between us the Romans and Carthage (Richard, 64). We both upheld the Ebro Treaty shortly after the Romans defeated Hamilcar Barca of Carthage in the First Punic War. This treaty signed at the end of the First Punic War enabled carthage to patrol and build up any land towards the south River Ebro, near the northeast of Barcelona, nevertheless the treaty did not allow the Carthaginians to cross River Ebro. As a roman leader, I suggested I wanted the treaty to stop land acquisition in southern Ebro, and thought it was generous to grant Carthage the right to use any region at all not previously under Carthaginian control. Hannibal felt that the Ebro treaty restricted his right to use north of the Ebro which he believed was amongst the unconquered territories. We could have settled this matter without any fighting but Hannibal detested Rome so much that he was not ready to have any peace talks (Tim, Boris and Philip, 27). As Romans we were afraid that Carthage was on the limit of breaking the Ebro treaty and as a result Hannibal would gain control of Carthages Iberian venture, that is why we chose to violate the Ebro Treaty first and united with Saguntum, a city which is south of the Ebro, I afterward expelled Carthaginian representatives from the city. Consequently the young Carthaginian leader Hannibal laid barricade to the town, which collapsed after eight months. Even though Saguntum was located in a good position in south of the Ebro, we still thought that by Hannibal attacking the town, which had sensitive relations with our country, was Carthages part of violating the Ebro Treaty, that is why we sent various officials to Carthage, commanding reparations. Carthaginian senate backed Hannibal this time despite having had many differences. Carthage sent back my roman people with the message that they supported their young commander Hannibal, and they felt that the treaty was totally voided. Hannibal had previously been in command of Carthages Iberian efforts, nevertheless he had been setting up a military invasion of the Mediterranean for approximately two years before his ultimate siege of Saguntum, and consequently he twisted that Iberian coastal town into a Carthaginian base, and chose to set his implement his plans (Richard, 36). Carthages prime foundation in Europe at the era, was New Carthage which was west of Saguntum inside Iberia, moreover, after the disbanding of the Ebro Treaty as well as the siege of Saguntum, this is where Hannibal Barca assembled his men and prepared to protest through Gaul , and downward through the Alps to attack us. Even though he was militarily very skilled, and was competent to secure major conquests, for instance at the Battles of Trebia as well as Cannae we were just too strong for Carthage. Hannibal returned to Carthage defeated, furthermore the citys control of Iberia in addition to many other countries was handed us. In conclusion, I believe that the Second Punic War could have been avoided, as the Rome general, I was ready to hold peace talks with Hannibal but he was not willing. Under the circumstances negotiation could not have occurred and as a consequence, there was no mutual understanding between us. The nullification of the Ebro Treaty between Rome and Carthage was the main cause of The Second Punic War. Carthage pushed us to first violate the Ebro Treaty they could have chose to communicate to us but instead the reacted violently, the Second Punic War could not have occurred.

At war with my body :: Essays Papers

At war with my body The mind of a woman athlete is constantly fluttering with thoughts about what it is to be a woman athlete, how a women athlete should act, what she should wear and how she should look. Maybe not everyone’s mind is consumed by these thoughts, but at some point every woman struggles with the negative stereotypes about women. There I was again—out on the track, softball field, basketball court, ski hill, volleyball court—trying to prove myself. Prove that I was not just another girl who played sports. I was good, strong, unique—a pretty blonde girl who didn’t â€Å"throw like a girl† or â€Å"ski like a pussy.† I transgressed gender stereotypes, rejecting girls who fit into those negative stereotypes. Don’t ask me what I am eating again, should I eat now, does my butt look too big—thighs too beefy†¦how can I be a ski racer and maintain my smaller frame? No time to work out during ski season, am I getting fat? M aybe I shouldn’t eat as much. I need to go work out, let off some steam—get stronger, faster, harder, and more agile. I can lose 20 lbs.; I will still be healthy, right? But I don’t want to be too skinny, because if you’re too skinny, guys won’t like you, right?! Do my legs look too big in my G.S. suit? In the weight room—I am the only girl (as she is)—I like being â€Å"one of the guys,† but struggle when they talk to me like I am a guy. While benching 300 lbs, I hear them grunt—veins popping, sweat dripping, muscles ripped, listening to ACDC. I am running. Keep going—they’re watching. I go faster, harder. I run for 1 hour to prove myself. I max out on 210 lbs., squatting†¦I am strong. I want to impress them. For years and years, I try my hardest to throw like a man, run like a man, ski like a man, hit like a man, lift like a man. But, I am not a man. Leslie Heywood’s â€Å"Pretty Good for a Girl† highlights the war we, as women athletes, have with our own bodies. It stresses the fact that, â€Å"While the superstructure of women’s sports has improved in countless ways—better media coverage, more corporate endorsement of top athletes, and the breakdown of old stereotypes—the infrastructure of women’s sports remains precarious† (Heywood, xviii).

Computer Crime Essay -- Technology

ABSTRACT Billions of dollars in losses have already been discovered. Billions more have gone undetected. Trillions will be stolen, most without detection, by the emerging master criminal of the twenty-first century--the computer crime offender. Worst of all, anyone who is computer literate can become a computer criminal. He or she is everyman, everywoman, or even every child. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION To first understand computer crime one must understand first what crime is. According to Diana Kendall, "crime is a behavior that violates criminal law and is punishable with fines, jail or other sanctions" (Kendall 1999; 161). Yet since computer technology is so new it has really no laws to govern it. A law is formal norms that are enforced, norms being established rules of behavior. Many of the crimes committed on computers often times go unpunished. As stated by David Pitch ford in the London journal Focus when writing on pornography on the Internet, " the only way illegal pornographers can be caught is through chance leads, tip-offs and telephone tracing" (Focus 1995; p10-12). Many of the crimes that are also committed on computers via the Internet are very new also. New subcultures have formed around the Internet for the possibilities it brings. Computer crime despite the many problems it has brought has also brought some needed social controls to the Internet and as stated befo re some laws have been formed to protect many of the institutions that because of computer crime have become targets for criminals. CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL REVIEW Now that we have briefly explained computer crime, let's go into further depth into explaining computer crime from the different sociological perspective theories. Many of those th... ...world starts the work as one to control the Internet and those that abuse its power and seek to take what is not theirs. Yet, the technologies are very new and they're very vulnerable, we in going to be in a messy situation for a while. In my view point hacking and computer crime will be with us for as long as we have the Internet. It is our role to keep the balance between what is a crime and what is done for pure enjoyment. Luckily, the government is making an effort to control the Internet. Yet, true control over the Internet is impossible, because the reasons the Internet was created. This is why families and the institution of education of is needed, parents need to let their children know what is okay to do on the computer and what is not and to educate them on the repercussions of their actions should they choose to become part of the subculture of hackers.

Markering :: GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursework

Markering Introduction Steve Case founded America Online (AOL) in pre-Internet days when the networking of various computer systems was rather informal and difficult for all but the highly computer-literate to accomplish. His goal was to make accessing these networks easy enough for anyone to manage. Though AOL has changed dramatically since those days, ease of use has remained a primary consideration in all changes visible to the user. Much maligned by the more "serious" services (and their subscribers) in the past, AOL has risen to be the industry leader despite challenges and the image of being the J.R. Ewing of the Internet, the provider everyone "loves to hate." Advertisers complain of AOL's dictatorial policies, yet with more than 21 million subscribers (Anonymous, 2000), AOL is an advertising venue that they dare not ignore. Current Situation and Background All large organizations today have vision and mission statements, but only the most successful actually adhere to them. Many organizations sport rather cryptic mission statements, or they put great effort into devising one and then never consult it again. AOL appears to be cognizant of both its mission and vision statements in every addition it makes to its service. America Online's Vision: To build an interactive medium that improves the lives of people and benefits society as no other medium before it. America Online's Mission: To build a global medium as central to people's lives as the telephone or television... and even more valuable (America Online, 1999; p. 34). Corporate strategy is clear. Mission and vision statements reveal gross strategy; investment reports indicate that more narrow strategy also is effective. Several advertisers have complained about AOL's policies in the past, but the factors of which they complain are those that keep AOL's management – rather than the phenomenal growth of the Internet – in control of the company's destiny and its attainment of its goals. Senior management misjudged the response to its offer of flat-rate charges for unlimited use, and the company even suffered class-action lawsuits after their access systems were overwhelmed in many areas. Seeking the greatest number of subscribers and offering to highlight advertisers willing to pay for AOL's assistance is a strategy that ensures AOL's continued financial good health. AOL's functional strategy of being indispensable to subscribers is one that can work to ensure the company's continued growth. Already, AOL has more content than does any other ISP (Anonymous, 2000), and it seeks only to grow in scope.

Resurrection and Body Paragraph Essay

Detail 1:Carton believes that he is a waste of life and has no purpose being the world †¢ â€Å"I am a disappointed drudge, sir I care for no man on earth and no man on earth cares for me. † (2. 4. 70) †¢Detail 2:Starts to show his slow resurrection when he admits his love for Lucie â€Å"the last dream of [his] soul. (book 2 Chapter 130 †¢Detail 3:Carton redeems himself by sacrifices his life for the women he loves and her happiness showing that he has been resurrected â€Å"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die,† (3. 9. 89). †¢BODY PARAGRAPH II: †¢Transition/Opening Sentence:_________________________________. †¢Detail 1:When Dr. Manette is first released from prison he is like an infant that doesn’t know the world. â€Å"Prisoner 105, North Tower,† †¢Detail 2:Starts to realize who he is when he meets his daughter Lucie at the Defarge winery †¢ â€Å"She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always. â€Å"(2. 4. 3) †¢Detail 3:He is finally shown in his full resurrectional the towards the end of the novel when he find out his bench has been taken away Transition/Opening Sentence:_________________________________. †¢Detail 1:Marrying Lucie had hide his past from many people in France and England â€Å"I know that when she is clinging to you, the hands of baby, girl, and woman, all in one, are round your neck. I know that in loving you she sees and loves her mother at her own age, sees and loves you at my age, loves her mother broken-hearted, loves youthrough your dreadful trial and in your blessed restoration. â€Å"(2. 10. 9) †¢Detail 2:His past was now coming back for him like a zombie coming out a grave. â€Å"I care nothing for this Doctor, I. He may wear his head or lose it, for any interest I have in him; it is all one to me. But, the Evremonde people are to be exterminated, and the wife and child must follow the husband and father. † (3. 14. 6) †¢Detail 3:He now knows that his old life will never come back to him and he must live his new life with the help of Carton.

Investment Analysis and Lockheed Tri Star

Investment Analysis and Lockheed Tri Star Group effort Total points: 100 (Course grade 25%) This case comprises four serially numbered stand-alone problems and the fifth one appears with the title of Lockheed Tri-Star. You are required to offer your calculations of values as indicated below. In addition to the calculations, write a brief summary of your findings in about 100 words for each problem. 1) Rainbow Products20 points | Machine Purchase| Machine plus service contract| Enhanced Machine| Payback period| 7 Years| 7. 78 Years| 7. 65 Years| NPV| ($945. 8)| $2,500. 00| $15,000. 00| IRR| 11. 49%| 12. 86%| 15. 43%| Decision (Yes/No)| NO| YES| YES| We would advise Rainbow Products to not purchase the paint-mixing equipment unless they decided take on the additional $500 per year expenditure to service the machine, or decided to reinvest 20% of the yearly cost savings back into new machine parts. Either of the last two options would benefit the company, unlike the first option, as the y provide both a positive Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) greater than the Cost of Capital.Although the last two options have longer Payback Periods than the first option, using Payback Period to make a determination in this example is not suitable because of the shortcomings of the method. 2) Concession Stand20 points Criteria| Add a new window| Update Equipment| New Stand| Rent| Any other option? – Wildcard – Add a New Window AND Update Existing Equipment| NPV ($)| $25,461. 91| $2,514. 18| $34,825. 76| $28,469. 88| $27,976. 08| NPV Rank – No WildcardNPV Rank – Wildcard| 34| 45| 11| 22| 3| IRR (%)| 34. 2%| 18. 01%| 31. 21%| 1207. 61%| 28. 10%| IRR Rank – No WildcardIRR Rank – Wildcard| 22| 45| 33| 11| 4| MIRR (%)| 26 . 77%| 16. 90%| 24. 82%| 255. 21%| 23. 01%| MIRR Rank – No WildcardMIRR Rank – Wildcard| 22| 45| 33| 11| 4| It would be in the best interest of the Concession Stand to either Build a New Stand, or Rent a Larger Stand. Under the NPV method, Building a New Stand would be the most beneficial option, with the Rent choice being the second best option.Under the IRR and MIRR methods, the Rent choice would be a clear favorite while the Building a New Stand choice would be the third most beneficial option. Their choice in which action to take would depend upon which methodology best aligned with their operational goals, although NPV is a more commonly used and trusted approach than IRR because of several issues that can derail IRR calculations. 3) MBATech, Inc. 20 points Alternative| Cost to the city ($)| Increase IRR to 25%| $122,103|Give 2-year payback| $256,522| NPV of $75,000 (at 20% discount)| $112,666| ARR of 40%| $173,913| Although the cost to the city could vary depending upon the timing of the subsidy payments due to the time value of money, our calculated costs reflect immediate payment of the subsidy during the initial investment period. With that said, the city w ould be wise in pursuing the NPV of $75,000 method as the cost of this method would be the least expensive of the four alternatives.An upfront payment to MBA Tech, Inc. , from the city, for $112,666 would be sufficient in pushing the NPV of the project to the $75,000 limit. The city should avoid the 2-year payback method if at all possible as this would have the greatest cost by a substantial margin. 4) Valu-Added Industries, Inc. 10 points NPV of the project| $100,000| Number of shares to be issued| 1,000| Price per share| $110. 00| By issuing 1,000 shares to the public at $10. 0 per share, Valu-Added Industries will be financing the entire project through investors. This action will also indicate to current stockholders that the future market value of the shares of stock of the company should be higher in value. With no further information, it would appear that both Valu-Added Industries, and their stockholders, would benefit from the organization taking on this opportunity, and t hat the value of the company would only increase by doing so. ) Lockheed Tri Star30 points At planned production levels of 210 units, what was the true value of the Tri star program? | ($584,048,126)| At planned production levels of 300 units, what was the true value of the Tri star program? | ($274,381,683)| At planned production levels of 323 units, what was the true value of the Tri star program? | ($206,205,933)| At what sales volume would the program reach true break even? | About 388|

Accounts Receivable and Acquisitions Journal

Part E Acquisitions Substantive Tests of Transactions| | | | TRANSACTION-RELATED AUDIT OBJECTIVES| SUBSTANTIVE AUDIT PROCEDURES| Occurrence| * Compare prices on vendor invoices with approved price limits established by management. * Review the acquisitions journal, general ledger, and accounts payable master file for large or unusual amounts. | Completeness| * Trace a sample of receiving reports to the acquisitions journal. * Trace from a file of vendors' invoices to the acquisitions journal. Trace from additions in perpetual inventory records to recorded acquisitions. | Accuracy| * Compare amounts for entries in acquisitions journal to related vendors' invoices, purchase orders and receiving reports. * Recompute information on vendor invoices. * Compare prices on vendor invoices with approved price limits established by management. | Posting and Summarization| * Trace individual entries in accounts payable master file to acquisitions journal. | Classification| * Examine vendors' inv oices for proper classification. Compare classification with chart of accounts by reference to vendors' invoices. | Timing| * Compare dates of receiving reports and vendors' invoices with dates in the acquisitions journal. | Part F. Cash Disbursements Substantive Tests of Transactions| TRANSACTION-RELATED AUDIT OBJECTIVES| SUBSTANTIVE AUDIT PROCEDURES| Occurrence| * Trace cancelled check numbers in the cash disbursements journal to related cancelled checks and examine for payee, name, and amount. Examine cancelled check for authorized signature, proper endorsement, and cancellation by the bank. * Review the cash disbursements journal, general ledger, and accounts payable master file for large or unusual amounts. * Trace cancelled check to the related acquisitions journal entry and examine for payee name and amount. | Completeness| * Trace entries in acquisitions journal to subsequent payment in cash disbursements journal. Accuracy| * Compare cancelled checks with the related acquisi tions journal and cash disbursements journal entries. * Recompute cash discounts. | Posting and Summarization| * Trace individual entries in accounts payable master file to cash disbursements journal. | Classification| * Compare classification with chart of accounts by reference to vendors' invoices and acquisitions journal. | Timing| * Compare dates on cancelled checks with cash disbursements journal. * Compare dates on cancelled checks with the bank cancellation date. |

Church leader enables others Essay

A church leader uses his gifts to enable others to discover, develops, and use their God’s given gifts. A church leader truly enables other people helping them to become God‘s intended persons. This is not a true leadership to just manipulate others to act in a certain manner. A church leader puts aside his or own ego needs and coach others in such a way that help them blossom. The key function of a church leader is to facilitate others by helping them in discovering, developing, and effectively utilizing their God given gifts. Church leaders have five essential components to enable people. These are helping them to gain knowledge, encourage personal growth, assist them in working with others, aid in skill development, and provide appropriate settings. Here the term â€Å"Knowledge† is about information of the Christian traditions, quality Bible study, the nature and mission of the church, and the expert knowledge related to particular areas of services. The personal growth includes people growth as they develop awareness of giftedness, self knowledge, and understanding of purpose, which is firmly stable in a relationship with Jesus Christ. A church leader is able to work well with others; it is an essential element of the leadership. Skills development includes effective communication, managing small group, organization, and having healthy relationships with others that is beneficial for his ministry. A church leader gives importance to people using their gifts in such circumstance that improve potential of their success. The role of a church leader is not always immediate or direct. If a person who provides nurture to young children is providing early enabling for the leadership of others. Therefore, a church leader needs to be seen in his every task in terms of how it enables people for ministry. The Church leadership as a service may be a new perception for some people, so the church needs to have deep study that explores up Jesus’ own servant leadership model. A church leader must provide opportunities and safe places for members to develop and use their God given gifts. Discovering and developing God’s gifts for people is not an end in itself. The ministry for which people are gifted is on a large scale, taking its place within and outside a church, even extends throughout the God’s world. â€Å"The black church is the one place in our community where people come together and pool their resources to better minister to the church and the community† (1993, 54). There are mutual ministries among church members as accepting, loving, available, supportive, and accountable community of faith. Out of the church’s boundaries, church leaders respond to human need by teaching love and hope, empowering the powerless, uplifting the poor, restoring creation, confronting all that harms persons and creation, and reconciling persons to God and one another. People note different implications for churches because the growth of effective leaders is grounded in a church’s vision of its ministry, a declaration of that vision needs not only to be created, but also acted on. Church’s involvements within and outside of the church provides a map of leadership opportunities by providing a starting point for selecting and developing leaders.

Occupational Health and Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example There is no standard as to what elements or factors should be present for workplace or working conditions to be considered safe. The Contributory Negligence Doctrine puts the entire blame on the employee and frees the employer of any responsibility on the mishap that occurred. The relationship between the employers and the workers is one where their goals and the means of attaining them are segregated or are on totally opposite fields. There is no interdependence and cooperation in reaching a common goal. Employers are mainly concerned with production and are not involved in matters concerning the conditions and welfare of their workers or employees. This doctrine held on to the notion that employees are totally and solely responsible for their actions and management is a separate entity which is only accountable to itself and to the costs and profits of the business. Being a separate entity, employers are in no way part of the workers personal and individual concerns, even wile in the workplace or within the premises of the company structure, other than the giving of wage for service rendered. The basis of the relationship is only grounded on the exchange of services for wages. This doctrine's main assumption is that if employees, prior to their acceptance of the job or prior to the commencement of their duties, are aware of the hazards involved in the job or of the presence of hazards in the workplace then they have accepted these hazards as part of the employment conditions. They cannot therefore sue their employees in the event that an accident happens, because their acceptance of the job meant that they have accepted the hazards that go with it. The court based this doctrine on the theory that if an employee sees that there are hazards involved in the job before even accepting the work, he would demand for a higher wage because of the possibility of getting injured. The employer on the other hand, as a reaction to this demand, would either do something to remove the risk or would pay the additional salary. This doctrine reflects again a boxed relationship between the employee and employer where the concern lies in the exchange of service for money. The concern does not extend to the physical or emotional welfare of the employee while working for the company. There is no initiative on the part of the employer in providing safe conditions for the workers. The reaction of eliminating the risk factors is just a response to the issue of additional wage demanded by the worker. The basis of this reaction again is the financial standing of the company or the cost that they would have to incur. It is in no way to afford additional benefits to workers like safe working conditions. The burden of protecting oneself from work hazards is again on the shoulders of the workers. By demanding for additional compensation in exchange for a future possibility of an accident occurring while at work, the worker will free the employer of any liability. C. Fellow-Servant Doctrine The basic idea of this doctrine is that an employee cannot seek compensation from the employer for damages if the accident was caused, either entirely or in part, by a co-worker. This doctrine is regarded as an extension of the