Saturday, November 30, 2019

Tourism Benefits and Costs

Executive Summary Tourism is a phenomenon which was extensively developed during the 20th century when people became able to afford a vacation once a year. This paper thoroughly examines all the positive and negative consequences of the development of tourism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism: Benefits and Costs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More First off, it concludes that tourism can improve the economy. Tourism, in the first, place creates jobs, and reduces unemployment. It also generates huge amounts of revenue that the government can collect through taxes. In addition, all the other branches of the economy can be developed as consequences of a growing tourist industry. Environment and culture can also benefit from this industry because it provides a solid economic reason for preservation of customs and landscapes. As far as costs of tourism are concerned, it can be said that they are numerous, and that in every domain where it can be useful, tourism can also be devastating if it is not conducted properly. Therefore, in the economy, it can cause a country to become dependent on the capital generated in the industry. Furthermore, jobs in tourism are often insecure and poorly paid, and the money earned is often taken away from the country in which it is generated. Costs are also felt in the domain of environment and culture. Huge amounts of waste generated by hotels, restaurants and entertainment complexes destroy the environment. Finally, culture is being viewed as one big show rather than an integral component of the local people’s lifestyle. In the end, accomplishments and challenges of the newly emerging field of sustainable tourism are discussed. It is concluded that comprehensive theoretical models are lacking in this field, and that it demands long and expensive projects to be carried out before observable changes could take place.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the unsolved issues, it seems that sustainable tourism is the only way to go if we are to prevent the industry from destroying itself. Introduction One distinguished scholar in the field of tourism, Allen Beaver, defined tourism in the following terms: â€Å"Tourism is the temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each destination. It includes movements for all purposes (Beaver 313). This phenomenon has a long history since rich people have always wanted to see different places and experience different cultures. Since the industrial revolution, the number of people who are able to afford such a luxury has been increasing constantly to the point where spending a vacation at some tourist center is no longer considered a luxury (Singh 189). This increase in popularit y of tourism has had a huge impact on the world economy, and tourism plays one of the most significant roles in some of the strongest economies in the world. It is easy to conclude that tourism can have incredibly positive impact on human society; however, significant changes that the 21st century has brought are starting to reveal many problems related to tourism. It is, therefore, essential to reevaluate the role of tourism in the 21st century, and reshape in the light of the ideas of sustainability.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism: Benefits and Costs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Benefits of tourism Economic benefits of tourism It is widely accepted that countries can benefits tremendously from tourism in economic terms. This is because it is an industry that does not demand huge investments, like for example metallurgy, but can pay off just the same. In modern market economies, tourism is for the most part run in the private sector, and governments earn large amounts of revenue through taxation. Furthermore, large tourist complexes employ thousands of people whose existence is dependent upon tourism. Owners, on the other hand, can accumulate large amounts of capital which is then invested in other sectors of the economy. Taxation of tourism Even though in politics, it is a constantly debated question as to how much of the income generated through tourism belongs to the government, one thing is certain – the state can earn a lot of revenue from it. In a recent study by Gooroochurn (2004), it has been confirmed that taxation in tourism is much more effective than taxation in any other domain of the economy. The author studied the case of Mauritius, an otherwise underdeveloped state, and concluded that in poor countries that have such potentials, it is a good idea to attract investments in tourism, and earn revenue through taxation (Gooroochurn 2004). Among the countries that earn a huge portion of their revenue from tourism are: Greece, Portugal, Spain, Egypt, Tunisia, etc.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Employment in tourism Providing goods and services for thousands of tourists every day demands a huge labor force. Ever since the beginning of tourism, people saw the employment potential that it has. According to the national statistical data, 16.5 % of all the labor force or around 700 000 people in Greece are employed in tourism. Furthermore, many people who do not have large amounts of capital, but live near tourist centers have great opportunities for self-employment. Most of those people run small cafes, trinket or souvenir shops or simply sell local food and drinks to the visitors. International Labor Organization predicts that in the following decade the number of jobs in tourism is to increase significantly, and claims that it is one sector in which the greatest potential is seen after the crisis (Employment in Tourism Industry). Secondary economic benefits Since all parts of the economic structure are interconnected, an economic boom in one of the component parts automatic ally overflows into all other parts. The income generated by the entrepreneurs is injected into other parts of the economy according to their ideas for further investment since every entrepreneur knows that money has to be invested further. It has been noticed that one of the most common domains where money earned from tourism is invested is infrastructure. Investors are aware that improving the infrastructure, roads, water and electricity supply, railways, etc. can increase the number of visitors to their tourist complexes. Furthermore, the government also recognizes the potential in tourism, and is often willing to subsidize the improvement of infrastructure (Karim 2011). Apart from the infrastructure, other domains of the economy which are often developed as a result of a country’ success in tourism industry are food and drink industry, agriculture, etc. Noneconomic benefits of tourism One can argue that in a capitalist society all the positive phenomena can be described i n terms of the economy. That might very well be the case; however, all the positive changes that occur in a country as a result of the development of tourism, and which are not directly related to the economy can be discussed under the label non-economic benefits. Cultural benefits Since the industrial revolution, together with the development of tourism, there has been an increase in the number of educated people. Their fascination with the historical heritage and cultural diversity of the world made way for the development of the so called cultural tourism. On the other hand, under the pressure of economic forces, local people are adopting the new ways of life, and because of the lack of time and resources, they are slowly losing their cultural heritage. The fact that there is little to be gained financially from being involved in the traditional customs causes many people to lose interest in them. For that reason, Weiner (2010) argues that cultural tourism is, in fact, the force that helps to preserve local customs and traditions. The interest of foreigners in local culture, according to Weiner, is what gives the economic value to the culture. He uses the example of Turkish baths in which he enjoyed while on vacation and concludes that the custom would have been extinct if it had not been for the tourists who were willing to pay to experience it. However, anthropologists argue that this way of preserving culture is deflationary and imperialistic (Menkedick 2010). Environmental benefits As in the case of culture, tourism has huge impact on the environment. There are both positive and negative environmental consequences of tourism; however, in this section only the positive ones are discussed. When a country is industrially underdeveloped, it usually possesses locations with well-preserved environment. In the course of the development of a country, it can be decided that those locations should be used for industrial development, and then polluters like mines and factories are built. Obviously, this has tremendous environmental consequences. Of course, it can be decided that the location be preserved in the original state which entails opportunity costs, but this seldom happens. Finally, it seems that the best solution is to build tourist complexes, and develop that branch of the economy. This course of action provides economic motivation for maintaining parks, funding research in resource management, improving environmental education and introducing strong legal framework for environment preservation (Sawkar et al. 8). Other benefits of tourism It is certain that benefits of tourism cannot just be reduced to economic, cultural and environmental ones. Surely, there are many other positive phenomena that occur as consequences of the development of tourism. First off, tourism helps in cherishing positive attitudes towards different cultures and customs. Secondly, it is a very good way of destroying negative attitudes towards foreigners, an d rejecting xenophobia, stereotypes and prejudices about others. Thirdly, it affords immense psychological satisfaction which stems from the interaction with others (Ritchie Goeldner 373-383). Tourism can also benefit individuals who have some health problems, and various resorts offer extensive treatment programs employing leading experts in therapeutic procedures. Costs of tourism Many people are inclined to think that tourism is a socio-economic phenomenon with only positive consequences; however, in reality the global economic system and the nature of tourism as a branch of the economy lead to some difficult economic problems. Furthermore, huge seasonal changes in the population which are caused by travel and tourism pose serious cultural and social challenges for the local communities. Finally, despite the fact that tourism can have positive effects on the environment and culture, if conducted improperly, it can have a devastating environmental and cultural impact. Economic co sts of tourism Seasonal jobs As we saw, the development of tourism has the potential to create a large number of jobs. However, the downside of this fact is that in most centers, these jobs are seasonal and not very well paid. This has some obvious negative consequences. First off, many people who work in the industry are dependent upon it for their existence. For that reason they are virtually employed for only 5-6 months per year due to the seasonal nature of their employment. This causes them to face severe financial problems during the period of the year in which they have no employment and income. Secondly, well-developed tourist destinations are very often located in very poor countries such as Maldives, Jamaica, Dominican Republic etc. In these places, unemployment is incredibly high and the average income is very low. Consequently, employers are in a position to give very low wages, and avoid hiring employees to work in their complexes on a regular basis. For that reason, th e turnover of the labor force is immense, and it is very difficult to protect labor rights in that context. Economic dependence The fact that profits in the tourism industry can be so high can cause the entire economy of a country or a region to steer towards that industry. This can be very dangerous for several reasons. It is well-known that tourism is not a firm basis for an economy because it is not a productive industry, and it is located in the domain of services. This has some very important consequences. First off, in case of a crisis, people usually sacrifice the expenses that they regard as luxuries, and their annual vacation is very often one of the first items on the list. Such events as crises can push a country into a severe depression if it is extremely dependent on tourism. For example, the recent financial crisis of 2008 significantly damaged the economy of Hawaii, which is extremely dependent on tourism because more than one third of the country’s revenue com es from tourism. Because of the financial crisis that hit the Western world, the tax revenue of Hawaii was reduced by more than 10 per cent, and the country lost 4.9 billion dollars in foreign spending (Woo). Furthermore, an economy which is extremely dependent on tourism runs not only the risk of economic crises, but also natural disasters. Many of the world’s most famous tourist centers are located in the areas which have the highest risk of natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, tornados, tsunamis, etc. Such events can not only destroy tourist seasons, but also devastate the infrastructure and buildings of great importance, thereby deleting the region from the world’s tourist map. One recent example is the earthquake in Haiti. Just as Haiti was recovering from a long history of social and economic problems by developing tourist centers, an earthquake of 7.0 Mw destroyed most of the hotels and buildings leaving the country in ruins (Curley 8). Other Economic Issues The economy consists of such a complex set of relations between humans that one should not be surprised to discover that the effects of one phenomenon can have so many economic consequences, both positive and negative ones. One additional economic cost of tourism is the fact that the structure of the capital within the industry can be such that very small percentage of the total revenue remains in the country where all the tourist complexes are located. Globalized economy, such as the one we have at the beginning of the 21st century, allows the rich people and corporations from the Western world to build huge tourist complexes in Kenya or Nigeria, for example. If that happens, they usually attract Western tourists who are interested in buying Western food such as McDonald’s or clothes, such as Nike. All of that creates a seasonal Western market in Africa. An unfortunate fact for the local population is that all of those companies, at the end of the season, take their r evenue back to the Western countries, and they are left with very little money that they could earn competing with those Western giants (Sunyer 2010). Environmental costs It is quite a paradox that while thousands of people visit a location with intact nature and beautiful landscapes, by doing so they are slowly destroying that very same landscape. To make things even worse the more interesting and beautiful the landscape is, the more people it attracts, and the quicker it is destroyed. From building hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers to the basic elements of infrastructure like heating, water supply and roads, tourism causes significant reshaping of the original landscape, and the environment suffers a lot. Moreover, supporting thousands of people during the season demands immense amounts of food, fresh water and fuel. All of that creates large quantities of waste. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully plan and construct landfills and sewage systems. Both of these basi c constituents of an urbanized location have to cause some amount of pollution; however, it is essential that this pollution be kept at the minimum. It has been confirmed that leaving all of these concerns to the market will not do the job because meeting all the necessary requirements costs a lot, and in unregulated circumstances those who are careful to meet them simply cannot remain competitive. In this way locations which were originally attractive to tourists, within few years, become more polluted than some industrial centers. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to construct environmentally sound regulations to prevent the self-destruction of tourism in a country (Buckley 401). Cultural costs The final danger which comes with the development of tourism is that it can have devastating consequences for the local culture. By now it is noticeable that economy, environment and culture are the three domains that can benefit the most from the development of tourism, but at the same time it in these three domains that tourism can have the most devastating consequences. Moreover, it seems that culture is the one domain in which there is no way to establish control and make tourism fully sustainable. This is, for the most part, because of the fact that culture is constantly changing, and it is very difficult to control the direction of that change. While cultural heritage like, for example, the summer festivals of Scotland is preserved precisely because tourists come from all over the world to experience it, it is absolutely certain that it is not the same in all cases. From the anthropological point of view, it is questionable whether this way of preserving culture deserves praise at all. Some scholars, like Anthony Smith, would claim that it is not: â€Å"Tourism places the whole of the visited culture on sale, distorting its imagery and symbolism, turning its emotions loose, transforming a way of life into an industry†¦A culture†¦is turned from sub ject to object, from independent to dependent, from audience-in-its-own-right to spectacle† (quoted in Sunyer 2010) The argument is that culture is not really culture if it is not lived. The anthropologists would claim that this way of viewing the culture robs it of its essence. For them, the claim that reducing the culture to a mere spectacle helps in preserving it is similar to the claim that we have the culture of the 18th century France alive and existing when we are watching a play about Napoleon. Sadly, it is difficult to see any way in which sustainable tourism can account for this problem. After all, reducing the local culture to a mere spectacle is an integral part of cultural tourism, and there is nothing that can be done in that aspect, legally or otherwise. Sustainable tourism As it has been explained so far, it is very difficult to imagine tourism disappearing as a social category at this point in history. In fact, given all the beneficial aspect that it has, mirr ored mostly in economics, very few people would want it to disappear. Nonetheless, it is obvious that tourism implies some very difficult problems, in particular, its devastating impact on the environment and its imperialistic view of culture. Scientists and scholars have recognized this as a problem, and have been trying to find a solution for several decades now in the field called sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is based on the assumption that it is possible to have all the beneficial effects of tourism, while at the same time making as little detrimental impact on the local environment and culture. It is an interdisciplinary approach to constructing policies that will account for all the relevant factors in order to maximize the positive economic aspects, and minimize the negative cultural and environmental ones. Sustainable tourism should also be viewed as a global movement that tries to educate people on the benefits of what they call Responsible tourism. Responsible tourism is something very similar to a tourist’s ethical codex. Its principles oblige tourists to be sensitive towards local cultures, and perform their environmental duties while on vacation. Some of these duties are: producing as little waste as possible, recycling, etc. However, this whole notion of responsible tourism implies that the visitors are informed about the harms they can potentially make, and the ways in which they can prevent those harm from taking place. Moreover, sustainable tourism is not a strictly defined set of strategies applicable to all contexts. It demands an analysis of all the relevant factors, and constant awareness of one’s actions from every visitor. As we can see sustainable tourism is a long term mission, which demands a lot of state intervention, education and responsibility. The real question at this point is whether there is time for such a long project. Some of the results of this global effort are quite obvious. For example, there a re more and more customers coming to tourist agencies, and asking for locations that promote sustainable tourism. On the other hand, what is very disappointing is that there is very little consensus among the experts as to which indicators should be used in order to evaluate whether a resort is practicing sustainable tourism. Moreover, some of the experts are not even sure where to draw the line between sustainable and unsustainable tourism (Miller 10). Conclusion In conclusion, tourism is a widespread and very popular social phenomenon, and people enjoy it for multiple reasons such as: health, education, sport, recreation, religion, or even pure hedonism. Furthermore, there is a strong economic motivation for the existence of tourism: jobs are created, states and entrepreneurs collect huge amounts of revenue and infrastructure is developed. Preservation of environment and culture also gets its economic basis in tourism. However, tourism causes some very deep social, cultural and ec onomic issues. History has taught us that many countries, after a certain period, tend to become economically dependent on it, which has its consequences in very deep recessions, seasonal unemployment, etc. Environment and culture also suffer because of the unplanned and irresponsible practice of tourism. Huge amounts of waste are being generated and culture is being viewed as one big show. Such practices have been referred to as unsustainable tourism because after a certain period such locations lose their attractiveness to visitors because the hotels are no longer solvent or environment and culture are no longer authentic and intact. Therefore, the only solution is the introduction of sustainable tourism which is a field in which many experts are trying to define ways to make tourism viable for future generations. It is certain that there are many reasons which make tourism worth struggling for. Works Cited Beaver, Allan. A dictionary of travel and tourism terminology. 2nd ed. Wal lingford, UK: CABI Publ., 2005. Print. Buckley, Ralf. â€Å"Tourism and Environment.† Annual Review of Environment and Resources 36 (2011): 397-416. Print. Curley, Robert. â€Å"The Tourism Impact of the Haiti Earthquake.† Caribbean Travel, Vacation and Holiday Guide – Guide to Caribbean Travel, Vacations, Trips and Holidays. N.p., 13 Jan. 2010. Web. https://www.tripsavvy.com/tourism-impact-of-2010-haiti-earthquake-3972902. â€Å"Employment in tourism industry to grow significantly over the coming decade, says ILO report.† International Labour Organization . N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_146761/lang–en/index.htm. Gooroochurn, Nishaal. â€Å"Tourism and Taxation: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation.† Input-Output and General Equilibrium: Data, Modeling and Policy Analysis. ECOMOD. Input-Output and General Equilibrium: Data, Modeling and Policy Analysis, Brussels. 12 Sept. 2004. Lecture. Karim , Iqbal. â€Å"Standard Digital News : Magazines : Infrastructure is key to boosting tourism.† Standard Digital News : Home, Breaking News, Business, Jobs, Football, Travel, Tourism, Elections, National, Kenya, Nairobi, County, East Africa, Kibaki, Raila . N.p., 7 June 2011. Web. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000036644/n-a. Menkedick, Sarah. â€Å"Tourism And The â€Å"Preservation† Of Culture: A Rebuttal | Matador Network.† Matador Network | travel culture worldwide. N.p., 3 Mar. 2010. Web. https://matadornetwork.com/abroad/tourism-and-the-preservation-of-culture-a-rebuttal/. Miller, Graham. The Development of Indicators for Sustainable Tourism: Results of a Delphi Survey of Tourism Researchers. London: University of Westminster, 2000. Print. Ritchie, J. R. Brent, and Charles R. Goeldner. Travel, tourism, and hospitality research: a handbook for managers and researchers. 2nd ed. New York: J. Wiley, 1994. Print. Sawkar, K, L Noronha, A Mascarenhas, O Chauhan, and S Saeed. Tourism and the Environment Case Studies on Goa, India, and the Maldives. Washington: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, 1998. Print. Singh, L. Fundamental Of Tourism And Travel. Delhi: ISHA Books, 2008. Print. Sunyer, Pi. â€Å"The Cultural Costs of Tourism | Cultural Survival.† Cultural Survival | Partnering with Indigenous Peoples to Defend their Lands, Languages, and Cultures. N.p., 11 Feb. 2010. Web. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/cultural-costs-tourism. Weiner, Eric. â€Å"Why Tourism is Not a Four-Letter Word – Features – World Hum.† The Best Travel Stories on the Internet – Travel Writing – World Hum. N.p., 1 Mar. 2010. Web. http://www.worldhum.com/features/eric-weiner/why-tourism-is-not-a-four-letter-word-20100301/. Woo, Stu. â€Å"Heavy Reliance on Tourism Has Hawaii’s Economy Hurting – WSJ.com.† Business New s Financial News – The Wall Street Journal – Wsj.com. N.p., n.d. Web. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125047318664935729. This essay on Tourism: Benefits and Costs was written and submitted by user L0la to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

French Revolution - ancien regime essays

French Revolution - ancien regime essays The crisis of the ancien regime was political rather than economic or social. Discuss. In France in 1779, there was growing discontent. The Ancien Regime was proving to be corrupt and inefficient. This was due to the growing social and economic factors that became the preconditions for revolution. This later lead to the political factors, which started with the aristocratic revolt and ended in revolution. The Estate General had proved to be unrepresentative and caused the common people to resent those in power and placed greater pressure on the king. This led to the formation of the National Assembly, who were the controllers of the country and in many ways of the revolution. They implemented many ideas that had emerged from the enlightenment and by representing all of the people, brought an end to the ancien regime. So the political factors lead to the revolution, however the crisis of the ancien regime was the economic and social factors that caused the political factors. The ancien regimes social structure encouraged inequity and therefore resentment among the third estate. The third estate consisted of the bourgeoisie, the peasants, and the sans culottes, and made up approx. 98% of the population the second, consisting of nobility, and the first, consisting of clergy, only made up 1% of the population each. The peasants worked the land while living in poverty, the sans culottes were urban workers who were also very poor, the bourgeoisie were the educated workers such as merchants, doctors, lawyers etc and were becoming more economically powerful. The venal system allowed the bourgeoisies to buy noble positions, encouraged social mobility, however it was limited by the segur ordinance that prevented drobe nobility from obtaining certain positions that the deppe nobility wanted. The nobility and the clergy, enjoyed many privileges that the third estate didnt including; exemptions from taxation, conscripti...

Friday, November 22, 2019

All About the Habits and Traits of Carpenter Bees

All About the Habits and Traits of Carpenter Bees Carpenter bees dont exactly endear themselves to people. They excavate nests in wood decks, porches, and homes, and the males tend to  exhibit an unsettling aggressiveness. However, despite their bad behavior, carpenter bees are quite harmless and are actually excellent pollinators. Large carpenter bees (about 500 different species) belong to the genus Xylocopa. Interestingly, these insects inhabit every continent except Antarctica. Identifying Carpenter Bees Carpenter bees get their name from their woodworking skills. These solitary bees excavate nest tunnels in wood, especially in lumber that is bare and weathered. Over several years, the damage to wood can become quite extensive, as the bees expand old tunnels and excavate new ones. Carpenter bees often nest in decks, porches, and eaves, putting them in close proximity to people. Xylocopa bees look quite similar to bumblebees, so its easy to misidentify them. Look at the upper side of the bees abdomen to differentiate the two kinds of bees. While bumblebee abdomens are hairy, the top of a carpenter bees abdomen will be hairless, black, and shiny. Male carpenter bees will hover around nest entrances, chasing away intruders. They lack a sting, though, so just ignore their buzzing and aggressive flights around your head. Females do sting, but only if seriously provoked. Refrain from swatting at them, and you shouldnt have to worry about carpenter bees causing you harm. Carpenter Bee Classifications Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass: InsectaOrder: HymenopteraFamily: ApidaeGenus: Xylocopa Diet and Life Cycle Like honey bees, carpenter bees feed on pollen and nectar. Female bees provision their larvae with food by placing a ball of pollen and regurgitated nectar in the brood cell. Its important to note that carpenter bees do not feed on wood at any time during their life cycle. Carpenter bees overwinter as adults, usually within vacant nest tunnels. As the weather warms in spring, the adults emerge and mate. Males die after mating, while females begin excavating new tunnels or expanding tunnels from previous years. She constructs brood cells for her offspring, provisions them with food, and then lays an egg in each chamber. Eggs hatch within a few days, and the young larvae feed on the cache left by the mother. Within a period of five to seven weeks, depending on environmental conditions, the bee pupates and reaches adulthood. The new adult generation emerges in late summer to feed on nectar before settling in for the winter. Special Adaptations and Defenses Though they are good pollinators of open-faced flowers, deeper flowers present a challenge for the large carpenter bees. To get to the sweet nectar, they will slit open the side of the flower, breaking into the nectary center and robbing the flower of its juices without providing any pollination services in exchange. Carpenter bees practice buzz pollination, an active method of collecting pollen grains. When it lands on a flower, the bee uses its thoracic muscles to produce sound waves that shake the pollen loose.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay

Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail - Essay Example The main techniques selected for analysis are emotional appeal, logic and reasoning. Reasoning is one of the main tools used by speechwriters and essayists for ages. In the Letter, King makes his point and persuades readers to agree with him that all people have a right to be free. King states: "The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation" (King). King expects that his letter helps many people to "awake" from long sleeping and start fighting, because the new social order and ideas, and no doubt that in his society the main role is featured to democracy and freedom. He appeals to such human values as tolerance and morals. Idiom and metaphors create sense of reality. For instance, he writes: "the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice" (King). The notion of interdependency and connection among individuals in King's conception of freedom anticipates visions of freedom and solidarity that I explore in the second half of this book. According to King, true freedom requires that people be able to exercise choice and judgment. Segregation removes this ability and therefore makes individuals victims to the decisions of others. King deals with his personal sufferings and expresses the effects of the segregation on his fellow friends on a scale of universal significance. His language is logic and accurate, concise and creative. King's rhetoric has strength, depth and delicacy of feeling. The main feature of this essay is that King uses historical information based on reason and expiations of the events which attract attention of the audience. "If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity"' (King). Control of powerful feeling intensifies emotional appeal and adds dramatic effects. To give dramatic descriptions with intensity, to make the imagined picture of reality glow with more than a dim light, requires the author's finest compositional powers. He addresses listeners stating: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (King). In the Letter, King creates a vivid image of racial segregation as "a burden" with deprives many racial minorities a chance to be free from oppression and humiliation. There is intensity of illusion because the author is present, constantly reminding readers of his unnatural wisdom. The moral quality depends not on the validity of doctrines, but on the moral sense and arguments presented in the work. In both books, a certain amount of plot is based on emotional response. For instance, "oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for fre edom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro" (King). Exclamation marks, rhetorical question and parallel structure of sentences add emotional coloring. Personal tone is also an important element of his rhetoric, because it creates a certain vision of segregation and inequality from the author's point of view. Logic is another technique used by King to appeal to the audience and their mind. In the Letter, every argument forestalls the next one. Vivid arguments and personal examples are logically connected which helps the audience to

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Module 6; Team Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Module 6; Team Leader - Essay Example In the absence of wise and effective leadership, teams could exhibit rudderless behavior due to lack of purpose and direction. Nevertheless, there are specific styles and characteristics of leadership that favor the optimal functionality of teams (Sohmen, 2013). Similarly, teamwork cannot exist in the absence of reliable and favorable leadership. For optimal organizational performance, teamwork and leadership must be coordinated and balanced. If I were in charge at my own organization, I would watch out for both negative and positive behaviors where I would work on eliminating the negatives and further strengthening the positive behaviors. The positive behaviors include belief where the employees believe that they have the capacity to meet the predetermined goals, focus in that the employees have understood the direction and that they show unified focus when working, and motivation where the employees are showing the need to succeed (Sohmen, 2013). The potential negative behaviors would include competing factions among the team where members of a certain group are extremely passionate concerning their selected viewpoints as well as other behaviors that include lack of direction, belief and motivation. Identifying such behaviors would ensure that the leader has a picture of what is going on in the organization, which would help them in determining the next course of action. Measuring team behavior is a challenging issue and requires appropriate skills to accomplish. To measure team behavior in my organization, I would first assess their contribution to the organization’s goals. If the team has been fulfilling its tasks as required and within the provided period, then the behavior of the team is good. However, if the opposite is true, then the team requires additional input. I would also assess their communication while they are working on a project. If the team is constantly arguing and conflicting over the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Sensation and Perception Essay Example for Free

Sensation and Perception Essay Memory – knowing the past Thinking – knowing the future Cognition = the influence of perception, memory, and thinking Aug 29th, 2012 Basic principles of perception 1.Stimulation -Many kinds of energy implode on the body Electromagnetic energy (light) Mechanical energy -Pressure waves in air Pressure on skin Body movement Thermal energy (heat) Chemical energy (molecules in air, food) -Energy changes detected by receptors 2.Information a.Our sensory systems evolved to pick up information (not just stimulation) b.In general, information is provided by change c.Change can occur over time, or over space 3.Transduction -The process of converting stimulus energy into nerve impulses -Generally, stimulus energy causes a change in a receptor cell’s electrical potential (voltage) -If change is enough, it will trigger â€Å"nerve impulses† 4.Transmission -For perception to occur, sensory organs (containing receptors) must transmit nerve impulses to the brain -Perception occurs in the brain, not in the sensory organs 5.Mediation -Our perception of the world is mediated by various processes between transduction and our conscious awareness -These processes alter the neural information -What we consciously perceive may not be an accurate reflection of the original stimulation 6.Interpretation -Sensory information is ambiguous (there are ALWAYS multiple possible interpretations) 7.Construction -Sensory information is â€Å"sketchy†; the brain â€Å"fills in† missing information 8.Modularity -Your brain consists of independent â€Å"modules†. These modules may construct different, possibly conflicting, interpretations of the world. -You â€Å"see† one interpretation of an ambiguous **Missed Class†¦locked out of room** Sept 5th, 2012 Signal Detection Theory (Slides and appendix in book) Sept 7th, 2012 The Eye Light -Light is electromagnetic radiation varying in: Wavelength Intensity Radiance – intensity of light as it leaves the light source Illuminance – intensity of light as it is absorbed by object (white objects higher in illuminance than black objects) Luminance – amount of light that is reflected by object 100 illuminance omits 40 luminants; albedo = 40/100= .4 Retinal Illuminance – light that reaches your eye Brightness – perception of radiance, illuminance, or luminance Lightness – perception of the reflectance (albedo) Brightness is a perception of the light; lightness is a perception of the object surface Myopia = nearsighted = focal length is shorter than distance  to retina Hyperopia = farsighted = focal length is longer than distance to retina Presbyopia = aged vision, lens can’t adjust because of age (reading glasses for old people) Sept 10th, 2012 The Retina Fovea is the part of eye where visual acuity is highest Vision involves â€Å"rods† and â€Å"cones† in the back of the retina Photopic = conesScotopic = rods Purkinje Shift – as illumination decreases, red objects lose brightness more quickly than green, blue; red goes to black whereas green and blue pass through shades of gray **2 Missed Classes – Canada** Sept 19th, 2012 Gestalt Psychology -Brief history of behaviorism, psychoanalysis -The laws of perceptual grouping October 1st, 2012 Distance Perception Why is depth perception important? -Effective action (e.g. grasping) requires correct perception of distance -Correct perception of size and shape requires correct perception of distance Size and shape consistency Just as an infinite number of object sizes and shapes can cast the exact same image on the retina, a single object can cast an infinite number of sizes and shapes of retinal image Size Consistency = we (usually) perceive the size of an object as constant, despite changes in the size of the retinal image Shape Consistency = we (usually) perceive The farther away something is from your eye, the less the retinal disparity will be Stereopsis -Retinal Disparity = the mismatch between the left and right eyes’ retinal  images -Stereopsis = the ability to use retinal disparity as a depth cue Motion parallax Interposition = idea that an object in front of another object will block that object out Aerial Perspective -Refers to effects of the air on distance perception Clarity = as light passes through more air, light is scattered and so the image gets blurrier oBlueness = as light passes through more air, long wavelengths are filtered out and so the image gets bluer Chapter 2 Transduction and receptive fields Signal Detection Theory -Always noise (random activity) Eye Movements EXAM 2 MATERIAL OCT 12TH 2012 Perceptual Ambiguity (Lecture 9) States of form perception 1.Feature extraction 2.Perceptual grouping 3.Figure-ground differentiation 4.Figural resolution 5.Pattern recognition Ambiguity – multiple possible interpretations – can occur at any level (2-5) Figure-ground differentiation -Some perceptual groups are treated as â€Å"figure†, other groups are treated as â€Å"ground† Yates Thesis -Yates. J (1985). The content of awareness is a model of the world. Psychological Review, 92, 249-284 -Visual images are inherently ambiguous (allow multiple interpretations) -Coherent action requires selection of one interpretation -We tend to represent in awareness the simplest interpretation of the most sensory data Figural Resolution -After â€Å"figure† has been differentiated from â€Å"ground†, it may still be  necessary to resolve the structure of the figure -Figural resolution influenced by†¦ Bottom up vs. top-down October 15th, 2012 Lecture 10 Pattern Recognition Pattern Recognition – knowing what figures in the visual field ARE. Requires interaction of sensation/perception with memory (pre-existing knowledge) Template Matching -Match of whole pattern to a stored pattern -Problems onfinite variation of problems No access to feature differences Can’t recognize†¦ Feature Analysis -Patterns are recognized by detection of particular â€Å"critical features† -Accounts for recognition of partially obscured patterns -Predicts that objects with more features in common are more confusable Problem: Not ALWAYS true Some confusions are predicted better by the whole shape New â€Å"configural properties† (or emergent features) arise from the combination of features †¢Impossible to define complex objects entirely by simple features Template Matching vs. Feature Analysis -Template matching emphasizes the whole, fails to account for importance of parts -Feature analysis emphasizes the parts, fails to account for importance of the whole -Possible solutions: Maybe more than one brain mechanism for pattern recognition oA â€Å"hybrid† approach that encompasses both the whole AND the parts Structural Theories of Pattern Recognition Objects are recognized by their â€Å"structural description†, how their parts are organized into the whole †¢DO NOT CONFUSE WITH STRUCTURALISM! (Structuralism assumed that the â€Å"structure† can be decomposed into elemental parts† Yates Thesis -We tend to represent in awareness the simplest explanation for the most sensory data Oct 17th, 2012 Three kinds of brain damage 1.Agnosia = â€Å"loss of knowledge† a.Prosopagnosia – loss of ability to recognize faces b.Object agnosia – loss of ability to recognize objects c.Word agnosia (alexia) – loss of ability to recognize written words 2.Object agnosia never occurs without either word agnosia or prosopagnosia Oct 24th, 2012 Light Light is electromagnetic radiation varying in: Wavelength Intensity Amplitude, if considered as a wave Number of photons, if considered as particulate Color is all in your head! â€Å"Hue† does not exist in the physical world – wavelength is a simple quantitative continuum, like intensity, or frequency of sound, or length, or weight †¢You brain CONSTRUCTS categories of perception, resulting in qualitative differences in the perception Dimensions of Color -HUE the perception of wavelength, or (in a mixture) dominant wavelength -SATURATION – the perception of purity (proportion of the dominant wavelength in a mixture) -BRIGHTNESS – perceived intensity Subtractive Color Mixture -A paint pigment absorbs certain wavelengths, reflects others -When two pigments are mixed, each subtracts out certain wavelengths -You see what’s left over Exam 2: Perceptual ambiguity Pattern recognition Color vision Sound Music The Ear Ear to Brain Visual Illusions Inner ear- cochlea, organ of corti, Moon Illusion – moon looks larger when at horizon than when it is over-head Perceived size = retinal image size x perceived distance EXAM 3 MATERIAL(FINAL EXAM)NOV 9TH, 2012 Final Exam Friday Dec 14th, 3:30-5:30 66 questions, appx. 2/3 material last 3rd of class Study 1st 2 exams for remaining 1/3 Don’t need to know every single experiment, just the general results Medial and lateral superior olives -Loudness in 2 ears and time of arrival in 2 ears

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Humor in A Midsummer Nights Dream :: Midsummer Nights Dream

Humor in A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare uses many ways to portray humor and make his plays a success because of it. He created a careful mix of love with humor to create a success called "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The focus of this paper is to describe how Shakespeare uses humor in his play. One way that Shakespeare uses humor in this play is by using plain humor that need not be interpreted in any way. He did this by creating the artisans. The artisans, obviously are not intelligent at all, but try to be. They mess up grammar, spelling, and everything that the author of "Pyramus and Thisby" had wanted for his play. For instance, when Bottom says "Thisbe, the flowers of odious savors sweet,"82 he was supposted to say ‘odors' instead of ‘odious' in the sentence. Odors means "fragrant smells," while odious means "repulsive." A simple mistake by someone that is low in the society, but totally changes the meaning of the sentence. This humor is obvious to everybody watching that Bottom had made a mistake. This type of humor, while obvious, sometimes doesn't portray the meaning correctly. Inferred humor is sometimes more suited for this. Shakespeare used something like inferred humor to get across some other meanings that added to the play. One good example is the character of Puck. Puck is a hyperactive child that gets into a lot of mischief. His attitude toward his tasks is sort of a light and airy one. He does not take life seriously, he only does what is fun. This type of character is totally different than everyone else in the play; they are in a serious tone, while Puck is just dancing around pulling pranks on everyone. One good example of a prank that Puck created was putting an Ass' head on Bottom. It was unnecessary, just fun. What made him funny was these sort of pranks, and the contrast of his attitude toward the other ones in the story. For example, Lysander is bound up in love for Hermia and Helena, depending on what part of the play. He is very serious and sad because Hermia is being forced to marry Demetrius. Sort of equivalent to a tragedy. Puck is just creating mischief and having fun. Another way that Shakespeare uses humor is that he uses examples that would never happen in real life. For example, after Lysander and Demetrius had been led around the king's oak for a long time, they fell down and went to sleep. This contains no logic whatsoever, because they are trying to kill each other,

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Success of Adidas’ Olympic Games Brand Strategy

At first glance, the dim forecasts which surrounded the merger of adidas and Reebok seem to have come true. For three successive years after the merger, adidas AG has yet to fully benefit from the expected synergies of the two companies, with Reebok steadily posting a negative growth in net sales and profits.In 2007, for instance, the company posted a measly 2. 1 percent sales growth, obviously dragged by reebok’s low performance. (Adidas AG[a], 2007) As predicted, the main problem facing adidas is adeptly managing a brand portfolio especially with two highly similar brands and product offerings.On the other hand, Adidas is currently launching a new promotional campaign based on the 2008 Olympics which has the potential to increase Reebok’s presence in the Asian market and revive its faltering sales performance. Clearly, Adidas’ Olympics themed promotional campaign is bound to have a positive impact in raising the company’s brand equity especially in the A sian market. Undoubtedly, the Adidas Olympics campaign is a significant part of adidas’ global strategy of penetrating and dominating the Asian market.This strategy is primarily targeted at capturing a significant market share by ensuring adidas’ presence and leadership in China, which is Asia’s biggest market. As the official sponsor of the Olympics in China, adidas is able to communicate to the Asian market the company’s corporate values of â€Å"a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. † (Adidas AG[a], 2007) According to the company, the Olympic Games campaign with the rallying cry â€Å"Together in 2008, Impossible is Nothing† is â€Å"about rallying the nation and showing how the entire Chinese nation is supporting their athletes and the Games themselves.† (Adidas AG[b], 2007) Likewise, the Olympic campaign builds on Adidas’ earlier brand motto, â€Å"United by Sport† which reflects the company’s sporti ng culture. In this aspect, Adidas has an advantage over its rivals, particularly Nike, as adidas’ sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics not only associates the company with the symbolic meanings of sports and the Olympic Games but also complements Adidas’ forward integration strategy through the presence of 4000 adidas retail stores in China.(The China Business Network, 2008) Hatch & Schultz (2001) note, for instance, that brand success is determined by the strategic alignment between company image, vision, and culture. (p. 5) Adidas’ participation in the Beijing Olympics guarantee a higher level of exposure and promotion of adidas retail outlets, while at the same time reinforcing adidas’ favorable image for Chinese and other Asian consumers. Meanwhile the primary threats to the success of adidas’ Olympics campaign are guerilla marketing tactics of rival companies and the controversies that prominent brands often attract from their participation in highly publicized events.Svetlicic & Vial (2008) observe, for instance, that â€Å"although Adidas is the official TOP sponsor for the 2008 Olympic Games, 22 of China’s 28 teams will be wearing Nike during their athletic performances. † (p. 19) Hence, adidas’ most stringent rival may be employing a more cost-effective way of branding the Olympics through direct athlete sponsorships. Likewise, Wagner (2008) warns that â€Å"the sponsors of the Beijing Olympics are pursuing a risky, double-pronged strategy† by highlighting their presence in the games with Chinese consumers while downplaying this in the West.However, adidas’ Olympics sponsorships may be able to hurdle these challenges. For instance, Nike’s guerilla marketing tactics may backfire among Asian consumers who might interpret Nike’s branding efforts vis-a-vis its refusal to sponsor the Olympics as insincere and cheap. In contrast, sponsoring the Olympics differentiates Adidas culture and image from its rival Nike, as it could be seen as a sign of the company’s commitment to sports. Likewise, adidas does not have the same baggage that Nike has in terms of being embarassingly associated with sweatshop labor, which could insulate it from controversies.Thus, it is clear that Adidas’ Olympic Games Campaign will succeed in establishing the company as the sporting goods leader not only in China but in the Asian market. Works Cited: Adidas AG[a] (2007). Annual Report 2007. Retrieved Aug. 13, 2008 from http://www. adidas-group. com/en/News/archive/2008/05_06_2008. asp Adidas AG[b] (2007). adidas China launches its olympic games campaign – â€Å"Together in 2008, Impossible is Nothing. † Retrieved Aug. 13, 2008 from http://www. press. adidas. com/DesktopDefault. aspx/tabid-11/16_read-8434/ Hatch, M. J. & M. Schultz (Feb.2001). Are the strategic stars aligned for your corporate brand? Harvard Business Review. Svetlicic, Z. & F. H. Vial (2008). The four fronts of the upcoming olympic battle. The Hub, 25:18-21. Wagner, W. (2008). Sponsors Find Olympic Connection a Double-Edged Sword. Retrieved Aug. 13, 2008 from http://www. spiegel. de/international/business/0,1518,552074,00. html The China Business Network (2008). Adidas and the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Retrieved Aug. 13, 2008 from http://thechinabusinessnetwork. com/Advertising-and-PR/adidas-and-The-Beijing-2008-Olympics. html

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Divorce Rates in America

America’s Divorce Rates: Why Are They So High? The sanctity of marriage is a tradition that has been entered by generations over the past thousands of years. In the United States alone, 2,200,000 people choose to enter the lifetime commitment of marriage every year. Yet, less than half of that population is expected to keep that commitment. In a 1999 Rutgers University study, it is said that only 38 percent of Americans consider themselves happy in their married state, which has decreased from 53 percent 25 years ago.With the current, alarming statistic of over half of marriages resulting in divorce, there is much reason to take notice of how these numbers got so high. Although I personally have not grown up in a divorced household, I sought to understand why so many other people have, and in turn possibly gain knowledge to avoid becoming a part of the divorced population as well. In Steven Nock’s article, â€Å"America’s Divorce Problem,† he encloses the important point that â€Å"Divorce is not the problem, but rather a symptom of the problem† (1 Nock).With varying symptoms such as the feminist movement in the 1960s, an increase in financial dependence, increased career mobility, and the overall changed perception of marriage, the divorce rates have increased rapidly since the 1960s and deserve further explanation. The overall family structure has been challenged, and fault lines in American families have widened since the 1960s and the 1970s, which is when the divorce rate doubled.In the magazine article, â€Å"The Pursuit of Autonomy,† Alan Wolfe states that â€Å"the family is no longer a haven; all too often a center of dysfunction, it has become one with the heartless world that surrounds it. † While this statement may be a slight exaggeration of the family perception, reasons remain for the rapid increase of 30 percent in the divorce rate since the 1960s. Discussed in Barbara LeBay’s article, †Å"American Families Are Drifting Apart,† there are supposedly four main societal changes that occurred in the 1960s, which have greatly impacted today’s traditional family structures in America.Such societal changes include the sexual revolution, women's liberation movement, states' relaxation of divorce laws, and mobility of American families and are said to be responsible for many of our family alienations. During this time frame, society’s youth fled from the confines of family, while other family members sought to keep them close and as a result, it is said that there were most likely more problematic issues between children and parents during the 1960s and early 1970s than ever before.More importantly, the women's liberation movement in the workplace played a large role in changing the values and perceptions of family structure in America. Before this time, men were the assumed leader of each household and were given the largest responsibility of advancing i n their careers to make a living, while women were for the most part financially dependent upon them. However, starting in the 1960s women with a college degree could live independently and establish a life for themselves.There was a new recognition in society that civil rights meant equal rights for everyone, including women (243 Finsterbursch). Women sought sexual equality, which included a wider range of career opportunities and promotions that were once available only to men. By having this form of financial independence, women also had more of the freedom to break away from destructive or unhappy marriages. Although this movement is an important and productive one, it also impacted the traditional notions of marriage.Marriage had suddenly become a â€Å"choice,† rather than a â€Å"necessity,† and the entire concept of divorce became less of an issue. Another great change during this time period was the increase in mobility of families in which many family members were no longer living in the same household with one another. Men and women began to move to wherever they could advance in the corporate ladder in the shortest amount of time. Despite how far it was from where they grew up, college students took more jobs away from home, jeopardizing family unity.People needed to invest lots of time and energy to recreate their lives without the support of their family with these relocations, and still today many are willing to sacrifice their family relationships in order to advance in their careers. Barbara Lebay makes the important point that strangely, the more financially independent people become, the more families scatter and grow apart and tolerance levels decrease as their financial means increase (1 Lebay).In relation to this observation, Joseph Ducanto makes a similar point about the financial effects of divorce on poverty, along with the idea that while fixing the divorce system will not eliminate the future of poverty, certain changes can help to bring the problem into an easier resolution. In the article, â€Å"Divorce and Poverty are Often Synonymous,† there is praise for the concept of prenuptial agreements due to the fact that in recent years, prenuptial agreements have been adopted by many states of the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act.The adoption of this Act is said to â€Å"significantly strengthen the legal basis for acceptance and enforcement of these agreements within marital proceedings† (90 Ducanto). In today’s society, the need and importance of prenuptial agreements signifies our priority of finances being a common theme to marriage termination. Often times, who makes the money in the family and just how much can determine whether a marriage will stay together or not, an issue that was not common before the 1960s. The accumulation of marriage and divorce laws over the years are also said to have affected our increasing divorce rates.Since the 1970’s, all states have had access to what are called â€Å"no-fault divorces,† with the only real restriction being a waiting time limit of a few months to a year. The motivation for this concept came from the movement of people who felt this would benefit women and children who were stuck in verbally or physically abusive marriages. However, in Steven Nock’s article, â€Å"America’s Divorce Problem,† he discusses that many believe that the facility of this idea has also created somewhat of a â€Å"divorce culture† to the United States in which the traditional sanctions of marriage are no longer respected as much.Others also disapprove of the no-fault divorce saying that it often leaves women dependent, harms the interest of the children, and deteriorates the general social welfare (1 Nock). Although I personally have not grown up in a divorced household, I sought to understand why so many other people have, and in turn possibly gain knowledge to avoid becoming a part of th e divorced population as well.With varying symptoms such as the feminist movement in the 1960s, an increase in financial dependence, increased career mobility, and the overall changed perception of marriage, the divorce rates have increased rapidly since the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, there came the beginning of what some would describe as a â€Å"divorce culture† for America in which divorce was not seen as such a serious matter, with even the electing our first divorced President of the United States, Ronald Regan.Although events and movements of this era such as women’s empowerment in the workplace are very important to history, they have also impacted the traditional notions of marriage. Marriage has become a â€Å"choice,† rather than a â€Å"necessity,† and the entire concept of divorce is much less of an issue. This new attitude on divorce has clearly prevailed to current times and will hopefully correct itself throughout more changes in ev ents to our society. Works Cited Ducanto, Joseph N. â€Å"Divorce and Poverty Are Often Synonymous.   American Journal of Family Law  24. 2 (2010): 87-94. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. Finsterbusch, Kurt. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Social Issues. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. Print. LeBey, Barbara. â€Å"American Families Are Drifting Apart. †Ã‚  USA Today Magazine  130. 2676 (2001): 20. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. Nock, Steven L. â€Å"America's Divorce Problem. †Ã‚  Society  36. 4 (1999): 43-52. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Account for the failure of both the Power Sharing Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly essays

Account for the failure of both the Power Sharing Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly essays Account for the failure of both the Power Sharing Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly To account for such a failure in the power-sharing executive it is necessary for one to look at the structure and the organisation of the Assemblies as well as assessing its aims and directives as well as to examine the time scale to which this has taken place. My intention is to examine from the mid-seventies to the present day and all the questions that these many and various initiatives have raised. The power-sharing executive was the first and last examples of home rule since the collapse of During this last period the establishment of Stormont lasted from 1973 to 1974. The aim of the British Government was to return the province to an eventual devolution. The issue of direct rule was to be only a temporary measure whilst the relevant sides talked it out at the negotiating table looking for a form of political settlement. Essentially the main elements that both parties were looking for was to guarantee that the province remained a part of the United Kingdom as long as the majority deem that wish . Proportional Representation was held in order to elect the new seventy-eight Northern Irish Assembly. The two most contentious issue of all the issues of were the issue of institutionalised power sharing and that of the establishment of the Council of Ireland, which had, a direct input into the system of governance as well as a probable oversight into linking the whole system into the Irish political system, therefore adding an Irish dimension to the proceedings in order to placate republican feelings and sentiment. The executive failed on a series of levels due to the various claimed inconsistency by both sides. But one must really accredit claim to the Unionists for mobilising the populace with the help of the paramilitaries in organising strikes and protest mar...

Monday, November 4, 2019

H R Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

H R - Essay Example Therefore, Job analyst, specification and selection of people become an important part in the hiring cycle. Furthermore, these are now turn into a vital stage of company development and improvement. Over an over, hiring become a strategic analysis in which the overall strategy (growth, consolidation, diversification, etc), key human resources needed to achieve strategy & workforce characteristics and behaviors required of key human resources are planed & discussed ahead of time. In this report, we will discuss the different stages of hiring a new staff on board and how to make the right choice of getting the right person on-board. We will also look at how strategic human resource manager could provide useful to the board of management as to maximize company efficiency and profitability. From a manager stand point, hiring is not just about finding a candidate to ill in the job vacancies, but also about how to help company to find the best person to join. As a result, this is a process to increase team efficiency & hence become more productive and leads higher profitability. In fact, it is very costly to have the wrong person in the job and to have to replace them. The critical factor in assuring manager makes the right employee selection for hiring or promotion or lateral move is the ability to accurately predict the cultural & soft skill fit of the candidates with the job and at the same time, it is the line manager role to think of the hard skills needed on the job, that is job analyst and its another strategic plan for companies to attract potential talent person to join the team (Youndt, 1996). The line manager must clearly identify the kind of job responsibility he needs for the team and the types of person he wants to fit in the role. Also, the qualification of the candidates and the source of the applicants are also very critical decision making process for line

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Saudi Aramco Procurement Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Saudi Aramco Procurement Process - Essay Example The millennium is characterized with information technology as instrument for world wide business expansion, networking and in engaging with business partners for sustainable operations. Information technology also improved communication processes and hastened responses to corporate needs and systematized all operations. For some institutions and companies, this optimized virtual mechanism for complex procedures by thoroughly mainstreaming transactional contract relations. This means that through technology, corporation evolved into certain level of structural sophistication in centralizing internal mechanism and resolving once complex manual procedures, including assertiveness in the interaction of business decision processes. All this are made possible through the development of systematized digitized system of information technology. This essay will attempt to explicate and illustrate how information technology improved procedural procurement engendered organizational readiness in terms of corporate financial and technological resources as well as of its capacity to respond to external pressure due to competition with trading. Transactional relations of contact and procurement are now even done using the internet. It will also attempt to analyze if hard system model befits Saudi Aramco Company’s procurement procedures. Procurement Procedure is a process on how a contract is obtained. It is a mechanism to control the nature, object, expectations, and delivery of outcome based on agreements. It is a universal mechanisms adopted by companies and institutions that are operating in large scale, or in a multi-enterprise level with expensive capital investments but is constantly confronted with concerns on production technologies adaptation, volatile markets and pervasive regulation (Estache & Atsushi (2008). This situation is true with oil and gas extractive industries where there are standards and control mechanism that should be adopted to systematize its operations. This is considered as complexity management. Managing Information System There is a systematic approach used in managing information systems. This approach is technology-focused, process-sensitive, quantitative and qualitative in application and methodical in analysis, procedures, tools and techniques (Dumitrascu, 2006). This is evident in computerized system designed by infotech experts like Cisco. It helped in knowledge management and in systematizing transactions by increasing it company’s corporate virtual realities, although these require persons equipped with knowledge to ensure that the system will be effectively interactive. This means that the person must be knowledgeable too in maximizing digitized information in documentation as well as in technical system optimization to protect it from overload and techie backlog. Complexity management treats all hard structured and soft unstructured problems. Its system is rational, scientific and logical and itâ₠¬â„¢s developed with the assumption that the world is clear out there and can be customized based on our needs (Dumitrascu, 2006). Complexity management can be done using varied diagrams. This can be Spray Diagram, Systems Maps, Influence Diagrams, Multiple-cause diagrams, Sign graphs, and Control Model Diagram. These are explicated as follows: a. Influence Diagram— also known as relevance  analysis or a decision network illustrated graphical and mathematical representation in decision-making. It was developed in 1970s and is now adopted widely and becoming an alternative to  decision tree which typically suffers from  exponential growth  in number of branches with each variable modeled (Detwarasiti and Shachter, 2005 ; Holtzman,1989). ID is practicable for team decision analysis because it allows incomplete sharing of information among team members to be modeled and solved explicitly. The semantic of