AfricanAmericansIn the Early U essays

AfricanAmericansIn the Early U essays African American in the early Republic Wright R, Donald.  gAfrican Americans in the early Republic, 1789-1831. h Harlan Davidson Inc. Wheeling, Illinois. 1993 Thesis- African Americans were intricate parts of early American society. With their help a nation was born founded on the princplies of Liberty, Freedom and Justice. Though these unalienable rights were not to be extended to African Americans. Authors Purpose-  gThe purpose behind  gAfrican Americans in the early Republic h is to show how African Americans lived their lives in a nation divided. Divided along lines of White and Non-White, North and South, Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery. Wright shows the forced exodus from the northern end of the southern states to the cotton plantations in the Deep South. Wright describes a nation trying to find itself, a nation based on freedom that would enslave over two million people. Slave Migration- Life was rather stable for African Americans before the American Revolution. Yes, they were slaves but there were strong family ties to their kin along with their owners. Slaves usually lived their whole life in the same town. After the war things started to change and cotton was one of the main reasons. New strains of cotton which were easier to pick the seeds from and the invention of the cotton gin increased the demand for labor, revitalized the slave trade. In 1808 the importation of slaves was banned in the United States. With an increasing number of slaves needed to work the Sugar and Cotton Plantations in the south. Those begin a great exodus of African Americans slaves to the Lower South from the Upper South. In the 1820s 15,000 a year were bought and moved to work in southern plantations and by 1830s this number jump to 25,000. This led to the distribution of life for African Americans along with the forcible break up of many families. Slave Unrest-The United States was spared the slave revolts that the Caribbean isla ...

Is the Merchant of Venice anti-Christian or anti-Semitic Essays

Is the Merchant of Venice anti-Christian or anti-Semitic Essays Is the Merchant of Venice anti-Christian or anti-Semitic Paper Is the Merchant of Venice anti-Christian or anti-Semitic Paper Essay Topic: Merchant Of Venice Play The Merchant of Venice written by Shakespeare is a powerfully expressed play of love and hate, loyalty and prejudice, justice and mercy interwoven intricately, but delicately, while reflecting the most complex human beings and their affairs surrounding them. However, before consulting the play, we should consider the time and background in which it was written and performed, for the viewpoints of the characters in The Merchant of Venice are highly influenced by the aspect of the time it had been written, the Elizabethan era. After the Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews), the Jews in foreign lands resolutely kept up their customs and religion. They formed right-knit communities and became known for their intelligence, hard work and capability for business. Unfortunately, these gifted qualities sometimes led to their being mistrusted and resented. This was especially the case in Christian countries, where anti-Semitism feeling was very strong. During the Elizabethan era, for instance, condemning the Jews without any justifiable reason was acceptable and no questions were asked against that fact. The only reason for the mere action of cruelty was that the Jews were not Christians. However, what right did the Christians have in reproaching the Jews? Were the Jews as bad and damned as the Christians thought them to be? As a matter of course, some of the Jews were at least in some aspects. Shylock, the most important of the three Jews in The Merchant of Venice, definitely has some villainous nature in him even though his character seems rather ambiguous. First of all, Shylock is a mean miser who knows nothing but money. In fact, Shylock seems to care more for his money than for his runaway daughter, I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear: would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. The way Shylock makes his precious money is by lending money to people by taking the interest, or well won thrift as he calls it. This might mean nothing to us nowadays, but for the gentlemen in Venice it was somewhat an insult, for taking interest meant that Shylock did not trust the word of a gentleman and therefore their integrity and honour. However, Shylocks obsession towards his money and profit is nevertheless understandable. Shylock is a foreigner in his own city. He may have lived all his life in Venice, yet he is treated as an alien just because he has different religious beliefs. Like his fellow Jews, therefore, he tries to rise above such prejudice and seeks security and success in money-lending business. Consequently, money means more than anything does to Shylock, it means his social statues and life for him. All Shylock wants is to be equal, and to be understood as an equal human being. I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affection, passions? Fed with the same food, huirt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? In addition, Shylock is not entirely apathetic in the matter of love. When his friend Tubal informs him with the news of his lost ring he cries, Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise, I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor. This shows that Shylock at least loved him wife, if nobody else. Antonio and the Christians will not allow themselves to lend money for profit, but to support their extravagant lifestyle they still need money loan from the Jews they persecute. Shylock has been waiting to strike back at Antonio, one of Venices principal anti-Semites, and sees his chance when the merchant is compelled to come to him for credit. Shylock fools Antonio into making a contract with a terrifying forfeiture, a pound of mans flesh, taken from a man. It becomes clear from the beginning what Shylocks intention is when he says, Ill plague him, Ill torture him. I am glad of it. When Antonio fails to pay the bond, Shylock refers obsessively and repeatedly to his bond and demands a pound of Antonios flesh, taken from the closest place to his heart. Ill have my bond; I will not hear thee speak; Ill have my bond, and therefore speak no more. Shylock is a fiend armed with scales and knife and his bloodthirsty campaign against Antonio is morally indefensible. Then again, we should also consider the situation Shylock is living in. He is not treated fairly and equally as a person but a dog, You have rated me about my monies and my usances you call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, and spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, and all for use of that which is mine own. Throughout the whole play, Shylock suffers constant verbal abuse such as evil soul, devil, dog Jew, inhuman wretch, damned, inexecrable dog etc. When seen from another perspective, Shylock can be viewed as a godly, clean-living family man who merely wished to do his business unimpeded. He is only a man driven into revenge by mindless, unreasonable persecution and theft of his only child. He is a misguided soul who tried to get even within the law of those who hate him, only to be cruelly tricked a humiliated yet again. Jessica, Shylocks daughter is another main Jew in The Merchant of Venice. She is not a filial daughter, for she elopes with a Christian, Lorenzo, betraying her father, his faith and his religion. To make the matter worse for Shylock, Jessica also takes a considerable amount of his dear fortune and jewels. In any historical and moral case, a daughter betraying her father is unacceptable. However, was the elopement entirely Jessicas fault? It is true that Jessica took some part in the elopement and stealing her fathers money. However, she was persuaded by Lorenzo and his love for her. In a way, Jessica is a victim of Lorenzos deception. It could be seen that Lorenzo eloped with Jessica, knowing well that she would bring considerable sum of her fathers money. Not very surprisingly, when the money is used up, Lorenzos love for Jessica seems to be drying up at the same time. Yet, Lorenzos behaviour towards Jessica changes once more when he hears the news of Shylock agreeing give his money to daughter. How do the Christians differ from the Jews they persecute? Are they so much superior that they have the right to condemn another human being? The fact that the Christians think they differ greatly from the Jews is evident from the phrase, thou shalt see the difference of your spirit. Externally, Christians are gentle, amiable and honourable people who know the difference between right and wrong. They value each others honour immensely that they can even afford to lend money without any interest. They believe in nothing but rightful justice, all the while being merciful at the same time. However, could it be true that the gentlemen exterior is just a mask with its title of honour? It is definitely possible; at least in the way Shakespeare saw it. Bassanio, a Christian, uses his close friend, Antonio, for money. What is worse, Bassanio takes advantage of Antonios love, which is evident from his words, And if it stand as you yourself still do within the eye of honour, be assured my purse, my person, my extremest means lie all unlocked to your occasions, and does not pay the money back after squandering more and more of it. Ultimately, Bassanio gets Antonio into trouble with his enemy Shylock, yet again because of the money. Another good thing about Christians are that they are lovers when the Jews are said to be as unfeeling as stones. However, instead of marrying for their love, the Christian men seem to be marrying for the money and the position. For instance, when Bassanio describes Portia to Antonio the first thing he says about her is the amount of her money, in Belmont is a lady richly left, and she is fair This simple order of sentence implies that the prior reason Bassanio is going to marry Portia is not love, but her money and that the first thing he sees in love is also money. In fact, he commoditised her as a thing rather than a person by saying, and many Jasons come in quest of her. By modern social context, marrying someone for his or her money is not only deceiving, but unacceptable. On top of all deceiving, the Christians are deceitful and hypocritical. Portia, who is supposed to be fair and perfect, is about the most deceitful and hypocritical person throughout the whole play. She shows her true personality when she talks with Nerissa, it is a good divine that follows his own instructions; I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. Her hypocrisy is shown once again in the court when she repeatedly gives Shylock so many chances to back down, so adding to the humiliation she clearly wishes to inflict on him in her hour of victory, The quality of mercy is not strained it blesseth him that gives, and him that takes it is an attribute to God himself, and earthly power doth then show likes Gods when mercy seasons justice. However, when Shylock is defeated, he is shown little of the mercy, which before was so earnestly recommended to him by Portia. Half his wealth is confiscated and -far worse- he must lose his faith and convert to Christianity. In any case, the most appalling and nasty aspect of the Christians is that they are extremely prejudiced. They have such high opinion of themselves and such low opinion of Jews that they think they are the only chosen ones for heaven after death, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children therefore be ogood cheer, for truly I think you are damned. They condemn the Jews for what they are and no matter what the Jews do, nothing will change the Christians perceptions. Jessica, who is married to Lorenzo, and therefore a Christian is still referred to as yond stranger and infidel. The Merchant of Venice seems to contain both good and bad aspects of both the Christians and the Jews. Whether it is anti-Christian or anti-Semitic, one cannot decide, but it is true that Shakespeare had a deep understanding about the suffering and the behaviours, which resulted from racial prejudice. Shakespeare tried to write the story of mere human beings of different races, showing their lives and the way they dealt with them. He may have also wanted to say, What is real justice? How can you draw a line between the justice and injustice and classify them? How can you even divide people into being justifiable or not? He may have also wanted to tell people that appearance is not what you can be dependant on. That it may be something that you did not even dream of and maybe that it may have so much more to it than what you judged it to contain. Just like the Jews who were obsessed with money externally, but who started collecting money because they wanted to be accepted. Just like the Christians who looked like gentlemen externally, but who were nothing better than another race they despised.

Sociology of Health and Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology of Health and Healthcare - Essay Example Sociology maintains a belief that the way individuals act, the challenges they face, the opportunities open to them, and the path they choose to tread are not just dependent on their personal or individual efforts, but are likewise greatly determined by society. Aside from being distinct individuals, each person is a social being and an integral part of the society. Each person is influenced by culture and the norms of the members of the society. The immediate family has the greatest influence because of proximity and exposure. Other significant influences include the peer group, ethnic group, the social or economic class grouping, and gender affiliation. This is not however to discount the fact that individuals have the ultimate control of their lives, but this control is a reflection of who and how the person is within a societal context. Society generally shapes human behavior like the way people react and respond to events and circumstances, the way people deal with crisis, the way people perceive and understand the attitudes and actions of other people within and outside of their community. The doors of opportunity are opened or closed depending on the dictates of society based on age, gender, race or economic status. Sociology explores how individuals and groups build, sustain and change social organization in a variety of ways. It studies the sources and outcomes of change in social processes and institutions, and it examines the fulfillment and difficulties of planning, achieving and adapting to the change. Sociology looks at how people interact with each other in relation to the different aspects of society and the different societal institutions. It aims to analyze the degree to which individuals attain optimum growth and development through the policies and programs of the different institutions and the constraints in the attainment of this development like social inequality, which are present in society. It also aims to determine how the aspects of society like gender, age, economic capability, health condition, race, and religion bring forth advantages or disadvantages to certain individuals or groups. The study of social dynamics include topics in values, culture, socialization, cooperation, conflict, exchange, power, inequality, social control, order, deviance, social change, and violence (Whati is Sociology, 2003). Sociology encompasses the study of all human relationships, groups, societies and institutions. The scope covered by the field of sociology include class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, social inequality, the family, work, the mass media, religion, the environment, organizations, the body, health and illness, and the national and global economy (What aspects of society and social life do sociologists study). II. A Focus on the Health and Ageing Area of Study in Sociology Sociology has several areas of study all dealing with social interactions in different areas of society and everyday living, and the basis and consequences of these interactions. One area of study is Health and Ageing. The Health and Agei

Week 2 discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 2 discussion - Assignment Example 239), as well as balancing its flexibility. One of the methods of creating a balance between the need of flexibility with the need for stringent order for purposes of creating a culture of innovation is for an organization to reconsider its main aim of operation, and define its corporate objectives (Shehabuddeen, 2007). As the company experiences growth in its operations, it tends to employ new people, who come with a different mindset. This people have a higher tolerance of risk, as opposed to the old employees, who are stable and familiar with the business operations. To reconcile this people, the company must define its objectives, and create mechanisms that will ensure employees adhere to the rules and objectives of the organizations. The organization must restructure its goals, and its culture, and redefine the responsibility of older members of the organization, for purposes of encouraging innovation and flexibility in the business set up (Frankline et al, 2009). To create a balance between the need for flexibility and the need for stringent measures of a business organization, the organization needs to initiate a change in its recruitment process (Patel and Patel, 2008). It must create new methods of assigning duties, and change the manner of interaction within the organization. It must create a new reward policy that encourages innovation, as well as the need of stringency in the business set up. The traits to look for in recruitment are people with a right mind set, people willing to challenge the status quo, and individuals willing to learn and adapt a challenging environment. Finally, the organization needs review its internal and external operations. This is by creating a managerial group whose role and purpose is to communicate the expectations of the company to its employees (Shehabuddeen, 2007). This group will encourage innovation, and develop ways and methods of balancing the need of

Effects of Reality Tv on Society Essay Example for Free

Effects of Reality Tv on Society Essay There are many discussions about the effects of reality TV on society. Positive and negative effects of reality TV are two parts of a coin. Unfortunately the coin mostly falls on the negative side. Many reality TV shows are created purely for profit without thinking about its consequences on the mindsets of viewers, especially young viewers . Media companies accept that they make these shows for profit and they do not care about the effects on people. They say that they just show us what we want. Is it right not to care about the viewers mental health just to make more money? Most of these shows do not portray reality and this weakens the ability of critical thinking, causes to depict a false image of life, develops wrong notions, erodes some ethical and moral practices. Reality TV shows give a false image of reality, since the people watching them are under the impression that everything happening in the show is real. According to a Time magazine article, some reality TV shows are edited to be dramatic and some quotes may actually be manufactured. Clashes and ugly feuds between the reality stars may be constructed and some parts of the shows may also be completely edited and cut out so they dont make the final show that people see on TV. Some critics actually charge that reality TV is not so real and that these shows may be far more manipulative than we think. When all is said and done, some people on the reality shows say that they were unfairly represented and the reality taken out of the show therefore making the show pure entertainment. In some ways, this gives the audience that the characters in these shows are real and acting normal. Some viewers empathize with the show’s stars. Viewers tend to behave, feel, think like the stars and during this process they lose their critical thinking skills. A great example can be seen in John Cheveer’s article ‘’The Enormous Radio’’. In the article a woman has a radio that is capable of playing the neighbor’s conversations. The woman has created an apished public self, and when she hears the neighbor’s private conversations she is witnessed to the nakedness of their misery. She asks her husband ‘’We’re happy, aren’t we, darling? We are happy, aren’t we? ’’ (Cheever, pg. 83) . So she lost her ability to judge her own happiness by being witnessing other people’s life’s, just like some reality TV shows . Certain shows are filled with glamour, filtrations, indecent acts, promiscuity, greed, jealousy, conflict and other sensitive issues. These create a controversy in the society where this society begins to support unethical and immoral practices. Humans take the negative parts of these shows causing increased rates in murder, corruption in society and antisocial behaviors. As Salman Rushdie claims, ‘’ The television set once so idealistically thought of as our window on the world , has become a dime-store mirror instead. ’ (2001, pg. 63) . Values such as being successful, smart, educated, acting polite has less value nowadays. A glaring example on mental effects ‘’ When the sister of a woman who appeared on ABC’s Extreme Makeover committed suicide in 2004, the contestant sued the network for wrongful death and other charges . The contestant, who was competing to win free plastic surgery but lost, claimed that her sister had felt so guilty about mocking her appearance on the program that she killed herself. ABC settled the case for an undisclosed amount last year. ‘’ (W. Peters, 2010, pg. 74) . This example also shows producers of reality shows do not care about the consequences on society as long as they are making money. As Jeremy W. Peters claims ‘’In recent years producers and networks have increasingly pushed the boundaries of television voyeurism in search of another ratings hit’’ (2007, pg. 73) . Since there is not a law against producers to harming people, they do not be careful on what they show on programmes. Therefore there are social organizations which want to make a law against reality TV or completely ban reality shows. Many programmes insult and degrade moral values. ‘‘It ? s hard to defend the deception of Joe Millionaire which set up twenty women to court construction worker Evan Marriott by telling them he was a multimillionaire’’(Poniewozik, 2003, pg. 69) . This example shows us how the show degrades women . Also on some shows great portion of the African American contestants are shown as bad. For example the show ‘’Love Cruise’’ is where singles pair up on cruise ships and get married. The women were told to hook up with whomever they want, but every woman chose a white man. The one guy left standing was the black man. Of course we cannot claim that reality shows effect every human in a negative way . In fact there are people who claim reality TV has positive effects on the society . Such as James Poniewozik ‘’It has given the networks water-cooler buzz again; it has reminded viewers jaded by sitcoms and dramas why TV can be exciting; and at its best, its teaching TV a new way to tell involving human stories. ’’ ( 2003, pg. 67) . Also these shows are a place where people could show their talents and get rewarded for it. On the show American Idol, a woman had two children but she did not have enough money to raise them. She had a great voice, so she won the money prize and now the family has a great life. Unfortunately these kinds of positive effects are only a small part of the pie . By considering all of the points made above the effects of reality shows on people may not be crucial, but it is definitely taken in great importance. The ignorance of producers and effects on mental health and social talents are unjust and corruptive. Maybe strict laws could put a stop to all of it but until that time comes the community will still get effected by reality TV.

Cigarettes Should Be Made Illegal Essay -- Argumentative, Persuasive,

The sale of cigarettes and tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry, but is it truly worth all the problems that stem from their use. Health care costs are extremely high due to all the health problems associated with cigarettes and tobacco. Even though research has proven time and time again the harmful effects of cigarettes, and the rising cost of health care caused by cigarettes our government will not take a stand and stop all manufacturing of the horrible toxins. Every year new medical reports are issued regarding the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world die every year from diseases caused by smoking. Approximately one in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age. The most common of the diseases caused by smoking is cancer, of course. Not only is it a cause of lung cancer, but cancer of the larynx, and the esophagus, and it contributes to the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, and kidney. Lung cancer comes from the tar in the cigarettes. The tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney. It does not make a difference if a smoker changes to low-tar cigarettes because smokers will take a deeper puff to get the same affect as a regular cigarette. This causes them to draw the tar deeper into their lungs causing even more damage. The Surgeon General requires that every package of cigarettes has one of the following statemen ts: SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy. SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide. Despite these warnings most of the population is not aware of the other illnesses that can develop... ...is vicious cycle? They have taken a stand to control the nicotine in the cigarettes; why not take that stand even further? Do they not realize by making these wicked things illegal and shutting down manufacturers, not only will they save on health care, they will save lives? Works Cited http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/smoking-diseases.html, http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/culture-society/articles/cigarette-manufacturers-developed-candy-flavored-brands-target-youth, Carrie Carpenter, Harvard School of Public Health, November, 2005 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1889469,00.html, Fixing Health Care Cheaply, Haig, Scott, April, 2009 "FDA bans flavored cigarettes as part of new tobacco control act." Hem/Onc Today 25 Oct. 2009: 2. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. Wilkes, Gwen, Personal Interview, 27 November 2009.

Organizational Behavior: Personality and Values Essay

In today’s modern society, personality and values play a critical role in the stability of an organization. Today, diversity is the key to the success of most organizations. However, diversity goes beyond merely race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, and disability. The diversity of personality and the appreciation of the variety of talents and skills of our co-workers will go far in helping us make our lives less stressful. The human resource department and hiring managers need to consider personality and values when they hire new employees. It is also important that they understand and appreciate the different personality and values of their current employees. Personality and Values In today’s competitive market it has become extremely important to hire the right people to help execute the mission and vision of a company. The employee helps bring the slogan on the wall into existence; therefore, it is important that employees display the right personality and values the company would like to show the world. Gordon Allport produced the definition of personality we most frequently use nearly 70 years ago. Allport said personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 133). However, the definition has been tweaked over the years. For the purpose of this paper, personality is defined as the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others. The most important reason managers need to know how to measure personality is that research has shown personality tests are useful in hiring decisions and help managers for ecast who is best for a job (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 133). Values are another area where companies need to ensure the employees and managers are on the same page. When values are divided, problems with the organization closely follow. Values represent basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state existence. They contain a judgmental element in that they carry an individual’s ideas as to what is right, good, or desirable. Values have both content and intensity attributes. The content attribute says a mode of conduct or end-state of existence is important. The intensity attribute specifies how important it is. When we ran an individual’s values in terms of their intensity, we obtain that person’s value system (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 144). When a company considers the personality of their employees and the value system of the owners and shareholders the company had now developed a company personality. Personality Traits Corporations often use personality assessments to understand how the people that belong in their organization interact. Two popular frame works for indentifying and classifying traits are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Big Five Model. According to Robins and Judge, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most widely used personality assessment instrument in the world. It is a 100-question personality test that asks people how they usually feel or act in particular situations. Respondents are classified as extraverted or introverted (E or I), sensing or intuitive (S or N), thinking or feeling (T or F), and judging or perceiving (J or P). These terms are defined as follows: * Extraverted (E) versus Introverted (I). Extraverted individuals are outgoing, sociable, and assertive. Introverts are quiet and shy. * Sensing (S) versus Intuitive (N). Sensing types are practical and prefer routine and order. They focus on details. Intuitive rely on unconscious processes and look at the à ¢â‚¬Å"big picture.† * Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F). Thinking types use reason and logic to handle problems. Feeling types rely on their personal values and emotions. * Judging (J) versus perceiving (P). Judging types want control and prefer their world to be ordered and structured. Perceiving types are flexible and spontaneous (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 56) These classifications together describe 16 personality types, indentifying every person by one trait from each of the four parts. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has been widely used by organizations including Apple Computer, AT&T, Citigroup, GE, 3M Co., many hospitals and educational institutions, and even the U.S. Armed Forces (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 135). The Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator may lack strong supporting evidence, but an impressive body of research supports the thesis of the Big Five Model – that five basic dimensions underlie all others and encompass most of the significant variation in human personality. Moreover, test scores of these traits do a very good job of predicting how people behave in a variety of real-life situations (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 136). The following are the Big Five factors: * Extraversion. The extraversion dimension captures our comfort level with relationships. Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. Introverts tend to be reserved, timed and quiet. * Agreeableness. The agreeableness dimension refers to an individual’s propensity to defer to others. Highly agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. People who score low on agreeableness are cold, disagreeable, and antagonistic. * Conscientiousness. The conscientiousness dimension is a measure of reliability. A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent. Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized, and unreliable. * Emotional stability. The emotional stability dimension – often labeled by its converse, neuroticism – taps a person’s ability to withstand stress. People with positive emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure. Those with high negative scores tend to be nervous, anxious, depressed, and insecure. * Openness to experience. The openness to experience dimension addresses range of interests and fascination with novelty. Extremely open people are creative, curious, and artistically sensitive. Those at the other end of the category are conventional and find comfort in the familiar (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 136). Generational Values Values within a person are oftentimes shaped by what generation and life events they may have experienced during their formative years. Researchers have integrated several recent analyses of work values into four groups that attempt to capture the unique vales of different cohorts or generations in the United States workforce (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 145). There are some limitations to this theory because a person born in one generation can have the characteristic of another generation. Just because you are born on a certain date, does not automatically make you have the same values as everyone in your own generation. Despite these limitations, values do change over generations, and we can gain some useful insights from analyzing values this way. Boomers (Baby Boomers) are a large cohort born after World War II when United States veterans returned to their families and times were good. Boomers entered the workforce from the mid-1960’s through the mid-1980’s. They brought with them a large measure of the â€Å"hippy ethic† and distrust of authority. But they placed a great deal of emphasis on achievement and material success. Pragmatists who believe ends justify means; they work hard and want to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Boomers see the organizations that employ them merely as vehicles for their careers. In terms of seniority, baby boomers make up the bulk of the employees in most large corporations, so it is imperative that co-workers understand the values of the person sitting or standing next to them. Terminal values such as a sense of accomplishments and social recognition rank high with them (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 146). The lives of Xers (Generation Xers) have been shaped by globalization, two-career parents, MTV, AIDS, and computers. Xers value flexibility, life options, and the achievement of job satisfaction. Family and relationships are very important. Xers are skeptical, particularly of authority. They also enjoy team-oriented work. In search of balance in their lives, Xers are less willing to make personal sacrifices for the sake of their employer than previous generations were. Generation Xers rate high on true friendship, happiness, and pleasure. The most recent entrants to the workforce, the millennials (also called Netters, Nexters, Generation Yers, and Generation Nexters) grew up during prosperous times. They have high expectations and seek meaning in their work. Millennial have life goals more oriented toward becoming rich (81 percent) and famous (51 percent) than do Generation Xers (62 percent) and 29 percent, respectively, but they also see themselves as socially responsible (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 146). They are more ethnically and racially diverse than older adults. They’re less religious, less likely to have served in the military, and are on track to become the most educated generation in American history. They embrace multiple modes of self-expression. Three-quarters have created a profile on a social networking site. One-in-five have posted a video of themselves online. Nearly four-in-ten have a tattoo (and for most who do, one is not enough: about half of those with tattoos have two to five and 18% have six or more). Nearly one-in-four have a piercing in some place other than an earlobe- about six times the share of older adults who’ve done this. But their look-at-me tendencies are not without limits. Most Millennials have placed privacy boundaries on their social media profiles and 70% say their tattoos are hidden beneath clothing (Millennial, 2010). Policy on Ethics Often times the value system of a company can clearly be seen with the company’s ethical code. Chrysler actually posts a code of ethics brochure on their website to ensure all employees and customers know their value system. According to the website, Chrysler expects all of its employees to contribute to a cooperative working environment in which the dignity of each individual is respected. The conduct of management personnel should set an example to promote positive employee morale and the open exchange of ideas. Chrysler is committed to high ethical standards in business transactions. Chrysler does not tolerate unethical or corrupt practices by its employees or its business partners. Chrysler strictly forbids engaging in or tolerating bribery or any other form of corruption. High standards require hard work, courage and often present difficult choices. At times, choosing the proper course of action means foregoing business or personal opportunities. The â€Å"integrity code,† while not all-inclusive, reflects the basic standards of ethical behavior expected of Chrysler employees and should be read in conjunction with the company policies, guidelines, and standards of conduct that also apply to Chrysler employees (â€Å"Integrity Code,† 2009). Ineffective company ethics policies can also be a detriment to the company’s public image, stature in the business community, and ultimately to their profitability. Many people assume that running a successful business often entails a systematic approach, however the personality and values of employees of a company plays a crucial role in its success as well. It is can be detrimental when executive decisions are not made and could result in them being extremely costly. For example, according to Academy of Management executives â€Å"clean up costs are sometimes difficult to attribute to any particular ethics failure. Consisting of such things as attorney and audit fees , investigative costs†¦medical actions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Enron scandal being the root example of a company destroyed due to simply unethical individuals. Not implementing ethics in any company will always fail in some way whether a small loss to an incomprehensible one (Schermerhorn & Dienhart, 2004). That is why it is imperative to ensure a code of ethics as part of the system. The dynamics of decision making for any individual who is often faced with issues regarding â€Å"ethics† becomes far more complex than it sounds. Every company, in one way or another, are faced with difficulties of employees making decisions that sometime seem ethical or not. Not everyone can make such decisions. The downfall of those who lack the ability to make ethical decisions can be costly. A company’s inability to reinforce â€Å"ethics† in their business can quickly become detrimental. One only has to look at Enron, Arthur Anderson, and Worldcom to understand the catastrophic effects of having ineffective ethical policies and values (Thomas, Schermerhorn & Dienhart, 2004). Company Values In regards to company values and ethics, Chick-fil-A has been in the news because of the words of their owner in regards to â€Å"Christian values.† His comments have caused the business world to examine the role of a business owner’s personal values and company values. At issue was the CEO’s opinion of same sex marriage. The controversy came to a boil after an interview with the fast food restaurant chain’s president and COO Dan Cathy appeared in The Baptist Press on July 16 and he weighed in with his views on family. â€Å"We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit,† Cathy said. â€Å"We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.† Proponents of same-sex marriage spread Cathy’s comments, eventually creating a firestorm of criticism on social media, including assertions that his comments and position were bigo ted and hateful (Brumfield, 2012). Internships Corporations often demonstrate their values to customers by the way they treat their employees and the opportunities that are available for citizens to become a part of the company. One way to quickly rise in a company is to connect to their intern program. Chick-fil-A boasts about their internship program on their website. According to their corporate website, the purpose of the Chick-fil-A Internship Program is to provide a high-caliber group of students an opportunity to enhance their educational experience and improve their career preparation. A key objective of the intern experience is to help students and recent graduates understand and appreciate the importance of building and maintaining strong work relationships in accomplishing results. We have designed the program to involve students in real work projects while also allowing them time to experience many aspects of the Chick-fil-A corporate culture. The cultural experience includes significant executive exposure and numerou s development opportunities (â€Å"Internship,† n.d.). The Chrysler Corporation also has an intern program that is called the Chrysler Leadership Development program. The Chrysler Leadership Development (CLD) Program is a highly selective two-year program that develops leaders by incorporating intensive on-the-job learning opportunities with supplemental development and interaction with our global business leaders. You’ll have the guidance and support of Chrysler leadership throughout your experience and opportunities to build on your talents through high-impact assignments. The program will provide you an accelerated opportunity to learn our business, executive mentor support, and an investment to grow your leadership abilities (â€Å"Leadership Development Program,† n.d.). As with most intern programs, the potential employee must meet minimum requirements. To be considered for the Program, you must meet the following requirements: * MBA/Master’s degree with a minimum 3.2 GPA * 2-6 years of professional business experience * Demonstrated leadership experience (â€Å"Leadership Development Program,† n.d.). According to Chic-fil-A’s website, the organization values diversity. What is diversity? According to the Civil Rights office of the Department of Interior, the term â€Å"diversity† is used broadly to refer to many demographic variables, including, but not limited to, race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, education, geographic origin, and skill characteristics. America’s diversity has given this country its unique strength, resilience and richness (â€Å"Diversity,† 2012). Diversity management makes everyone more aware of and sensitive to the needs and differences of others. Diversity is much more likely to be successful when we see it as everyone’s business than if we believe it helps only certain groups of employees. One method of enhancing workforce diversity is to target recruiting messages to specific demographic groups underrepresented in the work force. This means placing advertisement in publications geared toward specific demographic groups; recruiting at colleges, universities, and other institutions with significant numbers of underrepresented minorities; and forming partnerships with association like the Society for Women Engineers or the Graduate Minority Business Association (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 56). Values and Ethics Organizational Development is an emerging profession, and its practitioners tend to describe themselves as professionals. However, individuals working in the field may vary greatly in respect to their degree of professionalism. By professionalism, we refer to the internalization of a value system that is a part of the concept of the profession. Whether a person can be deemed a professional is determined by the degree to which he or she has internalized certain values pertinent to the profession. Although there is some disagreement, four areas appear to be important. * Expertise. The professional requires some expertise. This includes specialized knowledge and skills that can be obtained only through training (usually through academic study and experience). * Autonomy. The professional claims autonomy. Professionals reserve the right to decide how their function is to be performed and to be free from restrictions. * Commitment. Professionals feel a commitment to the discipline. They a re more likely to identify with members of their profession in other organizations that with their own organization. * Code of ethics. Finally there is a responsibility to society for the maintenance of professional standards of work. They adhere to professional self-discipline and a code of ethics (Brown, 2011, p. 71). The values and ethics of prospective employees and the alignment of the values and ethics advocated by the company are important consideration when it comes to hiring practice considerations. If a company’s hiring practices are ineffective, it can have detrimental effects to its bottom-line. According to a survey conducted by online payroll company SurePayroll, it found three out of four surveyed business owners admitted to hiring at least one employee they later wished they never had, and many indicated that the mistake resulted in a significant financial loss of more than $10,000 per bad hire, according to 12 percent of respondents (Eddy, 2009). Most companies react to hiring situations as emergencies; that might explain why so many do it so poorly. One Survey of fifty CEOs of global companies along with a pool of executive search consultants who rated about 500 firms found the hiring practices for many of those companies are disturbingly vague. Part of the findings, according to the respondents, indicated to a heavily reliance on subjective personal preferences or on largely unquestioned organizational traditions, often based on false assumptions (Fernà ¡ndez-Arà ¡oz, Groysberg & Nohria, 2009) It is therefore imperative to avoid making bad hiring decisions. As such, your hiring practices should have procedures that need to be followed to ensure the candidates being considered for employment are good matches. Procedures should contain effective methods for screening candidates during the pre-employment phase. Some of these methods should include background checks or skills testing (Eddy, 2009). In order to avoid ineffective hiring practices companies should consider seven steps within their hiring practices to cover the full recruitment spectrum to include: anticipating the need for new hires, specifying the job, developing a pool of candidates, assessing the candidates, closing the deal, integrating the newcomer, and revi ewing the effectiveness of the hiring process (â€Å"Harvard Business, 2009). Continuous training and educational should be a part of everyone’s personal value system as well as remaining as ethical as possible. The best way to stay smart when facing ethical dilemmas is to remain current in your ethical training. In regards to ethics training a team of management researchers recommended the following actions for improving on-the-job ethics. * Behave ethically yourself. Managers are potential role models whose habits and actual behavior send clear signals about the importance of ethical conduct. Ethical behavior is a top-to-bottom proposition. * Screen potential employees. Surprisingly, employers are generally lax when it comes to checking references, credentials, transcripts, and other information on applicant resumes. More diligent action in this area can screen out those given to fraud and misrepresentation. Integrity testing is fairly valid but is no panacea. * Develop a meaningful code of ethics. * Provide ethics training. Employees can be trained to identify and deal with ethical issues during orientation and through seminar, video, and internet training sessions. * Reinforce ethical behavior. Behavior that is reinforced tends to be repeated, whereas behavior that is not reinforced tends to disappear. Ethical conduct too often is ignored or even punished while unethical behavior is rewarded. * Create positions, units, and other structural mechanisms to deal with ethics. Ethics needs to be an everyday affair, not a one-time announcement of a new ethical code that gets filed away and forgotten. â€Å"A growing number of large companies in the United States have chief ethics officers who report directly to the CEO, thus making ethical conduct and accountability priority issues. * Create a climate in which whistle-blowing becomes unnecessary. Whistle-blowing occurs when an employee reports a perceive unethical and/or illegal activity to a third party such as government agencies, news media, or public interest groups (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2008). On May 15, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act to increase federal agency accountability for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees. The No FEAR Act became effective on October 1, 2003. This act requires that federal agencies post on their public web sites certain summary statistical data relating to equal employment opportunity complaints filed against the respective agencies (State, n.d.). Project Team Project teams have two universal measures; to satisfy the customer, and to deliver on time, on budget and within specification. The rationale for using teams is simple: high performing teams save money and satisfy customers. Unfortunately, there is the other side of the coin: poor performing teams cost money and disappoint customers. In many cases, individuals are assigned to a cross functional team and attempt to jump right into work without first attempting to address the relationship of team members and the behavioral disposition of the individuals. If the behavioral aspects of the team are not understood, then the team can become mired in conflict and lose momentum which results in lost time and effectiveness. Behaviors that can affect productivity include: the inability to work together towards a common goal, fear of sharing ideas, fear of negative feedback, self interest driving actions, expectation that the team leader will solve all of the problems and assume all of the respo nsibility, confusion between individual tasks and relationships with other people, and lack of appropriate acknowledgement for accomplishments (Henkin, 2012). The other consideration in deciding to form teams is what size team should be put together. When it comes to the workplace, teamwork is increasingly widespread. Research indicates there is not a fixed or optimal number to have on a team. Professor Wittenberg, Director of the Wharton Graduate Leadership Program, notes that team size is â€Å"not necessarily an issue people think about immediately, but it is important.† According to Wittenberg, research on the optimal team numbers is not conclusive. In the work world, Professor Wittenberg suggests that it has been â€Å"reinforced that five or six is the right number (on a team) but it really depends on the task† (Knowledge@Wharton, 2006). The other dynamic that needs to be addressed relates to teams is how they resolve conflicts. Conflict management is a very important part of team dynamics. Choosing the right members for a group can help prevent some of these issues. One strategy involves designating a project manager, a strong individual that can competently take charge. The project manager must be experienced and understand how to deal with both the interpersonal as well as behavioural aspects of the teams. They must also understand the normative stages of development most all teams go though as they come together. The project manager must allow the team to communicate effectively, create rapport, resolve conflict, lead team members, and motivate the whole team (Gountanis, n.d.). Team Development Team development is an iterative process. This is readily understood when looking at the ‘forming-storming-norming-performing’ model for team development that has become a standard team development model introduced by Bruce Tuckman. The theory is based on the premise that each team goes through a distinct iterative process. The first phase is described as the forming phase where the team first comes together with energy, expectation, and limited knowledge of assigned task. The next phase is the storming phase where individuals start jockeying for position and recognition. The team internally struggles with why and how decisions made will affect the individual members. The next phase is the norming phase where stability starts to emerge and goals are established with plans and associated defined roles/responsibilities. The last phase is the performing phase where the plans are implemented, outputs are generated, and work gets done. Every team goes through these phases. (Tuckman, 1965). Therefore, it is natural to expect conflicts to arise between team members; however, management as well as the project manager must be cognizant there can be both constructive conflict and destructive conflict. Constructive conflicts exists when people change and grow personally from the conflict, the conflict results in a solution to a problem, it increases involvement of everyone affected by the conflict, and it builds cohesiveness among the members of the team. Destructive conflicts exist when no decision is reached and problem still exists, it diverts energy away from more value-add activities, it destroys the morale of the team members and it polarizes or divides the team (Cappozzoli, 1995). Diversity within the team is another consideration with respect to group dynamics. Professor Klein from the Wharton School of Management and Professor Lim from Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore as part of their research looked at the value of diversity and found that there was conflicting theory. Some research suggests diversity represented by gender, race, and age leads to conflict and affects behavioral integration among team members. The general assumption is that people tend to associate better with people who are similar to themselves which suggest too much diversity is bad for cohesion. Other research suggests diversity helps creates more ideas, more perspectives and more creativity for better solutions. In their research, Klein and Lim found a distinct value in having some similarity between team members which enhances coordination and effectiveness in performing tasks that are complex, unpredictable, urgent, and/or novel (Klein & Lim, 2006). It is possible that a balancing of both theories within a team construct might be beneficial in forming a high performance team. Conclusion Employees’ performance and satisfaction are likely to be higher if their values fit well with the organization. The person who places great importance on imagination, independence, and freedom is likely to be poorly matched with an organization that seeks conformity from its employees (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 154). Chick-fil-A’s senior leaders are very vocal about the fact their company is owned and operated on Christian values. In fact, their policy and procedure of closing on Sunday so their employees can enjoy time off with their family and perhaps even attend church is rare in the quick service restaurant business. Chrysler is also very serious about their company values and has placed a code of ethics manual on their website to remind internal employees and external customers about their value systems. One of the roles of managers is to both exhibit and vocalize company values. This works well when your personal values are similar to the company and other senior leaders. The higher an individual rises within an organization, the more important it is that your personality and value system aligned with your company. Both the hiring process of the employees and the ethical standards of behavior for those employees are a critical dynamic supporting the mission objectives of the company. When a company fails to implement effective hiring and ethical policies, the implications can be costly in a variety of quantifiable ways. Finding the right mix of individual employees is a difficult task in terms of attracting and retaining people who are the best fit to the company. The success of the company relies on both the individual as well as those members who become part of teams. The composition of those members to a particular team must be carefully considered by management. The size, makeup, diversity, selection of the team lead, and objective of the team are all important considerations to ensure success. Management must recognize there is some inherent inefficiency in putting teams together as they go through an iterative process of maturity but they must be convinced the benefits of the outcomes out weigh the delays by putting together that particular team. Recommendations The profitability and long term survivability of companies are keys to their success. One of the most important assets to any business entity is human capital resources or personnel. As with any asset, management and leadership hire personnel with the belief they will contribute to the company in a positive manner and demonstrate a return of investment from the standpoint that the hiring and training process requires an investment of both time and money. Therefore, it is imperative that companies seek out, attract, and retain individuals whose personality and values match that of the company. In addition, they must be able to work well within teams to further the objectives of the company. It is also important that the company’s continue to communicate and reinforce their values to the workforce. That message must come from the top down. Senior leadership must convey that message at stockholder meetings, all hands meetings, town hall meetings, and via electronic means. While i t is imperative that message be communicated, it must be supported and reinforced at all levels of management. In addition, the compensation and reward system must recognize behavior and performance consistent with that message. The other important consideration is that leadership and management must be conveying the right message, with the right behaviors, and enveloped by a sense of ethical behavior. One only has to look at Enron, Worldcom, and Arthur Anderson to recognize the catastrophic and costly effects of engaging in behavior as individuals, groups, or management that is conflict with stated values. The recent Chick-Fil-a statements made by Mr. S.T. Cathy where personal views were replaced by those of the corporation started a media firestorm and backlash from many interest groups. The result was negative press for the company and eventually the announcement by the corporation of a customer appreciation day that cost the company tens of millions of dollars in an attempt to counteract the negative events. References Academy of Management Executive, Volume 18, No. 2, (2004), Strategic leadership of ethical behavior in business, Schermerhorn, Thomas, and Dienhart, John, retrieved from http://home.sandiego.edu/~pavett/docs/msgl_503/leader_ethic_behave.pdf Brockmann, Erich. (1996, May). Removing the paradox of conflict from group decisions. Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Brumfield, B. (2012). Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2012-08-01/us/us_us-chick-fil-a-controversy_1_civil-unions-marriage-glaad Cappozzoli, Thomas K. (1995, Dec). Resolving conflict within teams. Journal for Quality and Participation. v18n7, p. 28-30 Eddy, Nathan (June 25, 2009). Businesses Losing Money on Bad Hiring Practices Retrieved from http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Midmarket/Businesses-Losing-Money-on-Bad-Hiring-Practices-Survey-Finds-482198/ Gountanis, Chris (n.d.). Team Dynamics – Conflict Resolution Strategies. [ONLINE (htt p:// www.chrisgountanis.com/written-works/50-team-dynamics-conflict-resolution-strategies.html) [Last Accessed 24 September 2012]. Harvard Business Review (May 2009), The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad, Fernà ¡ndez-Arà ¡oz, Claudio; Groysberg, Boris; and Nohria, Notin, retrieved from http://hbr.org/2009/05/the-definitive-guide-to-recruiting-in-good-times-and-bad Henkin, Sid (2012). The Behavioral Side of Project Team Effectiveness, [ONLINE (http:// www.prismls.com/PDF_docs/Behavior.side.of.team.effectiveness.pdf)) [Last

The Increasingly Complex World of air Travel

In the increasingly complex world of air travel, the work of the air traffic controller is becoming increasingly vital. It is the task of these professionals to ensure the safety of all air passengers and personnel by coordinating the system of aircraft leaving and arriving at the airport. With increasing amounts of aircraft and narrower margins between arrival and departure times, it is becoming increasingly important to carefully coordinate and control air traffic. Generally, air traffic controllers serve under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This agency is part of the Federal Government. The nature of the job, as mentioned above, is complex and requires precise cooperation of a team. The radar associate controller for example organizes flight plans to ensure that more than one aircraft does not schedule arrival and/or departure times for the same period. When a particular team's airspace is left, responsibility for its flight path and safe arrival is delegated to the following control team. Other elements that need to be taken into account in terms of continued flight safety include weather conditions and other aircraft in the vicinity. Coordination therefore needs to meticulous not only within each control team, but also between different airport teams and the pilots themselves. Being involved in air traffic control requires a particular set of skills in employees. The ability to make quick decisions needs to be complimented with clear thinking and memory skills. Furthermore, air traffic controllers need to be highly skilled in electronic communications equipment, along with the necessary articulate skills to communicate necessary information quickly and clearly to pilots (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). The entire system is overseen by the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center, located in Herndon, VA. Several air traffic controllers work here in coordinating the management of the entire air traffic control system. The Center is burdened with the task of identifying any problems such as bottlenecks or time table problems in the system. These problems are then solved with an appropriate management plan. This overall managing body provides the air traffic controllers under them with the necessary management strategies to facilitate their complex task (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). In order to further simplify the complexity of air traffic control by means of management, the National Airspace System (NAS) Architecture is an automated system implemented by the FAA. This long-term strategic plan is aimed at increased efficiency in air traffic control by helping employees in their work with increased air traffic. Through NAS Architecture, the FAA and the aviation community are enabled to continue plans and discussions relating to modernization in the system. It is clear that very complex management systems are needed to create a safe and secure travel experience for all passengers and personnel using air traffic. Managerial accounting is a vitally important part of this process. If adequate accounting systems are not in place, air traffic control cannot possibly function either efficiently or adequately. Efficient accounting systems are therefore a very important part of management in air traffic control systems. Several systems are in place to facilitate cost accounting in the profession. The Cost and Performance Management Charter (C/PM) is one of these systems. Its vision includes strategies to increase the efficiency of operations through measurement and information for easier decision making. On an executive level, accountability for the success of the organization is shared by all leaders within each section of the air traffic control system. In terms of improvement, employees are encouraged to identify possibilities for improvement within the workplace and the system as a whole. Such encouragement occurs through rewards for identifying such improvement opportunities. This includes areas where funds can be more efficiently applied to improve the process of air traffic control. The working conditions of employees are furthermore made as pleasant as possible by informing individuals of their particular contribution to the general goals of the organization within which they function. This ensures that employees provide their workplace with more value through an understanding of how such value occurs through their work. The understanding of value also provides employees with a higher level of satisfaction and pride in their work, and the number of valuable employees leaving their work for reasons other than retirement is reduced. This helps to reduce the cost of hiring new employees and the concomitant training costs. Performance improvements like those mentioned above entail certain costs and resource allocations in order to optimize such improvements. The role of C/PM entails a framework for the integration of goals, planning and budgeting in the initial phases, while outputs, results and activities for achieving the planned outcomes are monitored on a continuous basis. C/PM therefore plays the dual role of planning and implementing strategies while also monitoring the results of the initial planning setups. In short, money is related to the results achieved. Resources are to be used effectively and efficiently in accomplishing the mission of air traffic control. What this means specifically for air traffic controllers, is that each individual is to be made aware of his or her particular role in ensuring the safety of all air traffic users. In terms of cost accounting, the work situation and abilities of each employee should be taken into account when planning resources use issues. Overtime pay incentives and personnel shortages should for example not take precedence over the general health of employees making use of overtime opportunities. The health of air traffic controllers is of vital concern for the mission of air traffic safety. If a personnel member is not healthy, he or she is a safety risk, and no cost-cutting strategy should be used at the risk of safety. Labor is therefore one of the most important aspects of cost accounting for the FAA. Air traffic control is a fairly well-compensated job. Benefits include overtime pay, and the working conditions are pleasant. At approximately 78% of the FAA's operations costs, labor makes up around 45% of the Agency's total costs. It is therefore important to ensure that these funds are applied in an effective and efficient manner that ensures the optimal safety of all air traffic users. In ensuring one of the primary objectives of the FAA, namely air safety, air traffic controllers are the Agency's most important business asset. Nevertheless, it is also true that there has been limited specific visibility regarding key projects within the industry. This means that little monitoring has taken place on the actual time spent on these projects, the labor hours provided, and the quality of the outcomes. If an efficient cost accounting system (CAS) is to be implemented, it is certainly necessary to improve cost and performance management and incentives within the air traffic control industry. A newly implement labor distribution reporting system will improve visibility by obliging all involved, from executives to employees, to report on the actual time spent on projects and tasks. This will give a clearer account of actual costs, performance and outcomes, providing managers with opportunities to make improvements where necessary. In the process however it is also important to keep in mind a non-threatening management system. Employees, as seen above, should be specifically informed of the necessity and benefits of any newly implemented system to facilitate the transition and change necessary. Strengthening the CAS will result in a better understanding and management of overall costs, thus providing better control of cost growth. This is sound business, as cost growth control will also mean price control and an increase in the customer base. Existing customers will also be more likely to return if they experience a continuous effort by management to maintain the lowest possible air travel costs while ensuring optimal safety standards. The ABA is the corporate leader that monitors and reviews the performance of the FAA. Performance information is then used to identify possible areas of improvement. A two-way system of communication is therefore provided from the topmost level of management through to the most basic of employees. The system of reward rather than punishment for identifying areas of possible improvement is also a great incentive for employees to remain open in their communication to management. A non-threatening system of communication regarding labor performance reporting and other such implementations will also help to maintain visibility on the true costs and outcomes of certain projects. While it is important to maintain open communication channels in almost all organizational setups, it is seldom as vitally important as in the air traffic control industry. It should always be at the forefront of attention of all involved that lives are at stake. A single mistake can result in great tragedy. All employers and employees in the industry should therefore constantly be acutely aware of the fact that communication and improvement are continuously required. Communication is the most important key aspect in the air traffic control industry. It is vitally important that employees in this profession use their communication skills efficiently and accurately (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). In terms of cost and management, these skills are valuable assets in optimizing the performance of the industry. When communication is accurately used, costs and outcomes can be managed in such a way as to optimize the experience not only of air traffic users, but also of all employees and managers in the industry.

Reflection Article Example

Reflection Article Example Reflection Article – Article Example Statistics The great English statistician and economist defined statistics as â€Å"science of counting Statistics play an important role in our day routine life. Statistics are greatly applicable to the politics and the elections, statistics helps in almost all the disciplines of politics. funds distribution amongst constituencies, elections outcomes both the local,and nationwide, politicians performance and achievements in a particular span of time , this is judged through their achievements that can be summarized by the facts and figures collected through statistical studies. Popularity curves are the most important gift of statistics and that helps in a massive amount judging their own performance. This is obtained through conducting opinion polls. Based on the curves and quarterly reports in time changes and measures can be taken, Since large amount of funds are associated with the political processes and the campaigning and party maintenance , the funds so distributed can be d one through statistical facts and figures, finally analysis of quantitative data, Different policies are made based on statistics. In short statistics play the role of a backbone in politics and all decisions, administrative, and functional can be taken in right scope with help of statistics.The nonprofit organizations require statistics in every step of their routine activities. In broader perceptive statistics help determining the total expenses incurred which includes the monthly and annual payments, wages to the employees, statistics help determining the areas to invest in by calculating the feasibility of any endeavor, On Administrative front statistics play a pivotal role in nonprofit organizations, since any organization needs an infrastructure to operate, users performance can be gauged through statistical measures. Annual reports and data in terms of the progress made in a certain period of time, it helps estimating and analyzing the contribution of donors in particular are a of interest. An important contribution of statistics is the identification of sectors that can pay dividends in terms of the company growth, the public welfare and overall successful operations. Fund-raising is important phenomena in context of nonprofit organizations, through statistics the areas can be identified that are fruitful for the cause; Balance in payment distribution is possible through statistics.Salient gifts of Statistics in both the fieldsAccountability Participation Coherence Sensitivity to Equity and Environment Effective Policy Making TimelinessTransparency Adequacy Bibliography :1- Blastland, M., & Dilnot, A. W. (2009). The numbers game: The commonsense guide to understanding numbers in the news, in politics, and in life. New York, N.Y: Gotham Books.Rice, S. A. (1928). Quantitative methods in politics. New York: A.A. Knopf. Bulmer, M. G. (1967). Principles of statistics. Cambridge, Mass: M.I.T. Press.Delli Carpini, M.X. and S. Keeter (1996), What Americans Know about Politics and Why It Matters, Yale University Press.

James A. Van Allen Biography

James A. Van Allen Biography You cant see it or feel it, but more than a thousand miles above Earths surface, theres a region of charged particles that protects our atmosphere from destruction by the solar wind and cosmic rays. Its called the Van Allen belt, named for the man who discovered it.   Meet the Belt Man Dr. James A. Van Allen was an astrophysicist best known for his work on the physics of the magnetic field that surrounds our planet. He was particularly interested in its interactions with the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun. (When it slams into our atmosphere, it causes a phenomenon called space weather). His discovery of radiation regions high above Earth followed up on an idea held by other scientists that charged particles could be trapped in the uppermost part of our atmosphere.  Van Allen worked on Explorer 1, the first U.S. artificial satellite to be placed in orbit, and this spacecraft revealed the secrets of Earths magnetosphere. That included the existence of the belts of charged particles that bear his name.   James Van Allen was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa on September 7, 1914. He attended Iowa Wesleyan College where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to the University of Iowa and worked on a degree in solid state physics, and took a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in 1939. Wartime Physics Following school, Van Allen accepted employment with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, where he studied photodisintegration.Thats a process where a high-energy photon (or packet) of light is absorbed by an atomic nucleus. The nucleus then splits to form lighter elements, and releases a neutron, or a proton or an alpha particle. In astronomy, this process occurs inside certain types of supernovae.   In April 1942, Van Allen joined the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University where he worked to develop a rugged vacuum tube and did research on proximity fuzes (used in explosives and bombs). Later in 1942, he entered the Navy, serving in the South Pacific Fleet as an assistant gunnery officer to field test and complete operational requirements for the proximity fuzes. Post-War Research   After the war, Van Allen returned to civilian life and worked in high altitude research. He worked at the Applied Physics Laboratory, where he organized and directed a team to conduct high-altitude experiments. They used V-2 rockets captured from the Germans.   In 1951, James Van Allen became head of the physics department at the University of Iowa. A few years later, his  career took an important turn when he and several other American scientists developed proposals for the launch of a scientific satellite. It was to be part of the research program conducted during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-1958. From Earth to the Magnetosphere After the success of the Soviet Unions Sputnik 1 launch in 1957, Van Allen ¹s Explorer spacecraft was approved for launch on a Redstone rocket. It flew on January 31, 1958, and returned enormously important scientific data about the radiation belts circling the Earth. Van Allen became a celebrity due to the success of that mission, and he went on to achieve other important scientific projects in space. In one way or another, Van Allen was involved in the first four Explorer probes, the first Pioneers, several Mariner efforts, and an orbiting geophysical observatory. James A. Van Allen retired from the University of Iowa in 1985 to become Carver Professor of Physics, Emeritus, after having served as the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1951. He died of heart failure at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City on August 9, 2006. In honor of his work, NASA named two radiation belt storm probes after him. The Van Allen Probes were launched in 2012 and have been studying the Van Allen Belts and near-Earth space. Their data is helping the design of spacecraft that can better withstand trips through this high-energy region of Earths magnetosphere.   Edited and revised by Carolyn Collins Petersen

International marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

International marketing management - Essay Example is report aims at understanding the various definitions that have been set down by the various authors in the past and to analyse whether the statement by Markides (1999) has significance in the true sense. The following section will deal with the various definitions that have been developed over the years. Strategy includes a number of different aspects that it is associated with. Firstly, a strategy is normally long planned. This is in a hierarchical system of goals and objectives. A strategy is a combined effort to create a blend between the external environment, internal resources and the capabilities of the resources within the business (Bernus, et.al, 2003). â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations† (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2006, p. 9). According to Johnson et.al, (2006), there are six major elements that strategic decisions are made out off. It is essential to understand that strategic decisions are normally long term directions of organisations, which include the scope of the organisation. Also this includes to a great extent gaining advantage over the competitors and addresses the changes that happen within the business environment. Strategies that are developed, try to develop the resources and try to improve the capabilities of the people within the organisation. These strategies are also expected to be based on the values and expectations of the stakeholder. According to George Steiner, strategy has become a part of the management literature as a mode to compare and counter the competitor’s actual or possible moves. He also highlights in his works that there is very little people who agree to the meaning of strategy in the real business world. He uses a few different definitions to explain strategy: According to Henry Mintzberg, strategy can be

Solid modeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Solid modeling - Research Paper Example The invention of the technique of solid modeling gives room for the mechanization of many complicated engineering calculations that are performed in the design process. The historical progress of solid modeling is seen in the perspective of the entire history of computer-aided design. The major milestone of this progress was the development of the system of research known as BUILD, and the commercial supplement of the system, known as Romulus (Siu and Tan 41) This system influenced the development of ACIS, Parasolid, and later solid modeling system. One of the very first developers of computer aided design ASCON, started the internal improvement of its individual solid modeler back in 1990’s (Siu and Tan 42). In 2012, the scientific division of the ASCON turned into a separate corporation and was called C3D labs (Siu and Tan 42). It was given the duty of creating the C3D modeling system as a separate product. Other significant contributions originated from Mà ¤ntylà ¤, particularly his GWB, as well as from GPM project that brought about hybrid modeling systems in the early 1980’s (Siu and Tan 43). It was during this time that the pr ogramming concept of solid modeling known as PLaSM was invented at Rome University. The discovery of 3D CAD/CAM, however, is attributed to Pierre Bezier, a French engineer (Siu and Tan 44). In the period between 1967 and 1968, he came up with UNISURF after his mathematical study about surfaces. This invention was meant to ease the process of designing tools and parts of the automotive engineering. Later, UNISURF developed into the working foundation for the subsequent generation of computer-aided design software. Another influential happening in the development of solid modeling was the establishment of Manufacturing and Consulting Services in 1971 (Li et al. 23). Dr. Hanratty founded this MCS. As computers progressively became more affordable, there has been a gradual expansion of the application areas. The development of