College Dorm vs Apartment

Going off to college after eighteen year of rules and restrictions underneath your parents’ roof can be a very exciting experience, but is it all that it appears to be? There are many pros and cons when it comes to both living at home, and in a college dorm. Fortunately for me I have been able to experience living in all three and I can definitely say that living in a college dorm is the better option. At first glance a college dorm seems like the best thing that has ever happened to you especially since you will no longer have your parents there to nag you. There are many obvious advantages to living in a college dorm.One of these advantages is the most obvious, you don’t have to follow all the rules that your parents have laid out for you, of course there will still be rules in your dorm but you will still have a sense freedom. There will always be rules in society so you can never escape that. Another major advantage of moving away to a college dorm would definitely be the experience. When I went off to college I met so many different people, learned so many knew things, and had many experiences that I will remember forever. Another pro of living in a dorm is that you finally get to learn how to be independent and truly take care of yourself. Mom won’t be there to wash your clothes or cook for you, so you easily gain knowledge on how to fend for yourself. Lastly, I feel an advantage of living in a dorm is that you learn how to prioritize and be more. You won’t have the luxury of your parents telling you to do your homework, so being away gives you a sense of responsibility and it is basically up to you to make the right decisions. Along with the pros there are always cons. Living in a college dorm is not always the best option. There are definitely setbacks involved in living away from home. A major disadvantage is that college life can be very distracting. There are always going to be parties and other fun things going on which can easy take your mind away from that assignment you have due in the morning. Living in a dorm can possibly jeopardize your GPA. (unknown, 2005, para. 3) A college dorm can also be a disadvantage if you have a horrible roommate. You no longer have the luxury of having your own space which can be very uncomfortable, or even cause another distraction. Living in a dorm room can also be very costly, even if you don’t use all that you are paying for. For example you may pay for a meal plan, but not as much food as you are paying for. (Bram, 2011, para. 9) Although I would definitely choose living in a dorm versus staying at home, there is also a plus to staying under your parent’s roof. The number one advantage of staying at home, in my opinion, is that you have the opportunity to save extraordinary amounts of money. You don’t have to worry about the cost of the dorm, food or any other expenses and you could also get a job. Going away to college is very expensive, so staying at home just a little while longer definitely won’t hurt you or your parents’ pockets. With that being said, we can get a little too comfortable with not having to worry about things financially which can keep us wanting to stay at home longer. The longer you stay at home, the harder it will be to leave later, which I find to be a major con. If for some reason staying at home for a longer time becomes the only option for you, at least you will always be focused. Not being around your peers constantly can absolutely keep you focused, not to mention your parents who will consistently be on your back about keeping grades up. Staying at home is a major advantage when it comes to doing well. Sometimes you have to really list out the positive and negative things about a particular subject to find what the best option for you would be. When it comes to living in a dorm you have freedom and gain experience, but it can be costly. When it comes to living at home you will be more likely to perform better in school, but you will have to abide by your parents rules even as an adult. I looked at all of the pros and cons of each, and still believe that living in a college dorm is a better option, not only for the experience, but because it helps to better prepare you for the future.

Economics Paper Essay

1: Define the term ‘equilibrium price’: The price at which quantity demanded by consumers and the quantity of goods and services supplied by firms is the same. 3: With the help of an appropriate diagram and the information in extract B, explain why the world price of sugar changed in 2009: The price of sugar rose to $0.40 per kilo in 2009 – this is shown in the extract as it states that in 2009 prices in New York and London rose by 52% to its highest in almost three years. The diagram below shows how the inward shift of supply caused by poor crop harvests and India’s %40 fall in output of sugar affected the price of sugar due to its scarcity, leading to the %52 rise in price of sugar. Another factor that could have had an effect on the price of sugar would have been in 2008 there were poor crop harvests that year – this led to a low level of supply in 2008 which raised the price of sugar due to its scarcity. This poor harvest would have had something to do with the land quality –this may have affected the harvest in 2009. Supply constraints also had an effect, as due heavy rainfall the Columbian crop was damaged – the rain also washed away some of the roads used to transport the products from the field to the market. So whatever crop the farmers managed to save from the rain was then prevented from reaching market, this would have contributed to the price rise in a way similar to the diagram above. India is a main producer of sugar, so much so that its sugar output is a critical factor in determining the world price of sugar. India’s output was forecast to fall by %40 so only 15million tonnes of sugar would have been produced in the growing season – this is well below India’s sugar consumption of 23million tonnes a year. This would mean that India wouldn’t be inclined to export much of its sugar as there’s already a deficit of supply in its own country. Although, with this large fall in supply there’ll most likely be a rise in sugar price in India – the people may not be willing or able to pay the new price so whatever amount of sugar is leftover could be exported, at a price which would lead to the %52 rise in London and New York sugar prices.

Of mice and men †dreams and hope Essay

Hopes and dreams help people survive even if they never become real. How true is this for the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’? The novel ‘Of mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck and is set in Salinas and Soledad California in the 1930s when life was hard for so many people because of the great depression. A major theme of John Steinbeck’s novel ‘of mice and men’ is the American dream and the drive to attain it. There are two major themes in ‘of mice and men’ novel that is foreshadowed by the reference to Robert Burns’ poem called â€Å"To a mouse† the word mouse within the title means loneliness and dreams. (BBC Bitesize, 2014:2) This poem contains the lines, â€Å"The best laid plans of mice and men/ often go awry† Most of the main characters in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† harbour dreams and have plans that never come true. George, Lennie, and Candy all share a doomed dream of buying their own f arm and living off the land. George often thinks about how his life he could have had as an unrestricted bachelor and free of the burden of caring for Lennie. â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy,† he says. (Steinbeck, 1965:12) However, Lennie has his own private dream of living in a cave with his own rabbits but Curley’s wife regrets the missed chance to become a movie star. The main theme throughout this novel is that people must learn to reconcile their dreams with the reality to accept that everyone’s best laid plans often die. Each of the characters plans go askew not because they give up on them but because the forces beyond their control destroyed each one of them. Due to the bleak economic outlook of the Great Depression coming to terms with your broken dreams was the reality nearly everyone in America faced. The American Dream is written into the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† With these protections, any American, regardless of class, religion, gender, and eventually race, could always strive—and even sometimes succeed—at improving himself via wealth, education, or labour. (SparkNotes, 2014). George and Lennie’s dream about owning a farm and living off the â€Å"fatta the lan† (Steinbeck, 1965:16) symbolises this dream. In the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† shows that the American Dream became an illusion and a trap for the poor migrant workers during the Great Depression. Every single one of the ranch  workers in the novel dream of life, liberty and happiness but not one of them ever gets is. When Crooks hears of George and Lennie’s dream of owning their farm he says â€Å"Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.† (Steinbeck, 1965:84). Although the ranch workers dreams may not be realised, the novel suggest that in order for a person’s life to be full and meaningful it has to contain some sort of dream. At the end of the novel George and Lennie never achieved their dream but it did hold their remarkable friendship together throughout the story, for them this dream was real even if it was just there imagination because kept Lennie happy and it stopped George from becoming a mean and lonely guy like the other ranch workers. The dream gives them life, even if life never allows them to achieve their dreams. This novel explores the changing aspects of male friendship during this period this is shown when Lennie asks George to tell him why they are not like the other ranchers; George tells him â€Å"we got a future Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦.With us it ain’t like that. We got a future†¦. An’ why? Because†¦because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† (Steinbeck, 1965:15) this is George’s way of sayi ng he and Lennie are different to the other workers. It could also be suggested that the word ‘future’ could be a metaphor for something bright and so much greater then what they have got now, which could be linked to their version of the American Dream and to ‘live off the fatta the lan’. (Steinbeck, 1965:16) this could almost suggest a biblical meaning like a promised land where all their dreams could come true. This dream helps George and Lennie to endure the hardship they face each day and to help them not to give in to despair. Usually the men who worked on these ranches would have no family, friends so therefore no future. Their friendship strikes the other ranch workers as odd due to their dependency on each other. This makes the boss and Curley suspicious and Slim observes that ranch workers rarely travel together because they’re scared of each other. Although most of the men in the novel are completely alone they still all crave true friendship. As Crooks, perhaps the novel’s most solitary character because of his black skin puts it, â€Å"A guy needs somebody—to be near him.† (Steinbeck, 1965:82) All the characters in the novel long for friendship and kindness but yet they all live in fear of one  another. This is shown with the tough shooting of Candy’s dog which makes it clear that during the Great Depression if you are useless, old or weak you will certainly be destroyed because the strong and the useful will fight for survival. All the workers on the ranch would constantly try to make themselves look strong especially if they feeling weak. The fear of the weak being overrun by the strong could explain why Curley likes to fight a larger men then he is â€Å"Curley’s pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring. He’s a light weight and he’s handy† (Steinbeck, 1965:29) and it could also be why Crooks tells Lennie that George is going to abandon him. Then Curleyâ₠¬â„¢s wife threatens to have Crooks lynched. Each of these characters tries to appear strong by asserting power over one another. This fear of being the strongest explains why the other characters in novel find it hard to understand George and Lennie’s friendship because they see being the strongest as a fight for survival. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ it has two different visions of women in it the first is the male character view and the second is the novel’s view of women. The male characters view on women which is they tend to view the women with fear and negatively labelling them as dangerous sexual temptresses. The male workers often referred to Curley’s wife with insulting words like a â€Å"tart† (Steinbeck, 1965:31) and â€Å"jail bait† (Steinbeck, 1965:36). George and Lennie have a friend in prison â€Å"on account of a tart† (Steinbeck, 1965:63) plus they have had their own troubles twice as a result from a woman. The first the women from Weeds and the second is Curley’s wife. Although she plays into her role as sexy temptress throughout the novel until the last part of it where is a victim. Curley’s wife craves the attention of the men on the ranch because she’s desperately lonely so she flaunts her power over the men because she h erself feels weak. There are a number of symbols within the novel that have different meanings these are George and Lennie’s farm, the rabbits that Lennie keeps talking about, Candy’s old dog and also Lennie’s puppy. The dream of owning a farm for George and Lennie is a symbol of the American Dream. This fantasy of owning their own farm leads George, Lennie and the other ranch workers such as Candy and Crooks to indulge in the dream of living â€Å"off the fatta the lan† (Steinbeck, 1965:16). George’s rich description of the farm’s lavish plants and animals also makes it seem like a symbol of paradise. While Lennie dreams of tending to the rabbits on the farm that he and George hope to own  one day. This dream forms Lennie’s complete innocence. Lennie enjoys touching anything that has a soft fur such as rabbits and mice due to this love of touching soft things leads to his fate. This symbolise not just innocence but also Lennie’s downfall of innocence in the harsh world that he lives. The next symbol is Candy’s old but once powerful sheepdog. For Carlson killing Candy’s dog makes it clear that during the Great Depression those who was strong would only survive. The way that Carlson kills Candy’s dog in the back of the head with just a single gunshot is foreshadowing how George will kill Lennie in the end. The link between Lennie and Candy’s dog is that they are powerless, innocent and doomed from the start. The symbol of Lennie’s puppy shows how dependent Lennie is on George, just as the puppy is dependent on Lennie. The puppy symbolise the fate of the weak in the face of the strong.

Corporate Responsibility for Childhood Obesity Essay - 3

Corporate Responsibility for Childhood Obesity - Essay Example Unlike Zinczenko,Linn and Novosat deem the main reason for rise in children obesity is due ro fast food firms spending millions of dollars on product marketing but little consideration of their customers’ health. These companies normally target children because they are their main clients (Linn & Novosat 133 Apart from comparing the two articles, the essay will also state both their central and supporting arguments. Zinczenko says the reason he grew fat was because of his lunch and dinner always, which came from food shops such as McDonalds, Pizza hut or Taco bell. He says that this has never changed and in fact the stores have doubled (Zinczenko). He further says child obesity is the main contributor of the large amount of money being spent on diabetes treatment. According to him, lack of alternatives is the reason behind increased child obesity (Zinczenko). He states that while driving through America, one will spot thousands of McDonald’s stores but hardly will he see fruit stores or other alternatives where one can get dirrent and health food. Apart from lack of alternatives, Zinczenko also identifies lack of proper information about the food being consumed as another cause of children obesity(Zinczenko).He says that unlike grocery stores which include information charts on their packages, fast food stores hardly offer calory information charts neither do they have health warning lab els. Based on his argument, child obesity can be controlled if fast food companies minimize the level of calories and sugar in their products.These companies should also consider their customer’s safety by providing nutrition information charts for makes people be in a position to make more informed decisions. Another reason behind children obesity is because food companies are ever using various techniques to lure children into purchasing their products which are full of calories and little nutritional benefits (Linn & Novosat

The Rationale of Equity Indexation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rationale of Equity Indexation - Essay Example Capital market transactions are deemed efficient in the absence of intermediaries except for brokers who put buyers and sellers together and get a small commission, making the deal almost frictionless. With transaction costs negligible, the only real factor that determines the current price of a stock should be the net present value of its future cash flows in the form of dividends and, assuming the company lasts long enough, capital gains when the stock is sold at a future date. After all, a stock is nothing else but a claim to a company's future cash flows, and that its price indicates its net present value given the amount of cash it would generate over a future period of time (Graham, 1984). A company's cash flow is affected by several factors, such as business prospects, management quality, the economy's over-all performance, and the company's past performance. If these sets of information are known, computing for free cash flow looks relatively straightforward, and using a discount rate, the stock's present value can be easily calculated. If the market price is lower than the present value, the stock is bought. Otherwise, if one is holding the stock, it is sold. The low transaction costs of capital markets... "Beating the market" means that an investor cannot generate a rate of return from investing in the equities market that is above the rate of return of the whole market. The rate of return of the whole market is measured by looking at the rates of return of a basket of equities that is representative of the whole market of equities. This basket consists of stocks of companies of different sizes and from different industry sectors from amongst the list of all companies traded in the capital market, say in the London Stock Exchange. Using a formula that takes into account market capitalisation, historical share prices, and other considerations, the financial authorities determine which stocks to include. The stock prices of these stocks in the basket are mathematically added up to come up with the index that reflects the behaviour of the market as a whole. There are several indices formulated for the London Stock Exchange by an indexing company called FTSE International Ltd., an affilia te of the Financial Times Ltd., a U.K.-based firm. Amongst the indices monitored by FTSE are the FTSE All-shares (688 stocks), FTSE 100 (102 stocks), FTSE 250 (250 stocks), and the FTSE SmallCap (336 stocks) indices (FTSE ASWB, 2005). At the end of each trading day, FTSE adds the prices of the stocks in each of these indices and then publishes the results. Under the assumption that the market is efficient and that it is not possible to beat the markets, an investor can decide to adopt an equity index strategy, which consists of buying a basket of stocks in the same proportion as they are included in the basket of stocks used to calculate an index. Several fund management firms have made the job of investing easier by developing funds that

Make a topic for me Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Make a topic for me - Research Paper Example Microprocessor is the center fold of this amazing and life transforming advancement in technology. Microprocessor has greatly contributed to the current revolution in the computing world and the associated disciplines. From personal assistant devices, mobile phones, desktop computer, servers to supercomputers, microprocessor remains the center fold of the technology. The paper discusses the development history of microprocessor, its societal needs, its design and operation and its associated design process. Microprocessor represents the core of the computer, sometimes known as the central processing unit (CPU). It is an entire computing engine that is formulated in a single integrated circuit chip and tasked with the basic operations of a computer such as the arithmetic (addition and subtraction) and processing functions. It is a multipurpose device that is can be programmed to accept digital data, processes it according to instructions which are stored in the memory and outputs the results (Crisp, 2004). There is increased reliability associated with single chip microprocessors as compared to the previous versions given that there point of failure is minimized by the reduced number of electrical connections. The cost of microprocessor manufacture is generally reduced given the highly automated process employed. The design and performance of microprocessor has undergone a lot of transformations and innovations over the years since the invention of the first microprocessor back in 1971. The Intel 4004 forms the first microprocessor to be introduced. Its functionalities were limited to mere addition and subtraction with a memory size of only 4 bits. The main characteristic of 4004 was the fact the circuit was integrated in one chip. Previous to the introduction of Intel 4004, a collection of discrete components or chips formed the computer. After Intel 4004, an

Changes in American Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Changes in American Transportation - Essay Example Transportation includes transportation of people, goods, and even animals.There were various means of transportation in America during the 1800's, including Steam Boats, Horses and the use of Public Ferry. Nowadays, transportation and communication are usually treated in different contexts. However, during early 1800's, long distance communication was very much dependent upon transportation. During that period, transportation was synonymous to communication, and the growth of transportation directly affected the developments in communication to a great extent. During the 1800's the 'pony couriers', a means of transportation as well as communication, influenced the history of transportation in America.In order to appreciate the changes in transportation during that period, it is necessary to analyze the process under the then prevailing circumstances, and gain an understanding of transportation methods and processes back then. A careful analysis of the newspapers of this period in the history provides glimpses of the status of transportations prevailed in those times. In America, transportation in the sea and waterways was already quite developed between 1800 and 1810. The use of steam boats started between 1800 and 1810. ... Transportation of the agricultural and industrial commodities strengthened the economy of the country. Within few years steam boar services grown very fast, catering to the development of the economy, and a news article is given below. Natchiz, Jan 2: Important Arrival - Arrived here on Monday last, the Steam-Boat from Pittsburgh which had as a regular trader She was only 921 hours underway from Pittsburgh to this place a distance of near two thousand miles."1 Before then, only the inland methods of transportation, like horses, mules and asses which remained primitive because of their slow pace of technological development, that Americans relied upon. Animals like horses, mules and asses were the means of transportation before 1800.This change in the mode of transportation enabled Americans to move from place to place more conveniently than they could before 1800. During the 1800's it was normal to come across the advertisements in newspapers, a sample of which is given below, for trading in horses. "A Mare and Horse for Sale, Classified Ad 4"2 Another change in the mode of transportation between 1800 and 1810 was the commencement of the use of Public ferries. Adverts like the one below were to be regularly seen in the newspapers then. "Be it ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen, Common Council, and Freemen of the City of Hartford, That if any person shall willfully, or negligently, ride or drive any kind of Carriage, or Vehicle, or ride, lead, or drive any horse upon any Side Walk in laid City, now laid out, or hereafter to be laid out, unless for the purpose of necessarily... and to pay to such party just damages."3 "The port cities and ferry places were active with import and export of cargo of various types. Primitive types of

Carrefour China - French Hypermarket Retail Chain Essay

Carrefour China - French Hypermarket Retail Chain - Essay Example With sales reaching 78 billion dollars annually, Carrefour stands as the second largest retailer after Walmart, in the world market. (Lin and Liang, 2002). Carrefour has established its presence in Asian countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, China, South Korea and Singapore. Though its growth in the Chinese market has been restricted by the governmental regulations like the mandatory requirement of a local joint-venture partner, Carrefour has increased its market share and successfully followed a policy of regional penetration in China. Carrefour has slowly and steadily made a foray in the retail industry in China, largely by taking up strategic local partners. With an agreement with the Guangzhou General Merchandise Group of south Chinas Guangdong province, the French company has laid the foundation of a lucrative joint venture in 2002. It also has joint venture undertakings in Kunming, the capital of southwest Chinas Yunnan province, and in Harbin, the capital of northernmost Heilongjiang province. 2 (Xinhua News Agency, 2002). Carrefour operates over 71 supermarkets across China and has been said to have purchased a total of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars worth of commodities from China in the year 2001. 3 (Xinhua News Agency, 2002). The latest Carrefour store became operational in January 2006, in Shanghai. The main competitors of Carrefour are Wal-Mart China, with 42 stores in the country, and Germany-based Metro Group, with 29 stores. 4. (China Frenchiser, 2006). Carrefour has an array of over 600 products sold through its retail stores and hypermarkets spread across diverse Chinese regions. Its products include grocery, detergent and personal care goods, fish farm and poultry, dairy and milk, snacks, bakery, snacks, frozen foods and beverages, and non-food items like kitchen-grade utensils. In addition to the above, Carrefour also stocks electrical goods, clothes, toiletries, luggage accessories and cleaning products. 5(Carrefour, 2006). The Carrefour stores are based on the concept of self-service, that provides the customer with the freedom to browse the products at their pace and thus exposing them to attractive display and packaging.     

ANALYZE THE CORPORATE STRATEGY AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Essay

ANALYZE THE CORPORATE STRATEGY AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example A business responds to its operating environment through the corporate strategy. Strategies need to be monitored with care with regular reviews and adjustments to make sure that they are focused on the accomplishment of organizational objectives. They involve the utilization of human resources and finances in a particular period of time through a comprehensive scheme that is targeted at achieving the business corporate goal. This paper is a critical analysis of the corporate strategy and operating environment. HRM actions that can improve the organization’s effectiveness have been discussed. Factors that can affect the operations of the business in a foreign country in comparison to the U.S. have been highlighted. There are several HRM actions that can contribute to the company being more effective and efficient. These include; flexible working, career development through training and upgrading the skills of supervisors. Flexibility can be achieved through various ways. These include policies on flexible hours. Flexibility of working hours allows fulfillment amongst the employees within the place of work as well as outside. This is usually beneficial to the business through improved productivity amongst the employees, which is attributed to job satisfaction. The employees are able to take care of family obligations as well as those of the work place (Bratton, and Gold, 2007). In that state, it is most likely that they will be more productive than working under tight schedules that do not allow them to take any other responsibility outside the paid work. The needs of employees towards work life balance are specific to individuals. These usually depend on the age, marital status, gender and oth er such factors (Bach, 2005). High productivity in employees is attributed to job satisfaction. Productivity in employees results when managers ensure flexibility in their objectives and careful analysis

Business security and globalization issues in Canada and Mexico Research Paper

Business security and globalization issues in Canada and Mexico - Research Paper Example CTA represents the trucking industry’s perspective on national and global policy, general and legal regulations that affect trucking. In Canada, 90% of items like food and consumer goods are carried by the trucking industry across the country. This industry reaches out to provide its services to almost every town, city and community of Canada. 70% of trading relation between Canada and US and 50% of trading relation between Canada and Mexico comprises of the trucking industry. In spite of the fact that few very large and public limited companies form the Canada Trucking industry, yet it is ruled by thousands of businesses of medium and small sizes and independent businesses which are operated by the owners. Most of such businesses are owned and run by Canadians. In 2000, trucking industry in Canada garnered freight revenue of $48 billion. Out of the 400,000 people employed by this industry, the number of drivers is over 260,000. (â€Å"Submission on the Canada-United States o f America Trade Relationship and the Canada-Mexico Trade Relationship†) Effects of US Security Initiatives The initiatives taken under the Smart Border Accord could challenge the ability of the Canadian carriers to participate in the trading relationship with US unless an appropriate balance in trade/security is maintained with the US. To influence the border policy decisions of US, Canada has to maintain a strong partnership with the Americans in the field of border and security efficiency. Substantial steps must be taken by both countries to tackle national security concerns as well as to ensure smooth flow of low risk commercial freight across the border. As long as border security is not addressed properly economies of both country and especially economy of Canada is bound to suffer. Investments should be made on infrastructure like tunnels and bridges to expand the crossing capacity in the Canada-US border. Both United States and Canadian governments should support the us e of FAST cards as substitute of the Transportation Workers Identity Card developed in the US. (â€Å"Submission on the Canada-United States of America Trade Relationship and the Canada-Mexico Trade Relationship†) Trucking industry in Mexico Commercial transport in Mexico is dominated by its trucking industry. Mexico’s truck fleet increased by 85% between the years 1989 and 1992 due to government’s deregulation of the industry. Till 1989, Canada’s truck fleet could run only on certain routes and could carry only certain types of cargo. This led to inefficiency within the industry. Since 1992, trucks can run over any road within the country and can carry all kinds of cargo except the dangerous and explosive ones. This has resulted in doubling the number of trucks in Mexico and due to intensified competition costs have also fallen drastically. (Nolan, 308) Canada and Mexico’s Trade with the United States Canada and the United States are the largest t rading partners of each other. Canada exports 87% of its total exports to the United States every year and the United States sells 22% of its total exports to Canada. Every day over 37,000 trucks cross the border of Canada and the United States and Canada receives 50% of all automotive exports of US. Of total trade in Canada, trucks carry 70% with US and 50% with Mexico. Mexico is the sixth largest trading p

Chinas arms export to the developing countries in Asia Essay

Chinas arms export to the developing countries in Asia - Essay Example In the context of the sudden increase in China’s arm exports in the last decade, two things are worth mentioning. First, the increase is primarily due to a sudden rise in volume of arms purchased by Pakistan in the last few years, wherein it accounts for more than 50 % of arms exported by China in the last five years (Holtom, Bromley, Wezeman and Wezeman, 2013). China has exported combat aircrafts in large numbers to Pakistan, while there are pending orders for frigates and submarines. Besides Pakistan, some of the recent arms deals with other countries, such as Venezuela, Morocco and Algeria, show that China is rapidly turning into a powerful arms dealer (Klare, 2013). Second, currently many research papers have focused on China’s development of advanced weapon technologies; however, these advanced forms of arms are not successful as the traditional ones within the global market. This is primarily because main importers of Chinese arms are the countries that aim at buy ing cheaper and less advanced weapons, even though China may have more advanced systems in offer. As for example, reports show that China exports more of F-7.2, which are technologically less advanced than the J-10 and J-11 models of fighter planes (Holtom, Bromley, Wezeman and Wezeman, 2013). Therefore, it is evident that while China gained significance as a global player within the arms export market, its buyers are mainly from the developing nations. Between 2006 and 2009, (Grimmett, 2011).

Compare the Techniques Of My First Sonne and Limbo Essay Example for Free

Compare the Techniques Of My First Sonne and Limbo Essay When looking at the two poems it is clear that On my First Sonne is composed to deal with a father losing his seven year old son. While in comparison the poet Brathwaite is highlighting the topic of slavery. When comparing the two poems it is quite noticeable that they deal with life issues of death and sadness. However, once studying the two poems it is quite noticeable that both poems distinguish and highlight religion. This is highlighted in Limbo as it says in the last line on the burning ground. Which can be clearly suggested that it is portraying the Christian image of Hell. Which can be defined as a place where youre in torture, which relates to the life of an African Slave where there struggling for life in places e.g. the sugar plantations. In On My First Sonne its communicating to the reader about religion like Limbo. However, instead of comparing religion to torture, it is discussing can people envy his son because hes going to heaven? This is particularly shown in the following line where he leaves a question mark Will man lament the state he should envie? Looking at both the poems theres a huge contrast in there individuality and uniqueness. This is clearly shown through the way that both the poems are written. For example, Limbo is presented in free verse which is probably suggesting that the slaves once had an identity. The word Limbo emphasises that the free verse is trying to show that the slaves were his ancestors with an African past. However, Brathwaite is presenting that the slave dealers stripped his ancestors of an identity for example the dumb Gods are raising me. Showing that the poet has no knowledge of Africans Gods or culture. While in contrast, the techniques used in On My First Sonne shows a traditional English poem about his love to his son. It is also writing about the English tradition of the Church of England and an identity about what it is to be English. Which during its time was to believe in the old tradition of religion and heaven. Which when comparing the two it is noticeable that On My First Sonne shows identity and Limbo conveys lost identity. On My First Sonne it uses Trochaic pentameter in order to create the feeling of sadness by the use of a stressed and then a unstressed syllable. By using this technique it creates a feeling that the author is clueless which is shown through sentences like Will man lament the state he should envie? Limbo also uses Trochaic pentameter in order to create the feeling of sadness as the poem is talking about the struggle of slavery long dark deck and the water surrounding me. When looking at the tenses of On My First Sonne it uses past, present and future. For example in the first four lines there is a use of past. This is shown as he talks about his seven year old child and uses in the last sentence on the just day. It then changes to present, as the poet talks about in the next four lines Will man lament the state he should envie? suggesting he should envy his son because he is in heaven. This quote also shows that he has accepted the death of his son. It then goes to future as the poet mentions in soft peace. This poem shows to the reader that the poet wrote this poem over a long period of time. Showing to the reader the past represents that his child died, the present in between lines is mentioning the childs burial and the future is that the child is buried and now in heaven. In Limbo there is a use of only present tense and repetition of the title limbo. This technique is used to make the poem capture the audience and get into the character of a slave. Furthermore, the use of repetition creates a tempo and the beat is indicated as it uses the word drummers. However, in On My First Sonne there is a use of punctuation to create the tempo meaning the audience are less involved with the poem. In conclusion this essay shows to the reader the background of the poems one to do with slavery and another to do with England and the Church of England of faith. Furthermore, Im showing how both poems contrast and how language is used to show tempo and contrast.

Role of Psychological Contract in Starbucks

Role of Psychological Contract in Starbucks The concept of the invisible contract can also be expressed as psychological contract which entails the unwritten employment relationship between the employer and the employee. It is an unspoken set of beliefs usually hidden or remains invisible, held by both parties which co-exist with the written contract of employment. The psychological contract is used to refer to the perceptions of what both employers and employees have regarding their business relationship based on what they are to give and receive from each other respectively. This concept can be traced back to Ancient Greek Philosophers as well as social contract theorists like John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Kotter (1973) describes the psychological contract as an implicit contract with specifications of how both the individual and organisation are meant to behave in their employment relationship. The psychological contract is an abstract relationship between employers and employees driven by their perceptions of values. According to Cluterbuck (2005) value has three core meanings and they are value as respect, value as worth and value as beliefs. Value as respect refers to the perceptions of the employees towards the organisation with regards to how the employee feels about working with that particular organisation. If the employees feel that they are contributing positively to the organisation and if these efforts are being recognised by the organisation, the hidden orientation becomes successful. Value as worth on the other hand refers to how the employers and employees create added value for each other through reciprocal rewards. For example, the organisation providing Good pay and providing training and development opportunities for the employees while the employees in turn add value to share holders in order to raise capital. In this proposal various psychological aspects will be described in the context of organization and also its employees and also the appropriate methodology for this research will be discussed for the further completion of the investigation. 1.1 Research Question What is the role of the invisible contact or psychological contract between employers and employees in Starbucks coffee in City East District? 1.2 Key Aims This research seeks: To compare the Old and New Types of the Psychological contract To explore the opinions of a selection of Starbucks Coffees employees and their managers about their side of the psychological contract. To evaluate the assumptions both employers and employees have towards the concept of the psychological contract. To explore how psychological contracts can be enhanced to increase competitive advantage in supermarkets. To examine the changes in the psychological contract over the years, the reasons for the changes and the influence the new contract is having over both employees and the organisation. 1.3 Background of the Company: Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 16,120 stores in 49 countries, including around 11,000 in the United States, followed by nearly 1,000 in Canada and more than 800 in Japan. Starbucks sells drip brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, snacks, and items such as mugs and coffee beans. Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the companys products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. In May 1998, Starbucks successfully entered the European market through its acquisition of 65 Seattle Coffee Company stores in the UK. The two companies shared a common culture, focussing on a great commitment to customised coffee, similar company values and a mutual respect for people and the environment. CHAPTER 2 2.0 Literature Review This chapter highlights the major arguments surrounding the concept of the psychological contract. The psychological contract is unwritten and therefore it is merely implied but could be explicit to some extent but not necessarily allow for agreement to the parties involvement. It can differ from individual to individual as well as from various organisations because individuals have various perceptions even with the same terms and conditions it still varies amongst individuals. The concept of the psychological contract can be traced back to Ancient Greek Philosophers and social contract theorists like John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. William Morris described Love of work as a Man at work creating something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it and is therefore exercising the energies of his mind, soul and body (Morris 1870). 2.1 Definitions of the Psychological contract Agyris (1960) has been given credit for bringing to limelight the concept of psychological contract. He describes the psychological contract as a set of practical and emotional expectations of benefits that both employers and employees have of each other. Kotters (1973) defines the psychological contract as an implicit contract between an individual and his organisation which specifies what each is expected to give and receive from each other in the relationship. Morrison and Robinson (1997) on the other hand describe the psychological contract as an employment belief about the reciprocal obligations between that employee and his or her organisations where these obligations are based on perceived promises and are not necessarily recognised by agents of the organisation. According to Schein (1978) the psychological contract was described as a set of unwritten reciprocal expectations between the individual employee and the organisation. According to Goddard (1988), the way psychological contract is managed will determine how successful an organisation will become. The psychological contract entails what both parties to the contract (i.e. the employer and employee) expect from each other based on their employment beliefs and values. 2.2 Types of Psychological Contract Rousseau (1995) describes four types of psychological contract. The first type is the transactional which is short term and there is very little involvement of the parties, employees are more concerned with compensation and personal benefits rather than being good organisational citizens (Robinson et al 1994). The second type of psychological contract is the relational, which is a long term type focuses on more emotional factors like support and loyalty rather than on monetary issues like pay and compensation. The third type is the hybrid or balanced which aims at long term relationships between employers and employees as well as specifying performance requirements. The fourth type is the transitional contract which according to (Rousseau, 1995) does not offer any form of guarantee because of the ever changing nature of the organisations environment. Short Term Long term Transactional (ex. retail clerks hired during Christmas shopping season) Low ambiguity Easy exit/high turnover Low member commitment Freedom to enter new contracts Little learning Weak integration/identification Balanced (ex. high involvement team) High member commitment High integration/identification Ongoing development Mutual support Dynamic Transitional ex. employee experiences following merger or acquisitions) Ambiguity/uncertainty High turnover/Termination Instability Relational (ex. family business members) High member Commitment High affective commitment High integration/identification Stability Table 1: Types of Psychological contract (Rousseau 1995 Pg 17) The psychological contract is an abstract relationship between employers and employees driven by their perceptions of values. According to Cluterbuck (2005) value has three core meanings and they are value as respect, value as worth and value as beliefs. Value as respect refers to the perceptions of the employees towards the organisation with regards to how the employee feels about working with that particular organisation. If the employees feel that they are contributing positively to the organisation and if these efforts are being recognised by the organisation, the hidden orientation becomes successful. Value as worth on the other hand refers to how the employers and employees create added value for each other through reciprocal rewards. For example, the organisation providing Good pay and providing training and development opportunities for the employees while the employees in turn add value to share holders in order to raise capital. There must also be a sense of equilibrium her e so the parties involved feel a sense of fairness. There are two main types of psychological contract and they are the Transactional and Relational Psychological contracts. The transactional focuses on short term and specific monitory agreements with little involvement of the parties where employees are more interested in good benefits and compensations. The relational psychological contract on the other hand is a long-term contract that focuses on support and loyalty rather than on monitory issues, it is a more emotional contract. Rousseau (1990) categorisation of obligations as relational or transactional is shown below (Table 2) Employer Obligations: Transactional Employer Obligations: Relational Employee Obligations: Transactional Employee Obligations: Relational Advancement Training Notice Overtime High Pay Job security Transfers Loyalty Merit Pay Development No competitor support Extra role behaviour Support Minimum Stay Source: Rousseau (1990) Table 2: Categorisation of employer and employee obligations as Transactional or Relational 2.3 Changes to the Psychological contract The concept of the psychological contract has led Academics to carry out a vast and in-depth research on the subject matter. The concept of the psychological contract has changed over the years and this chapter will describe its changes. Holbeche (1998) noted that the old psychological contract existed before the 1980s where employment was guaranteed as long as employees continued to perform their best at work. The change occurred from the 1980s to the present as a result of emergent challenges to corporate strategies which were being influenced by economic turbulence. There was an urgent need by organisations to adopt change to deal with economic downturns and as a result of this most organisations began the process of downsizing and began to focus more on their core business and outsource other peripheral activities. These business strategies were required for organisational development and they challenged the old psychological contract that was based on Job security and moved focu s to a new contract that is based on employability. According to Hiltrop (1995), the psychological contract that gave job security and job stability to the relationship of both employees and employers has dramatically altered in the past two decades. He further stresses the change in nature of loyalty and commitment with the emphasis changing from long term careers to current performance. Rousseau (1995) acknowledges these changes by stating that contracts were previously transactional in nature but with the emergence of the bureaucratic era they developed to become relational. The old psychological contract was based on a reciprocal obligation of both employer and employee where employees provided loyalty to employers and employers gave Job security. Various factors led to the change in the psychological contract and they include amongst others the recession in the early 1990s as well as the effects of globalisation. This resulted in a change from the old psychological contract to a new contract. Individual offered: Organisation expected: Loyalty Loyalty In-depth knowledge of organisation Staff with a deep understanding of how the business functioned Acceptance of bureaucratic systems that defined the individuals rate of progress Willingness to build a career slowly through a defined system Willingness to go beyond the call of duty when required Individuals who would put the organisations needs before any outside interests Individual expected: Organisation offered: Job security Job security Regular pay increases Regular pay increases based on length of service Recognition for length of service Status and rewards based on length of service Recognition of experience Respect for experience Table 3: Adapted from Pembertons model of the psychological contract (1998) Table 3 represented above describes the characteristics of the old psychological contract where the organisation provided job security and rewards based on length of service and the employees provided loyalty and commitment on their part. Sparrows (1996) interpretation of this new contract is outlined in table 4 below: Change vs Stability Continuous Change Culture Performance based reward Development Employees for self-development and increasing their employability. Emphasis on development of competencies and technical skills Rewards Paid on contribution Promotion Criterion Performance Promotion Prospects Fewer chances of promotion due to essentially flat organisational structures focus on sideways moves to develop a broader range of skills Relationship Type Transactional rather than relational; no job security guarantees Responsibility Accountability and innovation encouraged Status Fewer outward symbols Trust No longer seen as essential. Emphasis on engendering commitment to current project or team. Table 4: Adapted Sparrows new psychological contract (1996) These changes occurred against a background of economic hardship; redundancies were widespread, unemployment increasing and government focused on reducing trade union powers. The outcome was a more vulnerable and wary workforce. The economic climate forced companies to examine cost reduction as a means of sustaining or increasing profits. Human resource policies were cost effective rather than paternalistic. Staff were increasingly seen as resources who were useful for a specific role and either adaptable or replaceable when that role ended. The new contract is based on the offer of the employer to provide fair pay for the employee as well as providing opportunities for training and development. As a result of this, the employer can no longer offer Job security and as such has weakened the amount of commitment employees have to offer. Atkinson (2002) suggests that the new contract focuses on the need for highly skilled flexible employees who have little or no job security but are highly marketable outside the organisation. Bagshaw (1997) states that, in this new Psychological contract, individuals need to commit to five key areas which have both short term and long term views. They are Continuous learning, Team working, Goal setting, Proactive change management and Personal advocacy and networking (Bagshaw 1997 pg 188). He further argues that if these key areas are focused on, the employees will be raising their values of future employability. Furthermore, the common dialogue between the two parties with similar interests in mind will establish commitment and loyalty. The reasons for such changes were described by Herriot and Pemberton (1997) as the Restructuring and continuous change of organisations led to increased feelings of inequity and insecurity and as a result, motivation was affected negatively. Hall and Moss (1998) demonstrate the shifting of the psychological contract using three stages of adaptation. The first stage, they described as the trauma of change state and they argued that a lot of organisations go through this stage. The second stage they described as adapting to the new contract where they estimated a 7-year period may be needed in order to fully adapt to the new contract stressing its not a linear process and as such it is possible to fall back to previous states. The third stage is described by Atkinson (2002) as the point of gradual change and continuous learning, valuing the employee and offering loyalty to employees based on performance and development. This stage seeks to avoid the trauma of the changing contract by offering fundamental respect for the individuals involved. Hall and Moss (1998) argue that changes to the psychological contract are possible without going through the first and second stages if handled appropriately. Atkinson (2002) further develops two concepts that emerge from long term management of the contract. The first is that organisations that are successful will provide opportunities and resources to enable individuals to develop their own careers through a relational approach. The second is that organisations will need to be more effective in renegotiating contracts and minimising risks of violating contracts (Rajan, 1997). This is because violating contracts will have negative impacts on employee attitudes and motivation. 2.4 Employer and Employee Perceptions Shore and Barksdale (1998) describe a productive employment relationship as one in which a degree of balance in perceived employee-employer obligations exist. This degree of balance suggests a mutual supporting relationship in which employees offer their skills and organisational commitment in return for rewards from the organisation. Winter and Jackson(2006) argue the need to consider both employer and employee perspectives, they suggested that it will enable investigation into the perceptions of mutuality of both parties and through this process, evaluate how well the employer has fulfilled his obligations to the employees and vice versa. Rousseau (1995) states that psychological contracts are formulated in the minds of the individuals and as a result reflect individual beliefs shaped by the organisation in regards to exchange terms between the employee and the organisation (Winter and Jackson 2006). Rousseau (1995) stresses the need for a link between the employees promises and obligations towards the organisation and that of the employer towards the employee. This is because of the differences in perceptions of both employers and employees of what constitutes the conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement (Winter and Jackson 2006). Above describes the employment relationship of both employer and employee with transitions employees are likely willing to make and what they are able to offer in return. Herriot (1998) describe the process of contracting and negotiating between the employer and employee with a need for organisations to discover individual or group wants and match them with their own wants and offers through negotiation. Holbeche (1998) describes what employers perceptions of employees obligations are, as: Employees will take responsibility for managing their own careers Be loyal and committed Be dispensable when they are surplus to requirements Be adaptable and willing to learn new skills and work processes Holbeche (1998) further suggests the main components of employee expectations as: To be more employable in exchange for job security For organisation to support career development in return for loyalty For high skills and expertise to be recognised and duel rewarded According to Armstrong and Stephens (2005), a positive psychological contract is strongly linked to higher employee satisfaction, better employment relations and higher commitment to the organisation. They further suggest how performance management processes can help clarify the psychological contract and make it more positive through: Defining the level of support to be exercised by managers. Providing non-monetary rewards that reinforce the messages about expectation. Providing a basis for the joint agreement and definition of roles. Providing financial rewards through schemes that deliver messages about what the organisation believes to be important. Shields (2007), states, trust has been discovered to be a critical factor in employee behaviour and outlook. He further argues that when the level of trust between employers and employees fall, employee commitments and satisfaction deteriorate as well as motivation and effort. Guest and Conway (1997) outlined the following set of practices as having the most positive influence on employee work attitudes and behaviour and they are: Job security Training Opportunities High Pay Open communications Employee involvement programs According to Turnley et al (2003), psychological contract breach results in a number of negative results which include, lower levels of employee commitment, increased cynicism, reduced trust, reduced job satisfaction and high turnover. 2.5 Employee Motivation and the Psychological Contract Employee Psychological contracts are defined by Flannery (2002) as the important additional component to an employees job description which makes the job worth doing and reflects the main source of employees motivation. These contracts are part of what motivates employees to be productive at work and enables them to give their all at work. Shore and Barksdale (1998) discovered that employees reported higher levels of commitment, lower levels of turnover and higher organizational support when their employment relationships with their organisations were fulfilled. Rousseau (2004) suggests three ways in which employees design their own psychological contract. First, through their career aspirations, employees make different commitments to the organisation based on whether they view it as a long term employment possibility or a short term one which they need to move on to attain better opportunities. Employees with a stepping stone perspective tend to adopt transactional contracts while employees with long term employment possibilities tend to be more relational in contract nature. The second determinant is the personality of the individual, employees that are highly neurotic will tend to adapt more transactional contracts because they tend to reject actions by organisations to build relationships while conscientious workers on the other hand who possess great value for duty are more likely to have relational contracts. Thirdly, Rousseau states that employees who have negotiated special arrangements that are not usually available to others usually believe they relational contracts. This is because they have negotiated for opportunities for training and development which are special arrangements and a feature of relational contracts. A survey conducted by Guest and Conway (1997) on The Motivation and effort of employees discovered that the more motivated employees had a more positive psychological contract which presupposes that employees who are satisfied with their jobs and committed to their organisations report higher levels of general motivation so also do those with a positive psychological contract (Guest and Conway 1997). It was also discovered that attitudes have the highest influence on reported levels of motivation. Osteraker (1999) suggests there is a link between values and needs stating that individual needs, influence motivation and those needs determine how individuals will behave. Osteraker (1999) further stresses that values and attitudes can change over time due to a change in the organisation such as downsizing and restructuring. 2.6 Culture Hofstede (1984) suggests that different cultures imply different mental programming that controls activities, values and motivations. Therefore, organisational commitment is a psychological state that characterises the employees relationship with the organisation (Kong 2007). Culture is described as consisting of a system of values, attitudes, belief and behavioural meanings shared by members of a society (Thomas et al 2003). According to King and Bu (2005) employees of different cultural traditions and socio-economic environments are more likely to have very different perceptions on employer-employee relations. The type of psychological contract that individual employees will form with their employers is influenced by the personality traits, societal values and cultural norms of that particular individual (Raja et al 2004). This further implies that individual personality traits and cultural norms could provide a system that will explain why employees facing similar work environment and work conditions may form very different employment relationships with their employers (Zhao and Chen 2008). These norms, values and beliefs provide a framework that will determine the way individuals behave and act accordingly. Individualism is defined by Gould and Kolb (1964) as an emphasis on ones self as separate from the others and an end in itself. The individual is independent and self reliant believes in self development and competition. In collectivism, the self often overlaps with a group. The main focus is on cooperation with a group, interdependence, social norms with the group comprising of the m ain unit of social perception with individuals viewed as embedded in a universe of relationships (Lebra 1984). According to Thomas et al (2003) individualism refers to the tendency to be more concerned about consequences of behaviours of ones personal goals through viewing oneself as independent of others while collectivism on the other hand refers to view oneself as interdependent with selected others with consequences of behaviour for the group as a whole and group interest. Research carried out by Zhao and Chen (2008) discovered, that individuals with an individualistic cultural value tended to form more transactional psychological contracts while people with a collectivism cultural value formed more relational contracts. It was discovered that collectivism motives tend to avoid differentiation and focus on relational contracts while self motives were more transactional in nature. This goes in line with research conducted by Lee (2000) where it was discovered that relational contracts are more likely related to behaviour in work groups in Hong Kong than in the United States. 2.6.1 Culture, Personalities and the Psychological Contract Rousseau (1995) outlines the two most important influences of employees psychological contract and they are both the organisational influences and employees personal dispositions. According to Tallman and Bruning (2008), the way employees interpret information from their employers, their observations of actions and activities in the workplace, together with their personal dispositions are theorised to create idiosyncratic contract attitudes in the minds of employees. Additionally, if management understand the factors that influence the development of employee psychological contracts, they may be able to manage these contracts more effectively (Tallman and Bruning 2008). Research carried out by Raja (2004) established a link that connected several facets of employee personality to their psychological contracts. Their research examined personality traits, including extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism and the extent to which these personality constructs related to employees choice of a transactional and relational psychological contracts. People high in neuroticism have poor job attitudes and they are unlikely to give of themselves other than what is necessary to maintain their jobs (Tallman and Bruning 2008). Kichuk and Wiesner (1997) further argue that people high in neuroticism are fearful, angry and functions as poor team performers with poor attitudes towards change. Neuroticism has been found to be negatively related to self-esteem and locus of control (Judge et al, 1998). These findings suggest that employees high in neuroticism will develop obligation attitudes that reflect low job commitment and an unwillingness to take initiative in their work. The outcome of Raja et al (2004)s research was that neuroticism was positively related to transactional contracts and negatively related to the relational psychological contracts. Relational contracts are dynamic, involving, emotional and prolonging contracts in nature while transactional contracts are short term contracts with little close involvement of the parties (Rousseau 1995). These findings suggest that neurotic employees reject actions by organisations to build relationships with them and as such are focused on instrumental needs such as good pay and benefits. Raja et al (2004) found extraversion positively related to relational contracts and negatively related to transactional contract indicating extroverted employees are willing to engage in long term relationships with their organisations. This is line with the research conducted by Judge et al (1998) that discovered that extroversion has been related to high job performance, job satisfaction, team performance and low absenteeism. 2.7 Psychological Contract Violation Psychological contract violation has been defined as a failure of the organisation to fulfil one or more obligations of an individuals psychological contract (Robinson and Morrison 1995). They further make a distinction between breach and violation, stating that the breach is the identification that the organisation has failed to fulfil one or more obligations within ones psychological contract. Robinson and Morrison (1995) further emphasise that the breach could be relatively short term and as a result individuals could return to their normal stable psychological state or it could alternatively evolve into the full contract violation. Violation on the other hand is the more personalized emotional state that follows from the belief that the organisation has failed to uphold its part of the psychological contract. Rousseau (1989) describes the contract violation as a broken promise that calls into question respect and codes of conduct which increases intensity of responses. Robinson and Morrison (1995) suggest that the beliefs by employees that obligations and promises have been unfulfilled by the organisation will lead the employees to most likely report a reduction in perceived obligations to their employers, lower job satisfaction and lower citizenship behaviour. Additionally, psychological contract violation reduces organisational commitment and increases cynicism (Robinson and Prior research conducted by Robinson and Rousseau (1994) reveal that contract violations frequently relates to promotion, compensation and training and development where the employees feel that the organisations has not fulfilled their side of the promise. CHAPTER 3 3.0 Research Methodology There are two types of research method Quantitative Method Qualitative Method Quantitative Method All research will involve some numerical data or contain data that could usefully be quantified to help researchers question and to meet objectives. Quantitative method re

The Colorado Rivers Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the Western United States :: Colorado River Geography American History Essays

The Colorado River's Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the Western United States Geographers can tell you that the one thing that most rivers and their adjacent flood plains in the world have in common is that they have rich histories associated with human settlement and development. This especially true in arid regions which are very dependent upon water. Two excellent examples are the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers which show use the relationship between rivers and concentrations of people. However, the Colorado River is not such a good example along most segments of its course. There is no continuous transportation system that parallels the rivers course, and settlements are clustered. The rugged terrain and entrenched river channels are the major reasons for sparse human settlement. We ask ourselves, did the Colorado River help or hinder settlement in the Western United States? As settlers began to move westward, the Southwest was considered to be a place to avoid. Few considered it a place to traverse, to spread Christianity, and a possible source of furs or mineral wealth. Finding a reliable or accessible water source, and timber for building was difficult to find. There was a lack of land that could be irrigated easily. By the turn of the century, most present day cities and towns were already established. Trails, roads, and railroads linked several areas with neighboring regions. Although the Colorado River drainage system was still not integrated. In the mid 1900’s many dams had been built to harness and use the water. A new phase of development occurred at the end of the second World War. There was a large emphasis on recreation, tourism, and environmental preservation. The terrain of the Colorado River is very unique. It consists of Wet Upper Slopes, Irregular Transition Plains and Hills, Deep Canyonlands, and the Dry Lower Plains. Wet Upper Slopes: Consist of numerous streams that feed into the Colorado River from stream cut canyons, small flat floored valleys often occupied by alpine lakes and adjacent steep walled mountain peaks. These areas are heavily forested and contain swiftly flowing streams, rapids, and waterfalls. These areas have little commercial value except as watershed, wildlife habitat, forest land, and destinations for hikers, fishermen, and mountaineers. Irregular Transition Plains and Hills: These areas are favorable for traditional economic development. It consists of river valleys with adequate flat land to support farms and ranches. Due to the rolling hills, low plateaus, and mountain slopes, livestock grazing is common.

Robert E. Lee Essay -- essays research papers fc

In 2003, Roy Blount Jr. published the book Robert E. Lee through the Penguin Group Inc. This book is different then other books published about Lee due to the fact that this book looks behind the man in uniform, and shows how Lee became the legend that we know today. Blount brings an element of humor that some would not expect to find when writing about Lee. Through this type of writing, Lee transforms into the everyday person who we all can relate to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blount takes the reader through the life of Robert E. Lee. However, Blount dances to a different beat while telling the story of Lee. There are some details about Lee that have been overlooked or ignored by other writers that Blount made prominent in this biography. One of these is Lee’s humor when it comes to the word â€Å"Pussyism† (57). This word was used when referring to the Oxford movement in the Church of England. Lee walked into conservation between two junior officers and declared, â€Å"Beware of Pussyism! Pussyism is always bad, and may lead to unchristian feeling; therefore beware of Pussyism!†(58). Lee is brought alive into the readers mind by this type of humor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blount begins the journey through Lee’s life with Lee’s father, Henry â€Å"Light Horse Harry† Lee. Henry was a Revolutionary War hero who went bankrupt and disgraced the Lee name. When Robert was a young child his father went to Baltimore to assist in the defense of a newspaper that was opposed to the war o...

Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia Essay -- Bridge Terabithia

Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia All children can relate in someway to Katherine Patterson’s Newberry Medal-winning children’s novel, Bridge to Terabithia. The characters are realistic people who could be one’s next door neighbors. From the shy and demure Jess to the vivacious and carefree Leslie, every kid can relate to one of the characters in this novel. The themes in this novel vary as much as the characters. Bridge to Terabithia is a good coming-of-age book that captures our imaginations and our hearts. Bridge to Terabithia is a story about a lonely boy, Jess Aarons, who grows up in a house where he is the only boy surrounded by four sisters and his mother. His father is there but always gone either working or looking for work. His greatest hope is to become the fastest runner in the fifth grade. All summer long he practices running but on the first day of school, he gets beat by the new girl, Leslie Burke. At first, she repels him. However, they soon become inseparable. Leslie and Jess are complete opposites. Jess is scared of a lot but Leslie is fearless. Leslie has imagination and inspiration and Jess envies that. Leslie’s family has money and gets along. Jess’ family is always scraping by and nearly dysfunctional. But nonetheless, they become best friends. In the woods, they create Terabithia, their own secret kingdom where they rule together. Leslie and Terabithia change Jess. He becomes a stronger person, less afraid of the world. But one cruel mor ning, tragedy strikes and Leslie dies. Jess must come to grips with her death and the world. Except now he has to do it alone. Symbolism is a literary element that stands out most in this novel. Patterson uses symbolism so well in this story. The title itself symbolizes Leslie. In chapter seven, Jess’ thoughts bring this symbol to light. â€Å"Jess tried going to Terabithia alone, but it was no good. It needed Leslie to make the magic. He was afraid he would destroy everything by trying to force the magic on his own, when it was plain that the magic was reluctant to come for him.†(65) We see this a second time in chapter eleven. The only way to enter Terabithia was to swing from the hanging rope, which was their bridge. Leslie died because the rope broke, causing her to fall and hit her head before landing in the stream, causing her to drown. The bro... ...r and the schoolyard bullies, and he realizes that he doesn’t need Leslie to protect him anymore and he does not need to take refuge in Terabithia because he can face his obstacles. â€Å"He thought about it all day, how before Leslie came, he had been a nothing-a stupid†¦It was Leslie who had taken him from the cow pasture into Terabithia and turned him into a king. Now it occurred to him that perhaps Terabithia was like a castle where you came to be knighted. After you stayed awhile and grew strong you had to move on.† (126) In the end, Jess builds a bridge to Terabithia and takes May Belle there and he becomes to May Belle who Leslie was for him. Jess does not need Leslie to enter Terabithia because although Leslie is gone, Terabithia will remain and live on with May Belle. There are a lot of children out there like Jess who are alone and scared and they just need to find their own Terabithia to give them courage to face the antagonists of their world. That is why Bridge to Terabithia is an excellent book for young readers. It gives them hope that they can face their world too. Works Cited: Patterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. New York. Harper Trophy. 1977.

Does emerging energy technology have the potential to provide power for the entire Tanzanian population affordably?

our site – CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING – DISSERTATION EXAMPLES Abstract This study proposes to examine the role of emerging energy technology and policy innovation and how this impacts developing economies. Employing Brazil as an example, this research identifies and assesses opportunities for the expansion of sustainable energy and policy for the nation of Tanzania. The value of this study rests in studying the link between energy innovation, organisational culture and increased capacity. 1 Introduction1.1 BackgroundThe identification and application of emerging energy technology is at the forefront of national economic growth (Timilsina, 2012). Many studies illustrate the contention that innovation and organisational culture awareness can enhance economic prosperity, thereby increasing the adoption of valuable technology, leading to a better standard of living for many populations in emerging nations (Barry et al, 2011). This research rests on the hypothesis that emerging nations that adopt emerging technology and policy opportunities have the potential to increase national use and underlying standards of living. Assessing both the cultural expectations and the energy industry opportunities provided in Brazil, this research determines if performance in Tanzania should be boosted by an industry and leadership that aligns cultural policy with the objectives of the energy market to accomplish national goals.1.2 Aims & ObjectivesThe objective of this study: Determine the viability of emerging technology and energy policy to provide power and a better standard of living for the Tanzanian population. In order to accomplish this objective a case study based on the more developed nation of Brazil will provide real world demonstration of the strengths and detriments of the innovative energy policy approach.1.3 Research QuestionsThe research questions are as follows: What is the relation of emerging energy technology to Organisational Culture How are innovative energy processes facilitated by Organisational Culture How does a culturally innovative energy strategy impact a nation How does Organisational learning and energy innovation enable an industry to respond to Tanzania’s requirements Is innovation necessary to sustain access to emerging market opportunities 2 Literature Review2.1 Energy InnovationEnergy innovation is defined as the introduction of new methods or products into a market or policy setting (Ahlborg et al, 2014). This suggests that new technology can have an impact on an existing energy market such as Tanzania.2.2 Organisational CulturePractices, policies and priorities that are held by a society are directly responsible for the acquisition and application of innovative policy and technology (Hall et al, 2011).With this evidence, there is a clear suggestion of a link between cultural perception and technological adoption.2 .3 Implementation and Assessment of Innovative ImpactOne of the primary drivers of organisational structure is positive production and progress during implementation (Christensen, 2005).Assessing the efforts over time using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as a cultural tool and the STEEPLE instrument to assess industry options provides a well-rounded illustration of impact. 3 Methodology3.1 ApproachBoth deductive and inductive avenues were reviewed; with the decision that the best method for this research will be the Interpretivism or the Qualitative approach (Cresswell, 2011). Secondary research based on a case study of Brazil evaluated using Hofstede’s Cultural dimensions to evaluate societal influences alongside the STEEPLE industry analysis thereby providing the working infrastructure evidence. This strategy will be adopted for this study so that existing data can be effectively accumulated and analysed.3.2 Research StrategyQualitative, Interpretative research methods will be used so that the literature can provide a wider analysis of the subject matter. This form of research will provide a solid foundation for well-balanced study.3.3 Data Collection Instruments and MethodsThe resources that will be used include text books, journal articles, online databases, government reports and applicable websites. 5 References Ahlborg, H. and Hammar, L. (2014). Drivers and barriers to rural electrification in Tanzania and Mozambique–Grid-extension, off-grid, and renewable energy technologies. Renewable Energy, 61, pp.117–124. Barry, M., Steyn, H. and Brent, A. (2011). Selection of renewable energy technologies for Africa: Eight case studies in Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi. Renewable energy, 36(11), pp.2845–2852. Christensen, C. (2005). The innovator’s dilemma. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins. Friebe, C., von Flotow, P. and T†aube, F. (2014). Exploring technology diffusion in emerging markets–the role of public policy for wind energy. Energy Policy, 70, pp.217–226. Hall, J., Matos, S., Silvestre, B. and Martin, M. (2011). Managing technological and social uncertainties of innovation: the evolution of Brazilian energy and agriculture.Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 78(7), pp.1147–1157. Strauss, S., Rupp, S. and Love, T. (2013). Cultures of energy. 1st ed. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Timilsina, G., Kurdgelashvili, L. and Narbel, P. (2012). Solar energy: Markets, economics and policies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(1), pp.449–465.

Communication Paper Essay

I would like to take this time in welcoming you to this presentation on communication marketing in health care. We will first be identifying different and most common communication used by consumers and health care providers, such as e-mail, a web-based forum, and/or electronic medical records just to name a few. We will also be discussing the benefits to the patients, an aspect relating to the values and importance of maintaining patient confidentiality when using these types of communication, some reasons that these types of communications are an effective way of communicating between consumers and their providers, how these types of communications may differ from others, and lastly, how might media and social networking change communication in health care today and years to come. Now, join with me as we discuss the different types and most common communication used by consumers and their health care providers. Many communication channels are used in healthcare, each with different properties. These channels may be synchronous or asynchronous, mobile or fixed, secure or no secure. Because of this, participants must decide which channel best suits the issue about which they need to communicate. Synchronous channels such as telephones and face-†to-†face meetings allow both parties to communicate at the same time, enabling information to flow freely in real time. Synchronous channels are ideal when discussing time-†sensitive issues and exchanging dense information. It is not always convenient, however, for a patient and physician to schedule time to communicate using synchronous channels because they can lead to delayed care, telephone tag, and frustration—when these channels fail to connect, some healthcare issues remain unaddressed. Yet, generally only pagers and synchronous communications are available for patient-†physician  communication. Asynchronous channels such as email, fax, and blogs enable each party to communicate when it is convenient. These channels may be used safely for issues that are no urgent or time-†sensitive. Because time is not a factor when using asynchronous channels, both patient and clinician can be more reflective in their messaging. Asynchronous channels, however, should not be used for medical emergencies or time-†sensitive issues. Another characteristic of communication channels is whether they are fixed (connected to a wire) or mobile. Thanks to advances in technology, many communication channels that were once fixed are now wireless, such as telephones and text messaging. Presenting new technologies is challenging when dealing with an industry entrenched in using the same telephone, fax, and pager systems for decades. Many problems in healthcare stem from the industry clinging to these outdated methods of communication, without understanding the benefits brought about by newer solutions. For example, electronic pagers, which have been abandoned by most industries, are still the core device for hospital communications. While physicians extensively use a mobile core phone outside the hospital, these phones are often banned from being used inside, despite evidence that in most areas of the hospital this technology is safe. Email is often discouraged for clinical communication for security reasons, and more advanced technologies such as instant messaging, videoconferencing, group teleconferencing, or web-†based collaboration are almost unheard of in clinical care—despite evidence that proves the effectiveness and safety of these technologies in healthcare. While physicians have found newer tools such as email useful, they are typically used only in limited situations and not commonly employed to communicate with patients. The reasons for physicians’ reluctance to use e-†communication with patients include concerns about malpractice litigation, fears of being barraged with emails, and the absence of a model that reimburses them for consulting with patients electronically. Communication in healthcare fails for many reasons: necessary personnel cannot be identified or located; they may not be available or may not respond in a timely manner; or the communication channel of choice may not be well suited to the task at hand— for example, e-†communication such as  email should not be used for time-†sensitive issues such as a patient having a heart attack, or in situations that require a dense exchange of information. Pagers, for instance, are more appropriate for time-†sensitive issues, while telephones, in-†person or videoconferencing meetings, or web-†based collaboration tools are more efficient options for exchanging dense information, such as detailed c ase reports. Because case reports require much discussion among physicians, using email only slows down the discussion process. With the ability to reduce costs, telemedicine has been shown to be such an effective medical practice in several instances that its growth and application in the health care industry have raised greatly. One of the reasons for patient satisfaction with telemedicine is a reduction in waiting time, travel time, and the time involved in arranging appointments. The absence of all these issues can facilitate health communication by eliminating many of the burdens involving in standard health care. There also some challenges to the patient privacy with web-based communication just as in a facility. Because multiple individuals in telemedicine communication, exposure of confidential records to all parties concerned becomes a threat to the privacy of the patient. Additionally, even through medical doctors accept the obligation of maintaining their patients’ privacy rights, the other assisting parties involved in the telemedicine communication may not be held to the same standards (Turner, 2003). As a result of this risk to patients’ privacy rights, telemedicine has struggled to gain acceptance for the legal and medical communities (Sanders & Bashshur, 1995). However, again, as time progresses and this issue tackled by the medical and legal communities alike, solutions should be found to eliminate privacy risks to patients. Furthermore, these solutions should generate increased acceptance of telemedicine practices by all parties concerned and, likewise, should alleviate the fear and frequency of breached to patient privacy laws. In conclusion to the communication marketing in health care, we were able to identify the different types of communication such as e-mails, web-based and  medical records. We were able to point out some benefits and different aspects for the patients values and the importance in maintaining the patients confidentiality and the risks of safety in these types of communications. We were also able to understand the reasons as to how these types of communications are effective between the consumers and their providers and how they differ from other forms of communications as well. Thank you for your time and efforts in taking the time to better understand the communication through telemedicine present and future. References: http://www.uapd.com/wp-content/uploads/Telemedicine-Its-Effects-on-Health-Communication.pdf http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac79/docs/wp/Communication_Healthcare_WP_0724FINAL.pdf

Being a Good Leader

Introduction In today’s organizations there is a greater focus on employees stepping up to be leaders rather just managing their respective responsibilities. It is not enough to simply manage tasks and perform your delegated responsibilities any more employees are expected to take initiative and motivate those around them to also be leaders even if you are not a manager by title. In order to be a leader, one must start by making a commitment and learn those skills needed to model the way and be examples to others. As our organizations become more diverse, being able to manage ethics and diversity is also important as we will encounter and work with others who have different perceptions, thoughts and experiences than what we may be accustomed or familiar with. We must be become change agents in our organizations, people who challenge the status quos and established processes in an ethical manner. If employees are motivated and engaged, organizations will be successful and be able to withstand adverse environments. Modeling the Way In all aspects of our lives we must be examples of how we want others around us to be whether in our own families, organizations or communities. How can we expect our employees to take initiative when they do not see their leaders taking initiative in their own roles? Even if you are not a manager or leader by title, people around you are still watching to see how you perform and behave. For example, I am an individual contributor in my organization but there are other employees around me who see what I do and how I behave in my role. I always have a positive attitude and a smile on my face which motivates them to also have a positive attitude. I have to be aware that I’m an informal leader in my organization even though I currently do not lead a team. On the other hand my direct manager is a great example on how a leader should behave and how to be an effective leader. She has the flexibility to work from home and she also gives me that option as a result that makes me work harder. Before introducing a new initiative, she always gets the buy-in of all our business partners so that when it is implemented, it is not a shock to anyone and everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts. I never realized the importance of engaging everyone who will be affected by a new process or decision until now. Prior I was used to managers and senior leadership making decisions and the rest of the employees who were expected to follow them did not have any say or input. This is not an effective method of motivating employees. I have learned how important it is to seek feedback in order to continue doing the things that make you a good leader, change any actions that are not appropriate and start doing other things you would like your subordinates or those around you to do. â€Å"Setting the example is all about execution. It’s about putting your money where your mouth is†¦ It’s about keeping promises. It’s about walking the walk. † (Kouzes & Posner, 2007) Managing Ethics When we are a part of an organization, we are all responsible for managing ethics not just managers. Ethical practices should be woven in the fabric of the organizational culture and the organization should have systems in place to enforce ethical behavior. â€Å"When developing the values statement during strategic planning, include ethical values preferred in the workplace. When developing personnel policies, reflect on what ethical values you'd like to be most prominent in the organization's culture and then design policies to produce these behaviors. † (McNamara, 2008) First we must know what our own ethical values are, what are our belief systems? If we believe it is ok to steal from your organization because they owe you anyways, that person should take time to do some self-reflection and analyze their values. There are many laws in place that outline what an organization can and cannot do to assist managers in deciding what constitutes ethical behavior. Most organizations also have guidelines in place that explain what is acceptable behavior and what is not as well as procedures to report unethical actions and behaviors. Again, managers must behave ethically to set examples for their employees and those around them. Unethical actions not only hurt the individual but the entire company and that is why managers must enforce the company’s stance on ethics, ensure all their employees receive all brochures and materials so there is no question on how to handle observed unethical behaviors. Ethical practices should be a topic of discussion in meetings and on one-on-one conversations. Managing Diversity Today more than ever our workforce are increasingly become more diverse and managers must be equipped to not just treat diverse employees fairly but know how to leverage the different perspective, experiences and points of iew to create innovative products and how to respond to a growing diverse customer base. It is important for managers to understand diversity does not just imply to ethic or cultural differences but to also people in different age groups, education level, physical ability, economic status and many more. A manager must be able to communicate and manage conflict that arises betwe en an older worker and a younger worker. Managers have to the open about learning about different people in their organization and as a result, the organization will benefit from all the great ideas. As an example, by the end of the month, our organization have scheduled a meeting with diverse managers for a round table discussion to get their ideas on how we can improve our recruitment of diverse leaders into our organizations. We are tapping into their experiences and possible networks to create a process in place instead of searching outside the organization. We also want to understand if they have had opportunities for advancement or professional development to see how we can improve that process. It is not enough to hire diverse leaders if we cannot engage them in the organization, develop them and retain them. We also try to enforce to the organization that it is not the job of just Human Resource’s to own diversity and creating a culture of inclusion, it is everyone’s job. Managing diversity is not just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. For example, if we do not have a strategy in place to create products and services geared towards the Hispanic population, which is growing at a rapid pace, our competitors who do target this group will experience larger profits. â€Å"Just as the workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, so too are the customers who buy an organization’s goods and services. (Jones, George, 2009) You do not have to be a manager to promote and support diversity. You can do it by your actions and by challenging others and educating them on how diversity makes good business sense and supporting your organization’s diversity efforts. Challenging the Process Good leaders do not just follow procedures and conduct business as usua l. True leaders question why certain procedures are in place and suggest alternative solutions to improve the process. Leaders take the initiative to conduct any research needed to show the proof or the foundation on how to implement a new procedure, present the business case for the change. Leaders have to trust their gut instincts when introducing a new process or a different way of doing things that may not be received with open arms. As an example, when my manager introduced a new diversity scorecard to the senior leadership to hold managers accountable for including diversity efforts into their respective departments, it was not greeted with enthusiasm. It took a few years of her having to â€Å"prove† the business case and showing with data why they had to be consistent with their diversity efforts. As a result, the same leaders who were skeptical are now the ones refusing to interview any candidates for open positions unless they have a diverse candidate slate. Now, three years since injecting diversity into our culture, diversity is included in our bonus achievement plan. As a leader who wants to implement change, you must be persistent and believe that the change you want to make will benefit everyone in the organization and other leaders are also committed in making similar changes within their regions and divisions. â€Å"Leadership isn’t about challenge for the challenge’s sake. It’s not about shaking things up just to keep people on their toes. It’s about challenge for meaning’s sake. † (Kouzes & Posner, 2007) Conclusion Being a leader is much more than holding a leadership title but we become leaders by the decisions we make. We must make a choice to have purpose and passion in our every day lives. We must care about ourselves, employees and the organizations we work for. When we have a purpose and passion about what we do it becomes infectious to others, we become examples and without realizing we are modeling the way for others to see how leaders behave through actions. Leaders must also do what they say they will do in order to be credible with their employees, colleagues and customers. If a leader looses his or her credibility, they will not receive the support he or she will need to implement any necessary changes. Leaders do not only manage ethics but have at the center of their belief system a high regard for human worth and dignity. (Huber, 1998) Their decisions are made based on these values and beliefs which tie in with managing diversity as our world becomes more global. Leaders are made by the decisions we make every day that help make our organizations as successful and competitive as possible. Resources Huber, N (1998). Leading from Within. New York, NY: Krieger. Jones, Gareth R. and George, Jennifer M. (2008) Contemporary Management 6th edition; McGraw-Hill Irwin, N. Y. , N. Y Kouzes, J. , & Posner, B. (2007). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. McNamara, C. (2008). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. Retrieved March, 2009, from Free Management Library Web site: http://managementhelp. org/ethics/ethxgde. htm#anchor39675