Intercultural Communications Essay

My stepmother was born in Masan, the countryside of Korea, to a family of four daughters. My step-grandfather was a hard working man. He had a small taxi and truck business. My mother’s youth was during the recovering of the war. My mom has told me stories about growing up. She rarely got nice things unlike how a lot of Korean children now get today. However, she says growing up was not as hard as most kids during the time. â€Å"Korean kids have to learn how to respect their elders,† my mother states. â€Å"For example at the dinner table you do not start eating until the elders start.† She says that hitting kids was a common thing and teachers even hit their students who failed to do assignments and do their responsibilities. It is also part of Korean culture for the eldest son to take care of the parents. Back then; the parents would even live with the eldest son even after he has married. Today, it has changed a lot and most parents would rather live alone. Children are supposed to live at home with their parents until marriage. In the United States, it was not as strict. It was common for men to move out of their parents home at eighteen and start working or go to college. These days not all Koreans still follow the culture but still, many do. Back then, Korea was recovering from war and a lot of parents were focused on their children’s education. They would do anything for their education. So, kids would do nothing but study. â€Å"I would go to school at seven in the morning and not finish until ten at night. I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at school,† my mom says. She studied a lot. Generally, Korea’s students study a lot more and harder than the average American. It was not until around high school years when her father made more money and became successful. My stepmom even paid for most of her college and travel expenses. She traveled to Australia to learn English and did a lot of missionary work all over the world years later. I think all of those years of studying hard paid off for her. I learned that my mom is very strict about certain things pertaining to me because of how she was raised. For Christmas, she received an orange. In today’s world, it is common for kids to go out to the mall and hang out with their friends and buy a few things. At least, that is how it is in America. My mom did not have that. In her view, kids are not really supposed to receive much money from their parents. The money should stay with the parents. I learned that the United States and Korea today share some culture similarities and some drastic differences. I feel that by learning more about cultures outside of your own one really opens up new ideas and different ways of thinking. By learning more about Korean culture over the years, I feel that I have become an a lot more open minded individual and it has made me a stronger today. Works Cited: Kim, Tara. Personal Interview. 1 Nov. 2011

Halloween & Christmas? Similar or Different? Essay

When you think about Christmas and Halloween you think that they are two completely different holidays. But are they really, are they completely different or are they the same thing just celebrated at different times in the year. Well thats what we are going to find out. Christmas celebrated on December 25 and Halloween celebrated on October 31 very unique holidays with many questions to be answered. Lets start with Halloween since that comes first in the year. Halloween is a holiday celebrated at night on October 31st. The word Halloween is shortening All Hallows’ Evening also known as Hallowe’en or All Hallows’ Eve. The traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting â€Å"haunted houses† and carving or painting pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embrace the holiday in the late twentieth century including Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as Australia and New Zealand. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The countries this scary holiday is celebrated in are; Austria, Korea , Belgium, Mexico (day of the dead), Canada, Latin America, China, Spain, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Japan. Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

American Economy During World War II Essay

Prior to its entry in the Second World War, the United States asumed an isolationist (neutral) stance by the 1930’s even though the threat of war was looming over Europe and Asia with the rise of militarism when democracies in these regions failed to address the economic problems they were having which were similar to the US. Through the efforts of President Franklin D. Roosvelt, the US took a more â€Å"democratic† approach in addressing the socio-economic problems created by the Great Depression called the New Deal and this saw the American economy gradually recovering and the confidence and self-esteem of individual citizens returning. When the US entered World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, America committed itself to â€Å"total war. † The entire nation was mobilized but it was not merely limited to raising an armed force and preparing it for combat, it was getting every sector of American society involved. Even those who did not serve in the military had significant roles to play, especially in the economic aspect of the war. Rationing became the norm as food production and resources had to be redirected to support America’s fighting forces. This was in line with an aphorism alluded to Napoleon that an army travels on its stomach (cited in Murray & Millet, 2000). Despite the rationing, the home front did not suffer considerably from food shortage compared to those in the occupied countries of Europe or Asia where German and Japanese forces would confiscate their foodstuffs and commodities to feed their own people and sustain their war effort. Nevertheless, it showed that these nations too were exceeding their requirements and were resorting to pilfering the resources of the occupied territories, depriving the local inhabitants of their needs and causing deaths from starvation in these countries. American farmers were able to exceed their expectations by producing considerably higher outputs following the end of the First World War. They were to produce huge volumes of foodstuffs that American forces overseas were amply fed and had plenty to share to their allies. It was because of this that the United States became known as the â€Å"Granary of Democracy. † (Murray and Millet, 2000, 530) America was also known as the â€Å"Arsenal of Democracy. † Even before the start of the war, the United States was already rearming as there was already cooperation between government and industry. Despite the isolationist stance and commitment to peace, there was still that commitment to develop and employ new weapons to keep pace with the changing times and not become stagnant or their weapons obsolete. America’s entry into the war, the transition of its industries to war production was smooth, owing the to relationship between the government and businesses. Not only was it able to amply supply their armed forces, they had surplus material that they distributed to their allies as well (Murray & Millett, 2000, 533). Contrary to what others thought, that women took over the factories when all the men left to fight the war; not all able-bodied men were called up to serve in the military. There were a considerable number of them kept to sustain the production of the industries as they churned out war machines for use by their fighting forces. The government ensured there was balanced distribution of able-bodied males in the workforce so as not to completely cripple their economy as opposed to the Axis nations that committed its able-bodied men to fight, leaving women and the less-abled to manage their economies (Murray & Millett, 2000, 544-545). In conclusion, the economy of the United States was prepared for wartime production mode. They were aware of the growing threats the world was facing and prepared accordingly. Ironically, the war solved the problems caused by the Great Depression by providing people much-needed jobs and made them productive again. America’s strategic grographic location of being bordered by two great oceans shielded it from the ravages of war which prevented it from reaching its shores. The shift to a wartime economy also underscored the commitment of the American people in fighting for a just cause. They believed that their cause was just and fully committed themselves to it regardless of their role from paying one’s taxes to working continuously in the factories. One did not have to serve in the military to prove their patriotism and commitment to the war and the people on the home front demonstrated it and it can be seen that their contribution of keeping America’s fighting forces fed and supplied with everything the need to fight was instrumental to final victory. Reference Murray, W. & Millett, A. R. (2000). A War to be Won: Fighting the Second World War. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Several authors have conceptualized change as a planned, sequential Essay

Several authors have conceptualized change as a planned, sequential process. What are the strengths and the limitations of these - Essay Example Technology has made it necessary for organizations to embrace change a great deal. The planned and sequential change has its own strengths and limitations. Types of organizational change Irgens, E. J., 2009. Institutional Bridging: Change Projects as Creators and Carriers of Knowledge. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 7(2), pp.162-171 According to Irgens (2009, p.168), there are various types of change that can occur in an organization. There is the mission change, which occurs when an organization changes its goals. This is driven by the market trends and the current technological advancements. The strategic changes mainly focus on the fundamental key issues of the strategic planning of the organization. Operational changes may also occur and they result into a transition of the manner in which organizational tasks and operations are carried out. This type of change also includes structural changes. Technological change is another critical aspect in any organization. It inc ludes the change of the technological infrastructure, such as the software, hardware, other technological resources including the personnel and anything related to technology. Furthermore, the change in organizational culture is a significant element in any organization. ... International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 23 (5/6), p. 546. According to Bamford & Forrester (2003, p.546), by carrying out change in a sequential and planned process, the following benefits can be obtained. First and foremost, it leads to an effective communication which ensures that all the stakeholders and the departments in an organization are effectively informed of the reasons for change and why it is important for them as individuals and the organization at large. This leads to a successful implementation of the changes that are to be conducted whether operational, strategic, cultural, and technological among others. The models also ensure that effective education, training, and upgrading schemes are devised. This is very important especially when the process is effectively and efficiently planned as it makes the staff ready and prepared to take up the change. With the necessary training and development of skills among all the stakeholders, readiness to take up the process is cultivated among them. Moreover, when the change is conducted in a planned and sequential manner, the resistance from employees is countered. If this change is abrupt, it is certain that there would be a lot of resistance coming from employees. Its sequential and planned approach alleviates the organization from this dilemma. Besides, it alleviates fears that come with it. Quite often, change is associated with fear. People want to remain the way they are. They are happy and contented as they are. Abrupt changes can mean substantial amount of fear in an organization. As such, conducting it in a planned and sequential manner is welcome and highly appropriate for any organization. Pavlak, A., 2004. Project Troubleshooting: Tiger Teams for Reactive Risk

The Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake. Discuss Essay

The Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake. Discuss - Essay Example Thus, HRA has altered the style in which the UK courts would approach the domestic legislation. Further, the opponents of the HRA vociferously argue that since the rights violation is already covered under the common law, there is no need to legislate separate law namely HRA. The critics argue that the Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake." This essay will discuss why there is a need to repeal the current form HRA in an analytical way and arrive at a conclusion. Whether the Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake? Two main allegations charged against HRA is that it politicises the judiciary and take away the legitimate authority enjoyed by the elected representatives, and it advocates a blame or compensation acculturation whereby society turns to be progressively more contentious5. One of the serious allegations against the Human Rights Act 1998 is that it remains as a hazard to public safety and rights. For instance, immediately after 9/11 attack in USA, the then British Home Secretary made an open warning to the judiciary to cease applying the HRA in ways, which frustrated the UK government plans. The leader of the conservative party is of the opinion that suitable amendments should be made in the HRA to deport those who were encouraging terrorism in UK soil as the HRA was demonstrating to be a barrier to safeguard the lives of UK citizens. Conservative party is of the opinion that HRA has created a culture that has hampered law enforcement machinery and the control of convicted criminal and obstructed the deportation of terrorist suspects. Conservative is also of the opinion that HRA has not succeeded in safeguarding the corrosion of the traditional liberties and may have even offered a facade of respectability. Lord Chancellor during March 2009 viewed his anguish that HRA has been commoditised which was corroborated by those who stressed their privileges in a selfish way without having concerned with the privileges of others. Critic s are of the view that HRA is more concerned with rights thereby totally neglecting responsibilities from UK citizens. Further, there has been ongoing discussion, whether or not the HRA has clouted the exact balance between the courts, Parliament and the executive. Critics have come against the provision in the Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and deportation of terrorists which have placed the safety of the public at peril. Some critics vehemently argue that there should be a referendum, whether to retrench the Human Rights Act 1998 or not. Some critics have argued that there should be a referendum on any scheme to withdraw the HRA or to introduce the Bill of Rights which would basically cement some freedoms of individuals6. HRA will extremely impact statutory interpretation. HRA offers the court with the power and obligation to interpret and apply the law in a style that caters the ECHR obligations. It is alleged that HRA falls short of authorising UK co urts to annul legislation, which is not compatible with the ECHR. Clause 3 demands the UK court

Strategic management of global company Research Paper

Strategic management of global company - Research Paper Example 22). The success of the company in both the Japanese as well as international market is the result of its aspiration to manufacture high quality products. Toyota enhanced its operations considerably in quality to go well with the domestic environment, and as a result has made a triumphal turnaround within US market. In addition, the increase in oil price surprisingly improved the demand for Toyota’s vehicles due to their light and fuel-efficient features. Form that time, global exporting business of Toyota had seen a stable development. With the intention of avoiding import challenges, for instance, directives and import allowances, Toyota launched a 50/50 joint venture with General Motor during 1983 in US, and a completely owned production units in UK during 1989 and another in France during 1997, and a â€Å"50/50 joint venture with French automaker Peugeot in Czech Republic in 2002† (Christensen, 2013, p. 52). Aggressive steps have as well been taken in China, now th e world’s rapidly developing car market. Toyota started its operations during the year 1954, with its head office situated in Tokyo, Japan. It was the hub of designing activities, scheduling, manufacturing of prototypes and assessment of automobiles. It was in charge for each and every function, together with development, designing and assessing cars. Besides, the center is as well responsible of safety technologies, energy management and environmental fortification. During the year 1973, Toyota started the design center at Newport Beach, California. The businesses formed the European center for design to have improved knowledge of local pressures and inclinations of existing and prospective customers. At this point, the group has made successful models such as â€Å"Yaris, Corolla, Corolla Verso, Avensis and Land Cruiser† (Rivenburgh, 2013, p. 92). Global Strategy of Toyota Any business that tryst to enter the foreign market primarily plans to get advantages of Ã¢â‚¬Ë œeconomies of scale’ as well as location and knowledge-gaining result which could be realized by and increase product and service consistency. On the other hand, at this point challenges of localization arise inevitably because of demand for response by the company to local setting such as taste and inclination of buyer, local government policies and cultural features. In the global business strategy matrix, â€Å"along two aspects of stress for cost cutback and stress for local reaction, transnational strategy has the maximum level along both dimensions† (Rivenburgh, 2013, p. 113). Among the four classic global business strategies, Toyota selects transnational Strategy. The best way to execute a transnational strategy is among the most difficult issues that big organizations are coping with these days. The necessity to compete with global rivals such as General Motors and Ford compelled Toyota to try to find better cost economies. Nonetheless, deviations in customers taste preference and government directives across countries indicate that Toyota as well has to be receptive to local demands. As a result, Toyota deals with considerable stress for cost decline as well as for local awareness. To decrease cost by standardizing, Toyota has been speeding up the process of going toward smaller number of automobile platforms, with objective of developing a broad range of models on a restricted range of platforms that have

Dangerous Liaison Vs Cruel Intentions Coursework

Dangerous Liaison Vs Cruel Intentions - Coursework Example Cruel Intentions is a modern day adaptation of the novel with love, evil, gullibility and manipulation combined with moral cynicism and lust for domination by the primary protagonists. The main characters in the novel were French aristocrats and adults, while the movie depicts the protagonists as young adults who combine manipulation and revenge to achieve their ulterior goals. The lack of social and moral authority which is denounced by Laclos in the novel is transformed into the lack of parental influence on Catherine and Sebastian in the movie. The two siblings are free to pursue their dangerous game of playing with others’ feelings and reputations. The movie also has many erotic messages which create a mental image of what the protagonists is up-to. The novel on the other hand provides the action through a veil of language. Laclos establishes the hypocrisy of the main characters by a series of letters in which they show their various facets to different recipients. The mov ie highlights the hypocrisy of the lead characters in the opening credits as they get ready to mingle with society. Both Merteuil and Catherine are respected members of their societies without anyone their true nature. In Dangerous Liaisons, Valmont dies in a sword fight with Danceny. Before dying he gives him letters which would ruin the reputation of Merteuil. Her reputation is shattered and she eventually dies of misery. Cruel Intentions provides a more heroic and tragic ending of Sebastian who is killed in a car accident. He pushes Annette out of the care before being killed. Annette and Cecile ensure that Catherine is humiliated in front of the student body. Her drug addiction becomes public which tarnishes her reputation. The subject of drug abuse amongst young adults is a major theme of the movie. The movie also portrays the independence of modern women. Cecile and Annette fight back against the manipulation and deceit of

Impact of Globalisation on the Nature of Work in Developing Countries Essay

Impact of Globalisation on the Nature of Work in Developing Countries - Essay Example negatively much more than the male counterparts in the same countries because they are less likely to be able to take up the skilled employment opportunities. Widening Income Gaps There are other disadvantages which come with globalisation. As globalisation creates employment for the skilled people and takes away the same from those who are not professionally trained, this will continue to widen the income gap and these developing countries will end up without a middle class. A country without a middle class is usually at risk of economic and political instabilities, and this is why the issue of globalisation persists.6 Globalisation will continue to expand the gap between the poor and the rich as the few people in the developed countries who have been rich enough to get an education continue to take the top jobs, either locally or even internationally, and be richer, and the majority who do not have an education continue to be jobless and without income.7 Those poor people will not be capable of educating their children, and the trend will continue. On the other hand, the few who are at the top of the socioeconomic ladder will be able to instruct their children, and this means that the few rich will continue to get richer while the majority poor will continue to be poorer. India’s labour market was one of the first to hugely benefit from globalisation as it was the preferred destination for business process outsourcing. As a result of many western camping in Indian cities looking for educated jobless individuals to do their call centre work, many young and educated men benefited and started earning salaries they could not have dreamt of, especially for a call agent. The problem with this was that not everybody in India is educated and when these opportunities came,... This report stresses that â€Å"education differences have played a big role in turning globalisation opportunities into curse for developing countries†. This is a big issue in developing countries because in these countries, few people are educated and thus cannot take advantage of these opportunities brought about by globalisation. Developing countries also have women who are generally much less educated than their male counterparts. This is unlike in the developed world where the gap between the educated males and females is closing up. This means that women in developing countries will be affected negatively much more than the male counterparts in the same countries because they are less likely to be able to take up the skilled employment opportunities. Globalisation has also helped in boosting the local employment numbers in developing countries through supporting local businesses. This paper makes a conclusion that globalisation has both positive and negative impacts. With regard to the labour market, globalisation has brought both favourable and adverse impacts. However, the negative impacts seem to be outweighing the positive ones and, if not put in check, these negative impacts may end up having a serious implication for the global economy rather than only for the developing world. As a result, it is necessary that the issue of globalisation be looked at seriously and any future problems be solved in order to avoid a negative effect on the global economy.

Accelerated Learning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accelerated Learning - Research Paper Example It can also be considered an offshoot of the numerous commitments of adult learners who are on traditional learning programs. These adults usually have limited time to spend on education; thus, a need for a program which offers creative learning formats which will speed up the process of acquiring quality education (Lewis, 2010). Accelerated learning is â€Å"an approach to learning that uses learner-centered teaching principles and practices to creatively engage students' multiple learning systems, resulting in faster, deeper, and more proficient learning (Basic Education and Policy Support (BEPS) Activity, 2005). Accelerated learning has been proven to have several benefits. Foremost among these is that with accelerated learning a shorter time is required to learn something new and then apply it successfully. â€Å"The emphasis is on accelerating and deepening the learning, not speeding up the amount of â€Å"teaching† or material â€Å"covered†Ã¢â‚¬  (Acceleratedlearning.info, 2009, p. 1). Second, with accelerated learning the students become critical thinkers making them innovative and flexible because it is learner-centered and not teacher-centered (Acceleratedlearning.info, 2009).... Another advantage of the accelerated learning model is that it supports not only knowledge but emotions as well, which consequently increases the learning rates and reduces the rate of failures (Boyd, 2004). Accelerated learning is not without its limitations. One limitation of accelerated learning is that not all individuals can adapt to the pace or approach of the program. Based on the theory of multiple intelligences and learning styles, it is impossible to develop a generic way of teaching individuals. It is therefore necessary that educators should first familiarize themselves with the preferred learning modes of the students and the levels of their multiple intelligences in order to maximize learner strength (Boyd, 2004). Another limitation posed by accelerated learning is that it is essential that the classroom environment supports the adult learners’ actual world. This means that the method of instruction should consider the personal, social and cultural facets of the adult learner (Boyd, 2004). What the students learn should be relevant to their daily lives. This finding is validated by the cognitive theory which states that â€Å"one cannot separate the learning process from the situation in which the learning is presented† (Boyd, 2004, p. 41) In the pursuit of a nursing education, one believes that accelerated learning is appropriate and beneficial to a nursing student. Through the formative skills that are taught through actual patient care, nursing students become properly oriented of the situations that they may face. Accelerated learning offers more than theories of how to care for a patient, but rather, it teaches how to use the formative skills learned through concrete experiences (McNiesh, Benner, &

Visual Literacy in Business Essay Example for Free

Visual Literacy in Business Essay Visual literacy is something that has been used for hundreds of years and it is something we use daily. We are going to explore the similarities between the text and how Brain Kennedy defines visual literacy; we will explore the way visual literacy has been considered a universal VISUAL LITERACY 2 language and examination how visual literacy has made an impact in communication and the way global understanding. The method of visual literacy is used to help with the learning process. In using visual  literacy someone will be able to see the use of shapes, color, images, dimension, textures and other visual aids. With the use and understanding of these features someone will be able to understand a visual sentence structure and to have the understanding is something that has been used for some time now. In the video that I watched, Brain Kennedy talked about visual literacy being â€Å"the ability to construct meaning from images. It’s not a skill; it uses skills as a toolbox. It is a form of critical thinking that enhances your intellectual capacity† (Kennedy, 2010). In the text it talks about visual literacy being â€Å"vision-related competencies a human being can develop by seeing, and at the same time, having and integrating other sensory experiences. [These competencies] enable a visually literate person to discriminate and interpret the visible actions, objects, and symbols that he [or she] encounters . . . to communicate with others . . . and comprehend and enjoy visual communication. † There are some differences between what Kennedy thinks and what the book talks about. Kennedy says that visual literacy is not a skill and our books talks about visual literacy being a developed skill. This allows people to communicate with one universal language and it can be used to help bridge the gap that is in different cultures. Currently numerous languages are coexisting. It’s important that we reevaluate the way that we communicate. We strive to find a way to communicate in one language and this is a way that it can be done. If we all spoke this universal language then is could be a way that could bring us closer together. VISUAL LITERACY 3 While both our text and Kennedy have different definitions, but they both agree that visual literacy should be in the forefront of learning. Imagery is a universal language and it can tell stories that everyone can recognize and understand. With visual literacy it is a way that the world can communicate in one consistent way. Images are universal. With visual literacy you are bale to interpret and make meaning from information in the form of an image. It is something that everyone can understand. While we were able to explore the difference between what the text and Mr. Kennedy thinks about visual literacy and how it is a universal language and we were able to look how it can impact communication and global understanding. This is an universal language and it is the hope that we will all be aware of it and use it daily. References: VISUAL LITERACY 4 Kennedy,B(2010, April17)VisualLiteracy:WhyWeNeedIt! [VideoFile] t=PL98A8EE15C60F9F29 Ryan, W. (2012). What Is Visual Literacy? In Learning to see: A guide to visual literacy. (p. 12). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Theological Themes In The Chronicles Of Narnia Religion Essay

Theological Themes In The Chronicles Of Narnia Religion Essay Four siblings, Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy, were evacuated from World War2 to Professor Digorys country house. There was a huge wardrobe in one room of his house. The adventure began when four siblings pass through the door of a mysterious wardrobe into Narnia held captive for a hundred years under the spell of the White Witch. Lucy was the first to enter Narnia. When she returned the others do not believe her story of Narnia. But Edmund entered Narnia too. Finally, however, all four siblings passed through the magical land. Three of siblings joined forces with talking animals who are faithful to Aslan(Turkish for lion)  [1]  , the king of beast, creator of Narnia. Edmund, however, turned betrayer and went over to the White Witchs castle. Aslan paid the terrible cost of Edmunds betrayal by sacrificing his life to save the Edmunds life. With Aslans sacrificed on the Stone Table, the power of magic was broken. Narnia was freed since Aslans resurrection. The creatures that the Whi te Witch had turned to stone were freed by Aslan. The four siblings spent several years in Narnia, growing up into young adults and reigning as kings and queens during Narnias Golden Age. Eventually the four siblings returned to their own world. The Theological Themes The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- is well known book in the world. The Author C. S. Lewis tells several theological themes through this book. This essay will discuss the theological themes of The Chronicles of Narnia. First of themes is the temptation. When the White Witch met Edmund, she tempted Edmund with Turkish delight. It was so delicious for him so he wanted some more. She asked for him, Son of Adam, I should so much like to see your brother and your sisters. Will you bring them to me?  [2]   When Edmund had Turkish delight, also he had greed. He tried to bring his family and revealed the plan that Aslan is gathering army. Because he wanted get some more Turkish delight and also wanted to be a prince. Thats results, he was trapped into the prison and Aslan was died. The bible says, Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death (James 1 : 14-15). One of the problems with sin is addictive.  [3]  It separates us from God. So, how can we overcome temptation? The bible says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Second of themes is the spiritual gifts. Father Christmas brought gifts for each of siblings. Peter got the sword and shield. Susan got the bow and quiver of arrow. And Lucy got a diamond bottle of healing cordial and a dagger.  [4]  These gifts are tools that will help them fulfill their calling and face the challenges.  [5]  Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to each one of us. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines (1 Corinthians 12:11). Each one of Christians have own special spiritual gifts from God. The last of themes are suffering and resurrection. Aslan is a redeemer. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins. The results, we were freed from sins by his the redemption. Moreover, he resurrected from the death and fulfilled the covenant. Aslan is very similar as Jesus. First, he died on the Stone table for Edmund who betrayed him. Secondly, he resurrected from the death and he set free those the White Witch has held captive and turned to stone.  [6]  The last one is that the Bible tells us, He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:22-24). In conclusion, there are several theological themes in the Chronicle of Narnia. However, this is not a bible story but fantasy story that based on the authors theological faith. I received impression through the author. Because, every Christian have faith but they dont express their faith. However, C. S. Lewis expressed his faith through his gift from God that is writing. The more application of gifts is, the better gifts will have.

Competition in International Markets Theories and Concepts

Competition in International Markets Theories and Concepts FIRMS, NOT INDIVIDUAL NATIONS COMPETE IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS Competition has always been central to the agenda of firms. It has become one of the enduring themes of our times and the rising intensity of competition has continued until this day thereby spreading to more and more countries. As a result of globalisation, most industries with the topics of international business and competitive advantage have received much attention from business executives, public policy makers and scholars in recent years. This; in conjunction with the rise of global competitors has helped to explain why a countrys competitive advantage can be determined by the strength of its business firms. This has resulted in numerous rankings, where industries and firms are compared on a global scale to see which are the most competitive. Most firms prefer to compete in the business environment so that it will help determine the competitive advantage of the country in which they operate. A firms ability to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at a lower cost or deli ver benefits that exceed those of competing products, then such a firm is said to possess a competitive advantage over its rivals. Todays development in communication, information technology and transportation technology have enabled firms to market their products and services beyond national borders. This level of involvement has contributed to the concept of firms marketing their products in international markets. Analysis Global competitiveness occur at the cross roads between international economics and strategic management. Wassily Leontief (1998) was one of the scholars to add an empirical element to the theoretical realm of international trade with his popular paradox of the Heckscher-Ohlin (1919) theory. Later, management scholars (Buckley Casson, 1998, Tsang 1999) adopted the concept of competing globally in their research. Hamel and Prahalad (1994) later reinforced the concepts of core competencies, industry level analysis and competing for the future. After much research by these scholars, most would agree that global competitiveness in the aggregate for a nation is not equivalent to global competitiveness at the individual firm level. Corden (1994) states that there are three major areas of national competitiveness: sectoral or industry competitiveness, cost competitiveness and productivity. Many of Porters (1990) ideas were shared by earlier scholars. Vernon (1966) attributed national compe titiveness to a nations technology and capabilities, which are similar to Porters advanced factors. With Hymers (1976) idea that firms have specific competitive advantages that allow them to overcome the liability of foreignness is similar to Porters concept of firm-specific advantages that lead to global competitiveness. Caves (1982) discussed the practice of firms transferring knowledge gained in one country to another because of global competition is by utilizing the right mix of factors of production would lead to probable success. According to Papanastassou Pearce (1999), Porters diamond is one of the few models in international business research that illustrates what comprises national competitiveness within a given industry. Thus Porter tried to analyse why some nations succeed and others fail in international competition. He tries to solve this problem using the four determinants of national competitive advantage. The Determinants of National Competitive Advantage Michael Porter, in his book ‘The Competitive Advantage of Nations has introduced a model that helped to determine a nations international competitive advantage. This model of determining factors of national competitive advantage is known as Porters Diamond. Porter distinguishes four determinants; Demand Conditions, Factor Endowments, Related and Supporting Industries and Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry. Demand conditions describe the size and affluence of the domestic market. These are important because they play a role home demand plays in upgrading competitive advantage and serves as the primary source of competition for firms in a given industry. A similar example can be found in the wireless telephone equipment industry, where sophiscated and demanding local customers in Scandinavia helped push Nokia of Finland and Ericsson of Sweden to invest in cellular phone technology long before demand for cellular phones took off in other developed nations. Factor endowments include any factors of production that a firm uses in its business to maintain economic competitiveness. Thus, the natural resources which include land, labor, capital and also naturally occurring raw materials. Other factors of production can include manmade structures that facilitate commerce, including communication infrastructure, sophiscated and skilled labor, research facilities and technological know-how. An obvious example of this phenomenon is Japan, a country that lacks arable land and mineral deposits and yet through investment has built a substantial endowment of advanced factors. Related and supporting industries are the third attribute of national competitive advantage. These are beneficial to MNEs because it provides them with low-cost inputs and supply them with information regarding industry environmental changes thereby helping them achieve a strong competitive position internationally. For example, Swedish strengths in fabricated steel products have drawn on strengths in Swedens specialty steel industry. Similarly, Switzerlands success in pharmaceuticals is closely related to its previous international success in the technologically related dye industry. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry are also important in ensuring national competitiveness. Strategy refers to several key strategic factors that characterize a firm thus, actions firms utilize to achieve both long-range and short-range goals. This is important because it helps the firm to utilize the best actions with which to compete and the market it wants to compete in. Structure refers to the industry composition, thus, the degree to which an industry is concentrated or dispersed, competitive or monopolistic, global or domestic. Rivalry indicates both the number of players and the level of competition among firms in an industry. Greater rivalry in an industry would lead a firm to higher levels of competitiveness visa vis its rivals. Rivalry is thought to be the most comprehensive of the three factors, as it often indicates the underlying strategy and structure of the competitors. This is more evident in Japan, where Japanese auto-makers have become competitive in the world mar ket and has taken over major US and European auto producers. Some of the Challenges Faced By MNEs A multinational enterprise (MNE) is an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. There are some challenges faced by MNEs that transact business in international markets which can hinder its competitiveness hence its controversies and these are as follows; Market imperfections It may seem strange that a corporation has decided to do business in a different country, where it doesnt know the laws, local customs or business practices of such a country is likely to face some challenges that can reduce the managers ability to forecast business conditions. The additional costs caused by the entrance in foreign markets are of less interest for the local enterprise. Firms can also in their own market be isolated from competition by transportation costs and other tariff and non-tariff barriers which can force them to competition and will reduce their profits. The firms can maximize their joint income by merger or acquisition which will lower the competition in the shared market. This could also be the case if there are few substitutes or limited licenses in a foreign market. Tax competition Countries and sometimes subnational regions compete against one another for the establishment of MNC facilities, subsequent tax revenue, employment, and economic activity. To compete, countries and regional political districts must offer incentives to MNCs such as tax breaks, pledges of governmental assistance or improved infrastructure. When these incentives fail they are liable to face challenges which limit their chance of becoming more attractive to foreign investment. However, some scholars have argued that multinationals are engaged in a race to the top. While multinationals certainly regard a low tax burden or low labor costs as an element of comparative advantage, there is no evidence to suggest that MNCs deliberately avail themselves of tax environmental regulation or poor labour standards. Political instability Many multinational Enterprises face the challenge of political instability when doing business in international markets. This kind of problem mostly occurs when there is an absence of a reliable government authority. When this happens, it adds to business costs, increase risks of doing business and sometimes reduces managers ability to forecast business trends. Political instability is also associated with corruption and weak legal frameworks that discourage foreign investments. Market withdrawal The size of multinationals can have a significant impact on government policy, primarily through the threat of market withdrawal. For example, in an effort to reduce health care costs, some countries have tried to force pharmaceutical companies to license their patented drugs to local competitors for a very low fee, thereby artificially lowering the price. When faced with that threat, multinational pharmaceutical firms have simply withdrawn from the market, which often leads to limited availability of advanced drugs. Countries that have been the most successful in this type of confrontation with multinational corporations are large countries such as United States and Brazil, which have viable indigenous market competitors. Lobbying Multinational corporate lobbying is directed at a range of business concerns, from tariff structures to environmental regulations. Companies that have invested heavily in pollution control mechanisms may lobby for very tough environmental standards in an effort to force non-compliant competitors into a weaker position. Corporations lobby tariffs to restrict competition of foreign industries. For every tariff category that one multinational wants to have reduced, there is another multinational that wants the tariff raised. Even within the U.S. auto industry, the fraction of a companys imported components will vary, so some firms favor tighter import restrictions, while others favor looser ones. This is very serious and is very hard and takes a lot of work for the owner. Conclusion The discussion so far, points out that, the degree to which a nation is likely to achieve international success in a certain industry is a function of the combined impact of factor endowments, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, and domestic rivalry. It is very obvious that these determinants are interrelated. Each is influenced by the others and in turn, influences the others. The presence of all these four components is usually required for this diamond to boost competitive performance although there are exceptions. Porter also points out that government can influence each of the four components of the diamond either positively or negatively. Factor endowments can be affected by subsidies, policies toward capital markets, policies toward education and others. Domestic demand can also be shaped through local product standards or regulations that mandate buyer needs. Government policy can also influence supporting and related industries through regulation and influe nce firm rivalry through such devices as capital market regulation, tax policy and antitrust laws. Countries should therefore be exporting products from those industries where all four components of the diamond are favourable, than importing in those areas where the components are not favourable in order to achieve competitive advantage. References Buckley, P. Casson, M. (1998). Models of the multinational enterprise. Journal of International Business Studies, 29(1), 21-44. Caves, R. (1982). Multinational enterprise and economic analysis. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Corden, W. (1994). Economic policy, exchange rates and the international system. Oxford University Press. Hamel, G. Prahalad, C. (1994). Competing for the future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Hymer, S. (1976). The international operations of national firms: A study of direct foreign investment. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Leontief, W. (1999). Domestic production and foreign trade: The American capital position re-examined. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 97, 331-349. Papanastassou, M. Pearce, R. (1999). Multinationals, technology and national competitiveness. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Porter, M. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations. New York: The Free Press. Tsang, D. (1999). National culture and national competitiveness: A study of the microcomputer component industry. Advances in Competitiveness Research, 7(1), 1-20. Vernon, R. (1966, May). International investments and international trade in the product life cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 190-207. Bibliography Daniels, J., Radebaugh, L., Sullivan, D. (2007). International Business: environment and operations, 11th edition. Prentice Hall. Joshi, Rakesh Mohan, (2009) International Business, Oxford University Press. Roger Sugden (2000). The nature of the transnational firm. Routledge. Travis, T. (2007). Doing Business Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Going Global. Hoboken: John WileySons. Hill, W.L. (2001) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, McGraw-Hill. Veiyath, R. Zahra, S. (2000). Competitiveness in the 21st century: Reflections on the growing debate about globalization. Advances in Competitiveness Research, 8(1), 14-27. Bresman, H., Birkinshaw, J. Nobel, R. (1999). Knowledge transfer in international acquisitions. Journal of International Business Studies.

Civil War :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The civil war drastically altered American history. It would be difficult to find anyone who would disagree with the above statement. But, did the civil war affect the lives of Southern women as drastically? In my opinion, it did. Many people fail to realize that the outbreak of the civil war changed the lives of all Southern women - not just slaves. The women of the Confederacy, black and white, rich and poor, would see their lives changed forever as a result of the war that ensued between the North and the South during the years of 1861 to 1865. The fact is, that even though men were doing the fighting, the women were faced with the more intimidating aspects of the war - new challenges, depravations, unforeseen dangers, and most importantly the uncertainty of their futures. The war required complete mobilization of resources and with three out of four men away at war1, there were many gaps for Southern women to fill. (â€Å"Our Needles.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The affects of war were widespread and varied by age, location, and marital status, but the clearest and most significant delineations were by class and race. As is the case with most national crisis’s, the war seemed to have an almost leveling affect on social status - everyone shared a common hardship and suffering. The truth is though that women who owned slaves faced much harsher realities of war than those who did not. For slaveholding women, the civil war represented an evil that was slowly diminishing their privileges and affluence, and one that would eventually reshape their entire social identities. While the war disrupted the economy, as is normal, the bigger issue at hand was its attack on slavery. This was most crucial, because the deterioration of a slave labor system was synonymous with the deterioration of wealth for many southern families.

Barriers to Effective Communication for Nurses Essay -- Papers Nurse N

Barriers to Effective Communication Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between two or more people; this is something that we do all the time. It is important that nurses recognize that communication is the key to good holistic care, as patients need reassurance and information regarding their care. Communication is so much more than just talking to one another. It is how people respond to each other in many different ways (Langs 1983). Some examples of communication are talking, writing, signing, reading and body language, which is suggested, has several elements (Dimbleby and Burton 1992). Communication can be very effective but first it needs to be established, and then maintained. Nurses can do this during an assessment when a patient/client comes into hospital. However, it is argued that barriers to communication can prevent appropriate and effective care being given to patients. Communication can either facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship or create barriers (Stuart and Sundeen 1995). Because of their diverse nature, communication disorders are difficult to classify (Crystal, 1980). You can discover problems simply by observing an individual. Observation can be used to establish which language is being used, if the client has any hearing difficulties or visual impairments, physical illness or disability, or if there are learning difficulties. Any of these issues could control how well a person is able to communicate with you. Therefore, for the purpose of this piece of work, I have chosen to explore two barriers to communication, and illustrate key points.... ... Ellis, R.B. Gates, R.J. Kenworthy, N. 1995. Interpersonal Communication in Nursing. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Lewycka, M. 2001.Caring For Someone With A Hearing Loss. London: Age Concern Martin, M. Grover, B. 1986. Hearing Loss. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone McMillan, M. Townsend, J. 1994 Reflections on Contemporary Nursing Practice. Australia: Reed International Books. McQuail, D. 1984. Communication. 2nd Edition. United States of America: Longman Inc. Nolan, Y. 2001. NVQ Level 3 In Care. Oxford: Heinemann. Peplau, H.E. 1988. Interpersonal Relations in Nursing. Hampshire: Macmillan Education Ltd. Riley, J.B. 2000 Communication in Nursing. 4th Edition. United States of America: Mosby Inc. Syder, D. 1992. An Introduction to Communication Disorders. London: Chapman and Hall.

Au Bon Pain Case Study Essay

Business Strategy: Au Bon Pain (ABP) is an upscale French Bakery chain restaurant that competes with other fast food restaurants. They would like to go from a â€Å"Cycle of Failure† to differentiating themselves from their competitors by improving their customer experience. Alignment: Au Bon Pain wanted to differentiate themselves from other fast food chains by increasing the customer experience so that there would be more repeat customers and a consistent income stream. This meant improving relationships with customers which would increase if they had positive experiences and name recognition by staff. ABP had to decrease turnover of staff and increase autonomy at local stores to create the experience that they wanted for their customers. They did this by creating the Partner/Manager Program, which created Partner Managers at stores who were more autonomous in the day-to-day decision-making, and in turn, shared in profits. The program meant that Partner Managers now shared in 35% of the profits, Assistants shared in 15% of the profits, which was a significant increase in the reward/compensation structure at the company. By changing the reward structure, PM and Assistant Managers took on more responsibility for their individual store which changed their role to include things like ordering, staffing, and store aesthetics. During the trial of the Partner/Manager program, the two stores that volunteered to participate both had managers from different backgrounds who were very driven, independent, and creative. ABP central management hoped that a program like the Partner/Manager Program would help them to recruit more staff that espoused these characteristics, which they viewed as vital to their success and growth. Application: ABP changed the reward structure to increase productivity. This is consistent with the Expectancy Theory in which employees figure in Expectancy (the belief that effort will lead to results, in this case increased compensation), Instrumentality (the belief that a desired outcome will come from performance, in this case increased store profits will lead to increased personal compensation), and valence (the outcome, in this case  increased compensation). The effort of the PM and Assistant Managers increased because their expectation of compensation was directly related to the profits of the store, which meant that the desired outcome of the company and employees were aligned and profits increased. The profit-sharing compensation method used by ABP is similar to the method that Whole Foods uses. The difference is that ABP only involves the Partner/Manager and Assistant Manager in profit sharing while Whole Foods shares profits with all employees through their â€Å"Gainsharing† Program. While at ABP the Partner/Manager Program increases the dedication, productivity, and hopefully decreases turnover of those involved in profit-sharing, it does not do anything for the hourly employees who have a high turnover rate and are the ones that actually have the direct customer interaction at the registers, cleaning the stores, and making the food. This could lead to problems for ABP since the hourly employees are directly related to the consumer experience that the ABP is trying to improve, and this program does not address them. Exhibit: Roles: With the introduction of the Partner-Manager Program, Au Bon Pain looked to transform the roles of District Manager, create a Partner Manager and Assistant Manager who shared in the profits, and increase autonomy in each store. In the old system, the District Managers micromanaged their stores, but in the new system they were given more stores and had to focus on the big.

Frederick Jackson Turner’s `Frontier Essay

The â€Å"Frontier† is a Turner wrote is â€Å"the outer wave of expansion, the meeting point between savagery and civilization.† When people left settled territory, when people went into often unexplored areas, the weight of society bore less heavily upon them. They went into areas where they had no settled established governments, no institutions like churches, courts of law, and the like. People, in a sense, left civilization behind. They had to find new ways of adjusting, new ways of peaceful coexistence at this â€Å"meeting point between savage and civilization.† This is the historical thinking popularized by Frederick Jackson Turner which laid the foundation of modern American study of American West. According to him, â€Å"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development.† He thought largely that the frontier experience had a lasting and permanent impact on American character and society. When American pioneers escaped and left behind the settled institutions of society, a plunging into the forests, or later into the grasslands of the Great Plains, Turner thought this promoted productive individualism. When people entered areas without established social structures, each person was pretty much on a basis of equality with each other person. On this kind of set up people learn to develop civil and democratic ways of social cooperation. They have to learn how to peacefully co-exist amongst each other. This made Turner generalize that democracy sprang from this – free land, and of free, self-reliant individuals moving out on to lands unknown learning the tricks and trade of how to get along with one another. So is this what Turner really meant by the word â€Å"frontier†? If you just take a first glance, he seemed to be spousing a kind of geographical determinism, an idea or a notion that â€Å"free land bred free individuals†; that the geography itself and the way in which people reacted to that geography produced democratic equality and a democratic form of government. Settlers in a new geographical terrain learned to innovate and find ways. Where there were not adequate lakes or rivers, they dug wells. Where the grass land plains did not allow for settled farming, they invented barbed wire to hedge in cattle, to hedge in sheep. These and other various learning experiences seem to be the result of human beings acting as innovators in response to geography. The land itself, Turner seemed to say, made human beings more self-reliant. And self-reliance is at the core of the American democratic experience, or so we have long told ourselves. But as I see it, geography might have something to do with it but not solely. The development of democracy and civilization is a far more a complicated process. I would say much of it would be social development itself. Turner might be right in identifying a certain event in history at a specific location crucial social development occurred which propels modern civilization to where it is now but what I am saying is that it can happen anywhere in the world and not just in a certain specified area. References Schultz, Stanley K. and Tishler, William P., â€Å"American History 102 (Civil War to Present)†. Copyright 2004 University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents pg 4. Retrieved February 3, 2007

Operational Management Fields of Hard Rock Cafe Essay

Operation management is an academic field of study that focuses on the effective planning, scheduling, control and use of service firm and their operations as show by the case study of the Hard Rock Cafà ©. The operational management synthesizes concepts that have been produced from all other departments such as quality management, accounting, information systems and inventory among others. To ensure that the company has sustenance in the business, it is always paramount to have operational management strategy. This will ensure that the management of the resources that they have will always be used as required and towards development of the business. There are different strategic levels that are involved in the operation management. Various managers to ensure that the final goals and objectives are met spearhead these levels. Therefore, these levels will be evaluated in the Hard Rock Cafà © to see how well they have met them in conjunction to the way they operate their business. Du ring layout of the operations, strategic managers are supposed to ensure that long time level management strategy is put in 0place to ensure that the business is able to pass the test of time thus expanding to bigger heights. Operational managers in the hotel are supposed to ensure that decisions on their food production service as well as delivery is well planned to ensure that the hotel have consistent service delivery. Process and layout decision of the business, site location as well as the capacity that the business can hold at any given time is part of the strategic management that will be evaluated. In evaluating Hard Rock Cafà ©, various elements will be looked at and how best the business has satisfied them. Therefore, to ensure that it there is exhaustive evaluation, these components will be categorized in the following ways. †¢Increase of hotel Capacity †¢vertical integration †¢Technology used in the business. †¢Recruitment and employees maintenance †¢Expansion strategy †¢Increase in Capacity According to the history that the Hard Rock Cafà © has demonstrated over the years, it vividly shows that it has bigger capacity currently. With its 30 years of existence, it has made it possible to have 100 cafà ©s, three hotels, casinos, live music venues, a huge annual Rock fest concert as wells a rock museum. Due to the capacity that the cafà © enjoys, it is regarded to be among service industry that in US has employed 75% of its population. Its operational management strategy of ensuring that it increases its capacity has made it expand spontaneously throughout the country with 40 locations in different places in US by 1998. This has ensured that it is serving a meal capacity of 100,000 meals on daily basis. Its capacity expansion has seen the then cafà © expand growing to over 106 locations in 38 countries in the world. Through their good capacity growth, the hotel has been named among the top ten-restaurant worldwide enjoying 92% name recognition. Vertical integration According to microeconomics and management this a style that a business sector that adopt. It is especially where by different companies in supply chain is united through a common owner to produce market-specific service to ensure that customer’s needs are satisfied. Through upholding this operational management strategy, the business avoids hold up problem. In the Hard Rock Cafà ©, there are different customers especially tourist who come from different countries. According to their case study, 70% of their customers are tourist from different countries. Therefore taking note of this, they have ensured that different food to ensure that they satisfy their customers. The Cafà © has grown to global arena where they have applied vertical integration strategy through making sure that they have integrated the traditional food of those places to ensure that at the end, they satisfy their customers. According to the statistics, the cafà © has gone to 40 different countries global ly therefore; they had to ensure that they have that vertical integration strategy. Their variety menus that they offer depending with the country they are situated in are like pork, beef and chicken. Other foods are like hamburger, cheeseburger, French fries among many others depending with the demand of their customers. All the sales of the above named food are managed from a central position in t headquarter to ensure diversification of the menu and appropriate change according to the prospected customers. This ensures the business have a very intensive growth now rated among the top ten restaurant in the world. Use of Technology in the business For every business that has a future projection, technology is paramount in their operational management. Failure to uphold technology in the business, their services will eventually turn obsolete. Therefore, to ensure that they increase the speed of the services that they offer to their customers, Hard Rock Cafà © has upheld technology especially the computer technology that is so rampant in the business sector. This is to ensure that they increase the efficiency of their business, reducing procurement cost as they operate globally as well as multitasking. This makes them to ensure that they have increased the productivity of the company. According to the business case study, it shows that the heart of the sale forecasting of the business is the point-of-sale system (POS). This system helps the business to capture data of the transaction that have been done in the cafà ©. The system give the business the ability to estimate the number of the customers who visit their business as e very entry represent one customer. This is very helpful in putting production and expansion strategy. The method is quick and efficient with low cost involved. The data that is capture is transferred to the main offices in Orlando corporate database. This is where the process f0orecast is done through evaluation o the data capture on daily basis. This ensures the business is capable of maintaining sustainable services to the customers thus satisfying their customers’ needs. Due to the appropriate use of the technology, the financial team that is lead by Lindsey is able to forecast guest count, retail sales, concert sales and banquet sales of each cafà © per month. This lead to appropriate operational management. In the act of holding the technology, the business has done well in this service sector. They have introduced a sophisticated application of statistics in the menu planning. They have used multiple regression method through the appropriate usage of computer that help s in computing the impact of demand of one meal to other menu whenever the price has been changed. Therefore, this help them to plan well incase of price change especially to the supplementary menus. This helps the business to capitalize in this strategy to increase their sales. Workforce of the business Any business idea can be driven to accomplish bigger things in the business arena or be guided to a terrible failure by the kind of the employees that are employed. Through deployment of competent employees and ensuring that their morale is kept high through incentives, the goals of the business are easily achieved. This is because they know what to do and how to it better. According to most of the human resource managers, they regard employees as the most important resource in the business. Therefore, they needed to be appreciated and be held with utmost respect. They need to be reward through monetary and non-monetary programs to ensure that they deliver according to the required level. Hard Rock Cafà © is not an exceptional. According to their operational management strategy, recruitment and maintenance of the employees in the company has been their core value. They are out to create a good working environment for their employees to ensure that the culture that they have created is sustained. According to them, they accept and nurture creativity, diversi ty and individuality of each employee to ensure that they employees are given freedom to explore their diversity. This environment according to corporate training manager, it creates a working environment of the company beyond paycheck creating new challenge on daily basis. This is helpful to the employees as it increases their production. The business ensures that it gets the best employee in the initial stage that ensures that he/she is easily integrated to their culture. A new applicant is screened in different aspects that will make them be easily integrated in the business operation. They look for a highly motivated, bright, positive altitude individual who have an employee bill of rights and substantial employment empowerment. Through a proper recruitment process, they have ensured that they are able to maintain a low labor turnover. Employees are subjected to training to ensure that they are competent in their functioning. Everyone who go to work in the Cafà ©, they get Rock 101 which is a two day training class. This enables them to be integrated in the working team much faster. The work force of the Hard Rock Cafà © is offered a good package of reward among other incentives. There are offered overtime allowances and benefits for those who work for overtime. They offer internal training to individuals as well as high-level internal promotion that make the employees production to be always high. According to the company, 60% of the managers in the cafà ©, they are promoted from hour working ranks. Expansion strategy The main aim of al the business is to make profit. Otherwise, this can be well demonstrated through their idea of expansion. This means that, they are capable of meeting other basics needs of the company as well as getting more resources to compete with others in different arenas. Expansion of a business is of different nature. This ranges from the variety of the products that they offer on daily basis, opening of new branches as well as recruitment of more employees in the business capacity. According to Hard Rock Cafà ©, the business has embraced this operational management strategy through carefully choosing a new location whenever the expansion is to be upheld. They ensure that they make a good and a careful decision making process to ensure that the investment that has to be placed in it meet a long time investment strategy. To ensure that their expansion strategy does not go in vain, they ensure that they are sensitive on those factors that may be a setback to their investment s. Such factors are political risk, social norms of that location, social cost, currency risk, brand fit and business practices. The business uses global operation strategy, which is a multi domestic strategy. They tat time engage in the franchise as way of acquiring business firm ground in the new location. This also ensure that they are capable of local ownership of the business bring about unique capability therefore decreasing difficulties in the implementation of their goals. Operations management challenges of Hard Rock Cafà © in considering an expansion of its business into Hanoi All the business that has an objec5tive of doing their business across the boundaries of their country encounters several challenges. Hard Rock Cafà © is not an exceptional as it has been hit by different challenges across the globe. In considering its expansion in Hanoi Vietnam, it should be well prepared because according to different market survey done in that country shows that, though the town is developing at an alarming rate, it poses different challenges to especially foreign business. Some of the challenges that are likely to be encountered by the business are discussed below. Infrastructure Despite of the town being the capital city of Vietnam, it is far from establishing good infrastructure to cater for the business that is done in the town. Poor transport facilities are conspicuous making transportation of goods as well as services to be expensive and difficult. Hard Hotel especially will experience this challenge, as its customers are mostly tourist who may require good transport facilities. The communication facilities have not grown better as compared to most of other towns like Hong Kong in Japan. This makes the business that requires intensive communication to ensure that they operate their business like Hard Rock Cafà © to be threatened to use more of its resources in communication facilities making their initial cost of starting the business in Hanoi be very high. Calamities Vietnam is a country that is prone to such calamities as earthquake of high magnitude. Such calamities cannot be predicted making most of the business in towns like Hanoi to always be at risk. Therefore, if the Hard Rock Cafà © is ready to open a business in this place, they should have to anticipate the cause of loss that might be severally caused by this calamity. They may have to do lots of investment in insuring their business against such calamities that means higher operation cost. Government policies The cost of doing business in Hanoi poses great challenge that come about with the policies that the business has to encounter from the government of Vietnam. The tax imposition is high especially to foreigners making them to operate at high prices thus low turn over. There is a lot of problem regarding the laws governing the start of the business making it take a lot of time to start it. This may put off the business at the initial stage thus loss incurred. Therefore, the Cafà © require having a long focus in the start of the business, which is still expensive in terms of time, resources and money. To get finance from the government is tedious and regulated so much. This will make the business to come prepared to virtually finance solely from their own cash. This may be a little bit disadvantageous to the business as it may require some more financing from the government in the end. Discrimination According to the research that was done in the town, most of the business from the foreign countries succumb discrimination from the residence. This through the language barrier as well as not preferring to buy from their business. Though this has been declining with time, it has been in limelight for a while making the business loss considerably compared to the homegrown businesses. Therefore, the Hard Rock Cafà © should be prepared to form a strategic plan to counter that. Competition Due to the globalization, most of the business is taking the advantage of getting to the developing countries. According to PriceWaterHouse Coopers, Hanoi has been rated among the towns that are growing very fast in terms of population t0owards 2015. There is also projection of building of another airport in the town before 2015 to add to the one that is in the town. This will make the town to be very accessible from all over the country. Therefore, this has made much business including Hotel services business to flock in the town. This makes such business as Hard Rock Cafà © to be prepared for stiff competition that may pose danger to the expansion of the business in the town. This will require them to get good strategy to cope up with the competition Cultural practices and ethics The services that Hard Rock Cafà © offers are surrounded by culture and ethics of each community. Therefore, this is an anticipated challenge that the hotel will have to face in the country. With most of the population being Buddhist in religion taking a share of 92%, the hotel should ensure that they do good analysis of the service that they require in terms of food, music and other services. They have to ensure that they are able to integrate these cultures with other to create acceptance. Opportunities for Hard Rock when considering an expansion of its business into Hanoi Finances Due to the position that the business has, it is capable of overcoming the disadvantage that most of the competitor are experiencing due to finance. It has been operating for a long time therefore, having the advantage of strong finance hold that can be able to sustain it until the business that it will open in Hanoi gets a good ground. This will make it more competitive in such a fast developing place and taking that advantage to propel to greater height. Experienced personnel As the Hard Rock has been in other international markets, most of these problems has been solved else where by its personnel. Therefore, by the personnel, that it recruits who are diverse and very flexible in their way of working, they are capable of solving different issues concerning the business and strategizing for further growth in all the countries including Vietnam. Integrated services The business offers integrated services that most of its competitors do not offer. A part from food and services, they offer entertainment such as music. Due to cultural diversification of the town, there are always parties and celebrations at different times over the years. The town has a good number of Christians, Islam, and Buddhist among other religions who have different celebrations according to their culture in different time of the year. This makes the market a favorable place for the Hard Rock Cafà © to use its integrated services to especially make their business be accepted in this place by the residence. This is through involving all the cultural and religion values through music and interrelation events in their cafà ©. Growth of the town The population of this town in 2004 was rated to be about 4 million people. However, after six years, the population has grown past six million with anticipation with more. This means cheap labor will be available for the business as well as great market for their products. The building of another airport in the town will increase the ease of transport and hence reduce cost. It will also offer an additional terminal for the tourist to the town. This will be a great boost to Hard Rock Cafà ©. Conclusion Hard Rock Cafà © has established itself as a competing business in the international arena. This has made it to go all over the world at be chosen among the top ten restaurant worldwide. Therefore, through its objective human resource and good organizations structure as well as highly rated personnel, it is likely to be one business to watch in the service providing industry in the near future.

Effective pain relief in postoperative patients Essay

Pain is physiological mechanism and a means of the body alert the person about either currently present or impending damage to it. It can be defined as the â€Å"unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential damage† (Gelinas, 2004). Consequently, the words discomfort has also been used interchangeably with pain in the past and can be defined as a â€Å"negative affective and/or physical state subject to variation in magnitude in response to internal or environmental conditions† (Gelinas, 2004). Pain is a very important component in care of the surgical patients, both preoperative and post operative. Surgery itself afflicts large amounts of trauma on the patient. The pain that the patient has to incur afterwards adds his anxiety levels and stresses the body. Lack of or inadequate amounts of pain management by the staff, impacts the patients healing process. Their mobility and in the long terms their duration of hospital stay is also affected. It is important that, for optimal patients health management and care, a means tool must be available to measure the patients pain assessment and relief requirement through pharmacological and non pharmacological means. Little research has been done to properly assess and document the prevalence of pain and its management protocols in post operative patients. The pain scoring systems are available to attempt to quantify pain and manage it accordingly. These subjective ones include the categorical rating scales (CRS) in which patient rates pain from â€Å"No† to mild moderate or severe. Another one is the â€Å"Visual Analog score (VAS) where the individual scores are placed on a 10-cm line where the left anchor point is labeled â€Å"no Pain† and the right anchor point is labeled â€Å"worst possible pain†. Since every patient has a varying threshold for pain, and requires varying levels of drugs, to over come the pain, it is better for there to be both a subjective indicator for pain as well as an objective one, that is to say, that the nurses an also assess how much pain the patient is in, by using a tool she is provided with. Cardiac surgery is a major thoracic surgery and patients post operatively require lot analgesics to manage pain so that their morbidities associated with pain (like pain in breathing, walking etc) can be eliminated. Usually morphine is used for the purpose of pain relief but there are indications that Fentanyl can perform a similar relief without much of the side effects associated. There needs to be some focus into this theory. This can be achieved by placing 2 similar populations of adult cardiac patients who have just undergone cardiothoracic surgery on morphine or Fentanyl. As is the standard procedure nowadays, quality indicators, both subjective and objective can be used. The VAS pain scoring card can be provided to the patients for them to record the different levels of pain that they feel. The nurses would be provided with indictors to record objective findings which can indicate pain. â€Å"These can be physiological and behavioral indicators. The physiological indicators can be clustered into cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebral responses† (Gelinas, 2004). Pain associated responses would include tachypnea in respiratory, tachycardia and increased blood pressure in cardiac and raised ICP in cerebral responses. After assessment of the pain levels with the quality indicators, the pain management drugs will be administered and later the subjective and objective pain assessment will be repeated to see which drugs effects were greater and lasted longer. A study conducted by Celine Gelinas on critically ill incubated patients, to find out what are the protocols and tools used to assess pain management are and if the patients were being given effective relief. He used subjective as well as objective tools. The results revealed that physicians placed no role in documenting pain in patients. Most of the reporting was done by nurses and the patients. It was also noticed that nurse’s assessment of pain was much less than that reported by the patients themselves. The research concluded that the documentation overall about the pain and its management was incomplete in general with little attention being given. The research also noted that even after being notified about the pain, its effective management only took place 60 percent of the time. (Gelinas, 2004). In and interventional study conducted by Francoise Bardiau in 2003, the quality indicators e. g. VAS were introduced in the surgical and anesthesia department. After a survey of assessment of knowledge of nurses, VAS to assess pain was the nurses worked to improve pain management. After further surveys, it was noted that initiation of programs to setting of quality indicators improves the overall pain management system. (Bardiau, F. , M, 2003) Idvall E tested a 5 point scale to measure the effects of quality indicator maintain pain relief measurements. â€Å"The results suggest initial support for the new instrument as a measure of strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management, but it must be further refined, tested and evaluated†. Idvall E 2002) a multidisciplinary program development was introduced based on evidence based medicine to focus on construction of proper management protocols to implement clinician as well as patient based pain relief programs â€Å"The results suggest that addressing pain management through a variety of strategies targeted at the level of the institution, the clinician, and the patient may lead to desired changes in practice and better outcomes for patients. .† Bedard, D (2006). A survey conducted on post operative cardiac ICU patients, about their pain experiences revealed that despite the pain management regimes in place nowadays, the pain frequencies, and intensities were the same as they were more than a decade ago. Pain management is a vital component of patient care. Quality of pain management can only be assessed through proper indicators. These can be multimodal. The patient populations on which these indicators can be applied are preoperative and postoperative patients. Post operative cardiac patients under nursing care can benefit well from implementation of quality indicators such as VAS. In the nursing profession subjective scoring by the patients themselves enables the nurses to manage the pain properly. This will lead to quicker recovery by the patients and earlier discharge. In the long term this means leads financial implications on the patients due to reduced hospital stay. Also nursing work load gets reduced as the patient tern over is increased. The healthcare cost gets reduced. A Post operative pain management (POP) project was conducted in 2003. A nationwide survey was done to see the implementation of quality improvement projects in the field of pain management, it was noted that more than 70% of the hospitals were reportedly satisfied with the implementations and the outcomes of the quality improvement programs. Based on the analysis, it is noted that on the positive side, proper implementations of the quality indicators and improvement programs in the healthcare system and especially in the ICU and surgical wards, the patients stay can become quite comfortable. The stay can be reduced and the cost of healthcare to the system, the insurance companies, and the patient themselves can be reduced. In the other hand we can clearly see that by using the indicators we in effect are placing more workload on the nurses. If the subjective VAS and the objective physiological changes in the patient has to be monitored regularly just to assess the pain levels, a lot of quality time will be wasted. This time could have been used to tend to more critical patients. Now the question arises if it is worth the effect to implement the QI programs. The answer would lie in Force field analysis and the Lewin’s theory. If the benefits out way the set backs, we can implement the system. The idealistic thing would be that we assess the pain management needs of each department of the health care system and implement the QIs in the ones in which the implementation benefits out way the costs.

Professional Versus Persona judgement in accounting world Essay

Professional Versus Persona judgement in accounting world - Essay Example Personal judgment emanates from an individual based on personal views, values, and opinions. On the other hand, professional judgment emanates from a set of guidelines stipulated by relevant bodies in the respective profession. In the accounting world, the main accounting bodies that govern professional judgment are; The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and The International Federation of Accountants (IFAs). Personal judgment may be biased due to subjective reasoning from the accountant. Cottone, (2001) states â€Å"accountants need to move from psychologically based ethical decision-making models to socially constructed decision-making models.† Ethical issues that arise in accounting ought to be handled in objective reasoning (professional judgment) as opposed to empathetic and irrational reasoning (personal judgment). There are numerous users of financial information (managers, investors, lenders, employees, and shareholders). It is prudent that accountants apply the accounting guidelines in line with the Code of Professional Conduct stipulated by AICPA to put the interests of all users of financial information into consideration. In a situation whereby an accountant applies personal judgment to solve an ethical concern, he or she may end up favoring one party. Such acts may be considered discriminatory and may lead to legal action being taken against such accountants. All acco untants should bear in mind that â€Å"professional judgment results in wisdom from experiences being applied in ethical decision-making processes† (Lehr and Sumarah

Principles of Information Systems and Data Management Essay

Principles of Information Systems and Data Management - Essay Example lic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) decided to establish a project founded on information technology for the purpose of better management and organization of the obtainable customs clearance procedures. While talking about the working of this new automatic system set up on information technology the customer will be facilitated through an online system which is advance, very easy and complies with all the universal standards. The Government of Iran took this wise decision for the purpose of creating e-services and then providing increasingly web-based services of commerce available to Iranian communities (UNDP 2010). As per Statistics Sea based business plays a vital role in the economy of Bangladesh. Sea based business is about fishing. In recent year as climate has changed this business had affected seriously. Keeping in view this situation, the Government of Bangladesh decided to initiate a new project named â€Å"National Oceanographic research Institute†. This project is undoubtedly going to start a latest research for an effective handling, management of life at Ocean and also the business. This project is going to start a new institute which can facilitate the new young generation for getting knowledge of research areas in this area of Science (MOSICT 2010). Russian Government has started this project. This project was designed for the purpose of Land administration and providing education of Land management, useful handling of the process of transferring and then digitalizing all the working performance. This latest system of land management and land administration will handle the complete records for the national Land and also has the capability of utilizing the facilities of Information System and Administration. (MALINNIKOV and KAMYNINA 2010). For the assessment of the time table system I want to assess some of the main usability factors while considering the development of new web based system. In the existing scenario these factors have

The History of the Transportation Security Agency Research Paper

The History of the Transportation Security Agency - Research Paper Example This research paper deals with the role of the organization, reason for its foundation, change since the day it was incepted and the types of law enforcement instructions. The TSA has a very transparent and significant organizational structure. It has a vertical structure which consists of 21 members including the chief of staff. Each position in the TSA has a significant responsibility. Division of positions in a hierarchical manner allows the organization to overcome the security challenges and makes decision making strong and acceptable for everyone. The reason this agency implemented this kind of structure is solely because it does not cause any discrimination between the members regarding any important strategic decision making as all decisions are needed to be approved by the administrator. TSA implementing a vertical hierarchical structure reduced the external challenges as well. Each and every policy introduced needs permission of the director and proper adherence to policies and governance is maintained by the administrator. The following chart shows the organizational structure in a very appropriate way. The organizational structure maintains not only law and order in place or adherence to policies but also helps to maintain integrity and liberty. By application of this kind of structure the agency has better co-ordinance with citizens and work culture in the organization gives optimum output. TSA has been successful in providing homeland security across U.S. because of its strong administration and so it can be stated the organizational structure plays a very important role in national defence and safety. The TSA was formed as a wing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act in the year 2001. It was signed into law by George W. Bush the president of U.S. on 11/19/2001. Later it was moved to Department of Homeland Security on 03/09/2003. The TSA was founded in the

Autobiographical Paper on Religious Affiliation Essay

Autobiographical Paper on Religious Affiliation - Essay Example I was baptized and grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in New Orleans where I thought almost everyone is Catholic as I grew up, and I never felt that we were a "minority within a minority" (Carey, P. in Phelps, 1997, p.7). I had an uncle who is a Catholic priest, and the way he lived his life as a servant of Christ in the Church had an impact on me. His kindness towards others made me see a bit of how Jesus was when he walked this earth two thousand years ago. His preaching, his life of prayer, and his dedication to his flock drove home the message that there was something, and someone, greater and beyond this life. Of course, my young mind never looked at events from a theological or religious view, because to me he was just my uncle who would visit and shower us with cheer and tell us stories about where he'd been, what he'd done, and the thousand and one things that a priest is supposed to be doing. My parents were a huge influence on my beliefs. The way they cared for me taught me how to love and use my heart and mind to face the mysteries of this world. How they loved each other despite the trials and joys of family life were for me a sign of how God takes care of us. They taught me how to pray, and more importantly, they told me why. Allow me to briefly discuss one case in point: the Trinity as a Family where God is a Father, Jesus is the Son and my brother, and the Holy Spirit is Love. I can never explain fully how there can be three Persons in One God, but I understood as I grew up that maybe God is a family too where everyone loves each other, just as we did in my family. We did things together: prayed at home and went to Sunday Mass; spent time having fun, laughing and talking and enjoying each other's company. Maybe God has been doing it for all eternity, and that is why He is happy and wants us to share in that happiness (Mt. 11: 25-30). My Mom and I also prayed the Holy Rosary at home to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Many non-Catholics never understood the Rosary, because they think it is a form of worship, but it is not (Cavendish, 2000). Like people in love who never tire of saying the same things to one another, we Catholics who love the mother of Jesus also do the same. We show her honor, not worship, in the same way I show mom and dad the honor they deserve for being good parents. Novenas and other devotions to the saints are the same thing. We see them as paths to God, the same way that if we want to get a job we ask the help of someone close to us so that we do not have much of a hard time. Going to the saints and to Mary is the same thing. Of course, some people get carried away and give too much time to Mary and the saints that they forget Jesus, but the Catholic Church keeps on reminding us about this danger. So yes, my religious upbringing had a strong impact on my faith, helped by the examples my mom, dad, and uncle showed me that we can be happy doing the good things we enjoy, being men and women of virtue, prayer, and faith (Copeland, 2000). Search for Meaning Hunt et al. (1975) discussed the presence of a religious factor in secular achievement of African-Americans and investigated the presence of Protestant and Catholic

Legal Environment of BUSINESS FINAL EXAM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal Environment of BUSINESS FINAL EXAM - Essay Example On the other hand, the article contains guarantee for fitness of goods for the right use (Ferrari 43). This implies that the seller of a product should assure the buyer that the product will serve the intended purpose. In this case study, the seller bought software online from Ace Inc. according to Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the buyer is entitled to enjoy products of merchantable quality and the product should serve the intended purpose (Saxon 93). However, it appears that the buyer has no problem with the quality and performance of the product. The buyer discards the software because the seller has offered it at a higher price than another seller of similar product. Therefore, basing my view on article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, I believe John (buyer) has no reason for discarding the software because the seller has met all the requirements as stipulated in the article. John was supposed to examine different prices offered by different sellers in order to decide on where to buy the product. The fact that John bought the similar software from a different company implies that what Ace Inc met the warranties of merchantability and fit for the purpose (Ferrari 71). Also, these warranties apply to John because he bought the software from a company that was operating in the same field of business. According to the law of contract, the buyer owes the seller duty of acceptance of the product and payment of reasonable price (Ferrari 112). Therefore, John should accept the software and pay a reasonable price for the products. In case the buyer feels that the price was unfair, he should petition the court to decide on what the fair price will be in this situation. Question B: sale of goods Contracts The contract is for the sale of goods as stipulated in English Sale of Goods Act 1893 (Saxon 154). A contract for sale of goods involves an offer and an acceptance. In this case study, Ammco made an offer to sell merchandise worth more than $500.00 to Erm a. According to the requirements of the contract of for sale, Erma agreed to purchase the merchandise in writing hence fulfilling the contract requirement that sale of goods exceeding $5 should be in writing (Ferrari 154). The contract involved two parties, the seller and the buyer. In addition, the consideration of a contract for sale of goods should be in monetary value, and this was fulfilled in the case study because Erma agreed to pay more than $500. The contract for the sale of goods determines the moment when transfer of property in goods takes place because this determines when the risk in goods passes to the buyer and remedy available to each party in case the goods are damaged. This contract did not follow the actual procedure of forming a contract. The additional information given by the seller to the buyer constitutes a counter offer hence the contract is voidable at the will of the buyer (Ferrari 187). This implies that the contract will be formed between the buyer and the seller the moment the buyer will accept the new conditions stated by the seller. Should the buyer agree to pay for insurance and cost of freight, then there will be a conclusion of a contract under Cost Insurance and Freight (C.I.F). Under C.I.F contract, the buyer has a right to accept the merchandise only if the merchandise meets the specifications stipulated in the contract. The goods on voyage are at the buyer’s risk since the seller insured the goods on his behalf. However, if the