Plantation Society in the Caribbean today Essay

There is still evidence of the plantation society within the modern Caribbean Society. This evidence can be seen from first analyzing various aspects of the plantation system or society, such as the; lifestyle, mentality, social structure and economic model associated with this social system. Then a comparison will be made between the plantation and modern Caribbean societies in relation to these aspects, to show their relevance in the modern Caribbean society. The era of slavery which occurred in the Caribbean during the 16th to 19th centuries put into place a social and political order which formed the social structure and class related lifestyles of the plantation system. The social structure of the plantation society was static and pyramidal in design. At the top of the social pyramid was the white ruling class or the planter class which consisted of the white plantation owners and those who were closely associated with them. Directly under the white ruling class was the mixed or mullatto population along with the poor whites and free people of colour, who still contributed to social fabric of the society despite not having much political power. At the very bottom of the social pyramid was the Black and non-white labour class and within this class itself existed racial divisions and a labour hierarchy. Therefore, it can be seen from examining the various classes within the plantations system’s social structure that the plantation society was composed of various ethnicities. For the most part a major portion of the labourers were African, but due to the various racial groupings within the plantation societies across the Caribbean, these societies were considered to be culturally plural. This population mix influenced the character of society in many ways such as in the way that certain cultural groups would only be seen together when there was an economic related activity. It was therefore not uncommon to find on a plantation society two or more racial and cultural groups living side by side but also having minimal social or cultural intercourse. Another example  of how the character of the society was influenced by the population mix can be seen from the fact that during this time whoever was the owner of the plantation was automatically deemed the super-ordinate group in the wider society and the plantation workers were of the subordinate group. Social and economic power was concentrated with the super-ordinate group, and thus real political and legislative power had only resided with them. Before examining the political development or lack thereof ,we must first consider the social construct and its relevance to today, during the plantation era the society was made of a majority of unskilled workers, large areas of land devote to production and the working class was excluded from majorly centralized decision making due to the rigid social hierarchy. Today we can still see evidence of the working class being excluded in this way and now to a lesser but still significant extent due to a somewhat rigid social hierarchy, where evidence of this can be seen by the difficulty present to move up the social ladder and relatively minor effort needed to maintain ones social standing. Bearing in mind the description of the social construct of the past, let’s consider the changes which ensued leading to the present day model, the social hierarchy moved from a rigid to a forcefully mobile structure which was brought on by the changes caused by emancipation and the mass immigration that followed, the criteria for bettering ones social standing moved from the color of one’s skin to a less rigid even though still difficult criteria to include educational, occupational and economic status, another change which allowed for the differences in the post emancipation period was the bankruptcy and consequent migration of the whites back to Europe making space for the upward movement of both colored as well as black individuals not only in the social scheme of things but also in the political arena leading to an increase of colored individuals in power and a decrease in white control at least directly. By the latter part of the twentieth century, these middle cla sses (mostly the black and brown educated and professional elite) controlled the leadership positions of political parties and states throughout the region. The evolution of the colored middle class to power lead to many serious struggles with the white powers, these struggles included the struggle for greater democratic participation for the majority  black population and the struggle for political independence from European control which was eventually achieved at least physically even though it is quite arguable that mentally the European control persist, the realization of political power and independence by the national black and brown elite did not necessarily shatter the foundations of white domination throughout the region. Although it can be said that politically there has been great changes leading to the physical political emancipation of today’s society from that of the plantation society the economic power was still in the hands of the expatriate white ownership classes even after political independence was won in the 1960s, and the Caribbean racial formations spawned by slavery and colonialism are still intact. From an economic standpoint we can also say that the plantation is still with us. During the era of the plantation we saw two distinct developments, one was the clearly distinct stagnant economical hierarchy which eventually evolved in the times of emancipation to a slightly mobile economical hierarchy however in both forms the separating factor was clear race and type of education, placing the white planter class at the top and the freed or slaved blacks at the bottom, the other characteristic was the clear goal of the economy not to better the masses but to improve or maximize the profit for the plantation, these two main characteristics of the economic plantation society is still seen today, although because of hierarchy mobility blacks have been allowed to rise in status they are still clear restrictions to this such as the need for a European education to make it in society meaning that although black the top tier blacks are deep within the influence of the European mentality. That being said the majority of the top tier economically standing people are still white and the majority of the lower class are black which is still in keeping with the economic stratification of the plantation society. the second characteristic of the plantation society which was the profit of the plantation which today would be the profit of the organization can still be seen and is explain in various theories where we can see that the working class is still exploited for the profit of the higher class and is allowed by the political power in order to make the rich richer and the poor poorer which can be said to also contribute to the clear differences and difficulty associated with  economical hierarchy. the persistence of these traits as well as the seeming acceptance of them as normal is clear evidence of the persistence of the economical plantation society today. Caribbean societies today can still be seen as plural societies, some more than others. Present day plural societies can be seen on islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. The actual pluralities of the modern Caribbean societies can be characterized by divisions of race, ethnicity, religion and cultural differences, to mention a few major elements while others like economic disparities and political membership can also be seen to form division. In societies today there still exist a hierarchy of social class; the upper class, middle class and the lower class. The upper class is an elite group of people who occupy the highest position in the social hierarchy. The members of this social group are wealthy and may have great social and political power and influence. The middle class is socio-economically located between the upper class and the lower class and comprises of a group of people of the contemporary society. The lower class also called the working class is mad e up of the socio economic groups who are often working for low wages and would include the skilled and unskilled workers. The middle and working classes make up the masses while the upper class is seen as the minority but the upper class still holds most of the polical and social power within the society as was with the plantation society where the hierarchy was divided in the super-ordinate and the subordinates. People are born into a class structure and it is difficult to leave the social bracket on an upward movement. For example people born in the upper class structure will be more than likely to stay in that structure for their entire lives and in the middle and lower classes while there still is a slight chance of changing their social status. The hierarchy that embodies the plantation society is evident in the today’s society in housing, jobs, lifestyles, prestige, colour of skin, image, wealth, opportunities, education and background to mention a few factors. Housing is an example of class separation embodies the hierarchy of class. Some neighborhoods are just exclusive to members of the upper class. For example the gated communities where in that neighbourhood there is a gate separating that neighbourhood from the surrounding neighbourhoods. Also  there are neighbourhoods that are exclusive to the working class, for examples developments and housing areas. Racism still exists in society today but to a lesser extent where some People are still denied jobs and positions because of the colour of their skin and also hired for jobs based on the colour of their skin. In many organizations the owners are whites who are of the upper social class and their subordinates are persons from the working classes and middle classes. It can be said therefore that from a social structure and an economical standpoint there are remnants of the plantation society in the Caribbean today however there has also been many changes including social mobility and political control which makes today’s society different is some ways but similar in many from that of a plantation society Criticism of the plantation society model The plantation model/theory in identifying the characteristics of the social and political structure of plantation societies has provided from critical errors; Theory does not provide a direction for moving forward or combating the negative remnants of the plantation society. Does not consider in its analysis the effects of the injection of other racial/cultural groups such as the Chinese into these plantation societies. Again the assumption of the theory is that plantation societies are homogenous. Does not take into account the effects of migration on the demographic, economic and cultural patterns which emerge in the post-emancipation era. Does not take into consideration the activities to combat racial, political and economic discrimination mounted by local community based organizations such as the, land cooperatives, the UNIA and the labour movement of the 1930s. Does not account for the development of a large-scale afro and indo-peasantries which existed in the post emancipation period which saw land moving into the hands of black and other non-white groups. a crucial group within the matrix of the said society and economy was ignored; that is the poor whites and the free people of colour. It therefore implicitly argues that this group did not contribute to the social, political and economic organization of the plantation society. By ignoring this group the analysis of the plantation societies as it existed under slavery is skewed toward the small white elite  and large African/East Indian labour force; which were not the only. References Sidney W. Mintz: â€Å"Caribbean Society.† c. 1968 Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. David Watts 1987 The West Indies: Patterns of Development†¦ Beckford, George.The Plantation Model in Christine Barrow and Rhoda Reddock (eds.) Caribbean Sociology: Introductory Readings. Ian Randle Publishers; Kingston Jamaica, 2001. Best, Lloyd.â€Å"The Contribution of George Beckford.† Social and Economic Studies. Vol. 41, No. 3, September 12 ISSN: 0037-7651. ————-â€Å"Models of a Pure Plantation Economy.† Social and Economic Studies. Vol. 17, No. 3, September 168. Thomas, C.Plantations, Peasants and State, ISER, U.W.I, Mona, 1984.

Satire and Epic Conventions

Alexander Pope was the author who set the trend of the Augustan Age. The poem ‘Rape of the Lock’ was prompted by a real incident when Arabella Lemore’s lock of hair was snipped by Peter, another member of the aristocratic family. This led to the feud between the families and hence Pope was summoned to attempt on reconciliation. The fact lies in a trivial matter blown out of proportion. But Pope extended his courtesy in making a satire of all the possible members who constituted the 18th century aristocratic society. The society once praised for its lofty values came down to spending time on frivolous matters. Pope vividly describes the occupation of Belinda who wakes up late because of having spent an entire evening courting and alluring men. After she wakes up, she is preoccupied reading the ‘billet-doux’ that she had received from her admirers. The poem as a mock-epic comes from the description of how the aristocrats spent time playing cards, a mock-epic battle. The society Pope mocks soon followed the heroic epic period where battles were fought to defend honor and pride and heroes became legends. But the society Pope satirizes fell far short of epic glory. Even morals and values were treated recklessly. Men and women indulged in extra-marital affairs that most husbands suspected that their wives cheated on them with their lovers. Women mourned over their late husbands, as much as they would over their lapdogs. Law and order was also on an imbalanced scale of justice since it was held by irresponsible judges who were eager and quick to pass judgment without investigating. Men of yore exhibited their chivalry by being warriors but during Pope’s time men exposed their chivalry by paying complements to women, flirting and gambling. Through the character of Clarissa, who actually aids in having Belinda’s hair cut off by offering a pair of scissors to Baron, and then later advises that Belinda should pay more attention to her virtues than given into the vanities of her youth. Because it’s the virtues that will outlive her while everything else will fade away. The employment of mock-epic is use the form to mock the society. Pope clearly sent the message across to the aristocratic community through his satire and till day ‘The Rape of the Lock’ remains most popular text of the Augustan Age.

Tooth Fairy Belief

There have been so many things I have believed in since I was a child but have discovered they were not true as I grew up. Knowing that these beliefs are untrue has helped me form my opinions about life. The greatest myth I have believed in was the Tooth Fairy. However, I am glad I found out it was not real because it taught me that in life you have to work for what you want. I can recall a memory I have of when my first tooth fell out. I was five years old when I started to lose my teeth. I was so afraid to pull out my falling teeth but my mom would tell me that it was not that painful and that if I pulled it out I would see the benefits. Then she began to tell me the story about the Tooth Fairy and how she would leave a dollar under my pillow in exchange for my teeth. Of course I listened to my mom, I did as she said and twisted my tooth until it was really loose and pulled it out. I was so excited to get money so I quickly put my tooth under my pillow and went to sleep anxious to receive money the next morning. To my surprise I found a dollar in quarters the following morning. This made me believe that indeed the tooth fairy was real. Every time I would lose a tooth I wouldn’t be scared to pull it out anymore. In fact, it became an addiction for me because I wanted all my teeth to fall out quickly so I could receive more money. My experience with the Tooth Fairy made me believe that everything in life was free. This belief actually shaped my ideas of the world. For instance, I thought that good things could happen with a little bit of effort. By believing in the Tooth Fairy I thought that anything was possible without having to work hard. My discovery about the Tooth Fairy being untrue changed my life in a positive way. As time progressed and I matured, I realized that it was not the Tooth Fairy that put money under my pillow but instead it was my mom. The way I found that the Tooth Fairy did not exist happened one night I lost my tooth. I was very curious to know who the Tooth Fairy was; therefore I acted as if I was asleep. Soon I saw my mom enter my room and since I slept with a night light I was able to see her face. I didn’t make it obvious that I saw her because I did not want to embarrass her. I waited until the next morning to tell her that I had found out the truth. When I told her about my discovery, she denied it instantly. She said I must have dreamt that I saw her. Later when she had no other excuse, she admitted it. I understood her because she said that the story makes this sort of tradition more exciting. When you believe in a fairy or other things such as Santa Clause, it makes things seem more magical. It is a thrill to be anxious the next morning and receive money or gifts. It wouldn’t be so fun to know your parents are the ones who do all of these things for you because you see them everyday and can ask them for what you want. It wasn’t a deception to discover this was all a lie. In fact, I was grateful to know that the Tooth Fairy did not exist because I learned that things in life have to be earned. Some of my thoughts and opinions towards life changed for good after realizing that the Tooth Fairy was a myth. First, I used to live in a world of fantasy when I was younger. I also used to believe that I could get anything I asked for in life and that I had to put little effort to get the things I desired. Now that I am grown up I realize that it is not easy to get a mansion by asking for it but rather working hard for it. The way that I came into these opinions is by comparing how my life used to be before when I believed in the Tooth Fairy to now that I know the truth. When I used to think the Tooth Fairy would leave me money in exchange for my teeth , I used to think that I could just get things the easy way. It is very different now because I realized that there is not a Tooth Fairy giving me money to pay for my college books and tuition. The world we live in is very complicated to survive in if you do not occupy yourself into something that will help you succeed. Money will not rain from the sky or be left magically under a pillow. This is why it is important to work to achieve our goals! I believe that the more you try or the greater effort you put, the greater are the chances that you will get what you most desire. Parents should not tell their children false stories because sometimes those stories can affect them in their lives. Some stories affect children’s mentality because children are vulnerable. For example, some children that believe in the Tooth Fairy can take extreme measures such as trying to pull ut others teeth just to obtain money. This can be very harmful to other children because a child might harm another kid to try and knock their teeth out just for the sake of earning some money. I am aware that some parents tell their children lies to make them act right. However, parents need to take in consideration that children are not going to think about behaving well but rather do the things that benefit them. If they can g et money under their pillow just for a tooth they will beat up any other kid just too simply get their teeth. It seems insane but it is true that children go way beyond to get what they want. Finally, discovering that the tooth fairy was not real changed the person I am today. If I hadn’t believed in the Tooth Fairy I may not have learned so many lessons in my life. The greatest lesson I have learned so far is that nothing in this world is free. Life puts us through many challenges that we need to overcome in order to achieve those things we want. No matter how hard you have to work for something it will pay off in the end!

Private and security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Private and security - Essay Example In addition, the respondents from the practices were more likely to report that their practice did not use â€Å"security tools such as wireless security protocols, e-mail encryption, or mobile device encryption† (HIMSS 21). The conclusion is hardly surprising given the prevailing economic environment. These initiative require financing, hence the reduced economic power of the country affects the capacity of the practices to purchase these services. Sharing data with â€Å"other entities such in corporate organization† will fall from 66% to 16% (HIMSS 11-12). Sharing data with government entities at all levels will average out. There will be a significant rise in sharing data with Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and PHR Vendors. The internal sharing of information will not be necessary since the hospitals will rely on the more secure HIEs even for internal information exchange. This also explains why the use of HIEs will increase. The reason for averaging out of the government- related sharing of information is that the government will streamline its reporting requirements across all levels. One of the interesting findings of the survey is the percentage of IT budget that goes into IT security (HIMSS 6). It is interesting to note that the amount spent on ensuring that IT systems remain secure is much lower than the overall budget. This means that there is some recognition that security is important. However, the risks do not presently warrant increased expenditure, or there is insufficient appreciation of the risks that the systems face. There are five key characteristics of the lean culture based on this article. They include elimination of waste during production and secondly, the maximization of customer value. The third aspect of a lean culture is that the management mandates and plans the lean projects. The fourth key aspect is that the implementation takes place at the floor, by the line workers. The final aspect of the lean

Final Thoughts on Argument ( 8 ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Thoughts on Argument ( 8 ) - Essay Example One could claim that marketing cigarette products to the youth is simply too much to handle. First let us examine what prompted cigarette companies to come up with this decision. â€Å"Younger adults are the only source of replacement smokers† (RJ Reynolds). This means to say that as people age – while smoking – signs and consequences of this decision will begin to show. As a result, they wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as they were when they started smoking. This is what many cigarette companies try to avoid. If they want to keep their business thriving and prospering, they need younger adults which will require brand new form of marketing. True – from the industry’s point of view, this may just be the right thing to do. After all, they just mean business and this is nothing personal for them. Without overanalyzing and putting things under simple perspective, cigarette companies are just doing what they need to do to keep up with the current market. But nothing justifies the consequences that will happen in the future. On the surface, this may be an acceptable proposition for many cigarette companies though on second thought they are just taking advantage of our youth – the hope of the future. Why do teens smoke? "Kids are vulnerable to smoking because the transition to adulthood is fraught with stress, insecurity, and the need to be accepted by peers. If kids see smokers who they think are cool or look grown-up, they may strive for that image, too† (Lang and Marks). Judging from this, kids are innocent victims of the adult driven world. Cigarette companies know this vulnerability and weakness and this is the reason why they target this specific market. They know they can earn money from them more than they can from adults who know what they are doing and have other priorities in life already. However, kids don’t realize they are vulnerable and weak. They often have these overly positive views about

Women in Greek Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in Greek Mythology - Essay Example In Greek mythology, women are seldom considered in isolation from men, though critics consider important exceptions below, and they seldom have scope for action on their own initiative. According to Dillon (2002): Numerous oppositions in the ways in which Women were categorised, often determined by their role in society, and also their ethnic origin, are reflected in the various dichotomies of citizen wife/foreign woman, slave/free, prostitute/wife, girl/woman, and woman priest/woman sorcerer, to name some, all of which could overlap, and influenced how, why, when and where they gave expression to their religious beliefs (5). Mostly, females are either (a) children, (b) nubile maidens or (c) married. What is absent from this female career structure is any stage between initiation and marriage - the stage which allows the male to become a warrior, prove himself and discover himself: men marry later than women (Dillon 2002). Widows are mostly ignored and single women cannot be allowed to exist, except for goddesses like Circe and Kalypso in the Odyssey. For instance, "Hera is most typically a goddess of women, and it is for that reason that she is on occasion worshipped as Maid, Wife, and Widow, the last title giving no little trouble to interpreters of her myths in classical times, seeing that her husband was immortal" (Rose 1991, 103). In Greek mythology, womanhood is depicted through religious ritual and values followed by women characters. It is not surprising that religious dogmas became the code of behavior for women who needed strong arguments to prove their decisions. Gods are supposed to be temperate, diligent, loyal, hard-working, and cheerful. Although the religion women's responsibility for one's destination in the next life and one's fortunes in this, the individuals form a tight-knit and strongly. The above picture is supported with a number of important cases of religious domination remaining important because it continues to serve a variety of important social functions. The realization that a woman has to devote herself to husband and live according to the values was typical for all mortal women. Even if women want to be equal to men they would never talk about this with their husband. Such behavior considered typical for this epoch (Lefkowitz, 1986). A special attention was given to the role of marriage. For instance, Orestes acquires his entitlement to the throne of Sparta by marriage with Menelaos' daughter, Hermione. Menelaos came to the throne through his marriage with Tyndareus' daughter, Helen. Odysseus' winning of Ikarios' daughter, Penelope, has a high profile in the mythology - a myth which Homer, in his characteristic way, replays through the perverted attempt of the suitors to win Penelope's hand in Ithaka. In these cases the succession to the throne passes via a woman. This is not 'matriarchy', for women are not queens in their own rite, nor is it 'matrilinearity' (Rosaldo, Lamphere 1974), for power passes via daughters and wives, not mothers. Indeed the marriage is called into existence precisely because the daughter cannot wield power herself. This belongs in the broader Greek cultural picture of the

ECON333 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ECON333 - Assignment Example On the other hand, if these people are compensated then actual Pareto improvement is possible which is not always possible in reality. A restricted version of Pareto improvement is where the resources are allocated in the manner where there are both gainers and losers. This is a more practical situation since under any situation there will be one or more parties who will be at the losing end. However, if the gainers agree to pay more than the value of their gains so that the losers can be compensated, i.e. the value of gains is more than the costs, a potential Pareto improvement will occur. For instance, in case of a new airport the gainers will be the society and the airline company. However, if the company compensates the people living near the airport for their inconvenience then no party will be the loser although the compensated people will not be gaining anything. To understand a Pareto improvement it is necessary that the gains and losses can be measures in the terms of money that people can pay for their goods and services. In short, it is Pareto improvement if the money left in the end is in excess of the money that was in the beginning (Gold, 1996, p.33). Kalder-Hicks compensation principle is adopted from Pareto improvement but with less strict measures. It is an economic situation where the gainers will be in a position to compensate the losers and still be better off, even if the compensation is not actually done. One problem of Kalder-Hicks theory is that although gainers will have the capacity to compensate the losers, in reality the gainers may not agree to compensate. This will increase economic disparity in the society, and hence is considered unfair by many economists. For instance, people living under the flight path of the new airport may feel they have been cheated if the airline company refrains from paying compensation

Does Complimentary and Alternative medicine provide adequit pain Term Paper

Does Complimentary and Alternative medicine provide adequit pain relief compared to pharmacological means - Term Paper Example For temporary pain relief, I positioned the patient with pillows in the way she preferred, massaged the patient’s legs, and encouraged her to go through deep breathing exercises to make her less focused on her pain. After informing the doctor that the patient is complaining of irretractable pain and a history of osteoarthritis, the doctor changed her pain regime to include muscle relaxant and physical therapy to improve her range-of-motion (ROM). After a short period of time, the patient was able to get up and walk. Pain management is common health care practices that most primary nurses failed to master. Since it is common for primary nurses to deal with patients who are suffering from chronic pain, it is essential for nurses to increase their knowledge on how to effectively manage the patients’ pain. Based on the fact that nurses are not permitted to prescribe pharmacological drugs such as opioids in managing the patient’s pain, I find it very interesting to se arch for alternative ways that can effectively minimize the patients’ pain. ... As compared to the use of pharmacological means, this study will focus on discussing whether or not CAM can provide adequate pain relief to patients with chronic pain. After discussing the differences between CAM and pharmacological-based drugs, this report will conduct a literature review in determining the health care benefits of incorporating the use of CAM in pain management. Eventually, the proposed change in the plan of care and how these changes can be initiated will be tackled in details. Differences between Complimentary and Alternative Medicine and Pharmacological-based Drugs Complimentary and alternative medicine is â€Å"a form of healing arts that is not taught in a traditional Western medical schools that could promote options to the use of conventional medicine† (MedicineNet.com, 2007). It is basically â€Å"a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered to be a part of a conventional medicine† (Garrow & Egede, 2006). In most cases, the research study of Barnes, Powell-Griner, McFann & Nahin (2004) revealed that the commonly used CAM therapies includes: prayer for self (43%), natural products like herbal medicines, teas, and vitamins (18.9%), deep breathing exercises (11.6%), meditation (7.6%), chiropractic (7.5%), yoga (5.1%), massage (5.0%), diet-based therapies (3.5%), and acupuncture (1.1%). Pharmacological medicines are mostly chemical-based drugs. Often times, these drugs should be prescribed by the doctors. When treating pain, common drugs use includes opioids class drugs (i.e. morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, and oxycodone among others) which could provide the patients with analgesic effects to minimize the patient’s perceived pain (Mercadante et al., 2010; Murray & Hagen,

Examine United States Foreign Policy SInce WWII Term Paper

Examine United States Foreign Policy SInce WWII - Term Paper Example It seeks to establish a strategy that will discuss the boundaries between the environment outside of the nation state and the domestic environment. For a well rounded foreign policy it is essential that it covers a wide array of sub-national sources of influence. The need for a foreign policy arises from the need to protect. Governments need some sort of a safety backing that ensures their country’s well being. The intent behind such policies is that they are designed to help guard a country. They protect the country on the grounds of national security, national interests, ideological goals, and economic prosperity. Two extreme methods used by governments to achieve safety are peaceful cooperation with other nations and exploiting weaker nations.1 An excellent example of how one issue is dealt with in a different manner by different countries is related to the War on Terrorism launched by the United States of America. Pakistan and Iran although neighboring countries, chose opp osing stances on the terrorism issue based on their individual foreign policies. Pakistan decided to help America in the terrorism that prevails in the region whereas at the same time Iran which is Pakistan's neighbor and exists in the same region decided not to extend its support to combat terrorism in its neighborhood. Every country wants a peace process to prevail in a turbulent region and wants to help a country that is trying to solve the prevalent problem of terrorism. Given facts such as that the United States was willing to bear the major portion of the costs of war in return for some support and a little bit of resources, Iran chose not to help. It was because of the history they share with America and their ideologies being complete opposite to each other’s. Exposition of such behaviors by countries in such delicate situations is driven by their foreign policy. Foreign policy of a country as the name suggests, governs a country's relationship with other countries in the international arena. Based on the example given above the obvious question that arises in the common man’s mind is related to what made Pakistan participate in the war on terror whilst Iran chose to stay aloof? Why were the policies of neighbors that share a border with one another so different? Why were their reactions to the same situation so vastly opposing? It must be noted here that foreign policies are not set in stone; they tend to change overtime owing to a number of different reasons. Even in today's global arena we can see numerous examples of countries that were allies at one time but are arch enemies now. Changes such as these all take place based on how the foreign policy of a country looks at a certain point in time. The guidelines, rather instructions contained in the foreign policy depend on a lot of factors. There are 3 key factors that influence the construct of most successful foreign policies. The framework of these factors includes domestic considera tions, policies of other states and geopolitical objectives.2 There are several other reasons that push a country to opt for changes in its foreign policy. As the world progresses and with the advent of rapid globalization foreign policies are becoming more and more volatile. A very obvious reason for changes is a country’s foreign policy is related to a changing government. Each government comes forth with its own unique manifesto, a document that dictates its stance on many issues, foreign policy being one very important

How the economy has affected the automotive industry Essay

How the economy has affected the automotive industry - Essay Example Most of the automobile manufacturers are struggling hard in order to survive in the market. â€Å"In 1990, Mexico exported around 180,000 vehicles, whereas in the first 11 months of 2002 manufacturers in Mexico have sent 1.23 million units abroad. (DeMarines) The growth of automobile industry was huge before the current economic recession starts. Not only Mexico, the leading car manufacturers in Japan, America and Germany were also recorded huge growth in their sales before the unexpected crisis began to affect the whole world. In November, 2008, U.S. sales for the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands combined fell 33.9 percent; year-to-date sales were down 13.4 percent in the United States, to about 2.1 million, according to Auto Data Corp. (Henry) Inside the 789 Chrysler showrooms to be cast aside, fear is starting to set in as dealers try to figure out what to do with expensive inventories that werent selling well (MSNBC.com) The proposed $ 700 billion bailout package especially to save the automobile industries in America from total destruction, is seems to be not enough as per the experts. GM and Chrysler announced last week to shed almost 2,000 retail outlets to bolster the survivors. Reducing competition from stores with the same brands is supposed to allow the remainder to boost prices and profit, and to reinvest in their businesses (Merx) â€Å"In their appeals to Congress, the U.S. automakers were short on accepting blame themselves, and long on blaming high gas prices, the credit crisis and a global recession for the sales downturn and their economic dire straits† (Henry) When we analyze all the above factors we can conclude that automotive industry is directly linked with the economy of a country. Fluctuations in economy will affect the automobile industries more than any other industries. Shift in policies and also the supply and demand of automobiles in

Chinese Culture Essay Example for Free

Chinese Culture Essay The climate and temperature of China varies throughout the area of the country. Most of the country lies in the temperate belt, but the southern most part lies in the subtropical belt while the northern part is in the sub arctic belt. There is usually a lot of rain in the summer, and very little in the winter. China has the largest agricultural output in the world, while only cultivating 15% of its total area. Rice is China’s most harvested crop, while wheat is second. China also produces potatoes, other vegetables, and some fruits. By the end of 2000, China had 633 different cities, while 13 of them had a population of two million or more. The three biggest Chinese cities are Shanghai, Beijing, and Chongqing, in that order. Hong Kong is inside China, but isn’t considered part of the country. Confucianism used to be the main religion in China and help shape its history. However, Buddhism has the most followers and biggest influence in China than any other religion, now. Some other major religions throughout China are Taoism, Islam, and Christianity. Most people in China, now, play sports just like us such as ping pong, soccer, and badminton. These types of sports are fairly new to China, while different types of martial arts have been around much longer than team sports. China is a communist state. This means that everything is ruled and owned by the government. There is no private ownership, and all goods are shared by the people, who are all equal. Chinese education is required and free for ages 6 – 15, and can be continued longer if the person wants to and can afford it. Most of the jobs throughout China are related to agricultural businesses, or they do cheap labor for companies all around the world. The employment rules in China are much more relaxed than the U. S. so big corporation usually have Chinese factories make their goods for much cheaper. Stir fry is the most common cooking technique throughout China. It requires a small amount of oil in a heated pan, and the ingredients of the mea, usually vegetables and meat, are put into the pan and cooked until ready. The most used cooking tool is the wok. It is pretty much like a pan with rounded edges for stir frying. Chopsticks are by far the most used eating tools of the Chinese people, just like our forks and spoons. Chinese meals almost always have rice or noodles. The is usually vegetables in the meals, which could be many different types, such as broccoli, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cabbage or eggplants. The meat is usually chicken, pork, or fish. Chinese meals are eaten pretty much at the same time as out meals. Breakfast is in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner is at night. There are much unusual eating etiquettes that must be followed in China. One is that your tea can never be empty. The host will always be refilling their guests’ cups, and the guests must tap their cup on the table as a showing of thankfulness. Another eating etiquette is that, when out with a group of people, you must order an even number or plates, even if there is an odd number of people, because odd numbers symbolize death. Bibliography Climate http://www. chinatraveldepot. com/C149-China-Climate Major Cities http://www. china. org. cn/english/feature/38093. htm Recreation http://www. ajpanda. com/Articles. asp? ID=227 Types of Jobs http://factsanddetails. com/china. php? itemid=366catid Ingredients and equipment http://www. china-family-adventure. com/chinese-food-ingredients. html Bourbon Chicken recipe http://www. food.com/recipeprint. do? rid=45809 Chinese fried rice http://www. grouprecipes. com/25313/chinese-fried-rice. html/print Chinese Almond Cookies http://chinesefood. about. com/od/dessertcookies/r/almondcookies. htm Chinese Almond Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: †¢ 2 cups flour †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda †¢ 1/8 teaspoon salt †¢ 1/2 cup butter †¢ 1/2 cup shortening †¢ 3/4 cup white sugar (can add up to 2 more tablespoons, if desired) †¢ 1 egg †¢ 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract †¢ 30 whole, blanched almonds (one for each cookie). †¢ 1 egg, lightly beaten Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162. 5 degrees Celsius). 2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and sugar. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Note: The dough will be crumbly at this point, but dont worry that is what its supposed to be like. 3. Use your fingers to form the mixture into a dough, and then form the dough into 2 rolls or logs that are 10 to 12 inches long. Wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (this will make it easier to shape the dough into circles). 4. Take a log and lightly score the dough at 3/4 inch intervals so that you have 15 pieces and cut the dough. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly greased cookie tray, approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5. Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg before baking. Bake for 15 minutes to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and store in a sealed container.

Data Collection - Business Research Essay Example for Free

Data Collection Business Research Essay Introduction The experience of focus group and semi-structured interview were gained during my data collection research. I conducted one focus group and one semi-structured interviews, due to participants time limit and busy schedule I was not possible to conduct more interviews. I have designed the interview procedure including questions prepared for each interview to capture different group and individual. I have given participants consent form to sign and ask for their permission to audio tape recorder, simultaneously I was taking note. This type of interview was more suitable for my data collection research because it allowed face to face assurance and explanation of the importance, aim, and necessity of the research. I have enjoyed the interview exercise and my learning reflection about data collection process is addressed below. How well did the research instrument address the research questions and meet the goals of the study? Using focus group and semi-structured interview instruments to collect data helped keeping track of what I observed and how to analyse it. Methods of recording information gathered during focus groups and interview for collecting unbiased information have helped to gain credibility as an accurate and useful source of information collection. Focus group and semi- structured interviews were effective in communicating a desire to obtain meaningful and honest information, both instruments were well designed that helped the conversation develop in line with my research questions. I was able to use technique for collecting data as a combination of an audio tape recorder and note taking which allow me to capture all of the essential information in an unbiased manner, I was also able to capture nonverbal behaviour of group participants, i.e. reactions of other participants after a participant statement may indicate consensus or disagreement. Both instruments are valid and reliable in collecting data, and questions and observations accurately assess what I want to know. What specific advantages and disadvantages can you see from using this particular method? Semi-structured individual interviews are more efficient than focus groups and interviewers are typically able to cover more ground interviewing one person versus a group. While focus groups may actually get less information than one hour individual interview, the dynamic interchange between the group members may result in more in depth and unbiased information concerning a particular topic. A potential weakness of focus groups may occur when members do not express their personal opinions and conform to a popular opinion or agree to a particular group member. In semi-structured interview there is no significant time delay between question and answer, the interviewer and interviewee can directly react on what the other says or does. An advantage of this communication is that the answer of the interviewee is more spontaneous, without an extended reflection. But due to this type of communication, the interviewer must concentrate much more on the questions to be asked and the answers given. Especially when semi-structured interview list is used, and the interviewer has to formulate questions as a result of the interactive nature of communication. Interview also has the advantage that the interviewer can make more use of a standardisation of the situation. On the other hand this type of communication of time and place can bring with it a lot of time and costs. Social interaction in the focus group provides more free and complex answers, interviewer can ask for clarification, problems as to whether the group represents a larger population and difficult to assemble the group. What issues did you face in data collection and compilation? In my situation, I needed to obtain an appropriate permission or approval to collect information from the senior management of the company I have done my research on. I had to allow time to work through the proper channels and it was stressful process to know whether they will provide me with an approval to conduct my interviews and collect data. One of the problems encountered by me was the limited time allocated as the questionnaires were process oriented and it took time to complete some of the questionnaires while each interview was allocated 45 minutes only, in addition, the geographical location of the company was presented a difficulty as I had to travel more than 30 minutes to reach the company’s premises. I had to visit the company twice to conduct a focus group with one team and a semi-structured interview with another team manager. I believe there is no issue in data integrity or accuracy that was provided to me by the team during both interviews. However, compilation of data has been time consuming process due to documenting all notes taking as well as referring to the audio tape recorder to ensure that I haven’t missed anything out. I did not encounter any non-response or outright refusal from the participants. The response from the leaders and officials was also encouraging. How would you change the research instrument based on the data you collected? I believe the answers I have got are as good as the questions I asked, I may need to expand on my research instruments techniques and get the best answers that fit my questions, or follow formative research process that will help me think through which questions I want to ask of which people. For example, asking good questions of the wrong people or asking the right people bad questions will provide me poor and unusable results. Even if focus group and semi-structured interviews are the best method for collecting my data, I will consider changing how to do them, collecting the best data possible is to separate research instruments into smaller rounds instead of trying to get all answer for the questions at once. Later rounds can build on information from earlier rounds. For example, I would use one round of the interview to help me determine a target group, understand their roles, skills and knowledge around using systems and processes and then a second round to investigate more deeply into the groups thoughts and feelings. What lessons have you learned about collecting data? I believe collecting data for this study or MRP research is way more stressful than other data collection I have experienced. First of all, the stakes are higher, if I don’t get it right I will continue to be in purgatory. All what I needed is to hear from my potential participants about whether they are participating in my research study. I got tons of questions from the senior management asking details of the research study and proposal. This, however, does not mean that they are going to participate in my study. So, I had to be very careful about how I answer their questions and how to interact with them. I learned to be always prepared to get tones of questions. I also had to send my participants a reminder about the date and time of the interviews and accommodate them, otherwise they will forget as they are busy people. I learned to keep my spirit high, and I needed to remind myself that things are going to be OK. I needed to continue providing information, checking in, reminding, answering questions, sending e-mails, making phone calls, and running my research study with a smile on my face. Even though I was exhausted, tried to keep my energy high, and didn’t let my participants feel the stress I felt inside. At the end, I was grateful to have each and every participant I had and enjoyed the experience with them. And finally I learned to be patient, collecting data is a slow process and I was focusing on how to achieve the big goal of interviewing participants and collecting data, while I forget to pay attention to what I achieve everyday towards getting my data collection complete. What thoughts do you have about the importance and relevance of your project based on the data collection experience? Data collected during the focus group and interview is adequate to be analysed for my process improvement project purpose and to make decisions about important issues. I will be able to present findings and analysis based on data collected from interviews and that subsequent decisions based on arguments embodied in the findings are valid. Data collection process will help my project identifying area for improvements, analysing and assessing the importance of systems and processes. Quality and type of data play a vital role in supplying objective information for the problems in process improvement project so that some analytical understanding of the problems and hence solutions can be obtained. Making decision on the basis of poor quality data is risky and may lead to disastrous results. My project requires data that is valid and reliable, and in this study data was collected using a variety of research methods, such as interview and focus group were participants debriefed to ensure interpretive validity in order to determine if data was being interpreted correctly.

Power in Business Negotiations

Power in Business Negotiations Introduction Power in negotiations process has been regarded as one of the elements that contributes to, and influence the outcome of the negotiation. It is through this factor that multinational corporations and large organizations use power to get what they want in a negotiation process. This is achieved through the availability of resources and information at their disposal. Another factor is the use BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), how best negotiating parties use their BATNA the result will be winning in a negotiation process. This essay seeks to discuss how power can disadvantage the underdog in the negotiation process. The discussion will first start by defining negotiation, its characteristics and types of negotiations. Then Power and its sources. I will further on with samples from case studies discuss how power disadvantage the underdog, followed by the theoretical perspectives. Last but not least the recommendations and the conclusion. Negotiation French (2008) defines negotiation as a process of making joint decisions when the parties involved have different preferences. On daily activities people are involved in negotiation process, it is worth noting that, because of the different preferences people have; they engaged in a negotiation process in every communication that takes place. In that, negotiation can be considered as a way of finding the best solution with others or coming to agreement in the process of decision making. This is supported by Furnham (2005) who is of the view that negotiation is one aspect of decision making which according to him it is always overlooked. Negotiation takes place before, during and after decision making. We acknowledge that where more people engage in negotiation the more disagreements are likely to arise over diverse matters on our daily activities. Salamon (2000) contend that negotiation applies to a particular process of dialogue between different people to resolve their differences so as to reach an agreement. Brett (2007) states that negotiation is process by which people with conflicting interests determine how they are going to allocate resource or work together in the future. People lead negotiations to discuss different aspects of matters of life affecting them, in that way negotiation come in different forms and in different situations, and the solutions to these situations are different, therefore the strategies must be different too. The scholars shows that negotiation is a dynamic process of which two parties with different objectives will confer together to reach an agreement to reach common goal. The characteristics of negotiation, which are common in different situations. With reference to http://www.pathways.cu.edu.eg/subpages/training_courses/Negotiation%20Skills7/Chapter1.htm#1_1 are as follow; There are two or more parties   There is a conflict of interest between two or more parties   The parties negotiate because they think they can use some form of influence to get a better deal that way than by simply taking what the other side will voluntarily give them or let them have. The parties, at least for the moment, prefer to search for agreement rather than to fight openly, have one side capitulate, permanently break off contact, or take their dispute to a higher authority to resolve it. When we negotiate, we expect give and take.   Successful negotiation involves the management of intangibles as well as the resolving of tangibles Types of Negotiation According to Lewicki and Hiam (1999), they state that there are five legitimate negotiation strategies, which are as follow; Competitive (win-lose) this is a strategy where the outcome is important but the relationship is not. It is a win-lose strategy used. Competitive is used if one wants to win at all costs and the negotiator has no concern about the future relationship. With regard to big companies using power to manipulate, their way in getting what they want in negotiations, this strategy will work well. As the intentions of these big corporations is to win in any given situation, and relationship seems as if not important in their thinking. In this strategy the big companies uses coercive and hostile tactics to win. Confrontational and emotional deploy are used in driving the negotiations to their advantage. For example, during elections ruling party and opposing parties attacks each other in negotiating with people of their constituencies to convince them to vote for them. Collaborative (win-win) outcomes and relationships are both important, negotiators therefore attempts at all time to maximize their outcome on the other hand preserving the relationship. The end results are that both parties find a solution to their needs. Compromising (split the difference) both outcomes and relationship are somewhat important hence the need to take each others needs into consideration. This strategy if often used when collaboration cannot be met. Avoiding (lose-lose) in this strategy either outcome or relationship are of importance. Negotiator withdraws from active negotiation. Accommodating (lose-win) the outcome is not important rather the relationship. The negotiator is more concern with keeping a good relationship with another party than achieving good results. Power Salacuse (2000) contend that Power is an intensely practical subject for all international negotiators, who by their very missions are intensely practical persons. With relation to the question at hand, It is important to have an over view of the concept of power and how does it disadvantage the underdog in the negotiation process and benefit those who have power. (French, Rayner, Rees Rumbles, 2008) are of the view that power is the ability to get someone else to do something you want done, or the ability to make things happen or get things done in the way you want. Looking at the point in the question at hand, that Multinational Corporation and other big organizations use power to get what they want in negotiations, it therefore, shows that power can indeed disadvantage the underdog in the negotiation process. That is one party is disadvantaged where the other holds formal power, there is that relative power positions in negotiations. With this regard one can argue that the big or ganizations have the ability to move decisions in their desired way. This point is supported by (Wolfe McGinn 2005) who argues that imbalances in power are evident in most relationships whether at inter-organizational level or at international level. They are of the view that the power imbalances stems from asymmetry in dependence between parties. Sources of Power Information sources of power / Expert Power Having knowledge/Information that will influence the outcome of the negotiation, therefore planning and research increases information. Power based on position Legitimate power and resource control power are based on the position ones holds. With reference to the argument of how power can disadvantage the underdog, resources are essential tool in negotiations; therefore, if one party has control of that, then this will disadvantage another party. Power based on personality and individual differences (Lewicki, Barry Saunders 2010) contend that individuals have different psychological orientations to social situations. Personal, cognitive, motivational and skills, enables one to have power. Contextual sources of power. This refers to the fact that power is based on the context, situation or environment in which negotiation takes place. If one party is negotiating within its environment that can boost power. According to Wolfe McGinn (2005) they are of the view that power imbalances are there in all levels of relationships at international level, inter-organizational or inter-personal levels. The author argues that relational theories of power vary with regard to whose perspective is considered the target of influence, the influencing agent or both parties. Scholars hint that theories of power examine the power relationship from the perspective of target of influence. This then lead us to the fact that for one to know exactly how much power he/she has, will evaluate that during the negotiations, in that way one will be able to assess the other party at the negotiation table who are at that time the focal point of comparison. Assessing ones power accurately serves a critical social function and awareness of the distinctions from and similarities with a counterpart (Gill and Swann 2004). This is derived from subjective cost benefit analysis derived from Social exchange theory rooted from economics, psychology and sociology. How Power can Disadvantage the underdog in the negotiation Process Having discussed on the concepts of negotiation and power, I will now show how power can disadvantage the underdog in a negotiation process. As it is already mentioned in the discussion regarding power factor in the negotiation process, it is imperative to argue that power influence in decision making between parties involved in the negotiation process. (Bacharch Lawler 1981) contend that, Power is the central determining factor in negotiation. (Lewicki Hiam 1999), they are of the view that, the key source of power in negotiation is information. That is, the planning for the negotiation is based on the knowledge that you have about your objectives and that of another party, with that then you will be informed enough to refute their position or support. The information must be accurate in that as a negotiator you will have more power. The other point is that of expertise, and good communication skills and resources. For example, the case study of the Conoco oils company and the indi genous people of Ecuador. This is a typical example that when a big company like Conoco had information and the resource, the company managed to manipulate and convince the government of Ecuador, that the project of drilling oil will benefit the people, hence there were some other negative consequences, which were going to affect the indigenous people. In this scenario the underdog were the indigenous people of Ecuador whose lives were going to be impacted on negatively. Power asymmetry between a stronger and weaker party. Structural analysis argues that the strongest will always win. Multinational companies have branches in many countries, for example KFC, Ford. The advantage of having these especially in developing countries is that they bring in wealth and jobs, thus increasing the Gross National Product (GNP) and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country. However there are some problems in the sense that the jobs are often low-skilled or less paid, much of the profit made goes outside the country. The companies may also pull out if the economy of the country goes down, for example in Zimbabwe. In Botswana Hyundai pull out to set its plant in South Africa one of the reason of relocating was that Botswana has a problem of small market. The companies are interested in making profits. Therefore, these big companies hold power in the sense that they have the resources, money in its varieties is a powerful tool in negotiation. As highlighted most of these multinational companies as they come to developing countries in their journey to make profits, they turn to use and abuse the lay people who are so desperate to make ends meet in trying to fight poverty. For example in Botswana, the Chinese building construction companies most of them win tenders from government and other organizations, but they do not produce good projects which lasts, because after they have won tenders, some of the services they out source to local companies but at a lower price and pay lower wages to its employees which are locals. Whilst they gain more profit the weaker partner suffers. The stronger side gains its power from the magnitude and diversity of its resources. Wolfe McGinn (2005) comment that, in an asymmetric relationship, in which the power balance between the parties is unequal, the relatively high-power party is likely to have his or her interests addressed during a negotiation, while the interests of the lower-power party may be ignored. The relative power is seen in a case in South Africa where drug companies use their muscles over the poor. Glaxco SmithKline, Merck, Pfizer and Eli Lilly the big four, and there are others in Europe and the U.S. almost as big wield such enormous financial and political clout. It is a cartel and like all cartels they want monopoly power it is a basic economic tenet that monopolies lead to higher prices which is why many governments try to break them up. McCullum (2010). In this case the big four pharmacies do not like the idea of cheap drugs for diseases like HIV/AIDS to be imported, the attempt of the case is to block the government from importing cheap generic medicines from developing countries like Thailand. As they are more concerned with their profit making not with the fact that poor people are dying because they cannot afford expensive drugs. The case is supposed to take place in Pretoria. (The big four and 42 pharmacies against the government of South Africa). Back at the British, Swiss, American and German headquarters of the Big Four they claim patent protection for a minimum of 20 years on their intellectual property which means no generic manufacture. The argument they make is that poorer countries cannot afford even cheap medicine, and they donate the drug to them. In this we see manipulation tactics used in this negotiation process. A competitive approach is used. The companies are more concerned with their win over the negotiation. It is reported that companies have spent three years and millions of American dollars preparing their case. However, one can see that in broader prospect the interest does not lie with the poor people but the big four to enrich them selves, it should be observed that these companies are from developed countries as mentioned. The case is still ongoing. Another case study is that of ASDA(Asquith and Dairies) it is a British retail chain store, founded in 1965. It became a subsidiary of American chain store Walmart in 1999. ASDA is the second largest store in the UK, its marketing strategy has always been based solely on low price. It has been reported that ASDAs parent Walmart has made bid to South African retail group Massmart. It has put in a non-binding proposal. However a memo has been leaked out that, the document lays out how to structure a meeting with suppliers, Use this opportunity to take control and set the agenda. Open outrageously (include plenty of fat). The bigger the opening figure, the bigger the settlement figure. Buyers should have prepared three concessions that cost Asda nothing but will assist their trading position. Only concede if you have to. Be tactful, but be firm. A threat is only a threat if it is followed through. Remember always that we are negotiating on behalf of our customers! Asda issued the document to buyers last year and the strategies used by major supermarkets have come under greater scrutiny. This case study shows how the giant tore like ASDA is starting to manipulate their way into the Africa market, their tactics in negotiations reflect the kind of negotiation strategy they are using, which in this scenario is the Competitive strategy (win-lose). Another factor that is over looked by Asda is the morals and ethics in the business. The misrepresentation to opponents network and they are more focused on their power motive over the suppliers in South Africa. As indicated ASDAs mandate is based on low prices, therefore they will negotiate with suppliers to bring the suppliers to sell at a more lower prices so that ASDA at its end product will make more profit. Therefore, the underdogsin this case are the suppliers- who are expected to sell at a lower price to ASDA, hence their profit making will be lower. The consumers are also going to buy the products at a higher price which will be costly. Contradiction to the ASDAs mission of selling at a lower price. Theoretical Perspective Competitive positional negotiation/Distributive theory. In this theory the focus is on positions that conflicting parties declare. http://internetmediator.com comments that competitive negotiation strategy is, essentially, a manipulative approach designed to intimidate the other party to lose confidence in their own case and to accept the competitors demands. This happens in desperate situations like in cases where companies exploit the ordinary people by paying them lower wages. Competition experienced here is for limited resources. In this theory, power is the central argument, the resent strike of the University of Botswana staff unions over salaries is a typical example of this practice. Because of the limited resources that is the 30 million that was in debate to be shared amongst the staff in general. According to the reports made the two university staff unions formed an alliance and entered into negotiations with the management regarding the salary increment. The two parties did not agree with what the consultants report proposed, though the management agreed with it. However, the negotiations came to stall, and the unions withdrew from negotiations and went on strike. The management used their cohesive power and threats by a no work no pay notion The assumption of the competitive theory is that negotiation is the division of the limited resources, when one side gains the other side loss. High opening demands are made and concede slowly. This is done in such a way that the organizations, which have, power gains more than the other does. Game theory can also be used to elaborate on the concept of power and negotiation. Corvette (2007:185) contend that game theory is useful in understanding how to develop successful strategies, and the process is like a game in that there is some competition going on. With regard to power disadvantaging the underdog, in relation to the theory; this can be seen as a game as the theory dominate the empirical negotiation predicting bargaining outcomes on negotiators utilities. Multinational corporations and other big organizations use all the utilities and in most instances they are able to predict the outcome that weaker parties will surrender to the outcome of the negotiation. Summary In summary the question that can be posed is as negotiators how do we make the playing-field level? This playing field, we refer to the negotiation process that we found ourselves or encounter on daily basis. And how do we ensure that all parties regard the process as legitimate? For the process to be regarded as legitimate the issue of ethics should be taken in to serious condition. As power in negotiation process disadvantage the underdog, it is important to highlight on the issue of ethics in negotiations and its importance in its contribution in stabilizing the relationship between parties. It is of importance to acknowledge the fact that collaboration between negotiation parties is important so as to maintain a relationship after negotiations. Furthermore to note that the issue at hand is not in the power balance but in the situation at the negotiation table Another recommendation is that multinational corporation and big organizations be able to consider and approach negotiation processes on win-win approach, so as to maintain good relationship after negotiation. Taking an example of ASDA/Wal-Mart and suppliers in South Africa. It is important for the corporation to consider their negotiation strategy and focus on maintaining relationship with suppliers, so as the intended goal of providing business in Africa can blossom hence improve the economy. For small organization, groups or individuals it will be advantageous for them to form alliances to be able to counterpart the big companies, when it come to negotiations, for example the case study of Conoco oil drilling company. For indigenous people to succeed in stopping the oil drill, the human rights groups and other various international environmental movements formed an alliance and opposed the plan. Salacuse (200) support this statement by commenting that the most effective way for a weaker party to increase its power at the negotiation table is to build supportive relationships with strong third parties who are not at the table. A third party in most cases is the one who has influence over your adversary in the negotiation. The other factor is to use power of competition to leverage power (Lewicki 2010). In the negotiation context a means can be made to distribute power by diffusing that one of big organizations so that negotiation environment can be conducive and accommoda tive hence use of good tactics can be well practiced to achieve positive negotiation outcomes. Conclusion Power is regarded as a tool in negotiation process to be used to disadvantage the underdog. This is highlighted in the definition of both negotiation and power. The case study have been used to outline how the power is indeed used by multinational corporations and big companies in getting what they want in the negotiation process. It is important to note that the weaker party can be generally stronger than first assumed by the stronger partner, taking for example the Conoco case study that though this is a big organization, the smaller human right groups managed to stop the project. This demonstrates that the weaker party has devices and tactics at its command to augment its power and that the stronger party usually does not fully understand or appreciate the potential power of the underdog. The alliances strengthen their BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) to their opponent; small companies can find other means to diffuse the power of big organization in the negotiati ons. It is therefore imperative for the big organization to take this into consideration and know that they can be outwitted in their game regardless of the resources they have. The recommendation views out the issue of ethics, that by using power the underdog should not be abused or cheated in the negotiation process, therefore collaborative can be used to address the issue of resources to benefit all parties.

Comparing Christian Liberty, Utopia, and The Prince Essay examples --

Christian Liberty, Utopia, and The Prince    "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none...A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant to all, subject to none." (Luther Pg. 7) These lines show what Luther is truly about. In Christian Liberty, Luther believes in the reestablishing of God as the inner authority. In Utopia, Thomas More believes the power should be in one group and that the rest of the common people in the society should all be equal like a communist society. In The Prince, Machievelli believes that the power is within the prince. I choose Christian Liberty as the best form of authority because it is the closest to being an honest and true way of authority. Although none of the books portray ideal authority, Christian Liberty is the closest to describing the best authority out of the three because of the emphasis on a moral society with less corruption, a reformation in the people's spiritual selves and less concentration of wealth in the hands of the religious hierarchy in society so t hat it would become more of an egalitarian society. In Christian Liberty, Martin Luther portrays the corruption in the church and in the government and explains how this could all be solved with the reformation of the spirit self being ruled by God as an all-powerful force. "Therefore we must also preach the word of grace and the promise of forgiveness by which faith is taught and aroused. Without this word of grace the works of the law, contrition, penitence, and all the rest are done and taught in vain." (Luther page 27). In this quote Luther says that you need to have a spiritual relationship in order to repent for your sins and to do good works otherwise your good works mean nothing t... ...g of the scriptures and writings of God. Martin Luther with his system of authority based around a personal understanding of The Bible is better then The Prince who uses the rule of the one and Utopia's rule of the few. Works Cited: Jones, W. T. Masters of Political Thought. Ed. Edward, McChesner, and Sait. Vol. 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947. Luther, Martin "Martin Luther's Treatise on Christian Liberty [Freedom of a Christian]." Christian Liberty. Trans. W. A. Lambert. Fortress Press, 1957. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Hill Thompson. Norwalk: The Easton Press, 1980. More, Sir Thomas. Utopia: A New Translation, Backgrounds, Criticism. Ed. and trans. Robert M. Adams. Toronto: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1988. Nelson, William, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Utopia. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.

Michelangelo Buonarroti Essay -- European History Renaissance

Michelangelo Buonarroti There was a time period from 1400 C.E. to 1600 C.E., referred to as the Renaissance. The Renaissance was an age of discovery shown through , architecture, poetry, art, sculpture, and theater based on a Greco-Roman culture. Among the many Renaissance thinkers there was a man named Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo was an architect, sculptor, painter, poet, and an engineer. He preferred sculpting because he felt he was shaping mankind, which reflected the Renaissance era. The Renaissance encouraged everyone to express their human potential and become a master of their universe. In contrast to the dark middle age ideas of a supernatural orientation to life, the Renaissance encouraged a more natural world and human life orientation. Michelangelo reflected the Renaissance ideals through his works of art; such as, the Sistine Chapel, many sculptures including David and the Pieta, and architecture including Capitoline Hill in Rome. In these forms of art, Michelangelo lived up to being the universal man, which meant developing yourself into an individual genious. Michelangelo reflected the Renaissance in the central panels on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. A particular piece of art showed how Adam and God became members of the same race of super beings, reflecting a mixture of Greek mythology and Christianity. The concept of combining pagan and Christianity is clearly shown in the central panel the Creation of Adam. God’s finger reaching out to Adam is transferring his godly powers to Adam .which depicts the Universal Man. Whereas Medieval art would consider placing man and God as equals to be wickedness, whereas the Renaissance ideal consider art depicting that men as gods was not evil. The Sistine Chapel showed that Michelangelo reflected the Renaissance, because he portrayed his paintings using shadows, boldness, depicting three dimensional objects. Causing the characters on the ceiling to come alive. In contrast to the Medieval age, art consisted of dull, flat without shadow or dimension. The Renaissance created an era where artists could express themselves through lively art. Art during the pre-renaissance era, the Medieval age, was greatly influenced by the Catholic Church forbidding nudity and/or equality between God and man. Michelangelo challenged the church by depicting his work in the nude, yet idolizing God. During the... ...hree dimensional, bold art that depicted man as real and as an god in his own right. . Michelangelo accomplished portraying the Renaissance era as a Greco-Roman culture of art along with the blessings of the Catholic church. The bleak formless Medieval art forms were gladly replaced by Michelangelo’s works of art. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kleiner, Tansey. Gardner’s Art Through The Ages Tenth Edition II Renaissance And Modern Art. Florida: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996 Ventura, Piero. Michelangelo’s World. Canada: Milan 1989 Cumming, Robert. Great Artists The Lives of 50 Painters Explored Through Their Work. New York : DK Publishing, 1998 Britain Express. "Medieval Architecture and Art". 30 Dec. 2002 This Website is valid because the website states : Students researching articles in our History section have asked about the credentials of David Ross for citing purposes. Credentials include: BA in English History (Memorial University, 1979) Author of "The Essntial Traveler's Companion to Medieval England" (1066 Publishing, 1996) Kren, Emil. â€Å"Creation of Adam†. 12 Jan. 2003 This Website is valid because it had its own sources which it got its information from.

Stalins Reform Of Russia :: essays research papers

Every Day Stalinism, by Sheila Fitzpatrick gives the real accounts of life under the control of Joseph Stalin. Fitzpatrick states her claim as to how Stalin remained in power for over twenty-five years by using methods of oppression and by implementing modernity. One of the main reasons that Stalin stayed in power was by implementing modernity into a society that had previously been stuck in a traditionalized environment. Fitzpatrick describes how Stalin changed peoples lives in the Soviet Union by advancing there means of production to bring them up to speed with the rest of the western world. Stalin's production of more factories led to the increase in the work force. Along with the increase in size, the work force became more diversified with the addition of women. These improvements however had some setbacks. One being problems in family life, this can be accredited to the implementation of women in the work force. Modernization made Russian women no longer subordinate to men. They were now able to obtain jobs, which made them absent from the household. This surge in the number of factories and jobs offered led to "ten million women entering the labor market."(Fitzpatrick 139) The bond between child and mother was broken as women were not raising their children and began seeing "the upbringing of children as a community rather then family responsibility." (Fitzpatrick 156) This new mentality would never have come about if women were not placed in the work force. Women went from traditionalized lifestyles to believing that "they should have careers" because raising a family was only for the "bourgeois." (Fitzpatrick 156-160) Conflicts with men arose quite rapidly as women were now not only in the work force, but being promoted as well. (Fitzpatrick 161) These conflicts could have been the cause for the divorce rate to increase during this time. The families that were in tact were forced to live in cramped quarters. Thanks to modernization these single room apartments had bathrooms and kitchens, which Stalin would argue, made "life more cheerful.

Mm Theory and Jm Theory of Capital Structure Essay

In 1958, Modigliani and Merton Miller in their classical paper â€Å"The Cost of Capital, Corporation Finance and the Theory of Investment†, talked something about capital structure as follow: Consider any company j and let Xj stand as before for the expected return on the assets owned by the company (that is, its expected profit before deduction of interest). Denote by Di the market value of the debts of the company; by Sj the market value of its common shares; and by V j = Sj + Dj the market value of all its securities or, as we shall say, the market value of the firm. Then, our Proposition I asserts that we must have in equilibrium: Vj = (Sj + Dj ) = Xj /Ï k, for any firm j in class k. That is, the market value of any firm is independent of its capital structure and is given by capitalizing its expected return at the rateÏ k appropriate to its class. This proposition can be stated in an equivalent way in terms of the firm’s â€Å"average cost of capital,† Xj / Vj, which is the ratio of its expected return to the market value of all its securities. Our proposition then is: Xj / (Sj + Di) = Xj / Vj =Ï k, for any firm j, in class k. That is, the average cost of capital, to any firm is completely independent of its capital structure and is equal to the capitalization rate of a pure equity stream of its class. This theory based on a perfect market assumption, which means: 1. No cost of capital market: no transaction costs, no government constraints can be traded freely, and capital asset can be divided. 2. Neutral personal income tax: no personal income tax or tax on dividends, dividends and capital gains are equal. 3. Fully competitive market: no matter how investors and the behavior of enterprises, enterprises can according to constant price convertible securities at any time; another enterprise cannot influence the market structure of interest rates. 4. Borrowing Equality: investors and companies can borrow, lend money and the issuance of securities. 5. The same expectation: everyone has the same expectations. 6. No information costs: enterprises and individuals can use the information is the same, but the information is no cost. No financial crisis cost: enterprises and individuals have occurred if the financial crisis or bankruptcy, no financial crisis cost (such as the liquidation expenses, enterprise restructuring charges, etc.) MM theorem laid the foundation of modern enterprise capital structure, from the enterprise operator’s target and the behavior of investors and the target and the behavior Angle, explore in certain market under the environment of the target and the behavior of the mutual conflict and consistent, is the history of the capital structure of a milestone. However, the MM theorem of perfect market hypothesis and the enterprise actual business environment difference, restricted its practical value, economists constantly relax assumptions, make it more close to reality, so as to promote the modern enter prise capital structure theory development.

Loss of Biodiversity

Meaning The definition of biodiversity encompasses the degree of variations in organisms and/ or species within an ecosystem. The loss of biodeversity would be the diminishing of dfferent species within that ecosystem. For example, a lake may be the home to many types of fish. A change in the lake's temperature or chemistry may affect a food source for a certain type of fish. This type of fish may die out and leave the lake with one less species in it. The loss of one fish or food source may impact other populations and furthe diminish species diversity. CauseInvasive Species – plants or animals which have moved to a habitat where they were not naturally found and are more successful than local species. Habitat loss – Agriculture, housing and industry are destroying the habitats of many plants, animals and microbes. Our development means we must destory or decrease the natural ecosystems. Many animals have a certain range that they must maintain in order to live. If the y do not have access to this area, their lives are significantly altered. Pollution – Our oceans, rivers, lakes and lands have become rubbish bins for society's industrial and organic waste.Plastic in our garbage causes enormous problems. It kills or injures many marine animals and birds either through accidental entanglement or ingestion of the material in the mistaken belief that the plastic is food. For example, sometimes bags are misidentified as jellyfish. Climate Change – Many plant and animal species are unlikely to survive climate change. For some species there will no longer be anywhere to live. Exploitation – We have drastically reduced some fish populations, hunted some whales to the verge of extinction and destroyed whole forests and their ecosystems.Blast fishing is another practise which reduces the coral reefs in the sea. It is practiced in many areas. This is the process whereby dynamite is placed into an area in order to catch a large quantity o f fish. Coral reefs especially are devastated by this activity. It is most prominent in undeveloped countries where this practice has existed for years. Effect The ecosystems deteriorate to an unsustainable level, at which the results would be incredibly expensive to reverse (ex. in Bangladesh and India, the over-logging of trees and forests makes floods during the monsoon seasons deadly. environmental changes – Loss of one species may cause a chain reaction, resulting in a change to the ecosystem itself. gives us less choice as humans – If certain species are lost, they are no longer available to us either as food, as enjoyment, or as resources for things we may not even know about yet. For example, if we deplete all the yellowfin tuna in the ocean, we no longer have this species available for our consumption. If we are divers or underwater explorers, we no longer can see this fish in its own environment and receive pleasure from this act.Solution Stop climate change from running out of control. In order to tackle climate change world needs international climate deal that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions on global level. Stop deforestation. Tropical rainforests are the areas of the richest biodiversity in our planet, providing living environment for millions of different species. Reduce environmental pollution. Pollution is not only happening in land but also in our oceans having very negative impact on marine biodiversity. Animals and plants can't thrive in polluted environment.Education and the Media Through educating people about the severity of this issue, there will be (hopefully) less exploitations of resources, pollution, and habitat losses. In addition, the media could be used to spread these types of thoughts and again, emphasize the importance of biodiversity, the detrimental effects it has on ecosystems, and how it impacts us. Biodiversity also needs to be more studied in order to give us the necessary knowledge needed to protect animal and plant species from going extinct.

Opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA Essay

One of the benefits of attending a vocational high school is the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA. Preparing for SkillsUSA was one of the most challenging and nerve racking experiences in my life. SkillsUSA is an organization of students and teachers working together to help its members become responsible, hard working, and dedicated young adults. At the beginning of my junior year in high school, my shop instructor approached me and told me about SkillsUSA, and also the events that pertained to information technology. It took me a few moments to realize that he was encouraging me to participate. I read through the information packet my teacher gave me and noticed that SkillsUSA was a lot bigger than I realized. SkillsUSA is not only about being skilled in the trade you are studying, it is about being an outstanding citizen, and giving back to your community in any way you can. The first thoughts that popped into my head were â€Å"Am I ready for this?† I chose to compete in the robotics and automation technology contest. I have always been interested in robots and how they work. Until then, I had no experience working with robots so I was really nervous, I did not have much confidence in myself. Not only did I have a few months to learn everything I can about robotics while keeping up with my schoolwork, and balancing my part-time job, but I also had to evaluate myself as a person. I was on the Internet and at the library every spare minute I had learning everything I could. I ordered kits off the Internet to practice working with robots so there were no surprises during the competition. It was hard work, but it paid off. Although I did not place at the competition, I did really well considering I started learning about robotics five months prior to the competition and I was competing against students who had years of experience on the robotics team at their high school. Becoming a SkillsUSA member means you must make a pledge to be prepared, to be diligent, to practice, work hard, to respect your trade, and have a good reputation with your peers, coworkers, parents, employers, and teachers. Making a pledge this important demonstrates how committed I am to become a better citizen. I made the pledge to myself, even though I did not become an official SkillsUSA member. I found I have more confidence and take pride in everything I do whether it is taking a test, completing homework, or even dealing with difficult customers at my job. Setting these standards for myself is important to me. When I look back on my accomplishments I realize that I did not have to set my mind to put forth my best effort because what I use to think of as my â€Å"best effort† is now second nature. In those five months I feel like I have grown as person more than any other period in my life.

Introduction To Enrollment System Essay

INTRODUCTION Enrollment system is one of the most important and evident, not only in a university, but also in lower levels of education. An accurate and efficient enrollment records helps to ensure a good impression of the institution on possible enrollees encouraging them to matriculate in the institution. The purpose of an enrollment process is to provide a means for staffs and the faculty to write down data that are essential to enrollment. As the enrollees increase every year, the enrollment procedures become harder and harder to deal. The amount of information that needs to be jot down also increases. This only serves to slower process and confusion among the staffs and faculty. Also, unexpected problems such as loss of information may occur. A manual process of enrollment system takes more time and effort and causes delays of transaction. The unsystematic procedure of school during enrollment is now dreaded by them. Instead student enrollees have to stand and wait of finishing it in an hour or two, sometimes students are made to come back the next day or even after a week so that they can be officially enrolled. The process would also be burden for those students and parents who would line-up for hours just to get enrolled and paid. This problem will be eliminated in this proposed system. The idea behind an enrollment system is not a new concept. As enrollees increase every year, enrollment procedures become harder to deal. This will only serve to increase the problem facing enrollment that provides more easy way in enrolling. It will help their institution to have another system that will upgrade enrollment processes so as to meet the quality that their institutions are trying to meet. Technology has been a part of our daily lives. Billions of people are using computer and we need to be aware of all the things around us to respond properly. Today, the use of technology has been an effective tool on improving such kind of enrollment system. See more: how to write an introduction Enrolment system using LAN will provide the needs in storing information in a faster, more convenient way of storing files of the enrollees in a computer system. It will lessen the effort of faculty and staff in storing files of each pupil every now and then. This will also serve as information  especially for the new enrollees, transferee, and teacher in able to get access in subject, and pupils. This information here can be viewed just a second without worrying that a single file is lost. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The burden of section states that the questions the researchers used in proposed study, the enrollment system of Lasam West,Central School Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions: 1. How is the enrollment process in the institution? 2. What are the problems encountered by the assigned staff on the current enrollment process? 3. What should be done to solve the problems encountered by the staff? 4. What is the perception of the end users of the Computerized Enrollment System in terms of: a. Usability? b. Design? c. User friendliness? d. Error handling? e. Reliability? and f. Acceptability? 5. What is the overall performance level of the system as perceived by the respondents? OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main objective of this study is to design and to develop a Computerized System for the enrollment of the pupils in the School. Specifically, it aims to: 1. Determine the procedures of enrolment process by the faculty and staff and their advisers of the School. 2. Identify the problems encountered by the teachers, advisers, and pupils in relation to the present procedures of enrollment. 3. Find out and provide solution to the problems encountered by the pupils, the teachers and advisers in relation to enrolment; 4. Determine the perception of the end users of the enrollment system in terms of its; a. Usability b. Design c. Error handling e. Reliability f. Acceptability 5. Verify the overall performance level of the system as perceived by the respondents; a. Usability b. Design c. Error handling e. Reliability f. Acceptability SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The main output of this study will be beneficial to the following stakeholders: The Institution. The Computerized Enrollment System will eventually raise the quality of services offered by the School. The Faculty and Staff. The system will lessen the repetitive, time-consuming enrollment records monitoring tasks of the faculty of the School. The system provides posting the names and level of pupils and automatically generates individual pupils information, list of subjects, classify pupils in their grade level. The Registrar. The system will ultimately lessen the burden of the registrar in issuing enrolment form for retrieving and storing data purposes.  The Advisers. Since the system provides list of pupils with deficiencies, this will help the advisers to identify pupils needing assistance and counseling. The Pupils. The development of the Computerized Enrollment System will make the enrollment process faster than the usual method of process and will consequently lessen enrollment time. The electronic database created with the system will eventually lessen the time. The Researcher. This study will enable the researcher to be more familiar in terms of the enrollment process of pupils particularly the transferees. Also, this will aid the developer to have more aptitude in computer programming and to have a supplementary enhancement in his skills in  analyzing and organizing information. The Future Researchers. The study will serve as a ready reference for other researchers who may wish to conduct a similar system. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY This study is focused on the design and development of a Computerized Enrollment System of each pupils enrolled at Lasam West Central School, Cabatacan East, Lasam Cagayan. The time they are admitted until they finished the grade school enrolled. 1. The proposed system is designed to accept personal information of the enrollee which includes ethnic affiliation and feeder school. 2. The system generates reports such as individual enrollment sheets of pupils, like distribution of pupils by address, age profile, minority group profile, gender profile, and enrollment data. 3. The system is designed in a local area network which will facilitate in providing an electronic database for the storage of enrollment obtained by pupils every year which will serve as basis for monitoring their enrollment information and classifying them into grade levels. 4. Servers will be managed by the assigned member of the faculty of each institute to the information of the enrollee. They will be the ones who will manage all the records of each student may it be a newcomers or transferees. 5. A full backup internally backs up the entire database, which includes part of the transaction log, so that the entire database will be recovered to the point in time at which the backup will be completed. It’s very important to analyze and understand the amount of free space required for full backup’s on the server. During a full backup, the backup operation basically copies only the data that is available in the database to the backup file. The free or unused space which was available in the database is completely discarded. The proposed automated enrollment system was purely for enrollment only. It doesn’t support any grading system. Each of the information is stored at the server where the proposed system will be LAN-Based. The system is not designed to generate ID because of the contract between the school and the photographer regarding the school’s ID’s. This study is limited only on the information provided by the Lasam West, Central School. DEFINITION OF TERMS Computer—it is the primary tool where the system will be installed. Network. It is a group of computers and other devices that are connected and share resources Performance. It is the capability or ability of a system to work along the developments. Security. The ability to prevent unauthorized access whether accidental or deliberate to programs or data. Server. This refers to the main terminal in a network. It handles and manages the operations in a network. Software. It refers to the program for a computer to work System. It refers to any collection of component elements for the network to perform a task Usability. This refers to one of the indicators of software performance which focuses on the functionality of the system and can be used by specific user to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. User friendliness. This refers to one of the indicators of software performance which focuses on the functionality and usability of the system. Accuracy. The provision of right or agreed results or effects Design. This refers to the process of planning and problem-solving for a software solution. Error-handling. It refers to the anticipation, detection and resolution of programming, application and communication error. Enrollment form- This is a document which lists down the required subjects of the enrollee.