Saturday, August 31, 2019

Human resource management function Essay

Human resource management function -Able to outsource production or manufacturing in other countries such as Italy, Morocco, Poland and Turkey which are able to make the shirts cheap enough and good enough. -Under a smart boss who is Passionate and skilled in his business. -Limited human capital especially operation directors so that Robert can concentrate on design. The opportunity to bring more operations director on board so that Robert can concentrate on design. -An adverse Change in the international market environment given that they are unable to manufacture cheap and good quality shirts off the road. Accounting and finance function -Very healthy financially especially due to use retained profits to expand. -Has been self-financed after the paternal startup deal. -Good enough people apart from Robert who are able to do tasks such as analytics, accounting and warehousing much better than Robert. -A paternal startup deal which had higher interest rates than local bank rates. -An extremely conservative approach to financing -Angel investors and equity financiers will be willing to invest in the business given its good financial health. -Cutthroat angel investors who has the potential to affect the growth of the business. – Issuing out part of equity will dilute control of ownership which may bring wrangles in future. Marketing function -E-commerce which is already accounting for 15% of sales. -A Loyal customer’s base that is able to market the business by word of mouth and thus no much marketing needed. -Broad patterns of up to 500 patterns -A number of details about the expansion plan still remain sketchy. -Marketing and promotion only rely with word of mouth. -A chance to build itself as a brand by diversifying into other products such as jackets, shoes, belts. -An opportunity to diversify customers seeming to be demanding diversification. -Opportunity for increased number of outlets -The opening up of an online shop which has potential for multiplying sales from the current 15%. -A longer term vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. -Limitation by design and material. A number of parts or areas of the business need more strengthening so as to accelerate the growth and expansion of the business. The area that should be given priority in terms of strengthening it is accounting and finance since it will affect the other functions. The very conservative approach of financing ought to be loosened and the cutthroat angel and equity investors avoided so as avoiding problems that may arise in the future. The human resource management function should be strengthened by encouraging more specialization within the organization such as by hiring operations directors to manage operations that other may concentrate on other tasks like design. Also trying to engage in manufacturing off the road may help to overcome eventualities such as incase of change in the international market environment. The marketing function can be strengthened by having a clear and concise expansion plan and also by getting more materials and designs to help in curbing shortage in future even after outlets have been increased. Culture is a set of shared expectations, beliefs and norms by the members of the same organization. In depth Organizational culture can be described as the ideological system that is shared by the members of the organization, this culture is transmitted through interaction and socialization in the organization and help to shape the behavior of individuals (Schwartz and Davis, 1981: p. 33). The culture in Emmett shirts is shaped by the following factors. First the sector in which the Emmett shirts business operates in greatly influences it and in this case given that the business deals with clothes and specifically shirts where they sell them on retail to the customers. The fact that they are in direct contact with their final consumer makes them to be more friendly to consumers, listening to their suggestions and demands and showing them that they care. Secondly the influence of the founder or the business leader shapes the organizational culture. Robert Emmett being the owner and boss of the organization is key into formulating ideas and ideologies that are embraced by the others in the organization. Robert refers to himself as a smart boss but also quick to note that he is not there yet, this depicts him as someone setting the precedent to work smart and still seeking to do it better and better. He is also very passionate about his business having has started it from scratch and also not to fail to mention his skills especially in design. The other people in the organization tend to benchmark themselves with the leader and thus in Emmett shirts Robert is very crucial in terms of changing the organization culture. The history and tradition of the business also shapes the culture of the organization. Emmett shirts started as a really small entity with a loan from Robert`s father and now through retained earnings it has grown to three outlets all of which are doing great. The history of the business to its current position shapes the ideas and beliefs of what the business can achieve in future. These ideas and beliefs about the business in turn affect the actions and behavior of the workers and all members at large. The organization expectations in terms the growth plan, returns expected, expectations on the workers, the objectives, long term and short term goals, mission and vision to a great extent dictates the culture of the organization. The culture of the organization should support the realization of the organization expectations. The reward system and measurement of performance of the organization also goes a long way in determining the member’s culture. Emmett`s shirts business is also dictated mostly by this factor since its culture has to support its expansion plan of establishing more outlets. The customer base combined with the broad business environment such as legislation and other aspects like competition defines the culture of the organization. A change in the business environment may necessitate a change of culture as the organization adjusts to the changed environment. Emmett shirts may have to change a few aspects so as to address customer’s demands, respond to their feedback and move along with them. The culture of the organization can also be shaped by its environment such that an environment which is competitive may call for the organization to believe in its being the best, deliver quality products and offer excellent services. A Stakeholder of any organization refers to any person or party with an interest in the organization, the interests of different groups may at times conflict. Financial stakeholders in an organization are those who have financial interests in the organization or they will be affected by the state of the organization financially. Table 1.2 showing different stakeholders and their interests. Stakeholder category. Stakeholder. Interests. Internal stakeholders Owner(s), Robert Emmett Financial return or profits and capital gain or increase in value of his investment. Management team or Employees of Emmett shirts. A sense of belonging, payment, job satisfaction, and training. External stakeholders Lender, Robert`s father. Security and interest rate Community Contribution to community. Government/Authorities Taxes and compliance. Customers Supply of properly priced quality goods and services. Plans concerning future growth of Robert`s business through consideration of a number of available business opportunities. The growth plan will affect the different groups with a financial interest in the business. Robert want to expand his business by establishing more outlets, having an online shop, increasing production and in the long term the vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. Implementing these expansion plans means more risks, increased costs and multiplied management problems. The costs will be elastic to changes in the market in which the organization is operating in and thus the cost is likely to vary with future plans. The owner(s) interest to get higher financial returns could be thwarted in the short run if the expansion plans are implemented. The cash which could have been considered as returns to the owner are used in conjunction with other resources to implement the expansion plan. The owner, Robert will have to contend with nil returns for a time as he awaits the newly established projects to break-even. Expansion also means more finances are needed in the process and Robert may be forced to surrender a good proportion of the ownership of the organization to investors who are ready to invest their money in the organization in exchange to a share of ownership. The management and employees of Emmett shirts will also encounter more management problems in the expansion process and also later as they manage the new establishment in its new environment. Some of the workers may be transferred to different locations and others assigned different and more challenging roles. The above will in turn kill the sense of belonging amongst the employees as they are shifted to different locations and probably also diminish job satisfaction. The management and workers may also have to spend cash and time training so as to be able to handle the new challenges in the organization. Lenders of the business such as Robert`s father who provided the capital for starting the business, their financial interest in the firm i.e. repayment of principal amount and interest may be adversely affected. Loans are supposed to be repaid periodically of which it may not be possible if the expansion plan is quite over-ambitious or done over-aggressively without considering the ramifications of doing that. To avoid a scenario where loan repayment plan fails it is instrumental to plan and budget wisely. Costs can be differentiated into different types and categories which require different treatment in the budget. Variable (VC) or proportional and fixed costs (FC) are the main costs incurred in any business. Although there are intermediaries between the two main costs such are: semi-variable costs, semi-fixed costs. The above classification depends purely on the cost responsiveness to changing levels of business activity. Fixed costs remain constant throughout and do not change even if the level of business activity changes, semi –fixed costs tend to change a little bit to changes in business activity. Variable or proportional costs change with a change in the level of business activity; semi-variable costs have an element of not being very much responsive to change in the level of business activity. In the expansion phase FC rarely change much but VC will change with a slight change in activity level. Table 1.3 Showing the different types of costs in Emmett shirts business and their classification. No Item(Cost) Category Description Rent Fixed costs Cost of hiring space for retailing or warehousing. Labor and wages Variable costs Payment to workers and casual laborers. Designing Variable costs This is the cost used to make designs for manufacturing. Materials Variable costs These are materials or garment used to make the shirts License Fixed costs The newly established outlets will need licenses for them to start operating. Research Variable cost This helps to determine aspects such as location and demand. Depreciation Fixed cost It is the cost of loss of value of machines Motor vehicle Variable cost It will help in transportation of materials and personnel Marketing Variable cost Promotion and advertising especially for new outlets. Consultancy costs Variable costs To help comply with regulations and requirements in the new environment Packaging materials Variable costs Management Allowances Variable costs Establishing new outlets may necessitate additional allowances. Furniture Fixed costs Such as additional tables and chairs The human resource management in the case of Emmett Shirts is wanting in terms of specialization of tasks in the organization. Those doing design should be different from those engaged in managing the operations of the business. Hiring more talented personnel such as operation directors may go a long way in enhancing efficiency and dealing with future challenges that may arise as the business grows. Under the marketing function the expansion plan should be clear and the option to take that is whether to diversify as per customer demands. E-commerce has more potential and can help much in online marketing of the shirts. (Hurley 2011 p. 16) Globalization is the integration of economies, markets, industries, cultures and policy formulation. Globalization has both positive and negative effects on the economy of each country that has embrace it. Emmett shirts to a really sensible extent can be termed as a globalised business, due to the following reasons and aspects that can be seen in it. First under globalization there are four drivers that drive globalization namely: cost driver, market driver, technology driver and competition driver. Emmett Shirts have greatly embraced technology and has plans to continue to do so. Already 15% of the organization total sales are from E-commerce and plans are underway to have a well established online shop which is the same as establishing six physical stores. Having embraced E-commerce the business can be able to sell its product to any person in any place in the world and also do its promotion, marketing and advertising online. This intense online presence will help create more awareness about the product, announce introduction of new products and outlets. It is also easier to solicit support from the existing loyal customer base and even benefit from customer referrals online. Technology level is the number one determinant of whether a business is a globalised business. In my opinion I would say that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business given that it has embraced technology in its operations and has embraced E-commerce and continues to do so. Market driver is another key driver of globalization under which companies take into consideration the various markets to invest that is giving attention to open market economics. Emmett Shirts considers as part of its long term ambition or goal to take advantage of the emerging markets in the east such as in China and others awakening giants. These markets have got high appetite and demand for British luxury products or brands. We also see the business benchmarking itself against a brand from Dunhill road which has more shops in China than in London. This action tells us more about what the business is likely to focus on in its long term plan that is establishing shops in the emerging markets in the Far East. This reason leads me to conclude that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business. In regard to whether Emmett Shirts is globalized we realize that the business outsource its production or manufacturing of shirts from other countries such as Poland, Morocco, Ital and Turkey depending on style and material. The reason doing for this is that in the country it is hard to produce cheap enough and good enough shirts. In summary this action shows us that the business has embraced cost driver as a key factor driving globalization and thus can be termed as a globalized business. There are four drivers of globalization which include: technology driver, competition driver, cost driver and market driver. Under market driver globalization is driven by a desire to expand the market base to the emerging markets which are growing in terms of population and increased consumer purchasing power in these markets. Companies consider investing or shifting their investment to open market economics. This also comes in handy with the aspect of competition amongst different countries and companies which are moving beyond their national or regional spheres to international spheres of the whole global market. Technology has been a driver of globalization in quite a number of aspects such as through E-commerce and Electronic transfer, telecommunication gadgets, platforms and software’s. Platforms such as the social media examples being face book, Twitter linked in and others, the media at large, emails, video links such as Skype have continued to accelerate communication and sharing of key information. In business spheres outsourcing some business tasks have been made possible. Government driver or change of policy framework in different countries and formation of trading blocks. Trade and non trade tariffs and shift in open market system. Formulation of G.A.T.T. (General Agreement of Tariff and Trade). Countries which are willing enter into agreements to carry free trade around the world. The tariffs were initially to protect the local infant industries I a country but the realization that countries have to work together for them to achieve economic development continues to propel countries to loosen their trade tariffs. According to my own analysis technology is the strongest driver of globalization of all the others. This is so because at a click of a button one can buy or sell any product or service while in any part of the world. Technology has turned the world into a global village and communication is made with ease amongst people who are very far from each other as if they were just next to each other. Telecommunication devices such as tablets, smart phones and computers at large have interlinked every corner of the world through the World Wide Web. Reference Hurley, J. (2011) ‘Emmett’s Luxury Shirts: Deciding whether to specialise or diversify a luxury brand’, The Daily Telegraph (London), 19 July. Source document

Friday, August 30, 2019

Perception Towards Successful Brand Essay

Rev. of â€Å"Building Brands Without Mass Media.† Joachimsthaler, Erich, and David A. Aaker. Harvard Business Review 3 March 2009: 4-6. Print. In this article, the authors emphasize that a company must have a clear brand identity with depth and texture so it will not convey confuse messages to customers. Also, they provide some marketing strategies for the brands to set up a clear and effective brand identity. Besides, they illustrate six companies that have a strong and clear brand identity in which The Body Shop and Haggen-Dazs are examined in detail. Apart from these, they use various examples to demonstrate the operations of The Body Shop and Haggen-Dazs. Last but not least, they have compared The Body Shop and Haggen-Dazs with their competitors. Lastly, they discuss the advertising methods of Haggen-Dazs in which they think the Farggi strategy that can confuse the customers the most. (Melanie) Hartman, Cathy L., and Caryn L. Beck-Dudley. â€Å"Marketing Strategies and the Search for Virtue: A Case Analysis of The Body Shop, International.† Journal of Business Ethics 20.3 (1999): 253-257. Print. In this journal, the authors use some historical examples to discuss three organizational virtues—excellence, integrity and judgment in which they think that the virtues are now defined and extended to community, membership and holism. Most importantly, they believe that the virtues are now widely applied in the companies. However, they agree with the researchers that it is difficult to theorize the concept of community. Besides, they use the founder of The Body Shop—Anita Roddick as the main example to illustrate the virtues can be utilized in a big company in multifarious aspects. (Melanie) Salver, Jessica. Brand Management in the Hotel Industry and its Potential for Achieving Customer Loyalty. Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Print. In this book, the author mainly discusses some product requirements for a brand to become successful. Although it is not her intention to suggest that a brand will not become successful without the listed requirements, she examines numerous factors that can build up a successful brand in detail, such as high and differentiated demand for product class, the product is easy to identify and product quality is easy to maintain. Also, she has used The Body Shop and McDonald as the examples to explain her factors in detail. Besides, she believes that if the brand offers a reasonable price for the customers, they will certainly buy the products. Rev. of Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service. Moon, Youngme, and John Quelch. Harvard Business Review 10 July 2006: 3-4. Print. In this book, the authors have used Starbucks as an example to evaluate the value proposition and they use â€Å"live coffee† to describe the national coffee culture of it. Also, they use three components to illustrate the branding strategy of it. For example, it imports the best coffee beans from the world, develops a close intimacy with the customer and creates a good atmosphere. Besides, they discuss the locations of the Starbucks in which they are usually located in high-traffic and high-visibility places, such as commercial centers and universities. In addition, they investigate different products and the welfares of the employees in the Starbucks. Adubato, Steve. You Are the Brand. Canada: Rutgers University Press, 2011. Print. In this book, the author uses his personal experience to show Starbucks is not an accidental brand and it does not really keep a connection with customers. However, he agrees that Starbucks has built on â€Å"comfortable† and â€Å"familiar† for him in the end of the chapter. Besides, he believes Starbucks’ reputations are built on the word of mouth from the customers and excellent services from the employees. In addition, he has cited the book from the original chairman and CEO of Starbucks to demonstrate the objectives of the company and the reasons that it starts to lose customers. Lastly, although he laments the Starbucks has become more commercial, he still enjoys his leisure time in it.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Ben and Biff’s

In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the character Biff is the son of Willy Loman, the protagonist. The character Ben is Willy’s brother. They are very different but they share some similarities. Biff is real, in the sense that he appears in the play in the present, while Ben is a hallucination and a product of Willy’s delusions, appearing in an alternate time-line. Biff is Willy’s hope for the future and a symbol of his own lost hopes and dreams. Ben is a paragon of success and a standard for which Willy strives.Barron’s Booknotes says of Ben, â€Å"From the moment we see Ben he turns out to be a highly idealized figure, for Willy’s memory turns him into a god,† (Miller, Williams, Paul 1984 p 21). Both characters further the plot but Ben is more purely a rhetorical device that helps to drive the play by allowing the audience a glimpse inside the mind of Willy Loman in a way that would be difficult otherwise. Both Biff and Ben are adept at taking Willy’s mind off his own problems.He goes into a sort of hallucinatory trance and speaks to both characters when he is troubled. Sometimes these conversations are rehashes of conversations past and sometimes they are conversations carried on as Willy wishes they had been. Willy remembers conversations with his brother that never happened. He believes that his brother is the success that he is not and the success that he wants his son to be so he wants Ben to explain the secrets of making a fortune.Both Ben and Biff are amoral and have virtually no social values. Biff is willing to steal and goes out of his way to take a pen as a sort of trophy to show he is superior to someone to whom he actually is subservient. Ben knocks down his nephew Biff in a fight and then tells him that is ok to cheat and do anything necessary to win against a stranger. â€Å"Ben, patting Biff’s knee: Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You’ll never get out of th e jungle that way,† (Act I p 49).Biff’s mother does not like this advice but Biff obviously believes that it is a good motto to live by. His father, Willy, then instructs him to steal material from a construction site. Biff and Ben both seem to think that the end justifies whatever means is used to achieve their goals. Ben shows that he is proud of Biff for being a thief. He praises Biff for having the courage to steal from the construction site, showing he is not afraid. Biff comes to realize his father is a failure at life and his idea of how to achieve dreams is not logical.Biff is more like his Uncle Ben, who treats him as the person he really is and not like the image that he wants to create, as his father does, living on imagined past glory. The characters of Biff and Ben are used by Miller to allow Willy to vent his rage and frustration. They both give Willy Loman an opportunity to address the audience. It shows he is losing his grasp of reality, of course, but m ore so, it gives Miller the opportunity to advance the themes of the play in a direct way. He is not ‘dime-a-dozen’, he is Willy Loman, Miller has him say.Ben and Biff both say things to Willy that makes Linda, his wife, try to protect him. â€Å"Linda, frightened of Ben and angry at him: Don’ t say those things to him. (He is doing) well enough to be happy right here. Right now,† (Act II p 8). They say things that she doesn’t want Willy to have to deal with. Both Ben and Biff are characters that have a close relationship with Willy even though Willy doesn’t really know either of them. He is lost in his own world. Ben is more the realist than is Willy. He is a man who does not live in the past.He grabs what he wants and makes it his own. Biff at last loses his rose-colored glasses and accepts his uncle’s view of the life. He sees that he is more like his uncle than he realized and that he is nothing like his father. He at last understa nds that his father is a loser and a tragedy. References Miller, A. , Weales, G. Death of a Salesman New York: Penguin Group 1977 Miller, A. , Williams, L. and Paul, K. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (Barron’s Booknotes) Hauppauge, N. Y. : Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. Copyright 1984

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Everyday Violence In Britain Between 1850 And 1950 Research Paper

Everyday Violence In Britain Between 1850 And 1950 - Research Paper Example Taking into consideration a period of 100 years observing and analyzing social patterns associated with violence in everyday Britain between 1850 and 1900, this research proposal aims at propositioning a research to the investigation. It is logical to argue that crime does not change over time.   The research, titled ‘Everyday Violence in Britain between 1850 and 1950’ aims at analyzing the role of society members such as men, women, children, families, as well as family friends in the instigation of violence in Britain between 1850 and 1950 (D’Cruze, & Crewe, 2014; Rowbotham, 2005).   The research is backed up by historical accounts in secondary sources such as journal articles as well as published books.   The choice of the topic considers a book of the same name as the topic in which the authors, Crewe and D’Cruze (2014) show how men and women equally contributed to violence with special features of feuds leading to escalated acts of violence.  T he research question for this study is â€Å"Is Britain’s 1850-1950’s Everyday Violence an Indication of Early British Acts of Crime? The research question is merited by the fact that violence in Britain did not always start as an attack but at times it started as acts of self-defense among other incidents (Frost, 2008).   However, based on the escalation-scale of recorded accounts, the research question helps in determining where the Briton drew the moral line to render violent attacks acts of crime or not.

Global economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global economy - Essay Example These opportunities are found in major developing countries like India and China, where a large population results in excess of labor demand over supply; leading to comparatively cheap skilled and unskilled labor being available (Dominguez, pp. 5, 2005). At a superficial glance, when a multinational invests in a country overseas, the partnership seems beneficial. Both the parties seem to profit. The multinational company finds a new domain to practice business on, while the country involved benefits due to the creation of jobs in its economy as well as the expansion in the consumer market due to the addition of the MNC’s product. There is however, a more deep-rooted impact of this operation, which implies increased benefit for the MNC and less benefit for the developing country. The nation state, which allows the multinational to operate within its borders, seldom sees the profit from the company’s operations (Chen, pp. 136, 2003). Multinational company, upon earning th is profit, will whisk the profit out of the country to its own origin and home. Resultantly, even when million-dollar companies enter a developing country’s market, the million-dollar profit is not beneficial to the country itself in any way. If evaluated by the subjective eye, the situation can appear as if the MNC exploits the hosting country for its cheap labor and consumer market, while paying back only the bare minimum in the form of wages, while earning a massive profit as well as a beneficial expansion in operations. The operations of a multinational consist of combining the expertise (especially new technology) and the stock capital of the multinational with any opportunities the MNC may find in other countries in the form of cheap labor and other resources, leading to an increased output (Toyne, pp. 42, 2009). The result is often a substantial profit that the investors in the multinational divide amongst themselves and take home. While arguments both favor and oppose this distribution to solely the owners, the unbiased spectator has to admit that there is no legal ground upon which one can object to this distribution. The question that follows is that is there no way out of this redundant cycle for the developing countries? Will they continue to serve the multinationals with their cheap labor without ever seeing a reasonable share of the end profit? To answer this question, one has to evaluate the situation objectively. Since only the investors of a business are entitled to profits, the only way a nation state can fairly demand a share of the profit is by being one of the risk takers of the business. Investors in the MNC who belong to the hosting country share the profit of the company, and it is their decision whether to keep their share within the country, or to send it elsewhere (Nagle, pp. 104, 1998). If the nation state makes investment attractive for these stakeholders, they are tempted to keep the profits within the country to invest. Th is is often not the case in developing countries, where the government policies underestimate the importance of investment. In a country where the government policies promote investment using fiscal and monetary rewards, the country’s economy gains much more benefit through the operations of multinationals. Not only does investment from several sources increase, MNC operations in the country have a two-fold favorable impact

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Leading and Managing in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Leading and Managing in Organisations - Essay Example Moreover, they also point out that interpersonal relationships are formed and reinforced on the basis of trust, openness and support. Communication is regarded as effective when the intended information is delivered in the right manner to the right person/people and in the right time. This process involves various elements such as the people involved in communication, i.e., communicator and the recipient, context/situation, method, and skills. More often, these elements vary with the situation/context. Skills required for communication include speaking, listening, writing, reading, and expressing (Adair, 2011). Effective communication ensures that information being shared is accurate, which is a very important requirement in building strong interpersonal relationship. ... scribes interpersonal communication as everyday encounters, and that interpersonal communication has a significant role in creating, maintaining and/or affecting personal, social and professional relationships. Since communication is the medium of expressing oneself and to know others besides transferring information, its impact penetrates or intersects all activities concerned with human behaviour. Keeping in mind such a significant impact of communication, Whetten and Cameron’s (2011) assertion of supportive communication with honesty and accuracy stands true and also seems important in difficult situations. The need for supportive communication is felt greater when the information to be delivered might not be in favour of the recipients but the intention of communication would be to improve the relationship, status, and/or situation; this process of communication would require specific approach and skills in order to achieve the purpose of communication. Examples of situati ons that necessitate supportive communication include providing negative feedback, handle conflicting views and resistance, problem-solving etc. The ultimate goal of supportive communication is to reinforce interpersonal relationship among two or more people by building trust and understanding while solving the issue/challenge through approaches that would not offend any person involved in the communication process. 2. There are eight principles to supportive communication. Four of the eight principles are: Congruence not Incongruence, Descriptive not Evaluative, Problem not Person Oriented and Specific not Global. Explain the meaning of the concepts and using ideas from your own experience give examples of their meaning. Whetten and Cameron (2011, p.265) have identified eight attributes of

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Natural Law of Human Nature and the Development of a Moral Research Paper

The Natural Law of Human Nature and the Development of a Moral Character - Research Paper Example For a speaker to share their thoughts clearly they must have a good command of the language. The correct language to use differs depending on the thought, the listeners, and the surrounding. Choosing words correctly is an important aspect of language, and it helps convert thoughts into an understandable message. Therefore, language and thoughts are closely related and highly integrated for there to meaningful communication. Critical thinking refers to a careful exploration of the thinking process to create a better understanding and induce intelligent decision-making (Chaffee 51). For one to be a critical thinker there must have certain qualities such as insightfulness, creativity, passion, open-mindedness and high mental activity. Critical thinking is influenced by various surrounding and personal aspects of a person. The experiences that one has gone through can make them a better critical thinker or can destroy their ability to think critically. Similarly, the emotions of a person have the capacity to influence their ability to think critically. A child that has grown through traumatizing experiences cannot be compared to a child who has never been traumatized in their life when both of them are exposed to traumatic experiences. A child used to traumatic situations will be able to reason out well when such a situation arises. Therefore, personal history is highly influential to one’s ability to think critically. Personal history can influence critical thinking positively and negatively. A child who has previously failed in exams after studying hard may have the wrong perception about working hard.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Community Health & Social Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Community Health & Social Care - Essay Example On the other hand, 15.1% of children in Scotland were obese, and 31.1% were overweight in the year 2008 (Acton 2011, p. 7). In 2007/2008, it is estimated that persons affected by obesity in Scotland consumed a national budget of more than 457 Euros. As a result of the increasing incidences of obesity and overweight cases, the cost is predicted to increase further to an estimate of 0.9-3 billion Euros by 2030. These statistics provided fact based evidence to the Scottish government prompting it to declare obesity an epidemic. Following this declaration, a lot has been done by the Scottish government and stakeholders in the health sector to combat the obesity epidemic. Government and local authority initiatives include the establishment of key policies and guidelines focusing on creating a population made of persons with normal BMI (Donnelley 2010, p. 5). In any country, a healthy population is vital for the purpose of attaining a flourishing economy. Countries with large populations o f people suffering from chronic medical conditions are likely to have a slow economic growth. The Scottish government has pointed out that obesity and overweight pose a real risk to the wellbeing of its population and the entire economy. Therefore, attainment of a sustainable economy in Scotland faces serious challenges in the future due to the rising incidences of obesity (Noya & Clarence 2009, p. 47). ... Obesity reduces the quality of a person’s life and makes a person vulnerable to a lot of serious medical complications. Persons suffering from obesity are highly vulnerable to medical complications such as osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases and certain cancers. With such medical complications within a society, health facilities experience a serious strain as well as high mortality rates (Andersen 2003, p. 18). The World Health Organisation points out that the number of people who are obese is higher than the number of overweight people across the world. Drastic change in lifestyle is the main contributing factor to this phenomenon, where many people have tuned to sedentary lifestyles. This lifestyle does not demand a lot physically. In today’s modern world, majority of people are using personal cars, washing machines, lifts and computers, making them less physically active most of the time. Leisure times such as watching TV while eating foods that have high calorie levels increases further a person’s risk of being obese (Ostman & Britton 2008, p. 71). The environment we are living in is playing a key role in encouraging people to eat more and do less exercise. Therefore, the global obesity epidemic is influenced by environmental or social factors. Examples of such environments prevail when food manufacturers encourage people to take energy dense drinks and snacks through advertisements on TVs. The two main ways through which the occurrence of obesity can be reduced are through improving diet and engaging in a lot of physical activities. In Scotland, similar issues are evident as the main causes of the obesity epidemic in the country (Gard 2010, p. 37).

Saturday, August 24, 2019

How military was the medieval castle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How military was the medieval castle - Essay Example However, its main purpose was to house the private residence of its owner, family and dependents. The first castles were built around 1066 and were a product of medieval history during the Age of Feudalism. Feudalism refers to the military society that was created in Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries AD. The structure of feudalism resembled a pyramid. At the top was the king, who owned all the land in his kingdom. Immediately below the king was a group of major landholders that held their land directly from him, his tenants-in-chief.1 These were the lords and magnates of the kingdom. They swore to give the king military service in return for their land. They would fight for the king when and where he chose. The tenants-in-chief rented the land to their tenants, the barons and lords. This process repeated itself all the way down the pyramid to the knights, who were the local lords of the manor. The amount of land held was directly related to the amount of military service he co uld give the king. The first castles, called motte and bailey castles, were built of wood in the 10th and 11th centuries. They consisted of an enclosed yard called a â€Å"bailey.† Right next to that was a man made mound of dirt called a â€Å"motte.† A ditch protected the bailey and a wooden fence called a palisade.2 The palisade contained stables, workshops, and sometimes even a chapel. This was connected to the motte by a bridge. The motte was a 15 to 30 foot high structure and the main tower was built on top of it. The tower was the residence of the lord’s family, and served as a strong hold and lookout during an attack. Some early Norman castles had never been motte-and-baileys but were formidable stone castles from the start. The Tower of London and Colchester Castle are early examples, dating from the 1070s, which were conceived as defensive palaces. The Crown and the greater barons spent an enormous amount of money on castles during the third quarter of the 12th century.3 As well as being a defensive structure, castles were also offensive tools, which could be used as a base for military operations in enemy territory. Norman invaders of England established Castles for both purposes. Toward the end of the Middle Ages castles tended to lose their military significance due to modern innovations in medieval warfare. A castle could be seen as a stronghold and prison but it was also a place where the knights and lords could entertain their peers. The castles began to be designed to reflect the prestige and power of its occupants. Comfortable homes were established within the fortified walls. As time went on, castles were replaced with country houses as high status residences. However, castles were still used to provide low level protection in later periods. The first castles were constructed of timber and wood but they were very susceptible to fire, which came as a disadvantage when attacked. The main defense of a castle was its numerous walls. The walls were usually thick stone and very tall, depending on who and how it was built. The towers were built with slits so that archers could easily shoot arrows at the enemy. From the towers and alleys archers became the main defenders of the castles. Later on fire weapons were the most effective forms of castle defense. The height benefit and battlements allowed archers to fire up to 12 arrows per minute, and then take cover while the enemy fired back. Many castles also had other counter-offensive weapons such as

Friday, August 23, 2019

Final Organization plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Final Organization plan - Research Paper Example Through public reporting and clinical informatics, this goal of educating those who are directly and indirectly involved with the system would be realized. The hospital believes that according to the design and goals of the plan, public reporting would be the best way to jump start education for those who are concerned and the patients in the VA medical center. The hospital is well aware that their primary clients are veterans who were in the national service for many years and sensitive to many aspects, and thus, educating both the medical team and the patients concerned would be the mildest yet most effective way of administering the quality improvement plan. Clinical informatics would help the hospital with a more thorough and organized distribution of information with the help of information technology. This way, the target of educating the hospital team about patient falls would be strategic and sound. The combination of information technology and clinical experiences broadens t he opportunities for healthcare education. The institution believes that in order to reduce the patient fall rates, it is necessary to start with awareness of the said situation, and only then can there be action towards it. Summary The G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center is a hospital honoring the American veterans. The institution’s respect towards them is insurmountable, and thus, they are faithful to their mission of providing the best quality of health care to them, as willingly as they fought for the nation in younger years. As part of the nationwide Veteran’s Administration hospitals, the center ensures that quality healthcare is within reach for every American veteran. In carrying out their vision-mission statements, the hospital has quality services offered whether it is not in-patient care or out-patient care. Major medical services would include â€Å"primary, second and tertiary medical, neurological and mental health inpatient care† (â€Å"U. S. Department,† 2010). As observed, the hospital sees the necessity of caring for their patients holistically. This VA hospital is currently having 163 active hospitals affiliated with various medical colleges and universities, with facilities including â€Å"a 120-bed nursing home care unit, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, nursing homes and four 150-bed state veterans’ nursing homes† (â€Å"U.S. Department,† 2010). In line with the core values of compassion, commitment, excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and stewardship, this plan would follow a goal and an objective of patient-centered service, making the health care more accessible to all American Veterans. The pride of caring for the nation’s heroes is the inspiration of the hospital to do the best it could in providing efficient health care service. This plan targets seven issues surrounding patient fall rates; these are quality services, assurance of safety, accurate m edical delivery, knowledgeable line of staff, decrease of infection rate, increase of patient recovery, and continuous medical service for outpatients. As observed, the plan’s primary objective is to ensure that patients are far from a possible patient fall. The secondary objective is more concerned about facility and care accessibility. Although the two objectives are of different areas, its collaboration would mean the success of the plan.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Relationships in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre Essay Example for Free

Relationships in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre Essay ‘To what extent is Jane Eyre influenced by relationships in chapters 1-10 in the novel?’ Relationships are a key theme in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Throughout the novel we see the rise and fall of Jane, all most importantly due to relationships. This starts primarily with her lack of relationship with her parents, as she was orphaned when she was very young, she has no idea what it is like to love or to be loved and we see her strive to find out these feelings throughout the novel, until finally she achieves it, but the journey towards this is deeply important. In chapters one and two we see the basis of Jane’s view of relationships through her connection with the Reed’s. Firstly Mrs Reed does her upmost to make sure Jane is excluded from her and her ‘contented, happy, little children’ we as readers see this as a cruel act from Mrs Reed, she does not care that Jane is deeply unhappy because Jane is not one of her children, therefore she does not see it as her duty to care for her emotionally and thinks by punishing her and excluding her from the family that this will teach Jane to be a ‘contented child’ however we as readers see that this causes Jane to be deeply troubled within herself. This leads to Jane not only resenting Mrs Reed but also her children as they have been taught that Jane is a ‘dependant’ especially John who ultimately sees himself as above Jane in every aspect of life, he believes that Jane is just scavenging off them and this causes him to act in a horrific and bullying manor towards Jane. This causes Jane to act in a way she ordinarily would not, she even says herself that it causes ‘sensations for the time predominated over fear’ she feels so angry and let down that she finally stands up for herself. Therefore this influences Jane in a way that she feels like nobody will ever truly love her and she feels very much an outcast, this causes Jane to act in a way that even she herself expresses that she does not want to, she is cold and unloving and strives desperately to be appreciated but of course, this all happens in vain. We also see Jane to act very irrationally towards Mrs Reed, she deeply wants her to love her, yet w hen it comes down to it and she realises Mrs Reed never will she has an explosion of anger and tells Mrs Reed all the things that have been stewing up in her mind for so long; ‘I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to visit you when I am grown up; and if anyone asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick. . . .† this we  see as Jane being bitter towards Mrs Reed which we learn in later chapters as a very uncharacteristic feature of Jane Eyre, she is usually forgiving. The relationship between Jane and the nursery maid; Bessie is an important one, in the first few chapters we see Bessie as being somewhat cruel and dismissive of Jane compared to the other Reed children, she does not feel a connection towards Jane as she is not as pretty or funny as the other children therefore Bessie does not see her appeal. However after the event in the red room we see a change with Bessie’s attitude towards Jane, she turns somewhat softer as we see her feel sorry for Jane and how hard Mrs Reed is on her. This is an extremely important turning point in the novel as we see Jane in the chapters leading up to this as very self involved and saddened as she has no one to love, yet as soon as Bessie softens to Jane and tells her that she can sympathise with the position she’s been put in she tells Jane ‘I don’t dislike you, Miss; I believe I am fonder of you than of all the others.’ This affects Jane greatly and we see a completely different little girl, she seems to talk which much more glee and excitement and even for her ‘life had its gleams of sunshine’. So we see how much relationships influence Jane and her attitudes in the novel, relationships affect Jane and how her personality is. In chapter five Jane meets Helen Burns, Helen is also an orphan and see’s the school as somewhat of a sanctuary even though she is constantly picked upon by the teacher. Helen is Jane’s first friend but more importantly she becomes Jane’s best friend and we see as the relationship grows that Helen deeply influences Jane, she teaches her to be less excitable and too see the best in others, a quality that Jane desperately needs after her experience with the Reed’s. She teaches Jane to be self sacrificing when she tells her ‘it is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you’. Helen believes that you should suffer pain yourself than have others see and feel an action that you may regret when you have calmed down. Jane learns from this and this causes Jane to be a character who thinks beyond this life and onto the next with God. We see Jane finds this as a great comfort and now instead of looking onto God as something to be feared, she looks at him as somewhat of a comfort, especially after Helen dies of typhoid. Helen believes that after she dies she is going to be with her family and loved  ones and most importantly with God, therefore she does not fear death and although Jane is deeply distraught by the death of the only friend she’s ever had in the world, the fact that she will, if she lives correctly see her again is a great comfort. This shows the importance of friendship throughout the novel and how with Jane having the comfort of a friend she can be the person that she has always wanted to be, thanks to Helen Jane finds herself acting more appropriately and being able to handle her anger. Therefore this relationship has greatly affected Jane as she strives to be more like Helen. Relationships are of key importance to Bronte writing about Jane Eyre, it is how she expresses her feelings of how relationships have perhaps affected her and it shows how deeply the lack of love can affect someone. This novel is primarily about love, whether it being a lack of love or so much love that it turns into passion, Jane strives to feel this emotion and closeness with anyone who will allow her to be their friend. Therefore relationships are a key influence to Jane Eyre, they affect how she acts and how she feels and without them, as we learn in the first few chapters, life can be a very lonely existence.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Cross-cultural Training for Expatriate Managers Essay Example for Free

Cross-cultural Training for Expatriate Managers Essay The emergence theories of charismatic and transformational leadership have formed our understanding of these topics in the past decade. While the terms charisma and transformational leadership have often been interchanged, Bass (1990) clarifies that charisma forms a part of transformational leadership. Within Bass’s approach, transformational leadership includes charisma (providing a vision and a sense of mission and raising follower’s self-expectations), intellectual stimulations (assisting employees emphasize rational solutions and challenge old assumptions), and individualized consideration (developing employees and coaching). Furthermore, Bass (1990) emphasized that transformational leadership also goes beyond transactional leadership (or contingent reward such as the exchange of rewards for efforts) in elevating leaders and helping followers achieve higher levels of organizational functioning. Hence with an increased level of interest in conceptual framework of transformational leadership, several studies have documented the benefits and importance of changing leadership styles. Koh et al. (1995) study show that there is a significant correlation between transformational leadership facets and organizational functioning. In fact, the study shows that subordinates’ satisfaction with their supervisors is associated with the extent which supervisors manifest transformational leadership. In addition, several researches suggest the importance of transformational leadership as a precursor to some aspects of financial performance (Howell and Frost 1989, Howell and Avolio 1993). Ultimately, the significance of transformational leadership in an organization cannot be adequately understood without comprehending how changing leadership styles is both possible and likely to result in changes in subordinates’ perceptions, attitudes, or performance. Barling et al.’s (1996) research suggests that an effective training program on developing transformational leadership at different organizational levels can increase an employee’s morale, commitment, and overall performance. Barling et al.’s (1996) study also extends prior researches (Kirkpatrick and Locke 1996, Howell and Frost 1989) suggesting that there is strong positive correlation between transformational leadership, commitment, and financial performance. In line with this, the case of United Motors Company (UMC) suggests developing the company culture to better respond to the market needs. As such, one of the goals of H. Arthur Grommet was to develop and to hone leadership skills at different managerial levels. Because Mr. Grommet had inherited the most conservative and bureaucratic management in the industry, he organized a management traineeship program wherein management trainees were recruited from top business schools in the US, and selection from internal management to participate in the training program was also done. The program, â€Å"LeaderMex† was then developed with the mission to identify, train, and monitor UMC’s managers who have strong performance records and the desire to work for their new subsidiary in Mexico. The high-profile program indicates that participants will assume positions with high responsibility and is a â€Å"fast-track† program in identifying potential leaders within the company. Individuals who qualify for the program are expatriated to Mexico and undergo rotations within at least two corporate divisions from three to five years. After which, the employees are promoted to higher positions after two years upon return to the US. While the LeaderMex program is aimed at identifying internal leaders within the company, Human Resources has noted numerous problems that have faced by expatriate managers. At the start, there was no human relations program in place. Managers undergo a three day seminar on labor law and complete a language course before going to Mexico. However, as human relations realize that language alone is not a barrier, the organization recognized the need for a specific training on cultural awareness and the effect of cultural differences on employee attitudes and performance. In response to the problems, a â€Å"cultural awareness† training program has been developed for managers prior to their relocation and assignment to Mexico. A series of trainings were developed for managers to understand how to work in different cultural environment and in how to handle human relations problems that may arise in the course of operations in Mexico. Top management has recommended the following goals for the training program design: (1) introducing managers to the cultural differences between the United States and Mexico, (2) presenting some typical problems American managers face in that company as well as solutions to the problems, and (3) reducing the amount of time needed to adapt to managing in Mexico. Top management has assigned the Human Resources staff members, and possibly using the services of external consultant, in conducting the training program. The value of the â€Å"cultural awareness† program in this case cannot be overemphasized. UMC’s move to set-up a subsidiary in Mexico only presents the increased internationalization and interpersonal cross-cultural contact within the company. In an effort to regain competitiveness in the global automotive industry, the need for UMC to develop the requisite skills in its employees to work within diverse cultures has become an important component in its strategy. Moreover, as UMC has created the LeaderMex program to expatriate leaders in order to build and integrate the technology and culture of the new subsidiary, UMC must provide support functions for expatriate leaders in the new subsidiary. As such, a number of studies advocate cross-cultural training as a means of facilitating the expatriate’s ability to adjust to the new environment (Brislin 1981; Landis and Brislin 1983; Mendenhall and Oddou 1986; Tung, 1987). The need for the support structures in training for the expatriate program can be seen in the cost of an expatriate assignment. According to the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) survey in 2002, a three year expatriate assignment for an employee with a $75,000 to $100,000 base salary costs an employer $1 million total. Moreover, the cost of a poor staffing decision could range from $200,000 to $1.2 million (the figure only includes identifiable costs associated with compensation, training, development, etc.), and the rate of expatriate failures[1] ranges from 10% to 45%. The cost of an expatriate assignment, therefore, demonstrates how measurement and evaluation of the assignments are crucial for companies. Ultimately, the lack of necessary preparation, HR assistance and appropriate support for repatriation is the culprit for expatriates’ failure. In fact, the lack of understanding on the different dimensions of national culture in Mexico can lead to expatriates failures. Hostede (1993) identified the five dimensions of national culture as follows: (1) individualism-collectivism[2], (2) uncertainty avoidance[3], (3) masculinity-feminity[4], (4) power distance[5], and (5) time orientation[6]. Awareness of these dimensions will help develop cross-cultural preparation programs that include meaningful information regarding the culture the expatriates will find themselves working in. In addition, Minehan (2004) suggests that US expatriates in Mexico should understand cultural dimensions in four aspects. First, American assignees need a real understanding of the relationship between the two nations, Mexico and the U.S. In most cases Mexican colleagues will have a lot more knowledge of the U.S. than vice versa. Second, Americans are perceived to be arrogant and inflexible. For Mexicans, relationships are paramount. People in Mexico obey people, not rules. In the US, people obey rules, not people. Third, language proficiency may not necessarily be a requirement in conducting business; nevertheless, proficiency in Spanish can help assignees forge and develop interpersonal relationships. Speaking the language goes a long way in helping the expatriate gain respect among colleagues. Fourth, crime rates is a serious issue in Mexico, and expatriates must be willing to adapt to whatever security measures are required to keep them safe. Understanding these key aspects of Mexico’s culture and history can go a long way in establishing good working relationships in the new environment. While the content of the training program should highlight and assess the US expatriates understanding of Mexican culture and history, the training program should undergo different phases in the process. Noe (2002) suggest that the training program should have three phases: Phase 1 involves the pre-departure training, Phase 2 involves the on-site training, and Phase 3 is on the repatriation training. The pre-departure training should involve employees learning the language and an orientation in the new country’s culture and customs. Noe (2002) suggest that the type of training most suitable would be language training, cultural awareness and sensitivity training, and daily living training. Language training can be conducted in a classroom type setting, videos, or an interactive learning through conversations. Cultural awareness and sensitivity training aims to familiarize expatriates with cultural attitudes, communication styles, and cultural assumptions of the community. It also introduces the expatriates on the core cultural values, bias, and stereotypes that visitors need to be aware of. Daily living training includes providing expatriates with information about schools, housing, recreation and sports, shopping, transportation, utilities, banking, and health care facilities in the country. The on-site training involves continued orientation to the host country and its customs and cultures through formal programs or through a mentoring relationship. The type of training suggested by the Bureau of National Affairs’ Human Resources Library includes continued language training, orientation, and mentoring. It is advisable that every employee sent overseas for training has a person who is responsible for well-being and is two levels above them in the corporation. That person is tasked with ensuring that the offshore employee is kept in the loop and comes home periodically for meetings or just to hang out. In addition, the continued orientation to the host country through a mentor both for the expatriate and his/her family is a must during the adjustment process. It is important to maintain an active communication and provide company newsletters to expatriates as well. The repatriation prepares employees for return to the home country. It aims to reduce stress level and anxiety when they return. It is important to continue mentoring in the process and to organize career planning discussions with the expatriate. Repatriation phase is important and valuable to the company as expatriates have been equip with a good understanding of the global marketplace having been immersed in the different market. Expatriates also bring a global vision to day-to-day company practices. More importantly, they can be crucial members of international task forces and if left â€Å"un-valued†, they can become significant assets to competitors. The three phases are important in the overall training-program design and maximizing the return on investment of training-program. Nonetheless, it is important to note that while the LeaderMex program goal is to improve its market position by integrating the new subsidiary to UMC’s, the key of ensuring a sound global business is building a solid infrastructure with local talent. In the end, outstanding global organizations will hire the outstanding local people in every business around the world. LeaderMex will ultimately play an important role in the initial stages of building a company in a foreign location, but in the long run, a qualified, well-trained group of local managers will be the key factor to success. And, the reason for the development local managers can be because of the high costs associated with sending parent country nationals to foreign country with a high failure rate. Other benefits of developing local talents include local manager’s knowledge of the local market and business practices, cultural preferences, and local connections (Hsieh and Lavoie 1999). References Barling, J, Weber, T, and Kelloway K. (1996). Effects of Transformational Leadership Training on Attitudinal and Financial Outcomes: a Field Experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology 81 (6): 827-832. Bass, BM (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3): 19-36. Bass, BM and Avolio, BJ (1990). Transformational leadership development: Manual for the multifactor leadership questionnaire. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. The Bureau of National Affairs’Human Resources Library. (2000). Preparing Expatriates for Global Assignments. Corporate Leadership Council (1999). Effective Repatriation Strategies. Corporate Leadership Council (2001). Cultural Training for Expatriates. Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural Constraints in Management Theories. Academy of Management Executive, 7, 81-94. Howell, JM and Frost PJ (1989). A laboratory study or charismatic leadership. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 43: 243-269. Hsieh, T. and Lavoie, J. (1999). Think global, hire local. McKinsey Quarterly. Joinson, C. (2002). Save thousands for expatriate. 47, 7. Kirkpatrick, SA, and Locke EA (1996). Direct and indirect effects of three core charismatic leadership components on performance and attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology 81:36-51. Koh, WL, Steers, RM, and Terborg JR (1995). The effects of transformational leadership on teacher attitudes and student performance in Singapore. Journal of Organizational Behavior 16: 319-333. Mercer, W.M. (2000). Expatriates Risk Management Survey. Minehan, M. (2004). Prepping U.S. Employees for Mexican Success. SHRM Global Forum. Noe, R.A. (2002). Employee Training and Development. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. SwaakR.A. Expatriate Failures. Executive Placement International Human Resources. Tarelli, E. (2003). How to Transfer Responsibilities to Local Nationals. SHRM Global Forum. [1] Expatriate failure is defined as â€Å"employees who return home before completing their assignments† [2] Individualism-collectivism describes the degree to which people act as individuals rather than as members of a group. [3] Uncertainty avoidance refers to the degree to which people prefer structure rather than unstructured situations [4] Masculinity-feminity refers to the extent to which the culture values behavior considered traditionally masculine (competitiveness) or feminine (helpfulness) [5] Power distance refers to expectations for unequal distribution of power in a hierarchy [6] Time orientation refers to the degree to which a culture focuses on the future rather than the past and present.

Growth vs Development in Ethiopia

Growth vs Development in Ethiopia Part One Growth V/s Development w.r.t Ethiopia and Madhya Pradesh Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa, has been exhibiting stupendous and inconceivable set of numbers. With growth rates of double digit, the country is among the fastest growing economies in Africa. Ironically, regardless of its agriculture, mineral and hydrological resources Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Irrespective of high economic growth rates, the economic development indicators are yet a matter of concern. HDI as low as 0.4 (HDI report 2014). This dejected story of Ethiopia elucidate that Economic Growth and Economic Development are two contrasting terms. Mercantilism, a school of economic thought, functioned only for the purpose of economic growth by capital accumulation (mainly gold). On the other hand, Physiocracy, another school of economic thought, believed on agro-based growth. These schools of thought did not know the concept of development. Sooner or later, people began to notice that the growth is not beneficial to all. The theory of ‘trickle down approach’ doesn’t seem to have a great impact. The quantity of capital accumulation was not enough to capture the actual increase in the living standard of the people. Hence, the concept of economic development emerged. Several efforts are made to capture development. One of the prominent was HDI, formed by Mehboob Ul Haq and Amartya Sen. These indicators take into account the necessary variables, which upgrade the life of an individual. Several other development indicators were dformed such as Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which brings out the level of d eprivation in the country. General Mier describes development as â€Å"the process whereby the real PCI of a country increases over a long period of time subject to the stipulation that the number below absolute poverty line does not increase and that the distribution of the income does not become more unequal† Part Two Country Profile The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is located in the horn of Africa. After the civil war against Eritrea, the Ethiopian government went through the following changes as follows: A political transition from totalitarian dictatorship to multiparty democracy. A transition from a socialistic planned economy to a capitalist market economy. This transition was a crucial change in the country. Post 1991, Ethiopia was struggling with its essentials and was yet to set a strong foundation for economic development, which should be the primary goal of every nation. The major issue faced by Ethiopia was: As the country had just come out of a war, health conditions in the country were critical. Malnutrition and starvation was at its peak as resources were used to brace war. Illiteracy rate was as high as 90 percent during 1974 and went down to almost 70 percent in 1991. The government had a vast challenge ahead with respect to education. Poverty headcount ratio at $2 a day (PPP) was as high as 85 percent of the population. (World bank) Inequality in the country was at a constant rise. Gender Inequality Index was at its extreme Conflicts among religious groups In 1990, Ethiopia experienced a population growth of 36.33% and 31.91% in 2010. This has not been the case with the growth in wealth and production. Such unequal growth has lead to a decline in the socio-economic condition in the country. Part Three – Analysis of Economic Growth and Economic Development in Ethiopia Economic Growth Analysis GDP: Health In the least developed countries, such as Ethiopia, health is not only a basic human right but also an urgent prerequisite for broad socio-economic development. Malnutrition and starvation is pre-dominant in the country. Ethiopia faces serious challenges in providing basic nutrition to its citizens. The country is highly depended on the foreign aid for food supply. The problem in nutrition can easily be seen in the Child Mortality and Infant mortality rate. Ethiopia lacks medical infrastructure irrespective of consistent effort by the government. However, in the urban areas, the issue is much better. Rural areas lack access to such facilities, as connectivity to these majors city remains limited. Moreover, the government has failed to provide proper medical infrastructure in the rural areas. As shown in the table above, the IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) and CMR (Child Mortality Rate) have decreased over the period of time, but these level remain unsatisfactory. 80 percent of the deaths are caused due to preventable communicable diseases. The approach of the government to cure rather than preventing diseases is highly criticized. Maximum number of births takes place at home, with very few women delivering at a well-equipped clinic. Lack of nutrition, as the country faces several drought years and famine condition. With an increasing population in the rural areas, the task of the government keeps getting tougher. An average woman in the rural areas gives birth to 6 children. The child mortality rate did decrease but was not swift enough to satisfy the government. Initiatives taken by the government to reduce mortality: Increasing child immunization coverage. The coverage reached to the extent of approximately 84 percent. Providing education to women with respect to becoming a mother. Why has the government failed? The Ethiopian government has been spending on medical infrastructure. It has also been receiving financial aid from western nations to expand and upgrade its medical facilities, but yet the government fails to bring down the IMR and CMR. Observing the procedure of the Ethiopian government, the following conclusion could be derived. According to researchers, the diseases are caused due to lack of clean drinking water, poor sanitation facilities and lack of nutrition. Health conditions of the mother has a huge impact on the child health. In order to have a great impact on the child mortality rate, the government should use the direct attack approach. It should focus on improving access to clean drinking water and solving sanitation issues. Building medical infrastructure is definitely necessary, but is the later part of the stage. If the disease is prevented by providing healthy growth conditions, the root cause of child mortality would be eliminated. Hence, the approach of the government to cure the diseases rather than preventing it with providing clean drinking water and improving sanitation conditions have not allowed economic growth to be converted into economic development. Education To build a strong education foundation for its young people, Ethiopia came up with Education Sector Development Program (ESDP). The implementation of this program started with the expansion of primary education, which resulted in a significant increase in access to primary education. The gross and net enrollment rate has seen a tremendous growth. At the beginning of 1991, the gross enrollment rate in primary schools (grades 1-8) was only 32 percent. This figure rose to as high as 95 percent by 2012. The figures exhibited look stupendous. But the reality looks totally different. Despite such large number of enrollment, the national literacy is still as low as 36% (UNDP) in 2011. Following are the hindrances in converting this economic growth into economic development: While sustaining the successful effort of high enrollment, the country also needs to pay greater attention on improving the quality of primary education. The schools built, especially in rural areas are not adequately equipped. This act as a barrier to a good quality education. One of the reasons could be lack of trained teachers. A sharp drop could be noticed in the period between year 2009 and 2010. (Refer appendix) Several parts of the country do not have proper access to schooling. Several children have to walk miles to for gaining handicapped education. The gender gap in enrollment ratio still persists. Girls are often pulled out of school to get married. Male children are pulled out to help the family work in fields. These are the factors that have created a barrier from converting the growth of high enrollment rate to be converted into an economic development for the country. Poverty By the end of 1991, approximately 45.5 percent of the population was living under poverty. This figure dropped down to 27.8 percent by the end of 2012. Ethiopia has successfully been able to reduce poverty but would definitely want to reduce this figure as much as possible. Ever since a new government was formed in 1995, majority of schemes and policies have been pro-poor. The government has looked at poverty eradication seriously. 80 percent of the population is dependent on agriculture as a source of living. In order to bring out people of poverty, the government needs to generate enough jobs in the country. Migration rates have been high as pay and living conditions are far better. This has led to brain drain in the economy as qualified Ethiopians left the country for self-benefit. The HDI of the country is 0.435, one of the lowest in the economy. The growth story of Ethiopia has been amazing when it comes to numbers. The economy has been posting double-digit growth rates but yet remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The high growth were an indication of inequality rising in the country. The Gini Index is 33.6. Gender Inequality Ethiopia is a patriarchal society that keeps women in a subordinate position. There is a belief that women are docile, submissive, patient, and tolerant of monotonous work and violence, for which culture is used as a justification. Gender disparity are largely seen in primary education enrollment Girls are forced to marry at an early age, against the legal age of marriage. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still practiced in the country. Health of women in the country is critical, particularly of women who are expecting a baby. FGM is also vulnerable to diseases in the long run Women in Ethiopia are suppressed due to social, religious and other reasons. The government has undertaken several policies and program for their betterment. Yet the key issues are not looked upon as follows: Empowering women through access to education as well as providing them with physical and financial resources is crucial to the long-term development of the country. Proper education would help in resource allocation and also adequate decision such a delayed marriage (generally not in the hands of the girl child) Adequate education would also enable the girl child to be an efficient mother as it would gain knowledge with respect to health. International Relation Foreign Aid A free financial aid will always be welcomed, but it also does have consequences if not used wisely. The challenges that an economy faces in receiving financial aid are as follows: Investment in favor of greater/mass consumption. With such large amount of money entering the economy, these cash flows are highly inflationary. As the aid comes in the form of foreign currency, this appreciates the value of local currency, making export more expensive in the international market. (Ethiopia highly depends on its export of coffee) Aid increases inflation, which leads to even more poverty and unemployment. To support this issue, the government asks for more aid which keeps on concentrating the issue. However, there are benefits of aid seen in the country. The government has been able to implement several of its policies with the help of such aid. A recently built highway to the capital, or be it the controversial dam in construction; the aid has contributed significantly to the nation. These aids also come as the rescue to the Ethiopians in situations of drought and famine. Foreign Direct Investment Due to lack of local investors, Ethiopia had to look for foreign investments. The Ethiopian government has not opened up the economy in all sectors as the banking system is still with the local authorities. FDI has become a major aspect of globalization. The major investment is seen in the land-leasing scheme launched by the government. The Ethiopian government has given out large part of lands to foreign companies in lease for agricultural purposes, without any restriction on the agricultural produce. Approximately as large as 6,00,000 hectares of land has been leased out to foreign companies Locals are being displaced in order to meet the requirements of these investors. Displaced locals are finding it difficult to sustain living. The benefits of these schemes are as follows: The foreign investors have brought in latest technology for agriculture, which the Ethiopians lacked. People were hired to work on the leased lands generating employment. The objective behind this scheme look relevant, however, the investors have exploited the scheme heavily and the government seems to have no control over it. Moreover, the scheme allows these investors to lease the land for really long periods, which wasn’t necessary. A shorter duration would have had the same impact to the economy. Also to make the scheme more citizens friendly, the government should’ve come up with better displacing techniques and improving the condition of living. The land-leasing scheme has increased the exports of the country as the investors export the produce to get better price than the local markets. This growth on the other hand has impacted the HDI of the economy as displaced population is facing serious issues. Several people have already fled away to neighboring countries as the government is leasing of land without consent. Bibliography Ethiopia Country Report- BTI 2014 Global Financial Crisis Discussion Series, Ethiopia Phase 2- Overseas Development Institute The Political Economy of Growth in Ethiopia, Chapter 4 of volume 2,-Alemayehu Geda Millennium Development Goal Report of Ethiopia- UNDP report Ethiopia Country Data-World Bank Appendix

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti :: Nicola Sacco Bartolomeo Vanzetti

The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti -- were they guilty or just victims of circumstance? You decide. This case was one of the most controversial court cases in America's history and soon you will know why. Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants who emigrated to America in 1908. At the time, Sacco was seventeen, and Vanzetti was 20. In April 1920, Sacco was working in a shoe factory, and Vanzetti was selling fish on the streets. Of the two immigrants, only Sacco had a family in the United States. His wife, Rosina, was expecting her second child. Their first son, Dante, was two years old. Both men were aliens, non-citizens, but Vanzetti had begun the process of citizenship. However, he did not speak English. Sacco and Vanzetti were accused of murdering the paymaster and a guard at the Slater and Morrill shoe factory in South Braintree, Massachusetts, on April 15, 1920. They were also accused of taking two payroll boxes which contained $15,776.51. Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested on May 5, 1920, when they went with two other men, Orciani and Boda, to pick up Boda's car from a garage. The car was not ready, so they left the garage and hopped a street car. The police stopped the street car and arrested them. Orciani was arrested the next day, but let go when his alibi checked out. Sacco was only charged with the Braintree murders. Vanzetti, however, was charged with both the Braintree murders, and another robbery, the Bridgewater crime. They were indicted on September 14, 1920, and put on trial on May 31, 1921. Their trial lasted almost seven weeks, and on July 14, 1921, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were found guilty of murder in the first degree. They would be executed for this crime. During the trial, there were many conflicting facts. For example, a hat found at the scene of the crime was assumed to be Sacco's. However, when Sacco tried it on, it did not fit his head. Sacco told the court he wore a size 7 1/8, and this hat was size 6 7/8. How could that have been Sacco's hat if it wasn't even his size? Sacco was also asked why he was carrying a gun on May 5. He replied, "My wife cleaned the house because we are to go Saturday to New York to get the boat to Italy. She found the pistol then.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Cinematography of Hitchcocks Psycho :: essays papers

Cinematography of Hitchcocks Psycho Alfred Hitchcock is renown as a master cinematographer (and editor), notwithstanding his overall brilliance in the craft of film. His choice of black and white film for 1960 was regarded within the film industry as unconventional since color was perhaps at least five years the new standard. But this worked tremendously well. After all, despite the typical filmgoer’s dislike for black and white film, Psycho is popularly heralded among film buffs as his finest cinematic achievement; so much so, that the man, a big name in himself, is associated with the film, almost abovehis formidable stature. Imagining it in color, Psycho would not appear as horrific, and maybe it would also not be, as a whole, as unified as it now stands, nor memorable. Black and white has a quality of painting things

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Marketing Variable Mix Of Prod :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Japanese have again burst into the technology industry with the introduction of their newest product, Aibo, the robotic pet dog. Aibo is a Japanese word short for â€Å"companion†, and it also stands for Artificial Intelligence Robot. This creature is able to navigate its environment and respond to changes. This highly innovative idea began back in 1994 when Toshi T. Doi, Sony Corporations lead engineer, enlisted an artificial intelligence expert named Masarhiro Fujita to formulate a robot with sophisticated sensors. Fujita took just two weeks to develop the first prototype robotic creature that led to this current venture. AIBO’S TANGIBLE PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No larger than a Chihuahua and constructed primarily of magnesium alloy, Aibo is equipped with infrared sensors and cameras for eyes that allow it to judge distance and avoid walking into objects. It also has sensors on its head, in its paws, and an antenna for a tail. Aibo is programmed to enjoy being petted and dislikes being scolded, not unlike real dogs. It also shows happiness by wagging its tail and illuminating its green eyes. Aibo can perform some standard tricks such as sitting and begging, and it can even dance and play music. As sophisticated as it may be, Aibo can not respond to voice commands, and it requires a remote control that emits musical tones the robot recognizes as commands. AIBO’S AUGMENTED AND GENERIC PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aibo’s augmented product attributes revolve around the Sony brand name. Sony is a well-established corporation in the electronics industry. It is the most recognized brand name in the world, evoking a status of quality and dependability. Aibo will have a considerable lure on customers keen on cutting-edge gadgets. The first of its kind in sophistication and advanced robotics, Aibo will carry a significant status for technology buffs and expensive electronic toy collectors who can afford them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From a generic product perspective, Aibo is already winning over the hearts and minds of consumers. Its almost life like touches and actions such as the occasional yawn, flopping on its belly when it’s bored, and the wagging of its tail when it is happy is rapidly captivating people all over. For some, the appeal is in the joy of owning such a technological and futuristic marvel. For others, It may be the hope of companionship from and innate object, not unlike today’s interactive computers. For most consumers it is just plain and simple entertainment.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Light and Dark Imagery in Macbeth

Light and Dark imagery in Macbeth A tragedy play, written by William Shakespeare, is Macbeth. This play is filled with imageries of light and darkness. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth himself goes through a transformation in character. At the beginning of the play, he is noble and loyal, but in an effort to be crowned king, he is drowned by greed and darkness. His reign of terror, driven by insanity and ambition affects the natural order of the world and results in his death and the restoration of the natural order. The change in Macbeth’s character from a noble man to a dark figure is mirrored by the imagery of light and dark. During the first three scenes of the first act, Macbeth is absent and is only described by other characters. As a soldier informs Duncan of Macbeth and Banquo’s performance on the battlefield, he says, â€Å"If I say sooth, I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks† (I. ii, 40-41). This quote highlights Macbeth’s actions as a light character. Macbeth is portrayed to be a great man and soldier in fighting for his king. After being told of Macbeth’s role in the fighting near Forres, Duncan utters these praises, â€Å"O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! † (I. ii, 26). This is said in recognition of the outstanding fighting that Macbeth is doing for his king and country. Good is synonymous with images of light, therefore the good deeds of Macbeth are associated with light imagery. When Macbeth finally has a chance to respond to Duncan’s praises, he says, â€Å"The service and loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself. † (I. iv, 25-26). Macbeth explains to the king that he does not require anymore payment than he already receives, as even just the satisfaction of fighting for Duncan and his state is enough. Macbeth believes himself to be a truly loyal and noble man. At this point, Macbeth’s character is tied only to images of triumph, but this begins to change when Macbeth realizes great opportunity. Realizing ambition and opportunity as well as outside influence from Lady Macbeth causes the light inside Macbeth to fade, thus beginning his transition into darkness. When Macbeth says this: â€Å"This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill; cannot be good†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I. iii, 140-141), he begins to give the witches prophecies more thought. The witches are described as the instruments of darkness, and by contemplating their prophecies, he dims the ight that he was surrounded by, and becomes a slightly darker character. During an aside, Macbeth says, â€Å"Stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I. iv, 57-58). The quote represents Macbeth’s acknowledgement of his own dark thoughts and desires. This is his first thought of acting on ambition through dishonest means, and marks an evident chang e in Macbeth as a light character. This only furthers his transformation into a dark figure. Finally, Macbeth is portrayed as dark and evil when he says this, â€Å"Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. † (II. I, 40-41). Macbeth says this during the night in which he would commit his first murder and cross the point of no return. Accepting the dagger symbolizes Macbeth finalizing his decision to murder the man that had shown him nothing but kindness. Perhaps Macbeth was never as genuine as he had seemed to be and was always a dark figure. What is known for sure though is that once Macbeth starts his reign as a tyrant, he is unable to stop. After committing a series of killings, Macbeth has unarguably become a dark figure. Although it is in Macbeths own speech that he affirms himself as an evil man. When Macbeth speaks to Lady Macbeth, he states, â€Å"I am in blood stepped so far, that I should wade no more. † (III. Iv, 167-168). He reflects upon his wrong doings by creating a dark image. The image pictures Macbeth wading in a river of blood, having proceeded so far that it is easier to continue than to try to return back to where he started. When Macbeth is informed of his wife’s death by suicide, his only response is, â€Å"And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! † (V. v, 24-25). The light and dark imagery is quite significant here, as this particular phrase is his way of saying her life was short, like that of a burning candle. Though, he exhibits a great lack of remorse for his wife, and goes on to explain that all the past has done is lead foolish people to their graves. During Macbeth and Macduff’s final exchange of words before their battle, Macduff tells Macbeth, â€Å"I have no words: My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out! (V. viii, 8-10). This quote is an example of how Macbeth is viewed by his enemies. He is viewed as a bloody villain. This view of him contrasts to previous views of him in that he is no longer a light character and he will die a true figure of darkness. Macbeth is now seen by others as, and admits his self to be, an evil man. The play Macbeth is a story of the rise and fall of a tragic hero. It is clear that the character Macbeth goes through an evident change in character. Whether it due to the outside influence of the three witches, his wife or his own ambitions, he is the one who makes his decisions. After capitalising on opportunity by murdering Duncan, he ends up having to kill several people in order to eliminate suspicions. He is unable to halt his reign of terror, which would later result in his own death. The imageries of light and dark play a significant role in representing Macbeth’s transformation from a strong and respected military leader to a murderous tyrant. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Roy, Ken. Toronto:

Friday, August 16, 2019

Gender and Development: Issues and Implications

N. Santosh Ranganath Faculty Member Department of Commerce & Management Studies, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Srikakulam. The ‘women and development’ approach is introduced and focused on the relationship between capitalism and patriarchy which considered to be the women will be subordinated to men as long as capitalism is the dominant economic system. Critics of this perspective say it fails to address differences in the inequalities experienced by different communities of women, and does not recognize the fact that patriarchy exists in communist societies as well as in capitalist ones.Next, the ‘gender and development’ perspective is introduced as a holistic analytical tool that can be used to provide an overview of the realities of development. Associated with ‘women for a new era’, GAD sought to dismantle notions about what is considered masculine or feminine, as well as the power dynamics that result from these assumptions. The’ ef fectiveness’ approach is also introduced and related to the WID approach in its quest to shed light on the vital role women play in production.The recent ‘mainstreaming gender equality’ initiative is also presented, and its intention to put gender at the forefront of all social policy, including that of development, is explained. The relationship between poverty and gender is made explicit throughout and this connection is attributed to factors such as unequal access to education and property rights. One of the main issues in regard to the service sector is the variety of activities that are encompassed by that term.Thus the effect of liberalization on, for example, financial services, will be quite different for women who may be primarily affected as consumers than the liberalization of other industries within that sector which may affect women also as workers. Many of the concerns over the possible effect of trade liberalization on women have been informed by t he previous experience of public sector privatization and economic austerity experienced under the Structural Adjustment Programs implemented since the 1980’s.Yet, given that trade liberalization as we see it today is a fairly recent phenomenon, it is difficult to assert with precision what are the effects of liberalization on men and women. For the reasons explained above, women as a group may face more obstacles in taking advantage of the changing economic structure, especially in converting new opportunities into long-term improvements. But women do not form a homogenous group and thus the impact of liberalization will likely be differentiated.Many of the issues and questions that arise today and which have drawn opposition to trade liberalization are also linked to the fact that trade agreements and trade liberalization have become more encompassing and thus moved beyond the original agreements on goods. The expansion of liberalization to such areas as services raises new questions as more sectors of society become affected by these changes.Because of the structure of gender relations, it is possible those women will be affected differently than men by the opening of markets to foreign competition and that their capacity to adapt to new economic conditions will also be different. If this is the case, the capacity of women to take advantage of the new opportunities while minimizing the negative impact of liberalization is crucial to ensure that women, those who depend on them and society as a whole benefit from the current changes.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Points About a Crafting Business

1. Why does crafting strategy have a strongly entrepreneurial character? Courtney (2) notes that in a rapidly changing environment, this year's indicators are not a good measure of what will happen in the future. Instead, there is a need to develop foresight. This involved looking to the future and spotting potential opportunities and potential threats before they are actually present. This is entrepreneurial in the sense that it involves looking to the future and seeing things before they are actually present. Crafting strategy also involves a new approach to business where the focus is on managing and risk and choosing the best kind of action, while there remains a level of certainty. These aspects of crafting strategy have a strong entrepreneurial character. Finally, crafting strategy requires vision and creativity. It differs from traditional management strategies because there are no certainties. Organizations cannot simply accept the environment as it is and aim to preserve the status quo. Organizations have to accept continual change, expect continual problems and challenges, and be innovative and creative in addressing these challenges. This need for innovation and creativity also has a strong entrepreneurial character. 2. What managerial purpose does the establishment of long-term objectives have? Long-term objectives are necessary to ensure that the organization is aware of what it wants to achieve. They focus the organization on its goals and provide a means of defining the desired outcome. Long-term objectives are also important because they are used to measure current and possible actions against. For example, the decision of whether or not to take a certain action can be based on whether or not it will help the organization achieve its goals. One of the other important points regarding long-term objectives is that they define the desired end-point, but do not define how that end-point is achieved. This means that the organization knows where it is going, but has the flexibility to adapt to the environment to determine how to get there. In this way, long-term objectives are important because they are a fixed point that guides the organizations toward its goals. 3. Competitive markets are economic battlefields. True or False. Explain. Competitive markets are economic battlefields. Thompson and Strickland note that in competitive markets, organizations constantly compete against each other in an attempt to gain advantages. One reason this is considered a battlefield is simply due to the competing. Another reason this is considered a battlefield is that organizations are competing to win the same thing, namely the consumer dollar. The third reason this is considered a battlefield is that a win by one organization means a loss for another. That is, for every consumer dollar that an organization wins, that is one less dollar going to a competitor. The next consideration is why it is considered an economic battlefield. The basic answer could be that organizations are competing to gain money, but there is more to it than this. It is also an economic battlefield because organizations win by improving economically. For example, if a manufacturing organization can find a way to produce a product for less money, they can pass this saving onto the consumer, and gain more consumers by having a lower price. Even if the price remains the same, organizations can benefit another way by producing the product for less, because they can invest that money into improving the product. The improved product then becomes the method by which they win the consumer dollar. Another important point is that winning economically often has future benefits. An organization that is winning the battle to win consumers will have more profits and these can be used to improve processes or products to provide even more future gains. Gains are also often made because their volume of trade increases. For manufacturers, they gain via economies of scale, where the more products that are made, the lower the cost becomes per product. The volume of trade can also give organizations more ability to negotiate with suppliers, partners, and retailers. The end result is that an organization winning the economic battle will often gain benefits that will allow it to improve economically even more. Returning to the battlefield idea, this can be considered as one army losing soldiers and become weaker, while the other army gains them and becomes even stronger. As the balance swings, the stronger side continues to increase in strength, forcing the weaker side out.