A Critique on Project Stage-Gating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Critique on Project Stage-Gating - Essay Example The article strongly suggested that project stage-gating which continuously evaluates the viability, usefulness, and gains from a project through different development and implementation stages is required to efficiently "stop a project which should not continue." Vanderslius also put forward useful guidelines which should not be overlooked in a stage-gating project such as clear definitions of phases, documented set of deliverables, gates staffed with an odd numbered committee rather than an individual, and "setting 'out of bounds.'" My choice of this article is simple enough. The project stage-gating article must be read because I believe that the article is very useful in the decision-making process handled by every project manager. Project stage-gating is interesting as it tackles some issues which are often taken for granted when starting an innovative project. Over the past years, a large number of IT projects initialized had failed. Somebody can just imagine the total amount of time, labor, materials, and expenditures wasted for all these projects. I believe that Vanderslius' main point in endorsing stage-gating is to save on resources which can be channeled to other more profitable ventures. I agree with him that project stage-gating can be an option in order to allocate company resources more efficiently. The "gates" needed to be passed by any project serves as a screening procedure that eliminates less viable and unprofitable projects.

Coffee - Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Coffee Starbucks Essay Starbucks is a premium coffee wholesaler which has strayed from its original service of coffee. The advent of newer technology has diminished the Starbucks experience. Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairmen, sent a memo on February 14, 2007 addressing this problem to the president and chief executive officer of Starbucks, Jim Donald. In the memo, Schultz voiced his opinion on how the rapid expansion of Starbucks is causing him to revaluate the company’s values between how it operated when it began and where it is heading in the future. Starbucks isn’t the same neighborhood store as it was when it was established and no longer shows the passion for coffee that they had in the beginning. â€Å"I have said for 20 years that our success is not an entitlement and now its proving to be a reality. Lets be smarter about how we are spending our time, money and resources. Lets get back to the core† (Schultz). Along with its expansion, Starbucks has been trying to utilize new technologies to improve the product they sell to consumers. Starbucks changed their espresso machines from manual to automatic to speed up service and efficiency. These machines â€Å"blocked the visual sight line the customer previously had to watch the drink being made, and for the intimate experience with the barista† (Schultz). People no longer have that intimate connection with the people making their coffee, or to the finished product. The employees are also more disassociated from their work because of these new machines that speed up production. Starbucks also incorporated flavor-locked packaging to supply the demand for fresh roasted coffee. This is a great service to the customer because it keeps coffee grounds or beans fresher longer, yet the effectiveness of the flavor-locked bags contributed to the loss of aroma, â€Å"perhaps the most powerful non-verbal signal†, in Starbucks (Schultz). The romance of Starbucks is lost with these improvements and the unforgettable scent is lessened along with its heritage. Starbucks is still a coffee-loving company, and consumers are still receiving the coffee delicacies they want, but at what cost to tradition. https://sites. google. com/site/hollymadalyn/writing/Starbucks-Research-paper SYNOPSIS Starbucks Corporation, originally founded in 1971, but purchased by Howard Schultz in 1987, is the market leader in selling gourmet coffee (Starbucks, 2008). Starbucks main objective is to establish itself as the most respected and recognized coffee brand in the world (Fact Sheet, 2008). Starbucks has accomplished this objective and experienced much success through their competitive strategy of clustering several stores within the same community and through their distinctive competencies of roasting and selling the quality coffee while providing high quality customer service. The question is, can Starbucks continue their market share growth with rising competitors? Should they focus more on their international operations? Can they continually reinvent themselves to maintain their strong brand image in the long run? PROBLEMS. †¢ Overall economic downturn can affect Starbucks’ market share if management neglects to address competitors’ strategies with lower priced offerings as consumers are becoming more conservative in spending their discretionary income. †¢ Loss of identity and authenticity focused upon the foundational Starbucks experience, which, if unaddressed by management, can result in dissatisfied customers, loss of sales, and decreased market share. †¢ Considering the economy and increasing domestic competition within the U. S. , Starbucks must address their less profitable international operations. SWOT ANALYSIS[1] INDUSTRY EVALUATION In the past two decades, the coffee industry has experienced a significant increase in the demand for premium coffee. Today, about one in five Americans drinks some type of espresso-based coffee drink each day. The average yearly coffee consumption per capita in the U. S. is around 4. 4Kg. Among these coffee drinkers, the average consumption is 3. 1 cups of coffee per day, with men drinking approximately 1. 9 cups per day, and women drinking an average of 1. 4 cups per day (Coffee Research [continues].

Imperialism and Turkeys Development

Imperialism and Turkeys Development The Post- Cold war era is considered to be a dramatic era for the western powers to regulate their economic forces and control what so ever left from Soviet Union. In the absence of the Soviet Union, other countries started to imitate the so-called western capitalist way of development. Eventually, the western influence over the third world countries increased, and through globalization and liberalism they intervened in their political and economical affairs. The westerners define globalization as a system that leads the nations to interact with each other and interchange the political, economical and cultural ideas. The Modern Globalization left no way for third world countries (periphery) to resist the entrance of first world countries (center) into their national affairs. The Modern Turkey is an example of developing countries. Since the last 20 years Turkey started to develop, they did that by installing a capitalist system in order to manage their economy. Turkey as a backward a gricultural country became a developing industrialized country and Turkish elites started to force the government to intervene with other countries to find markets. In this paper I will argue that Turkey is developing through Imperialism. I will try to support my argument by providing and stating Hobsons view on Imperialism. Three waves of Imperialism: The imperialist wave as the product of Capitalist Ideology went through two stages and the third stage is still going on nowadays. The first stage of imperialism started with the Spanish and the Portuguese attacks on the American continent. The first wave started with the Spaniards in the name of spreading Christianity and forcing others to convert to Christianity. Samir Amin one of the New Marxist theorists stated in his article about imperialism and globalization, For whereas the Catholic Spaniards acted in the name of the religion that had to be imposed on conquered peoples, the Anglo-Protestants took from their reading of the Bible the right to wipe out the infidels(Amin). The second wave of imperialism started with the so-called Industrial revolution. The industrial revolutions as it has been stated in the book of Civilization in The West was, The wave after wave of technological innovation, a constant tinkering and improving of the way in which things were made, which could hav e the simultaneous effects of cutting costs and improving quality(Kishlansky, Geary, Brien, 2008:626). This wave of imperialism manifested itself through the European conquest over the continents of Asia and Africa. The age of colonialism as the product of industrial revolution devastated the colonized countries and ruined their societies. During the second wave of imperialism, Britain was the first country who started to conquer countries and make its colonies. Britain First started with India in 1858(Diamond, p: 37). The third wave of Imperialism started with the collapse of the Soviet Union and expiration of nationalist movements in peripheral countries. New movement of the imperialist countries and on the top of them the United States has the same objectives that the two previous waves had. The first world countries are going to intervene in other countries economical and political affairs through the idea of providing democracy. Moreover, about the new wave of imperialism, Sami r Amin states, The objectives of dominant capital are still the same -the control of the expansion of markets, the looting of the earths natural resources, the super exploitation of the labor reserves in the periphery (Amin). What is Dependency Theory? However, there have been numerous explanations proposed regarding the situation on the contemporary world. Many intellectuals and philosophers have done some investigations to find the answer for the question, what the main cause could be that made the majority of the countries to be underdeveloped and a small portion of countries developed. After the WWII era a group of new Marxist thinkers developed a theory that later on came to be known as dependency theory. According to this theory, capitalism has divided and pierced the contemporary world for two groups, at the top we have the center, which consist of the developed countries and in the bottom we have the periphery, which consist of the underdeveloped countries (UDCs) or third world countries. There have been many definitions regarding dependency theory and all of them are hitting one point, which is division of the world for the center and the periphery. In his investigation about dependency theory, Vincent Ferraro a Ruth Lawso n Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College defined dependency as, A historical condition which shapes a certain structure of the world economy such that it favors some countries to the detriment of others and limits the development possibilities of the subordinate economicsa situation in which the economy of a certain group of countries is conditioned by the development and expansion of another economy, to which their own is subjected, (Ferraro, July 1996: 2). It could be argued that dependency theory appeared in the time when the western powers decided in 1947 to form an organization called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which later became World Trade Organization (WTO). According to this agreement the members of this organization will reduce the tariffs on imported goods. In reality this organization formed to open the doors for developed countries to interfere into other countries economy. This organization was always criticized by economic thinkers for t he reason that sometimes the developed countries were violating the principles of the GATT and also because of prohibiting the goods from under developed countries to be imported into their countries, (Carbaugh, 2008: 211). Most Classical new Marxist theorists have asserted that unequal exchange has resulted in maintaining the situation of the world for developed countries and undeveloped countries. The dependency theorists have established their arguments based on three assumptions, first, International division of labor, and they believe that there are a number of different kind of states in the world and each of them perform a different function in the world economy. First of all, there are states that are in the center of the center and they are the richest and most powerful countries, such as United Sates, United Kingdom and Germany. Then, we have states in the periphery of the center. The third group, we have those in the center of periphery, and the last group and most undeve loped once are those whom considered to be the periphery of periphery. The dependency theorists argue that there is international division of labor between all these countries and they states that core countries are dominance of this international division of labor; and all other countries are working and serving their interests. A class distinction is the second assumption that has been made by dependency theorists. What they mean by that is that in all countries in the world whether its center or periphery there is a clear divides between the rich and the poor. The rich people who are considered to be political and economical elites all cooperate with one another in all different states to insure that they remain in power and that they increase their own wealth. They collaborate with each other to maintain the system (The international System) the way that it is. Global Capitalism is the third assumption that dependency theorists make. They believe that both international division s of labor and class distinction exist within a wider Global system and this wider global system is characterized as Global Capitalism. They believe that in this system Liberal economic theory dominates theories of trade and theories of finance that all serve the interests of core countries. They believe that capitalism is working in the interests of developed countries. So, as a result all the system, the international division of labor, the class distinctions and the global capitalism all serve the interests of the most powerful and rich countries. They do not serve the interests of developing countries and they do not promote equal opportunities for all countries around the world. Instead the system promotes dominance and exploitation. Therefore, in the perspective of dependency theorists the undeveloped states cannot develop within such a system, while the system is actually designed to prevent them from developing. (Brewer, 2001: 161) Many new Marxist theorists have written articles and books, and they differently hypothesized the reasons behind maintaining undeveloped countries to be undeveloped. First of all, Paul Baran is considered to be the first one who described the underdevelopment and dependency theory in third world countries. Baran argued that dual economies characterized the third world countries. He further argues that in third world countries they have a large portion of agricultural sector with low profit and a small portion of industrial sector with high profit. He believes that a small group of individuals controlled and dominated the market and prevented others to evolve, which finally led to unequal development. In contrast with Baran, Andre G. Frank identified the causes behind underdevelopment in third world countries in a different way. He traced back the problem for the idea of metropolis and satellites. Frank believed that metropolis countries did not cooperate with satellite countries in t he international market, but they always tried to use satellite states to serve their interests. Frank proposed the idea of de-linking to be the solution for satellite states in order to survive from the chains that caused by metropolis states (Keet). Jan Nederveen ,the professor of Global studies at university of California defined delinking in his article about Globalization or delinking;and said, Delinking is the refusal to submit to the demands of the world-wide law of value, or the supposed rationality of the system of world prices that embody the demands of reproductio of world capital. It, therefore, presupposes the societys capacity to define an alternative range of crieteria of rationality of internal economic options(Pieterse 239-242). The third theorist is John A. Hobson which his theory is going to be the main argument in this essay. Hobsons theory about Imperialist economy: One of the classical Marxist theorists, John A. Hobson has genuinely characterized the way that imperialist countries developed and resulted in maintaining others in backwardness. Hobson argues that imperialism is a product of capitalism. Capitalism and its profits create over-production, which leads to concentration in industries. The over-production leads the industries to ask for national force to secure new markets for them, as it has been stated by Hobson the way that entrepreneurs ask the Government, We must have markets for our growing markets manufactures, and we must have new outlets for the investment of our surplus and for the energies of the adventurous surplus of our population(Hobson, part I: VI .2). Through industrialization the capitalist states could produce more and more and the entrepreneurs asked the state to find and secure new markets for them. The new Marxist theorists have genuinely predicted the way that capitalism pushes the state forces to navigate for new markets. For Hobson, there is only a given quantity of trade, and when a nation gets some portion of it the other nation will lose some. Hobson tries to say that the idea of trading internationally is something meaningless for undeveloped nations. International trade works on behalf of advanced nations who have great industrial power and other undeveloped nations will shrink. Hobsons great discussion concentrates on Britain. He further discusses the way that Britain turned to expand and became imperialist. Hobson believes that before other nations develop, Britain was the only economic power in the world and all other countries had to depend on them. When new rivals such as, U.S.A, Germany, and Belgium appeared, Britain had to regulate its business territories in order to remain the only economic power in the world. The domestic entrepreneurs asked the government to use forces in order to find new markets for their over produced goods. They believed if Britain does not use force to find new markets then they should leave the world development for other rivals. It has been stated by Hobson that the imperialism for Britain was necessary not just a choice. Hobson believed that the industrial revolution and the machinery evolution made the industries to fall in conflict with each other. The large industries with high capitals started to kick out the weak industries from the market by reducing the price of their goods, so Hobson stated, In the free competition of manufactures preceding combination the chronic condition is one of over-production, in the sense that all mills or factories can only kept at work by cutting prices down towards a point where the weaker competitors are forced to close down, because they cannot sell their goods at a price which covers the true cost of production, (Hobson, part I:VI 8). He further argues that the large industries came to an agreement to fix the domestic prices and monopolized the market together. When the over production of combined industries such as those in the United States exceeded the demand of home market then they began to look for foreign markets to sell their goods. Hobson dedicated some parts of his theory to stick on with the situation of the United States. He described the United States as an Imperialist who first started with conquering the lands of its neighbors such as the Mexicans then they borrowed the capital from Britain and developed their railroads, mines and manufactures. After they build their own industries, They employed their savings in seeking investments outside their country, and afterwards they made themselves a creditor class to foreign countries(Hobson, part I: VI 10). Imperialism and the rise of Turkey: After WWI, the Ottoman Empire fell apart and the allies in 1918 started to occupy Turkey. The young Turks under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk started to resist strongly. With the help of Soviet Union the Turks could fight the Allies power for five years. In 1923 the Sultans collapsed and this event gave a birth to a new Turkish republic under an absolute leader Mustafa Kemal Attaturk. Turkey became a nationalist state. By passing the time, Turkey could rearrange itself through being neutral with all world powers. The Turkish neutrality extended up to post WWII era. When WWII ended and the world divided to two poles, the western pole, which was the United States and its allies, and the eastern pole, which was the Soviet Union. The challenges that were made by Soviet Union on the north eastern border of Turkey made the Turkish government to redefine its foreign policies and broke its silence, Bill Park the author of Modern Turkey book states, The Cold War had brought Turkey f rom a position of neutrality into an unequal alliance with Washington, but it had won few other friends, and in some quarters was regarded with considerable suspicion, (Park, 2012:39). The western powers soon realized about the geographical importance of Turkey to be used against Soviet Union. Ankara realized that it is in their best interest to cooperate with the western powers and became a member of NATO. The first Turkish cooperation with NATO started in 1950 with the Korean War, they send 5,000 Turkish troops to fight aside with the United Nations forces, (Park, 2012:37). It could be argued that the Turkish- Western Relationships was a dual relationship for the reason that both sides wanted to get something. The western powers wanted to guarantee the containment of the soviet expansion in the east through their Turkish ally, and Turkey wanted to achieve some relations with the NATO members, especially those in the European continent in order to rebuild its economic bases through peaceful relationships. Furthermore, Turkey did not only stop by building relations with western powers, but they also aimed to play a greater role in the political field and they started to build some relations with Soviet Union, as one Turkish commentator put it, from one sidedness to many sidedness, means that turkey wanted to use the cold war between United States and Soviet Union for its own interest (Park, 2012:41). It could be argued that Hobsons explanations about the rise of American imperialism is to some extends convenient with the Turkish rise. Although, Turkey didnt start by conquering other countries, but like United States they used other countries to rebuild their country. Until late 1980s turkey was borrowing huge amount of money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and in return Turkey was going to follow whatever the international community imposed on him. In addition to its support, the IMF imposed some rules over the Turkish government which later on came to be known as IMF package. IMF asked for several things such as, Import liberalization, changes in the export regime, removal of price controls, increase in the prices of state economic enterprises, and consolidation and rescheduling of the external debt, (Owen and Pamuk, 1998: 109). Turkish economy from semi Dependent to totally Independent: Before the collapse of the Ottoman Empire up to the years preceding 1980s Turkey was a backward agricultural state. Although, the state was borrowing huge amount of money from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund but the direct involvement of the state into economic sector did not let the country to be stabilized. Since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire up to 1980 Turkey went through three military coups (Diamond, p: 261). The last military intervention gave a birth to a reformist, Prime Minister Turgut Ozal who could open Turkish economy and cooperate with the international market. Ozals reforms reduced the state intervention in the market. By mid 1980s Turkey increased its exports. The Ozals reforms ended the Autarkic economic system that had nailed down its roots during Kemalism and the Nationalism era. The Autarkic economic system was considered to be the factor that made Turkey to be one of the most dependant countries in the world. Bill Park in his book the Moder n Turkey described the effects of Ozals reform and said, The wave of industrialization based on the emergence of the export- oriented Anatolian tigers from the Ozal period onwards has also helped diversity Turkish relations towards Middle Eastern, central Asian, other former Soviet state, and African markets, (Park, 2012:77). Those reforms made Turkey to be ready for expansion and increase its influences over neighboring countries in both Asia and Europe. It could be argued that the real Turkish imperialism started with AKP. AKP is Turkish party formed in 2001 who could win the elections in 2002 by winning 363 seats out of 550 seats. The AKP supported the Turkish bureaucrats to invest outside the country. The last two decades of instability in countries bordering with Turkey resulted in creating a good position for Turkey to appear as leading country in the region. The development of industrial sector led Turkey to have over production, which could not be consumed in the home market , so Turkey needs the foreign market to buy its over produced goods. Nowadays, countries that are bordering with Turkey such as, Bulgaria, Greece, and northern part of Iraq (KRG) are willing to have Turkish investors to invest within their countries. According to an article written by Ercan Baysal and published by Today Zaman, Turkish neighbors are willing to allocate land for Turkish investors and firm owners to invest in their countries and hire their local workers in their respective countries (Baysal, 2013). However, Turkey is producing and manufacturing huge amounts of goods, but they cannot be consumed in domestic because like any other capitalist countries the Turkish society has class distinction. The huge areas of south and eastern Anatolia are still making their living based on agriculture while the other parts of western Anatolia are highly industrialized. Hobson states about the capitalist countries who have class distinctions, Over-production in the sense of an excessiv e manufacturing plant, and surplus capital which cannot find sound investments within the country, force Great Britain, Germany, Holland, France to place larger and larger portions of their economic resources outside the area of their present political domain, and the stimulate a policy of political expansion so as to take in the new areas, (Hobson, part I: VI 15). Recently, with Europe in the ground of crisis and the Arab countries who are facing political upheavals, Turkey started to have great role over the rapid changes in the region. Through its economic power, Turkey started to impose its political influence over the countries in the Middle East. During the last two years, when the Arab revolutions started, Turkey appeared as an active power that supposed to have a leading role in solving the problems especially in Syria. However, Turkey has declared a strategy of Zero problem policy with its neighbors, which means standing business deals, and establishing free trade zone. It has been argued by some intellectuals that Turkey cannot maintain its neutrality among those problems that are going on in its neighboring countries, as Richard Falk, an American professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University states in his article about Turkeys Foreign Policy, In Syria and Libya the Turkish government was forced to choose between si ding with a regime slaughtering its own people and backing a disorganized opposition in its heroic if clouded efforts to democratize and humanize the governing process, (Falk, 2012). At the time when the crisis began in Syria, Turkey started to have a direct involvement in order to solve the crisis. The Turkish government suggested several ways to solve the Syrian problems but the Assads regime rejected. Several months later, Turkey started to ask basher Al-Asad to leave power, (Casilon). Overall, the dependency theorists have asserted that capitalist system did not exist to help poor countries to evolve. It is obvious that states in the center are going to use capitalism and democracy to intervene in other countries economical and political affairs. Even though, within the metropolis states there is a class distinction, which resulted in dividing the society between rich and poor. The rich people in both center and periphery are cooperating with each other in order to maintain the system to work in their interest. Hobsons theory asserts that industrialized countries are going to have overproduction, which cannot be consumed at home, so the state is going to be forced by entrepreneurs to find new markets for over-produced goods. Turkey, a new industrialized country is an example of imperialist countries in 21st century. Turkey through its great economic position started to involve in its neighbors political and economical affairs. Turkish society like other capitalist societies divided in two groups, rich and poor. Turkey needs new markets to sell its over-produced goods and for this purpose they want to use the current crisis in Europe and the Middle East to help them intervene in other countries domestic issues. Work Cited Amin , Samir. Imperialism and Globalization. Monthly Review. N.p., n.d. Web. Feb 3rd, 2013. . Baysal, Ercan. Neighbors seek Turkish investments to stem joblessness. TODAYS ZAMAN. (2013)Web.9 Feb. 2013. . Brewer, Anthony. Marxist Theories Of Imprialism, A critical Survey. 2nd Edition. Routledge, 1990. eBook. Carbaugh, Robert. Global Economics. 13th Edition. Cengage Learning, 2008. 211-212. Print. Cecillon, Julien. Turkey and the struggle for Syria: time for accountability. Near East Quarterly. (2012): n. page. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. . Diamond, Larry. Political Culture and Democracy in Developing Countries. United States of America: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1993. 261-264. Print. Falk, Richard. Turkeys Foreign Policy: Zero Problems with Neighbors Revisited . Foreign Policy Journal. (2012): n. page. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.

Steve Huey :: essays research papers

Omaha, AR(DE)- Amazingly the act to end one’s life ultimately saved it. "Steve Huey" was suffering from an inoperable and fatal brain tumor. Doctors had given him only two months to live, so Huey decided to end It sooner rather than face the pain. He wrote a suicide note and then placed the gun to his head and shot. Later, friends found him on the floor in a pool of blood. They called the ambulance and within hours, Huey was up and walking around. "His sense of humor was amazing, but even more amazing is his luck," remarked his doctor. The chances of him shooting out his brain tumor are 254 million to one. The bullet missed all of the vital parts of the brain and shot out the tumor. Friends and family have urged Huey to put his luck to good use and buy lots of lottery tickets. "I tell him everyday ‘go buy a lottry ticket’ and ‘go bet on a horse’, but he just won’t do it. Sometimes he can be so stubborn," said a close friend. Doctors are cautioning to other terminal patients not to try what Huey did. They say there is no way that they help themselves, they will harm themselves severely. Huey is currently writing a book and is planning a national book signing tour. Also in the works, a movie and a sitcom based on his story. "I am a very lucky guy and I plan to turn this mirale into some serious cash for myself," said Huey in an exclusive interview. An auction is also in the works that will sell the gun, the hosptal bill, and the tumor itself. Any collector will love to own this tumor and should be willing to spend lots of money for it," added Huey. Ice Cream Filled Grand Canyon Mexico City, Mexico(DE) - At the annual conference for the American Citizens For A Better Grand Canyon Group (ACFABGCG), attendees decided that the only way to attract more people to the Grand Canyon would be to fill the natural woder with ice cream. Twenty millions gallons of ice cream will be needed to maintain a full level everyday. It is hoped that this will help Arizona's ice cream manufacturing plants and a fee will also be passed for anyone that looks at the Grand Canyon. In other Grand Canyon developments, a vote narrowly failed to build an amusement park at the bottom under all the ice cream.

HR Generalists vs. Specialist Essay

Working in construction teaches you a good deal of generalist versus specialist management. It is often understood that general managers are what hold the projects together; however, the specialists are who get the job done. Similar to this functionality, human resource management also struggles to decipher the value of both types of managers. Whether it is in construction, accounting, finance, business administration, health care, law, etc., there are always individuals who obtain knowledge on different levels. Having less knowledge of a particular specialty doesn’t make them less valuable. In my professional opinion, I believe the value of a generalist and a specialist are more often based on the volume of the project or organization. Timothy Bartram and his fellow colleagues discuss these relationships in their article titled â€Å"Editors’ Note: Specialist Versus Generalist Managerial Roles in HRM.† Bartram collects a few articles by various authors to convey what happens in the corporate world between these positions. From my understanding, the authors of this article are advocating for the HR specialists of the world. They find that the specialists often get bullied by the general managers because of their perfectionism. According to the authors, human resource generalists focus more on the rate of productions while HR specialists focus on protecting the organization from legal liability (Bartram, 2013). Since in most case, the specialists report to the general manager, it is common for the general manager to feel superior; however, Bartram and his colleagues beg to differ. Although they seem to be the voice of the HR specialists, they are in no way undermining the work of HR generalists. In the second article I read the authors Steven J. Cesare and Coleen Thornton discuss the importance of both managerial positions and their responsibilities. Though they may not have intended to, they’re article seems to suggest that generalists are more anxious to climb the corporate ladder while specialists work to achieve their own goal and recognition from their peer specialists. This is an interesting argument and relatively true in many cases. I, also, have come to learn that generalists more often seek the approval and applause of their superior while specialists are more interested in being innovative and furthering their knowledge. Cesare and Thornton mention how individuals evaluate themselves as either position according to their education versus their profession. For example, if an individual obtains a degree in  engineering and works as a project manager, they consider themselves an engineer which is the specialty while a project manager is more general. Vice versa, people also identify themselves as their profession over their academic degree.

Anthropology 101 Research Paper

Komron Sabbagh Prof. Rowe Anthropology 101 March 25, 2013 Elderly Human â€Å"Y† Chromosome The unearthing and examination of a tremendously infrequent African American â€Å"Y† chromosome goes back in time with regards to the most recent common ancestor for the â€Å"Y† chromosome ancestry to 338,000 years ago. This period exists even older than the age of the most eldest known structurally contemporary human fossils.University of Arizona geneticists have revealed the most ancient known hereditary subdivision of the human â€Å"Y† chromosome — the genetic factor which determines the male sex. The new differing pedigree, which was discovered in a male human being who presented his DNA to â€Å"Family Tree DNA†, a company which concentrates on DNA investigation to locate family roots, separated from the â€Å"Y† chromosome tree before the very first presence of physically current individuals in the record of fossils. These effects are p rinted in the American Journal of Human Genetics.Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology stated that, â€Å"Our analysis indicates this lineage diverged from previously known Y chromosomes about 338,000 ago, a time when anatomically modern humans had not yet evolved. This pushes back the time the last common Y chromosome ancestor lived by almost 70 percent. † Dissimilar to the added human chromosomes, the common â€Å"Y† chromosome doesn’t barter heritable information with other chromosomes; this makes it a lot more straightforward and scientists can truly discover familial associations amid modern ancestries.If two â€Å"Y† chromosomes transmit an identical mutation, it is most likely since they divide a communal forefather at some particular period in the precedent. The further mutations which differ amongst two Y chromosomes, the farther back in history the mutual antecedent existed. Initially , a DNA sample acquired from an African American existing in South Carolina was succumbed to the National Geographic Genographic Project. When none of the hereditary indicators used to dispense ancestries to identified â€Å"Y† chromosome consortiums were found, the DNA sample was guided to â€Å"Family Tree DNA† for organizing.Fernando Mendez, who is a postdoctoral scholar in Hammer's laboratory, controlled the attempt to investigate the DNA sequence, which comprised of over 240,000 base pairs of the Y chromosome. Hammer claimed that â€Å"the most striking feature of this research is that a consumer genetic testing company identified a lineage that didn't fit anywhere on the existing Y chromosome tree, even though the tree had been constructed based on perhaps a half-million individuals or more. Nobody expected to find anything like this. At around 300,000 years ago; this was the period of time in which the Neanderthals are thought to have fragmented from the famili al human descent. It was not until more than 100,000 years in the future that functionally recent humans seem to be in the fossil record. They vary from the more antiquated forms by a more frivolously constructed skeleton; this includes a lesser face pushed underneath a tall forehead, the lack of a cranial ridge and slighter chins. Hammer stated that the recently exposed â€Å"Y† chromosome dissimilarity is tremendously occasional.Through the use of great databank explorations, his group ultimately was capable of discovering a comparable chromosome in the Mbo, which is a populace living in a petite region of western Cameroon in the sub-Saharan part of Africa. â€Å"This was surprising because previously the most diverged branches of the Y chromosome were found in traditional hunter-gatherer populations such as Pygmies and the click-speaking KhoeSan, who are considered to be the most diverged human populations living today.Instead, the sample matched the Y chromosome DNA of 1 1 men, who all came from a very small region of western Cameroon,† Hammer explains. â€Å"And the sequences of those individuals are variable, so it's not like they all descended from the same grandfather. † Hammer restraints against prevalent notions of â€Å"mitochondrial Eve† or â€Å"Y chromosome Adam† which propose that all of humanity was derived from precisely one couple of individuals that lived at a particular point in human biological evolution. There has been too much emphasis on this in the past,† Hammer says. â€Å"It is a misconception that the genealogy of a single genetic region reflects population divergence. Instead, our results suggest that there are pockets of genetically isolated communities that together preserve a great deal of human diversity. † Nevertheless, Hammer explains that, â€Å"It is likely that other divergent lineages will be found, whether in Africa or among African-Americans in the U. S. and that some of t hese may further increase the age of the Y chromosome ree. † He further clarifies: â€Å"There has been a lot of hype with people trying to trace their Y chromosome to different tribes, but this individual from South Carolina can say he did it. † The investigation originated by the mutual labors of a private business, the â€Å"Family Tree DNA,† the struggles of a resident scientist, Bonnie Schrack, and the research proficiencies at the UA. â€Å"Human Y Chromosome Much Older Than Previously Thought. † ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 04 Mar. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

Wreak and Pique Revisited

Wreak and Pique Revisited Wreak and Pique Revisited Wreak and Pique Revisited By Maeve Maddox A plaintive email from a reader has prompted this post on these two misused and abused rhyming verbs: A new civil trialis poised to wreck havoc on the 100-year-old institutions reputation. Shouldnt that be wreak? And shouldnt My interest was peaked be My interest was piqued†? I see that everywhere it seems. Though peaked might be an okay substitute- it sort of means something similar. 1. Yes, the phrase should be â€Å"to wreak havoc.† 2. No, peaked is not an okay substitute for piqued. In modern usage, wreak [REEK] is a transitive verb usually followed by a limited number of object words that include vengeance, havoc, and damage. Storms are the most common wreakers. The past tense form is wreaked [REEKT]. Here are some examples of wreak being used correctly: Tropical storm Arthur expected to wreak havoc on East Coast Storms wreaking havoc across UK Northeasters also wreaked damage in 1991 and 1992. January Jones Discusses Wreaking Vengeance in the Sundance Film ‘Sweetwater’ The word pique [PEEK], as both noun and verb, has more than one meaning. The verb’s most common use is in the sense of stimulate or arouse. The past form is piqued [PEEKT]. Here are some examples in which the verb is spelled correctly: The request piqued my interest and I began what has become a continuing search for documentaries relating to the Comanches. Foreign cricket players hope to pique Lebanese interest New Study Provides Insight into How Piquing Curiosity Changes Our Brains It’s not surprising when entertainment site comments and self-published novels contain errors like these: I still have the feeling that Stavros is alive and the two of them will connect and reek havoc on Pt. Charles. It’s my understanding that you have been using him to wreck vengeance on the descendants of the clergy, and soldiers of New France because of some perceived wrong doing [sic]. I thought [Grimm] was ok. Ill probably keep watching, but the pilot didnt peak my interest right from the start. As one does expect news sources and professional publications to use words correctly, the following errors are less tolerable: Gov. Martin OMalley declared a state of emergency one day before a winter  storm  is  expected to wreck havoc  in Maryland- Baltimore Post Examiner. If  they  come from violent and abusive homes, children learn to be violentwill grow up to  wreck vengeance  on themselves and those around  them.- Social justice site. Four houses destroyed by fire and lightning as the weekends thunderstorms wrecked havoc across Britain- Daily Mail. Extremely high rain soaked [sic] winds wrecked havoc by downing trees and disrupting schools and traffic in the Bay Area- ABC News. All the teachers are engaging and do their best to peak the interest of the student.- Site advertising private school in Washington DC. Though we were enjoying a near perfect day in Oakland, hearing the name Birmingham not only peaked his interest but also placed him back on the Jim Crow bus system in Alabama.- Huffington Post columnist. Misspelling pique is perhaps more understandable than misspelling wreak because peak, peek, and pique are all pronounced the same. Pronunciation offers no excuse for mixing up wreak [REEK] and wreck [REK], however. Bottom line: Speakers who care about the language don’t require excuses for misspelling words they use in daily speech. They learn the differences. Related posts: Wreck, Wreak, and Other [rek/reek] Words Reeking and Wreaking Please, Let Your Interest Be Piqued Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?1,462 Basic Plot Types

The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia

The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia Introduction The Internet has introduced a wide range of opportunities for organizations, businesses, and citizens in terms of communication, cooperation, and social interaction. Being one of the greatest contributions, it has also presented new options and services that can substitute physical infrastructures with online presence of the above-mentioned systems. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Certainly, such innovation has considerably improved social and cultural interaction, yet some countries are in extreme need of these introductions that significantly them from successfully communicating at the international level. Public and private organizations, government, and citizens in Saudi Arabia also realize the core benefits of using the virtual space for overcoming the problems with delivering services, selling products, and co mpeting with other, more progressive international companies (Al-Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu, 2010). Unfortunately, the problem is that not all online services available for the Arab users are worth relying on, which creates the problems of confidentiality, security, and credibility of information delivered online (Aladwani, 2003, p. 18). Specifically, the Saudi websites are commonly created by the governmental organs and ministries, banking systems, and educational establishments that can offer high-quality online services. Other economic segments, such as e-customer services, attorney services, healthcare services, renewing passports services are not developed enough in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the identified gaps through the analysis of existing services in Saudi Arabia and those in other countries to evaluate the level of Internet adoption and define the area that should be more advanced in that matter.Advertising Looking for research pape r on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introducing the Sites Already Available in Saudi Arabia The adoption of electronic services in Saudi Arabia is largely carried out by governmental and banking infrastructures as presented by Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (2011), Saudi Government (Online Services, 2011), Portal of Ministry of Health (Electronic Services, 2011), Ministry of Higher Education (2011), etc. All these websites are secured enough to provide valid information. As per the other sectors, insufficient attention is paid to the problems of insurance, confidentiality, and accessibility for commercial activities performed online. It should also be stressed that the contemporary community can offer a wide array of online services among which are those that are not available in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the increasing rates of globalization process have had a potent impact on the commercial system in the country. According to Oxford Business Group (n. d.), a 2008 period was marked by significant rise of customers using phone handsets to purchase product and services. Increasing potential is observed within Business-to-Consumers (B2C) e-commerce environment that creates greater opportunities for global integration and for penetrating to the international market (Oxford Business Group, n. d.). Overall evaluation of existing problems. The studies presented by Al-Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu (2010) shed light on existing problems in the sphere of online services whose accessibility is not of the highest level. Particularly, the researchers identify the major problems of Internet adoption. One of such problem consists in presence of a considerable gap between the increasing number of internet users and development of security systems for online databases. Similar challenges are considered by Aladwani (2003) who believes that the purchasing power of the Arab world currently depen ds on the quality and availability of online services. However, specific political, cultural, and religious ideology negatively contributes to improving the situation. More importantly, the research suggests that improper analysis of language, traditions, history, and values established in the Arab countries makes it impossible to define the main what improvement should be made to reach greater accessibility and security. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another problem is that Saudi Arabia does not have enough resources for creating a well-secured online system ensuring great potential and options of Internet users. In this respect, both Aladwani (2003) and Al-Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu (2010) are more concerned with shortcomings of online system which is more oriented on governmental and political needs. E-government websit es and online banking infrastructures In the studies provided by Abanumy, Al-Badi, and Mayhew, P. (2005), the problem of e-government accessibility is evaluated in terms of guidelines provided, tools applied, and underpinnings of human factors introduced. While evaluating these key areas, the researchers try to outline the problems connected with the integration of Information and Communication Technology aimed at improving the agencies service and enhancing the internal development of the organization. The introduction of more advanced communication technologies will contribute greatly to transforming e-government websites and making them more citizen-oriented. Impetuous diffusion of the Internet has dramatically changed the distribution channels utilized by the financial systems. Many banking infrastructures are currently referring to online technologies much more frequently in order to provide customers with wider opportunities to participate in retail banking operations (Aladwa ni, 2003; Al-Somali, Gholami, and Clegg, 2009). According to Al-Somali, Gholami, and Clegg (2009) â€Å"round-the-clock availability and ease of transactions and avoidance of queues and restrictive branch operating hours† are the basic reasons for preferring online presence to the physical ones while carrying specific banking procedures (p. 1). Importantly, the studies also prove the idea that social influences and reluctance to change significantly prevent the banking website from normal functioning. With regard to this, extreme necessity for the introduction of online services to all spheres of life is predetermined by the rigid competition on the e-market arena. According to the Oxford Business Group (n. d.), online â€Å"[a]ccession has led to the creation of new laws for all sectors from banking and insurance to telecoms and distributions, enabling the creation of a plethora of new companies† (p. 39). Interpreting this, the country will be able to stand a compe tition only when effective online services are introduced.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Exploring Online Services Offered in Other Countries Though Saudi Arabia gradually enters online infrastructure, the Internet adoption considerably lags behind other developed countries, such as the United States, Australia, and European countries. The explicit gaps exist in the sphere of passport renewal, e-commerce, legal considerations, and healthcare system. The broadband in Saudi Arabia is not developed enough to introduce renewing passport and driving license services, which is heavily practiced in the United States (Travel.State.Gov, n. d; Australian Government, n. d.). Hence, the service enables the users to renew their passports via e-mail by fulfilling a number of simple procedures. This introduction would greatly contribute to the online communication systems developed in Saudi Arabia and provide more opportunities for the Arab women who can freely participate in certain procedures without male’s consent. With regard to the above, Gibbs, Kraemer and Dedrick (2003) present a comparative analysis of political environment impacting the formation of global e-marketing to reveal that Business-to-Business commerce is usually caused by external, or global forces whereas Business-to-Customers marketing is more determined by local influences. Despite global orientation, international companies still pay closer attention to the individual demands and local diversity issues to work out more effective strategies of online marketing (Oxford Business Group, n. p.). Therefore, the primary focus should be made on considering consumer values and preferences, national culture and peculiarities and distribution system that differ considerably across countries and these differences identify the global perspectives of development. In addition, Gibbs, Kraemer and Dedrick (2003) insist on the idea that telecommunication optimization seems to have the most tangible impact on e-marketing by providing more affordable Internet access both to consumers and firms. As a result, the necessity for introducing consistent system of e-commerce legislation is indispensible to favorable development of online services in Saudi Arabia. In general, a cross-country examination of the e-commerce websites as well as quality and security of information delivered online provides a clearer picture of existing gaps in Saudi online services systems in terms of options and demands. Specific emphasis should be placed on considering customer’s needs and preferences, cultural peculiarities, and security and reliability of online network in Saudi Arabia. Gaps to be fulfilled in the sphere of online services Due to the fact that the Internet usage is dramatically increasing in Saudi Arabia, many government ministries and leading companies have an Internet presence and, therefore, new e-commerce strategies should be adapted to meet social and cultural challenges, specifically those caused by Western influences. First of all, direct cost, extensive investments, a nd introduction of active business models will be the best contribution to advancement of online services quality in Saudi Arabia (Aichholzer G., Schmutzer R., 2000, p. 380). In addition, e-marketing strategies should also be oriented on creating effective advertising campaigns that would attract more consumers who are the core indicators of marketing success. Without consumers’ demand, e-commerce will be nothing, but a bulk of hardware and software platforms. Second, online website should involve more people to participate in online forums and discussions where each question asked by a consumer should be immediately answered by online operators. With regard to this, human resource management should be adopted to provide a sufficient support to customers and create a more reliable ground for seller-buyer interaction within the virtual space. Third, the above-presented review of sources provides more reasons for integrating more effective e-commerce law as established in co untries having more experience in online marketing. Summary of Reviewed Literature In literature review section, such aspects as analysis of existing online services, assessment of e-government and online banking infrastructures in Saudi Arabia have been examined to relate them to the global trends of Internet adoption. A cross-country analysis contributes to presenting the most sophisticate problems and challenges that Saudi Arabia online services currently face. While assessing the current options, the review has also provided a number of gaps to be fulfilled in online systems in terms of accessibility, quality and credibility of information delivered, and options offered. The results of literature review and surveys have shown that significant emphasis should be put on creating e-commerce infrastructures regulated by e-commerce legislature, websites offering the attorney services, and sites providing other specific services, such as passport renewing and drive licensing. Saudi government should be aware of the benefits offered by the virtual space and in order to introduce technological advancement in the identified spheres, it is imperative to re-consider political, social, and cultural issues that have a potent impact on the formation of a more globalized online services system. Reference List Abanumy, A., Al-Badi, A., and Mayhew, P. (2005). E-Government Website Accessibility: In-Depth Evaluation of Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. 3(3), pp. 96-106. Aichholzer G., Schmutzer R., (2000). Organizational Challenges to the Development of Electronic Government, IEEE Press, pp. 379-383. Aladwani, A. M. (2003). Key Internet Characteristics and e-commerce issues in Arab Countries. Information Technology People. 16(1), pp. 9-20. Al-Ghaith, W., Sanzogni, L., and Sandhu, K. (2010). Factors Influencing the Adoption and Usage of Online Services in Saudi Arabia. EJIDC, 40(1), pp. 1-32 Al-Somali, S. A., Gholami, R., and Clegg, B. (2009, August). An Investigation into the Acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia. Technovation. 29(2), pp. 130-141. Australian Government (n. d.) Renewing an Australian Adult Passport. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved from https://www.passports.gov.au/web/renewal/index.aspx Dwivedi, Y. K. and Weerakkody, V. (2007). Examining the Factors Affecting the Adoption of Broadband in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Electronic Government, an International Journal. 4(1), pp. 43-58. Electronic Services (2011). Portal of Minister of Health. Retrieved from moh.gov.sa/en/Pages/Default.aspx Gibbs, J., Krammer, L. K., and Dedrick, (2003). Environment and Policy Factors Shaping Global E-Commerce Diffusion: A Cross Country Comparison. The Information Society: An International Journal. 19(1), pp. 5-18. Ministry of Higher Education. (2011) Ministry of Higher Education. Retrieved from mohe.gov.sa/ar/pages/default.aspx Online Services. (2011). Saudi Government. saudi.gov.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/ c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDCyPHYE8TIwN_s1BXA08jrxAfP0sXYyNnA_3g1Dz9gmxHRQAgjys4/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/mcit/MCIT_en/Home/StaticContent/GovOnlineServicesDisplay Oxford Business Group (n. d.) The Report: Saudi Arabia 2008. UK: Oxford Business Group. Travel.State.Gov (n. d.). Renew Passport. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved from http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. (2011). Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. Retrieved from sama.gov.sa/sites/SAMAEN/Pages/Home.aspx Annotated Bibliography Abanumy, A., Al-Badi, A., and Mayhew, P. (2005). E-Government Website Accessibility: In-Depth Evaluation of Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. 3(3), pp. 96-106. In order to understand the level of e-government accessibility, the researchers from the School of Computing Sciences have studied three core aspects of online government accessibility, namely, guidelines, tools applied, and implication of human factors contributing t o successful introduction of e-Government websites. In addition, the paper briefly overviews evaluation methods, accessibility guidelines and analyzes tools attached to e-Government websites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the site is of high relevance for the research paper because it outlines the current situation and availability of online services ensuring the communication between the government and its citizens. Aladwani, A. M. (2003). Key Internet Characteristics and e-commerce issues in Arab Countries. Information Technology People. 16(1), pp. 9-20. The study is dedicated to the analysis of the Internet usage in Arab countries. The researcher comments on the basic Internet characteristics of e-commerce in the identified regions and introduces the challenges that the Arab users face while applying for online services. The results of the study have revealed that the Arab world still has much work to be done to fulfill an available range of Internet services. Al-Gha ith, W., Sanzogni, L., and Sandhu, K. (2010). Factors Influencing the Adoption and Usage of Online Services in Saudi Arabia. EJIDC, 40(1), pp. 1-32. The researchers from the Griffith Business School use data obtained from 651 participants by using survey questionnaires and base their study on the diffusion of innovations theory in order to prove the hypothesis that complexity is the most crucial factor influencing the adoption of online services in KSA, which is also accompanied by such problems as Compatibility and Privacy. In addition, the research has identified the risk of quality of the Internet usage because it significantly prevents the online services from effectively integrating into the management system in Saudi Arabia. The study itself presents credible information because it is based both on practical information and theoretical frameworks. Al-Somali, S. A., Gholami, R., and Clegg, B. (2009, August). An Investigation into the Acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia . Technovation. 29(2), pp. 130-141. The scholars of Aston Business school refer to the technology acceptance model and important control varieties for the purpose of examining the core factors affecting the adoption of the online banking system and evaluating the behavior of 400 customers. According to the results, such aspects as awareness of benefits of online banking, quality of online communication, computer self-efficacy, and social influence are crucial element identifying the usefulness and acceptance of online banking. Dwivedi, Y. K. and Weerakkody, V. (2007). Examining the Factors Affecting the Adoption of Broadband in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Electronic Government, an International Journal. 4(1), pp. 43-58. The researcher examine the main reasons for slow adoption of the internet usage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and analyze the quality of online quality and connection, usefulness and usage, type of accommodation and connection as the main factors. In addition, the study mainly focuses on social and cultural influences to explain what research limitations, implication, and future directions exist for the development of broadband in Saudi Arabia.

Public Key Infrastructure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public Key Infrastructure - Case Study Example It is an accretion of technology, set-up and practices that empower extensive scale utilization of public key cryptography to give validness, confidentiality integrity, and non-repudiation facilities. It offers certainty of value in data sent and received naturally and the source and end of the information. Information that contains a public key structure can be used as evidence before the court of law. Components of the public key infrastructure maintain a high security of emails and other information components of an organization. The structural functioning of public key infrastructure is that it utilizes digital signatures, digital certificates, encryption, certificate revocation, authorities, and storage when sending an email (Chapple & Ballad, 2014). The functions of public key infrastructure are significant in the current work of technology. Some of its functions are public key cryptography, certificate issuance, certificate validation and certificate revocation. Public key cryptography is the utilization of a pair of algorithmically interrelated cryptographic keys. In the event, that one key is utilized to encrypt data, and then just the related key can decode that data. If a person knows one of the keys, they can without much strain ascertain what the other one is. A public key that is exposed to numerous people, but a private key is made known to its owner who upholds its secrecy and integrity strictly. Therefore, in a public system, it is important for one to have both the public key and the corresponding private key. The significance of the private key is that it enables one to prove who they claim to be. Public key cryptography is being applied in, amongst others, the IT security discipline data security. Data safety is c oncerned with all elements of securing electronic data resources against security threats. Public key cryptography is utilized as a system for guaranteeing the privacy, legitimacy and

Virtual Teams. Eastern Europe Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virtual Teams. Eastern Europe - Assignment Example A good way to determine which are best investment locations within Eastern Europe is by comparing the gross domestic product per capita of the Eastern European countries. The countries with the top three gross domestic products per capita in Eastern Europe are Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The corresponding gross domestic product per capita of each of these countries is illustrated in the table below. Country Gross domestic product per capita Slovenia $27,149 Czech Republic $21,028 Slovakia $17,630 (Globalpropertyguide). The country with the highest gross domestic product per capita could be considered the most attractive location by a lot of business analyst because the customers in that country have higher buying power. Another important variable to consider are the market and industries that the country has to offer. In Slovenia the service industry accounts for 64% of Slovenia gross domestic product and manufacturing and mining are key economic sectors (CultureGrams). T he majorities of companies in Slovakia are state control which leads to a lot of inefficiencies. Tourism in the Czech Republic is a booming industry. The Czech Republic is the best selection among the different Eastern European nations. This country has a diversified industry segment which includes glass, metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and armaments (CultureGrams). The use of virtual teams can help companies achieve better business results. The target country the company selected is the Czech Republic. Since the company does not have any experience in the Czech Republic marketplace the firm should contract a consultant to help them in the process of selecting the virtual team. A local firm that specializes in human resources would be very helpful to access the local talent for the virtual team. The team is going to be composed of 8 people. The company is going to include two managers from its corporate headquarters. The remaining six members will be selected amo ng the local population. Each member will have different academic backgrounds. The six professionals the company will select for the virtual team include an engineer, accountant, marketing specialist, researcher, lawyer, and a scientist. The virtual team will work together to analyze the best business opportunities available in the Czech Republic. The goal of the firm is to achieve market growth by expanding into other markets. The virtual team will utilize multiple technological tools and devices to communicate with each other. The online service Skype will be used as the primary communication tool for team meetings. Skype allows people to communicate while at the same time seeing a video stream of the person. All team members will have smartphones. A smartphone such as an Iphone enables its users to transfer data files from phone to phone. One of the cultural differences between the United States and the Czech Republic is the fact that in the United States the official language is English and the Czech Republic the official language is Slavic. It is important for the American members of the virtual team to understand the customs and traditions of the Czech Republic. For instance in the Czech Republic it is customary go greet a person by shaking hands firmly and saying their last names. In the virtual setting the managers must remember to use the last names of the person. First names are only used among relatives and family members. Another sign of respect in the workplace is addressing both men and women by their professional title. The probability of success of the team depends on a lot of factors. One of the most important aspects of the virtual team project is to have excellent communications among the team

Television and Cultural Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Television and Cultural Change - Essay Example One can dispute this claim by looking at the UK TV programme, ‘Crossroads’. With time, the definition of social classes has become dilute, as people no longer act in ways that show their social belonging. This paper seeks to explore the history of social class, taste and capitalism. At the end, be able to establish whether there is a link between the different phenomena. In the twelfth century, most people lived in, the villages, as opposed to the few who lived in the towns. The town dwellers consisted of skilled labourers who the nobles paid for their upkeep for the various jobs they did. A great pandemic reduced the population significantly and led to few skilled labourers in towns. The nobles wooed people from the villages to come work in the towns by giving the skilled labourers a wage for the work done. With time, skilled labourers in the towns became rich, were able to leave the skilled labour, and became traders. This led to the development of trade to the extent that different nations traded with each other. Merchants came up, and they started investing their money to buy goods and sell them in a different place. This was how capitalism started and developed. Capitalism is a financial system where individuals or corporations solely do investment and make profits. In this economy, the private sector has the right to produce, dispense and exchange wealth without any interference. In capitalism, the government does not control or interfere with the making or distribution of the wealth of individuals (Holland, 1997). The system that controls the economy is the market prices of the goods as well as the profits incurred. Unlike the working class, the people that belong to the capitalism class do not get wages and money for their abilities. Instead, the capitalism class gets money and profits from what they produce and

The Impact of Globalization on Labour Markets with a Focus on the Gulf Dissertation

The Impact of Globalization on Labour Markets with a Focus on the Gulf Area - Dissertation Example Presentation and Analysis of Data---------------------------------------------p.39 6. Scope and Limitations-------------------------------------------------------------p.57 7. Summary and Conclusions------------------------------------------------------p.58 "The impact of globalization on labour markets with a focus on the Gulf area including Saudi Arabia" Introduction Statement of the problem Labour is an important component of the economic fabric of a society, the other major components being, capital, market, and the state that monitors them (Jessop, 2002, p.11). Jessop (2002) has also come forward to remind the crucial fact that there are also â€Å"non-market mechanisms of various kind† that have a role to play in the inter-relationships between these four components. And any study of any of the components involved has been becoming more complex in the context of globalization. This is so because globalisation is politically, socially, economically and culturally redrawin g national boundaries. Jessop (2002) has described the basic cause of the complexity of globalisation as a social phenomenon in the following lines: â€Å"As capital accumulation expands on an increasingly global scale, its dynamics become more ecologically dominant in shaping the overall evolution of social systems and the life world† (p.11). ... Topics which have an integral connection with labour but neglected until then, came to the fore after the formation of ILO. This also necessitated a new legal framework to be built as well. Such topics include: Fundamental rights (freedom of association, collective bargaining, equality in employment), conditions of work, child labour, protection of women workers, hours of work, labour inspection, vocational guidance and training, social security protection and occupational health and safety (Craig and Lynk, 2006, p.19). From the above discussion, it can be seen that labour, which is a social system by itself, also will not go unaffected by its environment. And labour being a crucial component of the economy, it will need to have a close encounter with globalisation, which is mostly the globalisation of the economy. According to International Labour Organisation, two major concerns in connection with labour and globalisation have now arisen-how mobility imparted by globalisation affec ts labour across national boundaries, and â€Å"whether existing labour institutions would be sufficient to safeguard ...[the]...fundamental rights† of the trans-national migrant labourers (qtd. In Stalker, 2000, p.11 of the foreword). The practical way to address these two concerns is by reforming labour laws and this process has been going on by taking the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which was â€Å"promulgated† in 1998 (Craig and Lynk, 2006, p.19). Some interesting questions in this context can be, is labour making use of new communication technologies to consolidate itself internationally, is domestic and international labour laws really being

Electoral College Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Electoral College Reform - Research Paper Example The Electoral College is the system used in the United States to elect its presidents. Generally, an electoral college refers to a set of electors with the mandate to elect a candidate to an office. Members of an Electoral College represent various interest groups or organizations with their votes weighted in specific ways. In countries where electoral colleges are used, the wishes of the general membership of a country or an entity is often ignored since the members of an electoral college are not only regarded as important but also as of the ideal wisdom needed to make better choices than the larger population. Though dating back to the historical times, there are several cases of modern electoral colleges in countries with complex regional electorates, which prefer Electoral College elections to the rather direct popular elections. The United States is perhaps the only modern state in which presidents are elected indirectly through the Electoral College system. In the U.S., the el ectors in the Electoral College represent the 50 states and the federal district of Columbia. However, each state is accorded electors corresponding to its total congressional representation in both houses. In addition to these electors, the non-state District of Columbia has three electors. In the U.S where the law requires one to marshal 270 electoral votes to win the presidency, the Electoral College generally votes for whichever contender wins the popular vote in each state (Bugh 67). This paper explores the reform needs in the Electoral College system used in U.S presidential election. Although cases of conflict with the popular vote are rather rare, having been reported only three times in over 200 years, the Electoral College system has been deemed as requiring reforms despite its being a time-honored system because of its likelihood to conflict with popular vote. Electoral College Reform Proposals Several proposals or reform options have been suggested regarding the need to reform the Electoral College in the U.S. First, the Electoral College could be reformed by altering the organization of the states in the U.S. That is, the territory should be re-divided into equally sized 50 bodies with roughly equal populations. An advantage of this proposal is that it would end the over-representation of small states and the under-representation of big states in U.S presidential and senate voting. Further, this proposal will not do away with the Electoral College; rather, it will preserve and ensure the continued existence of the unique federal system and the Electoral College (Bugh 67). In addition, there will still be a balance of authority among different government levels. What is more, the states should be re-districted after every census. However, there are several challenges and disadvantages associated with these proposals. For instance, local authorities and residents would have to deal with the shifting state procedures and laws. The other reform option s for the Electoral College system in the U.S include direct election followed by instant runoffs, proportional allocation of electoral votes, and direct vote with plurality rule, congressional district method, and national bonus plan (Ross & Will 165). Direct Election with Runoff With or without the Electoral College, instant runoff voting is a highly recommended approach to elections in the U.S. In this system, voters would be required to rank their preferred candidates so that in case no candidate emerges a clear winner and whoever has the lowest number of votes is automatically eliminated. Counting begins again during which second choice votes, which indicate the eliminated candidate as first choice are tallied. This process continues until a candidate with majority votes emerges. This system has the advantage of reducing time and resource wastages. The hallmark of most of the proposed replacements of the Electoral Col

Sleepy in Motel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sleepy in Motel - Case Study Example area; (2) no advertisement; (3) no recreational facilities; and (4) does not scan his environment to adapt and adjust to the demands of the target market. The objective of Mr. Huang is to increase occupancy rate, increase productivity and still maintain some independence. To achieve this, after identifying the root causes of the decrease in occupancy, Mr. Huang can address the problem by targeting the root causes, to wit: The location of Sleepy Inn Motel is just near the interstate highway with only two large promotional signs provided by the Tourist Bureau. In this regard, Mr. Huang must strategically place promotional signs indicating his best features and amenities (low price, clean, with new recreational facilities). Since the survey indicated that 78% of the visitors consider recreational facilities as important in their choice of accommodations, Mr. Huang must invest in providing recreation for visitors. He can survey cost effective sources of recreation which can increase revenues and not substantially increase expenses associated with maintenance of the recreational facilities. Scanning the environment requires taking into account the marketing strategies employed by his competitors within the area. He can offer the best price but without the needed amenities required by the visitors, he cannot compete. Actively promoting his service through local print and billboards will assist in making vi sitors aware of his location and what he is offering. In doing so, he can also adjust his price per day to a more competitive price to support the improvements he should do. By affiliating with either of the Daily Inn or Holiday Inn, Mr. Huang would definitely increase both occupancy rate and productivity but would not maintain independence. His operations would somehow be dictated by the terms that would be stipulated by the national motels. After evaluating the facts, Mr. Huang would be better off affiliating with Daily Inn because of the following factors: no

The Impact of Globalization on Labour Markets with a Focus on the Gulf Dissertation

The Impact of Globalization on Labour Markets with a Focus on the Gulf Area - Dissertation Example Presentation and Analysis of Data---------------------------------------------p.39 6. Scope and Limitations-------------------------------------------------------------p.57 7. Summary and Conclusions------------------------------------------------------p.58 "The impact of globalization on labour markets with a focus on the Gulf area including Saudi Arabia" Introduction Statement of the problem Labour is an important component of the economic fabric of a society, the other major components being, capital, market, and the state that monitors them (Jessop, 2002, p.11). Jessop (2002) has also come forward to remind the crucial fact that there are also â€Å"non-market mechanisms of various kind† that have a role to play in the inter-relationships between these four components. And any study of any of the components involved has been becoming more complex in the context of globalization. This is so because globalisation is politically, socially, economically and culturally redrawin g national boundaries. Jessop (2002) has described the basic cause of the complexity of globalisation as a social phenomenon in the following lines: â€Å"As capital accumulation expands on an increasingly global scale, its dynamics become more ecologically dominant in shaping the overall evolution of social systems and the life world† (p.11). ... Topics which have an integral connection with labour but neglected until then, came to the fore after the formation of ILO. This also necessitated a new legal framework to be built as well. Such topics include: Fundamental rights (freedom of association, collective bargaining, equality in employment), conditions of work, child labour, protection of women workers, hours of work, labour inspection, vocational guidance and training, social security protection and occupational health and safety (Craig and Lynk, 2006, p.19). From the above discussion, it can be seen that labour, which is a social system by itself, also will not go unaffected by its environment. And labour being a crucial component of the economy, it will need to have a close encounter with globalisation, which is mostly the globalisation of the economy. According to International Labour Organisation, two major concerns in connection with labour and globalisation have now arisen-how mobility imparted by globalisation affec ts labour across national boundaries, and â€Å"whether existing labour institutions would be sufficient to safeguard ...[the]...fundamental rights† of the trans-national migrant labourers (qtd. In Stalker, 2000, p.11 of the foreword). The practical way to address these two concerns is by reforming labour laws and this process has been going on by taking the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which was â€Å"promulgated† in 1998 (Craig and Lynk, 2006, p.19). Some interesting questions in this context can be, is labour making use of new communication technologies to consolidate itself internationally, is domestic and international labour laws really being

Sleepy in Motel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sleepy in Motel - Case Study Example area; (2) no advertisement; (3) no recreational facilities; and (4) does not scan his environment to adapt and adjust to the demands of the target market. The objective of Mr. Huang is to increase occupancy rate, increase productivity and still maintain some independence. To achieve this, after identifying the root causes of the decrease in occupancy, Mr. Huang can address the problem by targeting the root causes, to wit: The location of Sleepy Inn Motel is just near the interstate highway with only two large promotional signs provided by the Tourist Bureau. In this regard, Mr. Huang must strategically place promotional signs indicating his best features and amenities (low price, clean, with new recreational facilities). Since the survey indicated that 78% of the visitors consider recreational facilities as important in their choice of accommodations, Mr. Huang must invest in providing recreation for visitors. He can survey cost effective sources of recreation which can increase revenues and not substantially increase expenses associated with maintenance of the recreational facilities. Scanning the environment requires taking into account the marketing strategies employed by his competitors within the area. He can offer the best price but without the needed amenities required by the visitors, he cannot compete. Actively promoting his service through local print and billboards will assist in making vi sitors aware of his location and what he is offering. In doing so, he can also adjust his price per day to a more competitive price to support the improvements he should do. By affiliating with either of the Daily Inn or Holiday Inn, Mr. Huang would definitely increase both occupancy rate and productivity but would not maintain independence. His operations would somehow be dictated by the terms that would be stipulated by the national motels. After evaluating the facts, Mr. Huang would be better off affiliating with Daily Inn because of the following factors: no

Electronic Industry in Asean Essay Example for Free

Electronic Industry in Asean Essay Several factors make electronics a leading industry in South East Asia: 1. Possibilities of application – greatly impact the growth of economy and society of one particular country 2. The drop in the prices of important hardware Electronic industry is divided into two main category: industrial electronics and consumer electronics. Industrial electronics: 1. Servers 2. Telecommunications 3. Robots Consumer electronics: 1. Radios 2. TVs 3. Video, Music Media Players 4. Cell Phones 5. Tablet PCs and Laptops Risk in Electronics Industry mainly in high obsolescence (limited product life-cycle). Electronics production in ASEAN is mainly in the field of consumer products and components. The industry underwent considerable growth in 1970s and Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines had become important production bases. Main reasons that contribute development of electronic industry in ASEAN, from 1960s to 1980s: 1. Import Substitution Starting from 1960s to 1980s there were many import bans (protective barriers) for consumers in ASEAN countries. This also includes electronic products such as Televisions (BW and Color), Audio Stereo and Radio Cassette. Hence, Japanese corporations like Sony and Toshiba started to setup production plants, namely in Singapore and Malaysia in the early history of electronic industry in ASEAN. 2. Competition between Japanese States manufacturers. Earlier, due to quality control reasons, American manufacturers such as GoldStar (now bought over by LG) were reluctant to relocate their production plant to Asia. However, due decreasing component cost (especially production of electronic diode and cathode ray – important components for TVs at that time) from ASEAN Countries, they decided to create new plants in ASEAN – as a result, more schools in ASEAN are starting to open basic electronic education (unique opportunity for technology and knowledge transfer for ASEAN countries) 3. Changing in Industrial Policies The most pronounced change happened in Singapore after breaking up with the Federation of Malaysia in 1965. EDB was formed with the mission to find investors from US and Europe. Within 3 years, Singapore became the largest semi-conductor assembly in Asia. Electronic industry employed 2,400 people in 1968 to 35,000 in 1976 and 60,000 in 1984. In Malaysia, there was a New Economic Policy. Electronic industry was given a priority status – tax exemption was given in the first 7 years of business. Since Malaysia had more manpower as compared to Singapore, it took over the leading position in 1985 (General Electric employed 38,000 labour in West and East Malaysia). In Thailand, more and more citizens were exposed to Television and Radios. Hence, export of electronic goods represented up to 13% of annual exported products. In Indonesia, export-processing zone was opened in North Jakarta, however the ‘boom’ was not as huge as garment production over that period of time. 4. The growing demand for computer related equipment More government and private offices required Personal Computer and its equipment such as disk drives. Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, low wages alone do not create comparative advantage. In fact, countries that earned major foreign investments were Singapore and Malaysia, where wages, still are the highest in the region. In our findings, we believe that infrastructural environment in terms of transport telecommunications played an important role. In addition, political stability and industrial environments in terms of supporting firms in plastics, machinery, as well as the quality of manpower were crucial for the offshore production of new electronic products such as micro and minicomputers.

Scrotal PNET in an Adult Patient

Scrotal PNET in an Adult Patient TITLE: Scrotal PNET in an Adult Patient: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation. AUTHORS: M ª Gabriela Tirapu-de-Sagrario, Sandra Baleato-Gonzà ¡lez, Elena Pintos-Martà ­nez and Roberto Garcà ­a-Figueiras KEY WORDS: Neuroectodermal Tumors, Scrotum, Sarcoma, Groin, Inguinal Canal INTRODUCTION We report a, histologically confirmed, rare case of a peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET) originating from the scrotal sac in an adult patient. This report emphasizes the important role of pathology examination to reach final diagnosis on the basis of immunohistochemistry and electronic microscopy findings. Outcome depends upon the localization and staging of the tumour, age of the patient, histologic classification, extent of surgical resection and time to treatment. CASE REPORT An 84-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with an inguinoscrotal, irreducible, painless mass with a hard consistency, which had progressed over the last six months. There was no presence of urinary or intestinal symptoms. Alpha-Fetoprotein, beta-HCG and LDH values were found to be normal. The patient was subsequently referred to the Urology Departament and he underwent a pelvic MRI. It confirmed a 12x11x19 cm solid mass, which demonstrated central areas of necrosis and subtle amounts of haemorrhage (Figure 1). This mass demonstrated marked and heterogeneous enhancement after intravenous gadolinium administration as well as evidence of internal vascular flow. Both testes showed a normal morphology and signal on T2-weighted sequences (Figure 1). Surgical excision was performed by the Urology Service and they reported that the spermatic cord, femoral vessels and testes were displaced but not infiltrated by the mass (Figure 2A). Despite the fact that a sarcoma was the suggested dia gnosis on imaging, this case exhibited microscopic pathology features of a rare pPNET tumor in an unexpected location. The presence of neurosecretory granules in the electron microscopy (Figure 3) and the EWS-FLI1 traslocation confirmed the diagnosis. DISCUSSION pPNET is an uncommon tumor that belongs to the Ewing’s Sarcoma family of tumors (1-4). It is an aggressive neoplasm, with large size at presentation, which metastasizes rapidly and predominantly affects children and adolescents (1,3,5).The most common locations are: the chest wall, paraspinal area in the chest, abdomen and pelvis (7,8). Ellinger J, et al (1), performed a MEDLINE search identifying renal, bladder, prostate, ureter and seminal cord PNETs, Hari S et al (3) and Kim MS et al (9) also described kidney and retroperitoneum cases and even an uterus case was described by Peres E et al (10) but, to our knowledge, this is the first pPNET case which originated in the scrotal sac, independent of any organ. This tumor is extremely rare in adults and the clinical findings (large painful mass) do not help to distinguish a benign from a malignant tumor (11). At the presentation most of them grow as scrotal masses rather than inguinal masses because they usually originate just b elow the external inguinal ring (12). PNET tumor shows no specific imaging features, but radiological studies are useful to rule out other possible etiologies, to define the location of the tumor and its morphological characteristics as well as its distance extension (1,3,4). In order to diagnose PNET, and differentiate it from other tumors of the Ewing family, we need to demonstrate the expression of some neural markers on the inmunohistochemical stains, including neurofilament, NSE, Leu-7, vimentin, S-100, CD-56, chromogranin and synaptophysin (2). A definitive finding is the EWS-FLI1 traslocation and the presence of neurosecretory granules in electron microscopy (7,8). In conclusion, we present a histologically confirmed case of an extratesticular peripheral scrotal PNET, which possibly originated from a remnant of neuroectodermic cells of the neural crest. In a case like this one, with a huge genital mass, ultrasound and MRI are very useful modalities to assess the location of the mass, its dependency on any other organ and the tumoral internal structure. These will help us to suggest a possible differential diagnosis however the definitive diagnosis requires histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. REFERENCES Ellinger J, Bastian PJ, Hauser S, et al. Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor: Rare, highly aggressive differential diagnosis in Urologic Malignancies. J Urol 2006; 68(2):257-262 Gurung P,Attar K andPeters J. Primitive neuroectodermal tumorof thespermatic cord. Int J Urol.2010 Jul;17(7):679-80. Hari S,Jain TP,Thulkar S, et al. Imagingfeaturesofperipheral primitive neuroectodermal tumours. Br J Radiol.2008 Dec;81(972):975-83. Javery O,Krajewski K,ORegan K,el al. A to Z of extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma family of tumors in adults: imaging features of primary disease, metastatic patterns, and treatment responses. AJR Am J Roentgenol.2011 Dec;197(6):W1015-22. Ibarburen C, Haberman JJ, Zerhouni EA. Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors. CT and MRI evaluation. Eur J Radiol. 1996 Feb;21(3):225-32. Fontaine C,Schots R,Braeckman J, et al. Long-term survival in an adult metastatic renal peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PPNET) with multimodality treatment including high-dose chemotherapy. Ann Oncol.1997 Jul;8(7):691-4. Khong P.L, Chan G.C.F, Shek T.W.H, et al. Imaging of Peripheral PNET: Common and uncommon locations. Clinical Radiology. 2002;57:272-277 Hoffer FA, Gianturco LE, Fletcher JA, et al. Percutaneous Biopsy of Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Ewing’s Sarcomas for Cytogenetic Analysis. AJR. 1994;162:1141-1142 Kim MS, Kim B, Park CS, et al. Radiologic Findings of Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor Arising in the Retroperitoneum. AJR. 2006; 186:1125-1132. Peres E, Mattoo TK, Poulik J, et al. Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET) of the Uterus in a Renal Allograft Patient: A Case Report. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2005;44:283-285. Lioe TF and Biggart JD. Tumours of the Spermatic Cord and Paratesticular Tissue. A Clinicopathological Study. British Journal of Urology. 1993; 71:600-606 Rodrà ­guez D and Olumi AF. Management of spermatic cord tumors: a rare urologic malignancy. Ther Av Urol. 2012: 4(6): 325-334 FIGURE LEGENDS Figure 1 A) Axial T2 TSE shows a large heterogenous inguinoscrotal mass that displaces the penis (void arrows) but apparently not infiltrates it. B) Axial T1 after intravenous contrast Maximum relative enhancement. It shows central hypoperfusion (black arrows), which is hyperintense on T2 sequences, probably due to necrosis or hemorrhage, and a solid hypervascularized periphery (white arrows). Figure 2 A) Surgical photograph shows the spermatic cord (white arrows), which is displaced but not affected by the large mass. B) A long axis section of the mass. Its observed an heterogenous tumor of mottled appearance with partially embossed, clear brownish areas, which are the solid ones (black asterisks). It also has extensive necrotic and hemorrhagic component (white asterisks). Figure 3 Electronic Microscopy. The presence of neuroendocrine granules (white circles) of various sizes (from 80 to 120 nm) in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells is confirmed. This finding demonstrates the neuroendocrine differentiation of the neuroectodermal tumor.

US Government - Checks And Balances :: Political Science Government Essays

US Government - Checks And Balances "There is no more important function for all of government to define the rights of its citizens." (Norman Dorsen) In this essay I will give a short history of the government in United States of America (U.S.). Then I will describe each of the three branches of government in the U.S. and the relationship between them. In principle, the U.S. is a democratic republic, they govern themselves by choosing their leaders by secret ballot, and these leaders in turn make the rules. Americans started "governing themselves" as a nation on July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia by representatives of the thirteen British colonies in North America. These states joined together formally in 1781 under a first "constitution," the Articles of Confederation. That loose union of the states was replaced by the Constitution of the U.S. in 1789. This document (amended 26 times) is still the political foundation of the U.S. Being based on a written constitution, the U.S. government is committed in principle to the rule of law. To guarantee the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion etc. the first ten amendments, called the "Bill of Rights" were adopted in 1791. There are three levels of government in the U.S. Local government (city/county), state government, and federal government. Here I will pay most attention to the federal government. Many of the concepts of the U.S. government can be traced to progressive thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, e.g. Locke, Spinoza, Blackstone, and Montesquiueu. Out of some of their thoughts the U.S. government system with the three branches were made: A legislative branch (Congress), an Executive branch (President), and a judicial branch (Supreme Court). The Constitution is most of all a document of checks and balances: among the three branches of the federal government; and between the levels of government, nation and state. The legislative branch (Congress) that has the power to make laws valid for the whole country. Powers like the regulation of taxes, regulation of commerce between the states and with foreign countries, the power to declare war, and the power to impeach the President are some of the other matters the legislative branch have to deal with. Congress has two chambers (or "houses"): the Senate and the House of Representatives ("the house"). The Senate consists of one hundred senators: Two senators from each of the fifty states.

Workaholics Essay -- essays research papers

INTRODUCTION Why did I choose to write about workaholics? The main reason is that the general picture about these people is bad, but there are a lot of them around us and very often we admire them. They are doing exactly what they love – work – and they can never have enough of it. Although they spend most of their time working, surprisingly they are happy. They show so good results in what they do. But the consequences are great. Family life is disrupted, intellectual horizons narrow and the consequences to the workaholic's health are severe: fat, lack of exercise and stress. Why do people become workaholics? When a person becomes workaholic is there a way back? How should people around him act in order to keep both him and themselves happy? Lets start explaining what workaholics are, how they act and then we'll get answers to this questions. WHAT AND WHO ARE WORKAHOLICS?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The definition of workaholism from a dictionary would be someone who has a compulsion to work all time and a workaholic is someone who loves to work or who is addicted to work. How can this people work throughout the whole day and be happy and never tired knowing that they sleep only for 4-5 hours a day. Perhaps the main reason for this is that people evaluate themselves more on measurable things such as personal achievements and financial worth – not emotional wellness. People often tend to feel guilty if they are not constantly being productive, as they tend to consider relaxation a waste of precious time. They need work to feel good. Workaholics are people who put the work on first place. Usually they need to prove themselves to the their colleagues or their bosses so they would praise them. Sometimes workaholism occurs because the person works to avoid the pain. Workaholism is addiction and all addictions are in a way avoidance of pain. They work just t o cover the pain and not deal with it. Some of the workaholics became what they are because of greed. They can never have enough so they want to work as much as possible. Sometimes the hard workers are being referred as workaholics. While hard workers are ready to work some extra time to finish a project or to meet a deadline, the workaholic uses all his extra time to work. Workaholics don’t have hobbies except if they are related to the job such as golf games with business partners. Everybody thinks tha... ...usiness phone calls the workaholic will make [none can not be at the beginning, but after certain period of time if the whole procedure goes over and over again that can be established]. HOW CAN WORKAHOLIC TURN BACK TO NORMAL? All the methods offered for overwhelming workaholism are either group therapy or self-improvement courses. Both are based on describing what workaholism is, and how dangerous it can be for the entities. Also differentiating the hard working from workaholism. The two courses also tend to make the workaholics reasonable answers to questions like: How much is really enough for me? How long do I usually rest and is this enough? Is what I’m exchanging my life worth it? What summer vacations are for? And maybe the most important: What am I trying to prove and to whom I want to prove myself? Making the workaholic aware of what he has become and what is he actually doing is the first step to turn the person away from his addictiveness and make him get back to track and work normally. Reference: â€Å"Workaholics† – Marilyn Machlowitz *** â€Å"Journal of Applied Psychology† Nr.60 *** â€Å"The truth about burnouts† – Christina Maslach, Michael P. Leiter