Performance Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Performance Evaluation - Essay Example Thirdly, there are strong evidences found which represent the inclusion of an element of biasness and partiality in evaluating the performance of the personnel, which in turn may lead to significant deviations from the actual performance of the personnel. Traits are defined as the properties and characteristics of any given person’s personality. Every person always keeps and carries all personality traits with him/her such that these traits become inseparable from the personality of the person. In evaluating the performance of an employee, the personality traits do have their importance as they actually demonstrate what the personality of the employee is all about (Dessler 2010). Is he/she charming, extrovert, sharp, lazy, or arrogant etc? Behaviors are the particular course of action that a person demonstrates in a particular situation. Behaviors are more concerned with the physical activities and dealings that a person displays given the overall theme or mood of a particular environment. These behaviors are also affected by the mood and emotions of the person as well. For instance, the employee may reflect a careless behavior in the work environment which would be referred to as his behavior, but what actually is causing him to behave in such a weird manner, might be the family issues, financial issues or any other issue (Dessler 2010). Job results are the actual outcomes that are achieved as a result of performing a specific task or duty. Whatever task or duty assigned to the worker, is judged by the ultimate outcome or result of that particular task (Dessler 2010). For example, if an employee is assigned to draft a particular report, the ultimate outcome or result of that task would be the final draft report to be handed over to the supervisor. What actually matters to any organization are the results obtained by the employees. Only those organizations prosper and remain successful in developing a result-oriented culture in their

Effects of Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example for Free

Effects of Foreign Direct Investment Essay The possible positive and  negative effects of FDI  inflows Ing. Tomà ¡Ã… ¡ Dudà ¡Ã… ¡, PhD. Possible positive effects FDI provides capital which is usually missing  in the target country Long term capital is suitable for economic  development Foreign investors are able to finance their  investments projects better and often cheaper Foreign corporations create new workplaces Possible positive effects FDI bring new technologies that are usually  not available in the target country. There is empirical evidence that there are spillover effects as the new technologies usually spread beyond the foreign corporations Foreign corporations provide better access to  foreign markets Ex. Foreign corporations can provide useful  contacts even for their domestic subcontractors Possible positive effects Foreign corporations bring new know-how and  managerial skills into the target country Again, there is a spill-over effects – as people leave the corporations they leave with the knowledge and know-how  they accumulated Foreign corporations can help to change the economic  structure of the target country With a good economic strategy governments can attract  companies from promising and innovative sectors Possible positive effects â€Å"Crowding in† effect The foreign corporations often bring additional  investors into the target country (ex. their usual subcontractors) Foreign corporations improve the business  environment of the target country Ethical business or rules of conduct Possible positive effects Foreign corporations bring new â€Å"clean†Ã‚  technologies that help to improve the  environmental conditions Foreign corporations usually help increase the  level of wages in the target economy Foreign corporations usually have a positive  effects on the trade balance Possible negative effects Foreign corporations may buy a local company  in order to shut it down (and gain monopoly  for example) â€Å"Crowding out† effect We can see this effect if the foreign corporations  target the domestic market and domestic  corporations are not able to compete with these  corporations Possible negative effects Foreign corporations may cut working  positions (privatization deals or MA  transactions) Foreign corporations have a tendency to use  their usual suppliers which can lead to  increased imports (no problem if the  production is export driven) Possible negative effects Repatriation of the profits can be stressful on the  balance of payments The high growth of wages in foreign corporations  can influence a similar growth in the domestic  corporations which are not able to cover this growth  with the growth of productivity  The result is the decreasing competitiveness of domestic  companies Possible negative effects Missing tax revenues If the foreign corporations receive tax holidays or  similar provisions The emergence of a dual economy The economy will contain a developed foreign  sector and an underdeveloped domestic sector Possible negative effects Possible environmental damage  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Incentive tourism†

Garrett Hardin In lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against The Poor Essay

Garrett Hardin in "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against the Poor" Garrett Hardin writes about saving the poor in his essay "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against the Poor" found in The Blair Reader. Hardin writes about how the rich countries are in the lifeboat and the poor countries are swimming in the ocean. He also writes about how the United States helps other countries. Hardin feels that if the government keeps helping other countries and letting people in then America will also drown. "We must convince them if we wish to save at least part of the world form environmental ruin"(page 765). Why should I help the poor countries? Why should I let the immigrants in? I see no reason for helping someone that is not an American. These non Americans are taking my hard-working money that they did not earn. I am tired of the United States of America giving my money to the poor countries. The government is giving these people my money for which I worked hard. The government does not ask for my permission to give these people my money. By letting these people on our lifeboat the government is drowning us all. "If we do let an extra 10 people in our lifeboat, we will have lost our 'safety factor,' an engineering principle of critical importance" (page 757). I cannot take a chance in helping people if it is going to put me in risk. Instead of giving the money to non Americans it should be used only in America. The money used to help the poorer countr...

Decision-Making Model Essay

The human decision-making process has been described by the development of several frameworks. The alternative for the maximize utility of the decision is selected by a fully informed, as well as, knowledgeable decision maker in the Rational Model. A satisfactory decision alternative is sought by the decision maker due to the causes of time, information, and space constraints according to the Bounder Rationality Model. It is hypothesized by the Organizational Model that available procedures are used by the decision maker for the solution of problems of decisions in a continuously updated organizational memory. Conflicting values and interests are confronted by the decision makers in the Muddling through Model, and an incremental improvement in the outcome is achieved by the selection of alternative with minimal organizational changes. An intermeshing of problems, solutions, and decision maker interest are represented by decisions that are forced by social and political factors in an anarchistic environment according to the Garbage Can Model. The criteria are met best by the identification of alternative with the use of relationship that is made between the criteria, events, and alternative by the decision maker in the Classical Decision Theory Model. During the selection process, conflicting constraints can be confronted by the decision maker, as intangible or tangible criteria would have to be dealt in uncertain events. The situation is assessed, a single alternative is generated and evaluated, and alternative for a satisfactory solution of the problem is selected by the decision makers according to the Naturalistic Decision-Making Model. Outcomes of the decision-making process are focused by some of the proposed models like Classical and Rational Decision Theory formulations. A limited set of decision activities is highlighted by other models like Bounded Rationality Models and Naturalistic Decision-Making Models. A comprehensive and integrated view of decision-making has been offered by none of the proposals. In addition, not all the situations of the decision-making can be applied with any formulations of these proposals. For instance, operational and tactical decisions can be applied with the Organizational Model. However, strategic decisions cannot be applied with this model due to incomplete understanding of the problem, as well as, limited availability of the knowledge of the problem. In this regard, the most popular model of the human decision-making process has been the three-phase paradigm of design, intelligence, and choice by the Simon. Virtually, all other proposed frameworks have been implied by this most general paradigm. However, an implementation phase of the Simon’s formulation has been concluded with the expansion of such scrutiny. Reality is observed by the decision maker during the intelligence phase. A fundamental understanding regarding the existing problems, as well as, new opportunities is gained by the maker. In addition, the general quantitative and qualitative information is acquired by the decision maker for the addressing of different opportunities, as well as, the problems. In the design phase, a specific and precise model is developed by the decision-maker, by which, the discovered problems and opportunities are examined systematically. Decision alternatives, uncontrollable events, criteria, and numerical, as well as, symbolic relationships will be consist in this model. The ensuing choice phase constitutes of the generation of recommended actions from the evaluation of the specified alternatives by the usage of explicit models logically. The analyses and recommendations are pondered by the decision maker during the subsequent implementation phase. In this regard, the consequences are weighed, and sufficient confidence is gained in the decision-making process. In addition, an implementation plan is developed, financial, human, and material resources are secured, the plan is put into the action. After the implementation of the final choice, the new reality should be observed by the decision maker. In addition, intelligence, design, choice, and implementation should be regarded and followed by the decision maker. Moreover, the need for revisions at preceding phases might be suggested by the phase’s analyses. For instance, adjustments of the previous design might be necessitated by the analyses during the choice. Conceptually, individual or group decision-making is applied with the decision-making process in the same manner. In practice, the communication-intensive aspects of cooperative problem solving must be accommodated by the group decision-making. In addition, voting, ranking, rating, and other consensus-developing methodologies should be supported by the usage of structured techniques. Group and organizational collaboration support should be provided by the development of this consensus. Decision-making model can be operated by the use of a variety of measures. Outcomes are dealt by some measures, and process outcomes are involved by the others. Positive decision outcomes can include: Increases in returns, costs reduction, and increment in the flow of information are some of the examples of the gains in the performance of the organization. When the understanding of a person regarding a current problem, as well as, its solution is developed, the decision-maker’s maturity develops. In addition, the improvement of the general problem-solving skills also results in the maturation of the decision-maker. Objectively, recording can be done regarding the number of opportunities, problems, as well as, alternatives. Experts, as well as, person’s evaluations can assess such efforts and subjective assessments. In expert’s evaluations, practice would be observed by the experienced decision makers and the examinee’s efforts will be rated. In this regard, a structured rating form will be used for its support. The examinees are used by the directed self-examinations, and a facilitator is used for the purpose of guidance. In some decision-making situations, the improvement of the organizational performance becomes impossible due to the competition, internal restrictions, external constraints, and several other factors. Under these circumstances, the main decision outcome will be the learning, training, and various other beneficial side effects during the maturation of the decision maker. Process Enhancements in the ability of a person or group are involved in the process improvements for the implementation of the phases and steps in the decision-making process. Experts, as well as, person’s evaluations can assess such efforts and with the help of subjective assessments. In expert’s evaluations, practice would be observed by the experienced decision makers and the proficiency of the examinee during each phase and step of the decision-making process will be rated. In this regard, a structured rating form will be used for its support. The examinees are used by the directed self-examinations, and a facilitator is used for the purpose of guidance. The use of accounting tools is involved in the process tracing, in which, the decision aid is embedded for the recording, as well as, reporting of the actions of the examinee during the decision-making process. In addition, the process enhancements may be manifested through: The time that is needed during the structuring of the problem by the user is reduced in a hike in personal efficiency. In addition, in a given time period, the number of alternatives is increased during the evaluation of the user, which is also an example of the hike in personal efficiency. The time of the decision-making is reduced, and the amount of pertinent information is increased from the decision-making is an improvement in the personal productivity. Objectively, recording can be done regarding the time and number of evaluated alternatives. Expert, as well as, direct self-evaluations by the activity of an individual or group can assess the amount of pertinent information, wisdom, and knowledge, that is, subjective assessments. In any particular management situation, more importance might be given to the support for some phases, as compared with the support for others. The process should be improved for at least the relevant phases by a given aid in the decision-making process. The decision outcome and process measures have been summarized in the Table 1. In addition, the measurements have been obtained by the available approaches, which have also been summarized in the table. As such, a series of guidelines has been offered by the table for the operation of the decision-making process. For instance, the implementation phase of the decision-making process consists of confidence and commitment of the decision maker. The performance of the decision maker during these steps is measured by the process tracing, expert ratings, and directed self-evaluations, as indicated by the Table 1.

Mexican Drug War Essay

Mexican Drug War Introduction The Mexican Drug War is perhaps the deadliest and most devastating battle this country has encountered in it’s history. Its’ violence affects both civilians and its’ very culture. Since 2006, the border of Mexico has been a place of hostility, turmoil, and outright warfare which has transitioned throughout the countryside. Unlike traditional military solutions, Mexico and the United States must work together to quell the hostility by creating economic opportunities for those in Mexico, stop the flow of drugs into the US, and stop the feed of guns into Mexico. Background The Mexican Drug War is based in Mexico, although the United States can be blamed for making a large contribution to it. Mexican organizations that deal in illegal activities started during the US prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s. It seems that when there is a demand for an item in the US and no supply, Mexico has always been there to supplement our â€Å"needs†. A Mexican Cartel is a criminal organization developed with the main purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations both interstate and intrastate. They range from loosely managed business agreements among various drug traffickers to formal commercial enterprises. The main Mexican Cartels consist of the Sinaloa, Gulf, La Familia, Tijuana, Beltran, and Juarez cartels. These cartels cover the majority of the territory in Mexico. There are two main cartels that control most of the market, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel is led by a man nicknamed â€Å"El Chapo†. He was in jail in 2001 but escaped allegedly in a laundry basket. He is the most wanted man in the world with a bounty of eighty-seven million dollars. No one has drawn so much law enforcement attention since Al Capone. He and the Sinaloa Cartel are so successful that he has his own Forbes profile, he is estimated to be worth one billion dollars, making him the 1140th richest man in the world and the 55th most powerful. There are also allegations that the Sinaloa Cartels teamed up with the the Mexican government to take out other cartels. The Gulf Cartel is reknowned for hiring a private mercenary army of corrupt elite military soldiers to work for them in 2001. The Sinaloa and Gulf Cartels worked together as partners up until February 2010, when their partnership dissolved. The dissolution  was so involved and violent that it turned some border towns into ghost towns. (Mexico’s Drug Wars). Most recreational drugs are outlawed in the United States and the main ones Mexico supplies are marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin. Marijuana has accounted for 858,408 arrests in 2009 in the US. It can have a lasting effect on young people with effects such as â€Å"structural and functional deficits of the brain†. Cocaine is a very dangerous drug, due to its power to get people hooked very quickly. The effects are scabs on mucus membrane, damage to the nasal septum, and eventually make your nose collapse. Heroin is a very addictive drug, in fact, one fourth of the people who try it, become addicts. The effects are infection of the heart lining and the valves, liver disease, lung disease, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS from needle use. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that can cause loss of weight, teeth, the development of scabs and open sores on the face. It can also cause psycotic behaviors, such as paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. ( Above the Influe nce) Defining the Problem In the city Juarez, a border city next to El Paso, violence has escalated to a point that people are actually moving their businesses to El Paso for safety precautions. The Mexican National death toll for the month of January 2013 was issued and it had 1104 related to the Mexican Drug War, that is an average of 34.45 deaths per day during that month. Juarez is the best example of how the Mexican drug war can ruin a town. The deaths in Mexico from the drug war amount to about 60,000 since 2006; 67 reporters, 3,500 officers, and over 1000 children. It has displaced over 1.6 million people, many of whom were forced to leave their possessions behind. The violence is astounding and is the main problem in this war. ( Mexico’s Drug War Violence and the Role the United States Plays) and (An Uneasy CoExistence: Security and Migration Along the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez Border) Causes There may be corruption in the Mexican government, and there is no way to be sure. They have denied everything, but claims say otherwise. If this is true, there has to be a new power in the Mexican government. Certain allegations say that the government has been turning a blind eye towards the  activities of the cartels or have taken bribes. When the cartels are allowed to run free, lives are lost. (Key issues on Obama’s Mexico trip: Trade, immigration, and drug war) The demand for drugs seems to be ingrained in the American culture. There are movies that portray the taking of drugs as a very cool, and natural thing to do, when really it can destroy lives. As long as we accept drugs as the thing to do, we will keep relying on the drugs that come from Mexico. Positions/Perspectives People all see the Mexican drug war with different views, and many want to approach it different ways. The world leaders are the people with the most influential views. United States President Barack Obama has said that the US will try to prevent demand for drugs and stop the illegal sale of guns but legalizing drugs is not our best choice. â€Å" I personally, and my administration’s position is, that legalization is not the answer†. (Key issues on Obama’s Mexico trip: Trade, immigration, and drug war) Pena Nieto, the current president of Mexico, has said that creating more economic opportunities for the citizens of Mexico will turn out to be Mexico’s greatest solution. Countrymen and others have to go to the drug cartels to make money and pay the bills, but when there are more choices for people, they don’t give the drug cartels life.( Key issues on Obama’s Mexico trip: Trade, immigration, and drug war) Another top Mexican official has said â€Å" Economically, there is no argument or solution other than legalization, at least of marijuana.† . He said that it would move nearly all production of marijuana to California. He also said â€Å" Mexico’s objective should be to make the US self sufficient in marijuana.† Also three former Latin American presidents have said that governments should very seriously consider the legalization of marijuana. (Saving Mexico) Solutions Overview of the US and Mexico working together efficiently means the US doing its part in stopping illegal gun sales and trying to douse the demand for drugs by its citizens while Mexico must attempt to stop the violence, and create more economic opportunities for people. Analysis of Solutions The US needs to regulate its gun laws. The Mexican authorities have seized 70,000 weapons of US origin from 2007 to 2011. When there are no guns, there  are no fire fights in the streets of Mexico. The guns going to Mexico are just gasoline on the fire. ( Mexico’s Drug War Violence and the Role the United States Plays) The countrymen of Mexico are subjected to producing for the cartels, and have no where else to go, but with more jobs and choices they are able to avoid this dirty work and go do anything else. (Mexico’s Drug War and the Role the United States Plays) If you can clear the drug cartel out of one town, you save that town. There may be other towns that need to be saved, but if you can make a difference in that one town, the difference will mean the world to them. Locally Mexico needs to try and fix a town at a time. Legalization of marijuana could be the best option, but according to the president, that cannot happen, off the table, not possible. The most efficient and effective solution is that Mexico and America work together by stopping the guns coming coming in and increasing the job diversity in Mexico. Conclusion

The Effect of Levels of Processing on the Retention of Words

The Effect of Levels of Processing on the Retention of Words AbstractThis experimental study investigates how the retention of words depends on the levels those words were processed of among Vilnius lyceum youth. The hypothesis made was that the best retention should be after semantic processing of a word, the least - after structural and the medium - after phonemic. In the first part of the experiment, 20 participants were asked 30 questions about 30 words (10 in each of the analysis groups: structural, phonemic, and semantic). In the second part, participants were asked to recall as many words (out of those 30) as they could. The results proved the hypothesis as the best retention (4.0 words recalled out of 10) was in fact a result of the semantic, or the deepest, analysis of a word. In case of phonemic analysis, 2.4 words out of 10 were recalled and in the case of structural - only 1.3 out of 10. These results are coherent with the previous study named "Depth of Processing and the Retention of Words in Episodic Memory", which was carried ou t by Fergus I. M. Craik and Endel Tulving.Z-tabelleIntroductionThe experiment I have chosen to replicate, named "Depth of Processing and the Retention of Words in Episodic Memory", was carried out by Fergus I. M. Craik and Endel Tulving in 1975. The aim of this experiment was to check the theory proposed by Craik and Lockhart in 1972, which stated that memory traits depend proportionally on the "depth" of processing, where depth refers to a greater degrees of semantic involvement.The experiment carried out by Craik and Tulving included 20 subjects, tested individually, who were sit in the front of the tachistoscope and each trial shown a different noun . Before the word was exposed, the subject was asked a question related to the word. Question was constructed...

buy custom Research Methodology essay

buy custom Research Methodology essay What is a time series study and a panel study? Make sure you fully explain what the two are as concepts and fully explain the similarities and differences. Time series study is a study which involves measurements that is done periodically. The population being studied is divided into groups which are studied over a defined period. During this period therapeutic and preventive interventions are done with measurement of variables and factors. While, panel study is a research which is done using a constant set of a population and the researcher compares the individual opinion at different time as opposed to series study which is divided into groups. If I interview people on the phone over a month and call a different 100 people each day to learn which political parties will likely win the next election, is this an example of cross-sectional or longitudinal research? Explain which type it is and why. If it is longitudinal, explain which type of longitudinal study it is. This type of study is cross sectional studies/analysis which a subsection of the population is interviewed every day for a period of one month. It is not longitudinal research because longitudinal research involves study of the same group several times within a given period. While this research each time the 100 people are called they are different from who were called the previous day. What is the positivist approach to social science? Explain how the positivist approach differs from other approaches and indicate which approach you feel is best, making sure to explain why you feel it is the best. Positivist approach to social science is a philosophical approach system or theory which is based on the view of natural sciences and social. The main assumptions of positivism which makes it much different with other approaches are; the fact that sciences involve research of general laws on empirical phenomena. Explain the difference between a deductive approach and an inductive approach to research? Give an example of each process and explain why this is important for the process of social research. Deductive approach in research involves reasoning of a research on basis of working on the research of more general to the more specific areas. It is also known as top-down approach. While Inductive approach in research is the reveres of Deductive approach which the research starts with specific observations to broader perspective also know as bottom-up approach. Both approaches could be used in different scenarios deductive approach would be used in an area which the study is meant to prove or confirm some hypothesis while inductive approach is open ended and is used for areas which require establishment of regularities and patterns with an aim of formulating some hypotheses. For example a research can be done for a discovery of a disease which would be used to research on the causes of the disease such a research would be aimed at a top down approach also known as deductive approach. While research of what would be consequences of heavy rain within a given period it starts with the specific observations to a broader perspective this is Inductive approach. Why is spuriousness a problem for researchers? Explain what the concept is and why this is a threat to research. Spuriousness is an experimental technique which is used to predict direct causal relationships between two variables and it is commonly used in statistics. Spuriousness is a problem to researchers because they are techniques which support use of predictions of relationships instead of using evident facts from research. If I hypothesize that age as well as social class influences a persons choice to vote for a social democratic or communist candidate in an election, which is/are the dependent and which is/are the independent variables? Explain why it is that the one(s) you chose is/are the dependent and independent variables. The social democratic and communist candidates are the independent variables as they do not change while the age of the voters is dependent as it keeps on changing on the candidates favored by one of the age group as opposed to the other. For each of the following, indicate the level of measurement and why you believe it to be at that level of measurement. Explaining the reasoning important. How full a fuel tank is, as reported in percentages? The level of measurement to be used is ratio measurements which will be achieved by getting the ration of the fuel in the tank in relation to the capacity of the tank. To get the ratio of the what the tank has as compared to how many liters feels in the tank. How many liters of fuel are currently in a fuel tank? The current number of liters in the fuel tank would be measured using ratio measurements in relation to the fuel being used as it will provide the fuel remaining in the tank. The number of hours a person sleeps per day. The appropriate measurements is ratio measurement in relation to the number of hours which he is awake in within the 24hours of a day. How many grams a full bottle of water weighs. The level of measurement would use ration measurement which would determine the number of grams in the bottle by depend on the volume of the bottle and the density of the water. How much a person agrees (on a scale of 1 agree completely to 5 disagree completely) that the government should increase spending on prisons. Interval measurement would be applicable to determine the probability depending on the variance analysis of the services offered in the prison. Which racial group a person belongs to, based upon her/his response to an interviewer. Nominal measurements would be used to determine the racial group which they belong to among the different racial groupings. The percentage of time a person spends reading e-mails in a workday at the office. Ratio measurement would be used to compare how many hours he is at the workplace in relation to the hours thhe worker worked. Which political party a person claims that she/he will vote for in the next election. Nominal measurements should be used on the candidates of the political parties as the answer will be dependent on political party candidate whom is influencing the voter. The grade you will receive for this course (as measured in A, A-, B+). Ordinal measurement would be used to grade the course in relation to the scores earned as compared to what would be achieved in each course unit. How much a person agrees (on a scale of 1 agree completely to 5 disagree completely) that the president is doing a good job. Interval measurement would be used to get the level on how people would make their decision based on the variance analysis. What is the ecological fallacy? Explain why this causes or can cause a problem from the perspective of the researcher. Make sure you give an example to show that you understand the concept fully. The ecological fallacy is a situation which a researcher makes influence/influences of an individual based on a data of a group. This causes a problem with the perspective of the researcher in relation to a group date as opposed to an individual data. Hence, the data obtained will not be accurate. The researcher base their final analysis on the results they get from a group of which they have researched on. What is the importance in having a random sample in research? Explain why this is important, giving an example to show that you fully understand the importance of the issue. Random sampling in research provides a fair distribution of the population which will be interviewed. This kind of application is applicable to a large population which all of it could not be used due to its large number of the population. Hence, random sampling enables the researcher to have fair presentation of the population. Random sampling is of great importance as it enable the research to break down the population being researched in to manageable sizes. It also ensure that the research being done is well distributed within the population being researched. Do you feel that it is more important to have a reliable or a valid measure? Explain your position, making it clear that you understand the differences between the concepts of reliability and validity. Give examples, to illustrate you understand the difference. Yes it is important to have a valid and reliable measure to obtain an accurate population which will be subjected to research. Once the data is measured using the correct tool it will be valid and reliable for an accurate. Use of valid measure ensures that the data obtained from the research will be analyzed accurately to obtain the information which is accurate. The analyst will get data which is accurate because it has been obtained using the appropriate means of measurement. The data obtained is also valid in relation to the research being used this also improves on the quality of the decisions made after the research. Buy custom Research Methodology essay

Napoleons Egyptian Campaign

Napoleons Egyptian Campaign In 1798 the French Revolutionary War in Europe reached a temporary pause, with the forces of revolutionary France and their enemies at peace. Only Britain remained at war. The French were still looking to secure their position, wished to knock out Britain out. However, despite Napoleon Bonaparte, the hero of Italy, being assigned a command to prepare for an invasion of Britain, it was clear to all that such an adventure would never succeed: Britain’s Royal Navy was too strong to allow for a workable beachhead. Napoleon’s Dream Napoleon had long harbored dreams of fighting in the Middle East and Asia, and he formulated a plan to strike back by attacking Egypt. A conquest here would secure the French hold on the Eastern Mediterranean, and to Napoleon’s mind open up a route to attack Britain in India. The Directory, the five-man body which ruled France, where equally keen to see Napoleon try his luck in Egypt because it would keep him away from usurping them, and give his troops something to do outside France. There was also the small chance he’d repeat the miracles of Italy. Consequently, Napoleon, a fleet and an army sailed from Toulon in May; he had over 250 transports and 13 ‘ships of the line’. After capturing Malta while on the way, 40,000 French landed in Egypt on July 1st. They captured Alexandria and marched on Cairo. Egypt was notionally part of the Ottoman Empire, but it was under the practical control of the Mameluke military. Napoleon’s force had more than just troops. He had brought with him an army of civilian scientists who were to create the Institute of Egypt in Cairo, to both learn from the east, and begin to ‘civilize’ it. For some historians, the science of Egyptology began seriously with the invasion. Napoleon claimed he was there to defend Islam and Egyptian interests, but he wasn’t believed and rebellions began.​ Battles in the East Egypt might not be controlled by the British, but the Mameluke rulers were no happier to see Napoleon. An Egyptian army marched to meet the French, clashing at the Battle of the Pyramids on July 21st. A struggle of military eras, it was a clear victory for Napoleon, and Cairo was occupied. A new government was installed by Napoleon, ending ‘feudalism’, serfdom, and importing French structures. However, Napoleon could not command at sea, and on August 1st the Battle of the Nile was fought. British naval commander Nelson had been sent to stop Napoleon landing and had missed him while resupplying, but finally found the French fleet and took the chance to attack while it was docked in Aboukir Bay to take on supplies, gaining further surprise by attacking in the evening, on into night, and early in the morning: only two ships of the line escaped (they were later sunk), and Napoleon’s supply line had ceased to exist. At the Nile Nelson destroyed eleven ships of the line, which amounted to a sixth of those in the French navy, including some very new and large craft. It would take years to replace them and this was the pivotal battle of the campaign. Napoleon’s position suddenly weakened, the rebels he had encouraged turned against him. Acerra and Meyer have argued this was the defining battle of the Napoleonic Wars, which hadn’t yet begun. Napoleon couldn’t even take his army back to France and, with enemy forces forming up, Napoleon marched into Syria with a small army. The aim was to prise the Ottoman Empire apart from their alliance with Britain. After taking Jaffa – where three thousand prisoners were executed - he besieged Acre, but this held out, despite the defeat of a relief army sent by the Ottomans. Plague ravaged the French and Napoleon was forced back to Egypt. He nearly suffered a setback when Ottoman forces using British and Russian ships landed 20,000 people at Aboukir, but he moved quickly to attack before the cavalry, artillery, and elites had been landed and routed them. Napoleon Leaves Napoleon now took a decision which has damned him in the eyes of many critics: realising the political situation in France was ripe for change, both for him and against him, and believing only he could save the situation, save his position, and take command of the whole country, Napoleon left – some might prefer abandoned – his army and returned to France in a ship which had to evade the British. He was soon to seize power in a coup d’etat. Post-Napoleon: French Defeat General Kleber was left to manage the French army, and he signed the Convention of El Arish with the Ottomans. This should have allowed him to pull the French army back to France, but the British refused, so Kleber attacked and retook Cairo. He was assassinated a few weeks later. The British now decided to send troops, and a force under Abercromby landed at Aboukir. The British and French fought soon after at Alexandria, and while Abercromby was killed the French were beaten, forced away from Cairo, and into surrender. Another invading British force was being organized in India to attack through the Red Sea. The British now allowed the French force to return to France and prisoners held by Britain were returned after a deal in 1802. Napoleon’s oriental dreams were over.

Debate on vaccination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Debate on vaccination - Essay Example For instance, the vaccination against smallpox used cowpox, which was a poxvirus resembling smallpox to defend against it but did not cause any major illness. Vaccinations are done during the formative years of a person’s life even though this does not hinder an adult to go for vaccination. Children die of diseases each year since they are susceptible to infections due to their fragile immune systems. They are weak because they are young, and their bodies have not built immunities to these diseases. Therefore, the best way to protect children from such diseases is through vaccination (Sprigg 32). Several parents believe that vaccines are not safe for their children. However, it is more painful when a young life is taken by the infection of a killer disease because the child was not vaccinated. Ailments kill children each year. Children are more susceptible to infection due to their feeble immune systems. They are weak because they have not yet stayed alive enough to develop mechanisms for fighting infections. â€Å"†¦Unlike remedial treatment, vaccination provides a lifetime of protection from deadly diseases†¦and ensure healthier children, families and communities.† (Seth). Although vaccinating children can help prevent certain diseases, there are still many parent that are refusing to vaccinate their children. Vaccines against disease such as polio and MMR should be mandatory for all children who wish to attend school. These vaccinations can control the spread of deadly diseases, help protect children that are not able to get vaccinated and can save family time and money. However, many parents and guardians have failed or refused to take their children for vaccination due to a number of ideologies that have been propagated about vaccination over time. Some of the ideologies have been brought about by fears while others by misconceptions about the process of immunization

International Business Finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Business Finance - Case Study Example There is transfer of technology between the subsidiaries and the parent firm in the joint venture and the industrial output of the joint venture. Therefore the following can be noted from the joint venture under the strategic option 1. In this multinational capital budgeting there are various factors as well as assumptions that were taken into consideration to determine the expected returns from the joint venture from the parent’s firm perspective. First and foremost the exchange rates fluctuations were taken into account especially when converting the subsidiary earnings into the parent firm’s reporting currency. Given that is challenging to precisely estimate the rates of exchange rates, the determination of the expected returns in pounds were established using the spot exchange rate of  £0.8410/â‚ ¬. Besides, the cost of inflation was taken into account which was charged on the cost of operations to incorporate the depreciation rates and the interest rates on loans based in Germany borrowing rates. Even though the prediction of costs or price completely takes into account the inflation, the rates of inflation rates at tikes can be volatile from one year to another for some states (Madura, 201 1; p. 49). Hence the cost of inflation from the Germany perspective was taken to be 2.5%. Lastly, the financial arrangements were put into account. These include the costs of finance which is captured by the rate of discount and the taxation rate. Nonetheless, when the foreign based projects are partly financed using the subsidiaries in the foreign nations, a more precise strategy is applied to distinguish the investment in the subsidiary and openly take into account the loan repayment of the foreign loans as cash outflows. Moreover, the returns from the Germany were not taxed due to the double taxation treaty that exists between Germany and United Kingdom. The following calculations can be noted under strategic option One; the

Organisational Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organisational Communication - Essay Example Therefore during the time of participation there is a need of information flow from both the sides. However the process of communication can be in the form of interacting, talking and writing as well. The present world of business is more saturated and also the companies have global presence. Such endeavors make communication even more multifaceted. Communicating across borders requires sound communication abilities that would allow people from different areas to cooperate with each other. The communication process can be divided into 5 dimensions. The five dimensions are described below:- International or Unintentional. Verbal or Nonverbal. Internal or external. Communication which involves Humans or Machines. Communication among individuals or groups. In the context of the project, only internal and external communication within the organization will be portrayed. Internal communication refers to the way of communication that takes place within the organization. The communication b etween the employees of an organization is denoted as internal communication. It is also important to achieve organizational objectives (â€Å"Internal communications†). ... The communications are:- The internal communication Employees: - The Company mainly uses E-mail and fax to communicate within the employees. The employees have their customized programs installed on their computers, so as to receive and send E-mails. Fax is also another medium which is being highly used in the company. Management: - In order to communicate with the top management of the organization pagers are mainly used. However customized E-mail programs are also used. Also the company in order to conduct vital meetings the company uses video conferencing. The external communication In this context the communication takes place among the company and its end customers, distributors and suppliers. The company in its external communication strategy uses various techniques, but remains transparent about the offerings. In order to portray the offerings the company used the promotions from the company is mainly TV advertisements and other trade and consumer schemes. Customers: - In orde r to directly communicate with the customers the company sends direct E-mail from the customer information database. Distributors and Suppliers of Coca Cola: - In this respect the company makes use of fax and video conferencing techniques. Now in the case of Pepsi, the internal and external communication also plays an important role towards the success of the company. In respect with its internal communication, the company mainly uses E-mail and also uses verbal communication. In order to communicate with the internal employees the company mainly uses meetings to communicate information within the team members. The external communication method of Pepsi is almost similar to that of Coca cola. Pepsi also uses TV advertisements

5.5 (part 2) questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

5.5 (part 2) questions - Coursework Example In the manufacturing sector, the experience of Harvey Maria seems to be interesting as far as the benefits of NetSuite is concerned. First, it provides a way for the company to run the accounting, ecommerce, stock levels, accounting as well as data on just one cloud platform (Gibson 2012). Second, automation of main business processes via NetSuite frees up the useful time to have a company’s business developed in a strategic manner with a refreshed focus on the corporate development projects and new designer ranges. Third, the application can contribute to increase in client satisfaction levels considering that the staff can be in a position to gain instant access to information to provide answers to enquiries. Netsuite can be recommended for small businesses because it is possible using the solution in the way they require. They will be able to have the software outgrown just like quickbooks. Besides, NetSuite can allow access to real time financed-based figures and this goes a long way reducing paperwork and thus can increase efficiency. Such a manner of operation renders a small business to stand higher chances of

Introductory certificate in marketing- Understanding customer Case Study

Introductory certificate in marketing- Understanding customer relationship - Case Study Example Hence, they need to be involved in the PR event so that they understand the organization’s message towards the customer. Communities: The local communities always try to raise issues regarding the presence of organization in their area and environment. Hence, they need to be convinced that the organization is making all the possible efforts to conserve the environment. Government regulators: The counsels of the government do not work in tandem with each other by behaving in a haphazard manner. The government regulators usually create more pain to the private organizations in the name of environmental issues making it imperative to be convince about the organization’s zeal towards a greener tomorrow so that they respond proactively. The most suitable method for administering the questionnaire is to collect the email ids of all the stake holders present at the PR event and then mail the questionnaire to their mail ids. During the event, the invitees should be informed about the idea of sending the questionnaire through mail and the organization should make a formal request to the invitees to answer the questionnaire. An explanation regarding the purpose, the subject matter and the expected responses from the invitees should be outlined so that the people who answer the questionnaire do it in the expected lines. While PR event, the invitees should be convinced that this survey is for genuine purposes and the identity of the stakeholders who answer the questionnaire is never at stake. This will boost the confidence of the stakeholders and they will answer the questionnaire in an honest way. As you know, our organization has always been in the balancing of different stakeholder’s views to win their trust. The organization has been organizing PR events like the one which just ended a few days before. For all this process to run successfully, it is imperative that the board and the staff understand the stakeholder views. By going through these

5.5 (part 2) questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

5.5 (part 2) questions - Coursework Example In the manufacturing sector, the experience of Harvey Maria seems to be interesting as far as the benefits of NetSuite is concerned. First, it provides a way for the company to run the accounting, ecommerce, stock levels, accounting as well as data on just one cloud platform (Gibson 2012). Second, automation of main business processes via NetSuite frees up the useful time to have a company’s business developed in a strategic manner with a refreshed focus on the corporate development projects and new designer ranges. Third, the application can contribute to increase in client satisfaction levels considering that the staff can be in a position to gain instant access to information to provide answers to enquiries. Netsuite can be recommended for small businesses because it is possible using the solution in the way they require. They will be able to have the software outgrown just like quickbooks. Besides, NetSuite can allow access to real time financed-based figures and this goes a long way reducing paperwork and thus can increase efficiency. Such a manner of operation renders a small business to stand higher chances of

Project Management (CASE STUDY) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Management (CASE STUDY) - Essay Example For the Scantel project the tabulation of the time required by various activities and the estimation of the critical path method is calculated and shown in Appendix - 1. From the table it is known that the most critical events are No. 1, 4, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15,34, 35, 36, 46, 47, 48, 40 and 50. The meaning of this is that, the completion of these activities are crucial for the completion of the project. If there is a delay in these activities, the entire project can get delayed. If these event numbers are interpreted from the Scantel event listing, (Appendix 21.3), it shows that the critical path activities lie mostly in the processes of The activities that are related to these activities are the start systems engineering, complete interface transient tests, complete compatibility testing. These activities can cause delay because this was the first time such system was being developed. It will be very critical because, Callister has to first decide the major parts of the system, their functions and how they are related to each other. After the architecture is decided the next issue is to decide whether the components should be developed in-house or to be bought and redesigned. Hence, the procurement of all the prototypes and overall simulation is going to be a potentially time delaying event. The next group of ac... The instrument Development team which was heavily consulted by the Scantel team for these activities, had very little experience of this type of work. Also in the Instrument development team, young software engineer had been recruited to handle this job for the Scantel project. But based on his expertise it was difficult to determine the completion times confidently. All testing activities which include events 34, 36, 47, 48 and 49 are all events that can cause potential time delays. These testing activities can cause potential time delays because it involves the coordination and analysis of all the subsystems. But it is healthy for the project to be on a tight schedule in this phase because it will be advantageous in the later stages of the project. The cost or time overrun in the early stages of the project might actually be a superior design effort which would reduce the time and money required for the entire effort. If early stages of the project looks expensive, it is possible that it could bring down the costs at the later stages of the project. Especially event 34 can be delayed because of possible delays in development of lens, development of chassis and body and development of the display system. In the network it is shown that the main tasks associated are separated into engineering, testing and rework phases. It seems that each phase i s independent. But the potential threat of rework after the system and integration testing would be strongly dependent on the amount and quality of prior engineering. The testing events may cause time delay to the project because all the prior engineering works have to pass this stage and sometimes

Cross Cultural Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Cross Cultural Perspectives Essay The Microsoft Corporation is a fortune 500 company that ranked # 35 on the fortune 500 list in 2013 (Fortune 500, 2013) and is one of the largest business corporations in the world. It was founded in 1975 by two guys named Paul Allen and Bill Gates, the business developed very rapidly as the years went by and reached a marker of 89,000 employees, with a revenue of $62 billion dollars and had offices located all over the world (Fortune 500, 2011). From the initial headquarters that is held in Albuquerque New Mexico, the Microsoft Company steadily increased the offices held within the United States and expanded that to include more than 100 countries abroad. This expansion into different countries became a challenge because of having to deal with new lifestyles, new cultures, people, and languages. Proper research needed to be conducted not to mention the implementation of a proper working strategy to help the integration of these new ethics and cultures into those of the Microsoft Corporation. The homepage of the Microsoft Corporation shares a summarized version of its culture and says â€Å"We as individuals and as a company value honesty, integrity, constructive self criticism, openness, mutual respect, and continual self improvement† (Microsoft Corporation, 2011). The Microsoft Corporation also presents their official responsibilities as part of their ethical obligation. â€Å"We at the Microsoft Corporation hold ourselves accountable to our shareholders, customers, employees, and partners, and we do this by honoring our commitment, providing results, and striving for the highest quality possible† (Microsoft Corporation, 2011). When making a move into new cultures and countries, it becomes very important for employees old and new to not only understand but also accept the Microsoft Corporations ethics and culture. As we all know Microsoft products are used all over the world in both businesses and homes. When they first made the decision to open an office in Lebanon, a majority of the computers ran on the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Windows Office program was the most popular word processing and spreadsheet program. However, there was a problem and that problem was the fact that there was a bunch of versions of this system that had been pirated and distributed in that country. In a country where buying a five dollar pirated software program from a local computer store made it a little hard in terms of convincing some people that it was not only unethical but also illegal. This brings about the question of, â€Å"How is The Microsoft Corporation going to sell authentic versions of their software when there are pirated versions being distributed at such a cheaper price not to mention a lack of government control involved†? Because of this, Microsoft proceeded to send letters to these major organizations warning them against using this pirated software. They also offered to visit these businesses in order to conduct a site survey so that assessments could be made in terms of what software would fit the company the best and at what the cost would be. The Microsoft Corporation also provided the organization that behaved ethically and invited Microsoft in for the survey assessment; Microsoft turned around and gave them a very good price deal on the software. Microsoft also introduced to them a payment facility for the companies that had to make large purchases of the software in order to get licenses for the pirated software they already had in place. Everyone knows that not all organizations and businesses operate within ethical boundaries. Lebanon, just like the U. S. , is similar in the fact that it is an individualist culture. However, bribery is common throughout this country. Microsoft has an ethical standard that is against these types of acts and it is totally against their integrity. It was however, improbable to sell these authentic copies to many of these businesses without presenting these managers with some type of gift in exchange. Some of these organizations proceeded to offer gifts to the Microsoft Corporation’s employees. They in return were hoping for some type of special discount, or a deal would not work out. The Microsoft Corporation has an ethical obligation to their shareholders and that obligation is to protect and increase the value of the shares. The Microsoft Corporation has to be able to earn a said profit in order for the share values to increase. On a bad note, Microsoft cannot legitimately sell software copies in a country that has corruption and bribery within its ethics and culture. According to Transparency International â€Å"The transparency in Lebanon ranked 2. 5 out of 10 in the world in 2010† (Corruption Perception Index 2010 Results, 2010). When comparing that score to 8. 9 out of 10 in Canada and 7. 1 out of 10 in the United States, the difference is quite staggering. Microsoft has to be able to find a way to adapt their approach in order to conclude some type of successful business in the country of Lebanon. According to the text book â€Å"The biggest source of anxiety for business people in America who operate abroad is the expectations of bribes and payoffs† (Trevino Nelson, 2007). When the Microsoft management team was faced with bribes or offerings in order to sell their software to the organizations who where operating on pirated copies, they in return chose to use an ethical model in order to make a decision in regards of choosing which course of action would be best to take. The judicial systems of these countries that have a low transparency, that are similar to those in Lebanon, are very weak. So filing a lawsuit against the businesses that are running the pirated versions of the Microsoft software programs would turn out to be very costly, time consuming and may end up yielding no type of results in the end. Management teams that are faced with different types of ethical situations can apply different types of ethical models in order to help assist in the process of decision making. In the case of bribing a manager of an organization in order to purchase software that is legal, it is possible that they could apply the utilitarianism ethical model. By looking at the result, it might be easy to try and make a decision on whether or not the employees at the Microsoft Corporation may try and bribe a business into purchasing Microsoft software that is legal. On a positive note, Microsoft selling more software to organizations and businesses that need it or may already be using it may help in the reduction of software being pirated within the country. The share prices at Microsoft are being maintained by the revenue and the employees receiving a commission. On the negative side, if a bribe is being paid to an employee or a member of the business or an organization who is purchasing the Microsoft software. The Utilitarianism’s ethical model shows approval of this as a decision that is ethical. Being able to apply different ethical models, such as the deontological model may end up having different ending results. The question that this raises is â€Å"Should all businesses or organizations pay some type of bribe or bribes in order to help sell their products? † The answer to this naturally is, â€Å"no†. Global businesses are faced with many different challenges everyday as they expand into different foreign organizations. Ethical challenges will always arise for an organization as they expand. The ethical decisions made in regards to different business matters can usually be solved by applying the different ethical models that are available. There are plenty of tools available for helping solve arising ethical problems and they need to be used so they may be helpful in making solutions. With the launch of Microsoft in the country of Lebanon they need to confront these ethical issues of bribery so that they can enter the market. The Microsoft Corporation must learn to adapt their policies in order to comply with the ethical standards they have in the country of Lebanon. References Corruption Perception Index, 2010 results (2010). Transparency International Retrieved August 11, 2013 from https://www. transparency. org/policy_research/surveys Fortune Global 500 (2011) CNN Money, Retrieved August 11, 2013 from https://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/global500/2011 Microsoft Corporation (2011) About Microsoft, Retrieved August 10, 2013 from https://www. microsoft. com/about/en/us/default. aspx Trevino. L. K Nelson. K. L (2007) Retrieved August 9, 2013 from Managing Business Ethics (4th Ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

Strategic Management Of Mcdonalds Fast Food Company Uk Marketing Essay

Strategic Management Of Mcdonalds Fast Food Company Uk Marketing Essay McDonald Corporation is among the largest chain of fast food restaurants in the United Kingdom. It primarily sells French fires, chicken, hamburgers, soft drinks and breakfast. This paper draws on the view that McDonalds fast food continue to remain competitive in the fast food market niche by virtue of strategic management which sees it improving the taste of sandwiches as well as introducing a menu lost that is new for its customers. To understand the success of McDonald over the years, it is important to note the strategic management of the fast food corporation in the UK. Part of the strategic drive of McDonalds to increase its competitive edge has been to overhaul the system of food preparation and as evidenced in its recent food preparation system dubbed Made For You, McDonald developed a mutual relationship with its customers since fresher as well as hotter food are delivered to customers; an aspect that leads to more consumption of McDonalds food (Stuart et al, 2007). The ove rall point in the strategic thinking and management of McDonalds rests on the enhanced flexibility on its customer service, business model, reaching and analyzing the strategic edge in light of competitive advantage and business level strategies. This paper seeks to analyze the wider environment in which McDonalds operates competition within the fast food industry, strategic focus, and how to address challenges that occur within the industry. Introduction McDonalds Fast Food Company is among the largest food service retail corporation. Known for its hot and fresh fries, hamburgers, burgers and soft drinks, McDonalds operates about 30,000 restaurants in over 199 countries. In the UK, a majority of the McDonalds operates on the franchise basis. The strategic focus and organizational management has positioned McDonalds to compete effectively in an already competitive industry and thus edge a competitive base in the industrial environment and enjoy a market niche for its business. Customers visit its outlet on the daily basis because of the ability of McDonalds to create a companys image that enhances people to get accustomed to the culture of fats food (McDonalds Corporation, 2010). As such, there is an apt customer base which McDonalds uses as a market entry strategy. Together with advertising companies that leaves the brand image in the consumers mind, McDonalds continue not only to penetrate the market but also expand their market siz e. As a result, there are a number of strategies that McDonald builds on to remain competitive in the industry and achieve t business and organizational objective. McDonalds Company Overview As one of the largest fast food corporation in the UK that concentrates on burgers, French fries, soft foods and breakfast, McDonalds has in the most recent introduced salads, snack wraps, fruits and carrot sticks. McDonald is a business that dates back in 1940. It was an idea that grew and became operational as the two brothers Mac McDonald and Dick opened a restaurant in the United States (Walsh, 2009) .The first McDonalds operated on the principle of modern fast food restaurant which later spread across Europe. The present McDonald is as a result of the successful expansion of the McDonald into a host of fast food markets. The company has become the symbol of globalization and it prominence in the UK is based on the concept of consumer responsibility as well as corporate ethics (McDonalds Corporation, 2010). Essentially, McDonald serves approximately one million customers every day. Business Environment and Analysis of McDonalds The environment in which McDonalds operates is very competitive that managers have been forced to adopt a strategic framework upon which they exercise their ability to identify, cultivate as well as exploit the core competencies that ensures that there is business and market growth. Thompson (2005) asserts that in order to arrive at this strategic threshold, McDonalds as a corporation has been the focus of the strategic policy formulation. In addition, Brown (2002) points out that there is no way in which the organization can exist in the vacuum. In this sense, McDonalds operate within a competitive environment and the foundation of its strategic management rests on its ability to analyze its competitor in the fast food industry. As a result, this not only enables McDonalds to realize its strengths and weakness but also help it to formulate a position on which it identifies the opportunities that are present for the organizations well as the threats it can face from its wider industr ial environment. This strategic analysis best positions McDonalds in its market niche and is thus a strategy that reflects the best march for McDonalds strategic management. The competencies exhibited by McDonalds form yet another aspect of its overall strategic management. Parsa (2002) contends that as one of the largest food chain companies in the UK, it defines its success from its strengths and opportunities. This is the distinctive competitive strategy that enhances the corporations competitive advantage in the market. A case in point is the financial opportunities, market leadership, image of the company to the market as well as the relationship between the company and its customer forms the strengths as well as opportunities than McDonald has achieved on its wider strategic management plan. To achieve an enhanced and more profitable market niche, McDonalds creates a successful image in the customers minds and draws from it mission and vision statement to introduce to widespread customers a culture of fast food. This is evidenced by the fundamental concept that it serves over one million customers in UK per day and continues to add on its menu a new list of fast food items prepared. Furthermore, customer care relations, delivery speed as well as high hygienic conditions make the basic strengths on which McDonalds expands on. Cole (2003) articulates that McDonald has created a corporate symbol that is reinforced by the advertisement campaigns in the UK. Accordingly, it builds on this pedestal to foundationally establish a brand image that has remained in the minds of millions of people living in the UK. As such, the brand image positions McDonalds an edge higher than its major competitor in the food chain industries and its marketing strategies successfully addresses impo rtant business operations factors such as internal resources and the core competencies in relation to the external environment in which it operates (Kendrick, 2008). Moreover, business analysts have maintained that the product value of McDonalds has contributed to the strategic focus of its operations. With regard to this, customers are aware of what to expect from the McDonalds restaurants whenever they visit the McDonalds. This gives emphasis on the fact that human resource draws their satisfaction from satisfying their customers and keeps the employees ready to adopt the innovative strategy of the company where they introduce newer products in the market in a bid to remain on edge with the newer tastes and trends of its customers and market size. The diversity of McDonalds into other related business forms the framework on which economists regard the McDonalds as the successful corporate group within the fast food industry (Enz, 2009). Competitive Environment within the Operations of McDonalds Every fast food restaurant operating whether as an organization or individual business is aimed at creating a new wave in the performance; all aimed towards implementing and sustaining the brand quality and the innovation of the business plan. Many fast food restaurants in the UK continue to analyze the external as well as internal business opportunities and therefore develop marketing plans that see them with a major market shares. These make food chain industry a very competitive industry in the UK. According to Hetrick et al (2006), McDonalds appreciates that competition for market place is stiff and has tasked its management to constantly communicate, compare their services with those of other fast food restaurants and finally improve on their service delivery and incorporate the developments of technology such as the internet to basically motivate their clients and improve on the overall center performance. In addition, many fast food organizations undoubtedly enhance their food production which makes it futile to use the product quality alone as the marketing strategy. As this may create a scenario where you are rated average, McDonalds has gone a notch higher in edging its competitive advantage by modifying every marketing and business strategy to suit its vision statement. As such, Heath and Palacher (2008) argues that bearing in mind the already available resources is one point towards success but making use of all the primary competencies has enabled McDonalds to sustain its place in the competitive market. Accordingly, as the chief executive officer of McDonalds said, the world has extensively changed and so have the customers. This calls for a dire need for any business organization to change in light with the customers change (Walsh, 2009). McDonalds Competitive Position within the Food Chain Industry McDonalds has achieved the title of the leading and largest fast food restaurant in the UK from its overall strategic management concept of sustainable competitive market. With emphasis, this strategic policy has been behind the McDonalds ability to make it difficult for other food chain industries to penetrate its stronghold marketplace. Hill and Jones (2007) explain that McDonalds competitive position is attributed to its dynamic customer care relations, brand imaging, cost structure as well as its patent. With regard to this, the organizational as well as the managerial process has centered on sharing coordination and integration to formulate policies that drives the McDonalds on the pedestal of success. Believing in the customer and product value, McDonalds has created a situation where every employee strives to work for the common goal. Similarly, McDonald, through its strategic management has demonstrated its strength in being able to learn and execute changes according to the needs of the markets. From this conceptualization, it has commanded a competitive position by being flexible to change within the milieu of technological developments and customer trends (Stuart et al, 2007). As such, Kendrick (2008) further postulates that a case in point for McDonalds success and market position falls on the paradigm of its long time organizational culture of concentrating on its advantage such as organizational behaviors as well as expertise to achieve success in every aspect of its objective. In the past, McDonald paid little attention on the concept of competitive advantage and thus even though it opened many outlets across Britain, its revenue did not change to the better. The structural, technological and financial assets are the excellent market position of McDonalds. It therefore follows that McDonalds not only identifies but also implements these assets in the right direction in a bid to improve the services of the company in the market. Bordering the advantage on the vision which guides the company, McDonalds draws its strengths to achieve the competitive position by being committed to the sustainability of its vision. For example, bearing in mind that a brand or product revolves around the companys vision, McDonalds works in lieu with this concept and thus attributes its competitive advantage on its faithfulness to the mission, vision and goals as well as objectives of the organization (Thompson, 2005).In light of this, McDonalds operates on the guideline of serving those people who have little or no time to cook an therefore provides a solution of a proper restaurant. In this case, the vision provides not only quality products but also quick ser vice and desirable satisfaction among its customers. The sustainable competitive advantage has undoubtedly meant well for the McDonalds and implementing these strategies is based on incorporating the best value strategies which make McDonalds unique and hard to be emulated by its competitors. It is evident that competitive advantages has helped and continue to help McDonalds to realize a great investment through an integrated, intelligent and dynamic human resources as well as strategic management (brown, 2003). As a result, McDonald caters for the situation where risk attitudes change and entirely vary the environmental uncertainty and volatility. This based on the product, price, promotion and place has provided a good starting point for the competitive position of McDonalds. Towards implementing the marketing function, the management of McDonalds constantly employs elements of marketing mix to appropriate plan on how to achieve the popularity in the market place (Enz, 2009). McDonalds Marketing Strategy McDonalds is known for its market entry on which it introduces people to the culture of fast food through the employment of emotive and highly persuasive advertisement campaigns. As Hetrick et al (2006) point out, McDonalds uses well structured advertisement campaigns to create a corporate system that penetrates the market as well as expands it. With regard to this, Parsa (2002) notes that McDonalds have put in place strategies that deal with the growing number of fast food customers in the UK. Towards achieving this, McDonalds emphasizes on customer care, speed in the delivery and high hygienic conditions around the McDonald premises. Connected with the concept of market entry strategy, McDonalds equally builds on its brand image; a factor that identifies it as an independent company. Accordingly, the company has taken into account business environment to achieve a competitive edge based on the service delivery, product and price. In addition, McDonalds have used the diversity strategy in its operations. Hill and Jones (2007) contends that McDonalds uses this strategy to venture into other business; a factor that has helped the company to keep in touch with the market trends a mid the rising completion in the food chain industry. Towards this, McDonalds emphasis on health food, introduction of new items such as salads on the menu, changed the overall appearance of the stores among adopting newer strategies. In light of this, McDonalds is able to achieve a competitive position in the marketing environment that is getting more competitive by day s a result of entry of new players in the industry. Heath and Palacher (2008) further assert that a lot of innovations where McDonalds produces new products demonstrate another strategy in use for the McDonalds to catch up with the latest market development. As a result, it is able to respond to the ever changing tastes and concerns of customers. For instance, McDonalds continues to develop new recipes as part of it strategic formulation to cater for the health issues and concerns of the customers in UK. McDonalds continue with the franchising model and employs over 60000 employees in approximately 1200 restaurants. The success behind all theses is typical of the effective marketing strategies that lead to the creation of high demand for fast food (Cole, 2003). The aim of successful marketing rests on making superfluous sales. Understanding the customer as well as the product that fits them has definitely formed the foundation of McDonalds marketing strategy. As opposed to other fast food restaurant whose entry in the market somehow takes the customer for granted and ends at providing quick service, McDonalds exploits the underlying concept of marketing which draws on the notion that customer satisfaction is the primary business priority. Comparatively, many fast food restaurants in the UK are motivated in making profit and although they provide quality services, they miss out on putting their customers satisfaction on the fist priority. McDonalds has created business strategies that aim at fulfilling the creation of customer satisfaction. Fundamentally, McDonalds has invested in understanding the needs of a group or groups of customers in what is called market segmentation (Brown, 2002).As such, McDonalds defines these band of customers in terms of demography such as their age, region and gender such that each band of customers have a successfully and specifically tailored products as well as a marketing mix. Future Developments in the Fast Industry It is important to note that following the market trends of fats food industry, outsourcing of employees may not be effective. It is clear that everything in the present business community outsources but McDonalds should be ready to take care when outsourcing because in future, outsourcing is going to cease in its value following the whole sale idea of outsourcing competencies of the fast food chain store (Hetrick et al, 2006). Towards cushioning the effect of this, McDonald can outsource other business operations but not its core competencies. As such, it will keep abreast with the fact that the benefits of outsourcing which includes knowledge of market offshore, supplier relations and expansion of business operation. In so doing McDonalds will have put in place an order facility to cushion itself against competition, business failure and reduced profit margin. In addition, the question of increased competition will be a future development due to the extensive entry in the fast food industry. As such, McDonalds will have to face an array of market risks as well as other business setbacks. However, what will make it strong and continue to enjoy the status of a leading fast food company is the constant formulation and implementation of strategic policies based on its knowledge of the customer needs. In other words, the taste, preferences and satisfactions of the customer should be their constant priority to face this challenging scenario (Parsa, 2002).With the future market function taking a consumer oriented approach, the marketing decisions are care going to be affected by the careful identification of the needs of the customers. As such McDonalds will need to devise marketing strategies that meet the customers needs as well as a business distribution system that bring the brands closer to the needs of the customer. Recommendation for McDonalds Future Strategy McDonalds should in future design a business plan that addresses the social changes spearheaded by the government and consumer groups which border encouraging a balanced diet and thus prepare types of foods that on the nutrition of the customer as well as their healthy lifestyles. Essentially, it can also develop a joint venture with other organizations such as the supermarkets in that some of its food is sold in the supermarkets. This comes with the marketing database which will help it to more accurately reach out to specific target groups of consumers. The customer identification could be on the basis of modeling and shoppers profiles; a factor which will enhance the prevention of band switching. In addition, McDonalds should focus on the corporate social responsibility and edge closer to those organizations with a value impact on the society (Enz, 2009). Similarly, McDonalds should realize that promotion of its products is not merely an advertising function. It should come up with both advertising campaigns and promotional strategy that is defined by the nature of the market, the size of the market and the tastes as well as preferences of the customers. In so doing, McDonalds should design on the promotional mix that address the element of price, product and market in the way the customer will feel obliged to consume the product. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that the strategic management plan of McDonalds has positioned it as the largest fast food corporation in the UK. This means that its business model is evidently different form other fast food chains. . Part of the strategic drive of McDonalds to increase its competitive edge has been to overhaul the system of food preparation and as evidenced in its recent food preparation system dubbed Made For You McDonalds developed a mutual relationship with its customers since fresher as well as hotter food was delivered to customers; an aspect that led to more consumption of McDonalds food. The overall point in the strategic thinking and management of McDonalds rests on the enhanced flexibility on its customer service, business model and analyzing the strategic edge in light of competitive advantage, business level strategies among others.

stop the violence (SPAIN) Essay example -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Basta. Enough. This word exemplifies the growing attitude toward the violence in the Spanish nation caused by the cultural differences between its Spanish and Basque inhabitants. The 2.1 million people of Euskadi, the Basque area of Spain, speak a different language than typical Spaniards, have a separate culture and society from that of Spain; and have a history of their own. Throughout the decades, these major cultural differences contained within the borders of Spain have continued to cause conflict between the Spanish people and the people of the Basque area. Many within la comunidad autà ³noma del paà ­s vasco, the autonomous community of the Basque country, have long been seeking to free it from the confines of Spanish borders and have proceeded to do so in a terrorist fashion, although recently there have been attempts by the Basques nationalists to work towards more peaceful relations with the Spanish government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ETA is a Basque separatist organization in Spain that has taken up many violent practices in its efforts to gain independence for the Basque state. Standing for Euzkadi Ta Azkatasuna, meaning â€Å"Basque Homeland and Liberty,† this group grew out of the Partido Nacionalista Vasco, also known as the Basque Nationalist Party or PNV. Since the PNV was outlawed by dictator Francisco Franco, ETA retained its headquarters secretly in Paris during his reign. For the past 31 years, it has been the origin of numerous terrorist attacks, bombings, protests, and murders. It is the key player in the violence that has plagued Spain and its Basque area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Basque region of Spain jumped back into the world arena most recently beginning in late 1997. By this time, the regional government there had gained partial autonomy from Madrid. It had been permitted home rule by the Spanish Constitution and elected its own Parliament with taxing power and a 6,000 member regional police force. The elected Assembly and administration there controlled education, cultural affairs, social services, and created jobs for its people. It was in December of this year that the 23 leaders of Herri Batasuna (HB), the political voice of ETA, were arrested and sentenced to seven-year jail terms for making a video extolling the terrorist acts of the ETA. This decision by three Spanish judges marked t... ...The New York Times. 19 December 1998, p. A6. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodman, Al. â€Å"Spain Making Contact With Basque Rebels.† The New York Times. 4 November 1998, p. A4. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodman, Al. â€Å"Voting in Basque Region Helps Moderates, and Peace.† The New York   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Times. 26 October 1998, p A11. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Now for votes: Spain and the Basques.† The Economist. 26 September 1998, p. 53. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Peace Dividend of a More United Europe.† Business Week. 29 March 1999, p. 57. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"SEVILLE.† Time International. 9 February 1998, p. 10. 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Spanish Basque Rebel Chief Seized in Paris With 5 Aides.† The New York Times. 10   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March 1999, p. A8. 13.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Valls-Russell, Janice. â€Å"Reigning in Spain: a tribute to diversity.†The New Leader. 6 October 1997, p. 8-9. 14.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What’s new? Spain and the Basques.† The Economist. 6 December 1997, p. 57. STOPPING THE VIOLENCE THE MOVE TOWARD PEACE IN SPAIN’S BASQUE REGION

A creative intervention into a multicultural education setting

A multicultural education setting should fundamentally be an awareness-raising educational setting that, for the sole aim of justifying and inspiring a progressive inter-cultural cross-fertilisation, spotlights the challenges of co-existence in a multicultural local and global environment. Therefore, multicultural education has the primary goal of inculcating students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for them to adjust voluntarily, co-operatingly and unobtrusively to the conditions and of a culturally and ethnically diverse nation, meeting these intra-national challenges and employing them constructively.A support of this assertion lies in James A. Banks’ statement, â€Å"[multicultural education] is designed to empower all students to become knowledgeable, caring, and active citizens in a deeply troubled and ethnically polarized nation and world.†However, the full implementation of the concept of an ideal multicultural education is not yet in evidence . What are generally on the ground are executions of facets of the concept, often with unsavoury and questionable unilaterality. What is outlined above is, therefore, for all practical purposes, an ideal to which every (nominal) multicultural education setting should aspire.To remedy this one-sidedness in the generality of multicultural educational settings, one will do well to adopt a creative approach to the trends currently in evidence.(A).  Ã‚   A CREATIVE INTERVENTION INTO THE CONDITION OF THE DAVIDAMBROSE MULTICULTURAL COLLEGE, MOPTI(a) CREATIVITY: A creative intervention into the multicultural education setting of David Ambrose College, Mopti, as set out in the folio, is by no means a be-all-end-all intervention; it is no ultimate answer to its dysfunction, but an attempt to uplift it, according to a conceived ideal, to more respectable heights.Creativity embraces rational and clear thinking, individual exploration of ideas and concepts, and an experimenting with the possib ly untried in an attempt to further and ennoble an existing condition..   It is â€Å"inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules†¦..† Mary Lou Cook.Two popular theories of creativity will be applied towards this intervention: The divergent theory (DT) and the associative theory.The divergent theory of creativity is a theory of systematic exploration of possibilities, a theory of serendipity. This theory   suggests that in questing for a   creative solution to some problem, a broad range of ideas, concepts, suggestions and recommendation are explored, the seemingly valid as well the seemingly invalid, a process generally associated with what is called â€Å"cognitive overinclusiveness† (CO).Considered a fundamental part of the creative spirit, CO is the inclusion of the likely (apparently logical) as well as the unlikely (apparently illogical) in the range of considerations towards a solution to a problem or towards the creation of new id eas. â€Å"(a) many,   as opposed to only a few, ideas; (b) a wide range of ideas; and (c)   unusual (as well as more typical) ideas† (Boorstin) – all are put into consideration.The associative theory, on the other hand, is a theory of similarities. It arose from the observation of the tendency of creative minds to associate an idea related to the issue being resolved to another which seems to expand or clarify it. This process sometimes results in an interfusion or union of various associated ideas into a novelty which contains the sought solution.

AP U.S History Essay

When one reviews American History from 1785-1850, it can be concluded that, â€Å"Americans never learned to add without also dividing†. This is referring to America’s inability to have more land without also having the land divided into sections, whether it be north and south or east and west. For example when the Louisiana Purchase was made, yes it added more land to the U.S, but it also made it so there was another territory that was different than the rest of America. The Missouri Compromise can be an example as well, when they applied to become a state, it was being considered however James Tallmadge Jr. introduced an amendment that created a rift being those who were pro slavery and against it. When you look at American history between 1785-1850, it can be said that America can never add without dividing; this statement is correct in saying that and it can be backed up with the effects of the Louisiana Purchase and the Missouri Compromise, which included divisions of the ideas and people, as examples. You can use the Louisiana Purchase to support the argument because, when it was made, although it added more land to the U.S, it also made it so there was another territory that was different than the rest of America as an after effect. When this purchase was finalized it meant more land for the Americas but unfortunately more division within America. Most cities involved in this purchase, like New Orleans can be used as example. In New Orleans, the population was mostly French or Spanish speakers but the rest of the country spoke English. It was also a Catholic city that was engulfed in a country of Protestants, and even furthermore, the ideas of these people about things like race and sexuality differed than those of the rest of the countries. All of these are examples of how cities involved in the Louisiana Purchase differed from the rest of America and supports that even though it was extra land for America it was also divided by the differences it had with America that kept it separate from America. The Missouri Compromise can be used as an example because when it was made, an amendment was also introduced which required slaves to be freed and not added. This amendment caused an uproar within the southern representatives and senators who were  pro slavery. Which further divided the ideas of slavery, whether it be for or against it. Like the Louisiana Purchase, the Missouri Compromise also shows how America can never add without dividing, because, when Missouri was gained as a state it was also introduced that slavery not be permitted there. This divided those who were in favor of it and those who were against it. Which is an example of America always adding but also dividing. When one reviews American History from 1785-1850, it can be concluded that, â€Å"Americans never learned to add without also dividing†. This is referring to America’s inability to have more land without also having the land divided into sections, whether it be north and south or east and west or pro and against. When you look at American history between 1785-1850, it can be said that America can never add without dividing; this statement is correct in saying that and it can be backed up with the effects of the Louisiana Purchase and the Missouri Compromise, which included divisions of the ideas and people, as examples. When the Louisiana Purchase is an example that supports this because land was acquired but divisions was made between them and the rest of America keeping it from being on country under one idea. The Missouri Compromise can be an example as well because when acquired as a state, Tallmadge Jr. introduced an amendment that created a rift being those who we re pro slavery and against it.

Africa and the Americas 1492 to 1750 Dbq

From 1492 to 1750 in the Americas and Africa, there were social and political changes such as a shift of power in the Americas— the power going from the natives to European dominance, a change in the demographics of the Americas— Europeans became a part of the population and the population of natives decreased dramatically, and a change in the demographics of Africa—Africans were taken from their homes and sold for slavery. In the Americas there was a dramatic political shift of power going from the natives to Europeans.Document two suggests that when the Europeans came in, they destroyed the great cities that the natives had already built and established. Hernan Cortes, in his letter to King Charles V, states â€Å"This great city of Tenochtitlan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"The city is as large as Seville or Cordoba†¦ †, â€Å"their [the natives] fashion of living was almost the same as in Spain, with just as much harmony and order†¦Ã¢â‚¬  suggestin g that the cities the Natives had already established were as great as the Spanish’s, before they took over and destroyed them.As a European conqueror Cortes would have seen the greatness of these cities and witnessed how they functioned, also being able to compare it to the cities of Spain, from which he was born and lived in. In his letter he seems honest but contradictory because while he says â€Å"their [the natives] fashion of living was almost the same as in Spain, with just as much harmony and order†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he follows that statement with â€Å"†¦considering these people were barbarous†¦ — hinting that although they lived almost as extravagantly as the Spanish, he still considered them of less worth than Europeans. Natives were used as slaves to mine silver at the Potosi silver mine for the Spanish (document five). Document Five is an excerpt of Compendium and Description of The West Indies written by Spanish priest, Antonio Vazquez de Espinosa , who would have been able to experience the tough and dangerous working conditions that the natives were forced to endure, so his writings would have been mostly accurate, if not partially influenced by his moral beliefs.By the 18th century, Europeans had claimed large territories in the Americas, land which had previously been ruled by the natives, and began to colonize the land (document six). There was also a change in the demographics of the Americas. Document one shows where early European explorers began to populate the Americas. Another legal document comparing the native population and the European population in the Americas from the beginning of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century would help in the understanding of the change in the demographics.Document three displays the effect that the European diseases, such as smallpox, had on the natives, causing death. Another document, such as a diary entry by a native explaining the effects of smallpox on others around him would be particularly helpful in gaining insight of the situation. By 1735 the social ladder in the Americas was completely different— â€Å"Spaniards or Whites, Mestizos, Indians or Natives, and Negroes† (document eight). This shows how the Europeans took over control of the native population, put themselves above the natives, and saw themselves as a higher rank because of skin color.Jorge Juan and Antonio de Ulloa were able to experience it themselves and see how the Europeans believed they were better because of â€Å"riches, rank, and power†. In Africa there was a large social change in the demographics. Africans, even noblemen and their sons, would be taken from their homes in the middle of the night by Whites and forced into slavery; This shows that even their social status had no effect on whether or not they would be enslaved (document four). King Alfonso of Kongo would have seen what was happening to his people.He explains in his letter to King Joa o of Portugal that he knows that his people are enslaving the African men—â€Å"out of great desire for the wares and things of your kingdoms, which are brought here by your people and in order to satisfy their disordered appetite, seize many of our people, freed and exempt men. † From the 15th century to the 18th century the number of slaves being shipped from Africa to the Americas increased greatly, as did the number of deaths in transit (document seven).Document four only speaks of men being enslaved and knowing that while more Africans were enslaved the population remained consistant, it can be concluded that this was a main factor in the increased practice of polygamy in Africa. A document comparing the amount of females to males before and after slavery would be useful in explaining the increase of polygamy in African society.