Assignment4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Assignment4 - Assignment Example German composers and their pieces were also numerous; they were represented by Ruhe, meine seele, Ach weh mir ungluckhaftem man and Heimliche Aufforderung by Richard Strauss. Several pieces by Tosti added Italian passion to the concert; they were represented by A Vucchella, Non T’amo Piu, Ideale, L’alba Separa Dalla Luce L’ombra and Marechiare. One piece in Spanish by Pablo Sarozabal added some temper to the performance. Rare Maori and Samoa languages were represented by a couple of folk songs followed by the nice guitar accompaniment. C. I was an attentive listener during the concert. First of all, I know that I had to write the concert report after it, so I concentrated on singing to provide more comprehensive analysis of the performance. Second of all, the concert was engaging because Pati turned to be a very pleasant and funny young singer who could easily attract attention of people and make them laugh. All pieces listed in the program were new for me. I was familiar with other compositions by Liszt and Strauss, but they were instrumental. D. The whole concert was aimed at revealing the power and beauty of Pati’s voice. His tenor was outstanding as well as his singing techniques. It was easy to indentify that the voice belonged to a young man due to the fact that it was very pure. The piano performed the main accompaniment. A couple of folk songs were followed by the guitar. In fact, they would never sound better with any other instrument. E. Generally, I liked all the pieces included in the concert. However, I recollected some of them after the concert considering the best ones. For instance, Ruhe, meine seele by Strauss was very sad and tender piece. It had some Gothic elements in both lyrics and music. Enigmatic sound combined with the tenor of the singer resulted in high quality performance which was difficult to dislike. The

Functional organizations are described by organizational charts Essay

Functional organizations are described by organizational charts. Explain why a temporary organization such as a project can benefit from using an organizational chart - Essay Example lpful where projects involve various departments and participants who have to coordinate their work or when they are required to report to a person from a different department. Some projects involve working with new faces and one has to learn to recognize these new faces for better efficiency under these circumstances, an organizational chart comes in handy because it not only has the faces of the participants of the project but also their names and their different roles not to mention it provides a constant reference point. An organizational structure helps in better management of resources and personnel by preventing duplication of roles and capacities moreover, it helps reduce the work load of managers and supervisors as it shows the number of people they have to supervise and the various departments that have to report to them. If the project is to take a considerable length of time, an organizational chart is used by project participants to see their promotion options and the vacancies that surround them. This way they don’t have to miss out of opportunities that they can easily take advantage

Features Of Controlling Function Business Essay

Features Of Controlling Function Business Essay Management is a a universal phenomenon which mean a concept understood by everyone. Management enables to use the available resources efficiently it is purposive activity which have a purpose or a reason behind each and every function . In an effective management goals are pre-determined ,which means the goals which should be achieved by the organization is finalized earlier by the top level management Management is important for a business for the following reasons: To maintain the internal environment of the company. To get the work done effectively and efficiently Basic administration things which are equal to each employee. Eg :check in/check out time, application for leave. Equity equal treatment in the management . should be treated equally regardless of gender, religion etc. Espirit de corps enjoy the working environment. Nature of management is a serial process which means interaction with the staffs or colleagues Every day we have to interact or speak with the people we work with.natureof management enables to provide information from one person another, vertically or horizontally . Vertical communication takes place when information is transferred from top level management to the lover level staffs or from the lower level staffs to the top level management Horizontal communication takes places when an information is transferred with in the same level employees. For an example if a supervisor transfers an information to another supervisor, then it is known as horizontal communication. This also known as decisional activity .it involves continuous decision making to handle the issue and the problem arised in the company. In order to implement action decision needs to be taken first. This also known as interpersonal activity. Management contain of for function they are: Planning Organizing Leading and directing Controlling Planning The flowing is the process of the planning. Classifying the problem identifying the main task to be done. Establishment of objective. Establishment of planning premises, these are the assumptions made to solve the problem. Choice of alternative, if a plan fails can switch to the alternative plan. Formulation of derivative plans, no need of changing the whole only some parts could be adjusted. Arranging timing and sequence of the operations. Secures Co-Operation: Secures Relationship between the works and top level managements. Follow -Up/appraisal of plan_ This means Others are allowed give feedback regarding the plan. Planning enable stable running of the company and future development and success of the company (prosperity). This also enables innovation Creativity of new Ideas and can achieve better co-ordination from the employees. Organizing : Organizing means putting the right things in the right place and right person in the right place to get the work done properly. Organizing is the first step of implementation. Its because we are physically grouping and dividing the work force. Function of organizing: Act as a frame work within which people can work together effectively. There are actually three areas if objectives or aims. First is the Organizational objective Planning emphasized in the whole thing. Departmental objective- Different departments will have different objectives. Individual objectives each and every employee will have his/her own objective of completing the task given. Finally all the objectives facilitated by the different departments enable to gain the organizational objectives. Organization is important for a company for the following rescores. Allows optimum we of rescores- Using the maximum rescores which is actually needed, Without wasting the resource or using it less Clarifies authority to perform managerial functions. Managerial function means decision making and giving orders and instruction to the sub ordinates and scalar chain refer to the way people are arranged in an organization. Facilitates growth and diversification of business easily. It enables to know how much of the resources would be needed. Leading and directing This refers to giving instructions and guidelines to achieve a pre determined goal. Leading and directing is an important managerial function. Leading and directing helps the organization in the following ways. Building an effective working climate. Creating opportunity for motivation. Supervising to make sure employees are behaving well. Scheduling, tasks given to each employee are finished on a given time. Disciplining, code of conduct/formal relationship Directing is said to be the heart of management process. directing is important to make sure that planes are working. Some characteristics of directing are as follows Pervasive function Required of all level of organization Every manager provides guidelines and inspiration to his sub ordinates however, there should be someone to direct even the supervisors just like the subordinates Continuous activity Direction is a continuous activity as it continues through out the life of the organization Directing is needed till you achieve the goal. Creative activity Directing helps to convert plane in to performance planes(written words ) are implemented (Physically) this means words are converted into physical action during the process of directing . without this function people become inactive and resources are meaningless Controlling Checking current performance and standard performance -goals are met and performance are satisfactory. Controlling is a continuous process which enables to find out how the employees perform. This is also used to make sure the top level management is also doing their job properly . Establishment of standards Measurement of performance The working environment of the work place should be good Communicating with the higher level management Extend of deviation Taking corrective actions Features of Controlling Function Following are the characteristics of controlling function of management- Controlling is an end function-   A function which comes once the performances are made in conformities with plans. Controlling is a pervasive function-   which means it is performed by managers at all levels and in all type of concerns. Controlling is forward looking because effective control is not possible without past being controlled. Controlling always look to future so that follow-up can be made whenever required. Controlling is a dynamic process   since controlling requires taking reviewal methods, changes have to be made wherever possible. Controlling is related with planning   Planning and Controlling are two inseperable functions of management. Without planning, controlling is a controlling succeeds planning. Q4) Planning process Contains of the following points: Classifying the problem- identifying and defining the problem Establishment of objectives- what do you want to achieve/creating aims Establishment of planning premises- assumptions/plans could be changed. Choice of alternative course of action- change into an alternative plan. Formulation of derivation plan- no need of changing the whole plan, only some parts of the plan could be changed. Arranging timing and sequence of operations Securing cooperations- securing the relationships between the workers and top level management. Follow up / Appraisal of plan- allow others to give feedback. Stability-stable running of the company. (controlled by the management). Prosperity-future development and success. Innovation and creativity- new ideas Better co ordination Ensures commitment-giving your 100% Acts as an aid to business system. Q5) management is getting things done by organizing things. Warren Bannis said Managers do things right, leader do the right things. Peter Ducker said , Management is doing thing right, leadership is doing the right things. Management- making the most efficient use of human, physical and financial resources to achieve given objectives, involving and planning, monitoring, coordinating and reviewing activities. Ian Smith, MD, Oracle Management is a science which can be taught while leadership cannot and leadership is more vital in modern business. Role of management Setting objectives and planning Organizing resources to achieve objectives Communicating to and motivating staff Coordinating activities Measuring and controlling performance Leadership influencing others to achieving desired aims and objectives; leaders set the agenda that managers follow. Leadership depends on three things viz. individual, follower,condition. Leadership decides on the direction of the company as per objectives and inspiring the staff to achieve them. Leadership is an important quality of a successful manager. Employees want good leaders and will respond positively to their direction. Some people believe that leaders are born while others believe that leadership can be developed through training. Good leaders shall have the following characteristics Natural confidence and desire to succeed Ability to think creatively and encourage others to do so. Talented in multiple disciplines and handle such discussions Skill to identify the key issue and isolate other issues Q6) According to Herzberg, in order o increase employee satisfaction level, there are two important factors which needs to be present. They are motivation factors and hygiene factors Hygiene factors Factors that needs to be present as an initial motivator for employees to achieve objectives. Motivation factor Factors that can be implemented or used to increase employee motivation level. these are the factors that can be practiced by the organization. Motivation individuals Facilitates goal achievement Gets job satisfaction Self-development; always want to prove yourself Creates a dynamic team Motivation business creates empowered teams to; whatever the work is, employees are willing to complete the task. Input given by each employee is increased With high motivation high challenges better performance level.

I Took the Road More Traveled :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

I Took the Road More Traveled The great oak table stood in the middle of the room, warped by heat from an old wood stove in the corner.   Its dark brown finish had boiled up in the center into little pockets of wax and cure, and that was its grand history--a hundred years or more of Christmas dinners and knives hammered thoughtlessly into the wood.   The leaves and edges drooped down, worn under the weight of rough, uncultured elbows and wood bundles for the stove.   Underneath, the modest planks gave way to the graceful arch of the leg, terminating in the vicious paw of a huge dog, polished claws gleaming on the drab floor. At night the legs tapped their way upstairs, past the rooms of sleeping adults, stopping at the unfamiliar bed in which I slept.   The moonlight illuminated every glistening nail slathered in dew and blood with fierce intensity.   That evil table, with hairy paws like a dog, a lion, a monster, came to devil with the shifting patterns of blue, playing on my coverlet and left again before the silvery, delicate cicadas pealed their morning mass. And I was afraid. At the table, my chin barely reached my cereal bowl and my legs dangled wildly above the floor.   I eyed the strange woman who stood at the kitchen counter and gazed out at the morning.  Ã‚   "Miz Edna," I said, "Where'd ya get this table?" "Well now child, I don't rightly recall.   It came from my grandmother, I reckon." I couldn't imagine Edna's grandmother.   My grandmother was already very old and very wrinkled.   She stooped when she walked, and shuffled along the floor with a cane.   Edna looked like that, and she said her heart hurt when she looked at pictures of her children.   That was an affliction which plagued old people; sometimes I had heard they died of it in a shocking and abrupt manner.   Edna's grandmother must have been very old, even older than mine. "How old is your grandma, Miz Edna?" "She's dead now, child.   She died afore I was born. You hurry up with your cereal and run outside and play." "Yes ma'am.   One thing I can't figure though," I said.  Ã‚   "What's that?" "How did you get this table if your grandmother was dead afore you were born?" "I tol' you, child, hurry up.   Your ma and I're going down to the store, and I've got to get these here dishes scrubbed.

Rashomon Essay

The book is laid out in sequence. It opened up with the testimony of the woodcutter who was being interviewed by a high police commissioner. The woodcutter proceeded to tell the commissioner that he had just stumbled on a crime scene – a man wearing a bluish silk kimono with his face on the ground with fatal wound on his chest. This set up the tempo for the book. After each interview, the story jumps into another character’s testimony. It tells the story through the perspectives of the characters where they are all witness of a crime where a samurai had been murdered. There were a few witnesses to the crime: woodcutter, traveling Buddhist priest, policeman, bandit, old woman, his wife, and the man himself through a medium. Each one of the testimonies given by the witnesses differs from one another. The only thing they all had in common was that a samurai was killed. The book and the movie sets it up where we the reader are the jury of the crime. They all started telling what they have seen, what had happen, what were they doing, and how did they stumbled upon the murder scene. It’s almost like an exercise of finding out the truth based on the testimony given by each witness. Where we (readers and viewers) come to a consensus of determining who is the one telling the truth among them. Which is hard because they were all subjective interpretations of all witnesses. There isn’t anything that would point out who the real culprit is. After doing some research of the time frame when this book was written, I found out that the scenes that the author was trying to portray was pretty much identical to the time period that the book was trying to portray. It was written during the 20th century, a time where social disintegration and population distress prevalent. Most of the population practiced Buddhism, Shinto, and Taoism, which reflected in the movie when the husband was giving his testimony through a medium. The medium was his wife, which also seems like one of the short story that we read, Sotoba Komachi. Which have the same situation where the woman have done something terrible to a man therefore she is punished by having her body possessed by the man that she had wronged. During this time period, Buddhism was on the rise along with Shinto. It was apparent on the film when the opening scene showed Rashomon (Rajomon gate), which was the main gate for Kyoto. The gate looked devastated and torn down because during that time there was plenty of natural disasters and buildings being set on fire and also gangs and vigilantes were prevalent during this time that tried to rebel against the corrupt governors. The book and the movie showed the correlation with the time period by showing us how bad the living conditions are, or any of the characters situations are for that matter. In particular was the former samurai servant. Where he had taken refuge from the rain under the bridge but have no idea what to do after the rain stops because he was just discharged by his master. He was troubled about what the future holds for him. He didn’t have a job and also depressed because of it. Since he thought his situation was desperate, he started to debate whether he should look for a job and spend his life working as an honest man or become a thief. Regardless, the outcome wasn’t in his favor. After some time spending in the gate, the samurai servant cross path with a woman. Their situation was further magnified when the author described the environment of the place that they were taking refuge in – it was so bad that they didn’t care that the place was littered with copses. So many corpses that he had to watch where he step so that he wouldn’t trip over them and he couldn’t count how many there were around him. Also the stench of the corpses didn’t bother them. The servant started to investigate the noise that he heard from upstairs. There he encountered an old woman who he thought was a wretched hag. The old woman was there because she was plucking hairs from the corpses for her to use as a wig. This was the time where the samurai servant decided that he would go down the path of living as a thief by robbing her of her kimono. After reading and watching the movie, I think the movie stayed true to the book. The film uses flashbacks during the testimonies of the witnesses, which I thought was great because it cleared things up a little bit more. The scenes put you in the situation that they were in and try to relay the experience to you from their viewpoint. It showed the story being influenced by the characters emotions and the accuracy changes from person to person which is probably the intended objective of the director. The sequence of the witnesses was different in the movie than the book. In the movie, they used one of the guys in the Rashomon taking refuge as a witness where in the book – to me, it seems like the movie used none of the witness that was in Rashomon. I could be mistaken because in the movie, the opening scene was under the Rashomon and three guys were talking about what happened. They seemed in disarray at first and then it jumped to a scene where one of the guys was walking in the woods and discovered the carcass, from there the scene transitioned to the characters taking turns giving their testimony. In the book, there were two people in Rashomon taking refuge from the rain; it was a samurai servant and an old woman. Although the movie did a great job on using flashbacks to paint a clearer picture on what happened. There was no backstory on the characters. They were all portrayed as country-dwellers and vagabond staying in Rashomon. The only one that was clear to me was the wife, samurai, and the bandit. In the movie, they showed the woman was kissed and the scene cut out after that, allowing the audience to guess what happened. I would imagine that the scene was shocking since it was they very first kiss that was captured on film. Also, during the kiss, I thought that the woman was fighting it at first but then seemed to relax and go with it as the camera faded. For those who haven’t read the book, it might seem like that’s the only thing they did but he did much more things to her than just kiss – the woman was raped. It’s hard to guess that if you haven’t read the book. The only thing that I can think of that can possibly give away that the woman was raped was the reaction of the husband. His emotion changed from struggling to escape and angrily, to staring off in the distance and at peace with himself. This reaction was probably based on the Japanese culture where the woman is now given a choice between her rapist and her husband. I like how the author showcased the culture during that period, the reaction of the husband towards the wife whenever she succumbs to the bandit and how it portrayed the samurai. To the samurai, she had committed an act against him that did not warrant him to show any emotions. He understood that it was a loss cost fighting for her whenever she made the decision to let the bandit do whatever he wants with her. After reading and watching Rashomon, it’s easier to understand how Japan has been struggling with their identity. I lived in Japan for a couple years, which gave me a brief idea how the Japanese culture is. Their culture is very hospitable and very welcoming. During my stay there, not once did I feel threatened or feel like I was in some kind of danger. I never knew that Japan was just literally coming out of the medieval period transitioning to the industrial period. The only way I can explain that is, a baby that just learned how to turn on its belly then all of a sudden started trying to sprint. Which would also explain how hard they are trying to hold on to their tradition but slowly losing it, because the young generations are trying to embrace the western culture. The book and the movie did a fantastic job in showing the living condition during the time period. It’s hard to believe that just a couple of decades from that period, Japan was still struggling and fighting to have a democracy. In the span of a couple decades – Japan would have built an army that rivals the military power of the western world. Not only build, but also, declare a war with the western powers.

A Juggling Act Essay

Anna feels dissatisfied with her level of contribution COMPARED to other managers. * Has a tendency to compare herself to those people around her. 3. Anna has 18 month old daughter. 4. Anna feels constant conflict between desire to surpass client expectations and her commitment to being a good mother. 5. Unsure what she wants in life. Anna is performing at a 100% within her 60% capacity, while she views others at 120% at 100% capacity, yet still feels like she isn’t measuring up. 7. Not being able to meet desired family life even with reduced work life. 8. Anna wants to be successful in every area of life— not just her career. 9. Church meeting made her realize she needs to look at her health gauges and set GOALS as to what she really wants in life. Symptoms The following symptoms (evidence) show that Anna is facing a serious problem 1. Feeling like a â€Å"star† again lead to her feeling guilty for not providing Kristin with enough dedicated time at home 2. Felt impatient during social interactions, when she used to be very social in the work place. 3. No longer taking lunch breaks. 4. Still feels pressure, even though only being paid 60% and working a lot of extra hours 5. Comparing herself to full-time workers, even though she is part-time 6. Felt like she had no one close to her who could really relate to her situation and provide her with the support she needed. 7. Reluctant to contact someone she didn’t know to obtain the support she needed. 8. Feels like she can’t keep all the balls (work life, social life, and mother life) in the air right now and anticipates a burn out if something does not change in the immediate future. 9. Chris (Anna’s husband) noticed her high stress level may be what was affecting her sleep, eating, patience level and emotional stability Underlying Problems 1. Anna is constantly comparing herself with individuals that are not operating under the same conditions (full-time vs. part-time, family vs. single). 2. A lack of clear, defined goals in her job. Management needs to provide Anna with specific, relevant and challenging goals, so that she stays motivated and has a feeling of accomplishment (meeting all goals/expectations). 3. Overload with work. From the key conversations I noticed that they were always asking her to do extra projects in addition to her current duties that required 100% work in a 60% capacity. 4. Anna is unsure exactly what she wants more out of life. Advance her career or advance her motherly duties. Is in a constant conflict in choosing between the two and feels she is failing at one when she succeeds in the other.

Biography of James Whitey Bulger

Biography of James Whitey Bulger James â€Å"Whitey† Bulger (September 3, 1929–October 30, 2018) was an infamous Irish-American crime boss associated with the Winter Hill Gang in Boston, Massachusetts. He was given the nickname â€Å"Whitey,† a name he greatly detested, because of his pale skin and fair blond hair.  In June 2013, at age 85, he was convicted of dozens of counts of racketeering, including complicity in eleven murders. Fast Facts: James "Whitey" Bulger Known For: Notorious crime boss who led Boston’s Winter Hill Gang in the 1970s and 80sBorn: September 3, 1929 in Everett, MassachusettsParents: James Joseph Bulger Sr. and Jane Veronica Jean BulgerDied: October 30, 2018 in Preston County, West Virginia Early Life Bulger was born in Everett, Massachusetts on September 3, 1929, but later moved to a housing project for low income families in South Boston along with his parents, two sisters, and two brothers. One of his brothers, William, would go on to be the president of the University of Massachusetts as well as of the Massachusetts State Senate. In school, he was cited for being restless and argumentative with both the nuns at his Catholic school and the teachers from his later years in public school. Starting at age 13, Bulger was frequently arrested, sometimes for violent crimes but more often for larceny and other thefts. In many instances, the cases were dismissed, or Bulger was found not guilty, or he won an appeal. In January 1949, Bulger joined the Air Force for nearly four years. Despite being arrested for robbery, rape, desertion (AWOL), and grand larceny, he was never sentenced and instead was honorably discharged from the Air Force in August 1952. Prison Sentence Upon his return from the Air Force, Bulger resumed his criminal behaviors, robbing freight trains and selling the contents on the street. Eventually, he connected with Carl Smith, an Indiana bank robber, with whom he stole tens of thousands of dollars from banks across the United States. Despite dying his hair in an attempt to avoid recognition, Bulger was arrested in a Boston nightclub for armed robbery of the various banks. He willingly named his associates, including Smith, in exchange for leniency. Regardless of this cooperation, he was sentenced to 20 years in a federal penitentiary. He first served in Atlanta Penitentiary where he was a subject of the CIA’s MK-ULTRA experimentation, which researched methods of mind control in exchange for a lessened prison sentence.  He was transferred three times before being granted parole in 1965 after serving nine years. Winter Hill Gang Bulger returned to find Boston in the midst of a gang war. He began working for the Kileen Brothers, then turned on the Kileen gang and began to side with the Mullen Gang, then finally joined the Winter Hill Gang with his close partner Steve Flemmi. In 1971, Bulger and Flemmi were approached by FBI agent John Connolly, who grew up with the Bulgers and even looked up to Whitey’s younger brother Billy. The two gangsters became informants for the FBI, whose main objective was taking down the Italian Mafia. With the protection of the FBI, Bulger began to put out hits on long-standing enemies, knowing that he could easily mislead his handler by pointing to someone else as the perpetrator. Flemmi and Bulger also killed Flemmi’s long term girlfriend Debra Davis, since she knew of their relationship with the FBI. Though she was officially reported missing, the FBI allegedly covered this up and reported that she was seen alive in Texas. Connolly consistently tipped of Bulger and Flemmi to the FBI’s investigations and he became a fierce protector of the two gangsters. Many others within the FBI and the Massachusetts State Police consistently protected them as well. Bulger and Flemmi quickly became the ring leaders of Boston’s organized crime as they took over leadership of the Winter Hill Gang. During this period in the 1980s, they became involved in arms trafficking, further racketeering, and extortion of drug dealers, among other things. He was especially involved in supporting the Irish Republican Army by sending caches of arms and ammunition to the Irish terrorist organization. Downfall and Manhunt In 1994, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Boston Police began investigating Bulger and his associates for gambling charges (not any of the murders). Connolly, who had since retired, warned Bulger about the impending arrest. Bulger fled Boston in December 1994. Flemmi refused to flee and was imprisoned, but cooperated with the authorities understanding that he was protected as an FBI informant as long as he did not admit to any murders. However, Bulger’s other associates, realizing that Flemmi would name them in his testimony, told investigators about the murders that took place throughout the 1970s and 1980s. John Martorano and Kevin Weeks provided most of the information which also led to the realization that the FBI had been instrumental in covering up many of the murders. In 1999, former agent Connolly was arrested for alerting Flemmi and Bulger to the FBI’s impending arrest. A year later, he was charged for racketeering and second degree murder, since the information he provided the two men led to their decision to kill the two men whom were under investigation for ties to the Winter Hill Gang. He was given a 10 year federal sentence and 40 year state sentence. During this period, Bulger was still at large with his girlfriend Catherine Greig. For 16 years, he moved around the U.S., Mexico, and Europe without capture. He was eventually found and captured in his Santa Monica apartment after an intense media campaign in which he was consistently featured on programs such as America’s Most Wanted. Convictions and Death Bulger was ultimately convicted of 31 counts of racketeering, after he pled not guilty to 32. Of these counts he was also charged for 11 out of the 19 murders that he was indicted for. On November 23, 2013, Bulger was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 5 more years. He has also been indicted in Oklahoma and Florida, but the two states have yet to pursue a trial which could end in the death penalty. At age 85, Bulger entered United States Penitentiary Coleman II in Sumterville, Florida. On October 29, 2018, he was transferred to the Federal Penitentiary in West Virginia. The next morning, he was killed by multiple inmates at the penitentiary. James â€Å"Whitey† Bulger’s legacy remains that of a notorious Boston crime boss who kept relationships with both state police and the FBI, which allowed him to conduct massive criminal operations for decades. Although Bulger made claims that he was never an FBI informant, a litany of witness testimony and other evidence contradicts these assertions. Because of his association with the FBI, Bulger lost much of his prestige within crime circles and is sometimes referred to as the King Rat. Sources Cullen, Kevin. Whitey Bulger: Americas Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice. Norton, 2013.â€Å"Whitey Bulger Bio Profiles Bostons Most Notorious Gangster.† New Hampshire Public Radio, 2014, www.nhpr.org/post/whitey-bulger-bio-profiles-bostons-most-notorious-gangster#stream/0.â€Å"Whitey Bulger: The Capture of a Legend.† The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Aug. 2013, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/bulger-timeline.html#/#time256_7543.

History of the Artificial Heart

History of the Artificial Heart The first artificial heart for humans was invented and patented in the 1950s, but it wasnt until 1982 that a working artificial heart, the Jarvik-7, was successfully implanted in a human patient.   Early Milestones As with many medical innovations, the first artificial heart was implanted in an animal in this case, a dog. Soviet scientist Vladimir Demikhov, a pioneer in the field of organ transplantation, implanted an artificial heart into a dog in 1937. (It wasnt Demikhovs most famous work, however - today he is mostly remembered for performing head transplants on dogs.) Interestingly, the first patented artificial heart was invented by American Paul Winchell, whose primary occupation was as a ventriloquist and comedian. Winchell also had some medical training and was assisted in his endeavor by Henry Heimlich, who is remembered for the emergency choking treatment that bears his name. His creation was never actually put into use. The Liotta-Cooley artificial heart was implanted into a patient in 1969 as a stopgap measure; it was replaced with a donors heart a few days later, but the patient died soon thereafter.   The Jarvik 7   The Jarvik-7 heart was developed by American scientist Robert Jarvik and his mentor, Willem Kolff.   In 1982, Seattle dentist Dr. Barney Clark was the first person implanted with the Jarvik-7, the first artificial heart intended to last a lifetime. William DeVries, an American cardiothoracic surgeon, performed the surgery. The patient survived 112 days. It has been hard, but the heart itself has pumped right along, Clark said in the months following his history-making surgery. Subsequent iterations of the artificial heart have seen further success; the second patient to receive the Jarvik-7, for instance, lived for 620 days after implantation. People want a normal life, and just being alive is not good enough, Jarvik has said.   Despite these advances, less than two thousand artificial hearts have been implanted, and the procedure is generally used as a bridge until a donor heart can be secured. Today, the most common artificial heart is the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart, accounting for 96% of all artificial heart transplants. And it doesnt come cheap, with a price tag of around $125,000.

Free sample - Physiological Analysis as is used in Criminal Investigations. translation missing

Physiological Analysis as is used in Criminal Investigations. Physiological Analysis as is used in Criminal InvestigationsAbstract The rate of crime has been increasing at a very high rate in the society. In consistent with this, criminal investigation agencies have continued to research on the appropriate strategies to combat rising criminal activities in the society. Following this point, this research paper would focus on psychological/physiological analysis as is used in criminal investigations. The paper will begin by looking at how this analysis is used in criminal investigation activities, before moving on to the importance of this approach in investigation. Additionally, this research will look at the pro and cons of using psychological and physiological analysis in criminal investigation. The paper will also propose different recommendation on which areas need further development to enhance this method of criminal investigation. Introduction The 21st century remains as one of the periods in history which continues to enjoy the advances in technology and other innovations which have relatively improved the lifestyles of people across the globe. In line with this, the execution or rather accomplishments of different activities has been enhanced, with efficiency being put on top of the agenda. Nonetheless, this is also a period in history which continues to face different challenges which emanates from crime or rather criminal activities, not only in the United States but also across the globe. Notably, there has been an increase in crime rate in the United States and across the globe, on a local and international level. According to Polis?ensk, (2007), during the year 2005, the police documented 344060 criminal acts, a 2.2% decrease from the previous year and the lowest crime level since 1993 in the Czech Republic. Similar data has been collected in different parts of the globe. In addition to this, crime has also exhibite d evolution characteristics just the same way the society has evolved with the invention of new technologies. In line with this, the government of the United States in collaboration with other governments across the globe has been on the forefront to devise ways of dealing with crime in an effective way. Consequently, various ways of deterring crime in the society have been developed with a focus on how it can be reduced in the society. Following this, one of the ways of guaranteeing that crime is dealt with in an effective way is through investigation. Accordingly, crime or rather criminal investigation is one of the most important approaches towards solving crime puzzles and reducing its impact on the society. To be specific, there are different crime investigation approaches which have been developed over time to reverse the current crime trends in the society. More so, there has been a shift towards analysis and solving crime puzzles from a scientific point of view. Above and beyond, some of the scientific means which are currently utilized on the crime scene include the psychological and physiological analysis in criminal investigations. In reference to Vrij, Mann Fisher (2006), scientists, law enforcement agents and a host of other investigators have been attempting to develop better methods to discriminate between truth-tellers and liars (p.329). In consistent with this, it is important to mention that human behavior and how they respond to situations remains as the most important factors which could assist law enforcement agencies to gather and analyze vital evidence which could assist them to bring criminal culprits to book. Apart from looking at crime and trying to gather evidence on a crime which has already occurred, the psychological/physiological analysis as is applied to criminal investigations also focuses on the preventing future crimes in the society. In consistent with this, the criminal investigation department in the United States and in other countries across the globe has continued to develop its knowledge and skills in using psychological and physiological analysis in crime investigation. However, there are numerous limitations which would be identified in this research paper which relates to the use of psychological and physiological analysis in criminal investigations. One of the challenges of using this approach in criminal investigations regards the issue that there are limited studies which have been carried out on this subject. In reference to Polis?ensk (2007), despite the many improvements and the existence of institutions which relate to the area of crime research, no academic bodies exists whose sole purpose is to conduct research in the area of forensic disciplines, including forensic psychology in the Czech Republic and among most nations across the globe (p.60). This, among other limitations has contributed to t he lagging behind of this field as is applied to criminal investigations across the globe. The development of psychological and physiological analysis remains as one of the critical areas which are poised to transform not only the present criminal investigation tactics but also the future. Notably, this is one of the areas which are yet to be exploited fully by the law enforcement bodies in the United States and across the globe. Its development, which will rely more on thorough research and studies would require both the government and academic institutions to pull together their resources towards conducting further research and training professionals with a deeper understanding of psychological and physiological analysis processes. Furthermore, the involvement of the community would also be an important factor to be incorporated into this approach of criminal investigation. Tyler Fagan (2008) argues that research from social psychology demonstrates that one central reason that people cooperate generally is that they identify with their communities, linking their sense of self (identity) to the wellbeing of their group (p.236). Following this point, psychological and physiological analysis could also be utilized to gather important information from the community and as acquire important information which is needed in criminal investigation cases. Literature Review There are many researches which have been carried out in the past which relates to psychological and physiological analysis and crime investigation in the society. To begin with Vrij, Mann Fisher (2006), examined or rather tested the Behavior Analysis Interview (BAI), an interview technique which was developed by F.E. Inbau, J.E. Reid, J.P. Buckley, B.C. Jayne (2001) designed to evoke different verbal and non-verbal responses from liars and truth-tellers (p.329). This research found out that liars were more inclined towards portraying a more honest appearance as compared to those who told the truth. In other words, liars tried as much as possible to control their psychological appearance in order to look as honest as possible. In consistent with this, the law enforcement officers must be able to differentiate such phenomenon between truth-tellers and liars as a way of ascertaining whether they were on the right track towards solving the crime under investigation. This piece of lite rature is an important eye-opener on the importance of understanding psychological and physiological analysis result in criminal investigation. The understanding of personalities and human behavior in general also contributes by a greater part to the overall understanding of crime. In line with this, Guay et al. (2007) argues that a personality disorder such as psychopathy, its association with violence and its usefulness is a risk factor in predicting criminal recidivism has increased its prominence in the last decade in both criminology and psychopathology (p.701). Remarkably, these authors argue that the understanding of personality disorders plays a critical role towards a thoughtful approach in gathering information that would assist in criminal investigation. Therefore they argue that the factors of psychopathy as one of the personality disorders which were identified were vital in predicting sexual coercion against women (p.709). Therefore, before launching any criminal investigative activity, the law enforcement officers have to examine whether there are psychological issues which were involved in that case. Apart fr om helping them to understand the issues which resulted to the crime, understanding psychological could also assist in speeding up the investigation process as well as laying down important strategies towards preventing further crime in future. Notably, it is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies not only to investigate crime but also to lay down structures to prevent an occurrence of the same. Another source which would play an important role in this research regards some of the weaknesses which have been identified in using psychological and physiological analysis in criminal investigation. In line with this, there are some of the methods which were not ascertained as it concerns their reliability in criminal investigation processes. According to Snook et al. (2008), the police department around the world has been using Criminal Profiling as one of their strategies in criminal investigation (p.1257). Notably, this refers to the collecting of important data from the crime scene and then building a profile of the perceived criminal. Snook et al. argues that there is no scientific evidence to ascertain that Criminal Profiling as a method in crime investigation is credible. Therefore, such an understanding is important as it helps the criminal investigation officers to develop an open mind when conducting investigation using this method. Consequently, this source plays a sign ificant role in this research in the sense that it helps in identifying flaws and weaknesses in the psychological and physiological analysis methods as they are used in criminal investigation. The ability to classify criminals based on psychological and physiological analysis by the law enforcement agencies is an appropriate strategy in solving crime puzzles in the society. As a result of this, Swogger Kosson (2007) argues that psychopathy is an important construct in offender classifications (p.953). In consistent with this, it is important to note that there is a difference between crime offenders in the society. Therefore, criminal investigation agencies need to classify these crime offenders in different categories to make it possible to differentiate the type of crimes committed and associate them with the right offenders. Therefore, one of the ways of classifying these offenders is through the use of psychological and physiological analysis. For instance, from the results which were obtained by Swogger Kosson (2007) in their research, classifying psychopaths as either primary or secondary psychopaths was an important steps in differentiating one group from the othe r in the sense that the former group exhibited more violent behavior than the latter (p.357). Therefore, such classification of crime offenders created an opportunity for crime investigators to identifying from the onset the kind of criminals they were dealing with. Methodology   This research was based on an analysis of scholarly materials which had carried out extensive research and analysis of data on the topic of discussion. These sources were deemed credible as a result of their recent publication which indicated their ability to carry out extensive research using current scientific research methods. Additionally, the information which was utilized was based on credible data which was collected from different geographical areas across the globe, with the interest of crime, psychological and physiological analysis in mind. In addition, most of the authors of these sources were researchers and academic staff based in different renowned academic institutions across the globe. In addition to collecting important information and data from these scholarly materials, this research also worked with some of the real life case studies which were based on psychological and physiological analysis in crime investigation. These were combined with the information and data from the scholarly articles and analyzed with the trendiest scientific methods which are currently used in research. Recommendations were also made to further the research in areas which were insufficiently covered by these sources. Therefore, this research paper would play an important role in forming the foundation for further research on the subject of psychological and physiological analysis as it is used in criminal investigation. Research Findings and Discussion The understanding of the psychological and physiological analysis in crime investigations is and would always be an important strategy towards dealing with criminal issues in the society. In line with this, this research on physiological and psychological analysis as is applied to investigating crime is among the studies which have been carried in the field of criminology. It has been argued that forensic psychology has been around as early as the 20th century (Polis?ensk, 2007). This has been developed further by research in this field with more focus on the psychological side as compared to the physiological side.   There are others scholars and researchers who have argued that some methods of psychological analysis in detection of certain aspects of crime were in use as early as 19th century. Irrespective of this developing history of physiological and psychological analysis as is used in criminal investigations, this shall not be the center of focus in this paper. Instead, the research findings would dwell on how physiological and psychological analysis is implemented into investigations, its importance in investigation and the pros and cons of using this method in criminal investigation processes. Implementation of Psychological/Physiological Analysis into Investigations There are various psychological and physiological analyses which are utilized in criminal investigation. To begin with, the Concealed Information Test to ascertain whether a person is telling a lie or the truth is one of the psychological analyses which are use in crime investigations. In reference to Meijer, Vershuere Merckelback (2010), lie detection procedures are typically aimed at determining whether a suspect is lying about a crime committed in the past (p.44). This method of lie detection examined the physiological and psychological response which was provided by the suspects. Therefore, certain aspects are observed in these cases to which would then lead to a conclusion on whether the suspect is lying or not. This technique of truth/lie detection requires the law enforcement officers to use hi-tech strategies in determining the credibility of the information which was provided by a suspect. Remarkably, skin conductance was measured in as part of the physiological measures an d the data acquired using Contact Precision Instruments bioamplifiers with a sample rate of 60 Hz (Meijer, Vershuere Merckelback, 2000, p.45). According to Meijer, Vershuere Merckelback (2010), some of the issues which were observed in the lie detection tests entail how the suspect responds to questions which were related to the crime. Notably, in a test which was carried out, some suspects responded with a calculated move in a way to avoid putting themselves in a position which could result to a conclusion being made regarding their involvement in the crime. It was observed that consistent stronger physiological responding to the correct answer options indicated knowledge of intimate crime details, from which involvements in the crime could be inferred (p.44). Therefore these suspects were either put on further investigation or were opened charges to answer, depending on the level of being suspected as the culprits. The second method which is used in detecting the truth/lies was referred to as Behavior Analysis Interview. This method encompassed evoking different verbal and non-verbal responses from liars and truth-tellers (Vrij, Mann Fisher, 2006, p.329). In the research which was carried out using the BAI test, both liars and truth-tellers were helpful in the investigations which were being carried out. In other words liars and truth-tellers contributed to the investigation process, against the backdrop that liars were not helpful. Vrij, Mann Fisher (2006) states that one reason why cues to deceit emerge because liars experienced more cognitive load than truth-tellers (p.343). Remarkably, it was noted that the greater the difference between physiological and verbal responses of truth-tellers and liars, the easier it was to discriminate between them. Another method which is used in crime investigation based on the psychological and physiological analysis is Criminal Profiling, CP. In reference to Snook et al. (2008), Criminal Profiling is the practice of predicting a criminal’s behavioral, personality and demographic characteristics using crime scene evidence (p.1257). Piercing up together the profile of a suspected criminal is done in a three stage process. To begin with, the police have to collect data from a crime scene such as detective reports, autopsy and photographs. These are then taken to a profiler who predicts the behavioral, personality and the behavioral characteristics of the possible criminal. After this, the results are taken to the investigating officers to track down the criminal. It is important to note that accurate profiling requires a deep understanding of human behavior or a capacity for logical reasoning –skills typically found among psychologists and science students (Kocsis, 2004, p.343). Therefore, the effective use of this method in criminal investigation requires criminal investigation professionals to possess psychological skills and a deep understanding of human behavior and personalities. In line with this, the application of these methods in criminal investigations has contributed enormously to solving of important crime cases in the society. On the other hand, the criminal investigation agencies could also approach the issue of solving crime from the community perspective. Notably, most crime offenders live in the community or rather society with people. In some cases, these offenders are known by the society in which they live in. Therefore, the community approach involves using societal psychological and physiological analysis to acquire information which could be used to arrest these offenders. In the study of social psychology of cooperation, it was found out that legitimacy shaped willingness to help the police and willingness to work with the community, whose influence of legitimacy was similar among both majority and minority respondents (Tyler Fagan, 2008, p.250). In other words, legitimacy was one of the factors which contributed to the community assisting the police in fighting crime in the society. Importance of Psychological/Physiological Analysis’ in Investigation The use of psychological/physiological analysis in investigation is vital in investigation of key crime cases in the society. To begin with, it is important to understand that crime has continued to be a threat to the harmonious existence of the society. In consistent with this, one cannot ignore the place of psychological and physiological analysis as is used in crime investigation. In relation to this, psychological and physiological analysis continue to play a critical part in the understanding the relationship between human behavior and crime. Above and beyond, human behavior could either assist in acquiring important information and data during the investigation process while on the other hand; it may serve as a stumbling block to the acquisition of this information. Therefore, for crime investigation officers to be able to probe crime activities in the society, they need to have an understanding of psychological and physiological perspective of human beings. Psychological and physiological analysis played a significant role in separating criminal suspects from the innocent people in the society. Notably, one cannot be able to solve a crime issue without first identifying key suspects in this crime and working out on getting the actual culprits. Therefore, this analysis was vital in separating these two groups of people; letting the innocent to go free while filing charges against the crime offenders. This is particularly important when the crime offenders were not found on the scene of crime, thus complicating the issues of solving such a crime. In consistent with this, the use of strategies such as Concealed Information Test and Behavior Analysis Interview remain as important approaches towards solving these crimes (Vrij, Mann Fisher, 2006). Notably, from the case studies which were analyzed in the past researches, it was revealed that liars were more likely to go free due to their ability to focus on giving out answers to investigatio n questions which could not link them to the crime committed. According to Meijer, Vershuere Merckelback (2010), the linear trend in Concealed Information Test detection efficiency between the informed innocent, intent, and guilty condition was marginally significant (p.46). Apart from investigating crime, the use of psychological and physiological analysis in criminal investigation could also go a long way in reducing further crime in the society. For instance, the analysis of psychopaths in the society was an important strategy towards gathering data and information which could help criminal investigation officers to develop mechanisms of dealing with such kind of people in the society before they commit crime. It is important to understand that there are psychological issues which contribute to one committing a crime. Therefore, further crimes could be prevented if these psychological issues are identified and applied in deterring further criminal activities. Hanson Morton-Bourgon (2009) argue that there is a need to develop actuarial tools which would consider variables associated with recidivism and incorporate them into psychometrically sound measures of psychologically meaningful constructs (p.10). This will assist in accurate identification of i mportant factors which contribute to recidivism among offenders in the society. Pros and Cons of Physiological/Psychological Analysis in Criminal Investigation There are pros and cons which were identified in this research in regard to using psychological or physiological analysis in criminal investigation. To begin with, looking at the positive side of psychological and physiological analysis as is used in crime investigation, it was found out that the study of behavior in the investigation of crime was among the most consistent ways of dealing with crime in the society. Notably, one of the advantages of this method of crime investigation is embedded in the fact that it does not provide ways of nabbing criminals alone but also provides ways of preventing further criminal activities in future. Another advantage of this process of crime investigation is coined in the fact that this methods does not focus only on one person but rather on a group of people in crime investigation. As a result of this, the data and information obtained in regard to certain type of crime offenders could easily be analyzed and grouped, thus enabling the criminal investigation agencies to use such information in investigating further similar crimes. For instance, grouping people as psychopaths could easily help criminal investigation agencies to develop appropriate strategies of dealing with crimes committed by such people. According to Guay et al. (2007), there are two subtypes of psychopaths which have been identified so far namely; primary and secondary psychopathy (p.711). These groups exhibit different characteristics and such an understanding among the law enforcement professionals would a long way in enhancing criminal investigation processes. One of the challenges of using psychological and physiological analysis in carrying out criminal investigation activities is based on the fact that the law enforcement agencies need to have deep knowledge and understanding of human behavior and psychology in order to be able to use this method. However, research indicates that there are very few people in the law enforcement agencies who have these skills. According to Kocsis (2004), the science students surpassed all of the police groups, and there was a negative correlation between investigative experience and profiling accuracy (p.344). Stated in other words, these criminal investigation professional were supposed to develop important skills such as profiling by acquiring knowledge on human behavior. Without such information, these professionals would not be able to deal with crimes using this analysis in an effective way. On the other hand, some of the methods which are used by criminal investigation agencies across the globe hav e received minimal attention from the research. This has crippled the acquisition of information to determine whether the results which are obtained using these methods are dependable. Conclusion Criminal investigation remains as one of the most important step towards solving crime puzzles in the society. To begin with, there are different ways through which physiological and psychological analysis is applied to criminal investigation. Notably, this approach to investigation utilizes the psychological and the physiological aspects of human beings to solve challenging criminal issues in the society. As a result of this, this research found out that acquiring skills and knowledge in human behavior played important roles toward understanding the relationship between crime and the psychological aspects of human beings. In consistent with, some of the methods which were identified in this approach to criminal investigation relates to Concealed Information Test and Behavior Analysis Interviews. These methods played a vital role in collecting information which was supposed to assist criminal investigation officers to determine whether one was involved in crime or not by analyzing whether they were telling the truth or lies. Notably, it was found out that those people who told lies were more composed when answering investigation questions as compared to those people who told the truth. On the other hand, this research found out that both liars and truth-tellers were equally important in the investigation process. In combination with this, psychological and physiological analysis in criminal investigation played an important role in separating crime offenders from the innocent people in the society. This research found out that there were difficult cases in the criminal world which required criminal investigation officers to gather a pool of suspects and then eliminate them one by one until they found the culprit. Therefore, the use of psychological and physiological analysis assisted these officers in separating these two kinds of people in the society. There were also pro and cons of using this methods in investigation of crime which were identified. In line with this, this approach created an environment not only of solving crime puzzles but also of creating deterrence measures of crime in the society. On the contrary, lack of adequate research remained as one of the negative issues which were associated with this approach. As such some of the approached which were used could not be ascerta ined whether they were effective or not. Recommendation To begin with, there is a need to enhance psychological and physiological analysis as is applied to criminal investigations. Note that there has been a focus more on psychiatry and other medical-related psychological issues in this field as compared to criminology. Therefore, the criminal investigation agencies need to develop extensively their use of psychological and physiological analysis and approach to criminal investigation. Outstandingly, this would go a long way towards enlightening more criminal investigation professionals in regard to using this approach in criminal investigation. Secondly, there is need to train professionals in criminal investigation department to expand their knowledge on the use of psychological and physiological analysis as it is used in investigating crime. Notably, most police officers had limited knowledge and skills in psychological and physiological analysis as it is used in investigation practices. It is important to understand that some of the psychological and physiological analysis approaches to criminal investigation were delicate and needed critical understanding on how to apply them in real life. For instance, Criminal Profiling needed a deep understanding not only on human behavior but also on the interpretation of certain factors in the society as they relate to human behavior. There is also a need to develop academic institution which will cater exclusively for criminal investigation officers in terms of training them in regard to psychological and physiological analysis approach to criminal investigation. Notably, research indicates that irrespective of the fact that there are numerous institutions which deal with criminal investigation across the globe, little has been done to develop academic institutions to deal with the same. Furthermore, adequate research should be conducted in this area to ascertain the credibility of some of the methods which are applied in psychological and physiological analysis as is applied in criminal investigation. For instance, some of the approaches which were used under psychological and physiological analysis as is applied to criminal investigation could not be ascertained whether they were credible or not. In addition to adequate research it is also important to increase the support towards research and studies in this a rea of criminal investigation. Polis?ensk (2007) argues that one of the weaknesses which have been identified in some area of psychological analysis such as forensic psychology is limited opportunities due to lack of institutional support. References Guay et al. (2007). A Taxometric Analysis of the Latent Structure of Psychopathy: Evidence for Dimensionality. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116(4), 701-716. Hanson, K.R. Morton-Bourgon, K.E. (2009). The Accuracy of Recidivism Risk Assessemnt for Sexual Offenders: A Meta-Analysis of 118 Prediction Studies. Psychological Assessment, 21(1), 1-21. Kocsis, R.N. (2004). Psychological Profiling of Serial Arson Offenses: An Assessment of Skills and Accuracy. Criminal Justice Behavior, 31(3), 341-361. Meijer, E.H., Vershuere, B. Merckelback, H. (2010). Detecting Criminal Intent with the Concealed Information Test. The Open Criminology Journal, 3, 44-47. Polis?ensk, V.A. (2007). Forensic Psychology in the Czech Republic. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 4(1), 55-67. Snook et al. (2008).The Criminal Profiling Illusion: What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(10), 1257-1276. Swogger, M.T. Kosson, D.S. (2007). Identifying Subtypes of Criminal Psychopaths: A Replication and Extension. Criminal Justice Behavior, 34(8), 953-970. Tyler, T.R. Fagan, J. (2008). Why do People Help the Police Fight crime in their Communities? Ohio States Journal of Criminal Law, 6(231), p.231-275. Vrij, A., Mann, S., Fisher, R.P. (2006). An Empirical Test of the Behavior Analysis Interview. Law and Human Behavior, 30(3), 329-345.

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Paper on Arabidopsis cold responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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The travels of a t-shirt in the global economy by Pietra Rivoli, Ph.D - Essay Example In the preface, the author guides to the preview of the protests against cotton materials. The protests attribute the cotton industry to abuse of human rights. Protesters called backlash in the book refuse to buy t-shirts made from cotton because of the perception that cotton industry involves in child labor, human trafficking, unfair employment terms, and unsustainable compensations. The student protesters joined other human rights activists to campaign against global trade conferences. The reasons for the oppositions were that globalization is the reason behind maltreatment of workers in cotton and other industries. In the book, Pietra Rivoli seems to want to dismiss or challenge the idea that anti-cotton protesters have towards globalization and international trade. Majority of the impactful protesters are Americans who seem to curse the way the global cotton industry operates to make t-shirts available. To the protesters, before the t-shirt they buy reaches the market, it passes through child labor, underpaid workers, and poor working conditions (Rivoli VI). However, the book acknowledges that the success of the American cotton industry partly depends on the cheap labor obtained through slavery. Cotton growing is a big economic and agricultural activity in the Southern frontier. Wealthy people rank according to the hectors of cotton farm owned and the quantity of cotton possible harvested from the farms. The significance of the US cotton industry is comparable to the Swiss pharmaceutical industry, Japanese automaker industry, and the Germany chemical industry. Unfavorable climatic conditions in the industrialized countries make it hard to produce cotton in large quantities. It is for the reason that America does not have a serious competition that would come from producers of similar status (Rivoli 4). This state leaves America to compete some of the

Rich & Whillock v. Ashton Development Case Study

Rich & Whillock v. Ashton Development - Case Study Example In a meeting, persons at the helm of affairs of Rich & Whillock, Inc Bob Britton Inc, and the Ashton Development, Inc unanimously decided to blast the rock discovered. Clearly, the contract price of $112,990 did not include blasting costs. However the contract stated â€Å"[a]ny rock encountered will be considered an extra at current rental rates† (Rich & Whillock, Inc Vs. Ashton Development, Inc). Rich and Whillock estimated that an additional $60,000 was required to remove the rock, increasing the total contract price approximately to $172,000. Rich and Whillock informed Britton that the actual cost might be higher than the estimated cost due to the unpredictable nature of the rock. Britton agreed Rich and Whillock to pay the extra costs arising out of the rock work and directed them to go on the with the work. Rich and Whillock proceeded with the rock work and submitted invoices, and received payments at the end of every week. They prepared separate invoices for the regular contract work, and the extra rock work supported by employee time sheets. Although Whillock asked Britton if he needed any clarification regarding any of the billings by the end of April, Britton had no doubts and directed Whillock to continue with the rock work. As described by Gibbs and Hunt (2010), after receiving a total payment of $190,363.50 by 17th June, Rich & Whillock Inc submitted the final invoice amounting an additional $72,286.45. After consulting with Ashton officials, Britton refused to pay the money stating that Ashton Development, Inc was short on funds and had little money left to pay that amount (p.738). Britton had no objections about the work done until he received that final invoice. In addition, Britton had not asked for accounting of charges prior to the receipt of the final invoice. Whillock told Britton that his company would end up in closure unless that final invoice was paid, because Rich & Whillock Inc was a new company. As the project was a huge

The travels of a t-shirt in the global economy by Pietra Rivoli, Ph.D Essay

The travels of a t-shirt in the global economy by Pietra Rivoli, Ph.D - Essay Example In the preface, the author guides to the preview of the protests against cotton materials. The protests attribute the cotton industry to abuse of human rights. Protesters called backlash in the book refuse to buy t-shirts made from cotton because of the perception that cotton industry involves in child labor, human trafficking, unfair employment terms, and unsustainable compensations. The student protesters joined other human rights activists to campaign against global trade conferences. The reasons for the oppositions were that globalization is the reason behind maltreatment of workers in cotton and other industries. In the book, Pietra Rivoli seems to want to dismiss or challenge the idea that anti-cotton protesters have towards globalization and international trade. Majority of the impactful protesters are Americans who seem to curse the way the global cotton industry operates to make t-shirts available. To the protesters, before the t-shirt they buy reaches the market, it passes through child labor, underpaid workers, and poor working conditions (Rivoli VI). However, the book acknowledges that the success of the American cotton industry partly depends on the cheap labor obtained through slavery. Cotton growing is a big economic and agricultural activity in the Southern frontier. Wealthy people rank according to the hectors of cotton farm owned and the quantity of cotton possible harvested from the farms. The significance of the US cotton industry is comparable to the Swiss pharmaceutical industry, Japanese automaker industry, and the Germany chemical industry. Unfavorable climatic conditions in the industrialized countries make it hard to produce cotton in large quantities. It is for the reason that America does not have a serious competition that would come from producers of similar status (Rivoli 4). This state leaves America to compete some of the

Discrimination Paper Essay Example for Free

Discrimination Paper Essay As you all probably know: discrimination is any situation in which a group or individual is treated differently based on something other than individual reason, usually their membership in a socially distinct group or category. These categories include ethnicity, sex, religion, age or disability. Discrimination can be thought of as favorable or unfavorable; however, today, â€Å"discrimination† is usually considered unfavorable. Racial discrimination, discrimination against women, and discrimination outside the United States, are some of the most common types of discrimination in the world. One of the most pervasive forms of discrimination in the United States is directed toward racial groups. There has always been conflict among the different races of people. The Constitution of the United States recognized the legality of slavery, the ultimate form of discrimination. Black males are one of the most common victims of discrimination. For example, a black male in the â€Å"ghetto† walks into a convenient store, the first thing that comes to the clerks mind is robbery or maybe even worse. African-Americans and other people of different races other than white have always been mistreated or judged just because of their color. Racial discrimination against Hispanic-Americans is also widespread. Employment, housing, and access to the judicial system is a problem for people other than whites. Asian-Americans also suffer discrimination. During World War II, the Japanese were forced to evacuate from the West Coast. American women have been victimized by discrimination in voting, employment, and other civil rights. Women were once known as â€Å"housewives†, and many men and women still think that is what a woman should be. Not only do people think women shouldn’t work, but they don’t think they should vote, serve on juries, or do anything else other than sit at home and do house work. In the late 160’s women organized to demand legal equality with men. They organized into the National Organization for Women and other groups for education, employment, and government. In 17, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was passed to the Constitution and submitted to the states for ratification. The ERA was suppose to eliminate legal discrimination against women, but it was not approved by the 18 deadline. Working toward the ERA built a skilled leadership of female politicians and lobbyists. Most nations practice discrimination against foreigners within their borders. It may be religious, such as Muslims against Jews, Protestants against Catholics; racial, or sexual discrimination, as in many countries where women have few rights. People in other countries are always fighting because of discrimination. International efforts to combat discrimination were minimal until the passage of the United Nations Charter in 145. The charter encourages â€Å"respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Discrimination causes great conflict among many people. Regardless of race, religion, sex, or any other characteristics, a person should not be discriminated. Discrimination is one of the reasons this country is falling apart. Every man and woman whether they are black, white, yellow or green should be able to equally do what ever they wish. Most people don’t realize that every person, color not mattering, came from the same place.

Literature Review On Green Logistics

Literature Review On Green Logistics The United States consumes 20.8 million barrels of oil everyday which leads the world; China is a distance second with 7.5 million barrels per day (Oil consumption, retrieved 8 Apr 2011). The number one transportation fuel used in the United States is gasoline and that fuel is used to keep our approximately 250 million vehicles running. Today there are about 250 million vehicles on the roads that use gasoline with the average miles driven at about 12 thousand per year (Gasoline explained, retrieved 8 Apr 2011). It doesnt take a rocket scientist to understand how dependent Americans are on their vehicles and that we will only change our habits if given an affordable choice. The auto maker that provides the cheapest and most reliable options to go green is the one who will reap the benefits of profit. Even though many loyal consumers may continue to purchasing GM vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green to stay competitive because fuel prices are on the rise and competitors are passing them up by providing more fuel efficient options. There are many challenges facing todays automakers. A dilemma has developed in the auto industry as it pertains to profit and or moral responsibility. Auto production is not as profitable as before because of a flood of choices in vehicles. The auto industry makes money by mass producing a style of vehicle the consumer is asking for. On top of all that the government continues to introduce strict environmental regulation that auto makers must conform to. A perfect storm has developed between the auto makers and environmental responsibility in an effort to meet the challenges of producing a sustainable and profitable industry for the future (Nieuwenhuis, P., Wells, P., and retrieved 8 Apr 2011) The transition to a new business model has not come easily. In 2008 the General Motors Corporation sat on the edge of going into bankruptcy needing the United States government to bail it out with a $13.4 billion loan. President Bush expressed his concern fearing that liquidating the company would cause even more economic hardship in America (Hinton, C., 2008). In mid-2009 GM finally declared bankruptcy even after the $13.4 billion dollar loan given by the government a year before. The bankruptcy would only negatively affect a portion of the organization that would later be called the bad GM that included the undesirable parts of GM like older factories, unpopular brands, and healthcare and pension liabilities. The Good GM that included the more desirable modern factories and popular auto brands would be spared in the downsizing and reemerged in the new GM in July 2009 (McCracken, J., 2009). Most realize that supply and demand is the backbone of any for profit organization. In the case of GM or any other supplier, production is driven by the customer or consumer. If the customer wants hybrids-electric vehicles the auto manufacturer will supply them if they dont there will not be any regardless of any perceived moral responsibility of the auto maker. With that understanding the need to look into GM further to find the trigger events is necessary. Remember trigger events are the things that cause an organization to change (Spector, 2010, p.18). With General Motors some of the triggers came in the form of the commodities needed to produce the vehicles. With the increased costs of materials needed to produce vehicles like steel and aluminum GMs profit margins were reduced. The expensive material needed to produce vehicles cannot easily be replaced with a cheaper material so the auto maker is stuck. One interesting perceived trigger for change by GM is oil prices. Keep in min d that oil prices may not be a trigger in the view of GM but is a trigger in the view of the government (who now holds a large part of GMs stock) based on the U.S. oil consumption each year. So in GMs case oil prices are a direct change trigger. The fact is that oil prices affect the day-to-day cost that the consumer pays out more than it affects the auto maker who can absorb the year-to-year cost of rising oil prices. Besides the issue with production cost GM experienced a lot external change triggers through the pressure from the government and the media. With recent attention on the environment and the high cost of fuel GM just as all the other auto manufacturers are now answering the call from customers for less polluting more fuel efficient vehicles. Because GM was known for its large gas guzzling SUVs, luxury cars while other auto manufacturers like Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen were already making fuel efficient vehicles high gas prices became a change trigger for GM. Not only did GM need to make a business model change based on these triggers but they would need to do so in a catch-up mode because the before mentioned organizations already had began developing the technology needed for the change (GM Corporation, 2008). Even though some consumers may continue purchasing GM vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green just to stay competitive because public opinion, pressure from the government and rising fuel costs. The most important reason GM must change its current business model by going green is because their competitors will pass them by and steal their customer base if they dont. As a result of public pressure and the politics of the auto industry GM is simultaneously making progress and history. This year General Motors produced the first production version of a hybrid vehicle called the Chevy Volt. The sale will serve as a test in America to see if consumers will be willing to spend their hard earned money in the name of helping the environment. The event will also serve to test which of two marketing concepts Americans prefer, one is the before mentioned hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be plugged in at your home and recharged and two the series hybrid production car. The Volt is the first to pop through the hybrid-electric market but BMW is ready to release their version hybrid- electric concept. Later this year BMW plans to release the Fisker Karma, a luxury sports sedan (Voelc ker, J., 2011). There are many different approaches to change and just as many opinions of which change model or redesign to use. The answer to which way to go is dependent on the end goals of the organization. General Motors desperately needed to rethink and turnaround their sinking business because they were running out of money and feeling pressure from sluggish sales. As mentioned the GM organization was in need of a change based on the need to stabilize and increase its profits. Part of what GM decided to do fits firmly into the definition of a turnaround which is when an organization doesnt look to change its current business practices to meet the expectations of the stakeholders or consumers but instead reevaluates its assets in an effort to cut the fat. When an organization implements turnaround they streamline and reprioritize the areas critical to increase profits. This was displayed in the actions of GM through their decision to close out dated factories, draw downs, reducing health insur ance, and pension benefits (Spector, 2010, p.15). In many cases turnaround alone is not enough to meet the organizational goals and in the case of GM they needed to look at changing in their organizational business plan. Based on rising oil prices and political pressure from the government and the public through the media the days of gas guzzling SUVs and luxury sedans may be in the past. General Motors now must look at reducing its vehicles dependence on gasoline and branch through organizational redesign into the hybrid-electric vehicle market. One of the triggers that have motivated General Motors to make a change was pressure from the United States government based on their agreement to bailout GM. In a statement on auto industry restructuring by the new CEO of General Motors Frederick Henderson the government has given GM 60-days to come up long-term viability of the company including restructuring of the financial obligations to the bond holders, unions, and other stakeholders. Henderson went on to say General Motors was one or two generations behind in the development of green technologies. He added that hybrids will be one direction GM will go in the new business model and that GM must move quickly to catch up with Toyota and Honda while at the same time advancing the development of their electrically-powered vehicles like the Chevy Volt (WSJ Staff, 2009). General Motors is currently working with over 30 utility companies in the U.S. to work through any issues dealing with the required electrical access in anticipation to its roll out of new electrical vehicles that will be ready in about two years. The partnership includes some big players in the field include Duke Energy, Southern California Edison and the Electrical Vehicle Institute. All the main players will figure out the details such as tax and tax incentives and the locations and times an electric car owner can plug in for a charge or recharging. General Motors engineers are working towards building an enduring infrastructure for green vehicles that will be used in the future. Britta Gross a GM engineer saysWe know that when the vehicle is in the showroom and ready for sale, its got to work seamlessly with the infrastructure. Its the whole picture. We got to make sure the infrastructure is ready. General Motors is getting in on the ground floor with its partnership with the utilities. The groups will develop policies, tax incentives on the expensive green vehicles. The idea is to design electric cars that will be low demand type usage vehicle traveling only abut 40 miles between charges. Other issues GM and their partners will need to work out is the speed in which a vehicle can recharge, voltage, and amperage (Krisher, T., 2009). This month General Motors will be the first of the big three American auto makers to roll out a new electric car known as the Volt. GM is committed to ensuring the Volt is marketed well because they understand how much America needs this type of vehicle. The worlds first mass produced production electrical vehicle will be released in Boston Mass. The Volt is a hybrid-electric vehicle with a gas engine that is only engaged after about 35 miles which is the current one charge battery life. After the 35 miles the electric engine will be replaced by the internal combustion engine. For those Americans who travel the 35 miles or less in their daily travels to work will get indefinite gas mileage. Just in time to charge/track the infinite mileage the Environmental Protection Agency has developed a way to measure the energy used by electric vehicles. The EPA figures the amount of electricity needed to charge the Volts rechargeable battery gives the Volt a fuel rating of about 93 miles per ga llon. The 93 miles per gallon is the highest rating of any vehicle in history for any US car manufacturer. As far as the looks of the Volt which is very important to the American consumer the vehicle looks just like a traditional gas powered vehicle until you open the hood. Under the hood are two electric motors, a four-cylinder gas engine and a huge T-shaped battery pack that runs the vehicle. In 2009 the U.S. government bailed out General Motors and in turn they have pinned their hopes on the Volts success. The Volt is GMs future as far as its advancement in green technology (Kronenberg, J., 2011). Now that General Motors has identified the need to change through the triggers discussed earlier and they then redesigned their business model as well as made some hard choices that fit under the turnaround concept that meet their current and future needs it now time to look at if the changes have been successful. In March 2004 President Obama invested billions of dollars to assist GM and to keep the organization from falling through. The U.S. government also guided GM through a uniqueness of a divided bankruptcy that kept the good GM and cut lose the parts of GM that were losing money. Its widely accepted that GMs bailout has developed into a great success. Just in recent weeks General Motors has announced its highest returns since 1999 a $4.7 billion profit, the first time thats happened since 2004. A year ago sales were 46% lower that present day sales. The expectations are that GM will continue to increase their Market share and their profit margines even in the face of rising fuel prices. In addition to the new growth/profits GM has begun paying back the billions of dollars it owes the U.S. government. The future looks bright as well with GM producing two more new vehicles but the star is the most electric Chevrolet Volt the plug-in-play hybrid car. GM has also advertised that they have m ore new vehicles and technologies on the way (Editorial, 2011). With any organizational change the requirement to reflect objectively to the changes is a must. The importance of revisiting the changes is to ensure the changes made have stuck and that the old habits havent resurfaced. Just because an organization has developed a great strategy that should be successful doesnt mean it will be successful. One way to look back in an effort to identify successes in a winning strategy is to answer a few well thought out questions. The first question should be; does the strategy fit the organizations situation? In the case of GM the change in their business model was designed partly by their external situation in that the U.S. government forced them into developing a strategy that would sustain the organization long term. The strategy also satisfied the internal needs of GM because they needed to reduce the bad GM that was keeping them from turning a profit. The bad side of GM was of course the old factories, unpopular brands and also costly healthcare and benefits. The change satisfied both GM their customers and the U.S. government. The second question is; has the strategy yielded a sustainable competitive advantage? This question is answered in the fact that GM new strategy is innovative in respect to the development of hybrid-electric vehicles and in producing the first production car that is a hybrid. The third question is; Has the strategy produced good financial performance? The answer to this last quest ion is a thundering yes. General Motors based solely on the organizational redesign and updated business model have produced a 46% market value increase compares to pre-strategy implementation (Gamble, J., Thompson, A., 2011). General Motors was by all accounts forced to change the way they conducted business. The economy and GMs stakeholders both applied their unique pressures that included significant a bailout by the U.S. government. If not for the pressures mentioned above who knows if GM would have ever changed their organizational practices. Supply and demand will always drive organizations to change. So you can see that even although consumers may continue to purchase General Motors vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green in an effort to stay competitive for two main reasons. First, fuel prices are on the rise. But more importantly, GM vehicle competitors like Honda and Toyota will pass them bye if they dont change.