Monday, December 30, 2019

A Speech On Bombay Poona Road - 1986 Words

After he finished, he held me in his arms, his heavy lips like a hippopotamus arrested my lips, took me to his bar room and opened a scotch, thereafter he started playing around with dirty jokes, poked at me with his utterly foolish orgies, spin my nipples, glasses after glasses continued making the rounds, I must appreciate he was a connoisseur of hard liquor, despite getting drunk heavily, he had the courage to walk straight and not a word bubbled from his mouth. It was well past 10:30 P.M, Bombay after a feverish day prepared to go for a sleep midst of cool breeze. Looking through my half empty glass I proposed, â€Å"Shouldn’t we go for a long drive before we take our dinner?† He pondered for a moment and said, â€Å"It will be fantastic,†¦show more content†¦Blood oozed out like a big water dam splitting into two and the gushing water taking away with force all it can find in its path. From top to bottom I was doused in a puddle of blood. A few minutes later Jaywant stopped his taxi and I came shivering out of the car with the revolver in my hand and boarded the taxi and asked him to take me to the hospital immediately. The moment he saw me splashed with blood he lost his wits, his sound blew like a typhoon. His reasoning and intellect took a straight nosedive and asked me with a bewildered eye, tongue-in-cheek, â€Å"what the hell you have done, murdered the minister, do you know how well-connected he is?† I said, â€Å"Jaywant, this not the ideal time to ask any questions, I will let you know everything once I am out of the hospital. Now first arrange some water so that I can wash and change into hospital clothes, let my all the clothes be consigned to flame and I am handing you with a revolver and a dagger to keep safely with you†. After going for some miles, he arranged four big water bottles from a roadside hotel, at a secluded place I washed, changed my clothes and with the help of petrol my all the clothes with blood marks were burnt. Jaywant cleared all the blood stains in his taxi with his trembling hands and perhaps must, have hurled at me within his heart the choicest abuses. He drove at a good speed and by 01:45 AM at night, I was in the hospital room along with Jaywant. To hoodwink the hospital

Sunday, December 22, 2019

We Must Work to Prevent Suicide - 1908 Words

Imagine someone’s best friend dies. Later this person discovers that their friend commit suicide. Envision this person’s feelings and all of the painful thoughts and memories going through their mind. This person probably feels intense sadness and maybe even betrayal. Do not forget the suicide victim’s parents. Their own child felt worthless enough to kill themselves. The students at the victim’s school have confusion, start rumors, and gossip. All of the victim’s friends feel as if the suicide happened because of them. Everyone feels as if they could have done something to prevent this tragic event. Suicide is a social issue rising in severity. Each year, over a million people commit suicide throughout the world. Suicide has the name of a†¦show more content†¦According to WebMD, about 20-40 percent of those with schizophrenia attempt suicide and about 5-13 percent succeed (Schizophrenia and Suicide).WebMD gives detailed information on schi zophrenia, the many symptoms, and how people feel after they receive their diagnosis. The diagnosis is life altering and those who are diagnosed receive a life-long sentence to prescription medication. For some people, the medication eliminates all symptoms; for others, it only dulls them. Therapy is also recommended in some cases after diagnosis. Each case is different and effective treatment varies. Victims of rape are often at very high risk for suicide. Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression are very common in rape victims. The victim may blame themselves for what happened and think that they deserve to die because of it. Caruso states in an article on his website, â€Å"I do not know how a woman could be raped and not become depressed. Many have told me that they feel like the rapist sentenced them to a life of hell. Their pain does not end.† Suicides as a result of rape can even occur several years after the incident. About 33% of victims have suicidal thoughts an d about 13% of victims attempt suicide (Suicide in the US). Caruso also wrote an article about a girl named Lindsay Armstrong who was raped at the age of 16. Many of Lindsay’s friends described her as beautiful, caring, and talented. After she was beaten and raped, she becameShow MoreRelatedEssay on Is Enough Being Done to Prevent Youth Suicide ?853 Words   |  4 Pagesa lot has been done to prevent youth suicide. 2,415 teenagers have been committing suicide per year in the last 5 years (Hunter Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Most of them have done that due to psychological issues. Furthermore, bullying is also one of the causes that we should be focused on. In addition, technological developments make it easier for teenager to get bullied through the Internet and social media. I think people should be concerned about youth suicide rather than physical healthRead MoreThe Issue Of Law Enforcement1644 Words   |  7 PagesThere is a significant health issue facing th e public as well as law enforcement every day, suicide. The numbers surrounding suicide are shocking effects people of all backgrounds. In the year 2010 more than 38,000 adults committed suicide. Then in 2011 around 1 million adults admitted to attempting suicide, while 8 million had serious suicidal thoughts. Law Enforcement officers are at an even higher risk then most due to experiencing such a large number of risk factors. These factors include butRead MoreA Brief Note On Suicide And Social Imagination1372 Words   |  6 PagesEssay #1: Suicide and Social Imagination â€Å"Suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result† (Durkheim 34). Suicide is a phenomenon that has plagued our world since the beginning of time. It currently accounts for the second leading cause of death in people ages ten to twenty-four years old (Garni Powerpoint). This means of ending your own life is something we can prevent as a societyRead MoreBreaking News : Teen Commits Suicide1222 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"BREAKING NEWS: TEEN COMMITS SUICIDE† is not an unusual headline to read. Time and time again teens are making the choice to end their lives much like Richard Kirchoff’s son, Ryan Kirchoff, who took his life at the young age of 18. Kirchoff’s son was a normal kid who had many friends, a loving family, and dreamt that he would become a successful doctor, but all was taken away after he made the decision to take his li fe. Ryan had depression and refused to seek help from the people he trusted resultingRead MoreWhy Suicide Is Responsible For Keeping Track And Providing Facts And Figures For Suicide974 Words   |  4 Pages We as Americans are granted the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. However, we constantly deny those who would exercise their liberty to end their life when they deem happiness impossible to pursue. Suicide is seen as a selfish act that leaves family and friends in shock, grief, guilt and sometimes anger. Granting individuals the legal right to commit suicide in a safe, humane and supportive manor would not only alleviate the unbearable burdens of those who no longerRead MoreTeen Suicide Essays1064 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom cancer, getting shot, or car accidents, but by their own hands. They make the choice to take their lives; they commit suicide. To begin, what is â€Å"Suicide†? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, suicide is the act or instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. The number of teenagers who take their lives is rapidly increasing each year. Teen suicide is escalating out of control and no one seems to realize just how severe the issue has become. Every day and average ofRead MoreA Brief Analysis of Mental Disorders1069 Words   |  5 PagesEverything related to psychology fascinates me, since the history of founders of psychology, to some of the theories that have been developed over the time, to how science and our brain work biologically. When I first started thinking about becoming a psychologist, one of my main questions was how the mind works and how it can force us to choose to do certain actions, especially those that might affect ourselves. However, during this learning period I have realized that not all about my future careerRead MorePolice Suicide And Its Effects1720 Words   |  7 Pagesis to talk about police suicide and whether or not it is pr eventable. While police suicide is an huge issue, the public do not hear much about it nor have enough information. Therefore, it is important to let the public know that it is an issue by spreading awareness and creating prevention methods. Important questions that should be asked are : What is suicide? Why are police officers committing suicide? How many police officers are committing suicide? Can police suicide be prevented? Have guidelinesRead MoreCyber Bullying in Schools962 Words   |  4 Pagesof high school students admit to being a victim and/or participating in cyberbullying (â€Å"Cyberbullying†). This form of bullying that takes place on the Internet, is beginning to become a major problem in our society. Cyber bullying must be terminated in order to prevent teenage depression, fights breaking out in schools, and adolescences growing up to become criminals. Depression in teenagers is a major issue in the world around us. According to the article Cyberbullying, Targets of cyber bullyingRead MoreCyber-bullying Powered by Technology869 Words   |  4 Pagesof bullying or a suicide related to bullying incident being reported. â€Å"Love is louder† has become a popular phrase among celebrities and other influential figures lately. They’re trying to send out a message to anyone listening saying that bullying is wrong and it shouldn’t be tolerated. With the expansion of communication technologies, bullies are gaining more and more ways to torture their victims. The fact of the matter is, technology isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so we need to come up with

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Sci 241 Week 1 3 Day Diet Anaylsis Free Essays

3-Day Diet Analysis Week 1 assignment 10/21/2012 SCI/241 Cassandra Cook I know that my eating habits are not that great. I work at a fast food restaurant full time so mainly my lunches are fast food. Lately, I have not been eating as much of what I usually due since becoming pregnant and I want to provide best for my unborn child. We will write a custom essay sample on Sci 241 Week 1 3 Day Diet Anaylsis or any similar topic only for you Order Now I like a lot of canned foods though such as chicken noodle soup and raviolis. I know there is not much nutrients in canned foods though. When I make dinners for my family I like to provide at least a meat and a vegetable. My favorite vegetables are corn, potatoes, and carrots. I am going to try to start eating more vegetables and healthier foods than the fast food sandwiches and the canned foods I have been consuming. For the Grains food group my target is 7 ounces. These past three days I have consumed 5 ? ounces. I am under the target for this group. For the whole grains I ate ? an ounce when I should be eating about 3 ? ounces. For the refined grains I ate 5 ounces. I ate over the limit for refined grains. For the Vegetable food group my target is 3 cups. I have consumed 1 cup of vegetables which is below the target. This food group is broken down into different groups. The first group is dark greens. My target for dark greens a week is 2 cups. This week I have eaten 0 cups. I have eaten under the target. The second group is red orange. My target is 6 cups a week. This week I have eaten 1 cup. I am under the target. The third is Beans peas. My target is 2 cups a week. I have eaten 0 cups of beans peas. The fourth group is starchy. My target is 6 cups a week. I have eaten 0 cups. The final group is other. I should be eating 5 cups a week of other vegetables. I have eaten ? cup of other vegetables. For the fruits group my target is 2 cups. I have eaten five cups of fruit. I have eaten over the target. The fruit group is broken down into two separate groups. They are whole fruit and fruit juice. For these two separate groups there is no specific target. I ate 5 cups of whole fruit and 0 cups of fruit juice. For the dairy group my target is 3 cups. I ate 0 cups of dairy. It is under my target. The dairy group is broken into two groups. The first is milk yogurt and the second is cheese. There is no specific target for these groups separately. For the Protein foods group my target is 6 ounces. I have eaten 6 ? ounces. This is right on target. The protein foods group is broken into three separate groups. The first is seafood. My target for seafood is 9 ounces a week. I ate 0 ounces which is under. The other two groups are the meats and the nuts. There is no specific target for these two groups. I ate 6 ? ounces of meats. For the oils group my target is 6 teaspoons. I ate 1 teaspoon of oils. This is under my target. I am going to try to add more nutrients in my diet. I need to add more vegetables to my diet. I need to have more of a variety. According to my chart I need to add different vegetables to my diet. I eat mainly corn when I make foods. I think I will try to add green beans and peas to my diet. I also like the vegetables I just do not eat them often. I will try to add more of these. I also need to add more protein to my diet. I will eat more than just chicken or beef. I will add some seafood to my diet. My new diet and nutrient intake will affect my current health because it will keep me well and happy. It will help me in the future because it will help keep me from ending up with a serious disease. It could keep me from having a stroke and keep my heart healthy. There are six classes of essential nutrients. They are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. These nutrients are essential because your body cannot synthesize them. You must obtain these nutrients from your diet. The best way to make sure you get the nutrients your body needs is to eat a variety of different foods each day (Boyers,  2012). References 1. Boyers, L. (2012). Six types of Nutrients that we eat. Retrieved from http://www. livestrong. com/article/511091-six-types-of-nutrients-that-we-eat/ 2. https://www. supertracker. usda. gov/FoodGroupCalorieReport. aspx How to cite Sci 241 Week 1 3 Day Diet Anaylsis, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Organizational Behavior and Management Corporate Social Responsibilit

Question: Discuss about the case study Organizational Behavior and Management for Corporate Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction Corporate social responsibility and business ethics has evolved in the last decade to gain immense importance in the corporate sector, among customers and governments(De George 2011). The article of B.E. and D. Payne on, Evolution and implementation: A study of values, business ethics and corporate social responsibility discusses regarding the various ethics, values, integrity, responsibility that are increasingly becoming part of the business community and its positive effect on economics of the firm. The article defines ethics, moral considerations, corporate social responsibilities and values and then takes example of two organizations in order to demonstrate how ethical responsibilities can be discharged by undertaking greater responsibility from the community. Data has been collected for the research by means of interview and thereafter data was analyzed for comparing the results(Ferrell 2015). The findings from the study were important as it reflected the several implications o f business ethics, CSR as well as values within the organizational framework. There was a correlation found between the financial performances of the company which was direct or indirect from the ethical consideration or CSR role assumed by the company. As business performance is measured against its financial performances by the stakeholders, it is extremely important that CSR activities is reflected by means of financial outcomes. Hence the study concluded that a moral organizational behavior can help business activities depicts its CSR norms that in turns gets paid off by means of financial rewards(Trevino 2010). Research Methods The article that has been discussed here had to undertake research process in order to collect data and obtain relevant information thereafter analyzing it. The research collected qualitative data pertaining to two organizations, in areas of values, corporate social responsibilities and business ethics. The research has not used quantitative data for analyzing performances. The qualitative data for this article has been primarily been obtained from various books and journals, the relevant literature sources for the data are; Schendel and Hofer (1979), Summer (1990). Chester Barnards (1938) book, The Functions of the Executive . Herbett Simons (1945) book Administrative Behavior, Peter Drukers (1945) book(Frederick 2008), The Practice of Management, Phillip Selznick (1957) book, Leadership in Administration: A Sociological Perspective. Kenneth R. Andrews (1987) book, The Concepts of Corporate Strategy, R. Edward Freeman book, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Arguments Ethics is not just a fad, as rightly pointed out by Brenda E. Joyner and Dinah Payne in their famous article Evolution and Implementation: A Study of Values, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility(Joyner 2002). The study of business ethics, values and corporate social responsibility norms has been of great interest of study and researchers as well as corporates want to establish a more direct relationship with finances of the organization, in order to highlight their importance. The indirect relationship between financial implications and business ethics has already made its mark, as a customer is more likely to purchase products of an ethical company that adheres to corporate social responsibility norms as compared to other organization that do not, as highlighted by Stodder (1998)(Lindgreen 2010). Customers do not want to associate themselves with firms who are not socially responsible, but when considered from stakeholders point of view there is a discrepancy that ari ses. Shareholders who have vested interest in the business and have invested money in order to get appropriate return from the functions of the business. Milton Friedman (1962) is strongly opposed to a business fiduciary responsibility other than maximizing shareholders wealth(Keith 2008). According to him, a business in order to deliver to the community or society might end up wasting business valuable resources and finances which will conflict shareholders self-interest and in-turn organizational managements interest. Business ethics have been associated with high employee satisfaction and employee commitment as well, according to Walker Information survey (1997)(McWilliams 2006). The study indicated that 42% of employees survey valued the organizations integrity for influencing their choice of employer and only 14% employees did not have any concerns regarding the business ethical set-up. Studies in business ethics highlighted societys impact on businesses and the needs of the businesses that can be fulfilled by the society. Hence businesses needs to engage in ethics for being ethical in the first place and in order to fulfill the machiavellian self motive(Crane 2007). Thus, merely adhering to legal compliances is not enough and businesses needs to reflect morality in their actions in order to operate in a society. Values has been identified with a persons cultural background, beliefs and behaviors, according to Alder(1999). Whereas ethics can be defined as a dynamic system encompassing value principles of right and fair conduct of behaviors, as proposed by Carroll (1991), Freeman and Gilbert (1988)(Navi 2012). Business ethics are the value systems and ethical principles that are relevant to businesses, according to De George (1999). Corporate Social Responsibility are the ethical, economical, legal as well as discretionary undertakings from the various expectations o f the society as defined by Andrews (1987), Caroll (1979) and Sethi (1975). Archie Caroll (1979) established a three dimensional framework of Dimension I being Social Responsibility, Dimension II being Philosophy of Social Responsiveness and Dimension II is social issues. The dimensions interact with each other and help the firm establish its social responsibility. Vaughn (1997) applied the Carroll model to establish a background such that entrepreneurs application of the framework in their businesses can be determined(Giacalone 2006). Chester Barnard was the first who proposed that quality leadership can deliver adequate moral and ethical values to an organization. Herbert Simon further incorporated the role of every individuals as an integral part in delivering value and morality within the organizational framework. Works of Peter Drucker, emphasized further the role of business in adhering to social responsibilities. Other authors works also included and emphasized the need of CS R norms for businesses. The research undertaken by the author of the article, took two organizations in order to determine the effects of CSR and ethics in business. The findings from the study indicates that business that adheres by CSR norms and ethics is ore likely to have positive financial impact on their businesses, the impact can be either direct or indirect in nature. The quantitative outcomes provided a strong basis for corporations indulging in CSR norms and business ethical practices. Application in Organizational Behavior Business ethics and corporate social responsibilities have been studied since a long time and their impact to businesses. Organizational behavior is a dynamic field of study that incorporates several functions of the organization like leadership, motivation, managerial role and so on. Business ethics if adopted by an organization can have immense impact on the value system of employees and it results in employee empowerment(Christensen 2007). Once employees recognizes that value system of organization matches that of his individual it can have enormous effect on employee motivation as well as on employee loyalty leading to employee retention. A satisfied and empower employee is likely to me more productive and be able to deliver greater customer satisfaction compared to an employee who is not. Satisfied customers have an impact of the business and on its profitability. Thus, it can be concluded that business ethics and corporate social responsibility has a positive impact of organiza tional behavior. References Christensen, LJ,PE,HLP,HWMACJ 2007, 'Ethics, CSR, and sustainability education in the Financial Times top 50 global business schools: Baseline data and future research directions.', Journal of Business Ethics, vol 73, no. 4, pp. 347-368. Crane, AAMD 2007, Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization., Oxford University Press, USA. De George, RT 2011, Business ethics. , Pearson Education India. Ferrell, OCAFJ 2015, Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases., Nelson Education. Frederick, WC 2008, 'Corporate social responsibility.'. Giacalone, RAATKR 2006, 'Business ethics and social responsibility education: Shifting the worldview.', Academy of Management Learning Education, vol 5, no. 3, pp. 266-277. Joyner, BEAPD 2002, 'Evolution and implementation: A study of values, business ethics and corporate social responsibility.', Journal of Business Ethics, vol 41, no. 4, pp. 297-311. Keith, N 2008, 'Corporate social responsibility.'. Lindgreen, AASV 2010, 'Corporate social responsibility.', International Journal of Management Reviews, vol 12, no. 1, pp. 1-7. McWilliams, A,SDSAWPM 2006, 'Corporate social responsibility: Strategic implications.', Journal of management studies, vol 43, no. 1, pp. 1-18. Navi, ST 2012, 'Corporate social responsibility.'. Rossouw, DAVVL 2013, Business ethics., Oxford University Press. Trevino, LKANKA 2010, Managing business ethics. , John Wiley Sons.

Friday, November 29, 2019

A Case Study That Refelcets on the Inception and Growth of Jelly Belly free essay sample

David decided not take the bar exam but pursue a career he was captivated by, making and selling candy. David Kline a quirky and creative candy maker has invented over 450 types of candy. His most famous candy was Jelly Belly. David first opened and operated a wholesale nut and raisin business and attained experience and a reputation in the Los Angelos Area with local distributors of nuts, raisins, and candies. While operating and maintaining the wholesale nut and raisin business, David developed a gourmet jelly bean, he coined Jelly Belly. Jelly Belly’s competitive dimension was quality. David’s vision was to create a high-end jelly bean, with a premium quality, flavor, and a unique shape. David created the original 8 flavors in 1975. David approached Herman Goelitz, president of the Goelitz Candy Inc. , a generational candy business, founded in 1869, primarily known for fine candy corn, with a business proposal for production of the Jelly Belly. We will write a custom essay sample on A Case Study That Refelcets on the Inception and Growth of Jelly Belly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mr. Goelitz began business with David and began the production of the 8 flavors David had created in 1976. The first flavors were Very Cherry, Tangerine, Lemon, Green Apple, Grape Jelly, Licorice, Root Beer, and Cream Soda. David was familiar with the successful main stream marketing strategies of McDonalds and Burger King. He created the Jelly Belly logo, in bright yellow and red. Soon after, David acquired a space in a store front operation. He wanted a place to sell, where publicity could be generated, that was bright and cheerful. He attained a space in the ice cream parlor with $800. He placed a stand in the corner of the parlor. The product was appealing yet it did not sell; the price for the jelly beans was outrageous. The candy industry was late in getting price increases, the candy industry was locked into low end prices. Afraid to make better candy because distributors would not purchase on the basis that customers did not want to pay more for a quality candy but expected to pay a low price for candy. Total sales for the first seven-day period was $44. David called the associated press and invited the press to his store front in the parlor, and created a set up to demonstrate to the press that he was doing well with the Jelly Belly business and to expose the press to the taste and quality of the Jelly Belly. The press report declared Jelly Belly to be the new candy craze. David continued with the momentum he had received from the press conference. David appeared on TV shows, radio shows and phone orders were directed to the ice cream parlor. Pres. Ronald Reagan, sampled Jelly Belly’s and loved them. He ordered 60 cases monthly. Local distributors began to sell and make a profit from Jelly Belly. $5 would ship 2lbs anywhere in the US. Soon after he established push carts in Holly Wood, Beverly Hills and Century City. The carts were visited by celebrities and this attracted more publicity. The demand for Jelly Belly grew at a very rapid rate after David worked diligently on attaining publicity for Jelly Belly. Goelitz Candy Inc. did not have the resources to support the demand for Jelly Belly. The back log for Jelly Belly grew rapidly reaching a climax of over a one year waiting list for delivery. David did not take needed action to plan for and mitigate the risk of having one supplier and logistics failures. David lacked the ability to deal with supply chain coordination risks; Jelly Belly was lacking safety stocks, safety lead times, multiple suppliers or alternate suppliers. Goelitz Candy Inc. was Jelly Bellys, sole manufacturer. David was unable to determine the overall capacity level of capital intensive resources that best supported the Co. s long term competitive strategy. Jelly Bellies were produced in the Goelitz Plant, the PWP concept was utilized. Goelitz lacked capacity flexibility. Goelitz was unable to increase production of the Jelly Belly, they were unable to shift production capacity quickly enough from other products to the Jelly Belly products. Operational Effectiveness at the candy plant and for Jelly Belly were poor; either stakeholder did not have control initiatives or planning and control systems that could mitigate meeting the high demand. The leadership of Goelitz The high quality of the Jelly Belly was a trade off to low Inc. st. The order winning criterion for Jelly Belly was quality; the order qualifier was the 25 distinct flavors and colors. Herman Goelitz Inc. convinced David Klein that 200 hundred employees relied on his decision to sell JB to the Goelitz Candy Inc. David lacked legal representation at the meeting.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Interactive Behaviour at Work Essay Example

Interactive Behaviour at Work Essay Example Interactive Behaviour at Work Essay Interactive Behaviour at Work Essay Cheniere Energy was founded in 1983 and is a universe taking liquified natural gas ( LNG ) company. Through its subordinates the company engages in the development, building, ownership, and operation of onshore LNG receiving terminuss and natural gas grapevines in the Gulf Coast of the United States. It besides engages in oil and natural gas geographic expedition and development activities. Cheniere Energy is based in Houston, Texas with offices in Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, and London called Cheniere International UK Branch. The London office consists of six people who are responsible for sourcing and trading LNG ladings for Cheniere every bit good as pull offing the twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours operations and activities of the office. Purpose of the study The intent of this study is to analyze work issues at Cheniere International UK Branch ensuing from office torment and specifically the struggle between an office helper and the operations director. It focuses on the synergistic behavior subjects associating to communicating, work relationships and leading. Definition of Interactive Behaviour at work The term synergistic behavior at work refers to the mutual communicating behavior of two or more individuals. It covers both their overt behavior and the factors and processes underlying it. It besides extends to the usage of communicating for intents such as self-presentation, co-operation, act uponing others, working in groups and leading. ( Guirdham, 2002 ) Definition of the subjects Communication Harmonizing to Guirdham ( 2002 ) communicating is a procedure of reassigning information from one entity to another. Interpersonal communicating at work may be face-to-face or indirect, formal or informal, and transmitted verbally or nonverbally. Communication is affected by linguistic communication, communicator manner, the differences between one- and bipartisan communicating, power and position, civilization, gender and disablement. These effects on communicating give rise to barriers, which can be analyzed as intrinsic, single degree and inter-group. To be high in quality, communicating must get the better of these barriers. Work relationship Mutuality and societal orientations, functions, norms and conformance every bit good as co-operative, competitory and conflict behaviors are all constructs that help us to understand and be more effectual in work relationships. Other of import facets related to the issues discussed cover conflict declaration, cultural differences, get bying with bias, favoritism and torment. ( Guirdham, 2002 ) Harassment is defined as: behavior which is unreasonable, unwelcome and violative, and which creates an intimidating, hostile or mortifying working environment. ( Mullins, 2005 ) Harassment is a possible cause of emphasis. The Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) defines emphasis as: The inauspicious reaction people have to extra force per unit area. It is non disease. But if emphasis is intense and goes on for some clip, it can take to a mental and physical ailment wellness . Leadership Leadership can be defined as the ability of an person to act upon, motivate and enable others to lend towards the effectivity and success of the administration of which they are members ( Guirdham, 2002 ) There is a close relationship between leading and direction, particularly in work administration, and an increasing inclination to see them as synonymous. However, arguably there are differences between the two and it does non follow that every leader is a director. Leadership might be viewed in more general footings, with accent on interpersonal behavior in a broader context. Harmonizing to Mullins ( 2005 ) due to its complex nature there are many alternate ways of analyzing leading. Leadership may be examined in footings of qualities or traits attack, in footings of the functional or group attack, as a behavioral class, in footings of manners of leading, through the situational attack and eventuality theoretical accounts, and in footings of differentiation between transactional and transformational leading. Problem designation The issue discussed in this study involves the deteriorating relationship between a director and an helper ( myself ) in a little office environment. In add-on the study looks at the behavior of a manager of the company involved to whom the employees were straight responsible to. Matters discussed include the designation of cardinal points of struggle between the two individuals involved, the manner of direction, the reaction of fellow employees, the interaction with the manager involved and stairss taken to decide the issue. Background and causes of jobs I joined the Cheniere International UK Branch in 2008 as an office helper. Working at their London office in Mayfair where there were three other employees at my degree, two were English and one was an American. I was the lone one holding English as a 2nd linguistic communication. The operations director was a mature English lady with a really strong personality and an accretive attitude. I noticed that I was being asked to make well more work than the other helpers and that the director was questioning my attempts every twenty-four hours. At first I thought this was because I was new to the occupation and that it was a manner of mensurating my capablenesss and ability to get by with the emphasiss of the work. It became clear nevertheless that this was much more of a peculiar attitude toward me as compared to the other employees. Possibly write something about working in a multi-cultural environment or perchance highlight that there was predomination of white Anglo-saxon employees and as such no exposure to different civilizations or cultural diverseness. Inter-cultural jobs arise when members of an in-group perceive members of an out-group as inferior. This can advance in-group favoritism, increased inclination to pigeonhole members of out-groups and negative attitudes to existent or sensed cultural differences. It can ensue in exclusion of members of out-groups, negative ratings and torment. In a little office environment it would be unusual for person in a place of authorization to experience threatened by a individual junior employee. It is hard to give any clear cases of torment, as such, as this was a elusive but changeless undermining of my place on a day-to-day footing. This was evident in her changeless unfavorable judgment of my work and mentions to my Polish background and English non being my native linguistic communication. I made a point of inquiring the other helpers to look into my work and they ever said it was all right and that was merely her manner and non to worry. One happening that began to give me an penetration to her behavior was when she asked me, in forepart of all the other helpers, why I did non work as a nursemaid or cleansing agent as all other Polish misss did . This indicated to me that there was the possibility that her actions were non really based upon my public presentation but upon a much deeper bias and possible stereotyping of Polish people ( either jointly or by gender ) . In a unusual manner this was a alleviation as until so my assurance had been undermined and I felt under emphasis at work. It seemed nil I of all time did was right, I was frequently depressed, both at work and at place and it was hard to understand why she picked on me and what was doing the job. It besides made it hard for me to seek to see how I could decide the job. Bing cognizant of the personality clang between us I was seeking to understand what caused her hostile behavior and I blamed myself that it was I who caused the struggle, but on the other manus I knew I usually neer have any major jobs prosecuting with people, being an easygoing and friendly individual. The Thoms-Kilmann Conflict Mode Questionnaire can be utile in explicating my stance in the struggle. Scoring 9 in avoiding and 9 in suiting manners shows that I am non an self-asserting individual, do non wish to ache people s feelings, obey orders and I am by and large a altruistic type of individual. ( See Appendix x for a transcript of the Thoms-Kilmann Conflict Mode Questionnaire you took. ) It was really hard to delight and fulfill her likely because she developed irrational beliefs and prejudiced positions about me. If being from Poland meant to her that I should be a nanny or cleaner she possibly believed that people of other races or backgrounds are in some manner inferior and hence merit to be treated as 2nd category. Harmonizing to Tehrani ( 1996 ) the deficiency of ego consciousness in harassers increases their frights and bias. Harassers neer experience strong plenty to prove their positions objectively, preferring to populate in an irrational universe, where they need to continually back up their prejudiced positions with colored grounds. To explicate even deeper her behaviour I would state she portrayed the actions of a stigmatizer. Freidson ( 1983 ) stated that in Erving Goffman s theory of societal stigma a stigma is an property, behavior, or repute which is socially discrediting in a peculiar manner: it causes an single to be mentally classified by others in an unwanted, rejected stereotype instead than in an recognized, normal one . In this director s eyes I was different ; she may non desire to accept me because of my nationality, my different speech pattern, my beginning. Goffman divides the person s relation to a stigma into three classs: the stigmatized are those who bear the stigma ; the conventions are those who do non bear the stigma ; and the wise are those among the conventions who are accepted by the stigmatized as wise to their status. I so represent a stigmatized individual, the director is normal and remainder of our squad can be seen as wise. Strategic Deductions of the job My instance can be seen as a micro job because it describes a state of affairs in a little office and merely a few people are involved in the struggle. I am the lone individual who was harmed and it could be argued that it is hard to demo macro deductions from this issue. However, I would wish to emphasize that torment at the workplace occurs really frequently and causes a batch of jobs. Harmonizing to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service ( ACAS ) torment in the workplace costs employers in the UK more than ?2bn per twelvemonth in ill wage, staff turnover and lower productiveness. 19 million on the job yearss are lost each twelvemonth as a direct consequence of workplace torment. 1 in 4 people report that they have experienced torment in the last 5 old ages. 70 % of HR professionals have witnessed or have been cognizant of torment in their administration. Administrations that fail to turn to the job of unacceptable behavior at workplace wage a heavy cost in footings of loss of staff, reduced invention, morale and sickness absence. This is in add-on to the cost of judicial proceeding and bad public dealingss ( Tehrani, 1996 ) . My issue did non impact the administration in a important manner, except high staff keeping within 1 twelvemonth two office helpers left the company because of Jane s hard character. As mentioned before 25 % of the population suffer from torment. By depicting my personal experience I raise an issue that affects a batch of people and something that organisations have to cover with. Harassment is related with work relationship one of the chief subjects which are described in this paper. Harmonizing to Tehrani ( 1996 ) torment has a figure of common elements ; it involves a hurtful behavior, this behavior is repeated over a period of clip and the individual being harassed discoveries it hard to support themselves. Peoples being harassed will besides hold trouble in being rational in their thought, believing the Acts of the Apostless or positions of a harasser are the positions of everyone else. When I was working for Cheniere I was droping sad, negative and worthless. In add-on my feelings were heightened with effusions of choler, shouting, solitariness and injury. Lack of pleasance in about everything that I was making was important and hard to get by with. Bing h umiliated resulted in the deficiency of ego assurance to asseverate myself and dispute the unacceptable behavior of operations director. It needs to be added that torment is linked with emphasis. Guirdham ( 2002 ) stated: Some of the major effects of emphasis include slumber problem, fatigue, being unable to get by good in struggle state of affairss, desiring to be left entirely, smoke, imbibing and eating excessively much, being unable to act upon or carry people and happening it hard to acquire up in the forenoons . I recall that I was frequently really tired, could non kip, and did non desire to see my friends or household. Some people were inquiring me why I let her be opprobrious and ill-mannered towards me. The reply is because she had power over me. As I mentioned I held the lowest place in the office and I was supposed to listen to everyone and making whatever they needed at work. Among Gallic and Raven s ( 1959 ) power beginnings there is one which can be implemented in this state of affairs coercive power. ( Podsakoff and Schriesheim, 1985 ) Threats and penalty are common tools of coercion. I was frequently given unwanted undertakings by Jane. There is one in peculiar where she spilled tea on her desk and asked me to clean it. My illustration demonstrates that this beginning of power can frequently take to jobs and in many fortunes it involves abuse. Coercive power can do unhealthy behavior and dissatisfaction in the workplace. ( mindtools.com ) From my above rating it can be stated that the operations director was decidedly my important other at that clip. She had really strong influence on my self-esteem and my behavior. Many administrations and their directors and executives are guilty of ignoring, digesting or prolonging struggles and torment ( Guirdham, 2002 ) . This statement confirms the behavior of my manager who was seeking to explicate me that I should accept the fact that Jane is by and large a hard individual and hence should non take it personally what she says and how she behaves. Lack of leading qualities can be seen in my foreman s attitude. A big part of the bing literature on leading focuses merely on the positive traits of leaders. However, the alleged dark side of leading , or negative personal traits of leaders, has received comparatively less attending. Besides, in pattern, leading is largely evaluated in footings of the positive traits and strengths of leaders, even though certain organisational factors and followings features significantly contribute to the effectivity or ineffectualness of leaders ( Toor and Ogunlana, 2009 ) . The manager was non an effectual leader. A leade rA who lacks character or unity will non be seen as a competent one. Even though he was intelligent, amiable, persuasive, or understanding, he was besides prone to apologizing unethical behavior. Office torment is a really unethical issue and should be resolved by a company s leader, but it was non in my instance. Furthermore leaders non attuned to the demands of the employees are non effectual either. Successful leaders focus on workers satisfaction and trueness. They should happen ways to systematically prosecute them and integrate them into company s policies and do certain they know and obey their codification of behavior. If they ignore, mistreat, or otherwise do non value their employees, they will non be valued for competencies. Furthermore good leaders should pass on efficaciously across mediums, constituencies, environments of class employees. My foreman was cognizant that Jane s behaviour was harmful but did non respond and did non desire to be involved in the struggle. Th is observation can take to a statement that the manager represented a laissez faire leading manner. Harmonizing to Flynn ( 2009 ) this type of a leader describes inactive leaders who are loath to act upon subsidiaries or give way. They by and large refrain from take parting in group or single determination devising and to a big extent, abdicate their leading function. Subordinates are given considerable freedom of action and, hence, seem likely to maximise their power and influence. Although laissez- faire leading can be really successful in some environments where followings are responsible for self-monitoring, job resolution in my instance it was non what I needed. I was looking for a go-between in my struggle with Jane, person who can direct and take stairss to decide the job. From Blake Mouton Managerial Grid position, it could be argued that the manager represented Impoverished Leadership which is known for making a work environment that is non fulfilling and non actuating. The consequence is a topographic point of disorganisation, dissatisfaction and inharmoniousness. ( Rollinson, 2005 ) My foreman had low concern for employee satisfaction because cognizing I was depressed and was in a struggle he was non concerned about it. A major danger of stereotyping is that it can barricade out accurate perceptual experience of an person and lead to possible state of affairs of bias or favoritism. This in effect can construct communicating barriers. Jane s inclination to impute negative features to me on the footing of a general classification was a simplified procedure of her perceptual experience. Her pigeonholing procedure based on my nationality and instruction had a important deduction to the ambiance in our office and my well-being. Her bias caused communicating job between us. Harmonizing to Erven ( 2008 ) stereotyping is a barrier to communicating when it causes people to move as if they already know the message that is coming from the transmitter or worse, as if no message is necessary because everybody already knows. Peoples stereotype genders, races, faiths, and civilizations. They combine them to state things but frequently falsely making premises. Stereotypes develop from world. Poles steal British occupations became a stereotype because a batch of Poles are hapless and had to larn how to last and came here to look for a occupation but they do non merit to be stereotyped. It might be true that most of Polish adult females work as nursemaids or cleaners but, it does non place me, my demands, and my failings. So if Jane used the stereotyped position of Polish adult females towards me, she missed who I really am, as an person. I wanted to pass on, talk to her and did non desire to be lost in the stereotyped construct. Peoples are complex and need to be understood as persons, non stereotypes. Singularity is what gets lost in the stereotypes and deficiency of proper communicating. Peoples should listen, understand, see the whole individual, and that requires rejecting the preconceived premises, b ased on the stereotypes that are created and used. Communication is at the bosom of many interpersonal jobs faced by employers. Understanding the communicating procedure and so working at betterment provide a formula for going more effectual communicators. Knowing the common barriers to communicating is the first measure to minimising their impact. Stereotyping is a barrier to proper communicating, it can non merely interrupt communicating, it can destruct it. The significance of non-verbal communicating and organic structure linguistic communication demand to be evaluated in this study as in my instance it was more of import than verbal communicating. Harmonizing to Mullins ( 2005 ) non-verbal communicating includes illations drawn from position, gesture, touch, invasion of personal infinite, extent of oculus contact, tone of voice or facial look. Very frequently the operations trough was utilizing proper linguistic communication and if was non obvious for others to see the struggle between us and her aversion. Her tone of voice and facial look were directing messages that I was non accepted and were unwelcomed. Mullins ( 2005 ) adds besides that in our face-to face communicating with other people the messages about our feelings and attitudes come merely 7 per cent from the words we use, 38 per cent from our voice and 55 per cent from organic structure linguistic communication, including facial look. Significantly, when organic structure linguistic communication such as gestures and tone of voice struggles with the words, greater accent is likely to be placed on the non-verbal message. He besides suggests that when verbal and non-verbal messages are in struggle ( like in my instance sing communicating with the operations director ) accepted wisdom is that the non-verbal signals should be the 1s to trust on, and that what is non said is often louder than what is said, uncovering attitudes and feelings in a manner words can non show. Alternate options for deciding job Leave the occupation or stay. Peoples have bad yearss at work. But if that bad twenty-four hours is every twenty-four hours, it might be clip to see go forthing the occupation. Some causes of occupation dissatisfaction are impossible to change, and in this instance employees may good be better off doing an issue. Leaving the occupation is normally a really hard determination and can frequently do assorted emotions: joy because of traveling on to something better, unhappiness at losing people we enjoyed work with, alleviation we do nt hold to get by with the job and struggles any longer. Uncertainty about the hereafter and new occupation has normally a large impact on people s determinations. I was besides concerned about my hereafter. Staying with Cheniere was an alternate, but I was concerned how I can alter the ambiance and Jane s behavior. Talking to her or to my foreman were the options to do my work conditions better. Alternatively I could remain with the company and attempt to accept the environment and atmosphere, and seek to cut down sensitiveness to ill will or shows of bias. Mullins ( 2005 ) evaluated hard people: Possibly our reluctance to place, and so straight address, struggle within administrations is based upon the widely held belief that struggle is inevitable, negative and unwieldy . There is a inclination to see struggle as a consequence one individual s personality. Conflict may be inevitable, but how dramatically state of affairss could be changed if we could besides see it as positive and manageable. What if we think of these state of affairss as raising inquiries of difference? What if we were to do a displacement off from faulting persons and their personalities, acknowledging alternative ly that it is through normal human interaction that outward looks of difference are produced? Unfortunately get bying with hard people is non one of my strong points. Another option was to crush her at her ain game. Act like her, be unsympathetic, stating co-workers how unjust she is. This option would be really hard because she held higher place and therefore had power and because I respect people it wound be something against my values and beliefs. Choice of option I was seeking to decide the job. I talked to the manager but was ignored and was told that I should accept the state of affairs as it is and accept Jane s behavior because she is hard and she is non traveling to alter her attitude. Another advice was that I should be less emotional and seek to be mentally stronger. He did non wish to talk to Jane to inquire to alter her attitude and assist her to get by with her hostile behavior. Tehrani ( 1996 ) argue that the function of leader in developing the accomplishments which enable people to pass on in an unfastened and self-asserting mode is possibly one of the most effectual tools in turn toing struggles. The support of an self-asserting and caring director is an of import facet of rehabilitating a harasser. Harassers need support when they are developing the new accomplishments and behaviours in communicating which will replace the harassing behavior. I besides talked to Jane but I was told that I read her purposes severely. She was see king to state me that there was no issue between us and I should non blow her clip for such conversations. Rationale for pick Because I had an interesting occupation, was satisfied with my compensation I did non desire to go forth therefore I was seeking to happen a declaration. I was non accepted by one of the colleagues but I did non desire to be a victim of torment. I was seeking to be a subsister. Harmonizing to Tehrani ( 1996 ) victims of torment often express the position that there is small they can make to forestall the torment taking topographic point. They have no pick but to set up with what is being done to them. This perceptual experience of deficiency of personal control or power must be changed if the harassee is of all time to do sense of what has happened to them. Survivors, on the other manus, are able to get down to do picks and determinations about what they want to make to halt or decide the torment. Survivors of torment take an active portion in make up ones minding how they would wish things to be handled when deciding their jobs. They are acute to take duty for doing things go on, in stead than acting passively, leting others, nevertheless good intending, to take over control. One of the chief accomplishments subsisters of torment learn is to be self-asserting in showing what they want and do non desire to go on during the harassment probe ; to be able to state yes or no regardless of the wants of others. Assertiveness is besides one of the most of import accomplishments needed to forestall harassees going victims of torment in the hereafter. Finally the subsisters of torment are able to look frontward to the hereafter, a hereafter without torment, while the victims concentrate on the torment itself, instead than on how they can alter things to forestall the torment happening once more. Although I was seeking to assist myself, was looking for aid from the managers and besides arranged a meeting with Jane, nil changed. Execution of Option I finally decided to go forth. It took me 2 hebdomads to happen another occupation. The difference in the on the job environment was huge. New colleagues were pleasant and friendly. I am glad that I took control over the state of affairs and left the company. I will neer to the full bury this experience but sometimes we should see and accept the extremes, because if the contrast is lost, we lose grasp. Time for Implementation I was working for this company for 5 months before passing in my surrender. Decision In recent old ages at that place has been an increasing acknowledgment of the injury that could be done to persons who become the victims of torment or intimidation. Although there have been important moves to present statute law and guidelines that deal with the debut of organisational policy and processs on torment and intimidation, the happening of torment is still common in many British organisations. My instance in this paper can be perceived as a representation of this job for many organisations. This is non an easy issue to cover with for troughs, people who cause torment and most of all for people who suffer from hostile behaviour. Background and causes of such struggles are frequently inexplicit and non easy to decide. Understanding the communicating procedure and communicating barriers is of import to efficaciously command the job. Leadership accomplishments and appropriate usage of power can be important.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Analyze statistics reported in a news article, advertisement, or poll Project

Analyze reported in a news article, advertisement, or poll from a print source - Statistics Project Example (4) â€Å"Did somebody change the subject?† Carefully examine the conclusion to make sure it is supported by the statistical evidence. Sometimes an interpretation is presented as fact.  Ã‚   (5) â€Å"Does it make sense?† Look for and point out anything that does not make sense. Analysis of Statistics An article written by Luo (2010) entitled 99 Weeks Later, Jobless Have Only Desperation published in the New York Times on August 2, 2010 proffered issues pertinent to the status that jobless people face after â€Å"they have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim† (Luo, 2010, par. 4). To analyze the validity of the statistics, the following questions would be addressed according to Darrell Huff’s book How to Lie With Statistics. (1) â€Å"Who says so?† The figures from the article indicating the number of people unemployed or out of work for 99 weeks or more were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statist ics (BLS). According to the official website of BLS (2011), it is â€Å"the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Book report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Book report - Essay Example He has written a beautiful and thought provoking account on the social history that many people would not have known. Throughout the book, Osofsky uses his great appealing writing to attract the reader till the end. With an attractive way of revealing details, he highlights the change of Harlem from being the largest segregated neighborhood in the nation to a slum. He had never been to Harlem or talked to the people there, but the way he wrote about it would tell you much more about the way he has used his mind. There have been many books previously written around the same topic but in most of these books the authors have only tried to look for the history of Negroes from the surface. The growth and development of the Negro communities have not been a very important issue since the civil war. Many people want to study about the Negro life but the material that is available is scanty. There are newspapers and various kinds of documents available through which one can go back to the 20 th century. The Negro life in the cities can also be generalized through interviews with elderly people who have seen and experienced how the Negroes have settled their tough lives in the areas. There are a few authors who have researched and talked about the Negro history in their books and Osofsky has written one of the finest books. He has shown a series of events that took place since the Negro Resolution in the 1960’s and how the creation of a Harlem ghetto took place. Since Osofsky has written an account of all the events and details revealed in the series of events, he has made a detailed research about all the history that he could reach up to. The book is well documented about the afro-American migration in the early 20th century. Every new day bought a new turn in the making of the ghetto and Osofsky has managed to analyze every detail in a colorful and informative manner. This book would take you back in the 20th century and bring to you the history that was unreve aled yet eye opening. It shows the period of the black migration and settlement in Harlem exclusively. Gilbert Osofsky has written this book in three parts to make it much clearer and planned out. In the first part, he starts his book with an introduction to the Harlem settlement. Osofsky clearly gives a picture of how Harlem was before this migration. Harlem was a rich neighborhood with no blacks. Instead there were more of Jews and Italians who used to live in that community back in the 1800’s and early nineteenth century. It shows an analysis of the social, economic and political conditions of a community which was known to be one of the finest neighborhoods in the nation. The creation did not greatly bring a change in the economic condition Harlem was in, but it was a change prominent enough to be seen than what it was to what it is now. Harlem was a wealthy area where ministers and rich people used to live in their mansions. He brings out the history of Harlem before the 20th century and then talks about the events through which this migration of the blacks took place. With his brilliant mind and analysis he reaches out the message to the people and convinces them that the social, economic and political factors were the major reasons why Harlem became a slum. These factors were also greatly the causes behind Harlem’s development equally. The real estate guesswork is what made the upper reaches of Manhattan more accessible for the black migrati

Monday, November 18, 2019

Telecommunications Law and Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Telecommunications Law and Policy - Essay Example This has created issues of KableCom potentially running out of bandwidth available for customers, resulting in outages and delays. KableCom should now introduce the â€Å"Unlimited Stream Plan.†   Under this Plan, customers will be able to choose three streaming cloud apps from a short list of approved sites that have paid KableCom for the opportunity to participate. Customers will be permitted unlimited streaming on the three sites they select without accruing data charges. It is, therefore, necessary for KableCom to implement data caps and migrate from unlimited data plans to data-use pricing model, however, many plans shall still have unlimited talk and texts. With a, Internet as down from 4G to 2G (throttling) are on their download (2 GB per). One data is speed - 4G data are significantly than 3G users through a short interval. One potential solution under consideration by KableCom is allowing content providers or app developers to pay carriers so that their services do not count against a customer’s monthly data limit and essentially buying traffic for their content. However, the Internet is designed for all content and services to be treated equally. Because this solution would give KableCom an unfair advantage over its clients, at some point it should be viewed as net neutrality issue. Data-use pricing model shall monitor data usage and make sure customers stay under their data cap. The provision different tariffs model enable customer decide whether they need to consider upgrading to a higher plan or if usage is typical. Using the current app store KableCom should provide free apps that gives options for ones total usage for the current period or a help site for to customers see where they using the most data bundles. Other useful tools to be provided free of charge to KableCom’s customers is third-party apps designed to help them monitor their bandwidth usage. One such app is Onavo Extend; it gives one a breakdown of

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Strategic alignment

Strategic alignment Chapter 1: Introduction 12 Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Overview This chapter introduces the research background and context for this investigation. An introduction to strategic alignment is presented with the aim of establishing the context of this research, followed by an explanation of the importance of business strategy and Information Technology (IT) and the uniqueness of organizational culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In addition, the knowledge gap and research methodology were explained. In light of these arguments the aims and objectives are presented together with an outline of the thesis structure. 1.2 Research Background For the last two decades the relevance of alignment between business and IT strategies has continuously grown and remains a top priority for academics and practitioners. Research suggests that aligning business and IT strategies has a positive effect on organisational performance (Teo and King, 1996; Reich and Benbasat, 2000; Chan et al., 2006). The annual survey on top management concerns by the Society for Information Management (www.simnet.org) however ranked ‘IT and Business alignment as the No. 1 concern for four years in a row (Society of Information Management, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006). In last years survey, alignment lost its doubtful honor as the ‘top concern to drop to only the second place on the list (Society of Information Management, 2007). But it came back in 2008 and regained the No.1 spot as the top concern. Moreover, the value of IT has been related to strategic alignment (Tallon and Kraemer, 2003). They found that organisations with strategic goals for IT showed higher levels of strategic alignment and, as a consequence, the perception of IT business value was higher. However, organisations that have developed IT strategies often fail to deliver IT business value, despite having integrated their business and IT strategies. This suggests business-IT strategy is necessary but not sufficient to deliver business value from IT investments (Peppard et al., 2000; Benbya and McKelvey, 2006). Strategic alignment research has extensively discussed the coordination between business and IT strategy (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993; Reich and Benbasat, 2000; Kearns and Sabherwal, 2007). As strategic alignment has become embedded in the strategic management process, a closer relationship between IT and business managers is required to establish a two-way commitment that enables managers in both IT and business domains to prioritise IT projects that will support the business strategy (Luftman et al., 1999). Figure (1) summarizes the Information System/Business relationship which can be described as ‘Interdependent; where any changes in the IS (Software, Hardware, Database and Telecommunication devices will have an impact on the Business and vice versa; any change in the business (Strategy, Rules and Procedures) will have its impact on the Information Systems function of the organization [2]. Figure 1: The interdependence between organizations and information systems (Laudon Laudon, 2006) This commitment, however, has been difficult to achieve at strategic level in organisations and consequently difficult to transmit to lower levels within organisations (Lycett et al., 2004; Srivannaboom, 2006). Additionally, the frequent failure of IT projects has reduced the trust of senior managers in IT investments and their business value (Peppard et al., 2000; Taylor, 2000; Hartman and Ashrafi, 2004). When an IT strategy is conceived at strategic level, it may be aligned with company goals; however, as it moves down through the lower levels of an organisation to be implemented, the original objectives for which the strategy was conceived can be lost. Relationships between business and IT implementers are not always close and IT staff tends to be more concerned with technical issues. Business and IT also need a close relationship at implementation level to ensure the project goals are well communicated and understood (Lederer and Salmela, 1996; Campbell et al., 2005). The interaction between information technology and organizations is influenced by many mediating factors, including the organizations structure, standard operating procedures, politics, culture, surrounding environment, and management decisions as shown in figure (2). and information Technology (Laudon Laudon, 2006) Therefore the motivation behind this research is to develop a model that depicts the dynamic interrelationships between the factors affecting strategic alignment taking into consideration the organizational culture (OC) in Saudi organisations. OC and strategy Connie Curran, (2002) a researcher and practitioner in the healthcare sector, wrote â€Å"Culture eats strategy for lunch every time†. In this simple statement she has eloquently summarized one of the strongest themes in the literature on strategy implementation, which is that it doesnt matter how wonderful your organizations strategy is, if its culture does not support it, the strategy will not be realized even if the goals and infrastructure are aligned. Aligning organizational culture to strategy accelerates strategy execution. Organizational culture includes the highly influential sets of norms, values, assumptions, beliefs and behaviors which influence the selection, design and implementation of strategic initiatives, impacting growth and operational strategies. Misaligned cultures create drag that impairs the performance of the organizations ‘engines for growth, hobbling strategies from being achieving to their full potential. OC and IT It is a common statement that we are now living in an era of rapid technology development. The adoption and implementation of new technologies, in many cases, is imperative not only to improve productivity, efficiency or to cater to new demand and requirements but also to ensure the survival of the business itself. ‘The introduction of any new technology into an occupation, organisation, or society can be seen as a cultural change problem (Schein 1989). The success or failure of integrating a new technology in an organisation is, to a large degree, dependent on its ability to adjust or change its culture. The creation and/or existence of a certain cultural environment may be essential to ensure the successful implementation of a new technology. The new technology once has been put in use in an organisation, in turn, will dictate further changes in the organisations culture. Many current examples can be found in relation to the areas of automation and information technology. 1.6 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) The culture of Saudi Arabia is a rich one that has been shaped by its Islamic heritage, its historical role as an ancient trade center, and its Bedouin traditions. Saudi Arabia is considered a very high context culture, which means that the message people are trying to convey often relies heavily on other communicative cues such as body language and eye-contact rather than direct words. Saudi traditions are rooted in Islamic teachings and Arab customs, which Saudis learn about at an early age from their families and in schools. Arab traditions also play an important role in Saudi life. These age-old traditions have evolved over the millennia and are highly regarded. They include generosity and hospitality, which every Saudi family offers to strangers, friends, and family [50]. One of the most important features of the Saudi culture is the segregation of the sexes. Segregation, which means not permit women to mix with unrelated men. Also Shyness is another important characteristic that people should uphold. The other important feature in the Saudi culture is family ties, where Muslim is expected to keep contact with his relatives [51]. Respect and friendship are values that are held very highly by the Saudi people, business setting, favors based on mutual benefit and trust are ways of enhancing these cultural values. Due to the personal nature of business in Saudi Arabia, family influence and personal connections often take precedence over other governing factors [52]. Saudi Arabia is behind in the area of IT, which could be contributed to several factors including Computer illiteracy, lack of government incentives to attract businesses, the absence of adequate infrastructure to support industry, poor enforcement of intellectual property and copy right laws, and lack of resources [53]. 1.7 Knowledge Gap Based on the above, and through screening some of the existing strategic alignment models in the literature review, the researcher figured out that to achieve such an alignment there is a need to consider and integrate the following points: Most of staff, if not all, is unaware of business goals and objectives, especially in the environment of Saudi Arabia. Important technical investments decisions are made by the IT manager alone. No relationship exists (Gap) between Business strategy and IT strategy. A lot of factors are not taken into consideration when forming strategic alignment, such as Structure, Culture, politics, and others. Strategic alignment models discussed only top management level and discarded other levels. Previous strategic alignment models are hard to be understood and implemented in reality. The models discussed in the literature review may have achieved one or two of the above six points, however, there is no existing model that has achieved the above six points altogether. Based on the above, the researcher has selected Strategic Alignment as a starting and a centre area of research that he is building on to fulfill the other points mentioned. The model that the researcher is aiming to establish differs from the existing ones in that it will meet the requirements and challenges of the Saudi environment taking into consideration the 6 above points. 1.8 Research Aims Significance To bridge the gap between Business Strategy and Information Technology Strategy through developing and designing a simple Strategic Alignment Model, that includes the essence of the major research works in addition to other strategic alignment theories available To highlight the role of socio-cultural aspects as a critical success factor for successful IT implementation, which were not taken into consideration in the past To measure the contribution of such a model to business performance. To encourage Saudi Firms to use such a model to gain competitive competition. To reduce the associated costs of implementing Information Systems in Organization 1.9 Research methods The researcher has used the mixed research methodology. Mixed research involves the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics within a stage of the study or across two of the stages of the research process. It collects data either sequentially of simultaneously to best understand research problems [16]. Advantages of using mixed research includes: the major goal for researcher who design and conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental principle of mixed research, in other words, the researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. When different approaches are used to focus on the same phenomenon, while providing the same result, is a strong evidence for the result. Other important reason for doing mixed research are to complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of results, or to discover something that would have been missed if only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used[17]. 1.9.1 Quantitative Method One of the most widely used research techniques can be defined as collecting data through written questions [17]. There are a number of different ways in which questionnaires can be administered; for example: posted to the intended respondents or administered over the telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire design provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. From sample results, the researcher generalizes or makes claims about a population [18]. 1.9.2 Qualitative Method Interviews are considered to be the main tool of the qualitative researcher for data collection [18]. Additionally, since the interpretive stance is also being followed, interviews are viewed to be the main and appropriate source from where data has been collected. According to Walsham, interviews allow the best access to the interpretations that the participants have regarding the actions and events, which have or are taking place and the views and aspirations of themselves and other participants. An added benefit is that it allows researchers to step back and examine the interpretations of their fellow participants in some detail, and this is an advantage that other methods may not allow [18]. There are several types of interviews possible for use, structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews. In this study the semi-structured interview type was used due to different reasons. The semi-structured interview lies somewhere in between the other two types. It allows the interviewer to explore, probe and ask questions within a subject area less freely than the unstructured interview and with more freedom in sequencing of questions and timing for each question than the structured type. It allows the interviewer to explore more ideas and make use of unexpected and unforeseen information as it revealed. In addition, this study is a limited time study and since the timing required in conducting semi-structured interview is less than that required from the unstructured type, this type was chosen. To make the interview proceed smoothly, an Interview Guide was designed. A participation information sheet was also designed to familiarise the participants with the research purpose and to assure them of anonymity and confidentiality. Before conducting the semi-structured interview, each participant was asked to fill and sign a consent form with a copy kept with him/her. See Appendix F and G for the (Interview Guide, Invitation letter, Participation Information Sheet, and Consent Form). 24 interviews were conducted within the four organizations. The collected data from the interviews were converted into a quantitative format (frequencies) using content analysis method, where the collected data were summarized on a summary sheet. Then it was categorized to meet the research objectives, which was then displayed on a table. Rating for the results was calculated using Microsoft office Excel spreadsheet. 1.9.3 Secondary Data In order to gain a richer picture of Strategic Alignment concepts, a literature survey was conducted from published books, articles, journals, etc. All data from the primary case study (questionnaires and interviews), secondary case studies and documents were combined and linked together to give the base for designing the Strategic Alignment Model. 1.9.4 Data analysis Data gathered was analyzed through frequency distributions. These have given way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. With relation to data analysis, the indicators that were used in evaluating the study include the age of the respondent; the social status; the educational attainment of the respondents; the occupation of the respondents and their length of stay in the company they belong to [19]. The research has involved 4 large organizations, SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah, where interviews have been conducted with business managers to have a clear idea about the companys business strategy. Also, other interviews took place with IT directors to investigate about the IT strategy and its relationship with the business strategy. In addition,2 sets of questionnaires were distributed among different levels of the organizations to come up with the types of organizational culture and the use of Information technology in those organizations. At the end, data were collected and analyzed through using SPSS software and content analysis. Figure depicts the various steps that compromised the research framework 1.10 Expected Research Outcomes The results from this research are anticipated to be of great help to top managers, strategic planners, IT managers, and other work force in Saudi environment, and will contribute to the following factors: Increasing the awareness of Strategic Alignment Concept and its importance. Showing the importance of the use of Information Technology in organizations Identifying the organizational culture as a major factor of achieving strategic alignment. Encouraging decision makers and top management to apply and implement strategic alignment throughout the organization. Highlighting the weaknesses of previous strategic alignment models and the lessons learned, which would help other researchers for future work 1.11 Indicative Thesis Structure The thesis will contain nine chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction: Presents an overview about the research subject. It shows the importance of strategic alignment in all sectors, followed by bridging the gap between business strategy and IT strategy, and the factors that affect strategic alignment, including the organizational culture in Saudi Arabia. The research aims and significance then was explained followed by a brief discussion of the research methodology, research framework, then prospected research contribution was mentioned. Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides the literature review for this research. It begins with explaining Business strategy, Business planning and its tools, followed by a discussion of IT strategy, IT planning, and its tools. Then a discussion of strategic alignment was presented. And ended with an overview of previous strategic alignment models. Chapter 3: Research design and methodology: The chapter details the research process adopted and continues with an explanation of the data collection and data analysis methods employed by the researcher including justification for the approach and methods. The detailed questionnaire and interviews preparation and use process is described, followed by the reliability and validity tests. There is reasoning provided in this chapter for the use of data interpretation techniques and softwares like the SPSS Content analysis. Chapter 4: Selection of Strategic Alignment Model Parameters: Presents the organizational culture parameters selected by the researcher, the validity of this selection, and their relationship with the two main components of strategic alignment (Business strategy IT strategy) Chapter 5: Information Technology Use Questionnaires Analysis: This chapter introduces findings from a survey of 62 Information Technology (IT) managers to establish general perceptions of added value(s) of IT investments in Saudi organizations. Chapter 6: Organizational Culture Impact Questionnaires Analysis: Discusses and examines the data collected through the questionnaires from 400 staff in the selected Saudi firms, to identify the importance of organizational culture in strategic alignment. Chapter 7: Interviews Analysis: Talks about and analyses the data collected through the interviews in the 4 Saudi firms where 12 Business managers and 12 IT managers were approached. The chapter ended with an interviews summary and conclusions. Chapter 8: Hypothesis Formulating: Chapter 8 presents and discusses the research hypotheses. Dependent and independent variables were discussed in details. The chapter ended with a detail visual model showing the predicted relationship between dependent and independent variables Chapter 9: Conclusion and Recommendations: Proposes the new strategic alignment model, and concludes the study and gives recommendations and future directions. The Effect of OC on Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms Hatem Tamimi

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Precision Guided Munitions :: Weapons Guns Gun Essays Reseach Papers

Precision Guided Munitions During the Persian Gulf War of 1991 a new class of weapons made its debut and presaged a revolution in military affairs. Although precision-guided munitions (PGMs), ranging from laser-guided bombs to Tomahawk cruise missiles, represented only a fraction of the total ordinance used in Iraq, the effect they had was electric. The television footage of a bomb dropped from more than 6 miles above descending onto its target and hitting with absolute precision was at once fascinating and jarring. The Gulf War demonstrated the power that precision aerial attacks possessed. The accuracy and lethality of air launched munitions during the Gulf war was in sharp contrast to the relative crudity of aerial bombing during World War II. In Iraq and later in Kosovo, precision-guided munitions (PGM) demonstrated their capabilities. The US waged a type of warfare in these campaigns that was markedly different from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The US is still coming to grips with the implications of the new type of warfare it has released. The development of accurate precision-guided munitions was not revolutionary, but an evolutionary process that took the course of half a century. Today most precision-guided munitions can be classified by their guidance or propulsion systems. Precision-guided munitions affect the military in three areas. First precision-guided munitions have challenged time-honored traditions of mass. Second, precision-guided munitions have unique information needs. Finally, the capabilities of precision-guided munitions have significant implications on acquisitions policy. Regardless of whether or not precision-guided munitions are part of a larger revolution in military, the implic ations of precision-guided munitions for the US military are significant. Historical Evolution of Accuracy Ever since man first threw stones at their fellow men, the elusive goal of killing one’s opponent from a distance, with absolute precision has been a holy grail of warfare. Weapons such as bows and arrows, rifles, and artillery, were all designed for increased lethality at longer distances, with less risk to the operator. PGMs provide just that capability; that is the capability to put ordinance on target with precision at long ranges. Precision has always played a role in warfare. Whether it was marksmanship with bow or rifle, the ability to place a projectile on target contributed greatly to victory. PGMs were designed with just that function in mind.