The Manhattan Project Essays (1139 words) - Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was and is still one of the most secretive projects ever created in United States history. The purpose of the Manhattan Project was simple: to build; test; and unleash its power if necessary. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves were the two men put in charge of this mission. These two men along with the top scientists from around the country were brought together to construct the most deadliest thing known to man. The project originated in the Pentagon in 1942 when General Groves was told, by the White House, he was to lead the Manhattan Project. World War II had already been raged for three years when the Nazis, after being victorious in Europe, declared war on the United States. This was nine months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In September of that year, Groves, met with Leo Szilard and asked him if making the atomic bomb was possible. Leo told him how an atomic bomb would work, but also that it is impossible to build. General Groves only wanted to hear that an atomic bomb was conceivable in theory and then he knew to start the project. In October of 1942 Groves went to California to meet with Robert Oppenheimer, one of the most brilliant scientists in the country. Groves informed Oppenheimer that he had been selected to lead the expedition on trying to invent the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer immediately started preparing by telling Groves that they needed an isolated area with one ringmaster(Oppenheimer). General Groves was in charge of the military or security part of the project, while Oppenheimer was in charge of the organization of the scientists and ideas. At times, Oppenhiemer and Grooves had some nasty arguments over policies. Even though Groves was the one who reported to Washington, Oppenheimer had more power and Groves was aware of this. If they had a disagreement, Oppenheimer would threaten to leave the project and take his scientists with him. Groves knew if this occurred then the project would never be finished. So, Grooves most always ended up agreeing or letting Oppenheimer do what ever he wanted to do. In April of 1943, this isolated area was being build in Las Alamos, New Mexico. The borders consisted of barbed wire fence accompanied by guard dogs. Many laboratories, storage buildings, shelters, hospitals, dining halls, and other buildings were found inside these borders, also. One thing that was not found inside these borders though was women, not even wives of the scientists. No scientist was allowed to talk to anyone outside the camp about what they see, hear, taste, or even smell. Everything they knew belonged to the army now. Everything they knew from here on was highly confidential. There job was to create the atomic bomb and to do nothing else but that. They were to refer to bomb as the gadget or devise for security reasons. The scientists were given 19 months to complete their mission. Most of them complained that it could not be done, that it was not enough time. Under the leadership of Oppenheimer the work and research began. After several days, their work got them no where. They were faced with the problems such as weight, velocity, and detonation. To make such a bomb they needed materials heaving enough to weight tip the biggest cranes in the world. Late one night, while eating an orange and talking to another scientist, Seth Neddermeyer (a scientist) thought of an idea called implosion. He got the idea from the orange he was eating. This was probably the one idea that the atomic bomb is centered around. Without implosion, the atomic bomb could not be created. When he squeezed the orange, juice squirted out or an outwards explosion. If you can reverse this process, then the explosion goes in creating a even bigger force. This theory applies to Plutonium. Implosion occurs causing a chain reaction which in return causes an outwards explosion. If an inwards explosion occurred the Plutonium atoms would split apart creating the biggest explosion known to man. The problem was now creating an inward explosion. By this time, turmoil started to arise inside the camp. Many scientists began complaining about the drastic security measures that were being taken. Things such as the guard dogs and the FBI talking to the families of the scientists bothered them greatly. Also the scientists feared that Germany was ahead of them in creating the bomb. Not helping the situation, Oppenheimer had an affair with a Communist woman named Jean who he had known for quite some time. The army learned of

What Makes an Exciting Personal Essay

What Makes an Exciting Personal Essay Personal Essay Writing A personal essay is a kind of narrative essay where the author tells about a certain life incident or something that has had a significant impact on him or her. It may also speak of a lesson learned, or simply express a point of view on some issue, which was of vital importance to the author. The personal essay appears to be one of the richest and most vibrant of all literary forms. The personal essay is also one of the most popular forms of creative nonfiction. Here are some of the other names that are used to refer to a personal essay: Narrative essay, Profile Essay on Person, Essay about Yourself, Narration Essay, Personal Biography Essay, Reflective Essay, Personal Experience Essay, Personal Statement, and College Application Essay. Personal essays are really ‘personal’ as the name suggests, they are quite chatty, friendly and reader-oriented. It generally comes in a form of a monolog addressed to the reader. It may concern everything like the death of a cat or a beautiful sight from your window. Remember that the purpose is to give people what they want but not to give what you can give. That is why the more practice you have the better your writing is. There is one more way to get an excellent grade for your personal essay order it here. Personal Essay Structure The simplest structure of a personal essay has three parts: an introduction, body of information and a conclusion. The Introduction You can begin your personal essay with a captivating or interesting sentence that incredibly hooks your readers. Always remember that you want them to read more. Are you out of topic ideas? The truth is that some days you will brim over with countless topics to write about. On other days, you will have such a difficult time to even create a single idea. When you lack topic ideas, write stream of consciousness open a blank document and pen down whatever comes into your mind without stopping until you have three pages. Yes, it is a mind dump! Repeat this technique every time you are blank and discover the magic. The Body The body of your personal essay comprises of 1-3 paragraphs that inform your readers about the topic you introduced. To ensure your thoughts are organized, an outline can be more than helpful before starting. Remember to put your paragraphs in the same structure as your entire essay. Start with sentences that introduce the point and draws a reader in. The middle sentences of a paragraph should offer information about a point. Have a concluding sentence that drives your views home and leads a reader to the next point. Every new idea should be a signal to begin a new paragraph. Every paragraph ought to be a logical progression from a previous idea and lead to the following idea. It can also lead to the conclusion. Ensure your paragraphs are relatively short. Ten lines are always magical. There is no doubt that if you write concisely, you can say loads in ten lines. The Conclusion In your conclusion, close your personal essay with a final paragraph that perfectly summarizes the points, which you have made, and states your final opinion. Your conclusion provides you the opportunity to offer the lessons or insights learned. You can also choose to share how you will be or were changed due to your approach to the topic. The rule of thumb is that incredible conclusions are always tied to your opening paragraph. Personal Essay Writing Tips Show and tell.  The main difference between a piece of creative short fiction and a personal essay is that in the first one you must show but not tell, and in a personal essay, you must both show and tell.  You need to turn on readers imagination giving them useful information. Use your personal point of view.  In a short story, you write about a situation and characters that create it. In a personal essay, you are expected to give your own comments and express your opinion. A reader needs to feel that both the situation and its participants concern you very much. Ideas.  Ideas should be taken from your life. Everything that inspires you and makes you want to write will make an ideal subject for an essay. Some little things or extremely important issues may inspire you, so get ready to keep your diary with you and write down all the details! The hook (humor and quotes).  Remember that the reader is not obliged to read your article so you have less than 10 seconds to attract readers attention. It is recommended to start the first sentence or a paragraph with a bang and get the reader’s interest immediately. Some writers use humor or serious quotes to get the reader’s attention. Use the first-person active voice.  You are the narrator and so you must speak for yourself. Try to avoid informal language. The style of your personal essay should be more conversational than in other literary papers, but don’t make it too easy and boring. Be concise.  Different publications require different format but one thing is consistent: concise writing will always make a good personal essay. When editing, cut the fluff, be specific, and make each word matter. Connect.  The personal essay is personal, but the main idea should be recognizable to your readers if you want to make a connection with them. The wider your audience, the higher your chances for publication. What Makes an Exciting Personal Essay? There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ essay topic; one of the winning essay topics is something related to people. The broader the audience your subject relates to, the more successful your essay. It makes no difference whether you are discussing some philosophical issues or you are posting about the laundry detergent you have recently bought. If your reader came across the same problem and it was important for them, then you have reached them. Top 20 Topics and Ideas for Writing a Personal Essay Words that stung. My favorite time with family. The proudest moment of my life. A book that has changed my life. The greatest movie moment. If I lived 100 years ago. A museum I’d like to visit. My most fortunate day. My secret love. A secret place. If I could invent something. If my cat or dog could talk. The animal I would like to be. If I could live anywhere. The greatest discovery. My secret talent. Words that prompted hope. A special morning. My favorite gift. How I would use power if I had it. Where Are Personal Essays Used? From college, and media to blogs, personal essays are used in an array of fields and industries.  A personal essay gives you the opportunity to exceed all the limits of a standard essay. With this piece, you are able to utilize dialogues, conversational tone, characterizations, and settings. Plunging into your inner world is very important before starting to piece together your work. Know yourself from the inside first and perfectly gain the understanding of self. Remember that anytime you write your personal essay, the intention ought to be to vent your ideas, interests, and thoughts to others. Therefore, always allow your personal essay to let you drive towards self-disclosure, candor, and honesty with yourself. Are you stuck for an idea? Great experience and academic background allow our writers to deliver the best essays for you. Order a personal essay now!

Minorities and streotype Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minorities and streotype - Research Paper Example The media has come under scrutiny for propagating a less than ideal portrayal of minorities in the country through their sitcoms, big screen movies, and newscasts. Television provides a ready stream of racial stereotypes that reinforce audiences’ perceptions about minority groups such as Latin-Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans (Fuligni 43). A look at the character of Rajesh Koothrappali in the popular American Television show ‘the big bang theory’ represents a form of Asian American stereotyping. In the show, Rajesh Koothrappali gets portrayed as nerdy and socially dysfunctional. Koothrappali is so socially dysfunctional that he is unable to speak when in the company of women, even attractive ones. He is portrayed as being socially awkward and focused on his education endeavors. Further stereotyping of Koothrappali gets witnessed whenever he gets to meet any woman and the first question they ask him is if he is capable of speaking English. Koothrap pali’s parents also get portrayed as conservative and strict in the show. They nag him about marriage and they even go ahead to select for him several girls he should get to marry back in India. Further stereotyping gets portrayed through Koothrapali’s geeky and technological nature. Historically, Asian Americans frequently get typified as foreigners in television shows and Hollywood films. This minority group gets portrayed as performing mysterious customs and speaking broken English. The stereotypes of Asian Americans also get gender specific. Asian women get portrayed as dangerous or domineering women who are attractive sexually but also immoral. In war films, Asian women become portrayed as sex workers or prostitutes. In the media, Asian American men get personified as math whizzes, geeks, technologically ardent, and as non-masculine. Asian American men also get portrayed as domineering over their families and chauvinistic. A general stereotype of Asian Americans a lso portrays them as mostly doctors, engineers, or business persons (Fuligni 47). They also get portrayed as lacking fashion sense and thus dress conservatively. They often get portrayed as wearing non classy and ordinary clothing all the time. The media also portrays this minority group as looking almost identical and similar. This stereotype largely gets applied to East Asians of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and even of Indian descent. Lastly, Asians also get stereotyped as poor to the western world audience. The image portrayal of the character of Koothrappalli on the ‘big bang theory’ serves to maintain current stereotypes of Asian Americans. Koothrappali gets presented as part of the geek community in the comedy show. Together with his three scientist friends, he gets portrayed as a nerd and genius. Furthermore, he gets typified as socially awkward as he is unable to hold a conversation with women unless he gets drunk. Among his three scientist friends he is the only one who lacks a girlfriend too. His parents also get shown as conservative. In various episodes of the show, they get shown as insistent on him to get married to an Indian girl in keeping with their customs and traditions. His father appears to have the final say in most conversation between him and his mother too. The show also portrays Koothrappali as having a deep Indian accent whenever he speaks English. He becomes a constant target of ridicule among his friends about his friends who joke at him about his accent. His inability to speak to

Judge Making the Decision Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Judge Making the Decision - Case Study Example If the court discovers it does not have jurisdictional rights to hear the case it will not be accepted or it will eventually be dismissed. The requirements stand thus: No divorce shall be granted unless the plaintiff has resided in this state for sixty (60) days immediately preceding the time of filing the complaint, or the marriage was solemnized in this state and the plaintiff has resided in this state from the time of the marriage until the filing of the complaint. A married person who at the time of filing a complaint for divorce resides in this state is a resident although his spouse may reside elsewhere. A divorce may be filed in the district court of the county in which either party resides. (Wyoming Statutes - Title 20 - Chapters: 20-2-104, 20-2-107 and 20-2-108). The Complaint for Divorce must declare the appropriate Wyoming grounds upon which the divorce is being sought. The appropriate lawful ground will be that which the parties agree upon and can substantiate, or that which the filing spouse desires to prove to the court. The divorce grounds are as follows: To obtain a No-Fault divorce the plaintiff must allege Irreconcilable differences in the marital relationship. To obtain a divorce based upon Fault, the plaintiff must allege that defendant is incurably insane and the insane person has been confined in a mental hospital of this state or of another state or territory for at least two (2) years immediately preceding the commencement of the action for divorce. (Wyoming Statutes - Title 20 - Chapters: 20-2-104, 20-2-105) Here, plaintiff merely alleges a homosexual affair. Assuming arguendo that the allegations are true, they amount to nothing more than a charge of adultery which is not grounds for divorce in this state. Furthermore, plaintiff has not alleged in her complaint the requisite jurisdictional predicates for this court to take jurisdiction of this matter. She merely alleges that the parties own land in this state. The record reflects no reason for this court to presume that the plaintiff resides in this state or that she has for the past sixty days. Accordingly, and based upon the foregoing the complaint is dismissed without prejudice.

The effects of global recession on local economies Essay - 1

The effects of global recession on local economies - Essay Example Multinational and international industries, local industries, government establishments and the consumers themselves are all affected by the changes in the economic standing of the country. Global recession has a great impact on the value of local and international currencies, generally affecting end-users and households. In effect, the buying capability of the consumers goes down. The general concept in putting up a business is simple, to profit from it. However, this simple concept requires a lot of fields to be taken into consideration before investors or businessmen can make it happen. In a basic business planning, the structure of study for putting up a business or developing an existing one is as follows: investment, resources and raw materials, market demand and profit and loss forecast. Investment is the capital cost is one of the most common things that are taken into consideration in a large or small medium business setup (Northcott 1992). This is the total amount of currency or money a businessman or a corporation invests to put up or develop an existing business. The total cost of the investment will be a basis for the company to determine the total cost of their liabilities. There should also be funds or a part of the budget that goes to the emergency funds for unexpected situation. These are part of the investment cost and are called funds margin or more commonly known as petty cash. Although this is the type of fund that should be replenished every month, quarter or year depending on the initial business funding structure of the company. Its initial will still be included in the total investment cost. Resource is also one of the major factors to be considered in putting up or developing an existing business. Raw materials are products that are bought together for the use for production purposes (Blair and Hitchcock 2001). There are two major types of categories in the business industry: the

Difference between international and comparative HRM

Difference between international and comparative HRM The growth in international trade and globalisation has encouraged firms to expand their operations worldwide, which has resulted in the emergence of new markets such as China, India, South East Asia and Latin America. This trend has also been accompanied by an increased level of competition amongst firms at both national and international level. The challenge of managing a workforce worldwide with different cross-cultural skills, competencies and demographic characteristics means that managers can no longer rely on traditional HRM models developed for Anglo-Saxon countries. Many firms underestimate the complexities involved in international operations, and there is some evidence to suggest that business failures in the international arena may often be linked to poor management of human resources (Desatnick Bennett, 1978). Western academics and practitioners have thus moved from traditional international HRM issues to the area of comparative HRM. In order to maximize cross-national management capabilities, there is need to understand how employees in different national settings respond to similar concepts within their particular functions. This essay has been structured as follows. In the next section, I will examine the difference between international and comparative HRM. I will then look at the way comparative HRM assist academics and practitioners appreciate the differences in the strategies and processes in MNCs. A conclusion is then presented. Difference between international and comparative HRM International HRM has been defined as HRM issues, functions, policies and practices that result from the strategic activities of MNEs (Scullion, 1995). IHRM deals principally with issues and problems associated with the globalisation of capitalism. It involves the same elements as domestic HRM but is more complex to manage, in terms of the diversity of national contexts and types of workers. The emphasis is on the MNCs ability to attract, develop and deploy talented employees in a multinational setting and to get them to work effectively despite differences in culture, language and locations. International HRM tends to mitigate the impact of national culture and national employment practice against corporate culture and practices. Comparative HRM, on the other hand, is a systematic method of investigation that seeks to explain the patterns and variations encountered in cross-national HRM rather than simply describe HRM institutions and practices in different societies. According to comparative HRM literature, different national business systems arise from differences in specific historical, cultural and institutional heritage in certain countries. Comparative differences occur due to decisive historical events such as the process of industrialisation or due to the legacy of pre-modern forms of social organisation. Hofstedes (1980) adopted the culturalist perspective where he argued that national business styles emerge due to ingrained cultural attitudes and mental schemas. He described culture under five dimensions which are power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation. Other researchers claim that HR management practices differ between nations due to the presence of specifically national institutions such as education, banking services or state/legal support. In what ways (if at all) does an understanding of comparative HRM assist academics and HR practitioners appreciate the difference in the strategies and processes in MNCs which are often termed as International HRM? The contrasted view to a divergence point mentioned above is that some academics claim that with HRM policies and practices are becoming universal (tending more towards the dominant American models) and that country-of-origin effects are no longer relevant. The pressure to build standardised operations internationally is strongest in sectors where competition is highly internationalised and where firms compete on the basis of a similar product or service across countries such as in cars and fast foods. They have put forward several reasons to explain this trend. Firstly, all MNCs operate in one global market and therefore have to respond to the same environmental pressures such as globalisation and technology, the growth in international trade and the move towards an internationally-integrated financial system. Secondly, the widespread practice of benchmarking best practice in terms of cost, quality and productivity may also have contributed to convergence of international HRM models for e.g. Japanese style lean-production system in the 1980s and 1990s. Moreover, these pressures towards convergence stem in part from the influence of MNCs themselves through their ability to transfer practices across borders and erode country-of-origin effects. Finally, the formation and development of like-minded international cadres mostly from American or European business schools may have contributed to homogenised international HRM policies and practices. Since the early 1990s, the international HRM literature has been dominated by models and typologies aimed at identifying how international HR fits with organisational strategy. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998) argue that the main issue for all multinational companies is the need to trade-off the advantages global efficiency namely the coordination of its operations to achieve economies of scale and scope as opposed to the need to differentiate its products and services to meet the local demands. They also identified a third pressure, namely worldwide innovation and learning, whereby firms are encouraged to support innovation and learning across their network of subsidiaries rather than simply relying on research and development at the headquarters. MNEs then follow the appropriate HRM policies and practices according to the structure of the organisation, the competitive strategy chosen or stage of corporate evolution reached. Below, the Taylors (1996) model of strategic international HRM has been described. Exportive This is essentially a model where the HQ management takes home country management approach and try to implement them in their foreign subsidiaries in order to achieve economies of scale. In this model, there is a system of hierarchy and a centralised control. This is especially useful in instances of uncertain political environment and high risks demanding greater control from corporate parents. Given this pattern of centralisation, there is a considerable amount of forward policy transfer and less reverse transfer from subsidiaries to the HQ, i.e. they rely mainly on the technical know-how of the parent company. Global firms offer products or services that are standardised to enable production to be carried in a cost-efficient way. Their subsidiaries are not subject to rigid control except over the quality and the presentation of the product or service. This structure is normally associated with the American firms with their formalised, bureaucratic control and a dominant finance sy stem to internalise risks. Adaptive Differences in the host environment demands and conditions mean that overseas subsidiaries have to operate independently. This is common where departing from established practices in host environments is unlawful. For example, in some Germany, there is a legal obligation to negotiate with employee representatives concerning major organisational changes. In other cases, transferring practices may be legal but would go against traditional practices at the risk of losing goodwill from staff. Firms may decide to forgo HQ control if there is the possibility to exploit most efficiently the local labour markers. For example, MNCs which origin from high-cost highly regulated economies such as Germany may well choose not to transfer important elements of their HR systems such as collective bargaining or apprenticeship if they move to lower wage, lightly regulated economies such as China. Integrative It is also argued that the more management processes and activities can be integrated across geographical boundaries, the easier it is to share resources and knowledge. They can identify and best use the skill and management talent that exists across the MNC network allowing for both global integration and local differentiation. As mentioned previously, international HRM processes consist of the same activities as domestic HRM but applied in an international context. These include an accurate human resource planning to ensure that the MNCs have the right people at the right place around the world, good staffing policies that capitalise on the world-wide expertise of expatriates and locals, performance appraisals that fit with the competitive strategies of the HQ, adequate training and development to ensure that expatriates do not suffer from culture shock and compensation policies that are strategically and culturally relevant. The focus in international HRM strategy is how MNEs coordinate their geographically dispersed operations strengthening the organisational culture, promoting commitment and encouraging willingness in employees to act in the interests of the firm. Recruitment and selection of international managers Employees play a crucial role in sustaining and coordinating their geographically dispersed operations. The challenge is that of resourcing international operations with people of the right calibre. Traditionally, MNEs sent expatriates, i.e. a parent country national abroad to ensure that the policies and procedures set by the parent -company were being followed as well as to bring expertise to the local employees. However, the high number of expatriate failures has meant that more and more MNEs are turning to host country nationals to satisfy the international staffing needs. The prominent reason to explain international assignment failures was the inability of the expatriate or his family to cope with the culture shock. Researchers revealed that international business travellers faced problems in their personal lives and were victims of stress. Moreover, changes in legislative conditions affecting labour relations combined with security issues have made it more costly to use expatr iates at senior management positions at subsidiary level. The advantages of employing local nationals are that they are familiar with local markets, the local communities, the cultural setting and the local economy. They speak the local language and are culturally assimilated. They can take a long-view and contribute for a long period (as distinct from expatriates who are likely to take a short-term perspective). Expatriates are only used as technical troubleshooters and general management operatives. This means academics need to find the best ways to recruit and select local managers and help them cultivate a global perspective rather than a narrow outlook on how to conduct business in the local environment. International pay and reward and performance management The concept fair pay and reward is also subject to different interpretations depending on the national business system. Triandis (1998) differentiated between vertical cultures which accept hierarchy as given whereas horizontal cultures accept equality as given. In individualistic cultures, there are few rules and norms about correct behaviour and employees expect to be rewarded on their own merits and performance. Countries like US feature at the higher end of the individualistic spectrum. On the other hand, collectivism emerges in societies that have many rules and regulations about correct behaviour. In these societies, employees accept rewards or recognition on the basis of their seniority, efficiency and conformity with the organisational values rather than on the basis of their creativity or professionalism (Pascale and Athos, 1981). China is an example of a collectivist society. In such societies, rewards for individual performance or differentiating between employees are not acceptable.   Indeed, the prevailing view is that it takes the contribution from everyone to achieve continuous improvement (kaizen) in Japanese enterprise. Singling one employee may cause him to lose face and consequently a loss of goodwill for the expatriate manager. Moreover, an understanding of the body language is vital for senior expatriate managers when providing feedbacks. While in individualistic society, it is perfectly acceptable for a subordinate to participate in a discussion with his senior, in collectivist societies such as India, disagreeing with ones supervisor is considered disrespectful. Furthermore, countries like Korea and Taiwan prefer more subtle ways of communicating feedbacks. Up-front reprimand or performance appraisal is likely to clash with the societys norms of harmony and the employees may view it as a personal affront. Understanding these local customs and mapping them across countries is an exciting field of study for researchers interested in global performance management systems. Training and development Training and development is vital to ensure that the workforce remains competent and flexible by developing the know-how thought necessary for success in the company and on the job. Scholars have highlighted the importance of national culture on training and development in terms of the hard and soft approach. The hard approach views employees in the organisation as a mere resource to achieve goals of the organisation while the soft approach views them more as valued assets capable of development (Tyson and Fell, 1986). This approach obviously influence the level amount of institutional (percentage GDP) spent on education. The German tradition adopts the soft approach and relies on formal apprenticeship, functional rotation and career path where technical expertise is gradually developed. UK which support the hard approach, believes that the individual is responsible for funding his own education and career advancement. This difference in national training and education systems will m ean that the skill and competence profile of the workers available on the labour market will vary from one country to another. Comparative studies have also shown that there are national differences in the way that managerial careers and management development are organised. Both Japan and France rely on elite recruitment, that is, future managers are decided at the point of entry based on their exceptional qualifications. This contrasts with the American belief of self-improvement where the philosophy is its never too late to change. Also, there are also noticeable differences in the teaching and learning style across countries. The idea of working in groups is more natural to Asian than individualist Anglo-Saxon managers. German and Swiss managers favour structured learning environments and coming to the right answers and are tolerant of confrontation. Asian countries, in contrast, are more concerned about status differences and may be unwilling to exchange ideas against their mentors. This will consequently impact on the format of delivering training for the practitioner, whereby the Asian employees might prefer lecture-type training and German and Swiss might prefer the seminar-type interpersonal interaction. Employment relations Finally, the type of employee relations pursued by the MNE depends principally on the national business systems characteristics of the both the home and host countries. According to Hall and Soskice (2001), there are two varieties of capitalism: Liberated market economies and coordinated market economies. In liberal market economies, firms coordinate their activities primarily via hierarchies and competitive market arrangements.   Market relations are characterised by arms length exchange of goods and services and formal contracting. The demand and supply of goods and services are regulated though market mechanisms. There are comparatively fewer state controls. Nations like US and UK fall under this category of market. Consequently, US MNEs adopt a short-termist shareholder value mentality which means they are less willing to offer secure employment to their workers. Therefore, management of labour in the US mirrors the economic model of demand and supply, with market determined wa ges, hire-and-fire practice and many workers employed on a temporary basis. Employers in US are also more resistant to trade union organisations than in other developed industrial democracies and the legal support for trade union organisations and collective bargaining are relatively weak in the US compared to those in other countries. In contrast, in coordinated market economies, firms depend more heavily on non-market relationships to coordinate their activities with other economic actors. These non-market modes means there is greater reliance on private information inside networks and a greater reliance on collaborative relationships. Coordinated market economies are also characterised by a higher degree of government intervention. Countries such as France, Italy and China are examples of such economies. To illustrate, countries like Germany and Japan have adopted the long-termist approach whereby the interests of stakeholders are considered rather than simply of shareholders. This means these MNEs can offer its employees long-term employment. German trade unions are considered as a powerful stakeholder in the labour market and have the right of collective bargaining, i.e. employers need to so consult their workers before any major changes are carried out. To conclude, the basic purpose of examining human resource from a comparative and international perspective is that it contributes to an understanding of the extent to which there are differences between organisations and their subsidiaries located in different countries. The main difference between comparative and international HRM is comparative HRM seeks to explain the differences arising between different business systems while IHRM downplays the importance of host and home country differences. The greater cultural distance between home country and host country, the harder it will be for the MNCs to transfer home country philosophies and practices. This impact on the way HR practitioners have to implement their policies but opens up new avenues for research for the academics. References Bjorkman,I and Stahl (2006) International HRM research: An introduction to the field Stahl and Bjorkman (Eds) Handbook of Research in International HRM, Edward Elgar, Aldershot. Almond, P. And Tregaski (2007) International HRM, pages 634-648, in Beardwell and Claydon (Eds) HRM: A contemporary approach, Pearson, London. Ferner, A. (1997) The country of Origin Effect and HRM in multinational corporations Human Resource management Journal 7(1) 19-38 Edwards, T and Ferner, A. Managing Human resource in Multinational companies in Bach,S. (Ed)(2005), Personnel Management transition, Blackwell, Oxford. Reiche, B (2007) The effect of International staffing practices on subsidiary staff retention in multinational corporations International Journal of HRM 18:4 Nikandrou, I et al (2008) Training and Firm performance in Europe: The impact of National and Organisational characteristics International Journal of HRM, 19: 11 Dowling and Welch, International Human Resource management, 4th Edition, Thomson Armstrong. M., A Handbook ofHuman Resource ManagementPractice, 10th edition, (Kogan Page) London 2006 Anne-Wil Harzing, J.Van, Ruysseveldt, International human resource management, 2nd edition, Sage 2004 Hall, Peter A.;Soskice, David, An introduction to Varieties of Capitalism, varieties of capitalism, August 2001, Oxford Scholarship Online monograph.

An Argument for Euthanasia Essay -- Argumentative Essays, Persuasive Es

An Argument for Euthanasia Euthanasia is defined as, "The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease." Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their different sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I contend that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument. I will begin my by listing the arguments against euthanasia and my criticism of each argument. 1. Euthanasia is a violation of medical ethics. The American Medical Association has consistently condemned euthanasia as an unethical practice. Today, attitudes may be changing. Recent surveys indicate that a majority of doctors in some areas, (60% in Oregon, 56% in Michigan, and 54% in Great Britain.) favor euthanasia in extreme cases. 2. Euthanasia weakens the trust relationship between the doctor and the patient. We expect doctors to heal and save lives, not to kill. I feel that I should be able to trust my doctor to do what is best for me as an individual in any situation, including ending unbearable suffering, even if it is my choice to die in order to end my suffering. Doctors may lose the trust of their patients by not helping them to end their suffering. 3. Choosing the time and place of a person?s death is God?s decision. This argument suggests that we should never intervene in any life-threatening situation. If a person is having a heart attack, should we just... ...admit that they have given heavy doses of morphine to relieve the extreme pain of terminally ill patients, knowing that such high doses will cause a quicker death. Because their primary aim is to relieve pain, these acts are considered moral. It would not be morally right to give the same high doses of morphine if their primary aim was to cause death. This is in my opinion wrong. In either case, the ultimate end is death. I believe that it is immoral of society to force caring, compassionate people to lie and go to such morbid lengths to help their patients and loved ones end their suffering. These illegal acts would be entirely unnecessary if euthanasia were regulated and legalized. Value Premise: Everyone deserves to live a life free from suffering. Factual Premise: Euthanasia ends suffering. Conclusion: In order to end suffering euthanasia should be allowed.

Cuba and China Essay

Democracy, or the power of people, is rather old form of rule. While the word â€Å"democracy† originated in the Ancient Greece in 5th century BC, this form of rule had existed even before this, found in ancient India republics before 6th century BC. However, it was the city-state of Athens in the Ancient Greece that presented this word in the sense which resembles, in some features, the modern vision of democracy. In Athens, people had the right to vote, to take the most important decisions, influencing the political situation of their state. Of course, not all the population could vote – women and children could not vote as well as disabled people. In fact, only one forth or one sixth of the citizens of Athens could vote and participate in a political life of their state. However, it was the first form of democracy and it had many aspects in common with today’s notion of democracy. For example, all the citizens of Athens, poor or rich, powerful or powerless, had the right to vote, they were equal in this right. The democracy, in the form in which it existed in Athens and in the Ancient Greece, was not preserved until our time. Moreover, great changes took place in Europe in 18-19th centuries, in the form of revolutions. The right to vote and to participate in the political life of a state directly is not the main factor characterizing democracy in the modern world. Democracy in the modern sense includes such basic postulates as the basic freedoms: of speech, of expression, of the press, of association et cetera. The democracy in the western world is much more associated with the notion of free market and free trade. However, these preconditions are not exactly true for some countries, for example for China, where free market and free trade can coexist with the lack of democracy, where there are no basic freedoms (for example, the freedom of association – the assembly of Falun Gong in China was violently dispersed by police and banished for practicing in China). Cuba which has made some steps toward the free market economy, opening some part of its economy for the US dollars, does allow the internationally recognized organization of the Red Cross to its prisons, where political prisoners are kept in big numbers. The rule of Communist Party as the only party in the country is observed both in Cuba and in China. And this excludes another characteristic feature of democracy – pluralism, the possibility of many political parties to take part in the political life of the state. Before we proceed to explain the lack of democracy in Cuba and China, it is necessary to understand what democracy means and why China and Cuba should become democratic. In the twentieth century, democracy has gained such popularity that most world rulers describe their rule as democratic. However, most countries were not democratic, and some even became totalitarian. Generally speaking, the term â€Å"democracy† is misused in two ways. First, democracy is expanded into a laundry list that contains almost all kinds of good things. Second, democracy is modified by adding an adjective to the term. Since Western bourgeois democracy is the prototype of modern democracy, modifications are made along two lines. Either rulers characterize their systems not as bourgeois democracies, but as â€Å"people’s democracies,† â€Å"proletarian democracies,† or â€Å"socialist democracies,† or they emphasize local characteristics of their system, such as â€Å"Burmese type of democracy† or â€Å"African type of democracy. † What is democracy? Etymologically, the term means rule by the people. Democracy originated in Athens more than 2,500 years ago, when Cleisthenes allowed all citizens of Attica to preside over the affairs of the city. Athenian democracy took the form of direct democracy. Citizens, which excluded women, slaves, and resident aliens, participated directly in making laws. Moreover, regardless of their properties and talents, rulers were selected not by ballot but by lot. Not surprisingly, virtually all famous Greek scholars were no fans of democracy, regarding tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy as corrupt forms of government. Democracy includes two forms: popular sovereignty and individual liberty. This paper defines democracy in terms of political freedom, which involves both positive and negative aspects. Positive freedom refers to a situation in which people have the ability to participate in government; negative freedom means a situation in which people are free from arbitrary interference from government. Modern democracy adheres to the dual principles of popular sovereignty and individual liberty, but has its own distinctive features. Ideal as the principle of popular sovereignty may be, it is technically impossible to let the people in a nation-state decide everything. As a result, modern democracies are representative, not participatory (or direct). The principle of popular sovereignty in modern times hinges on two major mechanisms: the separation of powers and the competitive election. While the ruled choose their rulers during an election, rulers are mutually checked and balanced before and after the election. In determining the nature of a particular political system, the competitive election is more important than the separation of powers. A division of labor is employed in any government, particularly a modern one. Despite the importance of liberalism for modern democracy, popular sovereignty precedes individual liberty. Popular sovereignty talks about the purpose of government; individual liberty comprises the notion of government. The term that means â€Å"people† has undergone great changes in terms of class, education, gender, race, and age. Besides, individual liberty is historically and culturally specific. In the twentieth century, democracy and totalitarianism are regarded as two ends of the political spectrum. To put it in terms of ideal types, a government respecting both popular sovereignty and individual liberty is democratic; a government violating them is totalitarian. Falling somewhere in between, most systems are neither democratic nor totalitarian in the strictest sense of the terms. Some may respect popular sovereignty but violate individual liberty; others may violate popular sovereignty but respect individual liberty. Today’s Islamic Republic of Iran and eighteenth-century Britain are cited as respective examples of these two types. Throughout human history, not many regimes have ever been totalitarian and most have been authoritarian. Compared with totalitarian regimes, authoritarian regimes are less willing and less able to damage people’s rights and interests. The United States of America when compared to China or Cuba, presents the example of â€Å"democratic† democracy towards which China or Cuba should strive. Because now, when we took a closer look at the notion of democracy in the modern world, we are going to analyze the kind of democratic situation and democratic changes that took place in two of the most controversial countries in the world: China and Cuba. To reach conclusions as to the qualitative aspects of Cuban politics in the post-transition era, we will examine aspects of political culture as they relate to the formation and practices of civil society in democracy. From this angle one can interpret some key dimensions of politics in particular settings. Transition to democracy (and its consolidation) depends on a multiplicity of factors, including elite decisions, institutional arrangements, pacts between competing social actors, a constitution and organizations typical of liberal democracies, a favorable moment in world history, supportive international structures, and a measure of good luck. Political and economic factors also impinge on the likelihood of democratic transitions and survival. But political and economic factors determine neither transition to democracy nor democratic stability. The impact of the economy on democracy is not automatic, unidirectional, or necessarily predictable. According to Mattiace and Camp (1996), democracy is the product of multiple causes working together. In contexts where the system confronts unresolved foundational issues and consensus is elusive – on such matters as how the political community is defined, who has authority, what the rules of the game are – political questions become an affair of the heart, lending themselves less to compromise and pragmatism. As a result, democracy tends to be endangered, particularly in places where institutional democratic norms are weak and personalism is high. This is likely to occur in Cuba after Fidel Castro (as it has before and during the socialist years). Though democracy will be established in Cuba sometime in the future, Cuban democracy will not conform to normative models of liberal democracy. Democracy in the way it is in Cuba will be characterized by features of incivility in civil society. The democracy that is most likely to emerge on the island will be far from perfect, will share striking continuities with the past, and will dash the hopes of many who dream of democracy. The cynicism about democracy also has a long genealogy in Cuban intellectual history. As far back as the nineteenth century cultural pessimists on the island have remarked on the frustration that has followed modern projects of independence, nationalism, republicanism, and democracy. Democratic aspirations have a long history on the island, as long as the trajectory of their frustration. The notion is not as alien to Cuban soil as many believe (Dealy, 1996)

Environmental Science And Human Populations Worksheet Essays

Environmental Science And Human Populations Worksheet Essays Environmental Science And Human Populations Worksheet Essay Environmental Science And Human Populations Worksheet Essay What would you include in a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1 sass to the present? October 2, 1968 The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the National Trails System Act January 1, 1970 The National Environmental Policy Act (NEAP) April 22, 1970 The first national Earth Day February 17, 1981 President Reagan issues Executive Order; Office of Management and Budget (MOB) 20th anniversary of Earth Day 2. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? Population concern is about the balance between human needs and the resources available to meet those needs, now, and the future. Population has a constant birth rate through time and is never limited by food or disease, it as, exponential growth the birth rate alone controls how the population grows. 3. What is carrying capacity? Compare predictions for human population growth in developed countries versus developing countries. What will occur if carrying capacity is exceeded? The carrying capacity of a given ecosystem is the total number of organisms in a given species for which there are sufficient resources, so that they survive and reproduce. Developing countries have poor access to birth control, often reactive religions which prohibit birth control and value large families, and often have a lot of farmers, who benefit from having lots of children to help them work the land and take care of them in their old age. If carrying capacity exceeded warfare might occur. 4. How do individual choices affect natural ecosystem? Provide examples from your personal or community experience. Nearly every activity a person does affects the ecosystem, either positively or negatively. I live in the city, there are a lot of people, trash, buses, cars and transportation.

Improving Customer Service Essays

Improving Customer Service Essays Improving Customer Service Essay Improving Customer Service Essay An additional method in which Disneyland Paris helps to maintain high levels of customers is by focusing of queues is by providing customers who have not purchased a fast pass with entertainment, therefore making the queuing part of the Disneyland experience. Disneyland Paris also has to maintain the good corporate image of the Disneyland Company as a whole; Disneyland is known for charm in its welcome, efficiency and cleanliness. These standards are being followed by Disneyland Paris. Part of the Disneyland image also comes from communication systems; all cast members are encouraged to communicate with customers whenever possible. Each special customer group has a team, which deals directly with their needs, for example, groups, conventions, school parties, special needs, etc. All cast members are trained to communicate with positive body language and with a smile on their face or in terms of the telephone with their voice. This will help customers feel welcomed and comfortable around cast members, thus, increase customer satisfaction and in turn the high quality of customer service will be maintained. As all cast members are trained to a high standard, they are also all given a handbook on all aspects of the complex, so any cast member should be able to give sales assistance and advice. It is important in customer care that consideration is given to all budgets. At both shops and restaurants you will find a wide variation in prices to meet every pocket. This will help to increase and maintain Disneylands high level of customer service as it will give customers a wide variety of quality and prices to choose from which in turn, will make customers feel valued and have all their needs catered for, this consequently, will increase customer satisfaction. The analysis of customer service quality is of major importance to Disneyland Paris. Therefore, each year Disneyland creates a full appraisal which involves all aspects of the organisation. Disneyland Paris is a labour intensive organisation and therefore assessment of employees is a major part of any appraisal but equally important are aspects such as VFM, maintaining safety, and maintaining the magic. This would consequently be important when maintaining a high standard of customer service as if cast members knew what they had achieved and been given goals and targets to achieve they would be better motivated and in turn would provide a high level of customer service as they would have some purpose at Disneyland. In personnel terms points to consider would be reliability of service, consistency of service, staffing levels, provision for individual and special needs and qualities of the staff. Customer care is therefore at forefront of all the operations of Disneyland Paris, from th e development of new attractions and services to the individual attention to detail and specific adaptations and facilities for guests with special needs. It would also be vital to the success of Disneyland Paris that they monitor the high quality of customer service they provide. In order to achieve this Disneyland carries out a number of methods to monitor customer service. The first an only method in which Disneyland Paris can monitor customer service is by; gathering information from customers about the level of customer service in which had been provided. In order to achieve this and gain this vital information they ask customers to fill out a short questionnaire at the end of their holiday to evaluate their stay in the Disneyland Resort. From this information Disneyland Paris can evaluate what customers on a whole feel and identify areas which they need to improve and which areas they need to maintain. This will successfully monitor the level of customer service provided and help to increase and maintain a high standard of customer service. Improving Customer Service After analysing this information about how Disneyland Paris monitor and maintain customer service I have concluded some possible suggestions as to how the current procedures can be changed or altered. Firstly, I have identified that Disneyland Paris could improve the customer service through providing high achieving staff with either bonuses to pay or a range of fringe benefits. These fringe benefits may include a good pension plan or reduced health care. I have identified that as Disneyland are short of money, these are fairly low cost bonuses for cast members to receive, however, these bonuses will help to increase the motivation of cast members as they will feel like a valued member of the team and will generate high satisfaction once these goals and targets have been met, thus, providing and maintaining the high standard of customer service Disneyland offers. I have also identified that Disneyland could implement a new method of monitoring the level of customer service provided in and around the Disneyland Resort. I believe that Disneyland should introduce regular staff meetings in order to discus how cast members feel the level of customer service could potentially be hindered and set in place methods to ensure these problems do not arise and affect the level of customer service which Disneyland provide. This would be the case as cast members who do the job day-in day-out would be able to spot things which managers higher up may not spot. This would also lead to cast members feeling more valued as they are helping the success of Disneyland Paris as a company not just working for them. As cast members would feel more valued this would lead to an increase in motivated for cast members and in turn would lead to an increase in customer service, thus, maintaining the level of customer service.

Adult and Community Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adult and Community Education - Essay Example Adult and Community Education helps in reduction of the obstacles which are faced by several people while aiming to access education and training so as to achieve occupational talents and qualifications. Other people may find Adult and Community Education courses to be rewarding because of the fact that they can achieve more personal or communal aims. Adult and Community Education proves to be a fine alterative for grown-ups who aim for informal type of learning. Sargant presented a study of UK provision according to which one of six persons try to gain knowledge informally; that may be at home, at vocation, or anywhere else (1991: 15).The literature and the practice of Adult and Community Education also include target groups. This is particularly the case in Australia (Sheared & Sissel, 2001). These target groups are conventionally seen as minorities, or those persons who have been disenfranchised due to past circumstances of domination and segregation. The idea of target groups hap pens to be a main principle of Australian educational policy and lies on the supposition of a steady core. The Australian Adult and Community Education (ACE) policy recognizes certain classes of adults who are not properly represented in employment and training. They require additional sufficient and approachable stipulation so as to assist them in fulfilling their needs. The categories are (Adult, Community and Further Education, 2004): Koories; Men aged over 45; People with a disability; People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Young people aged15 and over; and People aged over 55 These groups of people specifically require Adult and Community Education so as to help them on with surviving properly. Adult and Community Education results in plenty of advantages for the learners and they have major impact on their development. For example, Adult and Community Education can lead to social and economic welfare of people as well as the communities, it can produce social output and lifelong learning can be promoted through Adult and Community Education (Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia, n.d.). Therefore, it is important that equity groups also get an equal chance in participating in Adult and Community Education so as to improve themselves. For this reason there are boards and groups that enable this. One such is the Adult, Community and Further Education Board (ACFE) which encourages education and training for a variety of people, along with specially focussing on those who are included in the equity groups, that is, those who do not have full access to education. Around 450 community-owned and directed organisations are entitled to pass over adult and community education with ACFE Board funding. The government assists in Adult and Community Education provision. Since quite a few years the government has engaged itself a lot in Adult and Community Education, and it did this by providing the organisations with enough funds so as to allow them to educate the people. This has been very important and has enabled to broaden the position of Adult and Communi

Human behavior in prompting research paper Essay

Human behavior in prompting research paper - Essay Example In order to help the learners to fully understand the concepts they are exposed to, these procedures are used by teachers among other practitioners through different forms of prompts (Milton and Mullan 23). The application of the procedures in a systematic fashion ensures that learners with ASD get the required skills. According to Liberman et al 46, prompts are adopted by teachers, parents, and coworkers as a way of showing others how to acquire a particular skill. For example, a supervisor who aims at improving the performance of his workers will need to explain to the new worker on how to access documents from the computer network. The supervisor can use the main computer to demonstrate to the workers on the steps to follow in order to access all the information in other computers within the department. Similarly a sales person may explain to a customer on how to use a mobile phone while at the same time demonstrating how its features work (Stark et al 23). In verbal prompts, teac hers make statements that ensure that learners achieve their targets. For example, learners can be asked to write their names or be asked to try doing something in a different way (Abraham and Michie 36). Gestural prompt is whereby a practitioner or a teacher makes a movement for example by pointing or nodding that makes the learners to learn a particular skill or behavior. For example, a learner may be shown at the top of the paper where he or she is supposed to write his or her name. Another example of gestural prompt is where a teacher taps a student and point the coat closet making the student to hang the coat (Polaha et al 46). Model prompts refers to a situation where the practitioner or the teacher performs the skill or the behavior of the learner. In this way, the learner will emulate what the teacher is doing thus achieving the skill. In order to ensure that the learner easily understand the skill, the teacher may also