About Negativity Essay

And you stare at it happen, as it happens right in front of you, and say no. Just, no. It can’t work out like this. It’s not supposed to end like this. In what kind of fucked up story does the bad guy win? In what kind of story does the victim end up in disbelief that she never got the justice she deserved. That’s when you realize you’re the villain. But no, the other person’s not innocent either, they’re the villain too. They’re worse than you, but you’re still the villain, because you let it get this way. Everything’s your fault. And you hate everyone. And you hate yourself. And you hate everything. And your so filled with hate that you just want to end it all. And then you realize that if you do that, you’ll be hated even more, and that realization makes you hate them more, and there’s just so much fucking hate and no way to end it. And that hate turns into sorrow and confusion and pointlessness, and it’s endless really. And it’s as blunt as I just put it because there’s no other way to express yourself lyrically when you’re that upset. And in all the hate you feel homicidal, suicidal, maniac, and repulsive. And there’s no way out. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay And there’s no one to help you, because you’re too embarrassed to share these repulsive feelings with anyone but yourself. And you’re your only companion, but it doesn’t matter because you’re used to it being that way. And you’re shaking, shivering, bawling in your loneliness, not feeling sorry for yourself like your accused of but hating yourself. No. It can’t be like this, the villain doesn’t feel this way. But the victim doesn’t hate this way. And you find the devil’s in your thoughts, and you’re nothing but a victim of yourself. And the cycle of hatred†¦ it starts again.

FMC Green River Essay

FMC Green River, one of the plants of FMC Corporation presently experiences dilemma regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire plant with respect to other plants of FMC Corporation specifically FMC Aberdeen. Despite of the many year of FMC Green River in operation, it has been overtaken by a much younger company-FMC Aberdeen in terms of profitability and operating cost reduction rate. FMC Green River and FMC Aberdeen have different management orientations and plant operations. But despite of these differences, FMC Green River still faces the problem of having inefficient plant operations relative to FMC Aberdeen. In this regard, Ken Daily, FMC Green River manager, decided to study the possibility of using some of the management principles that FMC Aberdeen has been using for the past years of its operations. Organizational and Behavioral Analysis After a critical analysis of the case, Bob Lancaster and his â€Å"unorthodox† way of managing people would be the primary reason why FMC Aberdeen has been experiencing high productivity and efficiency since its establishment. The extensive recruitment process of FMC Aberdeen secured the said plant with dedicated yet skilled workers and has passion over taking initiatives in making the entire plant more productive. On the other hand, FMC Green River has a very opposite orientation than of FMC Aberdeen. There is no sense of group effort and teamwork on the floors of FMC Green River plus having more workers on a job area even if a few numbers of workers can finish the same job at the same quality level. Furthermore, wages of FMC Green River is relatively higher relative to other FMC Corporation’s plants all over the United States. Combining this fact with the information that job areas in FMC Green River can be performed by less number of people seems to be the reason behind they are performing inefficiently. They said plant pays workers that are really not contributing to the entire company. Worker-management and worker-worker relationship is also of low level since working stations of every worker are located far from one another thereby causing a less interaction between every employee. Ken Daily, though he encourages interaction between the management and the employees, still, given the fact that the working stations of every worker are located far from one another would only make his management style of being interactive and open fail. It has been identified that the structure of the plants of FMC Green River is already old and must be renovated and structured in such a way that every workers can interact with each in order for the management style of Daily and FMC Aberdeen to work in FMC Green River. The lax recruitment process of FMC Green River also contributed for the low productivity of their production floors since not all of the workers of FMC Green River are skilled enough to assume responsibilities in the said plant. Alternatives One of the possible alternatives that Daily must implement would be to renovate the structure of FMC Green River’s plants in such a way that the workers will have enough chances of interacting with one another thereby creating an avenue towards the development of sense of teamwork and group effort to attain higher quality output for the company (Binkley, 2007). Another possible alternative that FMC Green River could implement would be to review the performances of every employee and provide sanctions to those that have negative performances. Even though these employees are being protected by the labor union, still, with the basis of not conforming to the standards of FMC Green River, the management can right away fire those employees with low performance and productivity. On the other hand, FMC Green River management must provide incentives to those employees that able to surpass the expectations of the management. This will motivate every employees of the said plant to perform productively. FMC Green River must provide a new set of schedules for the entire work force of the plant in such a way that there will be no worker that will be laid off and only the optimal number of workers will only report on a specific day depending on the urgency of the production line. Daily must reach out to his workers and employees to organizing company outings, picnics per department in order to establish a good working relation with the workers and at the same time earning their trust (Weber, 2007). A manager that approaches an ordinary worker will be appreciated by the latter and will boost the morale of every employees of the plant. The last but not the least alternative would be the provision of trainings and seminars for FMC Green River’s workers that would enhance not only their skills but also their outlook on performing their responsibilities in the company. With this, Ken Daily will be able to increase the productivity as well as the flexibility of his workers in performing their responsibilities to the company. Recommendation Among the above identified alternatives above, the most effective alternative would be the restructuring of FMC Green River’s plants in such a way that every workers will have a chance to interact with each other creating enough room for the development of teamwork and cooperation on every workers of FMC Green River. This will increase the productivity of the workers and at the same time the productivity of the plants. If this will become successful, it would be now easy for Daily to approach his workers and make bond as well as to earn their trust and this solution will also boost the morale of every workers of FMC Green River (Levit, 2002). Implementation and Contingency Plan The renovation of various plants will take one at a time in order not to affect the operation of the entire company. After this, Daily is expected to launch some activities, as a â€Å"mood starter†, of the interactions of every worker on their new working stations after the renovation process. A few months after this, Daily can now launch activities that would enhance the interaction of employees from various departments and then from various plant to widen the range of interaction in FMC Green River. If this solution will not work, then the restructuring of workers schedule in such a way that all of the workers will still remain in the company yet the optimal number of workers are the ones that will report on a given day in order to minimize their operational cost and increase the productivity of the entire company.

Communicating with your Teenager on Ready Basic Essay

Communicating with your Teenager on Ready Basic - Essay Example Some teens spend the lesser time to talk with their parents because they are busy going out with peers. Consequently, their relationship may deteriorate and turn disconnected. In this scenario, communication is needed to avoid relationship from being torn. Thus, communication is like a bridge that connects two separate ways into one. Communication is a tool for showing love and interest, resolving conflicts and issues and a means of building a close relationship. As supported by Norbeck and Fitzpatrick (125), they claimed that in a parent and adolescent relationship, communication is a commonplace where they meet and understand. Meanwhile, teens of today are more exposed to negative influences as factors like technology and peer pressure which destructing powers are increasing as time ages. Therefore, teens must be parented properly and should be treated and comforted like a pillow. Indeed, children are the most precious ones parents can ever have. When they grow up as teens, sometimes they tend to explore the world on their own--they love adventure, games, and hanging out. Parents must understand that their teens are growing and developing into an adult state. Some teens tend to disobey their parents because of many reasons like sometimes they want that their desires be granted. Parents especially those who are autocratic want their teens to follow every command and rule they imposed. Probably, what will happen if parents are too strict in the sense that they would not consider teens feelings, desires and opinions, conflict may arise. Parents must show love and compassion to their teens despite the disobedience. Teens love to be loved and cared by parents and see them as their protecting shield when it rains. There are many ways on how parents can show love and compassion to their teens according to Taylor (2005): First parents must teach what love and compassion are so that teens would  understand its essence.  

NETFLIX Strategic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NETFLIX Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example Smart televisions are getting better and every TV will eventually have Wi-Fi and applications, and will eventually be cheaper. Netflix continuously increases its global internet network as a result of the growth in technology. The company is expected that the company will in future offer more movies. It may also react to the expected increase in demand from customers by coming up with its own movie production company in order to have a variety of movies. The company has invested in marketing in order to attract people around the world to try Netflix. The company anticipates to spend approximately $500M in 2014 on marketing and $ 400M on technology development in order to improve its services. Considering these initiative, the company’s position in the next five years will be able to increase its market share because it is expected that the company will dominate the television show streaming and has a strategy of expanding quickly in order to stay profitable at a global basis (Hill, 2012). The company will be able to compete with companies like Google with its

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth Assignment - 1

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth - Assignment Example Or, generally speaking, is planet earth a religious planet? The physical universe displays evidence of a mathematical precision and order. This order is based on universal laws that govern the physical phenomena in the whole universe designed by an intelligent supreme authority, the Creator of all things. He ideally designed every part of these thousands of systems that cooperate with each other to keep His living creatures alive. For countless millions of years, the gravitational force of the sun has held all the planets in stable orbits. However, considering the possibility of man’s ruining or destroying the Earth by his own folly, the universal order that governs the whole universe might as well be disturbed thereby affecting our lives from other planets. Sadly, the current Earth’s rising temperature may pose alarming threats to this universal order as it already damaged the Earth’s ozone layer, which causes climate change. Concurrent climate change has resulted in destructive extreme weather which includes droughts, heavy precipitation, heat waves and hurricanes worldwide. An article reports that â€Å"it is very possible that we could see more instances of ozone depletion in the coming year as greenhouse gases emissions continue, causing increased tropospheric heat and more stratospheric cooling† (Daniel & Byrd, 2011). According to human report, such catastrophes have taken place through excessive deforestation, uncontrolled pollution of the atmosphere and spoiling of the waterways. In fact, research of the University of East Anglia declares that â€Å"China’s groundwater irrigation system is responsible for polluting the atmosphere with more than 30 million tons of CO2 per year† (Saini, n.d.), making China the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. This is evidently one example of how human is ruining the Earth’s environment and ecosystem. But the big question is why do humans

How a Sports Coach Could Motivate the Athletes Term Paper

How a Sports Coach Could Motivate the Athletes - Term Paper Example Mere physical strength and athletic skill are not enough; the will to win and perform is crucial, and it needs to be inculcated within the performers. Many scientific theories purport the same and will be discussed hereunder. However, some, like the trait theory may present facts which go in the other direction. It focuses on the intrinsic traits of people which are inherently different. Nonetheless, as the development of the other theories will go on to show, a potent show of motivation by the coach can increase performance beyond expectations. Motivation intrinsically charges and individual, and becomes the intangible source of energy that directs a person towards his/her goal. This is the human fuel which basically separates the achiever from the adversary. All this goes beyond verbal whims. There is more than enough scientific evidence that supports the above-mentioned proposition. With recent examples of researches from sports journals, four such theories of motivation will be cited hereunder, namely achievement motivation theory, attribution theory, cognitive evaluation theory, and goal-setting theory. What're more, specific motivational theories fit right into the existing practices within sports, thereby clearly identifying the link between motivation and sport from the context of a coach. Three important needs surface in this context. The need for achievement comes first, wherein there is an urge to accomplish something difficult. Then is the need for affiliation, in which a person wishes to form close personal relationships. Finally, there is a need for power, in which one seeks to have control over others. Understand of the patterns of these needs is very important, as more often than not, a sportsman is making all the effort in order to accomplish one or more of these needs.  

Possessory rights of mortgagees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Possessory rights of mortgagees - Essay Example This is one of the original cases which began shaping the mortgage legal environment for different reasons. First, the case came against the backdrop of many incidents where mortgagees had lost their possessory rights because of legal schemes plotted by mortgagers.   In fact, the legal mortgage environment appeared to have been so bad that mortgagers continuously and repeatedly disenfranchised mortgagees because of defaults, which result from mortgagees’ inability to live up to the official agreement conditions. Secondly, it appeared that legal experts did little to guard against the disenfranchisement of their clients by mortgagers. Against these challenges, ruling on the Ropaigealach versus Barclays Bank Case shifted the way these issues were handled by both mortgagers and attorneys.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe Ropaigealach decision illuminates brightly the true extent of a mortgagee’s possessory rights and may, if other mortgagees cannot resist the temptation to fol low its lead, require the further intervention of Parliament to protect mortgagors of dwelling houses’.   While making the ruling, the judge held the Ropaigealachs were not served with the letter from the bank, with the ultimate command for payment, reprimanding that the assets would be put up for sale, since they were refurbishing it and they were away. The judge further declared that there would be no pronouncement that Barclays may possibly fail to assume possession exclusive of a court order since the legal instrument could not be otherwise interpreted.  Ã‚  4 While making further observations, the judge recognised the weight of the matter saying, ‘it does however strike me as very curious that mortgagors should only have protection in the case where the mortgagee chooses to take legal proceedings and not in the case where he chooses simply to enter the property’.5 The good judge admitted persuasion to the matter indicating that it was not feasible to conclude that Parliament had intentions to cover up such important cases. Through this case, the possessory rights of the mortgagees were restored by stopping Barclays Bank from selling the property in order to recover their defaulted payments. Description of the Possessory Rights of Mortgagees It is notable that the most efficient strategies mortgagees use to get back their security when a mortgagor defaults include sale of mortgaged property. This is only tenable when the mortgagee has the possessory rights to ensure listing of the assets in the marketplace as a vacant premise.6 This frequently takes place when the mortgagor has already vacated the premise to allow for selling of the asset. The mortgagee will, therefore, exercise the possessory

Energy what is Next Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy what is Next - Essay Example For the longest time, non-renewable energy has been the primary source of energy in the world. Consequently, renewable energy has had little popularity and had been side-lined. The primary attribute of non-renewable energy sources is that their availability is finite. These sources rely on materials exhaustible sources, making it impossible to recreate them within reasonable time duration. Such energy sources include wood, coal, and fossil fuels that when consumed, they cannot be restored, hence Tiwari, et al (2012, p. 7) refer to them as conventional energy sources. Additionally, when non-renewable energy is consumed as fuel in cars or manufacturing plants, emissions pollute the atmosphere through greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. In the world pushing towards reduction of national carbon footprint levels and the insufficient renewable energy resources, there exists a push to find more energy requirement solutions in renewable energy. The simplest definition of renewable energy is energy that satisfies current energy needs without jeopardizing similar needs in the future (Chiras, 2006, p. 22). The implication is that renewable energy presents the aspect of sustainability given that natural mechanisms and movements of the earth are responsible for their quick replenishing. The major sources of renewable energy are the sun, water and wind. In the recent past, wind farms, solar cells, and hydroelectric power have successfully provided electricity for domestic, transportation and industrial use. Unlike non-renewable energy, renewable energy has little impact on domestic and regional ecology thereby considered as clean energy. Clean energy contributes to negligible carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases emissions and guarantee unrestricted time duration. With renewable energy, cost effectiveness arises from the

Imogene King Theory of Goal Attainment Assignment

Imogene King Theory of Goal Attainment - Assignment Example Her success comes from her nursing conceptual system and the goal attainment goal. King developed this theory while trying to summarize a new graduate program content. Its basic purpose is to aid patients to achieve, maintain or regain their health. Her theory assumes that the focus in nursing is caring for human beings, while its goal is individual and group healthcare. According to this theory, human beings continuously interact with their environment, basically because humans are open systems (George, 2008). She links the theory to goal attainment, which assumes that communication between a nurse and a client results in information gathering, which helps them set mutual goals and aids in acting on the goals. She argues that everyone recognizes the world as a total person in formulating transactions between the environment and the individual. The transaction in this theory refers to the interaction between the â€Å"perceiver† and the object perceived. In this transaction, t he â€Å"person† gets into the position as an active participant, after which each is transformed from the experiences. Nurse-client interaction leads to certain assumptions. The first assumption is that the interaction between the two is influenced by their respective perceptions. The client and nurse’ goals and values influence the interaction process, clients have a right to information concerning them, clients should participate in decisions that have an impact on their lives, community, and health, and finally, that it is normal for clients and nurses’ goals to be incongruent. Human beings have three crucial health needs; the need for health information, care services to prevent illness and care services when they are unable to help themselves. This theory has two major concepts; the Interacting and the concepts provided for each system. The interacting systems include personal systems, interpersonal systems and the social system (Wills and McEwen, 2002). 2 .0 Point by point Critical analysis of the theory 2.1 Major concepts Concepts for personal systems includes perception, self, growth, and development, body image, space and time. Interpersonal system concepts include interaction, communication, transaction, role, and stress. Finally, the social system concept includes organization, authority, power, status and decision making. King defines perception as a concept, which influences the overall behavior of a human being. Ultimately, it is the concept upon which all other relationships too. Perception is also a process where an individual obtains personal data through his or her senses, and from which, the individual organizes his or her memory interprets it and transforms the obtained data. The â€Å"self† characteristics refer to the dynamic individual, whose is motivated to achieve their goals by several open systems. The self-includes feelings and thoughts that are linked to the individual’s awareness of being an inde pendent person. The thoughts and feelings also influence the individual’s perception of him/herself. The characteristics of body image are subjective, dynamic, learned and very personal. The body image characteristics usually change over time in relation to the individual’s redefinition of the self. Space, on the other hand, is a universal concept, whose definition depends on the individual. It is difficult to define space because culture influences an individual understands of space.  

Native American educational traditions passed Essay Example for Free

Native American educational traditions passed Essay Before contact with Europeans, Native Americans developed an effective system of informal education call aboriginal education. The system included transmitting knowledge, values, skills, attitudes, and dispositions to the next generation in real world settings such as the farm, at home, or on the hunting ground. Education was viewed as a way to beautify and sharpen the next generation and prepare them to take over the mantle of leadership. The purpose of education was for an immediate induction of the next generation into society and preparation for adulthood. Education was for introducing society with all its institutions, taboos, mores, and functions to the individual. Also, education was intended for making the individual a part of the totality of the social consciousness. Native American education delineated social responsibility, skill orientation, political participation, and spiritual and moral values. The cardinal goals of Native American education were to develop the individual’s latent physical skills and character, inculcate respect for elders and those in authority in the individual, and help the individual acquire specific vocational training (Franklin, 1979). Native American education was also for developing a healthy attitude toward honest labor, developing a sense of belonging and encouraging active participation in community activities. Both boys and girls had equal access to education. Boys were taught by their fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and other male elders. Girls were instructed by their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, female elders and other members of their families. Sometimes, both boys and girls received instruction at the feet of either male or female elders (Mould, 2004). There were barely any dropouts and the community ensured that every child received a full education. Youth appropriate information and knowledge was not hidden from any child. Several teaching strategies, including storytelling, were utilized to pass on knowledge and culture to the youth. In fact, Mould (2004) believed that storytelling was a sacred and vital part of a Native American youth’s education. Knowledge and culture were passed down orally, â€Å"crafted into stories that would instruct, inspire, provoke, question, challenge, and entertain† (Mould, 2004). Often, the youth would gather together to listen to the elders as they related the knowledge once entrusted to them when they were children (Mould, 2004). The philosophy of education was that of the development of the individual as well as the whole society (Johnson et al. , 2005). Educational philosophy also emphasized the importance of nature. The pursuit of knowledge and happiness were subordinated to a respect for the whole universe. According to Johnson, knowledge was equated with an understanding of one’s place in the natural order of things and educators were encouraged to study and teach the physical and social world by examining the natural relationships that exist among things, animals, and humans. Studying ideas in the abstract or as independent entities was not considered as important as understanding the relationships among ideas and physical reality. The essential components of an educational experience included hands on learning, making connections, holding discussions, taking field trips, and celebrations of the moment (Johnson et al. , 2005). These highly effective teaching methods were utilized by adults to transmit culture to or educate the next generation. The youth learned at their own pace and barely competed against one another. The youth were taught to be supportive and nurturing of one another in the learning process. As a result of the holistic education that all youth were exposed to in the period before their contact with Europeans, there were barely any miseducated Native American children. At the time of European contact with Native Americans (from 1492), an advanced system of informal/aboriginal education had been developed by Native Americans as noted earlier. That system was misunderstood by Europeans who thus made efforts to impose their formal system of education on Native Americans. After contact with Europeans, formal education for Native Americans was initially conducted by missionaries and private individuals until the 1830s. There were increased European government efforts to formally educate Native Americans after the passage of the Indian Removal Act (1830) which forced Native Americans onto reservations (Tozer 2009). The purpose of formal education of Native Americans, as far as Europeans were concerned, was forced acculturation or assimilation to European culture (Tozer 2009). The aim of the European system of education was to â€Å"civilize†, Christianize, and Europeanize the Native Americans in European-controlled schools. To achieve this purpose and aim, many Native American children were forcibly removed from their homes and enrolled in European-controlled schools. By 1887, about 14,300 Native American children were enrolled in 227 schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs or by religious groups (Tozer 2009). The schools were operated based on an Anglo-conformity assimilationist approach. The Anglo-conformity assimilationist approach included the following: 1) Educating the Native Americans away from their culture due to the philosophy of Europeanization or Christianization or â€Å"civilizing† of the Native American through education; 2) Intensive efforts were made to destroy extant Native American cultures by excluding Native American cultures from the school curriculum; 3) Concerted efforts were made to prevent Native American students from following their own culture; and 4) Native American students were punished for speaking their native languages (Feagin Feagin, 2003). This approach motivated European American educators to force Native American students into boarding schools where it was believed that it would be easier and much more effective to Europeanize, Christianize, and â€Å"civilize† them. Students were forced to dress like Europeans, convert to Christianity, and take European names. Students who refused to conform were severely punished. The effects of the Anglo-conformity assimilationist approach on Native Americans cannot be overemphasized. Many of them lost or became confused about their cultural identity. Some tended to know a lot more about European culture, history, philosophy, and languages than about their own culture, history, philosophy, and languages. Europeanization, Christianization and â€Å"civilizing† of Native Americans through formal education seriously undermined the very foundation of Native American cultures and alienated many Native Americans from their own cultures and environment. Formal education forced many Native Americans to absorb European lifestyles and led to individualism as well as serious weakening of traditional authority structure and kin group solidarity. Many Native Americans lost faith in their own cultures and civilizations and absorbed those of Europeans. Some have neither fully adopted European culture nor fully embraced Native American culture and consequently swing between the two in a state of cultural confusion. Eurocentric education has been a miseducation of Native Americans as has been for all minority groups in the United States. These and many other political, social and economic effects of formal education on Native Americans have permeated Native American cultures till today. European American teachers and administrators have blamed Native American educational problems on cultural differences. This is known as cultural deficit theory. According to cultural deficit theorists, disjuncture’s or differences or deficits between the culture of the home and the culture of the school are the reasons for the poor academic achievement of non-European students (Johnson et al. , 2005). European American schools focus only on the dominant culture and expect all students to operate as if they are members of the dominant culture, giving an advantage to students from the dominant group and a disadvantage to those from minority groups (Johnson et al., 2005). What cultural deficit theorists advocate is that students from minority groups, including Native American students, must reject their own cultural patterns and absorb European American cultural patterns in order to be successful in school. Thus, in an effort to assist their students to be high achievers in school, many European American teachers have attempted to make their students â€Å"less Native American† by educating them away from their own cultures and imposing Anglo-European culture on them. Many schools and textbooks exclude Native American experiences and their immeasurable contributions to this society and the rest of the world and provide little to nothing to assist Native American children identify with their own cultures. From the 1930s some boarding schools were replaced by day schools closer to reservations and a bilingual policy of educating Native American students in both Native American languages and the English language was discussed (Feagin Feagin, 2003). Since the 1960s, organized protest has led to increased government involvement and aid for primary, adult, and vocational education for Native Americans on and off the reservations. Federal and local governments have focused more attention on local public schools (outside the reservations) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools in the reservations. For greater inclusion of Native Americans in their own education, Native American advisory boards have been organized in mainstream public schools. More Native Americans have been added to school faculty and staff. Native American art, dances, and languages have been included in the school curriculum. The central curriculum taught in both BIA and mainstream schools have remained the same from colonial times until recently. The curriculum indoctrinates Native American children with the same European American values as in the past (Feagin Feagin, 2003). In many reservations today however, there are efforts to reverse this by teaching students in Native American languages and culture from the early years of their education. In the Choctaw Reservation in Choctaw, Mississippi for example, students are taught in the Chahta and English languages in the first three years of formal schooling and in the English language from the fourth grade onwards. Throughout their schooling to the high school level, they are taught and exposed to Choctaw culture and encouraged to speak the Chahta language in and outside of school. One of the essences of the Annual Choctaw Indian Fair is to educate both the youth and adults in Choctaw cultural practices and traditions and to transmit Choctaw culture to the next generation. The author of this article, who happens to be an African and from a continent which has had similar experiences as those of Native Americans, greatly applauds the new forms of formal education among Native Americans on the reservations, which include an integration of the Native American system before their contact with Europeans and aspects of the European system as a way of preserving what is left of Native American cultures, preparing contemporary Native American youth for their real world settings, and meeting the needs of Native Americans. The large scale migration of many Native Americans to the cities since the 1950s has led to a decline in the number of children in BIA schools. By the early 1990s less than ten percent (10%) of Native American children attended BIA schools (Feagin Feagin, 2003). Today, most Native American children attend mainstream local public schools due to the fact that majority of Native Americans live off reservations with their children (United States Census Bureau, 2001). The mainstream educational system has however failed to meet the needs of Native American students. The failure stems from the absence of a Native American perspective in the curricula, the loss of Native American languages, the shift away from Native American spiritual values, and the racist and discriminatory activities of many European American teachers and administrators (Feagin Feagin, 2003; Schaefer, 2004). Perhaps, mainstream educators could borrow the new forms of formal education being practiced on the reservations which seem to much better meet the needs of Native American students rather than continually imposing the Eurocentric system which has not worked for Native Americans. With regard to higher education, since the 1960s, many mainstream colleges have established Native American Studies centers to provide facilities for the study of Native American issues (Feagin Feagin, 2003). By the late 1990s, more than 134,000 Native Americans were enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the United States (Schaeffer, 2004). Majority of the students attended predominantly European American public colleges and universities. Some of the students were not very successful due to the ingrained racist and discriminatory practices in those institutions. Consequently, many Native American students dropped out of those institutions. In general, Native American formal educational attainment has remained lower than that of the general population due to the Eurocentricity of the educational system. By 1990, less than two-thirds of Native Americans over the age of twenty-five were high school graduates compared to three-fourths of all Americans in that age range. Native American students in mainstream schools are disproportionately placed in special education classrooms. The proportion of Native American students who drop out after tenth-grade is 36%, the highest of any racial or ethnic group and more than twice that of European Americans (Schaeffer, 2004). In view of the aforementioned issues in education among Native Americans, a Department of Education Task Force organized in the late 1990s recommended the following for addressing Native American educational issues: implementation of multicultural curricula that inculcate respect for Native American history and culture, and establishment of programs that guarantee that Native American students learn English well. The task force assumed that if Native American students learn English very well then they will be successful in school, an assumption which is traced to the cultural deficit theory discussed above. Today, many Native American students attend Native American-controlled community colleges. The community colleges integrate Native American history and culture into courses. More attention is given to students and their cultures in the Native American-controlled educational institutions. Native Americans had established an effective educational system which ensured the smooth transmission of their cultures to the next generation before their contact with Europeans. The system included passing on of knowledge, values, attitudes, skills, and dispositions required for successful functioning of every individual in real world settings. Access to education was denied neither to male nor female while all children were taught to support and nurture one another and not necessarily compete against one another in the learning process. Learning was undergirded philosophically by a reverence for nature and a sense of humans’ responsibility to nature (Johnson et al. , 2005). The arrival of Europeans from 1492 onwards led to the imposition of a Eurocentric educational system which was underpinned by an Anglo-conformist assimilationist approach discussed above. This approach included educating Native Americans away from their cultures as a way of rendering them â€Å"less Native American† and more European American. The Anglo-conformist assimilationist approach in the formal education of Native Americans has left many of them miseducated and quite confused about their cultural identity. The political, economic and social impact of the European aim of Europeanizing, Christianizing and â€Å"civilizing† Native Americans through formal education are discussed at length in a paper presented by the author at the National Association of Native American Studies Conference in 2004. Fortunately, today, Native American leaders are successfully making efforts to reverse the adverse effects of the imposed Eurocentric educational system by synthesizing traditional Native American educational practices with European American practices. Works Citied Feagin, J. R. and Feagin, C. B. (2003). Racial and ethnic relations. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice- Hall Johnson, J. A. ; Dupuis, V. L. ; Musial, D. ; Hall, G. E. ; and Gollnick, D. M. (2005). Introduction to the foundations of American education. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Mould, T. (2004). Choctaw tales. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. Schaefer, R. T. (2004). Racial and ethnic groups. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Steven Tozer (2009) School and Society : Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. McGraw- Hil Publishing Company.

Impact Of E Commerce On Adidas

Impact Of E Commerce On Adidas The next of kin of Adidas registered and laid a foundation named after Adi Dassler in 18th August, 1949. According to a source, removable studs were athletes, footballer footwear choices. Its first soccer appearance was the miraculous victory of Germany against Hungary named as Miracle of Bern in 1954. The presiding years were a talk through aiding an unconventional performance, commitment that desire athletes both from indoors (table to lawn tennis) and outdoors (short to long jumps) etc events. A remarkable high jumper Fosbury Dick stepped into lime light in Adidas foot wear world in the late 1960s. The company has progressed from the death of Adi Dassler to the era of his family members including wife, son and daughters 1980s. with new management in place, where the company CEO became the driving force with Robert Louis Dreyfus reshaping its early functions from being manufacturing and sales to marketing company in 1990. This transition processed to a public liability company, floating on Frankfurt and Paris Stock Exchange in 1995. While in 1996, it achieved a 50% apparel sales increase which recorded its splendid year. As in December 1997, Adidas acquired a Salomon Group (Bonfire, TaylorMade, Salomon and Mavic) renaming as Adidas Salomon AG. The momentum of the new brand started gaining ground with a noticeable digit during the first half of 1999. Remarkably produce efficiency programmes and ambitious growth in 2000. The Olympic Summer Games and the European Soccer Championship, where Ian Thorpe takes three gold medals, contribute to the companys growth. In January 2006, Adidas bought over Reeboky a well known sporting goods industry as its competitive worldwide platform while beginning wider range of product, stronger presence and dominance across athletes, teams, leagues and events. In May the same year, Adidas was renamed from Adidas Salomon AG to Adidas AG were her core strength was narrowed in the apparel, golf category and athletic footwear market. How it used to do business and how e-commerce has transformed its method of working. Adidas earlier business days used to be from factory to warehouse and distributing to different locations, supplying to larger shops. Then, they advertise their goods and service via TV, Radio, and Billboards. But today e-commerce has changed it all by emerging innovation of ecommerce interest. A lot has seen the profit made from this technology and more are still on its way while transforming the pattern businesses transact with each other, in the awake of globalization Online market has not risen to a new height with the significant growth of e-commerce. More also, there has been a communication aspect of customer service to consider, by e-commerce, they found a way by communicating to their customers in electronic. Companies offer a higher percentage of independence for customer products and services of which its top notch deliverable is communicated. So, in that way web and the internet have made it easier for their customers to see what product they want online and order and pay online. The E-commerce Advantages and Disadvantages on Adidas. Customers empowerment: It is a trend that will continue with greater broadband penetration. The adoption of mobile browsing further increases accessibility and the use of social networking sites. This connectivity between consumers offers marketers the opportunity to leverage a growth channel and face the disturbing reality that brands are no longer solely in charge of the information consumers have available to them. Consumers are undoubtedly firmly in control, and with this empowerment have come a greater sense of expectation around service levels and value, and also gives customer wider range to choose from. The objectives to reach diverse people, culture and region promote the sensation around a defined market niche becomes the primary focus of marketing and communication. Most marketing companies communicate with prospective customer in other to establish relationship that may or would result in lasting trust by volunteering free or a trial based product that will build expected brand awareness. Marketing communication maintains customers trust by providing information and reinforcing a purchase habit about the brand benefit. The main objective is based on maintaining a database of customers that would patronize company product and reinforce relationship for prospective retailers and customer base. And product range is where the customer can select online what good and whats not good for and decide what to shop online. Price is where you can check on the favourable goods which is lower is a different product and different company by differentiating which cheaper and better product to buy from. Many Associated costs both in financial and social terms. New skill sets: By increasing awareness, technology and globalisation demand with a new approach from the learning and development specialist. The challenge today is about creating an effective environment in which learners develop the relevant knowledge and skills. This requires a new mindset and skill set from learning and development specialist. Keeping up with technological changes and reviews the case for a global convergence of approach to learning, training and development and determines the extent to which the national cultural differences matter. Retraining staff: By giving employees renewed skills through retraining can be of benefits to them as well the company. This also means their employees are tooled up, which is always of benefit to the company and facing the world which is changing all the time. The present job market requires people to constantly need a portfolio of skills, which means turning a boost for staff if they are given retraining by their firm. Positions downsized or eliminated: Downsizing simply means lying off employees. Management staffs discuss in team determining the cost needed to reduce the expenses and what it takes to secure a high financial reserve. For these very reason downsizing occur, it is normally whereby it is the main fact that fewer employees are necessary to maintain a successful operation, and in many cases where technological advance or breakthrough makes it possible to replace a previously human job. It can also be caused by market or change in government policies which force corporate executives to make coinciding decisions regarding their staff. More also, the major problems in todays business world are the salaries being paid to the workers, since employers are not paying their workers high wages, the workers have little to put back into economy. This forces the companies to downsize to keep from going under. What risks both social and financial the company incurred in introducing an e-commerce system to an organisation. Talking of strategic risks,, there are also many practical risks to manage which if ignored, it can lead to bad customer experiences and bad news stories which lead to damage to the reputation of the company. However, if the customers experience a very bad service, and stop using it, and switch to other online option. Experience which can include the following: . Hackers penetrating the security of the system and stealing credit card details. . Problems of fulfilment of goods ordered online, meaning customer orders goes missing or is delayed and the customer never returns. . E-mail customer-service enquiries from the web site dont reach the right person and are ignored. . Web sites that fail because of a spike in visitor traffic after a pea-hour TV advertising campaign. . Involve in Potentially breaking privacy and data protection laws. The impact that e-commerce has had on its consumer. When exchange of money for goods services happen within or as a transaction between two or more people, its normally done in actual store through business making in person. Electronic commerce or e-commerce as it is widely known suddenly became much more common place, the ability to make a purchase solely on online without having to leave the home was a new idea that has since changed the face of business. Websites such as Amazon.com and Ebay.com were pioneers in this field. In this present days, there are lots of e-commerce websites that people can purchase items from, everything from books and clothing to groceries and pc, tv, phones can now be bought through a website, it all have an impact on economy. By servicing making a doctors appointment can be done through the internet. People can now shop online in the privacy of their own homes without ever having to leave. Using ATM makes it easy for withdrawing cash, and blog for comments. E-commerce has also made it easy for geographical reach, and also can help on online auction. How the company met the challenge of new technology. We can say it is all about improving performance, they explore new processes and technologies when environmental considerations comes in, then the companys team identifies the performance enhancing technology which allows them to build to build the high performance equipment in the most environmental friendly way. There are ways the company met the environmental issues, by change of infrastructure, environmental adaptation, how the component is made and the choice of materials. This is where the company will explore if the component can be thinner, using the less materials means, less waste, less embedded carbon. The component can be made from a lighter material, then that will also reduce carbon emissions, making them for a lookout for bio-based alternatives. Lastly, their current development involving the amount of glue used has been reduced by using laser welding or mechanical locking design, thereby reducing emission What security issues it encountered. Technology: Faces the problems of hackers which break into the entire networks using unsecured wireless devices or access point. Unauthorized users can piggyback onto unsecured networks to use the bandwidth to perform illegal activity and steal sensitive data. Hackers can flood the wireless network with data to make it unusable. Financial: The financial security issues which are complying with the respective applicable laws and regulations. Not ensuring full, fair and accurate, timely and comprehensible disclosure of information in reports, documents and all other publications prepared by them. Not ensuring the timely and accurate documentation of all business transactions in the Adidas group, and that all the assets and resources used by belonging to or entrusted to the Adidas group, are handled responsibly. By not maintaining and share the knowledge required for dealing with financial matters. Physical: In a business environments, physical security of the server maybe lacking or even nonexistent, they encounter problems with employees who steal or sabotage company data, with all the added risk of the network based attacks, the sever will be subjected to connecting it to the internet, keeping the server secured is more of a challenge. Like file security, share security, and password security. Documents which also commonly encountered security problems which can also use troubleshoot and resolve the problems quickly. Though with the password, file and network policies in place to secure access to the server, there is no substitute for solid physical security of the server, if anyone, thief or employee, has physical access to the server, company data can be deleted, compromised, or stolen. How it was able to take advantage of new distribution and sales channels. The function is organised in three distinctive channels, wholesales, retail and e-commerce. By creating business models, their aims are to service multiple customer and consumer needs to fully leverage brand potential, be more responsive to market developments and manage channel synergies by establishing best practices worldwide. They based on availability, convenience and breadth of product offering, as a result, continuously refining the distribution proposition with a strong focus on controlled space includes: . Own-retail business . E-commerce . Mono-branded franchise stores . Joint ventures with retail partners . Co-branded stored with sport organisations and brands To increase the global brand presence and ensure further growth of our business, their global sales function has set up a comprehensive initiative called integrated distribution roadmap. The initiative encompasses a joint approach between the three channels to identify where they want their brands to be represented and in which distribution format in key markets. The initiative will allow us to define how best to capture the consumer in the biggest and most attractive cities around the world without cannibalising the brands and distribution mix. The roadmap is designed to ensure market share growth in underpenetrated affluent cities. Examine what impact that e-commerce has had on the business. The impact of e-commerce on the business has been huge success by enabling businesses and consumers to connect with each other to exchange and share information anyway anytime. Has also made an impact on warehousing space reduction, wider range of customers, more commendation, stock control, stock/share trading. Establishing an online presence to maintain their competitive edge, along with high speed internet connections, the internet has become an essential tool for any business to compete domestically of globally. Businesses are developing web sites to provide their consumers and business partner with information. Show specific reference to increased competition. Several competing firms which are fiercely competing with Adidas which include Nike, Umbro, Puma, Fila, Reebok and Fortune Brands Inc. Adidas did ensure that their goods are high quality at a reasonable price in order to keep the market share. Lower overheads/increased sales etc. Financial expenses income up: Increased income of 28% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬133 million in 2010 from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬19 million prior year, mainly due to an increase in interest income as well as positive currency exchange rate effect. The sales development is driven by the positive rising in consumers confidence as the global economy continues to improve. Financial expenses decrease: Financial expenses decreased 34% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 113 million in 2010 (2009: à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 169 million). The non-recurrence of prior year negative currency exchange rate effects as well as lower interest expenses contributed to the decline. What legislation both old and new it had to deal with. Trademark: Its logos (three strides, the globe and trefoil devices), not limited to mark word as Adidas alone but all included, are registered trademarks of Adidas, unless state otherwise including affiliates. Not to use, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, distribute, modified and post transmit in any form from Adidas trademarks, without Adidas prior consent neither advertisement nor publication is permitted even though it might pertain major distribution gains on site materials. In any external internet site is the creation of links, hypertext, links or deep links between the site and other internet site is prohibited without the express consent of Adidas. Thus, this includes links to partners that may use Adidas logos as part of a co-branding agreement. Although Adidas seeks to protect the integrity of its site, the site can link to have their own separate privacy policy but Adidas is not responsible and cannot be liable for the content and activities of these sites. Copyrights: Adidas remains the sole owner of entire content contained in the copyright portfolio. Only if the specific or indicated documents within the site state otherwise but you remain unauthorized to print, download, audio, document, view, play, reproduce, license, produce, transfer or sale any content, but you may be authorized to view, play videos or audio found within the site information, personal and non-commercial purposes only. Nevertheless, if authorized under the law relating to copyright, you may not reuse any Content without first obtaining the consent of Adidas. In downloading software applications such as; videos, wallpaper, icon and screensavers etc. from the Site, these software, includes any files, images incorporated in or generated by the software, and data accompanying the software are licensed to you by Adidas. Adidas does not transfer title to the Software to you. You own the medium on which the Software is recorded, but Adidas retains full and complete title to the Software, and all intellectual property rights therein. You may not redistribute, sell, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise reduce the Software to a human-readable form. Differing countries regulations and legislation: Its a world of different countries with different rules, regulations and laws, within each country rules, regulations and laws for that country apply. Your own countrys legislation does not apply to any other country. And another countrys legislation does not apply to your country. Different countries have different rules. Its a way of country of origin to differentiate the product. More also, its the requirements for a country of origin markings which are complex and depend on import country requirement for disclosure is essential too. While so many product made within European Union carry the marking Made in EU. Shipping products from one country to another will have to be marked with the country of origin, and country of origin trade preference programs, antidumping and government procurement. What monopoly powers it had to deal with both within its own market and issues affecting it. It had to deal with control and without any competition, since they have other competitors; it has to deal with price control. Like the Microsoft which is an example of monopoly, using its power in one area to gain market share in another area. Because it had a monopoly for web browsers Controlling different stages of production, new web browsers were at a disadvantage because it was too much effort to change from the wed default browser. Show how e-commerce has opened up new lines of communication within the company. E-mails: Electronic mail is a message sent across through the Internet, or a system for transferring messages between computers, mobile phone or other communications upload on the Internet. The time scales high when email servers are networked to all computers in big medium size company, the server have gateways which computer systems or networks enable all users to send information anywhere/anytime to any system in the world. All internet service provider (ISP) and online services enable rich messaging experience. Text: Its a fast way of communicating to customers and getting feedbacks, its a speed way of send sales promotions, confirmation of orders and confirmation of payments. Mobile phones: Which is known as Scan2buy, which is mobile phone services for e-commerce for company to maximise their profits and move into the growing mobile phone ecommerce market. Can also be used for of payment, its in operation in Japan, which helps customers to make purchase or transfer using simple text messaging on their mobile phones. Pagers: Its a product with a services and business communication solutions, by enhancing collaborative sharing of information in a grid pattern especially when the issue of e-commerce whose pivot lies on a very secure communication channel and data transmission layer for organizations reputation. E-Newsletters: This is a way for communication, to reach out to the customers, to make them aware of the companys product or services and to give them reason to buy the companys product. Its a type of communications includes the companys brochures and various forms of advertising, contact letters, websites and anything that makes the public aware of what the company do. Social networking: Social network is based on a social structure through internet-based social networking system through variety of websites that allows users to share content and interaction around similar interest. It has created a great opportunity for businesses to generate interaction with the present and potential customers through the web based sites established for the purpose. With the ongoing commitment, you can create a niche market through sites such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. Global impact of e-commerce: With the new payment systems such as the electronic cash, it has changed the customers financial lives and shakes the foundations of financial systems. Can help customers services greatly be enabling customers to find detailed information online, its a fast way of business operations. Conclusion: The Company has greatly gained a huge benefit by using e-commerce, because by using the new technology which introduces new frame of servicing experiments in other to deliver precise, fast, efficient, reliable and retrievable customer expectations.

Power in Congress Essay -- essays research papers

Power In and Over Congress I feel the system is biased because there are inequalities among the representation and participation of interest groups and constituents in the political system. Unfortunately, poor and uneducated citizens aren’t as organized as interest groups, lobbyists and PACs because they lack the money, resources and connections necessary to influence congress members on legislative bills. It is evident that, â€Å"businesses, interest groups and labor unions are spending more than $100 million a month to lobby the federal government†(Associated Press, SFC, 3/7/98). â€Å"The actual population of interest groups in Washington surely reflects that there is a class bias in the membership of interest groups†(JBG). â€Å"Interest groups are organized bodies of individuals who share some political goals and try to influence public policy decisions. Representatives from interest groups are referred to as lobbyists† (JBG). â€Å"Lobbyist seek to bring about the passage or defeat of legislative bills and to influence congress, often using large sums of money in a variety of ways to influence legislative outcomes† (APD). I feel that lobbyists have a great deal of influence within congress because they may have direct connections with congress members in high positions. Through PACs, organizations can pool campaign contributions from group members and donates those funds to candidates for political office. Personally, I feel that PACs have the most influence over congress because their ...

Balancing Principles in Beauchamp and Childress :: Beauchamp Childress Ethics Essays

Balancing Principles in Beauchamp and Childress ABSTRACT: In the latest edition of Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Tom Beauchamp and James Childress provide an expanded discussion of the ethical theory underlying their treatment of issues in medical ethics. Balancing judgements remain central to their method, as does the contention that such judgements are more than intuitive. This theory is developed precisely in response to the common skepticism directed at "principlism" in medical ethics. Such skepticism includes the claim that moral reasoning comes to a dead halt when confronted by competing conflicts between moral norms in a given pluralistic situation. In this paper, I use examples from the text to show that despite the authors’s arguments to the contrary, balancing judgements are the product of unreasoned intuitions. Given the necessity of some such judgements in any principle-based system, my argument highlights the degree to which principled ethical reasoning rests upon an arational core. "Principlism" is the term often used, sometimes derisively, to refer to a method of moral reasoning found in medical ethics and elsewhere. At the core of principlism is the idea that ethical justification rests primarily, if not exclusively, in appeals to more general or "higher level" moral norms under which any more particular ethical claim can be subsumed. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, by Tom Beauchamp and James F. Childress, has for many critics in medical ethics exemplified the worse sins of "principlism." From its first edition, the authors have argued for the importance and usefulness of general principles for justifying ethical judgments about policies and cases in medical ethics. The organization of their book reflects this conviction, dividing discussion of particular ethical problems under the rubrics of the key ethical principles which the authors believe should govern our moral judgments: principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. It was always a caricature of their views to label them as straight-arrow deductivists. (1) At the very least, they have from the first insisted on the necessity of making judgments about the proper balance to be struck between competing ethical commitments when they are in conflict. Since Beauchamp and Childress disavow appeal to any overarching framework from which such a balancing judgment could be derived, particular moral judgments could never for them be simple deductions from any single moral principle. But then one may ask how Beauchamp and Childress handle one of the key criticisms of principlism, which points to the inevitable conflict among principles in the sort of pluralistic system favored by many, (2) and the resulting need to "balance" or prioritize the norms in conflict.

Essay --

Children In The Civil War For my project on the Civil War, I researched the children that were around to see it. I think it’s important to know how this war impacted children, or even the involvement of children, because of what kids are like today. Today kids sit around and play video games about shooting people, back then, sometimes kids had to. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, kids from both the Union and the Confederacy said goodbye to some of their family members or even joined the military themselves. In fact, roughly twenty percent of Civil War soldiers were younger than eighteen. For the Union, this was the minimum recruitment age. However in times of war, laws were easily overlooked. The Confederacy, however, had no set age limit. Most youngsters weren’t exactly the fighters, but rather musicians. Technically, their job description didn’t include fighting, but if need be, it wasn’t uncommon for one to arm themselves and defend their lives. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/grant-kids/) I find it interesting to think that teenagers today’s biggest concerns compared to those during the war. Today you’ll find teenagers whose biggest problems in life are getting a five page essay on the Civil War in on time, acne, or those shoes they saw at the mall being ten dollars over the spending limit that their mom gave them. Back then teenagers were running through a hailstorm of bullets, watching as their friends and brothers fell inches away from them. They were thirsty for clean water, hungry for food, yearning for their mothers, or sometimes, even just wishing to be dead so it would end. Some assisted surgeons and sawed off damaged arms and legs. They endured the terrors that were associate... ...ive. (http://www.ducksters.com/history/civil_war/life_during_the_civil_war.php) Slave children were also impacted by this war, however slightly more positively. For many, this war meant freedom. Before the war had quite started, enslaved children had escaped to the North, either with their families or individually. When the war started, many of these families and children would slip into Union territory. Once Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, floods of these families came over. Homes for freed slaves was often no more than a wooden packing crate. Food was treasure, and disease was everywhere. Hope was not lost though. Northerners established schools that would teach blacks of all ages how to read and write. Soon, young African Americans â€Å"pulled a white teenager† and joined the army. They fought for the Union cause and thus experienced the terrors of war.

Vertical Boundaries

Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries Aim of the chapter To understand the factors that influence the ways in which transactions on a vertical chain (value chain) should be/are located on the market–organisation continuum. Learning objectives On completion of this chapter and the essential reading, you should have a good understanding of the following terms and concepts: †¢ transaction cost economics †¢ strategic calculation. Essential reading Buchanan, D. and A. Huczynski Organizational behaviour: an introductory text. (London: Prentice Hall, 2008) Chapter 18. Douma, S. nd H. Schreuder Economic approaches to organisations. (London: Prentice Hall, 2008). Further reading Besanko, D. , D. Dranove and M. Shanley Economics of strategy. (New York: Wiley, 1996). Coase, R. H. ‘The problem of social cost’, Journal of Law and Economics 3 1960, pp. 1–44. Grossman, S. and O. Hart ‘The costs and benefits of ownership: a theory of vertical and lateral integration’, Journal of Political Economy 94(4) 1986, pp. 691–719. Williamson, O. E. ‘The economics of organization: the transaction cost approach’, American Journal of Sociology 87(3) 1981, pp. 548–77. 10. 1 IntroductionAs noted in Chapter 1, we may regard the basic unit in organisational analysis as an exchange or transaction generated in the division of labour. The division of labour (exogenous/endogenous – Chapter 3) creates value or vertical chains; for example as shown in Figure 10. 1(a) running from crude oil extraction to the retailing of petroleum products. We now operate at the level of organisations or firms (recognising that at a greater level of disaggregation the points in the chain are also based on chains of the division of labour) and pose the question as to where their boundaries should be located on the value chain.In fact the picture is usually more complex than the one depicted in Figure 10. 1(a). Activities usually depend on inputs at all points down the vertical chain, as depicted in Figure 10. 1(b). So organisations or market exchanges could control and coordinate each of these transactions. Furthermore, some of these inputs may be common to the points on the main chain (see Appendix 1. 2 in this guide), like accounting services, in which case the picture looks more like Figure 10. 1(c). Note the use of di-graphs once again. 91 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach a) Oil extraction Refining Retailing †¢ (b) Shipping or pipe †¢ †¢ †¢ Distribution †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ (c) †¢ †¢ †¢ Accounting †¢ Figure 10. 1 †¢ †¢ †¢ In general we are asking the question as to whether a particular transaction should be internalised (make) or left in the market (buy), as depicted in Figure 10. 2; that is, whether a point on the chain should be a department/ function or division or remain independent. For the momen t we restrict our attention to this simple choice rather than the more elaborate positioning on the market–organisation continuum.We shall return to the more elaborate issue later on. †¢ †¢ Market (Price mechanism) Figure 10. 2 Start by asking what the benefits and costs of using the market might be. The benefits could include the following: †¢ Independent firms may be able to reap the benefits of economies of scale (i. e. operate at an output that minimises unit costs) whereas internal departments may not. Unless the firm itself can absorb all the efficient output of the department, it must either operate below the optimal output level or sell on to another firm.This might compromise any information advantages of the purchasing firm (see below). †¢ Independent firms are more subject to market disciplines than departments and may hold down costs they can control more effectively. Costs may be difficult to identify in departments. Firms might, though, attem pt to replicate market incentives inside organisations. Tapered integration refers to a situation where a firm is supplied partially by an independent firm and partially by its own department. This allows their relative cost structures to be compared. Independent firms (i. e. their managers) may have stronger incentives to innovate when compared with managers of departments. †¢ †¢ Organisation †¢ 92 Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries The costs of using the market might include the following: †¢ Private information may be leaked to independent firms – particularly if there is a need to share technical information. †¢ The focal firm becomes to a degree dependent upon an independent supplier (depending upon switching costs).Thus the latter has a power resource (see Chapter 6) and may use it to hold up the focal firm. It may prove difficult to control and co-ordinate flows of goods and services down a vertical chain of independent firms. This may be particul arly so where there is a need to fit the products closely. ‘Just-intime’ methods seek to overcome this problem and permit independent firms often with long-term relational contracts (see below). The way most economists (following Coase and Williamson) think about the choice between a market and organisational exchange/transaction is entirely predictable – choose the arrangement that minimises costs. The innovation here is to ntroduce the idea of transaction costs – the costs involved in making (controlling and co-ordinating) the transaction. They are sometimes referred to as agency costs, and agency efficiency is found where they are minimised.So, if both production costs (which relate to technical efficiency) and transaction costs vary between organisational transactions and market transactions, then the total costs should be minimised. Activity Now read Sections 8. 1 and 8. 2 in D and S. If you would like to read a slightly more comprehensive economic ap proach to vertical integration, then read Besanko et al. 1996). In a world of fully informed, rational actors where contracting is complete, there are no transaction costs and the choice between market and organisational exchange is of no consequence (at least as conceived within this framework) unless production costs vary (which, again, they should not under the same assumptions). It is because we relax both the assumptions of full rationality and full information in the context of ‘real markets’ that transaction costs arise and the choice between market and organisational transaction is pertinent.Transaction costs theory is used both in a normative and positive sense. The new assumptions are as follows: †¢ Individual bounded rationality: people are intentionally rational but limitedly so. Individuals are neither able to make very complex calculations nor to assimilate large amounts of information. As you might expect, sociologists tend to like this assumption; t hey see it as more realistic than the full assumptions of rationality. †¢ Opportunism: individuals are not only self-interested but behave with guile.For example, in the context of game theory, individuals will issue promises which are not credible, make use of asymmetric information and they cannot be trusted. †¢ Contracting about transactions is incomplete because of inherent uncertainty and incomplete information. †¢ Contracting can thus lead to ex ante opportunism (namely, adverse selection) and ex post opportunism (namely, moral hazard). †¢ These hazards will be exacerbated to the degree that there is little choice of transacting partners and therefore reputations (see Chapter 7) in respect of third parties will not constrain opportunism – small numbers exchange. 3 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach †¢ Anticipated repeated interaction will make reputations important to both parties but if in the process there is learning by doing, it is then costly to later switch exchange partner. Williamson (1981) calls this the ‘fundamental transformation’ – it ties the parties into the relationship. †¢ Williamson also observes that parties to a transaction might have a preference for a certain type of transaction in addition to the costs and benefits. He calls this ‘atmosphere’. In effect Williamson is introducing wider motives/utilities.Although the vocabulary introduced by Williamson is rather daunting at first sight, it has the advantage that it should link your thoughts into many of the ideas you have already encountered. Activity Think of transactions as a prisoner’s dilemma or trust game. Both parties would like to contract to achieve Pareto efficiency but each is wary of the other and in the absence of some mechanism to offset this wariness, the exchange does not materialise – the Nash equilibrium. So what mechanisms are available? You should be able to list the mechanisms.They can be derived as follows. Competitive market – the price as a sufficient statistic; here the prisoner’s dilemma does not model the situation. Organisation – three possible mechanisms which can produce the Pareto-efficient outcome rather than the Nash equilibrium are: 1. Authority and power. 2. Trust (cultural mechanisms). 3. Repeated transaction and reputation effects. As we have seen in earlier chapters, alongside monitoring and employment contracts (incentives), we expect organisations to avail themselves of a mixture of these mechanisms.But note, if we think in terms of ‘real markets’ rather than the ideal type of perfect markets, then the price mechanism is not sufficient and perhaps these mechanisms might also apply at different positions on the market–organisation continuum. We shall return to these matters later. Transaction cost economics embraces not only an unorthodox model of the individual but characterises aspect s (‘dimensions’, to use D and S’s terminology) of transactions that impact upon the transaction costs.Activity Now read Section 8. 3 in D and S. The argument is that asset specificity (sometimes called ‘relation-specific assets’), uncertainty/complexity and frequency of exchange all increase the likelihood that a transaction will be placed (governed) inside an organisation (that is, make) rather than left to the market (that is, buy). Asset specificity comes in different forms: †¢ site specificity – adjacent sites, usually to economise on transport and communication costs †¢ physical asset specificity – e. g. pipeline delivering crude oil †¢ dedicated assets – assets of a particular buyer dedicated to a particular relationship †¢ human asset specificity – skills dedicated to a particular relationship which would be less valuable elsewhere. 94 Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries So we now have a predictive t heory about vertical integration and, incidentally, contracting out. By and large, empirical evidence has supported transaction cost theory – particularly the impact of complexity in the context of uncertainty – though one should bear in mind what Williamson terms ‘atmosphere’.If there are widespread specific preferences – for instance, managers might prefer the power implied by organisation – this would complicate the picture. Furthermore, other factors might influence the choice between market and organisation. Regulation and taxation can confer advantages in deciding where profits are generated. For instance, taxation might favour small firms, and firms operating across different national tax regimes may find it an advantage to contract out. An organisation might vertically integrate to gain a monopoly or acquire information or to limit the flow of information to competitors (see below).Given all these possibilities, it is perhaps surprisi ng that such strong empirical support for transaction cost theory is found. Appendix 10. 1 in this guide gives a slightly more formal approach to Williamson’s reasoning. The transaction costs approach still leaves open two questions: 1. Will the integration, if appropriate, be backwards or forwards? 2. What type of organisation – e. g. centralised or decentralised hierarchy? (I leave an answer to this question to Chapter 12. ) An extension of transaction costs theory called property rights theory (which is not covered in D and S) provides an answer to the first question.When a transaction is internalised within an organisation, then ownership should (note the normative word) go to the party with the greatest impact upon the post-contractual rents. Activity Although this theory falls beyond this course, you might like to read Grossman and Hart (1986). Property rights theory is essentially a theory of bargaining power. Incomplete contracts mean that residual extra-contra ctual control of assets is important. Ownership confers bargaining power over operational decisions when enforceable contracts break down.Anticipation of post-contractual hazards determines earlier investment decisions. We now need to complicate the picture by reintroducing the market–organisation continuum, as in Figure 10. 3. I use the term ‘continuum’ with a certain amount of licence as the alternative positions on it vary in a number of respects and could be reordered. The continuum runs from perfect competition, at one end, to integration or organisation, at the other. The question now is: where should a transaction be placed on the continuum?Before answering this, let us look at what B and H have to say about the issues we have been discussing. 95 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach Spot markets (perfect competition) Real markets Bargaining Franchising Long term contracts (network organisations) Tapered organisations Virtual organisations All iances Joint venture Monopoly (small numbers) Externalities Asymmetric information Fixed cost (risk to supplier) Risk sharing Cost plus (risk to buyer) Decentralised Integration (up/down) organisation Figure 10. Activity Now read Chapter 18 in B and H. Again, this chapter in B and H is extremely detailed; you need to master the main ideas running down the left-hand margin. None of them is inconsistent with anything you have learned from D and S; though note that the definition of vertical integration is in fact backwards vertical integration. Table 16. 3 in B and H gives a good overview of what I have termed the organisation–market continuum. So let us now return to the continuum – see Figure 10. 3 – keeping the rich descriptions in B and H’s chapter in mind.First, look at what I have termed ‘real markets’. Here we recognise that in the real world the market environment is often far from perfectly competitive. If the transaction is left to th e price mechanism, then various market distortions may undermine the price as a sufficient statistic. If, for instance, a supplier holds a monopoly, then backwards vertical integration may look attractive to a buyer. Likewise, a buyer might be tempted to vertically integrate backwards in order to acquire information or to reap benefits of vertical synergies (externalities).Long-term contracts (which will inevitably be incomplete) enable organisations to engage in a protracted relationship. They often occur between buyers and suppliers in a vertical chain. D and S introduced the idea of ‘relational contracting’ (an equivalent term). Remember, whenever you think in terms of contracts you need to think of the incentive, risksharing and information aspects. Fixed-term contracts put the risk of, say, increases in input prices to the supplier on the supplier’s back. Cost plus contracts reverse the situation. Between these two extremes, risk-sharing contracts can be des igned.If the buyer and supplier have differing risk preferences then, other things being equal, an optimal contract can be found. Network and virtual organisations (see B and H) are usually based upon long-term relational contracts, as are alliances. Joint ventures imply equity contribution from both the supplier and buyer. Centralised 96 Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries So the question now is: where should a particular exogenously generated (by the division of labour) transaction be placed on the market–organisation continuum? (The normative question. Alternatively, where is it placed and why? (The positive questions. ) Transaction cost economics claims to be both normative and positive and answers both questions – minimise transaction and production costs! But as we have seen, this is only part of the story. Activity Now read Section 9. 8 in D and S. In summary, the choice of the position of any vertical transaction on the market–organisation continuum may be s haped by: †¢ economies of scale †¢ anticipated information leakage †¢ acquiring information †¢ transaction costs †¢ residual property rights †¢ market imperfections †¢ regulation.But how are these various strands to be woven together? Unfortunately there is, as far as I am aware, no embracing theory. B and H introduce you to the concept of corporate strategy and to what many organisation theorists term strategic choice. Although the idea that organisational arrangements designed to control and co-ordinate activities are a matter of choice was first introduced by sociologists in reaction to an earlier tradition that spoke of ‘determinism’ – often technological determinism – we can now see this as an unhelpful distinction.Economists will always speak of choice where changing technology might either enhance or restrict the opportunity set which rational decision-takers face. We might then like to think of technological deter minism when for whatever reason, the opportunity comprises a single option. I encourage you to think in these terms even if you want to question the restrictive notion of rationality (see Chapter 1). Activity Now read Chapter 9, particularly Sections 9. 1–9. 7, in D and S. Sections 9. 1 to 9. 6 of D and S cover issues of strategic planning that impinge upon organisation theory but are more often encountered in courses on management theory.You will benefit from reading them but they are not central to this unit. The central idea in management theory concerns the sources of what is termed sustained competitive advantage (SCA). Why do some firms/organisations manage to sustain a better performance than their competitors, while operating in the same markets? Statistics tend to suggest that this is a common experience in many markets. Firms often earn above-average returns (loosely rents) on their assets over relatively extended periods of time. The assumption is that they have so me characteristics (but which? that their competitors find it difficult to replicate or improve upon, at least during the time in which the advantage is sustained. From an organisational theory point of view the question to ask is – are there ways of organising which can confer SCA? Notice that when an organisation possesses a competitive advantage, for whatever reason, then this implies that perfect competition is not operating. In so far as those running organisations seek SCA, they are trying to undermine 97 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach competitive forces.The early sections of D and S’s chapter show how game theory is an indispensable tool in studying competitive strategies. 10. 2 Vertical contracting and strategic choice Consider a transaction between B and S, as in Figure 10. 4. The problem is to design a contractual relationship to gain any possible rents. In terms of competitive advantage this amounts to placing the transaction on the marke t–organisation continuum more effectively than the competition. Assume that there is need for relation-specific assets and a complete contract cannot be signed because of inherent uncertainties.Suppose now that B would like to persuade S to make the relation-specific investment. S’s ex ante problem is that in the absence of trust and credible promises, s/he anticipates that, once the investment is made, B will take advantage of the situation. S anticipates that B will always be able, once the contract is entered into, to find contingencies not covered by the contract. By making the investment, S in effect confers bargaining power upon B – who may even use this power to renegotiate the original contract (attempt to reduce the price of the good or service exchanged).S will then anticipate these moral hazards and accordingly not invest; the transaction will fail and both S and B will be less well off than they could be. Thinking in terms of the (for the moment, one -shot) prisoner’s dilemma, S and B find a Nash equilibrium rather than the Pareto-efficient outcome. So what can be done to achieve the Pareto superior outcome? S Figure 10. 4 B Some possibilities (neither exclusive nor exhaustive) are: †¢ B makes the relation-specific investment (but then B confers bargaining power to S) †¢ B nd S make a joint investment – an alliance or joint venture †¢ S continues to make the investment but enters into a long-term contract with B (note that relation-specific investments tend to imply long-term relationships in the first place) †¢ forward or backward integration (here non-market incentives/ monitoring/authority/power/culture achieve the move from the Nash equilibrium to the Pareto outcome). But let us continue to assume that B wants to find a non-integration solution and still to encourage S to make the costly upfront relation-specific investment.S/he might do this in the recognition that S, as an independent orga nisation, may be relatively small, flexible and focused. S, furthermore, may be driven by a more entrepreneurial spirit than if it were to be a division or department in B’s ‘bureaucracy’. An independent S may be more innovative. Also small organisations tend to have lower labour costs (production costs). If so, then both S and B can benefit. The strategic problem is whether or not the transaction costs (ex ante and ex post) can be kept down while reaping these potential advantages.To offset S’s anticipated moral hazard problems, B needs to search for ways of reducing her/his own and increasing S’s relative bargaining power. To the degree that this proves possible, the strategy will offset S’s anticipated moral hazards. B needs to make her/himself more dependent upon S before the contract is signed. One notable way s/he can secure this is to decentralise some design and innovation responsibilities to S. B now becomes partially dependent 98 Ch apter 10: Vertical boundaries upon S. Furthermore, B can commit not only to a long-term contract but also to relatively unconditional contract renewal.These strategies do of course put B at some risk. But since we are thinking in terms of incentives to transact, you should by now recognise that risk-sharing is another aspect of the possible contracts between S and B that can be subjected to strategic reasoning. Not unreasonably, I think, assume that S is risk-averse and B is risk-neutral. So S will accept a reduction in rent in order to reduce his/her risk and, relatively speaking, B will be prepared to shoulder more risk. So, a risksharing, long-term contract can conceivably lead to a Pareto improvement. Think in terms of post-contractual price negotiation.With a fixed-cost contract any increase in S’s costs will have to be borne by S. S will be reluctant to sign such a contract. With a cost-plus contract, on the other hand, B will bear all the risks of S’s cost incre ases. Furthermore, S will have no incentives to hold costs down nor, perhaps more importantly, to innovate in order to reduce costs. Clearly, B wants S both to innovate and, where possible, to hold down costs. It is not in B’s interests to take the risk from S and undermine these incentives. How can s/he provide appropriate incentives while reducing S’s risks and in so doing make the contract interesting to S?What B needs to do is to accept those risks of cost increases which S cannot control while making S responsible for those s/he can control – a tricky business. B needs to know the nature of S’s cost structure (an information problem – no problem with full information but with information asymmetry it is another story) before s/he can achieve this. Of course, integration might dispel this problem but then we encounter the bureaucratic losses mentioned above. What can B do? Go back to your principal–agent model (see Chapter 4). We can reg ard B as a principal and S as an agent.P (B) can acquire information by having more than one agent (S) operating in the same environment (in practice this is not easy). This is called multiple sourcing. It could be achieved by either multiple external sourcing or having an in-house comparator (tapered sourcing). But, of course, one needs to ask whether B’s sourcing requirements are of sufficient magnitude to reap any economies of scale across the multiple sources. If not, would it be sensible – from an information leakage point of view – to allow the sourcing organisation to sell to other organisations on the open market?If B has decentralised design to S then this might prove hazardous. As we have observed, long-term relationships (see Chapter 8) can invoke trust and reputation effects. Traditionally it was assumed that one of the advantages of integration into an organisation derives from the repeated interaction effects. B and S being in the same organisation , they repeatedly interact and, indeed, they will assume that there is a high enough probability that they will once again interact in the future. Thus prudent calculation can overcome the moral hazards in incomplete contracting.In game-theoretic terms B and S may play TFT (the folk theorem). B may also wish to protect her/his reputation for fair play. In short, an organisation can control and co-ordinate vertical relations by cultural means. However, long-term contracts with a continuation clause also produce repeated interaction (the Japanese were largely responsible, in the 1980s, for recognising this) and, thus, reputation and trust can be generated at other points on the market–organisation continuum. Cultural mechanisms can operate outside formal organisations.If B and S can trust each other not to behave opportunistically, then the advantages of S’s independence and reduced transaction costs can be realised. 99 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach Finally, reverting to an extended value chain where S’s suppliers are also brought into the picture, we obtain the situation as in Figure 10. 5. †¢ †¢ R S B Price and market > †¢ > †¢ †¢ R S B Long-term contracts > †¢ > †¢ †¢ R S B Organisation span of co-ordination = 3 > †¢ > †¢ Figure 10. Should the whole chain be co-ordinated by integration (span of coordination) or perhaps co-ordinated by long-term contracts, etc.? If the latter, should B contract with S and R or should B contract with S and S with R? In either case we have examples of network organisation and even virtual organisation if the relationships are mediated by modern information technology. The strategic complexion of these sorts of organisation is little understood. Why don’t you have a go! I hope this section has given you some appreciation of how to analyse organisation choices from a genuinely strategic point of view.Much of the abo ve reasoning can be underpinned from a game-theoretic standpoint. This further supports my earlier contention that modern organisation theory often requires a knowledge of strategic thinking and game theory. A reminder of your learning outcomes On completion of this chapter and the essential reading, you should have a good understanding of the following terms and concepts: transaction cost economics strategic calculation. Sample examination question 1. Explain why a transaction should be placed in a market or an organisation. 100

A Comparison: Friar Lawrence vs the Nurse

A Comparison: Friar Lawrence VS The Nurse Thesis: Both Friar Lawrence and The Nurse are loyal to Romeo and Juliet (respectively), they have defended, protected and have helped upkeep their well being, but do not always make decisions in their best interests, which in fact lead to both of their demises. In Romeo and Juliet, a story where two lovers are destined to be together, but their heritage prevents them, Friar Lawrence and The Nurse are similar to fathers and mothers, wise guardians, trusted companions to these two. Or are they reckless, hasty, and thoughtless?They have spent their lives with Romeo and Juliet, watching them grow and guiding them along their paths of life. But now they allow these â€Å"star-crossed lovers† to marry, though they know nothing of the other but a few whispered words. Are these sages to be admired and sought after, or fools at which to scoff and avoid? The Friar assumes a very opaque character, in a sense that his objectives are not always ver y clear to both the reader and the other characters, but in these cases his purposes are pure, to provide the best advice to Romeo.When The Friar questions Romeo’s judgment when he shares with him that he has so quickly given up thought on Rosaline and moved on to Juliet, Lawrence tells Romeo that he isn’t thinking right and that he needs to reconsider. Although this does come across as blunt, he only wants what is best for Romeo, yet he still agrees to wed them and is important because it demonstrates that The Friar has respectable intentions (Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 69-83).And when Romeo states that he would rather die than be banished and forced to live without Juliet, Friar advises him to not kill himself, which is very noble and is significant because shows that Romeo’s life is of some importance to him (Act 3, Scene 3, Lines 8-84). The Nurse finds herself acting as an advisor, a faithful servant, and as a parent like figure, but without the stern qualities t owards Juliet and others. When The Nurse delivers a ring sent from Juliet to Romeo, and most importantly, reminds Romeo that Juliet still loves him and that he should ot give up hope, even though he had been banished. This proves that The Nurse does not have any pre judgmental thoughts about Romeo, that she believes in him, and is substantial because it solidifies that she is kind not only just to Juliet (Act 3, Scene 3, line 85-173). The Friar actually accompanies her in this scene, acting out the same behavior, attempting to keep Romeo from slipping into a deep depression at the thought of never seeing Juliet again.And When The Nurse is commanded by Lord Capulet to bring forth the news to Juliet that she must marry Paris, though reluctant as she is, she agrees that marrying Paris would be in her best interests, and The Nurse tells Juliet what she must do which is critical because it validates that The Nurse will do anything to keep Juliet from harm even if she does not like it. Al though marrying Paris is not something Juliet wants to do, The Nurse knows that that is what is best for her, and Juliet lies and tells her that she will marry him (Act 3, Scene 5, Lines 176-246).The Nurse, a woman who is supposed to help guide Juliet on the right path, yet mistakenly confuses Juliet’s needs with her father’s wants. Although the Nurse does not realize it, the attempt at provoking Juliet to marry Paris could have further convinced Juliet that she did not want to live with her family any longer, and ask Friar Lawrence for help, which is important because this resulted in her death (Act 3, Scene 5, Lines 176-246).And when Friar Lawrence recites and recognizes all who are dead in a quite hurried and distasteful manner, although he does imply that he grieves over all of the life lost, it is to be noted with significance because he does not recognize that he is somewhat responsible for their deaths (Act 5, Scene 3, Lines 238). Although Friar Lawrence had a s trong positive influential role in how Romeo and Juliet came together, he also made crucial mistakes that in their absence could have resulted in Romeo and Juliet being alive.When Friar devises a plan to give Juliet a potion that makes her appear dead while she remains in a deep slumber, so that she can avoid marring Paris and escape off to Romeo. Besides the many chances where this plan could have failed, it was hastily conceived, and should have been given more time to be thought out, which is important because it proves that in critical moments, The Friar can become hasty and his ethical thought process can be clouded by the pressure of the moment (Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 181-185).