The effect of Indian culture on McDonalds advertising Research Paper

The effect of Indian culture on McDonalds advertising - Research Paper Example Like McDonald’s advertisement in Hindi which was made to reach out to majority of the people seeking happiness, as Hindi is the prominent language in India. It has also named its product in Hindi like Chicken Maharaja-Mac. In any country non-verbal communication plays a vital role in its culture. India is rich with her ceremonial greetings. Each gesture has its own language. Hence marketers need to be clear about the meanings associated with each of the symbols and signs. Like McDonald. The logo of McDonald now not just represent a hamburger restaurant, it has changed in India to represent vegetarian foods also. Since in India, the concept of beef was not allowed across many states, hence McDonald changed their strategy to introduce vegetarian restaurants in India. Also it uses a mannequin representing a joker with folded hands doing Namaste in Indian style. It represents greetings in Indian culture. Rituals and customs are ways in which a society practices of follows their religious beliefs. These are also passed down from generation to generation. The purpose of rituals is to maintain social acceptances, social bondage, and satisfaction. Consumers are also guided by these rituals. McDonald had to change their marketing strategy to introduce items of Indian origin like Wraps Pizza McPuff, McAloo Tikki Burger, Mc Veggie, and Curry Pans to make win over the consumers. Traditions are the rules which society follows and each religion has their unique tradition to follow. Over the years this tradition does evolve to accommodate new traditions. For a company this tradition guides the responses of consumer in response to a strategy. Indians by are vegetarian by religion. Hence McDonald understood the huge potential of making money from vegetarian outlets. Hence they also opened vegetarian outlets to adapt to Indian society. In a country like India, which has many subcultures in it, good taste means many different things to a variety of

Political Influence Essay Example for Free

Political Influence Essay A person is fed information throughout their life from various outside influences; this is how one forms values, views and opinions. From this, one is able to shape their political views based on what they believe or have been taught to believe. There are many factors that come into play when these views are formed, such as historical events. Others while apparent have a latent effect, such as gender, race, socio-economic status etc. The way a person is brought up has a fairly large impact on political socialization. Children come to know their parents value systems and beliefs. The children are brought up around these beliefs and these beliefs are instilled upon them in both unconscious and conscious ways. This is the beginning. As a person is introduced to more situations and experiences their views are molded further but the foundations are always there. Most Americans do not look thorough the inner workings of our government and the general idea of politics. Instead they look at what politics has to offer for them. It is far easier to just look at politics based on your opinions rather than through the policies and procedures. With the innovations of modern technology and the mass media, people dont have to look that hard for issues surrounding politics. All they have to do is turn on their T. V. or read the news on their favorite search engine web site. I think that this has had a negative effect on peoples political views. Instead of reading articles and forming opinions on their own, they are shown the sensationalized view of politics and a fairly biased/limited perspective. My own political views were formed the same way everyone elses were. My parents taught me about the differences between democrats and republicans, what the president does and even about the legislative branch. These teachings were mainly based around their own views but always with quite a bit of objectivity. I grew up in a fairly free household; my parents encouraged individuality and self-reliance. This gave me the ability to learn and think about things on my own, being able figure out how I felt about them. Another interesting thing about my upbringing is that I grew up without a computer, so when I wanted to know what was going on I had to watch the news on T. V. The school that I went to was fairly progressive and the teacher that I had for Social Studies taught us a lot about both our local and federal governments, all of which have helped me from my political views. I am a very open-minded person and this carries over heavily into how I view politics. I tend to focus on the single issues at hand and not on which party is proposing them. I feel strongly on many issues, to include abortion, education, foreign/domestic policy, welfare and most recently civil unions; however I try to understand both sides; not to agree but to understand. I do feel that I could be far more educated in politics, but I believe I am off to a good start.

School Uniform :: essays research papers

School UniformThroughout the Japan, numerous school boards have been attempting to standardize the clothing that students wear. The school superintendents who are in favor of uniforms will argue that the children who wear them will experience many benefits. I disagree with this idea. I feel that the use of uniforms will strip identity, stifle creativity and unnecessarily burden the families that cannot afford them. The use of uniforms has already been implemented in several long-standing social environments. The prison or penal system uses uniforms to brand those who are incarcerated. Moreover, military uses them to separate and remove the individualism inside of the soldier. In both cases, individual identity is stripped away and the subject is forced to conform to the same outward appearance as every other subject.Another problem that will surface due to the implementation of school uniforms is the suppression of the individual's creativity and expressions. Many students express wh o they are though the way they dress. If a teenager wants to show something that he or she likes, then he or she might wear a T-shirts that states a positive view on the subjects. School uniforms would end of this example listed within this paragraph and much more.The last problem that needs to be addressed is the necessary load that will be placed upon families. Many low-income families do not have the money available to provide uniforms to their children especially, private schools. In Japan, especially mission schools, the school board trying to pass the legislation that a child cannot attend school unless they have on the proper uniform. An education is supposed to be available to all children, not just the ones whose parents can afford to buy the government ordered, or schools ordered uniform.

Nokia Smartphone Strategy Essay

Nokia is a world renowned telecommunications corporation that connects over 1. 3 billion people. Nokia’s mission is simple: Connecting People. Their goal is to build great mobile products that enable billions of people worldwide to enjoy more of what life has to offer. The company started out producing wood pulp and paper, the most influential communication technology in history, in Finland in 1865. By the 1960’s Nokia is a booming business with large production of rubber, cable, forestry, electronics, and power generation, and by the late 1980’s the company was among the very largest T.  V. producers in Europe. Nokia launched the mobile phone era in the 80’s by introducing the first international cellular network and started production of the first vehicle cellular phone. Over the next couple of decades Nokia’s market share was huge and dominated the cellular device market. As the new millennium approached, everything about the market changed. The internet went mobile and consumers wanted phones with all new capabilities. Phones are no longer just for calls, and with these changes came an increasingly dynamic and competitive environment. With this intensified competition the development of the Smartphone is born. Nokia’s position in the mobile phone segment is now being challenged by the iphone and android devices. For the first time Nokia is not in control of the market, and as smartphones progressed, Nokia found a declining market share. There was a clear and obvious need for strategy adaptation, but what would the best path be? The change would be the end of an era for Nokia. Prior to February 2011, Nokia’s smartphone strategy was to use the Symbian and MeeGo platforms. These are linked by a common developer environment (Qt) and service layer (Ovi). Nokia would use MeeGo in the highest end devices and Symbian in everything else. But the termination of the Symbian platform was made part of the strategic plan, as MeeGo would gradually erode Symbian away. In the past Nokia had a â€Å"go at it alone† attitude that was a driving force in their smartphone strategy. The company wanted to control both the hardware and software areas of production. But as the company learned, the market is too complex for this approach. Elop, Nokia’s CEO, stated that â€Å"Nokia has failed to keep pace with market disruptions from its rivals and is therefore lacking in competitiveness, that the battle of devices has been superseded by a battle of ecosystems, and that Nokia has lacked accountability and leadership to drive the company through changing times†. The ecosystem he is referring to not only includes the hardware and software of the device, but developers, applications, ecommerce, advertising, search, social applications, location-based services, unified communications, and many other things. The presence of these ecosystems becomes extremely important in analyzing the strategic options Nokia has for its future. Which path would give Nokia the best chance of building a sustainable and viable ecosystem around their products? In examining their options Nokia developed three different decisions they could make. First option would be to continue with Symbian and MeeGo. Obviously they weren’t very successful with these platforms at the time but they were not fully developed yet, and instead of completely changing operating systems, they could build upon the already developed platforms and proceed with next generations of these originals. It was apparent that MeeGo was not ready to take on the role it was envisioned for but it could possibly be by the time another ecosystem was developed. They would also have to consider if these platforms had been tarnish or already discredited by their overtaking competitors. The company would probably have to make a visible change to disassociate with these failures. But more importantly a major change is needed to accumulate a viable ecosystem for Nokia. No single company can build an entire ecosystem on its own, so Nokia cannot provide itself with opportunities to win this battle between their rivals with this option. Neither of their biggest two competitors operate completely within and it is unrealistic to think Nokia could compete with companies that have so much more accumulated assets. So this first option is not very promising. Second option would be to release an Android device. The biggest advantage to this option would be that Android already has an existing ecosystem. A massive downfall would be that Nokia would be at the mercy of Google. Nokia is a company that has strived on being self-sufficient and this would not be ideal. Google would control too much of the value and differentiation ability, especially in services and advertising. Nokia does not want to join an ecosystem, rather help build one. The company believes they can still differentiate its devices from its rivals and would much rather have the value sharing associated with building a new ecosystem than of just joining one. Also, Android is having difficulties of their own’ and implementing this plan would not make a good long-term decision. This option just does not make very good business logic for Nokia. The third option would be to enter into a partnership with Microsoft and develop a new ecosystem that is mutually beneficial for the two corporations. This is the option that Nokia actually chose to implement. There are many reasons why this was the best decision for Nokia but considering the impracticality of the first two options it was the only realistic one. Obviously Nokia will provide the hardware while Microsoft will provide the software. The most common criticism with Symbian was an inadequate UI/UX, and the design language of Metro, Microsoft’s UI, completely fixes that problem. But also, Microsoft will depend on Nokia’s expertise as it continues development of the Windows Phone. The partnership sees Nokia adopting the new Windows 7 operating system, with the Symbian platform gradually being sidelined. To create a viable ecosystem Nokia and Microsoft are also combining services assets to drive innovation. Nokia Maps, for example, will soon be at the heart of key Microsoft assets such as Bing and AdCenter, and Nokia’s application and content store will be integrated into Microsoft Marketplace. Similarly, Microsoft will provide developer tools, making it easier for application developers to leverage Nokia’s global scale. The Nokia/Microsoft partnership simply just makes sense. The companies are complimentary of one another with very little overlap excluding the Windows Phone. Each company contains valuable assets the other can greatly benefit from making a mutual and equal relationship. While there is still much work needed to be done within the partnership in developing a smartphone that can effectively compete in the market, Nokia has positioned itself in a way that success is much more attainable. Since the partnership, Nokia has launched the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, both with Windows 7.

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE Could Be Worse, Could Be Dog Years â€Å"Evidently,† said Nate, â€Å"where we screwed up was killing the whales.† â€Å"No way,† said Amy. â€Å"We tipped our hand.† â€Å"About being meme machines, right?† â€Å"Yeah. Are you sure you're not spying for him?† â€Å"Nope. Know how you can tell? When I was spying, did I ever touch you here?† â€Å"No. No, you did not.† â€Å"And did I ever let you touch me here?† She moved his hand for him. â€Å"No, you did not. Especially not in public.† â€Å"Yeah, we should probably go back to your place.† She had called him on his buzzy, bug-winged speaky thing, about which he made a mental note to ask what the name of it was at his first convenience. They'd met for coffee at a Gooville caf that catered to whaley boys. She'd assured him that no one would notice them, and, strangely enough, the whaley boys had completely ignored them. Maybe he was no longer news. â€Å"If they say anything, I'll just tell them that we're having sex,† Amy said. â€Å"But you said you didn't think I should tell the Colonel I'd seen you.† â€Å"Yeah, but that was before he let you in on his secret plan.† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"Although I'm a little ashamed of how old you are. We should talk about that.† â€Å"So should I move my hand?† â€Å"Yeah, down and a little to the right.† â€Å"Let's head back to my place.† Back at his apartment, standing in the kitchen, he said, â€Å"Hey, what do you call this thing?† He pointed to that thing. â€Å"The phone.† â€Å"No kidding?† He nodded as if he'd known that all along. â€Å"So where were we?† â€Å"Killing whales was where we went wrong?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Or how old you are?† â€Å"So,† he continued, â€Å"killing whales was a big mistake.† â€Å"Which you knew, because that's what made you want to become a nerd in the first place.† â€Å"No, that's not right.† † ‘Scuse me, action nerd.† â€Å"You want to know how I got into this field, really?† â€Å"No. I mean, sure. You can tell me about the destruction of the human race later.† â€Å"You have to promise you won't laugh.† â€Å"Of course.† She looked incredibly sincere. â€Å"My sophomore year at the University of Sasketchewan in the Sticks – ; â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"It's a good school. You promised you wouldn't laugh.† â€Å"Oh, you meant even this early in the story I'm not supposed to laugh? Sorry.† â€Å"I mean, I'm sure it doesn't measure up to Gooville Community College –  » â€Å"Not fair.† â€Å"Home of the Gooville Fighting Loogies – ; â€Å"Okay, you made your point.† â€Å"Thank you. So a friend and I decided that we're going to go to break out of our boring small-college lives, we were going to take some risks, we were going to –  » â€Å"Talk to a girl?† â€Å"No. We decided to drive all the way to Florida for spring break just like American kids, where we would then drink beer, get sunburned, and then talk to a girl – girls.† â€Å"So you went.† â€Å"Took almost a week to get there, but yes, we drove in his dad's Vista Cruiser station wagon. And I did indeed meet a girl. In Fort Lauderdale. A girl from Fort Lauderdale. And I talked to her.† â€Å"You dirty little tramp. Like, ‘How's it going, eh?  » â€Å"Among other things. We conversed. And so she invited me to go see a manatee.† â€Å"He shoots! He scores!† â€Å"But I thought it was an American way of saying matinee. I thought we were going to a movie. You know, you don't think about those things as being real.† â€Å"But it was.† â€Å"She did volunteer work for a rescue hospital for injured marine mammals, mostly manatees that had been hit by boats. They had a bottlenose dolphin, too. We stayed there for hours, caring for the animals, her teaching me about them. I was hooked. I hadn't even picked my undergrad major, but as soon as I got back to school, I went for biology, and I've been studying marine mammals ever since.† â€Å"Oh, my God, you didn't get laid, did you?† â€Å"I found a passion for life. I found something that drives me.† â€Å"I can't believe I fell for such a pathetic loser.† â€Å"Hey, I'm pretty good at this whale stuff. I'm respected in my field.† â€Å"But you're dead.† â€Å"Yeah, before then, I mean. Hey, did you say that you fell for me?† â€Å"I said I fell for a pathetic loser, if the shoe fits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He kissed her. She kissed him back. That went on for a while. They both found it excellent. Then they stopped. â€Å"You said you wanted to talk about our age difference,† Nate said, because he always picked women who broke his heart, and, figuring that his heart was now into this whole thing far enough to be broken, he wanted to get on with it. â€Å"Yeah, we probably should. Maybe we should sit down.† â€Å"Couch?† â€Å"No, at the table. You might want a drink.† â€Å"No, I'm okay.† Yep, heartbreak, he thought. They sat. â€Å"So,† she said, curling her legs up under her, sitting like a little kid, making him feel ever more the creepy old guy leching on the young girl, â€Å"you know that the whaley boys have been pulling people in here from shipwrecks and plane crashes for years, right?† â€Å"That's what Cielle said.† â€Å"She wants you, I can tell, but that's beside the point. Do you know that they pulled whole crews off sunken submarines, plus they've yanked sonar guys out of port for years?† â€Å"I didn't know that.† â€Å"Doesn't matter, has nothing to do with what I'm telling you. So you realize that some people who have been lost at sea, like the crew of the American sub Scorpion that sank back in 67, actually ended up here?† â€Å"Okay. That makes sense. More of the Goo looking out for itself. Gaining knowledge.† â€Å"Yeah, but that's not the point. I mean, those guys helped put together a lot of the technology you saw on the whale ship, the human technology, but that doesn't matter. The important part is that the world thinks that the crew of the Scorpion is at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, even though they're not. Got it?† â€Å"Okay,† Nate said, really slowly, the way he had spoken to the Colonel when he was losing the point – much the way he was waving in the conversational wind right now. â€Å"And you realize that when I applied with you and Clay, that I gave my real name, which is Amy Earhart, and that Amy is short for Amelia?† â€Å"Oh, my God,† Nate said. â€Å"Ha!† Amy said. The ship broker found Clay's ship in the Philippines, in Manila Harbor. Clay bought it based on faxed photographs, a spec sheet, and a recent hull certification for just under $2 million of the Old Broad's money. It was a 180-foot-long U.S. Coast Guard fisheries patrol vessel built in the late fifties. It had been refitted several times since then, once in the seventies for fishing, once in the eighties for ocean survey, and finally in the nineties as a live-aboard dive boat for the adventure tourist. It had plenty of comfortable cabins as well as compressors, dive platforms, and cranes to raise and lower support vessels onto the rear deck, although, except for the lifeboats, it came with no support craft. Clay thought they could use the rear deck as a helicopter-landing pad, even if there wasn't a budget for a helicopter, but – you know – someone with a helicopter might want to land there, and it helped no end to have a big H painted on the deck. There was a budget for painting a big H. The ship had efficient, if not quite state-of-the-art, navigation equipment, radar, autopilot, and some old but functioning sonar arrays left over from its days as a fishing ship. It had twin twelve-hundred-horsepower diesel engines and could distill up to twenty tons of freshwater a day for the crew and passengers. There were cabins and support for forty. It was also rated a class-three icebreaker, which was a feature that Clay hoped they wouldn't have to test. He really didn't like cold water. Through another broker Clay hired the crew of ten men, sight unseen, right off the docks of Manila: a group of brothers, cousins, and uncles with the last name of Mangabay, among whom the broker guaranteed that there were no murderers, or at least no convicted murderers, and only petty thieves. The eldest uncle, Ray Mangabay, who would be Clay's first mate, would sail the ship to Honolulu, where Clay would meet them. â€Å"He's going to be driving my ship,† Clay said to Clair after he'd gotten the news that he had a crew and a first mate. â€Å"You have to let your ship go, Clay,† Clair said. â€Å"If he sinks it, it wasn't really yours.† â€Å"But it's my ship.† â€Å"What are you going to call it?† He was thinking about the Intrepid or the Merciless or some other big-dick, blow-shit-up kind of name. He was thinking about Loyal or Relentless or the Never Surrender, because he was determined now to find his friend, and he didn't mind putting that right on the bow. â€Å"Well, I was thinking about – ; â€Å"You were thinking deeply about it, weren't you?† Clair interrupted. â€Å"Yes, I thought I'd call her the Beautiful Clair.† â€Å"Just the Clair will be fine, baby. You don't want the bow to look busy.† â€Å"Right. The Clair.† Strangely enough, on second thought, that pretty much encompassed Intrepid, Merciless, Relentless, and Loyal. Plus, it had the underlying meaning of keeper of the booty, which was sort of a bonus in a ship name, he thought. â€Å"Yeah, that's a good name for her.† â€Å"How long before she gets here?† â€Å"Two weeks. She's not fast. Twelve knots cruising. If we have somewhere to go, I'll send the ship directly there and meet it at a port along the way.† â€Å"Well, now that she's called the Clair, I hope they bring her in safe.† â€Å"My ship,† Clay said anxiously. â€Å"So,† Nate said, â€Å"You're what, in your nineties? A hundred?† â€Å"Don't look it, do I?† Amy posed: a coquettish half curtsy with a Betty Boop bump at the end. Indeed, it would have been a spry move for a woman in her nineties. Nate was really glad he was sitting down, but he missed the sensation he would have had of needing to sit down. â€Å"Your whole attraction was based on my age, wasn't it?† She sat across from him. â€Å"You were working out your male menopause on the fantasy of my young body. Somehow you were going to try to recapture your youth. Once again you'd feel like more than a footnote to humanity. You'd be virile and vital and relevant and all alpha male, just because a younger – and decidedly luscious, I might add – woman had chosen you, right?† â€Å"Nuh-uh,† Nate said. She was wrong, right? â€Å"Wow, Nate, were you on the debate team at Moose Dirt U? I mean, your talent –  » â€Å"Sasketchewan in the Sticks,† he corrected. â€Å"So the age thing? It's a problem?† â€Å"You're like a hundred. My grandma isn't even a hundred, and she's dead.† â€Å"No, I'm not really that old.† She grinned and reached across the table, took his hand. â€Å"It's okay, Nate. I'm not Amelia Earhart.† â€Å"You're not?† Nate felt his lungs expand, as if a steel band around his chest had broken. He'd been taking tiny yip breaths, but now oxygen was returning to his brain. Funny, he was pretty sure that none of the other women he'd been with had been Amelia Earhart either, but he didn't remember feeling quite so relieved about it before. â€Å"Well, I should have known. I mean, you don't look anything like the pictures. No goggles.† â€Å"I was just messin' with you. I'm her daughter. Ha!† â€Å"Stop it! This isn't funny, Amy. If you're trying to make a point, you've made it. Yes, you're an attractive young woman, and maybe your youth's a part of why I'm attracted to you, but that's just biology. You can't blame me for that. I didn't make a move on you, I didn't harass you when we were working together. I treated you exactly as I would have treated any research assistant, except maybe you got away with more because I liked you. You can't ridicule me for responding to you sexually down here when you came on to me. The rules had changed.† â€Å"I'm not ridiculing you. Amelia Earhart really is my mother.† â€Å"Stop it.† â€Å"You want to meet her?† Nate searched her face for signs of a grin or a tremble in her throat that might indicate the rise of an Amy Ha! Nothing there, just that little bit of sweetness that she usually tried to hide. â€Å"So somehow, living down here, you haven't aged. Your mother?† â€Å"We age, but not like on the surface. I was born in 1940. I'm about the same number of years older than you than you were older than me a half hour ago – kinda sorta. You going to dump me?† â€Å"It's so hard to believe.† â€Å"Why, after you've seen all this? You've seen what the Goo can do. Why is it so hard to believe that I'm sixty-four?† â€Å"Well, for one, you're so immature.† â€Å"Shut up. I'm young at heart.† â€Å"But for a second there I was so sure we were doomed.† Nate rubbed his temples – trying to stretch them, maybe – to make his head bigger to hold the whole concept of Amy's being sixty-four. â€Å"No, it's okay, we just haven't gotten to that yet. We're still doomed.† â€Å"Oh, thank goodness,† Nate said. â€Å"I was worried.† Later, after they had pushed the world away for a while, made love and napped in each other's arms, Amy made a move to start another round, and Nate awoke to an immediate and uncertain anxiety. â€Å"Are we really doomed?† he asked. â€Å"Oh, goddamn it Nate!† She was straddling him, so she was able to get a good windup before thumping him hard in the chest with her fist. â€Å"That's just un-fucking-professional!† Nate thought about how the praying mantis female will sometimes bite off the male's head during copulation and how the male's body continues to mate until the act is finished. â€Å"Sorry,† he said. She rolled off him and stared up at dim strips of green luminescence on the ceiling. â€Å"It's okay. I didn't mean to bite your head off.† â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"Yes, we're probably doomed. We're doomed for the same reason that I look the way I do, that most of the Goos look much younger than we really are. Turn a gene on, you age; turn it off, you don't. I've even seen some people down here who seem to get younger. Flip a switch, pancreatic cancer at age twenty-two; flip another, you can smoke four packs a day and live to be a hundred. If the Goo thinks that the human race is a danger to it, it just has to flip a switch, pick a gene, make a virus, and the human race would blink out. I hadn't really thought about it as a threat before. My whole life I've worked for the Goo. Service, you know? It takes care of us. It's the source.† He didn't know what to say. Did he need to actually take the Colonel's request for help seriously? Did he need to help find a way to kill this amazing creature in order to save his own species? â€Å"Amy, I don't know what to do. Two days ago I just wanted to get out of here. Now? The Colonel and you both said I was lucky to be alive. Has the Goo killed people who were close to finding out about it?† â€Å"Honestly, I don't know. I've never seen it or heard of it happening, but I – we – each just do our own part down here. We don't ask a lot of questions. Not because we're told not to or anything – it's just that you can live a long time without asking yourself big questions when your needs are looked after.† For the first time Nate could see the experience of years in Amy's face, marked not by wrinkles but by a shadow in her eyes. â€Å"I'm asking,† he said. â€Å"Do I think the Goo is ethically capable of killing the human race?† â€Å"I guess.† â€Å"I don't even know if the Goo has ethics, Nate. According to the Colonel, it's just a vehicle for genes and we're just vehicles for memes and nature says that a head-on collision is inevitable. What if it's not? This battle has supposedly gone on for millions of years, and now the Colonel wants to force an endgame? What I do know is that you've got to talk him out of trying to kill it.† â€Å"But he's your leader.† â€Å"Yeah, but he didn't tell any of us about this. I think he's doubting his own judgment. So am I.† â€Å"But you said that it could kill everyone on the planet at the flick of a switch.† â€Å"Yeah.† She rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow. â€Å"You hungry? I'm hungry.† â€Å"I could eat.†

Lindbergh essays

Lindbergh essays Lindberghs nonstop flight across the Atlantic was successful because of his knowledge, his experience, his thoroughness and his luck. Lindbergh had been a stunt pilot on the barnstorming circuit and had flown and navigated mail planes for years. So when he set out to win the twenty five thousand dollar prize offered for the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic, he knew he had enough experience to do it. Now he would have to pick the right plane. He studied all the planes available. With a lot of research and prayer he chose the Ryan Monoplane. Lindbergh had the plane modified, and personally supervised all the modifications. The planes wingspan was extended ten feet to help with take off and all around flight, and also because he might have heard the saying, wider is better. He increased the fuel capacity from fifty to four hundred and fifty gallons. This would allow him to fly the airplane for three hundred miles after he arrived in Paris. He put a two hundred-horse power, radial, air-cooled, Wright Whirlwind engine. The plane now had a top speed of one hundred thirty miles per hour. He added stronger landing gear to support the changes he had made, and he replaced the cockpit seat with a cane chair to further reduce weight. Lindbergh was twenty-five years old when he flew from Long Island, New York to Orly Airport in Paris. He navigated with a magnetic compass and a mariners sextant. He had no radio because the radios were as big as cows back then and also because there was nothing good on the radio then anyway. He brought a bottle of water and five sandwiches: two ham, two beef, and one egg with mayonnaise. After leaving Long Island, the first land Lindbergh saw was Ireland, just as he had planned. He arrived at Orly Airport in Paris after about thirty hours. After the flight Lindbergh was made a hero. Songs of bravery were written about him. One of the most popular was lucky lind ...

Free Essays on Decency Vs Success

‘Being loyal and honest really gets you nowhere these days,’ ponders Tom, reflecting on recent events. It was going to be a hectic week for Tom and his work partner and best friend Jim since their boss requested a new plan for a presentation that would â€Å"make or break† their careers. With only two days until the deadline Tom pulled an â€Å"all-niter† at his office. Jim should have helped, but he had a dinner date with his wife that he said he could not break. By three in the morning Tom felt extreme confidence in his creative new plan for the presentation and called it a night. With only three hours of sleep Tom went into work the next morning exhausted, yet excited to tell Jim his plan for their presentation. After hearing the idea Jim replied with only a simple, â€Å"Sounds good,† then went into his office. Later on that afternoon in a meeting Tom and Jim’s Boss stood up and applauded Jim on his new plan for the presentation (rea lly Tom’s idea) and told Tom that he could learn a thing or two from his friend Jim. Although success ethics have been instilled in Americans for centuries, lately these ethics of how to earn a dollar seem to cross the line of what it means to be decent and moral. There are many examples of why we Americans praise success the way we do. For example, when our nation became independent we (the people) decided that America would stand for optimism, success, and over-all freedom. These theories are the ones that have always stuck with us since elementary school. So is it understandable that we compromise our self-worth and values for success? Maybe, because it is at the heart of our nation, or maybe it is not understandable because compromising our values for a dollar would not make us that far off from any bounty hunter or hooker. If only we could shine the spotlight on the opportunity cost of our decisions when it comes down to the true price of success. Many people lately find them... Free Essays on Decency Vs Success Free Essays on Decency Vs Success ‘Being loyal and honest really gets you nowhere these days,’ ponders Tom, reflecting on recent events. It was going to be a hectic week for Tom and his work partner and best friend Jim since their boss requested a new plan for a presentation that would â€Å"make or break† their careers. With only two days until the deadline Tom pulled an â€Å"all-niter† at his office. Jim should have helped, but he had a dinner date with his wife that he said he could not break. By three in the morning Tom felt extreme confidence in his creative new plan for the presentation and called it a night. With only three hours of sleep Tom went into work the next morning exhausted, yet excited to tell Jim his plan for their presentation. After hearing the idea Jim replied with only a simple, â€Å"Sounds good,† then went into his office. Later on that afternoon in a meeting Tom and Jim’s Boss stood up and applauded Jim on his new plan for the presentation (rea lly Tom’s idea) and told Tom that he could learn a thing or two from his friend Jim. Although success ethics have been instilled in Americans for centuries, lately these ethics of how to earn a dollar seem to cross the line of what it means to be decent and moral. There are many examples of why we Americans praise success the way we do. For example, when our nation became independent we (the people) decided that America would stand for optimism, success, and over-all freedom. These theories are the ones that have always stuck with us since elementary school. So is it understandable that we compromise our self-worth and values for success? Maybe, because it is at the heart of our nation, or maybe it is not understandable because compromising our values for a dollar would not make us that far off from any bounty hunter or hooker. If only we could shine the spotlight on the opportunity cost of our decisions when it comes down to the true price of success. Many people lately find them...

Quotations for Boss Appreciation Day

Quotations for Boss Appreciation Day America and Canada have set aside 16 October (or the nearest working day) to celebrate Boss Appreciation Day. Employees think of innovative ways to express their  gratitude  to their bosses. Some say it with cards and flowers; others like to throw lavish parties. The first ever Boss Day was observed in 1958. That year, Patricia Bays Haroski, a secretary at the State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois, registered National Boss Day. Four years later, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner realized the importance of this occasion. National Boss Day became official in 1962. Today, the concept of Boss Day has spread to other countries too. Observing Boss Appreciation Day Boss Day  can be just another excuse for fawning employees to win favors from their manager who controls their promotions and salary incentives. Often, celebrations can reach comical proportions, where employees fall over each other, trying to outdo their gestures. But an astute boss rarely falls for such sycophantic advances. Instead of smiling down on the toadies, good bosses reward the best workers on their team. The retail industry has shown a burgeoning commercial interest in Boss Day. Retail giants have swooped in to cash in on the card  and gift sales. Merchandise such as mugs proclaiming No. 1 Boss to cards announcing Happy Boss Day generate tremendous revenues, as buyers throng to woo their bosses. You dont need to burn a hole in your pocket to impress your boss. Drop a  Thank You  note on their desk, share a meal, or simply wish your boss with a Happy Boss Day card. Good and Bad Bosses Bill Gates famously said, If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesnt have tenure.  Your boss is the first point of contact with the corporate world. If you have a great boss, you can smoothly sail through the rest of your work life. However, if you have a bad boss, well, you can hope to learn from lifes challenges. On Boss Day share this tongue-in-cheek quotation by motivational speaker Byron Pulsifer: If it wasnt for bad bosses, I wouldnt know what a good one was like. A bad boss makes you appreciate the worth of a good one. Dennis A. Peer highlighted one way to separate the good bosses from the bad when he said, One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you. The boss is just a reflection of his team. The stronger the boss, the more resilient the team. With these  Boss Day quotes, you can understand the role of bosses in the workplace. Your Boss May Need the Motivation It is not easy being the boss. You may hate your boss decisions, but at times, your boss has to swallow the bitter pill and play the hard taskmaster. Even the best bosses need recognition. Bosses feel reassured when their employees respond to them positively. Dale Carnegie, the best-selling author of How to Win Friends and Influence People said, There is only one way... to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the other person want to do it. This quote about bosses reveals your boss well-kept secret. A bad manager may simply dump a project in your inbox; a good manager persuades you that the project will be good for your career. Appreciate Your Boss Leadership Qualities Compliment your boss on her  leadership skills. As Warren Bennis said, Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. Emulate Your Success-Oriented Boss Is your boss good at his job or is he just plain lucky? You might think it is the latter, but if you see a pattern of successes, you will realize that your boss methodology actually works. Learn from his insights, and understand the way he thinks. You can gain valuable insight with his mentorship. A positive outlook, a never-say-die attitude, and a constant drive for greater accomplishment pave the road to success. Are You Stuck With a Boss From Hell? Short of getting transferred or switching jobs, there is precious little you can do about a good-for-nothing boss. You can only hope that his superiors will see the light and strip him of his managerial powers. If you have a disorganized or unreasonable manager, you will have to work around his flaws. So, tune out the negative thoughts and refresh your mind with positive thinking. A good sense of humor will bail you out of misery. On bad days when Murphys Law rules, entertain you with this hilarious Homer Simpson quote, Kill my boss? Do I dare live out the American dream? Look at the Bright Side Fortunately, most bosses have their plus points too. That disorganized superior may be a  creative genius. That conniving manager could be a whiz with numbers. That lazy boss may never breathe down your neck. Assess your boss talent and efficiency by studying his work relationships. Good bosses earn respect from their colleagues and team members. Cary Grant said, Probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues. This quote about respect provides great insight into workplace equations. How to Manage Your Boss Bosses are of different breeds and they come in all sizes and shapes. The best way to manage your boss is to let her know that you are by her side. Be the problem-solver, not the whining child. You will win her confidence by sorting out her problems along with your own. Make Boss Day a special occasion to strengthen the boss-employee relationship. Raise a glass in honor of your favorite boss. Remember the words of J. Paul Getty who said, The employer generally gets the employees he deserves.

Outline the development of Britain's relationship with the Essay

Outline the development of Britain's relationship with the Commonwealth and discuss whether this organisation still has any relevance today - Essay Example Except Mozambique and Rwanda, all of the Commonwealth member countries were once part of the British Empire. The Commonwealth member states operate within a framework of common values and goals like the promotion of democracy, human rights, better governance, individual liberty, free trade, etc as outlined in the Singapore Declaration. Even though the member countries have diverse social, political, economical, and cultural backgrounds, all members enjoy equal status in Commonwealth. Even Britain enjoys the same status only like the other member states even though, as a courtesy, the member states give the opportunity to inaugurate commonwealth events to the British monarch. It should be remembered that the recently concluded Delhi commonwealth games 2010 was inaugurated by Indian president and the British monarch, Charles jointly. Commonwealth activities were carried out by the commonwealth secretariat headed by a secretary general. Even though Britain and its allies succeeded in winning the second world war, the after effects of that war was so profound so that the British empire started to show signs of exhaustion. Anti-Colonial movements and their agitations against Britain attained momentum after the Second World War. India, the largest colony of Britain succeeded in getting independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Apart from the Asian region, Britain forced to give independence to the African countries also in the 1960’s. The granting of independence to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) in the 1980’s marked almost the end of the decolonization process started after the Second World War. The British national identity started to exhaust after the decolonization. Earlier, British people have shown immense pride of ruling the world, in their approaches, attitudes and dealings. After decolonization, they have realized that Britain has not much role in the global

OB week 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OB week 7 - Essay Example Behavioral theories of leadership focus on the behavior of individuals, particularly if they could be trained to become leaders if they do not possess any specific leadership traits. Various independent factors come into play when determining leadership behavior, most notably a pro-target or considerate approach, both existing on extreme polar ends. Pro-target leaders are goal-oriented and emphasize on production and output where as considerate leaders may adopt a more democratic style of leadership. Innovation is a distinguishing attribute of a transformational leader who strives to create an environment that encourages individual growth and productivity thereby motivating individuals through availability of greater opportunities (Bass, 1991). Leaders who display consideration and the possession of specific traits have been identified as being effective (Robbins and Judge, 2013). Newer contingency or situational approaches towards leadership focus on the setting or the context of th e leadership scenario which becomes significantly important when considering long-term success. Contingency theories may help better identify present and future leaders through indicators like decision-making, goal-orientation, follower readiness, leader-member relationship, and so on. 2. According to the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, an exclusively low number of individuals forming an in-group receive disproportionately favored as compared to an out-group (Robbins and Judge, 2013). In order to become an in-group member and be treated differently, members must prove that they are reliable, skilled, and most importantly, trustworthy. Leaders tend to trust in-group members more with challenging assignments and projects that require additional skills. Most likely, the in-group members also have a greater chance of promotion due to their relationship with the leader. Maintenance of a good relationship depends largely upon trust and respect which is mutual. The

The Scottish Parliament Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Scottish Parliament - Essay Example On October 9th 2004, the Scottish Parliament building was officially opened, marked by the Queens words, "Holyrood is a landmark for 21st century democracy" (The Scottish Parliament n.d.). Holyroodhouse is the only Scottish Palace that is still used by the Queen as Her Majesty's official residence. As can be inferred, a royal residency with only five centuries of history has been of vast interest of the Scottish. As illustrated in the words of Ian Gow, "[Holyroodhouse] is a picturesque visual experience" (Gow 1998). Gow's furthermore meaning was portrayed in his quote, 'If in spending as much money as we do as a nation on the preservation of our great houses, we are sincerely trying to preserve part of our cultural heritage and not merely providing subjects for Christmas calendars, we must present these houses coherently to the public so that it can indeed learn to appreciate what their true place was in our history' (Gow 1998). It was essential to demonstrate first the status of Holyroodhouse as a Royal residency and its relishing architecture before analyzing the Holyrood Project. From the beginning of the project, there was a lot of controversy going on regarding the Holyrood Project. The Holyrood Project was, in short, building Scotland's new Parliament buildings adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. ... rban archaeological excavation in Scotland's history (The Scottish Parliament n.d.) The Project went on as planned, but the estimating cost of the Project as well as the completion date was completely off tangent. The Project can be discussed in depth, however for the purpose of this paper, only certain stages of procurement with respect to the successes and failures will be analyzed. Procurement: On July of 1998, it was decided that construction management will be adopted as the procurement vehicle and it was also decided that the appointment of a construction manager would be taken at the earliest opportunity (The Holyrood Inquiry n.d.). It was perhaps the most significant decisions taken during the course of the Project to make construction management as the procurement vehicle. It is necessary to understand what the function of the construction management is. It was developed in the late 1980's as a fast-track method of construction procurement. Prior to the construction management, else known as traditional contracting, a design would be completed before the construction work starts and then is put out to tender until a contractor is chosen to carry out that work. However, with construction management, the tendering and construction overlap (The Holyrood Inquiry n.d.) The advantage of construction management is that it speeds up the process; however a big disadvantage is the uncertain cost of the project. As can be seen with the Holyrood Project, speed and cost were both an issue. Around late December of 2003, a well renowned advisor, who had nothing first-hand to do with the project, was called in to consult on the concept construction management. Mr. Colin Carter of independent professional advice and services was appointed to give construction

Recent Credit Problems in the Financial Markets Essay

Recent Credit Problems in the Financial Markets - Essay Example Certainly, since then, this crisis gave way to far-reaching alterations in the Western economies. Still a wide range of questions remain unanswered. People still doubt as to the possible outcome of the integration of international economies and the potential limitations of the free market system in the times to come (Larry, Teather & Treanar 2010). During the beginning of the credit crunch in the financial markets, commoners and experts doubted as to the validity of the capitalism in a highly globalized and interdependent world (Larry, Teather & Treanar 2010). The effigies of bankers were put to flame in mass protests. The skyrocketing interest rates in the United States pushed many middle-class homeowners affiliated to sub-prime mortgages to default on their financial commitments towards their lenders. The news eventually spread like a raging and uncontrollable wildfire as the banks and financial institutions desperately cringed from extending further loans. The statutory bodies and organizations started to pump massive funds into their economies to breach the fast-widening crisis of trust in the financial markets. The small investors begin queuing before the local bank branches to withdraw their savings and investments at the earliest. The situation was marked by a sense of chaos, right from the domestic kitchens to the plush offices of the top-notch banks.The ramifications of the drying up of credit sources were immense. Banks and financial institutions collapsed like packs of cards.

External and internal environments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External and internal environments - Assignment Example Likewise a course of action is enumerated that helps Apple overcome its primary weakness and bypass its biggest threat. A modest attempt is made to understand the resources, capabilities and core competencies of the company. Finally, a value chain analysis of Apple has been conducted to identify the linkages between different primary and secondary activities and also understand how the interaction between these activities leads to sources of competitive advantage. The general environment includes political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects. The technological environment and economic environment of Apple have been discussed in the ensuring paragraphs. Apple operates in a highly competitive and dynamic business environment. The American multinational has developed some immensely popular gadgets like the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod. The company has also diversified into related software applications, operating systems and a variety of accessory and support offerings. Some of the recent innovations from the company include the iTunes Store, iBooks Store and iCloud (Apple, 2014). The technological environment has a monumental affect on the business operations of Apple. The fast rate of change in technology has the potency to render Apple’s products obsolete. The company’s offerings tend to have a short product life cycle as customers demand state-of-the-art products. It is for this reason that Apple has launched numerous generations of the iconic iPhone. Apple recognizes the impact of technological environment on its business and has made new product development central to its business strategy. The company spends a lot of money on research and development (R&D) which helps it in developing innovative products from time to time. Apple spent $ 4,475 million on R&D in 2013, up 32 percent from $3,381 million incurred on R&D in 2012 (Apple,

Recent Credit Problems in the Financial Markets Essay

Recent Credit Problems in the Financial Markets - Essay Example Certainly, since then, this crisis gave way to far-reaching alterations in the Western economies. Still a wide range of questions remain unanswered. People still doubt as to the possible outcome of the integration of international economies and the potential limitations of the free market system in the times to come (Larry, Teather & Treanar 2010). During the beginning of the credit crunch in the financial markets, commoners and experts doubted as to the validity of the capitalism in a highly globalized and interdependent world (Larry, Teather & Treanar 2010). The effigies of bankers were put to flame in mass protests. The skyrocketing interest rates in the United States pushed many middle-class homeowners affiliated to sub-prime mortgages to default on their financial commitments towards their lenders. The news eventually spread like a raging and uncontrollable wildfire as the banks and financial institutions desperately cringed from extending further loans. The statutory bodies and organizations started to pump massive funds into their economies to breach the fast-widening crisis of trust in the financial markets. The small investors begin queuing before the local bank branches to withdraw their savings and investments at the earliest. The situation was marked by a sense of chaos, right from the domestic kitchens to the plush offices of the top-notch banks.The ramifications of the drying up of credit sources were immense. Banks and financial institutions collapsed like packs of cards.

Musculosketetal disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Musculosketetal disorders - Essay Example Alternative methods to manage the interface between primary care and secondary care need to be explored and tested. One such method is multidisciplinary assessment teams so that timely access to pharmacological, nonpharmacological and surgical therapies is streamlined. In view of the aging Canadian population, successful projects in this regard must be deployed as soon as possible (Flook, 2006). The importance of MSD must be highlighted in the U.S. Health care system. The importance of primary care physicians in the management of MSD must be recognized and at the same time, challenges for health professionals and policy makers must be recognized. Since even in the US, the population is aging, the problem is likely to worsen and the brunt of assessment and management of these patients must be borne by family care physicians. Optimal management of patients can be provided by multidisciplinary team assistance. COX-2 selective inhibitors are a form of NSAIDs that directly target enzyme COX-2 that is responsible for pain and inflammation. Examples of this class of drugs are rofecoxib and celecoxib. Concerns when using COX-2 inhibitors are the adverse cardiovascular outcomes (Flook, 2006) like thrombosis, stroke and heart attack. Risk of renal failure is similar to NSAIDs. With NSAIDs, the concerns are gastrointestinal risks and derogatory effect on renal function. Examples of NSAIDs are ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac. Flook, N.W. (2006). Primary Care Physicians and Musculoskeletal Disorders — The Challenges Increase. The Journal of Rheumatology. Retrieved on 20th Feb, 2011 from

Interreligious Dialogue Essay Example for Free

Interreligious Dialogue Essay Dialogue with respect to theological pluralism Statistics show that most of the world’s population is affiliated with some type of religion, with Christianity and Islam encompassing slightly over 50% of the population. Though interreligious dialogue is beneficial in gaining a better understanding of another’s religion, is it possible to hold one’s religion as being the absolute truth while engaging in an open interreligious dialogue with another religion? Many spiritual people will tend to be theological exclusivists, because a lot of the religions are divided and differ in many ways from one another, but they must accept the values and beliefs of other people if they are to remain truly faithful to the conviction of their traditions. Interreligious dialogue in a broad sense is being in communication with someone of a different religion to increase the understanding of one’s own religion or tradition as well as others. Since half of the world’s population is either Christian or Muslim, we will take a look into the differences these religions shares. One of the main issues is developed in Klostermaiers book, In the Paradise of Krishna. It exemplifies some of the differences religions tend to hold, such as the discussion between Muslims and Christians on where the role of Jesus stands in Senestant 2 connection to God. Muslims agree that Jesus was an important figure and served a purpose as a great teacher of righteousness, but fail to see his true connection with God the Father. They claim that he is only a prophet sent by God but not equal to God. The position Klostermaier takes on Jesus, or ‘Son of Man’, is that he is the movement towards God in every being. He is what ultimately allows for us to have a relationship with God. The Son of Man only makes use of two basic distinctions: My Father on the one side everything else on the other. He doesn’t judge people based off of other people’s judgment or the rules set by man, rather he judges people based on their relation to the Father. Klostermaier also wants us to recognize that Christ is not an ‘avatara’. There were many people before Jesus’ time who were sent on this earth to save God’s people from particular calamities that were caused by mankind. Those people were very important because they were chosen by God to do his will. Noah’s obedience to God’s command to salvage humanity by building an arc to withstand the flood or Moses standing up to the Pharaoh and allowing his people to be set free are just a few instances of God’s sons who assisted in salvation. Saying Jesus is the ‘Only Son of God’ is putting a limitation on the abilities of God and not recognizing his full power. It also confuses the Muslim sect because of their belief that God sent many people throughout history who were a source of deliverance from any disaster that was occurring at the time. They are referred to as prophets therefore Jesus must also be a prophet and nothing more. Instead, he wants us to look at Christ as the movement to God Senestant 3 that will grant us ultimate salvation. He is the deciding factor that will determine whether we will enjoy eternity in the promise land or feel the wrath of God as we torment in hell. A second main issue in the book is dialoguing on a daily basis with familiar and unfamiliar religions. Before dialoguing with other people, it’s crucial to have a great understanding on your own religion. It’s very important to study and learn what your beliefs are founded upon, although it’s very time consuming and doesn’t aid in spiritual progress. While it is good to study and familiarize yourself with the religion you are currently practicing, it is also beneficial to converse with others about your religion as well. People tend to only see what’s on the surface because they are uneducated and misguided on certain areas and fail in attempting to delve deeper to find the true meaning of things. As you enter into dialogue with someone of an opposing religion, you must be very open-minded and unbiased to allow each other to learn things that aren’t obvious at first glance. It allows for a different perspective of who you think you are and helps you identify if you’re living and acting according to your beliefs. It’s also important to have inner dialogue with yourself. Meditating and reflecting on the impact our religion have in our lives and in our hearts. Is the essence of Hinduism and Christianity or any other religion we profess just words coming out of our mouths or does it directly impact our lives and allows us to live in peace and unity? These are the questions we must ask ourselves in helping to determine if we’re living in fallacy and wasting our time, or if we’re in accordance to Senestant 4 our beliefs. A starving old Brahmin talked about four kinds of people praying: â€Å"some pray that God should preserve their wealth, others that God should give them wealth. Those who asked for heavens were better; but those who neither had nor wanted riches and did not ask for heaven, but only wished to serve God for his own sake, they were the best. †(Klostermaier 95) Those people who only wished to serve God know of his magnificence and splendor and being connected to that will enhance their spirituality and respect for man and not traditions. This allows anyone from any religion to become like brothers and sisters. â€Å"If we insisted on our theologies – you as a Christian, I as a Hindu – we should be fighting each other. We have found one another because we probed more deeply, towards spirituality. †(Klostermaier 99) A third issue in the book is the idea of three persons in one God. Many established religions view God as being absolute and indescribable because of how minute we are compared to God. Other religions are able to grasp the physical nature of God and give him attributes and qualities which can only be possible if this God was visible. However, Christians hold the position that God is both of these things and can go between each form when necessary. This is seen by God revealing himself through his son Jesus Christ. Through him we’re able to become attached and have understanding of where our beliefs lie. When other religions look at Christianity, they view it as a religion without any real philosophy and that â€Å"it has taken its teachings from everywhere and justifies them by claiming to possess the only true revelation, to Senestant 5 dispense the only salvation† (Klostermaier 29). Therefore they see it as being immature when relating to religion. They even go as far as saying they’re uneducated on their religion therefore they can’t hold intelligent conversations and go in depth on the various issues that involve religion. I found this to be very true because as a Christian myself, I attempted to discuss religion with one of my atheist friends. After a few minutes went by, I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought. It led me to examining what I believed in and why. Towards the end of the conversation, I grew more respect for people who weren’t adapted to a particular religion and understood there’s a lot that can be learned from them. It showed me the unimportance of the different sects of religion and only claiming to a religion without close examination of it will lead to immaturity and idiocy. As a Sikh professor in Klostermaier’s book says, â€Å"Religion cannot be proved by logic – religion is inner experience. †(Klostermaier 31) This inner experience is affirmed through meditation as well as the various acts of people around you whom you have no association with. When looking at theological exclusivism versus pluralism, it is confusing as to whether they are relevant in deciding whether to converse with people of different religions. Looking only at theological exclusivism, it is the theological position that holds to the finality of the Christian faith in Christ. The finality of Christ means that there is no salvation outside the Christian faith. By definition, exclusivism seems to be self-contradictory. It contains the fact that Senestant 6 human beings are limited in the amount of knowledge they have and are unable to understand the infinite(God) to its fullness. However, followers of this concept are not restricted in believing that they are the only people that have the ability to be connected to God. They look at people of other religions as being infidels, not actually having a religious belief. They also claim to be the ones most devoted to God, when in all actuality; they are just followers of religious doctrine, created by man. Though the Bible was created by man, it was said to be created through spiritual guidance of the Most High. Every religious person who looks at the Bible sees it as being full of truth, which by nature is exclusivist. So everyone who follows the rules and guidelines the Bible have set in place is partially exclusivist. Since the Bible is considered as be exclusivist, it is only right to dwell on some of teachings it talks about. It talks about a God, who is full of mercy and compassion, one who loves all of his children and continues to love them through all the sins they have committed and continue to commit. It is a God that loved us so much that, â€Å"he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. † (Stoughton 897) A God of this nature does not sound like a God that will only come to save those who believe in Christ. Although that was his only ‘begotten son’, they are many people who do not have the opportunity to believe in such a religion. This can be caused by the way the person was rought up, or where the person was brought up, in which case Christianity was not the religion of choice. They are also instances of when someone dies prematurely and does not Senestant 7 have the opportunity to have a true relationship with Christ Jesus. These people shouldn’t be and are not exempt from the sanctifying grace of God. Th is is a God who created all of mankind in his image and likeness, so that everyone will have the ability to be saved. â€Å"God must be seen at the center of religions / The pluralistic contention is that all religions are fundamentally the same though superficially different. (Hick 42) The pluralist believes that the world religions are true and equally valid in their communication of the truth about God, the world, and salvation. This is also backed by the Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions, which says that other religions possess â€Å"validity and truth in their own right / These religions are understood as different cultural reflections or expressions of the same divine reality and as such constitute legitimate ways to God† (Larousse 437). This seems to make the most logical sense because we are not sole-bearers of the truth. We were only created to praise and give worship to the Almighty. Since this is true, we will all have our own understanding and interpretations about who God is, what our place is in this world and why we were created, and the steps in receiving salvation. At the core of our beliefs we hold the same truths, but slightly differ in minor details. Some examples are the day in which we should attend mass or how often we should pray. Yes these things are important and are what gives meaning to our life, but God only requires us to recognize who he is and the impact he has in our lives. By whatsoever way men worship Me, even so do I accept them; for, in all ways, O Partha, men walk in My path. † Senestant 8 (Bhagavad-Gita 4. 11) God is evident in all religions that have him in its center. As long as his followers stay true to the doctrine their religion provides, God will have favor on them. Many of the religions out there share these commonalities so they should be treated with equa lity when evaluating their doctrine with respect to God. In the sense of interreligious dialogue, the idea of being a theological exclusivist is irrelevant. It does not bring anything meaningful to the table when people of two different religions come together. Rather it would just be hurtful banter between the opposing religions and nothing worthwhile will be accomplished. Since by definition, an exclusivist can only view their religion and belief as being the only one which holds the absolute truth, to deviate from this by indulging in conversations that can potential alter that belief is dangerous and when placed in a position like that, mockery will be imminent. The only way the strengthen interreligious dialogue is through a pluralist outlook. They both go hand in hand, in that a pluralist will be very open to dialogue. This will increase their knowledge of not only the other person’s religion but also one’s own, since they both stem from the same root. Senestant 9 Works Cited 1)Goring, Rosemary, Frank Whaling, John Marshall, and David Brogan. Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions. Edinburgh: Larousse, 1994. Print. 2)Lopresti, Matthew. INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM: A Philosophical Critique of Pope Benedict XVI and the Fall of Religious Absolutism (Matthew LoPresti) Academia. edu. Hawaii Pacific University Academia. du. Hawaii Pacific University. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. . 3)Marbaniang, Domenic. Theology Of Religions: Pluralism, Inclusivism, Exclusivism  « Earthpages. org. Earthpages. org. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. . 4)Bhagavadgita. Lewiston, N. Y. [u. a. : Edwin Mellen Pr. , 2010. Print. 5)Klostermaier, Klaus, and Antonia Fonseca. In the Paradise of Krishna: Hindu and Christian Seekers. Ph iladelphia: Westminster, 1969. Print. 6)Hick, John. God and the Universe of Faiths : Essays in the Philosophy of Religion. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1988. Print. 7)NIV Bible. London: Hodder Stoughton, 1997. Print.

Learning And Communicating Online Education Essay

Learning And Communicating Online Education Essay The purpose of this paper was to express the extent of agreement with collaborative learning approaches. Thorough research on the subject of collaboration and the methods that are implemented by educators proved that there are more positives than negatives. This paper delves deep into the information that was discovered along the journey. The information contained within will help to prove that collaboration is a valuable tool for learning. This paper focuses on the importance of teaching students from a young age to work in collaboration with their peers. It shows that there is a wealth of information for students of all ages to learn from one another while participating collaboratively. It also points out the importance of working in groups to build on a students social, management and inquisitive skills. Collaboration will assist students in building upon the knowledge that they already have. Like all things in life, for every positive there is a negative and this report also covers a few of those negative points. Learning environments have changed progressively over the past 10 years. Continued use of antiquated methods, of instruction is harming students, and not allowing students to explore their full potential. The traditional whole class approach to education has outgrown its usefulness. Whole class instruction was a product of the industrial revolution to provide education to the masses (Shachar 2005). Years ago, the path to higher education was something that people undertook in their younger years, now higher education is something that is carried out by people of all ages and backgrounds. There is an assortment of training options available now to anybody that wants to further their education. They include; traditional on campus (full or part time), work based training (apprenticeship / traineeship), or an online degree (with no physical contact hours at all). Education has ventured out of the class room and into the virtual world. This change in educational venue has also seen the way that students are encouraged to learn develop. With the evolution of education, has come the growing interest in online degrees. The way that students participate with others while undertaking these online degrees, is collaboratively over the internet. Collaboration is a key to achieving goals. Because it allows students to build on knowledge they already possess, by interacting with other students. It is a way to receive feedback from their peers and educator in a less formal way than within the classroom. Although there are negatives to collaboration, according to the research conducted, the positives outweigh the negatives. Students learn how to interact in a professional manner within their learning groups and they build on their social and management skills. Collaborative learning can be defined as an instructional method in which students work together in small groups towards a common goal. Co-operative learning is defined as a structured form of group work where students pursue common goals but are assessed individually. Co-operative learning can be encompassed within the definition of collaborative learning (Prince 2013). Collaboration implemented in the early years of learning builds a foundation for success, both at school and in life. It can provide a positive attitude towards school and learning. Collaboration also teaches students how other people think (Battistich, Watson 2005), and build a set of skills that will be useful throughout their school years and into their careers. Co-operative learning reduces the gap between students, it has been found to provide significant support to students who are slow learners (Shachar 2005). Through collaboration, students are interacting with others from different backgrounds and learning abilities. The diversity that students are faced with is of particular benefit to their learning (McWhaw et al. 2005). Collaboration provides students with the opportunity to verbalise their thoughts and to analyse other peoples ideas. These thoughts facilitate understanding through cognitive restructuring on those who teach learn the most. Group members not only capitalise on the interaction between themselves and their peers but they learn how to problem solve by participating in the groups collective thoughts (Terwel 2005). Students find that when receiving feedback from their peers throughout their educational journey, that their learning experience is enriched. They feel as though they have a better knowledge of the information that has been presented to them and that their retention levels of new subject matter are greater. Collaboration represents an interaction where students are given more power over their learning than traditional methods (McWhaw et al. 2005). It is a method, in which students are their own time keepers. Students are able to invest as much time as they feel is necessary to achieve their goals. A common way of teaching students to work collaboratively is to assign them to groups to work through a problem. Groups have a greater potential to solve complex problems in challenging contexts, they bring more knowledge, skill and experience to the work than any individual could (Hackman, 2011). When working in small groups, there are various methods that can be utilised to help establish a sense of community and interaction between students. These include; case studies, role-playing, debates and threaded discussions (Lou, Macgregor 2004). For groups to be successful, the students must have a set plan of action. They need to allocate tasks to individual group members, and know that the task will be completed. A specific skill set should be utilised by the students to ensure that they are benefitting from the group sessions. Students will need to show that they are able to be open, have good leadership (able to follow instructions as well as give them), be inquisitive (ask for clarification from other group members regarding information provided by them) and show that they have good judgement (Bosworth 1994). With the development of social media and other online mediums, it has been increasingly easier for educators to set collaborative tasks for students. Online mediums such as BlackboardTM, Adobe Connect and Collaborate are integral parts of educator controlled collaboration. Weekly tasks are posted to blackboard for completion by the students. The activities ask for members of the group to actively participate in posting the answers to the said activity, and to provide feedback on a post, or to ask a question of fellow students. Adobe Connect and Collaborate are two programs that work in similar ways. They both provide an online platform for lectures / tutorials. These sessions are held by educators in regards to assignments and instructional information; they are beneficial for students to attend. It allows them the opportunity to ask real time questions of their peers and educator in relation to the information that is being presented. There is also the opportunity to ask any relevant questions in relation to the subject, and to be provided with an answer on the spot from a peer or educator. Social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter) are morphing into new channels for collaboration and innovation. They are increasingly tapping into the collaborative mindset in ways that continue to evolve (Moore, Neely 2011). Take students at Swinburne University for example. They have set up Facebook groups (which are independent from the university) for subjects that are offered by Swinburne. Students from a subject are welcome to join the particular group for the said subject. Within these groups, students have contact with other students who are studying the same subject, but may be from a different online learning group. These subject groups on Facebook are a wealth of knowledge. The students ability to be able to ask a question or an opinion from a myriad of students, gives them access to a broader knowledge base. Students within these groups also share information that they think may be of benefit to other students. As a result of questioning the effectiveness of collaboration in approaches to learning, it was found that there are negatives with collaborative learning. It has been noted that students feel as though greater involvement by all students within their online groups would make weekly activities more relevant to their studies. Collaboration is only as good as the involvement of students. If activities are only completed by a few students, then the benefits of the activity are going to be low. The greater the involvement, the more beneficial it is going to be. As the collaborative process is still evolving, there will always remain an element of unpredictability within the group environment. Students may find it hard to overcome their learning style that is their mindset. Some may find it easier to work alone and others may rebel and refuse to work with individuals within the group (Banerjee 2012). It was found that those who are rebellious are more likely to be high achieving students. These students do not want their grades to be effected by other students (Shachar 2005). Students working within groups may feel as though they are the ones doing the heavy lifting. There could be students within the group that do not contribute as much as other students. The act of not performing up to scratch is commonly referred to as social loafing. The challenge with groups is to identify what it takes for groups to exploit their considerable potential while avoiding the dysfunctions that await the unwary (Hackman, 2011). In conclusion, thorough research was conducted on the subject of collaborative approaches to learning. While carrying out the research for this paper, it became quite clear from the outset that there are more positives in relation to collaboration than negatives. When students collaborate, they are interacting with people from different backgrounds and learning abilities. Research showed that the implementation of collaborative exercises in the early years of a students education assisted them in gaining a positive attitude to learning, and to build a foundation for success in both school and life. One of the most common ways of collaboration in an online medium is to place the students in small learning groups. The communication that happens in these collaborative groups, gives students the opportunity to verbalise their thoughts, ask questions of their fellow group members and analyse other peoples ideas. Students that work within these groups, have the ability to solve more complex problems within a quicker time period. Social media and other online mediums have contributed to the accessibility of collaboration for students. Not only are online sessions set by educators for the students to attend, but there is a greater occurrence of student led collaboration through mediums such as Facebook and Twitter. This new age in technology will continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace in the future, bringing with it more ways for students to enhance their learning experience. Research showed that there are negatives in relation to collaboration. There is an element of unpredictability with the group environment. Students working within these groups may feel as though they are contributing more than others. Some students find that it is easier to work alone (their learning style dictates this), while others may be rebellious and refuse to work with members of the group. The contributing factor to this theory is that high achieving students do not want their grades to be effected by the work carried out amongst the group. Students also feel as though a larger contribution from all students in their online groups would be of greater benefit. The old adage of more is better, is correct in this instance. With the involvement of only a few, there isnt as much information to be absorbed by the students. Once again, in conclusion the research carried out in relation to this paper, has proven that collaboration is important to learning.

The Character of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE English Literature

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created. From the moment we meet the crestfallen Prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his father's death with consuming outrage and righteous indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the pontificating lord chamberlain, Polonius. He uses the fragile and innocent Ophelia as an outlet for his disgust towards the Queen, and cannot comprehend that his own vicious words have caused her insanity. Hamlet is full of faults. But unlike Macbeth, who has committed murder and, as a direct consequence, has been relegated to the heap of weak-willed villains, Hamlet has remained a demigod of sorts -- his faults having been quashed under his good qualities. What are Haml et's good qualities? How is it that even seemingly negative qualities like indecisiveness, hastiness, hate, brutality, and obsession can enhance Hamlet's position as a tragic hero -- a 'prince among men'? To answer these questions we must journey with Hamlet from beginning to end, and examine the many facets of his character.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Our first impression of Hamlet sets the tone for the whole play. Even without Shakespeare providing an elaborate description of Hamlet's features, we can envision his pale face, tousled hair, and intense, brooding eyes. Dressed totally in black, Hamlet displays all the 'forms, moods and shapes of grief'. His mother cannot help but notice Hamlet's outward appearance of mourning, but Hamlet makes it clear that the overt signs o... ...ally die, it is his princely qualities that make the lasting imprint in our minds. Hamlet remains The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword, The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form The observ'd of all observers (III.i.153-56)          Bibliography Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1966). Burnett, Mark, ed. New Essays on Hamlet. (New York: AMS Press, 1994). Evans Lloyd Gareth. Shakespeare IV. (London: Oxford university Press, 1967). Granville-Barker, Henry. Prefaces to Shakespeare.3 (New York, Hill and Wang, 1970). Loske, Olaf. Outrageous Fortune. (Oslo: Oslo University Press, 1960). Muir, Kenneth. Shakespeare and the Tragic Pattern, Proceedings of the British Academy, Vol.XLIV (London: Oxford University Press, 1958).

Criticism of Philosophers

There are many great philosophers who have had many great ideas over the centuries. These philosophers have had their ideas passed down to many people through the centuries, decades, and years. Fredric Nietzsche, Rene Decartes, and Socrates are philosophers that many philosophy students study. However, not everybody likes or agrees with these philosophers philosophies. The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the three philosophers’ lives, work, and philosophies. Also, in this paper there will be criticism of each of the philosophers.Let’s begin with a discussion of Socrates. Socrates was a Greek philosopher who taught another Greek philosopher named Plato. Even though Socrates is thought to be a great Greek philosopher, we have none of his writings. Therefore, many Greek scholars are not sure whether what is on the page is what Socrates taught Plato or Plato’s own thoughts. Socrates’ background is interesting, but now let’s talk ab out some of Socrates’ philosophical views. Derek Johnston claims that Socrates thought that there was much good in the world; however he believed that virtue was the ultimate good.Johnston goes on to claim that Socrates firmly believed that no outside source could deprive people of virtue (Johnston, 2006, 11). In short, Socrates was mostly concerned with the branch of philosophy called ethics. Socrates also firmly believed that the quest for knowledge was the most important thing and by obtaining knowledge about things is the only way people become truly virtuous. Johnston also claims that Socrates was also attempting to find the true meaning of ethical words such as â€Å"true†, â€Å"good†, and â€Å"beautiful† using the question and answer method of inquiry.He also held firm that Socrates’ main belief was that knowledge equals virtue which can and is obtained through reason. In fact, Socrates held strongly that any opinion that someone had that wasn’t based on reason should be discarded (Johnston, 2006, 11). Rene Descartes’’ philosophy seemed to be based on doubt and certainty. Decartes began to build his philosophical stance by doubting everything that could be doubted. But, even Decartes believed that there were things that couldn’t be called into question.The things that Decartes believed couldn’t be called into question were his existence and the existence of God. Decartes believed that his existence couldn’t be doubted because he was sitting down thinking about whether or not he existed, among other things. Therefore, he believed that if he doubted things then, he must exist. In other words, Decartes believed he thought therefore he was. He more famously put it as;† I think therefore I am. † The Latin for this saying is Cogito Ergo Sum (Johnston, 2006, 76).This argument is sometimes simply known as Cogito. Decartes also was a rationalist. Rationalists believe that there are things that have to be true and that there are things that have to be false. He also believed in the existence of God. His argument for the existence of God basically says that imperfect beings, which are humans, depend on their existence both beginning and continuing upon a perfect being which is God. In addition, according to Johnston, Decartes believed that minds are separate things from bodies (Johnston, 2006, 77).Both Socrates and Friedrich Nietzsche had a philosophical view that was based on ethics. Nietzsche was big on morality. He wished to locate a materialistic basis for his moral principles. At the beginning of his ethics, he believed that both good and evil were simply ways of illustrating that some actions were good for society and other actions were bad and didn’t benefit society. But, later he thought of good and evil in absolute teams (Johnston, 2006, 142). Nietzsche attacks philosophy from an ethical standpoint; however, he promoted only two sets of ethical values.One ethical value was pride in oneself and ruthlessness and philosophy, music, and poetry. Nietzsche thought there were some good ethical qualities that human beings could achieve however; he believed that all human beings could strive to get the good moral qualities but only a few exceptional human beings could actually get those good moral qualities. According to Johnston, Nietzsche’s noble man will have a cruel will and will sacrifice his fellow men. In addition, his noble man will be both disciplined and cunning in war (Johnston, 2006, 145).Nietzsche’s greatest philosophical view is called the Will to Power. Nietzsche’s Will to Power is the ultimate source of both what is and what will be for human beings. Strong people will be able to get the will to power and weaker people will not be able to get the will to power. According to Johnston, Nietzsche’s will to power allows people’s current moral judgments and values which are the moral judgments and values of society to be washed away forever. Then, and only, then can a new set of pure moral values and judgments emerge (Johnston, 2006, 147).In addition, a hero for Nietzsche is a man who rises above and beyond his fellow humans by the strength and will of his own powers be them physical or mental or both. His hero will never be sorry for his superiority; in fact he should relish and rejoice in it. Compare and Contrast It may seem as if because Socrates, Rene Decartes, and Fredric Nietzsche were born and lived at different times and in different centuries that none of these three philosophers’ philosophical views would have similarities to them. However, there are similarities to these three philosophers’ philosophies.Rest assured that there are differences in these three philosophers’ philosophies, but first let’s focus on the similarities of these three philosophers philosophical viewpoints. Both Socrates and Fredric Nietzsche su bscribe to the school of philosophy called ethics. In fact, according to Johnston, Socrates view of life centered mostly on ethics and ethical concerns (Johnston, 2006, 11). Also, both Socrates and Nietzsche tried to find the real meaning of ethical terms such as good, trust, bad, and beautiful by means of asking questions and getting answers.In fact, Socrates used the question and answer method to inquire into many moral definitions and many moral issues such as justice. Nowhere is this question and answer method of philosophical inquiry more apparent than in Plato’s dialogue called The Republic. In Plato’s dialogue The Republic through Socrates Plato explored both the definition of justice and the concept of justice itself. Plato also talked about what philosophy is and the many types of government that is used to run a state. Plato even talked about what he believed was the best form of government.Both Socrates and Nietzsche believed that there was one thing that wo uld make people virtuous. Socrates believed that possessing knowledge and Nietzsche believed that having the strength of will was the ultimate virtue. In addition, both Socrates and Nietzsche also believed that few people will ever achieve either virtue. These are the only similarities between the three philosophers Descartes, Socrates, and Nietzsche. These three philosophers had more differences between them than similarities. Let’s look at thee differences between them now.

Organisational Culture- analysis of Oticon Essay

INTRODUCTION Oticon, a Danish company founded in 1904 was the first company in the world to invent an instrument to help the hearing impaired. In the 1970’s, Oticon was the world’s number one manufacturer of the â€Å"behind the ear† hearing aids. During the 1970’s and 1980’s as the market for â€Å"in the ear† hearing aid grew, Oticon’s fortune suddenly declined and they lost money and market share. The main problem for all of this was that Oticon was a very traditional, departmentalized and slow-moving company. Even though Oticon had 15 sites and 95 distributorships around the world, Oticon was operating in a market dominated by Siemens, Phillips, Sony, 3M and Panasonic and most importantly, Oticon manufactured the â€Å"behind the ear† hearing aid but its customers preferred the â€Å"in the ear† product. Oticon also specialized in analogue technology whilst its customers were moving towards digital technology. In 1988, a new President of Oticon was appointed, Lars Kolind. With his appointment, he worked hard to turn the situation of Oticon around. Kolind implemented cost-cutting measures; he pared the company down, cut staff and increased efficiency, and reduced the price of a hearing aid by 20%. Nevertheless, this still did not achieve the results he wanted. He never gave up. He had been searching for a sustainable competitive advantage for Oticon. He wanted to create a new way of running a business. One that could be more creative, faster and cost effective and also compensate for technological excellence, capital and general resources which Oticon lacked. Kolind believed that Oticon could no longer compete with its technologically advanced competitors. By reinventing itself, Oticon showed that it could. Oticon drastically changed its organizational structure, ways of working and culture to let loose the human potential of the company. Kolind created a vision of a service-based organization and pursued it to gain a competitive edge. Employee involvement is crucial to successful change; especially in situations as Oticon’s that require attitudinal and cultural change. Planned and emergent perspectives stress that this is a slow, learning process. Rapid organizational transformations can only be successful if focus is on structural as well as cultural change. Kanter _et al_ emphasized that an organization’s structure can be changed relatively quickly through a ‘Bold Stroke’ but that cultural change can only be achieved by a ‘Long March’ requiring extensive participation over time. Oticon’s transformation was that of a rapid organizational change, which was based on the vision imposed on the company in a directive fashion by the CEO. This lead to the widespread change of attitudes and behaviours. Kolind’s vision was the reason for this rapid change in attitudes across Oticon. A more planned approach, facilitated by this change in attitudes was used to achieve this rapid structural change. This was then followed by a period of emergent change where staff had to develop and adjust to new ways of working with and behaving towards each other. Schmuck and Miles (1971) argue that the level of involvement required in a project is dependant on the impact of the change on people concerned. Building on earlier work by Harrison (1970), Huse (1980) developed this difference further. He categorized change interventions along with continuum based on the ‘depth of intervention, ranging from the ‘shallow level’ to the ‘deepest level’. The greater the depth of intervention, Huse argues, the more it becomes concerned with the psychological make-up and personality of the individual, and the greater the need for full involvement of individuals if they are to accept the changes. Therefore, linking levels of involvement to the types of change proposed is necessary. The key is that, the greater the effect on the individual, especially in terms of psychological constructs and values, the deeper the level of involvement required if successful behaviour change is to be achieved. The theory of cognitive dissonance of Burnes and James (1995) helps in seeking to understand and explain why major rapid attitudinal changes at Oticon were successful without a great deal of initial involvement. The theory of cognitive dissonance states that people want to behave in  accordance with their attitudes and usually will take corrective action to alleviate the dissonance and achieve balance. At Oticon, fundamental attitudinal change was achieved relatively quickly because management and employee recognized the need for change and saw why new vision is the only hope for the company’s survival. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, or CORPORATE CULTURE, comprises the attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization. It has been defined as â€Å"the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. An ORGANISATION’S CULTURE is affected by a number of factors including: The ENVIRONMENT in which the organisation operates. Internally, this is often conveyed by its physical layout which can, foe example, reflect warm friendliness or cold efficiency. The BELIEFS, VALUES AND NORMS of the employees within the organisation, particularly those communicated by top management. The formal and informal LEADERS who personify the organisation’s culture. The PROCEDURES that have to be followed and the behaviour expected of people within the organisation. The network of COMMUNICATIONS which disseminates the corporate image and culture. OTHER FACTORS could include the oeganisation’s size , history, ownership and technology. MODEL OF CHANGE- SEQUENCE OF EVENTS (SOURCE:MANAGEMENT. RICHARD L DAFT- 6TH ED.) Corporate culture is something that is very hard to change and employees need time to get used to the new way of organizing. Many people are not willing to change unless they perceive a problem or a crisis. For companies with a very strong and specific culture it will be even harder to change. Cummings & Worley (2005, p. 491 – 492) give the following six guidelines for cultural change, these changes are in line with the eight distinct stages mentioned by Kotter (1995, p. 2)3: Formulate a clear strategic vision In order to make a cultural change effective a clear vision of the firm’s new strategy, shared values and behaviours is needed. This vision provides the intention and direction for the culture change Display Top-management commitment It is very important to keep in mind that culture change must be managed from the top of the organization, as willingness to change of the senior management is an important indicator. The top of the organization should be very much in favour of the change in order to actually implement the change in the rest of the organization. De Caluwà © & Vermaak provide a framework with five different ways of thinking about change. Model culture change at the highest level In order to show that the management team is in favour of the change, the change has to be notable at first at this level. The behaviour of the management needs to symbolize the kinds of values and behaviours that should be realized in the rest of the company. It is important that the management shows the strengths of the current culture as well, it must be made clear that the current organizational does not need radical changes, but just a few adjustments. Modify the organization to support organizational change. The fourth step is to modify the organization to support organizational change. Select and socialize newcomers and terminate deviants A way to implement a culture is to connect it to organizational membership, people can be selected and terminate in terms of their fit with the new culture Develop ethical and legal sensitivity. Changes in culture can lead to tensions between organizational and individual interests, which can result in ethical and legal problems for practitioners. This is particularly relevant for changes in employee integrity, control, equitable treatment and job security. FORCES CAUSING AND RESISTING CHANGE WITHIN AN ORGANISATION (SOURCE: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO BUSINESS STUDIES- 3RD ED- BRUCE R JEWELL) NEED/ REASONS FOR CHANGE. In order to survive and prosper in a competitive and rapidly changing environment, organisations also need to change. This may be brought about by many influencing factors which may be internally within the organisation or in external environment of the organisation. EXTERNAL FORCES originate in all environmental sectors, including customers, competitors, technology, economic forces and the international arena. EXTERNAL INFLUENCES: POLITICAL factors including legislation or other government measures. Organisations are forced to change in order to meet, for example, health and safety, environmental or consumer protection requirements. ECONOMIC factors such as changes in levels of unemployment and interest rates which can have a major impact on demand. SOCIAL factors including changes in life styles and environmental issues which organisations must respond to if they are not to lose out to competitors. TECHNOLOGICAL progress such as word processing in the office or robots in the factory can change working materials, methods and practices and create the need for new skills. TRADE UNIONS can influence wage rates, working conditions and other aspects of industrial relations. COMPETITION and changes in consumer tastes and demand all impact on business organisations, making change necessary in order to respond. MEDIA reports which can influence consumers’ and employees’ perceptions of an organisation and its goods and services. INTERNAL FORCES for change arise from internal activities and decisions. If top managers select a goal of rapid company growth, internal actions will have to be made to meet that growth. New departments or technologies will be created. Demands by employees, labour unions and production inefficiencies all can generate a force to which management must respond with change. INTERNAL INFLUENCES: NEW PRODUCTS OR SERVICES which require change in order to introduce them. MANAGEMENT CHANGES, due perhaps to a merger, take over or the appointment of  new staff. This may affect the management style and culture of the organisation. QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS which are becoming increasingly important in organisations in order to meet changing customer expectations. PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY IMPROVEMENTS which often require change in systems or procedures in order to control or reduce costs and/or increase output. CUSTOMER SERVICE is now more crucial than ever for organisations in competitive markets because they can only survive and prosper if they satisfy customers. After the need for change has been perceived and communicated, change must be initiated. This is a crucial stage of change management- the stage where ideas that solve perceived needs are developed. Responses that an organisation can make are to search for or create a change to adopt. IMPLEMENTING CHANGE One frustration for managers is that employees often seem to resist change for no apparent reason. To effectively manage the implementation process, managers should be aware of the reasons for employee resistance and e prepared to use techniques for obtaining employee cooperation. Employees appear to resist change for several reasons and understanding them helps managers implement change more effectively. SELF-INTEREST. Employees typically resist a change they believe will take away something of value. A proposed change in job design, structure, or technology may lead to a real or perceived loss of power, prestige, pay or company benefits. The fear of personal loss is perhaps the biggest obstacle to organisational change. LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST. Employees do not understand the intended purpose of a change or distrust the intentions behind it. UNCERTAINTY. Uncertainty is the lack of information about future events. It represents a fear of the unknown. Uncertainty is especially threatening for employees who have a low tolerance for change and fear the novel and unusual. They do not know how a change will affect them and worry about whether they will be able to meet the demands of a new procedure or technology. DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT AND GOALS. Another reason for resistance to change is that people who will be affected by innovation may assess the situation differently. Often critics voice legitimate disagreements over the proposed benefits of a change. Managers in each department pursue different goals, and an innovation may detract from performance and goal achievement for some departments. These reasons for resistance are legitimate in the eyes of the employees affected by the change. The best procedure for managers is not to ignore resistance but diagnose the reasons and design strategies to gain acceptance by users. Strategies for overcoming resistance to change typically involve two approaches: the analysis of resistance through force-field technique and the use of selective implementation tactics to overcome resistance.