Explanation of Modern Physics

Explanation of Modern Physics While the term â€Å"modern physics† often suggests that all that came before it was incorrect, 20th and 21st century additions to physics simply modified and expanded the phenomena which Newton and his fellow scientists had already contrived. From the mid-1800’s onward, new advances were made in the way of physics, specifically the revolutions of Einstein’s relativity, removing mankind further from the absolute, and quantum mechanics, which replaced certainty with probability. All of this led to an advance in nuclear weaponry, the advancement of laser technology, and the information age of computers.Although it directly contradicted the classical equipartition theorem of energy, black body radiation was one of the first discoveries in modern quantum mechanics. This theorem states that within thermal equilibrium, where each part of the system is the same temperature, each degree of freedom has 12kBT, kB representing the Boltzmann con stant, of thermal energy associated with it, meaning that the average kinetic energy in the translational movement of an object should be equal to the kinetic energy of its rotational motion.By this point, it was known how heat caused the atoms in solids to vibrate and that atoms were patterns of electrical charges, but it was unknown how these solids radiated the energy that they in turn created. Hertz and other scientists experimented with electromagnetic waves, and found that Maxwell’s previous conjectures that electromagnetic disturbances should propagate through space at the speed of light had been correct. This led to the explanation of light itself as an electromagnetic wave.From this observation, it was assumed that as a body was heated, the atoms would vibrate and create charge oscillations, which would then radiate the light and the additional heat that could be observed. From this, the idea of a â€Å"black body† formed, an object that would absorb all radia tion that came in contact with it, but which also was the perfect emitter. The ideal black body was a heated oven with a small hole, which would release the radiation from inside.Based on the equipartition theorem, such an oven at thermal equilibrium would have an infinite amount of energy, and the radiation through the hole would show that of all frequencies at once. However, when the experiment was actually performed, this is not the result that occurred. As the oven heated, different frequencies of radiation were detected from the hole, one at a time, starting with infrared radiation, followed by red, then yellow light, and so on.This proved that high oscillators are not excited at low temperatures, and that equipartition was not accurate. This discovery led to Stefan’s Law, which said that the total energy per square unit of black body per unit time, the power, is proportional to the absolute temperature to the fourth power. It also led to Wien’s Displacement Law, stating that the wavelength distributions of thermal radiation of a black body at all temperatures have essentially the same shape, except that the graphs are displaced from each other.Later on, Planck characterized the light coming from a black body and derived an equation to predict the radiation at certain temperatures, as shown by the diagram below. For each given temperature, the peaks changed position, solidifying the idea that different temperatures excite different levels of the light spectrum. This was all under the assumption that radiation was released in quanta, now known as photons. All of these laws help modern physicists interpret radiation and make accurate estimations at the temperature of planets based on the radiation that comes from them.Einstein used the same quantization of electromagnetic radiation to show the photoelectric effect, which disproved the idea that more intense light would increase the kinetic energy of the electrons radiated from an object. Photo electric effect was originally the work of Heinrich Hertz, but was later taken on by Albert Einstein. Einstein determined that light was made up of packets of energy known as photons, which have no mass, but have momentum and energy given by the equation E=hf, h representing Planck’s constant and f representing the frequency of the light used.Photoelectric effect explains that if light is shone on a metal with high enough energy, electrons will be released from the metal. Due to the energy equation, light of certain low frequencies will not cause the emission of electrons, not matter how intense, while light of certain high frequencies will always emit electrons, even at a very low intensity. The amount of energy needed to release electrons from a metal plate is dependent upon the type of metal it is, and changes from case to case, as every type of metal has a certain work function, or an amount of energy needed to remove an electron from its surface.If the photons that hit t he metal plate have enough energy as the work function of the metal, the energy from the photon can transfer to an electron, which allows it to escape from the surface of the metal. Of course, the energy of the photon is dependent upon the frequency of the light. Einstein postulated that the kinetic energy of the electron once it has been freed from the surface can be written as E=hf-W, W being the work function of the material. Prior to Einstein’s work in photoelectric effect, Hertz discovered, mostly by accident, that ultraviolet light would knock electrons off of metal surfaces.However, according to the classical wave theory of light, intensity of light changed the amplitude, thus more intense light would make the kinetic energy of the electrons higher as they were emitted from the surface. His experiment showed that this was not the case, and that frequency affected the kinetic energy, while intensity determined the number of electrons that were released. By explaining th e photoelectric effect, scientists find that light is a particle, but it also acts as a wave. This help support particle-wave duality.In order to explain the behavior of light, you must consider its particle like qualities as well as its wave like qualities. This means that light exhibits particle-wave duality, as it can act as a wave and a particle. In fact, everything exhibits this kind of behavior, but it is most prominent in very small objects, such as electrons. Particle-wave duality is attributed to Louis de Broglie in about 1923. He argued that since light could display wave and particle like properties, matter could as well.After centuries of thinking that electrons were solid things with definite positions, de Broglie proved that they had wave like properties by running experiments much like Young’s double slit experiments, and showing the interference patterns that arose. This idea helped scientists realize that the wavelength of an object diminishes proportionally to the momentum of the object. Around the same time that de Broglie was explaining particle-wave duality, Arthur Compton described the Compton effect, or Compton scattering.This was another discovery which showed how light could not solely be looked at as a wave, further supporting de Broglie’s particle-wave duality. Compton scattering is a phenomenon that takes place when a high-energy photon collides with an electron, causing a reduced frequency in the photon, leading to a reduced energy. Compton derived the formula to describe this occurrence to be ? ‘-? =hCme1-cos? = ? c(1-cos? ), where ? ‘ is the resulting wavelength of the photon, ? is the initial wavelength of the photon, ? is the scattering angle between the photon and the electron, and ? c is the wavelength of a resting electron, which is 2. 26 ? 10-12 meters. Compton came about this by considering the conservation of momentum and energy. Although they have no mass, photons have momentum, which is defined by ? =Ec=hfc=h?. In order to conserve momentum, or to collide at all, light must be thought of as a particle in this case, instead of a wave. Quantum mechanics is not the only facet of modern physics, and it shares equal importance with relativity. Relativity is defined as the dependence of various physical phenomena on relative motion of the observer and the observed objects, especially in relation to light, space, time, and gravity.Relativity in modern physics is hugely attributed to the work of Albert Einstein, while classical relativity can be mainly attributed to Galileo Galilei. The quintessential example of Galilean relativity is that of the person on a ship. Once the ship has reached a constant velocity, and continues in a constant direction, if the person is in the hull of the ship and is not looking outside to see any motion, the person cannot feel the ship moving. Galileo’s relativity hypothesis states that any two observers moving at constant speed and direction with respect to one another will obtain the same results for all mechanical experiments.This idea led to the realization that velocity does not exist without a reference point. This idea of a frame of reference became very important to Einstein’s own theories of relativity. Einstein had two theories of relativity, special and general. He published special relativity in 1905, and general relativity in 1916. His Theory of Special Relativity was deceptively simple, as it mostly took Galilean relativity and reapplied it to include Maxwell’s magnetic and electric fields. Special relativity states that the Laws of Physics are the same in all inertial frames.An inertial frame is a frame in which Newton’s law of inertia applies and holds true, so that objects at rest stay at rest unless an outside force is applied, and that objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. The theory of relativity deals with objects that are approaching the speed o f light, as it turns out that Newton’s laws begin to falter when the velocity gets too high. Special relativity only deals with the motion of objects within inertial frames, and is quite comparable to Galilean relativity, with the addition of a few new discoveries, such as magnetic and electric fields and the speed of light.The theory of general relativity is much more difficult to understand than special relativity due to the fact that it involves objects traveling close to the speed of light within non-inertial frames, or frames that do not meet the requirements given by Newton’s law of inertia. General relativity coincides with special relativity when gravity can be neglected. This involves the curvature of space and time, and the idea that time is not the definite that we have always assumed that it was. General relativity is a theory that describes the behavior of space and time, as well as gravity.In general relativity, space-time becomes curved at the presence o f matter, which means that particles moving with not external forces acting upon them can spiral and travel in a curve, which becomes conflicting with Newton’s laws. In classical physics, gravity is described as a force, and as an apple falls from a tree, gravity attracts it to the center of the Earth. This also explains the orbit of planets. However, in general relativity, a massive object, such as the sun, curves space-time and forces planets to revolve around it in the same way a bead would spiral down a funnel.This idea of general relativity and the curvature of space-time led scientists to realize what black holes were and how they can be possible. This also explains the bending of light around objects. Black holes have massive centers and are hugely dense. Each particle that it includes is also living in space-time however, and so the center must continue to move and become more and more dense from the motion of these particles. Black holes are so dense that they bend s pace-time to an enormous degree, so that there is no escapable route from them.General relativity also explains that the universe must be either contracting or expanding. If all the stars in the universe were at rest compared to one another, gravity would begin to pull them together. General relativity would show that the space as a whole would begin to shrink and the distances between the stars would do the same. The universe could also technically be expanding, however it could never be static. In 1929, Hubble discovered that all of the distant galaxies seemed to be moving away from us, which would support the explanation that our galaxy is expanding.The basis of general relativity is the dynamic movement of space and time, and the fact that these are not static measurements that they have always been assumed to be. However, a key issue is that there has been little success in combining quantum mechanics and Einsteinian relativity, other than in quantum electrodynamics. Quantum el ectrodynamics, QED, is a quantum theory that involves the interaction of charged particles and the electromagnetic field. The scientific community hugely agrees upon QED, and it successfully unites quantum mechanics with relativity.QED mathematically explains the relationships between light and matter, as well as charged particles with one another. In the 1920’s, Paul Dirac laid the foundations of QED by discovering the equation for the spin of electrons, incorporating both quantum mechanics and the theory of special relativity. QED was further developed into the state that it is today in the 1940’s by Richard Feynman. QED rests on the assumption that charged particles interact by absorbing and emitting photons, which transmit electromagnetic forces. Photons cannot be seen or detected in anyway because their existence violates the conservation of energy and momentum.QED relies heavily on the Hamiltonian vector field and the use of differential equations and matrices. F eynman created the Feynman diagram used to depict QED, using a wavy line for photons, a straight line for the electron, and a junction of two straight lines and one wavy line to represent the absorption or emission of a photon, show below. QED helps define the probability of finding an electron at a certain position at a certain time, given its whereabouts at other positions and times. Since the possibilities of where and when the electron can emit or absorb a photon are infinite, this makes this a very difficult procedure.Compton scattering is very prevalent to QED due to its involvement in the scattering of electrons. Modern physics is a simple term used to cover a huge array of different discoveries made over the past two hundred years. While the two main facets of modern physics are quantum mechanics and relativity, there are an amazing number of subtopics and experiments that have brought about rapid change, giving the world new technologies and new capabilities. Thanks to scie ntists like Einstein, Hawking, Feynman, and many others, we have found, and will continue to find, amazing discoveries about our universe.Sources Anderson, Lauren. â€Å"Compton Scattering. †Ã‚  University of Washington Astronomy Department. 12 Nov. 2007. Web. 1 May 2012. . Andrei, Eva Y. â€Å"Photoelectric Effect. †Ã‚  Andrei Group. Web. 1 May 2012. . Boyer, Timothy H. â€Å"Thermodynamics of the Harmonic Oscillator: Wien's Displacement Law and the Planck Spectrum. †Ã‚  American Journal of Physics  71. 9 (2003): 866-870. Print. Branson, Jim. Wave Particle Duality- Through Experiments. 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 1 May 2012. .Broholm, Collin. â€Å"Equipartition Theorem. †Ã‚  General Physics for Bio-Science Majors. 1 Dec. 1997. Web. 1 May 2012. . Choquet-Bruhat, Yvonne. General Relativity and The Einstein Equations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Einstein, Albert, et al. Relativity: The Special and General Theory. New York: Pi Press, 1920. Print. Einstein, Albert. The Meaning of Relativity. London: Routledge Classics, 1956. Print. Felder, Gary. â€Å"Bumps and Wiggles: An Introduction to General Relativity. † 2005. Web. 1 May 2012. . Feynman, Richard P. â€Å"Space-Time Approach to Quantum Electrodynamics. â€Å"Physical Review  76. 6 (1949): Print. Fitzpatrick, Richard. The Planck Radiation Law. 2 Feb. 2006. Web. 1 May 2012. . Fowler, Michael. Black Body Radiation. 7 Sept. 2008. Web. 1 May 2012. . Jones, Victor R. Heinrich Hertz's Wireless Experiment (1887). 18 May 2004. Web. 1 May 2012. . Page, L.. â€Å"Black Body Radiation. †Ã‚  Princeton University, Physics 311/312.Sept. 1995. Web. 1 May 2012. . Scatterly, John. â€Å"Stefan's Radiation Law. †Ã‚  Nature  157. 3996 (1946): 737. Print. Sevian, Hannah. Electrons, photons, and the photo-electric effect. 11 July 2000. Web. 1 May 2012. . Sherrill, David. The Photoelectric Effect. 15 Aug. 2008. Web. 1 May 2012. . Takeuchi, Tatsu. Special Relativity. 2005. Web. 1 May 2012. . Wudka, Jose. Galilean Relativity. 24 Sept. 1998. Web. 1 May 2012. .

Changes in American Foreign Policy, 1880-1920

Reflective of changes throughout the world, and sometimes in response to them, America underwent a great deal of transformation in the period from 1880-1920, especially in the various areas of foreign policy. With this transformation in mind, this paper will discuss several key areas in American foreign policy from the late 1800s to early 1920s. At the conclusion of the paper, the reader will have better understanding of the topic and hopefully will study the topic in greater depth.With the topic in mind, the paper begins with an overview of American foreign policy in the early days of the period being presented. American Foreign Policy Prior to the Late 1890s Prior to the late 1890s, American foreign policy was mostly focused on ways for America to insulate itself from the rest of the world, evidenced by the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, the taking of the Midway Islands off of Hawaii as an American territory in 1867, and later, the acquisition of Hawaii as a territory.What these strategic moves show is an American initiative to put as much distance between the United States and the other nations of the world as possible. At that time in history, oceans and land borders were an effective barrier against foreign interference, more so than today. Reasons for the Change in American Foreign Policy in the 1890s Once America entered the 1890s, attitudes about foreign policy began to shift from the previous desire for isolationism, for a variety of reasons.In the specific interest of democracy and its proliferation around the world, the United States found it necessary to look beyond its own borders for fertile land to plant the seeds of democracy, as most historians agree that the United States frontier was officially â€Å"closed† as of 1890, making it necessary to look elsewhere to spread American influence if so desired. The United States also had legitimate reasons to be concerned about the foreign policies of others in the world, illustrated by the expansion of European influence in Asia and Africa, as well as economic concerns that affected foreign policy.The 1893 depression that rocked the American economy necessitated a way to distract the people from their domestic problems, as well as ways to find international markets for American products as a way of relieving the economic ills brought by the depression of 1893. Domestic industries also had an acute need for raw materials, many of which could only be obtained overseas, and the only way to effectively obtain them from overseas was to build a relationship with foreign countries, which admittedly was not part of foreign policy to any measurable extent up to this time.Prominent Americans Involved in the Formation of Foreign Policy Whether in an official government function, or as a result of other actions, there are several noteworthy Americans who shaped the course of foreign policy at this time, and indeed changed the course of history to a substantial extent. Governm ent leaders who had a loud voice in regard to American foreign policy during this era were of course President Theodore Roosevelt, as well as powerful senators such as Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, Secretary of State John Hay who served in this capacity both Under Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, and others.In the world of American industry, men such as Andrew Carnegie were held in high esteem for their foreign policy views, as were â€Å"celebrities† such as author Mark Twain. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the most influential â€Å"civilians† in foreign policy at this time was newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. Hearst, it is alleged, sensationalized headlines in an effort to ignite the American interest in engaging Spain in what would be come to be known as the Spanish American War, as well as other events.This type of activism played a pivotal role in the shaping of American foreign policy. Foreign Policy in Latin America, Asia and Europe As America undertook a more active foreign policy due to government and private citizen involvement, it encountered challenges from several areas of the world, both relatively close to her borders and overseas. One of the most significant tests to American foreign policy at that time came from Spain, namely in regard to the issue of Cuba.More specifically, Cuba had not gained independence from Spain up to this time, as the rest of Latin America had. Cuban revolt against Spain had been ongoing for many years, but Cuba remained Spain’s only American territory, and was important to the Spanish for its strategic location as well as for its resources in sugar, beef and tobacco. The United States also had substantial business interests in Cuba and therefore desired to confront Spain in regard to possession of Cuba.In 1898, the United States went to war with Spain, a war which ultimately resulting in American victory and possession of Cuba, but at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars an d thousands of American lives. Upon possession of Cuba, the United States established the Guantanamo Marine and Naval Base in Cuba, which still exists today. Regarding the involvement of America in foreign affairs overseas, following the Spanish-American War which gave America possession of Cuba, America began to move further away from its native soil, acquiring Guam and the Philippines as territories as well.America also became more involved with foreign powers in regard to trade as a result of the acquisition of the Panama Canal Zone, and President Theodore Roosevelt sought to flex American muscle by such displays as the launching of a naval fleet of huge ships which traveled to foreign ports, proudly displaying the American flag as a clear message that America was in a sense â€Å"moving into the neighborhood†. Succeeding Roosevelt in the presidency, Woodrow Wilson’s emphasis on diplomacy and missionary type foreign relations led to American intervention and war in Europe.When World War I first began to erupt in Europe, the United States attempted to stay neutral in the dispute, which was impossible due to America’s wish for neutrality on one hand and the desire to prevent Germany from winning the war on the other. Wilson, attempting to toe the line between American entrance in the war and efforts to assist in the defeat of Germany, tried to be involved without going to war, which he soon learned was impossible, throwing America headlong into World War I.The American entrance into World War I, it should be noted in fairness, was also made necessary by the aggression of other countries. Specifically speaking of German aggression against the United States, German submarines sank the British liner Lusitania in 1915, killing among others 128 Americans, followed by continued German warfare aimed at United States merchant ships on the seas that the United States tried to sail as a neutral nation.There is also evidence of an organized German e ffort to wage war on the United States, which certainly accelerated the American path to World War I. American Foreign Policy as it Appeared Around 1920 In the years around 1920, America’s foreign policy, in a sense coming full circle from the isolationist policies of the early 1890s, seemed to look inward, namely in the area of immigration, and how the huge influx of people from other countries seeking a new life in America was affecting the lives of those already in the country.During the beginning of the 20th century, millions upon millions of people had come to the United States, and as the number of people coming from other countries increased, the opposition to this among Americans increased as well. The United States in the early 1920s was no longer willing to accept huge numbers of immigrants as in the past. With this in mind, several laws were passed to limit the numbers of immigrants allowed admission into the United States, signaling the end of one of the largest m ass migrations of people from many nations to one nation in the history of the modern human race.As immigration slowed to a mere trickle, a small but significant movement of Americans to Europe was taking place, but this was mostly in the area of the intellectuals, artists and authors, who sought the deep cultural history of Europe to stimulate their creativity and quest for knowledge and exposure to ancient cultures. Closing Thoughts In retrospect, American foreign policy from 1880-1920 was truly a vital ingredient in defining the expansion of the United States, as well as establishing democracy as a force to be respected, and in some cases reckoned with, in terms of international foreign relations.In addition, the land acquisitions and strategic alliances that were formed during this era play a part in the economy and security of the United States even today. This being said, as a closing thought, it is intriguing to consider the role that history has in not only defining and expl aining our past, but also setting a course for the future. Therefore, it is the duty of every thinking person to treasure history and learn from it, lest, as the old saying goes, we become condemned to repeat it.

The Legality of Risk Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Legality of Risk Management - Research Paper Example rbide for two years jail term for a crime which resulted in the killing of more than 15000 people (Bhopal gas tragedy: Accused awarded only 2 yrs in jail, get bail, 2010). Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial catastrophe in which the toxic gases leaked out of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal in 1984. Methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other toxic gases liberated from the plant affected around 500000 people staying nearby. Another controversial aspect of this accident is the fact that even after 25 years of gas leak accident, still tons of chemicals left abandoned at the accident sight which is contaminating the groundwater in this region. The above accident is one of the better examples in which how injudicious industrialization may harm the interests of the public. Moreover, this accident teaches us how carelessly the big companies handling the industrial equipments which can cause severe damages to the human life. The importance of human life is nothing for such greedy industrialists and even after killing many people, these industrialists were able to escape from the severe punishments. This paper briefly analyses the Bhopal g as tragedy case and provide recommendations to avoid such tragedies in future. The Bhopal gas tragedy happened purely because of the human errors and handling of risky equipments with carelessness. The Union Carbide report after the accident indicates that purely technical negligence and personal negligence caused this tragedy. A stainless steel tank emplaced in concrete contained probably 45 tons of liquid Methyl isocyanate (MIC). The Union Carbide Manual calls MIC (CH3N = C = O) "an extremely hazardous chemical.. by all means of contact" and regards it "as an oral and contact poison" even though it is not classified among poisons. It is also "extremely flammable." Most probably, water got into the tank through a pipe. The MIC, which reacts violently with water, turned into an explosive gas vapor that blew out the

Poetry essay- I Met A Genius by Charles Bukowski Term Paper

Poetry essay- I Met A Genius by Charles Bukowski - Term Paper Example It is a known fact that children do not lie about their own opinions in order to get social approval. Saying that the ocean is not pretty is one of those opinions and observations. This makes the poem a commentary about the adults’ manner of processing opinions and beliefs, which can sometimes be dishonest, as adults usually seek approval of the society. The poem states that human nature can be easily manipulated, especially by the greater society. Human nature is very impressionable, and whatever the greater society says, many people tend to adapt the same opinion, like in this case: the ocean being beautiful. Human nature is weak when it comes to peer pressure and self-identity, when one is an adult. Children are often talkative and they do not censor themselves, unlike adults. They don’t care whether they say â€Å"wrong† things. Realizations from honest opinions are akin to be told about how ill-fitting someone’s designer clothes are. Because even though the designer clothes are pretty and well-hyped, sometimes, ugly is just ugly. It takes lot of courage to say that. One of the most striking characteristics the poem â€Å"I Met a Genius† has is its form. The poem has no meter, no rhyme. It is completely done in free verse. Because it does not have a meter, the lines end unevenly. In fact, the first stanza of the poem is actually a sentence; a run on sentence that implies stream of consciousness of the author. That stream of consciousness technique indicates immediacy, as if the thought runs through the mind of the author as he writes the first stanza. That sense of immediacy fuels the imagination and makes the reader feel like he is part of the scene because of the (implied) idea that the situation happens simultaneously as he is reading those lines. The second stanza is also a sentence. It is a realization and a reaction to the first sentence. Similar to the first sentence, it has a sense of

U.S Response to Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

U.S Response to Terrorism - Research Paper Example In addition, doing a research about this subject will give me a chance to expand my knowledge and be up to date of the current events in the global environment. By working on this paper, my primary goal is to find better ways of defining and dealing with terrorism. This research report provides useful information about Terrorism where it discusses different ways of handling terrorist events, such as Boston booming. The research report consists of three major subtitles, created to engage the audiences and give a general idea of the content of each body paragraph. In the introduction, there will be a gnarl description and history of terrorism followed by the threats of domestic and international terrorism. Last but not least, I will provide some facts about U.S policy response to any terrorist threats followed by how I think they should response to these threats. My only hope after completing this report, the audience would have a better understanding of terrorism and realize how the w orld would be more peaceful if we used different strategies in dealing with terrorist threats. Sincerely, Aziz Almughyirah Aziz Almughyirah Table of Contents Table of Figures iv Abstract v INTRODUCTION 1 Description and History 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Target Audience 2 THE THREAT OF TERRORISM 2 Domestic vs. International 2 U.S. POLICY RESPONSE 3 Boston Booming 3 International Relations 3 DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW 4 CONCLUSION 5 WORKS CITED Abstract Terrorism is a terminology that has being around since the existence of our kind. We as humans created terrorism from our shameful historical events where we failed to live in peace and decided to play the dominance role over each other. We sow the seed of fear in our souls, which became a barrier against our desire of peace. Our fears and doubts of others intents created an aggressive reaction against any threat or belief that could challenge our countries or its interests. Then, we apply direct or indirect pressure on the source of threa t, which create a fertile environment for many terrorist acts in lieu of eliminating the threat. These terrorist acts usually associated with four vectors of action, which are political, psychological, violent and deliberate. The main aspect of most terrorist acts is concentrated on political goals. When a society experiences some form of injustice for a long period of time where all efforts to bring justice are demolished, some form of violence starts to cut its way through in this oppressed society. If the concerned party does not take immediate action for the quest of reform, the violence could escalate to reach the political authority. The escalation of the situation can be extremely dangerous where it becomes out of control and terrorist acts trying to take the lead. Here is where the situation takes the opposite direction and different tactics. At that time, the terrorist groups work hardly to harness all the circumstances to their benefit where they support the insurgency and pave the way for guerrilla warfare. These terrorists would apply whatever it takes from offensive strategies, defensive measures and terrorist threats, which can have a severe psychological impact over that society or the region as whole for the purpose of achieving terrorism objectives. INTRODUCTION Description and History The idea of terrorism has been around since the creation of our kind where nations used to terrorize each

Long-Term Investmet Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Long-Term Investmet Strategy - Essay Example A normal life insurance policy functions as a financial coverage for a person and his/her family in case of the person’s demise. Apart from that, a person can also enjoy a number of other returns, which the person would get after the contract matures. These profits are paid in a structured settlement or slabs (Oviatt 19). Life insurance is an agreement between both an insurer and an insured (insurance contract holder), where the insurer guarantees to pay a selected receiver a sum of cash (the "benefits") upon the passing away of the insured individual. Relying on the contract, other proceedings such as critical illness or terminal illness might also prompt payment. The contract holder normally pays a premium, either as a lump sum or regularly. Other expenses or costs, for instance funeral expenses, are also, at times, incorporated in the benefits. I raised a family, which always works hard to achieve their goals. This is because I also work hard in life to achieve my goals. Af ter retirement, the main thing I want to do is reward my children plus my wife for the hard work we have put to erect our family. Knowing that I will be retiring at the age of 60, and my two sons and one daughter all have well paying jobs plus my wife takes pride in taking care of her flower farm, the only thing I can think about is life insurance as a long term investment strategy for my people. I feel that if I will still be alive after my retirement days, then that money will help raise my family appropriately, but if I will be gone, then my wife or children will use that money constructively. I prefer life insurance since I can have a chance to grow that money without using it for a long time. The benefit to the policy holder is "peace of mind", bearing in mind that the death of the insured individual will not end in financial suffering for lenders and loved ones. It is feasible for life insurance contract payouts to be made so as to aid in supplementing retirement benefits. Nev ertheless, it should be vigilantly considered all through the funding and design of the policy itself. Life policy is an official contract of the terms, as well as the conditions of a contract, explaining the limitations and restrictions of the insured party. Detailed exclusions are frequently written into the policy to restrict the legal responsibility of the insurer (Oviatt 25). They normally have common examples, which are claims associated with fraud, suicide, war, civil commotion and riot. Life insurance has various types of bonuses. The main two, however, include reversionary bonus and terminal bonus. A reversionary (yearly) bonus is rewarded at the end of every year. The yearly bonus might comprise of two parts. The assured bonus is a sum usually expressed as a fiscal sum per ?1,000 sum assured (Oviatt 25). It is determined at the beginning of the contract and normally cannot be changed. The rest of the yearly bonus will rely on the investment return attained by the money sub ject to smoothing. The terminal bonus, on the other hand, is paid at the maturity of the policy or, at times, at the surrender of the contract. It is, at times, referred to as the concluding bonus. The terminal bonus stands for the insured’s entitlement to an amount of the fund, which has been held back for the aim of smoothing. In various

The Impact of Mobile Phones and Tablets on Modern Business Coursework

The Impact of Mobile Phones and Tablets on Modern Business - Coursework Example This research will shed light on the potential and role of smartphones and tablets in increasing efficiency and effectiveness in organizations and to evaluate the attitudes of organizations towards the use of tablet and mobile phones in their operations and determine whether these attitudes and discernments differ among companies. Data will be gathered through questionnaires among 20 respondents. The data will be analyzed qualitatively. Over the past few years, technology has tremendously changed to include advanced gadgets such as mobile phones and tablets. These gadgets have been used for numerous purposes including entertaining and connecting friends and family. Tablets and phones have been fitted with numerous applications with different uses. The use and demand for smartphones and tablets have grown tremendously. The increment of tablets and smartphones across the world has created a complex environment and an opportunity for organizations. Tablets and smartphones have gained popularity over the past few years because of their comfort of interaction with the user and their entertainment uses. Numerous studies have suggested that tablets and smartphones have been primarily used for playing video games, watching videos and movies and reading books. However, tablets and smartphones are not entirely used for entertainment purposes. Since the functionality of smartphones and tablets is comparable to that of desktops and laptops, they have more undiscovered uses that can be beneficial not only to people but also to organizations. Presently, most organizations across the world have adopted the use of mobile phones and tablets to aid in their operations. Many of these organizations have employed smartphones and tablets to aid their business operations hoping to attain benefits from such usage. However, few of  these organizations understand the role and potential of mobile phones and tablets in business.  

Language, Culture and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language, Culture and Communication - Essay Example In both paintings, light is important in focusing the attention on central and peripheral matter, bringing them to prominence. The subjects are both well-rounded women with dark hair and eyes, and their positions show the artist intended the viewer to focus on them. They both seem to be of similar age and both compositions are triangular. Their eyes are downcast and mouths are slightly pursed, representing different moods. Differences in technique and intent, with light coming from outside the paintings, bring motion to the pictures, creating light and dark. The complementary light and dark colours show the moods. Both wear white and again light and shadow add texture to the clothing. Both seem to be thinking of making a decision, with Gabrielle's being about what jewel to wear, and how she looks in the mirror, while the Brooding Woman has something more serious on her mind. From the way they are both sitting, the feeling comes across that they both trusted the artists who were paint ing them. The contrasts are more in the style of painting than the main subjects. Looking first at the women, their expressions of thoughtfulness create the mood, but the differences lie in the intention of the painter. Gabrielle is comfortable, almost cosy, with a less important decision to bother her, while the Brooding Woman has something heavy on her mind. She is more sad and lost, her shoulders sag, and their position can also be seen on the dog in the background. She is fully clothed, while Gabrielle is happy to be half-undressed. The Brooding Woman seems to be looking into herself for answers and Gabrielle looks outward towards her mirror. Symbolism is another contrast, because the background in Gaugin's picture seems to have something to do with the woman's state of mind, and her dejected body

Compare and contrast marx and weber's theory of mondern domination Essay

Compare and contrast marx and weber's theory of mondern domination - Essay Example Marx argued that this is main feature of capitalism. Markets existed in Europe before the advent of capitalism where commodities were bought and sold. Capitalism developed as peasants became free to sell their labor power. They no longer possessed their own land. In return they received money which allows them to survive. He termed the peasants who sold their labor as â€Å"proletarians†. Marx stated that the struggle between capitalists and workers determines the wages in which victory is for the capitalists. The capitalists are more united and can live longer as compared with the workers (Tucker, 48). The wage rate determined by the capitalist is very low for the worker because it is at the subsistence level. It allows the worker to survive and support his family only. Capitalism also leads to production of men as commodities. The worker is treated like a commodity under the capitalist system. An excess supply of workers leads many to become beggars or starve. The life of th e worker is dependant on the whims and desires of the rich and capitalists. Any fluctuations in the market price make the worker lose everything. The capitalist can direct capital into another channel which forces the workers to submit to every demand of the capitalist (Tucker 52). Karl Marx stated the worker does not gain anything beneficial when the capitalist does, but he always loses when the latter loses. Marx explained that workers are eventually the losers because of the monopolies and trade secrets of the capitalist. The prices of labor are constant as compared with the prices of other commodities. The wages of the labor are different when compared with the profits of the capitalists. Marx believed that individual activity should be rewarded but capitalism denies that reward and is indifferent to individual activity. Generally Karl observed that workers have to

Kant and Hegel on the Foundation of the State Essay Example for Free

Kant and Hegel on the Foundation of the State Essay Kant and Hegel could not be farther from one another on the question of the state and its moral foundation. It is uncertain even if they define the term â€Å"state† in the same way. Kant remains within the Enlightenment contract tradition, while Hegel leans more towards an intellectual rendering of the romantic and nationalist approach to states and their foundations. (NB–the citations below refer to paragraphs, not pages) Kant holds that there are two major reasons why the state must exist. First, while mankind is not violently predisposed one to another prior to the development of legislation, disputes will have no competent judge prior to the development of the state (44). Hence, even a gentle disposition will render the state necessary in that public right must have a means of enforcing its claims. Here, â€Å"public right† is defined as those sum of laws that bring human beings into rational and orderly contact with one another (43). But further, regardless of the actual condition of man in the state of nature, Kant holds that, at the very least, the only real motive for action is â€Å"that which seems right† to each person, and each group of persons. But these two entities, the individual and groups of persons, both demand the creation of a state: the individual for the sake of rational laws, and the group for the sake of mutual protection against aggression. Either way, the only maxim is â€Å"that which seems right† to the entity in question. The major difference between the state of nature (in which Kant seems to lean towards the Lockeian view) and the civil world is that the laws and agreements that may well develop prior to the state are given the sanction of public law. They are given the means of enforcement. Without enforcement, the same reason that Locke gives for leaving the state of nature holds: the each is the judge in his own case, rendering there no objective and impartial standard (or agency, more accurately) of justice. Kant offers a subtle typology of the nature of civil life, far different from what will develop in Hegel. First, the sum of laws, manifesting a rightful, pre-political relation among individuals under an objective agency is the public right, and living in this state is a civil mode of life. Kant seems to overlap the definitions of constitution and civil right substantially, but at least, the concept of the â€Å"civil† is not an institution, but a state of living and a state of mind where the civil agency is considered right and just, and thus has the right to enforce public right. The state is the sum of all of these: the civil society under a constitution that manifests the proper and rational relations among citizens. There is nothing in Kant that rejects the idea that these relations will develop in a pre-political state as in Locke. Hence, it is rational to hold that Kant is a Lockeian, the state simply existing to judge disputes over property. Even more, in paragraph 47, the legislature is to be the highest form and expression of the state in that the people are fully and completely represented. Here, Rousseau is to be found, since, in this paragraph, the â€Å"people† and the â€Å"legislature† are really one in the same. Rousseau would reject the idea of representation both in Locke and Kant, but the idea is the same: the legislature is the highest organ of the state, the very objectification of the constitution and the popular will. Hence, given the above definitions, the legislature is really the manifestation of the constitution and the civil condition, and a smoothly functioning legislature would be the objectification of the state. To some extent, the legislature being the â€Å"united will of the people† (47) is the real de-ontological basis of state authority. Regardless of the social contract, the legislature can be united with Kant’s more abstract ethics by holding that the legislature is the manifesting of duty: the condition of both universality and autonomy, the latter referring to the lack of any â€Å"special interest† connected to either moral judgements/maxims or civil legislation. If the legislature is the â€Å"united will of the people† then it fits nicely into a de-ontological box, since universality is the maxim of civil legislation in this case. Hegel takes a completely different approach. The Philosophy of Right is a far more satisfying approach to the state than either Kant or Locke, since the state is not merely a sum of laws representing the population, but a synthesis of all other forms of social life and historical development. For Hegel, the development of the state (and one can be suspicious as to whether or not Kant would even define the state this way), is not merely a historical process, but a psychological one as well: the stat is the highest manifestation of human nature manifest in history. It is easy to see how the development of the three general stages in morality, the family, the free market and the state itself, all develop from a specific schema of history. Familial relations were long dominant in social life, but the Enlightenment broke these down, leading to the minds of Locke and Kant, the state is a synthesis of these two, and the completion of the development of human nature as a moral entity. While the history is simple and a little arbitrary, it follows a common Hegelian pattern of unreflective community (the family), individualism ( the market, or â€Å"civil society†), and the concrete, reflective community in the state. There is a far more complex history of European development that Hegel deals with, though it is not found in the POR, but in other writings. The family is the principle of unreflective unity (158). This is in that the family is not based on rational principles (though it does play a rational role), but is united only in love and the willingness to sacrifice. Only when the children grow and the family breaks down does reflection enter into the human person as they function in civil society, the free market where the main motivation is no longer love, but gain and â€Å"expressing oneself. † This is an abstract individualism that can not last. Dialectically, the individual in civil society realizes that a society cannot be based on the individual since social life and economic production are based on a communal approach to living: society can only function as a unit, not a collection of individuals arbitrarily doing their thing. Hence, the corporation develops (250-251), which is a largely economic entity similar to a guild, that manifests the community latent in civil society,. It is the corporations that eventually reveal the seeds of the state, or the unity of corporate bodies, and though here, the development of civil law and right. Hegel does not accept the idea of a contract. The mythology of the state of nature is something that may be found in psychology, but not in history. In the beginning of the POR, the will is seen as â€Å"purely abstract,† that is, completely free, having no restraints, but also having no purpose or end (15). The development of ends for ht will is the real foundation of the POR and Hegel’s mature social theory. The will demands content, that is, guidance and direction. History has given humanity this in the three states of family, market and state. These mentalities have all developed throughout history, but only in the first half of the 19th century have humanity been able to see how they all rationally fit together in an all inclusive unity. Previous societies merely held a one sided approach to things, where one entity was given dominance over everything else. The will seeks content, moral purpose, but it also seeks unity and balance in a rational schema of relations. None of the entities of family or civil society are swallowed in the Hegelian state, they remain, but they remain secondary elements in the broader state, having their latent potential manifest in the state itself (260). This is in that the love of the family is given its reflective basis in the state as an ethic unity, manifesting its own history and struggles, but it also completes the abstract individualism of the market, in that the unity is a reflective one, based on reason and the development of this social reason in the market itself, where communitarian ideas develop in the actual behavior of economic production and consumption which is a communal idea. This paper is far too short to do justice to these giants, but the basic outline is clear: Kant remains in the Enlightenment tradition, being a good generation before Hegel. Kant pictures a simple state of nature which requires a rational legislature, representing the concept of universality, to judge disputes. On the other hand, Hegel approaches the state as an organic unity, not a creation of contract. Ultimately, the two are irreconcilable, and the Romantic era had its rarified champion in Hegel. References: Kant, Immanuel. The Metaphysics of Morals. Trans Mary Gregor. Cambridge University Press, 1996 Hegel, GWF. The Philosophy of Right. Trans TM Knox. Oxford University Pres

Human Resource Policies And Practices At Tescos Management Essay

Human Resource Policies And Practices At Tescos Management Essay This report reviews and discusses the Human Resource policies and practices at Tescos. The organisation has introduced a high commitment model which offers training and development to all employees. They have developed their culture through extending their logo every little helps to prove their commitment to employees as well as to customers. This has proved a world class model and very successful for the organisation. Organisations are implementing strategic HR as a change agent, not to replace an out dated personnel department. Although there is still evidence within the UK that once these interventions are implemented, they just replace the role of the personnel department. To be effective HR belongs on the board of an organisation. The organisation that will be reviewed is Tescos; during the past decade they have introduced strategic HR with increased training of employees. The role of HR within the organisation has increased in importance. Their practice of training and the importance of HR will be reviewed with the current theory. This organisation was chosen, through their introduction of strategic HR policies, which has led to an increase in business. This has demonstrated they are a first class provider of training to their employees, and has given scope for the organisation to expand into new markets. Tescos operates in a very competitive market; the consumer has a choice where to shop for their groceries. They have expanded their portfolio to include CDs, DVDs, electrical goods and clothing. Recently they have expanded into the financial services offering customers products from Credit cards to insurance. All their products are available on the internet 24 hours a day. Their slogan every little helps is used to show their commitment to customers, this has been used to reduce prices and to increase the level of customer service. This slogan is now used in their staff training, that any intervention will increase the knowledge of the work force. The organisation is widely reported in news papers, this is due to the success of the business. They are rapidly expanding in the UK with the opening of their Metro stores and into new and foreign markets. This has taken a great deal of their resources in the planning and implementing stage of expansion. The core units need to remain focused, to retain the reputation they have built. Reinforcing the culture and values through training will focus employees on their roles. Tescos HR Policy This section will report on the organisations HR policies, the information is taken from current articles and their web site which is outlined in the appendices. Tescos profits have soared 20% in the last year, taking them to a record 2 billion and setting a new milestone for UK business. The company takes almost one of every three pounds spent in a supermarket, and more than one of every eight pounds spent on the High Street. The supermarket chain is Britains biggest private employer with nearly 260,000 staff (Poulter, S. 2005). The human-resource strategy at Tescos revolves around work simplification, challenging unwritten rules, rolling out core skills to all head-office employees and performance management linked to achieving steering-wheel targets. This highlights the way in which Tescos business measures are closely linked to performance management (Anonymous 2003). Tesco ensures that each and every employee has the opportunity to understand his or her individual role in contributing to the Tesco core purpose and values. This requires an innovative induction programme that caters for different cultures, styles of learning and varying commitments to the job. The frontline employees are considered the ultimate reflection of Tesco to its customers, but all employees have a very important role to play in turning core values and customer commitment into reality on a daily basis (Whitelock, N. 2003). A major Tesco challenge is to ensure that all of its employees, wherever they work, are aware of the role they play and that they can clearly see how their actions affect the big picture of the overall business. The training creates a graphical journey through the history of Tesco, its core purpose, values, business goals, financial aims, operations and marketing strategy and its commitment to customers. All employees are receiving more training than before (Whitelock, N. 2003). A human-resource-led business strategy has helped Tesco to take the lead over its rivals in the fiercely-competitive UK supermarket sector. The strategic policy (Future) started in the companys supermarkets, where its aim was to free up stores employees so they could do more and improve customer service (Anonymous 2003). Future concentrates on providing a clear way of defining roles, responsibilities and activities. The system guarantees that all employees are responsible, accountable, consulted and informed. A group of 13 key management techniques is used to improve the core skills of the workforce. The techniques include root cause analysis, problem solving, plan-do-review, situational leadership and coaching for high performance (Anonymous 2003). For the first time, people have been made a core element of strategy. The importance of this strand of the project has been recognised by putting a senior director in charge. Quarterly board meetings always review human resource issues. Tesco now tracks human-resource information as closely as financial results (Anonymous 2003). Looking ahead, Tesco intends to continue its emphasis on increasing the skills of its workforce. The firm aims to make learning into a truly integrated part of its culture, as an important way of developing organisational flexibility and remaining one step ahead of its rivals (Anonymous 2003). Analysis Of HR Practices At Tescos This section of the paper will discus Tescos approach to HR and compare this to current thinking. Recognition of the importance of HR in the UK has increased in recent years; this is a result of competition from overseas economies. In countries for example Japan, Germany and Sweden investment in employee development is higher that the UK. This has led to some organisations reviewing their policies on training introducing continuous investment in their employees (Beardwell, I et al 2004). There are fundamental differences in the approach to HR. Storey (1987) discussed these as hard and `soft versions of HRM The hard version places little emphasis on workers concerns and, therefore, within its concept, any judgments of the effectiveness of HRM would be based on business performance criteria only. In contrast, soft HRM, while also having business performance as its primary concern, would be more likely to advocate a parallel concern for workers outcomes (Storey cited in Guest, D. 1999). The appearance of knowledge based economies, has deep implications for the factors of growth, the organisation of production and its effect on employment and skill requirements. This may call for new directions in industry related government policies. The prime minister stated that education is the best economic policy we have. That through the policy of lifelong learning the UK would have the knowledge to compete in the new economy (Tony Blair PM (1998) DTI White Paper). Tescos have exceeded the governments expectations for learning, having introduced training as a strategic advantage. It is argued that organisations require new skills to survive; the new thinking is based on complexity and chaos theory. Organisations are viewed as self-regulating, emergent, open, whole systems. This contrasts the metaphor of organisations being machines to that of organisations as living systems (Capra (2002) cited in Nixon 2004:58). Tescos have strategically integrated HR into their overall plans. Managers have been to utilise aspects of HR in their decision making. This has shown high commitment to HR, attempting to gain acceptance from all employees, and offering to all employees basic and extended training (Beardwell I 2004). The big picture of Tescos strategic direction is discussed with all employees. This helps the individual employee to understand their role and importance within the organisation. Therefore, they place a high value on their human resource. There has been an increase in training within the organisation; all employees now receive more training than before. This is a result of the HR department taking a strategic role. HR is not an administrative department within Tesco; they are proactive and are on the strategic level of the organisation. This increase in training priority has been supported by a rise in Human Resource Management. This practice emphasises that increased growth can only be maintained in the long run; by equipping the work force with the skills they need to complete their tasks (Mullins, L. 2005). Strategic HRM has gained both credibility and popularity over the past decade, specifically with respect to its impact on organisational performance (Paauwe, J Boselie P. 2003). Each employee is considered a part of the overall strategy; therefore they are instructed on the importance of their role. This training is delivered in a way that encompasses all learning skills and allows for cultural difference. There is an increased need for a higher value to be placed on employees, and therefore get the best performance from the employees. According to Delany (2001) successful organisations keep people issues at the fore front of their thinking and at the core of their decision making and planning. Delany adds organisations that get the people things right are the organisations likely to be around in the future (Delany (2001) cited in Mullins, L. 2005:748). Being the largest Private employer in the UK Tesco takes this responsibility seriously, this is demonstrated through their training and development policy. This has exceeded the governments recommendations for training of the individual and the move towards a learning society. For HR to succeed it must take on a proactive role within the organisation. Strategic HR creates value by providing opportunities for organic learning, development of intellectual capital and enhances core competencies. This value is crucial to the organisations future success (Treen, D. 2000). Employers are increasing extorting the best possible performance from employees. Best practice will increase the skills of the current workforce, and with recruiting it will reinforce the culture of a highly skilled work force (Mullins, L. 2005). Reinforcing learning within in an organisations, requires what Hawkins (1994) called a change at the heart this change is in the understanding of learning, a shift from viewing learning as being abrupt facts to learning as a more multi-faceted and dynamic process (Hawkins, P 1994:9). This learning environment with Tescos has been extended to encompass all aspects of the work environment. The learning process has been challenged to create a culture that allows continual learning throughout the organisation. As knowledge is what matters, organisations and individuals alike must become continuous learners (Hawkins, P 1994). The organisation runs an academy that recognises skills in the individual. The training is identified from core, operational and leadership skills. All employees can access the core skills. These development programmes are tailored to the individuals skill level. The delivery method for the training is varied, allowing for the individuals learning preference. Tescos operate within a fiercely competitive sector, using a human resource led business strategy, has help to place them in the number one position. This is only sustainable if the strategy is on going, with competitors actions monitored for any changes (Mullins, L. 2005). To fully exploit the wealth of knowledge contained within an organisation, it must be realised that it is in human resource management that the most significant advances will be made. As a result, the human resource department must be made a central figure in an organisations strategy to establish a knowledge basis for its operations (Armstrong, M 2005). The principal function of any organisation is to increase the value of the business and therefore enhance the wealth of its Owner(s). This is obtained by efficient use of the limited resources available to them (T Blackwood, 1995). Garrick (1998) discussed that training inextricably linked to market economics, that knowledge is prized in so far as it can generate a market advantage(Garrick 1998:5). This leads to the assumption that though training and developing employees, it can give the organisation advantage, increasing profit HR and training literatures highlights the organisational benefits to be gained from adopting a systematic approach to HRD, therefore the ongoing development of employees skills underpins the wider business objectives (Keep, E 1989). This systematic approach to training often includes models that identifying needs, planning, delivery and evaluation. Harrison developed an eight stage model to identify monitor and evaluate training. The evaluation stage is possibly the most problematic part of the training process (Reid, M and Barrington, H 1997). The organisation has seen the advantages that training can give, and has fully incorporated this into their business. The process of training is formalised through recognition of the need and continual review. Organisations no longer offer a job for life there is no longer guaranteed employment, with a pension as a reward for loyalty and compliance. The psychological contract between employer and employee has shifted. Employees are increasingly mobile, changing employment for promotion, reward and job satisfaction; top employees have more choice as to where to work. To retain these key employees the organisations culture needs to allow an environment of personal growth (Harrison, R 2002). With less job security, the best reward an organisation can give an employee is transferable skills (Marchington M Wilkinson, A 1997). With the changing employment market, employees feel less job security and are taking more responsibility for their career paths. The skills they are taught within Tescos could be transferable; therefore in the long run they could benefit competitors. Although the benefits of training the work force exceed the disadvantages, this employee mobility should not be ignored. Their every little helps slogan is easily recognised by the customer, but is also built in to the training program. This slogan is part of the ethos and culture that is Tesco. The organisation surveys their employees to gauge motivation and to identify training which employees require. This goes further than just identifying organisational benefits of training. Individuals can plan for the future career. Career development is important to the individual employee (Armstrong, M 2005) Harrison (2002) noted this as an organised planned effort comprised of structured activities or processes that result in a mutual career-plotting effort between employees and the organisation. This is a central component of the psychological contract that binds the individual to the organisation (Harrison, R 2002). This further complicates the role of the HRD practitioner, balancing organisational needs with the individuals expectations. Some employees will develop their career with one employer, while others require transferable skills. The organisation requires employees with the right skills to ensure and sustain competitive advantage (Armstrong, M 2005) Conclusions And Discussions Tescos long term strategy is to continue to place value on employee training and to integrate this value into the culture of the organisation. They are using this approach to maintain their competitive edge. The value that is placed on HR demonstrates commitment from the top levels of the organisation to training. Tescos intentions are to maintain this increased emphasis on staff training and to integrate this learning fully into the organisation. There is constant reviewing of the intervention, and make adjustment were necessary. The study of Tescos HR policies has demonstrated that by introducing a higher level of training to all employees it has an affect on the bottom line. When the employees are trained and demonstrating a higher commitment to the organisation they feel part of the overall strategy. This leads to employees feeling valued and therefore a more committed work force. This is then felt by the consumer, with a higher level of service, which gives the organisation added value. The entire organisation is involved in training. This training is offered at all levels within the organisation, Managers and facilitators are developed to deliver this intervention. Employees have control on their training after the initial induction process. This allows employees control of their career path, with the choice of whether they want to move up the ladder or not. There is conflict within the majority of organisations in the UK as to how much of the resources will be dedicated to training. This buy off for the economic resources, can prove short sighted in the long term. Training has always been the the first cost cuts in times of recession. Yet with todays enviroment, organisations need to train the work force to survive. Whereas organisations that embrace knowledge and learning satisfies the physcological contract and helps to retain and nuture employees. The cost of not devloping employees in the long term is far greater than the cost of developing them. The HR department in Tesco is proactive, not getting caught in the every day administrative function. Their model of HR is one of best practice and high commitment. This has allowed the organisation to focus on the human resource with such practices as training issues. This focus on HR is vital to the success of the organisation, without commitment, it would amount to a waste of resources. Tescos is a very successful UK organisation. They have increased their market share and retail units over the past five years. This has been achieved partly through a fully integrated HR department. Although this is not the only factor to their success, it has certainly been a major factor in it. Other organisations could benefit from reviewing Tescos policies. They have demonstrated a model implementation of HR. This has been a contributory factor to their increase in profits. Competitors will need to review their training policies, to reduce Tesco market share. Training as an intervention has been a successful policy in the organisation, the evidence points to increased profits from training.

Philosophy of Spiritual Gifts :: Christian Spiritual Gifts

The area of Spiritual gifts is one which holds great interest for me. The thought that the different areas of effectiveness and skills are from God is interesting. I grew up with the teaching that we had God given abilities but never equated these with "spiritual gifts". They were just skill that we had been born with. I felt that our genetics and social conditioning had as much to do with these "gifts" as the Holy spirit did. Since there are non-Christians who exhibit these same abilities and gifts and when I was not a Christian I still had the desire to encourage others (encouragement is my spiritual gift). So I guess that I just never thought of these as spiritual gifts. I have been wondering for a few years now about what my spiritual gifts are. Although I have been intrigued by them, I was unsure of the method to use to discover them. The truth is, the thought that I did not know never really concerned me. The lack of understanding my spiritual gifts did not keep me from ministering. In a way I guess that they were already evident to me. The only thing I was missing was the "Christian" terminology for them. I would still be content not to know what the spiritual gifts I have are, but the elective I took gave me the opportunity to explore and discover the spiritual gifts I possess. My involvement in the discovering of my spiritual gifts is purely by God's design, so I assume that the time is right for me to be aware of them. The class module has been informative and interesting, and has revealed to me the gifts that God has blessed me with. The biggest concern I have regarding knowledge of our spiritual gifts is the temptation to misuse them and to a smaller degree to let ourselves be constricted in what we do in our spiritual lives because the task may lie outside of our "gifts". The thought that people use this as an excuse is disappointing to me. That tells me that they do not have a full understanding of who our God is. To limit oneself to the spiritual gifts that are evident is in a sense limiting God. When We become Christians is purely because of what God has worked in us. Throughout the life of the believer the continuing work of the Spirit is evident in our lives, or should be if the believer's relationship with God is healthy.

Public accountants duty to provide due professional care in all their c

The situation that Willis and Company, CPAs have found themselves in regarding Geiger Company’s claim that Willis was negligent, underscores the need for public accountants to provide due professional care in all their contractual obligations. The level of fault that Willis is liable for can vary depending on the circumstances and approaches taken in examining this situation. This fact will be evident when examining this case from the Known User Approach, the Securities Act of 1933, as well as the Securities Act of 1934. These differing options result in varying degrees of liability that Willis and Company or any CPA firm can be held accountable for. Known User Approach When considering Willis’s actions under this Known User Approach, the New York Court of Appeals set the precedent in handling future cases. The New York Court determined that CPAs are held liable for ordinary negligence solely to the CPA’s client and specifically identified third parties (Whittington & Pany, 2012). In order for this to be true though, it must be evident that the company, in this instance Geiger and the specifically identified third parties are listed as specific users of the audit reports (Whittington & Pany). In relation to the loss incurred by the bank loaning funds based on misstated financial statements, the same precedent holds true. The bank, as a third-party beneficiary, must have been specifically named as a known party to the use of the auditor’s report in order to have a claim to recover the loss sustained (Whittington & Pany). The New York Court of Appeals further states that the third-party must not only be known or listed in the auditor’s report as a user but the said third-party must have take some sort of action to prove the ... ...934 also provides a greater protection to auditors as well, because it requires of proof of both misstatement and intent to cause harm as well as reduces liability proportionally. Under the Known User Approach, auditors can be liable for ordinary negligence, but the plaintiffs bringing suit must be specifically named in the statements for their allegations to be considered. These three approaches highlight the seriousness with which auditors and CPA firms should approach all established contracts in order to lessen the liability they face in carrying out their public duties. Works Cited Conahan, J., Nolette, P., & Young, A. (2003). Securities Fraud. The American Criminal Law Review. 40(2). Ps. 1041-1107. ProQuest doi: 230355736. Whittington, R., & Pany, K. (2012). Principles of auditing and other assurances (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essays -- essays papers

A Raisin in the Sun In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry portrays obstacles that the Younger family and other African Americans had to face and over come during the post World War 2 era. Obstacles that had to be over come by the Youngers were economical, moral, social, and racist obstacles. Lorraine Hansberry, the author of the play had to face one of these as well growing up. Born in Chicago on the south side in an all black neighborhood, Lorraine Hansberry and her family had to deal with segregation. Moving to a white neighborhood in Chicago, her family had to deal with threats of violence and legal action. Her father defended the case successfully all the way to the Supreme Court.(sparknotes1) Her parents were well known in national black culture and political circles, which probably sparked her to latter become a reporter and editor for the Freedom, a black newspaper in New York from 1950-53. Hansberry relates her life situations through her play by having the Younger family deal with a similar circumstance. In the play Lena Younger or better known as mama, receives a 10,000-dollar check because her husband had past away. She decides to buy a house in Clybourne Park, which is an all white neighborhood. After finding out a black family is moving to Clybourne the so-called Organization Committee sends out a Mr. Lindner to welcome the Youngers. He d...

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Essay

Juxtaposition is one of the many literary element used in emphasis of a concept or an idea. In the novel Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad juxtaposes the motifs of light and dark to emphasize the wickedness present throughout the book. Through juxtaposition, Conrad not only emphasizes the darkness in Africa but also intensifies the dark hearts of the Europeans. The major darkness in the novel is the land of Africa itself. When Marlow first makes his way upstream with his crew, he describes the land of Africa as a dark place, saying that the river was â€Å"an empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine† (30). He uses lightness words like â€Å"brilliance† and â€Å"sunshine† to intensify this darkness. Also, Conrad even depicts Africa as the â€Å"heart of darkness†. He says, â€Å"we penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It was very quiet there. At night sometimes the roll of drums behind the curtain of trees would run up the river and remain sustained faintly, as if hovering in the air high over our heads, till the first break of day† (31). Africa is full of darkness and it all happens at night, before the sun rises and brightens up the world again. â€Å"I looked around, and I don’t know why, but I assure you that never, never before, did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness† (51), describes Marlow. Here, the darkness is portrayed as gloom, not the darkness of evil. Even the â€Å"blazing† sky looked hopeless. By juxtaposing the words â€Å"blazing† and â€Å"dark†, Conrad emphasizes that the glum of the land defeated its bright and sunny sky. Through the use of juxtaposition, the darkness of the land of Africa is emphasized and intensified. Conrad also uses juxtaposition of the character of the accountant to emphasize the darkness not only in the Africans but also in the Europeans. When Marlow meets the accountant, he states â€Å"I met a white man, in such an unexpected elegance of getup that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision. I saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clear necktie, and varnished boots† (15). Marlow describes the white accountant as some kind of a miracle. The white man was elegant and had decent clothing among all the madness happening around them. However, from how Marlow describes what happened in the accountant’s office, this accountant is not a kind man. Marlow accounts that â€Å"when a truckle bed with a sick man was put in there, he exhibited a gentle annoyance. ‘The groans of this sick person,’ he said, ‘distract my attention. And without that it is extremely difficult to guard against clerical errors in this climate.’† (15). He complains about the dying sick man and how this man is distracting him from his work. By juxtaposing the white European with his dark behavior, Conrad shows the evilness of humans. Mr. Kurtz is a mysterious character in the novel, containing both the dark devil and the real Kurtz. The first description of Kurtz occurs in the part where Marlow describes the outlook of a brochure. He says, â€Å"it was very simple, and at the end of that moving appeal to every altruistic sentiment it blazed at you, luminous and terrifying, like a flash of lightning in a ser ene sky: ‘Exterminate all the brutes!’† (46). This is a description of the brochure Kurtz is writing for the â€Å"International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs† (45). The first part of the brochure, the part written before Kurtz have gone mad, is typed up with the use of a typewriter. Then on the bottom of the page, the words â€Å"Exterminate all the brutes!† was scribbled on hastily. Even when Kurtz was on the verge of death, he was living immersed in darkness. â€Å"His was an impenetrable darkness. I looked at him as you peer down at a man who is lying at the bottom of a precipice where the sun never shines† (64). Conrad straight up uses the words â€Å"impenetrable darkness† to describe Kurtz. At the end of the quote, he said â€Å"where the sun never shines†. The sun is used to emphasize the darkness of Kurtz’s heart because it never shines. It was dark, it is dark, and will be dark unless a miracle occurs and causes the â€Å"sun† to shine down in the â€Å" precipice†. The character of Kurtz is probably the darkest character in the novel and this is shown by the juxtaposition. Marlow, the frame narrator, starts and ends his story by saying that the darkness isn’t just in Africa. In the beginning of Marlow’s story, he talks about how we are living in a constant flicker of lightness among the darkness. By starting the story with â€Å"Light came out of this river since – you say knights? Yes; but it is like a running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker – may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday† (3), it can be seen and foreshadowed that there are darkness no matter where you go. This is even before he describes Africa, showing that Africa isn’t the only heart of darkness. These â€Å"flickers† intensifies the darkness when it drapes over us. The nameless narrator ends the novel by saying, â€Å"the offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky – seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness† (72). After starting out the story with a description of the darkness in the world, the nameless narrator ends the novel with the descriptions of the darkness in Europe. This narrator describes that there was a storm when the Nellie made its way down the Thames River, not only literal but also metaphorical. The metaphorical storm reflects the darkness of the hearts of the Europeans. By using light and bright words, Conrad intensifies the evil and the despair in the novel Heart of Darkness. 2nd sentence. 3rd sentence.

International management and change Essay

When Pascal made this statement, globalization had yet to take place. People lived in different societies remaining cut-off from each other. Each society had its own perception of truth and reality. Then came along the advancement in technology bringing along inventions such as computer, internet and telecommunications making the world a global village. Perceptions started changing as information flow across the globe happened at the speed of light. People from all across the globe started sharing their experiences with each other thus reducing the differences in various cultures. However, the act of globalization has yet to reach its peak. Cultural differences still exist within different societies and the level of information and technology is still heterogeneous around the globe. I would now highlight some distinguishing features of the management styles of various regions. We observe that the beliefs and values of people vary across various cultures. The Japanese work as a group and organizational system is based on community work. The reward system is based on the level of seniority and is also group based. The organizational structure is cooperation based whereas American organizations often are based on competitive style where individuals are rewarded based on their performance levels. Similarly the management style of French is also very different from that of US. French follow a more creative thinking pattern and do not like to adhere to strict rules and regulations. The European management style has some key points that distinguish it from the American management style. The European management style even differs within the European countries and two countries deserve a special focus — France and Germany — because, among other reasons, the bureaucrats in those countries have long been regarded as â€Å"mandarins† by the field of public administration (Dogan 1976). European management style can be classified into different clusters based upon Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s cultural variables (Goliath, 2004) according to which European management style can be sub-divided into: Anglo-Saxon culture (Ireland, UK, and USA), Nordic culture (Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland), Germanic culture (Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland), Frankophile culture (France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain) and Italian culture. These cultures also differ greatly from the US and Japanese styles of management thus requiring different management practices. The pay for performance system can work with the European management style as employees in Europe are mostly achievement oriented and perform good work for better rewards. The cultural beliefs and values of Europeans are pretty much different from the people of US and hence the marketing techniques used in Europe should be different from those applied in US. For example, Europeans are very much reluctant to providing personal information as compared to US customers; also the credit card usage in Europe is considerably lower than in US (Heilbrunn, 1998). The introduction of new logo and implementation of matrix structure allowing a flatter organizational structure can work relatively better in the European business environment The company operations in South America demand a completely different approach as Latin American culture significantly differs from US culture in terms of communication process. The US culture emphasizes on completion of task and sentences are interpreted in their direct meaning. However Latin American society focuses on relationships and context of the communication may involve more than just the spoken words (Wederspahn, 2001). So the marketing and sales efforts in South American cannot be standardized with the US practices since the Latin American customers tend to perceive communication messages in a very different way from their US counterparts. The new logo can be introduced, however introduction of a flatter organization with matrix structure may not be feasible in South America as the type of culture prevalent in this society is not conducive to the working of non-hierarchical organizations. If we study the culture of Middle Eastern countries, it is found that the business practices again differ significantly from those of US. The business is mostly chaotic and based upon word of mouth rather than written agreements, the cultural values are mostly Islamic and respect for relationships is held supreme; also the marketing regulations in Middle Eastern countries are very strict as compared to US or rest of the world (Kwintessential Ltd). The middle eastern management style is mostly authoritarian and based upon Douglas McGregor’s Theory X motivational leadership style (Daniel Workman , 2008). Thus employees have little or no motivation to work on their own and will perform only when directed by the superiors. Thus bright managers from US and other Western states often try to avoid working in Middle East and so they must first be provided proper cultural training in authoritative styles thus enabling them to adapt to the management practices of the Middle East. The Australian business is more similar to that of US as compared to the rest of regions as described above. The language and dress code is pretty much similar. However, Australian society is strictly based upon egalitarian principle where nobody like being bossed around. People don’t like to consider others as superiors and there is almost no hierarchical system (Slideshare, 2009). So authoritarian style of management will not be welcomed in the Australian business. The meeting and negotiation styles as well as the general beliefs of the Australian society are pretty close to the American beliefs. However according to a study on behavior of 35,000 managers from Australia and New Zealand, the Australian managers consistently try to avoid responsibilities and do not take initiatives (Gettler, 2002). Thus FES should provide cultural and leadership training to Australian manager before implementing any kind of central strategy. Discrimination issues also prevail in Australia that can make life for foreign managers very difficult. However, recently steps have been taken to strongly implement anti-discrimination laws. The roles of front line managers are also changing in Australia as they are provided more and more freedom and responsibility (James Saville, & Mark Higgins, 1994). The sales and marketing strategy in Australia can be aligned with the US strategies relatively easily because of the similarity in both societies. So the dilemma of FES is choosing between centralized and decentralized approach. Centralization can be defined as, â€Å"the degree to which decision-making authority is kept at top levels of management. † while Decentralization can be defined as, â€Å"the degree to which decision making authority is pushed down to lower levels of the firm† (Schilling 2008). Both approaches have their own pros and cons. FES has seen tremendous growth over the years and has been expanding into new regions at a very quick rate. Thus the organization requires a large amount of flexibility in its decision making that can be provided by a decentralized approach. However, due to rapid expansion, the organization requires tighter control of finances and close monitoring of all its operations to reduce costs and maintain quality. These measures can be achieved through a more centralized approach. So what approach suits FES bests can be determined by a cost benefit analysis where each advantage and disadvantage of delegation authority has to be carefully analyzed in light of the company objectives. Thus aligning the decision making process with the vision of the organization. A centralized approach can benefit the organization by significantly reducing the administrative cost related to employee management. Infrastructure handling will also be more efficient and it will be easier for the headquarter to align organizational goals with the functional and departmental goals ( Dezaree Seeds, & Alan S. Khade , 2008). Centralized approach will also make reporting procedure simple resulting in standardized organizational policies. Thus in this way it will further help the organizational objective of flattening the organizational structure and in creation of a matrix organizational setup. A decentralized approach on the other hand can benefit the organization by providing flexibility and empowering employees at the divisional and functional level. As explained above, different regions in which FES is operating have different working environments and the condition of energy industry in Europe, Australia, Middle East, US and South East Asian regions are very different from each other. Thus decentralization of HR and marketing policies will allow the organization to cater to the customer needs in the ways most suited to specific regions. It will also allow greater local control and the ability to act quickly to gain local resources ( Dezaree Seeds, & Alan S. Khade , 2008). Decentralization will also allow the organization to better deal with the cultural diversity and provide training to the employees as and when the need arises. â€Å"One thing that business, institutions, governments and key individuals will have to realize is spiders and starfish may look alike, but starfish have a miraculous quality to them. Cut off the leg of a spider, and you have a seven-legged creature on your hands; cut off its head and you have a dead spider. But cut off the arm of a starfish and it will grow a new one. Not only that, but the severed arm can grow an entirely new body. Starfish can achieve this feat because, unlike spiders, they are decentralized; every major organ is replicated across each arm† (Beckstrom and Brafman 2008). The type of approach taken by FES depends upon the nature and present condition of the global energy industry. The energy industry around the world is in a continuous state of flux. As more and more energy companies around the world become private and become free from the control of state, the nature of competition is changing (ExxonMobil, 2004). Demand for power is increasing at an exponential rate and the competition from private as well as government owned companies is fierce. In the power generation sector, each country has established different laws and tariff rates for multinational organizations. Thus on a whole it seems wiser to maintain a decentralized organizational setup which is flexible enough to quickly respond to the changing conditions of the industry. FES should maintain its present functional structure by keeping the finance, production and HR departments centralized. However using the same marketing and sales techniques all across the globe has a lot of negative implications. Thus allowing the regional marketing departments to work according to their specific environment is the best possible option. So in order to maintain decentralization in the marketing and sales department, the top management has to establish strong ties with all of its regional departments. A strong organizational culture based upon a clear vision and mission of the company should be communicated to all of its employees. Perhaps FES can create a hybrid model which allows centralization of decision making with respect to financial and important managerial decisions and at the same time, the marketing campaign is allowed flexibility according to the specific needs of the region. A key concern for FES is to harmonize its rapid global growth. Power and gas generation has to be taken in new countries and new plants need to be setup. The international operations have expanded a lot and efforts must be made to consolidate the existing business while growing in new regions of the world. As part of the consolidation effort FES must conduct extensive employee training program instilling in each employee the vision and objective of the organization. The company should consolidate its major decision making power in the Headquarter thereby allowing Headquarter to maintain a close monitory system on all of its subsidiaries. By centralizing its finance and management activities, the company can also approve marketing budgets for different regions from its Headquarter, thus building coherence in the finance and marketing goals. However the marketing and sales strategies for each region should be decentralized thus instilling greater flexibility and freedom among marketing departments to cater to their local markets. The pay for performance system can work smoothly in few of the regions but as explained earlier, some regions such as Middle East and some parts of South East Asian cultures demonstrate a more hierarchical structure and it will be extremely difficult to introduce pay for performance system in these regions. Also the parameters should be clearly defined before introducing the pay for performance system in different regions. Because same results usually do not show same amount of performance in different regions. What kind of performance and what kind of pay should be decided and communicated to all regional offices. The parameters for monitoring performance should be based upon different standards for different regions. Similarly some of the major HR policies should be centralized but mostly HR of each region should be independent in choosing the who, what, when and where about its employees. For example, Middle Eastern region is very warm in summers as compared to the European region and the work habits and optimum level of work during different seasons is different for both these regions. Thus separate working policies should be established for each of the region. The R&D department should remain centralized at the American Head Office. As a centralized R&D approach is more beneficial for a company like FES which has not expanded business into a variety of categories (AB, 2001). However taking technological inputs from all across the globe may help the R&D department in improving its efficiency and effectiveness. Thus technological integration should be built where all global units of FES are directly integrated with its Head Office and the information flow between Head Office and different regions should be quick and efficient. The production department should carry out its role from the center, managing the manufacturing process across the globe from the Head Office. So it can be seen that different aspects of FES operations require different level of centralization and decentralization. Also different regions require different level of authority delegation based upon their internal environment and national cultures. It is relatively easier to introduce standard policies in Europe and Australia as both of these cultures are very similar to that of US. However, standardizing procedures across Middle East and South America is not a feasible option. The regional business units should remain decentralized as there should be some form of flexibility to make the decision making process quicker. The regional heads should be sent directly from the Head Office, however if some regions in Middle East are not being managed effectively by American managers, then leadership services of local managers should be availed after providing them extensive cultural training programs at the Head Office. The regional units should be linked to the Head Office through the fastest technology available so that there is no or little information gap between the center and regional units. Thus in light of the cultural differences prevailing in various regions of the world, the best suited approach should be to take a hybrid approach while showing some restrain in application of a centralized approach and making some variations in the standards for implementation in different regions. The integration of overall business can be achieved by proper use of technology and defining proper hierarchical system for flow of information between Head Office and various regional units.