Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Entrepreneurship - 1228 Words

Similarities and differences between a manager, a business owner and an entrepreneur Date: 12/8/2011 Version: 1.0 Student Number: 110369257 Module: BUS1004 Similarities and differences between a manager, a business owner and an entrepreneur By Henry Amm Introduction The public perception of entrepreneurs today is almost legendary. They seem to seamlessly start up small businesses and make them grow and develop themselves almost overnight to big successes. (Beaver, 2005) This essay will briefly cover the differences and similarities between managers, business owners and entrepreneurs. Differences and similarities between managers, owners and entrepreneurs Back in the 19th century being a businessman, in other words being an†¦show more content†¦Therefore he often runs a lifestyle firm that is based on trade or craft which, however, will not grow to any considerable size. The entrepreneur in turn is opportunistic, innovative, self-confident and acts proactive and decisive. He is highly self-motivated by his vision and is therefore willing to take even greater risks and can live with a high uncertainty. That is why the entrepreneur has a growth firm and is pursuing growth and personal wealth. Lastly the manager is administrating, or in other words managing, an entity that does not belong to him. His ‘purpose’ is to build up the organisation, by means that are similar to larger firms. (Burns, 2007) However there are some exceptions from that generalization: An owner-manager of course can have a growing business, while an entrepreneur could manage a business he owns together with a business associate and therefore ha s not complete control over the capital. (Burns, 2007) As Fraja (1996) suggests every firm can be assigned to either one of the following types: Either it is an entrepreneurial firm, where the owner-manager or entrepreneur is in exclusive control, organizes production, borrows funds and retains any residual returns from his work. Or it is a managerial firm, where the individual that has the right to residual returns remains outside the company and the individual that has theShow MoreRelatedEntrepreneurship1111 Words   |  5 PagesEntrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur or one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods. This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response to a perceived opportunity. The most obvious form of entrepreneurship is that of starting new businesses (referred as Startup Company); however, in recent years, the term has been extended to include socialRead MoreEntrepreneurship1326 Words   |  6 Pages‘Critically evaluate the key theoretical developments of the term Entrepreneurship’. Student Name : Jonalee B. 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Sunday, December 15, 2019

Is Sociology a Science Free Essays

ABSTRACT In recent years, some persons have expressed sentiments that the study of sociology has no real scientific ground. This paper serves to examine the fundamental assumptions, as well as the possibility of Sociology being a science, but more specifically a social science. It begins by producing some definitions of the key terms, within the context of sociology, to which the student will make reference. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Sociology a Science or any similar topic only for you Order Now The terms include science, social science and sociology. The paper then proceeds to compare sociology to the natural sciences, by establishing and assessing the characteristics which sociology has in common with the natural sciences. INTRODUCTION What predictions can sociologists make about how people behave, and to what extent are these tested through blind studies? Are there any models in sociology, that make it possible to make predictions like the other sciences? Jake Gordon (2002) said in an internet article, â€Å"Sociologists study society as a ‘social science’ however, the status of sociology as a science is easily questionable when compared to how acknowledged scientists study the natural world. Science, as defined by Giddens (2001), is â€Å"the use of systematic methods of investigation, theoretical thinking and the logical assessment of arguments, to develop a body of knowledge about a particular subject matter. † A key element of what constitutes a science is the ability to provide rational, plausible explanations. Sociology observes one of the most subjective factors we can think of, that is, human action and makes predictions, from which persons are able to generate explanation s for human social behaviour. Read also  Sociology and Social Integration. Sociology is outlined as the social science which studies human behaviour and interaction in groups. A social science being any or all of the branches of study that â€Å"involves an examination of human relationships in an attempt to objectively understand the social world† (Unknown). Gordon continues, â€Å"In order to determine whether or not sociology can be accepted as a true science it is useful to make comparisons between the studies performed by both sociologists and natural scientists on their subjects of society and the natural world respectively. At its most fundamental level, the philosophy behind knowledge, reality and being must also be scrutinized as the knowledge which is so eagerly pursued by scientists is only relevant under certain philosophical conditions. † Many of the leaders of sociology are convinced that it is possible to create a science of society based on the same principles and methods as the natural scientists. The attempt to apply natural science philosophies to sociology is called positivism. Positivists, such as Auguste Comte and Karl Popper believe that much of the same techniques and processes used by the natural scientists can be applied to the social sciences, namely sociology. They are of the opinion that social facts and the behaviour of humans, like the behaviour of matter can be objectively observed, expressed as a quantity and measured. These measurements are vital to be able to explain human behaviour. Research has noted that the positivists also believe that based on objective measurements, observations of behaviour will allow statements of effect and cause to be made. Then theories may be formulated to explain the observed behaviour. Therefore, with all this being said it is possible for sociology to be deemed a science. There are four basic features which sociology has in common with the natural sciences and which help to characterize it as a science itself. Sociology can be considered a science because it is empirical, theoretical, cumulative and objective. PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS To begin with, sociology is a science to the extent that it gathers empirical information according to a rational process and develops hypotheses based on that data. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"the word empirical denotes information acquired by means of observation or experimentation. † Empirical data, therefore, is data produced by an observation or experiment. McGraw-Hill said, â€Å"the empirical method is generally characterized by the collection of a large amount of data before much speculation as to their significance, or without much idea of what to expect, and is to be contrasted with more theoretical methods in which the collection of empirical data is guided largely by preliminary theoretical exploration of what to expect. Sociologists attain information for experiments through somewhat of the same means as the ‘regular’ or natural scientists. This is to say that a sociologist would form an idea based on which a hypothesis would then be formulated. A research study would then be done to verify or refute the hypothesis and then a theory and predictions can be made about the particular discourse. Sociology makes use of scientific methods in the study of its subject matter like investigations, interviews, case studies, questionnaires, observations and comparisons, so it is therefore, entitled to be called a science. What is then noted about the subject matter is no longer a speculation, some wild idea or even an opinion. Rather, it is in fact, a theory which has been physically tested and holds scientific grounds, based widely on facts. However, because the subject matter of sociology varies from that of the natural sciences, some persons are of the view that sociology should not be considered a science. However, to say that sociology is not a science is absolutely absurd and very far from the truth because it uses much of the same methodology as the natural sciences to conduct research. An unknown internet source puts it this way, â€Å"universal validity of conclusions and a complete accuracy of prediction are not the criteria of science; what determines the scientific character of a discipline is its methodology, if the methods of a study are scientific, the subject deserves the rank of a science. † Sociology is a science every bit as much as biology or chemistry. Social sciences, like natural and biological sciences, use a vigorous methodology. This means that a social scientist clearly states the problems he or she is interested in and clearly spells out how he or she arrives at their conclusions. Indeed, a scientific study of social phenomena is not free from difficulties. Social studies, by their very nature, cannot perhaps be as exact or natural as physical sciences but that does not make them any less of a science. Additionally, sociology must be considered a science because it is theoretical. When a research is conducted on a particular subject in sociology, it is organized in such a way that someone may be able to analyse this information and therefore formulate a theory which would then allow for the prediction of some future human behaviour. According to Haralambos, Holborn and Heald (2004), â€Å"a theory is a set of ideas that provides an explanation of something†, thus the greater the accuracy of the theory, the greater the overall accuracy of the prediction as well. As stated by Schaefer and Lamm (1998), â€Å"an effective theory may have both explanatory and predictive power. † According to Cuvler, â€Å"the predictive value of sociology is being improved. There is a good deal of approximate information on family relationships and the personality of children. As sociology matures and comes to understand more fully the principles underlying human behaviour it will be in a better position to make accurate prediction. † Like the natural sciences, sociology contains many different theoretical approaches to much of the same idea, and as mentioned, the data which these theories are based upon is gained through observation and experiments and not blind speculation. The theories which sociologists create, present the relationship between all the observations that have been recorded for a particular study. For instance, the Symbolic Interaction Theory (established by George H Mead in the 1920s) which is based on the premise that human nature and social order are the results of social interaction among people. Furthermore, like the natural sciences, sociology is cumulative. Sociologists usually build upon theories which have been formulated by his/her predecessors. Hence new theories are simply modifications or developments of older ones as they all have their basis in some previously established theory. For example, the Symbolic Interaction Theory though introduced by George Mead, had its origins in the works of Max Weber. According to Nasser Mustapha (2009), sociology’s â€Å"cumulative nature implies that new knowledge continuously builds upon what is already known. † Reference can also be made to another sociologist- Durkheim- who it is said expounded on the idea of society being an organism- a theory first developed by Herbert Spencer. Both the evolution of theories and collection of data is cumulative in sociology. Theories change and become more complex over time as they are reviewed and ideas confirmed or rejected. Moreover, sociology is also considered to be a science because it is objective or value-free. The dictionary defines ‘objective’ as not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice, based on facts or unbiased. And as such, sociologists do not allow personal views or ideologies to influence their research. According to Mustapha (2009), â€Å"the fatcs obtained by research must be accurately reported and not distorted to agree with the researcher’s feelings and emotions. Denise Richards, Vashti Deochan and Bennie Berkley (2005) put it this way. â€Å"In studying society, there will be several issues which a sociologist may not support, for example, single parenting, where women decide to have children out of wedlock and support the children themselves. Even though the sociologist may not approve of this type of family formation, he/ she cannot allow personal bias and opinions to creep in and influence his/ her work. † This is so because one basic requirement of cience is that the subject matter be unbiased. Some persons believe that humans studying their behaviour in groups makes it impossible for absolute objectivity. But that does not mean a scientifically acceptable level of objectivity cannot be attained. Psychology has made great strides in understanding the individual in both constructive and destructive ways and there is no reason sociology cannot do the same thing for society. As humans we are quite capable of understanding ourselves as we are of understanding the world around us. Hence sociology does not reflect what we as humans believe to be true but in fact what is true and has proven itself to be factual. CONCLUSION In conclusion, sociology is a science and saying it is not betrays a misunderstanding of what science is. Any field of study dedicated to finding answers about how the world works is a science by definition. Science is not about knowing everything, it is about knowing more than we do now. Sociology may be a science in the early stages of development, or even a science which does not have all the answers but, nonetheless it is a science. It has been deemed, like the natural sciences, to be empirical, theoretical, cumulative and objective. According to Cuvier, J. F. , â€Å"The science is the method of discovery of the uniformities in the universe, through the process of observation and re-observation, the result of which eventually comes to be stated in principle and arranged and organized into the fields of knowledge. † And this is exactly what sociology entails. Thus, it is just as much of a science as any of the natural or other social sciences. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Ajay Bhatt, â€Å"Do you consider sociology as a science, if yes then why? † from http://www. preservearticles. com/201101173444/is-sociology-a-science. html (2011) * Giddens, A. (2001). Sociology. 4th edn. Reprint with the assistance of Karen Birdsall. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. * Jake Gordon, â€Å"Can sociologists study society in the same way that scientists study the natural world? † from http://jakeg. co. uk/essays/science (2002) * Haralambos, M. Holborn, M. 2008). Sociology Themes and Perspectives, 7th edn. London: Harper Collins. * Russ Long, â€Å"Sociology as a Science† from http://dmc122011. delmar. edu/socsci/rlong/intro/science. htm (2012) * Mustapha, N. (2009). Sociology for Caribbean Students: Sociology as a Discipline, 20-22. Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers. * Richards, D. Deochan, V. Berkley B. (2005). Introduction to Sociology: Sociology as a Science, 41-46. Barbados: The University of the West Indies. How to cite Is Sociology a Science, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Manage Knowledge and Information

Question: Discuss about the Manage Knowledge and Information. Answer: Introduction Decision making is one of the important activities in every organisation that tries to remain in a sustainable position in the market. However, the effective decision-making of the organisation depends on a number of factors in which the knowledge and the information management plays a crucial role. The organisations thus employ innovative technologies that help to reach the goals of the company. In the opinion of Galliers and Leidner(2014), the appropriate management of the knowledge and the information has a positive impact on the decision making process that increases the productivity of the organisation. The project discusses the various ways of managing knowledge and information using methods such as MIS, DSS. The impact of the technology on the decision-making process of the company is also analysed in the study to understand the importance of the technologies. The study focuses on the car industry of Australia due to which the Ford Australia is chosen. The problems faced by the company while managing the knowledge and information for appropriate decision making is discussed in order to highlight the appropriate methods for addressing the issues. The changes that took place in the recent times is analysed to understand the way in which the company arrived at the decision. Ways of managing knowledge and information The knowledge and the information management in the organisation is a process that involves creatingsharing, using ad managing the knowledge and the information of the organisation. It is a multi-disciplinary approach that is employed by the organisation that helps the managers to make appropriate decisions that supports the organisational activities (Iraniet al. 2014). Based on the nature of the business and the organisation, there are a number of ways in which the organisations manages their knowledge and the information of the business. However, there are certain common methods and technologies that almost every organisation implements in order to obtain the best possible outcome for the decisions undertaken by the managers and the decision makers of the company. The organisation takes the support of the various technologies such as the MIS, DSS and EIS to make organisational decisions (Schwalbe 2015). The Decision Support System (DSS) is useful for the organisation to support the unstructured and the semi-structured decisions of the company. The DSS is characterised by incomplete or uncertain knowledge that uses the qualitative data. The DSS is beneficial to the decision makers of the company as the alternative scenarios can be easily modelled and compared. According to Park and Lee (2014), the investment decision is highly supported by the DSS technology. The Management Information System or MIS is a sophisticated reporting system that is built on the basis of the current system that is under processing. The MIS is used by the organisation to support the structured decision making of the company and the tactical management level such as the stock level or the pricing of the product. The Executive Information System (EIS) supports a various range of decision making that is unstructured in most cases. It supports the executive level of management to design high level strategic decisions. The summary data from the internal system can be effectively extracted through EIS (Doz and Prahalad 2013). Impact of the technology on the decision-making process The technology helps the decision makers by providing them with the tools to collect, analyse and evaluate the data which is required to make effective decisions. The technology has a significant impact on the decision making process as it improves the business performance through a number of ways such as follows: Centralising the data of the company The decision makers are dependent on a number of data sources within the organisation. It becomes difficult to make the appropriate decision when the data are stored in the different systems of the departments (Holsapple 2013). The technology helps to store the data in a central location reduces the difficulty and avoids unnecessary time consumption. Simplifying Data Collection The network technology further allows the company to make effective decisions on the basis of the latest information that is available from the supply chain or the market. The managers of the company are able to communicate with the members of the supply chain though secured networks to gain coordination in the decision making process and effectively balance the demand of the market with the supply of the product. Collaborative Decision-Making The collaboration of the decision making is also possible with the help of the technology. Technology can be effectively used to make joint decision while developing a new product. The videoconference facility is an effective technology that is used in the organisations in the recent days to carry out joint decisions of the company. Business problem currently faced by Ford Australia Ford Australia being one of the well-known companies in the car industries in Australia carries out knowledge and the information management in the organisation to make appropriate decisions. However, in the recent times Ford is reported to be under a heavy cloud and it plans to shut down few of its plants. It has been observed that the company is facing the maximum challenges due to the ineffective decisions that arise as a result of poor knowledge and information management (Hislop 2013). The decision of the company to close down the plants is considered as a wrong decision as operating in the market would allow the company to earn profit in the long run. As per the CEO of the company, the economies of scale of Australia are one of the challenging factors behind the low productivity of Ford. The company further decides to restrict its decision regarding the up-gradation of the operation. The reason behind such decision is that the other car industry in Australia does not manufacture enough cars that will give proper justification to the investment made by Ford to upgrade the operations (Rothaermel 2015). The company further faces other challenges that include seismic re-structuring. Ford has not used the marketing strategy that Toyota or Holden have used to increase their market productivity and profit. Both the rival companies of Ford have invested in the process of meeting the changingpreference of the customers in the case of small cars as well as SUV cars. The marketing strategies gave these companies competitive advantage that supported them to secure export market and maintain them (Ward and Peppard 2016). The ineffective strate gies of Ford are considered as one of the reasons behind the downfall of the company. Appropriate methods for addressing the issues Ford Australia have been facing maximum of its issues due to the improper decision making. Thus, to achieve effective outcome of the decision making it is important for the company to consider certain appropriate methods or strategies that will address the organisational challenges. Acknowledge and compensate for the biases The decision of the company tends to become less objective as the emotions and the biases of the managers or the other stakeholders involve in the process of decision making. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge and compensate for the biases in order to achieve the effective business decision results (Ferreiraet al. 2016). Using pro and con lists Although the use of the pro and the cons list is an old method used in the organisation, it is still one of the most effective way to address in the decision making issues and managing the knowledge and the information of the business. This is an effective option as it allows the decision makers to evaluate the entire positive as well as the negative options and thereby chose the best possible option (Motro and Smets 2012). Striping down the deciding factors This is a useful strategy when the decision making becomes difficult. In this method, the decision maker tries to limit the interruption rather than thinking of all the possibilities. It is beneficial to stripe down the deciding factors to the minimum numbers. Furthermore, eliminating the factors that are not of the primary consideration helps the managers to make better decisions and manage the knowledge and the information of the organisation effectively (Liebowitzand Frank2016). Data that is important in dealing with the knowledge and technology The data are the facts and the figures that infers something specific but are not properly organised and hence do not provide any further information related to the context. In the present market, there are different types of data that are important for the companies. There are different multimedia data such as the audio, video, images and graphics apart from text and numbers (Stadtler 2015). In the opinion of Ogiela(2015), for the automotive industry the data is not something new. The company constantly considers the data to optimise the supply chain and analyse the sales. The big data have a significant impact on the parts and the features of the car. The big data of the company helps to infiltrate every aspect of the experience of Ford. The innovation in the technology is allowing ford to deal with larger and diverse datasets. Ford uses data analytics to find efficient ways to survive in the market. The big data is important for Ford Australia as it allows the company to acquire the adequate information and knowledge needed by the company to carry out the business activities. Changes in the technology With the changing demand and the consumer behaviour, there is remarkable changes in the technologies that are useful for the organisations in dealing with the market changes. Ford started the business in 1970s with engine controls and microprocessors. With the passage of time, the products of the company have become more and more advanced and software based. The company has gained the ability to take the data, store it and analyse it to identify what value can drive up the productivity and performance of the company (Davison, Ou and Martinsons 2013). The technology has helped the company to know the easier methods of repairing the car and analyse the way in which the people are using the vehicle. The company studied the market demand and the need to bring effective changes in the business. Introduction of new car models with better technology have been considered by the company. Ford introduced the new Mustang that has been accepted by the Australians well. The Australians ordered the car twice the time as that done by the buyers in UK, despite the car market in Australia being small. The car is a right hand drive car that attracted a number of customers in Australia(Ford.com.au, 2016). The company has been able to reach the decision of launching the car with the innovation with the help of the effective knowledge and information management strategies. The strategies helped the company to consider the pros as well as the cons of the company. Conclusion The knowledge and the information management is thus one of the most crucial activity that is carried out by the company effectively. The effective management of knowledge and the information of the organisation is not only able to support the decision making of the company but also drive the productivity and revenue of the company, thereby helping the company to gain more profit. The various methods such as the MIS, DSS and EIS are effective in managing the knowledge and the information to facilitate the decision making process of the company. The technology further has a significant impact on the decision making process of the company. The efficient and the innovative technology allows the organisation to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors with the help of the appropriate decisions. While considering the knowledge and the informationmanagement of Ford Australia, it can be inferred that the company faces a number of issues that are to be effectively addressed in order to allow smooth running of the business. The methods such as acknowledging and compensating for the biases, using pro and con lists and striping down the deciding factors are effecting in addressing the issues of the company. The company has witnessed a number of changes in the recent times that has been possible with the implementation of effective technologies that allowed it to arrive at those particular decisions. References Davison, R.M., Ou, C.X. and Martinsons, M.G., 2013. Information technology to support informal knowledge sharing.Information Systems Journal,23(1), pp.89-109. Doz, Y. and Prahalad, C.K., 2013, January. Quality of management: An emerging source of global competitive advantage?. InStrategies in Global Competition (RLE International Business): Selected Papers from the Prince Bertil Symposium at the Institute of International Business, Routledge(pp. 345-368). Ferreira, F., Marques, A.L., Faria, J. and Azevedo, A., 2016. Large Project Management in the Automotive Industry: A Flexible and Knowledge Based Approach. InNew Advances in Information Systems and Technologies(pp. 455-464). Springer International Publishing. Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E., 2014.Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Hislop, D., 2013.Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press. Holsapple, C. ed., 2013.Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters(Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Irani, Z., Sharif, A., Kamal, M.M. and Love, P.E., 2014. Visualising a knowledge mapping of information systems investment evaluation.Expert Systems with Applications,41(1), pp.105-125. Kuga F, 'Ford Australia - Our Best SUV And 4WD Range' (Ford.com.au, 2016) https://www.ford.com.au/suv/ accessed 12 November 2016 Liebowitz, J. and Frank, M. eds., 2016.Knowledge management and e-learning. CRC press. Motro, A. and Smets, P. eds., 2012.Uncertainty management in information systems: from needs to solutions. Springer Science Business Media. Ogiela, L., 2015. Advanced techniques for knowledge management and access to strategic information.International Journal of Information Management,35(2), pp.154-159. Park, J.G. and Lee, J., 2014. Knowledge sharing in information systems development projects: Explicating the role of dependence and trust.International Journal of Project Management,32(1), pp.153-165. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Schwalbe, K., 2015.Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Stadtler, H., 2015. Supply chain management: An overview. InSupply chain management and advanced planning(pp. 3-28). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Ward, J. and Peppard, J., 2016.The Strategic Management of Information Systems: Building a Digital Strategy. John Wiley Sons.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Why are we learning US history

Introduction Currently, there are numerous demands from the desire to live in the present and focus on the future. This has resulted from the countless uncertainties that people are faced with. As a result, many students may fail to understand the importance of studying early American history at this point in time when they are supposed to be taught about current issues and how to cope with future contingencies (Holt 76).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why are we learning US history? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has made many opt to go for science subjects whose purposes they believe are easy to discern. It has to be noted that history is very important; in fact indispensable. Nevertheless, it results are hardly tangible and may not be seen immediately like those of other subjects such as engineering. Learners ought to know that history is very essential not only to individuals but also to the entire so ciety. Understanding the society By studying American history, students are able to understand people and the society well. It is by looking at the history of a specific society that one can be able to unravel the mystery of why the society behaves in a specific manner. There are numerous scientific laws that have been put forward in an attempt to explain human behavior. These laws have only been made to stand their grounds by being based on past experience hence underlining the importance of history (Holt 89). Most of the present students have been born at the time when America has already seen civilization. Consequently, it is very hard for such students to understand that technological innovation has a greater influence in the society. It is only by studying the history of the specific society that they can be able to systematically understand the evolution the society has undergone. It is hard for one to solve current problems without knowing the origin of the problem. For insta nce, to counter a problem such as alcoholism, people have gone to the extent of investigating how alcoholism has been in the past years. Through this, they have been able to learn variations in rate of alcoholism and factors that have contributed to the variations (Holt pp. 124-132). History has greatly contributed in solving the problem of alcoholism in the society. This is because researchers have managed to predict its trend based on the historical trends. Low voter turnout is a major problem that currently affects the American. It is only by looking at the history of the voter turnout that Americans can come up with a lasting solution to the problem. Consequently, by learning American history, students are in a better position of educating the society on the importance of turning out in large numbers for such events (Stearns 256).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They can base their arguments on some of the challenges that were later experienced after elections and attribute them to low voter turnout thus encouraging voters to participate in elections. With every American looking forward for a healthy political environment, this can only be achieved by revisiting the history of its politics, look at the various changes that have emerged and how they have contributed towards improving it or ruining it. Despite a contemporary analysis of the political environment helping in highlight some of the problems; it can not effectively bring out all the problems affecting the American politics. History has to be leveraged for this to be achieved. Moral understanding and sense of identity History contributes to moral understanding and creating a sense of identity. By studying American history, students are presented with varied complexities and dilemmas that past heroes and heroines came across in the past and how they coped with them. As a result, they become inspired by them thus working towards improving their standards in bid to be improve their identity and be associated with the past heroes and heroines (Stearns pp. 260-263). It is through studying history that students can understand their background. This would help them identify with a specific lineage and learn how their families have coped with historical changes. History helps in creating good citizenship History is a vital subject towards bringing up loyal citizens. This is one of the major arguments that been used in supporting inclusion of the subject in curriculum. One can not love his or her country without first understanding the hardships it has gone through to reach where it is as well as how and why various institutions have been established. By understanding these, one can gauge his or her country with others, acknowledge the achievements made and look for ways to make it better thus becoming a loyal citizen (Stearns 258). Further, studying history helps one learn how past, pre sent and future changes that shape citizens’ lives occur or may occur and the impacts they are likely to have. It is through studying the American history that students will be able to develop mental habits that are important for responsible social conduct. Conclusion It is evident that history is indispensable. For some of the scientific theories to be formulated they have to base their arguments on past historical facts. Consequently, learning the American history helps in understanding the social fabrics of the Americans, how the country has evolved and related with its neighbours thus facilitating in molding students to be loyal citizens in future.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why are we learning US history? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Holt, Thomas C. Thinking Historically: Narrative, Imagination, and Understanding. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1990. Stearns, Peter N. Meaning over Memory: Recasting the Teaching of History and Culture. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1993. This essay on Why are we learning US history? was written and submitted by user Graysen K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Woodrow Wilson & WWI essays

Woodrow Wilson & WWI essays Wilsons torment in deciding whether to send U.S. troops into WWI. It is well known among reasonably informed students of American history that Woodrow Wilson resisted getting American forces involved in World War I, right up to and after the time when British ships with Americans on board were sunk by German submarines in October and November of 1916. But it may not be widely known that during the time the U.S. involvement in the war became more and more imminent, Wilsons relationship with England was very sour, according to author Arthur Walworth (Walworth 70). One big reason the British were upset with Wilson was that he hadnt done enough to cut Germany off from credit in the world community. It was 1916, an election year, and Wilsons mind was on winning a second term, along with his belief that America should remain neutral in the expanding war in Europe. His essential duty, as he saw it, Walworth writes on page 70, was to maintain faith with a people who rejoiced because he had kept them out of war and at the same time to rescue humanity from the scourge of international conflict. He saw his constitutional duty to intervene and attempt to stop the war prior to getting Americans involved in it. But though the British and the Germans were hounding Wilson to attempt a diplomatic resolution of the conflict, he held fast until after the election in November. After he was elected, he believed that the American people voted for him because he escaped involvement in the war something worth living and dying for and now it was his duty to be a broker for peace (Walworth 71-72), if at all possible. It was now December, and Germany was threatening to unleash its submarines in January (Walworth 74), if some kind of armistice or peace deal was cut before then. Wilson had just released his own idea for what later would become the League ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to choose between two really good job candidates

How to choose between two really good job candidates As a hiring manager, your reputation is built and bolstered by your ability to source top-tier candidates for positions across your organization. Chances are your performance goals are closely tied to how effective you are at stocking your company’s teams with the best available talent.Sometimes this is a relatively straightforward task, and the perfect candidate comes your way for an open position- all you have to do is get them interested and sell them on the notion of joining your team. Other times, the hiring process is a bit more difficult.Most seasoned hiring managers have encountered nearly every permutation of hiring challenge imaginable- one particularly anxiety-inducing one is when you have what seems to be two â€Å"perfect† candidates who are vying for the same position. Both candidates are well-qualified, have impeccable industry backgrounds and skill sets, come equipped with sterling references, and appear to be great potential fits in all key areas- and y ou’re tasked with deciding who rises from the candidate heap and earns the coveted spot.Here’s a solid method for successfully handling this situation in an effort to best meet your company’s needs.Look beyond the obviousIf you’re facing the choice of having to decide between two great candidates and they both seem equally matched in all the key metrics you typically base your hiring decisions upon, then look beyond the typical. Step back from the situation and think about whether or not a candidate made a positive impression on you in an area that you typically overlook or don’t weigh heavily. If there’s an area of strength that may help one candidate perform on the job- no matter how small- then consider taking into consideration. Traits like personality type and problem-solving style aren’t off-limits, even if they don’t fit into typical evaluation models.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Gi ve a testWhen facing two seeming equal candidates, take a step beyond and really put them to the test. Consider giving them an additional work-related task to see who does best. Having the candidates complete a project that mirrors one of the responsibilities that they’ll encounter on the job is not uncommon, and can really help you make a tough decision a little easier.Get a second opinionJust like no person is an island, no employee is alone in a company- and neither are you. There are reasons why many interviews are conducted by multiple people and over several encounters- hiring someone new for a position in your organization is no small decision, and having multiple opinions factor into the final decision can help ensure that the best choice is made. If you haven’t already, have the candidates meet with other key decision-makers in your company and use their opinions to help you work through this difficult situation.Trust your instinctsThe truth is, there is no pe rfect candidate. Despite all the state-of-the-art analytics your company uses to gauge candidates and how well they sold themselves during the interview process, there’s just no surefire way to know for sure how well they’ll do when they’re on the job and hitting the ground running. Don’t forget this when you’re facing a difficult hiring decision, and also don’t forget to trust your well-honed instincts as an experienced hiring manager. Hiring someone new is always a leap of faith- so have a little faith in your ability to choose between two candidates wisely using your experienced eye.Don’t write one candidate off completelyNo matter how difficult it is, at some point you’re going to have to make a decision between two highly qualified candidates. Hopefully, you make the right choice. That said, choosing one candidate above another doesn’t mean it’s necessarily â€Å"goodbye forever† to the losing candidat e. A savvy hiring manager knows that it’s in their company’s long-term benefit to maintain a talent-rich pipeline. That said, do your best to keep all good candidates in your orbit- because you never know when a new position will open up and you’re back on the hunt.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Hospitality Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hospitality Service Management - Assignment Example Innovation is the key focus to excel in this industry. Utilising service management for proper handling and delivery of services is the aspect which the services industry must set a priority in their areas of concern for promotion and company's growth - including industries in health care, caterers, manufacturers and suppliers, tourism and financial services. Organisations must set the difference between the idea of customer satisfaction and service of quality rendered to clients. Although sometimes considered ambiguous, a specific label is required that will detach these important entities with regards in providing services of which supposed as one. Both are correlated in terms of industrial needs but different. Customers may vary on every organisation to which they provide their products, be of services or goods, by some mechanism acceptable in the industry's marketplace. Of course, getting through the competition in the market is another endeavour which organisation needs focus. Customer satisfaction is a business term which is used to capture the idea of measuring how satisfied an enterprise's customers are with the organization's efforts in a marketplace (Wikipedia, 2006). Once customer's expectations are exceeded, the organisation will attain high levels of customer satisfaction and will create "customer delight." This implies that organisation must possess the ability to fulfil the consumers' needs through business, emotional and psychological aspects. The interaction between the service provider and the recipient, which are the customers, must not be in idle to properly measure the level of satisfaction. Proper attitude in dealing with varied customers should be considered; knowing their attitudes, feedbacks or commendations can contribute in determining the organisation's marketing strategies. Basically, organisations aim is to retain customers in patronising their services offered and the target of increasing the number of loyal customers and eventua lly increasing the organisation's revenues. Although customer satisfaction may vary from customer-to-customer, it is important to consider that physical and psychological characteristics which play a very important factor in measuring the degree where customers satisfy with the organisation's services. Comparatively speaking, the customer's expectation can be evaluated with the customer's experience prior relevant to the services the organisation delivers. Organisation must take into account that satisfaction is not quantitatively measured since it is more of a psychological aspect; it is more of the qualitative. And, service of quality will be now measured. Commonly, customers define 'quality' as they are met by their perception and experience. This is the degree or level of customer's satisfaction with the services or products an organisation offers dependently to the environment and the kind of service given. It is difficult to conform to the expectations of the customers needs with the level they require with regards to efficiency, quality, flexibility, and dependability to the services delivered. To achieve this, Total Quality Management (TQM) is applied. TQM is management philosophy committed to a focus on continuous improvements of product and services with the involvement of the entire workforce. This principle is a long-term process to sustain business excellence and the comprehensively and continuously involvement of all organisation functions. Through this method,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

To what extent does a social phenomenon, like the 2008-to-present Essay

To what extent does a social phenomenon, like the 2008-to-present economic recession, influence or cause health behaviors - Essay Example A personal experience with regard to the effect of the economic crisis on health behaviors provided me with a clear picture of this issue. I still clearly remember when a friend’s father lost his job and the stress of tough financial conditions almost drove him mad. He worked in a clerical position at a factory that went bust during the recession in 2009. My friend had two younger siblings, who were 4 and 8 at the time. And like all children, they too wanted to have the same things that everyone else their age at school had. And thanks to the gadget race these days, children do want a lot then they used to. There is the Xbox, the Sony PlayStation and of course, the latest offerings from Apple to drive everyone wild with consumerism. Pair that up with an empty pocket and a mounting sense of despair and helplessness, and anyone would go out of their mind. My friends dad drunk himself to oblivion, but thank fully he was rescued after family and friends recognized the signs of dep ression. Others may not be so lucky. Economic distress has a direct relation to mental and psychological problems, as I have witnessed around me over the past few years. It is conventionally believed that health-related behavior usually deteriorates during economic recession. But interestingly, research shows an altogether new picture. It seems that when economy weakens, the mortality rates also go down and physical health improves. This cannot be said about mental health as evidenced by the sudden rise in suicide rate. According to recent research, a 1 percent increase in unemployment rate leads to a 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent decrease in the number of deaths (Ruhm, 2009). There can be several reasons for this phenomenon. First of all people do not get to drive (to and from work etc) and as a result decreasing car accident related deaths. Interestingly, there is also a substantial decrease in the number of heart attacks. This risk is perhaps the most reactive to the changes in

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Romantic Poetry Essay Example for Free

Romantic Poetry Essay Romanticism was an artistic movement that originated in the late 18th century. It helped people express strong emotions and rebel against the industrial revolution in Britain. This caused poor living conditions and unhappiness among the people at the time. People therefore, looked to nature for beauty and improvement in society. Another factor that contributed to the development of this movement was the French Revolution, which celebrated individualism and freedom of expression. Romantic poetry was concerned with ordinary people in everyday locations, therefore the majority of society could relate to it. It focused on imagination, and relates to the Power of God, and philosophy. The poets were able to catch a moment in time and elaborate on it with imaginative words and phrases. Of the several poems I have studied, the two Romantic poems I have chosen to represent a typical Romantic style are, The Daffodils by William Wordsworth and I am by John Clare. Firstly, I will look at the titles of the poems. In both poems the writer has used a simple title, indicating directly what the poem is about. This enables a larger audience to be engaged to the poem, as less literate people could find the title easier to understand. Both poems are mostly similar because of their links to the Romantic genre, in their theme and style although still continue to have an individual account. William Wordsworth and John Clare both focus on their emotions and solitude, John Clare, And een the dearest-that I loved the best-Are strange-nay, rather stranger than the rest and William Wordsworth, I wandered lonely as a cloud. The theme of William Wordsworths The Daffodils focuses on nature and his recognition of a moment in time. He uses the Power of imagination and memories to project his thoughts onto paper through poetry, we see this in his language and mood. His theme is as a result, cheerful and full of life. He also celebrates the beauty of nature and what man can gain from it. The theme of John Clares I am focuses on himself and memories of past deeds. He takes another perspective on the typical Romantic poetry theme, he talks of, nothingness of scorn and noise, and a memory lost. he creates a sad, lonely tone with this. The mood is therefore different to The Daffodils as I get the impression that Clare is talking about the oppression at the time of its writing. The first two stanzas describe his lonely and depressed situation. He describes that even in a world surrounded by people, he still feels isolated and alone, as if he hates the world he lives in and wishes for something uncontaminated by mans corruption, I long for scenes where man has never trod. He uses words such as oblivious and oblivion to describe the emptiness he feels. I will now look at the language and style of the two poems. Both poems have simple language, which as the titles accomplish, make the poem more available to a less literate lower class reader. The rhyme schemes are regular throughout the poems, The Daffodils, ABABCC and I am, ABABBB. The punctuation is also similar, as they both create a slow pace by using a small amount of punctuation. The Daffodils has eight syllables in each line, whereas I am does not have a precise amount. The Daffodils uses similes, as a cloud and as the stars that shine. by using these he enables the reader to compare what he sees to something they see. In his language he uses onomatopoeia, such as fluttering and twinkle, this enables the reader to almost hear the sounds as they are reading the words. He also uses personification; this makes the flowers seem to be. He also uses words such as, jocund company and continuous as the stars that shine. This relates to his everlasting memory of these beautiful daffodils that no one can take away from him. The two poems have different structures; The Daffodils has four sestet stanzas and I am has three sestet stanzas, John Clare uses enjambment, making the first and second verse flow into each other. In his last stanza he wishes to go to an untouched place, were man has never trod. He wishes for beauty and tranquillity not for what he sees in the world at that moment in time. He uses a metaphor, But the vast shipwreck of my lifes, this lets the reader picture how troubled he is in this world and wishes for a better place.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Infinity :: essays research papers

Infinity There is only one being, continuous, material, and motionless. Let's take a moment to examine a number line. <----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----> 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 It's pretty simple to understand. The line represents a distance, and the "|" characters symbolize different points on the line-the exact points are differentiated by the number below them. Any number line is understood to have contain points which aren't necessarily designated by a number. For example, on the above number line we know that between 5 and 10 we can find the point 7. This example is illustrated below. <----|-|--|----> 5 7 10 In fact, it is understood that there are an infinite number of points on any number line. Between 5 and 7 we can find the points 5.009852, 5.9, 6, 6.262623627000029873257690125762, 6.3336, 6.999, 6.9999, etc. Rulers are examples of how we might commonly use a number line. Different rulers mark off different distances such as yards, feet, inches, centimeters, millimeters, and so on. Obviously rulers cannot be used to measure all distances because some distances may be too small to be measured practically with the naked eye. Hypothetically speaking, let's say you had a worm and a razor blade. Let's also hypothesize that this particular worm is two inches long. Now if you were to cut this worm exactly in half you should have "two worms" each one inch long. If you then took one of those one inch pieces and cut it in half you would then have two pieces each one fourth of an inch long-I don't really know how many times you can cut a worm in half before it stops becoming two worms and just becomes pieces of worm. Theoretically, if you had the right tools, you should be able to continue cutting that worm in half forever. You simply take one of those 1/4 inch pieces, cut it, and then you have a 1/8 inch piece. Then you cut it again, and you have a 1/16..1/34..1/68..1/136..etc. And why not? If you placed this worm (prior to cutting it at all) on a number line and found it covered the distance between 1 and 2 (and we all know there are an infinite number of points on a number line) then you should be able to use the worm as a kind of ruler and be able to locate an infinite number of points on it. Okay, so now we know worms are an infinite number of points long. Skyscrapers are also an infinite number of points long. Therefore, worms are as tall as skyscrapers.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Crisis In Odwalla Corporation

The Odwalla corporation, a fruit juice producer based in California has always been a staunch supporter of natural products, though sadly those natural products created a deadly risk to at least 71 people in the fall of 1996. The company was linked to a large number of products containing apple juice that was tainted by the deadly e-coli O157:H7 bacteria. The death of a 16-month-old child in Evans, Colorado was the first of many illnesses that were directly linked to the company's products, most of which contained tainted apple juice. In fact the company ended up recalling 70% of its total product on the shelves in the United States and Canada. (Mogel, 2002, p. 222) The outbreak had been swift and the company is often praised for its quick and particularly humanitarian response to the situation. The marketing campaign they embarked on with the help of a marketing crisis management team is actually award winning. At the time of the crisis, Odwalla appeared to do everything right. It responded to what it called a freak occurrence by pulling the suspect juice and offering to pay medical expenses. The quick recall and its warm and fuzzy image prompted favorable comparisons with Johnson and Johnson for its handling of the Tylenol incident. The initial response to the problem is crucial to the marketing arena as it is a way in which businesses can see in a recent strategic situation the ways in which marketing can affect crisis management positively for a company in dire straits. Though the eventual court rulings and the findings of an inquiry did not match the public personification associated with the crisis marketing it did save the company from almost sure disaster that would likely lead to the company folding in disgrace. Certainly if the information that was discovered during the investigation, made by the courts had been available to the public during the crisis the company and its founders would have lost everything. Odwalla pleaded guilty to criminal charges of selling tainted apple juice. It paid a $1.5 million fine, the largest ever assessed in a food industry case by the Food and Drug Administration. Federal investigators now suggest that Odwalla had regularly accepted blemished fruit and ignored warnings by its own safety team. Moreover, as sales plummeted 90 percent, company officials maintained an inside/outside strategy: covering up company malfeasance while positioning Odwalla as a victim along with those who it had poisoned. Though the ethics of the situation are suspect from a business standpoint they were crucial in the future success of the company. Industry standards have since changed a great deal and Odwalla quickly stepped in line with industry standards for pasteurizing its product, something that they had long resisted but eventually in 2002 became an FDA requirement excluded only by tough labeling laws, warning consumers of the unpasteurized nature of a product. Though there are still suspicions associated with the situation, the right answers to tough crisis marketing can be found in the case studies of the situation. Odwalla acted immediately. Although at the point where they were first notified the link was uncertain, Odwalla's CEO Stephen Williamson ordered a complete recall of all products containing apple or carrot juice. This recall covered around 4,600 retail outlets in 7 states. Internal task teams were formed and mobilized, and the recall – costing around $6.5m was completed within 48 hours. What the company didn't do was to avoid responsibility. On all media interviews, Williamson expressed sympathy and regret for all those affected and immediately promised that the company would pay all medical costs. This, allied to the prompt and comprehensive recall, went a long way towards satisfying customers that the company was doing all it could. The intended public's of the communications associated with the e-coli crisis all received the information the company intended to convey, including eventual fault in production, though this was after the crisis had been dealt with and didn't receive much air time. The intended publics received notification of the recall and everything that was being done to ensure that the problem would stop there, including new plans of action for flash pasteurization as well as a new policy associated with new industry wide changes eventually implemented by the FDA. The FDA began implementing further guidelines that required juice producers to show a specific reduction of bacteria in their juice. It is this law that has now, after years of discussion and public comment periods, come into effect. This is not a â€Å"pasteurization† law, it is a bacteria reduction law that requires juice producers to reduce the bacteria in their juice and to develop a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system that ensures they keep records that would among other things, enable proper recalls and trace backs if the need arose. The industry has since implemented a great deal of the new standards and come into compliance with a system that will greater protect the public. In a sense the outcome could be considered the legacy of the crisis as Odwalla has continued to be a leader in the field of food safety technology implementation that is often used as a model for other crisis situations. The success of the story can be seen in a recent work detailing the award Odwalla and its crisis management marketing firm received: An independent AOL survey showed that 86 percent of online respondents supported Odwalla and would return as consumers. Other surveys showed 94% of those polled were aware of the E. coli outbreak; 96% of those aware approved of Odwalla's handling of the crisis†¦Odwalla successfully reintroduced products after the recall, and continues to introduce new products at a normal rate†¦ (Mogel, 2002, p. 226) Additionally the financial as well as consumer confidence issue is still one that is reviewed by industry leaders as they are more likely in today's climate to create at least a minimal plan for the potential of such a problem within their own business. Odwalla also showed specific crisis management skills, with the help of their crisis consultants in their ability to quickly reach their internal as well as external public's as they instituted an internal open door policy accompanied by a collective meetings that are still held today to keep the internal public abreast with current needs and shortfalls in the company, as quickly as possible. â€Å"Internal communications were key: Williamson conducted regular company-wide conference calls on a daily basis, giving employees the chance to ask questions and get the latest information. This approach proved so popular that the practice of quarterly calls survived the crisis.† (â€Å"CSR case studies in crisis management: Odwalla,† 2006, at: http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/CSRfiles/crisis05.html) Financial markets responded to the communications effort; stock price was $19 prior to the crisis, dropped to $9 immediately after, and has risen to $13. (Mogel, 2002, p. 226) All the intended publics were clearly communicated with the best possible outcome the company could have foreseen at the beginning of the crisis. One point of intrigue is also associated with the avenues that were used in this crisis, during the information age. One important element in this crisis management situation is that even as early as November 1996, Edelman and Odwalla took full advantage of the Internet to give reporters and consumers immediate access to information about the recall. Although Odwalla did not have a corporate or promotional Web site, the company's crisis-related site was up and running within 48 hours. Based on its experience in the Odwalla case, Edelman PR has developed an online response product that enables clients to establish crisis preparedness sites on their Intranets. (Mogel, 2002, p. 227) The technology of the day was utilized to its fullest, in addition to a multimedia campaign explaining to those who had the product that was recalled to dispose of it and also telling customers and those affected of their intention to produce accountability with regard to the crisis.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Patriarchy And Violence Against Women Essay

Author Charlotte Perkins Gilman in her The Man-made World or Our Androcentric Culture (1911) presents the most comprehensive statement of her overall theory. In it she argues that we live in a patriarchy or what she calls an androcentric, male-centered society and that our culture in all its aspects reflects this androcentric bias. Gilman sees this bias as destructive because the male sensitivity is destructive. A woman-centered, or better a mother-centered, world would be very different, because it would express the positive, benign character pf women’s sensitivities. In this work, and in His Religion and Hers, Gilman presents her most extreme statement of the radical differences between men and women. These differences she attributes to prehistoric roles assigned the two sexes. The male naturally fights, and naturally crows, triumphs over his rival and takes the prize—therefore, he was made male. Maleness means â€Å"war† (92) while the basic feminine impulse is to gather, to put together, to construct; the basic masculine impulse to scatter, to disseminate, to destroy† (114). A male-centered culture reflects these negative masculine concerns in nearly every area of expression. Some of Gilman’s most original contributions to feminist theory are contained in her discussion of the ideological warp impressed upon language, art, literature, sports, education, government and religion by the androcentric perspective. While public society is organized as a democracy, the man-made home remainsâ€Å"despotism. † â€Å"The male is esteemed the ‘head of the family’; it belongs to him; he maintains it; and the rest of the world is a wide hunting ground and battlefield wherein he competes with other males as of old† (41). In the â€Å"proprietary family† of the patriarchate, women remain men’s property in the household; they are little more than objects whose purpose is â€Å"first and foremost†¦ a means of pleasure to him† (32). Every law and custom† of the â€Å"family relation† is arranged from the masculine viewpoint (35). â€Å"From this same viewpoint†¦ comes the requirement that the woman shall serve the man. † (35). A greater challenge occurs when campaigns to improve gender equality by promoting the well-being of the marginalized are conducted in sync with trade and development policies that favor the economically strong multinationals and compromise the welfare of the lowly locals, particularly the helpless women and children. We ought to remember that sexism and patriarchy are all manifestations of a power struggle between the strong and the weak, the same kind of struggle linked to globalization and trade liberalization today. Patriarchy involves an imbalance of power between man and woman leading to unequal roles and benefits, a situation that can be seen in a larger context between the developing and the industrialized economies, as the latter’s efforts to spread globalization and to weaken the former’s trade laws also leads to unequal gains. Globalization’s capitalistic intent, although beneficial in several ways since it brings development to poorer states, may be cultural imperialism dressed in new clothes when the more powerful party uses its stronger bargaining authority to manipulate or exploit. (Gilman) â€Å"In no developing region do women experience equality with men. † This clear-cut statement from the World Bank, the reputed international monetary institution, relays one of the most apparent yet often overlooked realities of our time—gender inequality. Gender inequality is a significant social concern that deserves to be analyzed with the utmost diligence using both empirical and scholastic evidences. This inequality is deeply entangled in the fabric of the everyday lives of many men and women, and it has been in existence since time immemorial. Gender inequality, from its very name, implies an uneven treatment based on one’s gender. Essentially, gender inequality is the prejudice that one gender, usually the female, is secondary and subordinate to the more capable and hence superior male gender. Many societies practice gender inequality, with the men reinforcing it and the women passively receiving it, because it is considered part of an enduring patriarchal culture. Deviating from this norm means that one runs the risk of being branded a weak husband or a bad, undeserving wife. Both cases are an embarrassment to the individual and the family. The causes and effects of gender inequality are part of a larger network of social problems that compound the difficulties people face everyday. It is deeply related to other social problems, such as poverty, economic growth and development, and globalization. The World Bank (2001) underscored the notion that gender issues are now more prominent in debates related to development, though the relevance of a gendered perspective in policy-making is yet to be widely understood. Thus, based from its report, gender inequality ought to be considered when drafting developmental policies for poor and developing states because failing to take into account gender roles and relations as well as disparities lead to policies that â€Å"have limited effectiveness† (p. 5). Although gender disparity is characteristic of developing and poor states, it is not restricted to them. This phenomenon is also observed in wealthier and developed regions where both men and women are relatively affluent and do not experience scarcity of resources. In these rich societies, minor but noticeable gender-based discrimination remains. â€Å"Gender discrimination crosses races, classes and ethnicity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  remarks Lucy Bednarek (1998, p. 60) in her article, â€Å"Searching for Equality in a Global Economy. Compared to the gender gap in these wealthier states, gender inequality in poor states poses graver consequences to its citizens. The devalued women and their children feel the pangs of poverty and bear the heavier brunt of economic unproductivity with greater intensity, compared with the men who possess greater freedom, privilege, and economic and political control. As stated by the UN (2004) in Trade and Gender, â€Å"A gendered perspective of development is seen as a difficult enough task,† so that extending the gendered approach to the â€Å"realm of trade† is considered to be an even bigger challenge (55). Yet the organization believes that international trade must assume a gendered approach wherein accelerated economic growth and sustainable development will take place without endangering the well-being of the women and children in the community. The issue of trade has become so important in the consideration of gender equality because the current multilateral trade negotiation and regional trade agreements (RTAs) have pervaded state development policies. Because of these ubiquitous bi- and multilateral negotiations and agreements, governments do not just make decisions solely for the state but also according to the dictates of the global and regional environment or the overall plan of their affiliated economic groups. This environment therefore affects policies on gender; for the UN (2004, 56), â€Å"Every major move in the trading system can have direct or indirect implications for a country’s gender welfare, equity and development goals. † The crime of rape and other forms of violence against women have come into increasing focus in recent years, due in part to the rising prominence of the feminist movement. Rape has come to be widely perceived not only as a means of obtaining sexual gratification but rather as an extreme manner of expressing hostility to women. This broader definition of the term is related to the heightened awareness that far more often than not sexual aggression occurs within the context of courtship or friendship relationships (called â€Å"acquaintance rape† or â€Å"date rape†) or even that of marriage. The recognition that the forms of coercion used by men over women can go beyond direct and overt use of force brings legal theory closer to reality. However, some scholars fear that expanding conceptualization of rape and the imprecise definition of sexual harassment serve to blur the distinction between the sexes, especially between the expanded conceptualization of rape and male initiated seduction. These problems in defining behavior can exacerbate the difficulty in obtaining rape convictions from male jurors who may perceive an uncomfortable similarity between some of their own past actions and those of a defendant in such cases. Clearly, there is heightened sensitivity to the problems of rape and sexual harassment that will lead to accelerated efforts in legal and legislative policy formation. Reflecting this heightened sensitivity is the $1. 6 billion in the 1994 Crime Bill to fund Violence against Women Act. The challenge is to fight rape and harassment in all their forms while protecting the rights of women.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Paradise Lost

The book â€Å"Paradise Lost† is quite confusing to read, not only the language, (which I need a dictionary to understand), but also the ideas. I think Milton himself was quite unsure where he really was going with that. From the first view it appeared that the whole book is basically the re-telling of the Book of Genesis, just in poetic verse, but it is not so. However, for people who are familiar with epic poetry of such authors as Homer, we can see that this is really a great example of an epic poem, which is no surprise since in his times, Greek poetry was quite famous and influential. The only difference is that Milton’s poem is not really intended to be read as the poem of adventures, great kings, etc, but as the religious text. After all, Milton is a Puritan, living in 16th century and there is one course that he can take when writing. â€Å"Of Man’s first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I may assert Eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men.† Of course in every epic poem, there is a hero, and this one is no different, but who is the real hero in this book? Is it G-d, his Son, Satan, Adam, Eve or the Angels? I really believe that the real hero is Satan, though of course that is not what was intended. However, as every hero, he goes against the authority, he has followers who he encourages with great speeches, and he has a quest which he finally accomplishes. It is generally believed that Angels have no free will, and that they are preprogrammed to be good and cannot turn to evil. Of course with the fall of Satan and his followers we can see that this is not so. It is also believed that G-d if all knowing, and he knew perfectly well what is going to happen, which means that whatever Satan or Adam and Eve did or didn’t do, the fall and exile would of still occurred. So essentially, it is all G-d’s doing, and it is his fault that we were expelled from Eden, and then the... Free Essays on Paradise Lost Free Essays on Paradise Lost In Book’s IV and IX of John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, I found the themes of obedience, ignorance and inequality in various relationships to be prevalent throughout the work. The ideology that obedience is paramount in certain relationships is expressed continuously, both between man and woman and between man and god. Ignorance is also idealized and obedience without reflection, a form of ignorance in my opinion, is touted as appropriate behavior . The inferior aspect of woman in relation to the male of the species is also expressed throughout the work as is the idea that conversely â€Å"Beauty† has incredible power. These views can certainly be seen as a reflection of the times Milton lived in. I see a man clearly questioning authority roles, and perhaps questioning his own wisdom in doing so. I believe that one reason Milton chose the setting of Paradise for his epic poem was because it was an ideal place to show the dynamics of the relationship between man and his Lord, man and woman and good and evil. Milton uses classical allusions and universal archetypes to express themes of inequality between the sexes, between parent and child and between man and a divine overlord. It is also the perfect place to outline the power struggle between Satan and God, here we see a battle here between divine beings, between good and evil incarnate, definitely problems in their relationship. Book IV, clearly shows the opinion that obedience is laudable and â€Å"ignorance is bliss.† The first couple dutifully and unquestionably obey God and as a result of this are happy and in love in the garden of Eden. They are forbidden only the fruit of the tree of knowledge, suggesting that somehow too much wisdom is a bad thing, or that God wishes to keep the pair childlike and himself in a place of power in the relationship. Because after all, death comes with knowledge and or disobedience. I find an interesting allusion here to the fact ... Free Essays on Paradise Lost Milton’s Paradise Lost Milton’s Paradise Lost has been praised since its edition as being the greatest English epic of all time, most stunningly in its author's realistic depiction of the fabled parents of humanity, Adam and Eve. How Milton chose to portray the original mother and father has been a focus of much criticism- especially with contemporary readers. One of the main subjects of these comments is in reference to Eve, who, according to many, is a trivial character that is rather naà ¯ve, juvenile, and most definitely inferior to her mate. Nonetheless, which many do not recognize is that, surprisingly, after the fateful Fall, she becomes a much more evolved character. When Eve is introduced to the storyline of the epic, her character is shallow and extremely undeveloped, meant simply for display. She is quite firmly set as being inferior to her mate as a female in a predominantly male world. However, upon her decision to eat the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, her change is dramatic a nd she is no longer the simple character seriously lacking in depth of intellect or knowledge. Thus, as portrayed by Milton, the Fall of the parents of humanity is, in fact, an educational and developing process for Eve. Immediately upon the introduction of Eve to the epic she is clearly portrayed as being slightly dimwitted and unsophisticated, and seems to simply exist for the exhibition of her beauty and grace. She is shown as being desirable and extremely beautiful to look upon, as Milton often describes her beauty. Actually, the first time that Eve sees Adam she flees from him in fear, as he was not as beautiful as the image that she saw of herself in a pool of water. In fact, she was so infatuated with the image of herself that she would have remained had God not taken her away to meet her mate: â€Å"Pleas’d it return’d as soon with answering looks/ Of sympathy and love, there I fixt/ Mine eyes till now, and pin’d with vain... Free Essays on Paradise Lost The book â€Å"Paradise Lost† is quite confusing to read, not only the language, (which I need a dictionary to understand), but also the ideas. I think Milton himself was quite unsure where he really was going with that. From the first view it appeared that the whole book is basically the re-telling of the Book of Genesis, just in poetic verse, but it is not so. However, for people who are familiar with epic poetry of such authors as Homer, we can see that this is really a great example of an epic poem, which is no surprise since in his times, Greek poetry was quite famous and influential. The only difference is that Milton’s poem is not really intended to be read as the poem of adventures, great kings, etc, but as the religious text. After all, Milton is a Puritan, living in 16th century and there is one course that he can take when writing. â€Å"Of Man’s first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I may assert Eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men.† Of course in every epic poem, there is a hero, and this one is no different, but who is the real hero in this book? Is it G-d, his Son, Satan, Adam, Eve or the Angels? I really believe that the real hero is Satan, though of course that is not what was intended. However, as every hero, he goes against the authority, he has followers who he encourages with great speeches, and he has a quest which he finally accomplishes. It is generally believed that Angels have no free will, and that they are preprogrammed to be good and cannot turn to evil. Of course with the fall of Satan and his followers we can see that this is not so. It is also believed that G-d if all knowing, and he knew perfectly well what is going to happen, which means that whatever Satan or Adam and Eve did or didn’t do, the fall and exile would of still occurred. So essentially, it is all G-d’s doing, and it is his fault that we were expelled from Eden, and then the... Free Essays on Paradise Lost Meadows 1 John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a work that attempts, in part, to justify the ways of God to mankind. This is a tremendous undertaking, even for as skilled a craftsman as Milton. In his attempt to achieve his goal, Milton crafts the character of Satan with seemingly great accuracy and skill. His success in breathing life into the character of Satan may be his greatest success in the epic. Part of the reason why Milton’s task is so ominous is that the seemingly indescribable pervades Paradise Lost. Throughout the epic, Milton is faced with the challenge of not only describing, but manipulating concepts and characters such as God, Paradise, and Satan. These concepts are difficult to work with because of their abstract nature. The difficulty arises from the inability of any human being to comprehend them experientially. No one can truly know what good or evil are in their purest forms. No one can describe the perfect place with total accuracy because no one has ever experienced what it is to live in such a place. The finest example of this involves the depiction of Paradise throughout Paradise Lost. In his depiction, Milton uses his own experience and understanding to depict a place of perfection. Can he be accurate, however, without ever experiencing Paradise himself? In truth, he cannot. Each individual reader most likely has their own idea of Paradise. Whether or not these ideas coincide with those of Milton, all of them, including Milton’s, are incomplete. In Milton’s case, one of the striking aspects of Paradise is that Adam and Eve must both work to maintain the garden: â€Å"With first approach of light, we must be risen And at our pleasant labor, to reform Yon flow’ry arbors, yonder alleys green, Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown That mock our scant manuring, and Meadows 2 require More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth† (IV, 624-629). It seems that Milton believes that labor is necessary... Free Essays on Paradise Lost John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a work that attempts, in part, to justify the ways of God to mankind. This is a tremendous undertaking, even for as skilled a craftsman as Milton. In his attempt to achieve his goal, Milton crafts the character of Satan with seemingly great accuracy and skill. His success in breathing life into the character of Satan may be his greatest success in the epic. Part of the reason why Milton’s task is so ominous is that the seemingly indescribable pervades Paradise Lost. Throughout the epic, Milton is faced with the challenge of not only describing, but manipulating concepts and characters such as God, Paradise, and Satan. These concepts are difficult to work with because of their abstract nature. The difficulty arises from the inability of any human being to comprehend them experientially. No one can truly know what good or evil are in their purest forms. No one can describe the perfect place with total accuracy because no one has ever experienced what it is to live in such a place. The finest example of this involves the depiction of Paradise throughout Paradise Lost. In his depiction, Milton uses his own experience and understanding to depict a place of perfection. Can he be accurate, however, without ever experiencing Paradise himself? In truth, he cannot. Each individual reader most likely has their own idea of Paradise. Whether or not these ideas coincide with those of Milton, all of them, including Milton’s, are incomplete. In Milton’s case, one of the striking aspects of Paradise is that Adam and Eve must both work to maintain the garden: â€Å"With first approach of light, we must be risen And at our pleasant labor, to reform Yon flow’ry arbors, yonder alleys green, Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown That mock our scant manuring, and Meadows 2 require More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth† (IV, 624-629). It seems that Milton believes that labor is necessary in Paradis... Free Essays on Paradise Lost In Book’s IV and IX of John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, I found the themes of obedience, ignorance and inequality in various relationships to be prevalent throughout the work. The ideology that obedience is paramount in certain relationships is expressed continuously, both between man and woman and between man and God. Ignorance is also idealized and obedience without reflection, a form of ignorance in my opinion, is touted as appropriate behavior . The inferior aspect of woman in relation to the man of the species is also expressed throughout the work as is the idea that â€Å"Beauty† conversely has incredible power. These views are a reflection of the times Milton lived in. I see a man clearly questioning authority roles, and perhaps questioning his own wisdom in doing so. One reason Milton chose the setting of Paradise for his epic poem was because it was an ideal place to show the dynamics of the relationship between man and his Lord, man and woman and good and evil. Milton uses classical allusions and universal archetypes to express themes of inequality in these relationships. It is also the perfect place to outline the power struggle between Satan and God, here we see a battle here between divine beings, between good and evil incarnate, definitely problems in their relationship. Book IV, clearly shows the opinion that obedience is laudable and â€Å"ignorance is bliss.† The first couple dutifully and unquestionably obey God and as a result of this are happy and in love in the garden of Eden. They are forbidden only the fruit of the tree of knowledge, suggesting that somehow too much wisdom is a bad thing, or that God wishes to keep the pair childlike and himself in a place of power in the relationship. Because after all, death comes with knowledge and or disobedience. I find this is an interesting allusion to the fact that perhaps the powers that be should remain unquestioned and the trouble with the Monarchy du... Free Essays on Paradise Lost In Milton’s Paradise Lost, it is Eve whom is first tempted by Satan. When he offers her the chance for God-like knowledge, the temptation is to great and she eats the forbidden fruit. If it were the other way around, and Adam first tempted, would he have also fallen for the trick? By looking at the ever-going argument of free will, and studying similar writings, it can be discovered that it was not Eve that caused the fall of humanity but the desire for knowledge. Humanity was originally created with free will. It is evident because Eve had the ability to sin. It was her decision to sin or not sin, and she decided to eat the fruit. Adam also had the free will to decide to sin or not. If he had chosen not to eat the fruit, it would have only been Eve who would have been put to death for her sin, and not the both of them. Genesis 1:31 says, â€Å"God saw all that he had made and it was very good.† Adam being part of this creation would have also been considered very good, implying he had the ability to be good. If he had the ability to be good, he must have had the ability to be bad. How could he be good if he did not have the ability to be bad? Thus proving Adam and Eve had free will to sin. Before Eve and Adam eat the forbidden fruit, Genesis 1:27 says, â€Å"God created man in his own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.† Unfortunately, When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they no longer possessed free will. They no longer had the choice to sin or not. After the fall, all of humanity was born into sin. This can be seen in Genesis 5:3 which speaks of Adam’s son, â€Å"...and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image...† But what would tempt Adam and Eve to give up this power? What would tempt them to give up this power to decide wrong from right? The desire for knowledge was behind their deceitful act. . In Paradise Lost, Satan tempts Eve with happiness before h... Free Essays on Paradise Lost Paradise Lost: Man vs. Himself Throughout time, John Milton’s Paradise Lost has been studied by many people and comprehended in many different fashions, developing all kinds of new interpretations of the great epic. Milton’s purpose in writing the epic was to explain the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Although the epic is similar to the Bible story in many ways, Milton’s character structure differs from that of the Bible’s version. All through out the epic, Milton describes the characters in the way he believes they are. In Paradise Lost, he tells the story of Satan's banishment from Heaven. He and his army have plotted war against God and are now doomed to the fiery pits of hell. The complex character of Satan has many revolutionary qualities. Milton portrays Satan as a rebel who exhibits certain heroic qualities. It is evident through out the story that Satan’s heroic power comes from his ability to lead and a strong influence to all in his presence. All the main characters in Paradise Lost are concerned with freedom. Those who understand true freedom know that it consists of obeying God's will without question. Those who do not understand it think freedom means being free from someone else's will and following your own. Satan is chief among them. Satan is so offended by God's announcement of the Son's equality with him that he wants to be free of what he calls "tyranny." Satan was one of the highest angels in Heaven and was know as Lucifer, meaning, light bearer. This shows that he once was a good angel. However, it was his pride that pushed him to speak out, â€Å"His pride/ had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host. / Of rebel angels, by whose aspiring/ To set himself in glory above his peers† (Milton Book I). It was because of Satan’s pride that God banned him from heaven. Instead of following in God’s shadow, as all angel do, Satan strived to become an individual. He would have lived a life in P... Free Essays on Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is often referred to as an English Christian Epic. It has the distinguishing marks of an epis – a major central theme. In Paradise Lost, the fall of man is central to the poem. Milton writes of events that occurred before Creation and shortly thereafter. Indeed, the main outlines of the stories of most epics are well known to the audiences for which they are composed; the poet’s over-all contribution is the artistry with which he retells known material and the interpretations he makes of it. His method of retelling the material usually involves a large number of dramatic scenes. An example of such a scene in Paradise Lost is the initial conversation between Satan and Beezelbub when they regain consciousness after having been hurled from Heaven to Hell. The supernatural usually plays a large part in epics, also. In Paradise Lost, the poem opens with Satan and the other fallen angels chained to the burning lake in Hell. After regaining consciousness, they arrange a great plot to determine how they are going to revolt against God. The epic traditionally begins with an announcement of the theme or subject matter either combined with or followed by an invocation to a heavenly power. Milton opens Paradise Lost with an invocation to the heavenly muse and announces his purpose. Milton was so strongly committed to the Puritan cause that he accepted a government [position under Oliver Cromwell. He was a radical Christian individualist who objected strongly and vocally to all kinds of organized religions which, he believed, put barriers between man and God. Milton was therefore a rebel because he identified himself with a revolutionary cause. Paradise Lost is about rebellion and its consequences. Similar to Paradise Lost, Edmund Spenser set out to be the great English poet and wrote a Christian Epic, The Faerie Queen. The purpose was to make one virtuous and educate others on virtue. He begins his Epic with a letter to ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Organizing Function at Exxon Mobil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizing Function at Exxon Mobil - Essay Example Organizing Function at Exxon Mobil Specifically, the essay aims to proffer an evaluation of Exxon Mobil’s organizing function of management, as it relates to physical assets and human resources. The discourse would likewise discuss an evaluation and justification of whether Exxon has optimized these organization resources for effectiveness and efficiency, as required. Company Profile Considered as one of the world’s leader in the gas and oil industry is Exxon Mobil that boasts of being â€Å"the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, providing energy that helps underpin growing economies and improve living standards around the world†. Its roots are traced 125 years ago with the drilling of the first oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The company is globally entrenched â€Å"holding exploration and production acreage in 38 countries and conducting production operations in 23 countries around the world† . Human Resources According to Higgin (1994), the organizing function is â€Å"establishing the internal organizational structure of the organization. The focus is on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization. It is in this function that managers distribute authority to job holders†. Exxon Mobil’s organizational structure is designed according to a grouping of segments from units, sections, divisions, and departments that work harmoniously towards the accomplishment of organizational goals. The management team at Exxon is comprised of the chairman and chief executive officer, as well as four senior vice presidents, with one assuming the basic responsibility as treasurer. A total of eleven members of the board of directors, where 10 were considered â€Å"independent as defined by New York Stock Exchange guidelines, and all directors stand for election at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders† (Exxon: Our board of d irectors, n.d., par. 1). The global workforce that compose the organization’s executive and staff positions are revealed as â€Å"nearly 80,000 employees, of which about 37 percent were located within the United States and 63 percent internationally† (Exxon: Our diverse workforce, n.d., par. 1). Of this number, more that 3,600 collaborately form the management and professional group who were hired from diverse countries all over the world. Exxon’s organizing strategy in terms of its human resources is â€Å"to increase the number of national employees over the life span of a project and to train them in technical and professional skills necessary for working on existing and future projects and operations† (Exxon: Our diverse workforce, n.d., par. 3).The strategy is applicable to human resources functions of recruitment, selection, training, maintenance and development of personnel. As indicated, the long term goal of the strategy is to hone the skills of talented personnel who are deemed competent and highly qualified to meet global demands of future needs of the organization. 2. Physical Assets Exxon Mobil has recognized the crucial importance of securing the physical assets of the organization. The organizing function required management to design a comprehensive inventory of all