Crime show #5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Crime show #5 - Essay Example The staffs were surprised by the drastic increase in the number of deaths in the hospital. The staffs carried out an investigation and eventually Majors was caught (Neer 211). Lynn was arrested and taken to court where he was convicted of six murders and sentenced to three hundred and sixty years in prison (Huffington Post Site). When Lynn was working in the hospital the number of deaths increased four times every year (Neer 212). This made the authorities to suspect more than one hundred people could have been killed by Lynn (Alpers 312). Investigators think that Lynn even consoled the families of the victims after they had died in a sick display of power (Huffington Post Site). It is ironical that Lynn Majors was one of the popular nurses among elderly patients in the hospital and yet killed the elderly (Neer 212). He also said that he was kind and tender but went ahead killing the elderly patients (Alpers 312). In conclusion, the story has moral lessons and teaching us about our daily lives. Before one is employed as a nurse for example, there is need get more information about the person. The credentials should be confirmed whether they are

Ethics of Native American Mascots Essay Example for Free

Ethics of Native American Mascots Essay Ethics of Native American mascots is a controversial topic and should not be argued against because they are used ethically, complementary, and respectfully. The Native American Mascot controversy is a topic that has presented itself in recent years all across the country. Though there have been some issues, complaints, and moral questions brought up about the Native American mascot dilemma by a minority group of people, there is no legitimate argument to why these mascots should be banned. Ethically, there is nothing wrong with using Native American symbols as mascots. Native American mascots are ethical. Ethics is defined as â€Å"a system of moral principles and rules, the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group or culture, and also a branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions† (dictionary. com). Native American mascots and logos for sports leagues has been a debate dating back as far as the late 1960s (Oguntoyinbo 2011). When talking about the ethics side of the argument, calling the images and logos unethical toward Native Americans is wrong because ethics, like the definition says, portrays to respect and class toward a group or culture. The purpose of mascots is to believe in something, to have a logo that brings teams and communities together for battle in sports, and to perform well and do your best so you stand tall and proud to be a part of your team and mascot. To be a warrior on a football field and literally have the warrior symbol, to be a brave, or the chiefs and represent honor, courage, and bravery would be astonishing. Native American mascots are complementary. The use of logos as mascots is to honor Native Americans, they are not used to offend, and they are not misguiding (King 2002). Though there are two sides to every argument, when a mascot is called degrading or any negative term other than complementary, it must have something border line if not over the top offensive on it. There is no legitimate argument for why an arrowhead on the side of a football helmet, a logo of a Native American chief’s head on the side of a school or even a tomahawk on a basketball jersey is being reverted to as degrading, but the controversy still continues. Some names can be offensive such as Redmen, Savages, etc. But if it is the name itself that offends, it needs to be argued that way and not toward the Native American mascot as a symbol. Arguing a mascot as degrading when really it is meant the name is disrespectful in itself because a mascot is a symbol of a team, not the name; it is also the strength and core of a team. Mascots are purposely portrayed as being ethical, complementary, and respectful, in fact â€Å"tribal names find their way onto all kinds of consumer products, such as the Jeep Cherokee and the Dodge Dakota. For the same reason, Indian images appear on U. S. currency, such as the old Indian-head nickel and the new Sacajawea dollar. The Army even names its helicopters after tribes: the Apache Longbow, the Kiowa Warrior, the Comanche, and the Blackhawk. If we were† to let the minority side of this argument change Native American mascots, then â€Å"a number of cities (e. g. , Chicago, Miami, and Milwaukee), plus about half the states, would have to be renamed (Miller 2001). Mascots are symbols, symbols of spirit, and symbols of strength. Native American mascots are respectful. The minority of people who argue this issue want these mascots to change because they believe that Native American mascots are disrespectful to Native Americans, they are portrayed disrespectfully, and everything about the mascot is portrayed disrespectful. Some even say that teams with Native American mascots do what’s called a tomahawk chop that supposedly represent Indian culture and meant for honoring them but that’s not true (Pewewardy 2000). Doing a tomahawk chop is in no way disrespectful, in fact, a tomahawk chop is used to pump up the crowd, it’s used to respect the heritage of the Native American, and it’s used to continue tradition. Being a part of a Native American mascot team, chances are the intent is to want to represent that logo and be the upmost respectful possible toward the heritage that the symbol represents. It is amazing how some can say that Native American mascots are disrespectful. A huge reason that Florida State University got to keep their symbol and logo the Seminoles is because the chief of the Seminole tribe in Florida strongly supports what Florida State does with the symbol and how it is respected. Disrespect is when a team of any name burns a mascot logo before a game, disrespect is when a sports game is not played by the rules, disrespect is when refusal to shake and opponents hand after a lost battle, not a logo that represents pride and respect for a team, school, and community. Ethics of Native American mascots is a controversial topic and should not be argued against because again they are not being used unethically, they are not degrading, and they are not being used disrespectfully. Schools shouldn’t have to change their mascot because a few minority people give speeches, write letters to the NCAA, or even protest about it. It should come down to what the tribes themselves want; they are the ones with their image portrayed out there as mascots. That would be the ethical and right way to go about this controversy. Ethics can play a big role when it comes to the Native American mascot issue. No matter which side is chosen to debate, ethics should always be considered one of, if not, the top motivation. Works Cited â€Å"Definition of ethics. † Ethics definition. Dictionary. com. Web. 15 November 2011 King, Richard. â€Å"Defensive dialogues: Native American mascots, anit-Indianism, and educationalinstitutions. † Academic Search Premier. Simile, February 2002. Web. 27 November 2011. Miller, John. â€Å"What’s in a (Team) Name? † Academic Search Premier. National Review, 16 April 2001. Web. 15 November 2011. Oguntoyinbo, Lekan. â€Å"The Name Game. † Academic Search Premier. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 28 April 2011. Web. 15 November 2011.. Pewewardy, Cornel. â€Å"Why Educators Should Not Ignore Indian Mascots. † Academic Search Premier. Multicultural Perspectives, 2000. Web. 27 November 2011.

The Essence Of Pop Culture Essay -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"Talk about Pop Music, Talk about Pop Music†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was one of the most catchy phrases of the 1980’s. Just as in the 80’s, today we see many characteristics of â€Å"pop culture† effecting our lives. But, what is â€Å"pop culture?† I spent some time online trying to answer my question and time after time I was led to the same direction: pop culture is what we see, hear, speak, and are otherwise exposed to on a daily basis. The infomercials we see late on television, the billboards we see on the side of the road, the junk mail we receive, the links on the web pages we visit, and the radio commercials we hear all tie together to form this idea of pop culture. These, plus many other aspects, form our minds and teach us how to be culturally smart. To be culturally smart is to understand and know pop culture. For example, if someone were to say â€Å"BUD!† it is automatically assumed that they would get a â€Å"WIES† in reply. If a person were to say â€Å"Just Do It!† Nike would be directly thought of. What elements define â€Å"Pop Culture?† Television stars, such as Drew Carey; musicians, such as Santana; public figures, such as Monica Lewinski; politicians, such as Bill Clinton; athletes, such as Michael Jordan; large corporations with their slogans; and movies are all, but not limited to, pop culture. In a Journal I found online of a study of pop culture, it compared the link of religion and a pop culture icon, Star Wars. The study was conducted with people and it read: â€Å"The comparisons and shared philos...

Electronic mail will out perform the regular Postal Service Essay

New technologies have always allowed us to do things faster, more efficiently and more professionally than ever before. Generally, every new technology is a step forward for speed and productivity. The speed, usage, reliability, and expense make electronic mail more desirable than our general postal system. The speed of transfer is an important part of the decision to send mail by either E-Mail or Postal System. E-mail has a distinct advantage in this category. With the click of a button, ones message is sent. Whether you are sending an e-mail to a person across the street or to Afghanistan, the transfer rate is virtually the same. The Postal Delivery System takes from two days to two weeks to deliver even the smallest package. Depending on the locations of the sender and the receiver, even sending a letter to the house across the street takes unnecessary time. Another variable aspect of the two mail systems is ease-of-use. E-Mail has advantages when viewed from this angle. For one thing, E-Mail has no limitations on pick up or delivery. Anyone who wishes to use E-Mail may do so on his or her own leisure. When receiving letters from the Post Office waiting is a major inconvenience, taking time out of the person’s day. In addition, writing a letter by hand often allows room for error. The E-Mail user also has to pay a monthly fee for an internet account, generally ranging from eight dollars to twenty-five dollars per month, and the user may send unlimited E-mails. Local Post Offices charge for envelops and packaging material. The cost of a stamp is thirty-seven cents for each letter. This cost adds up when mailing three to four letters a day. Reliability of E-Mail far outweighs the Postal System. Because a computer network runs e-mail, human error is unlikely. Consequently, E-Mail is usually transferred to the correct address; it is never lost, stolen, and its contents are never removed or damaged. On the other hand, the Postal System has more problems. Since humans deliver the envelopes, error is very  common. Letters are often delivered to the wrong address creating delay for the intended recipitant. In addition, dishonest postal workers have stolen checks and other items out of packages. When choosing how to mail letters, think about the most used system in the world of today. E-Mail is a system that rarely looses or damages letters, and offers fair and low rates. Even though the Postal System offers low rates, the speed and safety of delivery is sacrificed due to unqualified and dishonest employees. E-Mail is instant, cheaper, and most reliable way to send letters.

Elements of the Marketing Mix Essay

This case will study describe the elements of the marketing mix. These four elements include product, place, price and promotion. This paper will include a description of how an organization’s marketing strategy is affected by the four elements of the marketing mix. Another aspect that this paper will include is a description of how each element is implemented in the company. One more topic that this paper will describe is the organizations name and industry in which it exists. The marketing mix is defined as a mixture of several ideas and plans followed by a marketing representative to promote a particular product or brand. Several concepts and ideas are combined together to formulate final strategies helpful in making a brand popular amongst the masses to form the marketing mix (â€Å"Marketing Mix – Meaning and Its Elements†, n.d.). The elements of the marketing mix are often called the four P’s of marketing (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy, 2011). First, Product is defined as goods that are manufactured by organizations for the consumer. Products can be two types, tangible and intangible. A product in a market place is something which a seller sells to the buyers in exchange for money. Price is defined as the money which a buyer pays for a product. The price of a product is indirectly proportional to its availability in the market. If a product is not readily available then the price goes up (â€Å"Marketing Mix – Meaning and Its Elements†, n.d.). Place refers to the location where the products are available and can be sold or purchased. Here one is exposed to a physical building, or store, or one can purchase items on the internet. Finally, the fourth element is promotion. Promotion refers to the various strategies and ideas implemented by the marketers to make the consumer aware of their product (â€Å"Marketing Mix – Meaning and Its Elements†, n.d.). Today’s market is huge and there is an abundant variety of products available. Frito Lay is a multi-national  corporation that is predominantly in the salty snack business. Frito Lay aims its market strategy at both the mass market and target markets alike. This food driven company does have some strengths such as its renowned reliability, high quality control and markets its product as convenient fun foods. The products that Frito Lay generates have consumers in mind that particularly buy snack foods as a leisure item. Their packing and branding is targeting a consumer that wants to snack on the go or during lunch with a sandwich. With this in mind, the organizations marketing strategy uses all four of the marketing mix very well. Frito Lay sells a wide variety of chips form Ruffles to Lays, Cheetos to Doritos and Tostitos to Funyions. These products satisfy many customers’ needs for fun snacking. In the Product element, packaging is also very important when keeping the consumer satisfied. Bright colors are used to catch the eye when they design the bags that carry all of their brands. In the Place element, the product is highly visible in that one can purchase said items and every convenience store in the marketplace. Not only is the product in just about every UDS store but in vending machines and supermarkets. The channel of distribution is very important to deliver these products to the consumer and Frito Lay has an excellent distribution system in place. The third element, Promotion, targets new customers and retaining current customers. Many people have heard the phrase â€Å"no one can eat just one.† This catch phrase was designed for Lays potato chips and hasn’t been used in years, but just about everybody has heard that. That is advertising at its finest. The use of mass selling techniques has been advantageous to Frito Lay. The fourth â€Å"P† is Price and that obviously plays an important part in Frito’s model. Frito Lays strategy is to stay competitive with other salty snack manufacturers and their price points. Their target price is also directed at young adults and children. Each element in the marketing mix is used very well by Frito Lay. The products that this corporation sells to the consumer vary from salty snacks to cookies and even beef jerky. Frito Lay guarantees freshness for its product and delivers a price point that is competitive to just about any consumer. In the channels of distribution process it is important to get a food item to the retailer in a timely manner as the food item can spoil. The freshness guarantee that Frito Lay offers dictates that the salty snack has a shelf life of about a month for most products and the  products need to be removed from the shelves if they do not sell. Because of this model, the delivery system promotes efficiency when sold and distributed to each retailer. Promotions are huge with Frito Lay as they spend millions for point of sale coupons and retail discounts. Not only is there retail push for sales but Frito Lay spends millions on advertising. Advertising can be seen in standard commercials to big budget commercials during super bowl ads. These methods of communication are geared at mass selling and are very effective. Finally, the Price element is important to Frito Lay as the market price for materials goes up so does the price of their products. To circumvent these price hikes, Frito Lay will lower the content volume in the bag and not raise the price. In other instances, they will raise the price by ten cents and remove the price on the bag for a short period of time. The idea is to trick the consumer into believing the price is the same. In all the instances, Frito Lay has a business model that is very effective and has endured for many years. By understanding the similarities and differences between these elements one can understand how a corporation uses the marketing mix to their advantage. The four elements are critical to understand the very nature of the consumer and the retailer. This case study shows that it is important to understand the marketing mix business model as it pertains everyone and final user. References Marketing Mix – Meaning and its Elements. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://managementstudyguide.com/marketing-mix.htm Perreault, W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, J. (2011). Basic Marketing. A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collectioon database.

MetalDetectors arent answer essays

MetalDetectors aren't answer essays If you have not noticed, the arms race is heating up. But this is a different sort of arms race. It's a race to rid the schools of arms. And the weapon of choice is the metal detector. The tension accompanying a recent deadly shooting at a high school in Los Angeles has spread to all school boards in North America, where some schools have decided to use metal detectors. But are metal detectors the answer for every school in every country? The answer to this question for canadian high schools is, as a canadian In our country, the most common weapons found in school have been knives and baseball bats. Deaths on campus are rare and very few of the expulsions that take place are weapon related. Due to the moral of our country, the behaviour of our high school students are known as one of the safer ones comparing with many other countries. Canadian high schools have good record when it comes to the safety of the students. For this reason, canadian high schools need metal detectors like a baldhead needs a comb. An important question needs to be explored: Can canadian high schools ensure the future safety of students? I happpen to believe it can. Admittedly an occasional fight erupts. What high school doesn't have fight? But our country isn't dangerous enough to warrant the purchase of metal detector for every high school national wise. While a metal detector might cut down on weapons being brought on campus, we need to remember that running a metal detector up and down someon'es body may initiate "feelings" of anger and hostility-the exact "feelings" that may lead to fights and violence. Yet these are the activities that metal detectors are supposed to prevent. I happen to witness a fight recently at my night school. I have to admit that i was shocked by the fact of having such ...

Emily Dickinson1 essays

Emily Dickinson1 essays Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet of the nineteenth century. She was one of the greatest masters of the short lyric poem. Not much is known about her life, but what is known is unusual and interesting. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December tenth, eighteen hundred thirty, to a prominent family. [ 9. kutztown.edu/faculty/ reagan/*censored*inson.html ] She was the second child of three children. Her grandfather, Samuel Dickinson, was one of the founders of the Amherst College. Edward Dickinson, her father, held several political positions. He was on the General Court of Massachusetts, Massachusetts State Senate, and United States House Representatives. Edward was also a lawyer and the treasurer for the college. [ 9. kutztown.edu/faculty/reagan/*censored*inson.html ] Emily's mother, Emily Dickinson, was a simple woman. She was dedicated to her home and family. Emily's mother suffered a long term of illness so she took care of her. Dickinson had an older brother, Austin, who also served as the treasurer for the college and other civic positions. Austin married Emily's best friend, Susan Gilbert. Lavinia was Emily's younger sister. She didn't marry anyone so she stayed in the family house. The three siblings shared a very close relationship. Their parents didn't have a close relationship wi th them, but they did love and care for them. Emily's parents made sure she had a good education. She went to a primary school for four years then she attended Amherst Academy from eighteen hundred forty through eighteen hundred forty-seven. After that she went to Mary Lyon's Female Seminary ( Mount Holyoke Female Seminary ) for only a year. [ 7. gale.com/library/resrcs/poets_cn/*censored*nbio.htm ] The seminary insisted on religious as well as intellectual growth. Emily didn't like the religious environment and was under considerable pressure to bec...

An Overview of El Nino and La Nina

An Overview of El Nino and La Nina El Nino is a regularly occurring climatic feature of our planet. Every two to five years, El Nino reappears and lasts for several months or even a few years. El Nino takes place when warmer than usual sea water exists off the coast of South America. El Nino causes climate effects around the world. Peruvian fishermen noticed that the arrival of El Nino often coincided with the Christmas season so named the phenomenon after the the baby boy Jesus. The warmer water of El Nino reduced the number of fish available to catch. The warm water that causes El Nino is usually located near Indonesia during non-El Nino years. However, during periods of El Nino the water moves eastward to lie off the coast of South America. El Nino increases the average ocean surface water temperature in the region. This mass of warm water is what causes climatic change around the world. Closer to the Pacific Ocean, El Nino causes torrential rains across the west coast of North America and South America. Very strong El Nino events in 1965-1966, 1982-1983, and 1997-1998 caused significant flooding and damage from California to Mexico to Chile. Effects of El Nino are felt as far away from the Pacific Ocean as Eastern Africa (there is often reduced rainfall and thus Nile River carries less water). An El Nino requires five consecutive months of unusually high sea surface temperatures in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America to be considered an El Nino. La Nina Scientists refer to the event when exceptionally cook water lies off the coast of South America as La Nina or the baby girl. Strong La Nina events have been responsible for the opposite effects on climate as El Nino. For example, a major La Nina event in 1988 caused significant drought across North America. El Ninos Relationship to Climate Change As of this writing, El Nino and La Nina do not appear to be significantly related to climate change. As mentioned above, El Nino is a pattern that had been noticed for hundreds of years by South Americans. Climate change may make the effects of El Nino and La Nina stronger or more widespread, however. A similar pattern to El Nino was identified in the early 1900s and was called the Southern Oscillation. Today, the two patterns are known to be pretty much the same thing and so sometimes El Nino is known as El Nino/Southern Oscillation or ENSO.

Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman (750 words) Essay

Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman (750 words) - Essay Example Even from a cursory reading of the play, it is clear that the way Willy deals with reality and fiction is quite strange and Willy pretends to believe in the fiction that he has created for himself. Although as we well know, it is the reality of his life that wins in the end. Willy is unable to happiness find simply because his focus remains on making friends and he has a false belief in his own abilities that have led him to be a failure in life. The failure also extends to some of those who are influenced by him especially his son, who Willy thinks will follow his footsteps (Foster, 1961). However, the son ends up taking his own path since his lack of faith in Willy is evident from the events of the play. In his own world, Willy believes that he is successful and extremely popular amongst his clients as a salesman. He thinks that he has friends across the region and is well respected by others in his company as well as the business. This fantasy could have been true had he actually been a good performer and had made the efforts that could have given him the success he needed. What he failed to see was that he was nothing more than average in sales and had no more than a few friends. For example, he expected lots of people to be present at his funeral from all around the region but only five people came to the event. Of course, the death of an ordinary salesman or even a highly successful salesman is certainly a banal event. It was Willy’s imagined supremacy that put him at a disadvantage since he did not realize what he was doing wrong. Willy failed at making his American dream a reality not because the dream itself is unachievable, but because Willy did not put in enough effort. There certainly are people who find happiness through putting in their efforts, getting rich and making a life for their families but Willy lived a life of lies. He was sure of the fact that his friend Charley and his son simply could not be

Organisations and behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Organisations and behaviour - Assignment Example The paper tells that one of the earliest structures used in organisations is the functional method. In this type, the organisation is divided into sectors or departments; each department has a particular specialism or function. The advantage for this type of structure is that the organisation can achieve effectiveness and success in pursuing its goals with the different departments having their separate functions. These departments or sections can enhance their expertise, while the workers are specialists in their own field.Another important advantage is that there is no duplication of functions. For example, in a car manufacturing plant like that of Toyota, they have different field of specialisation for each department – one works for engine specialisation, another group works for the other components, while another section works on the assembly of the Toyota car. There are disadvantages to this type of structure. The departments can have a narrow specialisation that may hin der the workers’ knowledge of their organisation. Another disadvantage that must be quickly looked into is the possible existence of an inter-departmental rivalry. The key is for the organisation to determine if the rivalry can result into good intentions or attain success for the organisation. There can be slow lines of communication on this type of structure, but a modification can remedy the situation. Information Technology can provide the answer. Toyota Motors Structure: Functional and Geographic Approaches Toyota Motors with its many branches worldwide has carried the traditional method up to this day although there may be some modifications. This company brings up to this day a family tradition of car making and traditional business. It uses the functional structure in the sense that the company is divided into departments, each with its own function and specialty. But it also uses the geographical approach considering that it is now a large organisation. Toyota is our choice organisation because it is a successful international firm that provides independence to its subsidiaries abroad. Its operation uses the geographical based approach while each independent subsidiary has a functional structure. The subsidiaries attain some kind of autonomy but also reports to the main headquarters in Japan. The United States branch of Toyota is under an independent management that allows quick responses whenever local branches and shops need help to solve local problems. It also allows tailoring of operations depending on local culture, such as language, customs, and laws and regulations. (Toyota, 2011) Toyota has been on the forefront of car making because of an effective strategic and operational management coupled with an efficient and competitive workforce. Their strategies involve innovations in production, marketing, sales and promotions, and branding. But to top it all, it has been able to handle knowledge management like it is a part of ordinary business. These strategies are applied to every branch despite their individual independence. In the 1950s Toyota was only a small company, averaging 18,000 vehicles per year. As years passed on, management perfected the so-called Toyota Production System – this is the Japanese way, a means of achieving mass production efficiencies with small volumes. Toyota expanded to become export-oriented and began to open

Diversity Hiring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diversity Hiring - Essay Example " It is irrefutable that current business operations have evolved over time, confounding managers with new issues. The evolution of new business strategies is in response to the changes in the external environment of business organizations. It should be noted that the developments in the market mentioned were beyond the effects of neither the current economic turmoil nor the technological revolution which radically altered the way business is done. The present mode of business is strongly influenced by the emergence of hypercompetitive markets that resulted from the rapid integration of markets brought about by globalization. As businesses are faced with new challenges and opportunities, it is imperative that they also employ a new approach in doing business. They do this by strengthening their core competencies by aligning their respective resources to their various objectives. It is irrefutable that human resource is the indispensable, if not the most important, asset in a business institution. The contribution of human resource in the success and mere survival of a company cannot be overstated. As such, companies are seen to align their workforce in order to fully reap the opportunities present in the market. Diversity hiring is the new trend in choosing the employees to work for an organization. As more and more companies are embracing this new system, more reports and empirical evidences are also reported which support direct hiring. This report will look at direct hiring as an ethical issue in business organizations. The first part will briefly look at the scope of direct hiring in the United States. Discussions on its advantages and ethical considerations will also be set forth. The paper will conclude with the key points tackled. Scope of Diversity Hiring The first step toward creating a more diversified workforce was taken by the President John F. Kennedy with the establishment of The President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. This effort gave way in the formation of workforce which is comprised of people with different nationality. It should be noted that during this period there is a lack of appreciation of the value of diverse teams. In contrast, the program was enacted to create equal opportunity for prospective employees regardless of their ethnicity. However, the present day situation is now different. The importance of having a diverse team working for a business organization is not only done in order to comply with this requirement but due to the perceived value of inclusivity. In fact, a leading proponent of diversity recognized the importance of hiring employees with diverse backgrounds in order to boost the performance of a business organization. Gloria Johnson Goins, the vice president of diversity and inclusiveness for the Home Depot asserted American businesses should willing embrace this new trend in order for them to adapt to the nation's business demographics. According to ASME, workplace diversity is "the variety among people related to such factors as age, culture, education, employee status, family status, function, gender, national origin, physical appearance, race, regional origin, religion, sexual orientation, and thinking style." Thus, diversity embraces the differences among individuals and utilizes them for the utmost benefit of the business organization. As companies come to recognize the contribution of workplace

Enhancing Employability & Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Enhancing Employability & Employment - Essay Example The derived information from the exploratory research suggests that compliance with legal requirement and accounting standards not only improves the existing system within Ernst & Young but also helps them in devising strategies meant for community and societal development. The main aim of the hard and soft system models as solutions for Ernst & Young would help in the removal of the existing functional and non-functional barriers for the improvement and efficiency in the accounting system and also the achievement of the goals and objectives. Covert, overt dimensions, hard and soft systems would help in identification of taxation and accounting errors and also the delay causing the timely delivery of projects. On the other hand, the Weisbord Six Box Model would facilitate both the running the existing system, design of constructive organizational structure and enhancing the work climate. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Outline of Research used for Ernst & Young 4 Diagnosis of Internal Issues Faced by Ernst & Young 5 Diagnosis of External Issues Faced by Ernst & Young 8 SWOT Analysis 10 Analysis of Issues faced by Ernst & Young 11 Recommendations of Change Management Strategy 12 Justification of Change Management Intervention Techniques 14 Reference List 16 Introduction Ernst & Young, a multinational professional service provider with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom, is regarded as the world’s third largest professional service provider. It is also one of the largest accounting firms in the present scenario. The company operates in more than one-fifty countries with more than seven hundred offices in the world and employs more than one hundred and seventy-five thousands employees (Ernst &Young, 2013a). The prime objective of the organization revolves around providing audit, tax, legal and advisory services to the leading organizations. The company caters to advisory, tax, assurance and information relate d to financial and accounting transactions. The research was conducted on this organization to help the users to understand the functionality of this firm which aims and does excel in their accounting and professional services. The management concepts along with the issues related to the organization will be highlighted. Presently, the external and internal strategic issues faced by Ernst & Young along with the appropriate solutions would be provided by the author in the following study. Finally, the study would conclude with recommendations which can help in curbing down the current strategic issues faced by Ernst & Young and aid the betterment of the existing systems. Outline of Research used for Ernst & Young Exploratory research is conducted for identification of a problem that has not been clearly identified and recognized. It is regarded as one of the research data collection methods based on secondary data available through print, media, articles and interview with the respon dents. The entire purpose of explorative research would be to precede a formal research through the availability of large and small data. It also helps the researcher to provide information through conducted surveys and experimental methods (Appelbaum et al., 2012). This is used to develop possible list of causes and help in uncovering possible avenues and assisting decision maker in reaching the goals

Therapeutic Approaches Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Therapeutic Approaches Paper - Assignment Example The therapeutic relationship was established so as to create a means by which the health professions and the respective patient come get into a one on one conversation so as to archive effective beneficial changes to the respective patient (Bowie 1996). Therapeutic approach communications are mostly applicable in mental health centers and it is conducted by mental professionals who have a common purpose of solving emotional conflicts that that happen through the mind of the respective patients. Therapeutic relationship assurers the patients at hand of enough security in the information they give to the healthcare professionals. This enhances them to open up and give the accurate information about what is making them to have the emotional conflicts and thus getting the appropriate treatment. Therapeutic relationship was established after some major researches were conducted and it was scientifically proved that it really aided the health care professionals to foresee the appropriate d iagnosis and treatment that the patient required to cure the particular disease that he or she was suffering from (Gel so 1998). Rogers developed a therapeutic relationship model that was aimed at providing the respective patients with a chance of them understanding how their particular attitudes and feelings are being affected by their emotional conflicts and the appropriate treatment required to solve these problems is that the patients should achieve their full positive potential. Rogers discovered a number of conditions that that was essential to enhance effective changes to the client's personality. Some of these conditions include genuine of both the heath care therapist and the respective patient, professionalism of the health care therapist in his work, the patient openness to the healthcare therapist and many others. Rogers was focused on developing a therapeutic relationship model that will ensure that both the patients and the health care therapist were both involved in s olving the patient’s emotional conflicts (Gel so 1998). A health care professional is one who is able to put himself or herself in the shoes of the respective patient that they are attending and avoid any circumstances of being judgmental. The health care professionals should have a sympathetic and empathetic attitude towards their particular patients and this will enhance them to get familiar with the personality, feelings and so many other factors that relate to their patients. The health care professionals who conduct the therapeutic relationship posse’s very good communication skills which one of them is listening. An effective communication process occurs between two individuals. It is a two process and hence the two involved parties should give each other time to speak and listen (Forchuk, Westwel, and Hux 2000). The therapeutic health care professional has understood this communication skill and they are employing it professionally their day to day work. Every i ndividual desires to be heard as they speak in all circumstances and if by any chance the therapeutic health care professionals lack this special communicating skill then they end up not meeting the expectations of their patients (Steve 2000). Effective therapeutic communication also involves use nonverbal communication such

Managing Diversity and Equality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Managing Diversity and Equality - Assignment Example While conflicts and tensions may occur that managers must deal with, cultural differences may also be a strength if dealt with correctly. Diversity may be seen as an active policy rather than the passive acceptance inculcated by equality. A PESTLE Analysis, which considers the external factors working on an organization, will be useful in examining how managers can overcome cultural problems and promote diversity. . PESTLE stands for the following: While superficially it might seem the first three elements of the analysis, (Political, Economic and Sociological), might seem to be the most applicable to a discussion of culture within the workplace, the others are as well. PESTLE has been used by many companies to examine both the internal and external factors that will influence both present and future business. It is a way of viewing complex situations through the prism of a strong model that can both provide a rational framework for the examination of complex issues and also provide a foundation for possible alleviation of the problems discovered. Thus the problem of "culture" is one that is posed for nearly all managers in all businesses, but especially within increasingly diverse environments such as are found in Europe. First of all, what does "culture" mean The dictionary defines it in the following manner: What does such an esoteric subject have to do with the or... Culture. 1. The behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work and thought, especially as expressed in a particular time or community. (American, 2004) What does such an esoteric subject have to do with the ordinary business environment one might ask Basically, culture is all the beliefs, biases, likes, dislikes and general attitude towards life that an employee brings into the workplace. If all these were homogenous within each company then culture could be ignored as it would be shared and unified. Problems arise when a culture is not shared, specifically when a particular manner, way of speaking or belief conflicts with another. On a most basic level one might deal with the problem with hand gestures. In England the gesture of putting the second and third fingers up to someone is regarded as an insult, whereas in the United States this is just a way of simply stating "two". An American who is not aware of the meaning of this sign in Britain will be surely at a disadvantage if she starts negotiating by saying that she will pay 2,000,000 for something with what she regarded as a harmless gesture. Similarly, an English businessman visiting America who does not know that this gesture is quite harmless in that country will be at a disadvantage. This is an extreme, but actually quite common example of how cultural problems can stem from communication problems. The manager dealing with this situation needs to communicate the differences in culture between the two parties involved, and hopefully resolve it in an amicable manner. Best of all would be to communicate the various cultural differences that might arise before they occur. Pre-warned is

Therapeutic Approaches Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Therapeutic Approaches Paper - Assignment Example The therapeutic relationship was established so as to create a means by which the health professions and the respective patient come get into a one on one conversation so as to archive effective beneficial changes to the respective patient (Bowie 1996). Therapeutic approach communications are mostly applicable in mental health centers and it is conducted by mental professionals who have a common purpose of solving emotional conflicts that that happen through the mind of the respective patients. Therapeutic relationship assurers the patients at hand of enough security in the information they give to the healthcare professionals. This enhances them to open up and give the accurate information about what is making them to have the emotional conflicts and thus getting the appropriate treatment. Therapeutic relationship was established after some major researches were conducted and it was scientifically proved that it really aided the health care professionals to foresee the appropriate d iagnosis and treatment that the patient required to cure the particular disease that he or she was suffering from (Gel so 1998). Rogers developed a therapeutic relationship model that was aimed at providing the respective patients with a chance of them understanding how their particular attitudes and feelings are being affected by their emotional conflicts and the appropriate treatment required to solve these problems is that the patients should achieve their full positive potential. Rogers discovered a number of conditions that that was essential to enhance effective changes to the client's personality. Some of these conditions include genuine of both the heath care therapist and the respective patient, professionalism of the health care therapist in his work, the patient openness to the healthcare therapist and many others. Rogers was focused on developing a therapeutic relationship model that will ensure that both the patients and the health care therapist were both involved in s olving the patient’s emotional conflicts (Gel so 1998). A health care professional is one who is able to put himself or herself in the shoes of the respective patient that they are attending and avoid any circumstances of being judgmental. The health care professionals should have a sympathetic and empathetic attitude towards their particular patients and this will enhance them to get familiar with the personality, feelings and so many other factors that relate to their patients. The health care professionals who conduct the therapeutic relationship posse’s very good communication skills which one of them is listening. An effective communication process occurs between two individuals. It is a two process and hence the two involved parties should give each other time to speak and listen (Forchuk, Westwel, and Hux 2000). The therapeutic health care professional has understood this communication skill and they are employing it professionally their day to day work. Every i ndividual desires to be heard as they speak in all circumstances and if by any chance the therapeutic health care professionals lack this special communicating skill then they end up not meeting the expectations of their patients (Steve 2000). Effective therapeutic communication also involves use nonverbal communication such

Managine Project teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managine Project teams - Essay Example is more focused in the use of contingent reward, active management or passive management style (Judge and Piccolo, 2004; Gill, Levine and Pitt, 1998). As explained by Judge and Piccolo (2004), active leaders tend to focus more on the need to monitor the subordinates’ ability to anticipate organizational problems, their work-related behavior, and ensure that the subordinates would observe correction actions when necessary whereas passive leaders tend to wait until their subordinates would make errors before making actions. Unlike transformational or transactional leadership, Laissez-faire is all about no leadership at all. It means that under the Laissez-faire leadership, the leader tend to avoid making necessary actions or decisions on behalf of the management team (Judge and Piccolo, 2004). Basically, the main purpose of completing the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) is to assess the three (3) different types of leadership style known as: transformational, transactional and Laissez-faire. A score of 3.2 for management by exception and 3.5 for contingent reward (3.5) puts me in the 100th percentile for these two (2) leadership factors. It means that I scored the highest in UK as compared to other people. Upon analyzing the MLQ result, this score strongly suggest that I have a strong transactional leadership style. In the study of Rowold and Schlotz (2009), the authors found out that excessive use of transactional leadership style is positively linked with the development of chronic stress. For this reason, I should learn to minimize the use of transactional leadership style. Instead, I should put extra effort in improving my ability to use transformational leadership style. Leadership factors such as individualised consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealised influence are all characteristics of transformational leadership. A score of 3.2 in inspirational motivation puts me in the 100th percentile making this

Burned by Ellen Hopkins Essay Example for Free

Burned by Ellen Hopkins Essay Ellen Hopkins wrote this novel about a girl who grew up in a Mormon household, and is beginning to think that this is not a lifestyle she wants for herself. With an abusive father, lazy and passive mother, and constant conflicts with the Mormon teachings and beliefs, she refuses to give in to that way of life. She refuses to ever become property to a husband who she is taught to â€Å"obey† or a baby producing machine. With her new resilience and want for a normal life, it angers her father. He sends her to live with his estranged sister for the summer, but what he doesn’t realize is that he’s giving her freedom and a chance to live. She learns to love and that life as she knew it was never a life meant for her. Hopkins’ book shows the life of a Mormon girl; Pattyn Scarlet Von Stratten. Pattyn is tired of the Mormon lifestyle and rebels against her family and the rules of her home and church. Her father spends most of the time drunk and angry and her mother has a whole household to take care of. After Pattyn gets in a fight and breaks a window, her family has had enough of her rebelling so they send her to live with her Aunt, out in the middle of nowhere, for the summer, so she can no longer get in trouble. It turns out that she has fun on her stay with her aunt, she learns how to drive and ride a horse, and meets the love of her life. She fell in love with Ethan, the son of her aunt’s friend. He is not Mormon and her father would kill the both of them if they were together. After returning home things start to go bad again. She mouths off to her father and gets beaten. She takes the rap for something her sister does, and gets beaten to save her sister. She also learns that she will have Ethan’s baby. Like all of Hopkins novels, Burned also has a tragic ending. Ethan and Pattyn get in a car wreck and she wakes up in the hospital to learn that she lost Ethan and her baby. In the end she says that God could not be love because love was a corpse, because she lost the love of her life, and the only thing remnant of him. The book leaves you with the vision of Pattyn sitting above a busy highway, about to take you own life.

The Language Learner Autonomy Education Essay

The Language Learner Autonomy Education Essay Introduction: The more language learners there are, the more questions on how to learn effectively are raised. A lot of studies and researches have been being carried out to get the answers. There are many arguments but almost of researchers focus on autonomy, especially learner autonomy as a key of this point. In my essay, I will summarize the article of David Little, and then I give some opinions on Littles article and compare his point of view with others. Finally, I would like to give my suggestion, which originates from what I have read in this article. They are some issues that I want to know when I study autonomy. Introduction The concept of autonomy began in the early 1980s, associating with adult education and self-access learning systems, and gradually became the main discussion of language teaching under the impact of learner-centered theories of education. In this article, David Little purposes to restate an understanding of language learner autonomy in which the development of learner autonomy and the growth of target language proficiency are fully integrated with each other. It is the theory of language learner autonomy that implicates what is necessary to do so as to develop autonomous language learners and provides us with criteria by which to evaluate our efforts. The ability to take charge of ones own learning Little uses Holecs quote to make clear his view and define the essence of learner autonomy as the ability to take charge of ones own learning, which is acquired by natural means or formal learning, i.e. in a systematic, deliberate way (Holec, 1981). So, adult language learning should have an instrumental purpose and adult language programmes should be capable of meeting the specific communicative needs of individual learners. For Holec, the concept of learner autonomy has consequences for both the way in which learning is organized and the kind of knowledge that is acquired. Autonomy, competence, relatedness and intersubjectivity To review social-psychological and cognitive evidence in favor of promoting learner autonomy, Little mentions passive role at school or not being ready for social responsibility as some examples that make learners reluctant to take charge of their own learning. Besides, he distinguishes some notions such as independence and autonomy, the need for relatedness and autonomy and also defined competence and intersubjectivity in the relationship with learner autonomy. Constructivist learning theories According to constructivist epistemologies, knowledge is not a set of universal truths but a set of working hypotheses (Airasian Walsh, 1997:445) that are always subject to refinement, change, rejection and replacement. It means that we construct our knowledge by bringing what we already know into interaction with the new information, ideas and experiences we encounter. Besides, adopting pedagogical procedures that are exploratory, interpretative and participatory gives learners a capacity for reflective intervention to become an autonomous member of the culture-creating community. Theories of language learning There are some theories of language learning such as constructivist and innatist theories, which all emphasize the need for input, interaction and output and assign language as a key role in language learning. The way children learn and use language is compared with the process of language acquisition of learners. In addition, Vygotskys notion of a zone of proximal development (ZPD) and his view of the relationship between language and thought, speaking and thinking are used to analyze the characteristic of language learner autonomy. Pedagogical Implications Little proposes some interacting principles such as learner involvement, learner reflection and target language use that govern the success in second and foreign language teaching. The learner involvement requires constant attention from the beginning to the end of the course of learning, which means that the learners have to take part in the learning process, share responsibility with the teacher for setting the learning agenda, select learning activities and materialsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The learner reflection requires the teacher to embrace reflective intervention as a key feature of the teaching-learning process, which depends on leaner s skill and classrooms communication. The target language use is the medium through which all classroom activities are conducted, organizational and reflective as well as communicative. Little also mentions the important role of group work and the appropriate use of writing making learner easier to acquire a second or foreign language. WHAT I AM INTERESTED IN: As Little mentions in this article, the concept of learner autonomy began in the early 1980s. Since that year, there have been many studies on this issue. Benson and Voller (1997) raise questions, What is the theoretical basis for prevailing concepts of autonomy and independence? Is autonomy a culturally-specific, Western concept? What is the role of self-access and self-instruction in promoting autonomy? What is the role of the teacher in autonomous language learning? (p.270) Thats what I will present in part III and IV of this essay. I am really interested in this article of Little due to his analysis of autonomy and learner autonomy, which is not just a theory, but very practical. What is learner autonomy? Like Littles understanding of autonomy, Benson (2006) defines peoples autonomy as taking more control over their lives individually and collectively and autonomy can also be described as a capacity to take charge of, or take responsibility for, or control. Especially, he compares autonomy and autonomous learning with self-instruction, self-access, self-study, self-education, out-of-class learning or distance learning, which are basically described different ways and degrees of learning by the learners themselves, meanwhile autonomy refers to abilities and attitudes. This point is also agreed by Nicolaides (2007), as he mentions autonomy is a wider concept which can be developed through different paths according to learners needs, styles and context in which they are inserted in and which involves a reflection over ones own beliefs and responsibility over learning. So, we can understand autonomy in language learning as willingness to take more control over the purposes why we learn l anguages and the ways in which they learn them. However, I suppose that learner autonomy implies the freedom of learning. It is the freedom from learners themselves, to study and overcome any limitations to reach their expected target. Being some kind of freedom, learner autonomy can take place everywhere inside or outside the classroom and has both individual and social dimensions. In other words, it is a process that exists along with learners. Therefore, learners are more responsible for their own learning when they have some idea of what, why, and how they are trying to learn. They must take at least some of the initiatives that give shape and direction to the learning process, and must share in monitoring progress and evaluating the extent to which learning targets are achieved. (Little and Dam, 1998) The role of learner autonomy Why is learner autonomy important? Because it takes part in solving the problem of learner motivation. When a learner has motivation to study, he will be responsibility for his own learning and he can easily develop the skills of reflective self-management in learning and success in learning will strengthen his intrinsic motivation (Smith 2004). Little (2005) highlights that self-management and the generally proactive approach can make autonomous learners become motivated learners. To Dafei (2007), there is a consensus that the practice of learner autonomy requires insight, a positive attitude, a capacity for reflection, and a readiness to be proactive in self-management and in interaction with others. I am really interested in Littles idea in this article, it is unreasonable to expect teachers to foster the growth of autonomy in their learners if they themselves do not know what it is to be an autonomous learner. Frankly, a learner has to be autonomous, in other words, he needs to define his aims, understand his role in acquisition new knowledge, detect his difficulties and find out solutions, self-practice and try to apply his theoretical lesson into real life (Nicolaides 2003). In this case, the teacher may play a role as a helper, a supporter or an adviser to help him find his own way to success. But, if the students can appraise their own performance accurately enough, they will not have to depend entirely on the opinions of teachers and at the same time they will be able to make teachers aware of their individual learning needs. (Little, 2005) Little (2005) added that the development of the capacity for independent language learning is a tool to promote learner autonomy. We can see that when we are self-directed in doing anything, it automatically involves taking responsibility for the objectives of learning, self-monitoring, self-assessing, and taking an active role in learning. However, sometimes, we make a mistake when misunderstanding learner autonomy with learner isolation. It is believed that the independence that we exercise through our developed capacity for autonomous behavior is always conditioned and constrained by our inescapable interdependence. It means that, we necessarily depend on others even when we exercise our independence. (Little, 2005) Finch (2002) considers another view on the classroom, which allows us to include emotions, intuitions and attitudes as valid factors in the learning environment. He assumes that every learner is different, and everything that has an influence on the learner can create unpredictable effects. In this situation, the learning environment can be seen as a collection of learning opportunities which will be used in different ways by different students. It is proved that, there are many objective conditions that can distract or affect autonomy learners, not only the teachers or learners themselves. So that, we cannot teach students to become more autonomous (but) we can create the atmosphere and conditions in which they will feel encouraged to develop the autonomy they already have (Benson, 2003, p. 305). A question is raised by Dafei (2007) but there has not been pleased answers, it is whether the development of autonomy implies better language learning. In recent years, however, the contribution of practices associated with autonomy to language proficiency has become a critical issue for two reasons. One reason is that researchers are increasingly beginning to understand that there is an intimate relationship between autonomy and effective learning. However, this relationship has largely been explored at the level of theory, and lacks substantial empirical support. Another reason is that world-wide concern with accountability in education is increasingly obliging teachers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their practices in terms of proficiency gains. If researchers can show that practices aiming at greater autonomy also lead to greater proficiency, in whatever terms this is measured, their arguments will be strengthened. (Dafei, 2007, p.8) Although autonomy may ultimately lead to greater proficiency in language use, we cannot really know whether autonomous learners learning more than non-autonomous learner is more successful. In my class, after a year teaching a collegiate class, I am completely surprised because there are at least 10 hard-working students whom I highly appreciate (due to their activeness and attention in class) have marks under 5 in their final test. In my opinion, they are autonomous learners but they have not found an effective way of learning or they do not have a good aptitude for English. It seems to be ridiculous, but for many Vietnamese learners, they can study any subjects but English although they are not lazy. MY SUGGESTION As we can see, there are many relevant things that involve in learner autonomy, in this essay, I will mention two more things: The social cultural background (or sociopsychology) and the role of teacher autonomy. The Sociocultural background Smith (2004) thinks that many students show little interest in either language learning or in foreign cultures. They seem not to be eager to study other cultures as we all know learning a language is learning a new culture, new people and new society. Especially, in this era, with the globalization, people become nearer and cross-culture can be seen everywhere. And, if we learn more about a culture, we will understand its language more clearly and acquire it easily. Smith (2004) sees school as a preparation for life, not life itself, so that many teachers tend to emphasize facts about the major English-speaking cultures, in particular the UK and the USAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. a preparation for later, life-long learning in the sociocultural domain. (p240). Thats why we need a pedagogy for autonomy to develop intercultural skills. If we do this effectively, we can develop the language abilities of learners. But, how can we engage learners in subjective cross-cultural experience, when in school contexts, they seem to have no or limited opportunities interact with other cultures, and when some students may appear unwilling to adopt an intercultural identity? According to Smith (2004), it is difficult to encourage learners to move beyond their existing cultural boundaries while they remain fixed within national or local identities because of being in a monocultural environment rather than immersed in another culture. So that, the role of a teacher is to give his learners an eager attitude to new experiences and ideas and in relation to other societies. It is a success when teachers can give a hand to show learners interest in getting to know other cultures and take steps to learn about them. Along with topics, materials like books, media, internet sourcesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ related to learners interest and in the classroom environment, learners will gradually get acquainted with social-psychological and cultural issues as pointed by Smith (2004). However, we need to notice some cultural points that are not suitable with Asian people, help students realize and use them in right situation, as we usually say, integrate but not dissolve. The role of teacher autonomy Smith (2000) supposes teacher autonomy is the type of autonomy mainly taking place when they attempt to understand and advise students and, ultimately when they engage in investigative activities, meanwhile Vieira (2007) highlights the important role of teacher autonomy that unless we put teachers centre-stage, we cannot win any effects. Teachers, a key link of a chain of teaching-learning process, need to reflect on how to provide their students with appropriate activities, material and principles to face up to the emotional and sociocultural demands of language learning. Due to Smith (2003), in order to promote learner autonomy, teachers may need to have some different dimensions of teacher autonomy, which have been emphasized by different authors such as a capacity for self-directed teaching, freedom from control over their teaching and a capacity for self-directed teacher-learning. Little (2005) give some pieces of advice to teachers: they should use the target language as the preferred medium of classroom communication and require the same of their learners; help their learners to set their own learning targets and choose their own learning activities, subject them to discussion, require their learners to identify individual goals but pursue them through collaborative work in small groups and try to keep a written record of their learning plans of lessons and projects, lists of useful vocabulary, whatever texts they themselves produce. Nicolaides (2007) states that teacher autonomy is different from the learners because being a teacher implies more exploration of choices and alternatives and face more external pressures. Besides, teacher autonomy involves not only linguistic competence, but also a didactic and pedagogical one. However, it has also been stressed by Smith (2000) that learner autonomy and teacher autonomy are interdependent, and that teachers wishing to promote greater learner autonomy need to start with themselves, reflecting on their own beliefs, practices, experiences and expectations of the teaching/learning situation. It is proved that teachers should stand at the place of learners to view just one aspect of their lives more clearly in order to discover their inner thoughts and minds, which enables us to adopt useful material and methods (Smith 2004). In addition, Finch (2002) suggests that the seeds of such a process already exist in the language classroom, and that teachers can therefore identify and encourage the autonomous classroom behavior of their students. One of the important things is using text book to transfer new standard knowledge from the curriculum to learners. However, sometimes, teachers are free from it, in other words, they can use many material outside but text book. In the case that teacher is the person who produces the test for his class, he usually uses only the frame, not the content of the syllabus. By this way, the teacher can focus on learners needs and reactions, help them approach latest news and take account of their own learning. Learners will reflect and self-evaluate and put an aim by themselves. In my experience, whenever I teach some classes that I can produce tests by myself, I always feel comfortable and supply as many updated material and information as possible for my students. I do not hav e to worry about timetable or finishing my programmes on time, although I do not ignore text book. On the other hand, I think the teacher should do some research on leaners to know their demands. It will help us understand the reality of our class, our ability and mistakes, the attitude of our leaners towards us and materialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I survey my students three times a year to understand my students needs, their remark on my teaching and on the material. This helps me so much to have effective teaching. CONCLUSION In this paper, I have attempted to give my opinions on what I am interested in, raised my questions and tried to answers in my ability. However, I think that, we still have many issues relating to learner autonomy to discuss. Nowadays, we use the term learner-centered more often, but sometimes forget the important role of teachers. Whatever method is use, the teacher always play the decisive role in the process of teaching-learning.

Achilles Shield :: Free Essay Writer

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Achilles’ shield, made by Hephaestus, the god of fire, plays a part in the Iliad. It tells the story of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Hephaestus depicts the two cities and the activities going on in them, and Agamemnon’s, the Greek’s king, estate. Homer thought that seeing what it is on the shield could help the reader understand the importance of Achilles' shield and the Iliad. Hephaestus used fine metals and put lots of scenes of things going on not only in that time period but also in respect to the Iliad’s plot. Hephaestus went into great detail in the cities; especially what mood and what people were feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hephaestus used bronze, tin, gold, and silver to make the shield. The shield has five layers of metal. On the shield are scenes showing the heavens, earth, sea, two cities (a Greek one and Troy), Agamemnon’s estate, fields, a vineyard, a herd of cattle, and people dancing and being merry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two cities on the shield represent a city in Greece and the city of Troy. One of the cities is filled with men dancing and singing, and brides in the streets. The other city has an army surrounding it. There is Turmoil around both of the city. In one two armies fight, Greeks and the Trojans, along the river banks killing many men. Both cities are tainted with death, but at the same time both have love in them. In one city, the Greek one, two men, possibly Achilles and a fellow comrade, fight over the consequence for the murder of a warrior and take their case to a judge, could be Zeus in the Iliad, to decide the punishment. In the other, children and wives stay and watch the house and each other as the men go to war. This scene is meant to parallel to the Trojans leaving to fight the Greeks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agamemnon's estate is also depicted on Achilles' shield. Plentiful harvests of grain are shown along with Agamemnon standing silently among the barley. An ox is also shown being killed for a feast. The shield represents happiness and prosperity for Agamemnon which also foreshadows the Greek's victory over Troy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, the shield showed a vineyard with many workers who pick the grapes. One is a young boy who loves to sing and play a lyre. A herd of cattle is also illustrated.

Lester Ward’s Contributions to American Sociology

Lester Frank Ward was a man of science. Sometimes dubbed as the â€Å"Father of American Sociology† or the â€Å"Social Darwin† Lester Ward was first a botanist and paleontologist. He understood the power of science. Ward wrote Dynamic Sociology and a few other works with the hopes to reinstate the importance of experimentation and the scientific method to sociology. He served as president of the American Sociological Society in 1906 and appointed assistant geologist of the U. S. Geological Survey, a position he held for two years. Born to Justus and Silence on June 18, 1941, young Lester came from very humble beginnings. His parents were very poor and could not afford to send him to school. So, Ward taught himself at home. Even at a young age, Ward displayed exceptional intelligence. He taught himself how to speak different languages, Latin and Greek to name a few. His studies also included mathematics, botany, and geology. Although, he was not at the intellectual level as Comte or Voltaire, he made many contributions to all things social and founded sociology in America. He went on to join the fight against the Rebels in 1862. He was sent home after the Battle of Chancellorsville after being shot three times. While healing from his wounds, he also saw the reality of war which is legalized murder. He realized that the real enemy was ignorance, superstition, and oppression. In college, he felt that if he was a recognized for his work in the natural sciences, then most would listen to him in the field of sociology. He believed that the natural sciences should be the base for social sciences. Ward’s style of writing was known to be brilliant and crystal clear. One might think this stems from his uncanny talent for language. His writings are plain and comprehensible, which is a breath of fresh air for a reader who might not comprehend wordy and difficult styles of writing. Dynamic Sociology is one of Ward’s well known works. The reception at first was not that grand and Ward almost gave up on sociology to focus his energies on botany and geology. It eventually was praised by one of Ward’s toughest critics, Albion W. Small. When Dynamic Sociology was translated into Russian, it caused such a stir in the Russian government that the Czar ordered all copies to be burned in the city square of St. Petersburg in 1891. This is what George Kennan had to say about the book burning: â€Å"I have tried in my humble way to serve the cause of liberty in Russia, but I have not been able to do it with ability enough to get my writings burned. You are evidently a very dangerous man† (Chugerman, 66). Pure Sociology is Ward’s most popular work. The transition in Ward’s views of society from naturalistic to an almost completely cultural view is evident in this work. It got rave reviews overseas but, America was a bit cold towards it. Ward had many minor contributions to sociology, but there are three major contributions that have endure throughout the years. First was the emphasis which Ward placed upon psychic factors in interhuman relations (Chugerman, 3). Ward believed that human intelligence could guide and control wishes, desires, and feelings. Only the human mind can understand a society in which humans live. A good example would be happiness. In Dynamic Sociology, Ward explains that â€Å"happiness in the popular restricted sense is the experiencing of the higher emotional pleasures afforded by the gratification of social, esthetic, moral, and intellectual taste†(Gerver, 7). Ward’s second contribution for the sociologist of today was his â€Å"emphasis upon human achievement as the proper subject matter for sociology† (Chugerman, 3). He did not believe that any species below man was capable of human achievement. This is proof of his different viewpoint previously mentioned. His view of human society was mainly naturalistic, yet here one sees the change to a cultural view. Ward believed that desires and purposes were the foundation of culture that came about by accident at first, but could be morphed into intelligent social purposes. He also states that sociology is the science of that culture. His third major contribution to sociology is his â€Å"passionate affirmation of the possibility of intelligent social progress† (Chugerman, 3). He firmly believed in and pushed for the development of sociology as a science. He believed education was the safest method in which to develop intelligent social progress. Ward’s definition of social progress is the â€Å"increase of happiness of mankind† (Chugerman, 4). Even then, some found this definition insufficient, yet it can’t be denied that Ward built a strong foundation for sociology with his philosophy. Telesis is the theory that through the power of mind, humans can take control of the situation and direct the evolution of human society. A telic society will develop individuals and therefore society as a whole. The higher the individual is develop, the more develop society will be. Progress depends on the achievements. Like Comte, Ward suggested that sociology should use the cientific method of the natural sciences. Ward’s constructed his synthetic method from Comte’s idea of synthesis and believed that science has no problems that cannot be solved. The core of the synthetic method â€Å"is the law of causality, the magnetic pole which keeps the mind within the bounds of reason† (Chugerman, 100). To ignore this means to go back to metaphysics, where anything is possible and things happen without a cause. Ward’s philosophy as the love of wisdom is the ideal behind his sociocracy. Science keeps the philosopher grounded and not to fly off into mistaken the supernatural for reality. Science alone is the base of all philosophy† (Chugerman, 94). Ward also believed that philosophy is a branch of the scientific method. From philosophy as synthesis rises science-philosophy. Science and philosophy go hand in hand and Ward believed that â€Å"only a scientist can become a true philosopher† (Chugerman, 95). Ward became an advocate for women’s rights. Most sociologists disagreed with his theory that women were superior to men. Ward questioned how the mother of race came to be at such an inferior state and wh at forces has shaped them. He stated that â€Å"male superiority was a fallacy and a result of tradition and prejudice† (Chugerman, 380). Ward’s sex theories were opposed by both sexes and had a small following. One female write, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, dedicated her work, The Man-Made World, to Ward. Ward was a champion for the equality of all races and classes. He believed that this could only be achieved through universal education. He fervently opposed eugenics, the study and practice of selective breeding applied to humans, with the aim of improving the species. Charlotte Gillman strongly agreed with this movement and Ward harshly criticized her for it. Lester Ward passed away in the year 1913 at age 72. Ward was an eccentric man and had few friends. The few eulogies given by his friends remembered a man who fought relentlessly for human freedom and equality. Sadly, the majority of the public only saw him as an old professor. Only those closest to him put him in the same rank as Comte or Huxley. His love for the common people and hard work secures his place in 20th century America.

An Overview of the Works of John Pierpont Morgan

John Pierpont Morgan (1837 – 1931) is one of the more controversial figures in the history of America and the world of finance. Described as a sui generis, a colossus (McCallum, p. 2), â€Å"the organizer† (Miller, 2003), â€Å"banker of last resort† (Andrews, 1999), and â€Å"the man of the hour† (Corey, p. 348), John Pierpont Morgan has also been called a â€Å"robber baron† (Andrews, 1999). Thus, it is evident that J. P. Morgan was a man who was as much praised for his actions in saving the American economy during the 1895 and 1907 crises, as he was criticized and derided for what was seen as his calculated control of the financial world and American business. Viewed from the lens of financial history, however, there can be little doubt that no person, either before or since, has left â€Å"upon the great art of money getting so important an influence.† (Flynn, p. 452) Indeed, Morgan†s acumen in finance and business is clearly illustrated by the fact that the U.S. government had to set up a whole array of government institutions, from the Federal Reserve to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Transportation, to carry out the market stabilizing functions that Morgan had once assumed (Andrews, 1999). But perhaps, the biggest testimony to Morgan†s financial astuteness and power lies in the role he assumed as defacto central banker in 1907. For, there can be little doubt that J. P. Morgan single-handedly rescued the American economic system from falling into disarray. The key to understanding how one man could possibly act as the defacto central banker for as democratic, large and influential a country like the United States, lies in not so much analyzing the actual event, but in J. P. Morgan†s personal history. For, only such an approach could possible explain how he possessed the financial power to avert the collapse of one of the richest banking systems in the world. John Pierpont Morgan was born in Hartford, Connecticut on April 17, 1837. The son of a rich commodity broker, Morgan was exposed to the world of finance and business from an early age (1000 Management Giants, 1999). Interestingly, call it sheer coincidence or the hand of destiny, the day of Morgan†s birth saw all the banks in New York suspending specie (currency) payment, with banks in Hartford following suit the next day. Thus, as Flynn (p. 462) points out, the future money king came into the world amid the din of crashing banks. Environmental influences may have played a role in instilling in the young Morgan an early interest in business. However, it appears that Morgan also had a natural interest in and gift for figures. For, even as a child, he is reputed to have kept a meticulous account detailing the receipt and expenditure of his allowance (1000 Management Giants, 1999). Further, this early interest was no fluke since he repeatedly proved his prowess with figures in both school and college. So much so, that his high school teacher is reported to have called him a prodigy after witnessing Morgan†s ability to mentally solve problems in cubic root and decimals. But perhaps the greater compliment to Morgan†s mathematical ability came when the University of Gottingen offered the graduate student Morgan, a professor†s chair in mathematics (Flynn, p. 454, 464). Fortunately for the business world, and unfortunately for the mathematical one, Morgan refused. Morgan entered the business of finance in 1857 as an accountant in the New York based Duncan, Sherman and Company. Morgan†s first job, as well as the work he did with his father†s international firm, gave him a unique perspective on specie standardization necessity for credit and commerce (obits.com). It is also interesting to note that Morgan began his career in a year of panic, just as he began his life amidst the din of crashing banks. But, perhaps this was a fortuitous start since, as Geisst (p. 89) observes, the panic of 1857 proved to be a fertile training ground for many future financiers. In Morgan†s case, this was probably true since he later demonstrated that he knew the value of financial stability and solidity. Besides the valuable learnings of the initial years, the civil war that followed must also have taught Morgan a great deal in terms of identifying business opportunities in downturns, the effect of war on monetary policy and credit, and most important, the role of courage, confidence, and faith in taking business decisions. In fact, this probably accounts for one of Morgan†s most famous sayings, â€Å"Remember, my son, that any man who is a bear on the future of this country will go broke.† (McCallum, p. 2) Morgan proved his abilities in business very early. For, it is apparent that he quickly learnt the financial ropes to become an increasingly influential member of the firm, Dabney, Morgan & Company (1864-1871), before moving on to become a partner in Drexel, Morgan & Co. In fact, it was the latter firm that grew to be recognized as one of the world†s most powerful financial institutions, both before and after it came to be known as J. P. Morgan & Co. in 1895 (Netstate, 2005). The reputation of J. P. Morgan & Co. was primarily earned in the decade 1879-89 when the House of Morgan consolidated its financial power and developed the institutionalized mechanism for the control of investment resources and of industry. Indeed, this is evident in the fact that by 1889, J.P. Morgan had secured control of many important railroads by virtue of his use of new forms and functions of finance such as the formation of trusts, acquisitions and mergers. In fact, this is when â€Å"Morganization,† or the control of finance over industry, and consequently, the centralization of industry and finance, was first established (Corey, p. 131-2). Morgan†s interest in consolidating the railroads, however, was not just for profit reasons. He was genuinely interested in achieving stabilization in the interests of the American economy. Therefore, he improved railroad properties and services, increased safety and efficiency, and decreased costs to operators, shippers, and the traveling public (Destler, p. 39; Moody, p. 134; Wagenknecht, p. 56). Morgan achieved this through providing the railways with enormous amounts of capital, which they needed for investment. More important, he put a stop to all price wars, thereby prevented likely bankruptcies, ensuring in the process that the capital was put to good use (Andrews, 1999). Much like his interests in the railways, Morgan also invested in consolidating other core sector businesses such as steel and power. For instance, he funded Thomas Edison in setting up the Edison General Electric Company. He later acquired and merged Thomas Houston Electrical with Edison to form General Electric in 1892, to emerge as the controlling force in the power industry (Geisst, p. 115) Similarly, by 1901, he had created U.S. Steel, North America†s first billion dollar company (McCallum, p. 2). Morgan achieved this through merging his Federal Steel Company with Andrew Carnegie†s Carnegie Steel Company (obits.com). After the merger, he then proceeded to offer the public the largest to date stock offering of $1.4 billion (Geisst, p. 115-6). However, much like the railways, Morgan†s principal reason for taking an interest in the steel industry was his goal of achieving a stable American economy through stabilization and prevention of violent fluctuations, which the steel industry in particular was subject to. This, Morgan felt, was a critical task because such fluctuations invariably resulted in creating periods of inflation and depression for many other industries, which were dependent on steel (Weinberg, p. 148). The key to Morgan†s success in amassing wealth and financial control lay in his ability to mobilize funds, overseas and at home, for the various trusts he controlled. In the absence of a central bank, these trusts quickly gained in clout as financiers and bankers aided and contributed to the consolidation of many smaller, innovative companies by merging them into industrial giants (Geisst, p. 124). Therefore, it is hardly surprising that J.P. Morgan & Co., First National, and National City Bank, a trio dominated by Morgan, held a total of 341 directorships in 112 companies with aggregate capital resources (in money of the day) of between $ 22-25 million in 1912 (Andrews, 1999; Wagenknecht, p.50). Thus, Morgan†s path to success explains the colossal power he possessed in the financial and business circles of America. So much so, that even the U.S. government turned to him for help on several occasions. One such occasion was in 1985, when the U.S. Treasury was facing a rapidly melting gold reserve. Morgan responded promptly by organizing a syndicate, which supplied the U.S. government with $62 million dollars in gold. This timely action shored up the reserves to a safe limit of $100 million and probably saved the dollar (McCallum, p. 2; Wagenknecht, p. 55). This action, plus the indisputable power of his holdings, makes it evident that by 1907, J. P. Morgan was seen as the first among equals in American finance and industry. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that Wall Street, banks, trusts, and the government turned to him when banks began failing in 1907. There were several factors that precipitated the 1907 banking crisis. The chief of these was the rampant speculation that took place between 1905 and 1906 in the background of a prosperous economy, easy credit, and low interest rates (Moody, p. 134-6). To make matters worse, businesspersons such as F. A. Heinze and C. W. Morse regularly used the shares and resources of banks they owned to buy shares in other banks, or finance their more speculative undertakings (Cahill, 1998; Corey; p. 339-40; Moody, p. 138-141). The unchecked and unregulated American financial system of that era did not help matters any, giving speculators free rein to speculate in rail, copper, and indeed, any issue which Wall Street threw their way, no matter how unsound (Corey, p. 339; Moody, p. 135-6). The first signs of warning of an overheated economy and a bubble actually came in 1906 when Wall Street demand loans and merchant†s discounts began commanding the highest rate in more than 30 years. In fact, in September 1906, New York banks reported a deficit in reserves, leading to the U.S. Treasury depositing government surplus funds in banks (Noyes, p. 357). The action of the U.S. Treasury, however, only resulted in a brief respite. For, in March 1907, prices crashed on the New York Stock Exchange with reports of slackening production and earnings. The situation was further aggravated when large financiers were forced to liquidate their â€Å"indigestible securities† (Corey, p. 340) by a liquidity crisis (Moody, p. 142; Cahill, 1998). This second mini-crisis was once again averted due to the intervention of the U.S. Treasury, high money rates drawing gold from Europe, and funds returning to New York post the end of the crop season (Moody, p. 143). These stop gap measures, however, did not address the real issue, namely, speculation and unregulated financing of businesses. Thus, in October 1907, when the shares of United Copper collapsed due to Heinze†s attempts to corner them, it led to the collapse of a prominent brokerage firm run by his brother, the Heinze controlled Butte (Montana) Savings Bank and the Mercantile National Bank (Corey, p. 340-1; Moody, p. 144). The New York Clearing House Committee agreed to bail out Mercantile to restore depositor confidence. However, the action failed to do so, owing to a ripple effect that occurred once the committee publicized its findings on Heinze and Morse†s speculative activities. This ripple effect led to a run on several banks and trusts such as the Knickerbocker Trust associated with Heinze and Morse (Corey, p. 340; Cahill, 1998). From this point, the panic spread to the rest of the country owing to a loss of confidence in the economy and the American system. In addition, the accompanying credit and liquidity squeeze only deepened the crisis. The collapse of the Heinz and Morse controlled empire and the subsequent run on banks led to financial forces coming together rather automatically under Morgan†s leadership. Even the U.S. government looked to Morgan to solve the problem, with Secretary of the Treasury, George Cortelyou, rushing to New York to confer with Morgan and his associate financiers. In the absence of a central banking institution, Morgan had no choice but to step in and do what he could in an improvised and dictatorial style. In fact, Morgan was the only man in a position who could do so. For, J. P. Morgan & Co. was in sound condition, having learnt the importance of maintaining a high degree of liquidity from previous experiences (Corey, p. 341-2). In any case, Morgan was known for his conservatism and aversion to speculation (Destler, p. 53; Wagenknecht, p. 56). Therefore, if anyone could be trusted to see America safely through its latest crisis, it was J. P. Morgan. Morgan rose to the occasion admirably. While banks crashed and investors panicked, Morgan mobilized the available money in the banking system and trusts, along with the $25 million handed over by the Treasury, to distribute to the banks and other financial institutions. In addition, J. P. Morgan & Co. announced that it would anticipate all interest and dividend payments payable through the firm (Corey, p. 343-44; Geisst, p. 119). Morgan also stepped in at every crucial juncture of the crisis. For instance, Morgan organized a pool of $ 3 million to prevent the Trust Company of America failing. Similarly, when the New York Stock Exchange showed signs of a financial collapse under the weight of all the margin selling that the trusts and banks were forced into, Morgan bailed out the institution by quickly mobilizing a $25 million pledge of funds (Geisst, p. 119-120). Morgan†s role in the bank crisis of 1907 led to the press hailing him as America†s savior and â€Å"man of the hour.† (Geisst, p. 120; Corey, p. 348). Unfortunately, however, criticism soon followed with accusations ranging from his having engineered the crisis for profiteering purposes to being a robber baron. This led to the Federal government setting up the Pujo commission in 1912 to investigate Morgan†s suspected violations of anti-trust laws. The experience, in fact, is said to have broken Morgan who thereafter chose to retire. Morgan died in Rome on August 31, 1931. When he died, he left behind a legacy in investment banking and finance that is revered till today. The debates on Morgan†s motives may go on. But there is one fact that cannot be contested. And, that is, that he single-handedly saved America from one of its worst financial crises.

Different Human Resources Practices Among Different Cultures

Culture according to Harper (2001) from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning â€Å"to cultivate. Culture generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultures according to Vaughn and Rodney 2006) can be â€Å"understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another†. Culture has been called â€Å"the way of life for an entire society.† It includes codes of manners, religion dress, language, rituals and norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the art. Main Body Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that is passed down from generation to generation. Culture varies from different communities and different populations in the world. Religion plays a key role to our culture different religions have different practices. Religion can dictate the dresscode, working hours including breaks, working days.A country like United States of America where they are liberal when it comes to religion does not really dictate the dress code. The dress code varies from company to company depending on the kind of work they do from Casual to formal wear to all sexes. Unlike Muslim religion dominated countries where all women are supposed to cover their heads at all times and sometimes dresses in a specific gown. Morality varies from culture to culture and it plays a big role for religion . Some organizations may consider premarital pregnancy an immoral issue while some will not see it as an issue.Marriage plays a role to religion. Culture makes human resources practices to differ from the languages used officially by the countries . Example an English speaking country may find it difficult to adapt to the French speaking culture habbits if they are sta ting in the French speaking country. Both parties may have a language barrier in the ways they translate their English, two they are certain practices by this two different cultures of which none of the parties are not used to example hugging and a kiss on the cheek may seem to be unprofessional to one of the parties unlike to the other.Politics and the political system of a country or a territory vary from different communities and in different cultures. The human resources practices also depend on the system of governance of a territory or a country. The political system contributes a lot to how an organization sets its policies and practices. Such human resource practices include when the financial year starts, rates of taxation, maternity leave for the women, religious to statutory holidays and also working hours.Human resources practices also depend on the organization culture which is affected by the founder of the organization. Most of the human resource practices depend on h ow the organization was founded and the beliefs and values of the founding team were. Example if the founders did not belief in certain dress codes like no trousers suits for women it happens that is habit is carried forward down to generations. This is called the founder syndrome and it tends to become corporate culture of the organisation.Corporate culture according to Hill and Jones (2001)comprises the attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization. It has been defined as â€Å"the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. Organizational values are beliefs and ideas about what kinds of goals members of an organization should pursue and ideas about the appropriate kinds or standards of behavior organizational members should use to achieve these goals.

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12

Strategic management - Essay Example The report starts by giving an initial overview of the company, followed by the reports objectives. The major objectives of the report were to analyze the company’s operation and the strategies followed by the company, an industry analysis of the company followed by a macro-economic environment analysis. The company has been performing exceptionally well since its inception and lately it surpassed the revenue figure of its major competitors GAP. The primary purpose of this Management Report is to provide an analysis of the strategic situation of Zara, the clothing retailer. This report further examines the manner in which the organization operates and also provides a good picture of its potential for growth and development. Zara is a renowned brand and flagship chain store of Inditex Group. It has gradually gained major popularity since its first store was opened in Spain. â€Å"The company is known for needing just two weeks to develop a new product and get it to stores, compared with a six-month industry average, and launches around 10,000 new designs each year. Zara has resisted the industry-wide trend towards transferring fast fashion production to low-cost countries†. (Zara, Bloomberg.com) The objective of this report is to examine the business operation of Zara over the last few years and to collect enough evidence supporting the Case Study â€Å"Zara – A Cut Apart From Competition†. The case Study has put forward the manner in which the company has operated in recent years and the fact that it took many long years for Zara to cross the leading America brand GAP and become the global leader in the fashion and clothing industry. Such an analysis is done by examining a few things; Zara has operated with an aggressive policy towards the business. It has proven many theories wrong, theories related to economies of scale, supply chain, etc. The company’s operation can be