Childhood Memories Essay

Childhood is the most innocent phase of man’s life. With the passage of time, it fades into adolescence and adulthood. Yet the sweet memories of childhood linger on. My childhood recollections are those of a sheltered and carefree life, nurtured with love and concern. As I was the first child in the family, everybody doted on me. My funny lisping, my innocent mischief and my inane talk-everything was a source of immense pleasure to them. There was never a word of reproach or censure against me. Once a distant uncle picked me up from my school and, without informing my parents, took me to a fair. When I returned home, it was quite late. I found everybody worried, anxious and apprehensive about my safety. A frantic search for me had already been made. My uncle was taken to task, but nobody reprimanded me. Later, it was explained to me that going out with others without the knowledge of the parents was fraught with risks. I was warned, but the warning was so affectionate, tactful and persuasive that it left a healthy impression on my mind. I was quite inquisitive by nature and pestered my parents with constant queries. They, nevertheless, listened to me patiently and tried to satisfy my curiosity. I also fondly remember my grandmother with her wrinkled face which creased into a loving smile at the very sight of me. Her amusing anecdotes always transported me into a mysterious wonderland. My thoughts abound with such sweet memories. Each recollection has nostalgic air about it. I will treasure these precious childhood memories for ever. Memories of childhood Sweet are the recollections of the childhood of a man. These fill one’s mind with joy when one looks back to the days of childhood. Every child passes its days in the midst of the affection and cares of the parents, grandfather and grand-mother and other dear relations. Cares and anxieties do not trouble the innocent mind of the child. My childhood days When I look back to the days of my early childhood, I do not remember much. Only I remember how my old grand-mother fondled me. I used to sit in the evening by her side. She would tell me fairy tales—tales of the princes and princesses and rakshasas, and stories of ghosts. I listened to them with rapt attention. These seemed to be true to me. I remember the day clearly when I first went to school. It was a new life to me, but I liked it very much. I made friends with many boys there. I went to school with them and I enjoyed these very much. My teachers loved me very much. I was never afraid of them and they never beat me. I did my lessons well every day. I was fond of story-books. I read the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. They left a deep impression on me. Sometimes tears stood in my eyes when I read about the sufferings of Seeta. My grand-mother grew very old. She died when I was nine years old. I loved her very much. Sometimes mother scolded me for doing some mischief. But my grand-mother shielded me. I was quite save there. So I felt great sorrow at her death. This is a sad recollection of my childhood. My sister is older than I by eight years. Her marriage ceremony took place when I was ten years old. It was a vary happy occasion. I absented myself from school for several days. My heart was filled with joy. On the day of the marriage our house was crowded with friends and relatives. In the evening the bridegroom and his party came. Conch shells were blowing to welcome the bridegroom. Musicians were playing on their bands. A grand feast was given to the guests. I supplied water to the guests. Of course, I ate my fill that night. Thus I spent the day in the midst of feast and merriment. Conclusion My days of childhood were really spent in happiness. There was only the sad incident of my grandmother’s death. I had no cares and anxieties. I thought of eating, reading, playing and wearing gay clothes and beautiful shoes and nothing else. Now I am a grown-up lad. I cannot now pass days so care-free as I did in the past.

Opportunities For Higher Education Providers Education Essay

In order to accomplish top quality criterions for Higher Education, Supreme Education Council along with Qatar Foundation, Ministry of Education and other taking establishments in state are planing policies that will assist them in get the better ofing the barriers and challenges that are haltering required patterned advance of this sector. The chief challenged being faced by Higher Education sector are deficiency of qualified instructors who can actuate pupils to get higher instruction, improper information handiness about assorted calling chances both within the state and in foreign states, deficient counsel on geting instruction that will assist them in doing a prospering calling, deficiency of national course of study that provides proper counsel to instructors on fixing pupils for higher instruction, English linguistic communication criterion is incompatible with international university criterion and turning demand of acquiring occupation at an early phase as opposed to obtaini ng higher instruction ( Coughlan, 2012 ; Nasser, 2012 ; UNDP, 2012 ) . One major challenge that is impeding the advancement of Higher Education Sector is less figure of male pupils and increasing dropout rate of pupils at secondary instruction degree ( ElGahnem, 2012 ) . The worsening figure of male pupils in higher instruction is because of their duty of back uping their household and they easy get attracted to occupations that require fewer accomplishments. Most of the pupils lack vision about their hereafter surveies and are loath to research new countries of surveies ; late, the demand of alumnuss in health care, research and technological Fieldss has increased and each one offers attractive calling chances for alumnuss who get instruction in these Fieldss. In Qatar, there are less chances for pupils as establishments offering these plans are new 1s and pulling pupils is a spot hard for them ( Khodr, 2011 ) .Enterprises taken for advancing Higher Education and Role of Overseas UniversitiesIn order to assist pupils in deriving entree to exceed graded universities, public and private organisations are taking immense steps. All concerned governments are working together to undertake challenges being faced by Higher Education sector so that they can supply right counsel to future work force of the state ( Sawahel, 2012 ) . Qatar ‘s authorities has observed that pupils are unable to acquire qualified for admittances in taking universities because they lack the accomplishments and rational capablenesss as instruction system of state does non fit the criterions set by international organic structures. Qatar National Vision 2030 has been launched in November 2008 with the purpose of supplying support to instruction system of the state. In the study, all enterprises that have been taken and those that will be implemented are provided with complete inside informations ( UNDP, 2012 ) . The foremost enterprise taken is development of Supreme Education Council which is responsible for planing and execution of policies for publicity instruction at all degrees particularly higher instruction so that work force is compatible to run into demands of state ‘s economic system. Second, societal mediums are being used by Qatar Foundation and Ministry of Education to make consciousness about assorted calling chances bing for the pupils along with pulling pupils to acquire enrolled in such plans. Incentives are being offered to pupils so that they are encouraged to get higher instruction such as survey abroad on scholarship and acquiring enrolled in parttime instruction plan along with work ( Khodr, 2011 ) . In order to supply waies related to vocational and proficient instruction to pupils who can non run into university ‘s admittance standards, they are offered the chance of acquiring enrolled in Diploma classs being offered by Qatar Foundation and other authorities establishments so that they have required set of accomplishments to execute their occupations. One more country of concern that is being addressed to make knowledge-based economic system is encouraging pupils to get grades in mathematics and scientific discipline field and for that educational systems have been reformed ; the full course of study has been changed so that pupils are competent and utilize their rational capablenesss while geting instruction ( Sawahel, 2012 ) . About all the plans offered by Qatar University in its seven colleges are accredited with international universities and its alumnuss are being extremely demanded by employers in foreign states. Another positive development in the state is creative activity of Education City that comprises of campuses of International Universities from USA, UK, Canada and France that are supplying aid in developing good and extremely skilled professionals. The research civilization is being to a great extent promoted by Qatar University and universities of Education City which comprises of research establishments, partnerships on international degrees and entrepreneurial development with focal point on alliance of state demands to national development ( Coughlan, 2012 ) . These abroad universities are of import for every state ‘s economic growing as they allow taking advantage of plans being offered by them that are of international criterions. When foreign universities open their campuses in a state, it shows that several state has an attractive work force which when trained decently will be able to do valuable part in long tally. It besides gives signals to other states that Qatar has a batch of human potency which when explored will assist in unlocking assorted undeveloped countries and it even attracts many Foreign Direct Investments in the state as it is viewed as a turning economic system ( ElGahnem, 2012 ) .Turning Trend of Research and DevelopmentFor every state that is willing to do progressive part in its economic system has to guarantee that it is puting appropriate sum of resources in Research and Development field. For case, by development of Research Institutions, it will be able to place countries that are impeding its public pres entation globally and will be able to take remedial stairss to hike its public presentation in long tally. Likewise, in Qatar, many research institutes have been developed that are concentrating on assorted countries of research such as physical and societal scientific disciplines, humanistic disciplines, humanistic disciplines, technology and engineering, health care, biomedical, multidisciplinary computer science and etc. Some of the taking Research Institutes are Qatar National Research Fund, Qatar Science and Technology Park ( QSTP ) , Sidra Medical and Research Center, Qatar Computing Research Institute, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, RAND-Qatar Policy Institute and many more ( UNDP, 2012 ) . QSTP has gained huge popularity because it ‘s the cardinal hub for invention, entrepreneurship and applied research ; it has coaction with legion research universities that are working towards making rational belongings, new ventures support, development of new merchandises and sweetening of engineering related direction accomplishments. Hence, Research establishments are among the most effectual ways of publicity of higher instruction in Qatar.Government Role in advancing Higher EducationHarmonizing to UNDP ( 2012 ) , more than 14 % of 2011-2012 full outgo budget of authorities is allocated to youth and instruction public assistance. In order to hike higher instruction sector, authorities is offer ing assorted scholarship plans and promoting foreign universities to put up their campuses within the state. One major enterprise taken by authorities is relaxation of FDI policies and revenue enhancement rate so that it can be an attractive topographic point for investing. Besides that, it has even become spouse in assorted international pupil exchange plans so that it can give pupils the chances of obtaining top quality instructions from well-known universities. In some instances, authorities gives 100 % grant to meriting pupils by bearing all their educational disbursals. Some preparation establishments have been set up every bit good so that people who have acquired secondary instruction can gain Diploma classs from there and better their opportunities of acquiring good occupations.

MRKT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MRKT - Assignment Example I consider fabric, design and something new in the designs. As it is Armani’s and Italian brand newness can be expected from the clothing and fashion accessories. I think the brand has been positioned for the customers who do not object money when it comes to their clothing needs. The touch, feel, style and fit are the critical factors of consideration for me. Creativity, talent and production each are crucial aspect of any fashion product. Armani has positioned itself at high end segment of consumer. Client at this segment are not large in number but offer high volume in sales. Unit price of products are much higher than the available substitutes. Armani has established itself for its credibility in terms of the brand value offered and as a corporate citizen. Armani brands have been targeted for the luxury product market segments. The clothing and fashion products offer signature characteristics like fit and finishing of the clothing. Each product is prepared with a great det ailing which is available to the client during the decision making process. Armani has also extended some of the brand categories to the mass-markets i.e. jeans. However the success of Armani is due to the well established name and credibility offered by Armani brands. Products are produced with great level of expertise.

The Law as a form of Deterrence for Drinking and Driving Research Paper

The Law as a form of Deterrence for Drinking and Driving - Research Paper Example According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the reporting year 2009, alcohol related offenses across the US totaled 15,331 out of 71,048 traffic related offenses, and some studies have placed this estimate at as much as 60 % of all fatalities. Stated in terms of a percentage, this represents over 20 % of all traffic offenses According to the NHTSA, this is a drop overall in the past few decades which coincides with tougher sentencing, greater public awareness and higher conviction rates. However, the numbers continue to be alarming which means that something within the correlation of deterrence and public perception along with convictions and arrests has not been entirely successful. The following will argue that however much deterrence is a factor in the decline of incidents, it is not sufficient to make that much of a significant impact. Toward demonstrating this thesis, the following will look at the legal and social transformations that have taken place, and in turn, examine the nature of deterrence. Before examining the data, existing literature and arguments for and against the relative success of deterrence, a few remarks concerning methodology need to be stated or outlined. In the field of social research, and indeed, any scientific research, there is an important distinction to be made between a correlation and an association that is causal in nature. [Kothari, 2008, p. 138]. There is a common methodological problem with mistaking a correlation as a causal relationship, and this has significant bearing on the following analysis. A simple and absurd example can best illustrate the problem of mistaking a correlation for a causal relation. If we were to say that sea-gulls like eating marine life because they are white, would be a clear mistake of confusing a correlation for a cause. While it is true that sea-gulls eat or diet on seafood to speak, and it is true (mostly true for the sake of an argument) that seagulls have white coloring, it is not true that the color of a bird is going to effect the dietary practices of the bird. The prevalence of the color is being confused for a cause in this instance. While absurd, the example nonetheless highlights an important preliminary methodological consideration. The following will look at the correlations of deterrence as it pertains to lowered amounts of drunk driving offenses and fatalities, but it will do so cautiously. This common problem in social research will be kept in the foreground of the analysis, and concerning ultimate causes of the decline of offenses, this analysis will suspend making an conclusive judgments, and in turn, focus on the 'correlation' of variables that are associated with deterrence and their prevalence. STRATEGIES FOR DETERRENCE. LEGAL STRATEGIES & INTERVENTIONS: Before blood levels became the way in which DUI was determined, arrests used to be done on the basis of the officer acting as a witness and by them administering some basic road-side tests that would evaluate the co-ordina tion and response time of the individual who was suspected of DUI [Chambliss, 2011, p. 63]. Because of the relatively subjective nature of the investigating techniques, and many of the successful challenges to the enforcement of this, the measurement of blood alcohol levels, through blood, breath and urine, became the more accurate standard, and in almost all states the blood alcohol line is .08 % [Chambliss, 2011, p. 64]. Moreover, a more accurate way of measuring blood alcohol levels, impacted the conviction rate for offenders [Chambliss, 2011, p. 65]. However, it did also create a few problems regarding the administration of the test. If a police officer suspects a driver of DUI they can ask them to submit themselves to a

Chapter Summaries and case Studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chapter Summaries and Studies - Case Study Example This paper will present a summary of chapters 1 to 5 and tackle the case study questions for the Akron Children Hospital. Chapter one is titled Introduction to Business Research, and in this chapter, the authors offer an introduction on the reasons why the business research should be studied. It highlights the relevance of the information and its significance in giving organizations a competitive advantage in the business world. The authors are keen to introduce the role of research in developing a business strategy as well as in making decisions. An intriguing aspect tackled in this chapter is the hierarchy of information followed by many organizations when making decisions. After offering such an informative introduction, the authors proceed to present a preview of the entire research process. From this review, readers get to understand that, research is not always problem solving based. Qualities of good research are also discussed in this introductory chapter. In a bid to place emphasis on different research methodologies, four different research studies are presented in this chapter and the type o f each research discussed in details (Cooper & Schindler, 2013). Chapter two of the book tackles a significant aspect in research which surrounds ethics. Notably, each field of study has a cord of ethics that researchers must adhere to. Such ethical considerations are critical in promoting the integrity of the research as well as in the development of a favorable relationship between the respondents and the researcher. More critically, some business researchers have sponsors who provide the funds for carrying out the research. Therefore, a cord of ethics also governs the relationship between the researcher and the sponsor (p. 39). Moreover, researchers rely on the efforts of the members to collect and analyze data. The relationship between the researchers and the team members should also be governed by a defined cord of ethics. The authors

Wk 4 BA541 Asign Interacting with Customers Essay

Wk 4 BA541 Asign Interacting with Customers - Essay Example (Global Logistics, n.d.) Currently, the company offers business tips, recipes for diet enthusiasts, rebates, membership programs, etc. (Kraftfoodservice, n.d.) To gather data, the company checked sales of their different product lines, conducted customer interviews, used technology like the Internet, etc. Interactivity, email and wireless communication are greatly involved in their strategies as evidenced on their website. Kraft is very successful in being the premier relationship company in its industry with its superconsumers currently estimated at 2.4 million. (Yoon, E., Carlotti, S. & Moore, D., 2014) Ford Motors was able to become a premier relationship company by improving its image and products. The company gets feedback from blogs and chat rooms. It has also come up with several endeavors designed to increase the satisfaction and experience of its customers like setting up self-service websites for visitors and dealers and a direct dialogue channel for car owners. (Ford’s Innovative, n.d.) Interactivity, email and wireless communication also figure in a lot in Ford’s strategy as evidenced by the programs they have implemented. I can say they are successful in being the premiere relationship company in the automobile industry because they have been popular with customers even outside America. Anadarko has made itself closer to its customer by being very visible in their humanitarian endeavors. It supports Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement and United Way and has employed strategies that have allowed it to market around 3 billion cubic feet per day in North America. (Community Involvement, n.d.) On its website, Anadarko has provided links to make the reachable to investors and other queries. As with most companies nowadays, interactivity, email and wireless communication are involved in building their relationships with customers. The email addresses of the key people in their

BUS599 - Integrative Project, Mod 4 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BUS599 - Integrative Project, Mod 4 SLP - Essay Example The formulation of the strategies that are implemented by Clipboard on the basis of CVP (Cost, Volume, Profit) analysis will also be discussed. In order to determine the revised strategy to be used in regards to the pricing of these three tablets, R & D allocations, and any product discontinuations for the different ranges of tablets in the company, a CVP analysis must be done. A CVP analysis is regarded as a tool that is chiefly used for planning purposes, in addition to making valuable decisions, and furthermore is considered to be a powerful instrument in devising future plans for the company as well as increasing the sale of the products of the company itself. One major advantage of this tool is that it enables the company to make the appropriate decisions as well as planning for developing the three products in the business market at the beginning of the initial year, in this case 2012 (The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2011). The strategy of CVP analysis is generally used for calculat ing the break-even point, as well as determining the prices for attaining substantial profits by increasing the sale of the products themselves (Cambridge Business Publishers, 2005). As such, with the assistance of CVP analysis, the company is required to formulate certain strategies and generate plans that will allow for the profitability and productivity to exceed in comparison to their competitors. Product X5 The X5 has been on the market for five years at the time of this projection and analysis; it is said to have reached its stage of maturity. It is for these reasons that once the product hit 77% market saturation, it was determined to discontinue the product itself, as the only sales that would be generated would be for those who were buying replacement products; each year leading up to discontinuation showed a lowering in price in order to increase sales of the product itself. The results of this and the price points used are shown in a graph below. Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 Price 285 280 260 Discontinued Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 Installed Base 1,917,729 3,395,970 5,430,339 7,035,000 Remaining Customers 5,117,271 3,639,030 1,604,661 0 Market Saturation 27% 48% 77% 100% First Time Customers 1,478,241 2,034,369 1,604,661 0 Repeat sales 169,352 297,701 473,236 0 Total Sales 1,647,592 2,332,070 2,077,898 0 Product X6 The X6 has been on the market for a period of five years, and the decision to discontinue it for 2016 was made due to market saturation. In each year leading up to this, the price point was decreased in order to increase sales. At the end of the simulation, it was seen that customers pay about the same price for these products as they are for similar competing products, showing that prices and projections are well within adequate ranges. Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 Price 430 425 405 395 (X6) Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 Installed Base 1,066,018 2,238,333 4,209,188 6,550,000 Remaining Customers 5,483,982 4,311,667 2,340,812 0 Market Saturati

EXtensible Business Reporting Language Research Paper

EXtensible Business Reporting Language - Research Paper Example Currently, the SEC requires that all companies should utilize the XBRL format in presenting their financial statements and reports. Owing to the constant push for the use of the new business and finance communication mode, this paper explores potential advantages and disadvantages of XBRL implementation for business entities. Advantages of XBRL The proponents of XBRL have hinted that entrepreneurs and business entities stand to benefit greatly from XBRL implementation. Some of these befits include: i. It Is Accepted Globally As a Business Information Sharing Tool XBRL is readily accessible in many parts of the world and enhances information dissemination and sharing in various languages through electronic means. XBRL makes it possible for investors to conduct nearly real-time assessments because increases information accessibility. Data tagged in XBRL can be transformed into various formats such as HTML or spreadsheets, depending on the needs of the users. Owing to its global presenc e and high level of accessibility and acceptability, it reduces the cost of mechanizing business information (Gelinas, Dull & Wheeler, 2012). ii. XBRL Benefits Many Stakeholders XBRL can be utilized by investors to perform analysis of financial reports by corporation, thus making it a desirable tool. It allows corporations to automate their information and reduce manual processes of financial reporting. For the government, XBRL facilitate the collection of information about various businesses in the country. XBRL also ensures high level of information sharing efficiency (Stabryla, 2012). iii. XBRL Can Be Multi-Purpose XBRL functions beyond financial reporting role. It is applicable in many business information sharing scenarios. It is capable of streamlining the process of preparing and reporting tax returns. It also facilitates distribution of non-financial information such as production quantities as well as stock reserves among others. XBRL can also be fundamental for ensuring in ternal organizational efficiencies by facilitating smooth flow of information electronically from source to where they are needed most. It also facilitates data sharing between organizations and their customers, suppliers and strategic partners among others (Garner, McKee & McKee, 2008). XBRL can facilitate mechanization of purchase process and invoice reception and many other processes. iv. It Facilitates Substantiation and Reusability XBRL can speed up the process of financial reporting and information sharing process of an organization. It can greatly enhance spreadsheet functionalities through facilitation of electronic information access, which helps to alleviate human input inaccuracy during entry. Information conveyed through XBRL remains for a long period of time and can be re-used over and over again if needed (Bergeron, 2004). v. It Is an Open Source The last benefit of XBRL is that it is an open source. Corporations can create taxonomies that can be used at no cost for th eir users. Because it is freely accessible, corporations can maximize from it while at the same time ensuring low cost of its implementation (Bergeron, 2004). Disadvantages of XBRL In spite of all the benefits that come with XBRL, there are some disadvantages that are associated with the tool. Some of these disadvantages include: i. XBRL Amplifies the Likelihood of Error One of the most pointed out shortcomings of XBRL is its

MGMT345 U4 DB Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT345 U4 DB - Assignment Example r the 12 weeks leave are such as when the employee gives birth and has to take care of that child; is under placement for a child as a foster; seeks to care for their spouse, child or family member with serious medical conditions; the employees themselves are seriously ill and cannot discharge their duties normally; or when there is a succeeding exigency arising from the circumstance that the employee’s spouse or child is actively covered with the military. For the 26 weeks leave, may arise when an employee seeks to attend to a spouse or child seriously injured and is a covered service member (Aitchison & United States, 2003). This Act can affect an organization’s operations in two dynamic ways. First, the organization would need to reinstate the employee to their original position or a similar one should they return to work after the leave; thus, likely to affect the firm’s productivity. Second, the company would be required to continue offering the medical coverage for the employee, despite being away on leave. Finally, with this new Act, the organization is required to put up posters at all places that inform the employees of its contents, which may be costly to the

Resource worksheet Essay Example for Free

Resource worksheet Essay Student resources include a variety of helpful sites and tools that can be of assistance when completing assignments, connecting to other students, and searching for careers. Complete this table regarding student resources provided by the university. In the first column, identify where the resource can be found. In the second column, summarize each resource in at least one sentence. When you are finished with the matrix, answer the follow-up question in part B. Part A: Resources Scavenger Hunt Student resource Where found Summary of the resource Syllabus The syllabus is found up on the right hand corner of the 1-9 weeks colum. The syllabus is where I can find out what assignments are do, get instructions on how to do them and when they are due as well. Class Policies Class policies are found on the classroom homepage and in the course overview box. The policies basically break s down all of the classroom rules, from late assignment to participation points and consiqences. University Library This is found at the very top of the page with home,classroom, programs and more. The library is where I can find the center of writing excellence, writepiont, along with others and do any type of school research. University Academic Catalog This is found at the very top of the page under program in the my program section. The Academic catalog is where I can find the most current programs, along with all school policies. University Learning Goals Life Resource Center This is found on the home page under quick links. This basically where I can come for support, where I canget online or telephone counceling, life and career coaching as well as locate resources. Phoenix Career Services Is found at the very top of the page next to â€Å" phoenixconnect†, under Careers. This is where I can search the job market, do some career planning, build a resume and much more. Student Workshops This found on the homepage under quick links and is also located under the Library tab in the useful links box in the student resource guide. Here is where I can go to improve on my basic skills that are important for success at university of phoenix. PhoenixConnect This is found in the very top column on the page next to account, and careers. PhoenixConnect is a social network where I can share things about myself, learn things about others and connect with my peers. Technical Support phone number Technical support is found at the very bottom of the page under, â€Å"Report a problem†, in the the â€Å"Contact us’ category. This is where I can go to get help with any type of problems that im having with my computer, or on the site. They walk you through it step by step. Part B: Follow-Up Question Based on the resources in the table, what are the attendance, posting, and participation requirements for the university? Based on the resources in the tablethe attendance requirement is that you must post atleast one message on two separate days of the week to be in attendance for the week. For participation it varies depending on what program your in, and for me being in the associates program I would need to post two messgaes on 3 separate days of the week for me to get participation credit.

Business Essays MBA Strategic Planning

Business Essays MBA Strategic Planning MBA Strategic Planning Basic Concepts of Strategic Planning The CEO then asked you to explain the basic concept of strategic business planning and how it would help improve performance at Lawrence? To the questions posed by the CEO I would answer: Strategic planning process can be summed up by answering three questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? and How do we get there? The basic concepts of strategic planning are best described by de Kluyver and Pearce in the book Strategy: A view from the top. The authors write â€Å"Strategy is about positioning an organization for competitive advantage. It involves making choices about which industries to participate in, what products or services to offer, and how to allocate corporate resources. Its primary goal is to create value for shareholders and other stakeholders by providing customer value†. (de Kluyver and Pearce, 2006, p. 1) The basic strategic planning process involves establishing a mission, objectives, current situational analysis, formal strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and putting measurable control systems in place to monitor the business. This basic strategic planning process is more applicable at the business unit level such as the Home Appliances; Electrical Equipment; Industrial Tools; Agricultural Equipment; Automotive Parts; and Financial Services business units already established at Lawrence Manufacturing Corporation. More detailed approaches to strategy include the newer concepts brought forth by authors Kim and Maugborne called Blue Ocean Strategy. The more traditional approach is competition based strategy such as Porter’s Five Forces of Competition model. The Blue Ocean Strategy is a largely unproven but very interesting concept that uses Value Innovation to propel the company into new markets that are untapped rather than going toe to toe with the competition battling it out for market space. This battling is known as the Red Ocean strategy where the waters are bloodied due to the battle for a competitive advantage. The Blue Ocean Strategy looks to find innovative ways to offer the customer more value in the products or services at a reduced cost creating a win-win situation for both customer and supplier. The more traditional approach would be to use Michael Porter’s five forces to analyze the position of the company in relation to the competition and then strategically position the company on a path of least competitive resistance. Basically Porter looks at: Threat of substitute products, Threat of entry of new competitors, Intensity of competitive rivalry, Bargaining power of customers, and the Bargaining power of suppliers. Strategic planning at the Corporate level She[CEO] specifically asks you what her role would be in the planning process, what the corporate headquarters’ responsibilities would be and how the corporation would add value to the business units? Strategic planning at the Corporate level is more involved in managing the portfolio of the company. Fundamentally Corporate level strategic planning involves decisions such as which business units to expand, which market places the business units should compete in, allocating resources between the business units, building and using synergies amongst business units, and merging or acquiring other businesses. Also Corporate strategic planning will involve defining the overall mission, vision and objectives of the Corporation. Corporate level strategic planning will also use such tools as Porter’s Five Forces, employ a Blue Ocean Strategy, a Gap Analysis, or a Balanced Scorecard approach. Porter’s Five Forces and the Blue Ocean Strategy are described above. A Gap Analysis is a tool used to discover the current state of the company and the targeted state of the company. The difference between them is the â€Å"Gap†. A Strategic Gap Analysis can be used to determine the gap and formulate a plan to â€Å"bridge† the gap. The Balanced Scorecard looks at the company from four different perspectives Financial, Customer Learning and Growth, and Internal Business Process. The Balanced Scorecard approach gives the company an idea what should be measured in order to â€Å"balance† the financial perspective. The Balanced Scorecard system is a management tool that enables the company to clearly see their vision and translate that vision into strategic action. The corporation will add value to the business units by coordinating and sharing corporate staff and various resources throughout the business units, utilizing business units to complement each other in the corporate structure and various business activities, and financially investing resources across different business units. Roles of SBU managers and functional executives The three Presidents of the business units and the functional executives also wanted to know what their specific roles and responsibilities would be in this new planning process, and how their performance would be evaluated and rewarded? To the questions of three Presidents and functional executives I would answer: The role of the small business unit managers and functional executives is EXTREMELY important to the strategic business plan of the corporation. (This statement will capture the attention of the three business unit presidents and functional managers allowing them feel secure in their positions and ultimately help me to get the job!) As the business unit is established and begins competing in a market place that it can be a viable performer, the business unit manager has the freedom to structure and manage their business unit to seize the competitive advantage available to the unit within that market place. Performance will be measured using key performance indicators defined in the strategic planning process by using planning tools such as the Balance Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard helps strategic planners to derive key measurable for that particular business units such as: customer, product performance, competitive comparisons, operations, supplier, cost and financial data, employee-related, and market performance. These indicators help to align the activities of the business unit with the goals of the corporation. The role of the business unit managers and functional executives are to provide input as to what these metrics should be, monitor these metrics and provide feedback, and implement changes to improve the performance. Analysis of external and internal environments The Vice President of Information Technology also wanted to know what types of external and internal information would be required to develop the business plans, and how they would obtain this information. He wanted to know what types of analytical tools, methodologies and skills they would need to generate and analyze this information? To the questions of Vice President of Information Technology (IT) I would answer: One of the primary tools used to determine internal an external environmental factors affecting the business is to perform a Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats analysis or better know as SWOT analysis. Internal environmental factors affecting the company are primarily the Strengths and Weaknesses of the company. Strengths that a company can build on are usually items such as; brand name, intellectual property, reputation, and well developed distribution networks just to name a few. Weaknesses that a company may face are items such as; high overhead costs, poor supply chain, or a weak brand name. External factors affecting the company are the Opportunities and Threats. Opportunities presented to the firm could be thing such as; need for a new product, lifted regulations, emerging markets, and removal of trade barriers. Finally, Threats are items such as; substitute products, increased regulations, and new trade tariffs. When put into a matrix form, a SWOT analysis can provide the foundation on which the strategic plan of the company will be built. As I mentioned previously performance of the business units and the corporation will be measured using indicators defined in the strategic planning process by using planning tools such as the Balance Scorecard and a Gap Analysis. IT will be asked to assist in capturing and storing data that is internally and externally related to areas of the business such as: customer, product performance, competitive comparisons, operations, supplier, cost and financial data, employee-related, and market performance. This data is crucial to short term aggregate planning for the business units and long term strategic planning for both the business units and the corporation. IT will play a very important role in human resource management and planning, capturing cross functional knowledge equity of the business units, recognizing and protecting intellectual property, and sharing this information throughout the organization. The strategic planners will require assistance from IT to provide tools for business scenarios, marketing and sales planning, and financial projections. These inputs are necessary for sound planning decisions. Authors Anthony and Govindarajan have published a book entitled Management Control Systems and chapter 8 further discusses the role of Information Technology in strategic planning. In general input from IT will be required for management control systems and providing a framework in which the control systems can provide information and feedback to the leaders for strategic planning. Finally IT will be needed to assist with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP is important to link many of the individual databases or create a central database for the various system modules. ERP will aid in the sharing of information throughout the organization and allow performance tracking of key indicators. A global business such as Lawrence Manufacturing Corporation is like the octopus in which the tentacles must be attached to the central body in order to work in unison. IT will play a crucial part in connecting the business units for purposes of strategic planning. An effective business plan One of the Presidents of the business units asks you to explain what a business plan consist of and how they will know if they have developed a good plan? I would answer this question by first verifying that when the President asked about a â€Å"business plan† that he/she was interested in elements of a â€Å"Strategic Business Plan†. Assuming this is the case I would answer the business unit President by saying: There is typically five key elements to a strategic business plan. These elements are; 1) Vision Statement, 2) Mission Statement, 3) Critical Factors for Success, 4) Strategies and Actions to meet Objectives, and 5) Prioritized Implementation Schedule for the Strategies. The Vision Statement should briefly describe the direction of the company and plans for growth. The Mission Statement should describe the capabilities of the organization to meet the needs of the customer as identified by market research. Such as: â€Å"World leader in quality Industrial Tool†. The Critical Factors for Success are the key aspects that must be addressed if the company is to achieve their vision and mission statements. The Strategies and Actions are primarily defined action plans needed to ensure that the critical factors of success are achieved. A Prioritized Implementation Schedule is basically strategies and actions spelled out in order of importance, and communicated to the team members. These basic elements are the foundation of a strategic business plan. Execution! She[CEO] asks you how you would ensure that the plans were implemented effectively? To the CEO I would answer this question by saying: Strategic business planning will require a certain amount of change within the organization and with change there will also be a certain amount of resistance. I took a course at Lawrence Technological University (curiously this is the same name as the company!) while working toward my MBA called Leading Organizational Change. In this course we studied John Kotter’s eight step process to successful change taken from his book Leading Change. Step 1: Create a Sense of Urgency Step 2: Pull Together the Guiding Team Step 3:   Develop the Change Vision and Strategy Step 4: Communicate for Understanding and Buy-in Step 5: Empower Others to Act Step 6: Product Short-Term Wins Step 7: Dont Let Up Step 8: Create a New Culture The concepts presented in the book and in the classroom were applied to a project that was begun during the time that I took the course. The project was to implement a new engineering documentation system that I can say is progressing well with the guidance provided by these eight steps. The process is logical and if followed religiously, I can testify, work great. This would be one method to ensure plans were implemented effectively. Also studied during this course was Appreciative Inquiry (AI). This is another method that would help to ensure that the strategic plans are implemented effectively. AI is a great organizational development tool that breaks away from the traditional â€Å"problem-focused† approach. Instead AI looks to identify and examine what is working well within the organization and how this activity can be enhanced. Basically the concept is to focus an organization around the things that are working rather that wasting effort trying to fix the things that don’t work. More on AI and the 4-D model used in AI can be found in David Cooperider’s book Appreciative Inquiry. After a successful implementation of the strategy measurable indicators I described earlier will determine if the business is on track with the strategic plan. The strategic plan will be revisited at prescribed intervals employing continuous improvement to advance the vision and mission of the company. References: De Kluyver, Pearce, (2006) Pearson Education, Inc., Strategy A View From The Top NetMBA, The Strategic Planning ProcessWebsite, Retrieved June 3rd,2008 from: http://www.netmba.com/strategy/process/ Balanced Scorecard Institute , What is a Balanced Scorecard -Website, Retrieved June 3rd, 2008 from: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx JaxWorks Spreadsheet Company, The Balanced Scorecard Concept, Retrieved June 2nd, 2008 from: http://www.jaxworks.com/thebalancedscorecardconcept.htm Quick MBA, Strategic Planning-Website, Retrieved June 6th, 2008 from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/strategic-planning/ Articles-Business Plans, What Makes a Good Business Plan-Website, Retrieved June 3rd, 2008 from: http://articles.bplans.com/index.php/business-articles/writing-a-business-plan/what-makes-a-good-plan/ Kotter (1996). Leading Change, Harvard Business School press. Changing and Succeeding Under any Conditions – Website Retrieved November 25, 2007, http://www.ouricebergismelting.com/html/8step.html Quick MBA, Strategic Management-Website, Retrieved June 6th, 2008 from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/

Imperialism and Its Effects :: History Essay

Imperialism is the policy by which one country takes control of the land of another region. The Age of Imperialism lasted from 1870 to 1914. The development of imperialism mirrors that of industrialization. This is because the two reflect growth and progress. The US was more focused on competing for resources and new markets during this era. Concerns for the US were the economic situations of the Pacific and Caribbean, along with the strategic importances of these areas. Imperialism was inevitable with the growth of industry. In need of materials, countries would take control of other lands. Ethno-centrism became a part of the European state of mind. They felt driven to impose European beliefs and ideas on the conquered territories. This was deemed the "White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling, who was very much against this movement. India was very affected by Europe. Europeans created a scramble for Africa and formed spheres of influence in China. Today, imperialism is much subtler, often in the form of foreign aid to create favorable relations between the two countries. Many nations benefited from imperialistic practices in that they provided an opportunity to modernize. Much of the infrastructure, educational facilities, and hospitals in these countries were built by the imperialist nations controlling them. Along with the positive changes came negative. People were repressed and their cultures were left behind. Because of this, the nationalist movement was sparked.

Scarlet Fever :: essays research papers

What is scarlet fever? Scarlet fever is a term used for strep throat with a rash. Strep throat is a throat infection caused by a type of streptococcal bacteria. What causes scarlet fever? Scarlet fever is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria, the same bacteria that cause strep throat. There are many different strains of strep bacteria, some of which cause more serious illness than others. The type of strep that infects the throat and causes scarlet fever is called group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABS). What are the symptoms of scarlet fever? Symptoms that may occur before the rash include: ? Fever of 38.5Â °C (101.3Â °F) or higher. ? Sore throat and difficulty swallowing. ? White or yellow spots or coating on the throat and tonsils. ? Swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Other symptoms, especially in children, may include general body aches, headache, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, or listlessness. Scarlet fever usually doesn't occur with cold symptoms, such as sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, or cough. Red spots begin to appear on the roof of the mouth (palate) about 2 to 3 days after symptoms first appear. Bright red spots may appear on the tongue, giving it an appearance called "strawberry tongue." The most noticeable symptom of scarlet fever is a rough, red rash that feels like fine sandpaper. The rash begins on the chest and abdomen and then spreads over the rest of the body within 24 hours. The rash and redness are more apparent in skin folds, especially in the groin, armpits, and elbow creases. It usually fades in about a week, and at that time the skin may begin to peel. Treating Scarlet Fever If you have a rash and the doctor suspects scarlet fever, he or she will usually take a throat culture (a painless swab of throat secretions) to see if the bacteria grow in the laboratory. Once a strep infection is confirmed, the doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic for your child to be taken for about 10 days. How Scarlet Fever is passed from one person to another The bacterial infection that causes scarlet fever is contagious. A child who has scarlet fever can spread the bacteria to others through nasal and throat fluids by sneezing and coughing. If a child has a skin infection caused by strep bacteria, like impetigo, it can be passed through contact with the skin.

Define personality & motivation

Personalities are usually described as how introverted or extroverted someone is. And introvert is someone who is usually more quiet and thoughtful whereas as an extrovert is someone who is more loud and excitable. If you are either introvert or extrovert it often affects the types of sport you like e. G. And introvert character would usually play something Like tennis as it's a sport they can play as one and not In a team, an extrovert person would usually Like team sports more such as football and rugby. Introverts enjoy sports with more concentration, precision with intricate skills.Introvert characters are usually more self-motivated. Extroverts tend to enjoy sports which are faster paced, exciting and where you need a lower concentration. These are usually team sports and they tend to be motivated by others around them. Extroverted people are often Involved in sports which require a degree of aggression. There are 2 types of aggression: Indirect aggression – this means ta king out your aggression on an object. Direct aggression – The aggression is in the direction of another player. It involves physical contact such as a rugby tackle or in wrestling or boxing.Essence's theory – The Essence's theory was thought of by a German man who Identified two dimensions f personality which act as continuous, with an individual's personality falling anywhere along the two lines, as shown below These two dimensions are stable/unstable and introverted/extroverted. For example, if an Individual Is introverted (shy of social contact) but stable, they are likely to be reliable, calm and controlled. An extroverted (enjoys social affiliation) unstable individual is likely to be tough, aggressive and excitable. Rationality, there are 3 different types of body types; Stepmother – these are people with a tall slim figure, Sheldon thought these people tended to be more Self- unconscious, tense, private (keeps to themselves), and introverted. Endomorphis m – these people are shorter and are a bit fatter, Sheldon thought these people were more tolerant, sociable and relaxed. Monochromes – these are people who have broad shoulders and are more muscular, Sheldon thought these people were more extrovert, assertive, and are risk takers.The Giordano theory (trait theory) – this theory is split into to 2, there are 2 types of people Type A and Type B. Type A – these are more introvert people which enjoy their own company, they have a strong desire to succeed, they like control, often suffers tress and are never happy with what they have (they always want more). Being a type A person will benefit their performance if they are doing a sport which involves only themselves. Type B – these tend to be more extrovert people who are more laid back and happy with what they have, they're less competitive and often work at a slower pace.They do not enjoy control and they're able to relax easily. Being a type B perso n will often benefit them if they're playing a team sports and where they can have the help of others. Motivation – a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way. There are several theories to do with motivation, these include; The attribution theory – a belief required overtime that one has no control over events and that failure is inevitable / out of their hands. It's a feeling of hopelessness.There are 3 attribution categories these are stability, locus of casualty, locus of control. These 3 categories all go two ways. Stability – you can either be stable or unstable. Locus of casualty – you can either be internal or external. Locus of control – the person can either be in control of themselves or out of control of themselves. Athlete's that attribute their performance outcome to stable internal factors such as effort and ability and to factors under their control are more likely to achieve in sport.Athlete's that attribute the ir performance outcome to unstable-external factors such as luck and difficulty and to factors out of their control are more likely to fail in sport and as they have no goals set out for themselves. Intrinsic motivation comes from within the body, therefore it will be the performer driving themselves to be better. Intrinsic people tend to be able to overcome tasks eave goals set out for themselves to keep progress and maintain motivation. They will have a feeling of pride and enjoyment in their performing the skill.I believe it's better for a performer to be intrinsic because its they are driving themselves to better, they want to be better, therefore they will get better. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the performer. These are things which can encourage the athlete to perform and fall into two groups: Tangible rewards: These are physical rewards like medals, trophies and money. These should not be used as much with young athletes o avoid a situation where winning a priz e is more important than competing.

Parting The Waters Essay

The book â€Å"Parting the Waters† by Taylor Branch not only highlights the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr. , but also shows the parallel course King’s life took with the civil rights movement and even before it. This book provides a historical look at the Civil Rights Movement from 1964 to 1963. The first half of the book shows the origins of the civil rights movement parallel to that of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Some of the significant points raised by branch were as follows: The â€Å"birth† of the black preacher, John Rockefeller’s endowment, King’s early education and the immediate cause of the civil rights movement. Following their emancipation from slavery, the African-American people’s journey to freedom has actually begun. Despite the complete abolition of slavery, segregation took its place as most whites, especially from the South, found it hard to accept former slaves as equals and still sought to marginalize the black people. It was only in the church that blacks found leaders who were of strong character and would be the launch pad on their crusade for equality. As W. E. B. DuBois put it, the preacher is â€Å"the most unique personality developed by the Negro† (quoted in Branch 3). Next would be a footnote in the history of origins of the civil rights movement with the involvement of tycoon and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller whose involvement in the advancement of the African-Americans was attributed to his wife, Laura Spelman whose family were known abolitionists of the antebellum and civil war era. Because of this, Rockefeller provided an endowment for the creation of a school for blacks which would be named after his wife’s family (Spelman College) in Atlanta, once the heart of the Confederacy. The significance of these two circumstances would be that Martin Luther King’s maternal grandfather, and his father were preachers and his maternal grandmother Jennie Parks and his mother Alberta were students of Spelman College, therefore, a beneficiary of Rockefeller’s philanthropy (Branch 30). The education of his parents enabled the younger King to live a relatively comfortable life compared to other blacks who were not as fortunate as his family and lived in virtually a hand-to-mouth existence because segregation denied them the opportunities to better their lives. King’s education took him to Pennsylvania where he was exposed to liberal education that made him feel like an equal. He began his first public ministry at the age of 25, at the time the Supreme Court, the the Brown vs. Board ruling outlawed segregation in schools. But this was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The catalyst of the civil rights movement began when Rosa Parks, a seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat at the bus. This incident had prodded King to take the lead in the civil rights movement and thereby set the course he took which would irrevocably change his life (Branch 150). In the second half of the book. It covers the crusade Martin Luther King had now taken up and led following his political baptism of fire, from the twilight of the Eisenhower years , the advancement of John F, Kennedy and eventually the dawning of the New South. Taking a leaf from Gandhi’s passive resistance approach, King endured sufferings and humiliations yet he took it in stride in the same manner as Christ and persevered. Under such conditions the U. S. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which ensures that all people born in the United States are accorded equal protection law and that race could not be used as a condition to deprive them of their civil rights (Branch 303). All in all, Parting the Waters proved to be an excellent start in the 3-volume history of the civil rights movement by Branch who would follow it up with â€Å"Pillar of Fire† and â€Å"At Canaan’s Edge. † One would notice that the titles allude to the history of the Hebrews as told in the book of Exodus in the Bible. Branch was somehow able to draw a parallelism of the odyssey of the Hebrews to that of the African-Americans on their quest for real freedom and equality. Works Cited Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters. America in the King Years: 1954-63. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989.

Hamlet Act Two Essay

Hamlet Act ll An important character in the play Hamlet is Polonius. Polonius is often thought to be foolish, and thoughtless. However, Polonius is anything but foolish, and thoughtless. Polonius is a man who is very intellectual, and he provides guidance to those who need it. For example, his advice to Reynaldo on how to  monitor Laertes’s wild behavior is magnificent and brilliant. His advice to Ophelia  about Hamlet, love, and affection is very accurate. Polonius is considered a fool to some people, because Hamlet is making it seem that way, he wants to put Polonius down, and make Polonius seem like a fool. Hamlet is rude to Polonius, and constantly making fun of him. At one point Hamlet calls Polonius a â€Å"fishmonger†. Hamlet then makes his insult worse by wishing that Polonius were as honest as a fishmonger, which is to say that Polonius is lower than the lowest. Although, Polonius is nothing of the sort, another example of Polonius providing guidance to those who need it is when Laertes is waiting for his ship to depart, Polonius has a couple of minutes to tell  him how to live well. His brief advice is insightful and parental. He tells Laertes to think before  he acts, listen more than talk,  keep good friends close but don’t worry  about drinking buddies. Don’t get in fights, watch your money, and take care of your appearance, things like that. Polonius is the kind to seek to discover the truth on his own. He studies Hamlet to link his madness to love and betrayal. He then seeks to trial his theories by testing Hamlet’s sanity through a slew of inquiring questions. A foolish man does not do this. Perhaps, Polonius was just putting on an act, to make people think that he was foolish and stupid. Regardless of his motives, Polonius cannot be described as a simple character. Polonius has gotten a bad reputation, but further depth into his character reveals that Polonius is indeed a complex character with a great deal of wisdom.

The Day the Cowboys Quit

Ashley Tran 9:00 AM History 1301 Lori Lehtola John Brown John Brown was an abolitionist who had a big hatred over slavery. His feelings of hate were so strong over slavery that it led him to seize the United States arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. John began a huge massacre along the Pottawatomie Creek along the Kansas territory. It all began on the month October and the year of 1859. Brown had a psychotic way of thinking and doing things. John’s great plan was to arm slaves for a future rebellion.He was an anti-slavery man and tried to do everything in his power to keep slavery from happening in Kansas, but he was also a murderer. I believe that he told people he was anti-slavery, which he was, but had a feeling inside him that liked taking other people’s lives. The three authors who contributed to the article about John Brown were W. E. B. Du Bois, Robert Penn Warren, and David S. Reynolds. Their respected backgrounds impacted their views of Brown and his actions. W. E. B. Du Bois’s background was greatly respected by Brown’s article. W. E. B. elieved that because of John Brown’s actions over slavery, it gave everyone his or her right to freedom. According to Du Bois, all men are equal and are no less than one another. Du Bois stated that â€Å"slavery is wrong† so we must â€Å"kill it†. His opinion is respected by John’s actions because he views it in a way in which that what John Brown did was right. He earned us our freedom. If it weren’t for what Brown did, we wouldn’t have our freedom. W. E. B. was one of the most influential African American intellectuals of the 20th century. He played a founding role in the NAACP, which was a path breaking civilization.Because of how Du Bois viewed John Brown’s actions and how he strongly believed that what he did about slavery was right would be an impact on why he got involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Pe ople. Robert Penn Warren believes that even though John Brown had such an enormous religious faith, God was not on neither sides of John Brown nor the South. What Brown did was abnormal and not Godly, according to Warren. Robert’s background has impacted his view on John Brown in a way that he believed Brown was responsible for his criminal- like actions.He believes that what Brown did to the proslavery was not based on God. Meaning, it wasn’t a God based decision, it was more of a Godly excuse he used towards his criminal actions. Robert mainly focused on themes of Southern culture and history. His personal understanding of John Brown’s actions has greatly impacted his history about the south and his knowledge about its history of culture. David S. Reynolds wonders how John Brown could spare murder with such a religious faith. David stated that Brown â€Å"used violence in order to create a society devoid of slavery and racism. He believed that John Brown didn ’t just do it for slavery, but did it because his goal was a democratic society; race, religion, and gender didn’t even matter. David has his particular opinion about Brown’s actions because he thought that what Brown did to these proslavery people wasn’t for the reason he said for doing so. Reynold’s background has impacted his view on John Brown and his actions because he can inform others about his opinion on Brown’s actions. His opinion †reflects a twenty-first century on Brown informed by the September 11, 2001, terrorists attacks on the United States. Basically, he thought of John as more of a terrorist than a hero of slavery. W. E. B. Du Bois, Robert Penn Warren, and David S. Reynold’s were all impacted in different ways by John Brown’s actions. Their own particular opinions were based on how they viewed John Brown’s actions. John’s huge massacre at Pottawatomie Creek was his psychotic way of handling things. He was a murderer of proslavery and his excuse was God. These three authors who contributed to John Brown’s article were interested in African American society or Southern history. Their view on John Brown’s history has impacted their own.

Clerk & Squire Contrast “The Canterbury Tales” Essay

In Chaucer’s â€Å"The Canterbury Tales,† two young men of the Middle Ages, stand in sharp contrast to each other. The clerk and the squire are of similar ages but are very different. The clerk is a member of the middle class, has attended Oxford and studied Aristotle, while the squire, a member of the upper class, has been educated in the arts of chivalry. In appearance wise the clerk is a â€Å"grave† or somber individual. He is thin â€Å"hollow-cheeked† and dresses poorly (â€Å"outer cloak threadbare†). On the other hand the squire is a bright, cheerful person. He is lusty, strong and nimble and dresses extravagantly â€Å"red and white embroidery; short coat with long wide sleeves.† His facial appearance is similar to his dress habits, his hair is curled and he is very handsome. The two differ in personality as well. The clerk is formal and modest when he speaks and he only speaks (gives his input) if it is needed. He is also considerate of others, â€Å"pray diligently for the souls of them that gave him wherewith to stay at the schools† and his speech is of moral virtue. The royalty of the squire was apparent in his personality. He is courteous, modest and helpful to others. His royal roots show that he is a respectable man and in his youthful state, he is full of energy. Finally, we can see that the two have very different interests. The clerk is interested in lectures on logic, reading Aristotle and studying Philosophy. He also loves to learn and teach and convey his knowledge to others. The squire is engulfed with the many campaigns/battles of the country and loves jousting in his spare time. He also enjoys singing, playing the flute, riding horses, making songs, dancing drawing and writing. The squire’s royalty shows through his interests because the middle class would not have the time or resources to commit to these interests. The portrait of the clerk and the squire in â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† shows two men of similar age; in the same time frame, â€Å"The Middle Ages†. We learn that the two are very different in appearance, personality and interests. This can be attributed to the fact that they grew up in different classes. The clerk in the â€Å"Middle Class† and the squire in the â€Å"High Class†, in this time  frame classes molded how an individual grew and learned. Chaucer shows in his novel how two individuals can be the same in some ways but very different in others.

Equality before the law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Equality before the law - Essay Example There are various instances when best men are not offered the opportunity to represent their nation, in a democratic way. However, Pericles states that people have adopted the system of office rotation in assuring democracy. As a result, democracy and equal representation of individuals play an imperative role in any government (Thucydides and Woodruff 41). Individuals are offered freedom in order to exercise their rights in a nation that observes representation of the majority. According to Pericles, there must be equal representation of rights and freedom to citizens irrespective of cultural, economic, or social considerations (Thucydides and Woodruff 41). Therefore, people must follow rules and regulations to the letter in order to ensure democracy. The city of Athens represents a nation that has put into consideration myriad political aspects such as democracy, observes individuals’ rights and freedom among others ( Tracy 56). According to the writings, happiness results from individuals being free to carry out any legal activity without infringing others rights and freedom. The city of Athens has a strong force that protects its citizens from external intrusions by neighboring enemies (Thucydides and Woodruff 41). The city of Athens has managed to, effectively; organize its government matters through the adoption of democratic

THE TACTICS OF MAYA FARMERS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE TACTICS OF MAYA FARMERS - Essay Example The classic Maya civilization flourished in the southern low lands of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras between the last four centuries before Christ and AD 900. Despite the conditions of prolonged dry spells caused by draught, constant brushfires that devastated the earth, and erratic rain patterns that wreaked havoc on agriculture, the Maya community’s survival for such a long period of time could be attributed to their farming tactics. The hot and humid conditions of the low lands, with no possibility for irrigation, posed the primary challenge to the Mayan existence as a farming community, but they seemed to have adapted to these adverse conditions by their innovative tactics. They moved to the dense forest area that mantled the southern lowlands, cleared the primordial forest and utilized it for agriculture. In order to overcome the infertility of their homeland, they adopted the slash-and-burn cultivation by cleaning the brush and trees, and burning them. This helped them to put to use even the barren lands. However, this had a shortcoming that the fertility would last for only about two years or so. The Mayans were again imaginative here by migrating to fresher meadows where they cultivated, and returned after several years to utilize the same land they earlier abandoned. Maintaining this process as a cycle, they were able to use a wider area of land. Thus they were able to circumvent, albeit temporarily, the c hallenges of nature.

Literary Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Literary Analysis - Essay Example The fact that everything is red is something Carson brings and uses. Everything about Geryon is red, as well as everything in Autobiography of Red. What does red mean? Is the book a personal history of the color red as composed by Anne Carson? Not likely. Red is a striking color, more striking than dark, or chestnut, or blue. Red is striking and peculiar and, accordingly, red is the ideal illustration for difference, which Carson uses throughout Autobiography of Red to convey Geryons part as an outsider, a test to the hetero-narrative. Geryon had, what most would say, a bad youth and, likely, a different one from his peers. His mother was well intentioned, however pointless, while his father was mostly absent. Geryons older sibling sexually abused him. Geryon was red even in his adolescence, as was every little thing about him, from the "red silk chalk" utilized by his instructors to the "dull pink air" that encompassed his home (Carson 26, 36). In Geryons personal history, he set down the facts believed about himself, above all else of which is that "Geryon was a monster whose every little thing about him was red" (Carson 37). Geryon was such a different individual, to the point that he would not take the conventional route to his classroom at school. He would stroll to the most distant end of the building and "stand still until somebody inside noticed and turned out to show him the way. He didnt move neither did he knock on the glass but little, red, and upright he held up† (Carson 25). When he was far fro m his peers, he stood and waited to be included in their games or activities. He was commonly known as the different one, the other. Having a contemporary hero who is actually red is, to a degree, a different thing from what people are used to. Yet, what difference is using red, as an analogy, if yellow or orange would work and are additionally striking shades? Geryon must be red or the analogy, primarily,

Singapore Airlines Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Singapore Airlines Case - Essay Example The management came up with a policy of recruiting young people between the ages of 20 – 25 who had completed high school level and had â€Å"O levels in English†. Young crew policy had some advantages. Young crew who were recruited was most likely to depict some sense of enthusiasm and keenness in their work. In addition, they were fit physically to manage the demanding job and to meet the thorough schedule. Furthermore, it was believed that most of the passengers enjoyed being served and attended by young and attractive men and women. Another implication of using young crew policy was that it reduced the substantial size of the applicant pool. This was because young people had the opportunity of studying in the university or getting other kinds of education thus reducing the number of desirable school leavers. The policy also provided opportunities for ensuring that the crew remained young by offering the five-year renewable contract to the crew. This policy also offered a career path and a possibility of a lifetime employment contract to the stewards. Those who were recruited were given six-week training before being considered as qualified operational crew. The training covered such areas as personal grooming, poise, uniform care and also personal conduct. Practical lessons commenced by learning the names and purposes of all the available amenities available on the airline board. Other lessons dealt with various types of service ware, glasses, dishes and other food serving items that might be used by the crew. Recruits were also taught of names and procedures for various drinks and dozens of food items served by the SIA. The training also covered some classes on how to handle emergencies and incidents on board. The performance of the crew was formally evaluated through staff interviews and also based on comments from the passengers. The performance report was based on three evaluations.  First, flight stewards were appraised by senior flight stewards and stewardesses working on the same flight.

Discuss to what extent the role of Groupthink in the Challenger Space Essay

Discuss to what extent the role of Groupthink in the Challenger Space Shuttle was critical to the incident and suggest ways in which the situation might have been avoided - Essay Example Groupthink theory, and the model resulting from it, is one of the most prominent efforts to try and explain decision-making outcomes in organizations (Whyte, 1998). This theory is considered useful in the explanation of one of the most prominent disasters of modern time. In 1986, NASA launched a space mission in which the space shuttle Challenger was to deliver astronauts and a school teacher to space. This mission was supposed to be a bold statement that space travel was safe and NASA had made advances in space program that would be educationally beneficial to all Americans. This paper examines the decisional process that culminated to the fateful disaster that befell Challenger and its crew, sparking so many questions on NASA’s organization and its safety ethics. The paper particularly examines the role of groupthink theory in the disaster. After the introduction the paper provides a brief description of the Challenger disaster, it then discusses groupthink as was presented by Janis (1982). A big part of the paper is dedicated to examining the role of groupthink in the Challenger disaster after which suggestions are provided about how the disaster would have been avoided. The paper then ends with a brief conclusion summarising the key issue s discussed. In 1986 NASA launched what was to be its safest mission into space which was supposed to usher in an era of safe space travel. However, this was not to be as disaster struck shortly after the launching of the space shuttle Challenger. The shuttle exploded mid-air killing all crew and leaving NASA with the responsibility of explaining decisions leading to the accidents. Immediately after the shock of the disaster that befell Challenger, the public was demanding answers about how and why the accident took place (Solomon, 2006). Public investigations by a presidential commission set up for that purpose

Clinical Governance is an umbrella term covering a wide range of Essay

Clinical Governance is an umbrella term covering a wide range of quality, accountability and risk management issues. Assess the impact of Clinical Governance - Essay Example Van Zwanenberg fro Oxford defines clinical governance as "a powerful, new and comprehensive mechanism for ensuring that high standards of clinical care are maintained throughout the NHS and the quality of service is continuously improved" (Zwanenberg, 2000). Clinical Governance is a practice that was brought about by the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS), to describe and establish a systematic approach to improve the quality of patient care. The framework of clinical governance aims at establishing the same levels of quality and accountability and management in clinics and hospitals that the framework of corporate governance aims at establishing in an organization. Prior to 1999, ensuring financial management and acceptable levels of patient care quality were the only mandatory responsibilities of the trust boards on NHS. Since 1999, the NHS trust boards accepted the need for improving the quality of service extended to patients; the effect of which was the adoption of clinical governance. Successful implementation of clinical governance mandates continual professional development for the whole primary care team. Each and every team member must be involved. The main challenge that teams may face is the transition shift to a m ultidisciplinary, team based learning. The tasks of clinical governance are complex and demanding. It needs efforts from all members of a team. Improving patient care means that all the factors that have an i... Elements of Clinical Governance Improving patient care means that all the factors that have an impact on the care must be studied and improved, which requires a high level of inter-professional understanding. Representatives from all groups of staff must explore 'care' from patient's point of view (Dickinson et al, 2006). Various elements are needed to be carefully understood in order to establish an effective patient care. Nigel Starey, Director, Center for Primary Care from University of Derby identifies some of the major elements that build effective clinical governance (Starey, 2003). Education: Continual sustained professional education is mandatory for all health care professionals. It is found out that a substantial amount of what is learnt during training is quickly forgotten. Post Registration Education and Practice (PREP) for nurses, Postgraduate Education Allowance (PGEA) for GPs, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for hospital doctors are some of the various systems that are prevalent to assist health care professionals in their continued professional education. Another essential aspect of continual education is team based learning. Until recently, only the general practitioners attended educational events. The educational requirements of nurses and other staff members were neglected (Pringle, 2000). However the new emphasis on education stresses professional development for all the team members. Clinical Audit: Measurement of the prevalent standards of a clinic against the pre determined standards is a very crucial element of clinical governance. The standards must be pre determined at regular intervals by medical directors

Integrated Marketing Communications (Marketing Communications Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications (Marketing Communications Management, Copley) - Essay Example This is more like an effective communication with the target market. Sales promotion is a marketing communication tool specifically designed to provide consumers with some incentive inducing immediate response, possibly in the form of purchase. Sales promotion tools and techniques may include coupons, sampling, refunds and rebate, bonus packs, price off deals. For example Kellogg's may come up with a new brand of cereals. To encourage product trial, Kellogg may place a coupon in Kellogg's Corn Flakes. The crossruff coupon may encourage those who purchase and use Kellogg's Corn Flakes to try the new Kellogg brand. When we talk of sampling, Proctor and Gamble has always used sampling to get homemakers to try a new brand of detergent. They mail a sample to adult females in households across US. Sampling is very common with food items. A decade ago the advertising to sales promotion ratio was around 60:40, but today in many consumer packaged companies sales promotion accounts for 65 to 75 percent of the combined budget. Haagen Dazs ran a cents off sales promotion called Sweet Charity where the price savings would be contributed to support public television. This offer enhanced the Haagen Dazs image by making it "a patron of the art". Public relation is an important tool to maintain a positive image of the firm in the minds of the customers to enhance repeat patronage. The most common use of public relations tools to achieve goals of the habit formation strategy is publicity. Microsoft's campaign launching Windows 95 was an MPR success story. No paid ads for Windows 95 had appeared by August 24, 1995, the launch day. Yet everyone knew about it. The Wall Street Journal estimated about that 3000 headlines, 6852 stories, and over 300 million words were dedicated to Windows 95 from July 1st to August 24th. Microsoft team around the world executed attention-grabbing publicity. Another example of Wine Growers of California who had hired public relations firm of Daniel J. Edelman, Inc, to develop a publicity campaign to convince Americans that wine drinking is a pleasurable part of good living and to improve the image and market share of California wines. Direct Marketing Direct Marketing will be addressed as a marketing communication tool used in the form of direct forms of distribution. Direct mail, catalogs, telemarketing, direct response advertising, new electronic media and direct selling are one of the few examples. Citicorp, AT&T, IBM, Ford and American Airlines have used integrated direct marketing to build profitable relations with customers over the years. Retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and Fredrick's of Hollywood regularly send out catalogs to supplement in store sales. Personal Selling Personal selling which is the face-to-face interaction with one ore more prospective purchasers for the purpose of making presentations, answering questions and procuring orders. Looking at this example we learn how John Deere used personal selling as means of selling its products. In 1993 when the dwindling demand for farm equipment and the aggressive actions of competitors pushed Deere's managers to create a strategy that involved its hourly assembly workers in finding and approaching prospects. Deere sent some of its experienced and knowledgeable workers to regional trade exhibits across North America to pitch the company's equipment to dealers and farmers. Once the new reps had wooed potential customers with

Liberal Principles and Minority Rights Essay Example for Free

Liberal Principles and Minority Rights Essay Liberal Principles and Minority Rights BY shax0521 We live in a world with differences, biases and hindrances we tend to take into account to be able to cope up with the changes happening around us. These differences could be between races,religion, culture, language, etc. But within a country, these differences also exist. Most countries are composed of diversed culture that divides the society to the majority and the minorities that establishes cultural differences related problems. It is often heard that minorities are deprived from certain freedom and the majority avails most of the best previleges that could e given. Minorities are often Judged by different steoreotypes and prejudices that establishes conflict between the groups. The main point of Prof. Hans Ingvar Roth, head of the sweden research team of the University of Lund in his article Liberal Principles and Minority rights, minority groups particularly in a liberal democratic society should be able to deal with the existing problems confronting their existence and culture in relation to the liberal principles through group-targeted measures. These group-targeted measures will be further explained throughout the article critique. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief summary of Roths article Liberal Principles and Minority Rights, what are the liberal principles of a liberal democratic society how it affects the condition of the minorities and my point of view as a reader. It will also tackle the different features of a liberal society, the problems encountered by minorities and the possible solution to the problems. In other words, the life of the minorities in a liberal democratic society. According to Roth, inequalities in modern western societies are faced by the inorities particularly ethnic, racial and religious which sometimes seen to result to discrimination. The minorities are confronted by social, political and cultural inequalities which were percieved to be the consequences as a memberofa liberal democratic society. Moreover, the majority enjoys the benefits and priveleges that were given by the society. In relation to this, to know the reason why these inequalities occur, we must know the grass roots of this condition. Roth stated in his article his definition ofa liberal democratic society. According to him, a liberal democratic society is charcterized by the certain institutions or norms that are seen among many of its citizens as essential guidelines for the organization of society. A liberal democratic society has its liberal principles namely, majoritarian democracy, free moblity, market economy, meritocracy and neutrality. The first principle is the majoritarian democracy or the rule of many . This concept of democracy implies disadvantages to the minorities because literally, it shows how minorities are outnumbered by the majority in terms of their cultural survival. As stated in the article, this idea of democracy have serious consequences for defenseless minorities. Furthermore, another liberal principle which is a burden to minorities is free mobility where people get to move freely without any intent hindrances but it has its limit in reality. Roth expounded it as the ideal of open borders for refugees from non- european countries in contrast to the migration policies implemented on various principle is the easy access of majority population into minority territories that could threaten the cultural survivability of the latter which is also dependent upon its eography. Moreover, the market economy as a principle which assumes freedom of choice that is considered to be the prevailing model for arranging economic activities systems in liberal societies. Roth added that according to many of his critics, the market economy could lead the majority to cultural supremacy over the minorities where the former has more access to important resources that could affect the cultural life of a country. It is considered to be the most efficient among other economic systems. Another liberal principle is meritocracy. According to Roth, merit should administer the appropriation of employment and places in higher education. This implies that the majority will dominate the labour-market of the society and eventually earn the highest ranks in offices. This would result to the alienation of the minorities in any encounter of several forms of higher education because the majority gets the best priveleges they could have in the society. In addition, Roth cited another principle which is neutrality or even-handedness. This occurs when the government doesnt interfere with certain policy decisions uided by religious views or substantial philiosophies of life and this kind of action implies contradiction to relgious minorities and securalism in some way influence the society. The abovementioned principles in any circumstances could stand in conflict with one another. As we have tackled the 5 principles of a liberal democratic society, it is also important to know some features of this kind of society which could have significant consequences on the cultural standing of different minorities in the society. The first feature is lingua franca which refers to having a common language in the society for he people have one language they could use to communicate with each other. Roth stated in his article that the language is an important element for the cultural identity of a group. Eventually, the language of the majority will be the lingua franca due to its long history in the country and the minorities must accept it and use to be able to communicate with others. However, this doesnt mean that the languages from the minorities cannot be recognized as official languages in significant bailiwick of society such as education or law. Another feature of a liberal democratic society is nation building. Roth referred it as the creation of various institutions, traditions and spheres of society in which it will be affected by the long history of the majority group. In this case, it stresses that even without ethnic or cultural nationalism; the majority culture is advantageous because of its historical standing in the society. According to Roth, cultural preservation of minority groups depend on the members itself. They should have the best interest in maintaining and preserving their culture. A part from Roths article tackled about the shared values in the ulticultural debate for minority rights where possessing a secure cultural belonging could be valuable in a way that it is an important condition to an individual well being or it could be a crucial part of a ones personal identity or as a framework adapting the majoritys culture and integration or affiliate with the majority on the other side. However, they have one common view that minority groups should not face anu unfair or excessive burdens in maintaining their cultures. Furthermore, if a minority group had encountered am intense discrimination from the other groups in he society, they should pay for the serious cultural disadvantage that the minority group faces. In other words, cultural diversity should be reagarded as a valuable objective for the whole society and a shared public responsibility to secure the preservation of the minority culture. However, if a certain minority in question have encountered no grim history of discrimination, and its cultural changes was due to voluntary change of its own members, it conditions become more unclear. The members itself should pay the price of maintaining or preserving their culture given hat they have been attracted to the majority culture. In addition, the majority is not coerced to share a costs of preserving that particular minority. As discussed earlier, there are ethnic and religious minorities in a society and their situation could be less favourable in certain conditions. Roth emphasized in his article that cultural influence by the majority usually occurs to the minorities that live in so-called open agricultural territories, small in size and the history of discrimination. Furthermore, it was stressed that shared language, religion and a istory of discrimination or an idea of geographical location make the minorit group maintain their culture. There are minority groups that prefer to attain independence and others to lower their claims and instead strive for various forms of cultural autonomy. In the entire article, the two main problems of minorities in relation to the liberal principles are cultural preservation and problems of integration. According to him, problems of preservation arise when liberal principles such as free mobility and the endorsement of a market economy may threaten a traditional form of community life. Due to the dominance of the majority in terms of size, resources and historical standing, these principles work to their cultural advantage. Furthermore, the practice of having a lingua franca gives more disadvantage to the minorities in terms of preservation of their own language. The abovementioned problems has its group-targeted measures so that the minority culture will survive. These are metaphors the fence, the ladder, the springboard and the plane. With these meaures, there could be a continous existence of minority groups in liberal democratic societies. Through the fence it ould take form of exceptions from laws that burden traditional cultural practices or even property rights that would prevent majority population from buying lands from the minority territories. In addition, Roth used the cultural autonomy with regards to certain forms of legislation such as family as an example of a fence which protects the minority from being influenced by the family customs of the majority. Another measure is the ladder wherein group representation should be practiced by religious and ethnic groups in order to have a level of representation in the society. This metaphor can neutralize and attenuate unfair thresholds or hindrances such as blind spots, various forms of animosity, stereotypes and nepotism. To be able to gain entrance in the main sphere of society in spite of the diminish this hindrances in the remote future. The first measure or method is called the springboard that would present opportunities to minorities such as labour market and higher education in instances that they face discrimination and prJudices in the society. According to Roth, the springboard is not enough for minorities to be able to enter to such society that is hy the plane was created. It is considered to be the supplementary method of the springboard. It aims to alter engrained and stubborn attitudes and habits among the majority population through information campaigns and cross-cultural meeting places. From what I understand in the Roths article, inequalities of minorities in the society are caused by the liberal principles. I agree on it due to the different situations presented in the article. These principles namely majoritarian democracy, free mobility, meritocracy, market economy and neutrality are advantageous to the ajority population and affect the minoritys cultural preservation. The articles premises are still valid according to the current situations in most western countries. His interpretation of the evidences presented were likely to lead us to the same conclusion that the liberal principles should be improved rather than to replace them with something different in order to solve such inequalities in such society. His arguments regarding the disadvantages of the minorities in the society such as the lingua franca where the majoritys language will be the official language of the ociety and meritocracy where the majority gets the highest ranks in the offices had the biggest impact to me which I agree on. If we compare it to the philippines, a non- liberal democratic country but compose of a majority and minorities, due to the geographical boundary and size of population of christians with tagalog as their language is considered to be the official language of the country, officially called as Filipino and in terms of meritocracy, the muslims as a minority experience biases regarding employment in government and other fields of offices because of different stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination.

The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE AND MARSHALL PLAN SHAPING AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY This research paper presents and overview for the change caused by the well-known Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan was the impetus for the change in United States foreign policy, from the isolationist to the internationalist; therefore, we were drawn into two wars of containment and into world affairs. The Truman Doctrine led to major change in U.S. foreign policy from its inception- aid to Turkey and Greece- to its indirect influence in Korea and Vietnam. On March 12, 1947 President Truman gave his message to congress requesting 400 million in emergency aid for the unstable governments to Turkey and Greece. This marks the beginning of what we now know of as the Truman Doctrine. Within this message Truman said: â€Å"I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.† â€Å"I believe we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.† â€Å"I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.† (Jentleson) The presidents address alternated the warnings of the dangers of communism in specific areas, which were the gateway to Europe and the Middle East. President Truman never pertained to the Soviet Union, but in speaking of violations of the Yalta agreement of â€Å"totalitarian regimes† he made it very obvious who his objective was. The Truman Doctrine imitated the directing assumption of the U.S. Cold War policy. The immediate need of this statement was critical because of the crisis in the country of Greece. This crisis was because Britain announced that they could no longer assume the economic and other burdens of continued participation in Greek affairs. Politically, the United States realized that the United Nations could not guarantee peace. Economically, the Truman Doctrine recognized that the plans that had been developed during the war were not adequate enough to rebuild and rehabilitate war-torn countries of the world. There needed to be something more to ensure that these countries would be stable enough to resist Communist pressure. The Truman Doctrine implies that the responsibility that America had for the economic welfare for these war-torn countries did not end immediately after the war. The economic aid that President Truman proposed totaled about $400 million. President Truman knew the United States was the only country that could aid in this economic hardship of Greece and Turkey. Truman argued that the United States could no longer stand by and allow the forcible expansion of Soviet totalitarianism into free, independent nations, because American national security now depended upon more than just the physical security of American territory. Rather, in a sharp break with its traditional avoidance of extensive foreign commitments beyond the Western Hemisphere during peacetime, the Truman Doctrine committed the United States to actively offering assistance to preserve the political integrity of democratic nations when such an offer was deemed to be in the best interest of the United States. Just a few months later, June 1947, at Harvard University, Secretary of State George Marshall announced a plan in his commencement speech. This plan is the Marshall Plan: â€Å"In considering the requirements for the rehabilitation of Europe, the physical loss of life, the visible destruction of cities, factories, mines and railroads was correctly estimated, but it has become obvious during recent months that this visible destruction was probably less serious than the dislocation of the entire fabric of European economy.† â€Å"The truth of the matter is that Europes requirements for the next three or four years of foreign food and other essential products-principally from American-are so much greater than her present ability to pay that she must have substantial additional help or face economic, social, and political deterioration of a very grave character. The remedy lies in breaking the vicious cycle and restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.† The Marshall Plan was the primary plan after WWII of the United States for rebuilding in creating a stronger foundation for the countries of Western Europe, June 5, 1947, the reconstructive plan was established. The United States responded to the crisis in Europe for four reasons. First, Europe had been a great market for American goods; without a prosperous Europe, the United States might have suffered a severe economic depression. Second, Western Europe might have used socialist or Communist methods to rebuild their country without the help of American aid, in which the United States leader considered that undesirable. Another reason was due to the United States was beginning to understand that Western Europe appeared to open to influence by our principal rival, the U.S.S.R. Finally, European fears of the World War II foe would lessen only if the Germans were integrated into a larger Europe by rebuilding Western Germany as a buffer against further Soviet expansion. Then the U.S. co ngress gave $13.1 billion of the $29 billion Western Europe asked for. Seventy percent that was distributed by the Economic Cooperation Administration was spent for goods in the U.S. As cold war tensions heightened in 1949 the largest amounts went in order of Great Britain, France, Italy, and West Germany. The funds increasingly went into military expenditures rather than industrial rebuilding. In April 1948, the plan had now been in operation for four years. 7 billion in U.S. dollars were given to aid in economic and technical assistance to European countries that had joined in the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC). By 1952, West Germany was independent, rearmed, and economically booming, West European industrial production stood 35 percent above prewar levels. The economy of every participating state had grown well past pre-war levels by the time the plan had come to completion. The Marshall Plan left a legacy of U.S.-European friendship, transatlantic cooperation, U.S. engagement in Europe, and bipartisan U.S. support for that engagement. That legacy has guided U.S.-European relations ever since, and it serves as a beacon for the Euro-Atlantic Community today. The Marshall Plan was not only used to aid Europe in June 1947, again used on March 16, 1961, when the Cold War was at its greatest height and lastly used on March 14, 2002 at the request of President Bush with the events of September 11th â€Å"war on terrorism. The third and final President to request aid from the Marshall Plan was President George Bush, March 14, 2002, due to the war on terrorism events of September 11th. Later, President Bush addressed the Inter-American Development Bank announced the largest increase in foreign aid assistance in 40 years of $5 billion dollars. To quote from the Presidents speech, The growing divide between wealth and poverty, between opportunity and misery, is both a challenge to our compassion and a source of instability. Even as we fight to defeat terror, we must also fight for the values that make life worth living; for education and health and economic opportunity. The President was clear. However, that the new funds would be used for countries that root out corruption, respect human rights and adhere to the rule of law, as well as encourage open markets and sustainable budget policies. The most important question which development professionals must answer in order to make the aid system produce better and more sustainable results are this: what structures, what systemic pressures, and what incentives will overcome the inherent characteristic of human nature in all societies that opposes transformational change because it can be so threatening? One of the sad lessons we have learned through painful mistakes is that transformational change in a poor country cannot be imposed from the outside, not by the UN, not by the Banks, and not by donor governments. There must be national leadership and local support for transformational change to remove the impediments to microeconomic reform, to clean up corruption in the political system, and to make public management more accountable and transparent. What causes this leadership to form and act should be a question of considerable interest to us. Part of the answer lies in the nature of the incentive system in the internatio nal aid community. When the stability of fellow Western democracies was at stake, the Marshall Plan applied also to American principles. Much of Europe was devastated by the end of WWII. Most of the 60 million casualties among WWII were residents of Europe. Devastation of Europes agriculture led to conditions of starvation in many parts of the continents. Damaged railways and bridges left them economically isolated. The U.S. was the only major power whose infrastructure had not been harmed in WWII because we had entered the war later than other powers. During this time, the U.S. saw the fastest period of economic growth in the history of our nation due to American factories supporting both our allies and our own war effort. The health of the economy was reliant on trade. Aid from the Marshall Plan was mostly used by Europeans to purchase manufactured goods and raw materials from the U.S. George Marshall determined that providing economic stability to Europe would also provide political stability. When aid was offered, the European countries refused due to having already organized the program themselves. Thus, the process of European integration was started, and the economic and political foundations were laid for the stable, prosperous, and democratic Europe we know today. Different regions require different approaches. One great lesson of the Marshall Plan is that it was designed specifically to meet the critical needs of a particular place during a particular moment in history. It worked because Europeans were uniquely able to make it work. People need to find modern ways of solving current problems. We need to mention also that Americans and others tried to replant NATO in other types of soil during the fifties and sixties. I dont think those approaches worked very well. This is another reason to be cautious today. WORKS CITED EUROPEAN RECOVERY PROGRAM. 2009. History.com. 12 Dec 2009, 01:12 B.W. Jentleson, American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century, 3rd edition (2007), W.W. Norton . Facts Sheet prepared by the Office of Policy and Public Affairs, Bureau for European and Canadian Affairs, . The Marshall Plan. 5/12/97 Fact Sheet: The Marshall Plan. 20 Jan 2001. The State Department, Web. 12 Dec 2009. . U.S. Department of State Diplomacy in Action. Truman Doctrine, 1947. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, Web. 12 Dec 2009. .