Reflections on the Course Counter Terrorism

During these troubled times, I do believe that it is important for students to be well aware of the things which can create fear within and pose a threat to the whole community. For the past few years, the threats in the international as well as local communities have created a great change in the perspective of the people regarding security. Many have been threatened and manipulated by the fear and paranoia that they could be victims of terrorist attacks. Because of this, counter terrorism policies and measures must be implemented to uphold national security and lessen the fear of the public.While serving the country as part of the U. S. Army, I have been a witness to and became directly involved in the actions taken by our government against the prevailing violence in the United States. Reflecting upon the things I learned and encountered, I came to realize the importance of counter terrorism in establishing security and upholding peace. Thus, upon taking this course, I do expect t hat I will considerably learn about counter terrorism in the perspective of the current and past governments, study the various counter terrorism policies and measures, and understand the reason why some of them work while others have been rendered ineffective.Learning about these things will certainly aid me in fulfilling my duty to fight terrorism not only as a member of the U. S. Army but as a citizen of this country. I also expect that a portion of this subject will be dedicated to peace studies which I hope will include the ideologies of Martin Luther King Jr. , Mahatma Gandhi, and other peace advocates. Exploring this topic would be beneficial for the students taking this course, especially for someone like me who is part of the Army, as learning about peace would help me to further grasp the depth and weight of my duty to my country.

Fenix Del Sur Case Analysis Essay

I. Problem Definition: Should Fe’nix accept the contract to broaden its position and potentially add $4million in additional sales, given the constraints of dedicating a large percent of their business to replicas – which may have an effect on their relationship with current dealers? II. Industry Analysis: According to the product-market matrix above, and after reading about the industry, it is apparent that Fe’nix del Sur competes in selling authentic artifacts to collectors. After some of their clients insisted on an expanded product line, Fe’nix del Sur started producing replicas of their authentic artifacts. The replicas, in return, have broadened the company’s market to include gift buyers and individuals looking for decorative items. III. Organizational Analysis: Fe’nix del Sur is a reputable importer of authentic Southwestern jewelry and pottery for collectors. They originally sourced Hopi and Navajo artifacts, but in recent years have expanded their product line to include pre-Columbian artifacts from Peru and Venezuela, along with tribal and burial artifacts from Africa. If Fe’nix del Sur accepts the contract, their business definition would change. Since the company’s main focus in currently on dealing authentic artifacts to collectors (exclusively through specialty dealers, firm-sponsored showings and a few exclusive department stores), the loyal collectors who continually purchase their products may start to look elsewhere if the company fully expands their product line to include many replicas. The company would no longer be in just the authentic jewelry and pottery business, but rather also in the â€Å"replica† business. Therefore, their new business definition would be altered to include being a producer of replicas for gift buyers. Through careful verification, Fe’nix del Sur is able to successfully determine the authenticity of South American and African artifacts. This skill has enabled Fe’nix del Sur to develop a national reputation as one of the most respected sources of these types of artifacts. Fe’nix del Sur’s distinctive competency, which sets them apart from department stores that sell only replicas, allows them to sell through suppliers with highly limited distribution. The company had originally established a solid relationship with the retailers that sold their products, often being the sole supplier to its clients. However, in more recent years, due to the increase in competition, Fe’nix Del Sur’s products are not the only products being sold at some of these retailers. In fact, some of the retailers are now sending out their own buyers to deal directly with some of the Hopi, Navajo and African sources – completely stepping past Fe’nix. Therefore, the company’s relationship with those retailers is not as strong due to an increase in consumer demand for both authentic artifacts and replicas. By accepting the contract, I feel that the relationship between Fe’nix del Sur and the retailers they currently deal with would change. Most of the larger specialty and exclusive department stores are now dealing directly themselves or with other suppliers. Forming this new relationship with the mass merchandiser chain, allowing them to buy at 10% below the company’s existing prices, would spell disaster for Fe’nix’s current business relationships. Once the other businesses that Fe’nix currently deals with find out about this 10% price cut, they will either find another importer of authentic artifacts and jewelry or they will demand the 10% price cut as well. If all businesses that they currently deal with demanded a 10% price cut, Fe’nix del Sur’s income statement would drastically change – probably not for the better. IV. Alternatives A. Accept Contract a. Advantages i. Fe’nix Del Sur can broaden their position in the replica segment ii. They can potentially add $4million in additional sales over and above their annual growth. iii. Fe’nix could become a competitor in the â€Å"replica† business b. Disadvantages iv. Fe’nix could lose their current clientele – such as the collectors they currently target v. Accepting the contract may affect their relationship with their current dealers by causing them to seek other importers that sell only â€Å"authentic† pieces vi. Being acquainted with a mass merchandiser could ruin the company’s image so loyal customers who frequently purchase Fe’nix’s items may start searching for artifacts that are imported through dealers that only sell â€Å"authentic† pieces vii. The 10% price cut for the mass merchandiser could hurt their reputation with all of their current suppliers. Cutting the price 10% for one type of retail outlet will cause all other stores to want the same treatment. This would be a disruptive change to Fe’nix’s business and their overall profit. viii. Fe’nix would have to increase their replica production almost three times B. Reject Contract c. Advantages ix. The company will maintain their current relationship with dealers and customers. x. Their current sales growth per year would more than likely remain constant. xi. They would not have to worry about a price cut for any retail outlet since they already have a solid clientele of suppliers who are buying their artifacts regularly. xii. Their production could remain constant – with no increase in the amount of replicas being produced. d. Disadvantages xiii. Fe’nix could lose the large increase in additional sales revenue that the mass merchandiser chain could help them achieve. xiv. The company could lose potential sales due to competition in the â€Å"replica† business if they don’t accept the contract. xv. They would not be able to capture a broader target market. V. Recommendation: After careful analysis and consideration of Fe’nix del Sur’s business foundations, I feel that it would be best to reject the contract at this point in time. Reviewing the advantages and disadvantages above, along with assessing Fe’nix’s current business definition led me to this conclusion. The company’s current sales revenue is about $25million, and has had steady sales growth for the past ten years with an annual increase of 20%. This large annual increase in sales can be greatly attributed to their core competency of being able to accurately verify the authenticity of South American and African artifacts. Over time, Fe’nix del Sur has established a national reputation as one of the most respected sources of these types of artifacts. Aside from their solid sales growth, Fe’nix has established great relationships with the specialty dealers and exclusive department stores that sell their products. Building solid relationships with clients is a process that takes a lot of time and attention. Without these relationships, Fe’nix’s sales would drastically decrease, possibly causing them to go out of business. Because the company has been selling to selective types of retail outlets, the end consumers (collectors) are very loyal to continually purchasing Fe’nix’s products. If Fe’nix del Sur accepted the contract, they would have to completely reposition their brand and business definition to include both replicas and authentic items. Because they are not in any danger of losing sales at this point in time, it would be wise for the company to continue business as they normally do. Just because an external opportunity exists does not mean that Fe’nix should take advantage of it. It seems as though the sales manager is very focused on the potential to add $4million in additional sales revenue. Although this may sound good at first thought, it is always wise to consider where the business stands at the present. Overall, the contract is too demanding on Fe’nix. The company’s prices seem to already be accepted by the specialty dealers and exclusive department stores; therefore, cutting their prices by 10% for one retail outlet will lead to relationship issues down the line. These long-term relationships that have taken years to nurture could be gone in a matter of months. Also, because Fe’nix is known for authentic artifacts, increasing their production of replicas three times would create a disruption in their normal way of doing business. Again, this would force Fe’nix del Sur to reposition its brand – possibly losing a lot of clientele in the process.

Kaymito Leaves as Antibacterial Mouthwash

KAYMITO LEAVES AS ANTIBACTERIAL MOUTHWASH I- INTRODUCTION An effective mouthwash is one that does not only make the breath fresh but also serves as an antibacterial. It should not simply mask the effective mouth odor caused by excessive activity of bacteria inhabiting the mouth. There is a need to prevent the increase in the population of such. A mouthwash is a solution in addition to regular oral hygiene method such as brushing. Alternative mouth gargles can be prepared from locally available plants such as herbs and fruit bearing ones. Certain plant parts may have active ingredients that have antimicrobial activity.An example is the peppermint that contains essential oils found to be efficient in neutralizing mouth conditions and in freshening breath. This study Aims to answer following questions: †¢ Is Kaymito leaves decoction can be effective mouthwash? †¢ Is the peppermint that contains essential oils can be effective in neutralizing mouth conditions and in freshening breath? In this study the people will benefit because they can use it in the prevention of dental diseases and maintenance of the oral health and it can be used for preventing gums and oral infections.This study only tested the feasibility of using decoction prepared from kaymito leaves as mouthwash II- REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Literature Kaymito (chrisophyllum cainito) is a common angiosperm in tropical countries. This fruit-bearing tree has leathery oblong leaves that are dark green and glossy on the upper surface and golden brown on the underside, its fleshy fruits are among the favorites. To treat swollen gums, De Guzman-Ladion (1995) suggests to a gargle concoction from

The Franks

The Franks is about a group of loosely related Germanic ‘barbarian' tribes that from the third to eighth centuries CE would occupy, and eventually conquer and settle most of the Western Roman province of Gaul which would later come to be known as France, or â€Å"Frankland†. The Franks are portrayed in this documentary as a ‘plague' to Rome, but one group the Salians to the north of the Rhine River, were actually quite assimilated to Roman Culture and even ided as a buffer between Rome and other invading Barbarians.The Franks were first recognized as an â€Å"auxiliary' people by the Romans during the reign of Merovech whom is best remembered for being the first leader of the Salian Franks and the original founder of the royal line. His triumph over the Huns to the west and their neighboring barbarians, the Ostrogoths at Chalons, Gaul in 451 CE recognized his great power, and also paved the way for his son Childeric l. Childeric established ajor territorial conque st during his reign, triumphing over the invading Visigoths to the south, and the Saxons to the southwest in aid to the Romans.His role as a Barbarian ally to the Romans played an important role in The Franks further expanse into Gaul. Childeric continued to rein for twenty-four years until his death in 481 CE, at which time his son Clovis I took control. Clovis I was regarded as the most influential ruler of the Salians, and the â€Å"real† founder of the Merovingian Dynasty; the ame of which was derived from his grandfather Merovech.Clovis was a Pagan like many Franks were at his time, but is allegedly known for having converted to Orthodox (Catholic) Christianity to gain the politic support of the Gallo-Romans (Christians), though it may be argued his wife was the reason for his conversion. Clovis was considered ‘ruthless' in his tactics to gain complete control of Gaul by murdering every potential rival Frankish leader, even those in his own family.This omination in bloodshed across Gaul is what gives the Frankish people their true identity reinventing them not as barbarians, but as The Franks. Gaul becomes known as Frankia, and later France, and the legacy of a people and their Dynasty which will last for nearly two-hundred years setting the framework for Western Europe.

Case Study Analysis of Casual Togs

Introduction The present-day business environment is characterized by increasing competitiveness in different industries. In this regard, it is vital for organizations to ensure that all their functions or departments are aligned towards being ahead of their competitors (Rugman et al., 2012). There is a wide range of problems that may adversely affect the progress and competitiveness of organizations. These include structural problems, communication, management issues and failure to embrace change. Given that there is no fixed approach to management that is ideal for all organizations, each company has to ensure that it adopts the most ideal approach, which can be determined by several factors in the internal and external factors that are specific to the company (Hill et al., 2014). Businesses also need to ensure that they are flexible enough to promptly change in response to the adjustments that might be taking place in the tastes and preferences of their clients or even the tactics that their c ompetitors in the industry are using. Companies that are not flexible enough might fail to maintain their relevance towards their target market segments and lose their competitive edge (Carter et al., 2013). This report presents a case analysis of Casual Togs, a women’s apparel company that is known for its moderately priced products. Most of the company’s products are blouses, shorts and knit dresses. In the analysis, the report highlights the problems that are being faced by the company and the factors that might have contributed to these issues. The importance of addressing these issues in a business is that it provides a guidance or basis for formulating strategies that will help to improve the company’s performance. The report also provides recommendations for Cy, Casual Togs’ principal stockholder, on the changes that he needs to make in the company. It also provides recommendations on how the company should change its management practice, structure and response to change, so as to avoid a recurrence or the problems it faces. The major problems facing the firm With reference to the case study of Casual Togs, there are a number of problems that are currently being faced by the company. One of these is that many of its products are being returned by consumers because of their low quality. For any business, the quality of products that are offered to clients is among the key attributes that determine its performance in the market (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). For Casual Togs, this also led to the loss of a major portion of its old loyal consumers. It also posed a challenge to the company in attracting new clients. Consequences of this issue include a drop in the company’s revenue and its overall brand position in the industry. It has also been outlined in the case study that the company also faces stiff competition from companies that have long been in the apparels industry as well as new upcoming ones. Another issue that faces Casual Togs lies in the human resource department. The company has failed to attract the necessary skills for it to run successfully. This is evidenced by the halt in the construction of the company’s distribution centre in the middle of the construction, which was attributed to the fact that the company did not get a qualified person who could supervise the construction project. In addition to this, two of the company’s designers resigned. This contributed to a drop in the company’s overall production in its nine centres by approximately 15%. The fact that Andy Johnson, the company’s budget manager and Sol Green, the market analyst could not speak to one another also clearly depicts a communication flaw among the employees in the firm. Judy, who was the company’s vice president, is also depicted in the case study as being aggressive in her communication with other employees. There are several incidents mentioned in the case study that highlight the failure by a section of the company’s executives and employees to embrace change. For instance, Judy objected most of the proposed changes, arguing that they were either too expensive or that they had been suggested by incompetent individuals. Another incident was when Andy rejected suggestions that were made by Bill Smith, his assistant, on new approaches that could be used in the collation and analysis of daily sales printouts so as to make better sales forecasts. Even though there are several other issues that are faced by Casual Togs in its operations, three main issues have been outlined in this section. These include the decline in the company’s competitiveness, human resource issues and the resistance to change among a section of the company’s staff. Causes of the Problems The first problem about the company is the fact that it is losing its old customers, and more of its products are being returned as a result of either poor quality or late delivery to customers. For any business to effectively win over the loyalty of its target customers, it has to be dependable in terms of the products and services it delivers (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Prolonged incidences of poor quality products and services or inconsistencies tend to repel customers. As earlier mentioned, there is high competition on the apparel and fashion industry, which also increases the purchasing power of buyers. Failure of one company meet consumer expectations, regardless of how slightly the gap may be, will make even the loyal customers to switch brands (Talib et al., 2011). Late delivery of products to customers also denotes the incompetence of the department that is concerned with the delivery of the company’s products. Another issue that is affecting Casual Togs lies in the human resource management approaches. With reference to the case study presented, there is evidence of a lack of equal of opportunities for career advancement in the company. An example is Andy, who had worked with the company for 15 years without any promotion because was not related with the other managers and was also of a different nationality. According to Choi et al. (2012), one of the causes of employee turnover is the failure of organizations to provide all the employees with a chance to attain their ultimate career goals. The aggressive nature with which Judy addresses employees in the organization also intimidates the employees and lowers their self esteem. This has an adverse effect on the organizational commitment of employees and has and ultimately, affects their levels of productivity (Adler, 2013; Lutgen-Sandvik & Tracy, 2012). The issue of rigidity and failure to embrace change has also contributed to the problems being faced by Casual Togs. One of the organizational aspects that have led to this is the fact that Cy, the company’s president gave all the departmental heads the freedom to make decisions that they considered to be fit for the organization. Whereas it can be argued as an approach that is relevant to the present-day business environment, it poses a challenge to decision making when rapid change are to be made because the opinions of every departmental supervisor have to be considered (Myers et al., 2012). These factors have affected the effectiveness with which Casual Togs adjusts in response to the changes in the market, leading to its dwindling performance. This shows the need for organizations to be flexible enough to maintain its relevance to the target markets (Dervitsiotis, 2011). This section has presented some of the main factors that have led to the existence of the issues that faced by Casual Togs. These include the failure of the company to adhere to quality in the design of its products and the failure to motivate employees, which adversely affects their levels of commitment. Several measures have to be put in place to ensure that the earlier mentioned issues have been overcome. Suggestions for changes to be implemented by Cy, Casual Togs’ President In regard to the issues that have been earlier identified, there are different approaches that ought to be used to change the current situation of the organization. With regard to the quality issues that have led to a loss of clients by the company and increased returns of goods, the direct measure that has to be taken is to ensure that the designers of the company’s apparel products pay attention to detail so as to enhance the quality of the products (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). There is also a need to intensify the quality management process to ensure that defective products are minimized (Rosenfeld, 2012). As presented in the case study, market research that is carried out mainly focuses in the levels of sales that should be expected in certain seasons. However, it is also vital for the organization to incorporate the on-going trends in fashion so as to effectively address customer needs (Witell et al., 2011). Human resources in any organization are among the most valuable assets, and have a key contribution towards its overall success. However, it is vital for organizations to motivate them so as to increase their productivity and organizational commitment (Bratton & Gold, 2012). One of issues that are evident at Casual Togs is that employees from a certain nationality are more likely to be promoted than the other employees. In this regard, Cy, the company’s president, needs to ensure that an equality policy is implemented to provide all employees with an equal chance of promotion within the organizational ranks (Giuliano et al., 2011). This will not only motivate employees to work more, but will also attract talented job seekers. The management meetings that were held between managers and other departmental leaders within the organization were informal, marred with emotionally charged arguments, shouting and door slamming. This is a clear indication of the failure to recognize authority an order during these meetings. It is also quite unlikely that such meetings met the intended objectives. To avoid recurrence of such scenarios, the company’s president needs to change the way board meetings are held from informal to formal (Diefenbach & Todnem, 2012). This will instil a sense of order, and will increase the possibilities of attaining the goals set to be met in the meetings. In the presented case, there is evidence of interference of departmental operations by managers or vice presidents of different departments. An individual from a different department could question an action carried out in another department that has no connection to his. Whereas there is need for cross-functional communication and cooperation within an organization (Hongjun & Yajia, 2012), such interferences as those depicted at Casual Togs are destructive. To limit this, the company’s president needs to change the structure of the organization (Deb, 2009). Suggestions to prevent future issues at Casual Togs To prevent future problems from occurring at the organization, it is necessary for Casual Togs to ensure that it makes the necessary adjustments. These include structural changes, management practices and their response to changes taking place in the competitive environment. Suggestions for change are provided in further detail below.Management PracticeThere are a number of changes that ought to be made in the management practices of Casual Togs. The individual in management that raises concern in the case study is Judy, the vice president. Her aggression towards employees, as well as her interference with operations across all departments within the organization, has to be addressed. Given that she is among the majority shareholders in the company and related to the president, there is no possibility of sacking her from the position she holds. Instead, she needs to be encouraged to attend management seminars so as to improve her employee management approach (Bratton & Gold, 2012). R ather than being autocratic in her management and aggressive in communicating with other employees in the organization, she needs to change and become a persuasive or democratic in her management and assertive in communication (Adler, 2013). In persuasive management, managers provide a clear explanation to their employees as to why they have made a certain decision. In democratic management, employees are allowed to make suggestions in the decision making process, and the opinion with the highest votes is selected (Hill et al., 2014). By being assertive in communication, points or arguments are firmly put across to other employees, but respect is still maintained (Adler, 2013). Cy’s approach of management is too lenient to departmental heads within the organizations. This has also affected the way in which he handles suppliers, who often take advantage of his leniency to secure tenders even though they are supplying products at a higher price. Even though his consultative approach to management allows departmental heads to take part in decision making, there is still a need for him to exercise authority, especially when holding meetings with them (Diefenbach & Sillince, 2012).Structural ChangeBefore making a suggestion on the structural changes that ought to be implemented in the organization, it is vital to describe the organizational structure of Casual Togs as depicted in the case study. Based on the informal nature of meetings between departmental heads and the company’s president and the lack of a clear hierarchy of authority in the firm, it can be argued that the organizational structure of the company is adhocratic (Deb, 2009). Even tho ugh such a structure is ideal in encouraging creativity and innovation among employees and effectively adjusting with the changes in the market, it also has several demerits. These include a difficulty to solve routine problems that may arise in the organization, an unclear line of authority and high exposure of the organization to risk (Diefenbach & Todnem, 2012). With reference to the case study, even though Judy is the vice president, she seems to have more authority that the company’s president, Cy. In this regard, the company needs to consider changing its structure to a more formal and well structured bureaucratic structure (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Even though such structures are known to limit innovation and creativity within the organization, it may be ideal for Casual Togs for a number of reasons. These include easing the decision making process, reduction of the exposure to risk and the acknowledgement of a certain structure of authority that has to be adhered to (Bratton & Gold, 2012). Implementing such a structure is likely to eliminate the emotionally charged informal meetings’ scenarios and also the interference of individuals like Judy in all organizational departments.Responding to Changes in the Competitive EnvironmentBased on the fact that the apparels industry is highly competitive and dynamic, it is also necessary for the company to be flexible enough and ready to implement changes that will maintain its relevance to the target markets (Rugman et al., 2012). One of the measures that have to be undertaken to attain this objective is to intensify market research and carry it out on a regular basis. This could be through seeking customer feedback or studying the changing trends through observation. Market research also involves studying the tactics or strategies that are being used by competing companies in the industry (Witell et al., 2011). It is through these market research efforts that the Casual Togs will be able to adjust its product designs and marketing strategies to fit the market preferences while at the same time ensuring that it effectively competes with other players in the market. Maintaining a competitive edge in the industry also depends on the skills that the company has in its human resource force (Dervitsiotis, 2011). It is important for Casual Togs to hire employees that are not only qualified, but also innovative enough to come up with designs that will be well accepted by the target markets. Innovation can also be nurtured among employees in the organization by utilizing appropriate motivational and reward strategies (Wright et al., 2012). Workers at Casual Togs also need to be informed on the inevitability of change in organizations, and why they should always be ready for it. By so doing, resistance to change among employees will be reduced. Some of the changes that may need to be implemented at Casual Togs include technological advancements in the production of its apparel and alteration of product designs to reflect the needs in the market (Myers et al., 2012). Conclusion and RecommendationsConclusionThis report has presented a case study analysis of Casual Togs, a fashion business that mainly deals in the manufacture and distribution of women’s apparels. After two decades of operation, the company’s performance in the market dropped due because of a number of reasons, which have been highlighted in the report. One of these is the poor quality of products, which led to an increase in the volume of returned products. It also led to the withdrawal of many old customers. Another issue that has been identified is the failure to keep employees motivated enough to increase their organizational commitment. The causes of these issues at Casual Togs have also been presented in the paper, as well as some suggestions on how the president of the company can make the necessary changes to improve the situation at the company. Suggestions that have been provides comprise of management changes, structural changes and how the company can respo nd faster to changes and competition in the market. Further recommendations that can improve the company’s brand position are presented hereunder.RecommendationsIn order for the company to appeal to a wider market and increase its returns, it needs to consider expanding its product line. As opposed to the current products that only target ladies, Casual Togs can also consider introducing men’s and children’s clothes. As presented in the case, the products that the company distributes are mainly shorts, blouses and some knit dresses. Introduction of other female apparel like skirts, trench coats and pants can also be advantageous for the company. The case has also highlighted the high costs of production that the company incurs. Though some of these costs are inevitable, the company can reduce the overall costs by using appropriate lean production strategies, which are aimed to minimize the cost and maximize production. Some of the approaches that can be used include minimization or even elimination of errors in the design and production of products and standardization of work processes. In terms of human resource management, the company needs to ensure that it hires and strives to maintain talented and innovative employees that will contribute towards its progress in the market. Some of the approaches to motivation include offering them a reasonable remuneration and rewarding them for unique contribution. Given that the fashion industry is quite competitive, failure to motivate and retain skilled employees may tempt them to cross over and work for competitor companies, which may be detrimental for Casual Togs. References Adler, G., 2013. Management Communication. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Bhardwaj, V. & Fairhurst, A., 2010. Fast fashion: response to changes in the fashion industry. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 20(1), pp.165-73. Bratton, J. & Gold, J., 2012. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (5th edition). London: Palgrave. Carter, M.Z., Armenakis, A.A., Feild, H.S. & Mossholder, K.W., 2013. Transformational leadership, relationship quality, and employee performance during continuous incremental organizational change. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(7), pp.942-58. Choi, S., Cheong, K.K. & Feinberg, R.A., 2012. Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers. Managing Service Quality, 22(5), pp.492-516. Deb, T., 2009. Managing Human Resource And Industrial Relations. Excel Books. Dervitsiotis, K.N., 2011. The challenge of adaptation through innovation based on the quality of the innovation process. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 22(5), pp.553-66. Diefenbach, T. & Sillince, J.A., 2012. Crossing of Boundaries–Subordinates’ Challenges to Organisational Hierarchy. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 35, pp.171-201. Diefenbach, T. & Todnem, R., 2012. Reinventing Hierarchy and Bureaucracy: From the Bureau to Network Organizations. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Giuliano, L., Levine, D.I. & Leonard, J., 2011. Racial Bias in the Manager-Employee Relationship An Analysis of Quits, Dismissals, and Promotions at a Large Retail Firm. Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), pp.26-52. Hill, C., Jones, G?. & Schilling, ?M., 2014. Strategic Management: Theory: An Integrated Approach. Mason: Cengage Learning. Hongjun, L. & Yajia, G., 2012. Study on Chain Companies Human Resources Management. Information and Business Intelligence, 267, pp.227-32. Lutgen-Sandvik, P. & Tracy, S.J., 2012. Answering Five Key Questions About Workplace Bullying How Communication Scholarship Provides Thought Leadership for Transforming Abuse at Work. Management Communication Quarterly, 26(1), pp.3-47. Myers, P., Hulks, S. & Wiggins, L., 2012. Organizational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rosenfeld, S.A., 2012. Competitive Manufacturing: New Strategies for Regional Development. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Rugman, A.M., Oh, C.H. & Lim, D.S., 2012. The regional and global competitiveness of multinational firms. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(2), pp.218-35. Talib, F., Rahman, Z. & Qureshi, M., 2011. A study of total quality management and supply chain management practices. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 60(3), pp.268-88. Witell, L., Kristensson, P., Gustafsson, A. & Lofgren, M., 2011. Idea generation: customer co-creation versus traditional market research techniques. Journal of Service Management, 22(2), pp.140-59. Wright, B.E., Moynihan, D.P. & Pandey, S.K., 2012. Pulling the Levers: Transformational Leadership, Public Service, Motivation, and Mission Valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), p.206–215.

Strategic Management Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Management Master - Essay Example The political environment of Tesco includes factors relating laws, government agencies and any other pressure groups that can influence Tesco. Fair trading is becoming increasingly important in UK's business environment. For instance, 15000 African slaves working in African cocoa fields is a big concern of chocolate consumers in UK; likewise there are fair-trade factors that influence Tesco as well. Hence it comes under the scrutiny and keen observation of the Office of Fair Trading for applying monophony in agricultural markets. Community organizations in the UK have put in efforts to boycott supermarkets and large confectionary manufactures and supports small scale retailers in order to avoid their use of dominant power by dictating favourable terms and regulations on suppliers. Increased availability of credit is an important economic factor in the UK business environment of Tesco because the availability of credit itself provides financial confidence to the consumer and as a result it leads to the growth of premium foods and less demand on economy products. Large grocery retailers in UK moved in to non food retailing so as to improve margins in the highly competitive market. The UK market is largely affected by negative inflation which is driven by 'Wal-Mart effect'; that is every day law price strategy. Social People like shopping well if they get everything under a single roof. So, the convenient shopping especially 'everything under one roof strategy' is very important in Tesco's business environment. As large scale retailers cut labours by providing self service facilities it consequently local communities are haemorrhaging quantities of meaningful skilled jobs. Confectionary market is largely being affected by 'small treat' trend which in fact leads consumers to select small chocolates and small food products instead of large meals (JESS HALLIDAY -2008). Consumers always seem to be 'time poor' and hence they tend towards choosing small treat and small food items that they can have on the go. These factors as well largely affect Tesco's market. Technological The growing use of electronic data interchange, barcode readers, credit or debit card reader equipments, laser and self scanning and other points of sale tools has become a feature of recent innovation by retailers. The sophisticated technology used in store card system also becomes significant in the UK market. Online shopping and other new trends in retailing like home delivery services, after sales services and home shopping play vital role in consumer satisfaction and hence it is a significant factor that influences Tesco' market. Environmental The environmental issues like pollution and green house gas emission have gained attention from public part. Public always concerns environmental pollution and emissions of green house gas that causes ozone depletion and finally global warming. All the retailers have taken this factor to be a major concern and have taken actions so as to avoid any further consequences. There are other factors like packaging food, cleanliness,

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - case study format Essay - 1

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - case study format - Essay Example IKEA is a European company and its business and organisational culture differs with Chinese culture. Hence, it has to face multiple hindrances in controlling the Chinese market. Besides, the government’s trade policies for MNCs are another major issue for IKEA in offering lower cost product and hence, it becomes difficult for the company to compete with other domestic furniture manufacturing companies. There are two major problems in IKEA for its China market that includes cross cultural communication gap and government policies. In this process, the primary aim of IKEA is to understand the core Chinese culture which must be blended with IKEA organisational culture. Understanding of local culture is inevitable for IKEA. Therefore, it should develop its internal organisation’s culture and communicational process by implementing integrated marketing communication model. It also needs to achieve higher efficiency of its multinational teams, and IKEA should try to increase the number of Chinese employees to understand and convince target consumer group. Besides, government’s support is also very essential for IKEA so it must increase its activities relating to corporate social responsibility. Introduction Globalization has brought significant changes in human activities and their lifestyles. It has led to accelerate the growth and development of entire world economies and societies. Trade and business activities are one of the most crucial areas that have experienced tremendous growth since last two decades. The increasing global exchanges enhanced the importance of international trade and policies. Besides, the business agreements and treaties have facilitated the international communication and business activities. These reasons have provided greater opportunities to business organisations and hence, they keep expanding their geographical boundaries i.e. in overseas market. However, in this process, multinational companies (MNC) have to count er certain hindrances that affect efficiency of management. Cross cultural diversities and communication gap are the major challenges for MNCs (DuBrin, 2008, p.66). This paper will attempt to analyse a case of a multinational company facing hindrances in managing its international division ion a culturally diversified country. This paper will analyse major factors behind such issues and will provide a relevant solutions and recommendations. Finally, the entire discussions, analyses and outcomes will be concluded. Terms of Reference This paper will provide a description and solutions of problems faced by IKEA in Chinese market due to political, social and business cultural differences. IKEA is a world renowned furniture manufacturing company and it has expanded its market in China. Currently, this multinational company is facing problems in its Chinese market and hence, it has asked to prepare a report addressing the major causes for such issues in China. The company also needs prope r strategic solutions and recommendations to counter these issues facing in Chinese market. Overview of the Situation Overview of Company IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd) is a Sweden based, private holding multinational company and it is the largest furniture manufacturer in entire UK and Europe. The company was founded by Ingvar Kamprad during 1943. Initially, IKEA used to sell pens, tables, picture

MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN AN ORGANIZATION Essay

MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN AN ORGANIZATION - Essay Example The former is a process of sharing information and understanding between two people or a small group: the latter makes use of systems to share information and understanding with large number of people. Both type of communication occur at all level within an organization, with people outside the organization, and between organizations. Organization learning focuses on the way people make sense of their experiences at work. The aim of organizing is to enable people to relate other and to work together for a common purpose. The organized group of people in a collective sense is known as organization. (Yvonne 129) "Organization is the process of identifying and grouping work to be performed, defining and delegating responsibility relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work more effectively together in accomplishing objectives." (Yvonne 149) Organizational learning is about the effective processing, interpretation of, and response to, information both inside and outside the organization (Ahuja, 2005, p.880). Organization learning helps in bringing administrative efficiency and inculcate within element of success through several ways, which are outlined as follows: 1. Specialization. 1. Specialization. In the process of organizing, care is taken to see the activities are divided and subdivided into compact and convenient jobs. They are also to be grouped on the basis of similarity. Organizing thus promotes specialization, speedy performance of tasks and efficiency. 2. Well-defined jobs. The jobs of manager and non-managers are clearly defined and differentiated. This helps the process of looking for and selecting the employees and fitting the right person to the right job. 3. Clarifies authority and power. A clear-cut definition of authority enjoyed by each manager and his jurisdiction of activity minimizes conflict and confusion about the respective power and privileges of managers. 4. Avoid duplication of work. In the process of organizing specific jobs are assigned too individuals and work group. Thus organizing helps in avoiding duplication of work and overlapping in responsibilities among various Employees and work units. 5. Basis of coordination. The organization structure serves as a mechanism for coordination and unification of efforts of people. Higher-level managers exercising their authority over interconnected activities of lower level managers bring about harmony at work. 6. Source of support and security. Organizational structure is a source of support, security and satisfaction to managers and employees inn performing their assigned tasks. It recognizes the relative status levels of members enjoy a definite status and position in the organization. 7. Adaptation. Organization structure facilitates adjustment to changes in workload caused by changing conditions in the external environment related to technology, markets, products and resources. MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN AN ORGANIZATION Theories of learning be integrated into the design and delivery of training courses The term Human Resource Management, as opposed to 'personnel', signifies the broader role the management of people now plays in

Community Supported Agriculture Research Proposal

Community Supported Agriculture - Research Proposal Example re created by individuals, and especially farmers in European parts of the globe to bear the expenses of farming, in order to acquire most out of the land. (Duram, pp. 77) In terms of definition, farming is performed and food is distributed according to a new socio-economic model, referred as community-supported agriculture. Moreover, community and its members play a vital and significant role in the development and maintenance of community-supported agriculture, which results in mutual benefits for the community from food production. Some of the tasks involved in CSA are delivery of produced foods on a weekly basis, which is performed by different community members. Nowadays, community-based agriculture is mostly used in the United States; however, a number of similar approaches of agriculture can be seen in other parts of the globe as well. In order to understand this form of agriculture in a detailed manner, it is essential to explore the different characteristics of it. Specifically, production of high-quality fruits and vegetables is the notion and mission of community-supported agriculture, which is achieved by the support of community members. A stronger consumer relationship can be observed in such form due to greater involvement of consumers with the producers. Every season, a supportive group of community decides to fund the budget of production, and thus, all the tasks and jobs are performed by the individuals in a collective manner. According to theories related to community-supported agriculture, a higher quality during the production of foods can be achieved by collective support and management of farming, and that is the core of such form of agriculture. In community-based agriculture, farmers do not have bear the expenses alone, which often results in reduction of quality standards, in order to lower the costs. However, the whole budget of a season is supported by the community members, and weekly production is distribution among these members,

How the marketing mix is used to create superior customer experience Essay - 1

How the marketing mix is used to create superior customer experience - Essay Example It is essential to understand why the topic is being researched. While most fast food companies have been trying to enhance customer experience, not all succeed. This is why the research objectives of this study are to ascertain the extent to which the four elements of marketing mix contribute towards superior customer experience. With the focus on McDonalds, the global fast food company, the study aims to understand the way the four elements have to be adjusted by McDonalds in its global operations. This would enable the restaurant and the fast food sector to understand where they lack and rectify their marketing mix strategy. Research design is the process of collecting, analyzing and presenting the data for the research. Knox (2004) suggests that there must be a link between the theory and argument, and the data collected. This enables the researcher to understand the constraints of the research and take an informed decision of the research process. Determining the research philosophy helps understand the issues involved in the research process and also understand how the data should be interpreted. There are different ways to interpret knowledge but the two most commonly used methods are the positivism (deductive/quantitative with hypothesis testing) and interpretivism (inductive/qualitative with hypothesis generalizations). The arguments are deductively strong if the conclusion is true, whatever may be the premises. On the other hand, if the premises support the conclusion then the argument is inductively strong (Rips, 2001). However, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages and hence the method chosen depends upon several factors. These factors include the purpose and the subject of the research, the size of the sample. Both these methods – the qualitative and the quantitative methods of research are linked to the interpretation of the philosophy – positivism and interpretivism. Positivism is based on the

Strategy Formulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Strategy Formulation - Essay Example The task is acknowledged as essential to enable taking track of sales leads.The areas that can be changed are as follows: (1) determining the scope of the assistant’s job. It could be that there are more important responsibilities that need to be urgently taken cared of and that taking phone messages were regarded as insignificant (unless explicitly communicated); (2) the location of the telephone might also be far from the assistant’s work place making it tedious to take messages, as such, putting the telephone near the assistant’s work place would help in taking the needed phone messages; (3) use of advanced technology could help (like using a headphone where the assistant could immediately talk to clients while doing other tasks); and (4) assigning other staff or personnel to take phone message, if and when possible. The strategy would therefore really depend on the root causes of the assistant’s inability to take phone message. If it stems from structu ral causes, the strategy entails changing the location of the phone or applying advanced digital peripherals that would assist in multi-tasking. If the cause of the inability stems from personal traits , the strategy could entail hiring another assistant who would be competent in doing the task. If this is not possible, the assistant could be trained to do the task, as required. Finally, if the cause of work overload, the task should be delegated to other staff who could be relied on to take phone messages, as needed. Â  

Is There a Correlation between Nutritional Habits and Behavior in Assignment

Is There a Correlation between Nutritional Habits and Behavior in Adolescent Girls and Advertisement - Assignment Example In the paper, the adolescent girls will be shown various food advertisements and then given assorted food during meals including the foods that were in the advertisements. The control group will consist of girls who will not be shown the experiment but will also be given food the same as the girls in the experimental group. The threat to validity is that there could be some variables that affect nutritional habits and behavior other then advertisement. However, the threat will be eliminated through the use of the control group. The findings of the experiment will be important in establishing whether there is a strong correlation between nutritional habits and behavior and advertisements. In addition, the qualitative data obtained will reveal some of the reasons for the strong correlation between nutritional habits and behavior and advertisement. Experiments make use of samples that may not reflect upon the true state of things in the population. In this experiment the findings might indicate that alcohol consumption does not affect academic performance whereas in the population the state of things might be different. In addition, it would be cumbersome to establish the level of impact of different forms of advertisement. a) Operationalize the concepts in your research question into an item or items suitable for a questionnaire. Questionnaire Item: Do you believe that food companies are sincere in their commercials about the nutritional benefits of products? b) Include some demographic measures in your questionnaire: The adolescent ages will range from the age of ten to twenty and they will be grouped into 2; one group will be from 10-15 and the other group will be from 15-20. The study will seek to establish the group whose nutritional habits and behavior are influenced by advertisement. c) Decide on a type of experimental design and explain how observations would be made. The research will follow an interpretive approach where data will be collected and analyz ed. The research will also follow and ethnographic approach where the nutritional behavior and habits of both the experiment and control group will be observed over a long period of time. d) Explain how three scientific assumptions are upheld (violated) in your example Errors in experiment are unavoidable therefore the assumption of intentional and unintentional mistake is violated. The subjects might be biased by what they expect to happen therefore the second assumption is violated. The result of the sample might be a true representation of the population therefore the third assumption is not violated. The paper will give examples of how each goal of science can be served by experimental research. The first goal of science is to investigate with the aim of validating or disapproving a theory. Experiments allow researchers to conduct studies aimed at establishing whether a theory is just a postulation or whether the theory is factual. The second goal of science is the discovery of new concepts and ideas that help in understanding of our world better. It is through experiments that scientists have been able to stumble upon new ideas and concepts. The third goal of science is that it should be able to support a claim through evidence. The results of a research act as evidence.

Judeo - Christian Bible and the Islamic Qu'ran Essay

Judeo - Christian Bible and the Islamic Qu'ran - Essay Example It is evident that the omnipotence and the omnipresence of the one God led to the basics of Islam. The single divinity acceptance unified all things, and this led to harmony throughout the universe in the due to the impact of Islam and Christianity (Silberstein, 159). Another similarity that Judeo-Christian bible and the Islamic Qur’an have is traced in the heritage to the Biblical patriarch, Abraham. In the context, Abraham is referred to as the father of nations in Genesis 12 and to Christians it means that they are descendants of Abraham. The bible also creates the awareness that we are the inheritance of God’s promises to Abraham. Islams believe that Islamic religion came from Ishmael the son of Abraham and the maidservant Hagar (Silberstein, 158). The differences between the Bible and the Quran have is back dated to the Deity of Jesus. Qur’an shows Jesus as a prophet just like Noah, Moses and Abraham. Islam’s compare him with Prophet Mohammad, who was a descendant of Ishmael. This is apparent in Koran 4:171 that say, â€Å"Jesus, who was the son of Mary, and was not more than Allah’s apostle (Bogle,4-5). Conversely, Christians view Jesus as greater than a prophet. The Bible depicts him as the son of God. The statement is evident in John 4:26 where Jesus claimed to be God’s son. 1st Timothy 3:16 states that Jesus was used by God to manifest his flesh (Burgos, 76). Another difference is on the internal judgment. The Qur’an explains that those who murder or are killed by unbelievers will go back to the garden of paradise a place of many lustful pleasures (Koran 9:111). As for the Bible it outlines that those who believe in Jesus Christ and have let him lead their life will enjoy eternity in heaven (Burgos, 80). The other view of internal judgment the Qur’an teaches that those who worship any other god other than Allah will have a great punishment as they will go to hell,

How has the Supreme Court evolved over its history Essay

How has the Supreme Court evolved over its history - Essay Example Supreme Court as it has introduced into practice the concept of judicial review and granted authority to determine the constitutionality of legislative acts and executive orders. The Supreme Court established that a federal law is more important than a state law. Its decisions have become one of the causes of the American Civil War, abolition of racial segregation and legalization of abortion. According to the U.S. Constitution â€Å"the judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish†. This and many other provisions are included in Article 3, which alone contains the list of duties and prerogatives of the Supreme Court. This organ of the federal government was not touched in any of the twenty-five Amendments adopted in 1791-1971. The functions of the Supreme Court were specified in the Constitution very sketchy while the rights and functions of the legislative power, exercised by Congress, and executive power, exercised by the President, are very clear. The Supreme Court took on the role of the higher national arbitrator during the 19th century. It was vested with the authority to affirm, check for errors or even annul not only the decisions of the lower federal courts but also the decisions of the federal, state and municipal authorities. The U.S. Constitution does not detail how many justices should be in the Supreme Court, leaving it to the discretion of Congress. Initially, it decided to appoint six justices. Subsequently, the composition of the court consisted of 10 justices but it sometimes happened that their number was reduced to five. Typically, precise number of justices was defined just to ensure the effective work of the court. Now nine justices are appointed; one of them is the Chief Justice. All of them, in principle, are irremovable and can remain in office for life

Amy Tan's The joy Luck Club Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amy Tan's The joy Luck Club - Essay Example At first it seems that these disparate stories have nothing in common, except the conflict between two cultures - they are just a figment of some not very happy ladies’ experiences. However, during the process of reading, the pictures complement one another and stories, which were supposed to be autonomous, are connected by a thin thread. The author also concerns â€Å"the nature of mother-daughter relationships, which are complicated not only by age difference, but by different upbringings. The issues of self-respect, personal identity are also highlighted in the novel† ("BookRags Book Notes on") . The young mothers who arrived to America create a club for meeting and communication. At these meetings, they eat Chinese food, play board game mahjongg, talk. Each of them experienced some heavy losses in the past. But instead plunging into the painful memories of those losses, they prefer coming together for mutual support, material and spiritual. They all share a hope for the future, so they called themselves The Joy Luck Club. It is obvious, that is extremely difficult, and even impossible for the senior generation, to get accustomed to new American culture, to leave behind their usual Chinese lifestyles. â€Å"American circumstances but Chinese character†¦ How could I know these two things do not mix?† (Tan 15: 254), - this question bothered not only Lindo, but the rest of mothers. The women of older generation, â€Å"Old World fossils† (Tan 2: 89), are in the state of permanent cultural shock. The gap between the American and Chinese cultures is supposed to be insurmountable. When one of the women dies, her daughter Jing-mei was invited to take mother’s place at the mahjongg table. The daughters know only about their mothers’ lives in America, but they never told about what kind of life their parent had in China. As one of the young girls states, -"Over the years, she told me the same story, except for the ending, which grew darker, casting long shadows into her life, and eventually into mine."(Tan 1: 21). And if the main task for the older generation was to assimilate into the new environment, for American-born children it was a problem to overcome feelings of shame for their parents being immigrants. Jing-mei feels uneasy in the company of all these Chinese â€Å"aunties†; the young girl taking her mother’s place at the table, which is contrary to her own desire, â€Å"symbolizes the very generation and cultural gap between children and parents† ("BookRags Book Notes on"). Conversations of June and Suyuen testifies to the fact that it was a torture to come to understanding. â€Å"My mother and I never really understood one another. We translated each other's meanings and I seemed to hear less than what was said, while my mother heard more† (Tan 2: 27) Thus, a reader understands that â€Å"there is also a communication barrier between mothers and daughters† ("BookRags Book Notes on"). The mothers are eager to raise their daughters according to their traditions and worldviews, -â€Å"†¦Only two kind of daughters. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!" (Tan 8: 142)† The young girls rebel against such intentions; they do not want to be oppressed and do not want their

HCM621-0804A-01 Ethics, Policy, and Law in Health Care Management - Essay - 4

HCM621-0804A-01 Ethics, Policy, and Law in Health Care Management - Phase 3 Discussion Board - Essay Example In case of Arizona v. Maricopa County Medical Society, 457 U.S. 332 (1982), the â€Å"Supreme Court held that these maximum fee schedules represented per se unlawful price-fixing agreements.† (Austen, 2008). The issues involved in limiting both patients’ choices for providers and vice versa would be in terms of a perceived compromise in quality and standards of health care provision since individualized client attention and monitoring would be lower in such cases. This is evident in Government run health care centers where a single provider is assigned to take charge of large group of patients. In such cases the following issues could arise: Apparently, in efforts to control the administration of (new) drugs, the Federal government may issue strictures on the kind of drugs physicians could prescribe and the kind of drug stores which could dispense these drugs. Control of these kinds may actually be detrimental to the interests of both patients and providers since â€Å"they impose one-size prescriptions in an area of science that is marked by variation." Further, it could be said that "...solutions to any of the health care problems that government is trying to mitigate will not rest in Washingtons constraining fixes but with [medical organizations] working with agencies to promote practice standards and safety measures that do not sacrifice medical autonomy and patient choice." (Kaiser, 2007). The Bill or Rights is an important step towards seeking social equality and fairness in medical treatment. Under this it is possible for patients to â€Å"sue for injury resulting from denial of care.† (Hashimoto, 2001). However, much as this bill may appear to professs equality and protect underprivileged class interests, it fails to acquire implementation value since the poorer sectors are not included since it does not cover the poorer sections of society who are covered under Medicaid. Thus it is setting its sights on citizens who seek private medical care. Therefore,

Questions for Case at the Dimensional Fund Advisors (The Size Effect Study

Questions for at the Dimensional Fund Advisors (The Size Effect and The Value Effect) - Case Study Example DFAs business practices of trying of avoid the lemons problem while not doing any fundamental analysis suggest that they believe strong form of market efficiency but worried that semi-strong form of market efficiency might fail (Cohen 4). These sentiments can be illustrated by the dedication to the principle of market efficiency where over any given time frame; no investor has the ability to pick stocks that would beat the market in its performance. Its main concern was the presence of negative private information known to the seller but not to the market. According to Cohen, the Fama-French -three factor type of efficient market brings into consideration three products; size, value, and market risk factor in the capital asset pricing model (13). With the deterioration of the small stocks in the 1980s and 1990s, these small stocks managed to outperform small stock indexes and small cap funds due to purchase discounts which were combined with the avoidance of adverse selection. It is true to say that due to the size effect, smaller stocks tend to do better than large stocks as in the case of LinkedIn and Google where the former has higher returns than the latter. Conversely, according to the value effect, since Google has a higher book to market ratio as compared to LinkedIn, this means that in this case, Google gunners more returns (Cohen 19). In consistence to the hypothesis that market price is efficient, we can conclude that small firms and value firms on average have high returns. However, investors are not crazily excited about the small and value investment products that DFA recently offered, which exactly focus on earning the high returns of small and value

Benefits of artificial intelligence to the society Research Paper

Benefits of artificial intelligence to the society - Research Paper Example Artificial intelligence can be defined as the intelligence that machines have. Artificial intelligence is also a scientific discipline in which, scientists try to develop machines with intelligence that is based on human intelligence (Boden, 2006). The intelligence that is provided to artificial beings such as computerized machineries is based on human development. This concept gain reputation on the basis of an ideal world in which, people’s jobs can be eased out with the help of machineries. With artificial intelligence, it is perceived that machines can perform better than humans and within much less time. According to John McCarthy, artificial intelligence is â€Å"the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs†. The history of computers is divided into generations and the concept of artificial intelligence comes under the heading of fifth generation. The fifth generation computers have artificial intelligence an d they are able to imitate common human functions like vision, natural language, comprehension, speech synthesis, usage of more specialized knowledge like human experts and many others. In other words, it can be said that computers with artificial intelligence are like artificial humans or robotics that are able to perform functions that human beings can perform. With artificial intelligence, many benefits can be achieved and these benefits are unlike simple computer systems as computerized machineries with artificial intelligence are much more efficient than simple computers. ... agents in form of artificial intelligent machines, which can do the works of humans such as in industrial setups where heavy works are required, machineries are installed to perform the work of many humans (Russell and Norvig, 2003). An artificially intelligent machine can perform the work of many humans with its intelligence and working expertise. However, human hand is required to make the machine continue working in the same manner. Because of machines involvement in business environment, where human effort is less required, the jobs of human beings are also not needed as the machine is able to perform the tasks of many people (Dreyfus and Dreyfus, 1986). The administration feels that there is no need to pay a large number of people when a single machine can do what many people are doing. It can deprive people of their employment and compensation, which can be counted as a disadvantage associated with the artificial intelligence technology. The artificial intelligent machines can be used in healthcare sector for the provision of medical facilities to people in a manageable time. Again the machines keep the capacity of depriving people of their jobs in medical sector as they can handle the tasks of many doctors at one time. Less hospital staff will be required for handling patients as the efficient machines will be there to make available medical services to patients (Boden, 2006). According to John McCarthy (2007), there are many applications of artificial intelligence that can also be counted as benefits attached with the field of artificial intelligence such as speech recognition, understanding natural language, computer vision, expert systems and heuristic classification. The artificial intelligent systems can recognize speech, can understand natural language and

Socrates on Oratory, Desire, Power, and Good in Gorgias 447a-468e Essay Example for Free

Socrates on Oratory, Desire, Power, and Good in Gorgias 447a-468e Essay To critically assess the language of Socrates within the work Gorgias, a look will be taken at the key steps to refutation and how Gorgias, and later Polus, may have failed in his attempt, and further, how Socrates makes the argument that tyrants, like orators or politicians, have no real power and that they are unable to act upon their own desires because they are crippled by the very power that makes them powerful. When Socrates and Chaerephon arrive at the lecture of Gorgias, Callicles makes the blithe joke that Socrates never lowers himself to such an argument that he is about to make—but he, like an arrogant rooster, forces his way into a refutation that Gorgias never knew was coming. By way of manipulating Chaerephon into asking the questions that spark the dialogue, Socrates gets Gorgias to admit that he is a rhetorician, and that even the ability to teach others the way of rhetoric is attributed to him. However, in his attempt at precision in language, Gorgias does exactly what Socrates intended to accuse him of doing—being unable to define his being and purpose in life purely because he sought to, and admitted he was best at, explaining things in the simplest of terms. Socrates refutation follows to first get Gorgias to define something, then to expound upon that with niceties and confusion, getting Gorgias to further his argument and, essentially, dig himself into the hole that Socrates planned all the while to push him into. Furthermore, Socrates is indisputably the ideal debater because of his innate ability to disarm his opponents by getting them to not only agree with him, but to abandon their beliefs as well. He patronizes Gorgias over and over, claiming that he isn’t trying to offend, he is a nice guy just trying to understand, but, indeed, Socrates knows very well the subject matter that he tries to get Gorgias to explain and is merely entering into such debate to prove a point. He leads the conversation in such a way that Gorgias never had a chance, even though, before the conversation began, Gorgias believed himself one of the best rhetoricians around and was very pleased with his previous lecture. Because Gorgias made the bold claim that he could answer any question put to him, Socrates dove in to make the point of how very wrong Gorgias is. To Socrates, Gorgias was merely easy prey. In making such a audacious statement, Socrates knew that he had to put Gorgias into his place—which was that he really had no idea what he was talking about all along. Gorgias had it in his head that the theory of rhetoric was, essentially, the art of speaking. Much later, Socrates convinces Gorgias that rhetoric is actually the art of persuasion, which irrevocably leads Gorgias into his greatest contradiction—that of morality in persuasion. But, despite whatever one might say about Socrates’ character, he does make a philosophical point that the nature of words and arguments cannot be so simply stated. Especially one so indefinable as rhetoric. With his refutation of Gorgias, Socrates gets Gorgias to claim that rhetoricians have the ability to speak in a manner that is more persuasive than a professional in the same field, but that because all rhetoricians practice a certain code of morality, that they would not act in such a manner as to fool people into believing they are a professional when they are not. In this, Socrates has Gorgias beat. Because, as Socrates adeptly catches, anyone who practices moral ethics would not behave in such a manner, and thus, what Gorgias has described cannot exist because of that contradiction. Socrates is ultimately about finding and defining the contradiction in any argument. Throughout his refutation with Gorgias, Socrates makes Gorgias define his belief, without a doubt, and then crushes him in an instant by proving how he is wrong. Gorgias, for his part, opened himself up to this messy refutation by making his bold claim, but, in a way, he stood no chance against Socrates’ bullying. In fact, Socrates entered into this refutation for the mere result of making Gorgias look the fool in front of the assembled crowd that he had just given a lecture to—to make Gorgias look very bad indeed in front of the people he had just been proud of himself for teaching. In essence, Socrates delivers a low blow and ultimately destroys Gorgias’ reputation instantly. The conversation follows a few beats later to the claim that Socrates makes to Polus that tyrants, like orators, or politicians, have no great power because in doing what seems best, politicians strive to do what is good for them—and in this is their failing, because in their attempt to do what they believe is best for themselves, politicians are unable to do what they want. Socrates explains that politicians are the weakest of humans because they have the innate gene that makes them follow the whims of others, and, paradoxically, are unable to choose what they want to do—which makes them excessively weak. And thus, those who have the most power have the least. Socrates makes the distinction that in doing what one thinks is best, one is often unable to do what one wants. In his argument, Socrates brings up the scenario that a politician might have to execute someone for the betterment of all, despite the fact that the politician might not want to go through with this execution at all. In this, Socrates defines that politicians have very little power at all—because they have to act for the community, they are literally unable to act solely for themselves. And, it is because of this nature that they have no power. Of course, Polus is forced to agree with Socrates because he can give no argument to the contrary. But, consider what Polus was unable to argue. While a politician may have to make decisions for the betterment of his community, he still has the ultimate choice of whether or not to go through with any action, and further, he has the choice, in his heart, that he must know is not only the right choice but the choice that will actually be what he wants to do. Indeed, one could argue that a politician that is unable to make choices for himself is the weakest creature, but, if all politicians are such weak creatures, who then is running the country? There has to be someone pulling the strings—and he has to be a master orator to make those strings move in a desirable way. Perhaps Socrates is correct in his assessment, but, it can also follow that Socrates is just a pompous bully rounding on the playground to make others feel the shame of being unable to stand up for their own values. If Socrates can be said to have a talent, it is the ability to make others immediately and irrevocably give up their core beliefs without, really, much argument at all. Sure, Gorgias put up a bit of a fight, but it was clear from the beginning that he never had a chance against Socrates—Callicles made it clear that Socrates was being kind to condescend to Gorgias’ level. In fact, no one does. Because Socrates enters into every conversation with the idea of drawing a simple question into a refutation that his opponent never saw coming and never had a fair chance of avoiding. Bibliography. Plato. (1994). Gorgias. Trns. Robin Waterfield. New York: Oxford UP.

Healthy Eating Essay Example for Free

Healthy Eating Essay I conducted research on a chosen topic for me to gain my secondary data, I research article on my chosen topic, printed them off and highlighted them in my appendix. I got the articles from books and online websites. I then produced a literature review of my articles. I also had to gain primary information which I got from my observations on 30 children at placement and 30 questionnaires send out to the parents but in order for me to do this I had to send out permission letters but before I was ale to do this I had to created my questionnaire and provision letter. Once I had all my permission letters and questionnaires back (managed to get 20 back), I collated my data and the produced charts by using bar charts, pie charts and tally charts. I was also able to carry out my observations because I had my permission slips and with this information I produced my data using bar charts, pie charts and tally charts. After producing all my charts, I had to analyse and summarise the date and find out the mode, range and median of each chart. I also produced my methodology, put into my appendix example of my questionnaire and permission letters as well as the printed out PowerPoint, say what topic I picked and why, the aims of my topic, what my sample target was and how many, who piloted my questionnaire and how I produced it, the ethical issues throughput my research project and confidentiality. An action plan was produced on each section in my research project by a grid which I filled out the dates of target completion and actual completion date. The last thing I did in my research project was state the strengths and weakness throughout the project, conclude what I have found out and reflect on the whole research project as well as having my bibliography which includes all the article I printed off, highlighted and reviewed. From carrying out this research project I found out that 13 children are healthy and 7 children are unhealthy out of the 20 children aged 4-5 years old. I also found out from my data that 4 year old boys are healthier than girls of that age and 5 year old girls are healthier than boys of that age. Another thing I found out was that 15 parents don’t follow the at well plate when providing their child with food however children are eating a variety of food from different food groups that are recurred for them to have a healthy diet. I also found out that children do eat fruit and the majority of parents don’t struggle to provide their child with a healthy diet as this can be seen in my data. Another thing I found out was that 15 parents don’t follow the at well plate  when providing their child with food. I chose to research the subject healthy eating because I believe it is important to give children a healthy lifestyle to help prevent and reduce their risk of anaemia, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity in the future. My research will be carried out by observing 30 children at placement between the age of 4-5 years and questionnaires on the parents. In order for me to carry out observations and questionnaires I will need permission from the parents of the children. I will gain permission by writing permission letters to the parents and get the signatures back to say whether they will complete my questionnaire and allow their child to be observed. I will get any secondary data/ literature information on healthy eating from books, articles, pictures and online websites which I use to help me back up my research and results. The type of data that will be used in my project is qualitive and quantitive data. My primary data will be shown by bar charts, pie chart and tally chart. I will select my participants by using every parents and child’s observation and questionnaire in order for me to gain the best information and results possible. The one and most important thing I will need to consider when collecting any data id to make sure it is valid and reliable and I will check whether this is by investigating the source to see if it is relevant. The problems that might arise during this research project maybe the lack of information and relevance of information. The ethical issues that I have to consider are confidentiality; keeping my observations and questionnaire anonymous a the way through my research project, person may withdraw their participants at anytime during my project, some parents may not want to provide the information in the questionnaire and therefore will not take part or want their child to contribute in the observation, remember to value and not judge the participants and allow them all to take part by sticking to equal opportunities and be sensitive to the children and their needs by balancing their rights of needs to protection and participants through applying the Children Act 1989 and 2004 as well as the UNCRC 1989 to this. I found that the strengths of my chosen methodology were that I could have a wide range of the sample target, the person doesn’t feel pressured into answering any questions, it was easy to generate quantitative date and easy to analyse. I found that the weaknesses of my chosen methodology were that not all people could have told the truth when answering the questions, people obtained different interpretations of some questions. When observing the children the strength I found was that it was easy to record down what I wanted to gain my information on and the weakness I found was that not all children were present at the day that I wanted to observe them therefore I had to carry out the observation on a day where all the children were present. I managed to receive back all 30 copies that were sending out to the parents which had all been completed the correct way. I had to stick to confidentiality all the way throughout my research project and in order for me to do this, I kept all my questionnaire and observations anonymous. I kept my questionnaires anonymous. I kept my observations anonymous by not including any child’s name when gaining my information. I recorded my information in bar charts, tally charts and pie charts. The recording methods I used were very useful because I was able to read the information from it need in order for me to gain my results. The figures which show this are that 13 children are healthy and 7 children are not healthy in chart 12. It also shows on chart 29 that only 4 children are unhealthy from the ethnicity groups; 1 child is unhealthy out of the 7 British children, 1 Polish child is unhealthy out of the 3 Polish children, the 1 Spanish child is unhealthy and the 1 Jewish person is unhealthy which meant that the other 16 children all together from each ethnicity group were healthy. This could have an impact on how many children understood what a healthy diet is or what a balanced diet is as seen in chart 13 which shows that 9 children understand what a healthy diet is or what a balanced diet is, 6 ch ildren don’t understand what a healthy diet is or what a balanced diet is, 1 child only know what a healthy diet is, 1 child understand what a healthy diet is or what a balanced diet is sort of, 1 child is only understood some of it and the other one child should do. Another thing that could have an impact on how healthy children are is chart 21, showing that 17 parents do the household shopping and 3 parents don’t therefore could have an outcome in how healthy the children eat because the parents are buying the food that  they will provide for their child to eat and these children could be given healthier food to eat e.g.: fruit and vegetables meaning they are eating a healthy diet. The fact that on 17 more children prefer to drink fizzy drinks to water didn’t have an impact on the majority of the 4-5 year olds having a healthy diet because we can see on chart 21 that 23 parents do the household shopping out of the 30 in the class and therefore these children could be given healthier food to eat e.g.: fruit and vegetables meaning they are eating a healthy diet. From chat 20 we see that 15 children mange to eat 5 fruit and vegetables per day and 5 children don’t eat 5 fruit and vegetable, however they many still mange to have some fruit during the day and this is than seen in chart 9 that 11 children have fruit and vegetable in their lunch boxes and on a daily basis. One thing that influenced the outcome of my research was most of the parents have jobs that enquire them to work with children or to look after peoples health, therefore because parents were doing this in their jobs, they know about why it is important to provide their child with a healthy diet and their children than was being encouraged to eat healthy and had a healthy diet. Another thing that influenced the outcome of my research is that the majority of parents provided their child with freshly cooked food meaning that the children were getting a variety of food to make up the healthy diet. 85% of the children were having a lot of energy during the day which had an influence on the outcome because if children eat a healthy food they are more likely to grow and develop better and don’t feel so sleepily during the day as seen in chart 23 that 16 children don’t feel sleepily during the day. The action plan that is in my appendix helped me complete my project as I was able to record the dates of completion on each section in the project and stick to it. It also helped me to manage my time effectively. I produced a questionnaire that links to my chosen topic healthy eating, where I wrote open-ended questions, yes and no questions and multiple answer questions in order for me to gain the information I want. I numbered each question 1 to 28 because the more questions in my questionnaire would give me more valid data to produce my charts and get reliable results. Once I had my questionnaire produced, a Level3 student in Health and Social Care piloted my questionnaire and found that there were no issues in my questionnaire. I therefore typed up my questionnaire and printed 30 copies for my sample target. I predict that if children aged 4-5 years old eat healthy, we should than find that they are having a healthy diet. If the reason for them having a healthy diet is eating a variety of food and getting the intake of mutations required from different food groups e.g.: fruit and vegetables. I expect to find that if parents provide their children with a healthy diet than they are more likely to eat healthy and have a healthy diet and if parents provide children with an unhealthy diet they are more likely to eat unhealthy and have an unhealthy diet. I expect to find the type of food that children eat on a daily basis to have an effect on how healthy they eat. I predict that if children are involved in helping with any type of preparing of food at home they are more likely to want to eat different kinds of food which means they will than be eating healthy. I expect to find, the ethnicity of children will not have an affect on how healthy they eat. I predict that if children have older siblings they will be influenced by their eating habits and they maybe passed down onto the younger sibling. I expect children who manage to have 5 fruit and vegetables per day will be  seen to have a healthier diet. From carrying out this research project on healthy eating I found out those 13 children are healthy out of the 20 children aged 4-5. I also found out that children do eat fruit and the majority of parents don’t struggle to provide their child with a healthy diet as this can be seen in my data. Another thing I found out was that 15 parents don’t follow the at well plate when providing their child with food however children are eating a variety of food from different food groups that are recurred for them to have a healthy diet. My research findings will help in my practice and support the development of my own practice when working with children and parents because I can be a good role model for the children and encourage the children that are not eating healthy to eat healthier, it gives me a better understanding of why children need to eat healthily and have 5 a day and I can back up my practice with evidence from NHS choices, The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) and Food Standards Agency and I can also gain knowledge on anything I may not know. The perditions and expectations in my hypothesis about the findings of my research seem to be shown as testable statements because the whole outcome of the project gave me the results which i was hoping to find. Books: Bruce. T and Meggitt (2002) Child Care and Education Third Edition, Italy: Hodder Stoughton Tassoni. P et al (2007) Child care and education 4th edition, London: Heinemann Websites: ETC Network (2011) Healthy Lifestyle for Children [Online] available at: http://everychildhealthy.com/blog/healthy-lifestyle-for-children Accessed on: 18th March 2012 NHS Choices (2011) – 5 A Day and your family [Online] available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Family.aspx Accessed on: 18th March 2012 KidsAndNutrition (2000-2012) How Many Calories Does Your Child Need? [Online] available at: http://www.kidsandnutrition.co.uk/how-many-calories-does-your-child-need.html Accessed on: 12th May 2012 BBC (2012) Nutritional needs in children [Online] available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/nutrition/life_children.shtml Accessed on: 4th June 2012 Department of heath (2004) – 5 A Day Made Easy: Just Eat More (fruit Veg) [Online] available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4088835.pdf Accessed on: 4th June 2012 British Nutrition Foundation (2009-2012) – Nutrition throughout life: School age children [Online] available at: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/life/school-children Accessed on: 4th June 2012 Oliver (2008) Jamie’s manifesto (part II) [Online] available at: http://www.jamieoliver.com/news/jamie-s-manifesto-part-ii Accessed on: 15th June 2012 Weight Loss Resources (2000-2012) Good Nutrition for children [Online] available at: http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/children/nutrition_calorie_needs.htm Accessed on: 4th June 2012

Intrinsic Power And Political Organisations

Intrinsic Power And Political Organisations This papers first aim is to analyse as well as evaluate the different thoughts and views exist in the literature about Power and politics are intrinsic to organisations. The second goal is to represent the motivational approaches related to power and politics in organization. The final goal is to show and illustrate the concept of power and politics through the film Devil Wears Prada. The review of the literature on organizational power and politics reveals a growing interest on this subject throughout the last few decades. Power and politics are the two indisputable part of organization. Decision making and problem solving are the two vital factors which are interconnected with Power and politics. Actual conflicts in organisations are resolved by power and political skills of managers and leaders. Power and Politics, though closely related, share similarities and differences but ultimately work together for the success of an organization. Unity in diversity should be the positive ou tcome of power and politics in organization. Power and politics are the crucial medium through which conflicts and divergent interest are managed and resolved. Power and politics are called the heart of organization. In the first part I want to discuss different aspects of power in organizations. Power is defined as the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them. (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn). Throughout history, human beings have been fascinated by power. In the earlier periods power is prescribed by the structure of the organization. Without reference to the works of Marx (1967) and Weber (1978) it is hard to make sense of organizational power. Power is conceptualized broadly within a system-rational model of organizational structure. Decision making and concomitant exercising of power (logical, optimal and adaptive response) bring changes in the organization and we can say that The Devil Wears Prada is an example of a movie which is unapologetically or maybe semi-apologetically fascinated with power of Miranda. Power is important within the organizations and moreover for the management to influence individuals to make t hings happen. Power is to organization as oxygen as to breathing (Bernard Crick 1982). All organizations require power but all power dont require organization. We cannot make serious enquiry in to the organization without an enquiry of power. Main conception of power is concentrated on Webers (1947) classic definition that power is the probability that a person can carry out his or her own will despite resistance. The concept of power is often expressed in the literature by the words the ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as by Salancik and Pfeffer (1977) and the ability to bring about outcomes you desire (Power politics and organizations: Andrew Kakabadse and Christopher Parker,P 22). There are four dimensions of power such as behavioural view (Dahl), political view (Bacharach and Baratz), radical structural view (Lukes) and relational approach (Foucault). (Management Organization, Linstead and Fulop ,2nd Edition P 282). Great men are almost always not good men as they exercise influence and authority. As example in the film Devil Wears Prada we have seen how Miranda has treated her assistant Andy. In organizations, power is considered to derive from numerous sources. French and Raven (1959) identified five sources of power such as coercive power, reward power, exert power, legitimate or position power and referent power. Etizoni has classified power as coercive power, utilitarian power and normative power. Robbins (1984) has discussed the comparisons between the sources of power and the means to exert influence that refers to bases of power. Blau(1964): Power is the ability of persons as groups to impose their will on others despite resistance through deterrence either in the form of withholding regularly supplied rewards or in the form of punishment inasmuch as the former, as well as the latter, constitutes in effect negative sanction. The definition by Parsons (1956) is an interactive formulation but within a structural framework: Power we may define as the realistic capacity of system-unit to actualize its interests within the context of system-interaction and in this sense exert influence on processes in the system. Organizations should have formal and informal rules for coordinating actions of different people. People of diverse background, particular interests and different understandings abide by these rules. A famous thought by Lord Acton: Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you super add the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority (Lord Acton, 5 April 1987 to Bishop Mandell Creighton). The pluralists (Dahl1957, Wolfinger1971) claimed that power was equitably distributed around the society and no particular group had undue influence over decision making processes. The elitists (Bachrach and Baratz, 1962, Hunter1953, Mills1956) argued that power was concentrated in the hands of privileged few who controlled political agendas. The term power takes on different meanings when the unit or power holder is a formal group in an open system with multiple go als and the system is assumed to reflect a political-domination model of organization rather than only a co-operative model(Perrow 1970,P 84). In the film The Devil Wears Prada Miranda occasionally takes time from Andys daily routine and spreading fear and anxiety in her mind wherever she goes. In a scene Miranda tells Andy that I am your Master, you are dying to be like me, that is what Master (Miranda) never should say. This is all about her organizational power. In this part I want to represent the organizational politics with critical and mainstream approach. Organizational politics can be expressed as a social influence process in which behaviour is strategically designed to maximize short term or long term self-interest. Power and politics are the top two elements used in a company that either can cause the downfall or success of that organization. Politics is defined as the tactics used to obtain a desired goal, position or status in an organization. The power relationships in day-to-day relations could be understood by the political metaphor. If we consider the positive side then politics can be defined as A style of interaction which allows us to read and understand the situations, interpret them and exhibit the right kind of behaviour for inducing others to do what we want and do it willingly (Ferris,G.R,Davidson,S.l, and PerreweP.L (2005), political skill at work, P 9.Mountain view) And if we look at the negative side then it can be defined as The actions of individuals which are directed toward the goal of furthering our own self-interest without regard for the well-being of others or organization.(Kacmer,K.M. Carlson,D.S(1997),POPS A multiple sample investigation.Journal of Management,23, P 627). Political skill can influence organizational performance in different ways. The politically skilful managers and professionals often have higher job performance which is the building block for organizational performance. In the film Devil Wears Prada we have seen the politics of Emily (assistance of Miranda) as well as Miranda with Andy. For example, for facilitating the manufacture of a major new piece of equipment that is in demand from several customers, a project manager might use political skill. Political skill is positively associated with job performance in terms of quantity of work output, quality of workout and accuracy of work in organization. Thirty years ago J. Pffefer observed that organizations are more political than rational. Aristotle told that politics stems from a diversity of interests. Almost all employees bring their own interests, wants, desire, and needs in the organization. Robbins (2001) suggested that there are two forms of organizational politics, one is legitimate and other is illegitimate politics. Organizational leaders seek to satisfy not only organizational interests, but also their own wants and requirements, driven by self-interest. According to Farrell and Peterson the successful practice of organizational politics is perceived to lead to a higher level of power, and once a higher level of power is attained, there is more opportunity to engage in political behaviour. Politics are generated by structural cleavages in the organization among various component elements and identities, different values, affective, cognitive and discursive styles. Other causes of generation are the complexity and the degree of uncertainty, the external pressure coming from stakeholders or other actors and the history of past politics in the organization. If we accept the existence of power relations in organizations then politics and politicking are essential part of organization. Kissing up, passing the buck, apple polishing, covering your rear, creating conflict, forming coalitions, cunning, arrogant, scheming etc. are the negative terminology which are often used in organization as the political activity. Developing working relationships, encouraging change and innovation improving efficiency, facilitating teamwork, planning ahead, astute are the terminologies of positive aspect of organizational politics. The lack of concern with politics is the main void of organizational theory. Political alignment such as interest group of politics and coalition politics has an important effect on relations within organizations. In the film The Devil Wears Prada Miranda gives short orders and never likes to repeat herself. Andy is just supposed to know what she is talking about. Miranda wants her coffee as hot as brimstone, and sometimes even demands the unbelievable as at one point she demands a copy of a yet to be published Harry Potter book for her daughters. All these activities show the influence and organizational power of Miranda. The understanding of organizational politics requires a collective influence which is used by departments or subunits of organization to counter control and establish resistance pattern is described in Michel Croziers famous study The Bureaucratic phenomenon (1964). Most of the management and organization studies are based on Webers work as a simple affirmation of bureaucratic rationality. As example his work on Verstehen as an interpretive method for analysing human behaviour is almost completely ignored. The community power debate which was conducted during 1950s, 1960s, 1970s described the status of power as an empirical phenomenon. At the time of answering the question what is the structure and distribution of power in contemporary society? people were divided into two camps, one is pluralists (Dahl 1957, 1958, 1961, Wolfinger 1971) and other is elitists (Bachrach and Baratz ,1962,1963,Hunter 1953, Mills, 1956). The pluralists claimed that power was equitably distributed throughout society and there is no particular had undue influence over decision making processes. On the other side the elitists argued that power was concentrated in the hands of a privileged few who controlled political agendas. Then Dahl (1957) expressed that A has power over B to the extent that he or she can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do (Dahl 1957, PP. 202-203). On the other hand Bachrach and Baratz (1962) criticize Dahls explanation on concrete decision making situation , claiming that power is also exercised in non-decision making situations. All forms of political organization have a bias in favour of the exploitation of some kinds of conflict and the suppression of other because organization is the mobilization of bias. Some issues are organized into politics while others are organized out. (Schattschneider 1960, P 71, emphasis in original). Debate was increased when Lukess(1974) radical three dimensional view of power criticizes both Dahls one dimensional model and Bachrach and Baratzs two dimensional model. Decision making is a political interest which is resulting from the conflicts of interest characteristic of sub-goal differentiation within organization (Ganz and Murray, 1980, Mayes and Allen 1977, Rogers 1971, Vredenburgh and Maurer 1984). The dynamics of political behaviour is essential to understand for a full understanding of organizational functioning. The political character of organization life is rooted in non-bureaucratic decision mechanisms (Salancik and Pfeffer 1974, P 454) which is used to resolve the conflicts between organization and subunits. Gandz Murray (1980) expressed the difference between political and non-political uses of power. Miles (1980) asserts that it is important to recognize that politics need not be bad, though common parlance uses the term in a pejorative sense. The survival of an organization may depend on the success of a unit or coalition in overturning a traditional but out-dated formal organization objective or policy. Political activity can also be beneficial to organizations. If through the politicking of the marketing manager, changes in product are brought about which in turn provide commercial gains for the organization, then it could be claimed that such political behaviour is beneficial for organizations. A recent study developed a profile of individuals active in office politics based on a survey completed by a number of managers. The result indicated that managerial level, job function and sex were unrelated to political activity. However certain personality traits corresponded highly with the individual managers propensity to engage in office politics. The managerial person should avoid making their power open and explicit. Self-serving behaviour has a bad effect on organizations and its employees. Kanter (1979) told that People know who is holding power. Kanter has claimed that explicit claims to power are only made by the powerless. Office politics does exist in the organization regardi ng issues like departmental budget, space allocation, project responsibilities and salary adjustment (Robbins 2001). In the film Devil Wears Prada Miranda has done politics by choosing Andy to go to Paris with her over Emily and asked Andy to inform this to Emily, Again Miranda bypasses Nigel for a promotion so as to keep her own job secure as she was to be replaced and the information for which came from Andy. Thus organizational politics is blatantly portrayed here and is thus an excellent example. So far we have discussed the key aspects of power and politics. In this part I want to focus on motivation and discuss the relation between motivation and organization. Motivation is an essential part in organizations, both for the individual and for the organization as a whole. Motivational state or condition of a person has an impact or influence upon both behaviour and performance. Motivation to work is of great importance to us since we spend a lot of our time working in organizations (Michael W.Drafke and Stan Kossen., The Human Side of Organizations, Massachusetts: Addison/Wesley,1998,p.2-12). Pffefer (1981) has suggested that major characteristic often accompanying political behaviour is the attempt to conceal its true motivation. True motive was concealed because the actor believed that it was unacceptable. Motivation is equal important for manager and employee. In 1970 David McClelland and David Burnham published an article in Harvard Business Review called Power is the great Motivator. This article directly focused on managers motivatio n. A good manager is one who, among other things, helps subordinates feel strong and responsible, rewards them properly for good performance and sees that things are organised so that subordinates feel they know what they should be doing(McClelland,2003,P-109). In the film Devil Wears Prada Andy has motivated herself in different ways to be familiar with the new job environment in spite of rude behaviour of her boss Miranda. Recently the boundaries have widened and work and private life is much more connected to each other than past. In the past when one left his workplace, the person had less obligations or responsibility against the company (Karl Weick., Making sense of the Organization,Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2006,P 207-210). Then Karl Marx stated that Freedom begins at the gates of the factory (Robert Tucker,The Marx-Engels reader,NewYork Norton,1978, P-440). Today people often bring their work home as well as colleagues socialize outside work (Weick). If employees are not motivated, no one would make an effort to work and companys performance would be less efficient. Vroom (1964) has developed expectancy theory from the original work of Tolman and Honzik(1930) and produced a systematic explanatory theory of workplace motivation. It claimed that the motivation to behave in a particular way is determined by an individuals expectation that behaviour will lead to a particular outcome, multiplied by the preference or valence that person has for that out-come. Vroom has argued that human behaviour is controlled by subjective probability. The equation is Motivation (M) = Expectation (E) * Valence (V). Abraham Maslows (1943, 1954) theory of motivation was the first theory to be applied to the world of work. He proposed that human beings have five needs (Self-Actualisation, Esteem, Social, Safety, and Physiological) and when these are not satisfied they provide the drive to act and set up the motivating mechanism. The most significance and potential value to managers attempting to understand the motivation in the workplace is the work of McClellands (1961) achievement theory. Herzbergs (1968) two-factor theory on intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors affect what individuals perceive as the value or valance of particular outcomes which will influence both their performance and job satisfaction. Communication between employees and managers within the organization is an essential and vital ingredient of motivation. Employees are motivated by recognition and constructive feedback from their manager. Motivation is a complex, dynamic and culture based concept so there is no one universal theory which is applicable to motivation. Karl Marx said that Men make history but not under conditions of their own choosing. In spite of covert nature of power and politics it is real and important aspect of all organizations. We have discussed the unitary, pluralist, radical and relational view of power and politics in this essay. Managers can prevent the misuses of power by confirming that clear organizational goals, plans, and individual roles, and responsibilities are understood and followed. Power should be used to manipulate the understanding and interpretation of organizational events. According to pluralist, radical and relational perspectives on power and politics it is generic to organization. The unitary as well as pluralist views provide a comfort zone to deal with power and politics. Managers should be highly skilled in reflective practice and critical thinking if they want to understand the relational view of power and politics. Smart and clever manager can boost themselves or their career through power and p olitics. Politics involves cultivating influential allies, controlling the flow of information and influencing decisions through ones power base. Organizational politics have detrimental effect on employees moral, loyalty and trust. Some people think that practice of politics can be cunning and deceitful while other people believe that it can be motivator with positive result. To understand the organizational political behaviour Farrell and Peterson (1982) proposed a three dimensional typology. One dimension is where the political activity takes place (inside or outside the organization), second one is the direction of the attempted influence (vertically or laterally) and last one is legitimacy of the political action (Functional vs. Dysfunctional conflict) .The processes by which the organization is operated should be ethically based. There are many internal and external aspects of organization which are the cause of success and failure of organization. Organizations must insure th at decisions are not based on personal agendas or outside influences. Organizations should abide by their code of conduct to avoid conflict of interest. The effect of Power and Politics depends on how they are practiced in organization. All the approaches of power and politics have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is very important to understand the limits of power and authority, resistance and obedience in organizations. Fundamentally, power is shaped by what we know and how we know what to do in organization. Throughout this essay I have represented the critical approaches of power and politics and the relation with mainstream approaches. I am unable to point out any organization which has no implications of power and politics. I agree with the topic that power and politics are intrinsic to organization. I think that there should be more research on this topic to clarify in a more broad vision. REFRENCES Amos Drory, Tsilia Romm Politics in Organization and its Perception within the Organization. Andrew J. Dubrin Political Behaviours in Organizations Bronston T. Mayes, Robert W. Allen Toward A Definition of Organizational Politics Cavanagh G F., Moberg D J.,Velasquez M. The Ethics of Organizational Politics, The Academy of Management Review, Jul 01, 1981; Vol. 6, N. 3, p. 363-374. Clegg, Courpasson and Phillips Power and Organizations. Clegg CHAPTER 5 Managing Power And Politics in Organizations, Resistance, Empowerment, Ethics (P 151-190). David Buchanan, Andrzej Huczynski Organizational behaviour( Third Edition, P 667-702) Dennis K. Mumby, Purdue University Power and Politics ,(Chap 15) Ferris,G.R,Davidson,S.l, and PerreweP.L (2005), political skill at work, Mountain view. Gerald F. Cavanagh, Dennis J. Moberg, Manuel Velasquez The Ethics of Organizational Politics Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly, Konopaske Organizations behaviour, structure, Processes (Chap 10, P 275-295). Gilbert W. Fairholm, Organizational Power Politics, Tactics in Organizational Leadership Harvey, E., and R. Mills. Patterns of Organizational Adaptation: A Political Perspective, in Mayer Zald (Ed.), Power in Organizations (Nashville, Tenn.: Vanderbilt University Press, 1970), pp. 181-213. Ian Brooks Organizational Behaviour (P 233-258). Jackson, N Carter, P (2007). 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