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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Enron Case Essay

1.What led to the collapse of Enron under Lay and Skilling? There were various reasons as to why Enron collapsed under Lay and Skilling. One reason Enron collapsed under Lay is because Lay simply did not practice what he preached. Lay did not live by his code of ethics and neither did his corporation. Not only that, but Lay and top management gave Andrew Fastow an exemption to the code of ethics to continue doing business. Another reason that Enron collapsed, under Skilling, is that Skilling had a performance evaluation process for all Enron employees that didn’t express the code of ethics that they should’ve followed which caused employees to rank their peers lower as to enhance their own position in the firm. 2.How did the top leadership at Enron undermine the foundational values of the Enron Code of Ethics? The top leadership at Enron undermined the foundational values by granting an exemption to Andrew Fastow to continue bringing in dirty money through his actions. Also, the top leadership allowed an unethical culture of ethics by promoting to the employees that they had to make the numbers literally any way they could even if that meant to break the law. 3.Given Kenneth Lay’s and Jeff Skilling’s operating beliefs and the Enron Code of Ethics, what expectations regarding ethical decisions and actions should Enron’s employees reasonably have had? Enron had a great and respected code of ethics among its peers. Also, Lay and Skilling had respectable operating beliefs since they also represented the Enron Code of Ethics. So, reasonably, the employees’ expectations should have fun to do the right thing morally and ethically as well as to uphold the respect, integrity, communication, and excellence Enron stood for. 4.How did Enron’s corporate culture promote unethical decisions and actions? Enron’s corporate culture promoted unethical decisions and actions simply by  the greed that the top management showed and carried out. For example, Skilling’s implementation of performance evaluations for all the employees was unethical because it was geared to fire the lower one-fifth of the employees. Not only that, but partnerships were mostly created only to hide the companies’ losses through the bonus program. 5.How did the investment banking community contribute to the ethical collapse of Enron? The investment banking community contributed to the ethical collapse of Enron because not only were they enablers but they also participated in the frauds as well. For example, Enron would book loans called prepays to their operating cash flow. Also, Andrew Fastow was also allowed to use a tactic where a poor performing asset would be taken off the books and be sold back to the company at profit after the end of quarters after the earnings had been booked.

Book Review “The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark”

Mr.. Stark uses a quantitative approach to explain his theories on how Christians could have gained so many converts without miraculous methods. This quantitative approach included the use of numerical projections based on historical documents and sociological propositions to produce his own prediction on how Christianity grew. He uses economic language is used to attempt to make sociological science accessible to the reader, and depicts converts as rational consumers making an Informed decision_ There Is a distinct academic style to his words, which can come across as linear and pretentious.Although he is not trained as a historian, Stark provides a sufficient historical context from which to understand the sociological information. Stark draws valid conclusions that should not be disregarded, but his style and format are not effective, as they do not truly cater to either a professional or non-professional audience. His emotional use of capitalized words, quotations, and Italics Is unnecessary and takes credibility away from his argument. The organization of this book does not follow a mall thesis, but Jumps around to countless propositions and ends without a succinct conclusion Rodney Stark was raised inJamestown, North Dakota. He started his professional life as a news reporter, but was quick to continue his education. â€Å"Following a tour of duty in the U. S. Army, he received his Ph. D. From the University of California, Berkeley, where he held appointments as a research sociologist at the Survey Research Center and at the Center for the Study of Law and Society†. He has since taught Sociology and comparative Religion at the university of Washington and Baylor university. He has published 32 books and more than 160 scholarly articles on subjects as diverse as prejudice, crime, suicide, and city life in ancient Rome. Most of his work has been with the study of religious sociology, and he has held various prestigious academic positions on boards re lating to the subject. â€Å"He also has won a number of national and International awards for distinguished scholarship†. 3 In The Rise of Christianity, Rodney Stark Is very clear about his professional training versus his historical interests throughout this entire book.He wants the reader to know that he is first and foremost a sociologist, and that his interest in including historical context is non- professional. In his preface, he writes, â€Å"I have always been a history buff, but for cost of my career I never really considered working with historical materials myself. I was content to be a sociologist and to spend my time trying to formulate and test sociology of religion†. The Rise of Christianity is a sociologist's theory on how Christianity became the leading power in the world.Stark wants his reader to know that he is not a historian, but adds historical information to give the sociological figures context. This is why he constantly reiterates that he is w riting for a non- professional audience. Stark begins by explaining the â€Å"arithmetic of growth†. This is a ERM he uses to explain to the reader that sociology has a lot to do with projecting numbers. In his first chapter, he establishes a probable growth rate at which Christianity could have grown to its size in population by year DADA.He projects what the population should have been based on historical accounts as well as figures from scripture, and uses references from other historians and sociologists to provide credibility to his projection. From here he explains that a steady growth rate of around forty percent per decade from the beginning of the movement would not have required great miracles to achieve its' large numbers by the year 350. Next, he presents his first reasoning for not only numerical growth, but the growth of influence and prestige in the Christian movement. He begins by refuting the claim that Christianity was initially a movement of the lower class es.He presents a few propositions about the value of converting to a new religion, and why it would have been probable for some early Christians to be prominent or wealthy figures in society. Stark explains that many of these conversions would have been Jews. He presents the social benefits of cultural continuity that specifically catered to Jews, as well as existing social networks among Jews and Christians. He uses social scientific theory to explain why it is probable that the mission to the Jews did not fail, as would have been previously thought.Christian doctrine paired with the plague ridden Roman Empire presented a favorable combination for making Christianity attractive to potential converts, and weakening the Pagan population. â€Å"Love thy neighbor as thyself†, a well-known doctrine directed Christians to tend to their sick during times of plague. Pagans â€Å"behaved in the opposite way†¦ Throwing them (the ill) into the roads before they were dead and trea ted unburied corpses as dirt†. This caused the disease to spread more deadly through the pagans.They left bodies in the open, spreading germs (which they didn't know existed) quickly. Pagans that were still alive were more likely to convert to Christianity, recognizing the strong community and more favorable philosophy. Starks next proposition for why Christianity spread so quickly had to do with its unique appeal to women, something paganism was lacking according to Stark. The sexual commitment of â€Å"husbands to their wives† was a new concept of this time. This was an ideology that was attractive to women, because of the lack of respect for women in pagan culture.Infanticide, abortion, and undervaluing the male life were explanations for Starks theory that Pagans lacked doctrines and values that would provide them with fertile women and an abundant population. Christian's marital commitment to one another, their value of the female life, and non-existent infanticide or abortion would have led to them having a significantly larger population according to Stark. Using these projections, he goes on to present numerical predictions that would have provided Christians with a larger population want to take refuge in the perceived safety of the Christian community.The Christians were well known to have grown mostly in urban settings, according to Stark. He paints a picture of what Roman cities what would have been like during the rise of Christianity, and the picture is not pretty. He specifically focuses on the city of Antioch, and describes a city with a life expectancy in the early twenties, no plumbing, cramped living quarters, crime, and constant natural disaster. Christianity told its followers that the chaos of the world was worth enduring, because your reward for your good work here will be in the Kingdom of Heaven.This theology, according to Stark, would have been especially attractive to inhabitants of Roman cities who constantly suffered. He concludes his final chapters by reinforcing his theory that the chaos and suffering during this time presented Christianity with a rare opportunity to grow from a cult movement to a world power. He emphasizes the gentle and kind Christian dogma, and how inhabitants of Roman cities and surrounding areas would have embraced that new kind of theology. He explains that Christian â€Å"virtue† was attractive, and this caused consistently high conversions.According to Stark, there was no need for miraculous conversion events to achieve Christian's scale of growth. The opportunity a disordered Roman Empire presented to he Christian cult, permitted a steady growth rate to continue through the first four centuries A. D. In his preface, Stark states that some of his chapters were written first as essays for scholarly Journals to see how an audience would react to his thoughts on the subject. This explains why the structure of his book is not fluid, and has no sense of continuity.He explains that this book was a bit of a hobby project for him to combine his profession of sociology with his love for history. â€Å"l am a sociologist who sometimes works with historical materials and who has, in preparation of this illume, done his best to master the pertinent sources albeit mostly in English†. His sociological conclusions are reliable and interesting, but his experience has mostly been science writing. Stark may need more practice writing to a non-professional audience to gain a sense of fluidity, and clarity.The format of this book is stimulating (for me, a person who loves scientific writing) half of the time, and the other half of the time it is difficult to read. An excerpt from his first chapter reads, â€Å"Since this book is a work of both history and social science, I have written it for a nonprofessional audience. In this way I can make sure the social science is fully accessible to historians of the early church, meanwhile preventing social scie ntists from becoming lost amidst obscure historical and textual references†.By stating that his chosen audience is nonprofessional, he gives himself the freedom to add in these unnecessary comments about sociologists being unable to follow textual references. Putting the sociological figures into historical context for Stark seems forced and slightly pretentious At the beginning of each new chapter, Stark clearly states his thesis, provides any previous propositions he may have had on the subject, and eaves little room for opposition.He provides ample sources of other historians and social scientists that are in agreement with his theses, but few refutations. Rodney stark provides a central proposition to this work in the first chapter, â€Å"Conversion to new, deviant religious groups occurs when, other things being equal, people have or develop stronger attachment to members of the group than they have to but it seems to be an enormously over simplified explanation of why p eople convert to new religions.He does not address any other possible reasons for making the hooch to convert to a new religion such as, connecting with the theology of a religion of which one has no social connections, having social connections in a religious group that are negative, but overlooking this fact to pursue individual growth within a religion, or having equally strong connections to individuals that associate with different religions, but making a choice to convert to a religion based on personal free-will.This main proposition that people only convert when their social connections inside that religion are stronger than connections outside of that religion mess more like one reason out of many, rather than the main proposition to tie in all other information. He makes very clear that his position is that, without strong social connections to members of a new cult, or sect, potential members will not make the rational choice to convert. Within this proposition, there are certainly many underrepresented converts. Mr..Stark excessively uses capitalized words, quotations, and italics to make his argument. Examples of this usage can usually be found in the first few sentences opening a chapter. His opening passage of â€Å"The Role of Women in Christian Growth† dads, â€Å"Amidst contemporary denunciations of Christianity as patriarchal and sexist, it is easily forgotten that the early church was so especially attractive to women that in 370 the emperor Valentine (Pagan) issued a written order to Pope Damascus requiring that Christian missionaries cease calling at the homes of pagan women.Although some classical writers claimed that women were easy prey for any foreign superstition,' most recognized that Christianity was unusually appealing†¦ â€Å"(p. 95) It is important that not only the emotional use of italics and quotations be cited here, but also the leading sentence. This sentence introduces this works next pitfall, which is that S tark brings up irrelevant topics to heatedly dismiss other scholars who he disagrees with.In the wording of the leading sentence mentioned above, Stark dismisses the unidentified contemporaries he refers to as denouncing Christianity as patriarchal and sexist. This disagreement is irrelevant in the context of this book, because he suddenly refers to Christianity as a whole (patriarchal and sexist) as opposed to the Christianity of the first four centuries A. D. In The Rise of Christianity hen Rodney Stark is citing historical documents regarding the four centuries A. D. It is clear to the reader that Christianity may very well have been the leading feminist religion in the year 370. It is irrelevant to rant about his distaste for contemporaries who think Christianity is sexist in general. William Grimes, writer for the New York Times, says it best in his review of another Rodney Starks, â€Å"The Victory of Reason†; â€Å"Mr.. Stark's pugnacity often gets the better of him. He is contemptuously dismissive. † References The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark

Friday, August 30, 2019

Interfaith Dialogue in a Multi Faith Australia Essay

Australia is a multi cultural country containing a wide range of ethnically and religiously diverse peoples, allowing benefits for Australian society. However, it can pose a potential challenge to social harmony and cohesion because to one faith the idea of what is scared or important may contrast entirely with another. Interfaith dialogue is therefore an effective method for avoiding such clashes. It is a movement aimed towards promoting and understanding different religious traditions, and to clear up any misunderstandings or conflicts. Though debate and argument can be an issue, it is not what it aims to promote, Wendy Wilkie, a Uniting church Delegate stated â€Å" †¦many Christians and Muslims would see the only reason you talk to somebody of another faith is to convert them to your own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which is why these discussions can be difficult. The four principles of Dialogue are; it begins when people meet each other, depends on mutual understanding and trust, makes it possible to share in service to the community and Dialogue becomes the medium of authentic witness. These principles are all effective and vital to help sustain peace between religions in such a multi-faith country, and therefore Inter-faith Dialogue is of great importance in Australia. A large number of Inter faith initiatives have taken place in Australia; an example is the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews, beginning in March 2003 aiming to provide opportunities for these faiths to build understanding and to clarify contentious issues with their respective faiths. Since the amount of religious diversity in Australia is so great, the importance of discussion and resolution through Inter-Faith dialogue is crucial, as clashes between these faiths is an inevitable reality.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Managing Workplace Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Workplace Relations - Essay Example Glass Ceiling is a term which refers to certain situations where a qualified person is stopped from advancing or being promoted in his or her job within the hierarchy of the organization that he or she works in, and is not given a fair chance to move ahead from the lower level position because of discrimination. Most of the discrimination was basically related to racism and gender inequality, but also includes discrimination against age and disabled people although this is not as common as Discrimination against women and people from different race. We can also say that this situation can occur for men as well where there are certain job designs where women are preferred over men just for the fact that they are women. For example jobs like house cleaning and baby sitting. This is where a woman would be given preference over men. This problem uses the word ceiling because there is a block that limits people form getting higher positions and it is termed as glass because there are no written rules for such discrimination. Sometimes the limitation is not as obvious or apparent. The transparency of glass defines the transparency or the ambiguity of the reason for such limitations. This can only be made obvious if we compare it with the education, work experience and other obvious factors for critiquing and judging a person's capabilities. The glass ceiling terminology is not simply used t... anizations or less in proportion, neither is it a cry or a statement that suggests that discrimination against women is persistent at all levels of organizational hierarchies. It is a statement or a metaphor that simply tells us about the problems, difficulties and obstacles women face when it comes to going higher in an organization relative to men systematically increase as they move up the hierarchy. What is the Sticky Floor There are many social barriers that sill exist. these social barriers was the reason the concept of glass ceiling was coined but now a new concept has arose from the limitations women face due to these social barriers. This concept of "sticky floors" describes the reason why women are stuck working in their old positions and are unable to go up the hierarchical ladder and keeps them at low level, non-managerial and mostly support roles such as assistants or subs, and discourages them from getting promotions. It hinders their job and career development. This term basically highlights the barriers such as family commitment, associations with colleagues, stereotyping and other social barriers that hold these women down, hence the term sticky floor. Even if the women go up the hierarchical level there is discrepancy in the wage rate. This term generally is related to the females, but can also be applied to other working members as well. According to Rebecca Shambaugh in her article, "Gla ss ceiling or sticky floor The real reason women don't make it" in the Washington business journal, "In fact, our most useful insights may come from exploring what keeps us stuck: our outmoded, self-defeating and, let's face it, unconscious behaviors". This shows that it is the behavior and the attitude that women hold while working in a corporate world, that keeps

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Cause, effect and lessons learnt from the asian financial crises Research Paper

Cause, effect and lessons learnt from the asian financial crises - Research Paper Example In addition, the crisis brought doubts on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approach in its efforts to dealing with financial imbalances within the private financial markets. It is also clear that the financial crisis can be attributed to panic of local and foreign investors and its role in enhancing the situation (Noble and Ravenhill 2). The Asian economies were at the height of success due to their fast growth and immense gains on the living standards their populations enjoyed. They were basically experiencing sensible fiscal polies and even high rates in private saving which was enticing to the world. There was no prediction that these countries would ultimately fall suddenly into a deep financial crisis in the post war era. Many questions were raised by economists on the causes of the crisis and whether or not they became victims of their own accomplishment. The abundance success may be one of the reasons that also led to their down fall but it also shows that struct ural and policy misrepresentations among the countries in this region played a role in the crisis. The 1997 financial crisis is therefore, a combination of many factors including market over response, which led to a drop in exchange rates, property prices, and economic stability (Noble and Ravenhill 2). Causes of the Asian Financial Crisis The financial crisis in East Asian countries began immediately after the huge high savings and vigorous growth they enjoyed. Since the 1980s, this fast growth was followed by high increment in asset values, increasing property and stock prices, and even in some instances a growth in temporary borrowing from oversees. In the mid-1990s, a tremendous emergence of external shocks specifically the devaluation of major currencies largely impacted export returns. This meant a decline in economic growth as property prices increased in most Asian economies. The devaluation of the currencies begun in Thailand after the decline of the Thai Bhat and this made investors to lose confidence in the Asian markets. The events in Thailand forced many investors to reassess their lending and evaluate the robustness of the region’s currency. This led to a huge wave of currency depreciations while stock, asset and market fell starting with Southeast Asian and then followed closely by the entire region. The year that followed the devaluation of the currency, most of the affected currencies fell as low as 35% to 83% against the United States dollar. There were even records of serious fallout as big as 40% to 60% decline against the U.S. dollar and the Asian financial crisis became a reality (Noble and Ravenhill 2). In Southeast Asia, there was record of capital inflows in the major East Asian upcoming economies that grew from 150 billion U.S dollars in the 1980s to 320 billion U.S dollars in the early 1990s. Private companies were doing excessive borrowing form the foreign capital economies mostly for short-term needs instead of looking for l ong-term earnings for productive security. The main capital inflows were meant for bank loans and even direct immediate foreign investments (Matsumoto 4). The huge capital flows resulted in increase in prices especially for non-tradable goods while the abundant foreign investment caused the currency to appreciate but decreased

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

DISCUSSION QUESTION RESPONSE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

DISCUSSION QUESTION RESPONSE - Essay Example Business organizations are offering job application platforms online where people can register. Additionally, business communication documents such as invoices and delivery notes have switched from paperwork to electronic documents thereby improving efficiency in business transactions (Kushal 349). You should also have considered other ways on how businesses have benefited from communication platforms such as Skype, Twitter, and web conferencing. Certainly, these technologies have reduced employee turnover since employees can communicate to their friends and families through these technologically aided platforms thereby not missing on work. Gone are the days when employees used to request permission to run errands. Everything has been made simple by technology and this has greatly benefited the business world. However, these advantages need to be taken with precaution. It is worth remembering that internet is a hub for hackers and cyber criminals who target vulnerable business organizations. Thus, we can conclude that though technology has improved business communication, it has also brought many challenges to the modern

Monday, August 26, 2019

Cross cultural communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross cultural communication - Essay Example She advises that when you visit another country; forget about popular notions about the people. When doing business with Spanish and Swiss for instance, do not expect that the latter arrives on time and is more organized because that is how we have been socialized to believe. It is imperative to appreciate that such characteristics are dependent on the individual. We had punctual Spanish people and disorganized Swiss. Therefore do not assume that every Spanish person you meet will be late and that the Swiss are always punctual, you might end up very surprised. In other words, cross-cultural stereotypes might negatively influence our ability to perceive things properly. Currently, there are very helpful courses that help those who want to work or live abroad cultivate cross-cultural awareness, which is very essential in developing global competence and in building international teams. Such courses help individuals identify and then can deal with such cross-cultural differences ultimately improving their overall capacity in developing and most of all maintaining efficacious cros s-cultural relations. Sometimes stereotypes lead us into misunderstanding and judging other individuals in accordance to much unfounded generalizations, which sometimes may be very detrimental since we miss the point of meeting new people and knowing them as individuals, not as a population. Communicaid is a cross-cultural awareness-training center that helps you understand your counterpart’s behavior without relying on any stereotypes. Remember that such beliefs about other individual’s habits and behavior can greatly influence our expectations and attitudes when communicating with cultures different from our own. Nevertheless, this does not imply that no stereotypes are important. They help us in some situations where we are dealing with strangers since culture is responsible for shaping our perceptions and thoughts, we can be able to

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Case study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Case study report - Essay Example The company built the largest car rental brand in North America. The brand is widely known for low rates that are exceptionally as well as outstanding customer service. The brand has effective product and service offering methodologies in relation to marketing. Regarding the company’s management it has successfully showed tremendous leadership that has enhanced its operations worldwide. Motivation among employees in the company has been achieved thus promoting entrepreneurial spirit among them thus enhancing and encouraging high productivity. Enterprise Car Rental has established a consumer oriented strategy in relation to marketing that is of great importance to success. The company though has been opposed by stiff competitions from its main competitors. Enterprise not only sells services, it also brings an experience that is real in the market industry. A market Development Strategy has been followed by the company rigorously since it has put great effort to an existing p roduct(car-rentals) regarding the new market. Earning of profits that are high in the market that is untapped has been enhanced by the effective strategy. A rapid growth has been depicted in the Enterprise recently. The opportunities in relation to particular segments of market are now realized by competitors. Therefore, they are putting great effort to enormously build up their strengths in those realized branches. New entrants have posed a significant competition in the same segment of market. Therefore, Enterprise is gradually becoming saturated in its Market Development Strategy thus becoming obsolete. There will be no development room in the market soon because of the stiff competition that is slowly lowering demand from its consumers. For the Enterprise to regain its stability in the market context, they should switch over to a more advanced Market Penetration strategy to attempt. Thus, this will help them once again gain market share

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Dorwsy Chaperone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Dorwsy Chaperone - Essay Example Most of the people want to get married into higher social classes. They do not love but are encouraged to exploit various resources that their partners might be offering. This is what we see in the play when he Broadway girl is ready to trade her career to marry the oil tycoon. The director has been able to relate various roles to the true characters in the. The characters are all fluent in their position. Their vocal projection and movement in stage is well mastered especially for the Broadway girl. Another example id the portrayal of the man in the chair introducing the play while indeed seated in the chair. He plays the title of the musical comedy the drowsy Chaperone which is a very intelligent form of introduction (McKellar). The overall design of the play has been up to the point. The acting and the seduction pieces by Adolpho also reveals that this is an act. The various musical components that accompany this play is an indication of its

Friday, August 23, 2019

Cosmetic Surgery - New Form of Modern Art or Pure Science Essay

Cosmetic Surgery - New Form of Modern Art or Pure Science - Essay Example The essay "Cosmetic Surgery - New Form of Modern Art or Pure Science" analyzes the phenomenon of cosmetic surgery. The issue of cosmetic surgery is probably the most debated within the domain of modern medicine. Within the recent decade it was highly debated not only in the US medical and ethical journals but also on TV and in popular newspapers. One of the most popular theses for such debates is following: is cosmetic surgery an art (as it does not require medical indications for the treatment) or a science (as it is based on profound medical techniques)? Simple â€Å"googling† the Internet gives clear evidence that most surgeons working in this area as well as respective clinics advertise their business as the â€Å"art of plastic / cosmetic surgery† instead of propagating it as a purely scientific and sophisticated activity. Conventionally comparing their business with Pygmalion’s statuary – the mythological Greek sculptor who created his ideal Galatea out of a marble stone – surgeons underline that the ultimate goal of cosmetic surgery is to make people more fit common aesthetic standards and appeal more both to themselves and the others. Not surprisingly, as Blum mentions many of cosmetic surgeons call themselves artists and sculptors. In many aspects comparisons between cosmetic surgery and art are based on the reasonable ground. Dislike the general surgery, cosmetic one does not have the standardized procedures. Contrasting to surgery where the doctor is the one and only who knows the way to successful treatment.

Explain the major theoretical approach to infantchild development & Essay

Explain the major theoretical approach to infantchild development & Analyse the psychosexual stage theory of infantchild development - Essay Example F Skinner. The theory believes that behavioural development happens through classical and operant conditioning and stresses the role of nurture. There is a strong relation between stimuli and behavioural response. In this case development is seen as a continuous process where learnt responses keep accumulating and new ones increase with age. Several studies were conducted to reinforce the theory that responses in behaviour are a result of external stimuli and that the external factors are more important as compared to internal factors. To take an example, John Watson experimented with an infant's responses to a rat and stimuli coupled with it. The infant was not afraid of the rat. However, he developed fear of the rat after a series of sharp sounds were made whenever the rat was shown. Behaviourists conclude that environment is more influential in shaping behaviour. Also, behaviours can be modified using external stimuli (Berk, 1996). Watson's theory of behaviourism brought about interest of many psychologists and birth of related theories like Clark Hull's drive reduction theory and Skinner's operant conditioning theory. Following these also emerged the social learning theories, which had a strong influence in child development research during 1950s. These theorists believed that role modelling and observational learning strongly influence social development and behaviour. One of the most powerful theories was developed by Albert Bandura. He and his colleagues stressed the role of selective imitation which affects their learning. He added the role of children's thought process to the original theory of behaviour which stressed only on stimuli and response (Berk, 1996).. Despite their limitations, the behaviourism and social learning theories had a significant impact on applied work with children. Based on these, techniques have been developed to socialize children into appropriate behaviours and get rid of inappropriate behaviours (Berk, 1996). Psychodynamic Theory In context of psychodynamic theories, famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and his theory of psychoanalysis come to mind. Psychodynamics refers to theories of Freud, his followers' or theories based on his ideas. Anna Freud, Alfred Adler Carl Jung and Erik Erickson are some of the most popular contributors from the field of psychodynamics. The theories are have been derived from sessions with patients, case studies and use of projective techniques to understand the workings of human mind. Psychodynamics strives to make connections between thoughts, motives, subconscious mind and how people perceive the world. The prime focus in psychodynamics is the interrelation between emotional states of id, ego, and superego and their impact on early developments and processes. Psychodynamics also believes that early experiences are conserved in the unconscious mind. Later in life, these conserved experiences, thoughts and emotions either remain buried in the unconscious or find way to the consciou s mind. These buried experiences are at times the cause of mental disturbances. Various psychodynamic

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Impact of State Aid on Aer Lingus Essay Example for Free

Impact of State Aid on Aer Lingus Essay Aer Lingus is an airline in the republic of Ireland with a rich history that spans for a period exceeding 66 years. It’s an airline that is thought to hold a very special place in the hearts of most Irish people. In recent times, the airline has experienced difficulties. For example, there were agricultural problems both in England and in Ireland due to the emergence of BSE and Foot and Mouth disease. These are problems that caused the numbers of passengers traveling to various countries to go down. In 2001, workers were in strike due to salary issues and this adversely affected the operations of the Aer Lingus. Global economic crisis emanating from the most powerful economy in the world, the United States together with the September 11 terrorist attacks made many holidaymakers and seasoned passengers to panic and they thus feared traveling. Moreover, lack of funds has been another major problem and this is something that made Sabena and Swissair to close down because of insufficient funds. In fact, this is a problem that was so dangerous to many organizations that even Sabena had gone bankrupt. Due to such events, the major debate has been whether to provide state aid to Aer Lingus or not. The EU has been in the frontline to state that there is no need for the airline to be provided with state aid. On the other hand, some believe that since the government is a shareholder in Aer Lingus it should then use some of the tax payers’ money to inject more cash into the company to save it (Mulcahy, 2002). Since this is a state owned airline, its dependence on aid to raise capital has creates several problems for it. The financial performance of the airline has been undermined for quite a long period of time due to this dependence. However, in comparison to the private sector, state aid in most cases involves writing off the debts to financial institutions like banks. If it were the private sector on this issue, they would not have taken the consideration that such debts may be written off. The idea to use state aid for Aer Lingus may be seen as a bad option. This is so because if it was a private investor at Aer Lingus and they encountered huge debts, such an investor would have considered liquidating the airline and starting all over again using the available assets. But this has not been possible for Aer Lingus since its dependence is on the state to provide it with aid (Doganis, 2001). In 1994, the European Commission sought to approve the guidelines on evaluation proposals relating to state aid for airlines. Approving of the aforementioned proposals would see several conditions being imposed. For example, by relying on state aid, Aer Lingus is going to face the condition that it mustn’t expect additional aid in the coming future. Moreover, state aid according to the commission is not supposed to be used in any way to increase Aer Lingus capacity that may be to the detriment of EU competitors. Moreover, if Aer Lingus obtains this aid, the offer it has in the EU market is not supposed to increase faster compared to overall traffic growth. Aer Lingus is also not supposed to use the state aid to increase its direct competition against other airlines (Doganis, 2006). The impacts of state aid on Aer Lingus did not come with negative effects alone as aforementioned. There has been a success story to tell after state aid that was approved by the EU in mid 1990s. Even though reconstruction success at Aer Lingus took longer compared to Iberia and Air France, cost-cutting was achieved in years 2002 and 2004. State aid that Aer Lingus had received a decade ago had enabled it to survive most crises of that time. Up to early 2005, Aer Lingus still had not been privatized despite the crisis. Early 90s posed problems for Aer Lingus that are still similar to the current problems. The company lost profits amounting to 7% and talks embarked to seek a merger with Ryainar but this did not bear fruits. The management team came up with a recovery plan but the profits realized were still down. This is a problem that continued in 1992 but the appointment of Bernie Cahill as the board chairman saw the government provide more investment in the airline. After the proposal was accepted by the EU, some assets like the computer company and hotels were sold. By 1995, the company realized some profits. These shows the impacts of the state aid on Aer Lingus have been both positive and negative. But for Aer Lingus to survive in the market state aid is required since today, it estimated that the company is losing $2m in a single day. Moreover, the bookings have gone down by a staggering 80% (Barrington and Sweeny, 2001).

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Impact of Computer Technology

Impact of Computer Technology Computer Technology I am using and how Im using it? Computer technology starts from the time you wake in the morning, your alarm on your phone to the cup of coffee brewing. Computer technology has come a long way from when I was a child. Lots of us now have house alarms, electric toothbrushes, plasma televisions, Xboxes, I pad, tablets, laptops all these to interact with loved ones across the globe. These devices also encourage our children to interact on line with a wide variety of people in various occupations example the international space station through Facebook. Or Skype family and friends in Australia or New Zealand. Another feature I find good is the various apps on Facebook that allows you to check in during disasters to allow family and friends to know your safe. Other devices are used to check on our health blood pressure monitors is one I have checked every 6 months along with the nebuliser used when I suffer an asthma attack. Advantage of computer technology? Computer technology has changed the way we live considerably, our life expectancy has increased. This is down to all the new medical devices available and procedures people can have to prolong lives. Every day we hear of newer devices coming on the market whether it be for the weather devices, food industry or weapons, medical devices, aircraft, drones or I robot technology. Some are extremely helpful helping toward our survival on this planet. Weather devices help track hail, rain, snow, frost, heatwaves. Society has a better understanding of different cultures all at the touch of a button thanks to the companies that are committed to researching and updating Google being one of many.   Medical devices have improved over the years with cat scans, x ray machines including portal ones, from the largest to the smallest something as tiny as a wireless device. With the wide variety of technologies some are quiet complex but provide much needed support both in hospital setting to home s upport. Assistive technologies include mobility wheelchairs and aides, sensory hearing aids. Common aids being manufactured over the last number of years include bionic arms, legs and hands. As a lot of these are used in war torn areas. Home care has seen an increase of features to improve daily living for family members IV equipment, ventilators, hoists and specialised beds are commonly used in homes are care facilities. Freeing up hospital beds. There is a lot more medical technology out there this report names just some of them. Disadvantages of Computer Technology? Cyber Bullying is a major issue. Social skills are affected as people forget how to talk to one another. Social aspect of meeting new people has totally changed as has dating and clubbing. Letter writing has become a thing of the past. People have become addicted to online gambling and games. Public life impacts? Medical ID bracelets, medical apps on your mobile phones come in handy if you have a medical condition. This sort of devices can help save your life or those around you. New hips, knee replacements. Give the clients a new lease of life, thus helping families ensuring the family member stays out of care facilities. Private impact on life? Public and private are very much the same as the goals are all the save to help improve the quality of life for our loved ones. Current developments? Weather systems are still being produced, although yet no earth quake system has been produced yet. Google are producing new and exciting gadgets every day along with faster information. Research for new medicines is ongoing with the different research companies. Medical drones are used in war torn countries around the world. I Robots are in production to assist in treatments where disease has broken out. Gadgets for fun gps golf watches, watches to measure heart rate, blood pressure. Medical devices help improve lives of everyone. X-Ray, Vein visualisation technology, joint replacement, morphine pumps, incubators, cat scans many more. Entertainment television, news, educational documentaries, YouTube covers music, live feeds, life. Food industry improvements on farmers tractors, combis, growing technics. Digital diagnostics makes health care more accessible. Cloud is used in under developed countries for information. Wearables- Fitness trackers, smart watches another example is Intel teamed up with the Michael j. fox foundation to see if their wearable technology could pin point certain Parkinson disease. (Irish Computer science 2017) Health Formatics electron files, information stored in hospital data. Digital therapy Well frame combines mobile technology and AI (artificial intelligence) provides care for when clients return home. This technology tracks diet, exercise and its a GPS system. Catering to mental health clients, cardiovascular. Hackathons lots of the medical devices wouldnt be readily available if it wasnt for hackathons. Many of these devices were requested for other projects. Software developed, hardware inventions all came about through Hackathons. Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 Sets out provisions within the safety health and welfare act 2005 as set in legislation that the employer must. Carry carry out a risk assessment. Provide a safety standard for all equipment, chemicals within the premises. Must provide provisions for training for these equipment, chemicals and induction as part of an ongoing programme. Must inform all people staff, visitors, workmen anyone who enters the premises of the safety statement. Data protection legislation 2003. Data protection is your right to privacy. We also have the right to access data and have it corrected if its not correct or misinformed. Our data is protected once we give our details to certain companies under the data act 2003. Freedom of information act 2003. The freedom of information act 2003 allows us to access records held by the government departments and some public bodies. This is ensuring that charities must provide public records of all donations and how the money is spent. Defamation act 2009? This was changed from libel and slander to defamation to keep up with technology example Facebook and the easy access people have with sharing stuff. So, if I posted on Facebook that one of my neighbours was selling drugs and she wasnt but I didnt name her. But I had given out enough details for people to know who I meant thats defamation. Example neighbour wears black everything thinks shes a vampire with the gothic look. Well then, her employer the bank manager go AIB were to hear of this he suspended her until further notice.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Sole trader and partnership business

Sole trader and partnership business http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_proprietorship http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98214,00.html http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCESitemId=1073789609 http://www.myownbusiness.org/s4/ http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/19/19_1/what-is-a-sole-trader.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/aims/partnershipsrev1.shtml http://www.company-wizard.co.uk/Glossary/Private_Limited_Company.htm Among the similarities between a sole trader and partnership business is that they both have unlimited liability. Unlimited liability means in the event that the business becomes insolvent, the owner will have to be responsible for paying all the debts of the business even if it means selling off his personal assets to settle the debts. In a partnership, a partner will also have to pay off all the debts of the business if other partners become insolvent but if only the business becomes insolvent the debts can be shared among partners. This however is not applicable to the sleeping partner. The way both businesses are financed is also similar. For example, they are financed with bank loans, personal savings and contributions from friends and family. The two businesses need to be registered under the Registration of Business Act and operates in the private sector. This means that none of this structure of businesses is owned by government. The owner of a sole trader and partners in a p artnership are taxed at a personal tax rate according to the profits the business makes. Dealings of both types of business are confidential and only need to be revealed to the government. Both are easy and cheap to set up. Among the differences between a sole trader and partnership business is a sole trader business has only one owner whereas a partnership has 2-20 owners. The sole trader is fully responsible for the running of the business from day to day so, the success of the business is limited to the abilities of the owner. In a partnership, business decisions are made by casting votes among the partners and they assigned specific work in the business. There are more people to contribute skills and expertise. All profits gained in a sole trader business are received by the owner whereas in a partnership the profit is split according to the ratio which was previously agreed in the partnership agreement. When dissolving the business a sole trader can dissolve by himself whereas a partnership needs consent from partners. One of the similarities between sole trader business and private company is that both of them are created to generate profit for the owners. Also both are private companies. Both need to be registered as private entities. Therefore they do not have to make reports on their business to be released to the public. Such reports need only be disclosed to the government. This maintains confidentiality in the business. Among the differences between the two business structures are the number of owners. A sole trader has only one owner while a private company has 1-50 owners which are called shareholders. A private company is a different person from the owner. This means the owner and management of the company is separated. The liability of a sole trader business is unlimited whereas in a private company its limited. This means that in the event that the company goes bankrupt the maximum shareholders of a private company can lose are the amount they have invested in the company. A sole trader business has limited life whereas a private company has perpetual existence. This means that the company will still exist even if there is a change in ownership. A private company business is taxed at a fixed tax rate of 30% whereas the sole trader can get a personal tax rate of 30% or more. Decisions of a sole trader business is made by the sole trader whereas in a private company they are made by the managemen t group. It is easier and cheaper to set up a sole trader business compared with a private company. The Sole Trader can have unlimited borrowings subject to the limit of its financial standing but for the Company, its borrowings are guided by articles as contained in their Memorandum of Association. It is easier for a Private Company to raise finance compared to a Sole Trader. I would advise Lydia to convert the business into a partnership. Assuming that the business hasnt been doing well for the past three years, extra capital that can be raised by potential partners can help the business to acquire better equipment and teachers. Also assuming that the potential partners are experts in the IT field or good businessmen they can bring in fresh ideas and expertise to help the business grow. Fresh ideas will help because a business has to always adjust according to the ever changing needs of consumers and because. Other similar businesses are always improving themselves. Therefore Lydias business has to improve too in order to stay competitive. Extra capital, expertise, and ideas from potential partners will help the business in that way. Not only that, work gets done even faster when there are more people running it. Therefore the running of the business is more efficient. Furthermore it does not take a lot of money to convert the business to a partnership. Assuming that Lydia is a friendly person, personality clashes between partners would be rare. The partnership is not likely to bankrupt assuming that Lydias potential partners have a solid financial background. It is not advisable for Lydia to form a company because it is costly to set up. Since the business has only been running for three years it wouldnt have generated enough revenue to be converted into a company. Moreover turning it to a company will increase government regulation on her business. This will greatly decrease the businesss flexibility.   It is also not advisable for her to stay as a sole trader because she needs new capital to upgrade equipments that have been in use for 3 years now and that is hard to do if she stays as a sole trader. Also assuming that she is married, the business wouldnt have to shut down temporarily because of her taking a maternity leave. This is because her partner would be able to take over the business for the mean time.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Medieval Sourcebook: Bede: Conversion of England :: European History Essays

Medieval Sourcebook: Bede: Conversion of England The Arrival in Kent of the missionaries sent By Gregory the Great (597) In the year of our Lord 582, Maurice, the fifty-fourth emperor from Augustus, ascended the throne and reigned twenty-one years. In the tenth year of his reign, Gregory, a man renowned for learning and behavior, was promoted to the apostolic see of Rome,' and presided over it thirteen years, six months, and ten days. He, being moved by divine inspiration, about the one hundred and fiftieth year after the coming of the English into Britain, sent the servant of God, Augustine, and with him several other monks who feared the Lord, to preach the word of God to the English nation. . . . [Augustine, with his companions, arrived in Britain.]. The powerful Ethelbert was at that time king of Kent; he had extended his dominions as far as the great river Humber, by which the southern Saxons are divided from the northern. On the east of Kent is the large Isle of Thanet, containing, according to the English way of reckoning, six hundred families, and divided from the other land by the river Wantsum, which is about three furlongs across and fordable only in two places, for both ends of it run into the sea. In this island landed the servant of our Lord, Augustine, and his companions, being, as is reported, nearly forty men. They had, by order of the blessed Pope Gregory, brought interpreters of the nation of the Franks, and sending to Ethelbert, signified that they were come from Rome, and brought a joyful message, which most undoubtedly assured to all that took advantage of it everlasting joys in heaven, and a kingdom that would never end with the living and true God. The king, having heard this, ordered them to stay in that island where they had landed and that they should be furnished with all necessaries till he should consider what to do with them. For he had heard of the Christian religion, having a Christian wife, of the royal family of the Franks, called Bertha, whom he had received from her parents upon condition that she should be permitted to practice her religion with the bishop, Luidhard, who was sent with her to preserve the faith. Some days later the king came into the island and, sitting in the open air, ordered Augustine and his companions to be brought into his presence.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Abraham Lincoln :: essays research papers

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States. He served from 1861- 1865. People referred to him as " Honest Abe." During the Civil War Lincoln helped with the North, in doing this the North selected him for a second time in 1864. In all of his time he never wavered from his primary goal- to save the Union and also he saw the nation through it's most dreadful experience, war between Americans. In the beginning- Abraham was born on February 12, 1809. Him ad his family moved a couple of times from place to place. With helping on the farm and managing to get in some schooling at a local school. He learned how to read and write. His full size grew to be 6'4. The middle years- In 1832, as a captain of the Militia Company, he went off to the Black Hawk War. Soon after the War he ran for the Illinois legislature and lost. Afterward with a partner, he opened his own general store but went broke. In 1834, as a Whig, he was elected to the legislature and served four terms. But in the meantime, he read enough law to finally become a lawyer and in 1837 he moved to Springfield. Here he attended legislative sessions, practiced law, and met his future wife. Family life- Abraham's wife was Mary Todd; she was a Kentucky born girl. They were soon married on November 4, 1842. They had together four kids, Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas. But Edward died shortly before his fourth birthday, William died in the White House of typhoid at only age eleven, and also son Thomas died in 1871 at age eighteen right before adulthood. Being the President- In 1846, Lincoln won election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served up until 1849, then returned to Springfield. In the 1850's he returned to politics. He spoke out against slavery extension. In 1856 he became a Republican. Two years later he ran for U.S. Senate, but lost however. He won the President nomination on the third ballot and won. He was elected President on November 6, 1861. In November 1863, Lincoln dedicated the Gettysburg battlefield, in a short speech known as the Gettysburg Address. It summed up the Civil War and it's meaning to the Americans.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Ethics and Morality Essay

â€Å"In philosophy we have a problem knowing the origin of right and wrong, there are various theories and ideas but we do not seem to have a definite answer to this question. † By Jamee Ford In life people are brought up in different homes, surrounded by different people and are taught different ways of life. As we grow up we are taught the difference between what is considered right and what is considered wrong, which is based on what is socially acceptable. We learn from a young age how we are expected to behave, the rules we have to abide by given from family and the morals we should have and grow up with. In this society it is difficult to find the origin of right and wrong for there are so many theories and ideas, but yet there is no definite answer. I believe morality comes from us citizens, the law, our feelings and our religion can give a certain indication to how we set our values, but I belive it is an objective fact that what is said to be wrong is wrong and what is said to be right is right. A minority of people believe that morality comes from God. These people have a lot of faith and get their morals and understanding of right and wrong from their belief in god and their bible. For example in the Bible, there are the 10 Commandments, a list of what is acceptable and unacceptable according to God. But what if we don’t believe in god, where would our sense of right and wrong come from? If we can’t change people’s options and feelings on what is right and wrong just by saying that it is acceptable or unacceptable, then why is it okay to say God can. Without god, would their still be morality? Because if god made it acceptable to kill other people, that still wouldn’t make it okay, so I believe this theory is unproven and morality and our right and wrongs can’t come from this theory. Another theory that has brought to the attention of the origin of right and wrong is The ‘Feeling Theory’ and the ‘Boo-hoorah’ theory. The feeling theory is an example of how morality does come from us. We make things right or wrong by approving or disproving of them. If a person has certain feelings about another person’s actions, it is saying something about them. If they disprove of an action, it is considered morally wrong to that person. This theory is people making a claim about what they think; they are claiming whether the action is right or wrong. The ‘Boo-Hoorah Theory’ is another example of how morality comes from us but involves expressing what we think is right or wrong rather than making a claim about it. Something is neither true nor false and according to this theory there is no fact of the matter just an expression of what the person observing thinks. The feeling theory and the boo-hoorah theory are both wrong for everyone is different and raised differently with different beliefs (everyone has different feelings). So technically one person can truly believe that it is okay to kill while another says it’s not okay, these two people are contradicting one another which rules out both theories. Some children are brought up in an abusive home environment; does this mean that morally they think its okay to treat people differently based on how they were raised? All people are raised in a different environment, under different circumstances so if morality comes from us then morality would have to include a whole lot of different views. Another important theory is that morality and our right and wrongs come from the law. Morality and the law often correspond, our morals are what we consider right and wrong, While the law is what has been decided as right and wrong for us. Both murder and stealing are things we consider morally wrong and are also against the law. In the perfect world we all want the law to coincide with morality, but in reality most likely will never be like that. For example drugs are illegal and the law will not accept any sort of behaviour involving drugs, but in some cases people justify that is morally acceptable to deal drugs use it for personal use because of financial situations and pleasure. So they morally justify it in their own head for it to be okay. Even though morality can be guided by the law, helping us understand the differences between right and wrong, morality can’t come from the law, for there are a lot of things the law accept but us civilians see it as wrong. As we can see morality cannot come from the above theories, for they all leave the question of the origin of right and wrong UN answered. I believe that morality comes from us and that things are right and wrong anyway. I believe G. E Moores theory of the extra fact (the six sense) that can detect wrongness. I truly believe this for it is true that there is that something inside of us, guiding us and helping us know what is right and wrong. We don’t necessarily have to be taught about all the wrongs in life to just get that gut feeling that mugging an elderly person is just wrong, why do we feel that? Why don’t we do it? It is because it is something that is just there. Also everyone in the world is different, we all come from different backgrounds and everyone has been brought up differently, in different environments. So therefore we all have different feelings and beliefs, for someone can truly believe that stealing is acceptable, when another thinks it is wrong. Morality is based on how you feel and how you treat people, expecting the same in return; you wouldn’t want someone to hurt you, so why would you want to hurt them. There are no proven facts to where right and wrong comes from but it is something that is just there. It changes over time, and things that were once believed as right are now seen as wrong. So therefore we cannot place judgements for we don’t know what morality and right and wrong will be seen as in ten years time, it’s based you as a person.

From Failure to success Essay

Robert Kennedy’s statement that â€Å"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly† has been painfully evident in my life. Until recently, I had never dared to fail greatly at anything, and as a result, I never achieved greatly at anything either. Luckily, I have learned the importance of attempting something when there’s a looming possibility of failure. At Boys’ State this summer, I spent a week living with 300 other young men while learning about how North Carolina’s government works. To give us a firm grasp of the governmental process, each floor elected town officials, each dorm elected county officials, and the three dorms together elected the state officials. The Boys’ State program also had its own moot court program from which Supreme Court Justices were elected. At Boys’ State, I ran for positions in the town and county government, and for Supreme Court Justice. Of the seven positions I competed for, I only won two elections. I count this as a failure because the only positions I won were positions that had no candidates to oppose me. The loss that affected me the most was Supreme Court Justice. This was the position I had wanted to win even before I arrived at Boys’ State, and I gave up all of my afternoon activity time so that I could participate in the moot court program and remain an eligible candidate for Supreme Court Justice. Unfortunately, the elections for justices were the last of all the voting, and by midnight, everybody wanted to get back to their dorms so the time for our speeches was cut from one minute to ten seconds. Needless to say, I was so unprepared for the sudden change of events, that I barely had time to say my name and one reason I was running before I ran out of time. I lost the election, but the loss taught me that I needed to become more visible so that I would not have to depend on a speech for people to realize that I was a person they should vote for. However, if I had the chance to go back and change anything I had done there, I probably wouldn’t change a thing. The reasons for this are not as difficult to understand as they probably should be. Firstly, if I went back and changed anything I had done then, I would not have learned that lesson, and would now be lacking a very important experience in my life. Secondly, good things also came from my loss of the election for Supreme Court Justice. In my failure, I brought the  attention of the gubernatorial candidate onto me. The next morning, he asked me if I would like to be his Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety which is one of the highest positions at Boys’ State. After a moment of shock, I immediately accepted the position. Thus, as a result of my own great failure, I achieved greatly.

Friday, August 16, 2019

How Groups Can Influence People in Positive and Negative Ways Essay

Groups influence people in positive and negative ways. Looking at research and studies we will see how the roles we play in groups can influence our behaviour. We will see how groups we gravitate to help raise our self-esteem and give us a sense of belonging but at the same time how conflict is created with other groups. Groups we belong to help to give us a sense of identity but we will see how we can lose this as we conform to group behaviour and the impact this can have. Finally, we will look at Kondo’s research and how changing cultures slowly changed her identity and how this affected her on her journey emphasising her positive and negative influences. As we grow we will have many social identities which influence the groups we belong to. These groups can range from friends to family and further out to groups like nationality and ethnicity. Within these groups we have different roles to play which influence our behaviour. A controversial experiment by Zimbardo (1971) (Spoors et al.) shows how a groups of males were separated into two groups of guards and prisoners in a make shift prison. After six days of a two week experiment it was stopped. The guards became abusive while the prisoners showed signs of emotional disturbance. Lots of factors could have influenced the participant’s behaviour but this experiment shows us the effect that roles have on us in a group and how quick we are to adapt to them. We see how an individual can turn abusive and also how individuals can be walked over an abused. Regarding Zimbardo’s experiment we can identify two groups. Psychologists call these our ‘in’ and ‘out’ groups. Evidence suggests our ‘in group’ raises our self-esteem, we gain a sense of belonging, identification and a sense of status. Our ‘in group’ also gives us an opportunity to compare with our ‘out group’ this can create conflict as an us and them divide is formed. Positively we show favour to our ‘in group’ and negatively we discriminate against our ‘out group’. Tajfel et al. (1971) (Spoors et al.) showed this when he assigned teenage boys to a ‘virtual group’ that did not exist. The boys still showed favouritism to their ‘in group’. We see this behaviour in an experiment conducted by Sherif et al. (1961) (Spoors et al.). He set two sets of boys in a summer camp into groups. Separately the groups interacted, group norms were followed, they joked and had secret codes. The groups were set against each other in competition and within their own groups co-operation and loyalty were heightened but hostility, aggression and prejudiced was seen between the groups. Observing Sherif’s study we see positively how group members found a sense of belonging in their own group and how loyalty and co-operation were heightened by competition. Negatively we see their behaviour changing when clashing against their ‘out group’ becoming hostile, aggressive and prejudiced. Prejudism against our ‘out group’ bolsters self-esteem as it allows us to see other groups as inferior. We feel safe and part of our ‘in group’ but through group pressure we may conform to the rest of the group and the sense of identity we gained we could start to lose as we become more influenced by the rest of the group. Asch (1951) (Spoors et al.) looked at this and conducted an experiment on conformity. Participants had to match two lines out of a group of four that were similar in length with a group of other people. Participants conformed with the group who deliberately gave wrong answers. This was repeated and seventy five per cent of participants gave a wrong answer at least once. Asch’s experiment shows the influence of group pressure. Negatively this influence can have disastrous implications. Spoors et al. (2011) use the example of the ‘Heavens Gate’ cult. Thirty nine of their members committed suicide believing their souls would be transported to a spaceship behind Hale Bop comet. Psychological factors need to be recognised but would they have acted this way left to their own devices? Positively Asch’s experiment shows us how we like to feel part of a group and not left out. Society would be chaos if people did not conform to some degree. Just going to the cinema and being quiet we are conforming to the silence so others are not offended. Cultures will have an influence on conformity as Collectivist cultures emphasise groups more than Individualist cultures so all depending where we live in the world cultures influence our behaviour in groups. As our behaviour changes so will our own social identities and this can finally lead us onto research by Dorinne Kondo (1990) (Spoors et al.) Dorinne Kondo was a Japanese American raised in the U.S.A. She moved to Japan to take part in research involving participant-observational study moving in with a Japanese family. Over time she found her American identity diminishing and her new identity flourishing encountering both positive and negative influences on her journey. Negatively she describes being confronted with bewilderment, embarrassment even anger on her linguistical mistakes and when conforming wrongly to Japanese customs also when ‘proper’ behaviour meant she had to behave subserviently. She describes her conflicts surrounding expectations of gender especially her role as a young woman. Positively she describes being left with a warm positive feeling to her live in family when being affirmed for behaving with proper Japanese etiquette. After time she found herself losing her American identity. In her tea ceremony class she explains her awkward, exaggerated western movements had been replaced with Japanese grace. Kondo’s research demonstrates the positive and negative influences we encounter in different cultures and how they can change us as a person as our identities evolve. We have seen how groups can influence people in both positive and negative ways. Zimbardo’s prison experiment shows us how quick we take up roles in a group and the extent to which we act out these roles. Sherif’s summer camp study shows how we look for a sense of belonging and to raise our self-esteem in a group but how we discriminate when conflict is created. These same groups who we look to for affirmation can influence us so greatly we will make the wrong decisions. We have also seen from research how different cultures can influence our positive and negative behaviour in groups and the impact this has on us as our identities evolve.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Granite Apparel- Source of Funding

Presented to: Mr. Kurt Sullivan Subject: Source of funding From: JMSB consultants; Despina Papadopoulos Angela Christopoulos Mathieu Apuzzo AJ Kenth Date: March 2007 Main Issues * Choosing the appropriate source of financing, between Initial public offering, long term debt or preferred shares, to raise funds for the expansion of Granite Apparel. Recommendations * Granite Apparel should use an Initial Public Offering as a source for raising funds. Analysis Quantitative Initial Public Offering The cost of issuing common shares for your company was found by adding the following expenses (APPENDIX ONE):Bridge Financing Rate (Annual)| 10. 25%| Amount of Bridge Financing| 50,000,000| Period| 6 months| Yearly Interest Cost| 2,562,500| Lump Sum Issuance Fee| 4,000,000| Total Issuance Costs| 6,562,500| To issue common shares is very expensive to underwrite and there are also other related costs for a company going public. These costs can be: * More experienced accountants for financial statem ents issuance and high internal compliance * Auditing fees * Dividends Much of the factors are above are very difficult to quantify, but using assumptions we could have an idea of the cost over a 5 year basis to compare with preferred shares.First, let’s find a dividend cost, hoping the company does well and we pay out a 20% dividend rate with a growth of 25% in sales from 2007 – 2012. We get a total dividend amount to be 18. 82 million (APPENDIX ONE). Since dividends are not an obligation but they are a benefit for shareholder satisfaction, we have a range over a 5 year period of costs between 11. 5 million and 30. 4 million. These values take into consideration many assumptions (g= 8%, b = 0. 80 and ROE= 10. 55%) Total 5 year dividend| 18. 82 million| Audit fee (1M per year assumption)| 5 million| Fees/ Bridge Financing| 6. 56 million| Total| 30. 80 million| Range| 11. 5 – 30. 4 million | Another factor to consider for an IPO is the decrease in control for Tay lor and the current shareholders. | Before IPO| After IPO| Total Shares| 20,000,000| 26,000,000| Taylor Ownership| 12,000,000| 12,000,000| Percentage Ownership| 60%| 46. 15%| If Mr. Taylor is comfortable losing total control of his company with 46. 15% ownership (where control is 50%), the IPO can be a very attractive solution. If Mr. Taylor decides to keep full control of his company, he can either purchase himself more shares or the company could issue two types of common shares; Non-voting and voting.Taylor Ownership| 12,000,000| Percentage Ownership| 50%| Total Voting Shares| 24,000,000| Total Non Voting Shares| 2,000,000| Preferred Shares As seen in APPENDIX THREE, the total cost of issuing preferred shares would be $30,200,000 over 5 years. Raised Capital| 50,000,000| Dividend Yield| 9%| Annual Dividend (9% * 50,000,000)| 4,500,000| Repurchase Premium| 10%| Face Value| 55,000,000| Issuance Fees| 2,700,000| 5 year Dividends (4. 5M x 5)| 22,500,000| Repurchase Premium| 5,000,000 | Total Cost| 30,200,000| Long-Term Debt Long-term debt is the second source of financing the company has the option of adopting.Metropolitan life approached Granite Apparel and was prepared to lend them 50 Million dollars at a fixed rate 2% higher than the long-term U. S treasury yield. The term of the loan was 10 years. Exhibit 6 illustrates the U. S treasury yields. Since the loan has a 10 year term, we decided to select the 10 year Risk Free rate, which is 4. 56%. In total the interest rate of the loan would amount to 6. 56%. In order to decide, which alternative is best suitable for the company, we must find the cost associated with borrowing. In addition, we must also add the upfront fee of 1,800,000.The upfront fee is calculated by multiplying 200,000 common shares and the stock price of 9$. We assumed that the value of the firm was equal to 180,000,000 in order to use the 9$ stock price. We also assumed that the loan payments would be done monthly, which gave us a monthly pa yment of 569,267. 46$. Appendix 2 is a loan amortization schedule and indicates the amount of interest and capital is included in each payment. The sum of all interest payments is equal to 18,312,099. If we take the total interest cost and the upfront fee the total cost of the loan would equal to: 20,112,099.However it is also important to note that interest is tax deductible. The loan amortization schedule enabled us to find the PV of the tax shield of 79,712. 24$. In conclusion, the total cost of the debt option is equal to: 20,032,386. 75$ We also wanted to note that paying 10% principal per year for 10 years on the loan is impossible. According to loan amortization schedule, the 10% yearly principal payment would start from year 6. For the first 5 years, most of the payment is attributed to interest, which decreases the principal portion of the payment.Performance and Ratios An important factor in deciding on which way to finance growth is how it affects your financial statement s. Since these tools will be the primary source for investors it is important have them appear strong (APPENDIX FOUR). If the company chooses an IPO, the following ratios would occur in the 2007 financial statements of Granite Apparel. Ratio| Industry| Granite Apparel | Debt/Capital| 15. 1%| 31. 0%| TIE| 41. 2| 57. 75| PE| 22| 12| ROE| 18. 4%| 14. 16%| With an IPO the company’s financial statements would look very strong.Its debt is already higher than the industry average and therefore issuing common shares would decrease the risk of the company. Both the Debt/Capital and TIE ratios express that strength. If the company chooses to issue debt, the following ratios would occur in the 2007 financial statements of Granite Apparel. Ratio| Industry| Granite| Debt/Capital| 15. 1| 61. 52| TIE| 41. 2| 6. 47| ROE| 18. 4| 21. 94| The risk of the company by issuing more debt would be extremely high and way above the industry averages. By demonstrating both Debt/Capital and TIE, we could see a large increase in the company’s risk which is not in the company's favor.They might be reevaluated as a riskier company and therefore would no longer be able to purchase at low interest. The ROE plays in favor, however, because the total Equity is divided among fewer shareholders. It looks good for investors but not for creditors. If the company chooses to issue preferred shares, the financial statements would look very similar to issuing an IPO. This occurs because the preferred shares would be booked in the Equity section of the financial statements due to their â€Å"ownership† qualities. QualitativeGranite Apparel is faced with three financing mediums; initial public offering, long term debt or preferred shares. In the decision process, it is important to weigh the benefits and shortcomings of each financing option. Initial Public Offering (IPO) Benefits * Increase in Shareholder Capital * Increased wealth without dividing authority amongst partners * No div idend obligation on common shares. * Inexpensive method of financing. * Able to maintain control of the company as long as shareholders have less than 20% ownership Drawbacks Granite would need to undergo a thorough assessment of its operations, financial records and legal situation by both Continental Securities and the securities commission. * Three to six month due diligence process. * Minimum requirements in accordance to US GAAP system is very expensive to implement * Decisions based on stock price The public trading of the shares establishes a value for the company and sets a benchmark. This works in favor of the company as it is helpful in case the company is looking for an acquisition or merger. It also provides the share holders of the company with the present value of the shares.Furthermore, once the shares are traded, they carry a market value that is different from the book value depending on demand (volume traded); this can provide Granite with the incentive of offering stock options to employees as an added compensation. Additionally, the investors that are in the company have liquidity on their share of the company, however, if an investor should decide to redeem his portion the company is not entirely affected because the sale is completed on the market. When a company issues common shares, there is no obligation to pay dividends.This can be an immense advantage for Granite as the company is in a growth phase and dividends can be limited in order to compete in an industry with larger players. In turn, this also allows Granite to keep the cost low for the future. In addition, the firm will not go bankrupt if is not able to pay out dividends. More than frequently, management’s decisions may be effected by the market price of the shares and the feeling that they must get market recognition for the company's stock. Often, this can lead to bad decisions and consequently a decline in stock price.As the share price of Granite falls, may lose ma rket confidence, decreased valuation of the company may affect lines of credits, secondary offering pricing, the company's ability to maintain employees, and the personal wealth of insiders and investors. Not to mention if Granite decides to issue most of its shares to the public it may be a target for a hostile takeover, evidently a loss of insider control. Long term Debt Using long term debt will allow granite apparel to immediately acquire the funds, however it will place both financial and operational standard covenants in effect. Operational Prohibited to surpass annual capital budget * Not allowed to acquire without authorization * Cannot change current executive compensation or dividends Financial * Limited to a borrowing to equity ratio of 1. 20 * No possibility to raise short or long term debt without authorization Using long term debt for Granite is very risky if the economy suffers and sales are down. Granite will still have to pay the interest on the principle loan witho ut having the flexibility of acquiring another loan. When the interest payments are not distributed to debt holders, the firm may go bankrupt.As stated, If earnings decrease it might be very risky to carry over 3. 57 million dollars in interest expense as an annual obligation. Moreover, in the event that Granite is presented with the opportunity to merge or outright acquire a competitor, the decision will have to pass through Metropolitan. This can lead to further complications and loss of decision making control for the management of Granite. Preferred Shares Although this method is cost effective, it can also confiscate the ability for management to take important decisions without approval from shareholders. Granite can redeem the shares at a ten percent premium only after five years * Shareholders have no voting right, but receive priority over dividends * Can be given voting rights if Granite does not pay for two consecutive years Similar to long term debt, preferred shares pre sent the drawback for potential loss of control. For instance if there is an economic downturn and Granite is unable to issue payments for two consecutive years to its preferred shareholders, they are granted full voting rights and can potentially control the entire company.Preferred shares can either be placed in the equity or liability section of the balance sheet. In this particular scenario, the preferred shares would be in the equity section because they show evidence of â€Å"ownership†. For instance, if dividends are not paid for two years consecutive, they can exercise their voting rights and consequently allow them to decide on major business developments. Given the three financing methods, Granite would receive the necessary capital in time to fulfill their marketing needs.Given the economic state preferred shares are risky when considering the potential loss of control to the shareholders. Similarly, long term debt caries the interest risk burden without possibilit y of acquiring a new loan. Conversely, initial public offering allows the flexibility to gain capital at any point with the exchange of ownership and still allows the decisions to be made by the board of directors. Although the net income on the expansion is not quantifiable, by the issuance of IPO, Granite remains protected from third party influence and control, interest burden and loss of decision control. Plan of Action Announce the plan to the board of directors and wait for quorum approval or issuing an IPO * If Mr. Taylor and other board members are expressing worries about dilution of ownership, consider issuing two classes of shares; non-voting and voting. * Contact the investment firm to find out potential differences for issuing two classes of shares * Hire and find experienced accountants to prepare the financial statements in accordance to US GAAP for public companies since the company will go public * Select an investment bank with a good reputation and expertise to ad vice and perform underwriting functions. Organize internally for high compliance in accordance to the securities commission Contact and find a reputable auditing firm (KPM, Deloitte, Price Waterhouse or Ernst ; Young) * File with the Securities and Exchange Commission. * Once the request has been processed Granite Apparel should request its IPO on the stock exchange with firm commitment. * Once capital is certain (under firm commitment) and as quickly as possible, search for store locations.These locations should be prime, and in an area where Granite * Apparel can compete strongly with the major players. Time is important, since competitors are catching up to Granite’s innovative products. The company must enter quickly and efficiently into the market. * Prepare for manufacturing increase to supply new stores. * The company should find new innovative products to keep it a step ahead from the competition and become first movers to gain customer loyalty.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Dumbest Generation

Mark Bauerlein seems to believe that is the dumbest generation because research has shown that knowledge skills and intellectual habits have gone down, and although some people agree with him, others don’t. I believe this generation isn’t the dumbest because there are other things that need to be considered when calling someone, a group of people, or even an entire generation stupid or dumb, rather than just knowledge skills and intellectual habits. Knowledge isn’t all about what people know or how well they are in school. IQ tests test the intelligence of the person; however they test the pure thinking capacity rather than what people know.This means that intelligence comes from the entire cognitive thinking ability and not what they know. IQ tests have also been rising since the 1930’s (Source B). Furthermore, just because this doesn’t know things that people knew two generations before us did, doesn’t make us dumb. This generation is learn ing about things that people didn’t even know about two or even one generation ago. Also, most students in college don’t think that what was important back then is relevant today, so they don’t see the point in remembering or learning about it. That isn’t stupidity, that’s just choice in the information that they wish to hold.Plus, some people are more intelligent about certain things about other people, but that doesn’t make them dumb or stupid about that subject. They just don’t understand it as much as other people. If you look at other subjects for that person, I’m sure you’ll find their strong spot, and what they’re good at. It all depends on what their brain can understand and comprehend. Moreover, students and even adults are coming together. They create groups and social activities that allow people with similar interests and intelligence to get together and help and teach what they know about that particu lar subject.They come to these people for their knowledge to improve their craft, gain reputation, and expanding their intelligence and interest in their craft (Source C). Although most people may disagree, the new media and social advances help with this. It allows students to reach people around the globe and get other information so they get direct information. According to Mizuko (Source C), â€Å"Youth respect one another’s authority online and are more often motivated to learn from peers than adults. † So by this meaning, the social media allows students to learn in a more advanced way to where they don’t feel like they are being condescending.This also allows the students to learn more of on their own and exploring, rather than knowing the goals and going by a direct lesson plan. Given the fact that most students use Google instead of a library might make people think that we are being derived of learning how to do research on our own. Although most peopl e are right, Google does have benefits. If someone just needs a quick way to get information, Google is good place to get started. Most people know to make sure things are doubled in places rather than just in one place though, so they know what to do about how to research.Additionally, having social media and the internet, texting, email etc. , also creates more chances of writing. Most parents and teachers think that this is causing a downfall in school and literacy capabilities but in reality its actually helping. According to Thompson (Source G), she believes we are in the middle of a literacy revolution. This generation writes more than any other generation before. Most peoples’ writing happens outside the classroom. It may not be very advanced writing, but it is writing. It works the writing and literacy capabilities because it is still writing. They have to read, comprehend, understand, and respond.All of which includes using the abilities that they already had. Also, almost thirty-eight percent of writing happens outside of the classroom. Everything that people write, including texting and email etc. , add up and help with their brain which expands their learning and thinking capacity. Along with social media, there are video games. The people who play video games say that they help with hand-eye coordination, and those who don’t say that the video games make the brains weak. But in all actuality, video games help expand the thinking capacity and help the thinking and learning capabilities.They figure out how to get through things in the game and don’t just cheat by using a manual. They have to think about what could happen next or look at how things happen so they know how to act, react, and do (Source F). Furthermore, every generation has their â€Å"dumb spots†. That doesn’t make each generation the dumbest generation though. One person can’t say that this is the dumbest generation when every generation is d umb at some point or with some group of people. In 1962, according to Simpson, (Source E), he did a documentary about a group of people who didn’t even know what most people did know at their age.They barely knew anything at all and they weren’t able to spend all day texting or playing video games. Each generation has their problems, so one cannot pinpoint what generation is the dumbest generation. So, although some people believe different, I believe this generation is not the dumbest generation because knowledge is not all about the amount of information a person holds. It’s about the thinking capacity and other things can interrupt that thinking process, and also, each generation has their â€Å"dumb† faults. This generation may be more evident, but it is not the dumbest generation.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

How Facebook has Destroyed Privacy Boundaries Essay

How Facebook has Destroyed Privacy Boundaries - Essay Example In recent years, a number of social networking websites have been able to take advantage of the teeming amount of users looking to register and use the social networking services. This in turn has provided these websites with unwanted levels of influence that has tended to create privacy debacles that were unheard of in conventional human interaction (Berkman and Shumway). Perhaps one of the most popular websites for social networking in recent years has been Facebook. The website has come under the limelight time and again. Previously it was under the limelight as a business model for innovation and hallmark breakthroughs but in recent times it has been scrutinized for breaches of privacy. The various forms of breach of privacy have been recognized and investigated and is confirmed phenomenon leaving little to doubt them anymore (Iachello and Hong). Some breaches of privacy are caused due to users overlooking fine print details while other breaches of privacy occur due to online sur veillance. In addition to everything else, certain forms of breach of privacy occur due to the inherent design of social networking platforms. This paper will focus on the various forms of breach of privacy that have resulted from the use of Facebook whether these breaches were intentional or otherwise. Furthermore, the consequences of these breaches will be looked into in detail to gauge their effects on ordinary people. It is natural for human beings to be wary of each other when conducting conversations in person. Another major factor that limits the amount of information carried by human beings is the limit on information delivered at any one point in time through conversations. It would be unrealistic to assume that a person could convey all kinds of personal and family information to another in one meeting alone. However, this situation is totally reversed when using computing platforms to interact. People who use social networking websites such as Facebook will realize that a large amount of information has to be divulged in order to sign up for such services. The typical information required for such sign ups consists of a person’s name, date of birth, email address, home address and the like. Other forms of personal information is exposed and brought to the forefront as a person tends to interact with their social circles (Pankoke-Babatz and Jeffrey). Social networks such as Facebook allow the user to search for and add new â€Å"friends† who are effectively anybody you might know including friends, family and acquaintances. The interaction between a typical Facebook user and his â€Å"friends† is carried out through the wall of each individual account holder. The idea is simple and seem revolutionary at first – each user has a wall that anybody can write upon if they are included in the individual’s friend list. Moreover, other users do not necessarily have to write things on the wall, instead, they can simply choos e to like things online and share it on their friend’s walls. This means that if I was browsing the internet for a pair of boxing gloves and I happened to find a pair I like, I could essentially share the link on my wall and on the wall of my friends. This would allow me to tell my friends that I recently might have made a purchase of boxing gloves and that they might be interested in the same boxing gloves. At first sight the idea seems just absolutely amazing. Imagine the power of being able to share

Monday, August 12, 2019

The Training Techniques of Staff in this Global Era Research Paper

The Training Techniques of Staff in this Global Era - Research Paper Example Organizations have adopted three recruitment and staffing strategies as they expand their operations to other countries and these approaches or strategies have been discussed below: 2.1. Ethnocentric strategy or Ethnocentric approach One of the approaches that organizations adapt to recruit and hire employees when expanding to other parts of the world is the ethnocentric approach. In this approach, the management fills the most important or managerial positions by bringing employees from the parent country. Such an approach is termed as the ethnocentric approach. One of the reasons for following such a strategy is that the organization would like to keep the same organizational culture even in another country. So, because of this reason, they would like to have employees from their own country rather than hiring the nationals (Boussebaa, and Morgan, 2008). 2.1.1. Positive of Ethnocentric approach One of the positives about the ethnocentric approach is that the company would be able t o maintain the same corporate or organizational culture regardless of the country in which it is operating. Also by hiring expatriates, the organization would be able to have experienced and skills employees at the topmost position and thus it can be helpful for the organization. 2.1.2. Challenges of Ethnocentric approach One of the major challenges that organizations following ethnocentric approach faces are cultural myopia. In other words, the organization will be having employees from its parent country and these employees might not be able to understand the cultural values of the national country. Therefore it might lead to cultural myopia and thus, the organization would suffer in the long run. There is another negative aspect regarding adapting ethnocentric approach is that as national employees would only be restricted to the lower level and would not be able to take on the managerial positions, therefore, they would not be motivated and thus, in the long run, their morale an d performance would hurt. In turn, this would influence the organizational productivity in the long run. The ethnocentric approach can be expensive as well because the organization would have to pay high compensation packages to the expatriates working in another country and this could influence the profitability of the company. 2.2. Polycentric approach The second approach that organizations use regarding hiring employees in another country is the polycentric approach. In this approach, the organization hires employees from the national country. Top management is also filled with people belonging to the national country. 2.2.1. Positive of Polycentric approach The positive aspect of the polycentric approach is that the company would not have to face the issue of cultural myopia as the Nationals would be aware of the cultural values of the society. Therefore strategies can be formulated accordingly.  Ã‚  

Managing Knowledge at an NHS Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Knowledge at an NHS Trust - Essay Example For this change to take place, the management needs to follow a change management process and provide incentives to the employees to stick with this change. Hopefully with this change, Reddix hospital can stand back on its feet and shine once again. Reddix Hospital is a trust hospital under national health services (NHS) in the United Kingdom serving over 900,000 patients in the area. It caters to many different medical fields and hence has to cater to an annual 7000 patients in admissions. With only 200 doctors whose expertise includes breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases and pediatrics, the hospital finds itself short on employees and due to the recent nurse shortage, it finds itself unable to cater to all the patients are diligently as it like to. Also due to the inefficiencies and conventional systems, the hospital cannot cope up with the demands of the patients and the employees alike. Being a big hospital, Reddix faces many problems in the daily operations which it tries to address. In all its problems the integration between the departments was considered the biggest challenge. Since the hospital has many different departments that provide specialist information to the customers and as well as other departments, it needs to integrate its systems used in each department like Radiology Information Systems (RIS), Patient Administration System (PAS), Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), Clinical Patient Record (CPR), Pharmacy Systems (PS) and Nursing Systems (NS). Without the proper management and collaborative working, these departments can never truly achieve the desired efficiency and therefore effectiveness. Analyzing the situation, it is apparent that the hospital will needs an overhauling of the entire systems and the processes. Therefore a change strategy needs to be used in the scenario to free Reddix out of the crunch situation. It has to interoperate between the departments. In this context, it means that all business units must work in unison to create synergy and lead the organization to achieve operational efficiency. Recommendations The change process described by the psychologist Kurt Lewin in the early 20th century must be followed here. Let's see how this can be done (Lewin & Gold, 1999). 1) The first part of this change process in the unfreezing of the current norms of the organization. This means to change the people's sense of safety and feel a sense of control. The employees at Reddix have become used to the hospital norms and like that norm to remain the way it is. Breaking this norm is the key to success however due to non-commitment and resistance to change, this break though needs a systematic strategy. First of all the employees at the hospital must be made aware of need for change. This involves sending the employees to seminars, or having meetings where the need for change is discussed (Isaac, 2006). When the employees understand the need for change, then the actual changes must be brought along. 2) After the initial education of the employees, the actual changes must be enforced on the employees by giving them goals and objectives (Fred, 2006). According to the report by National Health Services,