Death penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Death penalty - Essay Example This paper will examine the benefits and the fall backs of the death penalty, and argue if it should be allowed or banned based on the evidence in the paper. According to Chan and Oxley, capital punishment is a legal process sanctioned by the state that allows for the termination of a felon offender’s life, who has committed one or multiple heinous offences (Janet and Oxley 2). This process is usually prohibited in many countries for the same questions that this paper raises and seeks to answer. Is capital punishment morally wrong? Does capital punishment deter crime? Can capital punishment be justified when done in consideration to the welfare of the public? Many people have found the death penalty or capital punishment to be morally wrong but when atrocities are committed against their loved ones, they quickly have a change of heart. Over the years, there has been a growing base of activists advocating for the abolishment of the death penalty all across the world, therefore, influencing many countries to abolish the act. Even the United Nations does not support the death penalty, citing a law borrowed from the American Bill of Rights, which stresses on the right to life. However, the United States of America has not given in to International pressure to abolish the death penalty but insists that the death penalty is neither cruel nor an unusual punishment when it is employed non-discriminatively and in an unarbitrary manner (Dezhbakhsh and Shepherd 512). Many individuals consider the death penalty to be morally impermissible. They argue that the act is constitutionally cruel and uncivilized. They claim that imposing capital punishment, no matter how humane the method of administration is, is still a transgression of the rule of law. They also say that capital punishment would lead to the wrongful death by execution to some innocent people whose cases were marred by false evidence. They argue that if the justice system was to make a mistake and realize it later after the death penalty has already been executed, the damage would be irreversible and unfair to the family and the individual. They also argue that capital punishment shows arbitrariness, in that the criminals may prefer that form of punishment. Capital punishment has also been said to be discriminative. Critics argue that racial discrimination is evident in the justice system, where criminals declared guilty of killing white people were four times more likely to be served with the death penalty than those who killed non-white individuals. This shows that the death penalty is discriminative even though it is said to be non-discriminatory (Sunstein and Vermeule 2). Capital punishment seems to have a few shortcomings but despite all that it can be regarded as an efficient tool to deter the occurrence of certain crimes. Research studies carried out two decades ago showed that the death penalty did not prevent or influence the occurrence of certain crimes. These research stud ies have refuted by new research that show that capital punishment has a powerful deterrent effect. The study proposes that for every execution carried out, an average of eighteen murders are prevented. With such an effect on crime, capital punishment should not be abolished as it seems to serve as a lesson to all those plotting some heinous crimes. Failing

Operating Systems Course: Reflection Essay

Operating Systems Course: Reflection Essay There are a lot of new concepts about Telecommunications and Networking that I’ve learned in depth in this course. It is one of the very interesting courses that I have done so far in IT. I feel it is worth doing this course online as there is a chance to learn so many concepts through our assignments. Wire shark labs were very interesting and we have gained practical knowledge on how networking works in real scenarios. There are so many topics that I felt interesting throughout the course, but there is this topic ‘Modes of Network Operation’ which was the discussion topic in the 6th week that left an ‘aha’ moment. In Infrastructure mode of Network operation, communications occur between a set of Wireless Adapter equipped computers and also between a wired networks by going through a Wireless Access Point (AP). Infrastructurerefers to switches, routers, firewalls, and access points (Aps). Access Points are responsible for handling traffic between wireless networks and also wired networks. There is no Peer to Peer communication in this mode. A wireless network in infrastructure mode which is also connected to wired network is called as BSS (Basic service set).A set of two or more service sets is called Extended Service Set (ESS). The BSSID is a 48-bit number of the same format as a MAC address. This field uniquely identifies each BSS. The value of this field is the MAC address of the AP. Advantages of Infrastructure mode: Wide areas are covered by utilizing the high power of an access point in Infrastructure mode which is the advantage. The learning curve will be less for knowing wireless strengths and weaknesses with Infrastructure Mode. Number of clients can be supported in this mode of operation as additional access points can be added to WLAN to increase the reach of the infrastructure and support any number of wireless clients. Infrastructure mode networks offer the advantage of scalability, centralized security management and improved reach. Disadvantages: The disadvantage associated with infrastructure wireless network is additional cost to purchase AP hardware. ADHOC Mode:  In this mode, each station is a peer to the other stations and communicates directly with other stations within the network. No Access points are required. Advantages: Because Ad Hoc Mode does not require an access point, its easier to set up, especially in a small or temporary network. Disadvantages: In Ad Hoc Mode connections are limited, for example between two laptops, to the power available in the laptops. Because the network layout (thenetwork topology) in Ad Hoc Mode changes regularly, system resources are taken just to maintain connectivity. In an Ad Hoc network with many computers, the amount of interference for all computers will go up, since each is trying to use the same frequency channel. In Ad Hoc Mode, chains of computers will connect to pass your data, if your computer is not directly in range. On the other hand, you do not have control over the path your data takes. The automatic configuration routines may send your data through several computers, causing significant network delays. Conclusion Based on the above various mode of operation both offer advantages and as well as disadvantages. Based on the necessity one many opt for Ad hoc mode where set up is easy and no access points are required whereas Infrastructure mode is suited well for wireless networks as it supports any number of clients and offers advantages such as scalability, security and improved approach. There are a lot of concepts of Operating Systems that are learnt in depth from the course Operating Systems, it being one of the most important courses to be known to end up in software industry. However, I feel, and have always felt that it’s important to understand where we came from and how we landed up here, to be able to understand where we are going. The technology on which the operating systems run on and the mechanics of OS have progressed more than that could have been imagined in the last 30 years. By understanding how that progress was made, we can apply it and make equal progress in the future too. There are so many interesting topics in the discussions and journal entries throughout the course, but the first discussion on â€Å"Microsoft Windows 8: One Size Fits All?† remained as my favorite topic. It being the first discussion topic, also made me feel how interesting the entire Operating systems course would be. This topic grabbed my attention all of a sudden as I have been using Operating systems mostly Microsoft Windows from so many years without even knowing what exactly is happening behind it. The pros and cons of Windows 8 are summed from the â€Å"One size fits all† discussion. This made me think of the practical application of an OS by comparing with the features of other OS. I felt it’s not possible to develop single OS which can be efficient on tablets and PCs and that was the first time I had to disagree/not satisfied with Microsoft’s invention. Microsoft has been ruling the OS platforms. Windows 8 has drastic changes in platform and user interface of the operating systems. It had a smartphone before the Apple iPhone revolution came along, and it was pushing tablet PCs before the Apple iPad made it cool. But, as long as Microsoft’s history with mobile devices is, so is its stubborn desire to make everything about its Windows OS. Nowadays we cannot even imagine the world without computer as they are a part of everyday life now. But many of us do not care about what is actually happening when we use a system. Though I had little knowledge about operating systems earlier, now even though I don’t know everything I’m sure that I have learnt a lot about the functioning of an operating system, many types of management techniques in various operating systems, scheduling algorithms, and Protection and Security mechanisms in OS. An Operating system is a program that manages computers hardware and knowledge about operating system is necessary to start a career in software industry. Operating system provides a basis for application programs and acts as an intermediary between users and computer hardware and optimizes the utilization of hardware. It must exist in order for other programs to run. I would definitely continue my career as a software developer after completion of Masters in IT as I have been a software developer earlier. As a developer I would be developing software applications and having in depth knowledge of Operating systems is always necessary. An Operating system provides a software platform on which other application programs can run. So in some scenario’s like asynchronous function calls in the program written, I would definitely understand the execution of program much better having knowledge of how operating system works. I am pretty sure next time when I buy a laptop or an electronic device, I would not be lost with technical specifications. Indeed I would be more interesting to know the features and discuss the specifications confidently. Finally, I would say learning about the operating system will help every IT professional in their career.

Essay --

.1 Introduction The definition of Low Carbon Society which the action is suitable with the principle of sustainable development is to ensure that create all the development needs of all folks in the society and via reduction in global emission by effort to fix the atmospheric CO2 emission and GHGs, which the climate change is dangerous at that level. All national positions in the world have different definitions of Low Carbon Society because all countries have different level of progress to produce pollutions. For developed countries, by the center of the 21st century with decreasing the CO2 emissions they can gain to a low carbon society. Also it can change to lifestyle and institute with the spread and development of low-carbon technologies. For developing countries, by the accomplishment of broader development objectives, they can attain to a low carbon society. By progress in developed countries, must be considered the level of CO2 and also this advanced is proportional to the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere that has to appropriate with low carbon societies (Skea and Nishioka, 2008). Also recent studies have illustrated that the developing country's association to stabilize long term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission at 450 ppm CO2 emission or lower (Blanford et al., 2009). Reduction policies of climate change not only help to control GHG concentrations but also result in an improvement of ethnic energy security and mitigation of local air pollutant concentrations. Then, it is important in a developing countries content to read about the direct and indirect benefits of GHG reduction policies and also potential for GHG mitigation (Shrestha and Shakya, 2012). The main goals of climate change policy 2010 are: (i) advance... ...ivate cars is yet enhanced and has turned into a united part of both modern society and of the life of people and families. It has a duty to play as a method of transport as well as in cultural and social life. One needs to know and comprehend this entire picture if the plan is to change the example of transport so as to take care of the environmental issues inside and from the transportation part. The key discoveries demonstrate that so as to expand public transport utilization, the service ought to be composed in a manner that obliges the levels of service needed by customers and by completing so absorb potential users. Moreover, attitude towards transport is an essential determinant of mode decision. It is not wanted that all car users, totally, will change from driving a car to utilize public transport only by enhancing the public transport system.

Cherns staffing Essay

The strategic staffing process is guided by a set of staffing goals (process and outcome goals) that are logically linked with the company’s business strategy, culture and values. CHERN has managed to create a competitive advantage by providing quality products and the best customer service in the industry. Superior quality customer service is the company’s business strategy and this is linked to a very aggressive growth strategy for the next 5 years. The table below helps to understand the implications that the business growth strategy has on the staffing process at the company. The positions highlighted on the table are the positions that CHERN has to focus on because they are the core drivers of the company’s performance and they make up more than 80% of the total workforce of the organization. Table 1. Staffing Forecast for 5 year growth. PositionsEmployees per store Employees needed to hire per year Employees needed to hire per month Employees hired at end of 5 years Store Manager1151.2575 Dept. Manager812010600 Assistant Dept. Manager812010600 Full time sales associates10015001257500 Part time sale associates2537531.251875 Because the strategic staffing process is a future-oriented process, it is valuable to identify both short term and long term goals that involve attracting, developing and retaining the right number of the best appropriate talent. Table 2 contains both short-term and long-term process goals and outcome goals for CHERN’s strategic staffing and provides a rationale of why this are important to help achieve the business strategy. Table 2. Staffing Goals Short-term Process GoalsImportance 1 .Hiring qualified applicants within the timeline goals of our growth  projection. The staffing process has to be able to meet the time goals for the hiring process as needed for the year growth strategy. 2. Attract a pool of applicants large enough to be able to select the amount of talent needed for the new stores. The staffing process has to be able to supply the necessary amount of talent needed for the year growth strategy. Short-term Outcome Goals 1.Staffing talent that fits with corporate culture. CHERN needs talent that fits with its culture and feel comfortable, reducing turnover and developing longer relationships with customers. 2. Hiring talent who will succeed at work. Hiring process will supply talent that will be able to do the job and achieve the goals. Long-term Process Goals 1.Better efficiency in attracting qualified applicants. Achieve more efficiency on hiring top talent to keep our competitive advantage and continue with the same level of superior customer service. To achieve this, some processes have to be measured, revised, and modified. 2.Keep competitive benefits to attract top talent. Long-term Outcome Goals 1.Enhancing the business strategy execution All efforts should be made towards enhancing the business strategy. 2.Hiring talent who will benefit from the other HR functions ( compensation, training, succession) It is important for the company to achieve its  corporate strategy, to hire talent that will benefit from training, is motivated by the company’s compensation plan and is interested on building a career. Business and Staffing Strategies An organizations Human Resource strategy and Talent Philosophy shapes its staffing strategy and has direct impact on the business Strategy. We will now analyse CHERN’s Talent Philosophy, Human Resource Strategy and Staffing Strategy to align them with the corporate business Strategy. Table 3 helps us identify how the Organizations Talen Philosophy help shape its HR Strategy and staffing strategy. Table 3. Talent Philosophy-HR strategy-Staffing Strategy. Talent PhilosophyHR StrategyStaffing Strategy What to retain talent, creating long term careers that will contribute to the firms objectives Recruit, select, develop and retain valuable talentRecruitment & Selection: Hires talent that has the right set of traits and attributes to perform in the organization. Develop: Offer training, career development and support to take advantage of talent and help them achieve results. Retaining: Retains valuable talent. View employees as investors and not costs or assets. Respect applicants and employees, as we believe the company benefits from them as the same way they benefit from the company, and they are vital for our success.Recruiting and selection: Hires employees that relate to the corporate culture and makes the process transparent and gives as much information as possible to avoid mismatching. Develop: Gives employees empowerment and training to make them feel more comfortable at work. Retaining: We understand the investment employees are doing in the company and therefore we offer competitive benefits and wages. Have high ethical standards and a strong corporate culture of respect Treat employees and applicants with respect and fairness.Recruiting and  Selection: Transparent and well informed process. Develop: Provides well timed and appropriate feedback and offers personalized training to help employees achieve goals. Retaining: Clear reward system and promotes based on merit. Talent Philosophy At CHERN’s our greatest strength lies on the talent, set of skills and empowerment of our people. We are committed on attracting, growing and retaining the most talented people in the retail industry by creating a fair and positive environment where they can feel cared and comfortable, and have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally. Human Resource Strategy The goal of CHERN’s human resource strategy is to align all its HR functions in order to ensure the availability of the right amount of superior customer service oriented talent who is supported by the an organization in order to achieve the company’s objectives. The goals of the HR strategy involve providing training, support and the tools needed for our talent to fully develop within the company in a fair environment. Staffing Strategy To describe CHERN’s staffing strategy, we will divide this analysis into the 9 elements of the Staffing Strategy, and briefly describe its implications. 1.Core Vs Flexible Workforce. CHER benefits from a core workforce as opposed to a flexible workforce, because as we highlighted before, employees are central to their success and vital to achieve competitive advantage. CHERN’s effort on retaining valuable staff will contribute to achieving long term goals. Even though the company still has some part-time staff, they still consider them part of their core workforce and offer them similar benefits and same fair conditions. 2.Hire Internally Vs Hire Externally. CHERN has to source its talent both externally and internally. The company should continue to develop current talent and work on succession planning,  as done until now. This sends the message that good performance is rewarded enhancing staff motivation. Also, it allows staff in new positions to get up to speed easily because they already know the company’s culture and the way things are done. This is a huge benefit for the company as by the time a new position of middle management opens up, they already have a large pool of internal candidates who they have already assessed and know their performance. However, the company will still have to source its sales associate positions externally to meet the growing strategy that it has projected for the next 5 years. Hiring externally also brings some advantages to the organization like enhancing diversity and injecting different and fresh perspectives that can be beneficial. 3.Hire for Vs Train and Develop for. During the Recruiting and selection process, CHERN should focus on traits, attributes and abilities and not so much on skills and knowledge. Skills can be trained and CHERN is providing training to this set of skills already. However, qualities and attributes are harder or nearly impossible to teach and are vital for the job requirements such as being tech savvy, loving fashion, being customer oriented and being adaptable. Hiring the right skills with the wrong attitude is a mistake. Personality traits are very important on sales positions, that is why CHERN should hire talent with the right attitude and abilities, who lack some skills and knowledge and can grow together. Although hiring experienced, knowledgeable sales staff might reduce training costs and can start generating sales quickly, it is very unlikely that CHERN will find the enough pool of applicants that contain both the knowledge and the attributes. Without the attributes it is very likely that recruit will not be succe ssful in a long term .Hence the importance of training. 4.Replace Vs Retain talent. CHERN strives to retain talent. It is becoming more difficult to recruit staff that meets CHERN’s standards, and competition on le market is increasing. That is why it is important for CHERN to recruit, develop and retain valuable talent. If not, the competitors will benefit from the resources invested on training. CHERN should continue offering a competitive  set of benefits and remuneration as a strategy. This in hand with an inclusive and supporting environment creates a desirable working environment. 5.What levels of what skills? As CHERN’s strengths relies on its sales workforce it is critical to find and recruit individuals with a specific set of attributes that can enhance our business strategy. Attributes such as Confidence, ability to multitask, English skills, numerical skills flexibility, and service orientation are essential. Other important skills and knowledge requirements such as Sales techniques, persuasion, time management and information ordering can be held at a basic level and it can be strengthened through training. 6.Proactive Vs Reactive staffing. CHERN must follow a proactive staffing strategy to prepare for the coming growth of the company. Pursuing a talent oriented strategy will allow the company to fill the future positions at the right moment without having to hire quickly someone that might not fit the criteria. Labour market is getting tighter and it is becoming more difficult to find good recruits, so targeting gaps in advance of the actual need will bring benefits to the staffing process. 7.What jobs to focus on? The Sales associate both part-time and full-time are positions on which the company invests most of its resources and attention. This are the key positions that create value to the company and are helping to develop that competitive advantage that is crucial for the firm. 8.Staffing as an investment Vs Staffing as a Cost. CHERN sees staffing as an investment. CHERN believes that the effort in resources (time and money) invested in recruiting, selecting, training and retaining talent will show positive results in the short and long-term, because staff will perform better reducing costs, increasing productivity, and reducing turnover. Although it does involve costs, it is an investment into the company’s future. 9.Centralized Staffing Vs Decentralized Staffing. CHERN benefits from a combined approach to the staffing process between centralized and decentralized, where some of the functions are allowed to be adjusted to meet single unit needs, but still monitored by a centralized organization that ensures unity and cohesion. The company has already identified that customers from different units change and Managers have already some level of autonomy in decision-making. This allows each unit t cater to their customers providing a better designed service. So decentralization of the staffing process brings benefits to the brand. However, all units should follow specific procedures to ensure consistency throughout their branches.

What Is Worth Fighting for?

Jordan Jackson Mrs. Bugg English351 2/15/13 Family Is Worth Fighting For How is family important to you? Family is important because they are our family, they support us in everything we do, they are always there to protect us, they are there to stand up for us, they are always there for us , they will always be our family members and they will always love us. So shouldn’t we fight for them? Some people have a hard time even starting families on their own, some families are going through financial obstacles, but they will always be a family and they will always stick together.Family is worth fighting for. Families in the military have a hard time adopting children because of the constant moving around all the time whether it is in the states or in a different country. Adoption hasn’t been easy for those families in the military. â€Å"The issue of relocation is one of the major problems our families have faced when they are considering adoption, â€Å"confirms Al Smit h. Families in the military probably have a family but if they want to adopt a child it is going be hard for them.Many people in the military don’t have time to actually produce kids on they’re own so they want to adopt but it’s hard. Al Smith started a foundation where people in the military can adopt kids without having any issues with traveling. Families who have financial difficulties have trouble providing for their family. Sometimes they have a hard time even putting food on the table. Families with a large amount of children have a hard time supporting their family especially if the parents don’t have a good paying job.In some families the parents don’t even have a job. One of the biggest causes of financial issues is job loss. Sometimes one of the children or one of the parents get very ill and paying for all the medical bills can put financial stress on a family. Sometimes parents have to have more than one job to provide for they’r e family. Even when the kids get old enough to have a job they have to get a job to help provide money for their parents to pay the bills and to help put food on the table. Families even have to go through poverty. Today the poverty rate in the U.S. is the highest it’s been in 17 years, affecting some 46 million people. The economy is the main reason why the poverty rate is so high. ( Struggling Families Lift Themselves Out Of Poverty. NPR. org ) Families in poverty have nothing but the other people in their families to depend on. Immigrants that come to America to start a new life most likely start out with financial issues and they are in poverty. Maurice Lim Miller started a foundation to help get families out of poverty. This foundation helps the parents of this family to get back on their feet.They help the families get jobs, they feed the families, they house the families, they give the families clothes to wear. This foundation has helped many families get out of povert y. Some families go through domestic violence and the children have to deal with that for as long as the other parent is willing to deal with the abuse. It affects everybody in the family whether or not they are getting abused or not. It affects the children by having to see and deal with one of their parents or siblings going through that abuse, and sometimes the family has to move away from the place they grew up in to a new place.It affects the mom or dad by not knowing how to deal with the situation and even if they did know how they would have to move out of their house and leave the person that is the parent of their children. Women that are involved in domestic violence have to go to domestic violence shelters with they’re children. Domestic violence doesn’t have to be actually hitting the other person, it could be taking away the other person’s money. Keeping the money away from the other person can stop that person from paying bills and providing for th ey’re family.Family member’s that are going through abuse should be able to go to they’re other family members for advice on how to get out of that situation or for a place to stay to get away from that person abusing them. In conclusion families have to deal with many types of things like poverty, domestic violence, having trouble adopting. At the end of the day they are still a family and they have to push through whatever they are dealing through and be there for each other when they need it the most.Families have to make it day by day and deal with issues that come up, love each other even when they make wrong choices, be there for the other family member when times get hard and be there for them through the good times. Enjoy the time we have with our family now because life is short. Family is important, how are we willing to fight for them? Works Cited Page Fessler,Pam. â€Å"Struggling Families out of Poverty. † (2012) NPR. org. Web. 7 December 201 2. â€Å"Obstacles Facing Military Families. † (2012) military. adoption. com. Web. 7 December 2012.

Youth Violence essays

Youth Violence essays Are we solving youth violence by sending minors to jail in adult prisons? In the article Tough Justice for Juveniles author Edward Humes discusses the underlining problems with the Juvenile Justice System. In this article Humes claims in paragraph 2 that: Our national fixation with meting out adult punishments to young criminals has blinded us to the underling crisis-the juvenile systems shocking inability to impose meaningful penalties, or even supervision, on offenders before they become the predators we so fear. Personally, I agree with the Humes, the Juvenile Justice System is so readily willing to punish young criminals to the furthest extent of the law. In most cases without even considering, theyre prior criminal history or the crimes, that they are currently being processed. Humes illustrated examples in paragraphs 4, 5, 6, and 7 by discussing two youth offenders and the punishment that they where sentenced to after being processed through the current laws used by the Juvenil e Court System. In this article, the author clearly illustrates an appeal to authority by displaying a rational tone that isnt offensive and the author appears to be personally knowledgeable about the subject matter making his views creditable. The author also clearly expresses a genuine concern for the subject matter being discussed and offers suggestions on how to correct the problem illustrated in the claim. In paragraph 11 Humes stated: We can keep tinkering with the laws so we can ship more and younger children to adult court, but this does nothing to return juvenile courts to their original mission: to deal with young people before they become hardened criminals. I believe that Humes is trying to express a concern that most people have surrounding youth crime which is the fact that we dont want to send children to adult jail so that they can learn to become better criminals ...

Lab Report on Ideal Gas Law Essay Example

Lab Report on Ideal Gas Law Essay Example Lab Report on Ideal Gas Law Paper Lab Report on Ideal Gas Law Paper We then poured the water back into the test tube and placed the tube into the bucket with the opening upwards, turning the open end downwards after the tube was fully submerged beneath he surface. We then placed the canister directly below the opening of the test tube, and released the gas so that the bubbles rose into the test tube. Next, we used a cork whose head was larger than the opening of the test tube to block off the opening (without changing the pressure inside of the tube), so that we could transport the remaining water to a graduated cylinder. When doing this, it was very important that the water level inside of the tube was equal to that of the surrounding water in the bucket, because that ensured that since the eater pressure in the tube was the same as that of the surrounding water, the pressure of the gas would be the same as that of the surrounding air. Thus, we recorded the gas pressure to be the same as the pressure in the room, which was calculated to be 763. 0 meg. We poured the remaining water from the test tube into a graduated cylinder to calculate the difference between the original water volume and the volume remaining, because this difference was equal to the volume of the gas released. Next, we blow-dried and shook the canister to get rid the extra mass that would eave been added by any water that had clung onto it while it was in the bucket, and weighed the canister again. We subtracted this mass from the original mass of the canister to find out the mass of gas released. Now that we had collected our data, we used Talons law of partial pressures to calculate the pressure of the gas from the canister alone, so we subtracted the pressure of the water vapor at the recorded water temperature (1 5. ICC) from the total pressure of the gas (763. 0 meg). With the pressure of the unknown gas lone, we were ready to plug our values into the IV=nor equation. Solving for n, we were able to determine how many moles of the gas we had used, so we only had to divide the mass of gas used by the moles to calculate the molar mass of the gas (in grams per mole). With the molar mass of the gas, we were able to identify the gas. 2. Results: Below are the values we recorded for each step in the experiment, as well as the calculations we made to come up with the molar mass of the unknown gas. Thus, the unknown gas was butane, CHICHI, whose molar mass is about 58. G/ mol. 3. Discussion: The theory behind our experiment was to find each necessary factor in the simplest, most accurate way. The most difficult part was figuring out how to catch all of the gas that we released, and to measure the volume of that gas precisely. The method we used was very effective because we were able to see the movement of the gas, and we were therefore able to control its entry into the test tube. Our results were pretty accurate, but there was some room for error. Below are the calculations for the percent error of our molar mass assortment. Some of the sources of error came from possible procedural problems, while others came due to the theoretical limitations of the experiment. One of the procedural difficulties we may have encountered was that there might have still been some water left on the canister when we weighed it the second time. Because the second mass of the canister would have the added mass of the water, the difference between the original mass and the mass after the gas had been released would have been smaller. Thus, we would have recorded a lower ass of gas released, so the molar mass calculation would have been lower because the numerator of the equation would have been smaller. Perhaps we could have blow-dried the canister for a longer period of time until we were absolutely sure that no water remained. Another procedural problem was the balance we used. Because it only measures to the hundredths place, we recorded the mass of the gas released to only one significant figure. Because of this, we were limited to only one significant figure in our calculation of the molar mass, so although we would have had an answer of 52. G/mol, we had to round down to 50 g/mol, which led to a greater percent error. The theoretical difficulties arose because we were applying the ideal gas law to a real gas. So, for example, while ideal gas particles have elasticity and dont lose speed or energy when they collide, the particles of a real gas do lose energy and speed, and this decrease leads to lower pressure. Also, ideal gases do not have any intermolecular forces, and the volume of the particles of an ideal gas can be ignored, but with a real gas, the particle size makes a difference. Because butane molecules are so large ND exist in a state very close to liquid form, we know that there are very strong dispersion forces holding the molecules together. Larger molecules have more momentary dipoles, and thus a stronger attraction, so because the molecules are held so close together, the volume we recorded was smaller than it would have been if butane were an ideal gas. However, despite these errors, our calculated molar mass was not very far from the actual molar mass of butane gas, so we did a relatively good job of controlling these variables that could have greatly affected our results.

What Is Financial Aid How To Pay Less For College

What Is Financial Aid How To Pay Less For College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As college costs continue to rise, financial aid has become a necessity for most college students. Ideally, the listed cost of attendance won’t deter you from applying to or attending the college of your dreams. Knowing about the process will enable you to maximize the amount of financial aid for college you receive and prevent finances from becoming an impediment to reaching your college goals. In this article, I will define and explain the different types of financial aid that are available for college. Furthermore, I will explain how colleges determine your eligibility for financial aid, and I’ll offer you guidance and resources to make sure you know all the different types of aid available to you. What Is Financial Aid? Simply put, financial aid helps students and their families pay for college. Financial aid can cover all educational expenses including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Financial aid can consist of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. How Do You Get Financial Aid? For the purposes of this article, I’m going to focus primarily on need-based aid. Need-based aid is financial aid that is awarded based on demonstrated financial need. Aid that may not be need-based includes private scholarships, merit scholarships, and athletic scholarships. Generally, the first step for getting need-based financial aid is filling out the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Also, most states and colleges require the FAFSA to receive state-sponsored and institution-sponsored aid. Additionally, some private scholarships like the Gates Millennium Scholarship require applicants to complete a FAFSA. Check the financial aid requirements for the schools you’re applying to. Some colleges have their own forms or use the CSS/Financial Aid Profile Form for non-federal financial aid. After you fill out the required forms, colleges will determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid. Following notification of your college acceptances, each college will send you a financial aid award letter outlining the amount and types of aid it’s offering you. 401K 2012/flickr How Is Your Eligibility Determined for Financial Aid? Within 3-5 days of filing your FAFSA (slightly longer if you don’t fill it out online), you’ll be able to access your SAR, or Student Aid Report. Your SAR is a summary of the information you provided on your FAFSA and includes an EFC, or Expected Family Contribution. Your EFC determines your eligibility for financial aid. The colleges you listed on your FAFSA will have access to your SAR and EFC. Colleges base your aid eligibility and offer on your EFC. What Are Some of the Specific Types of Financial Aid You Can Receive? Federal Grants Grants are a preferable type of financial aid for college because they don't needto be paid back. Essentially, grants are free money for college. You must submit a FAFSA and meet federal aid eligibility requirements to be eligible to receive federal grants. Pell Grants The Pell Grant is intended to help low-income students finance their post-secondary education. For the 2015-2016 year, the maximum Pell Grant award is $5,775. The amount of your award is based on your demonstrated financial need, which is determined from the information on your FAFSA. You can estimate the amount of your Pell Grant before you submit your FAFSA by using the Pell Grant calculator. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a grant for undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Again, need is determined from the information on your FAFSA. Unlike Pell Grants, there is only a limited amount of FSEOG money. Students who receive Pell Grants and have the most need get FSEOGs first. The FSEOG program is administered by the financial aid office at each school. Not every college participates in the program. You can check with a school's financial aid office to find out if it awards the FSEOG. The amount you can receive ranges from between $100 and $4,000 annually. The amount of your grant depends on your financial need, when you apply, the amount of other aid you get, and the availability of funds at your school. Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is given to students who plan to pursue a career in teaching. As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve in which you agree to teach in a high-need field at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families.You must do this for at least four academic years within eight years after completing the course of study for which you received the grant. If you do not fulfill the agreement, your grant will be converted into a loan that has to be paid back with interest. The maximum award for grants disbursed between October 1, 2015, and October 1, 2016, is $3,728. If you're interested in the TEACH Grant, you should contact college financial aid offices to find out if theyparticipate in the TEACH Grant Program and to learn about the programs of study at eachschool that are TEACH Grant-eligible. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant The Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant is for students whose parents were members of the US armed forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11. Here are the other eligibility requirements for this grant: You're NOT eligible for a Pell Grant on the basis of your Expected Family Contribution. You meet the other Pell Grant eligibility requirements. You were under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of your parent's or guardian's death. The maximum award for Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants disbursed between October 1, 2015, and October 1, 2016, is $5,382.30. Federal Loans Most students can't cover the full cost of attendance with grants and scholarships alone; they have to take out loans to help pay for their college education. Loans have to be paid back with interest. Federal loans are preferable to loans from private lenders because federal loans typically have lower interest rates and cost less to pay back. You must submit a FAFSA to be eligible for most federal loans. Perkins Loan The Perkins Loan is a government-backed, low-interest loan meant for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Perkins Loans are unique in that no interest accrues on these loans while you're in school. Also, the grace period for a Perkins Loan is 9 months versus the standard 6 month grace period of most other college loans. The grace period is the period after graduation when you won't be accruing interest on your loan. Direct Stafford Loan A Direct Stafford Loan can be subsidized or unsubsidized. For subsidized loans, the US Department of Education pays the interest on the loan while you're in school, during the 6-month grace period after you graduate, and during a period of deferment. You can only receive a subsidized loan if you demonstrate financial need, but any student whoattends a school that participates in the Direct Loan Program can receive an unsubsidized loan. PLUS Loans PLUS Loans are federal loans that graduate students or professional degree students and parents of dependent undergraduate students can use to help pay education expenses. You must not have an adverse credit history and must attend a school that participates in the Direct PLUS Loan Program to receive a PLUS Loan. The maximum PLUS Loan amount is the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance received. All PLUS Loans are unsubsidized. Simon Cunningham/flickr Additional Loans and Grants States and individual colleges also award grants and loans. You can look up state financial aid programs or contact college financial aid offices to learn more about state-sponsored and college-sponsored financial aid programs. In general, federal Stafford and PLUS loans are preferable to private loans, but private loans are another option if you don't receive enough federal aid. However, federal loans tend to be cheaper and have a fixed interest rate, which means that the rate you’re quoted will not change for the lifetime of the loan. Work-Study The federal work-study programis a need-based program in which the government will subsidize wages for on-campus jobs. Basically, if you're eligible for work-study, you can get an on-campus job to help finance your education. Certain on-campus jobs are only offered to work-study students, and the wages can be relatively generous. Eligibility for work-study is determined through the FAFSA and the other financial aid forms required by your college. Tuition Benefits Some employers offer tuition benefit programs for employees or their dependents. Employers will pay a designated amount of your college tuition through these programs. Check with your employer or your parents' employers to see if they offer any tuition benefit programs. Tax Credits A tax credit will reduce the amount of income tax you or your parents have to pay to help ease the burden of financing your education. The American Opportunity Credit The American Opportunity Tax Credit allows you or your parent to claim up to $2,500 per student per year for the first four years of school as the student works toward a degree or similar credential. The Lifetime Learning Credit The Lifetime Learning Credit allows you or your parent to claim up to $2,000 per year per student for any college or career school tuition and fees. It can also be usedfor books, supplies, and equipment that were required and had to be purchased from the school. Scholarships Like grants, scholarships are free money that is given to you to help finance your education. Scholarships can be awarded based on financial need, extracurricular activity involvement, or academic achievement. Army Recruiting/Flickr Athletic Scholarships If you're a recruited athlete, you may be given a scholarship to participate in sports for your college. Ivy League and NCAA Division III schools don't award athletic scholarships. Merit Scholarships Many colleges will provide scholarships if you have stellar academic credentials. The most selective colleges are less likely to award merit scholarships because the vast majority of students has excelled academically. Also, some colleges will offer scholarships for an extracurricular activity like cheerleading or the marching band. Private Scholarships There are tons of private scholarships available to help pay for college. Each one has different requirements. Some are based on merit. Some are based on financial need. Some are based on your background, affiliations, or extracurricular activities. Some are very unique. You can search for scholarships at College Board’s Big Future. Also,Fastweb is another good site to find scholarships. Military Scholarships Additionally, there are ROTC scholarships and scholarships sponsored by veteran services organizations. Furthermore, the GI Bill can help finance the educations of military service members and their immediate families. How to Maximize Your Financial Aid for College Make sure you submit your FAFSA and any other required forms by the appropriate deadlines. Search and apply for scholarships. Check with the financial aid departments at the colleges you’re interested in attending to see how scholarship awards can affect your need-based financial aid. If you’re hoping to receive an athletic scholarship, be proactive in the college athletic recruiting process. Contact college coaches, make a highlight video, and if possible, attend camps that allow you to showcase your athletic skills to college coaches. I alsorecommend checking out studentaid.gov to learn more about the different types of federal aid, how to apply for them, and the eligibility criteria for federal student aid programs. What's Next? Now that we've answered the question, "what is financial aid?" learn more about specific ways you can get financial aid. If you're an undocumented immigrant,you can't submit a FAFSA or receive federal financial aid, but you can still get financial assistance for college. Also, find out how to win a National Merit Scholarship or scholarships based on your SAT/ACT scores. Finally, check out this post about how to pay for college without loans. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Real Estate Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real Estate Market - Research Paper Example The main aspect of Southwest’s advantage in the economy is their fuel hedging program. (Dunn, 2009 It is important for US government to take account of the fact. Since, this fiscal strategy allows airlines to protect themselves in opposition to rising oil prices by locking in a price for fuel. While this strategy is a risky gamble, it has proven successful for Southwest and has saved the airline company $3.5 billion since 1998 over what it would have spent if it would have paid the industry’s average price for fuel. Reduction of fares will eventually minimize obstacles to efficiency of airlines in long run. Another recommendation for the US government is to appreciate Mergers of airlines. Mergers among competing airline corporations will bring profitable results. (Fishback, 2007, 415) By companies merging together, this allows them to cut costs by eliminating duplicate operating costs. Through their success, Delta and Northwest have set the path for other airlines to follow. Mergers, such as that of Delta and Northwest, will eliminate duplicate routes from the two airlines departing from the same airport. By doing so, wage and fuel expenses will also decrease substantially. As airlines merge the competition in the industry will drop benefiting the entire industry. This will decrease buyer power, economic inequality between airlines and let the airlines set the prices they need to operate profitably. Currently customers have a great deal of power within the airline industry due to the fact that each airline does not differ greatly from one another. (Yosef, 2005, 210) Therefore, price is ultimately the only factor that buyers will consider while choosing an airline. It is recommended to the US higher authorities, to make airline companies focus more on customer service in order to separate themselves from their competitors. This involves focusing both attention and

Entrepreneurship in the Creative Economy Research Paper

Entrepreneurship in the Creative Economy - Research Paper Example The more significant aspect of this process has been the creativity and innovativeness of individuals in exploiting emerging opportunities in business. In doing so, they have improved their own welfare, and laid down an operational base upon which other people can build their social and economic livelihoods. The academia world has also moved fast to cover, encourage, and promote all levels of entrepreneurship, especially in the context of creative world economy.Entrepreneurship has been accorded significant attention in every level of entrepreneurial-based operations. Although entrepreneurship is associated with individual operations in relation to setting up and running business ventures, it has come to be a source of social and economic livelihood for massive populations around the world. Firms and organizations have embraced entrepreneurial function in many aspects of their operations, in a bid to exploit the creativity and innovativeness of entrepreneurs across the globe. The int egration of entrepreneurship in global business undertakings, and the subsequent advancement of entrepreneurial concepts have captured the attention of various scholars. Charlotte and Naudin (2006) consider curriculum design and development for the various creative industries, with specific concern on current attitudes and emerging issues in these creative industries. The enterprise curriculum considered in this text does not fail to treat entrepreneurship with utmost interest. Entrepreneurship is a key driver in today’s economy, at both national and international levels. The curriculum specifically tries to assess and evaluate the issues and attitudes that characterize the existing creative industries, entrepreneurship included. Entrepreneurship practices are guided by various attitudes, and also face diverse and dynamic issues from time to time. Entrepreneurs establish their operation for different motives, but are commonly guided by the need for social and economic success . In that pursuit, they work their way to satisfy variant market needs within the relevant industries that entrepreneurial ventures are established. The motive to succeed and at the same time satisfy market demands shapes the observed attitudes in entrepreneurial operations (Charlotte & Naudin, 2006). Emerging issues in the same context could be cultural, social, economic, or political in nature. However, the creativity, innovativeness, knowledge and skills that entrepreneurs exhibit counters the negativity of such issues. Cultural, social, economic, or political factors also influence entrepreneurship positively. Entrepreneurs have realized enormous encouragement and assistance for each of the mentioned factors in every level of entrepreneurial practice. Each of these factors has provided a favorable and efficient environment within which entrepreneurs thrive. Literature and academic sources have developed interest into entrepreneurial matters, resulting in the integration of entre preneurship and other enterprises into the development of curriculums for use in academic purposes. Green community entrepreneurship: creative destruction in the social economy Globalization has enhanced entrepreneurship practices around the world. This has been realized due to the ever rising industrialization, economic integration between economies, and state interdependencies across the globe in relation to

Images of Japan Within and Without Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Images of Japan Within and Without - Term Paper Example It is characterized by rudimentary agriculture and pit dwellings (Walt, 1980). Decorated clay vessels are examples of the oldest surviving world pottery. Japan was also characterized by Neolithic and Mesolithic culture of semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer. Japanese culture has evolved from its origin. This study is aimed at examining the images of Japan within and without. These include Japan and Japanese images in the western world. The primary objective is to determine the kinds of images, and how Japan has been seen by the outside world - western images and western myths. The other area of interest is the nationalism of Japan together with key aspects of change in the country; home and family in Japan’s continuity and transformation. Japan as Seen by the Outside World- Western Images and Myths Japan is seen by the western world as a country of cherry trees and volcanoes. Japan’s icons are cherry blossoms and volcano Fudzijama. This makes Japan to be viewed as a loyal, h onorable and brave country. Samurai traditions demand that profits to Japanese only be second to prestige and honor. The virtues of old warriors were courage, loyalty and endurance, which smoothly translated into managerial skills (Black, 1999). Japan is also an isolated country with great contradictions. It has booming cities in the south, which are beautiful and peaceful (Escola & Rikkinen, 1976). This is an indication that Japanese people are hard working and group oriented. According to Totman (2005), the tradition of Japan has been working together by discussion and agreement. Japanese people are hardworking and highly skilled. Japan is also clean and neat. The garden has little stream, waterfall and small bridges. There are also manicured paths shrubs, rocks and flowers. It therefore, has the image of being very neat and cleans (Clavell, 1998). Japan is also seen as unique and different for many years remaining an unresolved riddle and enigma. Though it is in Asia, it is so we sternized, unlike any other country of Asia. It is uniquely adaptable countries where modernity and traditions are consisting of one continuum (Whitney, 1967). In the entire world, Japanese are known to be polite and courteous people (Clement, 1906). Littlewoods (1996) says that Japan’s idea on western images and myths is that different western countries have different views towards Japan. On the other hand, European images also differ from American images. The west has always been seen as an industrialized, urbanized, capitalist, modernized and highly developed. Its concept is therefore a product of 16th century historical processes as people tend to divide the world into west and non west, Japan’s position becomes confusing. The images are based on old pictures and descriptions. The historical perspective of Japanese images is mainly based on historical notes and books written by authors from the west. Historians have for a long time debated on the seclusion of Japan . Few European works in description of Japan, appeared during the period of seclusion, and were exclusively attached to the Dutch factory. Although there were several information limitations, Kaempfer formed the most popular western image in Japan (Clavell, 1998). The two compilations that were widely read were published in New York and London, two years before the expedition of Perry. Perry’s arrival in Uraga was especially felt because of his decorative fine arts. It was also conspicuous in architecture ceramics, religious studies dance, fashion, interior design, literature and landscape gardening among others. The interest of Americans and European first rose from observable images, without an intermediary aid. The popular Japanese imaginations were stirred by fans, curios, kites, parasols, combs,

Film and American Culture Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film and American Culture Studies - Essay Example The way a certain movie influences a certain culture it is not same way it affects another culture. Certain cultures may think that action movies may instill violence to their child. Some parents argue that children will want to practice and experience what they watch in movies. A program such as wrestling is said to nurture and build a violent person (Funk, et al, 23–39). This will not be the case to other cultures because they might find it to be educative. The Chinese and Japanese like practicing soldierly arts; hence, they will find action movies to be educative because they can learn some skills from these movies. Other cultures find action movies to be entertaining. This is because in their everyday life, they encounter many risks, for example, the Maasai culture occupation is practiced around the forest as they graze their animals. They may find these movies to be entertaining as they experience a lot of violence with the wild animals. Some parents argue that action mov ies will instill braveness in children, especially cultures that undergo painful initiation. Some cultures recommend the circumcision of their men without being sedated to show braveness in a man. The other category of movies that have both positive effects on culture is the soap operas. These movies have different sagas, typically focusing on love. Parents feel that these movies will poison their children relationship issues at an early age. They feel that their children will start engaging in sexual action at an early age. Indian culture believes that people should not engage in sex until they are married. These movies will affect their culture negatively as young people will get involved passionately. It is also Indian customary for marriages and spouses to be arranged by parents, but after young people watch these soap operas, they feel they have a right to decide on their marriage life thus violating their culture. Other cultures find these soap operas to be informative and edu cative. For instance, these cultures feel that they educate people on how solve shaky relationship because they are true reflective of what happens in real life. These movies are educative in that they answer many questions to children. Parents are sometimes shy to converse matters pertaining to love and sex. They are unable to answer questions in this area hence these movies answer children questions. The other categories of movies that have both positive and negative impacts are the drama movies. These movies show how people use their wits and knowledge to solve certain issue. For example, a movie like Prison Break show how convicts gang up and use their wits to escape from prison. Children may try to put these in practice, hence skiving and absconding classes. These influence cultures in a negative manner. Some drama movies tackle the concern of bullying. For example, a movie like American Girl Stands Strong shows how some characters bully others in the school. Children may pract ice this and use it to bull other children. This may in turn result in forming an oppressive culture where some people are made to feel oppressive. Other drama movies address relationship issue. A movie like Desperate Housewives has shown a lot of unfaithful relationship. These may result in the buildup of cultures with infidelities; hence, separations and divorce will be the order of the day. They may also influence the

Employees Resistance to Organizational Change Research Paper

Employees Resistance to Organizational Change - Research Paper Example of change studied in the paper are Lewin’s model, the Action Research Plan model and Kotter’s eight stages of organizational change.The paper will attempt to integrate the models with the concept of resistance and come up with meaningful conclusions. The above statement effectively summarises the context of this research interest, which deals with the concept of organizational change, with specific focus on employee resistance towards such a change in a given organization. A typical organization, according to research, goes through different forms of change, of which the most common are cost reduction, redundancies, culture change and performance improvement (Mullins 822; also see Brooks 98). The CIPD, Britain’s Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, in their own research, have given a more detailed set of circumstances which impose organizational change: challenges of growth; challenge of economic downturns and tougher trading conditions; changes in strategy; technological changes; competitive pressures including mergers and acquisitions; customer pressure; and government legislations (CIPD Change Management). Research suggests that previously, change was a planned phenomenon, and it was implemented on periodic bases by the organization as part of a strategic plan. In other words, an organization may strategically plan to implement changes every few years. But the volatile environments where modern businesses operate have changed the way this process is carried out, due to more rapid developments either inside or outside the organizations, which eventually force the organizations to implement changes (Hussey 9). Such developments have been referred to as ‘trigger events’, and Hussey argues that these events occur too fast for comfort in modern organizations (10). The author also explains that these events may be either opportunities or threats, and that the subsequent changes are the organizations’ way of reacting to these events, in order to

Associate degree program in nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Associate degree program in nursing - Essay Example An individual must also possess clinical experience to function efficiently in teaching. A baccalaureate degree and two-year experience in nursing are also a requirement. Faculty is defined as individuals employed to teach nursing education programs. The qualifications and responsibilities in nursing or for medical assistant differ depending on the program type and degree offered. The faculty is followed by a description in educational obligations, responsibilities, and information about the faculty positions. The requirements for assuming nursing roles are mandated by several organizations. These organizations include Maryland Board of Nursing, national accrediting bodies and the policies of an individual college. The reference regulatory programs are based on the Maryland Nurse Practice Act. The minimum qualification for a faculty in nursing is a master’s degree in nursing and an RN license from Maryland (School of Nursing: Associate Degree, 2012). These qualifications might be waived with respect to an individual nursing program under certain circumstances. 7. Intended Approval/Accreditation Preferring an entry program to nursing career is a personal choice. Finances and age determine the choice and future career plans. Students who want to take nursing and have bachelor’s degrees in non-nursing fields need to take an accelerated BSN or second-degree BSN program. These programs are for students who have a bachelor’s degree in the non-nursing field. Accelerated programs are fast and intense; thus, students are required to have a 3.0 GPA or higher. These programs offer students an opportunity to earn BSN in less than 16 months (Gun, 2012). Associate degrees in nursing or for medical assistant are designed to give students skills and knowledge of becoming competent nurses in various settings. The program combines theory, clinical practices, and lab experiences. It is mandatory for students to complete general education courses and nursing c ore courses for attaining an associate degree in nursing (School of Nursing: Associate Degree, 2012). There are three-entry levels for students who want to take a nursing degree. Different types of schools offer these levels. The 4-year BSN is preferred by most schools for entry in nursing programs because it offers job opportunities to students. Many classifieds have BSN as a requirement for any position because it is the entry point for nursing practice. The second year associate degree concentrates more on technical skills than theory; thus, it is a steppingstone to BSN. This associate degree program allows students to become registered nurses and earn money faster than students in a 4-year BSN program (Gun, 2012). Therefore, it works better for students since they are able to make a livelihood for themselves. Second year associate degree is the entry level for nursing students taking technical nursing practice. 8. Student Selection and Requirements The associate degree program i n nursing or for medical assistant has a mission of preparing entry-level registered nurses for care of health issues across different parts of the world (Miller, 2009). This program respects the individuality of every student as it considers people coming from different cultures and having different educational backgrounds. The goal of the program is to provide a positive learning by instilling critical and

Employees Resistance to Organizational Change Research Paper

Employees Resistance to Organizational Change - Research Paper Example of change studied in the paper are Lewin’s model, the Action Research Plan model and Kotter’s eight stages of organizational change.The paper will attempt to integrate the models with the concept of resistance and come up with meaningful conclusions. The above statement effectively summarises the context of this research interest, which deals with the concept of organizational change, with specific focus on employee resistance towards such a change in a given organization. A typical organization, according to research, goes through different forms of change, of which the most common are cost reduction, redundancies, culture change and performance improvement (Mullins 822; also see Brooks 98). The CIPD, Britain’s Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, in their own research, have given a more detailed set of circumstances which impose organizational change: challenges of growth; challenge of economic downturns and tougher trading conditions; changes in strategy; technological changes; competitive pressures including mergers and acquisitions; customer pressure; and government legislations (CIPD Change Management). Research suggests that previously, change was a planned phenomenon, and it was implemented on periodic bases by the organization as part of a strategic plan. In other words, an organization may strategically plan to implement changes every few years. But the volatile environments where modern businesses operate have changed the way this process is carried out, due to more rapid developments either inside or outside the organizations, which eventually force the organizations to implement changes (Hussey 9). Such developments have been referred to as ‘trigger events’, and Hussey argues that these events occur too fast for comfort in modern organizations (10). The author also explains that these events may be either opportunities or threats, and that the subsequent changes are the organizations’ way of reacting to these events, in order to

Construction Cost Control & Management Coursework - 1

Construction Cost Control & Management - Coursework Example The length of the lodge is 14 meters and the width is 10 meters. The rear roofing will not be excavated. The perimeter area that is to be excavated is the outer 2m width, and the depth will be 2.75 m. On the first day at the site, only the excavator and the driver will be present since the only work on that day will only involve digging up the ground. The material extracted is of poor quality and will be deposited in a pit far away from the site. The material is to be transported to a pit 8 km away by 20 tones capacity lorry. The number of lorries to be used during excavation period are two, which means the time taken to load one lorry is equal to the time taken by the other lorry to ferry the unwanted soil and come back. The time taken to load a lorry is estimated to be 30 minutes, thus, the speed of the lorry is 32 km per hour. That means in a day each lorry is expected to make 8 trips but one lorry will take one less trip which is lost at the start of the day meaning the total num ber made in a day are 15. Thus, the excavator and the general operations will take 12 days while the lorry and the loader will cover 12 days. The ground work will involve the laying down of a building foundation that will include parts of walls, piers and a column. The foundation will have to be strong and this means it has to be dug deeper enough to enable stability of the lodge. The ground work stage will be have various costs expenditures in the excavation process which will include payment of the wheeled excavator, cost of hiring a lorry to transport the excavated soil, paying the loader back hoe, tipping fee and other general operative costs. The workers will take 8 hours per day and the work will be carried out for six days a week. Thus, the excavation will take 96 hours since the maximum period allowed is two weeks. The tipping site is paid per 10000 m3 lorry capacity deposited for price of $20. The cost of the various tasks attached to the groundwork stage are general operat ion costs $12 per hour, lorry and driver $38 per hour, wheel excavator and driver $35 per hour and loader backhoe $32 per hour. Brickwork; the walls of the lodge are to be built by bricks with a cement lime mortar. The number of bricks that will be used in the construction of the lodge will depend on the perimeter, height and partition of the lodge. The costs that will be involved in brickwork are that of purchasing the bricks, cement, cost of hiring a mixer, cost of labor and general operative costs. The price of the block bricks is $ 54 per 1000 bricks and the price of the hollow bricks is $ 100 per 1000 bricks. The overall cost charged by the contractor includes the cost of the materials, 8% on overheads and profit. The appearance of the wall is to be improved during the course of the contract by hollow bricks of different which will be sourced from a different manufacturer. Thus, the cost of the bricks will different due to their nature. The sunken bricks are more easily broken than the rest and the amount of waste is expected to be twice of the other bricks. The cost of the two types of bricks differs in their prices levels. The cost of block bricks is estimated to cost 75% to the price of the hollow bricks. Wall cladding; the wall cladding will involve the process of installing the bricks to form walls and the floor of the lodge. The installation process will face two set of periods because of the two types

The Holocaust In Rwanda History Essay

The Holocaust In Rwanda History Essay The Holocaust was, without question, one of the defining events of the 20th Century and its legacy left an indelible mark upon subsequent attempts to come to terms with issues of genocide and mass murder. Whilst the Holocaust is the most well-known case of genocide, the systematic extermination of groups of people or entire societies both pre-dates 1945 and has also played a fundamental part in international politics since the end of the Second World War. The formation of the United Nations helped to legally define the concept of genocide and Fatsah Ouguergouz shows that Article II of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide enumerates a number of acts which committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such constitute the international crime of genocide (Ouguergouz 2003: pp.216). However, despite greater efforts to understand and combat the problem of genocide the post-1945 world has proven itself incapable of eliminating genocide. The Holocaust might be the most glaring example of genocide before 1945, but there is a strong case to be made for the argument that the Rwandan genocide a serious episode since the end of the Cold War. This essay will examine whether the Rwandan experience displays points of comparison to the Holocaust and to what extent a comparison is a valid historical line of enquiry. There have been a number of historians that have sought to locate common themes in the Jewish and Rwandan experience of genocide. One concept that is often applied to the Holocaust and the case of Rwanda that is argued to mark them out from other instances of genocide is the idea of total genocide. Robert Melson draws a distinction between what he refers to as partial genocide, which is the use of mass murder in order to coerce and to alter the identity or the politics of a group, not to destroy it and total genocide, which means to do away with a group entirely (Melson 1996: pp.28). Mark Levene argues that both in the case of the Holocaust and Rwanda one can argue that total genocide was being practised by the perpetrators and that it was not simply a conscious attempt to mass murder targeted groups as groups, but, so far as it was possible to do so, to the point of their complete annihilation (Levene 2005: pp.66). The concept of total genocide to the Holocaust and to Rwanda is impo rtant to consider when thinking about both cases. Indeed, the term Final Solution is synonymous with an approach seeking to exterminate an entire group of people and Friedlander shows that for Hermann Goring the final solution was also a total solution (Friedlander 1997: pp.284). Christian Scherrer argues that Rwanda can similarly only be understood as a situation of final solution and total genocide and he argues that this is the only possible starting point for understanding Rwandan realities as they are today (Scherrer 2002: pp.169). In other words, the explicit aim of the Nazis was to remove entirely the presence of Jewish people from the face of the earth and the parallels with the case of Rwanda are clear. The relentless drive by Hutu extremists and militias to eliminate the entire Tutsi population originated in large part from the belief that the solution to Rwandas problems was to eliminate the entire Tutsi population (Twagilimana 1997: pp.50). Conceptualising of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide with reference to the n otion of total genocide, therefore, appears to be justified in relation to the intentions of the Nazis and the Hutu. ************* difference= brith of the hatred. R the division was created by the colonists (French and Belgians), by defining differences in characteristics between the Hutu and Tutsi and creating a hierarchical system for the possession of such traits, which essentially gave rise to hatred and segregation in Rwandan population. Whereas anti-Semitism has been in existence for centuries (PROOF) Another comparison that can be drawn between the Holocaust and the Rwandan experience of genocide is the innocence of the victims. Lemarchand argues that Tutsi and Jews share a sense of victimhood for which here are few other parallels in recent or past history and that Jews across the world, and the state of Israel in particular, heavily empathise with the Rwandan experience (Lemarchand 2005: pp.145). A former Rwandan government official states the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust were the same as both killed innocent people based on their race, religion or convictions (Eltringham 2004: pp.54). ADD: how both Rwandans and the jewish populattions were both victims. DIFFERNCE: Rwandan killed their own population Whereas the germans gesapto aswell as SS were recuited to simply exterminate the Jewish popution. DIFFERENCE: GERMANS BELIEFES: Aryan race, and the hatred and anilations of Jews, the disabled, old people. Whereas tin Rwanda the hatred spiralled via the post colonialidt. One common experience shared by both Jews and Tutsi that make their anguish particularly raw was the fact that in both cases the international community was slow to respond to the mounting evidence of genocide against their peoples. The American and other allied governments certainly knew of the genocide being committed against the Jews by the Nazis, but the reality of the situation was that these governments believed that they had other more vital interests that needed to be pursued elsewhere. In other words, in the context of a World War, saving the Jewish people from extermination was low on their list of priorities. This was to an extent true even of American Jews and in a speech in 1991 the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said that the memory of inaction during World War Two was heavy on the conscience of American Jews (Novick 2000: pp.39). The Rwandan experience and the Holocaust share another similarity in this sense, Destexhe argues that the Western world was very slow to recognise what was happening in Rwanda and even more reluctant to call the atrocities in the country genocide (Destexhe 1995: pp.32). It took three weeks from 6 April a long time in the world of CNN-style news before editorials finally began comparing the situation in Rwanda with Germany under Nazism and referring to it as a genocide (Destexhe 1995: pp.32). Taylor agrees with this assessment arguing that the West was largely uninterested in the unfolding chaos in Rwanda (Taylor 1999: pp.4). How poorly the world powers read the situation. But for that matter, did a sincere desire really exist at the time to understand it? (Taylor 1999: pp.4). Taylor claims that the United States was weary of intervention during this period and that only France and Belgium had any pressing interests in Rwanda. Another element of commonality is highlighted by Traverso, one that might be regarded as a feature that separates the genocides in Rwanda and in Germany (Traverso 1999: pp.74). Traverso focuses upon the industrial nature of the killing both in Germany and in Rwanda and whilst the operations of the Nazis are often characterised in this fashion it is less common to conceive of the Rwandan genocide in such terms (Traverso 1999: pp.74). The mobile killing units had precursors in the Ottoman Empire and epigones in Rwanda and Bosnia and therefore he argues that the Jewish genocide constitutes a paradigm of modern barbarism (Traverso 1999: pp.74). The weaponry that the Hutu used in order to commit their crimes might have been no more sophisticated than the simple machete, but this is not Traversos point (Traverso 1999: pp.74). He argues that the sophistication is to be found in the level of planning and organisation undertaken by both Nazi and Hutu leaders and that this is where the industr ial and modern spectre of the genocide is to be located (Traverso 1999: pp 74). Differences between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide An important difference between the Rwandan experience and the Holocaust was the extent to which ideology influenced the perpetrators of the crime. Smith identifies the centrality of ideological currents in the Nazi genocide (Smith 2002: pp.153). According to Smith, ideology glorifies the perpetrators group by assigning to that group a special historical or religious mission. It demeans the victims group by assigning to its members many negative and often nonhuman characteristics (Smith 2002: pp.153). Ideology certainly played an important role in the Holocaust and there were a number of Hutu intellectuals who advocated more extreme forms of action against the Tutsi, but as Lemarchand argues the role of ideology was fundamentally different in both cases (Gellately 2003: pp.331). According to Lemarchand, whereas the Holocaust is the classic example of an ideological genocide, rooted in the most stridently racist ideology, the Rwanda genocide is better seen as the byproduct of the mort al threats posed to the revolutionary Hutu-dominated state by the RPF (Lemarchand 2005: pp.148). The Rwandan genocide is therefore better understood as resulting from a Hutu population that felt itself to be under threat from the Tutsi, rather than from any driving ideological imperatives. The difficulties of comparing the Holocaust and Rwanda However, a number of historians are not comfortable with drawing parallels between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. Lemarchand argues that analysing genocide comparatively is inherently problematic and claims that each instance of genocide must be investigated on a singular basis. Lemarchand does not fundamentally disagree with the notion that there are similarities between the two experiences, but argues that a comparative analysis is dangerous (Lemarchand 2005: pp.143). To treat Rwanda as the carbon copy of the Holocaust is likely to obscure its historical specificity and regional context, and ultimately lead to a misunderstanding of the motivations behind the killings (Lemarchand 2005: pp.143). Eltringhams comparative examination of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide encounters similar difficulties and finds that a comparison of the suffering in both cases is ultimately futile (Eltringham 2004: pp.56). Both Tutsi and Jews have suffered, but in a different manner and for different reasons (Eltringham 2004: pp.56). There may, therefore, be similarities between the experiences of Jews and Tutsi during the their respective genocides, but the entire comparative paradigm is irretrievably flawed and as a result any attempt to draw sustained parallels between Germany and Rwanda is always likely to end in failure. In conclusion while it is possible to display points of comparison between the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust, such a comparison must be approached with caution. One can argue that conceiving of the Holocaust and Rwanda as examples of total genocide is legitimate and that the industrial nature of the killing as well as the inaction on the part of the international community all point to a clear line of similarity between the two experiences. However, it is clear that a point of comparison between any two genocides is difficult, if not impossible task. The multitude of factors that cause genocide to take place in any given country are enormously complex and critically depend upon the context from which they emerge.(ADD: The colonists created the divde between the population, whereas anti semitsim has existed for centuries. Therefore, to argue that the Rwandan genocide is a modern-day example of the Holocaust is a misplaced argument, because it does not appreciate the many points o f difference that existed in the two respective cases. Ultimately, one should be careful when drawing points of comparison between the Final Solution and the Rwandan genocide for precisely this reason. ADD: How the rwandan hutu leader sought inspiration from Hitler, he watched films related to Hitler and searched for tips .

Aging Nurse workforce Essay -- Employment, Nursing Worforce, Retiremen

A variety of conceptual frameworks were used to research the aging nursing workforce. The theoretical model of Organizational and Personal Factors and Outcomes, developed by Schaefer and Moos (1991), was one context used during this review of literature. This framework suggests that the personal system as well as work stressors affect the association between the organizational system and work morale and performance (Atencio, Cohen, & Gorenberg, 2003). This model suggests that the individual system as well as work stressors influence the relationship involving the organizational scheme and work morale and performance. Occupation stressors combined with organizational and individual system factors induce coping responses and the result of retaining the older nurse (Schaefer & Moos, 1991). Another theoretical model used was the Conceptual Model of Intent to Stay by Boyle et al. (1999). This model describes four variables that shape a nurse’s plan to stay in employment. These variables consist of leadership characteristics, nurse characteristics, system characteristics, and work characteristics. The primary concentration for this model was to research the influence that leadership uniqueness has on a nurse’s intention to stay employed versus retiring. The outcomes showed that control over nursing practice, situational stress, and the manager characteristics had implicit effects on older nurse intention to remain employed (Cranley & Tourangeau, 2005). Karasek and Theorell’s Demand-Control Model (1990) was an additional conceptual framework noted in the review of literature on the ageing nursing workforce. This representation implies that intense job strain and decision-making opportunity contributes to work tension and lead... ...parture from the nursing profession or retirement from the line of work. Several key elements have been established throughout the research that lead to theses nurses feeling the need to retire and include: burnout, physical demands, mental health, linkage to the organization, hours worked, organizational culture, work intensity, and fiscal requirements. Organizations are beginning to establish evidence-based strategies in an effort to retain older registered nurses. Human resources are beginning to formulate policies and procedures to meet the needs of these aging nurses, which focus on their safety, stress levels, preferred work setting, schedule, and job satisfaction. The ability to delay retirement of these nurses or creating career paths that help facilitate a transition to a different work setting could help ease the shortage of nurses in the next decade.

Trojan War Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book The Trojan War, by Bernard Evslin, Ulysses and Agamemnon both contribute to the Greek’s victory. Many considered Ulysses to be the real brains behind the Greek forces. Although Agamemnon was the leader of the Greeks, many would say he was not a good one. Even though Agamemnon did some good deeds during the war, many of his actions caused problems, and Ulysses often had to come to his rescue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With Ulysses on the Greeks side they had amazing intelligence and bravery. Many great things happened because of Ulysses leadership. One example is when Ulysses dressed as a peddler, found where Achilles was hiding, and brought him back to fight in the war. Ulysses knew he had to find Achilles because the prophecies told the Greeks they couldn’t win the war without him. Secondly, Ulysses convinced the Greek forces to return and fight after Agamemnon almost lost them. He yelled to the troops â€Å"Stop! Agamemnon means battle and not retreat, you misunderstood his words† (p. 42). Lastly, Ulysses showed great smartness when he solved the riddle about the Trojan War. By him solving the riddle, the Greeks came to win the long war. Ulysses was also smart enough to think of hollowing out the horse so the Greeks could hide inside them and attack the Trojans while they were sleeping. He showed intelligence too when he pretended the horse was a sacrifice to the god Poseidon. The war may not have turned out the same if the Greeks ...

Philippine Education from Past to Present

Education From Past to Present Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are translated from one generation to another. Filipinos have been through different changes in economic and social aspect. We are taught on our Philippine History the colonization of Philippines from powerful countries such as Spain, Japan, and America.We credit some Filipino lifestyle to them, most especially to Americans who taught us to be wise and introduce some basic learning ideas. During the Pre-Colonial Era, the educators were the Babaylan and Katalonan who both looked upon the society possessing wisdom and knowledge on spiritual practice. The type of education that was taught to the people was based on beliefs and spiritual practice. When Spaniards came, it was the most tragic century ever recorded in Philippine History.Although during their time, they implemented a systematic and institutionalized kind of education. We suffered gre at grievances from them. After three hundred and thirty-three years, here comes the Americans and saved us from the hand of Spaniards by treaty of Paris. The establishment of the system of education in the United States of America in the Philippines was under the context of a wide collective struggle to topple down the marks of colonialism left by colonizers.Meanwhile, the Americans established and administered how schools and colleges like Siliman University. Nothing has much changed during the Japanese colonization. Since the American system of education still prevailed. If I compare the educational system before and today, there is a lot of difference. It is more productive and technology makes it easy, but we should not forget the Educational system before, because it win always be part of our life and it made a big help until now.

Electronic gadgets Essay

Technology has become a very important part of our lives nowadays. During the past few years, technology has evolved in many ways and is probably without a doubt better than ever before. People are always trying to find something new that will improve our lives dramatically. Some of the creations that have really changed our lives are the computer, telephone, internet and electronic mail, television, cell phone and voice mail. Everything has a positive and a negative effect on our lives and so does technology. Technology may be very helpful but it can sometimes be very harmful. In our modern society, people can’t see themselves without computers. see more:life without modern gadgets article Computers have evolved so much during the past years. They used to be bulky, expensive and not very reliable machine but nowadays there are fast, small and affordable and nearly every family has a computer. With computers you can browse over the internet and look for information about a subject instead of having to do read books at the library or read the newspaper. This image was selected as a picture of the week o†¦ Nowadays mostly everything is available on the internet. You can even do your Christmas shopping over the internet instead of having to spend a long time waiting at the malls. Electronic mails can be sent over a network and it’s much faster and takes up less time than to have to write a letter and then send it and the person would have to wait a day or more to get your letter. Cell phones are also very useful gadgets as people can reach you wherever you are. In case of emergency people can contact you even if you’re not at home. When you have a computer you can just store your files on your hard drive and it can be retrieved at any time. It’s also much easier†¦

Decision Making and Enron’s Control Essay

Introduction – Students, analysts and critics of modern business practice will always consider the colossal Enron collapse as an important text book case about how a lot of different things inside the company can trigger a nearly overnight downfall of a once prestigious company. If there was any Cinderella story in the world of blue chip trading and high portfolio business, Enron was the ultimate opposite, if not the witch herself who was killed by her own lethal potion. The Enron collapse resulted in the formulating of many different opinions pointing to the many different possible reasons why Enron – with all the promise and potential that it has a few years before it went south – made the nosedive that made it one of the worst disasters in the history of trade, commerce and business. There is no doubt that most of the opinions that surfaced explaining the reason why such an eventuality befell Enron placed the blame on the wrong things that the top management echelon did for the company; they are after all the one which is responsible for the present and the future of Enron. Critics looking at the Enron debacle scrutinized what happened leading to the collapse using many different perspectives and considering many different factors, both in the professional capability of the company’s leaders as well as the impact of the surrounding factors beyond Enron’s control. One of the most important facets in the debate regarding the fall of Enron is decision making. Evidently, a lot of wrong decisions were made, with one every wrong decision acting as a building block that eventually became an insurmountable wall of consequences all borne out of wrong or faulty decision making processes that yielded results that did the company more harm than good. Indeed, the decision making linchpins significant to the establishment of the case that the Enron collapse was due in some extent to the decision making aspect of the leadership strata of the company can be identified easily as it is scattered throughout the timeline of Enron’s very near and not so distant past leading to the eventual fall of the company that hid behind the faà §ade of the building the ugliness created by the qualities of its leaders that caused the chaos that burned down Enron down to meager, worthless ashes. This paper will pick the significant moments wherein the decision making capabilities and abilities of its top management leaders were at play and use these moments to establish the ethical and other considerations coming to play during the analysis of the decision making efforts of the leaders and why the outcome of such exercises led to the fall of Enron and not towards the company’s betterment, which is the main task of the company’s top executives. The paper will utilize these occasions to stress its argument regarding the role of effective, ethical and sound decision making of top executives leading to either the success or bankruptcy of companies, in this case that of Enron, and discuss key aspects of this line of thought. The paper will not criminalize the actions of the executives of Enron; rather, it will infuse inputs from other professionals regarding important aspects in the discussion of corporate decision making (ethics, result-orientation, etc). Background – Various angles have already been explored by many different individuals every time the topic of analysis is Enron and its collapse. Because of this, the paper is moving to focus on an aspect that is focused more on Kenneth Lay and the rest of his top executive clique’s personal characteristic that could have played an important role in the outcome of Enron’s operation. Decision making is both a personal characteristic as it is a professional credential, even an asset. Some people are being paid handsome amounts of money for their ability to transform decision making moments into an opportunity that provides a positive result and expected outcome for the company. Ehringer (1995) puts it simply: ‘The ability to make good decisions is the defining quality of our lives’ (Ehringer, 1995, p. 1). When Lay, Skilling, Fastow and other Enron bosses were placed in their respective positions, they were expected to exercise a high level of intuitiven ess, business acumen and professional foresight so that every decision making opportunity is met with the company’s best interest long term and short term in mind. They were where they were because those who placed them there believed that they can make decisions to which the company can benefit from. When Enron collapse, many people and organizations criticized the questioned the decision making capabilities of the top executives – was the collapse an effect of the result of the decision that they made? Was the decision made putting the benefit of the company and the employees first, or are the decisions shaped so that it benefited them first? How bad was the breach in the ethical considerations that a professional should take every time he or she makes a decision that puts the future of the company on the line? These are just some of the questions that may also be present in the minds of those who followed the Enron case. Sure there were varying degrees of deception and fraudulent acts from the part of many select individuals who sinned against Enron and its employees, but these cases would have been minimized or even averted altogether if the important decision making privileges was limited to a select few, or if the future-altering decision making capability is disseminated largely among a huge group of people that can provide a check and balance system for Enron. Roberts (2004) explained that ‘ if it is possible for others to make the decisions for a unit, then new options arise to design the decision-making process as well as the incentive schemes to get better performance on both dimensions. For example, the design might specify that a decision about a project arising in one unit that affects another would be implemented if and only if both units agree to it,† (Roberts, 2004, p.151). Enron is an energy trading firm which was performing well in the early part of its existence. By the s tart of the 21st century, the problems that the bosses were trying to hide from the public and from the employees started to stank. Soon, events unfolded like dominoes falling one after the other as a consequence of information spilling out into the public’s attention. Before 2004, the public already had a clear idea about how Enron bosses were supposedly the one responsible for the defrauding of the employees and their company shares and other benefits, as well as the one responsible for the bankruptcy of Enron. One by one, key company officials stepped out of the light and implicated a new name, which will in turn implicate a much bigger name, until the dragnet sent out to see who was accountable for the fraudulent acts in Enron caught its top bosses, including Lay, Skilling and Fastow. Many individuals faced criminal charges, and many more simply went home not just jobless but are robbed of lifetime investments which Enron bosses manipulated and soon lost because of the wrong decisions they made on how to run the company and make it prosper and grow. Examples of how Enron management made wrong decisions during decision making moments abound in the history of the company. Take for example what happened in 1987 – instead of declaring the $190 million loss the company experienced, they concealed it instead, leading to criminal charges. This habit of Enron for opting to conceal losses instead of declaring it became a dangerous vice; when Fastow was aboard Enron, the same outlook affected the decision making of Enron, leading to increase in pile of cases wherein Enron through its top management consciously made actions that defraud the employees and the public. There was also the case of poor public relations by Enron which fanned the flames of panic that removed any possible opportunity for Enron to remedy the financial situation without creating hysteria that saw many stockholders selling their stocks due to the continued falling of the stock value of Enron. Statement of Problem – The most important decision that Enron’s executives faced was not the decision on whether or not to publicly announce about the bankruptcy; in fact, there was no decision making factor during that instance since the predicament of the company has already been decided regardless of what the top executives might have opted for: they were flat out broke and the public needs to know about this, that was the situation. The true decision making moment for Enron’s bosses was the time when they were deciding what the best option to take is with regards to the financial aspect of the company, including taxes, earnings and financial loses. It was a matter of facing a decision making task that provided the Enron bosses with two options – to do the right thing, or to opt for something that is morally and ethically inappropriate. The decision reached in this particular decision making instance was laced with the hope that the option they took would be free from serious repercussions and give them enough time to fix it all up again. Unfortunately for Enron, things did not work out as planned, and the criminal liability of the Enron bosses stemmed from the fact that they decided to do something which they consciously knew was detrimental to the welfare of the Enron company and its employees. During that particular instance, Lay could have opted to do the right thing and faced the consequences – by coming clean, he may have a more sympathetic public to support him in whatever efforts he may wish to undertake to revive Enron, and not be faced with the collapsing stock value since those who can sell theirs sell it in a frantic phase to rid themselves of the stock of the company which is nearing imminent bankruptcy. This showed how the people do not give second chances to those who squander their decision making privileges by making decisions bereft of the consideration of the good of the greater many. Decision making – John Hintze (2006), in his discussion about making smart decisions during decision making, used the case of the Enron collapse to open his discussion and establish the fact that problems are something that is foreseen, something that happened nonetheless owing to bad decision making. Hintze wrote, ‘should we have seen 9/11 coming? What about the Enron collapse? The Signs were there; people pointed them out, but the appropriate steps were not taken by those in a position to do something. Why is this? Politics? Greed? Those certainly contributed, but there was something else at work here, too: A failure of common sense in decision making’ (Hintze, 2006, p. 123). Enron: Bad decision making – Nothing can prove more about how bad the decision making went inside Enron camp more convincingly than the fact the company transformed from prosperous to poor overnight. This was the general characteristic of Enron through the traits shown by its leaders that reflect the Enron personality. There were earlier discussions in the paper about snippets on instances pointing to Enron’s penchant for making bad decision or for going to the resolving of a problem utilizing an option that is more questionable. Fox (2004) explained that ‘Enron believed that its expansion into international projects were positive initiatives simply because they put the company in more potential markets. In truth, Enron made bad business decisions that weren’t supported by the deal’s economics. The bad business decisions piled up, stretching from India to Brazil, pressuring the company to do something about its finances’ (Fox, 2004,p. 307). At least at this point, Fox is not pointing at the unethical aspect of the Enron decision making machinery, just the fact that they made decisions that were bad for the future of the company, but not to the extent of deliberately sabotaging the company or putting the company in danger with all known risk for personal gain. For Fox, it was a bad call plain and simple. But the matter of the fact is that not everyone sees it the way Fox does, and there are those who believe that there were ethical breaches in the decision making in Enron among its top bosses. The (absence of) Leaders in decision-making – Decision making in retrospective is one of the common line of thinking used when investigating events that led to growth or debacle. It is because decision making played an important part in shaping the future of the company; it is here where the foundation, or lack of it, was created via the decisions the bosses made or failed to make. To trace the problems or mark significant actions resulting from decision making which eventually resulted to either the success or failure of the company, it is not only the decision making events that are looked back to; the persons that made them were also put under the microscope, and among the qualities scrutinized is their decision making ability and their other characteristics that affect their decision making attitude and behavior. Professionals debate about the idea of a good decision, a bad decision, good intentions and bad intentions and how the good and bad effect that comes into play afterwards account for the overall accountability of a person wielding the power to make decisions that will have a tremendous impact on the future of the company, something which happened in Enron via Lay, Skilling, Fastow and the rest of the top figures of the company. Acuff (2004) explains that ‘if they make a decision that might not have been the decision I would have made, and the y come and talk to me about it, we look at it and discuss it. There are a lot of different ways to skin the horse. I don’t go saying my idea is the only one that will get you where you want to go. I hold people accountable for good decision-making. If a bad outcome results from a bad decision – that’s a problem. But if a bad outcome results from a reasonable decision, then that’s business, and it could happen to anyone† (Acuff, 2004, p. 187). This was the predicament of those who are trying to evaluate the decision making actions of Enron top executives – did they make decisions, even bad decisions – with the sake of the company in mind, and gambled with their careers because they know that if their plans and actions go well, it is extremely beneficial for the company, in a very Machiavellian approach towards getting things done regardless of the means by which they did it, or were they just plain guilty of fraudulent actions? People who are burdened by the decision that impacts a lot of people is not always amenable to taking the high and moral grounds, that is why the adage about the end justifying the means, about getting things done at what ever cost, about delivering against the odds became popular because of people like the Enron bosses who (probably) acted upon their decision making duties by risking what can be a popularly bad decision. Indeed, it may be easy or even convenient for most people adversely affected by the Enron collapse to attribute the colossal corporate debacle to the top management figures of the company by criticizing their decisions as well as their faculty for sound decision making. While it is true that Enron’s top executives are responsible for the collapse of the company, it is not that easy to measure the level of ethical decision making attributes of Enron’s top brass. Goethals et al (2004) pointed out that â€Å"the complexity associated with ethical decision making and behavior, especially as it applies to leadership and the workplace, makes the construct extremely difficult to research†, adding that â€Å"Measuring an individual’s level of ethical decision making is challenging, particularly because the measurement instruments that are available have problems with priming and social-desirability effects; that is, questionnaires or other similar modes of data collection cue respondents to give answers that they believe are socially acceptable rather than answers that truly reflect their own actions or opinions (Goethals et. al., 2004, p. 461).† Proof of which is the fact that all of these executives in question are career corporate leaders even before they joined Enron; their credentials played an important role regarding their selection for a corporate position as high as theirs. Because of this, as well as the factors that affect the credibility of the ability for identification of the real public pulse regarding the persons involved in the issue, ethical decision making levels of the persons involved is hard to ascertain, making claims for questionable ethical decision making consideration of the people lose important ground and stand on insufficient set of stable legs for proof and justification. Still, there are those who believe that the level of ethics that influences the decision making capabilities of the Enron bosses are without a doubt questionable, and this includes Mimi Swartz and Sherron Watkins who was quoted in the book edited by Kathy Fitzpatrick and Carolyn B. Bronstein. In the article, it mentions about how Swartz and Watkins â€Å"blame Ken Lay, former CEO of Enron, and other company executives for privileging greed and arrogance over ethical business decisions† (Fitzpatrick and Bronstein, 2006, p. 179), the gist of the published work co-authored by the two individuals. Nalebuff and Ayres (2006) wrote that ‘the problem often arises because people ignore the costs and benefits that their decisions have on other people. We call this approach â€Å"Why don’t you feel my pain?† The more technical term for these effects is externalities. Decision makers who ignore externalities are bound to make bad decisions† (Nalebuff and Ayres, 2006, p. 67). This explanation greatly tarnishes the ethical value of the decision making ethics of Enron bosses because it shows that they are prone or inclined to make decisions even if the result of such decisions lead to negative effects that other people will experience. Niskanen (2005) believes that Lay, one of the top bosses of Enron, â€Å"should be judged on the basis of his personal actions, directions to subordinates, or the actions of subordinates that he implicitly condoned by knowing about it without attempting to correct – not on the basis of what he should have known† (Niskanen, 2005, p. 6). Lay’s condoning of actions is a result of a personal and professional decision that he made – or failed to make – and because of that, Niskanen believes that Lay is answerable for any criminal charges that would result from that particular action (or inaction). Watkins was thinking of the company and its employees and their future and hers as well, when she made the decision to let her superiors, particularly Lay, know about the possible accounting problems and the making public of the current and real financial and trade status of the company. This clearly illustrates the difference in ethics when it comes to decisio n making. Decision making, ethics and public perception – Decision making in business is not merely a power or a privilege that one can use at will without thinking of the consequences that might happen should the decision resulted into something that is considered as adversely negative and detrimental to the welfare of the employees, their jobs and the company they work for. Those who are provided with such amenity to go along with their job description should consider that it is also their responsibility to make sure that their employees and subordinates do not think that they are squandering away their decision making privilege and everything that goes along with it. This was the prevailing attitude or outlook of the Enron employees especially nearing the imminent collapse of the company. The absence of ethical consideration resulted to the losing of the credibility of the bosses of Enron because they were not careful with how they undertake their decision making tasks. While bankruptcy is something that is very difficult to accept and impacts greatly in the lives of the employees especially the rank and file blue collar workers, there is a sense of adding insult to injury during occasions wherein the employees are starting to realize that all of the unfortunate things that happen in the company and in their careers are all a result of the faulty, incompetent and unethical decision making of the top management echelon and not because the company was helpless in the onslaught of a devastating economic problem, like how companies closed down during the Great Depression despite the efforts of American businessmen to keep the different industries alive and breathing. During the collapse of Enron, the US is experiencing a very stable economy far from that which characterized US economy during the Great Depression, and is shielded securely from the impact of whatever it was that was happening in the global economic and business landscape, and so during the Enron collapse, the collective finger was pointing an accusing index digit to Enron bosses and majority of the cause of their indignation originates from the sloppy decision making capabilities of Enron bosses who lost their credibility the moment they lost Enron. Brazelton and Ammons (2002) wrote in the book they co-wrote: â€Å"The Ethics Resource Center conducted a survey in 2000 in which it learned that 43 percent of respondents believed that their supervisors are generally poor examples of honest managers, and the same number were pressured to compromise their own integrity or that of their organization during decision making. The survey also identified a strong connection between employees’ perceptions of their supervisors and their own ethical behavior (Brazelton and Ammons, 2002, p. 388).† Enron decision making: the two-pronged factors – It can be pointed out that one of the problems that happened to Enron is the ineffective of decision making among top executives – first, their top executives failed to make correct decisions when they are required to do so, and second, Enron was not fully complimented with a set of professionals which could have contributed to the decision making process, and in the process provided the possibility of infusing new or different ideas that could have altered the outcome of the decision making process. Fitzpatrick and Bronstein (2006) did not look exclusively on Enron’s bosses and the decisions they made in the management of Enron and the company’s money and asset, rather, the two editors focused on the absence of a key top managem ent personnel and took the presence of such a void as a sign that Enron is not even prioritizing the welfare of the company and its employees. The book Ethics in Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy, which includes the Enron case as one of the important case studies to point out the importance of the role of public relations, explains that â€Å"perhaps the governance of these companies was such that they did not care about their publics, and did not want the advice of senior-level public relations officer playing an active or dominant role in organizational decision making† (Fitzpatrick and Bronstein, 2006, pg 179). Conclusion – Niskanen (2005) summed up the Enron case on its characteristic of thriving in bad decisions made by its corporate leaders by saying in the book that ‘the most important lesson from the Enron collapse, however, is that Enron failed because of a combination of bad business decisions, not because its accounts were misleading’ adding that ‘the major business decisions that most contributed to its collapse were a series of bad investments, most of which were in the tra ditional asset-rich industries; the failure to reconcile two quite different business models; and the decision to focus management objectives on reported revenues and earning rather than on the present value of future cash flows’ (Niskanen, 2005, p. 6). Are they poor in decision making, or was the decision making adversely affected by other concerns and priorities outside of Enron that the results of the decision made for Enron looks like those who made the call did not even think about how this course of action will affect Enron? There are no sufficient proofs to point that the case was the latter; for a company that became seventh all in all in the Fortune 500 at least once, it is unthinkable how there will be conscious efforts to sink the company by making wrong decisions, deliberately or not. The point of the paper is not the assertion of the guild of Skilling, Lay or even Fastow, it’s the establishing of the point that decision making, when not handled properly, can turn even the most profitable company into a nose-diving wreck in a short period of time, that decision making plays an important role in how a person defines his or her life and how he or she leads a company and that because of these factors, no one should have an excuse why decision making was taken lightly and without much thought or care. All the people can see is a group of people who made wrong decisions several times, the resulting web and how they got trapped in that web, that is assuming that there was no malice or hidden agenda that the bosses perpetrated in lieu of Enron’s collapse. In the end, only Lay (now deceased) and the elite circle of the Enron executive clique will be the ones who would really know about the truth regarding ethics and the decision making in Enron leading to th e collapse of the company. Many would ask, and some would presume, the reasons as well as the level of guilt of these leaders when it comes to breaching the ethical requirements needed when undertaking decision making for a company. Regardless, the decisions they made created far reaching ripples and altered the lives of many individuals who invested not just their time, strength and life’s savings into the company but as well as their but as well as their faith and trust, which are not in shattered pieces because of the bad decisions that Enron executives made. Crawford (2006) further elaborated on the pointed by explaining that ‘bad decisions by a major company, however, cause major disruptions for all of the company’s stakeholders’. He pointed at the case of Enron as one of his examples, saying that ‘the Enron disaster, as one example, certainly had devastating impacts on the lives of most of Enron employees (including the middle managers and professionals who invested in the company-sponsored Enron 401[K] plans) and also caused suffering for many individual investors who purchased Enron stock on the open market. Thousands of other Enron stakeholders, including Enron’s suppliers and customers, also suffered,’ (Crawford, 2006, p. 26). Indeed, Enron’s decision making had a hand in how the company turned out to be. References: Acuff, Jerry and Wood, Wally (March 2004). Relationship Edge in Business: Connecting with Customers and Colleagues when It Counts. Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. Brazelton, Julia K. and Ammons, Janice L. (September 2002). Enron and beyond: Technical Analysis of Accounting, Corporate Governance and Securities Issues. CCH, Incorporated. Crawford, Curtis J. J. (November 2006). 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