The United States And The World War I - 932 Words

President Wilson had no choice but to enter World War I to protect the American people and our way of life. Sometimes it is necessary to stay neutral and to not engage. Other times it is our duty to engage the enemy to protect our families, our freedom, and our way of life. President Wilson did all he could to remain diplomatic and finding a solution other than going to war with Germany and its allies. In the end he made the right choice to fight for this nation and the other nations Germany was trying to tear apart. â€Å"Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed the Triple Alliance in 1882.† (History Place 1.). This was one of many alliances that would lead up to World War I. Some of the other alliances included Russia and France that was in reaction to the Triple Alliance, Britain and Japan’s Naval alliance, and Russia makes an agreement with Britain. All of these alliances took place between 1882 and 1910 to see who could make the most powerful alliance. During all this the United States remained neutral and was not getting involved in the tensions ongoing in Europe. What originally sparked World War I was when an heir to the Austrian throne â€Å"Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot and killed by a lone assassin on June 28th 1914.† (History Place 1.) After this death the Austrians were extremely angry at Serbia and wanted this to be fixed. Within the next few months the conflict seems to spiral out of control. By the end of August war has broken out andShow MoreRelatedThe United States Into World War I855 Words   |  4 PagesThe First World War was once o ne of the most harmful and deadliest wars of all time. A few countries participated within the battle together with Russia, Great Britain, Germany, and France. When the European nations went to war, Americans wanted nothing to do with the war. The twenty-eighth U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, led America through World War I. Wilson was a college professor, university president and Democratic governor of New Jersey before winning the White House in 1912. Woodrow WilsonRead MoreThe United States Into World War I1368 Words   |  6 Pagesthat lead the United States into World War 1. The three main events that led to the to the United States entering into World War 1 were the British propaganda. Then the sinking of the Lusitania along with the Zimmerman telegram. With all of these events linked to each other they gradually pushed the United States into the war even though the United States tried to remain a neutral nation, they had no choice but to join the Allies and enter into the first world war. The First World War was caused byRead MoreThe United States Of The World War I1028 Words   |  5 Pagesthe rest. From the Roman Empire of the ancient world, to the British Empire of the modern era, empires have risen and fallen. The United States of America, it seems, is the modern day equivalent of these empires—being the most powerful and influential nation on Earth—but how did America compare internationally during the Second World War to now? Prior to the Japanese Bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. had an army that ranked 19th in the world: an army smaller than that of Portugal! (3) TodayRead MoreWorld War I And The United States1038 Words   |  5 Pagesthe early 1910s, World War I is starting and the United States does not want to get involved unless necessary. Air superiority has not become a major military factor. That is until a group of young prominent men known as the â€Å"Millionaires Unit† at Yale start a flying club due to their inter est in aviation and patriotism to the United States. As Germany attempted to cause a Mexican revolution across the border, a group of 12 men thought they should learn how to fly and enter the war—If and when theRead MoreWorld War I And The United States2440 Words   |  10 Pagesthat acted as a catalyst for an important and lasting shift in the United State’s perception of its role in the world. Technological advancement in travel and communication changed the American people’s views of the world, therefore changing the direction of American foreign policy. This shift in foreign policy would eventually lead the United States into the grips of two horrific wars on the European continent. However, these wars would provide the necessary environment for the country to establishRead MoreWorld War I And The United States Essay1859 Words   |  8 PagesWorld War I was unlike any other war before it. The total casualties reached about about 38 million, with over 17 million deaths, 7 million of them being civilians, and 20 million wounded. World War I was well known for the extensive system of trenches from which men of both sides fought, the lethal new technologies unleashed such as poison gas, and for the battles under the sea and in the skies. At first, the two sides consisted of the Allies: France, Britain, and Russia, against the Central Powers:Read MoreWorld War I And The United States876 Words   |  4 Pageswebsite, â€Å"The results of these intelligence tests were influential in shaping U.S. immigration policy that limited immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, and in justifying race-based segregation in public education, and U.S. conscription during World War I. Previously, the scientific debate centered largely on perceived differences in racial intelligence based on cranial size†. (Science: 1900s-1930s Race and Intelligence) From the readings it seems that the Blacks and even Native Americans were preservedRead MoreWorld War I And The United States1353 Words   |  6 Pages1945 the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said that the United States would be the strongest economic country in the world. In the 1950’s it had become a reality and the United States not only had a strong military but a strong economy. World War II was a staple for why the economy was up with the war going on money was needed to get the war products like planes, tanks, bullets, guns, and many other things. Also with the war going on it meant that more jobs were needed and it benefited theRead MoreThe United States During World War I1506 Words   |  7 Pages The United States during World War I extended their â€Å"military, economic, and/or political control† to other weaker countries like, Hawaii, Cuba, Guam, and Puerto Rico. They were following the policy of Imperialism.1 Imperialism allows for nations to be able to trade with one another and businesses preferred it because it helped the United States economy. Nationalism is when the people of a nation are under one government and this played a key factor in starting world war one. There wasRead MoreThe United States After World War I894 Words   |  4 PagesAfter World War I, the United States made it pretty clear that the country and its people did not want any involvement with any international affairs, such as international wars. The decision was made on August 27th, 1928; the pact was a pledge to shun war as an instrument of policy. The United States was determined to avoid involvement in the European Alliance system. The two reasons why the United States kept its distan ce politically were due to the Great Depression. During the Depression, it made

A Study on Gardners theories on Intelligence Free Essays

Intelligence can be defined in many different signifiers. Many theoreticians have non been able to put out the construct of intelligence to an exact definition. However, this is non the instance for certain theoretician. We will write a custom essay sample on A Study on Gardners theories on Intelligence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Harmonizing to Gardner, intelligence is â€Å" is a sort of substance, of â€Å" material † , that different people have in different grades, like cholesterin or blood sugar † . Gardner was non the lone theoretician that has laid this construct out. Kowalski and Westen were besides able to specify intelligence in their text edition. Harmonizing to them, intelligence refers to the application of cognitive accomplishments and cognition to larn, solves jobs, and obtains terminals that are valued by an person or civilization. † They besides believed that intelligence plays a major function in civilization, in that, each civilization has its ain patterns that help persons like us recognize which rational qualities are socially accepted ( Kowalski A ; Westen, 2009, p. 265 ) . Although the many theories about intelligence are present, Gardner has the most effectual and modern one. In the early 1980 ‘s, he introduced his theory of multiple intelligence where his e nd was to interrupt down the construct of intelligence. Dr. Gardner has written many books about his multiple intelligence theory, nevertheless he placed more attending to one called â€Å" Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences † . In this book he tries to exemplify the fact that people posses eight different intelligences, stating that persons have higher intelligences in some countries and lower intelligences in others. He believed that people can make better when the work that needs to be done is extremely correlated to the country in where persons posses the higher intelligence. The eight intelligences that Gardner provinces are displaced as the followers: â€Å" musical, bodily/kinesthetic ( which is how we control our organic structure motions ) , spacial ( the ability to make mental images ) , lingual or verbal, logical/mathematical, naturalist, intrapersonal ( being able to understand oneself ) , and interpersonal ( 1s behavior in societal state of affairss ) † ( Kowalski A ; Westen, 2009, p. 279 ) . Identifying the assorted types of Gardner ‘s intelligences has helped me detect that the theory greatly affects my personal success. Not merely is this true for my ain success, but, many of these intelligences can impact everyone ‘s day-to-day lives. For me, the most of import intelligences that have helped me win in the yesteryear are lingual, logical/mathematical, and interpersonal. These intelligences that I posses, I would see them to be my strengths. Bing able to pass on good with others, being able to analyse and theorize thoughts, and playing an important function in certain state of affairss all have played a major function in my ability to win. In the undermentioned analysis of intelligences, we will be speaking about merely three of these eight intelligences and how they can impact my personal success in life. Having these qualities has built a get downing point in my life and it will go on to assist me make my long term ends every bit good as my short ends such as having my Bachelor ‘s grade. The first intelligence that is most of import to me in my ain success in life is the Linguistics. Linguisticss can run anyplace from being able to utilize a linguistic communication decently to complicated grammar. Harmonizing to Gardner, linguistics besides involves being cognizant of speech production and composing a linguistic communication, being able to larn multiple linguistic communications, and the contents of the linguistic communication and being able to use them to existent life state of affairss so one can win. The lingual attack besides states that one should hold the ability to talk efficaciously so that one can show him/herself. Language can besides be used to retrieve certain information and utilize the information for future mentions. Public talkers, attorneys/law enforcement, writers, and other professional linguist, are harmonizing to Gardner, genitive of this type of intelligence at higher degrees than others. Mathematicss and logical thought go manus in manus, in that, both involve abstract thought every bit good as being able to ground both inductively and deductively. Peoples who posses this type of intelligence, like me, normally try to happen logic in about every undertaking that needs to be completed. For illustration, if a professor shows me a math job, I normally look at it a few times and reappraisal in my caput what I have learned so far in how to travel about work outing the job. In this instance I am believing in a logical manner because logics, for me, are being able to interrupt down big constituents to smaller 1s so that one can finish a undertaking easier. This intelligence besides involves how much of a job one can work out, being able to finish mathematical operations, and besides analyzing consequences utilizing scientific attacks. When Gardner talks about this peculiar type of intelligence, he states that one has the ability to see forms and think in a logical mode. Thi s type of intelligence is of import in my personal success because it has helped me, and still does, in being able to go through a math or scientific discipline category without holding to fight. The last type of intelligence that plays a function in accomplishing my ends is intrapersonal. To me, holding this intelligence is a privilege because I enjoy being able to work in groups and doing new friends. When run intoing new people being interpersonal aids me in placing and understand others motivations and intent. It helps me as a pupil because it allows me to work efficaciously with other pupils during group documents or undertakings. It besides helps me understand what the other individual wants and what the cardinal incentive that is maintaining my group together. My personal belief about this peculiar intelligence is that it can avoid differences among a group of persons because they would be able to understand one another and in the occupation industry, particularly these yearss, it is really of import that one learns how to get by with other employees. Peoples working in retail normally have a stronger interpersonal intelligence along with instructors and political figu res. My personal success is my cardinal incentive. Personally my sentiment about Gardner is that he was right about his theory of multiple intelligences because even though he stated each person is different in what type of intelligences he/she possesses, he besides stated that an person ‘s civilization affects our intelligence. Turning up in a society where math and scientific discipline was a large issue, my intelligence in those countries is much higher than it is in something like humanistic disciplines. How to cite A Study on Gardners theories on Intelligence, Essay examples

Knowledge Management System

Question: Write a report on "Knowledge Management". Answer: Introduction The term, Knowledge Management is such a process of sharing, developing, capturing as well as using effectively the knowledge of an organization. It also refers to such an approach that is multidisciplinary in order to achieve the objectives of a particular organization by making the best knowledge utilization (Rubenstein-Montano, Liebowitz, Buchwalter, McCaw, Newman, Rebeck and Team 2012). The efforts of managing knowledge focus typically on several organizational goals. Therefore, this report is mainly aimed to implement the way of accomplishing the organisation objectives of ALDI in terms of the knowledge management system. Thus, this report aims to discuss critically the current processes of knowledge management of the selected organization that is ALDI by considering both of the weaknesses and the strengths. On the other side, the impact of the proper implementation of knowledge management system in ALDI is aimed to be portrayed in order to gain more competitive advantage in the countries where this organization has its presence. Based on the discussion, some recommendations would be discussed in this report as well. Company Background ALDI is the leading and popular chain of global discount supermarket (Aldi US 2016). It has near about 10000 in 18 countries (Aldi US 2016). This organization has an estimation regarding the turnover that is more than 50bn. ALSI is mainly based in Germany (Aldi US 2016). This retail organization was established in 1946 by the brothers Theo Albrecht and Karl Albrecht while they took over the store of their mother in Essen that had been operated since 1913 (Aldi US 2016). It is one of the largest companies which are privately owned all over the world (Aldi US 2016). Current Knowledge Management Processes of ALDI The processes of Knowledge management are referred to the paths that a company manages knowledge at several stages of the life of it in a particular company. Hence, in case of ALDI Store, this retail organization also utilizes few specific knowledge management processes in order to gather details or information by utilizing tools as well as methods. There are some processes of knowledge management those are assisted by the different techniques as well as tools (Alavi and Leidner 2014). These are as follows, Knowledge Discovery - It is mainly the construction of the new techniques as well as the explicit knowledge from the information and data or from the prior knowledge synthesis (Alavi and Leidner 2014). In ALDI, new explicit knowledges discovery relies on combination most directly, where at the same time, the new tacit knowledges discovery relies on socialization most directly. Knowledge Capture It is the process through which ALDI convert the explicit form to tacit form and vice versa with the help of sub-processes of internationalization and externalization (Davenport, De Long, and Beers, 2012). Knowledge Sharing It is the process with the help of which tacit or explicit knowledge is communicated in ALDI, to the other individuals. ALDI mainly mentor a new staff, shadow an expert through this process (Davenport, De Long, and Beers, 2012). Knowledge Application It is while the available knowledge is utilized by ALDI for making decisions as well as performing tasks through routines and direction. Strengths of Knowledge Management Processes The strengths of KM processes are as follows, It helps ALDI to deliver better accountability and measurement It improves the staff communication and engagement the employees can find quickly all the details that they require Every employee has access to business knowledge and management in ALDI (Ruggles 2014). Weaknesses of Knowledge Management Processes Sharing knowledge is an important part to make knowledge management system work, however ALDI has failed for sharing proper knowledge with managers and employees. these processes are difficult and complicated for understanding for the training and average workers for using knowledge management processes is costly (Ruggles 2014). Strategic Issue Knowledge management can play a significant in terms of implementing proper strategic planning. While an organization can be able to implement proper knowledge management in their business operation therefore, no one can resist that particular organization to gain success in terms of doing competition in their respective marketplaces and industries (Ruggles 2014). Thus, ALDI can follow the implementation of the strategic planning by using knowledge management. The most important feature of the strategic planning is that it helps organization to gain a long-term competitive advantage in the marketplace (Gold and Arvind Malhotra 2014). ALDI has to embrace knowledge sharing as well as abandon their concepts of hoarding information. The competitive advantage or competitive success of this retail organization would be related to less on how financial as well as physical resources are strategically allocated and more on how intellectual capital is strategically managed from disseminating, coding as well as capturing information. On the other hand, the competitive advantage can be gained by the knowledge management in order to acquire new competencies with the help of development as well as training and to the re-engineering processes of business (Quintas, Lefrere and Jones 2015). The major fact that can generate a huge competitive advantage for this particular retail organization is that the knowledge management processes attempts for preventing issues like the lost income or lost knowledge by establishing technological as well as human networks able to harass the collective experience and expertise of ALDI (Dalkir 2013). The move of ALDI from the economy that is industrially-based or the information based one requirement a top notch system of knowledge management for securing a capacity and competitive edge for learning. the ability of ALDI for tapping quickly into wisdom provides it a competitive advantage in the market. Use of knowledge in society The knowledge management process has huge usage in the operations of an organization. The efforts of knowledge management aims on the objectives of an organization like continuous improvement, integration, the sharing of the lessons learned, innovation, competitive advantage as well as improved performance of the organization (Dalkir 2013). These particular efforts overlap with the organizational learning and can also be distinguished from that by a huge focus on the knowledge management as an asset of strategy and an aim on the encouragement of the knowledge sharing. Knowledge Management is an organizational learning enabler. Most importantly, proper implementation of the knowleddge management system can be the key to build competitive advantage for ALDI (Dalkir 2013). This retail organization has therefore, adapted the changes in the knowledge management system and also make changes in the knowledge management system in terms of innovation in order to increase the competitive advan tage of ALDI in their marketplace. the organizations like ALDI who intend to survive in the complex as well as the unpredictable competitive markets should adapt quickly to the new dynamics like knowledge management in the retail business operation of the company (Hislop 2013). Therefore, it can easily be said that the proper usage of knowledge management system would help the company do that they can be able to leverage of this for their competitive advantage in their marketplace. Most importantly, this particular usage of the knowledge management system can help the ALDI in both of the sector / industry level as well as national level. As it is Essen based retail organization, therefore, it is quite obvious that the usage of the knowledge management would affect the competitive of the organization in the national level (Holsapple 2013). On the other hand, similarly, this utility of the knowledge management would also help ALDI to gain industry level competitive advantage globally in order to compete with their competitors. Dissemination of knowledge and relative shelf life The way of disseminating as well as spreading knowledge in the organization as well as the employees of a particular organization can mainly vary in different companies. the most important thing that should be remembered by the retail organization ALDI in this context is that the knowledge must be spread among the employees of the organization in order to make continual improvement in the business operation as well as the increase in the competitive advantage of ALDI in a global context (Holsapple 2013). the dissemination of knowledge management in ALDI is very important in order to maintain the shelf life of the organization which is simply the time length that a commodity can be stored without becoming unfit for sale, consumption or use (Hislop 2013). Obsoledge is nothing but the concept which is the combination of obsolete and knowledge. In order to resolve the problem of the knowledge of being obsolete, organizations like ALSI has to make continuous improvements as well as update on the knowledge management system of that particular company (Hislop 2013). Most importantly, it can be the only way with the help of which the obsolete of the knowledge can be prevented. The concept of obsoledge as well as the way of mitigating this problem can easily be understood with the help of the difference between the tacit and explicit knowledge. The tacit knowledge is that knowledge, people carry in their minds as well as they also find it hard for accessing (Jones and Sallis 2013). On the other hand, explicit knowledge is that knowledge that codifies and is documented as well as can also be transferred to others easily. Risk of Change Change encountered in the business operation has both of the advantages as well as risks in terms of the aspect of that particular organization. The risk of the changes encountered in the business operation can be several types (Wang, Noe and Wang 2014). The major risk associated with the changes encountered in the business process is the failure of the change. Sometimes it becomes very difficult for the business operations of the company in order to cope up with the changes. Therefore, the productivity of the organization decreases with the shortfall noticed in the changes made in the business operation of that particular organization (Fuller 2012). Labour market segmentation notices a market for teh labours of a certain company with the sellers as well as the buyers in the open competition with each other, which can function in the similar way broadly like the other friends (Wiig 2012). In case of ALDI, it can be considered as one of the great companies for working if an employee has what it takes for rising to the top of the barrel if that particular employee likes an organization that is regimented as well as well-structured (Fuller 2012). Therefore, it is the place for employees ALDI can profit continue for rising aiding to the construction of more stores be prepared. The problem with this organization in terms of the labour market segmentation is that ALDI tends to operate on a small number of the staffs who are productive. On the other hand, the major issue of this organization is that ALDI has violated the rules of not employing child labour in their retail stores (Fuller 2012). Such a significant and critical issue can greatly hamper the process of gaining competitive advantage. This specific issue can become the biggest consequence for the company as theb knowledge based society of todays world not be ready to support such wrong doing as employing child labour has been noted as an illegal offense and most importantly it can be considered as a crime (Woods and Cortada 2013). The knowledge based society of todays world can also come forward to punish this organization by boycotting their products or in other significant ways of protestation. Human and Social Capital Social capital in an organization is that particular asset that can connect several forms of human capital. It is that particular connections pattern, which can synthesis benefit for one specific group as well as constraint for other (Lwstedt and Stjernberg 2014). It is the form of the cultural as well as economic capital in that social networks are central, transactions are specified by the cooperation, trust and reciprocity, and agents of market produce services and goods as well not mostly for themselves, but for a common good (Alegre, Sengupta and Lapiedra 2013). It has been utilized for explaining the diverse groups improved performance, the entrepreneurial firms growth, enhanced supply chain relations, superior managerial performance, the evolution of communities and value derived from strategic alliances. On the other hand, the human capital for ALDI is simply the collection of resources, all the knowledge, wisdom, judgement, training, intelligence, experience, abilities, skills as well as talents collectively and individually as well by the individuals in that organization. These kinds of the assets or the resources are the entire potential of ALDI that can represent a form of wealth that can be directed for accomplishing the objectives of that particular retail organization (Becerra-Fernandez and Sabherwal 2014). The Corporate Social Responsibility needs that organizations consider the fairness among the employees, sub-contractor employees and clients (Rollett 2012). ALDI is expected for protecting natural resources and for demonstrating responsibility and involvement in environmental components, human rights, community and sustainability that can be affected by the business operations (Becerra-Fernandez and Sabherwal 2014). The Knowledge management had been the strategy before the Corporate Social Responsibility model that was most promoted by the leaders in the corporate management field of ALDI. It utilizes the human resources as well as knowledge in an effective, innovative as well as efficient way (Borghoff and Pareschi 2013). The strategy of KM demonstrates the community of employee and its partners of ALDI as few of most essential organizational assets. These values are compatible with concern of the CSR of this organization with the rights and needs of partners and employees (Hasanali 2015). Macro Policy Development in Employment and Economics The Macroeconomic Policy can be defined as the set of rules as well as regulations those have been implemented by the government of several countries in order to stimulate or control the aggregate indicators of the frames of economy of the macroeconomic policy (Rao 2012). The indicators of aggregation involve interest rate, grown rate, unemployment rate, inflation, money supply as well as the national income. Therefore, the proper implementation of the Macroeconomic policy by ALDI can create huge impact in the employment as well as the economical aspects of this organization. This retail organization can easily ensure both of the two aspects with the help of the proper implementation and development of the two major macroeconomic policies such as the monetary policy and the fiscal policy (Rollett 2012). Fiscal policy is the policy where the government of Germany or the other countries where this organization has presence, tax or spending for stimulating growth (Rollett 2012). On the other hand,, the Monetary policy deals with the changes in the supply of money and the changes in the parameters that impact the money supply in economy. Recommendations In this entire report, there are several issues as well as consequences have been noticed and identified in terms of several aspects like, knowledge management practices, relation between knowledge management and Corporate Social Responsibilities and others. Therefore, based on the overall discussion made in this report some recommendations can be implemented. Among the recommendations, the first and forecast recommendation for ALDI must be the proper implementation of the knowledge management system. This organization should adopt those practices of the knowledge management those can be very effective for the improvement in the performance of the employees as well as for the increase in the productivity. On the other hand, they should be very careful about the maintenance of knowledge in order to gain more competitive advantage. ALDI should be careful about maintaining the proper relation between the CSR and the Knowledge Management system. In addition, ALDI has to follow the macroe conomic properly and effectively. Conclusion From the entire report, one thing has been confirmed that knowledge management is very effective in all of the aspect starting from the improving performance and productivity to the increase in the revenue. In the present scenario of ALDI, this concept has actually been reflected in this report. Knowledge management practices or the proper development of the knowledge management system can play a significant role in several contexts. it can also help the organization in order to maintain all the organizational goal by improving the employee as well as the overall performance of the organization itself with the help of effective knowledge management practices. Reference List Alavi, M. and Leidner, D.E., 2014. Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues.MIS quarterly, pp.107-136. ALDI US - Homepage. (2016).Aldi.us. Retrieved 22 May 2016, from https://www.aldi.us Alegre, J., Sengupta, K. and Lapiedra, R., 2013. Knowledge management and innovation performance in a high-tech SMEs industry.International Small Business Journal,31(4), pp.454-470. Becerra-Fernandez, I. and Sabherwal, R., 2014.Knowledge management: systems and processes. Routledge. Borghoff, U.M. and Pareschi, R. eds., 2013.Information technology for knowledge management. Springer Science Business Media. Dalkir, K., 2013.Knowledge management in theory and practice. Routledge. Davenport, T.H., De Long, D.W. and Beers, M.C., 2012. Successful knowledge management projects.MIT Sloan Management Review,39(2), p.43. Fuller, S., 2012.Knowledge management foundations. Routledge. Gold, A.H. and Arvind Malhotra, A.H.S., 2014. Knowledge management: An organizational capabilities perspective.Journal of management information systems,18(1), pp.185-214. Hasanali, F., 2015. Critical Success Factors of Knowledge Management (2002). Hislop, D., 2013.Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press. Holsapple, C. ed., 2013.Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters(Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Jones, G. and Sallis, E., 2013.Knowledge management in education: Enhancing learning education. Routledge. Lwstedt, J. and Stjernberg, T., 2014.Producing management knowledge: research as practice. Routledge. Quintas, P., Lefrere, P. and Jones, G., 2015. Knowledge management: a strategic agenda.Long range planning,30(3), pp.385-391. Rao, M., 2012.Knowledge management tools and techniques. Routledge. Rollett, H., 2012.Knowledge management: Processes and technologies. Springer Science Business Media. Rubenstein-Montano, B., Liebowitz, J., Buchwalter, J., McCaw, D., Newman, B., Rebeck, K. and Team, T.K.M.M., 2012. A systems thinking framework for knowledge management.Decision support systems,31(1), pp.5-16. Ruggles, R., 2014. The state of the notion: knowledge management in practice.California management review,40(3), pp.80-89. Wang, S., Noe, R.A. and Wang, Z.M., 2014. Motivating knowledge sharing in knowledge management systems a quasifield experiment.Journal of Management,40(4), pp.978-1009. Wiig, K., 2012.People-focused knowledge management. Routledge. Woods, J.A. and Cortada, J., 2013.The knowledge management yearbook 2000-2001. Routledge.

Scarlet Letter And Scaffold Essays - English-language Films

Scarlet Letter And Scaffold Scaffold "I am as content to die for God's eternal truth on the scaffold as in any other way (Bookshelf)," John Brown, a U.S. abolitionist in 1859, said in a letter to his children on the eve of his execution. The scaffold is a raised wooden framework or platform used for public speaking. It is similar to a stage or a framework. A scaffold is also a platform used in the execution of condemned prisoners, as by hanging or beheading. A scaffold can also be a raised platform, seat or stand used for the purpose of exhibiting persons or actions to the public view (Webster's). A scaffold, similar to a stage, platform or framework, can be permanent. Other types of permanent scaffolds are used in bridges. The basic beam bridge, a simple beam over a span, is strengthened by adding support piers underneath and by reinforcing the structure with elaborate scaffolding called a truss. This method of scaffolding is clearly apparent in most present day bridges, but most travelers do not even realize this fact. The scaffolding includes the huge poles or wires that sit on top of the bridge; this suspension is an extremely advanced scaffold. This method is sometimes also used in suspending a roof. Scaffolds, however, can also be temporary. A scaffold is also a temporary platform, usually suspended on poles from below or suspended from above, on which workers sit or stand during the erection, repairing or decoration of a building. For instance, construction workers stand on scaffolds when building a new structure. Scaffolding allows workers to transport themselves and their materials up and down an unfinished building during construction. Also, a person cleaning the windows of a building must use a scaffold to reach all the windows above ground. Michelangelo used a scaffold to paint the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome (Groiler's). He worked on a scaffold sixty feet above ground, which covered 10,000 square feet of surface. Another type of temporary scaffold is used in boating and fishing. A flake is a scaffold lowered over the side of a ship to support workers or caulkers when they are either fishing or drying the captured fish (Webster's). The ancient Egyptians can be considered the first people to use temporary scaffolding. The entrance to the Great Pyramid is fifty-five feet above ground level. The entrance was intended for use only once, during King Khufu's funeral (Groiler's). Special scaffolding was erected so the coffin could be placed inside the pyramid. The scaffolding was then dismantled as a safety measure against grave robbers. Scaffold can also be used as a verb. To scaffold could mean to prop up. For instance, new titles may be scaffolded with laws. That is, laws will support the titles. Another, every day, yet connotative, use of the word scaffold would mean to execute. A person who is scaffolded is executed. Scaffold usually denotes a negative, punishing aura when it is used as a verb. As a verb, scaffold is not often used and is a word from early America. Thus, the word can have many different meanings. The scaffold plays an important denotative role in many books, movie and plays. One such book is The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story of a young woman, Hester Prynne, living in Puritan dominated Salem, Massachusetts, who commits adultery. The man with whom she engages in the affair is one of the town's Reverends, Mr. Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale have a baby, Pearl. Hester's husband, Roger Chillingworth, who was missing for two years, returns to find Hester being punished for cheating on him. "Hester Prynne passed through this portion of her ordeal, and came to a sort of scaffold (51)," Hawthorne tells in the opening seen of the novel. In The Scarlet Letter, the scaffold acts as a place for punishment. "This scaffold constituted a portion of a penal machine, which now, for two or three generations past, has been merely historical and traditionary among us, but was held, in the old time, to be as effectual an agent in the promotion of good citizenship, as ever was the guillotine," Hawthorne states in explaining the scaffolds use. The scaffold had wooden steps leading on to it. The steps of the scaffold became the walk of death for many people before they were beheaded. A balcony or open gallery stood over the platform and was attached to the meetinghouse. During Hester's punishment, the ministers and Governor sat in the gallery in order

Disadvantages of Invasive Species essays

Disadvantages of Invasive Species essays Anything can disrupt and alter ecosystems. Huge benefactors of disrupting ecosystems are invasive species. Invasive species are plants, animals, or other organisms that are introduced to a given area outside their original range and cause harm in their new home (Delach). They are capable of mobbing aggressively and taking over resources of other species, such as sunlight, water, food, and space. They can "displace native plants and animals, disrupt ecological processes, threaten ecosystem stability, and alter both natural and man-made landscapes" ("Invasive Species Control"). Recently, more of these species was found invading and threatening the ecosystem of Arkansas. These species were first introduced to the United States as a benefactor and had spread throughout the country. Although invasive species were first introduced to be beneficial to the enviroment, economy, and public health, they cause more damage and harm in most cases. Invasive species are harmful to other native species and time, and money should be invested to prevent the continuous spread and damage caused. When non-native species from other ecosystems are introduced, they can upset the balance of an already-established ecosystem of plants and animals. Tamarisk was " first brought into the United States in the late 1800s and early 1990s as an ornamental shrub and as a stabilizing plant along streambeds, [however], the plant soon escaped its "boundaries" and spread prolifically" (Pieper). This invasive species has been sucking up more than its fair share of water along the Arkansas River. The plant is said to consume "over 800 billion gallons of water annually nationwide and is especially prevalent in the southwestern United States" (Pieper). Because it is an invasive species, the plant does not have any "natural enemies" to help control its population. Therefore, landowners along the Arkansas River and other connected states have undertaken a project to get rid o...

Chemistry Report on Explosives

Chemistry Report on Explosives Chemistry Report on Explosives What is meant byoxidation and show how oxidation reactions are used to cause explosions. Oxidation is the term used for the combinationof a substance with oxygen, or in general any reaction where an atom ormolecule loses electrons. This can be shown as: C (s) + O2 (g) CO (g) S=solid, g=gas Gunpowderor black powder is the oldest explosive we know. It is made up of a mixture ofpotassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre or KNO 3 ), charcoal, andsulfur in different proportions. When gunpowder is manufactured today, it ismade with the ratios 7.5:1.5:1 by mass (2). Bothgunpowder and dynamite have within them substances which are readily availableto oxidation. The oxygen which is used for the oxidation is an intrinsic partof the mixture, and is held within them in the same manner that oxygen isstored in the chemical potassium chlorate. Whengunpowder is ignited, this oxidation is extremely rapid, and a large volume ofgas is produced. The gasses are under ex treme pressure, which causesthem to expand rapidly. Heat is produced causing the gas particles toaccelerate, creating even more pressure. If the gas expands faster than thespeed of sound, this creates a shockwave. The pressure produced by the gassesis what causes parts of the bomb (shrapnel) to be propelled far and wide atvery high speeds(1). Thespeed at which something oxidises is dependant on its potential to interactwith oxygen. The greater number of unstable electrons that a molecule or atomhas to lose, the quicker it will be oxidised (3). b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give an account of thedevelopment of chemical compounds for use in explosives. Describe theadvantages of each new chemical explosive over its predecessors, and describehow the explosives were adapted to make them safer and more effective. (9marks) It is thought that the firstexplosive discovered was ‘black powder’, originating in 10th Century China. Itwas used for ceremonial fireworks. In Europe, 1242 saw the formula for blackpowder being published by Roger Bacon. The refinement of the substance closelyfollowed after the gun was invented by Berthold Schwartz in 1300. Around thistime, black powder was being used for removal of rocks, the teqnique was knownas fire setting, but this was replaced with blasting at the beginning of the17th Century. There are records of blasting in America from 1773 (4). The production of black powderwas rapidly increased during the American Revolution. By the turn of thecentury, the commercial production of the explosive had grown from 25 millionto 100 million (2). In 1846, Nitroglycerin wasdiscovered by Ascanio Sobrero. Nitroglycerin plasticizes collodion which is aform of nitrocellulose to form blasting gelatin. This is a very powerfulexplosive. The discovery of this action led to the advancement of ballistite, thefirst double-base propellant and a precursor of cordite. Alfred Nobel built a factory toproduce it in 1861 in Sweden. An advantage of nitroglycer in was its massiveexplosive power, but it was very difficult to transport as it is a liquid,which used black powder to ignite it. It could also freeze and had toxic fumeswhich caused severe headaches (5). In 1867, Nobel accidentallyinvented Dynamite and he went on to patent his mixture. It was a greatdiscovery, being more powerful than black powder, with a higher detonationvelocity which made it much more effective breaking rock as it not only moved,but broke apart the rock

Balance in the Administration of Justice and Security Integrative Research Paper

Balance in the Administration of Justice and Security Integrative - Research Paper Example In essence, due to the dire situation in the organization of justice a lot of stigma is exerted on criminals and they are separated from ordinary inhabitants thus denying them their fundamental rights. Additionally, criminals are exposed to cruel conditions and given very barbaric penalties like capital punishment. However, the progression of evenhandedness and protection has brought good tidings for offenders and general residents in the sense that it provides for a tight balancing act linking justice and security. Such a concept guarantees the equal rights of all in society and creates a viable ambience for the achievement of justice. Much of the development of security and justice occurred in the course of the 21st century mostly due to the novel technology along with regulations enabling nations to create fresh types of retributions in the process of advancing justice. The outcomes of this evolution are evident as more liberties have been included in constitutions with the endeav or of establishing balance. The ratification of constitution by the authority has been engineered by the need to offer justice along with security to its citizens. A number of parameters pertain to the legal atmosphere where constitution as well as justice thrives. These parameters comprise of authority, punitive measures, mutual understanding in addition to fairness. Moreover, there are matters that pertain to the liberties of citizens along with security and the sustenance of order (Barreneche, 2006). They comprise of intrusion with liberties of as enshrined in the law. Dynamics like mass media along with technology have facilitated the delivery of security and justice to the nation. There has been an unprecedented evolution of fairness with safety in the 21st century facilitated by the establishment of novel policies to boost security in the country along with the guarantee of justice. As a result, majority of the nations have enacted legislations that conceptualize the manner in which matters of crime are dealt with. Such stipulations have been central in the quest for impartiality in addition to safety in the nation making it possible to establish a balance between the two primary parameters. Therefore, the evolution of security along with justice has been good news not only to the criminal justice system but also to the twin dynamics of security and justice which occupy a central position in the vast criminal justice system. Subsequently, surveillance has been beefed up to address activities of crime in several nations. A perfect example is the ratification of an anti terror act by America to assist in thwarting instances of crime. The primary intention of the legislation is the guarantee of security to the country’s citizens (Kelly et al, 2004). Among the many dynamics of the law include the guarantee of safety via security measures at airports and boundaries and seizure among others. The central pillar is the noninterference with the rights and liberties of citizens in the process of maintaining security. Therefore, the process of providing security and guaranteeing order should not in any way compromise the liberties and freedoms of citizens. As a result, even offenders have their rights which must not be denied. Law enforcement officers and other security agents are supposed to esteem the liberties of citizens as exemplified in the constitution. Every operation and activity must be guided by the law. However,

The impact of environmental laws on property management in the UK Dissertation

The impact of environmental laws on property management in the UK - Dissertation Example Projections are given in regards to the overall success in a broad sense of the present model of progress benchmarks along the way towards safer industry and human activity with respect to Earth's ecosystems. These needs are compared with the goals and interests of property owners. Table of Contents Declaration †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.4 Preface †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.4 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.4 Literature Review Part One †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.5 Literature Review Part Two †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.35 Literature Review Part Three †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.45 Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.59 Findings †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.59 Conclusion and Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.61 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p.65 Declaration As a part of the European Union, the United Kingdom must adapt existing territor ial legislation into harmony with existing environmental policy. Most modern environmental legislation in Europe is passed down from United Nations International treaties, to be ratified by the European Union, and disseminated for review to individual nation states. All property owners have an obligation to respond to environmental policies and regulations, even those not engaged in heavy industrial waste production. Preface This study constitutes an analysis of environmental regulations as they exist in the United Kingdom pertaining to housing and property management. The practice of environmental regulation and enforcement is detailed. Findings, conclusions and recommendations follow the primary literature review. Introduction The most basic definition of the environment would be that which is not ourselves, and yet we all live in a world of interconnectedness and interrelationships were all are affected by the actions of others whether or not we are aware of them. A more detailed legal definition is in order, however: "Environment shall mean the space with all living organisms and natural resources, natural and man-made values, their interaction and the entire space in which people live and in which settlements, goods in general use, industrial and other facilities, including the media in the areas of the environment, are situated. " (Home, 2007) It is reasonable suppose that any contrived separation of any individual or organization from the environment is an illusion. And it is thus the responsibility of all citizens, and all commercial enterprises to cultivate a principle of stewardship for and within their greater environment. This study will relate principally to environmental policies pertaining to property ownership in the United Kingdom, specifically the rules and regulations in regards to legal compliance with environmental laws relevant to both residential and commercial property owners. The intent of environmental policy will be described in acco rdance with United Nations and European Union mandates which are then disseminated into laws by the various member nations. The means by which these laws are implemented, the challenges in their implementation, and the ramifications of these legal principles for the environment and for the rights of property owners shall be detailed. Literature Review Part One There is no doubt as to the necessity of a certain responsible level of environmental regulation in the field of housing and property management. The importance of environmental controls can be regularly seen in clean air and pristine water, especially when it is contrasted

Walter chauncey camp Essay Example for Free

Walter chauncey camp Essay Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the Father of American Football. He invented the sports line of scrimmage and the system of downs. With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football. He played college football at Yale College from 1876 to 1882, after which he briefly studied at Yale School of Medicine. He attended Yale Medical School from 1880 to 1883, where his studies were interrupted first by an outbreak of typhoid fever and then by work for the Manhattan Watch Company. He worked for the New Haven Clock Company beginning in 1883, working his way up to chairman of the board of directors. Rules committee Camp was on the various collegiate football rules committees that developed the American game from his time as a player at Yale until his death. English Rugby rules at the time required a tackled player, when the ball was fairly held, to put the ball down immediately for scrummage. Camp proposed at the U. S. College Football 1880 rules convention that the contested scrummage be replaced with a line of scrimmage where the team with the ball started with uncontested possession. This change effectively created the evolution of the modern game of American football from its rugby football origins. He is credited with innovations such as the snap-back from center, the system of downs, and the points system, as well as the introduction of the now-standard offensive arrangement of players—a seven-man offensive line and a four-man backfield consisting of a quarterback, two halfbacks, and a fullback. Camp was also responsible for introducing the safety, the awarding of two points to the defensive side for tackling a ball carrier in his own end zone followed by a free kick by the offense from its own 20-yard line to restart play. This is significant, as rugby union has no point value award for this action, but instead awards a scrum to the attacking side five meters from the goal line. In 2011, reviewing Camps role in the founding of the sport and of the NCAA, Taylor Branch also credited Camp with cutting the number of players on a football team from 15 to 11 and adding measuring lines to the field. However, Branch noted that the revelation in a contemporaneous McClures magazine story of Camps $100,000 slush fund, along with concern about the violence of the growing sport, helped lead to  President Theodore Roosevelts intervention in the sport. The NCAA emerged from the national talks but worked to Yales disadvantage relative to rival Harvard, according to Branch. Writing Despite having a full-time job at the New Haven Clock Company, a Camp family business, and being an unpaid yet very involved adviser to the Yale football team, Camp wrote articles and books on the gridiron and sports in general. By the time of his death, he had written nearly 30 books and more than 250 magazine articles. His articles appeared in national periodicals such as Harpers Weekly, Colliers, Outing, Outlook, and The Independent, and in juvenile magazines such as St. Nicholas, Youths Companion, and Boys Magazine. His stories also appeared in major daily newspapers throughout the United States. He also selected an annual All-American team. According to his biographer Richard P. Borkowski, Camp was instrumental through writing and lecturing in attaching an almost mythical atmosphere of manliness and heroism to the game not previously known in American team sports. By the age of 33, twelve years after graduating from Yale, Walter Camp had already become known as the Father of Football. In a column in the popular magazine Harpers Weekly, sports columnist Caspar Whitney had applied the nickname; the sobriquet was appropriate because, by 1892, Camp had almost single-handedly fashioned the game of modern American football. The Daily Dozen exercise regimen Camp was a proponent of exercise, and not just for the athletes he coached. While working as an adviser to the United States military during World War I, he devised a program to help servicemen become more physically fit. Walter Camp has just developed for the Naval Commission on Training Camp Activities a short hand system of setting up exercises that seems to fill the bill; a system designed to give a man a running jump start for the serious work of the day. It is called the daily dozen set-up, meaning thereby twelve very simple exercises. Both the Army and the Navy used Camps methods. The names of the exercises in the original Daily Dozen, as the whole set became known, were hands, grind, crawl, wave, hips, grate, curl, weave,  head, grasp, crouch, and wing. As the name indicates, there were twelve exercises, and they could be completed in about eight minutes. A prolific writer, Camp wrote a book explaining the exercises and extolling their benefits. During the 1920s, a number of newspapers and magazines used the term Daily Dozen to refer to exercise in general. Starting in 1921 with the Musical Health Builder record sets, Camp began offering morning setting-up exercises to a wider market. In 1922, the initiative reached the new medium of radio.

The Signalman by Dickens and The Withered Arm by Hardy :: Signalman dickens Withered Hardy Essays

â€Å"The Signalman† by Dickens and â€Å"The Withered Arm† by Hardy The story of "The Signalman" opens with the words â€Å"Halloa! Below there†, this short, but effective line is very significant to the plot of the story. A questioning atmosphere is already created, as it is not clear to the reader as to who is speaking, or whom the anonymous figure is being shouted at? The opening paragraph of the "The Signalman" is unexplained, leaving the readers questioning. For example when the Narrator is shouting from above, the Signalman behaves strangely as he looks round to face the tunnel, whereas a normal person would look upwards in response to this. Dickens portrayal of the â€Å"black tunnel† that has a â€Å"barbarous, depressing, and forbidding air† to it creates a mood of anticipation. Moreover, the words expressed are so effective that the reader immediately gets an apparent image of the tunnel and feels more involved in the story. It also raises the question as to why the Signalman looked down there, and this maintains the curiosity. The mood becomes more intense and penetrating as Charles Dickens’s explanations give the impression that one or both of the characters might be spectres. The reason being, that the Narrator considers the Signalman as having something â€Å"remarkable in his manner†, and how he cannot say for his â€Å"life what.† On the other hand, the signalman appears to be afraid of the Narrator, as his reactions to the Narrator calling down suggests that he regards him to be the spectre. The â€Å"dark† setting deep in the trench, which admits â€Å"so little sunlight†, and where the â€Å"on coming rush† of the train causes â€Å"vague vibration† and â€Å"violent pulsation† in the â€Å"earth and air† sets the mood for the supernatural occurrences. This haunts the readers as the narrator feels he has â€Å"left the natural world.† Furthermore, the surroundings and atmosphere of the â€Å"lonesome post† which the Signalman occupies appears very mysterious, especially the â€Å"black tunnel.† The opening scene which is set in the â€Å"cold†, â€Å"damp† and â€Å"lonely† railway cutting near the end of a â€Å"tunnel† is described well, as being â€Å"Extremely deep and unusually precipitous† and â€Å"solitary and â€Å"dismal.† There is particular emphasis on the loneliness of the place; it seems like a location isolated from the real world, making the reader pity the Signalman as he spends many â€Å"lonely hours† there. Yet is also generates the eerie idea of the place being perfect, again for supernatural happenings. In comparison to the "The Signalman", "The Withered Arm" also has a questioning mood at the opening of the story. At the start, Rhoda is described as â€Å"A thin fading women of thirty that milked somewhat apart

Mini Trial

Incredibly, there are currently over â€Å"3,000 asses of Mesopotamia annually' in the US and more than â€Å"1 0,000 cases† globally (â€Å"The Mesopotamia Center†, 2014). Asbestos lawsuits are continuously prevalent and can be identified by simply turning on a television set any given time of the day. More than likely there will be an asbestos lawsuit commercial on several channels. Since the sass's, Maryland has had its fair share of these lawsuits because of its asbestos production and inherent health risk posed to the surrounding communities.In 1 993, Baltimore had more than â€Å"200,000 cases† pending against the state of Maryland and the courts had become inundated with an insurmountable mountain of lawsuits (Ogden, 1 993, pig. 38). Attempting to manage all of these cases put a serious strain on the court systems and jeopardized the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the state's judicial infrastructure. The question for legal professionals was how t o handle such a large surge in caseloads. The answer came in the form of an Alternate Dispute Resolution (TAR) known as a Mini-Trial.This TAR process created a means for legal professionals to process large groups of disputants through a dispute resolution process in minimal time. Asbestos mini-trial proceedings in Baltimore were conducted in ropes and series so that the most severe cases could be handled first. The unprecedented decision to utilize mini;trials in this capacity yielded quicker results than normal bench-trial cases could and paved the way for the continued use of this form of 3 TAR. The unique style in how the mini-trials were applied to the Baltimore asbestos cases is what really stood out.Case Study As the amount of plaintiffs grew against multiple companies involved in asbestos manufacturing, Judge Marshall A. Levin of Baltimore's Circuit Court, ordered the majority of the cases to be performed as mini-trials (Person, 1993). This process would alleviate Some of th e limiting factors being experienced in regards to litigation saturation. With literally thousands of affected citizens, Judge Levin felt that a series of mini-trials would clear up a large portion of the individual claims bogging down Baltimore's court system.The first thing he ordered was for the trials to be conducted in groups. Within these groups, legal professionals to include the judge; would select the most important cases first. His first grouped involved over 600 cases in which patients were already sick or dying from asbestos related illnesses (Person, 993). It was important to process these cases quickly so that any damages awarded could be used for healthcare immediately. Another group involved a series of plaintiffs that were seeking damages from either being exposed to asbestos or not being properly informed of the dangers of asbestos.Even though these were of lesser importance, the process of the mini-trial still afforded the plaintiffs quick resolution. Because ther e were so many people involved in all of these cases, the judge would also only allow a select few to present testimony. By doing this, Levin prevented the same testimony from Ewing heard by thousands of plaintiffs with the same argument. This â€Å"abbreviated version† of a full court trial proved his theory that mini-trials were beneficial in lieu of (Colors, 2009, pig. 203). Time was not the only thing gained by these trials however.Judge Eleven's first mini-trial only took four weeks and caught the attention of several other judges. During the second set of 4 trial series, three judges from Baltimore joined him in hearing six more major asbestos cases. Those mini-trials yielded more than SSL 1 million in restitution for three out of the six cases (Person, 1993). Knowing that the number of asbestos cases would increasingly rise, Judge Levin created the â€Å"New Discovery Rule† that would supersede any statute of limitation Maryland had in regards to asbestos relate d lawsuits (Ogden, 1993).Applying additional gateways offset the non-binding agreement mini-trials and other forms of TAR normally have. Discussion The overall goal in hearing asbestos cases quickly and clearing the courts of hemorrhaging lawsuits was ultimately a success. Eleven's progressive approach to dispute resolution proved that alternate methods can be fair and equal. Properly categorizing claims that were more severe against claims that were to was paramount in choosing first to appear cases. The quick action of the mini-trial afforded victims in need compensation necessary to the treatment of their illnesses.By grouping the trials into series, the mini-trials also protected the asbestos manufactures of frivolous law suits and false claims of lung cancer due to smoking and not asbestos exposure. One of the biggest conclusions that can be drawn from this case is that the mini-trial is adoptable and long lasting. As recently as 2013, exactly 20 years after Baltimore's first a sbestos min-trial, Maryland is still using the TAR practice ND is a â€Å"major forum for asbestos litigation† (Richard, 2014). Baltimore's use of the mini-trial not only relieved the strain of over tasked court system, it proved that different forms of TAR could save time.

Coca-Cola Is Everything: SCM, CRM, Collaboration, You Name It

If we told you that Coca-Cola has operating units in 50 countries around the world, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. If we told you that Coca-Cola had been in business for almost 125 years, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. So, you tell us†¦ how many different beverages does Coca-Cola produce? 100? 500? 2,000? Are you surprised yet? Worldwide, Coca-Cola produces an amazing 2,800 different beverages.When an organization is that big, has that sort of worldwide presence, and boasts what is perhaps the most well-known brand ever, you can bet that a multitude of IT systems are constantly churning in the background, not only keeping the organization running, but also keeping in running ahead of the competition. To support internal collaboration efforts, Coke created something it calls its Common Innovation Framework, a Web-based system that combines project management capabilities with business intelligence.Using the Innovation Framework, anyone from any of the oper ating units worldwide can search for, find, and apply concepts, strategies, development successes, and marketing approaches that have been used elsewhere in the organization. For example, when introducing Georgia teas in Australia, the Coke people Down Under can research what marketing strategies worked well in related countries such as New Zealand.As Jean-Michel Ares, Coke CIO, explains it, â€Å"Once you’ve aggregated that pipeline of innovation, the object is to assess and prioritize the best allocation of resources in the organization. † Beyond internal employees, Coke is reaching out with new and innovative IT steps. Recently, it rolled out a new line of software services based on hundreds of business processes to its extended family of bottlers. These software services each perform a specific common business function and run within SAP's ERP software and are delivered by Coke's IBM-hosted data centers.The goal is to create a standardized business and technology p latform across all Coke bottlers, most of which are independent franchises. (There are some partly owned by Coke. ) If Coke and all its bottlers are speaking the same language, so to speak, and using the same technology, then supply chain management applications will be more efficiently streamlined. Standardization in this case equates to saving money by reducing expenses associated with supply chain activities.And even beyond its extended family of bottlers, Coke is using technology to create loyalty and engage more with its customers. Its award-winning Web site, My Coke Rewards at www. mycokerewards. com, is the second most popular consumer packaged-goods site, behind only www. kraftfoods. com. My Coke Rewards attracts some 300,000 visitors per day. Offering everything from magazine subscriptions to electronics as prices (just look under the cap), My Coke Rewards has reconnected Coke with its loyal drinkers.The site has teamed up with pop culture crazes such as American Idol, socc er, and auto racing to bring even more customers into the fold. You can even find Coke-labeled songs through iTunes. 1) Describe the various IT-enabled initiatives discussed in this case study. 2) Describe two different forms of e-collaboration in this case study. For each, articulate the benefits to Coke. 3) What sort of business intelligence could Coke gather from its My Coke Rewards Web site? How could it use this information for customer relationship management activities? Coca-Cola Is Everything: SCM, CRM, Collaboration, You Name It If we told you that Coca-Cola has operating units in 50 countries around the world, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. If we told you that Coca-Cola had been in business for almost 125 years, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. So, you tell us†¦ how many different beverages does Coca-Cola produce? 100? 500? 2,000? Are you surprised yet? Worldwide, Coca-Cola produces an amazing 2,800 different beverages.When an organization is that big, has that sort of worldwide presence, and boasts what is perhaps the most well-known brand ever, you can bet that a multitude of IT systems are constantly churning in the background, not only keeping the organization running, but also keeping in running ahead of the competition.To support internal collaboration efforts, Coke created something it calls its Common Innovation Framework, a Web-based system that combines project management capabilities with business intelligence. Using the Innovation Framework, anyone from any of the oper ating units worldwide can search for, find, and apply concepts, strategies, development successes, and marketing approaches that have been used elsewhere in the organization.For example, when introducing Georgia teas in Australia, the Coke people Down Under can research what marketing strategies worked well in related countries such as New Zealand. As Jean-Michel Ares, Coke CIO, explains it, â€Å"Once you’ve aggregated that pipeline of innovation, the object is to assess and prioritize the best allocation of resources in the organization.†Beyond internal employees, Coke is reaching out with new and innovative IT steps. Recently, it rolled out a new line of software services based on hundreds of business processes to its extended family of bottlers. These software services each perform a specific common business function and run within SAP's ERP software and are delivered by Coke's IBM-hosted data centers.The goal is to create a standardized business and technology pla tform across all Coke bottlers, most of which are independent franchises. (There are some partly owned by Coke.) If Coke and all its bottlers are  speaking the same language, so to speak, and using the same technology, then supply chain management applications will be more efficiently streamlined. Standardization in this case equates to saving money by reducing expenses associated with supply chain activities.And even beyond its extended family of bottlers, Coke is using technology to create loyalty and engage more with its customers. Its award-winning Web site, My Coke Rewards at www.mycokerewards.com, is the second most popular consumer packaged-goods site, behind only www.kraftfoods.com.My Coke Rewards attracts some 300,000 visitors per day. Offering everything from magazine subscriptions to electronics as prices (just look under the cap), My Coke Rewards has reconnected Coke with its loyal drinkers. The site has teamed up with pop culture crazes such as American Idol, soccer, and auto racing to bring even more customers into the fold. You can even find Coke-labeled songs through iTunes.1) Describe the various IT-enabled initiatives discussed in this case study. 2) Describe two different forms of e-collaboration in this case study. For each, articulate the benefits to Coke. 3) What sort of business intelligence could Coke gather from its My Coke Rewards Web site? How could it use this information for customer relationship management activities?

Indian Cultural Beliefs Amd Superstitions Essay Example

Indian Cultural Beliefs Amd Superstitions Essay Example Indian Cultural Beliefs Amd Superstitions Essay Indian Cultural Beliefs Amd Superstitions Essay Beliefs and Superstitions The Indian beliefs and superstitions are passed down from beginning of their first generation to now generation. They believe that the rules and guild lines are important to protect them from the evil spirits. [1] Every day living is also regulated by dos and don’ts for differently for different days in a week. For instance, Monday isnt a lucky day for trimming and shaving or Tuesday for rinsing hair or Saturday for purchasing oil and beauty products. Many individuals are also very superstitious about the start of their mornings. It is considered that the whole day is impacted by the morning. Some of the Indian beliefs and superstitions is viewing a cat or the face of a cow early in the morning brings them bad luck. A dog howling nearby a sick persons room predicts his death or poor fate. The falling down of a lizard on a person is considered extremely bad and harmful unlucky for the person on which it falls. And further ill predictions are made based on the part of the body on which the lizard falls. Beside that, nails should not be cut at night for fear of evil spirits. The good superstitions are viewing a bride, the memorial of a god, or a Brahmin is believed to be prosperous, while seeing widow woman, infertile women and unfortunate people is believed to be ominous. The sound of a crow near the surroundings or on somebodys home predicts the coming of guests. Whenever an individual hiccups, its believed that somebody is discussing or thinking about him or missing him. Beside that, they also believe that trying lemon along with chillies on anything can saves it from threats and evil eyes of bad people. To avoid the danger of witnessing any bad thing in the morning, a lot of individuals see the palms of their hands just after they wake up in the morning and then they recite this spell: In the crest of the fingers lives Lakshmi (the Hindu goddess of wealth) ; in the center lies Sarasvati (the Hindu goddess of Knowledge); in the bottom of the palm rests Govinda (Hindu god of prosperity); viewing my hands, I start my day. [2] [1] http://hubpages. com/hub/India-Beliefs-and-Superstitions , 25 February 2011. [2] gurjari. net/ico/Mystica/html/popular_superstitions. htm , 25 February 2011.

Birth Control in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Birth Control in Schools - Essay Example The lack of opportunity and greater disorganization in some minority communities in this country, teens in schools with higher percentages of minority students are also more likely to have higher pregnancy rates than teens in schools with lower percentages of minority(Manlove, 1998).. Students in these studies, it is often difficult to distinguish the impact of school character from the impact of the community characteristics in which they reside. Social scientists and educators have suggested a wide variety of explanations for how schools reduce sexual risk-taking behavior. Some of their explanations have observed research supporting them, while others are credible, but lack supporting research. For example, educators concerned with adolescent sexual behavior have suggested that: 2. Schools increase interaction with and attachment to adults who discourage risk-taking behavior of any kind (e.g., substance use, sexual risk-taking, or accident-producing behavior). More generally, they create an environment which discourages risk-taking. 3. Schools affect selection of friends and larger peer groups that are important to them. Because peer norms about sex and contraception significantly influence teens' behavior, this impact on schools may be substantial. However, just how schools affect selection of friends and peers is not clearly understood.4. Schools can increase belief in the future and help youth plan for higher education and careers. Such planning may increase the motivation to avoid early childbearing. As noted above, multiple studies demonstrate that educational and career aspiration are related to use of contraception, pregnancy, and childbearing.5. Schools can increase students' self-esteem, sense of competence, communication and refusal skills. These skills may help students avoid unprotected sex. Despite the growing strength of the abstinence movement across the country, large majorities of adults favor SEX and AIDS education that includes discussions of condoms and contraceptives. For example, a 1998 poll of American adults found that 87% thought birth control should be covered (Rose & Gallup, 41-53), a 1998 poll found that 90% of adults thought condoms should be covered (Haffner & Wagoner, 22-23)and another 1999 poll found that 82% of adults believed all aspects of sex education including birth control and safer sex should be taught . (Hoff, Greene, McIntosh, Rawlings, & D'Amico, 2000). Given both the need for effective educational programs and public support for such programs, schools have responded. According to a 1999 national survey of school teachers in grades 7 to 12, about 93% of their schools offered sexuality or HIV education (Darroch, Landry, & Singh, 204-211, 265). Of those schools teaching any topics in sexuality education, between 85% and 100% included instruction on consequences of teenage parenthood, STD, HIV/AIDS, abstinence, and ways to resist peer

Violence against women in horror films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence against women in horror films - Essay Example The story of the group of young men who go to the picnic and accidentally find the abandoned place, called Wolf Creek, and trying to escape the place in their broken car, ask a driver, whom they meet, to take them to the place where they can fix their car and come back home. The man does not take them to the necessary place, and waking up in the morning, one of the girls finds herself tied with the rope, while the other one is tortured by the unknown man. The scenes of cruelty towards the girl are terrible, but yet it appears that they attract people's attention - the statement that the movie is based on the real events becomes the additional diver for those who unconsciously like to watch the scenes of violence; but the question here is not simply violence, but violence against women, and Wolf Creek becomes one of the numerous movies, in which a woman is subjected to various sophisticated tortures, finally bringing pleasure to those who watch it. The plot is simple, and watching it the thought occurs, that in order to show violence against women on the screen, there is no real need in plot, - violence scenes are enough to make the movie popular and financially profitable. The film describes the group of friends which goes out to the picnic (haven't you noticed anything similar with the film described above), next to the abandoned farm house. The house is inhabited by a Leatherface maniac, who cuts people with his chainsaw into pieces as soon as they enter the house. Sally, the main character, manages to escape, but the second half of the movie she is constantly followed and threatened by the Leatherface - despite her successful escape she appears in the hands of the Leatherface family members, who torture her in different ways. Simultaneously, her girl-friend Pam, with whom they had been on picnic, dies through a terrible death, being cackled into her head to death by a hen. Violence against women It is interesting to note, that most violence in the horror movies appears to be against women. We often don't notice this fact, but the violence against men is often concealed, while the facts of violence against women are intentionally shown, being depicted in details and very brightly. Thus, in Chainsaw Massacre the deaths of Sally's male friends are not really bright, and are mostly displayed in darkness, without any bright details, and movements which might pay special attention to the screen, while the death of Pam (terrible, I should say) and the tortures, through which Sally has to go, take the bigger portion of the movie. In Wolf Creek, we don't really witness the male going through any kind of tortures, while the girls are depicted in their wildest cries and sufferings. What is the core motives and essential drivers of such high popularity for these movies I might assume, and this will probably be right, that of course, sexual inequality is the most significant hidden moti ve of such movies. From the psychological point of view, and as Clover (1992) puts it, a man was always striving for protecting a woman from other men. This is the move and motive, which often allows a man to sexually possess a woman; simultaneously, the violence which a man displays against a woman, becomes another proof of his power and makes a woman not superior, but inferior (the equality in positions is rejected as well). The violence, which the man in

Cultural Differences and People Management Essay - 4

Cultural Differences and People Management - Essay Example It  has been one of my favourite subjects by far. It  was one of my favourite lessons in class. It was very informative, and I got to test some of the theories that I learned. I totally agree with the notion that collectivist and individualist cultures exist, and the society is mainly made up from these cultures. In a class, I got to learn that people belonging to the collectivist cultures place high value to society as a whole. They live a more selfless life working hard for themselves and even harder for the welfare of their community. However, an individualist society is a little different from this. In such societies, people tend to place more importance on individual goals rather to the objectives of the society. There is only ‘I’ and no ‘We’ in this type of a culture. I wanted to see if this was true and I researched on the Internet. Triandis (1995) has written an entire book on these types of cultures, and he writes that people from collectivist cultures are nurtured and raised to think about the society rather than about them. People in this kind of a culture live with unity often seeking help from one another. Triandis (1995) describes the individualists as entirely different. People living in these kinds of cultures promote individual goals. They are independent and feel ashamed of seeking help from others. These readings proved very beneficial for me. I never knew that these cultures existed until I took a closer look at different communities that exist in my country. One of my father’s close friends is an Indian, and I have grown up seeing him. When I went through the notes, he was the first person that came to my mind. Mr Mukesh was so much like what I had studied in class. He lives in an Indian neighbourhood where everyone interacts on a daily basis. I happen to know this because I have witnessed it with my own eyes. There are always relatives and other neighbours in their house when I go there. Mr

Infrastructure system Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Infrastructure system - Article Example The importance of the development of infrastructure systems in Sweden can be understood through the principles applied on the state regarding the protection of the interests of population. In this context, in accordance with a report related with the aims/ characteristics of social strategy in Sweden 'social policy of Sweden is based on the assumption that all citizens regardless of the origin and the status of property should have equal access to education, health, cultural, etc. characteristic for Sweden is to finance health care and pensions from taxation, and additional social security' (Sweden, Social System, December 4, 2008). At a next level, the projects that have been already developed but also those which are pended and which are related with the infrastructure systems of Sweden - see also the studies/ reports presented throughout this study - prove that the improvement of infrastructure systems in Sweden is one of the priorities of the country's government. Existing infras tructure (as analyzed in the paper) can lead to the assumption that the relevant projects are carefully reviewed and closely monitored by their administrators ensuring the quality of work but also the limitation of time/ cost in accordance with the relevant contractual terms. 2. Infrastructure systems - characteristics and effects on economy Infrastructure systems can refer to a series of sectors, including roads, bridges, communications, energy, railway network and energy. All these sectors are important for the quality of life of population within a specific country. It is for this reason that all of these sectors are administered primarily by the state - firms operating in the private sector can also intervene in the development of relevant projects however their work will be based on a relevant contractual agreement with the governmental authorities. In other words, these systems cannot be administered by the private sector - if such a case occurs then a relevant agreement has to exist between the state and the firms involved. From a different point of view, it is noticed by Fox (2001) that 'infrastructure is best envisioned as services that come from a set of public works, not as physical facilities; infrastructure can expand rural economies by raising productivity levels, allowing expansion in the use of other reso urces, and attracting resources' (Fox, 2001, 103). It should be noticed that infrastructure systems are quite important for many aspects of human life - including social life, health and personal/ professional development. Indeed, the presence and activation of people within a society requires the existence of specific facilities that will guarantee the

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work Today, women have gained a new equality with men. This perspective is indisputable’ This review explores the contemporary literature on the theme of ‘women and work’ in the light of the suggestion that women have indisputably gained a new equality with men. Overwhelming evidence has been found for the persistence of gender inequalities which work to disadvantage women in the context of work, including domestic work, although it is clear that providing explanations for this phenomenon has shown that the issue is complex and highly contested. It is argued that a redefinition and re-interpretation of the inter-dependence between paid and unpaid work, care and leisure is needed. There seems no doubt that in order for there to be a greater measure of real gender equality, male identity, in particular, must beer-examined and changed. It seems clear that research and policy are focusing more on the ways in which caring, in particular, is perceived and constructed in gender terms. However, in order to effect real change in gender equality, it is argued that there must be recognition of the myriad of ways in which both masculinities and femininities are constructed and interact with each other in this complex field. Chapter One Introduction The focus of this literature review is upon the theme of women and work within the context of the premise that women have gained an indisputable equality with men. Whilst it seems, in theory, more ‘equitable’, to have included commentary and research in equal amounts from men and women, an exploration of the literature revealed a far greater contribution to the debate from women than from men, perhaps by virtue of women’s perception of their own disadvantaged position, and this bias is consequently reflected in the variety of sources cited. Literature search was conducted within a University library database, using the search criteria ‘women and work’ and ‘gender equality and work’ and this yielded access to a selection of books and articles. The sources selected for inclusion in the review were restricted to those which specifically focus upon gender differences and inequalities in the realm of work, defined in its widest sense to include that undertaken within the household as well as work in the formal labour market. Due to the plethora of writing and research in this field, the decision was made to restrict sources to those produced within the last ten years, thus maintaining a contemporary focus, although references are made to earlier works. Chapter topics reflect the themes which emerged from the literature. Chapter Two presents a historical overview of women’s employment and the major ideology by which it has been underpinned in British society together with the ways in which the different patterns of employment between men and women have served to disadvantage women, particularly in economic terms. Chapter Three explores women as employees in more depth, particularly the ways in which organisations, occupations and spheres of work are profoundly gendered and how this, again, seems to work against women, although it will be shown that this is a contested area. The focus in Chapter Four is upon domestic labour and the ways in which its traditional construction as ‘women’s work’ has been strongly contested. The different ways in which work is itself construed, in both the traditional world of work and the private domain, sets the scene for a change of emphasis. The literature reflects a movement, in Chapter Five, from a concentration upon the inequalities and injustices heaped upon women through patriarchal structures towards a redefinition of the key issues through an exploration of the increasingly blurred distinctions between paid work, unpaid domestic work, care and leisure. A reinterpretation of caring and how this may be incorporated into the discourse on gender and work has been highlighted. It is argued that there is a clear need for more serious account to be taken of the lived experiences of both men and women, to celebrate, rather than denigrate, gender differences and to strive to understand the ways in which such differences are constructed in ways which may disadvantage both men and women. Chapter Two The nature and extent of women’s employment Many commentators have noted the different ways in which women and men have organized their lives together and how the work that each undertakes has changed and developed over time (Crompton, 1997; Hatt,1997). Crompton (1997) describes how the gender division of labour originated from, and was profoundly reshaped by, the advent of industrialisation in Britain. By the turn of the 20th century, men became increasingly associated with paid or market work, whilst women were identified with the household and non-market work. This trend became intimately connected with an ideology of womanhood which effectively served to exclude women from ‘market’ work. As Crompton asserts, the male-breadwinner model emerged from the ideology of ‘separate spheres’ in which â€Å"the home and domestic sphere was defined as belonging to women, whilst that of the outside world including the workplace – was defined as that of men† (1997, p.8). There seems little doubt, as will become clear later in this review, that assuming the main responsibility for household tasks and child-rearing has had a significant impact upon women’s participation in market work. The idea that this responsibility is somehow ‘natural’ can be said to underpin many family-related explanations for women’s behaviour in the labour market, however, this is clearly a contentious issue. Those who support the view that the gender division of labour manifested in today’s society is rooted in biological differences between the sexes include Hakim (1995; 1996) and Browne (1998). Hakim (1995), for example, sets out to explain the particular patterns of women’s employment in Britain and how they are distinct from those of men. She draws on findings from the socio-biological field which cite male traits of aggressiveness, dominance and competitiveness as rooted in hormonal differences between men and women. These natural masculine traits are seen as instrumental in the disproportionate participation and success of men in the employment sphere. In similar vein, Browne (1998) argues, that biologically influenced sex differences in behaviour have important ramifications for the occupational choices made by men and women in the working sphere and their differential employment patterns. Whilst clearly decrying outright sexual discrimination, Browne suggests that â€Å"much of the glass ceiling and gender gap is the product of basic biological sex differences in personality and temperament acting in the context of the modern labour market† and that these differences are the product of â€Å"differential reproductive strategies followed by the two sexes during the course of human evolution† (1998, p.5). Browne argues that instead of denying the reality of these natural sex differences in the pursuit of socially constructed explanations for the ‘gender gap’, it will be more productive for feminists, in particular, to embrace them and incorporate them into future discourse about work. Hakim (1995; 1996) is also critical of feminist commentators on women’s employment, such as Wallaby (1990), who have suggested that occupational segregation, the construction of women’s jobs as separate from men’s jobs, has been a mechanism through which women have been systematically denied access to jobs by men. Hartmann (1982), as cited by Crompton (1997), described the rationale behind occupational segregation by sex as the mechanism through which men’s superiority over women is maintained by enforcing lower wages for women in the labour market in order ensure their dependence on men. Hartmann (1982) asserts that â€Å"men benefit from both higher wages and the domestic division of labour† and thus, the latter, in turn, serves to perpetuate women’s inferior position in the labour market (Crompton,1997, p.11). Hakim argues against this analysis, however, suggesting that the different pattern of women’s labour-force participation and work commitment is due to women’s choices according to their tastes and preferences. Hence, some women choose to give more priority to their domestic role and child-rearing and less to their employment careers, though, for example, working part-time rather than full-time or opting for less demanding occupations (Hakim, 1996). Hat (1997) discusses the issue of gender and work from an economic perspective and points out that the labour resources of an economy include women and men engaging in productive activity in both the labour market and the household. The working population, however, is term most often used, particularly by economists, to describe those women and men who are engaged in paid employment, self-employment, in Forces, on work-related training schemes or registered as unemployed. This effectively excludes all those women or men in the unpaid sector and full-time homemakers. Hat (1997) records that in1993, in the 16 to 64 age group, 71% of all men and 53% of all women were participating in the working population. The Equal Opportunities Commission report that in the same age group in 2004, over 83% of men and 70% of women were ‘economically active’ (EOC, 2005, p.8). Although caution is needed in comparisons between different sets of statistics, it seems clear that a larger proportion of men than of women participate in the working population but the gap would seem to be closing. It is notable, however, that patterns of labour force participation by women and men are both distinct and different. Hat (1997) notes that, in 1993, for prime age male workers aged 24 to 49, participation rates were over 90%, declining after the age of 50. For women in 1993, the participation rate was 71% for the age range 24 to 34, falling to 54%for women with a child under 5 years old, increasing again as children enter school. Similarly, in 2004, 52% of mothers with children under 5years old were in employment, of these women, around 66% were working part-time. Crompton (1997) observes that almost all of the increase in women’s employment in Britain from the 1950s until the 1980s was impart-time work. This trend is further underlined in the latest statistics in that nearly half of all women (44%) and about 10% of all men work part-time (EOC, 2005). As the statistics show, clearly women are more likely than men to work on a part-time basis. Writers seem divided as to explanations for this phenomenon. Wallaby (1990), for example, has suggested that the expansion of part time employment represents a kind of capitalist, patriarchal conspiracy in which mainly male employers have secured women’s cheap and docile labour, whilst at the same time ‘freeing ‘women to continue undertaking domestic labour in the home. Crompton(1997), also, notes that â€Å"part-time work†¦.has a reputation of being insecure, low-paid and with little by way of training or promotion prospects† (p.33). She cites Beeches and Perkins (1987) who suggest that certain jobs were actually constructed as part-time jobs because they were seen as ‘women’s jobs’, invariably low graded and rarely defined as skilled (Crompton, 1997, p.33). Other writers, such as Hakim (1996), deny the assertion that employers have sought to construct ‘poor work’ for women, asserting instead that it is women themselves who have demanded part-time work to fit in with their other domestic responsibilities – employers have simply responded to meet this demand (Hakim, 1996). Evidence from research by Rubbery et al(1994), however, suggests that not only is part-time work less flexible than full-time work and of inferior quality, but also it has been developed largely to suit the needs of the employer. Since most part-time workers are women, it is women who are most affected by the disadvantages associated with this mode of work. Chapter Three Women as employees Hat (1997) traces the changes in the working population and employment patterns of men and women in recent decades, pointing out that whilst there has been a decline in male employment since 1980, female employment since that time has increased. She cites the official census data from 1994 which revealed that this latter increase was due to a greater proportion of mothers entering paid employment (Hatt,1997). It has been well-documented that within the labour market, women play a different role from men. As we have seen, women are more likely than men to work part-time and, as Hat observes, they also â€Å"work in different industries from men, occupy different positions even within mixed industries and are under-represented in senior positions†(1997, p.17). Many commentators have noted that women are concentrated in certain industries and occupations, such as clerical work, catering, cleaning and caring work whereas men are more often found in the manufacturing sector and the construction industry, for example (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999; Moe, 2003). Even when women and men are found in the same sector, men tend to occupy the more senior positions with women more often situated in the lower ranks of the hierarchy (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999). As Hat (1997) records, â€Å"women are under-represented at senior-levels throughout all occupational categories† (p.21). Crompton(1997) examines the banking industry, in some detail, as an example of the response to labour market demands for low-level clerical workers. She describes how this industry, along with others such as insurance and local government, helped â€Å"to generate a mass, feminized clerical labour force† (Crompton, 1997, p.107). Both direct and indirect discriminatory practices against women within particular banks came to light and pressure from the Equal Opportunities Commission forced some important policy changes. Crompton (1997) acknowledges that there have been major changes to employment practices in the financial sector in general, in later years, as far as gender equality is concerned. She cites structural factors, such as the demand for labour and the organization of the labour process alongside male exclusionary practices as the main contributors to the unequal position of female employees within the banking sector. She also concedes, however, that despite recent reforms, women continue to far outweigh men in occupying low-level positions in banking. It is useful, at this point, to identify the key pieces of government legislation in the UK which have been designed to directly address the issue of equal opportunities between women and men. The first is these Discrimination Act 1975 which promoted the basic principle that men and women should not be less favourably treated by virtue of their sexier marital status. The other is the Equal Pay Act 1975 designed to outlaw discrimination between women and men in the same employment, in pay and other conditions regarding their contracts of employment. This Act was later amended in 1984 to incorporate the Equal Pay for Equal Value principle. In addition to these Acts, the UK is also bound by Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome to uphold European Community equal treatment and equal pay directives (Griffin, 2002). The Equal Opportunities Commission, set up through the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, functions as the expert organisation on equality between women and men, its main tasks being to â€Å"work towards the elimination of discrimination; to promote equality of opportunity and to keep under review the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts† (Griffin, 2002, p.11). In the area of what has become known as the ‘gender pay gap’, it seems that, in general, the gap between male and female earnings has narrowed over the past 60 years, but the trend has been inconsistent. For example, female managers and administrators earned 55% of the annual earnings of their male counterparts on 1970, compared to only 33% in the mid 1920s (EOC,1999). However, this discrepancy narrowed by only 1% in this field of work between the mid 1950s and 1970. Since 1970, although this gap has narrowed significantly with women earning 63% of the pay of their male counterparts, compared to 81% for 1998, it was noted that â€Å"in all ethnic groups, men have higher average hourly earnings than women†(EOC, 1999, p.5). This statistical evidence for the steady narrowing of the gender pay gap appears encouraging in terms of the equality agenda. However, as Griffin (2002) observes, there are other relevant issues. She records that, when we look at all sources of income, including earnings from employment and self-employment, occupational pensions, investment and benefit income, women’s income is significantly lower than that of men, apart from state benefits. For example, figures taken from the EOC forth year 1996-7 showed that 45% of women had an income of less than £100 a week as compared with 20% of men (Griffin, 2002). More latterly, the EOC has recorded that the gender gap in terms of income has remained quite high, stating that â€Å"the gender gap between women and men’s mean individual incomes in 2002/3 was 46%† (EOC, 2005). The EOC (2001) records that despite improvements in recent years, stereotyping remains evident in many professional occupations. Notwithstanding the evidence that greater numbers of women are entering certain professions, such as higher education or the law, women’s share of higher level jobs remains generally low. Certain professional and technical occupations, the ‘occupational segregation’ noted earlier, apparently continue to be heavily dominated by either men or women(EOC, 2001). Empirical studies, especially within the feminist perspective over the past two decades, have moved away from the study of organizational structures per se in order to seek explanations for this persistence in the positioning of men and women in the workplace. Writers such as Pringle (1988), Chodorow (1989) and Halford and Savage(1995), for example, have instead demonstrated how specific kinds of masculinities and femininities, and discourses of gender, are constructed within the workplace. The emphasis here is upon recognizing the diversity of discourses on what it is to be a male or female employee and, ultimately, to avoid over-generalising about ‘all men’ or ‘all women’. One example of this is illustrated by Crompton(1997) in her exposition of different masculinities in the banking industry. She charts the movement within managerial positions in banking from a need for solid, paternalistic men towards the requirement for a more competitive, assertive masculinity within selling culture. Crompton (1997), however, argues that although these discursive, ‘post-modern’ insights do much to enhance our understanding of the pattern of women’s employment, and the different ways in which gender is constructed in the workplace, structural or material explanations remain important. Nazarko (2004) offers a contemporary analysis of the barriers faced by women in the workplace. She maintains that the drive for equal opportunities has hitherto failed to â€Å"challenge the premise that certain groups of workers such as women are less productive and less attractive to employers† (p.25) or the assumption that older workers, including women, are less valuable. Nazarko highlights the popularity of organisational initiatives which promote diversity and difference in the field of human resources. Wilson and Iles (1999), for example, have argued that â€Å"diversity management improves recruitment, retention and creativity within organisations† (Nazarko, 2004, p.25). Nazarkocites researchers such as Rosner (1995) who have pointed out that women and men have different styles of working and managing. Women, for example, tend to use interactional styles in management, encouraging participation, sharing power and information and energising others. In contrast, men tend to use transactional styles, seeing pieces of works series of transactions. Both styles are seen as equally valid and also, may be the preferred model for any individual, regardless of gender. It is argued, then, that both organisations and employees will benefit from initiatives which value diversity and difference, since people would be evaluated and treated as individuals, rather than asocial groups and associated stereotypical connotations. Nazarko(2004), however, fears that the diversity approach does not necessarily eliminate the power structures which persist in society. She argues that until female dominated professions such as nursing are valued as much as male dominated professions like the police force, it is difficult to see how gender equality can be attained. Chapter Four Domestic labour – women’s work? It is well-documented that the Industrial Revolution within the western world generated a distinction between paid work outside the home and unpaid domestic labour within the household. Men’s economic activity came to be focused upon paid work, hence the male breadwinner model, whilst women have commonly divided their working lives between the unpaid domestic sphere and activity in the labour market. Hat(1997) represents the feminist approach to this issue by highlighting the way in which women have long been disadvantaged, particularly in economic terms, by their traditional domestic responsibilities. Not only does their focus upon unpaid domestic task constrain their participation in paid work, domestic work itself â€Å"is an unpaid economic activity which has for too long passed unnoticed; the skills, which the successful homemaker acquires, go unrecognized in wage and promotion schemes† (Hat, 1997, p.50). The terms upon which both men and women are able to participate within the labour market are very different and in this respect, it would seem difficult to argue for a level of equality between the sexes. Many commentators have noted, household and child-rearing duties weigh more heavily upon women than men and have traditionally been excluded from economic analyses of participation in work in the widest sense(Crompton, 1997; Hat, 1997; Franks, 1999). As Hat observes â€Å"household responsibilities and paid employment are both valid productive activities but they are not equally rewarded by society†(1997, p. 49). DE et al (1995), in their analysis of the British Household Panel Survey in the mid 1990s, point out that very few men cited household or family responsibilities as affecting their labour market behaviour, whereas over 80% of women surveyed felt that their labour market participation had been adversely affected by these duties. As Franks(1999) points out, work has come to be synonymous with having a paid job and its counterpart is regarded as leisure. Thus, other kinds of activity such as cleaning the house, doing the shopping, cooking and caring for children and elderly relatives do not officially count as work, although for those involved, it may actually feel very much like work. Underpinning the traditional sexual division of labour is the idea that men’s paid work is dependent upon a shadow economy of women’s unpaid work (Franks, 1999). Thus, the increased participation of women in the formal paid workforce throws the spotlight onto the status of what had always essentially been regarded as a ‘labour of love’. Franks (1999) presents the example of widowed fathers who do not receive the lump sums, tax allowances and continuing state benefits received by widowed mothers. A missing father’s financial contributions recognised, whereas a widower’s deceased partner is considered to have had no economic value. One solution offered by some economists has been to officially regard this labour as a form of taxation whereby all of society benefits from it as if they were paying directly to the state (Franks, 1999). Other commentators (Charles and Kerr, 1999); Morris, 1999) have also stressed that despite the contemporary rhetoric of equality between the sexes, the traditional ideology which divides men and women into ‘breadwinner’ and ‘homemaker’ is still very much alive. Charles andKerr (1999), for example, point out that even where there may have been certain egalitarian sharing of domestic tasks within couples initially, once children arrive on the scene it is almost always the case that the woman takes on the responsibility for child-care and household tasks whilst the man takes on the role of breadwinner. It is argued that although, ostensibly, this arrangement may appear to be complementary relationship with roles being ‘different but equal’, there is a differential allocation of power which renders women disadvantaged. On giving up paid work outside the home, or taking on lower-paid, low-status part-time work, women relinquish their power and status, at least economically (Charles and Kerr, 1999). Having responsibility for decisions about food purchase, or other household necessities, cooking and childcare, it is argued, effectively constitutes the exercise of power by women in other people’s interests. As Charles and Kerr suggest, â€Å"most of them (women) carryout these tasks within a set of social relations which denies them power, particularly when they are at home all day with young children and are dependent for financial support on a man† (1999, p.192). There is a large body of contemporary opinion, evident in the literature, which calls for a redress of balance between the fundamental economic inequity between men and women, particularly within the family unit which includes dependent children. Franks(1999), for example, suggests that there will never be genuine equality between men and women â€Å"if male identity remains unaltered and unpaid work continues to be shuffled off onto women† (p.4). Franks goes on to assert that in a market system where unpaid work is invisible, there is no incentive for men to change their identity to encompass low-status, financially worthless activity (1999, p.4). Crompton (1997) presented her own analysis of the relationship between employment and the family with particular reference to the extent to which there has been any change in the domestic division of labour. She acknowledges that there has been some change, albeit very slow, and she cites research byGershuny et al (1994) who describe the process as one of ‘lagged adaptation’ in which changes tend to occur most often when women are engaged in full-time employment. Other researchers have found that although men, mainly middle-class men, have expressed a desire to become more involved in domestic and child care arrangements, there is little evidence that â€Å"equal† parenting is the reality (Lupton and Barclay, 1997). A more recent briefing by the Equal Opportunities Commission observes that there are many ways in which education, the family and access tithe labour market interact to produce different opportunities for women and men and which result in both men and women experiencing discrimination by virtue of gender. In relation to women in particular, this briefing comments that â€Å"women’s work should beer-evaluated, so that it is no longer undervalued and poorly paid†(EOC, 2002, p.1). Hat, in her analysis of gender, work and labour markets, concluded that â€Å"the domestic division of labour would certainly seem to lead to social injustice and it is debatable whether it furthers the efficient operation of the economy† (1997, p.50). Vogel and Pal (1999) present an interesting exposition of the connections between money and power and men and women within households. Their own research found that, in general, the partner with the greater income was likely to be more dominant indecision-making, with women partners in paid employment having greater power than those who work only in the home. There appear to have been few large-scale studies which have focused upon the experiences of social equality, or inequality, between individual members of the same household. The research conducted by Vogel and Pal (1999) draws on typology, constructed by Pal (1989), of household financial allocation systems, constituting the female whole-wage system, the housekeeping allowance system, the pooling system and the independent management system. In the female whole-wage system, women were given their husband’s pay packet, and had sole responsibility for managing the whole household budget. In the housekeeping allowance system, the women were given a fixed sum for housekeeping expenses, the men having prime responsibility for other expenditure. The pooling system was used where partners pooled their earnings and shared access to and responsibility for managing expenditure from the common, joint fund. Finally, the independent management system operated where both partners had independent incomes (usually dual-earner couples), each partner taking responsibility for particular items of expenditure, although this may vary over time. Vogel and Pal (1999) conducted a survey, combined with interviews, of1,211 couples across six British urban areas, covering Swindon, Aberdeen, Northampton, Coventry, Rochdale and Kirkcaldy. Respondents, aged between 20 and 60 years, were questioned on the household financial allocation system which came closest to their own mode of household finance management. By far the most common system used waste pool which was adopted by half of all the couples surveyed, with the remaining half choosing one of the other segregated systems (Voglerand Pal, 1999). The data was further analysed to determine the relationship between strategic financial control and access to money as a resource within the households studied. It was found that in the joint pooling households â€Å"joint management was associated with both equal strategic control over finances and also with equal access to money as a resource† (Vogel and Pal, 1999, p.143). In the female-controlled management systems, constituting just over two-fifths of the sample, a disjunction was found between control over finances and access to money as a resource. The researchers highlighted their finding that even where ostensibly, these women had greater financial control and power in decision-making, significantly higher levels of personal deprivation were experienced by the women with the men more likely to have more personal spending money than their female partners, especially in lower-income families. As Vogel and Pal observe, â€Å"where the opportunities for exercising financial power are heavily circumscribed by low income and by the husband’s expectation of personal spending money, ‘responsibility’ may be a more appropriate term than ‘control’!† (1999, p.144). This more detailed analysis presented by Vogel and Pal (1999), together with that of other researchers, such as Morris (1999), provides evidence for the ways in which patterns of gender and class inequalities tend to interlock to increase the differences between women and men. A different perspective upon the issue of gender differences and gender equality in the arena of household work and parenting is provided bother researchers. Doucette (1995), for example, highlights the tendency for debates on this issue to become focused upon the relationship between women’s greater responsibility for household work and caring role, and their relative inequality to men in employment and public life. She argues that whilst this is an important issue, insufficient account has been taken of the â€Å"various configurations that gender differences may take within household life† (Doucette, 1995, p.271). Doucette suggests that much of the literature on the gender division of household labour is situated within an ‘equality’ or ‘equal rights ‘framework, which itself, tends to be constructed through a masculine perspective. For example, she argues that a â€Å"male model of minimal participation in housework and child care† is pitched in relation to a â€Å"male model of full-time employment† (Doucette, 1995, p. 274). Whilst it is clearly documented that women’s employment is compromised through the need for women, as a