Child Socialization Essay

What are the agents of children Socialization? Socialization Agents Introduction What is an agent of socialization? An agent of socialization is people and groups that influence our self-concept, emotions, attitudes and behavior. There are five agents that play a role in the socialization of children. Every agent of socialization plays a role in the development of children. In this essay I play on describing the five agents and how they aid in child development. The five socializing agents consist of Family, School and Childcare, Peers, Mass media, and Community. As children grow and change the amount of influence of each agent changes. Children will learn to develop trust, independence, the tendency to take initiative, the sense of competence and ambition, the decision on who we are, our relationships with others, and reflections on life in general. Family Read more:  Personal factors that affect child development essay The family functions to locate children socially, and plays a major role in their socialization. Raising a family is never easy. In order for everything to run smoothly, each person has a role to play. Humans learn and develop to be the adult person that they become. As the child develops and advances in psychosocial development, the agents become stronger or weaker in their capacity for influence. Early in a child’s development, the family is, of course, the strongest agent, but as the child advances to preschool age, programs or schools begin to exert influence. At school age, peers are active socialization agents. School and Child Care In school children are place outside the direct control of the family, and have to learn to become a part of a peer group. Children in sports will learn socialization skills and values. Education is the process by which society transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another. It happens through any experience that has a  formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. With more mothers working in our society daycare has become a significant agent of socialization. Families have to look for a caregiver who provides warm, loving care and guidance for the child and works with the family to ensure that the child develops in the best way possible. The caregivers have to have a setting that keeps the child safe, secure and healthy; and developmentally appropriate activities that help the child develop emotionally, socially, mentally and physically. Peers Peer groups provide support for children as they transform into the adult society. Children start decreasing dependence on parents. They will increase feeling of self-sufficiency, and connecting with a much larger social network. The term â€Å"peer pressure† is often used to describe instances where an individual feels indirectly pressured into changing their behavior to match that of their peers. Peer groups have a significant influence on psychological and social adjustments for group individuals. They provide perspective outside of individual’s viewpoints. Members inside peer groups also learn to develop relationships with others in the social system. Mass Media Mass media arises as communication technology spreads information on a new scale. The mass media have an enormous effect on a mass scale. The mass media cover a wide range of means of communication, information and entertainment, such as books, music, newspapers and magazines, radio, television, the Internet as well as video games. The mass media have an enormous effect on our attitudes and behaviors. It also affects our way of thinking. When we go out shopping we are going to want to buy what we just seen on the TV. The portrayal of human characters in different programs and its advertisements on television influences our perspective on what is healthy, cool, or the new IT item that we now have to run out and purchase. The same programs help in shaping the attitudes, values, and basic orientation of people to life. Community The term community has two distinct commutative meanings: 1) Community can refer to a usually small, social unit of any size that shares common values. The term can also refer to the national community or international community, and 2) in biology, a community is a group of interacting living organisms sharing a populated environment. Community groups can give children different perspectives. The location of what type of community you live in will affect your child socialization. It has been proven that children in a lower economic community are more likely to commit crimes, drink, and drugs. Conclusion There are many factors that influence your child and the way your child will become independent. Every child will be raised in difference cultures, school, and environments. Each child is different; one child might take a compliment as a compliment while a child with low self-esteem may see an insult. I feel that the family plays the biggest role with development with the child. These five examples of influences on our socialization are important in shaping the adult that we will become. References: 1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community 2. www.boundless.com 3. Child, Family, School, Community Socialization and support (9th edition). Roberta M. Berns.

Should Cell Phones Be Banned in the Classroom?

Should high school students work part-time? Why or Why not? In my opinion high school students should work a part-time job because it gives the student an opportunity to contribute to the community. A part-time job will teach students the value of money and give them the skills that they can use in their future. Firstly, a part-time job for students is a good idea because students are greatly needed to participate in today’s society. Getting a job in the community is a great way to participate and get them involved. A part-time job would give the student a sense of ownership and belonging within their community. Also, when the student gets a pay check he or she has to know that they need to budget their money and also create a savings account for future purchases. Having a job will also teach students the value of the dollar. When a student is about to spend his or her money they can stop and question themselves, do I really need this? Finally a part-time job gives students important skills useful for their future. For example, if a student would get a job at the local department store, he or she would learn how to handle money, how to stock shelves, order supplies that are needed and customer service skills. Having a job builds a student’s character and trust worthy values. As we all know, in society word of mouth about one’s character and how responsible they are excels fast within any community. In conclusion, part- time work for a student is a key element in future success. It allows the student to grow and learn as an individual and create strong work ethic. There is nothing more valuable to an employer than an employee that has these skills. In life there is nothing more desirable to an individual, than to have a strong sense of worth, character and the ability to handle and manage money to its fullest potential.

YMCA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

YMCA - Essay Example YMCA Canada strong position profile is that YMCAs must demonstrate impact on individuals’ spirits, minds, and bodies while ensuring strong kids, families and communities. YMCAs must be valued contributor to communities and influence community relative to its strategic priorities. The YMCAs must has programs that enable members attain their personal goals and assist people to participate in the YMCA and demonstrate growth in participation over time. The YMCA has a culture of member involvement and has identified the audiences and has communication plans to address each audience. It was founded in 1856 with the mission of providing personal growth opportunities in spirit, mind and bodies to people of all backgrounds, beliefs and abilities. The principles of the YMCA are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The association served about 28,000 children annually through childcare and camping at 16 childcare locations, 2 residential camps, summer day camps and after school programs (MacDonald, 2013, p 72). It provided 13,025 heath, fitness and recreation (HFR) memberships for adults and children in 5 branches. It made 2,994 assisted HFR memberships and 1,100 assisted camperships and also assisted 310 children in child care. In 2004, childcare contributed 38 percent of revenues, HFR contributed 27 percent and camping services contributed 16 percent. 90 percent of revenues was contributed by participation fees and programs. Programs contracts contributed 7 percent, ancillary 4 percent, United Way 1 percent, and annual donations 2 percent. There are plans f or all senior managers to sign performance contracts on program quality and financial performance. Partnerships have been a critical strategy for long-term success in the attainment of participation of 102,000 individuals by 2010 (MacDonald, 2013, p 79). The service is offered in five

Investing in Energy assignment 03 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investing in Energy assignment 03 - Essay Example In a way I am an extension of my family’s ideals. My father built a stable life for us as best he could but things changed. I am now studying Finance with the help of my country’s support and trying to build a new kind of life where I am exposed to an entirely new set of ideals and beliefs every day. Where my family has been conservative and traditional, I believe that my generation is slightly more liberal minded and tries to think outside the box. I was born after great revolutions had already come and gone around the world. Growing up I saw the international media twist and turn; presidents were called to account for their offenses, countries were asked to shut down their nuclear programs, ties were strengthened with America and then protests broke out over those ties in the later years. I believe that the linear forces in my life i.e. the life style my parents tried to secure for me, my social status within society, education etc. helped me find my path. I could alw ays see money turning the world around which was what first attracted me to the field of finance. In terms of non-linear forces, I changed with the ever-changing world around me. I was introduced to new pop culture icons, politics and events taking place both within my country and globally. My peers brought about significant influences into my life.

Examples of Sadhu and Sisyphus Stories in Business Essay

Examples of Sadhu and Sisyphus Stories in Business - Essay Example The one of the New Zealanders carried the man down until he met the narrators and his companion. The narrator determined that the Sadhu was suffering from Hypothermia. Stephen, the narrator’s companion, and the guides donated warm clothing to the man. Although it was evident that the man needed care, the narrator chose to continue his journey he was unwilling to let the predicament of the Sadhu serve as a barrier to his journey. Stephen made the efforts of helping the man, but only managed to get the guys carry him down and give him food and water (McCoy 54). The myth of Sisyphus is a story published in 1942 in which the author depicted the contrast of happiness and of the absurd. The title of the myth reflects the name, Sisyphus, who was a hero struggling with the fate of performing a similar task in his entire life in the underworld. He was compelled to push a stone up the mountain watch it rolls back, but he had to push it again. The myth describes the thought process of Sisyphus as he performed this task. A close analysis reveals that his fate was a hopeless torture because he was well aware that he was compelled to that task to time indefinite. Although he had a desire for the earth and the joys experienced on the earth, he had no hope that he would be able to experience that again. However, the reader is expected to imagine that Sisyphus would at some point be happy if his thought process allowed such happiness (Manning and Curtis 158). The story of the Sadhu highlights the ethical dilemmas faced by people when making decisions in corporate organizations. Each of the individual presented in the story was well aware that the Sadhu needed a level of care and attention. However, none of them was willing to exhibit the level of commitment needed to deliver such care to the man.  

Summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summaries - Essay Example Among these sources of threats include malicious codes, industrial espionage, malicious hackers, loss of some physical and infrastructural support, incidences of employee sabotage, fraud and theft, errors and omissions, and threats to personal privacy. A computer virus is a code segment that is capable of replicating by possibly attaching copies of it to existing executable files, implying that viruses can exist in a computer without infecting the system; not unless one opens or runs the malicious program. It is majorly spread by sharing of infected files through emails and removable disks. A worm, on the other hand, is a self-replicating program or algorithm which has the capability of creating copies of it and thereafter executing without the requirement of a host program or user interventions. Just like in the case of viruses, worms exploit the use of network services to propagate itself to other hosts systems within the network topology. A Trojan horse is a program which performs a desired task, however, which also includes the unexpected functions. After installation or running of the Trojan horse, it gets activated and starts to alter the desktops by adding ridiculous active desktop icons; deleting files and destroying other information on the systems; and creating backdoor on the computer systems to offer malicious users the easy lee-ways into the system. Its unique feature that explicitly distinguishes it from worms and viruses are that it does not actually replicate/ reproduce by infecting other files. A Blended threat is rather more sophisticated in the sense that it bundles the worst known features or viruses, worms, Trojan horse and malicious codes. For its aided transmission, it can exploit the server and the linked internet vulnerabilities to initiate, and thereafter transmit by spreading its attacks to other various systems interlinked within the network structure. Blended threats are characterized by

Rational in Buying Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Rational in Buying - Case Study Example The consumer obviously would like the personality traits to be that of his own. Characteristics that brands would like to associate with are a sense of dependability, understanding, and caring; a friend who is always there to care, respect, comfort, and enjoy (Brand Personality-The relationship Basis Model, groups.haas.berkeley.edu). It was thought that companies were responsible was the creation of a brand, or its managers and planners, but the reality is far from these. Brands are created by ordinary people like us. It is the extent to which it makes sense and the role it plays in a consumer's life that builds a brand. There are two questions which should be asked: How different are these brands, and how relevant is it to us, as consumers A product becomes a brand not when it talks about itself, but when people talk about it. Every single thing that one does builds a brand. 2.0 Executive Summary The three key elements of demographic segmentation variables are age, gender and the life cycle. Age is an important demographic variable in brand development and sales, as purchases vary from one demographic to another. Those in the age group of 12-18 would have a different view of a product than those in the 30-45 age brackets. This can change again with those 50 and above. So, how do marketers identify the needs of these age groups, and what are the parameters by which they can gauge the right demographic for expanding their market and brand Today, most consumers are aware of his/her rights and are well informed. Television, newspapers and magazines have only contributed to their better understanding of the world around them. Internet has gone a step ahead in educating and promoting awareness at the click of a button. So... The three key elements of demographic segmentation variables are age, gender and the life cycle. Age is an important demographic variable in brand development and sales, as purchases vary from one demographic to another. Those in the age group of 12-18 would have a different view of a product than those in the 30-45 age brackets. This can change again with those 50 and above. So, how do marketers identify the needs of these age groups, and what are the parameters by which they can gauge the right demographic for expanding their market and brand? Television, newspapers and magazines have only contributed to their better understanding of the world around them. Internet has gone a step ahead in educating and promoting awareness at the click of a button. So knowledgeable is today’s consumer that it becomes difficult for manufacturers and producers to associate themselves with them. However, there are certain influences that demarcate these demographics, the 4Ps of marketing namely , product, place, promotion, and price. These elements have a direct impact on a consumer’s buying rationale. In order to understand the topic on a consumer’s buying rationale on the three demographics, this paper explores the importance of branding, and the role of the 4Ps in influencing the buying behaviour.. Three age groups are considered for this analysis; 12-18, 30-45 and those over 55. The primary objective of this paper will be to research the factors that contribute to consumer buying rationale.

Post high school through adulthood Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Post high school through adulthood - Article Example Unemployment has a strong impact in individual development since it directly affects one’s means of living. Without a stable job, an individual’s capacity to grow is suppressed because of the limited capacity to endeavor on activities that might strengthen a person’s personal disposition and social interaction. For instance, a jobless student would either drop out from school if there really is no chance of getting work to support tuition fees. Some would also dismiss getting into hobbies or sports activities since these are added costs on leisure. Since unemployment is a worldwide issue for several years now due to the current economic crisis, the bearing of this issue if felt by almost everyone particularly of the working class. Personally, the decreasing unemployment rate affects me in a way that the opportunities for me in getting a stable job in the future after my studies is scarce and therefore a great challenge to deal with. Every year, thousands of new graduates are facing the same problem and worse, there is no guarantee that the number of work available for the whole population will expand and stabilize. Hence, the government must develop policies to strengthen the economy by providing enough jobs for its people and increase trade and investment programs. Gilger, Mark Jr. (August 4, 2012). County employment rate increases in June. The Republican Herald. Retrieved from

Plato Allegory of the Cave Essay Example for Free

Plato Allegory of the Cave Essay The Allegory of the Cave is one of Greek philosopher Plato’s most well known works. It is an extended allegory, where humans are depicted as being imprisoned by their bodies and what they perceive by sight only. In the allegory of the cave Plato wanted to show how true reality is not always what it seems. A group of prisoners were chained up in a cave since there childhood, each prisoner was chained to each other by their heads.The prisoners were forced to face a blank wall while they were in the cave. Behind the prisoners there was a fire however the prisoners could not see the fire but between the prisoners and the fire there would a be puppet show where people would walk, talk and carry objects to keep the prisoners amused. The prisoners perceive only shadows of the people and things passing on the walkway; the prisoners hear echoes of the talk coming from the shadows. They perceive the shadows and echoes as reality. Whilst in the cave one prisoner is set free. He stands up and turns around and is forced to look at the fire, after the pain in his eyes from the fire he struggles to see anything. The prisoner is dragged out of the cave and into the world above. At first, the prisoner is so dazzled by the light that he can only look at shadows, then at reflections, then finally at the real objects like trees, flowers and houses. He sees that these are even more real than the shadows were, and that those were only copies of reality. The prisoner has now reached the cognitive stage of thought. He has caught his first glimpse of the most real thing, which is the Forms. In the film The Matrix, the humans trapped in the Matrix are like the people in the cave. They see only what the machines want them to see, but they believe they see reality as it really is. They accept what their senses tell them all that exists. Neo suspects that this is all a lie, but he’s not sure how the Matrix works. Morpheus, who runs the resistance to the Matrix, brings Neo into the Resistance, believing that Neo is the person who has been foreseen by the Oracle to be able to defeat the Matrix In The Allegory of the Cave the people creating the shadows represent the powerful people in society. In The Matrix the puppet-handlers are the machines controlled by Artificial Intelligence. The puppet-handlers use fake surroundings as a way to manipulate the information that the prisoners receive. While the prisoners are being fooled and influenced by the fake reality, the puppet-handlers are too because they are also living inside the artificial world they have created as well. Neo lives in world which is controlled by the matrix agents just like Platos prisoner lives in a world (cave) controlled by the form holders. They both manage to escape from the world as they know it and come to know the world as it really is. Neo, with some help from Morpheus, comes to realize that the life he as been leading so far is nothing but the life of a slave, shaped under the control of the Matrix, protected by the agents. Platos prisoner comes to realize first that the shadows he is looking at are not the truth, they are just shadows cast on the wall by the form holders. He sees the fire and as he follows the path which leads him outside of the cave, he sees the sun and everything else illuminated by it. The characters, simultaneously experience shock and then a feeling of fear when they first perceive what is real. Neo is able to see how humans are grown, hooked on wires, an element which symbolizes control just like the chains which tie the prisoners in Platos cave. In the movie as Morpheus and the group decided to leave the matrix they get attacked by the agents, the agents in the movie are just like the government in the allegory. Morpheus decided to flight against the agents will the rest of the group including Neo decided to get out of the matrix but what they dont know is that they were set up by one of there own Cypher. Cypher hates knowing the truth he wants to go back to his normal comfortable life in the matrix he doesnt want to be part of the experience anymore, so he makes a deal with the agents to get his normal life back he tricks Morpheus. The agents and the government are the same they are like the puppets in the allegory fooling the society to make them believe what they want me to believe not allowing them to see what is the truth. Unlike Plato’s prisoner, who managed to find his way out of the cave without any help from others, Neo is helped out by Morpheus. Neo is then faced with a moment of choice would he take the blue pill and stay in the world of the matrix which is the world of the senses or take the red pill, and come to know reality as it objectively exists. He chooses the red pill therefore giving himself the opportunity to experience the world of the mind, the real world and finds it as mind-blowing as Plato’s prisoner finds the enlighten world outside of the cave. The Mirror right after Neo took the red pill and the distorted spoon illusion before Neo went to the Oracle are simply products of the mind. It is in Plato’s Allegory of the cave where this illusion is happening. It is the mind that makes the spoon and the mirror distorted. It is the mind that makes the spoon inexistent, which is considered to be the truth. This spoon is the copy of the spoon of perfection in the world of forms. The spoon does not move by itself but Neo makes it move. In the Allegory Plato says that the freed prisoner would be confused at what he saw. When Neo is finally confronted with the real world, he is in a state of uncertainty. The realization of the truth is so overwhelming that he throws up and passes out. In The Allegory of the Cave, the Freed prisoner might even feel that what he was seeing now was the illusion and the shadows on the wall were actually more real. The freed prisoners first reaction would be to turn around and return to the false reality because it is less painful and more familiar to him. According to Plato, the freed prisoner must have started to question what he saw in front of him and wondered about where the shadows came from. He must have sensed that something was wrong and he wanted to know the truth. This theme is also found in the movie, Neo is very much like the freed prisoner. As Morpheus tells Neo, Youre here because you know something. Morpheus realizes that Neo has a place in society and is there because of what he knows. For Neo to realise this Morpheus says ‘free your mind, let go of doubt’. In conclusion, Platos story of the cave brings up many philosophical points; and, most importantly, it addresses the issue of societys role in our lives. Trinity tells Neo ‘The Matrix can not tell you who you are.’ It seems that the differences between The Allegory of the Cave and The Matrix do not prevent them from telling a similar story about the unreliability of the senses. We find Neo, at the end of the film, doing more than simply bending the laws of physics with the Matrix. It seems like he has stepped almost entirely out of that very world. He does not, however, appear in two places at once, but his destruction of one of the agents, and his ability to fly, says that the laws of physics are bent.

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin explores the sense of liberation for social forces that holds the character down and focuses on the feminine gender’s side of such struggle. Caged in a patriarchal society, women have been rightfully fighting for a life worth living. Born in such a society, women are often aware of their right to happiness. In this story, it takes an accident, particularly her husband’s death, for Mrs. Mallard to realize her self-worth. Mrs. Mallard symbolizes women’s situation with respect to her role in society. Her husband represents the patriarchal mindset of culture and society and it is in a sense ironic, that Mrs. Mallard’s sense of awakening, her â€Å"birth,† was made possible by the death of her husband. In the same way, that her new-found freedom is cut short by her demise. Writers are known to apply aspects of their life into their writings and works. Some literary critics may view such process as insignificant, citing that any analysis of such works in literature must concentrate mainly on the work body rather than any external consideration outside the work. The mention of Mrs. Mallard’s health condition at the very onset of the short story paves the way for the consistency of the story’s ending. The simplicity of the setting indicates less the material sense of the story. For everything is much a personal sensing and contradiction of the main protagonist. In fact this particular part in the story is significant. She writes, â€Å"She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.† Sensory images flood her being and all of a sudden the vision of the window means a lot to her. These nostalgic sensory images are an onset of Mrs. Mallard’s new sense of liberation. The vision through the open windows means a fresh perspective into her life. The husband may have treated her wife fairly as dictated by social norms of the time. Mrs. Mallard utterance of those words was not an implication of an unhealthy and brutal marriage but was more a declaration of Mrs. Mallard new found sense of independence, a sort of unbinding from the social chains of familial duty. The closing of the door and the opening of the window was very much symbolic to Mrs. Mallard’s closing of one aspect of her life, her marriage, and an advent of life of new possibilities. In a sense, it was a certain kind of freedom from a socially-imposed â€Å"prison.† As she imagines life without her husband, she embraces visions of the future. She realizes that whether or not she had loved him was less important than this possession of self-assertion she now feels. Marriage for women at those times was more of a one-sided arrangement in favor for the male species. Although one might argue that, at present, this is less prevalent. But the fact remains that gender bias is still incorporated into society in much subtle ways. This is very much how Mrs. Mallard felt towards her marriage. Her happiness was much subordinated by her sense of duty. Duty was highly regarded in Victorian view of morality. The symbolic travel is Mrs. Mallard’s personal journey of liberation paved by a sense of foreboding and tinge of sweet joy. Chopin uses parallelisms between her real life and that of her character Mrs. Mallard in the story. These are the death of her husband, the train wreck and issues on personal freedom. As recorded in her biography, the author Kate meets a Louisiana native, Oscar Chopin, a cotton broker. We see glimpses of her relationship with him by the way she follows her husband wherever he hauls their family from one place to another. At some time during their marriage, they establish a new home in New Orleans while waiting for their first child. However, her husband’s brokerage business fails in 1879 and again he decides to move north to his family plantations in Natchitoches Parish. We see Kate here, subservient as any woman of her time, following her husband wherever he summons herto follow. Author Wyatt posits that Oscar was â€Å"by all accounts, he adored his wife, admired her independence and intelligence, and allowed her unheard of freedom† (Wyatt). However, one is not sure if this was a real freedom she experiences from her husband because it is also told that â€Å"After their marriage they lived in New Orleans where she had five boys and two girls, all before she was twenty-eight.† (Wyatt). Having five children before one is twenty-eight years of age means that she bore these children practically one after another. Thus, how could a woman who possesses a freedom of her own give birth one after the other? In much the same way, The Story of an Hour tells of Mrs. Mallard as she learns of the death of her husband from people who even exercise great caution not to tell the bad news to her right on since â€Å"Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husbands death.† It is the next few scenes that give us an inkling as to how she really views this death because she retreats to her room and instead of grieving, ponders on her life now that she had all the freedom in the world. Even the train wreck is replete with vignettes from her own story. Kate has her own share of â€Å"train wrecks† in life. The deaths of her loved ones within a short period of time prove disastrous for her and derail her life. In a similar vein, for Chopin ‘s character, Mrs. Mallard, the train wreck her husband figures in signifies not so much as a tragedy but as the beginning of freedom for her. Chopin points out that Mrs. Mallard actually disdained her husband as she pens, â€Å"And yet she had loved himsometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!† The character was portrayed in an understated state of joy amidst the apparently bad news of her husband’s death. Reading Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour inspires driven women to write many literary pieces on the issues at that time. Change is highly valued by women today who feel that they are incorporating the best of the modern world into their lives. Open to ideas and innovation, women are receptive to those who can explain how change will benefit them, just like Louise in Kate Chopin’s work. They now walk a narrow bridge between the past and the future. They will reject visions of the future that only repeats the past. Indeed, the theme, the setting and the characters and some events of this story may well derive more from her own set of personal experiences translated poignantly in a short yet memorable story. WORKS CITED Henry, S. The Deep Divide, Why American Women Resist Equality. The Macmillan Publishing Co: New York. 1994. Kate Chopin The Story of an Hour The Norton Introduction to Literature (eight edition) Real Life: Katherine Chopin. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998. Wyatt, Neal. â€Å"Biography of Kate Chopin.† Retrieved March 8, 2007 at: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/katebio.htm

Business Strategy in a Global Environment

Business Strategy in a Global Environment Globalization is the eminent icon of the 1990s, and in the twenty first century. Globalization is absolutely soaring and gearing up dynamically competing lifes real scenes. Globalization refers to the growth and status of trade and investment, clustered by the growth in international business fields, and the integration of economies penetrating all corners of the world. Strategy Paradoxes and Debates The term strategy anchors its definition basically sprouting from military fields and origins and has been expanded into the business world and context where several authors and researchers have spread arguments and debates on strategy concerning both quantitative and qualitative manifestations and processes. Strategy in business is coined to survival; the battleground and arena during a match, or a game. Jarvis (2005) highlights the 5Ps concept of Mintzberg observing the term strategy which primarily means plan, ploy, pattern, position, and perspective. The Coca Cola Bottling Company has all these 5 Ps in particular and all companies in general. Strategy is a ploy which basically refers to any artifice, maneuver, trick, or game to outwit and defeat a competitor or rival raising an anticipation of what we are going to do to confuse, shake, deter, prompt or deceive competitor to perform a move or not to move at all. It articulates the necessary steps to be done like creating a pattern (as a post hoc application), reflecting on the done action with its pattern consistency whether or not its planned and intended. Seeing the pattern means its an intentional strategy showing the pattern stems from the plan. But theres no managing and supervising intentionality. So there are two types of strategy distinguishing such intention; namely, deliberate strategy and emergent strategy. Strategy as a position is pushed with the idea and analogy from the military view, Ill take care of the waves whilst, you take care of the ripples referring on the emphasis of tactics. Position strategy simply stares its focus on where you are standing or sitting for you to view your horizon and whole landscape in the world of business relating to the context or internal and external situation. Such position projects the relation and status within the competitive arena and the existing co-operative interrelations matching ones organization, team, or department against others and rivals and the lobbying environmental demands. Moreover, strategy-as-position situates different and several players not just one-to-one competition. A company that exposes itself to a market cubbyhole and tight competition is trying to position itself to secure, to brace sustainable competitive advantage. Strategy as perspective refers to the group of strategy creators or makers with their whims, views, retrospection, predilections, and preferences affecting the organization. Thus, strategy is a body of ideas, insights, anticipations and imperatives spoken and aired by a group of people articulated in different types of conversations and of distinct degrees of importance wherein ideas and propositions are scattered for a collective forum which is either imposed or consensus. Global Market Models and Concepts and Analysis Managers must be conscious that markets, supplies, investors, locations, partners, and competitors can be anywhere in the world. Successful businesses will take advantage of opportunities wherever they are and will be prepared for downfalls. Evidently, successful managers, in this environment, need to understand the similarities and differences across national boundaries, in order to utilize the opportunities and deal with the potential downfalls. In developing appropriate global strategies, managers need to take the benefits and drawbacks of globalization into account. A global strategy must be in the context of events around the globe, as well as those at home. International strategy is the continuous and comprehensive management technique designed to help companies operate and compete effectively across national boundaries. While companies top managers typically develop global strategies, they rely on all levels of management in order to implement these strategies successfully. Th e methods companies use to accomplish the goals of these strategies take a host of forms. For example, some companies form partnerships with companies in other countries, others acquire companies in other countries, others still develop products, services, and marketing campaigns designed to appeal to customers in other countries. Some rudimentary aspects of international strategies mirror domestic strategies in that companies must determine what products or services to sell, where and how to sell them, where and how they will produce or provide them, and how they will compete with other companies in the industry in accordance with company goals. The development of international strategies entails attention to other details that seldom, if ever, come into play in the domestic market. These other areas of concern stem from cultural, geographic, and political differences. Consequently, while a company only has to develop a strategy taking into account known governmental regulations, o ne language (generally), and one currency in a domestic market, it must consider and plan for different levels and kinds of governmental regulation, multiple currencies, and several languages in the global market (Heil 2010). Company Strategic Decisions for Sustainable Competitive Advantage Arie de Geus (1997) spelled out that a company with needs has the key characteristics he called a living company because it is helping itself. He stressed four key traits: (1) sensitivity to the business environment which reflects the ability and capability to learn and adjust; (2) cohesion and identity or the ability to create a community with vision, personality, and purpose; (3) tolerance and decentralization or the ability to build relationships; and, (4) conservative financing. Strategic Management is a constant object of curiosity among psychologists and thinkers. On several occasions, senior managers are asked how they come up with strategic decisions. They have one pattern of making these crucial and company-light decisions. One would suppose these to be mathematical, based on rigid rules of logic or statistical treatments. But heres the catch: The managers decisions were product of informal data gathering, intuition, innovation, and oral exchanges in 2-way communications. These managers have the feel of the whole situation besetting their companies and their impulse always has an accompanying relevance. Their minds transcend logical rules that are immutable and mechanical and perhaps by age and experience, they acquired an almost instantaneous and discrimination of what is effective and practical. They give a whole new meaning to the words feeling, judgment, common sense, proportion, balance, and appropriateness. They use these terms to effect viable ac tions that would sustain their companies in the tests of domestic or external competition, recession, changing market attitudes, inflation, to mention only the majors. These street-smart guys are not much into science when they make a decision. Instead, they stay at the helm of art which is a combination of wisdom, experience, common sense, and a lot of prudence and daring. Senior managers usually see problems of their companies as big opportunities in disguise. They remain flexible in finding ways but that does not mean foolish weighing the indefinite till the situation clears or worsens. They are flexible in making solutions to give provisions for modifications, adjustments, shifts, or even u-turn without compromising company principles. They are not namby-pambies who are easily swayed by fashion. They are as hard as nails on standards of excellence. Hence, they inspire, and prod those below them to follow suit and commit to live action. They are virtuosos in motivating people and so people tick to grow the limbs of their action plans and visions. It was noted in many studies conducted in most industrialized countries that executives are investing much of their time developing a circle of relationships. Thence, they gain insights and details to be applied in forming concrete strategic decisions. They have the inclination to use mental simulations and they display some gift of seeing with their minds. Intuition is the guiding light of the day and even after office hours, they would re-run what else can be done if strategy A should need a remedy. So before any pitfall or backsliding, there reserved a fallback program to reinforce the existing. Funny as it sounds but executives can sense first what they are going to do before they can explain why. No calculations but deep in their brain cells and feeling, this is the way to salvation and promised land. The way might not be a bay of plenty but they are sure when the dusts subside the rays of their strategy would save the organization. Information may change overnight and strategic planning is complex but they know how to combat challenges with concrete interventions. With the advent of technology, senior managers are more and more relieved of the so called strategic planning. Information Technology at last has created a great divide between senior managers and operational level managers. Through sophisticated programs on the computer, any manager can already function as an independent segment albeit following the general threads of the company culture. All that top brass management would do is to inspire, delegate, assess and appraise their subjects. They provide the vision, specify the substance, and direct the institutional goals. Their managers are expected to facilitate process, action plans, and fill out forms to make way for effective documentation, work accomplishment, accounting procedures, marketing, manpower accountability and networking. Executive leaders have followers, while managers have subordinates, according to an analyst. Managers are oftentimes blamed for the bankruptcy of businesses in America in the 1970s and 80s. Leaders make decisions while managers usually execute them. Leaders are careful to choose their managers because lack of leadership down the line can antagonize the growth of the whole organization. Normally, strategic decision-making takes place on two levels: aggregate and individual. Both of these are geared towards getting attention, storing information through encoding, retrieval thereof, strategic choosing, feedback and outcome. Aggregate and individual strategies are interdependent and they harmonize with each other in all stages of the organization. While it is true that aggregate is more supreme than the individual strategy, it is the individual that feeds to the strength of the aggregate. The aggregate can only sound strong on paper but without the individual strategy which is the action level that extends to clients, customers, consumers, financiers, lenders and debtors, it can just be a lameduck-a print of strong accent without teeth or bite because there is no execution by junior vice presidents, section managers, team leaders, and the rank and file. . Johnson, Scholes and Whittington in corporate strategy present a model in which strategic alternatives and options are evaluated against three key success criteria: suitability, feasibility, and acceptability. (1) Suitability. It gears to answer security questions such as Would it work?, Does it make sense to economy?, Would the organization obtain economies of scale, economies of scope, or experience economy? Would it be suitable in terms of environment and capabilities? Ranking strategic options and decision trees are the measuring tools to evaluate suitability. (2) Feasibility. Can it be made to work?. It is concern whether the resources required to carry the strategy are available and can be obtained and developed. Its resources include funding, people, time, and information. Consequently, cash flow analysis and forecasting, break-even analysis, and resource deployment analysis are the scaling tools for it. (3) Acceptability. Would this make sense among stakeholders? Would shareholders, company employees and customers respond with the targeted product or performance outcomes? What about returns? Will it yield the projected benefits by the stakeholders in terms of dollars or other essentials (financial and non-financial)? For instance, shareholders would anticipate the growth of their capital or wealth, employees would aim for the upliftment in their careers and customers would expect added value for money. When strategy fails, the probability of risks arisesfinancial or otherwise. These risks could be shareholders going against the issuing of new shares or employees and unions picketing against outsourcing for fear of losing their jobs. Most likely too, customers would have paranoia over a merger as regards quality and support. What-if analyses are tools employed to evaluate acceptability. Global Market Models and Concept Analysis In the midst of global market tight business competition models and concepts analysis is crucial and vital. Thus, any business manager must discern and decide whats the best move or course of action to be undertaken to outwit and win the market place and patrons. Several concept analysis are designed for managers to scrutinize business status to have an equilibrium and project sustainable competitive advantage among others in the field. One of these types is SWOT Analysis. A good look at the internal and external environment is an indispensable part of strategic planning. Environmental attributes internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W),while those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). This analysis is referred to as SWOT analysis. This analysis provides insights that are keyl in matching the firms assets and capacities vis-Ã  -vis the competitive environment in which it exists. Therefore, it is crucial in strategy formulation and selection. What are strengths? The firms or companys strengths are its assets, resources and capabilities that can be utilized as the foundation for mapping out a competitive edge. Some of these are patents, reputed brand names, established repute among customers, cost advantages, exclusive access to precious natural resources and favorable access to marketing outlets. Weakness is of course the opposite of strengths like lack of patent protection, a so-so brand name, ill-repute among customers, high price structure, lack of access to the best raw materials or natural resources, and worst, lack of access to strong distribution channels. Take the case in which a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity. While this ability may be considered as a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be a considered as a weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity hinderss the firm from reacting quickly to shifts or fluctuations in the marketplace. Furthermore, opportunities may mean income and growth; like, a wanting in customer need, invention of new technologies, loosening of legal hindrances and lifting of international business hurdles. Moreover, threats are the present and intervening factors in the external environment; like changes in consumer tastes deviating from the firms product lines, introduction of rival products, new legalities and regulations, and further increase in trade barriers. Any company should not singly invest into very encouraging opportunities. Rather, it should have the caution and prescience to better understanding and analysis of a doable course of action to gain that competitive advantage by determining a blend between the companys strengths and upcoming opportunities. S-O strategies run after chances that are a good addition to the companys strengths. W-O strategies fiscalize weaknesses to run after opportunities. S-T strategies map out ways that the firm can use its strengths to minimize its exposure to external threats. W-T strategies create a defensive plan to protect the firms weak spots from making it highly exposed to outside threats. Another tool used to scan the environment in the business field is the PEST Analysis. This is a sophisticated external macro-environment probing that manifest how firm processing can be expressed in terms of the Political, Economic, Social, and Technological factors. Oftentimes, the acronym PEST (is made as STEP) is employed to describe a framework for the synthesis of macro-environmental factors. Political factors are government laws and legal issues and ascribe both formal and informal rules in which the firm must worklike tax policies, employment measures, environmental ordinances, trade barriers and taxes, and political instability. Economic factors include the purchasing power of prospective customers and the firms capitallike economic improvement, interest rates, exchange and inflation rates. Social factors involve the demographic and cultural facets of the outside macro-environment. These factors have direct effect on customer needs and the size of potential market bases like health consciousness, growth of population, age brackets, career paths, and consciousness on safety. Finally, technological factors can lower if not eliminate barriers to entry, cut the minimum efficient production stages, and highly affect outsourcing decisions; like, RD activity, automation schemes, technological incentives, and rate of technological change. In order to appraise, analyze and assess finished activities which will eventually create a companys competitive edge, a chain of value-creating activities must be in place. Michael Porter outlined a set of many generic activities common to a wide range of firms. Accordingly, the objective of such activities is to foster worth that exceeds the cost of providing the product or service. In consequence, this will generate profits as customers want worth congruent to costs. Everyone wants worth as tantamount to price so such value-creating activities is a very good psychology applied to business. If only all businesses employ this action plan, then what a better consumer base they create and a whole lot happier people they would account in their following. Another concern tackles inbound logistics which embraces the receipt, warehousing, and inventory of company input and output materials; operations are the value-creating tasks that transform the inputs into the finished product or outcome; outbound logistics are responsible for the finished product to reach the customer, including but not limited to warehousing, delivery and the like. Marketing sales are any effortstangible or not, direct or indirect, intentional or by chance-are those activities that have something to do with getting consumers to buy the product, channel selection, advertising, pricing, and much more. Service activities are those of maintenance and enhancing effect to the product value inclusive of customer support, repair services, etc. All of these vital activities are effective in developing companys competitive advantage. Logistics, as we all know, are crucial and vital for a contracting company to to distribute services, while service activities are the main focus for a company that offers on-site maintenance contracts for office supplies and machines. In addition, there are also at least four generic areas of support activities ensuring firm sustainability in the business shark-infested watersamong others, procurement, technology development, human resource management, and firm. Procurement entails the role of buying the raw materials and other essentials in the value-creating undertakings. Technology development includes studies and development, process machination, and other technology gadgets used to enhance the value-chain activities. Human Resource Management, are the tasks that include recruitement, enrichment, and just compensation of workers. Firm infrastructures are those activities of the finance, legal, quality, and management departments. Support activities are termed as overhead but some firms have sparingly used them to maintain a competitive advantage. For example, a company can do outreach works, medical missions, gift-giving to indigents, of renovation of a neglected public hospital. This can also take the forms of donating to a charity, to a depressed area because of typhoons, floods, or quake-shaken areas. These activities require definition, linkages, and coordination between and among partner companies, with the consent and knowledge of the customer base. Sufficient and effective media publishing through print, broadcast or satellite means can be employed to maximize efforts to establish such elusive state of companys competitive edge. It is a matter of concerted effort, a must-have if companies h ave to outlive and outdo competitors. A perfect grasp of interdependence and mutual benefit must be clear to make all strategies work for the betterment of the organization. If support is not totally ensured, then at least, majority of suppliers, advertisers, as well as the general public are involved. If response is not favorable, then executives have to do some side stepping, even taking back alleys so the companys goals will be served. If executives back out, then, what a pity to the organization. A company needs a sure-fire executive in the face of uncertainties. Hence, executives must see a rundown of these activities before implementation. That is why there is what we call value system. Great companies have very strong value systems that new hires would either subscribe to it or leave it. There is simply no half-way house in these great companies. In exchange, they offer palatable salaries, fringes, and other opportunities of growth-monetary, career or physical growth. In closing, strategies are useless unless acted upon, applied, or animated to make the company prosper side by side with competitive edge. With the fangs of globalization threatening to devour the weak and unprepared, executives of the 21st Century has many assignments to do. These begin from mapping out a vision, a mission, then the strategies needed to make these dreams come into fruition. Gone were the days when companies would only wait for customers to take their products because of limited choice or monopoly. Today, more than any era of the past, business is very precarious and risky. Hard earned capitals are washed away overnight once investment is not done with caution, sustainability and competitive edge. Only those who have the edge would survive. Application: The Coca Cola Bottling Company: Coca Cola soft drink was nothing but a local concoction in America. It was concocted by Dr. John S. Pemberta in Atlanta, Georgia. Frank Robinson, bookkeeper, suggested the name and crafted it in free hand script which stood the odds of changes till this very day. From a local drink, the founders of the company planned to market it on statewide scale. Their ploy is to give its package a handsome look so it would appeal to skeptical drinkers. The design of the brand name has been a consistent pattern to make sure the name will be associated with thirst quenching. Their marketers are very aggressive and effective that very soon after their debut in the drinking arena they salvaged the prime spot in the soft drink industry. They arrogate to themselves the saying, Get Ready for Tomorrow Today,-their corporate way of positioning. Their perspective to be global came into reality, riding in that slogan, Open Happiness! They convince people through ads that Coca Cola can refresh the world, can inspire to make people optimistic. In other words, they exist to make a difference. And then their advertisements are apt for specific seasons. During winter time, they show Santa Claus merrily dash through the skies as he drinks coca cola in his chariot on reindeers. During summertime, the theme, red hot summer is bannered on company sponsored parties. Before the competition could catch up, Coca Cola also introduces hundreds of other delights in its product line. But a wit may ask, how do they capitalize on their strengths, and address their weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, including antagonisms from politics, economy, society, and technology? They look ahead. They analyze trends that shape business in the future and adjust accordingly for whats to take place. Coca Cola was abreast with the Y2K scare along with giants in the business world. Hence, they won together with their bottling partners and financing allies. Concerning the current global crisis, the company is not at all hampered by leaps and bounds because it is consumer-based. The company applies core values on leadership (the resolve to create a better future), collaboration (collective ingenuity), integrity (being real), accountability (or responsibility), passion (heart-mind commitment), diversity (create more and more), and quality (doing well) as its anchor in its vision 2020. In addition, even their managers get out into the market and listen. They observe and learn. Coca Cola people possess a world view and they are curious to sift whats new. And lest we forget: They remain constructively discontent on their achievements, new markets and prospects. They are a cool bunch with a singular vision: To refresh the world. Sources: The Coca Cola Company 2009. Year in Review. Web. Retrieved 21 October 2010 from http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values.html Questions and Answers from Yahoo.com 2008 Web. Retrieved 21 October 2010 from http://www.righthealth.com/topic/Who_Invented_Coca_Cola Bradford, Robert W., Duncan, Peter J., Tarcy, Brian, Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast! Available from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/. [10 October, 2010]. Heil, Karl 2010. Strategy in the Global Environment. Available from: . [10 October, 2010]. Geus, Arie de 1997. The Living Company. Available from: http://www.ariedegeus.com/ and [10 October, 2010]. Jarvis, Chris 2005. Business Open Learning Archive. Available from: . [10 October, 2010]. Quickmba.com 2010. Strategic Management. Available from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/. [10 October, 2010]. Quickmba.com 2010. Strategic Management. Available from: . [10 October, 2010]. Wikipedia.org computer software 2009. Available from: [10 October, 2010].

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to the class of 2012. I greatly appreciate sharing my journey with you. I believe the greater the difficulty, the greater the glory and the glory is what we celebrate tonight. When I was first asked to speak in front of the graduation committee, I said to myself, "I can't do this", "what do I have to say anyway", "I don't have time", "I'm in the middle of midterms" and "it's just something else I have to prepare for." After pondering over all these "excuses," I'm here and I have an answer to my own questions. The reason I'm here is because my achievements are much greater than me. I owe most of my success to the faculty, staff, and students of Shelton Community College. I need to show my gratitude and appreciation to those who helped me get on this stage tonight, something I never thought was possible. Let me explain why. I was born and raised in Southern California in a difficult area, where going to school was not a priority. My high school was composed of gang violence and drive-by shootings. In addition, I was living in an environment where people abused themselves, as well as others. People around me were selling drugs, using drugs, involved in gangs, and dropping out of school. Most of my high school girlfriends were getting pregnant and working the welfare system to make a living. That was what my life was like, then. I first visited Washington state in the summer of '93, at the age of 15. I didn't realize it then, but that visit opened my eyes to what was possible and gave me hope for the future. I settled in Shelton for the summer and joined the STAR program through Shelton High School. I was to go to summer school from 8 a.m. to noon and do a work assignment from 1-4 p.m. Can... ... possible for us to have a dream and has impacted us in many ways. I know we will always remember SCC as a home, a life, and a future, all in one campus. You provided us a quality education in an atmosphere that has encouraged all of us to achieve our educational goals. We are now life-long learners, responsible members of our communities, and are proud citizens of a rapidly changing world. You have provided us an equal access to educational opportunities, maintained high standards of excellence, and promoted a sense of campus community. Therefore, I APPLAUD Shelton Community College for successfully fulfilling its mission with the class of 2006. Go celebrate tonight! Spend time with your families and show them your appreciation. Please remember that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, and that's why it's called the present. Dream big!

Making Headlines :: Articles New York Papers

Making Headlines At Dawn, the Bird (All NY Times headlines taken from the week of the shuttle crash--the first week of February) I. Possible Damage to the Wing We were watching TV when the bird hit the window and fell to the patio with its wing arched unnaturally beneath it. "Is it possible that it's still alive?" I ask. My father shakes his head. "Well..." he sighs. His face looks pained in the moment that the bird's body thumps against the window and drops to the ground--then it softens to grief. A small pool of blood emerges from beneath its body. I cock my head at the mystery of this bird that mistook our window for air. Your body grows cold already, Texas patio dove. Penguins spend up to seventy-five percent of their lives underwater--even those on display at the aquarium. We watch them dive headfirst into the water like fat arrows, their arms sleek and thick at their sides. Fish, freshly killed and slick like steel, slip down their throats without a word. In Chilean folklore, the penguin is not the only bird unable to fly. The Alicanto is a nocturnal sparrow that feeds on the veins of gold and silver. The weight of the metal is what keeps it from flying. II. Tracking Shuttle, Many Saw Long Trail of Flames Instead The Egyptians' bird of eternal life was what the Greeks would call Phoenix. Did it roost in treetops and cactus arms? Or did it fly, leaving trails of flames across the horizon? Did it scatter its ashes over the earth like the strewn answers to immortality; the clues to rebirth irreparably dispersed like the infinite pieces of a puzzle? I used to fall asleep to locusts. Their plump insect bodies sang a long and unanswered serenade. They lived on the trees outside my window. They left crisp skeleton skins behind them, whose leggings still clung to the bark. I have never seen them land, though I wonder if they do it all at once, or in pieces. If they gather to one tree over time, or if they descend in swarms, settling over the branches like a shroud--a skin of screaming scales. In Carlsbad Caverns, stalactites plunge earthward, stalagmites stretch heavenward. Like tapered tree trunks. Like lava. My voice trickles over the cool of the walls. Here and there, ends meet--a stalactite thinks it has reached the earth, and a stalagmite believes it's in heaven.

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution could affect the climate, the environment, and human health.   Among these areas, the health is the main focus of this paper (Thomson Scientific, 2005).Polluted air may contain one or more hazardous substances that affect human health.   The term of measurement for this is â€Å"particulate matter† or the number of particles of potentially hazardous substances as percentage of air.This includes a wide range of pollutants.   Examples of particulate matter includes road dust, diesel soot, fly ash, wood smoke, nitrates in fertilizers, sulfate aerosols, lead, and arsenic to name a few.The suggested Federal limit of an â€Å"average† of 50 micrograms of â€Å"particulate matter† per cubic foot of air in one year period is considered poor air quality {Gore, 2005).Health effects of air pollution could be short-term or long-term. Effects will depend on the individual’s sensitivity.   When it comes to the extent of harm, it usually depends on the total exposure to damaging chemicals. Short-term effects may include simple symptoms such as headaches, nausea and allergic reactions.These symptoms could lead to irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.   There are also severe cases which could lead to upper respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.   It may be short-term but the effects are severe and will need more medical attention.   Air pollutants also have long-term effects which include lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and heart disease.These effects could even damage the brain, nerves, liver or kidneys.   According to the National Resources Defense Council, some 64,000 people in the USA may be dying prematurely each year from cardiopulmonary causes linked to air pollution (Gore, 2005).The most affected people were the children, and the elderly.   In addition, people with health problems such as asthma, hearth disease also suffer more when air is polluted. In 1995 study by the American C ancer Society and Harvard Medical School, air pollution accounts for about 300,000 premature deaths in USA each year (Gore, 2005).Children are one of the most affected by air pollution because they have not yet fully developed their immune system.   Simple cigarette smoke and smoke coming from exhausts of motor vehicles could be detrimental to them.Researchers have reported in their long study that children teenagers in Southern California were likely to have diminished lung function because of severe air pollution.   The study made by James Gauderman of University of Southern California and his colleagues was published in New England Journal of Medicine on 1,759 children ages 10 to 18 in a dozen Southern California communities.The study was concluded that the reason for the diminishing lung function came primarily from car exhaust.   It was found out that 7.9 percent of the 18-year-olds in the highest pollution areas had lung capacities that were less than 80 percent of what they should have been.Among those subjected to the least-polluted air, 1.6 percent had underperforming lungs. It was also reported that there were similar effects when children live in the home of a mother who smokes.   Estimated was half a million die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes (Gore, 2004).Just like children, elderly and people with health problems are most at risk in polluted air.     As people grow older, they encounter more and more health problems which could be aggravated by air pollution.   The exact impact may not be thoroughly understood but long term exposure may increase susceptibility to infections.Also to be taken into account is the duration of the exposure and concentration of the particulate matter in the air.   It is estimated that polluted air shortened the lives by an average of one to two years. In the great â€Å"Smog Disaster† in London in 1952, four thousand people died in few days due to hig h concentrations of pollution (Gore, 2005).There are many steps made to protect human health against air pollution.   American Lung Association is very active and recommends the use of heat recovery ventilator or an energy recovery ventilator remove stale polluted air (Gore, 2005).A treaty called Kyoto Protocol in 1997 entered as part of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change made a great impact on reducing air pollution.   The treaty aims to reduce emission of dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide by industrialized countries which affects the health of their citizens. One measure adopted in the treaty to reduce harmful discharges is creation of carbon emission (CO) credits.Those who failed to observe the restriction will be ordered to install necessary equipment to reduce the air pollution under pain of severe financial sanction or buy (CO) credits.The credits are like ordinary commodities.   They could sell to it to companies that f ind it difficult to comply with the emission restriction.   If the market value of the (CO) credit is higher than the cost of pollution reduction equipment, they will be forced to comply thus, reducing the air pollution that affects human health.According to reports, these (CO) credits are now being traded in the exchanges of Chicago Climate Exchange in the US, European Climate Exchange in United Kingdom, Nord Pool in Norway and PowerNext in France. (Palabrica, 2007).ReferencesPalabrica, R. (2007). Trading on climate change, corporate securities info.Philippine Daily Inquirer.Thomson Scientific (2005). Air pollution. Retrieved September 7, 2007 fromESI Special Topics. Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from http://esi-topics.com/airpolGore, P. (2005). Air pollution health effects. Retrieved August 7, 2007 from http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/pollution-main.html

Human Resource Essay

INTRODUCTION Human resource management (HRM, or simply HR) is the management of an organization’s workforce, or human resources. It is responsible for the attraction, selection, training, assessment, and rewarding of employees, while also overseeing organizational leadership and culture and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws. In circumstances where employees desire and are legally authorized to hold a collective bargaining agreement, HR will also serve as the company’s primary liaison with the employees’ representatives (usually a labor union). The human resources of an organization consist of all people who perform its activities. Human resource management (HRM) is concerned with the personnel policies and managerial practices and systems that influence the workforce. In broader terms, all decisions that affect the workforce of the organization concern the HRM function. The activities involved in HRM function are pervasive throughout the organization. Line managers, typically spend more than 50 percent of their time for human resource activities such hiring, evaluating, disciplining, and scheduling employees. Human resource management specialists in the HRM department help organizations with all activities related to staffing and maintaining an effective workforce. Major HRM responsibilities include work design and job analysis, training and development, recruiting, compensation, team-building, performance management and appraisal, worker health and safety issues, as well as identifying or developing valid methods for selecting staff. HRM department provides the tools, data and processes that are used by line managers in their human resource management component of their job. DEFINITION OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT According to Bohlander et al (2001), human resource management include consolidation of a diverse workforce to achieve a common goal. While Ivencevich (2001) also defines human resource management as a function that is implemented in an organization to help facilitate the effective use of human resources to achieve organizational and individual goals. In addition, there are various perspectives on human resource management focus, namely: †¢ Human resource management is considered the managing of human management employees as direct and interpersonal activities. †¢ Human resource management as personnel management with emphasis on technical skills for evaluation, selection, training and so on. †¢ Human resource management as a strategic management that emphasizes employees as assets in an organization. COMPANY NESTLE [pic] Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s foundation was built in 1867 on humanitarian needs and social responsibility when Henri Nestlà ©, a trained pharmacist, developed a healthy and economical alternative source of infant nutrition to save the life of an infant who could not be breastfed. Today, more than 140 years later, Nestlà © continues with its founder’s legacy to improve lives. HISTORY Generations of Goodness The vast Nestlà © Group started humbly ~ with the vision of one Swiss chemist, Henri Nestlà ©. At a time when there was high infant mortality in Europe due to malnutrition, this dedicated man began experimenting with nutritious food supplements to overcome the problem. In 1867, he was approached to help an ailing premature infant who was unable to accept his mother’s milk or any of the conventional substitutes. The infant began to take the milk food supplement he had developed, and a life was saved. The product, called Farine Lactà ©e Nestlà ©, was soon marketed throughout much of Europe, and a new brand name began to take on life. [pic] The Nestlà © Coat-of-Arms. The Nestlà © Coat-of-Arms Henri Nestlà © adopted his own coat of arms as a trademark in 1867. Translated from German, Nestlà © means little nest and the now-famous symbol is universally understood to represent nurturing and caring, security, nourishment and family bonding. These attributes are still the guiding legacy for the company Henri Nestlà © founded as it fulfils its commitment to ‘Good Food, Good Life.’ The first merger In 1905, the Nestlà © Company merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, the first condensed milk factory which opened in Switzerland in 1866. Nestlà © entered into the milk chocolate business in 1904 when Peter & Kohler Swiss General Chocolate Company produced milk chocolate under the Nestlà © trademark. The chocolate company later joined the Nestlà © Group in 1929. While the original business was based on milk and dietetic foods for children, the new Nestlà © grew and diversified its range of products, through acquisitions and mergers with the better known brands of the time. For example: The manufacturing of LACTOGEN began in 1921, and in the same year, a beverage containing wheat flour was marketed under the brand name MILO. In 1938, NESCAFÉ, the world’s first instant coffee was introduced. Then, in 1947, the MAGGI Company, manufacturer of soups and bouillon invented by Julius Maggi merged with Nestlà ©. Nestlà © continued to expand through the years with some major acquisitions. Today Today, the Nestlà © Company still adheres to its founder’s beliefs and principles and is, therefore, very much people-oriented, and committed to understanding its consumers’ needs throughout the world in order to provide the best products for their lives. Nestlà ©, Bringing ‘Good Food, Good Life’ As the leading Food, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company, Nestlà © is the provider of the best food for whatever time of day and for whatever time of your life. Nestlà © has grown to become the world’s largest food company offering more than 8,500 brands and 10,000 products. With its headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlà © has more than 456 factories spread over 80 countries, and employs more than 283,000 people. 866 Our history begins back in 1866, when the first European condensed milk factory was opened in Cham, Switzerland, by the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. 1867 In Vevey, Switzerland, our founder Henri Nestlà ©, a German pharmacist, launched his Farine lactà ©e, a combination of cow’s milk, wheat flour and sugar, saving the life of a neighbour’s child. Nutrition has been the cornerstone of our company ever since. â€Å"Henri Nestlà ©, himself an immigrant from Germany, was instrumental in turning his Company towards international expansion from the very start. We owe more than our name, our logo and our first infant-food product to our founder. Henri Nestlà © embodied many of the key attitudes and values that form part and parcel of our corporate culture: pragmatism, flexibility, the willingness to learn, an open mind and respect for other people and cultures.† Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlà © Chairman 1905 The Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, founded by Americans Charles and George Page, merged with Nestlà © after a couple of decades as fierce competitors to form the Nestlà © and Anglo-Swiss Milk Company. Nestlà © in Malaysia [pic] Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s commitment to providing quality products to Malaysians dates back almost 100 years ago. Nestlà © began in Malaysia in 1912 as the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in Penang and later, growth and expansion made a move to Kuala Lumpur necessary in 1939. Since 1962, with its first factory in Petaling Jaya, Nestlà © Malaysia now manufactures its products in 7 factories and operates from its head office in Mutiara Damansara. The Company was publicly listed on the KLSE now known as Bursa Malaysia Berhad on 13 December, 1989. Today, the Company employs more than 5000 people and manufactures as well as markets more than 300 Halal products in Malaysia. Its brand name such has MILO ®, NESCAFÉ ®, MAGGI ®, NESPRAY ® and KIT KAT ® have become trusted household names and enjoyed for generations. HUMAN RESOURCE MENAGEMENT (NESTLE) HUMAN RESOURCE MENAGEMENT (NESTLE) As companies reorganize to gain competitive edge, human resources plays a key role in helping companies deal with a fast-changing competitive environment and the greater demand for quality employees. Research conducted by The Conference Board has found six key people-related activities that human resources completes to add value to a company: 1. Effectively managing and utilizing people. 2. Trying performance appraisal and compensation to competencies. 3. Developing competencies that enhance individual and organizational performance. 4. Increasing the innovation, creativity and flexibility necessary to enhance competitiveness. 5. Applying new approaches to work process design, succession planning, career development and inter-organizational mobility. 6. Managing the implementation and integration of technology through improved staffing, training and communication with employees. FUNCTION OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (NESTLE) Recruitment Recruitment is the process of attracting, screening, and selecting employees for an organization. The different stages of recruitment are: job analysis, sourcing, screening and selection, and onboarding. The Four Stages Job analysis involves determining the different aspects of a job, such as through job description and job specification. Job description describes the tasks that are required for the job. Job specification describes the requirements that a person needs to do that job. Sourcing means using several strategies to attract or identify candidates. Sourcing can be done by internal or external advertisement. Advertisement can be done by local or national newspapers, specialist recruitment media, professional publications, window advertisements, job centers, or through the Internet. Screening and selection is the process of assessing the employees who apply for the job. The assessment is conducted to understand relevant skills, knowledge, aptitude, qualifications, and educational or job related experience of employees. Some ways of screening are screening resumes and job applications, interviewing, and job related or behavioral testing. After screen and selection, the best candidate is selected. On boarding is the process of helping new employees become productive members of an organization. A well-planned introduction helps new employees become fully operational quickly and is often integrated with the company and environment. Recruitment Approaches There are many recruitment approaches as well. In-house personnel may manage the recruitment process. At larger companies, human resources professionals may be in charge of the task. In the smallest organizations, recruitment may be left to line managers. Outsourcing of recruitment to an external provider may be the solution for some businesses. Employment agencies are also used to recruit talent. They maintain a pool of potential employees and place them based on the requirement of the employer. Executive search firms are used for executive and professional positions. These firms use advertising and networking as a method to find the best fit. Internet job boards and job search engines are commonly used to communicate job postings. Selection Selection is the process of selecting a qualified person who can successfully do a job and deliver valuable contributions to the organization. The term can be applied to many aspects of the process, such as recruitment, selection, hiring, and acculturation. However, it most commonly refers to the selection of workers. A selection system should depend on job analysis. This ensures that the selection criteria are job related. Selection Requirements The requirements for a selection system are knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics, commonly known as KSAOs. Personnel selection systems employ evidence-based practices to determine the most qualified candidates and involve both the newly hired and those individuals who can be promoted from within the organization. Common selection tools include ability tests (cognitive, physical, or psychomotor), knowledge tests, personality tests, structured interviews, the systematic collection of biographical data, and work samples. Development and implementation of such screening methods is sometimes done by human resources departments. Larger organizations hire consultants or firms that specialize in developing personnel selection systems. Metrics Two major factors determining the quality of a newly hired employee are predictor validity and selection ratio. The predictor cutoff is a test score differentiating those passing a selection measure from those who did not. People abov e this score are hired or are further considered while those below it are not. On the other hand, the selection ratio (SR) is the number of job openings (n) divided by the number of job applicants (N). This value will range between 0 and 1, reflecting the selectivity of the organization’s hiring practices. When the SR is equal to 1 or greater, the use of any selection device has little meaning, but this is not often the case as there are usually more applicants than job openings. Finally, the base rate is defined by the percentage of employees thought to be performing their jobs satisfactorily following measurement. After using these tools a person is selected for the job. Orientation Orientation tactics exist to provide new employees enough information to adjust, resulting in satisfaction and effectiveness in their role. Employee orientation, also commonly referred to as onboarding or organizational socialization, is the process by which an employee acquires the necessary skills, knowledge, behaviors, and contacts to effectively transition into a new organization (or role within the organization). Orientation is a reasonably broad process, generally carried out by the human resource department, that may incorporate lectures, videos, meetings, computer-based programs, team-building exercises, and mentoring. The underlying goal of incorporating these varying onboarding tactics is to provide the employee enough information to adjust, ultimately resulting in satisfaction and effectiveness as a new employee. Organization Socialization Model A good way in which to envision this process is through understanding the organization socialization model (see Figure 1). This chart highlights the process of moving the employee through the adjustment stage to the desired outcome: New Employee Characteristics – Though this segment of the model overlaps with other human resource initiatives (such as recruitment and talent management), the characteristics of an employee are central to the strategies best employed as they move through the orientation process. Characteristics that are particularly useful in this process are extroversion, curiosity, experience, pro-activeness, and openness. New Employee Tactics – The goal for the employee is to acquire knowledge and build relationships. These relationships in particular are central to understanding company culture alongside acquiring resources to help expedite the on boarding process. Organizational Tactics- The organization should similarly seek to emphasize relationship building and the communication of knowledge, particularly organizational knowledge that will be useful for the employee when navigating the company. The company should also employee many of the resources mentioned above (videos, lectures, team-building exercises) to complement the process. Adjustment – Through combining the above three inputs, the employee should move through the adjustment phase as they acclimate to the new professional environment. This should focus primarily on knowledge of the company culture and co-workers, along with increased clarity as to how they fit within the organizational framework (i.e. their role). Outcomes – The goal of effectively orienting the employee for success is twofold: minimize turnover while maximizing satisfaction. The cost of bring new employees into the mix is substantial, as a result high turnover rates are a significant threat to most companies. Ensuring that the onboarding process is effective significantly reduces this risk. Additionally, achieving high levels of employee satisfaction is an enormous competitive advantage, as satisfied employees are motivated and efficient. Criticisms The desired outcome from an onboarding process is fairly straightforward, ensuring the new employee(s) is well-equipped to succeed in their new professional environment. However, some critics of orientation processes stipulate that sometimes the extensive onboarding process can confuse the employees relative to their role, as most of their time is spent in company-wide learning as opposed to role-centric learning. While this criticism may be true in some contexts, it can be offset through a more role-specific on boarding process. It is generally acknowledged that orientation strategies generate positive outcomes and returns on investment. Development A core function of HR management is development, which entails training efforts designed to improve personal, group, or organizational effectiveness. Employee development helps organizations succeed. Human resource development consists of training, organization, and career development efforts to improve individual, group, and organizational effectiveness. Training Training is one of the most important ways to develop employees. Training is organizational activity intended to improve the performance of individuals and groups in organizational settings. Training and development has three important steps: training, education, and development. · Training: This activity focuses on an individual’s current job and is evaluated based on that current job. · Education: This activity focuses on jobs an individual might hold in the future and is measured based on those potential jobs. · Development: This activity focuses on potential future activities of the organization and is therefore extremely challenging to evaluate. Training and Development There are several categories of stakeholders that are helpful in understanding training and development. The sponsors of training and development are senior managers. The clients of training and development are business planners. Line managers are responsible for the coaching, resources, and performance. The participants are the people who actually go through the training and development process. The facilitators are Human Resource Management staff. The providers are specialists in the field. Each of these stakeholder groups has their own agenda and motivations, which can cause conflict with the agendas and motivations of other stakeholder groups. Talent development refers to an organization’s ability to align strategic training and career opportunities for employees. Talent development, part of human resource development, is the process of changing an organization, its employees, its stakeholders, and groups of people within it, using planned and unplanned learning, in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage for the organization. Performance Evaluation Performance evaluation is the process of assessing an employee’s job performance and productivity, usually for a specified period of time.Performance evaluation or performance appraisal is the process of assessing an employee’s job performance and productivity. The assessment is conducted based on some pre-established criteria that align with the goals of the organization. Some other aspects are also considered to assess the performance of the employee, for example, organizational citizenship behavior, accomplishments, potential for future improvement, strengths and weaknesses, etc. The management of performance plays a vital role to the success or failure of the organization. An ineffective performance evaluation system creates high turnover and reduces employee productivity. This is why performance evaluation is very important for every organization. Methods of Performance Evaluation Objective production: Under this method, direct data is used to evaluate the performance of an employee, such as sales figures, production numbers, the electronic performance monitoring of data entry workers, etc. However, one drawback of this process is that the variability in performance can be due to factors outside the employees’ control. Also, the quantity of production does not necessarily indicate the quality of the products. Still, this data reflects performance to some extent. Personnel: This is the method of recording the withdrawal behavior of employees, such as being absent, being in an accident at work, etc. This personnel data usually is not a comprehensive reflection of an employee’s performance. Judgmental evaluation: This is a collection of methods to evaluate an employee. Some of the methods are described below-  · Graphic Rating Scale: graphic rating scales are the most commonly used performance evaluation system. Typically, the raters use a 5 to 7 point scale to rate employees’ productivity. Employee-Comparison Methods: rather than subordinates being judged against pre-established criteria, they are compared with one another. This method eliminates central tendency and leniency errors but still allows for halo effect errors to occur. · Behavioral Checklists and Scales: behaviors are more definite than traits. Supervisors record behaviors of what they judge to be job performance relevant, and they keep a running tally of good and bad behaviors and evaluate the performance of employees based on their judgement. Peer and Self Assessments:Peer Assessments: members of a group evaluate and appraise the performance of their fellow group members. Self-Assessments: for self-assessments, individuals assess and evaluate their own behavior and job performance. 360-Degree Feedback: 360-degree feedback is multiple evaluations of employees which often include assessments from superior(s), peers, and themselves. Career Path Management Career path management requires HRM to plan and then actively manage employee skills in the pursuit of successful professional careers. Career path management Career path management refers to the structured planning and the active management choice of a employee’s professional career. The results of successful career planning are personal fulfillment, a work and life balance, goal achievement, and financial security. A career refers to the changes or modifications in employment through advancement during the foreseeable future. There are many definitions by management scholars of the stages in the managerial process. The following classification system with minor variations is widely used: †¢ Development of overall goals and objectives. †¢ Development of a strategy. †¢ Development of the specific means (policies, rules, procedures, and activities) to implement the strategy. †¢ Systematic evaluation of the progress toward achievement of the selected goals and objectives to modify the strategy, if necessary. Human Resource Development Human Resource Development (HRD) is the central framework for the way in which a company leverages an effective human resources department to empower employees with the skills for current and future success. The responsibility of the human resources department in regards to employee development primarily pertains to varying forms of training, educational initiatives, performance evaluation, and management development. Through employing these practices, human resource managers can significantly improve the potential of each employee, opening new career path venues by expanding upon an employee’s skill set. This is achieved through two specific human resource objectives: training and development (TD) and organizational development (OD). Training and development, as stated above, is primarily individualistic in nature and focused on ensuring employees develop throughout their careers to capture more opportunity. Organizational development must be balanced during this process, ensuring that the company itself is leveraging these evolving human resources to maximum efficiency. Depending too heavily upon TD may result in an organization incapable of capitilizing on employee skills while focusing too much on OD will generate a company culture adverse to professional development. Therefore human resource departments are central to empowering employee’s down successful career paths. Some Dimensions of Career Management The first step of career management is setting goals. Before doing so the person must be aware of career opportunities and should also know his or her own talents and abilities. The time horizon for the achievement of the selected goals or objectives–short-term, intermediate, or long-term–will have a major influence on their formulation. Short-term goals (one or two years) are usually specific and limited in scope. Short-term goals are easier to formulate. They must be achievable and relate to long-term career goals. Intermediate goals (3 to 20 years) tend to be less specific and more open ended than short-term goals. Both intermediate and long-term goals are more difficult to formulate than short-term goals because there are so many unknowns about the future. Long-term goals (over 20 years) are the most fluid of all. Lack of life experience and knowledge about potential opportunities and pitfalls make the formulation of long-term goals and objectives very difficult. Lo ng-term goals and objectives, however, may be easily modified as additional information is received without a great loss of career efforts because of experience and knowledge transfer from one career to another. Others Focuses of Career Management Making career choices and decisions is the traditional focus of careers interventions. The changed nature of work means that individuals may now have to revisit this process more frequently now and in the future, more than in the past. Managing the organizational career concerns the career management tasks of individuals within the workplace, such as decision-making, life-stage transitions, and dealing with stress. Managing â€Å"boundless† careers refers to skills needed by workers whose employment is beyond the boundaries of a single organization, a work style common among, for example, artists and designers. As employers take less responsibility, employees need to take control of their own development to maintain and enhance their employability. CONCLUSION CONCLUSION Human Resource Management involves the recruitment and management of the people who work in an organization. The focus of Human Resource Management is to attract, select, train, motivate and compensate employees, while making sure that they comply with employment and labor laws. A team of professionals cannot be built by an organization without good Human Resource Management. As a result, businesses with good Human Resource Management (HRM) have higher profits than businesses without or with poor HRM. Effective hiring and training practices, creating employees who are motivated and rewarded for their hard work, and maintaining a good relationship between employees and the company are all results of good Human Resource Management. Even for small businesses, managing the human resource aspect of the business is very important, and can only be done through good Human Resource management REFERENCE REFERENCE †¢ Devanna, M., Fombrun, C. & Tichy, N . 1984. A Framework For Strategic Human †¢ Resource Management In Strategic Human Resource Management, New †¢ York: John Wiley and Sons. †¢ Brewster, C. & Larsen, H. H. 1992. Human Resource Management in Europe: Evidence †¢ From Ten Countries. International Journal of Human Resource Management †¢ 3 (3): 409434. †¢ http://www.google.com.my/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi †¢ http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/humanresources.asp †¢ http://www.nestle.com.my/AboutUs/Nestle_in_Malaysia/Pages/index.aspx

Psychological Criticism Essay

Psychological criticism is an approach in analyzing literary texts through the use of psychological concepts especially the human desires and feelings that a person is unaware of. The text is analyzed and understood together with the possible responses of the reader as well as the author of the text. Psychological criticism basically begins with trying to understand the author’s psychological conflicts as revealed in the literary piece. Characters in the story are also analyzed in terms of putting them into real-life situations. Lastly, psychological criticism also seeks to know the appeal of the literary piece to its readers and the ability of the readers to identify their personal desires and fears in life. In the poem â€Å"Piano,† author D. H. Lawrence appears to write about the childhood love of the narrator towards his mother. This adoration for the mother reflects Sigmund Freud’s theory about the psychosexual development of human beings, specifically the stage where the male child suffers from what Freud calls the â€Å"Oedipus complex†Ã¢â‚¬â€male little children having incestuous desires for their mothers. The narrator’s act of recalling memories also brings to mind the idea in psychology that life experiences that touch people the most are most likely to be retained in our memory. The poem suggests that the narrator simply cannot forget his childhood experience of listening to his mother play the piano because it is an unforgettable and touching experience for the narrator. Psychological criticism allows for a careful analysis of literary texts through the use of concepts in psychology. It basically attempts to get a more comprehensive understanding of texts as far as the readers, authors and the literary pieces themselves are concerned. All in all, the human unconscious plays an important role in psychological criticism.