Should Women Who Commit Murder Be Treated More Leniently Research Paper

Should Women Who Commit Murder Be Treated More Leniently - Research Paper Example The treatment and sentencing of women who commit murders have been discussed thoroughly by different theorists and sociologists.   The work of Nagel and Weitzman in 1971 has since established that women seem to receive preferential treatment in their sentencing (Rodriguez, Curry, & Lee, 2006).   The chivalry and focal concerns theories are two of the main theories which have sought to explain this pattern of social behavior.   The chivalry theory was first seen in the 1970s and is mainly based on the cultural stereotypes related to gender.   In this case, this theory sets forth that women are fickle and childlike and therefore are not responsible for their criminal activities (Rodriguez, Curry, & Lee, 2006).   Women should, therefore, be protected by the men who should do everything in their power to reduce the pain and suffering that these women experience.   In effect, this theory â€Å"suggests that society desires to treat women more leniently than men† (Heberl e, 1999, p. 1107).   This hesitation based on this theory refers to its reasons for women’s status as mothers and vulnerable figures sexually. The focal concerns theory is yet another theory which sought to explain the seemingly preferential treatment of female criminals.   This theory sets forth that due to the limited time that judges have on their cases, they often do not receive sufficient information on defendants and their cases.   Consequently, in the course of their adjudication, their personal opinions and preferences can often significantly impact on the way they render sentences on defendants (Rodriguez, Curry, & Lee, 2007).   In the end, these judges sometimes end up crediting attributes about a defendant’s liability and recidivism based on blameworthiness, dangerousness and practical constraints (Rodriguez, Curry, & Lee, 2007).   In the process, they also end up crediting certain gender-based qualities to the offenders.   They would likely view women to be less of a risk to the community and less likely to be a recidivist; and they would likely view male offenders to be at fault and therefore, more responsible for their crimes (Rodriguez, Curry, & Lee, 2007).   This theory also sets forth that men are more capable of doing their time in prison as compared to females.  

Greek mythology Essay Example for Free

Greek mythology Essay Engels biography is a display of such scientific course. His early life had been the explanation why he came about with his voluminous works on history. His works were a summation of the different implications of the facts how he was raised and intended of him to become, his experiences, and his direct contact with the production process and later in complete absorption to the revolutionary struggle in the industrial West. Friedrich Engels was born in Barmen, Prussia to a family of bourgeois origins in September 28, 1820. At that moment, Europe was at the height of the development of the industrial era and wars of conquest for the accumulation of market, labour and resources for the bourgeois economy. It was a time of rapid changes ensuing on all borders. Expansion of industrial interests was grappling Europe. Colonies in Asia, Africa and Latin America were continuously ransacked while the European continent was in a constant scrabble of migration from different nations in search of industrial work. Indeed an era of accumulation of wealth and technological advances to improve productivity . With these changes in the economic landscape came the winds of liberal thought. New machines that were never seen before were conceived side by side with political ideas never heard before. Thus the revolutionized industry became a breeding ground for a revolutionary spectre. Friedrich Engels was never detached from these changes. From his childhood until his intellectual career was on its full bloom, the economic transformations in Europe became the solid foundations of Marxist historiography. His nascent years had been vital for the development of his future philosophical pursuit. In his poem â€Å"To My Grandfather†, written December 20, 1833, Friedrich had shown his early acquaintances in history through stories in the Greek mythology which he described as â€Å"many a beautiful story† that his grandfather had told him . Another untitled poem written 3 years after described characters in stories from all over Europe seen by young Friedrich as â€Å"pictures to delight† . He was an observer and the environment drew much attention from him. Once he wrote about the conditions in Wuppertal, one of his first attempts to explain the seemingly complicated miseries of the working class , even the columns of a building and the style of architecture did not escape his watch. It was the beginning of his acquisition of his most powerful weapon in his revolutionary battle – excellence in textual conveyance. Not only was it a peek to his future history inclinations but also his superb literary talent that has greatly manifested in his works. In such a young age, Engels had learned that his wealth was a curse. The environment in which Friedrich Engels lived was full of stark contradictions. External factors greatly affected his inner resolve. His father, a German textile mill owner, wanted him to become an industrialist too like himself. Knowing in his self that he was not fit for that kind of life, a strained relationship developed between them. A supporter of the Prussian government, Friedrich’s father held conservative views in politics and religion which were attributed to his Protestant Pietist devotion. He enrolled Friedrich in local Pietist schools where he was indoctrinated with narrow fundamentalist views of society. Those were never acceptable to his broad interests. Hoping that the radical youth in Friedrich could still be doused with cold waters of isolation, he was sent to Bremen before he finished his high school studies to work as a clerk. These efforts were put to waste. There he exhibited despise to autocracy and religion, enjoyed life at its fullest and studied literature, philosophy, theology and history . Engels was drawn to the democratic struggles that were gaining political momentum at that time. Using a pen name of Friedrich Oswald, he participated in the literary movement. His first work, a poem titled â€Å"The Bedouin † was published in the Bremisches Conversationsblatt No. 40. In September 1838 and many other literary works and commentaries proceeded thereafter. As an active radical, Engels wrote articles for the democratic movement while attending lectures at Berlin University with his military service all at the same time. When he moved to Berlin to join the Household Artillery of the Prussian Army, he already had attractions to the Young Hegelians .

Book Review on The World of Yesterday :: essays research papers fc

The Death of a Soul, The Glance of History And meet the time as it seeks us. Cymberline Before the preface, I saw the sentence adopted from Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¯s Cymberline . All of the sudden, a sense of seriousness and heaviness mounted up in my heart. I felt the author ¡Ã‚ ¯s tone of despair and disillusionment.  ¡Ã‚ °at most, one generation had gone though a revolution, another experienced a putsch, the third a war, the fourth a famine, the fifth national bankruptcy ¡Ã‚ ­But we, who are sixty today and who, de jure, still have a space of time before us, what have we not seen, not suffered, not lived though? ¡Ã‚ ± Such struggling words can only be composed by a writer in unbearable agonies. Actually, the author was forced to witness the most terrible defeat of reason and the wildest triumph of brutality in the chronicle of the ages. What an embarrassing situation it was to an intellectual with great concern for the humanity and morality. Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in a middle class family in Austria and died at his own hands in 1942 at the age of 60, crossing two centuries, witnessing two contemporary wars. He was well-known as a novelist, a playwright, a biographer a manuscript collector and a pacifist. In 1934, he was exiled to Britain and then to Brazil where he lived his rest of life with his wife. The World of Yesterday is his autobiography written between 1939 and 1940. Zweig always encouraged his friends to set down their reminiscences, not necessarily for publication but for the pleasure and benefit of their children, their families. As for his own autography, he was to  ¡Ã‚ °give some reflection of his life before it sinks into the darkness. ¡Ã‚ ±(P.9) It is not so much an autobiography as a  ¡Ã‚ °biography ¡Ã‚ ± of his time. It is a vivid, moving and nostalgic portrayal of Europe before wars; it is a story about intellectual brotherhood which tried to prevent national madness that destroyed the Europe and the world, twice. In the book, we picture the dramatic progress of material wealth and despairing collapse of morality. It also provides a source for us to know other great figures like Dostoyevsky, Goethe, Tolstoy and Freud who constituted the most glorious and attractive scenery at that time, making the sky not so sad. If we intend to figure out one of the best times in history, there is no doubt that the time before the World War I ¡Ã‚ ªZweig ¡Ã‚ ¯s childhood and youth hood ¡Ã‚ ªis definitely one.

The Symbolic Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Pearls have always held a great price to mankind, but no pearl had ever been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character serving entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her mother’s scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of Hester and Dimmesdale’s unlawful bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mother’s sin. Pearl Prynne is her mother’s most precious possession and her only reason to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless trea sure purchased with Hester’s life. Pearl’s strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hester’s sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mother’s violation of the Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughter’s childish teasing and endless questioning about the scarlet letter and its relation to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter â€Å"A† on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother: But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. T hroughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hester’s letter and Dimmesdale’s habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue. The Symbolic Pearl in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays Pearls have always held a great price to mankind, but no pearl had ever been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character serving entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her mother’s scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of Hester and Dimmesdale’s unlawful bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mother’s sin. Pearl Prynne is her mother’s most precious possession and her only reason to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless trea sure purchased with Hester’s life. Pearl’s strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hester’s sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mother’s violation of the Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughter’s childish teasing and endless questioning about the scarlet letter and its relation to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter â€Å"A† on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother: But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. T hroughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hester’s letter and Dimmesdale’s habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue.

Country Analysis Essay

India is the third largest economy in the world as regards to its purchasing power. If effective measures are taken it can be the third largest economy after the US and China. Although India has much potential in terms of economic advancement there are vital issues that need to be addressed for instance overpopulation, environmental degradation, ethnic and religious strife as well as extensive poverty. This paper will provide general information about the country for instance it’s political, economic, social and culture organization, economic and trade indicators, specific reasons why its market is attractive, potential and pitfalls in international management, and contemporary issues that may support-impede international management. A brief history. India is located in the southern Asia and it borders the Arabian Sea as well as the Bay of Bengal. It is between Burma and Pakistan. Its early history dates back to the 19th century when Britain had the political control of all the Indian land. During the first and the second world wars the Indian soldiers played a significant role. The Indians resisted the British control over their land and this led to their independence in 1947. Significant leaders that led in the non violent resistance include Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. (www. state. gov). The region was divided into two comprising of the secular Indian state and the Muslim state of Pakistan. The two countries went into war in 1971 and the Eastern Pakistan became a separate nation of Bangladesh. The state of Kashmir is however a cause of dispute between the two countries up to date. Political organization. India declared itself a republic in January 1950 and it set a constitution that would guide its undertakings. The constitution was keen in ensuring justice, liberty and equality. It was also made flexible enough to incorporate the social as well as economic changes should they arise. In ensuring democracy prevailed it first held its general elections in 1952 and since then election are held after every five years. India is a Union that comprises of 28 States and seven centrally administered Union Territories. (www. state. gov). Every one above eighteen years of age and is an Indian citizen has the right to vote according to the provisions of the constitution. Fundamental Rights of every Indian citizen include the freedom of speech, expression, belief, assembly and association, migration, and choice of occupation or trade. Discrimination on grounds of race, religion, creed or sex is consequently avoided through the above provisions. India has a form of parliamentary democracy, it has a bicameral parliament and the sovereignty rests ultimately with the people. The elected officials in the parliament are responsible in making important decisions regarding the country. India has a Council of States which consists of not more than 250 members. 12 members are nominated by the President of India while the rest are elected. The vice president oversees the Council of States which is also known as Rajya Sabha. An important aspect regarding the Council of States is that it is not subject to dissolution and a third of its members retire at the end of every second year. Nominated members have a special knowledge in areas for instance literature, science, arts as well as in social services. There is also the Lok Sabha or House of the People which consists of 545 members. 530 of these are directly elected from the 25 States and 13 are from the seven Union Territories. Two of the members are nominated by the President and they act as representatives of the Anglo-Indian community. The President of India is also the Head of the State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. (www. state. gov). He is elected by an electoral college composed of members of both the Houses of Parliament that is the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and the legislatures of the nation’s constituent States. The President holds office for five years term but he can be re-elected. However, the President does not on his own initiative exercise any constitutional powers. The Council of Ministers which is headed by the Prime Minister is the one responsible for that. Election of the vice president is between the members of both houses and the one with majority support in the Lok Sabha becomes the prime minister. The prime minister advises the president on the ministers to appoint and as long as the minister has support from the parliament he can continue to enjoy his term in the office. The judiciary is independent of the executive and it has the role of safe guarding the constitution of the land. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial tribunal but each state has its own high court. The current head of state who is also the president is Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the head of government or the prime minister is Manmohan Singh. (www. state. gov). Economic. The GDP or the purchasing power parity as at 2007 was at $2. 965 trillion while the GDP per capita was at $2,700. The composition of the GDP according to the sectors was as follows; agriculture contributed to 16. 6%, industry 28. 4% and the services sector was 55%. The labor force was 516. 4 million with agriculture registering the highest percentage at 60% the service sector was second at 28% and industry contributed 12%. The unemployment rate in 2007 was 7. 2% and the population below poverty line was 25%. The inflation rate or the consumer prices in 2007 was 5. 9%. The government budget was as follows; revenues were $145. 2 billion while expenditures were at $182. 4 billion. The public debt both the federal and state debt accounted to 58. 8% of GDP. Agricultural products that are produced in India include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry and fish. Relevant industries include textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery and software. (CIA). In terms of trade India has been fluctuating for instance from 2005 to 2008 goods and services in terms of the percentage of GDP has shifted from 20. 2, 22. 7, 21. 2 to 20. 6. Likewise the inflation in this period was 4. 2, 6. 2, 6. 4 and 5. 2. Australian trade relationship in 2007 was as follows; exports to India accounted to a tune of 5. 5% of the total share recording a growth of 5. 4. Imports from India were 0. 8% of the total share which was a 14% total growth. In total the trade accounted for 3% of the total share with a growth of 6. 5%. Major exports to Australia include non monetary gold, coal, copper, ore and wool. India imports pearls and gems, electric plants, jewels and medicaments. The services exported to India from Australia include education related as well as personal travel and they attribute to 3. 8% of the total share while the imports are 0. 9% of the total share and the include computer services and personal travel. Other export destinations include the US which account for 15. 4%, United Arab Emirates 9. 5% and China 6. 4%. (CIA). India can increase its GDP by increasing the production of the goods and services that it has a competitive advantage in. The population as at July 2008 according to CIA was at 1,147,995,898. The age structure was as follows 0-14 years attributed to 31. 5% of the total population with 189,238,487 males and 172,168,306 females. 15-64 years were 63. 3% of the total population of which there were 374,157,581 males and 352,868,003 were females. Those aged 65 years and over comprised of 5. 2% of the total population with 28,285,796 males and 31,277,725 females. The population growth rate is 1. 578% with a birth rate of 22. 22 births/1,000 and a death rate of 6. 4 deaths/1,000 population. The total infant mortality rate was 32. 31 deaths/1,000 live births with males comprising 36. 94 deaths/1,000 live births as females comprised of 27. 12 deaths/1,000. Life expectancy at birth for the total population is 69. 25 years and males register a life expectancy of 66. 87 years as that of females is 71. 9 years. The total fertility rate is 2. 76 children born per woman. (CIA). Among the significant activities that have an impact in the country’s economy is agriculture which is both traditional as well as modern. The service sector and modern industries also have a significant impact on the country’s economy. A large proportion of the labor force is in the agriculture and this is risky as the sector is prone to many fluctuations in the market. To make India attractive to foreigners as an effort of boosting its economy the government has reduced unnecessary controls that would hinder foreign trade and investment. Allowing foreign investment on key areas like the telecommunications will be critical in promoting economic advancement in India. For the sensitive sectors like agriculture imposition of tariffs has the effect of reducing the number of people venturing in it. The country’s economy has registered a 7% growth within a decade and it has been able to reduce the poverty levels. In 2006 it was able to achieve an economic growth of 8. 5%. The high population can be of positive effects to the economy in the sense that it can be exploited as potential labor that is an important factor of production. By using the educated labor force it has risen to become a major exporter of software services as well as software workers. Through the economic expansion the country has been able to reduce its federal deficit at a remarkable rate. However the strong growth blended with easy accessibility to credit as well as a booming real estate precipitated inflation that was a cause of inflation. To control the inflation the central bank applied monetary policies like hiking the interest rates to slow down the credit growth. Social and culture organization India’s culture is unique although it is very diverse for instance there are over 40 languages. Indians are very friendly and this is good as it can have a positive effect on the manner at which they relate with foreigners. They are also very respectful to all and employers have good relationships with their employees. India is a resourceful country especially as it is known to provide its expertise regarding the construction of cement plants to the airports as well as to the railway systems. It has programs geared to ensuring that developing countries are provided for with feasibility and detailed technical evaluation studies. The program is effective in the sense that it provides support in training personnel in areas like agriculture as well as small scale industries. India is also very committed to ensuring that it promotes unity between the developed as well as the developing countries towards the new economic order. (www. dfat. gov. au). India has been firm in its stand of not interfering with internal affairs of other countries or nations. It however advocates for the adherence of the dignity of human beings. Regarding its position on disarmament it is highly committed to ensuring that the horrors of terrorism do not cause harm or destruction to mankind. To this effect it has joined other countries in banning nuclear weapons. Potential and pitfalls in international management and solutions. Major pitfalls in the country’s economy include the lack of privatization of government owned industries as that would increase efficiency and accountability. The populist pressures from the government are a major reason behind the lack of privatization of state owned industries. Major steps should also be taken so that the number of people living below the poverty line is reduced. The issue of unemployment is also an important one that should be well addressed. Encouraging people to be self employed as well as providing the appropriate tools will be a step forward in eradicating unemployment. Another critical issue that should be well addressed is the issue of a balanced rural urban divide. There is a problem in India where by approximately 70% of the population live in the rural areas or villages and this affects the pace by which rural urban growth takes place. (Panda and Gupta, 2004). A balanced development is what will see the Indian economy thrive. To be successful in business it will be appropriate to enhance the education system in India. This will be a step forward in ensuring that there is improved skill development. It is also critical to focus on skills development, improved governance as well as forging partnership in the private as well as public sector in the provision of infrastructures. Water is very essential and its scarcity ought to be effectively addressed. The biggest challenge that India faces is the population growth which will have a stressful impact on the countries infrastructures. There is an urgent need to control the population growth as an effort of trying to reduce the adverse effects that it would bring to the economy. To promote sustained growth economic reforms ought to be put in place so that the challenges can be well addressed. Fiscal discipline will be vital. International business is affected negatively by the fluctuations in the markets. The government ought to focus on those sectors that the economy is worst fairing in like health as well as in education. To further address the issue of unemployment it is critical to reform the labor laws so that more job opportunities are created. (Phansalkar S. 2005). Although agriculture plays an important role in the countries economy there is need to reduce over dependence. Reorganizing it in a manner that will promote the introduction of new technologies that would reduce the over reliance on climate for instance irrigation would also be vital. In an effort to reform the financial sector it will be appropriate to privatize some public sector banks as such a move will encourage efficiency and effectiveness. (Leung K and White S, 2004). To attract and retain Australian investors in India it has to ensure that its political system does not jeopardize with the investors activities. There have been cases where other foreign investors like US companies have preferred to close down instead of fighting in courts over legal requirement issues. Enhancing the structural systems will be a necessary step if investors are to be preserved in the country. Irrational tax policies as well as other forms of trade barriers need to be addressed as they act as a disincentive to trade and investment. (timesofindia. indiatimes. com). Advancing the level at which the infrastructure is being developed by increasing the finances put aside for the same will be critical in encouraging Australian investors. Enhancing the political reforms geared towards improving stability, privatization and deregulation as well as land reforms. An Australian based company can find the Indian market attractive or one with many opportunities. India is modernizing its infrastructure especially the transportation sector like the airports. This implies that there will be huge opportunities in infrastructure development like in roads, constructions, power plants, nuclear plants and air modernization. There is a considerable stable political environment that will not have adverse effects on businesses in India. (Phansalkar S. 2005). It also has a stable currency and the market is one of the biggest democratic markets with a huge middle class and this will be necessary for the company as it will provides for labor as well as potential market. The skilled labor can be tapped or exploited to provide labor for the foreign based company. There are minimal restrictions of entry to the Indian markets and the Australian based company will not face many challenges when trying to venture. References: CIA. The World Fact Book. India. Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in. html Kwok Leung and Steven White. 2004. Handbook of Asian Management. Birkhauser Publishers. Panda and Gupta. 2004. Mapping Cultural Diversity within India: A Meta-analysis of Some Recent Studies. Global Business Review. 5: 27-49 Phansalkar S. 2005. Opportunities And Strategies In Indian Business: Preparing for a Global India. Sage Publishers. India. Recent economic indicators. Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from http://www. dfat. gov. au/geo/fs/inia. pdf Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar. 2001. What makes MNCs quit India? Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/articleshow/1602986123. cms Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. 2007 Background Note: India. Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3454. htm

Chap 3 Fred R David Essay Example

Chap 3 Fred R David Essay Example Chap 3 Fred R David Essay Chap 3 Fred R David Essay THE EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT Summary| The External Assessment or External Audit is a very essential part of the Strategic Management Process. Due to the turbulent situation around the globe, it is very much necessary for organizations to conduct an effective and efficient External Audit. The purpose of external audit is to develop a list of possible opportunities and threats that an organization can face in its outer/external environment. Identifying and evaluating external opportunities and threats enables organizations to develop a clear mission, to design strategies to achieve long term objectives, and to develop policies to achieve annual objectives. The process of performing an external audit should include as many managers and employees as possible. This creates understanding and commitment from organizational members. There are a few external forces that an organization should take into account while making strategies. These forces can be divided into five categories: * Economic Forces: Economic factors have a direct impact on the potential attractiveness of various strategies. For example, as interest rates rise, funds needed for capital expansion becomes costly or unavailable. In such cases, the organization’s strategies should be amended in such a way to get hold of any such Economic change that can overall affect the working of an organization. Some other key economic factors are Inflation rates, GDP trend, Stock market trends, Currency valuation, Monetary policies, Fiscal policies, Tax rates, Government Budget Deficits, and Price fluctuations etc. State Corruption can also lead to economic downfall and can act as a potential threat to organizations. For instance, in Russia, political bureaucracy demoralizes economic progress and entrepreneurship. Russian businesspersons who do not favour local government are targeted with extensive taxes, tariffs, fines, and intrusive inspections. So far, Russia is not considered the suitable place for business due to political corruption. * Social, Cultural, Demographic, and Environmental Forces: Social, Cultural, Demographic, and Environmental changes are directly related to almost all products, services, markets, and customers. Every organization is challenged by the opportunities and threats arising from these changes. Changes in social, cultural, demographic, and environmental aspects of any country shapes the way they live, work, produce, and consume. New trends are creating new kinds of consumers and similarly new type of products and services are required. For example; people in US are now increasing with households having people living alone or unrelated people are living together. Similarly, people are moving towards fast growing states in order to gain more in terms of money. This type of information can be essential for successful strategy formulation, including where to locate new plants and distribution centres and where to focus marketing efforts. * Political, Governmental, and Legal Forces: In every country, there are organizations that rely on government contracts or subsidies. For such organizations, political forecast can be most important part of an external audit. For example, changes in taxation policy, patent laws, or lobbying activities can badly affect any organization. In such cases, companies may have to alter or abandon strategies due to political or government actions. Therefore, companies should examine the potential threats that can come through these sources, and should utilize the opportunities in the best possible ways to achieve organizational goals effectively and efficiently. Some of the political, governmental, and legal variables which an organization should take into consideration while doing external audit are changes in tax laws, changes in patent laws, number of patents, number of protests against government, level of defense expenditure, fiscal and monetary policies, lobbying activities, and national elections etc. Technological Forces: Technological Forces are creating great impact on organizations. The internet is acting as a national and global economic engine that is increasing productivity, and is helping in saving billions of dollars in distribution and transaction cost from direct sales to self service systems. In today’s world, organizations need to be technology advanced in order to work together with other organizat ions in the market. To effectively capitalize on Information Technology, organizations now hire Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). They work together to ensure that information needed to formulate, implement, and evaluate strategies is available where and when required. * Competitive Forces: It is the most important part of the external evaluation of an organization. It refers to the identification of rival firms and determining their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is vital in the Strategic Management process because by evaluating the SWOT of a competitor, a particular organization would be able to formulate strategies that are better than the competitor. Such evaluation can provide the organization with competitive advantage, if properly analyzed. For example, Italian car maker Fiat had troubles with its finances; suddenly Ford Motor increased its marketing in Italy to increase its market share in Italy. Organizations should opt the Competitive Intelligence programs; a systematic and ethical process for gathering and analyzing information about the competition. Competitive information is equally applicable for strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation decisions. In today’s competitive world, competitors are even working in cooperation with each other. Firms are moving to compete as groups within alliances more and more as it becomes increasingly difficult to survive alone in some industries. For example, Air Canada, Mexicana, Spanair, and United work under Star Alliance along with 12 other Air Companies. The Industrial organization (I/O) approach to competitive advantage advocates that external factors are more important than internal factors in a firm achieving competitive advantage. So, it is essential for an organization to conduct a proper external assessment in order to achieve its targets and competitive edge over its competitors. The intensity of competition among firms varies widely across industries. According to Michael Porter, the nature of competitiveness in a given industry can be viewed as a composite of five forces: 1. Rivalry among Competing Firms: The intensity of rivalry among competing firms increase by the increase in competitors and consumers can easily shift from one organization to another. 2. Potential Entry of New Competitors: The degree of competitiveness increases with the inception of new firms in a particular industry. Numerous barriers exist in every industry for the entrance of new organizations, but still there are firms that enter industries with higher quality products, and lower prices. Such organizations can be a threat for already existing organizations in that particular industry. 3. Potential Development of Substitute Products: Competitive pressure increases with the decline in prices of substitute products that can be used in place of other. For example, people in Pakistan are now using more Compressed Natural Gas as compared to Petroleum due to prices differences. Apart from prices, quality betterment can also be factor which can be a potential threat for any company from its competitors. 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Suppliers play a vital role for any organization to gain competitive edge. It is in the best interest of both suppliers and producers to assist each other with reasonable prices and high quality raw material. Relationship between a supplier and a producer should be long lasting in order to maintain same quality and pricing for a longer period of time. 5. Bargaining Power of Consumers: Many organizations provide warranties or special customer services in order to gain customer loyalty. Organizations should negotiate with customers over their choice of pricing or warranty packages in order to attain a good relationship level between themselves and its customers. External competitive information can be obtained through various published or unpublished sources. Unpublished sources include customer surveys, market research, and TV programs etc. Whereas, published sources include periodicals, journals, reports, government documents, newspapers, manuals, and competitor itself. Today the world is considered as a Global village, and every country is welcoming more and more foreign investment. A global strategy seeks to meet the needs of customers worldwide with the highest value at lower cost. Organizations should scan relevant information from various sources regarding potential opportunities and threats before entering into a particular international market. Strategies should be made according to the business scenario in the country where an organization wants to enter. Any organization needs proper assumptions and forecasted future for making proper strategies to achieve its annual goals. No forecast is perfect, and even some forecasts are even wildly inaccurate. But, it is essential for an organization to identify future occurrences that could have a major effect on the firm. Forecasting can be quantitative or qualitative. Qualitative, when historical data is inappropriate or in accessible. Quantitative, when past data is available, uch as Method of Linear Regression. Overall Industry Analysis can be done by two methods: 1. THE EXTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION (EFE) MATRIX: It allows strategists to evaluate economic, social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, governmental, legal, technological, and competitive information. It involves five steps: * List key external factors identified in external audit process. * Assign weight to each factor that ranges 0. 0 to 1. 0; 1. 0 being very important. * Assign rating between 1 to 4; 4 being superior. * Multiply each factor’s weight by its rating to determine a weighted score. Sum the weighted scores for each variable to determine the total weighted score of the organization. The total weight that any organization can achieve is 4. 0. An organization having 4. 0 weighted score means its strategies are working exactly as required in order to achieve organizational goals. 2. THE COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX: It identifies a firm’s major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firm’s strategic position. The way to calculate is same as of EFE matrix with a slight difference that ratings refer to the level of strength and weakness i. . rating 4 means major strength. It is of great importance for every firm to analyze its external environment and prepare strategies that can help in achieving strategic goals of a n organization. Moreover, managers and employees should take part in such assessment as much as possible. Firms that do not mobilize and empower their managers and employees to identify, monitor, forecast, and evaluate key external factors may fail to anticipate emerging opportunities and threats and, consequently, may pursue ineffective strategies, miss opportunities, and invite organizational demise.

Hiroshima-Penalities and Rewards essays

Hiroshima-Penalities and Rewards essays Penalties and rewards came along with the bombing of Hiroshima. This new war weapon steered the world into a new age of advanced technology. This occurrence might have been a good or bad thing that happened; it depends on whose point of view were taking. Some may believe the advancements just corrupted our world more than its current state and brought the end of humanity closer. Others may feel the developments brought about an era with higher intelligence and better living for humans. The dropping of the atom bomb not only saved money for the Americans, since they didnt have to pay for the replacement of soldiers and their equipment, it also reduced the amount of people who could have died during the war because it would have gone on longer, and more casualties wouldve occurred since several minor bombs would have been dropped than a single powerful one. The severe cost of this bomb, which fell upon innocent Hiroshima, was that hatred arose between the Americans and Japanese. It brought about racism or a type of prejudice to people. There were better ways to solve the situation between the two countries. The Americans decided to go with the modern, destructive way: one blow so its over. Innocent civilians suffered; though they werent part of the war. Only the soldiers should have been involved or been the ones that were injured. The atom bomb killed many people who shouldnt have been touched with the evil war. The Americans bombed out Hiroshima of retaliation for the tragic incident with Pearl Harbour. This wasnt the ethical thing to do because as we all know, two wrongs dont make a right. Though the human consequences were immense, the atom bomb, which unfortunately plunged down to Hiroshima, was worth the grief from the Japanese. Without the testing of the atomic weapon, the new age of sophisticated technology might not exist. Its true that we may not h...

Scapegoats Book Report essays

Scapegoats Book Report essays 1. Discuss the authors treatment of the growing crisis in Europe and the urgency of Churchills concern that Britain desperately needed assistance to withstand Hitler. During the years of 1940 and 1941, the war in Europe caused much concern for Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. The longer the war dragged on, the greater their concern grew. With the United States claiming neutrality, Britain and its Royal Navy could not hold off Hitlers army for much longer. There seemed to be nothing the United States could do but to help out in any way it could to keep Britain from being defeated by the Germans. Roosevelt knew that something needed to be done, and it needed to be done quickly Back home in the United States, Roosevelt had problems of his own. The American people did not want war. They did not concern themselves with what was going on oversees, mainly because some of them had no idea of it. As for the ones who did, they still did not want to be involved in this huge war that was going on so far away from the American shores. Roosevelt had even gone so far as to promise the American people that with himself in office, there would be no war (unless of course the United States was attacked). Thus lay the complication and growing concern that was eating away at President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. Complication and concern turned into active worry, but it is hard to tell exactly when that occurred. In the authors opinion, This must have happened over time, in 1940, perhaps coincident with the placement of our perimeter of interest beyond the Philippines. (p. 19) Regardless of exactly when it occurred, there was no avoiding the United States coming to the direct aid to the war in Europe. The United States began sending them war necessities as they grew weaker and weaker against Hitler. Back home in the United States, word began to get out about Roosevelt working with Ch...

Compare and Contrast the poems Emily Dickinson because I could not Essay - 1

Compare and Contrast the poems Emily Dickinson because I could not stop for death and A.E Houseman immortal parts - Essay Example For instance, the analysis of death in both is examined from a solemn point of view. Dickinson uses symbolism and allegory to communicate the futility of life when death strikes (Holden and Birch 113). There is the use of humanism to make death animate especially as noted in the first stanza, second line. The persona depicts the powerful nature of death to pluck humanity from their comfortable environments to a state of oblivion. In other words, Dickinson’s use of allegory takes the form of being powerless in the presence of death. On the other hand, A.E Housman uses phonological sounds such as consonance, alliteration and assonance to reveal the permanency of death. In the first stanza, he uses the morning dream and night to dream to reveal the times of life that are affected by death. Additionally, in the superseding lines he uses say and day that are both consonance and assonance in the representation of the futility of life. There is also the use of symbolism in the third stanza when he explains about a tongue that speaks with lungs that shout. This is another revelation of how death is treated with respect and reverence in the lives of both personas in the poems. However, it is also noteworthy to observe the use of metonym in the poems to explain the internal and external repercussions of death. For example, in ‘The Immortal Part’ by A.E. Housman, he describes a brain that hums hive of dreams in the last line of the third stanza. This is a clear indication of the fundamental roles played by the brain for human judgment in life. Apparently, this is also manifested in Emily Dickinson’s poem where she talks about a death that did not acknowledge hurry in the first line, second stanza (Christensen 139). Another significant comparison is based on the use of personification and iambic pentameter to communicate the theme therein. For instance,

The Young Victoria (Movie, 2008) as an example of Symbolic Activity Essay

The Young Victoria (Movie, 2008) as an example of Symbolic Activity and Performance Theories - Essay Example He then realizes that the Queen exerts little influence over her daughter, something that makes him have Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, his nephew seduce Victoria. King Leopold 1 then ordered Baron Stockmar to help Prince Albert learn Victoria’s interest such as her favorite music, opera and novels (Vallà ©e 08:58). The King’s family is then invited into the Duchess household where Albert and Victoria eventually develop an interest for one another. The rest of the movie then revolves around Queen Victoria’s reign and her marriage to Prince Albert. Therefore, this paper primarily focuses on illustrating how this film is as an example of symbolic activity and performance theories. According to Burke, life is a drama that involves conflict and division, which threatens some existing order (Wood 104). This idea applies to a number of scenes in the film. For instance, little Victoria is deeply unhappy with her lifestyle and strict rules imposed on her. She claims that the palace itself seems to be a prison (Vallà ©e 01:44). This is because of the chill that fills the rooms and coldness that largely emanate from her close adviser and the duchess. She is also isolated from other children with her company mainly comprising of servants. She is trying to amuse herself as much as she can through watching TV and playing with the dog, but this only seems to be limited entertainment. It seems that Victoria is not satisfied with the things happening in her life at that stage. This led to a series of conflict between her mother, close adviser and herself. From the film, there is a scene when Victoria tells Sir John Conroy that she is currently too smart to be controlled. However, Sir Conroy uses force to make Victoria obey her pieces of advice. In this scene, Victoria is trying to pursue perfection, which makes her guilty.

Why does ethnic conflict occur How can it be avoided Essay

Why does ethnic conflict occur How can it be avoided - Essay Example They usually fall under the following categories namely instrumentalist, primordialist and constructivist. Instrumentalist seeks to explain the role of community leaders in ethnic conflict while primordialist relates ethnic conflicts as being caused by a common feeling of kinship which makes a group to think along the same line. On the other hand constructivist tries to explain conflicts as being caused by individuals’ learning process1; however, most of the ethnic conflicts are largely caused by social and economic injustices. Gross violations of human rights have played a great role in fuelling ethnic violence; as a result, this has brought about a lingering question as to whether human rights can be enforced and at the same time end violence. Therefore, human rights have a strong negative effect in the management of ethnic conflicts. This has led to the establishment of the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda as well as the special courts for Sierra Leon as an indica tion of the need of involvement of the international community to address the issues of human rights violations.2 In the 1990s most ethnic conflict were religious base for instance the Palestinian-Israel conflict, Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the Tamil rebellion in Sri Lanka, the southerners in the Sudan conflict with their northern counterparts just to mention but a few.3 Iran and Sudan are the best example of ethno religious conflicts, and this makes them attract international attention as well as journalistic and diplomatic coverage. The minority tag as in the case of the Kurds in Iran, Iraq and turkey is also a source of ethnic conflict due to their relationship with the state which is governed by the majority ethnic groups. This has exposed them to political and economic discrimination which has resulted in protest and rebellions to air their grievances. Consequently, they have resulted to the use of violent and rebellious organizations and other extra legal means geared towa rds attaining their rightful status in the society. The media is also to blame for ethnic conflicts that have occurred in various countries around the globe. This is owing to the fact that at times it abuses the freedom of speech and peddles propaganda pitting ethnic groups against each other, and a good example is on what happened in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.4 The media was used to fuel ethnic animosity against the minority Tutsi in Rwanda that resulted in the death of thousands of Tutsi civilians. Furthermore, the absence of a democratic government leads to formation of violent organization by the minority group e.g. in Sudan. Democracy ensures that the minority goals are achieved through a democratic process, and gives room for due process to be followed be it legal means or peaceful organizations. Therefore, the lack of proper democracy being practiced in a country makes violence to be the last resort.5 Mobilization of ethnic groups has also played a major role in fuelling ethnic c lashes, which can take the form of being offensive, defensive and preparatory that are all to blame for ethnic uprising. As a result, it leads to the formation of unruly militia groups that bring chaos in the society. Preparatory mobilization is highly counterproductive while at the same time creates unnecessary ethnic tension considering that some minor flare up in most cases leads to ethnic conflict due to this nature of preparedness. Ethnic security dilemma whereby there is no sovereign authority to oversee the security of every group security is another major factor that leads to conflicts. The government may be weak or entirely absent which creates a situation where the respective group acquires a group concern of feeling threatened, as

Chemical engineering course work in clean process technolgy Coursework

Chemical engineering course work in clean process technolgy - Coursework Example Nuclear energy provides a carbon free alternative to fossil fuel, but after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the acceptance of nuclear plants has become very difficult. Most new generating plants will continue to be based on fossil fuels. A study by BP plc., titled â€Å"Energy Outlook 2035†, quoted by Mark Webster, shows that over the next 20 years CO2 emissions from the non-OECD region will grow as shown in Figure 1 (Webster). The chart shows that CO2 emissions from the OECD countries would level off at the levels prevailing in 2013 but the emissions from the non-OECD countries would rise rapidly. The red line marked IEA 450 is the target of 450 ppmv (parts per million volume) of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere that the International Energy Agency considers as the absolute upper limit to prevent a temperature rise exceeding 20C. This is considered the upper limit of temperature rise to prevent disastrous climate change (Webster). The vast majority of these new power plants will be coal fired since coal is the most abundant fossil fuel. A coal plant has an operating life of about 50 years and the need is for a technology that can be retrofitted to existing fossil fuel power plants to capture CO2 emissions from the flue gases before they are emitted into the atmosphere. Post-combustion chemical absorption technology is the most promising of the carbon capture technologies presently available. Carbon dioxide emissions also occur from many other industrial processes other than power generation. These include steel mills, cement plants and oil refineries. Post-combustion chemical absorption technology can be readily applied to these industries as well. The schematic diagram of the post-combustion chemical absorption process is as shown in Figure 2 from a presentation by Dr. Stanley Santos of the International Energy Agency. The flue gases

Network Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Network Acquisition - Essay Example Therefore, for successful network acquisition, Veil (2010) asserts that one has to understand completely whether the legal name and the web presence of the company when merged. The effects of geographical distance and the inter-organizational networks on the acquisition strategies in these high technology industries will be examined via an analysis of mergers and acquisitions that occurred in the computer networking industry during the 1990s. It is during this period that the said industry encountered massive growth of entrants, innovative products, and the VC investments. The Cisco Systems, which has a dominant presence in the networking industry, acquired over 70 firms. It is, therefore, the biggest public company in terms of market capitalization (Yurov, 2008). For any successful acquisition, it is important to carry out a background check. As such, with every IT venture, customer retention and innovation would be the ultimate strength. However, threats such as the eminent rise of other companies would rise. The company’s biggest weakness would be the replication of efforts and subsequent failure brought stemming from a weak organizational structure, and poor decision making. Management experts are employed in order to achieve the company’s prosperity. While it is a merger, there’s the possibility of restructuring because of the centralization of the business. In such a state, it is instrumental to carry out hypothesis testing or questionnaires to help the management run simulations on the possible performance of the organization. Precaution has to be highlighted to avoid acquiring projects that are similar in size and competence. A more realistic concept would be to focus the acquisition activities strongly on projects involving more companies to create economies of scale. Online marketing is good when the websites of the individual companies are either merged or partnered with

Chemical engineering course work in clean process technolgy Coursework

Chemical engineering course work in clean process technolgy - Coursework Example Nuclear energy provides a carbon free alternative to fossil fuel, but after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the acceptance of nuclear plants has become very difficult. Most new generating plants will continue to be based on fossil fuels. A study by BP plc., titled â€Å"Energy Outlook 2035†, quoted by Mark Webster, shows that over the next 20 years CO2 emissions from the non-OECD region will grow as shown in Figure 1 (Webster). The chart shows that CO2 emissions from the OECD countries would level off at the levels prevailing in 2013 but the emissions from the non-OECD countries would rise rapidly. The red line marked IEA 450 is the target of 450 ppmv (parts per million volume) of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere that the International Energy Agency considers as the absolute upper limit to prevent a temperature rise exceeding 20C. This is considered the upper limit of temperature rise to prevent disastrous climate change (Webster). The vast majority of these new power plants will be coal fired since coal is the most abundant fossil fuel. A coal plant has an operating life of about 50 years and the need is for a technology that can be retrofitted to existing fossil fuel power plants to capture CO2 emissions from the flue gases before they are emitted into the atmosphere. Post-combustion chemical absorption technology is the most promising of the carbon capture technologies presently available. Carbon dioxide emissions also occur from many other industrial processes other than power generation. These include steel mills, cement plants and oil refineries. Post-combustion chemical absorption technology can be readily applied to these industries as well. The schematic diagram of the post-combustion chemical absorption process is as shown in Figure 2 from a presentation by Dr. Stanley Santos of the International Energy Agency. The flue gases

The United States 5th Marine Regiment Korea to Afghanistan Research Paper

The United States 5th Marine Regiment Korea to Afghanistan - Research Paper Example On October 29, the 1st Battalion was moved down the Hai River to Taku-Tangu Area to protect the railhead, the Taku Port and supply lines. (Simmons, 185; Yingling, 39-40). Under increased American influence, the improving situation between the Chinese Nationalist and Communist forces led to a cease-fire in January 1946. On April 08, the Regimental Headquarters were moved to Tangshan for security of the rail lines. As the Nationalist Army began to take over the responsibilities, the Marine units were being relieved in various sectors gradually. Taking advantage of the reduction in Marine numbers, the Communist forces violated the agreement by occupying a vast area in Manchuria left after the departure of Soviet occupation troops. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, was deactivated on April 15. With only a few veterans left, the Regiment (less 1st Battalion) started intensive schooling program until September, when it returned to Peiping for the security of American personnel and property. (Yingling, 40-41). On the night of October 03, the 1st Battalion helped to repulse a company size attack by communists on the Hsin-Ho ammunition dump. The Battalion succeeded in recovering most of the stolen ammunition. On April 05, 1947, over 300 communists attacked two other ammunition dumps. Expecting a quick reaction from the 1st Battalion, the enemy had planned an ambush and mined the road leading to the area. As the lead vehicle of the C Company hit the mine, the attackers opened fire. The Marine counter-fire repelled the attack soon. However, despite diligent pursuit, the raiders succeeded in escaping the area along with the loaded ammunition. The Marine casualties included 16 wounded and 05 killed. (Yingling, 41). The 5th Marines were entitled to China Service streamer. By mid-May, the remaining units of the 1st Division had been withdrawn from China. Most of them were sent back to the United States. However, along with some other supporting units, the 5th Marines was moved to Guam, where it filled in the organization of 1st Provisional Marine Brigade on June 01, under the command of Brig. Gen. Edward A. Craig. The 2nd Battalion was also removed in October to form the 9th Marines. For the rest of the period at Guam, The one-battalion regiment was engaged in training exercises to increase proficiency of its personnel. The three-battalion 5th Marines, under the command of Col. Victor H. Krulak, was reactivated at Camp Pendleton on October 01, 1949. Elements of the 1st, 6th and 7th Marines formed the 1st and 2nd Battalions, while the 3rd Battalion (at Guam) joined the Regiment in February 1950. (Yingling, 41; Rottman, 170). The Korean War On June 25, 1950, the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) had invaded South Korea without any warning. Only four days later, in response to the United Nations’ call for rendering aid to South Korea, American Commander in the Far East, Gen. Douglas Macarthur, USA, was authorized to employ U.S. forces for repel ling the attack. Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Clifton B. Cates, offered a Marine air-ground brigade immediately. However, as he was not included in the Joint Chiefs of Staff meetings, he had to pursue a different channel. In response to Gen. Macarthur’s request for Marine units, Cates’ recommendation was finally approved on July 03. The 1st Provisional M

TWO businesses are organised. Essay Example for Free

TWO businesses are organised. Essay StructureOrganisational Charts The organisational chart is a diagram that would outlines the internal structure of the organisation you are showcasing and this is the most common visual way of showing how an organisation is structured and in this it would show the roles, responsibilities and the relationships between the people in the organisation and by using this chart you will be able to see the structure of the business as whole and you can see it from the departments in the chart. Tesco Organisation Charts Tesco’s Administration Department The administration department of Tesco would have to support the business by helping the functions of the business in human resources, finance; IT support and they would have to make sure the business runs smoothly. How this links with Tesco would be that if the HR department needs help with customers or employees, also they would help with the finance of the business which would include making sure they can get the supplies they need with the money they have. Overall the department is there to make sure the business runs good and if the departments in Tesco need any help the administration departments role is to provide support to these departments. Tesco’s IT Department The IT department would be in charge of all of the computer systems in the business or they will have to set up the systems in the businesses/repair anything in the business that would need repairing and they will have to maintain it to make sure that it runs properly because in most business technology in the 21st century is very important to businesses and if they want to be successful businesses. And the way Tesco would use this in many ways which could be barcode readers, automated checkout tills with a touch screen and they would have a computerised database to store the information for customers and Tesco also have an online website they must manage and allows for customers to shop online which is a very important feature for Tesco. Finance Department The finance department of Tesco would be the in charge of the money that goes in and out of the business and this would be done in many ways and what they would do is provide information about the progress of the business financially and this would be the weekly/monthly financial results, they are also in charge of the operating budgets in the business Marketing Department For Tesco what the marketing department of Tesco would do is make all the costs of the for the products they are selling, prepare the advertisement for their company, they would also have to make sure they see customer trends so that Tesco would be able to see what the customers of Tesco are purchasing the most in the store and maybe get more stock, change the price and the marketing department is also in charge of the promotions in the business which is why they would have to see what customers buy and by looking into the customers they would decide what products would

Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing

Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing INTRODUCTION Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing are applicable for any nurse, from beginner to expert. They are often considered as the vital part of nursing. This assignment will discover ethical and legal implication of the nurse who disguises the information of the lethal ill patient at the request of his family. The family does not want the nurse to notify the patient about the lethal nature of his disease. The family also desires that the nurse should not tell the patient about the medications prescribed to him. Johnstone (2011, p 21) says that nursing professional is very uncertain. The nurse is always in dilemma whether she should cooperate with the family or not. Now the questions that arises here is that if the nurse does not disclose the truth to the patient then what would be the legal implications. Moreover, the nurse is uncertain whether she would go after the wishes of the family or not. In the following discussion, I will look at the ethical principles and legal implications of hiding information from the patient and administering morphine without his information or approval. PALLIATIVE CARE According to WHO, palliative care is defined as an approach that helps in improving the quality of life of the patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening disease. Patients need a palliative care to support their long and slow treatment procedure Tang, (2006, p. 360). It is focused on providing comfort and relief from the pain and the other distressing symptoms of a serious illness. It integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care. It offers a support system that helps patients to be lively as much as possible until death. It also provides a firm support to the family to cope up with the patient illness and also includes bereavement support for the family. Palliative care uses a team approach to handle the needs of the patients and their families. It is a team based effort of care giving and it is also responsible for initiating the concept of dedicated palliative care development team. The team includes doctor, nurse, massage therapists, nutritionists and pharmacists. A number of medical professionals from different fields of medical sciences are constantly working on developing and designing new measures to provide the best palliative care to the patients who are suffering from serious illness. All the principles of the palliative care must be applied from the time of diagnosis. Palliative care is often associated with terminal diseases like Cancer and AIDS but now the concept has been changed. There are various palliative regimes which are applicable for other diseases, such as cardiac or renal disease, so as to help the patient to cope with the suffering (Johnson et al. 2011). Sometimes, a term ‘Long term care’ is used to describe the palliative care. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES (Hodkinson 2008) state that â€Å"The therapeutic nature of this nurse–patient relationship is a central concept in nursing. The most important issues related to this bond are disclosure of truth, kindness and communication.† The patients who are suffering from terminal illness generally prefer to hear the truth but they wish it to listen to it in a receptive way (Maria, Ann Anna 2011). Autonomy The main principle of autonomy is that the patient should have adequate information about his condition so as to make a significant choice of treatment (Moulton King 2010). The nurse should properly converse with the patient and make sure that the patient is well aware of all available treatment options (Johnstone 2011). (Collis 2006) suggested that before disclosing the information to family members it is must to seek the patient’s consent. It expresses the respect for their autonomy. The nurse should consider patient’s autonomy before administering morphine. (Starzomski 2009) noted, â€Å"Patients and families from diverse communities have different beliefs about autonomy and may not envision disclosure of information in the same way as their health care providers. In these cases this is an area that needs to be carefully explored with patients to ensure their wishes are respected and they are included in the information process in the way that they wish to be.† In this scenario nurse should communicate with the family members in order to convince and find out their preferred way to disclose the diagnosis and prognosis of disease. Beneficence- The principal of beneficence as a ‘do good’ describes applications of interventions that are carried out by nurse and physician for the benefit of patient .It also include the protection of right of health service consumer (Staunton Chiarella 2008). Health professional should treat the person ‘autonomously’ and prevent him/her from harm and care provider should also aware of legal implication of action taken(Ulysse, Balicas Yiquing 2011). Telling truth is not harmful for patient it will cause the peaceful death(OSullivan 2009). The health professional should motivate the family introducing them the benefit of therapeutic discloser and harmful effects of concealing information e.g. administer medication without consent. Justice -Justice described as treat everyone ‘equally and fairly’. It is a primary phenomena in resolving ethical dilemmas .It required to be supplemented by providing good care to health service user (Botes 2000).In order to apply justice health professionals provide care evenly to all the patients in hospital not patient and family. Non – maleficience This principle is based on the phenomena of ‘does no harm’ for example in health care when privacy hard to maintain for research or study purpose then health professional ensure that they do not disclose the patient’s personal details .This principal helps in prevent the occurrence and possibilities of harm. Nurse should access the risk of interventions that she /he is doing.(Ford Reutter 1990) .It also refrain the nurse from the intentional commission of a wrongful act.(Carlson et al. 2010) In many communities for instance Muslim and Indian cultures diseases are perceived as a family matter. Decision making is also â€Å"family centered† so withholding truth is not rare practice. Therefore beneficence and non-malfeasance play vital role in their moral values as compare to patient right to consent in western countries (Pentheny et al ,2011). It is also encouraged that in case of a dilemma a professional should seek help from their regulatory body or councils which can guide them towards a legally and ethically rightful path Hui, (2010, p.76). LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS Ethics and legal implications are very closely related with each other. Ethics deal with the standards of conduct and ethical judgement whereas legal issues deal with nursing practise which includes licensing, nurse practice acts and standards of care (Chaloner 2007). According to Criminal Code (Palliative Care) Amendment Bill 2003, â€Å"Section 282A does not address consent. The administration of medical treatment including palliative care is already governed by a legal regime. If a person has capacity to decide their medical care the patient will consent to their medical treatment. Unauthorised administration of medical treatment would be assault†. AMA Queensland emphasize that health professionals should respect the ‘autonomy’ terminally ill patients in order to refusal and acceptance of their medical treatments. Ethical and legal implications in palliative care are very significant because it is an end stage treatment where majority of patient are moving towards an impending death. It is a legal right of every Australian citizen to have complete and correct information about their medical situation. Because of this entitlement professionals delivering palliative care and family members of the patient involves in legal and ethical dilemma. Where they are not sure which course of action would be appropriate in both ethical as well as legal manner. Due to these legal issues and emotional disturbances families of the patient and patient itself undergo a lot of stress and psychological trauma. It is also agreed by many experts of palliative care that increased stress would also impact the ability of the patient to cope with the trauma Oonagh (2009, p.123). In this case study patient is facing an impending death from cancer and terminal diagnosis of cancer which will brings her life to the end. This result in deteriorating in her physical health and she may ask question about her situation and prognosis of the disease. With an adult patient it is relatively important to understand the concept of death and disease and they can take a realistic approach towards it by spending their remaining time in a productive manner saying good bye to dear ones and taking care of all formalities before meeting a demises. (ACMA 2011). It is very complicated to reveal the information opposite to relative’s desires (Cavanna et al ,2009) In this scenario, the wishes of the family to hide information from the patient is not unusual.Ethically it looks wrong for a health care practitioner to lie to the patients regarding her medical situation and not inform her about her forthcoming death. There might be things which she wants to do before dying if she would have been informed. There is also legal implication with the fact that a patient is being treated without her consent and it is also violation of the law which gives a patient right to refusal for treatment on her body. For example many patients want to sign DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) forms to ensure that no attempts should be made to revive them if they are close to death. In this case study patient is being denied of this right as well Hanson (2002). If by family here it is implied that her legal guardian wishes to keep this information hidden from the patient, then according to Giacalone (2007, p.368) the nurse is not legally bound to honour their desires to do so would run counter to the law etc. Prima Facie it is a clear case of violation of constitutional rights of a patient if nursing professional does not inform the patient about her medical condition and learn her desire and judgment in designing and developing her future treatment and palliative care plan. According to Australian constitutional law the patient have the first right on information regarding his medical condition and it is on his discretion that with whom this information should be shared. If a patient expressively states that he doesn’t wish to share his medical information with his family then it is legal obligation of hospital and medical professional to maintain the wish of the patient. Law handbook Victoria recognizes another law governing certain aspect of hospital care and ethical issue. This law is known as doctor patient confidentiality law this state that medical practitioner doctor, nurse or a paramedical personnel cannot divulge information about his patient to a non related person or a person without patient’s medical attorney until and unless directed by the court of law. . This regulation ensures that dignity and privacy of the patient is maintained and there is no legal or ethical negligence from the doctor in the entire transaction Vickers, (2004, p.232). SOLUTIONS AND BEING ETHICALLY RIGHT In the past years, the physicians were very reluctant to tell the truth to their patients regarding their existing health conditions. On the other hand, in these times the patients do want their physicians to tell them the truth about the diagnosis and the medical therapies. According a survey conducted almost three decades ago, it has been cleared that 97% of the physicians felt that it is correct to tell the truth to the patients regarding all the relevant aspects of their illness which includes the nature of the illness and its expected outcomes. Sometimes it is seen that there is psychological impact on the patient’s mindset and it’s really hard for them to cope with such a stressful situation (Kendall 2006). In such a situation, palliative care specialists can be proved quite helpful as they can provide resources to help the patient and his family deal with emotions that come with a serious illness. They may provide counseling, organize family meeting or make refer rals to mental health professionals if needed (Bush Bruni 2008). However, if the conditions are presented in an undignified manner then it is possible that it may create a negative picture of the situation in the patient’s mind and in that case it is obvious that the sufferings and stress of the patient would increase instead of decreasing and the patient may lose the hope to live (Li et al. 2008). Tuckett suggests that it is necessary to understand the mental state of the patient before passing on the entire information to him. The final decision is made by the doctor and his medical team regarding the disclosure of the truth to the patient after analyzing all his mental status (2012). Even the court of law has approved this argument that if the doctor and his medical team prove with an evidence that the information would have a devastating effect on the patient then they have a full power to hide the information from the patient or they reveal the truth to the patient when they believe it is appropriate time to tell Seymour (2004, p. 165). On the other hand, it may be possible that the patient does not want to listen to the information regarding his health but in such a situation it is the duty of the physician to provide the basic information to the patient (council 2004). IMPACT ON NURSING PRACTICE When the medical practitioners communicate with the patients, being honest is a fundamental way to develop trust and respect for the patient. Patients show a great deal of trust in their physician and they may feel deceived if they discover that there is lack of honesty by the physician. But, sometimes a situation arises when the physician thinks that disclosure would create a harmful effect on the patient and it may be validated to hold back the truthful information in that case. (Robinson January-February) explains that sometimes holding back the truthful information from patient may lead to feeling of regret in the health care providers. It can also be one of the main reasons of moral distress on them. (Goethals, Gastmans de Casterlà © 2010) state that many a times the moral distress may lead to less involvement of nurse in his work. It can also cause some kinds of health problems which may eventually leads to resignation from job. Ulysses et al (2011) asserts that in health pra ctise the therapeutic nondisclosure may lead to frustration which in turn affects the practitioner’s responsibility towards his patient and his family. CONCLUSION Many types of complex situations are often faced by several nurses throughout their professional life. Some professionals consider such types of suffering more badly than death. It is totally unfair to withhold the truth from the patient about his existing health conditions, especially when the patient is capable enough to give the consent about various medications and procedures. According to the constitution of Australia, it is not at all acceptable to claim the life of a person for any medical reason and direct any medications without his consent. This case study has proved very beneficial in developing a very in depth understanding of the various medical laws and legal problems which are faced by the health professionals. It should be the duty of every medical professional that in any situation he should not break any of the legal obligations. It also provides detailed information about the various significant steps that should be taken to handle these types of ethical dilemmas.

Values Education Essay -- Education

Australia as a nation is underpinned by the belief of a democratic society that requires the acquisition of essential knowledge, skills and values in order to enable all citizens to proactively play a part in the shaping their preferred future of a more equitable and socially just world (Bliss, 2005). To that end, Values and Values-based Education are considered to be an integral aspect of the Educational landscape as there is a recognition that values are not only a crucial part of a critical understanding of society, but also the key to successful participation in our democracy (Allison & Von Wald, 2010). For this reason the incorporation of values in schools is becoming increasingly important, as the active construction and clarification of values associated with contemporary legal issues in schools provides for the inclusion of the Australian Government’s key policy document, National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools (Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training, 2005). Today’s students are fast becoming members of an increasingly independent pluralistic community that supports a strong commitment to Values education, incorporating values exploration and clarification into student’s learning experiences in the classroom (Lovat, Dally, Clement & Toomey, 2011). Moreover, values are not only considered to be the key to modern education policy but the current Queensland Senior Legal Studies Syllabus 2007, which is aimed at assisting individual students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, values and beliefs that will enhance their ability to participate actively as critical members of society; a key aim of Values Education in schools (Australian Government Department of Education, Sc... ... Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs website http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf Queensland Studies Authority. (2007). Legal Studies Senior Syllabus 2007. Retrieved from Queensland Government: Queensland Studies Authority website http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior/snr_legal_studies_07_syll.pdf United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (1998). Learning To Live Together In Peace and Harmony: Values Education for Peace, Human Rights, Democracy and Sustainable Development for the Asia-Pacific Region. Bangkok, TH: UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Values Education Essay -- Education Australia as a nation is underpinned by the belief of a democratic society that requires the acquisition of essential knowledge, skills and values in order to enable all citizens to proactively play a part in the shaping their preferred future of a more equitable and socially just world (Bliss, 2005). To that end, Values and Values-based Education are considered to be an integral aspect of the Educational landscape as there is a recognition that values are not only a crucial part of a critical understanding of society, but also the key to successful participation in our democracy (Allison & Von Wald, 2010). For this reason the incorporation of values in schools is becoming increasingly important, as the active construction and clarification of values associated with contemporary legal issues in schools provides for the inclusion of the Australian Government’s key policy document, National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools (Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training, 2005). Today’s students are fast becoming members of an increasingly independent pluralistic community that supports a strong commitment to Values education, incorporating values exploration and clarification into student’s learning experiences in the classroom (Lovat, Dally, Clement & Toomey, 2011). Moreover, values are not only considered to be the key to modern education policy but the current Queensland Senior Legal Studies Syllabus 2007, which is aimed at assisting individual students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, values and beliefs that will enhance their ability to participate actively as critical members of society; a key aim of Values Education in schools (Australian Government Department of Education, Sc... ... Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs website http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf Queensland Studies Authority. (2007). Legal Studies Senior Syllabus 2007. Retrieved from Queensland Government: Queensland Studies Authority website http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior/snr_legal_studies_07_syll.pdf United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (1998). Learning To Live Together In Peace and Harmony: Values Education for Peace, Human Rights, Democracy and Sustainable Development for the Asia-Pacific Region. Bangkok, TH: UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury :: Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 Imagine a society where books are prohibited, where the basic rights made clear in the First Amendment hold no weight and society is merely a brainwashed, mechanical population. According to Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, this depiction is actually an exaggerated forecast for the American future, and in effect is happening around us every day. Simply reading his words can incite arguments pertaining not only to the banning of books but to our government structure itself. Age-old debates about Communism are stirred by the trials of characters in Bradbury’s unique world. By studying the protagonist and main character, Guy Montag, and his personal challenges we can, in a sense, evaluate our own lives to insure that we don’t make similar mistakes. Fahrenheit 451 was written during the fifties, a period of mass paranoia, war, and technological advancement. The paranoia in the fifties was due the fear of Communism at home. People were afraid that their best friends might be Communists. This is also portrayed in the book; you are not sure until the very end if some of the characters are friend or foe. Many inventions of the fifties have advanced mirrors in the book. One might think that the author was trying to express how those inventions would ultimately resulting in the dumbing down of society. The television was coming about in the fifties and the four screen TV's in the book hampered the thought process so people would not think. While the book is definitely critiquing society and the government, readers are given many dominant themes to follow, and to find all of them requires several readings. The main plot, following Montag, illustrates the importance of making mistakes in order to grow. For example, at the very end of the book Granger (an outspoken rebel to the book-banning laws) compares mankind to a phoenix that burns itself up and then rises out of its ashes over and over again. Man's advantage is his ability to recognize when he has made an error, so that eventually he will learn not to make that mistake anymore. Remembering the faults of the past is the task Granger and his group have set for themselves. They believe that individuals are not as important as the collective mass. The symbol of the phoenix's rebirth refers not only to the cyclical nature of history and the collective rebirth of society but also to Montag's own resurrection as a new person.

How to Become an Effective Manger and a Good Communicator Essay

In order to stay on top, companies need to do more than just stay the same and keep them alive, they need to grow. And that means that their employees need to develop and improve their skills at the same pace. More than ever, managers are being encouraged to improve employee performance through effective coaching, but so few of them have the time or the knowledge. It takes to do it successfully. Based on my case study, and presentation from the other classmate, I am getting to know how they develop their most promising employees. Now in this article, I will talk about how to be an effective manager based on the staff that I have learned from BUAD 309 class. I will also talk about from problem solving to developing accountability as an effective manager. I am a table tennis coach myself, I needs to coach other players has total different back ground and age. When I am coaching people, my students are either improving fast or still remain the same, these are all good to me, because in my perspective, when people are not improving fast, means that they are absorb the knowledge I thought them. But In the business world, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. It’s a basic rule of life here on earth and in the business world today. It’s what drives most of us to be better at what we do and who we are. It’s the desire to â€Å"be more. † Because of this desire, the term â€Å"coaching† has caught the attention of both the personal growth and business worlds, creating a multibillion dollar business and a situation in which everyone wants a coach. More than ever before, employees are asking for developmental opportunities and managers are being told they need to â€Å"coach† their employees on a regular basis. We’ve even worked with managers who say they’ve been told to â€Å"stop managing and start coaching. This all sounds great in theory: managers coaching employees to grow and be more effective, but there’s one problem. Although many people agree that having a coach is a great way to move toward success, very few people know what a coach actually is or what a coach actually does. This leaves many managers scratching their heads as they try to fit one more ambiguous task into their already over-busy schedules. So what is a coach, and what is coaching? This is our definition: A coach is someone who helps another person reaches higher effectiveness by creating a dialogue that leads to awareness and action. Lorber, L 2008)By creating the space to step back, look in the mirror, and grapple with the tough questions, a coach helps a person examine and deal with their reactions to obstacles and, in a sense, â€Å"get out of their own way† as they achieve better results, in a more efficient manner. When we are faced with a task, there are three things that managers should help employees to get better and be as successful as possible: First, make sure you find and dig out the aptitude of your employees: make them understand their potential and capacity to complete the task at hand. Second, make sure your employee’s attitude right toward their jobs: make sure your employees are confidence, focus, and determination to complete the task at hand. Third, make sure you make your employees use all the available resources: make them use all the tools, equipment, and time that available that needed to complete the task at hand. Without these three components, we cannot be at the top of our game. The degrees to which each of them does or does not exist directly contribute or detract from our ultimate level of success. It can be thought of as an equation with variable components. Start with Aptitude, the most obvious component of the equation. Without the proper skills and know how to complete a task, we are left scratching our head and frustrated. Think of a kid on her birthday receiving her first shiny, new bike. She has the determination and excitement to ride her new wheels, but she lacks the skill and ability to go whizzing down the street as she envisions. (Greg P, 1993) After two or three wipeouts, you end up with a frustrated little birthday girl. Just as crucial to the equation is having the Available Resources to complete the task. Think of the last time your team at work had a great idea or new approaches to accomplishing success, but you lacked the budget, time, or people power to deal with it. You had the capacity to figure out a new solution, the drive and confidence to make it a reality, but lacked the money or people to pull it off. Not a fun place to be in, by any stretch of the imagination. As managers, and people, we are comfortable and see the need to focus on Aptitude and Available Resources. When things aren’t working in the office, managers are often very willing to train people in new skills or throw more money at the problem. However, it’s the middle part of the Success Equation. The keystone if you will that most people tend to overlook, forget about, or outright ignore. Attitude refers to things like the drive, confidence, focus, enthusiasm, determination, need, desire, fortitude, and inspiration to accomplish the task at hand. Although difficult to measure and manage, without the right Attitude, having only the Aptitude and Available Resources will get you nowhere. Unfortunately, managers often say things like, â€Å"why can’t people just do their jobs and leave all that other stuff at home. † Well, people don’t â€Å"leave all that other stuff at home† because as humans, we can’t. (Greg P, 1993) Understandably, many managers wish that this was not the case, because managing would be immensely easier if people could really â€Å"check their emotions at the door. † We got it, and, unfortunately, it’s not possible. Think of the time your work day has been affected because you were ill, or you had a fight with a family member. This doesn’t even include the events that happen at work. When rumors of a downsizing start in an organization, how many people are able to completely check their emotional reaction to the news and focus a hundred percent on their work? Not many. So, for better or worse, managers have to accept that our Attitude affects our Level of Success, and focusing on it is more than â€Å"a nice thing to do. † Like it or not, Attitude is hardwired into the Success Equation of humans, and not just as a variable on the periphery. Attitude is perhaps the most vital component in the entire equation, and focusing on it is a manager’s business imperative. Hardline business people are often most comfortable thinking of this in terms of sports. Anyone who has played sports has probably been told at one time or another to â€Å"get your head in the game,† â€Å"focus,† â€Å"get psyched up,† or â€Å"don’t think that you can’t beat these guys! † (Greg P, 1993) Sports coaches know that the confidence, drive, and determination of their athletes can make all the difference between playing and winning. I think this is the biggest connection between my sport and management. Other than the three things, I would like to talk about good communication skills as a good manager. Good communication skill means the ability to be understood, but it also means more than that. Have you ever noticed how good conversationalists have the ability to light up a conversation and inspire others to join in? You can learn to be like that too. Remember any good conversation is a two-way process. It’s only as good as the responses you get but you can really improve the number and types of responses you get by honing your communication skill. Here are a few aspects of what it means to have this skill to initiate and sustain an interesting, enjoyable conversation that everyone feels better for having participated in.

Larsen and Toubro Case Study Essay

Organizational Development (OD) is a planned long term effort led and supported through the top management to improve an organization’s ability and to solve its own problems by continuously working together and on managing the culture using behavioural skills. Thus, there are some certain aspects worth discussing about which are- OD is a planned effort. It requires a lot of effort, patience, and faith and is time consuming. Secondly, OD usually uses outsiders. These ‘facilitators’ as they are called are process specialists and are involved in depth in this process. The pioneers of OD in India were Larsen and Toubro India (L&T). OD at L&T started by calling in 2 eminent professors- Dr Udai Pareek and Dr TV Rao to study the appraisal process at the company. The existing appraisal system had many faults and needed to be corrected. The difficult task started by the professors interviewing some bosses and subordinates from different departments (using Diagnosis or Action Research) and they got a very interesting feedback. Some of the aspects of the feedback were – juniors wanted to know how well they were doing on the job, but weren’t told; people wanted to know what the growth opportunities in the company were; the appraisal form was too lengthy; some bosses had too many subordinates to appraise, etc. After getting the feedback from the employees the professors gave a report to the top management about the actual problem. The appraisal system had to serve not just one but many purposes namely it should help people understand their strengths and weaknesses, their own progress on the job, how they can perform better, and how they could grow in the company. So the appraisal process had to address the issues of appraisal, potential, counselling, career development and training all in one! The top management after reviewing the report gave the go ahead and they did two main things which were the most important which were bifurcating the Personnel department into personnel department and HRD department. This bifurcation was the first sign of ‘structural’ change. Secondly, a team of 6 senior managers was formed which would be responsible for implementing the changes required. The story continues when the 6 task force and the professors decided that the appraisal process had to involve the line managers personally, the performance goals must be set jointly by boss and junior and the appraisals must also involve feedback and counselling to people. Thus, they prepared a Performance Appraisal Manual by involving the departmental heads and other senior managers to analyze what kind of objectives could be set and then added such guidelines in the manual. To address the issue of feedback and counselling, the team identified around 29 senior line managers and some senior staff with a flair for public speaking. These selected people were put through a workshop on how to be good ‘Givers’ and ‘Receivers’ of feedback and then later conducted the same workshop for other employees at HQ and regional offices. Thus, the first workshop was a ‘Train the trainer’ workshop which was cascaded to the other employees. After putting in so much of effort now the management at L&T wanted to know whether the process was working for them or not. So again the professors interviewed some seniors and juniors about how the appraisals were going on. This time different views came into the picture – the goal setting was seen as time consuming, appraisal was becoming a numbers game, and was tending to become ritualistic. The HRD department was asked to conduct a survey (Participant Action Research). The survey also threw new light about the new appraisal process. The bosses now did involve their juniors in the goal setting and there was ‘healthy resolution’ of difficulties and there was a ‘high degree of trust’ between the seniors and juniors which led to ‘increased joint understanding about the job’. After receiving such a feedback, they again tried to simplify the appraisal form by adding the definitions of the attributes listed in the appraisal form. In addition, they held refresher courses in feedback skills for both ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ of feedback. The facilitators felt that the appraisal system has stabilised when 80 to 85% of the appraisal forms were returned within six weeks of the target date. Also the HRD department started analyzing all the appraisal forms. The data from the analysis was used for listing high and low performers for a certain period; for finalising departmental developmental plans and for preparing the list of department wise employees and the training courses they needed. The above mentioned process took L&T 8 years to complete and stabilise themselves. Thus, I can conclude that OD is a long term process which requires a lot of patience, support from the top management and a vision to a bright future.