The Economic History of the United States Essay Example for Free

The Economic History of the United States Essay Today, the United States has the most foremost economy in the global industry. It is the leader in trade and exchange and has embraced ideologies and policies that directly affect the performance of its economy. Among this is the policy of free trade which was strongly pursued and promoted by well known economist and scholar, Milton Friedman. Friedman has become an advocate of Adam Smiths writings and highly agree with his ideas of free trade, competition in the markets, and the â€Å"invisible hand†. Friedmans contention is that the act of embracing free trade by the United States is one which will definitely benefit the economy in the long-run as opposed to embracing an economy that is highly protected and regulated by the government. The government is indeed essential to provide security and to make sure that orderly, stable, and lawful conditions are sustained and provided. However, governments cannot help but heavily intrude in economic and business affairs. Friedman sees this as a hindrance to the furtherance of achieving economic prosperity as well as a suppression of the freedom to choose. The film provided valuable insights about the different developments of other nations to provide an overview of how free trade and government intervention and control has affected the development of these nations. Take for example Britain who used to suffer from smuggling and numerous lawbreakers. It removed all the duties and tarriffs on goods in 1846 and has become the workplace of the world, achieving an unprecendented rate of economic wellness. Japan is also among those countries which embraced a certain aspect of free trade when it broke away from its feudal society and isolation in 1868. It has been rooted in the traditional and because of the opening of its market to the West traders and its embrace of free trade, Japan has since then become an economy that is highly competitive. It has adopted modern ways of production in its various industries which caused its economic boom. This economic freedom has further promoted human freedom. On the other hand, India after its freedom from Britain, has adopted a system that strongly relied on the government for central planning and control. The weaving industry of India was heavily regulated and keenly controlled by the government. It never really prospered and the energy coming from human capital was stifled which would have produced more dynamic actvity. In this respect, other industries were sacrificed and until the present, India has never really modernized. In the case of the United States, its employment of free enterprise has currently provided an economy that is noteworthy because it provided the enjoyment of low prices, products that are satisfactory in terms of quality and high wages. Adam Smith, in his book The Wealth of Nations, introduced the â€Å"invisible hand† which has been one of the foundations of free enterprise. This is very manifest in the United States economy in a way that it is human nature. The behavior of the Americans which places a big importance on the freedom to choose, provides an environment that is highly characteristic of the invisible hand at work. Self-interest which is very common to all, is the main key in the propagation of this phenomenon. The difference of the United States however, is its open acceptance of the cultivation of self-interest. Because of the individual pursuance of self-interest, different producers have manufactured products in the aim of achieving profit from them. This in turn provided the needs for the consumers, who in the pursuance of their self interest, paid for goods that became the profit for the producers. This spontaneous order definitely explains the economic prosperity that the United States enjoy today. Furthermore, because of the invisible hand at work, competition at the market place has been cultivated and encouraged. More producers have made goods that provided variety for people to choose. It is a known fact that consumers would definitely opt for goods that are of the cheapest price, and this competition definitely promotes a healthy economic environment when it is coupled by the sellers option to sell at a higher price. This applies to the domestic economy as well as to international exchange and trade. United States has suffered from protectionism as a political disease but it has risen above it and has not coward out of competing in the international market. The lifting of constraints from the government with regards to international competition facilitated the United States advantageous strategies that explored the minimization of costs and maximization of profits. It has tapped cheaper overseas labor in the processing of raw materials and assembling of goods that are then sold domestically and exported abroad. However, arguments saying that this process will mean lesser jobs for Americans has been voiced out by others. Despite the negative implication that this outsourcing of labor has, the United States has found means of going around it. It has took advantage of the free market of foreign exchange in the birth of export industries that have replaced jobs that might have been lost. This was only possible because of the alleviation of government intervention in international exchange and trade. Another instance is the support of small businesses that are currently motivated by the free enterprise policy of the United States. This small businesses provide more jobs for the American citizens currently. Summing up, it can be assumed that free trade accounts for the United States being able to enjoy a high standard of living and if more barriers are removed, it promises an even brighter economic future. Free trade allows more goods and services to reach the United States allowing the American consumers to choose and enjoy goods at lower prices. This means more spending income or savings for a household. However, the positive effects of free trade is not limited domestically because it extends to a global scale. With the embrace of a free enterprise, the freedom to choose is extended globally and influences more nations. With the right attitude of acceptance and undertaking the challenge of competition, other nations could take the steps that the United States have taken. With the right market reforms, economic improvement is definitely at hand. Works Cited PBS Free to Choose 1990 Vol. 2 of 5 The Tyranny of Control http://video. google. com/videoplaydocid=2798161794328252652q=Milton+Friedman+Free+to+choose+duration3Alongtotal=15start=10num=10so=0type=s

Human Resource Managements Function In Organisations

Human Resource Managements Function In Organisations Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management can also be performed by line managers. Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. Definition of HRM: William R. Tracey, in The Human Resources Glossary defines Human Resources as: The people that staff and operate an organization; as contrasted with the financial and material resources of an organization. Human Resources is also the organizational function that deals with the people and issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, and training. A Human Resource is a single person or employee within your organization. What Is the Human Resource Department? Answer: Departments are the entities organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organizations goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. But, a department can be organized in any way that makes sense for the customer. Departments can also be organized by customer, by product, or by region of the world. Impact of HRM on Human Resource Function : HRM function contributes to organisational effectiveness in the following ways: Helping the organization reach its goals. Employing the abilities and skills of the workforce efficiently. Providing the organisation with well-trained and well-motivated employees. Increasing the fullest the employees job satisfaction and self actualisation. Developing and maintaining a quality of work life that makes employment in the organisation desirable. Communicating HRM policies to all employees. Helping to maintain ethical policies and socially responsible behaviour. Managing change to the mutual advantage of individuals, groups, the enterprise and the public. The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. Usually small businesses (for-profit or nonprofit) have to carry out these activities themselves because they cant yet afford part- or full-time help. However, they should always ensure that employees have-and are aware of-personnel policies which conform to current regulations. These policies are often in the form of employee manuals, which all employees have. Some people distinguish a difference between HRM (a major management activity) and HRD (Human Resource Development, a profession). Those people might include HRM in HRD, explaining that HRD includes the broader range of activities to develop personnel inside of organizations, including, e.g., career development, training, organization development, etc. There is a long-standing argument about where HR-related functions should be organized into large organizations, e.g., should HR be in the Organization Development department or the other way around? The HRM function and HRD profession have undergone major changes over the past 20-30 years. Many years ago, large organizations looked to the Personnel Department, mostly to manage the paperwork around hiring and paying people. More recently, organizations consider the HR Department as playing an important role in staffing, training and helping to manage people so that people and the organization are performing at maximum capability in a highly fulfilling manner. Models and Phases in HRM debate Task 1 b EVALUATE THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN RELATION TO THE ORGANISATIONS BROADER OBJECTIVES, EVALUATE HR PRACTICES IN BOTH PROFIT MAKING AND NOT FOR PROFIT PRGANISATIONS. Strategic Human Resource Management Definition of HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.htmlStrategyHYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.html A strategy is a step-by-step plan of action prepared by an organization and by which it aims to achieve its plan or plans, thus, ensuring its success and survival. Strategic management may be understood as the process of formulating, implementing and evaluating business strategies to achieve organizational objectives. Analysis of the environment, formulation of strategies, implementation of strategies, and evaluation and control are the phases in the strategic management process. Strategic Human Resource Definition Strategic human resource defines employees as a resource, an asset, that provides competitive advantage to an organization, and on whom organizational success is leveraged. This is the new way adopted by many organizations in the treatment of their employees, making them the prime drivers or one of the prime movers of corporate success. People, not machines, not systems, not other assets, are in the special position in helping the organization attain its objectives. These other things, however, are also important. But people are needed to make use of them in productive ways. Some companies are now convinced that their people are the most important asset. And that without them, they cannot achieve much. In this way, they are implementing a strategic human resource management approach. Human Resource Strategy Definition This is the step-by-step plan of action by which an organization employs, utilizes or manages, develops, and deploys its human resources in order to attain its defined corporate mission and objectives. A human resource strategy is devised in respect of recruitment, employee deployment, motivation and engagement, and employee retention. By doing this, an organization puts itself in the position of being able to achieve its mission and objectives through its human resources. This follows from the way how strategic human resource is strategically defined. Strategic Human Resource Management This is the effective way of organizing the workforce by the adoption of a specific strategy, where employees performance can help to achieve the planned organizational targets, such as increasing revenue or improving the profit margin. Strategic human resource management is human resource management carried out in a strategic way. The human resource activities are linked to the achievement of the organizations overall objectives. This is the new way of managing human resources as compared to personnel management. Strategic HR Plan Strategic human resource plan refers to the strategic plan whereby employees energy, time, capabilities, competencies and knowledge are incorporated in a step-by-step plan of action so that their contribution can be monitored and measured over time. By doing this, human resource can become the prime drivers of corporate success. The human resource plan is aligned to the corporate plan. The primary goal of strategic human resource plan is to improve employee productivity thus helping to generate higher revenue for the organization. Why must your organization be concerned about strategic Human Resource Management? Organizations, particularly business entities, must succeed financially if they are to survive. This is the reason why business plans are prepared. This is one of the simple ways in understanding the important factors related to strategic human resource. Your organization, too, has its business plan. The only thing left to do is to make it a reality. When you adopt a strategic HR Management plan, there is a high probability that certain positive results will ensue. This can result in the following: Enhancement of your organizations economic performance Increase in employee and organizational productivity Increase in your survival rate as a corporate entity Lower labour turnover Increase in customer satisfaction Your HR function does not become redundant due to value-adding quality Pfeiffer lists seven dimensions of effective people management. Employment security Rigorous selection of employees Self-managed teams and decentralized decision making Comparatively high compensation linked to individual and organizational performance Extensive training Reduced status distinctions, and Extensive sharing of financial and performance information throughout the organization Formulate strategies to ensure that you can attain these objectives. In order to ensure that employees can play their respective role in the organization, you need an HR plan of action. You need to conduct HR strategic planning to this effect. Further to this, you need to train and develop your people in order that they have the knowledge and skills to perform their respective tasks. Human Resource Strategic Approach In strategic Human Resource management, you can choose to place emphasis on HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/human-resources-performance-management.htmlperformance improvement and competitive advantage.HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/human-resources-performance-management.html This has the potential of leading to industrial conflicts. You also have the choice of adopting the soft approach. This approach takes into consideration an employees superior know-how, commitment, motivation and job satisfaction. Some argue that this approach is manipulative. But there is more to the HRM approach than this. Implementation Process The process adopted by organizations may differ. Your HR Manager and HR professionals can assist as this is their role. Formulate your HR mission and objectives to provide the connecting link between all HR management activities. Clearly define and understand your HR strategic intent. R. Collins states: Improvement in the strategic management of people also requires a commitment to sustained long-term action. Understand the business carried out by your organization. This includes HR Managers and HR professionals. Choose the strategy you will adopt to migrate from people business to business business. This is making HR as Strategic Partner. Formulate your HR strategic plan, understand what it is intended to achieve, and how to link it to the overall business objectives. Implement the plan. This requires a strategic implementation plan to ensure the plan is understood and accepted by everyone in the organization. Obtain feedback on outcomes. Use these as inputs in future decision making. Review and amend plan accordingly, communicate and re-implement. Human Resource Management Strategy To ensure a high probability of success in the implementation of strategic human resource management, a number of things are necessary. Strategic recruitment where the right person is selected to fill the right job and according to organizational needs Using the right mix of incentives to motivate and engage employees who then can concentrate improving their performance Appointment of the right HR Head to provide the necessary leadership in making HR as a strategic partner An HR mission statement with well defined HR objectives drawn up in alignment with the overall organizational objectives Provision of the right set of training and development programs on an on-going basis to every level of employees Implementation of a performance management system to identify high-performing employees for the purpose of giving rewards befitting their performance, work quality and output Giving recognition and implementing a fair rewards system to retain quality employees The Human Resource Function Someone, somewhere within your organization must carry out the HR function. If not, your organization cannot fulfill its legal and contractual obligations towards employees. So, who are responsible for the HR function? Human Resource Managers are appointed for important purposes. HR professionals are there to help them. Your organization may have appointed an HR Manager or an HR Director or both. If your organization is very serious about implementing strategic human resource management, appointing an HR director goes a long way in ensuring that the HR plan is treated as important as the organizations business plan. He or she can provide the necessary leadership on all matters relating to HR. Whatever is the approach, it is crucial that you have a competent person looking after this important function. It is important to remember that HR leaders do face a lot of different problems. Capable professionals are what your organization needs to succeed in implementing strategic HR management. Note however, that a survey had shown that there are still a lot of organizations who do not place much importance to human resource. Surely, your organization doesnt want to follow suit. Some organizations may have even decentralized or outsourced the entire function. The Better Option Decentralizing the entire HR function goes against the new development and trends in HR management. However, you can decentralize certain human resource activities to line managers. When you do this, provide them with all the necessary support. Make your line managers responsible for the occupational health and safety issues in their own area of operations, the training of their subordinates, recruitment for their respective sections according to needs, and the performance appraisal of their subordinates. Integration of Strategic Human Resource Management into Planning and Decision Making Process It is now accepted that without people, achieving result is practically impossible. In managing your people, prepare a long-term plan to integrate your organizational goals with HR policies and actions. Strategies are implemented in identified key HR areas to improve employee motivation and productivity. You need to see whether your HR strategies are competitive enough as compared to industry standards. Benchmark them while exercising due care. Information must freely flow throughout the organization. You can ensure that this can by adopting an effective informantion system. Strategic Human Resource Management and Business Strategy Strategic Human Resource management helps to identify the business strategy that you can adopt. For example, you implement an effective training and performance improvement plan to improve customer service. More satisfactory customer service will bring in more revenue. You can use this superior performance to determine the rewards. This, in turn, motivates your employees to perform better. Learning forms a necessary part of improving human resource management both on the part of employees and management. The 7 S of HRM attempts to simplify the important characteristics of human resource management. Thereafter, conduct a more in-depth examination. So what are the 7S of HRM? Strategic-ally-linked to the organizations Mission and Objectives Standard-based, that is, people management is benchmarked against current best HR practices that serve as performance measures Systematic, that is, sound and clearly-defined HR policy, well-planned systems and procedures aimed at achieving strategic HR objectives while, at the same time, complying with the law Stretching people in the performance of their duties and responsibilities on a daily basis in order to achieve service excellence Strengthening the ability and competencies of employees and the capability and capacity of organizations to accomplish defined targets Stress-tested capability, ability and leadership skills of the management team, and Sustaining high employee and organizational productivity on a continuous basis based on TQM standards The Future of Strategic HR Management Proponents of strategic HR management generated tremendous interest on the subject. Some large organizations had implemented it. In contrast, some lament the ineffectual efforts by many organizations in implementing the system. Strategic human resource management is not going to disappear. This is so as long as people continue to run organizations of whatever size and for whatever purpose. If HRM Does Not Take The Lead, Who Will? If HRM does not start down the relationship management path, someone else will, and as old HRM continues to be outsourced, one must wonder what will be left for todays HR executives? Relationship management is an opportunity that can be seized by HR executives who are truly strategic and who understand what is needed succeed today and remain competitive as the business landscape continues to evolve and change. Evaluate HR practise in both profit making and not-for-profit making organisations Any organization, may it be profit oriented or not-for-profit, the most vital asset is its employees. And for these organizations to maximize their assets, they should manage the employees working condition with intelligence and efficiency. They must be allowed to be involved in making work-related decisions to further enhance the organizational structure . Furthermore, the structure of tasks among the employees strengthens the organizational performance. It is therefore necessary to understand the employees for the organization to be effective. The development, building, motivation, enhancement and enrichment of the employees of any organization largely depend on the leadership, mandate and vision of the organization . Traditionally, HRM is the helps the organizations in achieving the goals of the organization by hiring and maintaining efficient employees. According to (2002), the following are some of the responsibilities of HRM: Train the workforce to maintain competitiveness of the organization. Develop and communicate industrial policies and procedures in line with legislation. Involvement in grievance and disciplinary hearings. Lead negotiations. Implement termination and hiring procedures. Assessment and management of organizational climate and employees relations. Liaison with trade unions. Implementation of outcomes of collective bargaining and negotiation. Develop compensation strategies and polices in line with legislation and the organizations business strategy. Attach meaningful monetary values to posts in the organization ensuring that the organizations compensation is in line with market forces. Develop appropriate compensation systems for the organization. Manage overall labour costs. Provide current information regarding employees to be used in the decision-making process and measurement of HRMs contribution to the organization. For example: In this case, Tesco has 240,000 employees that contributed to the  £33.974 billion GBP in 2005. The apparent effective implementation of HR functions by the HR personnel of Tesco is a basis itself to prove that HR strategy is a tool for competitive advantage. Being governed by CEO , Tesco provided comprehensive execution of the HR function with respect to the employees welfare. Aside from the continuous strategic planning and innovation, customer relations and welfare management, as well as HRM and its strategies, Tesco gained its respected reputation and dominance in UK retailing sector. HR and Organizations Performance In the era of globalization, every organization like Tesco must keep itself along with all the other organizations on being globally competitive. Corporate or organizational competitive advantage does not only depend on the organizations financial resources but on the human resources too. That is, for the organization to achieve competitive advantage, the people involved in the organization must also be competitive. HR strategies or HRM in general, is a distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. It is about understanding, researching, applying and revising all human resource activities in their internal and external contexts as they impact the process of managing human resources in enterprises throughout the global environment to enhance the experience of multiple stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, partners, suppliers, environment and society. Task 1 C DISCUSS CONTRIBUTION MADE BY HRM IN CONTROLLING THE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He also sponsors change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his organization, he champions the identification of the organizational mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he helps determine the measures that will tell his organization how well it is succeeding in all of this. Increasingly, change management is seen as a permanent business function to improve efficiency and keep organizations adaptable to the competitive marketplace. Many organizations strategically use change to improve organizational effectiveness. But bringing about successful change in todays competitive environment requires thoughtful planning, effective communication and employee acceptance. As the function with primary responsibility for human capital management, HR needs to be involved from the beginning when major organizational change initiatives are being developed. The impact of major organizational changes on employee attitudes cannot be overstated. Change can create enormous tension in the workplace. Many people are uncomfortable with change, and are filled with uncertainty and apprehension over job security and the future, circumstances that can threaten the success of change initiatives. According to the Society for Human Resource Managements (SHRM) 2007 Change Management Survey Report, the top two obstacles encountered during major organizational change are communication breakdown and employee resistance. HR leaders can help get employee support for change initiatives by ensuring that communications about change are clear, constant and consistent. Communication largely determines how change initiatives are received and supported, and most HR professionals have highly developed communication skills. SHRMs survey found that when HR was involved in change management communications, employee understanding improved, communication between managerial and non-managerial employees improved, and potential risks were identified and mitigated. Communication that fails to engage employees and to inform them of the reasons, processes and expected benefits of major organizational changes can lead to lack of employee buy-in and, ultimately, failure of change initiatives. Research shows that HR is the critical link to successful organizational change. To ensure agreement of stake-holders at all levels of the organization, HR can foster effective change management by clearly communicating the organizations vision, carefully designing change initiatives, providing updates at all stages of the program, and engaging both top management and employees throughout the process. When it comes to organizations, HR has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that change is realized, hopes are met, and success is sustainable. And thats a recurring theme that is here to stay. Task 2 a DISCUSS THE NEED FOR LEARNING IN ORGANISATIONS TODAY AND EVALUATE THE ROLE OF BOTH THE ORGANISATIONS AND THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TODAY Why do we want a Learning Organization? because it gives organizations the possibilities to discover who they are, where they want to go, and define the quality of life they wish to pursue. A Learning Organization is an organization that focuses on continually growing and changing through the acquisition of knowledge. Such an organization fosters an environment of knowledge sharing and encourages employees to gain new knowledge. Such knowledge increases the organizations profitability and customer satisfaction. In the Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge describes learning organizations as places where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. It is widely recognized that innovation is driven by new knowledge, and there is clear relationship between learning and knowledge, but it is this balance between learning and knowledge that is so critical to successful knowledge management and innovation. To achieve a sustainable competitive advantage where new knowledge results in critical innovation it is necessary to develop both a superior knowledge capability balanced by a superior learning capability. Those organizations who are adept at knowledge capabilities but are also less adept at learning capabilities will likely see their competitive position eroded by those organizations with less knowledge but a greater capacity to learn and then catch-up. And for that reason it is critical for any learning organization to gain new knowledge from which learning can occur, and to learn from application of current knowledge and to use this learning as a driver to obtain new knowledge. The learning organization focuses on its systems as part of the bigger picture to identify opportunities to use knowledge and learning to increase knowledge and intellectual capacity and improve performance. The Need for the LEARNING ORGANIZATION The nature of the environment has changed dramatically due to significant economic, social and technological changes over the past decades. Organizations today are confronted with increasing environmental turbulence arising from global competition, the introduction of new technologies, shortened product lifecycles and political and social pressures. Organizations, today must be flexible and learn to anticipate changes and respond rapidly. Today, learning makes the critical difference among organizations. Learning can hardly be described as a new characteristic of organizations. Organizational learning is as old as organizations themselves. What is new, is an increased awareness of the connections between learning and competitive ability as well as better insight into the conditions for effective learning. In the long term it is said that learning will only provide competitive advantage to organizations that learn faster and better than their competitors. Changes in the business environment have significant implications for learning World-Class Organizations Any organization in business cannot afford to stand still. It must improve its ability to deliver higher quality goods and services at competitive prices or it will go out of existence. This trend has resulted in emergence of World Class Organizations (WCOs), in which enterprises can compete effectively on a global basis. This does not mean the organization has to do business in an international level. However, if a Multi National Enterprise (MNE) sets up operation locally, the WCO must be able to compete effectively or if it is a supplier, it must make a competitive bid to supply the MNE with the desired goods. Simply stated, enterprises now use their competitive advantage to invade international markets, and local companies should meet the challenge. Figure 1 illustrates as how to be more than just being a total quality or adaptive organization. It means learning how to anticipate and stay ahead at impending changes (qualities of learning organizations) and how to continuously improve to maintain a competitive advantage. What do organizations need to do to become WCOs? There are six pillars of WCOs and each represents a human relations challenge. They are depicted here: Table 1. Characteristics of a Learning Organization and Associated Best Practices Characteristic Definition Associated Best Practices Positive Byproducts Self mastery- individual The ability to honestly and openly see reality as it exists; to clarify ones personal vision 1.Positive reinforcement from role models/managers 2.Sharing experiences 3.More interaction time between supervisory levels 4.Emphasis on feedback 5.Balance work/non-work life Greater commitment to the organization and to work; less rationalization of negative events; ability to face limitations and areas for improvement; ability to deal with change Mental models individual The ability to compare reality or personal vision with perceptions; reconciling both into a coherent understanding 1.Time for learning 2.Reflective openness 3.Habit of inquiry 4.Forgiveness of oneself 5.Flexibility/adaptability Less use of defensive routines in work; less reflexivity that leads to dysfunctional patterns of behavior; less avoidance of difficult situations Shared vision group The ability of a group of individuals to hold a shared picture of a mutually desirable future 1.Participative openness 2.Trust 3.Empathy towards others 4.Habit of dissemination 5.Emphasis on cooperation 6.A common

Essay --

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Cupertino, California founded Apple Inc. in 1976 (Glen Sanford 1996). The two first just created Apple Computers in the beginning and as their company became more successful, they branched out to other types of electronics such as laptops, various musical devices, computer software, and e-book compatible machines. Apple Inc was started because both Jobs and Wozniak had always been interested in electronics throughout their lives. Wozniak was part of the creation since he was interested in computer-design. Jobs was the one who encouraged Wozniak to sell the computer to see what would happen. On April 1, 1976 the first Apple Computer was created. The organizational chart of Apple Inc. includes three key elements which are centralization, span of control, and departmentalization. Centralization is defined as the foundation of power and control which in this case is the CEO of the company, Timothy D. Cook. The next part of the organizational chart is the span of control; it refers to the amount of people a manager overlooks (BUSN 235). Since Apple Inc. is a rather large corporation there are numerous managers who overlook lower-ranking employees in the office. There is not a specified amount of employees that are assigned to one particular manager. It is based on what the strengths and weaknesses are of the manager and subordinates, the workload, as well as the location of the staff members (235). The last part of the organizational chart is departmentalization; the breakdown of employees into rational groups such as functional, product, and geographical, customer, and process (235). The ones that apply to Apple is functional, product, and geographical. Functional departmentalization involves separat... ...se and they would not have been prepared for it. Also, to stay on top, companies must have to have a secure global database and Apple does not. Their jobs are mostly concentrated in the United States and then the parts to make the products are made and constructed overseas. Since I could not find a definitive mission statement, they will eventually have one set instead of having a list of achievements passing as their mission statement. A recommendation I would give to Apple is to create products that are cheaper because then more products would be sold. Another recommendation would be to construct offices that are around the world making products that are related to that particular country’s needs and satisfaction. I also agree with Shaughnessy about making Apple’s product market more elaborate and varied as well as to focus on the future instead of in the present.

First Love by John Clare Essay -- First Love John Clare Poems Poetry E

First Love by John Clare How do different poets convey the idea of Love? â€Å"First Love† by John Clare was written in the 19th century. It is a poem about how the poet had fallen in love but it turned out it was unrequited. Whereas â€Å"Song† by W.H.Auden written in the 20th century, is a poem about how someone has been in love but then lost them to death. They are both quite similar in the fact that they are both about loving someone but not being able to have them. However they are different because â€Å"Song† is about two people having been in love and then losing it, rather than â€Å"First Love† in which the love is unrequited, and not being fulfilled. In the poem â€Å"First Love† by John Clare the poet writes about what seems to be a very overwhelming feeling. The poem is written in three stanzas and in each one the feelings develop. It has a rhyme structure of AB,AB, CD, CD etc. The first stanza has eight syllables in each line and the other two have a pattern of 8,6,8,6,8,6,8,6. I think it may be written like this because in the first stanza the feeling are simpler and then they get more complex as the poem progresses- like the syllable patterns. In stanza one the crush begins. He sees her and is suddenly struck by her beauty- â€Å"Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower.† This simile is saying that her face opened up and revealed something beautiful just like a flower does. It brings the image of spring to mind because flowers blooming are associated with it. The poet describes never having felt this way before- hence the title â€Å"First Love†. â€Å"I ne’er was struck before that hour With love so sudden and so sweet.† It suggests that he was surprised that it happened so quickly. It seems that it w... ...in â€Å"Song† the poet writes about the man he loved but can’t have because he died. They are both quite sad poems. The main differences are the love in â€Å"Song† can’t occur because someone has died, whereas in â€Å"First Love† both people are alive it is just either one sided love, or not allowed. From looking into John Clare’s history I found out that he was not allowed to marry the girl he loved, because she was a better class that him. Also â€Å"Song† concentrates very much on the bad bits, whereas â€Å"First Love† reflects on some of the good feelings the poet has had because of love. Personally I preferred â€Å"Song† by W.H.Auden because it felt more meaningful. Although I did like â€Å"First Love† it didn’t touch me as much. I think I learnt a lot from both poems, it taught me that love can be very painful and everyone suffers because of it at some time in their life. First Love by John Clare Essay -- First Love John Clare Poems Poetry E First Love by John Clare How do different poets convey the idea of Love? â€Å"First Love† by John Clare was written in the 19th century. It is a poem about how the poet had fallen in love but it turned out it was unrequited. Whereas â€Å"Song† by W.H.Auden written in the 20th century, is a poem about how someone has been in love but then lost them to death. They are both quite similar in the fact that they are both about loving someone but not being able to have them. However they are different because â€Å"Song† is about two people having been in love and then losing it, rather than â€Å"First Love† in which the love is unrequited, and not being fulfilled. In the poem â€Å"First Love† by John Clare the poet writes about what seems to be a very overwhelming feeling. The poem is written in three stanzas and in each one the feelings develop. It has a rhyme structure of AB,AB, CD, CD etc. The first stanza has eight syllables in each line and the other two have a pattern of 8,6,8,6,8,6,8,6. I think it may be written like this because in the first stanza the feeling are simpler and then they get more complex as the poem progresses- like the syllable patterns. In stanza one the crush begins. He sees her and is suddenly struck by her beauty- â€Å"Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower.† This simile is saying that her face opened up and revealed something beautiful just like a flower does. It brings the image of spring to mind because flowers blooming are associated with it. The poet describes never having felt this way before- hence the title â€Å"First Love†. â€Å"I ne’er was struck before that hour With love so sudden and so sweet.† It suggests that he was surprised that it happened so quickly. It seems that it w... ...in â€Å"Song† the poet writes about the man he loved but can’t have because he died. They are both quite sad poems. The main differences are the love in â€Å"Song† can’t occur because someone has died, whereas in â€Å"First Love† both people are alive it is just either one sided love, or not allowed. From looking into John Clare’s history I found out that he was not allowed to marry the girl he loved, because she was a better class that him. Also â€Å"Song† concentrates very much on the bad bits, whereas â€Å"First Love† reflects on some of the good feelings the poet has had because of love. Personally I preferred â€Å"Song† by W.H.Auden because it felt more meaningful. Although I did like â€Å"First Love† it didn’t touch me as much. I think I learnt a lot from both poems, it taught me that love can be very painful and everyone suffers because of it at some time in their life.

Argument for Legalization of Marijuana Essay -- Argumentative Persuas

Marijuana has become one of the most controversial drugs in America. Ever since its cultivation began around 1611, marijuana has puzzled people with its effects. Many question marijuana?s classification as a schedule one drug. A schedule one drug is one that has a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value. Some argue that the war on drugs, in particular marijuana, has cost taxpayers billions and is wasting funds that could be used on more important tasks such as improving transportation or education. As drug arrests rise, so do the populations in state prisons. This has become an immediate problem with no real solution. The legalization of possessing small amounts of marijuana can contribute positively to the medical and economic world as well as cut down on the prison population. Many people today use marijuana for multiple reasons. There will always be the teenager who tries it for the first time and enjoys the ?high? that comes along with smoking it. Besides those who smoke it for recreational purposes, there are those who need the plant as a form of medication. People suffering from a wide range of diseases and sicknesses such as AIDS and Glaucoma have claimed that it has benefited them. Numerous medical associations in the U.S. and abroad have done many tests to find the benefits and harms of marijuana. These tests come up with the same conclusion that marijuana is just as much if not more helpful than harmful. Approximately 400, 000 Americans die every year from a smoking related illness. In 5000 years of recorded use, marijuana has never been linked to a single death, overdose, or acute toxicity (Schlosser 48). Many cancer patients have used marijuana to combat nausea and pain. AIDS patients hav... ...wo percent of drug cases so the influence could not be measured accurately. In 1997, only 15 percent of state and federal inmates received substance-abuse treatment during their current terms. That number is down from 1991. There will always be a group of people that find some concepts as preposterous. There were those who believed that watching a talking box would never be entertaining. There were those that laughed in the Wright brother?s face when they proposed the idea of a flying machine. The idea of legalizing marijuana may seem absurd to those who do not use it but for those whose life it will improve, it seems like a grand idea. There are products on the market that can compare to marijuana?s negative effects yet those products are legal. When will America wake up and realize the cry for the legalization of marijuana is growing louder than ever?

Construction contract Essay

An excellent submission, Welcome to this subject, a good start to this subject with this first assignment. My name is Cliff McSorley; I will be marking your assignments for this subject. Part 1 Good analysis and detailed response to both parts of this question. This is quite a problematic question, it would be something you would most likely do with the assistance of a solicitor, however you do need to be aware that changes to a contract is a difficult task and in my opinion always stick with the tried and tested standard contacts. Contracts provided by industry association have been tried and tested in the courts over many years and therefore should provide adequate protection for you the contractor. Part 2 – Home Warranty Insurance Below is clause 39.2 from AS 4000 Provide a written explanation identifying how you as the contractor can ensure that they do not default on the contract addressing each point from A to E. Provide no more than half a page on each point. 39.2Contractor’s default If the Contractor commits a substantial breach of the Contract, the Principal may, by hand or by certified post, give the Contractor a written notice to show cause. Substantial breaches include, but are not limited to: a)failing to: i)provide security Excellent response The contractor may be required to obtain a guarantee of the company’s liquidity to complete the project this is done by providing security to the principal Security could be in the form of a) cash; b) retention monies; c) bonds or inscribed stock or their equivalent issued by a national, state or territory government; d) interest bearing deposit in a bank e) an approved unconditional undertaking or an approved performance undertaking given by an approved financial institution or insurance company; or f) other form approved by the party having the benefit of security; The most common form of security would be through a bank guarantee failing to do this would be a breach of contract. ii)provide evidence of insurance; Again well answered A contractor must effect and maintain insurances as stipulated in the contract and present copies of these to the client on commencement of the work and provide the customer a copy of the policy and a certificate of currency at any time requested by the client. iii)comply with a direction of the Superintendent pursuant to subclause 29.3; Subclause 29.3 addresses any defective workmanship and materials provided by the subcontractor under this clause if the superintendent becomes aware of any defective workmanship the superintendent shall as soon as practicable give the contractor written details thereof. If the defective workmanship or materials are not rectified the superintendent may direct the contractor to either a) remove the material from the site b) demolish the work c) reconstruct, replace or correct the work and d) not deliver it to site If a) the contractor fails to comply with such a direction; and b) that failure has not been made good within 8 days after the contractor receives written notice from the superintendent that the principal intends to have the  subject work rectified by others at the cost of the contractor The superintendent may also direct the contractor that the principal is willing to accept the subject work, whereupon there shall be a deemed variation. iv) use the materials or standards of work required by the Contract; Again well answered. b) wrongful suspension of work; Again well answered. c) substantial departure from a construction program without reasonable cause or the Superintendent’s approval; Again well answered. d) where there is no construction program, failing to proceed with due expedition and without delay; and  Well answered, the contract would have a date for practical completion, therefore this is a timeframe that the has to meet, so even if there is an absence of a construction program the contractor still needs to progress the job in a reasonable time line. This time line would judge as what a reasonable time frame for carrying out a job would be. This would be judged on a job by job basis and things like the detail, materials, ease of access and size of the work would all need to be taken into account. The contractor was seen to be progressing the job at a reasonable rate in respect to his resources (eg. size of the company) throughout the construction process, failure to do so would be consider to be a substantial breach of contract. e) in respect of clause **, knowingly providing documentary evidence containing an untrue statement. Well answered. Part 3 1) Recommend two (2) different types of contracts for the following types of projects 2) Two well selected contracts, for each project. 3) Using your recommendations above propose what contract would you use and give reasons why for the following projects also identify statutory and legislative requirements of using these contracts. Excellent choice and discussion again with very good explanations on why you have chosen each contract and details of statutory and legislative requirements included to further justify your decisions 4) Describe the process of creating a contractual situation from the point of submitting a Tender to signing a contract and identify each step using construction terminology. For each step also identify using the legal terminology. Well stepped through with good details on legal terminology. An alternate description of the tender process:- Broadly the Tender process after submission of the tender by the contractor, involves the following: Meeting with the principal to clarify aspects of a tender. The Tenderer making a presentation to help promote a tender. Note that the submission of the tender can be construed as a contractual offer which is capable of acceptance by the principal as part of creating binding legal relations. Sometimes the Principal will provide a Letter of Intent to a tenderer telling the tenderer that they are the preferred tenderer and that a contract will be awarded. Whether this Letter of Intent is legally binding depends on the wording of the Letter – in some instances it could be construed as an early works contract. Generally where a Tender process is involved, there is no negotiation with respect to the terms of the proposed contract. Once a tender is accepted by the Principal, a Letter of Acceptance is sent to the tenderer – or a written contract is signed by the Principal and tenderer (Contractor) which forms the basis of the legal relationship between the principal and the tenderer. The contract generally incorporates plans and specif ications. An offer and acceptable of the offer are necessary ingredients in creating a legally binding contract. There must also be consideration, which is generally the tender price, and an intention to create legal relations. Generally the latter can be inferred from the tender process. The above feedback is not provided to contradict your interpretations but to provide response based on my understanding of contracts relating to this  assignment. I hope the comments are useful. I found that you have well analysed the question throughout this assignment and provide well constructed responses to the questions. Please note:- With future assignments you could include a cover page, a contents page and number pages. I also think that it is a good idea to include a footer on each page which includes your name, page number and the date etc.as appropriate (please refer to the link on the OLS under â€Å"Course Information† – â€Å"Overview† – â€Å"Assessment Presentation Guidelines†).

Potential Cognitive and Memory Enhancing Property of the Caulerpa Lentillifera (Lato) & Kappaphycus Alvarezii (Guso).

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Rationale It is true that some of us get more forgetful as we age. It may take longer to learn new things, remember certain words, or find our glasses. These changes are often signs of forgetfulness. Brain scientists believe that the effects of normal aging on memory may result from the subtly changing environment within the brain. With aging, the brain seems to lose cells in areas that produce important neurotransmitters, upsetting the brain’s delicate balance of these chemical messengers. Other changes occur in the brain’s white matter, which is made up of nerve cell fibers, the â€Å"telephone cables† of brain cells through which communication with other cells takes place. Just how these changes affect memory is not entirely clear, but it may be that they decrease the efficiency of cell-to-cell communication. What the scientist knows is as we get older, our capability to lay down fresh memories may be affected, making it more difficult to learn new things. It’s not so much that we forget more easily, but that we may take longer to learn the information in the first place A lot of studies have been made in different substance for its potential property on enhancing memory and cognition. Docosahexaenoic acid is one of them. DHA is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain. DHA is believe that it could maintain memory and support overall cognitive health. A carotenoid namely fucoxanthin increase the amount DHA in the biological system without intake of fish oil supplementation. It is also consider that low carotenoid levels could play a role in cognitive impairment. Phytochemicals such as antioxidants polyphenolic compounds flavonoids occur all over in foods of plant origin like fruits and vegetable, carotenoids, vitamin E and vitamin C have also a possible in improving age-related neurological dysfunction. These substances could also be found in marine algae and other marine organism. DHA is mostly found in the fish oil but the DHA originates from the photosynthetic and heterotrophic microalgae and macroalgae that the fish ate and other marine creature. Phytochemical such as flavonoids is found also in algae. Knowing about this there could be a possibility for its memory and cognitive enhancing property. Eating seaweeds could have its benefits. It is time to get to know the seaweeds known in the Filipino tables which are Caulerpa lentillifera (lato), Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso) and lukot although everyone calls it a ‘seaweed', â€Å"lukot† is anything but a the ‘secretions' of the creature dongsul/Sea Hare (Dolabella auricularia) and it is not an algae but it eats algae. With all this information there could be a possibility for its memory and cognitive enhancing property. Thus this study is to be conducted. A. kappaphycus alvarezii (Guso)B. Caulerpa lentillifera (Lato) www. ruffordsmallgrants. orgwww. backpackingphilippines. com C. Egg mass of Sea Hare (Dolabella auriculari) (Lukot) www. marketmanila. com Fig. 1 A, B, C: Seaweeds and Egg Mass Used in the Experiments Objective of the Study This study aims to determine the memory and cognitive enhancing properties of Caulerpa Lentillifera (lato), Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso) and and egg mass of Sea Hare(Dolabella auricularia) on mature albino mice. 1. To determine the average time at which the mice were able to complete the task after the allotted period for the consumption of the pigeon pellets, Caulerpa Lentillifera (lato), Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso) and egg mass of Sea Hare(Dolabella auricularia). 2. To compare which of the treatment Caulerpa Lentillifera (lato), Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso) and â€Å"lukot† egg mass of Sea Hare(Dolabella auricularia) have more cognitive and memory enhancing property. Significance of the Study The importance of the study is to help us reveal the potential cognitive and memory enhancing property of the Caulerpa lentillifera (lato) & Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso). Once its memory-cognition enhancing property is determine, this study promotes the consumption of edible eaweeds and other marine creatures to be part of the diet of average Filipino citizen like the Japanese people. Incorporating it through our daily meals could be use as a preventive measure away from dementia, Alzheimer’s and other memory-cognitive decline diseases. Moreover this study will present additional information to the other researchers with their studies in improving the memory & cognition and those researchers doing investigation & experimentation on Caulerpa le ntillifera (lato), Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso)and egg mass of Sea Hare(Dolabella auricularia). Scope and Limitation The study only focuses on Caulerpa lentillifera (lato), Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso) and and egg mass (lukot) of Sea Hare (Dolabella auricularia) and its cognitive-memory enhancing property. The seaweeds and the egg mass will be purchased in Carbon Public Market. The experimentation will takes place in University of San Carlos- Animal House, Pharmacological Testing Room where there is sufficient air, light and ventilation and the testing period will take 20 days. The mature albino white mice will be coming from one single source and will weigh 25-30grams. The method will be use in measuring memory and cognition will be Morris Water Maze. The time that the rat reaches the platform is used as the basis of analysis on the memory-cognitive enhancing property. This study only provide information on the effectiveness of the macroalgae Caulerpa lentillifera (lato) & Kappaphycus alvarezii (guso) and egg mass (lukot) of Sea Hare(Dolabella auricularia) on their cognitive-memory enhancing property. Definition of Terms Cognition- A term referring to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, including thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem-solving. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid )-An omega-3, polyunsaturated, 22-carbon fatty acid found almost exclusively in fish and marine animal oils. Latency- The amount of time a message takes to traverse a system. Memory- Refers to the processes that are used to acquire, store, retain and later retrieve information. There are three major processes involved in memory: encoding, storage and retrieval. Non-sequential- Not in logical order or sequence. Spatial- With reference to space or arrangement in space. Quasi-random- A low-discrepancy sequence. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE One of the memory & cognition decline is caused by oxidative stress and epigenetic changes. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that progressive oxidative damage is a conserved, central mechanism of age-related functional decline moreover; genes that mediate oxidative stress responses and DNA damage repair constitute the largest class of genes up regulated in the ageing human prefrontal cortex. Dietary antioxidants can suppress many age-related gene expressions and can reduce cognitive decline and prevent oxidative damage to the brain in ageing rats (Bishop et al. , 2010). Eating food rich in phytochemicals improves the aged-related neurological dysfunction including the most devastating of these, are Alzheimer’s disease [AD] and Parkinson’s disease [PD]. Phytochemicals such as consumption of dietary antioxidants polyphenolic compounds (flavonoids) occur ubiquitously in foods of plant origin (fruits and vegetable), Carotenoids, vitamin E and vitamin C (Youdim and Joseph, 2001) A study was done showing the relationship between cognitive performance (assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test Part B, Digit Symbol Substitution, Finger Tapping Test, and Word Fluency Test) and different plasma carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, b-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, a-carotene, and trans-bcarotene and cis-b-carotene) in a healthy elderly population. Logistic regression showed that participants with the lowest cognitive functioning (25th percentile) had a higher probability of having low levels of specific plasma carotenoids (,1st quartile): lycopene and zeaxanthin. This shows that Low carotenoid level in the blood could be the cause of cognitive impairment. (Akbaraly, et al. 2007). Fucoxanthum a carotenoid extracted in macroalgae by using of powdered seaweed (Undaria Pinnatifida) with chloroform/methanol (2:1) v/v. Undaria lipids containing the Fucoxanthin 9. 6% was obtained from the powdered seaweed while 78% from the crude. Fucoxanthin also enhances the amount of DHA in the liver. This shows the chance of dietary fucoxanthin stimulated increase DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in biological system without direct DHA supplementation. DHA is naturally originate in the body in small amounts, and is the most abundant omega 3 fatty acid in the brain. DHA oil is abundant in some marine microalgae (Miyashita, et al. 2008). A Twenty-four week supplementation with 900 mg/d DHA improved learning and memory function in age related cognitive decline (ARCD) and is a beneficial supplement that supports cognitive health with aging and with Alzheimer’s disease. The omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are orthomolecular, conditionally essential nutrients that enhance quality of life and lower the risk of premature death. They function exclusively via cell membranes, in which they are anchored by phospholipid molecules. DHA is proven essential to pre- and postnatal brain development, whereas EPA seems more influential on behavior and mood. Both DHA and EPA generate neuroprotective metabolites. In doubleblind, randomized, controlled trials, DHA and EPA combinations have been shown to benefit attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and aggression. For the affective disorders, meta-analyses confirm benefits in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder, with promising results in schizophrenia and initial benefit for borderline personality disorder. Accelerated cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) correlate with lowered tissue levels of DHA/EPA, and supplementation has improved cognitive function. Altern Med Rev, 2007). Twenty weaning Sprague Dawley (SD) female rats were randomly divided into two groups and fed either with a diet that was adequate in LNA (n-3 Adq) or with a diet that was deficient in LNA (n-3 Def). In the MWM test, the escape latency of both groups gradually decreased over the testing period, indicating an improvement in performance for both groups. In general, the n-3 Adq group had shorter late ncies to locate the escape platform than the n-3-Def rats (P