Slavery Essays (3614 words) - Slavery In The United States

Slavery The Slaves' And The Slaveowners' Views Of Slavery ?That face of his, the hungry cannibals Would not have touched, would not have stained with blood;-- But you are more inhuman, more inexorable, Oh! ten times more than tigers of Hyrcania.? Shakespeare I chose the topic about slavery for my research paper because I thought it would be an interesting experience doing research about slavery. It is American history and the more we know about it, the better we can understand what is going on today in our country. I think that because slavery was abolished very recently in terms of historical periods of time, it still has an impact on today's economic and political life. Searching for the writings by slave owners was a more difficult task then searching for the writings by slaves. However, I found a lot of useful material in various sources. The slavery in the United States is no doubt a shameful history of our country. White people transferred the slaves living in Africa to the New Land and treated them as their property, not as human beings. The living and working conditions of slaves and their food were extremely poor. Those were inhuman conditions in which the slaves had to survive. Endless executions of the slaves made the situation even worse. Slavery was a period of time when one race treated the other race as animals, things, property, but not as people. Unfortunately, not everyone saw the situation as it was in reality at that time. As we can see from many different sources available today, the points of view of slaves and slave owners on slavery were the opposite to each other. That can be seen in various slaves' and slave owners' descriptions of slavery. Slaves described their dwellings, food, clothes, labor, and the terrible treatment of slaves by their masters. On the other hand, slave owners described the r elationships between slaves and their masters in a very positive way. They argued that slavery is very beneficial for the slaves and the slaves are very happy to live with their masters. Let us now consider both these points of views in details. First of all, let us look at the slaves' description of the cloth they wore. The clothes supply was as minimum as possible and the quality of the clothes was very bad. Here is how one of the slaves describes it. ?Our dress was of tow cloth; for the children nothing but a shirt; for the older ones a pair of pantaloons or a gown in addition, according to the sex. ... In winter, a round jacket or overcoat, a wool hat once in two or three years, for the males, and a pair of coarse shoes once a year?(Lester 65). This scanty list of items was the only things available to the slaves. Certainly, it was not enough for the people who worked very hard for more than ten hours a day. The clothes were very dirty and with holes all over the place pretty soon. Imagine if you have to wear the same shirt day after day for the long time. The masters did not care about slaves' children; they did not distribute much clothes for them either. According to the slaves, it was their problem what to put on the ir children when it was cold outside (Feldstein 45). However, some slaves say there were some masters who gave some extra material for the children, but it was not sufficient any way. Others gave any additional clothes only for extra work (Feldstein 45). As for the slave owners' seeing the slaves' situation, one of the slaveholders reveals that he used to distribute new clothes once a year (Feldstein 45). This testimony by the slave owner actually testifies the slaves' descriptions of the slavery that makes us believe to the slaves even more. However, there were a lot of slave owners who saw the situation quite differently. One anonymous slave owner in his letter to Lord Brougham argues that ?...as a slave, he [a black person] would have at least the protection of one master interested in his welfare; as a freeman, almost beyond the pale of government protection, with no one to take care of him, of a despised

Slang, Jargon, Idiom or Proverb Explained

Slang, Jargon, Idiom or Proverb Explained Slang, jargon, idioms, and proverbs. What do they mean? Heres a short overview for English learners that explains and gives examples of each type of expression. Slang Slang is used by relatively small groups of people in informal situations. As it is used by limited groups of people, slang also tends to be confused with dialect. However, slang can be referred to as words, phrases or expressions used within a language, in this case, English. Also, slang is used by some to indicate words, phrases or expressions used by various ethnic or class groups. It should not be used in written work unless that work includes quotes that contain slang. This category of vocabulary changes rather quickly and expressions that are in one year, may be out the next.   Slang Examples emo - very emotional. Dont be so emo. Your boyfriend will be back next week. frenemy - someone you think is your friend, but you know is really your enemy. Has your frenemy got you worried? groovy - very nice in a mellow sort of way (this is old slang from the 60s). Groovy, man. Feel the good vibrations. (Note: slang goes out of fashion quickly, so these examples might not be current.) Recommendation You can use the urban dictionary for definitions of slang. If a phrase is a slang, youll find it there. Jargon Jargon could be explained as slang for business or enthusiasts. Jargon can be defined as words, phrases, or expressions that mean something specific in a particular profession. For example, there is a lot of jargon associated with the internet.  It can also refer to specific words used in a sport, hobby or other activity. Jargon is known and used by those who are on the inside of a business or of some activity.   Jargon Examples cookies - used by programmers to track information on a users computer that has accessed the internet. We set a cookie when you first access our site. birdie - used by golfers to state that the golf ball was put into the hole with one less golf stroke than expected on a hole. Tim got two birdies on the back nine at the golf course. chest voice - used by singers to indicate a style of singing that has chest resonance. Dont push so hard with your chest voice. Youll hurt your voice! Idiom Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that do not literally mean what they express. In other words, if you were to translate an idiom word for word in your own language, it most likely would not make any sense at all. Idioms are different than slang as they are used and understood by almost everyone. Slang and jargon are understood and used by a smaller group of people. There is a wide variety of idiom sources on this site for English learners.   Idioms Examples rain cats and dogs - rain very heavily. Its raining cats and dogs tonight. pick a language up - learn a language by living in a country. Kevin picked up a little Italian when he lived in Rome. break a leg - do well at a performance or presentation. Break a leg on your presentation John. Proverb Proverbs are short sentences known by quite a large part of any language speaking population. They tend to be old, give advice, and be very insightful. Many proverbs are taken from literature, or from other very old sources. However, they are used so often that the speaker does not realize who originally said or wrote the proverb. Example Proverbs The early bird gets the worm - start working early and you will be successful. I get up at five and do two hours of work before I go to the office. The early bird gets the worm! When in Rome, do as the Romans - when you are in a foreign culture, you should act like the people in that culture. Im wearing shorts to work here in Bermuda! When in Rome, do as the Romans. You cant always get what you want - This proverb means what it says, you cant always get what you want. The Rolling Stones knew how to put that to music! Stop complaining. You cant always get what you want. Learn to live with that truth!

COMPASSION FETIGUE and BURNED OUT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COMPASSION FETIGUE and BURNED OUT - Essay Example Though under these conditions, the healthcare service providers may continue to provide their services however, their natural urge and tendency to provide the care as well as the compassion can decrease too. However, with right tools and techniques this could be averted and the caregivers can actually rehabilitate themselves to provide the same level of support and care to their patients. As a part of the renewal process, the caregivers can actually recharge their batteries and renew themselves to revive their hopes and provide the same level of compassion and care to their patients. In this paper, the nature and extent of the compassion fatigue will be discussed besides explaining the emotional, spiritual as well as physical needs of the caregivers besides discussing as to how the caregivers can actually cope with this. Compassion Fatigue Over the period of time, as the healthcare services providers cope with the system and become regular in treating and caring their customers, a te ndency starts to develop in them which can result into strong physical, spiritual as well as emotional burnout for them. ... The demands of managed care therefore are creating strong influences over the healthcare service providers to deliver a certain level of service to their patients and clients. However, as the interaction of the patients and healthcare givers increases, there emerges a tendency which can actually compromise the professional ability of the caregivers. (Jeffrey R. Funk, 2004) What is also important to note that the compassion fatigue often results into certain emotional, spiritual as well as physical symptoms which can further compromise the ability of the caregivers to provide proper care services. The emergence of feelings of hopelessness, negative attitude as well as feeling sick and tired may cause strong physical and emotional burnout for the caregivers. It is therefore critical that these needs of the caregivers are taken care of. Physical, Spiritual and Emotional Needs of the caregivers Caregiving can often become a 24 hrs job which can potentially sap the energy and will out of the caregivers. A typical caregiver spends most of his or her time to take care of the patients or dependents and resultantly develop symptoms which can be detrimental to his own health. One of the key physical symptoms of the compassion fatigue is the lack of sleep which can start to take its toll on the body of the caregiver. Sustained level of insomnia or sleeplessness therefore can result into significant physical health problems for the caregivers. It has been argued that the brain’s frontal lobe depends upon the adequate sleep and rest to perform effectively and in the absence of quality sleep, certain emotional responses or reactions could emerge too. (Endicott, 2011) It is

Applied Information Technology Project Part2 Assignment

Applied Information Technology Project Part2 - Assignment Example By sustaining a narrow profit margin, the grocery proved to be successful and by 1926, M.B. acquired 322 Safeway stores and incorporated as Safeway Inc. the merger saw the incorporation of the grocery to Safeway Inc. before joining the New York Stock Exchange. As a form of improving the quality of products, Safeway introduced product quality assurance through a â€Å"sell by† date on the perishable products for the assurance of quality and nutrients labelling. As of 2013, Safeway Inc had an operating income of U.S. $17.219 billion and employed approximately 138,000 employees. According to Someville (n.p), today Safeway controls about $25 billion in private equity from New York Security Exchange. Since 1928, Safeway Inc. has been listed on the New York Stock exchange, and its headquarters are situated in Pleasanton, California. The retail store’s mission is to ensure that its employees establish loyal relationships with its clients, while its mission emphasizes the use o f employees’ talents and passion to grant customers the best experience. Although Safeway Stores are in the process of merging with Albertsons Grocery Stores, their name while remain while business will proceed as usual under new management. Owing to the merger, some Safeway stores expect great improvements, including better customer services and cleaner stores. In addition, Alberterson reveals that its aim of acquiring Safeways was to put a shine on it through improved customer service and memorable customer experience. However, there is little hope that Safeways will remain given that Albertsons has a history of demising acquired firms such as Hayward-Based Mervyns that was declared bankrupt in 2008. Another controversial aspect of the merger is that Albertson is known for its stake in car, and guns and military and not supermarkets or grocery operations. The acquisition of Safeway places it in a company that has 27 distribution facilities, 2,400 stores, and 20

What does it take to be successful in life Essay

What does it take to be successful in life - Essay Example Once they have identified their mistakes and outlined the future course of action that they would take in similar circumstances, they tend to overcome their weaknesses the next time they are in them. Right behavior and rational approach is like a skill that is mastered through practice, experience and reflection upon it. â€Å"An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field† (Bohr cited in â€Å"Mistakes Quotes†). Man has been given the ability to decide much of his fortune himself. Those who think and reflect upon their experiences for learning make their life different from the larger group that does not. One is required to be humble in one’s attitude towards others. One should deal others with the same respect one wants others to deal one with. That does not necessarily mean that one should kill one’s ego and accept any thing that the society has to offer. One should never kill one’s ego. Those who completely loose their ego are at the expense of the society and hence, are vulnerable to unjust criticism, humility and insult. The society considers such people as worthless and makes every attempt to ruin their pleasure and hurt their sentiments. An egoless person is treated very badly and shrewdly by the society at large. Lack of ego destroys an individual’s boundaries. â€Å"Having fuzzy boundaries means you are vulnerable to those who wish to use you, enslave you or hurt you† (Self, Ego and Boundaries†). Therefore, killing one’s ego is never the wise option. However, it should be made right use of. One should be wise enough to know whe re to use ego and to what extent. One should always take a stand for what one considers right and always condemn what one deems wrong. This can only be achieved with the appropriate use of ego. Right use of ego guarantees an individual success and respect in his/her life. People tend to show reverence towards such an individual as they know that he/she is courageous,

Area Based Regeneration Programmes | Evaluation

Area Based Regeneration Programmes | Evaluation Area based regeneration programmes contribute to managing social exclusion but they do not resolve the problem. Critically discuss this statement. The following is a critical discussion of the statement that area based regeneration programmes contribute to managing social exclusion yet fail to resolve the problem. Area based regeneration programmes were developed for various reasons, such as tackling poverty, economic regeneration, reducing unemployment, and managing social exclusion. That the latter was not the sole or exclusive objective of the area based regeneration programmes may explain whether these programmes have or have not resolved the problem of social exclusion. There are also arguments that social exclusion is not a problem that could be completely resolved by any single political, economic, and social policy operating by itself. Social exclusion could be understood in different ways so that some organisations or individuals may be believe that managing it or resolving it would be harder or easier than other people would expect. The management of social exclusion without resolving the problem as a whole may or may not be a commendable achievement within its own right, even if it still leaves the problem of social exclusion in existence, this to will be critically discussed. Area based regeneration programmes came into existence to counteract the damaging economic and social consequences of industrial decline in Britain’s inner cities like Liverpool, London, or Birmingham; and in some of the country’s most heavily industrialised areas such as North Eastern England, the Clyde, and South Wales from the1970s onwards. These industrial areas were locations were the Conservatives electoral support had often been weak although until the Thatcher government the party had been content to subsidise industries in these areas. Previously, government policies did not specifically attempt area based regeneration programmes to tackle social exclusion. Instead governments aimed to use Keynesian economic policies to maintain full employment, and when necessary would keep factories, coalmines, and shipyards open in run down areas with government subsidies. Where any regeneration had taken place it had usually been the replacement of slum housing with new hou sing estates and tower blocks (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 12). Government policies were meant to reduce, manage, or resolve social exclusion by helping people upon an individual basis by targeting social security, health, education, and housing policies to those that needed that help the most. Individuals rather than geographical areas, or local communities were the focus of help from the government. To tackle social exclusion governments had also introduced legislation to reduce social and economic discrimination, such as race relations and equal pay legislation (Coxall, Robbins, Leach, 2003 p. 397). Ironically enough the impetus for the development of area based regeneration programmes would occur under the Conservative governments after 1979, which were not initially interested in managing social exclusion or implementing area based regeneration programmes. Running these regeneration programmes was contrary to the Thatcherite ethos of reducing state involvement in social and economic policies. Thatcherite economic policies ended subsidies to the nationalised industries leading to factories, coalmines, and shipyards closing down. Those closures and the collapse of uncompetitive private sector companies lead to high unemployment in former industrialised areas and the inner cities, that in turn increased levels of social exclusion (Moran, 2005 p. 14). The Thatcher government only began area based regeneration programmes as a response to the inner city riots of 1981, which, highlighted the problems that social exclusion and economic decay could cause (Taylor et al, 2000 p.331). At this point the social exclusion and economic deprivations in the former industrial areas and the inner cities reached levels that had not been witnessed since the hard hitting depression of the 1930s (Jones, 1999 p. 8). At first the Thatcher government seemed unable to slow down the increasing levels of social exclusion let alone manage or reduce that problem, which it considered less important than lowering inflation, weakening the trade unions, and rolling back the state. Of course increasing levels of unemployment actually meant that expenditure on social security benefits increased rather than decreased. No doubt the Thatcher government was helped in its decision to start area based regeneration programmes by the availability of European Union regional development funds, that were allocated to the most economically deprived and socially excluded regions within the member states. This meant that the government was able to receive extra funding to regenerate the areas most severel y affected by the recession of the early 1980s, and were by-passed any economic recovery or moves to manage social exclusion (Moran, 2005 p. 100). Area based regeneration programmes were primarily aimed at economic regeneration to reduce unemployment, and its linked social consequences such as rising crime levels and increased incidence of social exclusion. It was believed that reducing unemployment would manage and perhaps eventually remove social exclusion, whilst social security benefits were supposed to help those that did not or could not work. The Conservatives established regional development corporations to carry out regeneration programmes in the inner cities and former industrial areas, for instance regenerating parts of London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. However under the Conservatives the main efforts to manage social exclusion were confined to helping individuals through government training schemes such as Training for Work and the Youth Training Scheme (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 16). New Labour was keen to extend area based regeneration programmes to proactively manage, and perhaps eventually resolve social exclusion, and increase measures to reduce unemployment. New Labour extended its New Deal initiative to cover deprived areas within the New Deal for Communities programme (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 175). The New Deal for Communities programme was meant to be in a slightly different form to previous area based regeneration programmes as local community groups were supposed to have a greater influence over the projects selected to regenerate their local communities (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 216). Generally community groups have welcomed being able to have an influence over the projects selected to regenerate their communities. Community groups before New Deal for Communities often felt excluded from the decision-making processes relating to the areas in which they lived in (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 175). Not every New Deal for Communities programme has gone well, most notably the Aston Pride Project which failed due to a poor relationship between the community groups, the local authority, and various government agencies. The project was closed down early amidst allegations of corruption within the community groups and counter allegations of racism within the local authority and government agencies (Dale, May 28 2004). Whilst area based regeneration programmes have been largely effective at managing social exclusion, there are limits to explain why these programmes are unlikely to resolve the problem of social exclusion altogether. When area based regeneration programmes have been completed there maybe new businesses that have moved to that location and sometimes the standard of housing has been improved, certainly positive achievements, yet not likely to resolve social exclusion by themselves (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005, p. 175). Both Conservative and New Labour governments have found through experience that area based regeneration programmes are more likely to succeed in managing and eventually resolving the problem of social exclusion when used in conjunction with other initiatives, such as tackling discrimination, poor housing, health and education services. Social exclusion will also need reduced crime levels to stand a chance of being managed (Jones et al, 2004, p. 619). Schemes such as Training for Work New Deal can lower unemployment, yet there are limits on what they can achieve. Completing those schemes has made people more employable, although they may gain employment outside of the deprived or regenerated areas that they live in. New Deal is probably here to stay as part of New Labour’s welfare to work strategy. New Deal itself targets extra help to those groups that have found it harder to find or keep jobs, such as lone parents and the disabled (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 316). These groups are more vulnerable to suffering from social exclusion without living in areas that are economically or socially deprived. These groups are not only helped by New Deal, they are also helped by tax credits and child tax credits. The government wished to improve the opportunity for all children with better education provision and the Sure-start programme for children from deprived areas or families with low incomes. New Labour has also attempted to tackle social exclusion am ongst pensioners with the introduction of pension credit (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p.315). Therefore it can be concluded that area based regeneration programmes have helped to manage social exclusion without being able to remove the problem itself. Area based regeneration programmes were primarily set up to lower unemployment and reduce social exclusion that was higher in the inner cities, and former industrial areas such as North East England, and South Wales. The Thatcher government in many respects made the problem of social exclusion worse rather than better as it pursued economic and social policies that increased unemployment, crime, and social deprivation. The inner city riots of 1981 got the Thatcher government to start area based regeneration programmes in order to maintain political stability, and economic growth. It however became harder to manage levels of social exclusion due to the sell off of council houses that made it harder for people on low incomes to afford their housing costs. The beginning of EU spending to boost and regenerate the most run down areas in the community provided extra funding for the British government to spend more on managing social exclusion. New Labour has been much more interested in managing and if possible resolving the problem of social exclusion by using area based regeneration programmes in combination with other measures such as Surestart, New Deal, and EU regional development funds. New Labour has tried to increase the amount of area based regeneration programmes in existence with its New Deal for Communities initiatives which have included local community groups in the decision-making process and have contributed to managing social exclusion effectively aside from the Aston Pride Project. Bibliography Coxall B, Robins L Leach R (2003) Contemporary British Politics 4th edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke Dale P – Aston Pride race bias allegation, Birmingham Post May 28 2004 Fisher J, Denver D, Benyon J, (2003) Central Debates in British Politics, Longman, London Jones B, (1999) issues in British Politics Today, Manchester University Press, Manchester Jones B, Kavanagh D, Moran M, Norton P, (2004) Politics UK, 5th edition, Pearson Longman, London Moran M, (2005) Politic and Governance in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Seldon A Kavanagh D, (2005) The Blair Effect 2001 – 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Taylor P, Richardson J, Yeo A, Marsh I, Trobe K Pilkington A (2000) Sociology in Focus, Causeway Press Limited, Ormskirk

Winnipeg General Strike

The Winnipeg General Strike was a landmark in North America. The strike officially began on May 15th, 1919 at 11:00 AM and continued until late June, 1919, and approximately 35, 000 workers, basically the entire workforce of Winnipeg, walked off their jobs, risking their entire lives (Naylor, 2009). This strike has been one of the most studied historic moments in Canadian history. The General Strike had been brewing for many years prior to 1919, a large series of circumstances contributed to the strike, from international to local (Beszterda, 1975). The strike began in the beginning of May, 1919, after months of labor negotiations the workforce finally had enough and the strike began. The metalworkers were next to participate the strike, the employers of the main factories in the town refused to negotiate their contract. There was a committee that was composed of 1,000 manufactures, bankers, and politicians; they called themselves the Citizens Committee. The Winnipeg General Strike was caused by many reasons. One reason was the immediate reasons for the building of trades and metal workers going on strike for better wages and to improve the conditions that they worked in daily. The workers were payed a low wage and worked in horrible conditions that would automatically be condemned today. The money that they worked extremely hard for made it difficult to leave comfortably, as many people do today. The sweep of the strike involved non-unionzed workers as well, which arose from problems with World War 1. They sacrificed years of high expectations suring the war and its aftermath were greeted with high unemployment instead, an industrial turndown, and inflation. The tight labour market had led to an increase in unions, the success of the Russion Revolution in 1917 had led not only to an increase in ideas, but it also provoked a fear on the part of those in authority. (Munroe, 2010) The One Big Union was a major part of the strike. They did not organize or lead the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, although its history was closely intertwined with that of the strike. Their radical ideas were getting warm response from many trade unionists. Once the delegates from western Canada unions arrived in Calgary for the meeting in the spring, they were no longer interested in fixing the Trades and Labor Congress. By moving to create the One Big Union, the Candians in the west had created many enimies for themselves, the business world, government officials, and all the craft unions all felt threated by the One Big Union. Spring of 1919, the newly formed Winnipeg Building Trades Council opened their doors for negotiations with their employer, the Winnipeg Builders Exchange. The workers were looking for increase in pay that would allow them to regain what they had lost to the war inflation. Builders stated that without the increase in construction, they could not afford to pay the higher wages that were demanded. Once this negoation was over, the employers agreed to a â€Å"take-it-or-leave-it† approach, stating that if they did not like the wages, then they did not do it and it was over. In results of fearing that the strike would spread to other cities, Senator Robertson was ordered to mediate the dispute and make a final ruling. Once both sides have been heard, he decided that the strikers and the City Council to accept the employee’s proposal. Once they learned of their success, they knew for sure that they would be using striking again in the future (Wikipedia, 2010). After the strike, the metal workers finally received the pay increase they were fighting for and went back to work satisfied with the outcome from the Winnipeg Strike. Some of the workers were not so lucky, they were thrown into jail for the reckless behavior they exhibited during the strike. Seven of the strike leaders were thrown into jail for conspiracy to overthrow the government, they were imprisoned for two years. They won 11 seats on the provincial election in Manitoba, four of them were the strike leaders. After 20 years, collective bargaining was finally looked at again in Canada. Due to the fact that nobody was working and the majority of the workforce were participating in the General Strike, Winnipeg’s economy went into decline. (Munroe, 2010). The effects from these outcomes are still in effect today. We are still receiving higher wages yearly. Minimum wage standards keep increasing at a constant in all provinces per year. This strike may have caused the working conditions today to be as good as what they are. If people hadn’t fought years ago for this then employers today would still be trying to do whatever they can, there would be no standards for employment and the basis for strikes would not be there. Works Cited http://www.cupe1975.ca/bursary/burs4.html http://canadaonline.about.com/od/canadianhistory/a/winnipegstrike.htm

Sunflower Incorporated

Sunflower Incorporated is a large distribution company with over 5,000 employees and gross sales over $700 million in 1991. The company purchases and distributes salty snack foods and liquor to independent retail stores throughout the United States and Canada. Salty snack foods include corn chips, potato chips, cheese curls, tortilla chips, and peanuts. The United States and Canada are divided into 22 regions, each with its own central warehouse, salespeople, finance department, and purchasing department. The organization distributes national as well as local brands and packages some items under private labels. The head office encourages each regions to be autonomous because of local tastes and practices. The northeast United States, for example, consumes a greater percentage of Canadian whisky and American bourbon, while the West consumes more light liquors, such as vodka, gin, and rum. Snack foods in the Southwest are often seasoned to reflect Mexican tastes. Early in 1989, Sunflower began using a financial reporting system that compared sales, costs, and profits across regions. Management was surprised to learn that profits varied widely. By 1990, the differences was so great that management decided some standardization was necessary. They believed that highly profitable regions were sometimes using lower-quality items, even seconds, to boost profit margins. The practice could hurt Sunflower’s image. Other regions were facing intense price competition in order to hold market share. National distributors were pushing hard to increase their market share. Frito-Lay, Bordens, Nabisco, Procter & Gamble (Pringles), and Standard Brands (Planter’s peanuts) were pushing hard to increase market share by cutting prices and launching new products. As these problems accumulated, Mr. Steelman, president of Sunflower, decided to create a new position to monitor pricing and purchasing practices. Agnes Albanese was hired from the finance department of a competing organization. Her new title was director of pricing and purchasing, and she reported to the vice president of finance, Mr. Mobley. Steelman and Mobley gave Albanese great freedom in organizing her job and encouraged her to establish whatever rules and procedures were necessary. She was also encouraged to gather information from each region. Each region was notified of her appoinment by an official memo sent to the regional managers. A copy of the memo was posted on each warehouse bulletin board. The announcement was also made in the company newspaper. After 3 weeks on the job, Albanese decided that pricing and purchasing decisions should be standardized across regions. As a first step, she wanted the financial executive in each regions to notify her of any change in local prices of more than 3%. She also decided that all new contracts for local purchases of more than $5,000 should be cleared through her office. Albanese believed that the only way to standardize operations was for each region to notify the home office in advance of any change in prices or purchases. Albanese discussed the proposed policy with Mobley. He agreed, so they submitted a formal proposal to the president and board of directors, who approved the plan. Sunflower was moving into the peak holiday season, so Albanese wanted to implement the new procedures right away. She decided to send an email to the financial and purchasing executives in each region notifying them of the new procedures. The change would be inserted in all policy and procedure manuals thorughout Sunflower within 4 months. Albanese showed a draft of the email to Mobley and invited his comments. Mobley said the Internet was an excellent idea but it was not sufficient. The regions handle hundreds of items and were used to decentralized decision making. Mobley suggested that Albanese ought to visit the regions and discuss purchasing and pricing policies with the executives. Albanese refused, saying that the trips would be expensive and time-consuming. She had so many things to do at headquarters that a trip was impossible. Mobley also suggested waiting to implement the procedures until after the annual company meeting 3 months. Albanese said this would take too long because the procedures would not take effect until after the peak sales season. She believed the procedures were needed now. The email went out the next day. During the next few days, replies came in from most of the regions. The executives were in agreement with the email and said they would be happy to cooperate. Eight weeks later, Albanese had not received notices from any regions about local price or purchase change. Other executives who had visited regional warehouses indicated to her that the regions were busy as usual. Regional executives seemed to be following usual procedures for that time of year. Albanese might analyze what the cause of the ineffective organizationl changes, and she might done differently. Albanese should do something now. From the case above, we now that the cause of the ineffective organization changes are: first, response to changes programs were less enthusiastic. The regional executives was not give their opinions, critics, and participation in developing the programs. Their enthusiastic have showed just in the next few days from the email about the announcement the changes programs was sent. But, there was no enthusiastic in 2 months later. Seconds, the changes program may be agreed by regional executives but were perceived as not in top priority. The regional offices might face the different various problems because of local market characteristics and practices, and they made the priority rank of the problems and other implementations differently. Third, the changes programs seemed to be not well planned. Because the programs built on the Albanese perceptions of the expensiveness and time-consume. Fourth, data gathering was not conducted properly. So, Albanese was not capture the â€Å"real problems† and how to solve it efficiently and instituzionalizing the interventions. Fifth, data analysis was done inappropriately, no follow-up actions were taken to confirm the real problems. The actions wasn’t conducted by accurate data analysis. Sixth, no opportunity was given to regional executives to participate in the change programs. The email procedure was not give the regional executives to build a feedback, and report the implementation problems they faced. Seventh, limited time was avaible to implement the change. Eighth, socialization was done via email only indicated that dominance strategy was implemented, feeding back process was less effective. So, the organization should take change actions building on the cause of the ineffective organizational changes. The Sunflower could be done : 1. Improving the planning process. Sunflower can use the general model of planned change for the Organizational Change and Develoment theory. The four activites in the planning process (entering and contracting, diagnosing, planning and implementing, and evaluating and institutionalizing) can be used to describe how to take changes in Sunflower. 2. Visiting regions to gather (and confirm) the data, offer the changes program, encourage participation, and build commitment. The head office and regional office can discuss together how to plan the changes programs and how well implement it. The commitment for to implement the change continually should be increased. 3. Allocate reasonable time frame for socialization, transition process (process in the organizational change and development when the performance decrease because of the implementation of the changes programs before it result the more effective and increase in the performance), feeding back to improve the changes programs, and provide opportunities to regions executives to speak up, 4. Implement the changes at the (more) appropriate time (not it busy season). It is important to diagnose the best moment for implementation of the changes programs. 5. Actively monitor the implementation and evaluate periodically and accurately. Feedback about intervention’s results provides information about whether the change should be continued, modified, or suspended.

Chess compared to Social Truth essays

Chess compared to Social Truth essays Although board games may appear to be merely a means of recreation and a trivial factor of American culture, they actually represent much more. One specific game worthy of study is chess, which serves a much more fundamental purpose than that for which it is generally given credit. Chess not only has historically formed one of the chief means employed by societies to draw its collective bonds closer, but it also conveys many truths of politics and gamesmanship, while shining a light on economic solutions as well as foreign relations. In Making Your Move: The Educational Significance of the American Board Game, 1832 to 1904, by David Wallace Adams and Victor Edmonds, there is given a preliminary explanation of how board games, in a general sense, have the capability of bringing to the surface social mores. One such more demonstrated in the game of chess involves traditional protestant values such as hard work, piety, frugality, and perseverance, then success was just around the corner (Adams and Edmonds 363). Chess, unlike many games, stresses such qualities as perseverance and frugality. It is not essentially a game won with bold, romantic moves in the opening, but rather with careful patience in the end game. Chess involves calculation and hard work, but these must be courted by a sense of inherent piety and understanding. Much like in the intricate process of volleying to get ahead in American society, chess can not be won in the opening, but it can be lost. Classic openings such as the Ruy Lopez, the Kings Gambit, the Sicilian Defense, the Caro Kann opening, and the Scotch Game all are opening sequences that encompass a careful guardianship of the center squares. Although the object of the game is to checkmate the king, it is first mandatory to acquire board position that allows this end result to be possible. This sort of strategy, which is common among excellent chess players, is analogous to the type...

Internet1 essays

Internet1 essays "Beam me up, Scottie." This popular line from Star Trek was a demonstration of the advanced technology of the future. Though it was a fictional story, Star Trek became the universal vision of the future. As always reality tends to mimic fiction. Though our society has not quite resulted to living in space, we have made life easier with technology. Economic survival has become more dependent upon information and communications bringing forth new technology of which was never thought possible. Just a mere thirty years ago a computer occupied a whole room compared todays palm sized computers, which are faster and perform more functions. Cellular phones, now light and compact, were bulky just ten years ago. The most incredible invention, the Internet, is bringing infinite amount of information to your desktop. In the world of the of the Internet there exist a world blind to skin color and other physical appearances. The Internet while still young in age has grown rapidly, spreading to countries world wide and connecting 50 million users. With its popularity, it is incumbent upon our society to recognize how the Internet works and to be aware of its advantages as well as disadvantages. While seemingly high tech the Internet concept is rather simple. Computers speak to one another and send information. This is accomplished by sending and receiving electronic impulse, and then decoding them into a message. In order to communicate with one another they are linked up in a network. They are then able to access information from thousands of other computers. The network acts like one large computer storing information in various places, rather than in one physical structure. Users tap into the Internet to access or provide information. Internet technology allows one to surf the World Wide Web or send e-mail. The vision of the Internet that would revolutionize the computer and communications belonged to JCR Licklider of MIT (Leiner n. pa...

Indias Cast System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Indias Cast System - Essay Example It is linked to a concept called the four varnas, which will be covered in more detail below. The caste system comes about from an innate (something that a being is born with) spiritual place in the universe based upon these four varnas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and evaluate the caste system in India and it’s relationships to Hinduism to provide a general overview of this important aspect of Indian life. The paper will also explore how important this system is for many Indians, and the changes that are being made to the system in response to global political change. Overview of the Caste System To fully understand the caste system of India, the specific consideration of different spiritual aspects is needed. Perhaps the most important part of the caste system is based around the central concept of the four varnas, which are large categories. The first of these (and the most highly regarded) is the Brahmin class. The usual translation for this caste is schola rly, representing the important role that this caste plays in religious and philosophical occupations within India (Fuller, 1979). The next most highly regarded caste is the Kshatriya, representing what could be considered a military elite or warrior class. The purpose of this caste in Hindu society is to protect society (Fuller, 1979). The third most important class according to the varnas is the Vaishya class. This is the pastoral or farming class, with many of the occupations of its members revolving around livestock and crop farming. This caste may also take up trade careers (Chandra, 2005). Finally, Shudra individuals are seen as part of the servant class. People born into this caste may typically expect to have jobs serving the members of the other three castes (Chandra, 2005). There is also a final group which may not be seen as part of the traditional caste system, for individuals who are not members of any other group. These people are known as the untouchables and can occu py some of the least favourable positions in society and can be ignored by members of any caste (Pruthi, 2004). There are also further divisions within each caste which are known as jatis (Singh, 2005). These can vary between Indian regions, but family members tend to remain within one jati (which dictates occupation). It is also traditional for jati members to marry within a group and carry on an occupation lineage, as with the much broader caste system described above (Singh, 2005). Each jati will fit with other ‘tribes’ into the more general caste system outlined above. These groups tend to be much smaller but still very close-knit in nature, which has led some people to call the jati the ‘building blocks’ of Indian society (Pruthi, 2004). It can be fairly difficult to move between jatis, as with castes, because intermarriage and communication between the groups is not generally encouraged (Pruthi, 2004). It may also be difficult for a member of one jati to learn the trade of another, again prohibiting movement between the groups (Pruthi, 2004). It is possible for a jati as a whole to improve social status by avoiding untouchables and unpleasant work and taking on more priestly ways (such as following the Hindu practices of vegetarianism, for example). History of the Caste System There is some debate about the origination of the caste system. As it has such close ties to Hinduism, it makes sense to evaluate the

Evaluation Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Evaluation Argument - Essay Example Waiting to meet Jesus is a healthy journey for everyone, but the pressures of the society can interrupt this waiting, and cause an individual to go against the will of God, by being forced to lie to having met Jesus, even though in the real sense Jesus has not yet visited the individual. Thus, the understanding and practice of religion might be marred with widespread confusion, most especially when the practice of religion is associated with induction of a child, but external pressure can obstruct the good judgment in matters of religion even more. The elaborate understanding of religion and its practice is fundamental for an individual seeking to join and practice it. The misunderstanding of the basic tenets surrounding a religion might see an individual simply enter into a religion, but remain disappointed afterwards, when the expectations held by the individual are not met (Klick, 27). In the article the article "Salvation" by Langston Huges, joining the religious practice happened in utter confusion, since the understanding of Huges was that he must first meet Jesus physically. Huges had been told by his auntie Reeds that â€Å"when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life!† (Huges, n.p.). In this respect, his understanding of this process of getting saved was in its literal meaning. Thus, this understanding build such an expectation in his mind; that seeing the light and feeling something happen on the inside will be the hallmarks of accepting salvation. Th erefore, the fact that it was becoming too late and everyone else had gotten saved except for him, made Huges remain with no other choice but to take the step forward and accept salvation without having first experienced the light and something happening on the inside. It can therefore be seen that Langston Huges’ article, "Salvation", may not