Finish the part of "Market Structure and Competitive Analysis in Essay

Finish the part of "Market Structure and Competitive Analysis in Nigeria" (2 pages, need references) - Essay Example e market size for solar energy in Nigeria has been hampered by the high percentage of the Nigerian population who lack access to the nation’s power grid. In recent years, the figure has been placed at close to 55 %, which has greatly limited the growth of the solar energy industry in Nigeria. However, the 2010 governmental reforms on the country’s power sector have improved the use of solar power energy in a bid to increase the standard of living of millions of Nigerians. Mind you, the country is estimated to have a population of close to 175 million people. The biggest competitors of Amazing Solar Inc.’s product include BP Solar, Evergreen Solar, AEE Solar and General Electric. However, the low cost of operation associated with our company gives the product an added advantage making it affordable in the Nigerian market. In addition, once the installation and purchase costs have been covered, the consumer does not incur any additional costs, making the product easy to maintain. This means that advertising costs from the promotion of the product will not greatly affect the price of the product. Due to this fact, the product can be advertised via television commercials, email information cards, newspapers, magazines and through seminars conducted in major towns like Abuja and Lagos. Despite the numerous benefits that the company stands to accrue, there are few disadvantages that Amazing Solar Inc. and its product are bound to face in its penetration of the Nigerian solar energy market, chief of which pertains to the rampant corruption in Nigeria and the uncertainties that accompany penetrating new markets. In addition, the company faces stiff competition from local based companies that have a better understanding of the demographics involved, market structure, culture of the Nigerian people and the general political and socio-economic factors in the country. Another big disadvantage includes the fact that the country is ravaged by the Boko Haram menace, which

Book List For Dialectical Journal 2 1 Essay Example for Free

Book List For Dialectical Journal 2 1 Essay Quote Reply War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength They are the Party slogans, and are wri? en in big le? ers on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. The people controlling the present control everything and can ul! mately change the past and, therefore; the future. Big brother controls the present. The slogan is an example of the Partys technique of using false history to  deteriorate the psychological independence of its people. To Kill A Mocking Bird Harper Lee Lord of the Flies William Golding An! gone Sophocles The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan Bless Me, Ul! ma Rudolfo Anaya Black Boy Richard Wright Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck Night Elie Weisel The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger Odyssey Homer The Picture of Dorian Grey Oscar Wilde Julius Caesar William Shakespeare The Perks of Being a Wall7ower Stephen Chbosky.

Rawlsian Affirmative Action Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Rawlsian Affirmative Action: Compensatory Justice as Seen from the Original Position * ABSTRACT: In A Theory of Justice, John Rawls presents a method of determining how a just society would allocate its "primary goods"-that is, those things any rational person would desire, such as opportunities, liberties, rights, wealth, and the bases of self-respect. (1) Rawls' method of adopting the "original position" is supposed to yield a "fair" way of distributing such goods. A just society would also have the need (unmet in the above work) to determine how the victims of injustice ought to be compensated, since history suggests that social contracts are likely to be violated. This paper is an attempt to determine the remedial measures that would be selected using Rawls' method. I contend that only two of the three most widely used "affirmative action" policies would be selected from the original position. I also sketch another compensatory policy that would pass Rawls' fairness test. I. Affirmative action is public policy designed to compensate the victims of injustice. (2) To be thus disadvantaged, in Rawls' scheme of things, is to have suffered in some way from having had less than one's fair share of the primary goods (62). This measure, according to Rawls, ought to be determined by the two principles that would be selected in the original position (17-22). The "first principle," which is "lexically prior" to the second, dictates that each member of society be granted every shareable personal liberty, a liberty being shareable just in case one's exercising of it would not prevent others from doing so (60-1, 250). The "second principle" states that the other primary goods are to be distributed in an egalitarian fashion unless... ...with compensating the victims of injustice. (3) Having done my best here to defend what follows as a reasonable extension of Rawls' system, I would add that I am not wed to the idea that it be taken as such. If the connection between ideal and nonideal theory is not as I have portrayed it, if the latter is not to be circumscribed by the former, then the ensuing views on affirmative action may simply be understood as those that would follow if one were apply Rawl's method, against his own stricture, to the issue of compensatory justice. (4) In correspondence and in "A Puzzle About Economic Justice In Rawls' Theory," Social Theory and Practice, vol. 4 #1, pp. 1-27. (5) "A Puzzle About ..., " p. 3. (6) Ibid., p. 7. (7) Ibid., pp. 12-13. (8) Thomas Nagel, "The Policy of Preference," in Mortal Questions (London: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1979) pp.91-105.

Aspects of Human Resource Management

Aspects of Human Resource Management The main focus of Human Resource Management is personnel and how they can be best utilized to accomplish the mission of the organization based on several aspects of the department. These aspects are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, Human Resource Planning, Execution and Selection, Human Resources Development, Compensation and Benefits, Safety and Health, and Employee and Labor Relations. Each area serves a dual purpose of helping the employer provide a better environment to their employees and ensure the success of the company.This paper will reflect on each aspect of human resource management and discuss how they work together to perform the primary function. Almost all aspects of human resource management are affected by Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action laws. These laws govern the human resource process of recruiting, selecting and promoting the best and most qualified person for the job. It protects employees or pote ntial recruits from discrimination based on race, color, gender, age, religion or national origin (as cited by Youssef, 2012. Sec 1. 5).One example of discrimination in the workplace would be an employer asking applicants to list their background/ethnicity on an employment application with the intent to use that information for hiring purposes. This type of business practice is illegal and can have damaging consequences such as a class action lawsuit or a negative image on the organization. Decisions concerning all aspects of human resource management should be based off the best interest of the company. The more diverse a company is the more effective it can operate because it brings new ideas and different perspectives to the table.Another important aspect of human resource management is planning. Planning is the process of setting a goal or task, and determining step by step how an organization will achieve those goals. In order for an organization to achieve its strategic object ives it requires a lot of planning. This major task is one of many functions performed by the human resources department. human resource planning is responsible for managing all matters relating to employees. They must accurately predict the number of employees the rganization will need in order to achieve the organization’s strategic goals. Having too many or too little employees can hinder the organizations ability to operate efficiently, effectively and competitively. Once it is determined how many employees are needed, human resource staff must select qualified applicants to fulfill desired positions based on an employee’s knowledge, skill and abilities. Also, they must plan how to best utilize the workforce’s skills and talents in order to obtain a competitive advantage over their counterparts.Furthermore in relating to human resource planning, part of achieving an organization’s goal is it must have the right amount of people to do the job and a pla n on how to retain them once the selection process has occurred. For example, in order for the military to achieve its strategic objectives, it must have the right number of soldiers to fulfill certain jobs or tasks. Like any other organization, in order to be considered for a position in the military, you must take an aptitude test to determine what jobs in the military would best suit your abilities.Based off how you score will determine what jobs you qualify for. This score is known as the Armed Forces Qualification Test Score and is important because it determines whether you can join the military service of your choice. Each branch of service has set their own minimum AFQT score. Another part of strategic planning in the military is retaining soldiers and in order to retain qualified soldiers they offer incentives such as sign-on bonuses, reenlist bonuses, assignment preferences†¦ etcHuman Development is another aspect that is essential to the management, training, and imp rovement of employees. At different stages of their careers, employees need different kinds of training. Human Resources Management’s role is to provide this training to employees to sharpen their skills and the organization’s capability. When the organization invests in improving the knowledge and skills of their employees, the investment is returned in the form of productivity and effective employees. As time passes and technology changes the role of training and development programs will be transformed.As employees, we need to be flexible and partake in continuous learning. Also, updating your skill set will be critical to your personal and professional success. In order to measure the effectiveness of training, there are several steps you can take to ensure it works. The first step would be to ask for feedback from the employees once training has been conducted. If the training does not pertain to the actual job or is lacking pertinent information the employeesâ₠¬â„¢ feedback can help improve the training.The next measure to take to test the effectiveness of training is to administer a pre-test and post-test and compare the results. The pre-test will tell you how much knowledge the employee started with, and how much they really learned from the training at the end will be revealed with the post-test. The last step is to observe an employee work to see if what they learned in training is actually being applied to the job. Everyone has their own reason for working and money is usually the most important factor because it pays the bills.However, employee benefits are equally as important to keeping employees motivated to work. Healthcare costs can become extremely expensive, especially for those families with medical issues and having insurance to cover those costs can benefit more than pay. Additionally, with inflation and the cost of living rising, people cannot afford to live off social security alone. A pension plan can help supplement so cial security benefits after retirement. Other types of employee benefits provide security for families in the event of disability or death.Human Resource Management has a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their employees. Every organization should have policies and procedures established for integrating health and safety practices in the workplace and ensure resources are available to assist employees in the event of a mishap. This aspect correlates with training because human resource managers should ensure that employees are aware and familiar with all the hazards that exist within their immediate work center and know how to report any issues if someone becomes injured or ill.

Important step for starting company Essay

NAME: SUNEET KAUR To start a New Business or Project is very exciting no doubt but the challenges to get into the system is very heart rendering. The same thing happened to me, when I took upon myself a task to develop a Soft ware Product Development system whereby I required office space, systems, software development team, power back and miscellaneous small activities, and naturally all these requires budget, as I really didn’t had any finance at my disposal. To over come this problem, the foremost thing I needed to do was chalk out Business Plan for myself, as it is the foremost thing to do. It is a prerequisite to not only define all the Propositions for your business plans but also to estimate your budget and chalk out the source of funding. FINANCIAL PLANNING To finance my project, I took upon initiative the task of estimating the financial planning, which included initial estimate of resource requirements, associated costs, revenue, identifying operating costs and to prepare budgetary plans. It also involved cash flow to ensure that there are no gaps between income and expenditure, analyzing breakeven levels and forecasting profits. PLANNING FOR SOURCE OF REVENUE To find out the source that can really finance your business and fulfill your dreams, prepare a well planned Budget including all your recurring cost that will go into a Cost Center like Income or value going into the Cost Center, Cost of Office Space as well as infrastructure, Wages or Salaries of the employees, Cost of power back up and communication systems, Cost of miscellaneous activities etc. After charting out the business and Budget plan, I set upon the task to search the source of funding not only for the start up of the business but also expanding the business, and this source of funding is a back bone of your company. SOURCE OF FUNDING The borrowing depends on number of factors like purpose of funds, your borrowing requirement, repayment period, the availability of security or collateral etc. Bankers will never lend against the full equity value of property, the availability of the loan will be limited by the equity or residual value of property. All these points count if you intend to search for the source of funding. There are several sources for funding, and for me I started with: SHORT TERM AND MEDIUM TERM BANK LOAN I took upon myself to get the short term and medium term bank loan. For the repayment of this loan it took me two to five years. For sum of $5000, the security is required in the form of private or company property, fixed or floating charge over the books debts and assets of the business. Interest is fixed at between 2 per cent and 5 percent over the base rate at the time the loan was taken out. Arrangement fee is also charged on new loans. This loan system was best suited for me as the rate of interest is just fixed for 2 to five percent. It is more advantageous then the other loans because security required is very less. BUSINESS ANGELS Business Angels invests in new and developing enterprises. They, rather than start their own business, invest in someone else’s Investment proposals and initiatives. Those companies who have skilled and technically qualified people, business venture, capital and skill gives a greater chance to succeed with financing from business Angels. There is a site called as a Business Angels Pty. Ltd. Who provide the facility for meeting the both angels and prospective Entrepreneurs. The needs of the business are matched with the angels’ criteria. There are lots of other sources of financing too like Long term loans from banks, Share Capital from private Investors, Debentures etc, Mortgage debentures, Commercial mortgages etc. but the system of Business Angels are best if starting a New Company because it depends on the negotiations between the two parties.

Managing Cross

Managing Cross Tabular notes Bibliographic details Murray, S. (2009). Cross-cultural training. sLondon: Financial Times. Available from web. Mead, R. and Andrews, T. (2009) International management culture. 4 ed. England: John Wiley Sons. Vecchi, A. and Brennan, L. (2009) Quality management: a cross-cultural perspective, International Journal, 16 (2), pp. 149-164. Trompenaars, F. (2003). Business across cultures. England: Capston. J, Campbell. (2005)Business ethics. Oxon: Routledge What is an organizational culture? It is the meaning shared amongst members of a given organization, distinct from any other organization. n/a n/a n/a n/a How does culture affect an international business? With every country having its own communication habits and styles, these companies face cultural differences amongst its diverse employees. Cultural barriers affect the business’ bottom line. Culture influences the way an organization responds to its environment, roles, structure, how members communicate , make decisions and also they respond to the organizational structure. By the varying priorities, performances and practices across nations. n/a n/a Causes of cultural differences in international businesses Language barriers, Social norms, total quality management standards. Lack of trainings on management, lack of cultural awareness Factors that contribute in achieving a Total Quality Management n/a n/a Can cross cultural differences be resolved? Yes. Trainings on management, cultural rewarding on individuals. Trainings and cultural awareness Yes. With differences in religion and language, cultural homogeneity may be impossible to achieve in a certain nation n/a n/a Do these factors relate to me? Yes. Creating awareness of cultural differences in a company begins with an individual. Yes. As an individual, cultural misunderstanding could affect you adversely if you lack prior knowledge of other cultures. Yes. To achieve cultural homogeneity, individual should have be flexibl e and interested. Can they be positively resolved? Yes. By training the workforce. Yes. Through cultural analysis. Yes. Through adopting a variety of cultural practices. Introduction An Organization result into norms that shape the behaviors of both individuals and groups within the organization. With the increased internationalization in today’s business world, most companies are doing business across many nations. With every country having its own communication habits and styles, these companies face cultural differences amongst its diverse employees.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Cross-Cultural Staff specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Murray (2009, para. 11), there is therefore the need to invest on cultural preparedness and trainings on the workforce. Cultural barriers affect the business’ bottom line (Campbell 2005, p. 102). Mead and Andrews (2009, p. 4) argue that c ulture influences the way an organization responds to its environment, roles, structure, how members communicate, make decisions and also they respond to the organizational structure. The authors indicate that international managers need to determine the amount of weight to exert on culture in relation to other factors while predicting or explain a behavior. They should also be able to determine the amount of weight on culture that can be administered when responding to an action or a behavior. Discussion Cultural Miscommunications causes wastage of time in the process of trying to understand what the other person is saying, the end result is low morale on workers hence the business fails to capitalize on the benefits of having employees from diverse cultures. Language barrier is a major cause of misunderstandings among employees. Related to this is colloquialism, dialects and accents. Cultural awareness is the cure for this barrier. Cultural awareness provides the foundation for in tercultural communication sensitivity. Recent research suggests that individuals with such sensitivity tend to do well in intercultural communication settings. Companies should therefore seek to curb this behavior by promoting acceptance of other people’s cultural differences despite the difference in identities. Culture should not define the position that an individual holds in a certain company. Adapting equal opportunities for all is therefore unavoidable for any organization. Another cause of cultural conflicts is the differences that arise from social norms. A person may be treated differently depending on the country that she is doing business in. An example of this is female employees operating in Africa. The social norms of some countries in Africa are different from those of Western Europe. Some African countries view a woman as a person who should always be under someone authority.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They do not command authority and therefore expected not head a corporate. If an employee deployed from such a country to work in a community that accepts a woman to command power and hold a managerial position. Then there is likely to emerge cultural misunderstandings while trying to conduct business with such a company (Murray 2009, para.12) According to Murray, (2009, para. 13), there is no single approach to a certain cultural problem. Therefore, one can apply different concepts in different situations at a given time. While extending its operations abroad, an international business must arm its staff with simple cross cultural information to reduce occurrences of cultural barriers. By so doing, the company would be informing its workforce about the common behaviors in workplace that cause misinterpretations among employees. Managing cross-cultural differences in international businesses is not a one day thing. M anagers and employees need to learn about cross-cultural skills (Mead Andrews 2009, p. 4). According to Murray (2009, para. 12), it may involve developing tools for cross- cultural awareness like computer developed programs that thoroughly offers information concerning different time zones and the possible ways of communication while minimizing misunderstanding. The program would also address common cultural attitudes associated with gender. This is a common social issue that cause misunderstanding among diverse teams. Work practices and attitude differences can be disastrous in international business. This is a result of the different ethnic groups involved. It is more effective to practice the solutions in real situations other that just training individuals as formality. Apart from just addressing cultural differences, it is important for international businesses to utilize the benefits that result from cultural differences. Managers operating in such businesses must be able to export ideas and implement the ideas in unique ways to fit their market segment and needs. The increased competition in today’s business world demands that companies adapt to quality practices while at the same time capitalize on the competitive advantage that springs from the probability of traditional or non-traditional concerns. A study on quality management indicates that learning about the diversity of workforce cultures will enable managers acquire similar and effective management practices (Murray 2009, para. 13).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Cross-Cultural Staff specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cultural and national boundaries have major roles in Total Quality Management. This is because priorities, performances and practices vary across nations. Some of the factors that affect effective quality practice in an organization or nation may include customer focus, the level of management commi tment, training, strategic planning, teamwork, employee’s involvement among others. National culture is an entity while discussing about quality management that cannot be ignored. Research indicates that deeply rooted cultures affect quality approaches that managers take despite having similar challenges to adopt change while operating in different societies. Certain cultures in a nation function best if specific quality programs are executed than others. The implementation of quality management majorly depends on the different issues related to the national culture. Change is the main factor that fosters Quality management. However, research shows that the culture of a nation is resistant to change. The main argument behind the results of such a research is that although the quality practices may go through certain changes, the basic values accompanying those practices are resistant to change. In such a case, global firms must align their quality practices in such a way that the local national culture embraces them. However this does not imply giving in the veracity of the policies governing them. Instead, it is crucial to develop effective programs that match the local culture. In countries like Canada, Belgium and also Israel, different national and ethnic cultures co-exist (Vecchi Brennan 2009, p.149- 164). With the globalization and human mobility, the result would be intensified national and ethnic co- existences. However, the differences in sub cultures may be heightened due to the differences in religion and language (Trompenaars Woolliams 2003, p. 38). In such a case, cultural homogeneity may be impossible to achieve in a certain nation. On the basis of the foregoing arguments, it is important to ensure that an organization adopts an effective mode of communication. Therefore I intend to adopt strategic commitment in handling any cultural differences that I encounter within my work place. I also need to accept that an organization is composed of different people from different origins, culture, language, and attitudes. It is important to manage al situations at workplace effectively with the common goal of attaining success and transforming the company into a global business. Culture conflicts may lead to superior, aggressive and hostile attitudes and actions among co- workers. It is therefore imperative for all individuals within an organization to learn about other groups within the company. This is the easiest way to discover that everybody, despite their culture and experiences, has the same high and low points in life as everyone.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People should be open to learning experiences through foreign books and newspapers that offer such insights. Managers should encourage programs that foster friendship relationships like team building and cultural clubs. Friendship cuts through many misconceptions because it allows people to see others as individuals rather than a collection of traits. Conclusion With the rapid growth of business world, any organization that wishes to establish a competitive edge in the market needs to adapt a globalization strategy that aims at overcoming cross cultural barriers. Globalization entails total integration of languages, economies, nations, cultures and technologies. Research has shown that customers greatly prefer to buy in their own language. While studies show that there exist a relationship between cultural dimensions and quality management, there is need to reconcile some other limitations. This is because there are possibilities of having different corporate, industrial and sectors coexisting within the same firm yet may conflict and imbalance the national culture. Reference List Campbell, J., 2005, Business Ethics. (1st Ed). Oxon: Routledge Mead, R. Andrews, T., 2009, International management culture. 4 ed. England: John Wiley Sons. Murray, S., 2009. Cross-cultural training. London: Financial Times. [On-line]. Trompenaars, F. Woolliams, P., 2003. Business across cultures. (1st Ed). England: Capston. Vecchi, A. Brennan, L., 2009 Quality management: a cross-cultural perspective. International Journal, Vol.16, No. 2, pp. 149-164. Self Evaluation From the experience of doing the above task, I have polished my research skills by utilizing an electronic library. To compile a comprehensive analysis on how organizations should manage the diverse cultures of employees to work for the good of the company, then there was need to research on the subject thoroughly so as get an insight of how different successful global companies manage their employees. These cases w ould only be found through a wide research. I have also learnt that reading and note taking is a fundamental step when writing about an academic essay. In order to compile an academic essay, a writer should keenly read through the provided or available reading material in library or electronic sources and note down major points from which arguments in the body will be generated. The choice of language determines whether or not I will be able to explain clearly the points generated from the reading materials. I have learnt that to effectively communicate I have to choose the right words and tenses when constructing sentences. This is because an academic essay requires the use of correct grammar. The tutorials helped me ensure to structure the academic essay in a way that ideas progressively follow each other. This is an essential step which I have learnt when writing an academic essay. Construction of arguments is another essential thing that I have learned. I have known that in an a rgument, you have to show your agreement as well as your disagreement on the topic of discussion. There after, you can give your stand or general opinion concerning the topic in question. I have as well learned that structuring my written work is important since it helps the reader to quickly capture my point of argument. In addition, it gives my work a beautiful look and thus is attractive to the eye making the reader want to read more. I have leaned that organizing my time and especially by using a time schedule helps improves on time management. Similarly, it helps me to spend quality time on my studies as well as leisure. Organizing time also helps avoid last minute rush when it comes to revising for examination as well as handing over assignment. Tutorials play a big role when it comes to handling of topics under different perspectives. Every one approaches issues in different view point depending on what motivates them. Tutorials therefore become an avenue for such disclosures . I have learned that for as long as you are keen on other people’s arguments, you learn to approach issues at a broad perspective. Next time when given an assignment, I will try as much as possible to have different approaches to it. I will also ensure that I organize and structure my work in more presentable way. I feel confident about myself. I feel I can be able to achieve the set goals. However I need to improve on the way I look at things. I need to adopt a broader way of solving and judging certain issues.

TreeView With Check Boxes and Radio Buttons

TreeView With Check Boxes and Radio Buttons The  TTreeView  Delphi component (located on the Win32 component palette tab) represents a window that displays a hierarchical list of items, such as the headings in a document, the entries in an index, or the files and directories on a disk. Tree Node With Check Box or Radio Button? Delphis TTreeview doesnt natively support checkboxes but the underlying WC_TREEVIEW control does. You can add checkboxes to the treeview by overriding the CreateParams procedure of the TTreeView, specifying the TVS_CHECKBOXES style for the control. The result is that all nodes in the treeview will have checkboxes attached to them. In addition, the StateImages property cant be used anymore because the WC_TREEVIEW uses this imagelist internally to implement checkboxes. If you want to toggle the checkboxes, you will have to do that using SendMessage or the TreeView_SetItem / TreeView_GetItem macros from CommCtrl.pas. The WC_TREEVIEW only supports checkboxes, not radio buttons. The approach you are to discover in this article is a lot more flexible: you can have checkboxes and radio buttons mixed with other nodes any way you like without changing the TTreeview or create a new class from it to make this work. Also, you decide yourself what images to use for the checkboxes/radiobuttons simply by adding the proper images to the StateImages imagelist. Add a Check Box or Radio Button Contrary to what you might believe, this is quite simple to accomplish in Delphi. Here are the steps to make it work: Set up an image list (TImageList component on the Win32 component palette tab) for the TTreeview.StateImages property containing the images for the checked and unchecked state(s) for check boxes and/or radio buttons.Call the ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes procedure (see below) in the OnClick and OnKeyDown events of the treeview. ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes procedure alters the StateIndex of the selected node to reflect the current checked/unchecked state. To make your treeview even more professional, you should check where a node is clicked before toggling the stateimages: by only toggling the node when the actual image is clicked, your users can still select the node without changing its state. Additionally, if you dont want your users to expand/collapse the treeview, call the FullExpand procedure in the forms OnShow event and set AllowCollapse to false in the treeviews OnCollapsing event. Heres the implementation of the ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes procedure: procedure ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes( Node :TTreeNode; cUnChecked, cChecked, cRadioUnchecked, cRadioChecked :integer);var tmp:TTreeNode;beginif Assigned(Node) thenbeginif Node.StateIndex cUnChecked then Node.StateIndex : cChecked else if Node.StateIndex cChecked then Node.StateIndex : cUnChecked else if Node.StateIndex cRadioUnChecked thenbegin tmp : Node.Parent; if not Assigned(tmp) then tmp : TTreeView(Node.TreeView).Items.getFirstNode else tmp : tmp.getFirstChild; while Assigned(tmp) dobeginif (tmp.StateIndex in [cRadioUnChecked,cRadioChecked]) then tmp.StateIndex : cRadioUnChecked; tmp : tmp.getNextSibling; end; Node.StateIndex : cRadioChecked; end; // if StateIndex cRadioUnCheckedend; // if Assigned(Node)end; (*ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes*) As you can see from the code above, the procedure starts off by finding any checkbox nodes and just toggling them on or off. Next, if the node is an unchecked radio button, the procedure moves to the first node on the current level, sets all the nodes on that level to cRadioUnchecked (if they are cRadioUnChecked or cRadioChecked nodes) and finally toggles Node to cRadioChecked. Notice how any already checked radio buttons are ignored. Obviously, this is because an already checked radio button would be toggled to unchecked, leaving the nodes in an undefined state. Hardly what you would want most of the time. Heres how to make the code even more professional: in the OnClick event of the Treeview, write the following code to only toggle the checkboxes if the stateimage was clicked (the  cFlatUnCheck,cFlatChecked etc constants are defined elsewhere as indexes into the StateImages image list): procedure TForm1.TreeView1Click(Sender: TObject);var P:TPoint;begin GetCursorPos(P); P : TreeView1.ScreenToClient(P); if (htOnStateIcon in TreeView1.GetHitTestInfoAt(P.X,P.Y)) then ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes( TreeView1.Selected, cFlatUnCheck, cFlatChecked, cFlatRadioUnCheck, cFlatRadioChecked);end; (*TreeView1Click*) The code gets the current mouse position, converts to treeview coordinates and checks if the StateIcon was clicked by calling the GetHitTestInfoAt function. If it was, the toggling procedure is called. Mostly, you would expect the spacebar to toggle checkboxes or radio buttons, so heres how to write the TreeView OnKeyDown event using that standard: procedure TForm1.TreeView1KeyDown( Sender: TObject; var Key: Word; Shift: TShiftState);beginif (Key VK_SPACE) and Assigned(TreeView1.Selected) then ToggleTreeViewCheckBoxes( TreeView1.Selected, cFlatUnCheck, cFlatChecked, cFlatRadioUnCheck, cFlatRadioChecked);end; (*TreeView1KeyDown*) Finally, heres how the forms OnShow and the Treeviews OnChanging events could look like if you wanted to prevent collapsing of the treeviews nodes: procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);begin TreeView1.FullExpand;end; (*FormCreate*)procedure TForm1.TreeView1Collapsing( Sender: TObject; Node: TTreeNode; var AllowCollapse: Boolean);begin AllowCollapse : false;end; (*TreeView1Collapsing*) Finally, to check whether a node is checked you simply do the following comparison (in a Buttons OnClick event handler, for example): procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);var BoolResult:boolean; tn : TTreeNode;beginif Assigned(TreeView1.Selected) thenbegin tn : TreeView1.Selected; BoolResult : tn.StateIndex in [cFlatChecked,cFlatRadioChecked]; Memo1.Text : tn.Text #13#10 Selected: BoolToStr(BoolResult, True); end;end; (*Button1Click*) Although this type of coding cannot be regarded as mission-critical, it can give your applications a more professional and smoother look. Also, by using the checkboxes and radio  buttons judiciously, they can make your application easier to use. They sure will look good! This image below was taken from a test app using the code described in this article. As you can see, you can freely mix nodes having checkboxes or radio  buttons with those that have none, although you shouldnt mix empty nodes with checkbox nodes (take a look at the radio buttons in the image) as this makes it very hard to see what nodes are related.

How to Find the Best Firewood for Burning

How to Find the Best Firewood for Burning Finding Firewood If you are looking for firewood to cut, you need a wood source that is relatively close to your storage area and easily accessible by your vehicle. If you have a place to store and season the cut wood, inexpensive wood can be found nearly anywhere trees are being removed because of storms, right-of-way clearing, or logging. Places to look for wood include sawmill yards, national forests, logging and arboricultural operations and even your own property. The old saying, the best firewood is free firewood has some merit if you have the desire and equipment to process it and a place to store it. Many urban firewood users purchase processed wood because of its convenience, availability, and deliverability. It takes a lot less room to store the wood and is usually processed to fit the fireplace or stove. Processed firewood comes at a premium cost associated with its preparation, handling, and transportation. You should acquaint yourself with the value of firewood in your area and pay a fair price. You can find plenty of great dealers online and in the phone book. The Easiest Wood to Split Various woods have different splitting characteristics which are important to consider. Some woods split with little effort while others can be tough, stringy, and difficult to split. Splitting enables the wood to dry out faster and reduces the size of the sticks to stove or fireplace size. Some wood has to be split to use in a stove. Tree species to avoid because of splitting difficulties are elm, sycamore, and gum. Tree species especially easy to split are most conifers, oaks, ash and hard maple. Woods with interlocking grain like elm, gum or sycamore are to be avoided and are difficult to split even with a mechanical log splitter. A couple  rules of thumb should also be remembered: green wood will split more easily than dry wood and softwoods will generally split more easily than hardwoods. How Wood Burns Every species of wood provides different quantities (BTUs) of usable heat when burnedwe will discuss this, further in the next section. Heating efficiency of firewood depends on how that wood progresses through the three stages of burning.   In the first stage, wood is heated to the point where moisture within the wood cells is driven off and the cells are drying out. As the wood is losing moisture, it is chemically changing into charcoal, which is famous for its volatile gasses and liquids. Stopping the process at this point is where the charcoal industry packages their products. In the second stage, actual flames burn off the volatile gasses and  liquids to the point at which the charcoal has lost most of these volatile fuels. Much of the woods fuel energy is lost during this stage and premium wood burning systems can improve their efficiency. The third and final stage occurs when the charcoal burns and produce visible, glowing embers. This is called coaling. At this point, heat is radiated from the burning bed of coals. Different species of wood burn and expend energy differently throughout these three stages. Good firewood species should be dry, should burn through the second stage without sparks with a minimum of smoke production, and should spend a long time burning in the third coaling phase. Wood That Burns Best The heating potential of wood depends upon the increased density of that wood. A woods density is genetically determined by the tree species. Dense or heavy wood contains higher heating values, in British thermal units per unit volume, than lighter wood. A British thermal unit (BTU) measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Most of us dont realize that air dried wood will produce about 7,000 BTU’s per pound. Regardless of the species, all wood burns with the same value. The complication here is in the density variation between different species, which can be significant. As an example, one unit of heavy oak wood will produce roughly as much heat as two units of cottonwood when measuring BTU output. Therefore,  lighter woods like cottonwood and willow will produce the same heat per pound as the heavier oak and hickory woods. This means that a greater volume of cottonwood is needed than oak to produce the same amount of heat. Also consider that some species of wood start easier than others but give off more smoke and more sparks than others. Easy starting wood is not necessarily the best wood to use for heating. Remember that different species of wood will last longer and have better coaling qualities than others. It is important to consider these factors when selecting firewood. The Needle and the Leaf Debate Then comes the  issue of burning needled conifers and softer wood species. Harder wood species that are very dense, and typically called hardwoods, are the firewood of choice in North America. However, not everyone has access to wood from the Eastern hardwood forest. Conifers and softwoods have served well in those regions with limited hardwoods but the limitations are overcome with proper preparation and appropriate wood burning systems. On the positive side, conifers are easier to ignite because they are resinous. Still, these softwoods tend to burn rapidly with a high, hot flame and burn out quickly, requiring frequent attention. Finding a wood heating unit that can store this quick heat and distribute it through time is critical. Red cedar and other trees with high-resin will often hold moisture pockets which can be both irritating and dangerous without the proper burning hardware. When heated these trapped gasses will pop and cause sparks. This can present a significant fire risk, especially when burned in open fireplaces without screens. Hardwoods will burn longer but less vigorously when compared to softwoods. The wood is harder to start and conifers are often used to kindle the wood burning process. Hardwoods make the best fuel because they tend to produce more coals, a process called coaling, that lasts longer than softwoods. A well-seasoned oak makes an excellent fuel because it produces a uniformly short flame and provides heat preserving coals.

What is a purpose of a college education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is a purpose of a college education - Essay Example However, even the best college institutions are not providing these skills. The main purpose of the higher education institutions, colleges in particular, should be to provide the students with a wide range of skills that would help them in functioning appropriately in the workplace such as broadmindedness and problem solving skills that may not be accomplished if the institutions are underequipped. This claim is correct because the modern world has intense competition that requires an individual to be equipped with a wide range of skills since some job positions are highly competitive. Therefore, if one position is not available, an individual can utilize other skills and work in a different position. The article, â€Å"College at Risk† by Andrew Delbanco maintains that although the original purpose of colleges had the interests of the students in mind, it has changed. In fact, in a broader sense, a college institution is a place where the students encounter ideas both from fellow peers and from instructors that help them in becoming creative. In addition, the concept of broad-mindedness was meant to be emphasized through college education. This was meant to help the individuals in dealing with hardships that they may encounter in the workplace. Personally, I agree with these claims. The higher education sector has become a commodity that is only available to the wealthy few; therefore, secluding the unfortunate ones and diverging from the original purpose, which was not economic-oriented. I have also seen many colleges charge very high tuition fees, which was not the case in the past. For instance, my own college has been charging higher fees as compared to previous years. This implies that only the wealthy can afford higher education. This is affecting the availability of opportunities and acquisition of skills especially in the American society, thus affecting the original purpose of colleges. The colleges have concentrated on profit

Epigenetics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Epigenetics - Research Paper Example Such environmental factors may include their lifestyles, the foods they eat or even the use of make up. Powerful abnormal persistent memories may lead to changes in one’s behavior. Chromatin modifications relate to learning and memory and could therefore help give an insight into relation between memory and drug seeking behavior (Malvaez, 2009). Individuals addicted to drug use may end up having memory lapses. After extended periods of abstinence, a relapse may occur. This is because relapse may be caused by exposure to external forces previously associated with the drug use like places, people or paraphernalia. (O’Brien, 1988) There may be no history of a disease like cancer in one’s family. However, if one lives a life that predisposes them to conditions that may facilitate spread of cancer, the disease will crawl into their systems. You are born with family history but your lifestyle dictates who you become. The Environment and lifestyle, it could be healthy or unhealthy largely affects the concept of epigenetics. Family history may therefore not play a big role in shaping what one eventually becomes. We’re born with genes of the family. However, our lifestyles end up dictating what we actually become. Besides, our environments end up playing a role in what we become. Environment can be social or natural. If identical twins adopt lifestyles completely different from each other, say one is physically active and the other is not, the physically active one is likely not to suffer from cardiovascular diseases unlike the physically inactive one. With regard to life expectancy, our grandparents may have lived longer than the subsequent generation. This may be due to the lifestyles the grandparents lived which could have impacted on their genes and thus were subsequently passed to the next generations hence manifested

Helen Keller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Helen Keller - Essay Example Unlike Helen Keller, I have taken language for granted, thinking that it is just a part of being human and that it is nothing really special. However, reading her account of how her teacher Anne Sullivan laboriously taught her the magic of language revealed to me that language is a gift. Helen was very enthusiastic to learn more about language: "Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought" (71). I think I can never really recall how I slowly learn to understand the meaning of language. All I know is that, as an infant, I might have solely relied to non-verbal communication to relay my message to my mother and caregiver. It was not until I was two or three that I have learned to associate words with their meanings. This new discovery might not have been that amazing or exciting to me. The value and appreciation of language came later in my life. Personal experiences taught me how language really liberates an individual and brings good things to other people. I have faced a number of disappointments and failures. During these situations, I have relied on language to pour out my anger and frustrations.

Zeitgeist Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zeitgeist - Movie Review Example The first part of the movie was more or less based on the birth of Jesus Chris, stating that he wasn’t infact born on this date. Here again, the director has to prove the fact that the birth date of Jesus Christ is not actually the 25th of December and that it should be in the season of winter solstice but the director has yet again avoided the theories which point otherwise. The next topic being discussed in the video is regarding the cross. The director claims that the cross is actually the symbol of the zodiac and is persistent on proving that the symbol is somewhat astrological by origin. The author has done this by discussing the myths. But it could be easily said that the cross has no relation whatsoever from astrological point of view rather it is used because Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross because crucifixion was the conventional method of punishing someone by law. Similar things can be said about the claim the author makes regarding the crown of thorns. The author also makes claim that the Bible is not actually a work of God and the stories of various prophets such as Noah, Moses mentioned in the Bible are actually again similar to other stories of the past. But the one thing that is problematic here is if the director is trying to prove wrong of the Bible why he is not trying to prove the reliability of the stories which he mentions in order to contradict the teachings of the Bible. The author also says that Horus was the God of the sun in Egypt, this shows that the author has a lack of understanding regarding the topic being discussed and he needs to do research regarding them. Every one, particularly Egyptians know that Horus was infact the God of the sky and Ra was the Sun God. This is one of the many examples which show the baseless facts that the director has mentioned in the entire video. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this video is that the religion, especially Christianity is the basis of

Journal article critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal article critique - Essay Example Distribution of leadership would serve motivate the teaching staff making them to go beyond their mandate. The benefits of this distribution of leadership responsibilities would consequently trickle down to students. I found the idea that leadership is moral activity that should be creative and transformative in positively influencing the social and personal aspects of students’ lives insightful. This is important because it shows that effective leadership should not be based on opinion but duty (Rhodes & Brundrett, 2009). The idea of incorporating all stakeholders in influencing positive and improving schools and student behavior is a tested idea and it is effective. Leaving other stakeholders such as parents and students from leadership locks out the contribution of these stakeholders and this can slow the achievement of the goal of school improvement. The authors of this article explain that leadership that factors in student voice helps to not only improve a school academically and imparts responsible and active citizenship in students. I find this idea important because schools are supposed to have a holistic impact on students not just academically. I agree with these authors when they contend that leadership positions in schools are still highly engendered and this need to be changed. This idea is important because it would help tap women’s talent in improving schools (Rhodes & Brundrett, 2009). The idea that leadership development happens effectively on the job is important because it extends leadership development beyond leadership training programs. The idea to create a learning community as a strategy to enhance adaptability to change and improve students’ outcomes is noteworthy. This is because, many organizations are increasingly emphasizing the role of a learning environment in facilitating improvements

Zeitgeist Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zeitgeist - Movie Review Example The first part of the movie was more or less based on the birth of Jesus Chris, stating that he wasn’t infact born on this date. Here again, the director has to prove the fact that the birth date of Jesus Christ is not actually the 25th of December and that it should be in the season of winter solstice but the director has yet again avoided the theories which point otherwise. The next topic being discussed in the video is regarding the cross. The director claims that the cross is actually the symbol of the zodiac and is persistent on proving that the symbol is somewhat astrological by origin. The author has done this by discussing the myths. But it could be easily said that the cross has no relation whatsoever from astrological point of view rather it is used because Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross because crucifixion was the conventional method of punishing someone by law. Similar things can be said about the claim the author makes regarding the crown of thorns. The author also makes claim that the Bible is not actually a work of God and the stories of various prophets such as Noah, Moses mentioned in the Bible are actually again similar to other stories of the past. But the one thing that is problematic here is if the director is trying to prove wrong of the Bible why he is not trying to prove the reliability of the stories which he mentions in order to contradict the teachings of the Bible. The author also says that Horus was the God of the sun in Egypt, this shows that the author has a lack of understanding regarding the topic being discussed and he needs to do research regarding them. Every one, particularly Egyptians know that Horus was infact the God of the sky and Ra was the Sun God. This is one of the many examples which show the baseless facts that the director has mentioned in the entire video. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this video is that the religion, especially Christianity is the basis of

Letters Arts and Sciences themes DIVERSITY and ETHICS and their Research Paper

Letters Arts and Sciences themes DIVERSITY and ETHICS and their relationship to globalization - Research Paper Example Consequently of the vicissitudes that are fast happening in the world, three features globalization, human diversity, and ethical issues are considered to be significant impact on leadership at international level and in local level. By way of examining international visions, human diversity, and ethics, leaders can move forward in the path of growth and begin the groundwork for twenty-first century leadership. In the past, even today there is a propensity for a lot of persons to think locally as they considered one’s hometown was his world. At present, societies understand that, even though this opinion may have been common during that period, globalization is speedily happening. Along with skill and communication advancement, obstacles among countries vanish, divulging everybody to new values. International perspectives are being spread to the outermost nations in the world and to the maximum remote places and societies. Persons of diverse philosophies come from diverse nations, with unlike ethics daily to live, tour, or involve in trade. Globalization has developed and will endure to be an innovative system of life. It is essential for leaders to answer to this task of globalization so that they might confidently reach out to several persons as possible. Exposing them to the world’s vicissitudes permits leaders to equate and compare their values with the arts, language, opinions, customs, ideas, and habits of living of other persons. By means of observing and inquiring a new culture, leaders can know the source of a person’s views and develop more perceptive to the cultural requirements of that person. As a result, the leaders demonstrate their admiration and genuine wish in learning more about that individual, thus beginning a rapport and developing a basis for the attainment of their objective. Further, they can acquire knowledge about how the nations and cultures of the globe labor

Spider Womans Granddaughters by Paul Gunn Allen Essay Example for Free

Spider Womans Granddaughters by Paul Gunn Allen Essay In the introduction of Spider Womans Granddaughters, by Paul Gunn Allen, she provides background information pertaining to Native American history and culture. The purpose of this preface is to offer the knowledge necessary to understand the stories. She achieves this goal with the employment of the rhetorical strategies pathos and reference to authority. Allen strongly utilizes pathos. Her use of vocabulary conveys an extremely negative perception of the Anglo-American interactions with the Native Americans. Allen initially describes a road that travels through an Indian Territory in Oklahoma as a beautiful drive, lined tastefully with billboards however then reveals that the roadside signs mark the sites of starvation and slaughter. She continues to portray Anglo-Americans as insidious and pernicious. Allen also illustrates the affects of the massacring of the Native Americans: our numbers were horrifyingly diminished. These desperate, emotional words are deliberately used to provoke pathos effectively. Allens reference to authority compliments her appeal to emotion, as her points are represented with the words and opinions of indubitably respected figures. She shows the stubborn and misunderstanding views of Senator Dawes: He noted that Indian people had a good literacy rate, adequate food and shelter, medical care for all, and a thriving economic base, but he was disturbed because they continued to live communally. She includes this adamant refusal of the Indian lifestyle that was ultimately the cause of the suffering and injustice endured by the Native Americans, and reflects it in the words of an American leader. Allen exhibits the opinion of William Brandon: Of the approximately 150 million acres owned by the Indians in 1880 over ninety million acres were extracted from the Indians pocket. She also alludes directly to the holocaust by describing the westward expansion as such, and provides further allusion by relating schools to concentration camps. Paul Gunn Allens use of the rhetorical strategies of pathos and reference to authority create a nearly irrefutable vision of the Native Americans inauspicious history. Given this overview, the reader is provided the  necessary intellect to fully comprehend the stories.

Why personal management is important to firms

Why personal management is important to firms Human Resource Management, in simple, is a way of management that links people-related activities to the strategy of a business or organization, which at the same time satisfies individual needs and wants of employees. Over the years, Human Resource management went through lots of changes in its functions, roles, objectives, etc and, in the present day, it has reached a milestone from being just an administrative and operational management (personal management) to a strategic contributor (SHRM). The purpose of this report is to critically analyze the importance for HR management to transform from being primarily administrative and operational to becoming a more strategic contributor. The objectives of this report are to, Explain What is Personal Management and what is Human Resource Management Identify the factors which influenced the change Explain The importance of shifting from Personal Management to SHRM Present real world examples to prove the importance of the change This report will be focusing on the secondary research materials such as Human resource books, business articles, online journals, professional web pages to provide explanations and real world examples for the reader, to support the argument. Personnel Human Resource Management Traditional HRM or Personnel HRM can be defined as handling, directing, and controlling of individual employees rather than of employee as a group. It deals with individual relationships, including employees problems with management with employees as non-organized groups. It covers the acquisition andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Perfecto S. Sison,2009,p17) Basically personnel HRM is considered as a traditional, routine, maintenance-oriented, administrative function which doesnt involve the higher level managers of the organization, and, maneuver at the operational level of an organization, performing tasks such as dealing with pay sheets, complying with employment law, and handling similar functions, etc. This mainly focuses on the individual person rather than the employees as whole and tries to satisfy the employees using wages, bonuses, compensations, simplified jobs, etc and to ultimately result in achieving organizational success. As mentioned above, the functions of personnel HRM can be broadly classified as employment, development, compensation and employee relations, which involve only the lower level management of an organization, making it a separate function from the main management of the organization. Strategic Human Resource Management Strategic HRM focuses on aligning all the HR functions of an organization with the business strategy that the organization is currently based on. SHRM is generally perceived as a distinctive approach to managing people which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic development of a highly committed and capable workforce (Appleby Mavin (2000) s555). SHRM is about managing the human capital of an organization in such a way as to achieve some type of competitive edge. Having not only a committed workforce, but also having a workforce that is highly trained for the job that must be performed achieves the competitive edge. Moving in this direction is where human resources become SHRM. The starting point for SHRM, unlike the traditional HRM which starts from the people, starts from the organizations requirements and needs about having a suiatable workforce. Also SHRM involves not only the operational level managers, it involves higher level managers such as HR managers and it directly incorporates with the organizations strategy by formulating, implementing and evaluating companys strategies through human resource activities which may involve recruiting, selecting, rewarding and training company personnel. The Below diagram shows how Human Resource Strategy matches the Organization strategy. Managing human resources: personnel management in transition/   By Stephen Bach/4th edition Blackwell bublishin, 2005 The above diagram suggests that modern HRM is not a separated function as it was in past, and clearly shows that it is interconnected with the strategy, culture, current situation, financial resources of the organization. SHRM is focused on the contributions that the HR strategies could make to enhance organizational effectiveness, and how these strategic contributions are achieved and it involves designing and executing a set of internally constant policies and procedures to ensure that an organizations human capital contributes to the core business objectives and strategies. Contrasting Personnel Management with Strategic HRM Personnel management, from name itself suggests that, it is all about managing and developing the people and the skills employed. On the other hand, SHRM is focused on developing employee knowledge, abilities, talents, aptitudes, creative abilities, etc. Personnel management is a more reactive way of managing HR because it only includes administrative tasks that are both routine and traditional only providing a response to demands and apprehends as they are presented. Where as SHRM is more proactive, involving continuous development of HR functions and policies for the purposes of improving a suitable workforce for the company, in present and for future needs. Personnel management is often regarded as an independent function which typically the sole responsibility of the personnel department of an organization, where as SHRM is an integrated function which often involves all the managers of an organization in some manner to develop the skill sets and abilities of different employees in different departments to achieve a main goal of the entire organization. Personnel Management creates high ambiguity in achieving goals and taking decisions as its a separate function from the core management where as SHRM delivers less ambiguity as it is in line with the organization strategy and integrated with other functions of an organization. Personnel management motivates employees through increased salaries, bonuses, compensations, simplified jobs etc, where as in SHRM, the motivation is gained through work groups, effective strategies for meeting challenges, and job creativity. Transition from Traditional HR to SHRM In the modern business world, the key for a successful business is to integrate all the functions of a business to make sure all departments and functions of the business flows in the same direction. To achieve that competency, the traditional HR managing system had to be transformed into a more integrated, top-management-involved, strategy oriented function, known as SHRM. Competition, Globalization, technological advancement, demographic factors are the most possible factors which influenced the change. Competitive advantage When a firm is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors, then it can be said the firm has a competitive advantage (Managing human resources: personnel management in transition/  By Stephen Bach) SHRM system capabilities can contribute to sustainable competitive advantage because they 1) can help exploit opportunities and neutralize threats in a firms environment, (2) are difficult to develop and therefore rare in the competitive environment, (3) are very difficult to imitate, and (4) cannot be easily displaced by strategically significant substitutes. Delta Air Lines, Southwest Air lines, Walmart are good examples for businesses which climbed to the top of the ladder using the competitive advantage. Changing the Mind Set Businesses have to completely change their mind set in the process of making personnel management into a more strategic partner. Personnel managements strong focus on administrative tasks and the inability to directly measure its impact on the outcome was the major down fall of personnel management, limiting its contribution to the business strategy. Therefore, Strategic HRM needed a completely different mind set, which focuses mainly on transformation using change management instead of focusing on administrative and operational activities. Demographic Influence If the business strategy of the organization is to spread the business in different geographic areas or in different cultural backgrounds, the business should use, not personnel management but SHRM to match the business strategy. Using the personnel management will disregard the fact that the employee should culturally match the job, should be equipped with appropriate language skills, match the required gender and the religion, to suit the area that he has to work, and it will only facilitate to achieve the HR strategies like recruiting cheaper people, having basic qualifications etc. This has a negative impact on the business as it cannot effectively serve their customers, so the business has to use SHRM in order to align the HR strategies with business strategies, to consecutively match the business that they are doing. IBM in Australia and New Zealand is made up of many different people from many different cultures and backgrounds. The common thread between us is our commitment to IBMs success in the marketplace and IBMs long-standing values and belief in inclusion http://www-07.ibm.com/au/diversity/cultural_awareness_and_acceptance.html Impact of Globalization In order to grow and prosper many companies are seeking business opportunities in global market. This has affected the HRM management system as well. So globalization is the main component that would affect to the shift of THRM to SHRM. It is the integration of business activities across the geographical and organizational boundaries. Coca Cola Company has 92,400 associates around the world live and work in the markets we serve more than 86 percent of them outside the U.S. In this geographically diverse environment, employees learn from each market and share those learning quickly. As a result, Coca Cola Company culture is ever more collaborative. From beverage concept and development to merchandising, our associates are sharing ideas across departments and markets in new ways. Consequently, Coca Cola Company associates are increasingly enthusiastic about their work and inspired to turn plans into action. Coke website Technology As the rapid change of technology, the companies have to change their human resource management system into more strategic approach. The strategic HRM along with technology; facilitates employees to improve their work life balance, creativity and productivity. For example Motorola is extending human capabilities by providing integrated wireless communication and embedded electronic solutions for the individual, the work-team, the vehicle, and the home. Motorola is committed to providing technology that will increase employee productivity attract and retain key talent and help employees balance their professional and personal lives. Source; http://www.bc.edu/centers/cwf/research/highlights.html) The recruitment goes high-tech in Vietnam; the service is an extension of the Labor Departments website (www.vieclamhanoi.net), where employees can access job information. It is said to be the Departments solution to ineffective and formulaic job fairs in Vietnam. The new service will make it faster and easier for employers and job seekers to connect. As a start, the new online site has employment details from over 1,000 foreign and local companies in Hanoi, and will soon expand to 1,400. Within the first week of its launch, employers had connected with and hired nearly 1,300 job seekers through the service. Current Role of SHRM The business world today uses the SHRM methods and benefits thorough it very effectively. Some businesses focus on HR strategy more than the business strategy sometimes, and in some occasions the HR strategy becomes the business strategy as well. Microsoft is a good example for the HR strategy to become the core business strategy as well. A lot of what we do with the employee value proposition is just win in the marketplace. People want to know theyre with a winning teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I tell Lisa still that in some senses our No. 1 HR strategy is our business strategy. When were succeeding and winning and doing great stuff, success breeds success. Business week The following diagram indicates how the Australian Governments Department of Education, Science and Training has executed their HR strategies to be align with the key organizational strategies. This resulted a positive outcome of the departments people management strategies in creating a motivated and engaged workforce and, through this, achieved a strong contribution to the delivery of business outcomes. An emphasis on strong leadership is a key strategic element for creating an environment of respect, support and development for all people in the department. In this way, the department has built and maintained a creative and engaged workforce able to deliver the governments growing and diverse education, science and training agenda. http://www.annualreport2007.dest.gov.au/chapter_eight/people_management.htm During the recession back in 2008, Pepsi came up with a business strategy to cut their cost, and the HR strategy matched the business strategy by laying off employees. According to Pepsi Bottling Groups chairman and chief executive officer Eric Foss, Pepsi Bottling Group Inc is planned to slash about 3,150 jobs across US, Canada Europe and Mexico as part of its restructuring plan. This is expected to result in pre-tax savings of up to $160 million. These moves will allow our business to better deal with the challenging macroeconomic conditions that currently exist, http://www.newsweek.com/id/121095 Coca-Cola has proved that tailoring career development to suit high-potential employees can dramatically increase internal promotions and thereby save the company huge recruitment costs which was a major objective of the finance division to reduce the overall cost. Conclusion Personnel HRM is considered as a traditional, routine, administrative function which doesnt involve the strategic level of the organization, and, creates high ambiguity, tends to be more reactive and works as a separate unit apart from the organization. strategic human resource management is a function which is focused on aligning the HR strategy with the overall business strategy to achieve organizational success and, is considered as a more proactive, integrated, and less ambiguous way of managing HR. Factors such as competition, globalization, economy, demographic factors, improving technology caused the human resource management to change from Personnel management to Strategic HRM Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, South West Airlines, Delta Air lines, Toyota are few examples for organizations who achieved business success through implementing SHRM in their organizations. By critically analyzing all the factors in this report, it can be concluded that it was exceptionally important for the businesses to change their way of managing human resources from traditional HRM to Strategic HRM, in order to face the external factors effectively and lead their business into the top of the ladder.

Why Students Dont Have Time :: Education Educating Time management Essays

Why Students Don't Have Time When I was a student, my teacher once said to me that a large amount of time is only good when you can use it wisely. The tactics of the teaching profession that I, a modern educator, am about to describe, result in the very opposite. I. In the first place, ladies and gentlemen, the amount of time a student has outside of school, like Romeo's love for Juliet, is precious for every minute. A student's time is like a person's income before taxes. Free time would be the amount remaining after all homework (taxes) was done. Focus, therefore, on the small amounts of free time a student actually has than large expanses that he appears to have from 2 PM to 8 AM. II. Whatever amount of work has been done in class, a teacher is to give the students the same amount of homework each day, between one and two hours a night. Even if the entire year's curriculum is covered in the first three class days, a teacher is to find homework to give the students each day following, regardless of whether it has anything to do with the subject matter of the class. III. A teacher is not to make any exceptions for his tardy work policy no matter what the excuse. The punishment for someone who had a big game or whose house was burned down or whose house was buried under ten feet of snow shall be the same as someone who has no reasonable excuse. A teacher shall not even hear trite excuses such as "my dog ate my homework" even if the student in question has a 12-week-old black Labrador retriever that has a serious biting and chewing problem and chews everything from socks to shoes to, unfortunately, homework. IV. A teacher is to give numerous out-of-class yet short-term projects to his students. They will then think that they have spent all the time needed for one class but then have to work for another hour on another class project. These projects should be the type by which procrastination is not an option; ones that the teacher give five weeks in advance but are due a day after they are able to begin. For example, a reading assignment out of a book specially ordered by the School District due five weeks in advance but due the day after the books arrived.

Depiction of Native Americans in American Film Essay

In today’s society there are many people living in poverty. All across America there are different projects and reservations where the less fortunate reside. Statistics show that mostly minorities live in these different locations. Native Americans and African Americans are two of the more popular races living in these places. The group suffering the most in these situations is the youth. Although both Native American and African American children living on a reservation or in the projects experience a terrible community, have little to no faith, and a broken family structure, African American youth living in the projects have it worse than Native American children living on a reservation. First, one of the most common living situations for less fortunate African Americans is in the projects. A project is a public living environment that is government owned. Although these buildings are government owned they are far from nice looking. Most of the buildings have no windows, are run down, dirty, and old. The government’s main goal is to maintain affordable housing not to make them the best looking homes in town. The projects aren’t a good environment for a child to be raised. Throughout these neighborhoods different gangs can be found. These gangs are built to defend the different areas in the projects. The gangs bring major violence to the area and are one of the main causes of death. At a young age children join these gangs and are raised to be violent. Many of them decorate the buildings they are living in with graffiti expressing their gang colors, symbols, or motto. In contrast, while Native American youth also live in poor housing, the environment is safer than the projects. A reservation is an area set aside for a specific type of land use or activity, or for use by a particular group of people, mostly Native Americans. Similar to the projects, houses on a reservation are old, beat down, and dirty. The houses on a reservation are government owned as well. Although these two locations are very similar they also differ. The reservation is a safer place then the projects. On the reservation there is a couple cases of mild violence but they aren’t as severe as the violence in the projects. Therefore, the reservations environment is a better environment than the projects. Secondly, many of the young people have no faith growing up in the projects. A lot of them believe their only way out of the projects is to become a basketball or football player or to become a top selling rap artist. At as young as sixteen years of age most African American males end up in jail, deceased, or selling drugs. A lot of them are also lead to believe that if they don’t do what every other man on the streets is doing, then they won’t make it anywhere in life. On the reservation the kids believe their only way out is to become NBA players or â€Å"powwowers†. Powwower’s are traditional Native American cheerleaders or dancers. Much like the African Americans growing up in the projects, the life expectancy rate for those living on a reservation is in the mid forties. Considering that both of these locations are in the United States mid forties is very young of age. Many of these people don’t live very long because they don’t have enough money to take care of themselves as well as their families. They also aren’t able to live a healthy lifestyle which shortens their days. Death is common in the two locations which leaves these two young groups wondering what’s beyond the age forty. Lastly, family structure is very important in a household. In the projects many of the homes lack a very strong family structure. Children growing up in the projects nine times out of ten don’t have both parents in the home. Most of them are drug dealers, alcoholics, prostitutes, or doing any and everything to try and provide for the child. Although these parents are trying to provide for their children a lot of the time they are also on welfare. Moreover, these children’s parents aren’t ever around, they sometimes go days without having anything to eat. Many of the young men follow after the footsteps of their father, older brother, or uncles which is why this cycle has continued for so long. Native Americans typically stick together as a unit. According to Sherman Alexie, an award winning author who grew up on a reservation, â€Å"Native American children are taught to be suspicious of Caucasian people. † Native Americans teach this to their children because there are many people in America that are against minorities and believe that just because they are the majority they’re better. A lot of the parents on a reservation go from job to job not being able to keep one job for a long period of time. Many of these parents are also alcoholics. On the other hand, some of these families on these reservations are very family oriented unlike the African American families in the projects. These Native American families have up to seventeen family members living in one house. They keep their families very close and are very supportive of one another rather then being against each other like African Americans. The parents watch over their children to make sure they don’t go down the wrong path in life. Although these families are experiencing hard times they cheer each other up and manage to smile every once in a while. Therefore, the Native Americans family structure is stronger then African Americans. In conclusion, Native American youth living on a reservation have it better then African American youth living in the projects. Both of these minorities are going through some hardships. From alcoholic parents to not having anything to eat they both are suffering as young children. Native American families provide a safer living environment, work harder, and look after one another, where as African Americans are against one another, on the streets all day, and are strongly associated with violence. As the years go on these families are hoping that the government will separate people in the projects and those living on reservations and provide them both with a better living situation. If these environments are separated the United States will be one step closer to eliminating violence in America.

Political Philosophy and Medium-paragraph Length Answer Essay

Provide a medium-paragraph length answer to each question below (using full and complete sentences). The questions are about the readings listed on the syllabus for 2/19 and 2/26. 1. Identify and explain the two objections that Michael Sandel raises about Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy of Utilitarianism. 2. What are the three types of policies and laws that Michael Sandel identifies as being commonly rejected by libertarians? Briefly explain each type of policy, and explain why libertarians are philosophically opposed to them. 3. According to Mary Anne Warren (in â€Å"On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion†), what are the five central criteria for moral personhood, and what are the implications of this criteria on the issue of whether or not the fetus has the right to life? 4. According to Don Marquis (in â€Å"Why Abortion Is Immoral†), what is the property that the fetus possesses which makes abortion an immoral act? Why does Marquis say that abortion is just as wrong as killing an innocent adult person? 5. Judith Jarvis Thomson (in â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†) makes an argument about the morality of abortion when the pregnancy is due to rape by creating a fictitious example about being hooked up to an unconscious violinist. What are the elements of her example that make it analogous to the situation of pregnancy due to rape? What is the conclusion she draws about the morality of abortion in this situation, and what is the basis for this conclusion? Submission Guidelines Include your name and the assignment name (Homework Assignment 1) in the text of the document Include your name and the assignment name (Homework Assignment 1) in the name of the file that you submit.

Character Education and Me Essay

After reviewing all of the materials for the course, I am convinced that character education is something that must have a presence in schools. Students of all grade levels can benefit from learning how to become civilized members of society. I agree with Lickona (1992) as far as the family being the first and foremost teacher of morals. As adults, we continue to reflect on our morals and virtues with hope of continually improving ourselves, especially when we become parents. I as well as many other new parents ran out to get a parenting manual to assist me in raising my children the best I could. Character education should be incorporated into the lessons daily in context. As the School Family video showed us, it should not be done through bribing, rewarding and punishing students without a lesson involved. After the school adopted the Conscious Discipline program, it appears that they have students use their words to talk out their issues with one another. I feel this has a better impact on the students in the long run. They will be better able to handle conflict in the future because of the lessons their teachers have helped them to understand. Kohn (1997) explained the side of character education with which most teachers are familiar. He explains, much like the Fern Creek video states, that students are most frequently drilled and rewarded through the character education programs. I do not necessarily agree that the values should be taught out of context. As a language teacher, I can tell you first hand that rote memorization does not show understanding of a concept. In addition, any person who has raised a preschooler can tell you that one of the first questions a child asks is â€Å"Why? † Children do not learn from simply being corrected or told what to do. They learn when they can explain why something is the way it is. Good character is completely developed by knowing ones morals and wanting to abide by the virtues by which we all live. If more parents were sensitive to the information that Lickona discussed in the Raising Good Children video, schools would have an easier time with character education. I agree that parents and schools need to form a partnership. Parents typically do not line their children up and drill right or wrong. They teach their children virtues in context. If my son steals his brother’s toys and a fight breaks out, I am not likely to say â€Å"that’s not right! † and end the conversation there. Young children are more likely to stop the bad behavior if they know why it was wrong or hurtful. I would explain to my son, â€Å"It hurts your brother’s feelings when you take his toys. Do you like your feelings hurt? Please ask him next time. † Incorporating the â€Å"do unto others† ideal does not make an impact unless the child can relate directly to the situation. I have noticed the times I had forgotten the explanation of why to stop; my son would repeat the misbehavior a short time later. Many of the virtues I have learned have come from my mother and my grandmother, since they were around me the most as a child. Through gentle reminders from these women I learned a set of standards to live by, my virtues. By knowing this information and using the good moral judgment that my family taught me, I have developed my character. Some children come to our classrooms without the opportunity to learn the way I did. Therefore, I need to be sensitive to their needs and help them to focus on how to change their behaviors. By treating students fairly and with compassion on a consistent basis, hopefully I can encourage students to intrinsically want to have good character.

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Social Psychology - Essay Example As an amalgamation of what has historically been two disparate and distinct fields of inquiry, social psychology blends the two scholarly realms and provides a new perspective on such issues as social cognition, the individual within society as well as the role that individuals plays in shaping their wider environment. The perception of individuals is very important from a social psychological standpoint and this field allows scholars and researchers to undertake their inquiry from an interdisciplinary approach. Thus, from a social psychological perspective, the perception of individuals can be shaped by both internal psychological factors as well as the social environment. Sociology is a field which has traditionally focused group dynamics and behaviors. Psychology, on the other hand, is a field which is primarily concerned with the individual and the mental motivating factors in explaining thoughts and behaviors. From the perspective of social psychology then, the formation of soci al identity is the result of both social and psychological factors. Individual cognitive behavior influences social identity as does the environment one is raised in, the people he/she grows up with and social identity can be seen as a mixture of these forces (Baron 3-44). Social psychology, as a field of inquiry, has much to say about perceiving groups, norms and behaviors. Accordingly, social psychology looks at these concepts and sheds light onto both the social and psychological features of these issues. Accordingly, Discrimination is described as the prejudicial treatment of others based upon certain real or perceived characteristics. It is generally done on the basis of race, colour, sex, age, language, sexual orientation, religion and/or disability. Discrimination is often based upon pre-held beliefs, judgments and stereotypes about people and

What Is Neoliberalism In The United States Research Paper

What Is Neoliberalism In The United States - Research Paper Example Unlike in other countries such as the Western Europe and Japan, the United States has been very successful in terms of the use of neoliberal policies in this country. This explains why the United States is considered the leader of imperialist countries (Dumenil and Levy 9). In general, the concept of neoliberalism is based on the classical liberal economic practice that was widely used in the United States for many years way before the Great Depression took place in 1930s (Dumenil and Levy 1, 12). However, between the mid-1930s up to mid-1970s, the US government decided to implement the use of the â€Å"interventionist† approach rather than the typical classical liberalism (Kotz). When Ronald Reagan was elected as the President of the United States back in 1980, the US government started supporting the use the classical liberalism in making public policies which aims to limit labor power, deregulate industries and agriculture within and outside the United States (Harvey). The main purpose of this study is to discuss the significance of neoliberalism in North Atlantic states particularly in the case of the United States. As part of analyzing the impact of neoliberalism in the U.S., this study will first discuss what neoliberalism is all about followed by discussing how neoliberalism in the United States has affected the developments in â€Å"deregulation† and â€Å"privatization† of public companies. What is Neoliberalism? According to Dumenil and Levy (5), neoliberalism is the â€Å"new phase in the evolution of capitalism†. Basically, the word â€Å"neoliberalism† is commonly used as a general term for economic liberalization of public policies and advocates (Fish; Boas and Gans-Morse). Since we are already in the era of globalization, a lot of academic institutions have considered neoliberalism as a â€Å"central guiding principle of economic thought and management† (Harvey). However, the question remains as to what n eoliberalization really mean and why the United States has been very supportive of neoliberalism? As defined by Mirowski and Plehwe (13-14), neoliberalism is â€Å"the priority of the price mechanism, the free enterprise, the system of competition and a strong and impartial state†. It means that neoliberalism strongly believe in the idea that a society should never be considered as a product of natural development. Instead, people should continuously promote the importance of having a free society that is subject to a â€Å"free market economy† or an â€Å"unregulated capitalist system† (Harvey ; Kotz). In general, the neoliberals strongly believe that a free market competition could challenge each business entity to improve not only their knowledge in managing a business but also maximize the use of technology. By giving each person the freedom to choose, neoliberals explained that business people can support the increase in the country’s overall economi c performance. It means that the business people are expected to become more focused in finding ways on how they can effectively increase their production efficiency and output, progress in the use of machineries and information technology, and promote distributional justice in order to increase the annual U.S. economic growth. As a free country that practices free trading, Kotz explained that the U.S. government has a limited role in its economic development. In general, the neoliberals consider the presence of state intervention as an external factor that can trigger more problems on the part of the business sectors. The public policy under neoliberalism