Ecs Preferential Banana Importation Treatment - 2114 Words

EC-BANANAS III The case concerns the ECÊ ¼s preferential banana importation treatment to certain African, Caribbean and Paciï ¬ c (ACP) countries. The Appellate Body upheld the panel’s ruling that the ECÊ ¼s regime for importation, sale and distribution of bananas was inconsistent with certain GATT Articles.17) Ecuador, one of the complaining countries, sought to retaliate against the EC when the latter was found, by a compliance panel under DSU Article 21.5, to have failed to implement the DSB rulings. The crucial element in Ecuador’s request was that it was the ï ¬ rst case where a complaining party requested to retaliate under the TRIPS Agreement. The arbitration panel found that Ecuador could request authorization to suspend its concessions or other obligations in certain sectors under the TRIPS Agreement, with the level not exceeding US $201.6 million per year. Although DSU has usually made it easier for disputes to be resolved rapidly, EC-Bananas is an exception to this experience. The EU kept prolonging the dispute by repeatedly reforming its banana regime without making it fully WTO compliant, thus provoking renewed consultations and litigation after each reform. Ecuador and its developing country co-plaintiffs were unable to force the EU into compliance. This may partly be due to the fact that Ecuador did not make use of its cross-retaliation rights granted by the DSB in 2000. Even retaliation to its full potential by Ecuador may not have succeeded in bringing about EU

Terrorist Attacks on the United States - 1994 Words

â€Å"The September 11 attacks changed many aspects of American life and governmental policies† (September 11 Terrorist Attacks on the United States). It all started on September 11, 2001 in New York. 9/11 made history with its tremendous destruction and deaths. Many people were killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers, additionally those who jumped down from stories above and the hundreds who asphyxiated in the massive smoke that had spread from New York to Washington D.C.. Many Americans from that day on have sorrow and barren feelings from losing their loved ones. Many people do not realize how strongly their opinions have affected not only the country but other countries additionally. Many citizens who walk the streets†¦show more content†¦There is more anger in America when 9/11 happened. If I were dressed in a burqa would I be accused of being a terrorist? Will I be without any rights and be stopped at the airport? Will people be offended and say get out of America? Being in other people’s shoes and seeing what they have been through is what America needed to see. Not all Muslims or any other race dressed in burqas and other religious outfits are terrorists. America needs to see and open their eyes and give other people chances. Furthermore, September 11 impact opened our mouth but by doing so it has shut down our hearts of being a real citizen and showing others from different countries that we are no different and crucial from the people they try to escape to find freedom in America. September 11 was an organized plan created by the Al-Qaeda and their leader, Osama bin Laden, for the United States. The morning of September 11, 2001, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists had taken over four commercial passenger jet airliners. Hijackers used box cutter knives as weapons to take control over the passengers on the airplanes. In an article called â€Å"September 11 Terrorist Attacks on the United States† which mentions hijackers names â€Å"Satam M.A, Waleed M., Wail M., Mohamed Atta, and Abdulaziz Alomari† are the hijackers who calculatedly crashed American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. American Airlines Flight 11 carried 92 passengersShow MoreRelatedThe Terrorist Attacks Of The United States1409 Words   |  6 PagesThe 2001 terrorist attack in the United States had negative social and economic effects in the country and generally stirred the peace of the citizens. Terrorism is a major threat to any sovereign country in the world including the United States where. There are other threats that influence the comfort and the interests of the residents of the United States in varying measures (Decker, 2001). The Department of Homeland Security is tasked with the protection of the people from any activity that influencesRead MoreThe Terrorist Attacks Of The United States2247 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"9/11†-the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001- many Americans, officials such as the local Police Departments, Fire Fighters, the government and the President of the United States all shared one main priority and thought. That thought, concern and priority was to combat terrorism in the United States and avoid something this immense from happening ever again. Many others prior to 9/11 never thought the day would come in which they would witness such terrorist attacks to this countryRead MoreTerrorist Attacks On The United States1453 Words   |  6 Pages 2001, alleged Al-Qaeda members attacked the United States of America with four passenger planes, Boeing 757s. Two planes flew into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, one plane flew into the Pentagon, and the remaining plane was possibly targeting the White House but was unsuccessful. People all over America felt an utter shock and disbelief after this tragic event as people demanded answers. After the terrorist attacks, a portion of Americans started to believe inRead MoreThe Terrorist Attacks Of The United States Essay2060 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Living the United State when one thinks of a terrorist attacks often their mind will first go to a larger scale attack such as the events of September 11th 2001. â€Å"September 11, 2001 changed the United States forever, the terrorist attack that day marked a dramatic escalation in a trend toward more destructive terrorist attacks which began in the 1980s. It also reflected a trend toward more indiscriminate targeting among international terrorists. The vast majority of the more than 3Read MoreThe Terrorist Attacks Of The United States Essay2177 Words   |  9 PagesFailures Pre- 9/11 Before the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 in the United States, the CIA was very aware of Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups who’s aim was to target the United States. The CIA became aware of Al Qaeda when they were tracking Osama Bin Laden in 1991 for financing terrorist attacks. As previously discussed, the CIA followed Bin Laden to Afghanistan where they eventually declared war on him. In 1999 the CIA was aware of and defeated Bin Laden operativesRead MoreTerrorist Attacks On The United States1298 Words   |  6 Pagesaims. There have been numerous different terrorist attacks on the United States in all the years, but 9/11 is by far the worst. On September 11, 2001, around 8:45 a.m., something that will live in the memories of others forever. With around 3,000 fatalities and millions of people affected by this disaster it would be day that is never forgotten. A terrorist group, led by Osama Bin Laden, known as Al Qaeda teamed up with the Taliban to plan these awful attacks. Bin Laden was a millionaire’s son andRead MoreThe Terrorist Attacks Of The United States1968 Words   |  8 Pagesworst attacks the United States has ever experienced. Many factors made the terrorist attacks of September 11th a day that is permanently etched into the hearts and minds of Americans. Nineteen radicals linked to the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda gained control over four airplanes and carried out attacks against targets in the United States on 9/11. (History.com Authors) Their leader, Osama Bin Laden, and his followers viciously opposed the United States. In al-Qaeda’s opinion, the United StatesRead MoreTerrorist Attacks And Its Impact On The United States Of America Essay1295 Words   |  6 Pages11th 2001, a series of ‘terrorist attacks’ struck the main cities of the United States of America. This is more commonly known as 9/11, hence the 11th of September. The story of this incident is that these deadly attacks were performed by Al Qaeda extremists. This event has been recorded in the pages of history as a clear act of terrorism war and has impacted many people’s daily lives, even here in New Zealand. But was it really these extremists who attacked the United States of America, or was itRead MoreTerrorist Attacks On The United Sta tes Of Homeland Security2742 Words   |  11 PagesSeptember 21st, 2001 only eleven days after 911, a day that will go down in infamy because of the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security. The nation fell to pieces after this horrible attack. Just shy of 3,000 people lost their lives, and thousands of families lost loved ones. Never before had the United States lived in such fear and uncertainty. Something needed to be done, and it had to happen quicklyRead MoreThe Security Administration ( Tsa ) / 11 Terrorist Attacks On The United States1802 Words   |  8 PagesOur society today has transformed in ways that our Founding Fathers would have never expected. Life changing events such as 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States has set the tone in how our government responds to such horror. It has put the entire nation on an edge and citizens feel the insecurity of their gover nment and fear for their safety. Every individual was scrutinized, but some were looked at more closely than others due to their sex, race, and religious background. Government has

Ethics of Us Army Free Essays

ETHICAL CULTURE AUDIT of the United States Army By: Andrew Driscoll March 16, 2013 Each soldier in the United States Army, or any military service, will have very different experiences with the ethical culture of their unit. Is this experience due to the organizational culture or how its leaders operate within that culture that creates such an unique experience for every soldier? The point is that if you ask 10 soldiers to conduct an ethical culture audit of the military, I believe you will get 10 different answers that fall on all points on the continuum. Responses that the Army is highly ethical would come from soldiers who have â€Å"internalized cultural expectations† (p. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics of Us Army or any similar topic only for you Order Now 152). Since the Army has such a strong culture, ethical or not, there are always going to be individuals who fight that culture and resist the â€Å"internalization† of some or all the values. Typically these soldiers separate from the military during their initial training or when their first time commitment is up, usually 2-3 years. From my experience the United States Army has a highly ethical culture. One could sight any of several dozen scandals or investigations from Abu Grhaib prison abuse to the 101st Airborne soldiers raping and killing a family of five in Iraq to counter my assessment. But, I argue that these incidents occurred in spite of the strong culture, where a combination of â€Å"individual character traits† (p. 198) and/or trauma suffered in combat operations caused unethical behavior contrary to the ethical training they received. To help prevent such incidents and also study behavior the US Army has developed the Center for the Army Profession and Ethic. Since 2008 the Army has incorporated the research from this organization and trained its mid-level leaders to implement its findings at the unit level. To have a highly ethical organization, you need leadership that is committed to continuous improvement and not complacent with the current culture. In an organization with over 500,000 active soldiers the mentality has to be, there is always room for improvement. This mentality of continuous improvement must also come from the leadership of the military to be effective and implemented. Similar to Kelleher’s philosophy of â€Å"serving the needs of employees† (p. 156), the Army has a strong tradition of taking care of soldiers and their families so they can take care of the country. The leadership of the Army has set up and participates in numerous programs to assist soldiers with any issue from financial to marital problems. I completed my undergraduate education in Finance and then joined the military. I had no idea how to do my taxes and the Army taught me, not a $100,000 plus education. Once I knew how to do my taxes, as a junior leader I was required to assist my soldiers. Formal leadership in the military is prominent, from the understanding the Uniform Code of military Justice, to daily corrective actions for very minor offenses that in other organizations would probably go unnoticed. This relationship tends to be very formal as all rules and regulations are written down and trained during your initial 12 weeks of basic training. The leader is also responsible for continuous training to include a weekly briefing on good decision making when off duty. The informal aspect is very unique for each leader, it typically comes from written policies that the leader permits his soldiers to dis-obey. Whether it is early dismissal on Friday, or a motto against regulations, it builds a trust a with soldiers that their leader is on their side as well. Except in extreme cases such as the Abu Grhaib prison unit, I have found that the informal systems are in alignment with the formal ones and where they differentiate are so minor that it does not cause issues. The best way to summarize ethical leadership is to know that soldiers react to your actions more than they do your words. A common Army Office motto is â€Å"Lead by Example. This motto best prevents â€Å"hypocritical leadership† (p. 162). To get the right type of leadership in the Army, recruiters look at every candidate with the SAL method, Student, Athlete, Leader. Candidates are given a score based on GPA, sports, clubs and leadership rolls held. The Army has historically not allowed individuals with a history of crime, drug abuse or cheating in, but due to recruitment issues they have started to waive some requireme nts to meet goals. This shift has been criticized and said to have diminished the quality of the US soldier. It was interesting to see making goals or the number this as the main reason to waive values in Aaron’s speech this week. It appears no organization is free of the pressure to perform on a quantitative measure regardless of the effect to values. Selection for promotion in the Army is also very rigorous and has a set of standards that are very consistent. This prevents fraud and any possible quid pro quo from occurring. For General officers their appointments have to be confirmed by Congress and top secret security clearance requires a polygraph test. This ensures that the nations military decision makers and individuals with information can be trusted and have been vetted. The US Army’s values, mission statement and policies are simple but have withstood the test of time. The mission of winning the nation’s wars has remained constant, but Congress has added sub-statements to ensure responsibility and protection of the American people. In history winning at all cost was commonplace for the military especially in WWII. Since then collateral damage and fratricide are no longer acceptable consequences to accomplish the mission. The values of the military (leadership, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage) are instilled from day one, and put on your chest right next to your dog tags for every day there after. It is these values that help leaders and soldiers accomplish the mission with the best course of action, rather than the quickest or most definitive. As for policies, the military has a policy for how to do just about everything. The UCMJ is just the tip of policies in the US Army. Every branch, every machine, every unit has a manual to dictate policy. Very rarely does a situation occur in peacetime in the military that there is not a written policy to follow. Ethics training starts before day one in the military. Before you report to initial training you take an oath of office or enlistment that defines your roll in the military and commitment to uphold the constitution. Everyday of 12 weeks in basic training you recite the values and Ethos of the Army. In the past there had been issues that units did not operate according to individual training, so over the last decade all training programs have been updated to ensure the best possible replication of how the â€Å"real† Army is. Companies seek soldiers after their service for one main reason, they have had the best training in their field possible, and I believe this is holds true for values as well. Performance management in the military is very structured. There is a system in place and the only thing preventing a soldier from getting a fair and thorough evaluation is their own failure to self evaluate. Each unit has very different performance tasks to evaluate, but all soldiers are evaluated on the seven values of the Army at least twice a year. There is also reverse evaluations where soldiers have the opportunity to critique their leaders. Lastly after every mission the Army conducts and after action review where everyone can provide input. There is always a mandatory three positive comments period and three improves to ensure continuous improvement while remaining positive. For most situations the military has set up a structure where it is impossible to cheat on evaluations. Whether the tasks are team or individualized, the test results are hard to accomplish without actually doing the work. The key to performance management in the military is that the soldier knows what is expected of him or her and the consequences of not meeting those expectations, similar to how Joe Paterno treated his organization. The Army’s Organization structure is outlined by the chain of command. When to go above or around the chain of command is clearly defined in UCMJ as well as when you are authorized to dis-obey an order from that chain of command. While it is easy to say it is all written down, application in combat is the real test. The leadership in the organization will determine whether it works in the field or not. Soldiers can not be fearful of reporting wrong doing or negative results, and that comes down to their leaders to ensure what is written is implemented. The Military’s decision making process (MDMP) is a 300 plus page manual of which I took a one month long course on learning the process. This process rivals six-sigma for in depth analyzing a problem and how to take the best course of action. The best example I can provide is that MDMP alone and how it relates to ethical culture in the military could be a five-page introduction. The Informal cultural system of the Army is the one that is most portrayed in the movies and stories, from Code Reds in â€Å"A Few Good Men,† to the heroics of the Band of Brothers in WWII these are the moments that soldiers live for. We spoke of the formal evaluation system, but the informal bond between leaders and soldiers is what really makes a soldier perform his duties to the best of his ability. Heroes are both formally and informally recognized. For every Medal of Honor winner there are 100 soldiers that have done impressive tasks that civilians could only imagine accomplishing. Norms, if they are positive are usually translated into doctrine over time, so most Norms only last a few years until they are wholly accepted. Rituals however are very unit focused and are usually never written down. They are passed from leader to leader as a ritual itself during the change of command. Even today, 5 years removed from the military, the stories we tell amongst military friends are what motivate my actions to do the right thing. When we tell stories, you will immediately notice that we are speaking a language or code that is only understood by a few. Many of our values are questioned from the outside, by the way we speak in jargon or our fondness of tobacco and alcohol, but simply look at the actions of a military person and you will see his own language of values is thru â€Å"deeds not words,† my unit motto. Based on the examples and reading chapter 5, I believe even more so that the Army is a highly ethical organization. Compared to the organizations in the reading and the others I have worked for, there is no group who puts more time and effort to ensuring values in its actions and people than the US Army. While there are individuals who stray from the Army values, typically in their informal leadership methods, as a whole the formal and informal culture of the US Army are complimentary and exist to best promote the welfare of the Untied States. It is hard to criticize something you love, and that has been developing and evolving continuously over 200 years by some of the greatest leaders the World has ever seen. There is one key element to ensure the ethical culture environment of the US Army, to recruit personnel at the highest level possible. The Army cannot waiver in its recruitment of new soldiers to â€Å"meet the numbers. † Lowering the requirements for entry will only weaken the organization’s culture and ethical standards. There are always other areas fro improvement, but this one area is more important than all the others combined. I Andrew S. Driscoll affirm that I have neither given, utilized, received or witnessed unauthorized aid on this deliverable and have completed this work honestly and according to the professor’s guidelines. How to cite Ethics of Us Army, Essay examples

Developing an Advertisement Design

Question: Discuss about theDeveloping an Advertisement Design. Answer: Introduction Johnson Johnson Company (J J) is one of the most famous Baby brand producing products (oil skin) that clean and clear spots. The company is well known across United Kingdom and United States of America. It rose to fame in the 1990s when it realized that its expertise in babies skin may offer credibility to other skin care products. The company therefore decided to come up with a number of sub brands under the same name (Johnson name) and targeted people at different stages (Belch Belch, 2015). This is where teenage girls came in and later the company started to bank on them as the sole costumers to its product. Purpose or Objectives of Johnson and Johnson Advertising Campaign in Measurable Terms The purpose or the objectives of the subject company in measurable terms was to become the first in ranking with respect to skin care brand. This it planned to achieve through increasing the product value and quality as well as producing a list of skin care brands for the teenage girls to clear spots (Booth Koberg, 2012). The other was to become one of the most popular brands that have got medicinal input among female teenagers. This was majorly because it is the medicinal substances that were going to clear the spots that may occur on the ladies skins. The final objective was to ensure an establishment of relationship between the company and the teenage girls. This was mainly aimed at establishing loyalty to Johnson Johnson for as long as they live. In order for the company to achieve the above objectives in measurable terms, it had the task of encouraging the subject girls to believe in them and convince them, that they understood the girls needs. Commenting on the Feasibility of the Subject Companies Objective with Regards to Budgets, Time and also Market Factors Feasibility in simple terms refers to the state or the degree of something to be done with ease. The feasibility on the subject in view of budget, time and market factor was possible only if a number of plans were developed. For example, market factor was dependant on the laid strategy that the company was going to use to outdo other companies with the similar product brand. In every market there has to be competitors and every competitor will always want to be at the peak. This is the basic reason why between 1992 to 1996, Johnson Johnson Company was still not able to take the top position due to poor promotional strategies. The feasibility of time and budget were achievable since there was enough time spans for the company to improve its dealings and rise to the top. That on budget was also possible since the company had laid strategies for improvements with an inclusion of the budget. Difference Between American Consumer Responses and British Responses American consumer responded positively and the Girls talking worked perfectly well with them and therefore, there was much sale made whereas the response of British consumers was negative since they never saw something good in the advertisements made. This therefore reduced sale among the British consumers (Brown, 2011). One Legal or Ethical Issue that would arose in the Course of the Campaign directed towards Teenage Girls One of the ethical concerns that would have arisen during the campaign would have been on the teenage girls were assisting in promotional activities ensuring that they operate within the legal policies and not violating any promotional laws. Summary on how J J Allocated Resources The first resource allocation by the subject company was on the buying of company name from Revlon in 1991, the other resource allocation was on achieving its strategies for achieving objectives. Much of which went to advertisements and also products promotion, this is the area where consumers in both America and Britain were also generalized since they were targeted through advertisements (Szetela Kerschbaum, 2010). Describing Campaign Length, Service Providers Chosen, Time Frames and Milestones chosen in this Particular Case Study The campaign length of J J Company in respect to its product was seven years. This is because the launch of the company name under clean and care that was bought from Revlon was in 1991. This is when it began its campaign till 1998 when it was able to achieve its objective of being the best in ranking. The service provider chosen by the subject company were mainly confident teenage girls who ensured that the company achieves it goal. This they did by engaging in promotional activities among other things of services to entice majority of teenage girls across Britain and U.S. to buy the brand (Anderson North Seattle Community College, 1975). The detailed response provided, goes hand in hand with time frame and answers the aspect of milestone as well. Answers or Responses to what should be included in the Marketing Plan Meeting Organizational and Marketing Objectives and Incorporating Marketing Approaches and Strategic Marketing Mix. The marketing plan of Johnson Johnson Company explores at a greater extent the number of objectives as well as its marketing approaches and not also excluding the marketing strategic mix. Some of its grand objectives includes; striving and raising to being one of the best dealing brand, consolidating a great number of consumer and finally establishing good rapport with consumers. Major marketing approach for this is on monopolizing the marketing field by the wide variety of brand product produced. Finally the strategic marketing mix as indicated in the diagram mainly provides a guideline on how the plan will be explored. Rationale for the Mentioned and Information that Supports the Choice of Strategies and Tactics The major rationale is to ensure that the performance of the company is at a better position and can maintain its pace of value addition. Presentation of the Plan in Time Frame and Particular Format The subject presentation is in the table of marketing plan below with the required time frame and the format that has been adopted from the Australian Marketing Plan Template. Showing How Adjustments have been made in Response to offering Feedback to Key Stakeholders for Implementation within the Required Time The adjustments made in line with the marketing plan in question are in reference with the time frame the company is to start operation and the time of implementation. It is after Implementation is done with when feedback will be provided. The details of the same are summarized in the template below. Marketing Plan of a Company of My Choice Johnson Johnson Company Management Plan Question Explanation More information Companys name Johnson Johnson Company Visit our Companys website (1) Companys objective To be the best in dealing brand Consolidate a great number of consumers in the market. Establish good rapport with consumers Visit our Business objective topic Companys strategy Using promotional services like the social media Coming up with discounts that will still leave the company having its profit to attract consumers Providing a wide variety of products related to the brand. Visit our Company strategy topic. Answer for number 1) Still, Marketing approaches as well as strategic marketing mix Monopolizing the marketing field by the wide variety of brand product produced Examine our performance in the stock exchange market Financial details for the plan An approximate of 3million dollars to be used in strategy application See our company financial books. It can be accessed through our major branches. Number 2) Rationale for business objectives The main rationale is to ensure that the performance of the company is at a better position and can maintain its pace of value addition Refer to our strategy reference within the marketing plan Answer for Number 4) Adjustments made in response to feedback from key stakeholders By the second and third year, there should be results seen (positive results) Fourth year of companies operation, financial analysis. An adjustment of two years is provided, then on the seventh year, response made to key stakeholders Visit of major offices Answer for Number 3) Time frame The first strategy to be executed between the first and second year, the second and third strategy should be realized by forth year. Implementation of the strategies should begin immediately the company begins operation but response to be made on the seventh year to key stakeholders You can go through the companys overview book Note; The table represents the format that has been adopted from the Australian Template thus answering question 3 that is also pegged to Time Frame. References Anderson, V. F., North Seattle Community College. (1975). Revival of Political Americana: An Analytical Review of the Organizationof Candidates' Fair '72. Belch, G. E., Belch, M. A. (2015). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective. Booth, D., Koberg, C. (2012). Display advertising: An hour a day. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley. Brown, B. C. (2011). How to use the Internet to advertise, promote and market your business or website-- with little or no money. Ogden, J. R., Rarick, S. (2010). The entrepreneur's guide to advertising. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Pride, W. M., Hughes, R. J., Kapoor, J. R. (2010). Business. Australia: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Szetela, D., Kerschbaum, J. (2010). Pay-per-click search engine marketing: An hour a day. Indianapolis, Ind: Wiley.

Importance Impact of Ethical Communication free essay sample

Abstract Communication is constant, especially in the information age. Savvy professionals know how to communicate quickly, effectively and ethically. The term ethical communication has different meanings depending on the context. A shampoo advertiser and a sports team spokesperson may have dissimilar views on what constitutes as ethical communication. Some communication guidelines are only applicable to certain situations, while others could be understood as ethical in one situation and unethical in another. Every aspect of ethical communication should be considered within the boundaries of the issue at hand. Introduction The Business Dictionary defines ethical standards as follows: Principles that when followed, promote values such as trust, good behavior, fairness, and/or kindness. There is not one consistent set of standards that all companies follow, but each company has the right to develop the standards that are meaningful for their organization. Ethical standards are not always easily enforceable, as they are frequently vaguely defined and somewhat open to interpretation (Men and women should be treated equally, or Treat the customer with respect and kindness. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance Impact of Ethical Communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ). Others can be more specific, such as Do not share the customers private information with anyone outside of the company. Ethical Communication in Business Every business is dependent on effective ethical communication. Its what makes new policy in government, raises money for nonprofits and strengthens a business. Business communication occurs any time a message is given or received, whether its verbal or nonverbal, between two businesses, a business and its employees or a business and the public. The messages sent and received by a business need to follow ethical norms that dont offend or make individuals feel uncomfortable. Significance Ethical business communication holds great significance on three main fronts: business to business, business to employees and business to the public. An example of the first type is between a business and its suppliers or distributors. The second is organizational communication within the business itself, how the leadership communicates with the employees. Lastly, communication with the public is how the business develops its public image. Maintaining high ethical standards on each front is essential to success in business. Function Ethical business communications primary function is to send and receive messages in a neutral, non-offensive manner. Ethical effective communication skills in business strengthen its corporate culture, resulting in a more attractive bottom line. When communication does not adhere to ethical standards, the consequences can include unhappy employees, a poor public image and a decrease in the bottom line. Ethical business communication is intended to care for the emotional and perceptive needs of its employees and customers. Misconceptions A common misconception concerning ethical communication in business is that most unethical communication is obvious and overt. True unethical communication is based on perception. If a person or people group perceive or interpret certain actions or words to be discriminatory or offensive, the communication can be considered unethical. The same is true with interpersonal interactions between employees. If a particular form of communication or gesture is offensive to another employee, it can be categorized as unethical. Purpose The purpose of ethical communication in business is to protect, respect and maintain a good public image. The communication in any business is for the purpose of maintaining order and the proper image with its employees and society. For example, if an accusation was to arise against a particular company, the public relations representative will arrange a press conference to verbally address the issue at hand. The company may also change a policy pertaining to the issue that non-verbally communicates the same message. Consequences There are many consequences to unethical business communication. A business may have an outstanding product or service, but if it doesnt communicate well with its customers, they will not be satisfied, and this can weaken the business/customer relationship. Everything in business rises and falls on communication. When ethical communication is lacking, moral, corporate image and motivation will lack as well. Each of these elements affects the spirit of the employees, which in turn will reflect to the customer and result in a decrease in revenue. Ethical behavior is a companywide concern, of course; but because communication efforts are the public face of a company, they are subjected to particularly rigorous scrutiny from regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor organizations, and anyone else affected by business activities. Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. In contrast, unethical communication can include falsehoods and misleading information (or can withhold important information). Some examples of unethical communication include: Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words or other creative product as your own. Note that plagiarism can also be illegal if it violates a copyright, which is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas. Selective misquoting: Deliberately omitting damaging or unflattering comments to paint a better (but untruthful) picture of you or your company. Misrepresenting numbers: Increasing or decreasing numbers, exaggerating, altering statistics, or omitting numerical data. Distorting visuals: Making a product look bigger or changing the scale of graphs and charts to exaggerate or conceal differences. In contrast, an ethical message is accurate and sincere. It avoids language and images that manipulate, discriminate, or exaggerate. On the surface, such ethical practices appear fairly easy to recognize, but deciding what is ethical can be a considerable challenge in complex business situations. Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas from Ethical Lapses Every company has responsibilities to its stakeholders, and those various groups often have competing interests. An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut. Perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. Suppose you are the chief executive of a company whose sales are declining and you might be forced to reduce costs by laying off 100 employees. You’ve decided to wait two months before making this tough decision. Here’s your dilemma: Do you tell the workforce now that several hundred jobs could disappear in the near future? Telling them now would give people more time to look for new jobs and adjust their finances—clearly a good thing. However, if you tell them now, vital employees nervous about their future could jump ship, which could drive sales down even more—clearly not a good thing. And what if you tell them now and many people leave but then sales improve enough in the next two months that you can avoid the layoffs? You will have unnecessarily disrupted many careers and families. Situations such as these often have no clear answer. In contrast, an ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. In 2004, several insurance companies were accused of misleading military personnel at Fort Benning in Georgia, Camp Pendleton in California, and other bases around the country. Many of these young men and women thought they were signing up for savings programs when in fact they were buying extremely expensive and frequently unnecessary life insurance policies. The policies were often sold during mandatory financial training sessions for the soldiers, who were given no time to read the documents they signed. After the situation was brought to national attention by the New York Times and other news media, at least two of the companies involved, Madison National Life Insurance Company and American Amicable Life Insurance, began issuing full refunds. Ensuring Ethical Communication Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support employees’ efforts to make ethical choices. 39 Moreover, these three elements need to work in harmony. If employees see company executives making unethical decisions and flouting company guidelines, they might conclude that the guidelines are meaningless and emulate their bosses’ unethical behavior. Employers have a responsibility to establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior, including business communication. In a recent global survey by the International Association of Business Communicators, 70 percent of communication professionals said their companies clearly define what is considered ethical and unethical behavior. On a somewhat less positive note, slightly fewer than half said their companies encourage open discussion of ethical issues and dilemmas. Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a written code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable. A code is often part of a larger program of employee training and communication channels that allow employees to ask questions and report instances of questionable ethics. For example, United Technologies, a large aerospace and defense company based in Hartford, Connecticut, offers employees, customers, and suppliers a confidential way to report suspected fraud and other ethical concerns. The people who share their concerns through the program then receive a written response that explains how the situation was resolved. 1 To ensure ongoing compliance with their codes of ethics, many companies also conduct ethics audits to monitor ethical progress and to point out any weaknesses that need to be addressed. Principles of Ethical Communication The Business Dictionary defines ethical standards as Principles that when followed, promote values such as trust, good behavior, fairness, and/or kindness. In order to establish good communication with people of other cultures, it is essential to understand their ethical framework. In rder to learn ethical intercultural communication, you must expect people of other cultures to think differently, be willing to learn culturally appropriate behavior and (at least to some extent) practice what their cultures consider ethical. Expect Differences Ethical principles are not the same across cultures. Rather, ethics are culturally informed. The right thing to do is not just instinctive in humans. Many aspects of what is good are taught (consciously and subconsciously) by a persons culture. So, if you want to establish ethical intercultural communication with people of another background, prepare yourself to see the world differently. Do not expect that what seems good to you will also seem good to them; understand that they may view some things as bad that you view as fine or good. For example, while American culture teaches that individuality is a good thing and that standing on your own two feet is a position you should strive for, many other cultures value the group more than the individual. For example, in most African cultures, being part of a strong family support system is considered much more important and valuable than standing alone as an individual. Exemplify the Universal Although different cultures will have varying expectations and standards as to what is ethical, there are some ethical standards that are universal. So, by striving to abide by ethical standards that are universally received, you can take the first step in communicating and connecting well with people of another culture. According to William Howell in his Ethics of Intercultural Communication, Two principles that are universal are that no action is ethical if it harms persons, and the action that benefits persons accumulates ethical quality. Act in such a way that you do not intentionally bring harm to anyone, and always keep others best interests in mind. Learn their Culture To really communicate well interculturally, you must ask the question: What makes a good person in your culture? Talk with people in the target culture to discover the traits of an ethical person. What attitudes and actions does a good person possess? Does a good person set aside his personal work to take care of his parents when they are elderly? Does a good person control his anger at all times? Does a good person practice abstinence in certain areas? You will find, as you look into someone elses culture, that the things that make a good person in your culture are not the same things that comprise a good person in every culture. Empathize Through Action As you learn the ways of another culture, the best way to establish good intercultural communication is to act in a way that is considered ethical in that culture. Do and say the things that will express that you have the best interest of those around you in mind. Enjoy the food people prepare for you. If there are certain respectful gestures associated with greeting people older or more prestigious than yourself (or everyone), use them. Learn at least enough of the language to greet people and ask how they are doing in their native tongue. Wear clothing that is culturally appropriate. Respect family organization and methods of doing education and business. On every level of life and society, share in the way people think and act as much as you are able to. This willingness to adopt the standards of another culture is the best way to establish ethical and intercultural communication. Goals of Ethical Business Communications The purpose of business is to make money. Behaving ethically serves that purpose. People prefer doing business with ethical companies, companies they can trust, so in the long run the ethical company benefits from its behavior. This means that the goal of ethical business communication is to build the trust and credibility of the company. The International Association of Business Communicators maintains that companies that the practice of ethical business communication also increases a team feeling among employees and boosts employee morale. To accomplish these goals, corporate communication must strive to attain certain specific ethical goals. Honesty It is to a companys benefit to be honest. Honesty is the basis of trust. If others feel that they can believe what a company says, they will trust it. Other factors being equal, people prefer doing business with a company they can trust. Honesty means saying what you believe to be true, but it also means distinguishing fact from opinion. It is easy to disguise opinion as fact. Some television news commentators do it every day, and their credibility suffers for it. They may be considered entertaining, but what they say is taken with a grain of salt. Consultant Michelle Howe advises any company that wants to be trusted to clearly label opinion as such, and to present what it has to say in an unbiased manner. Clarity Distinguishing fact from opinion is part of a larger goal of being clear and easy to understand. Ethical business communication calls for being clearly understood. It means that the company is not seen as attempting to obfuscate or confuse the public and other companies with whom it does business. Timeliness of communication can also help. Within the company, acknowledging problems and keeping relevant people informed with clear and direct communications helps dampen the rumor mill and maintains better employee morale. Commitment In the context of business communications, commitment means allocating the necessary time and resources to discussing issues fully. Communication needs to be thorough, for only when time and resources, such as feedback forms, are dedicated to discussing issues is there a chance for everyone in the organization to have their voice heard. Acknowledging Sources Few things create as much tension as when someone presents another persons ideas as his own. Employees want credit for their work, so failure to acknowledge them is not only unethical but also bad for morale. Some people believe that concerns about plagiarism are only important in academic ettings, but anytime someone is caught borrowing someone elses ideas without proper acknowledgment, trustworthiness takes a nosedive. Most people realize its important to use quotations when citing direct statements from others, but its also good practice and sound business to acknowledge ideas that are not your own. Openness to Other Views Openness is one of the key pillars of ethical communication. In communication, openness means being open to diverse ideas and opinions, as well as being ready to offer your own opinions even if you do not think they will be popular. A business environment where people are not free to play the devils advocate and say unpopular opinions is not an ethical one, because intolerance of divergent opinions means intolerance of differences and free flow of information is essential to both the publics and the organizations long-term well-being. Taking Care with Confidential Information Confidential information is a special class of information that requires special attention. The North Carolina State University business department emphasizes the importance of the ethical business practice of protecting confidential information while complying with public disclosure laws. Any use of confidential information for personal gain is also clearly unethical. IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators Preface Because hundreds of thousands of business communicators worldwide engage in activities that affect the lives of millions of people, and because this power carries with it significant social responsibilities, the International Association of Business Communicators developed the Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators. The Code is based on three different yet interrelated principles of professional communication that apply throughout the world. These principles assume that just societies are governed by a profound respect for human rights and the rule of law; that ethics, the criteria for determining what is right and wrong, can be agreed upon by members of an organization; and, that understanding matters of taste requires sensitivity to cultural norms. These principles are essential: †¢Professional communication is legal. †¢Professional communication is ethical. †¢Professional communication is in good taste. Recognizing these principles, members of IABC will: Engage in communication that is not only legal but also ethical and sensitive to cultural values and beliefs; †¢Engage in truthful, accurate and fair communication that facilitates respect and mutual understanding; †¢adhere to the following articles of the IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators. Because conditions in the world are constantly changing, members of IABC will work to improve their individual competence and to increase the body of knowledge in the field with research and education. Articles 1. Professional communicators uphold the credibility and dignity of their profession by practicing honest, candid and timely communication and by fostering the free flow of essential information in accord with the public interest. 2. Professional communicators disseminate accurate information and promptly correct any erroneous communication for which they may be responsible. 3. Professional communicators understand and support the principles of free speech, freedom of assembly, and access to an open marketplace of ideas and act accordingly. 4. Professional communicators are sensitive to cultural values and beliefs and engage in fair and balanced communication activities that foster and encourage mutual understanding. 5. Professional communicators refrain from taking part in any undertaking which the communicator considers to be unethical. 6. Professional communicators obey laws and public policies governing their professional activities and are sensitive to the spirit of all laws and regulations and, should any law or public policy be violated, for whatever reason, act promptly to correct the situation. 7. Professional communicators give credit for unique expressions borrowed from others and identify the sources and purposes of all information disseminated to the public. 8. Professional communicators protect confidential information and, at the same time, comply with all legal requirements for the disclosure of information affecting the welfare of others. 9. Professional communicators do not use confidential information gained as a result of professional activities for personal benefit and do not represent conflicting or competing interests without written consent of those involved. 0. Professional communicators do not accept undisclosed gifts or payments for professional services from anyone other than a client or employer. 11. Professional communicators do not guarantee results that are beyond the power of the practitioner to deliver. 12. Professional communicators are honest not only with others but also, and most importantly, with themselves as individuals; for a professional commu nicator seeks the truth and speaks that truth first to the self. Enforcement and Communication of the IABC Code of Ethics IABC fosters compliance with its Code by engaging in global communication campaigns rather than through negative sanctions. However, in keeping with the sixth article of the IABC Code, members of IABC who are found guilty by an appropriate governmental agency or judicial body of violating laws and public policies governing their professional activities may have their membership terminated by the IABC executive board following procedures set forth in the associations bylaws. IABC encourages the widest possible communication about its Code. The IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators is published in several languages and is freely available to all: Permission is hereby granted to any individual or organization wishing to copy and incorporate all or part of the IABC Code into personal and corporate codes, with the understanding that appropriate credit be given to IABC in any publication of such codes. The IABC Code is published on the association’s web site. The association’s bimonthly magazine, Communication World, publishes periodic articles dealing with ethical issues. At least one session at the association’s annual conference is devoted to ethics. The international headquarters of IABC, through its professional development activities, encourages and supports efforts by IABC student chapters, professional chapters, and regions to conduct meetings and workshops devoted to the topic of ethics and the IABC Code. New and renewing members of IABC sign the following statement as part of their application: â€Å"I have reviewed and understand the IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators. As a service to communicators worldwide, inquiries about ethics and questions or comments about the IABC Code may be addressed to members of the IABC Ethics Committee. The IABC Ethics Committee is composed of at least three accredited members of IABC who serve staggered three-year terms. Other IABC members may serve on the committee with the approval of the IABC executive committee. The functions of the Ethics Committee are to assist with professional d evelopment activities dealing with ethics and to offer advice and assistance to individual communicators regarding specific ethical situations.

The 46 Colleges With the Highest ACT Scores, Ranked

The 46 Colleges With the Highest ACT Scores, Ranked SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you know that the ACT is accepted by all four-year colleges? And that more students now end up taking the ACT than the SAT?With the test growing more popular each year, it’s helpful to get a handle on what schools are toughest when it comes to applicants’ ACT scores. For this article, I've compiled a list of colleges with the highest average ACT scores for admitted students. With this data, you can compare your own ACT scores (or goal scores) with those earned by admitted applicants at top colleges. We'll also talk about what these rankings actually mean: are these schools the best you can attend? Are they the most competitive? What if your ACT scores are below the listed averages? Read on to find out the answers to these questions (and more)! The Current ACT Rankings Here's a chart of colleges and universities whose admitted students have the highest average ACT scores: Average Composite ACT Score School 35 Caltech 34 Columbia 34 Duke 34 Harvard 34 Harvey Mudd 34 MIT 34 University of Chicago 34 Vanderbilt 33 Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering 33 Johns Hopkins 33 Northwestern 33 Notre Dame 33 Princeton 33 Rice 33 Stanford 33 Washington University in St Louis 33 Yale 32 Amherst 32 Boston College 32 Bowdoin 32 Brown 32 Carnegie Mellon 32 Cornell 32 Dartmouth 32 Georgetown 32 Georgia Tech 32 Grinnell 32 Hamilton 32 Haverford 32 Pomona 32 Swarthmore 32 Tufts 32 UC Berkeley 32 University of Pennsylvania 32 USC 32 Washington and Lee 32 Williams 31 Carleton 31 Claremont McKenna 31 Colgate 31 Emory 31 Middlebury 31 University of Michigan 31 Vassar 31 Villanova 31 Wellesley If you want more information about your own chances of getting into any of the schools listed above, click on the names of the schools you're interested in to see their ACT scores and admissions info page. How Should You Interpret These ACT Rankings? The ACT is scored, in total, out of 36 points. As you can see, the scores ranked above are pretty close to that maximum score (the highest listed above is 35, and the lowest is 31). According to ACT, Inc., the current average ACT score (when considering every single student who takes the exam) is 21 out of 36. A student's score is generally considered high if it's 25 or above- this puts the student in the top 25% of test takers. By contrast, a score is generally considered low if it's 16 or below- this puts a student in the bottom 25% of test takers. You can read more about what's considered a good and bad ACT score by checking out our guide to ACT scores. Highest ACT Averages: Are These Really the Top Schools? Now that you have an idea of where your own ACT scores (or goal scores) fit in terms of these rankings, you might be wondering how important this list is when it comes to determining top schools. It's a bit of a complicated question. Most of the schools listed above are ranked very highly on college ranking lists, including the most recent edition of theUS News best universitiesand best national liberal arts colleges lists. These college ranking lists take many factors into consideration, not just ACT scores. Even though the rankings might not be perfectly accurate, they give a pretty good general idea of what the top US schools are. The institutions that rank on this list do tend to have better reputations than other schools and are generally more competitive- that is, acceptance rates are lower (in some cases much lower) than average. You'll notice, for example, that all the Ivy League schools are on the ACT list above. Because these schools are highly competitive, the students who attend them are typically very strong academically. The schools who won a spot on this list tend to be ranked highly by education experts, have high graduation rates, and are home to a strong student body. Of course, it's important to consider not only a school's reputation or rankingbut also what it can offer you personally. The top school for you will be the school that best matches your own personal preferences, interests, passions, and future aspirations.Schools with very specialized programs or unique offerings might be better fits for some students- not everyone will know or care about the Curtis Institute of Music, for example, but any musician in the making will more than likely know it’s one of the top music schools in the country (even though it doesn’t make the list for top ACT scores). To sum up, the schools on the ACT list above do tend to rank very highly, and for good reason. Ultimately, though, what makes a school "good" is whether it's a good fit for you. Are Schools With High ACT Scores the Most Competitive? For the reasons discussed above, the schools on this list are some of the most competitive in the country- that is, they have some of the lowest acceptance rates, with some reporting super low rates of less than 10%. However, there are also niche institutions with extremely low acceptance rates that do not necessarily weight ACT scores as heavily as the schools above. Some of the most competitive schools in the US are military and naval academies, conservatories, andschools that guarantee a minimum financial aid amount. Many of these institutions don't rank on this ACT list. What If Your ACT Scores Are Below the Listed Averages? Admissions officers consider a student applicant as a whole- they don't just look at your ACT score to determine whether you're a good fit for the school. If your ACT scores are less than stellar, you might be able to make up for a low test score with other strengths. The bottom line is that if you’re applying to a school with extremely competitive ACT scores and your scores are below average, you’ll have to stand out as an exceptional applicant in other parts of your application.You can do this by earning an impressive GPA, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to community service, using your personal essay to discuss extraordinary circumstances or personal obstacles you've faced †¦ the list goes on! Find a way to stand out as a strong applicant in ways that don't involve your ACT score. Now, keep in mind that the scores listed above are averages- about half of all students attending a particular school will have ACT scores lower than the score listed for it. What this means is your application won’t necessarily be tossed aside just because your ACT score is lower than the average. You can also access information on the "middle 50" for each school- that is, the score at the 25th percentile and 75th percentile for admitted students. This will tell you the range of scores that the median 50% of accepted students have. You'll generally be a stronger applicant if you fall in this middle 50% than if you're in the bottom 25% of students. If you want to calculate your chances of getting into a certain school, use our admissions pages, which you can find by Googling "[School Name] PrepScholar." Finally, if the ACT just isn't your thing, consider taking the SAT.All four-year colleges accept SAT scores, and some students mightperform better on the SAT than they would on the ACT. What's Next? If you haven't already taken the ACT, perhaps this list of top schools has given you a goal to shoot for.If so, you should check outour guide to getting a perfect ACT scoreas well as our guide to the best tips you can use to improve your ACT score. Don't have a ton of time to prep? Learn how to study for the ACT in a month, and take a look at our most effective last-minute ACT tips to help you increaseyour score on test day. Is the ACT not your thing, but you still want to get into a top school? Get more info on how to get a perfect score on your SAT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Paper industry. Stora Enso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Paper industry. Stora Enso - Essay Example Paper industry. Stora Enso Stora Enso has already become the leader in the market of paper and paperboards. It already has large pool of steadfast and existing customers; however it is important to maintain its position by conducting effective R& D process. Currently, Stora Enso is trying to improve its position by conducting the research in such areas as multi-color printing, new printing techniques as well as fiber-based packaging. Successful research in these areas might lead to the improvement in the quality of products and services that the company provides and assure that it will retain its leadership position in the market. Product development. As R&D is one of greatest priorities in Stora Enso, it is capable to market new products to existing customers. Recently, the company has developed new product- packages with radio frequency indicators, which the company sells to various pharmacies in Estonia and Finland. If the current trial of the sale process is completed successfully (as in today’s technological highly sophisticated era, there is no guarantee that the electronic forms of protection of goods and services can not be fortified), it will reduce the number of fortified drugs sold in Northern European market, and even in the world as well. Market development. The demand on the paper and packaging products has been growing steadfastly during the last several years. High prices on the paper in the USA are ones of the indicators of the growth in the demand on the paper and packaging products, another is growing demand in China. ... Market development. The demand on the paper and packaging products has been growing steadfastly during the last several years. High prices on the paper in the USA are ones of the indicators of the growth in the demand on the paper and packaging products, another is growing demand in China. Most of analytics almost universally agree that the demand will continue to grow in the next several years, and there are grounds to assume that manufactures in China will produce much less paper than current demand of the Chinese economy requires. According to the information of Datamonitor, China exhibited the growth of 9% in the demand on paper in 2005 compared with the same period in 2004.4 Stora Enso continues its aggressive expansion in the Chinese market. It recently has signed the contract with another paper company of China, in the southern province of Guangxi. According to the agreement mentioned the company will be able to acquire the rights on 600 ha of forests in the province, moreover the company is poised to establish 120000 ha of plantation to satisfy the demand on paper products in the province. 5 India is another potential market for the products of Stora Enso. Indian economy has been growing rapidly during the last several years as well; demand on the paper and the packaging products has been growing in this country and according to the predictions of several specialists this country will be another important player in the market of paper industry. Diversification. This is the part of Ansoff's matrix where new possibilities for the marketing of new products and services should be studied. As one knows from the theory of marketing there are two types of diversification: related and

Characteristics of Juvenile offenders Research Paper

Characteristics of Juvenile offenders - Research Paper Example This age is subject to state laws whereby different countries or states have this age set between 17 to 18 years on general terms. However, in cases of serious crime e.g. murder or cases of sexual assault, the age bracket may assume a lower age limiting bar. The main aim of taking a juvenile in court is not to instill punishment on the offender but rather to establish measures that aim at rehabilitating them for them to go back to the society and be productive. The act offense in question is usually termed as delinquent rather than criminal (Aaron, 2000). In extreme cases some states have been forced to establish juvenile prison facilities due to the nature of the offense committed irrespective of the offender’s age. These young people can be identified by their various characteristics some of which are obvious while others are not. The major causes of the ever rising cases of juvenile offenders are their ever increasing habits of being rebellious, mass media and the high rate s of divorce. Juvenile offenders tend to exhibit antisocial behavior which is coupled with alienation. This is where the juvenile engages in behaviors that are not in line with social morals as well as standards. Most of these behaviors lead to bleach of peace in the family of the offenders as well as the community in which they live. Delinquents usually find themselves involved in drugs which increase their chances of committing offences to others in the society. Gun possession is another common indulgence they find themselves in. Many of these young people dwell in neighborhoods that are secluded and least patrolled by law enforcement authorities and for this reason they may at any time have an illegal fire arm. This consequently increases the level of insecurity in these areas (Balnave, et al. 2003). Such communities experience high murder and crime rates due to having

Into The Wild Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Into The Wild - Essay Example The ability to go back into the wild then becomes more than a desire to explore different land and instead to move into the true nature one has. The diary that is portrayed through the book of Into the Wild recounts the journey of McCandless and the diary he has kept while traveling through the mountains of Alaska. The beginning motives that McCandless points out for going into the wild is based on the need for him to find if he can live off the land and to build a unique identity. The main concept that Alex began with was to prove that he could live naturally and without the outside parts of the land interfering with his needs and desires. In the beginning, this is seen through the simplicity of his travel and the lack of clothing, food and material goods he brings. â€Å"Alex admitted that the only food in his pack was a ten pound bag of rice. His gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior†¦ the only navigational aid in his possession was a tattered state road map he’d scrounged at a gas station† (Krakuer, 1). The beginning description shows that the motive of McCandless was to prove that he could live off the land and instead of being a part of society he could go back to being without the materialism required for living. The ability to prove this to him then became the driving force for him to learn to survive in his natural element. The concept of living off the land by McCandless was furthered throughout the book with the concept of finding identity outside of materialism and expectations of the world. Alex was known to leave to Alaska despite the capabilities he had and the education he had received. He had just graduated college and was offered a promising future. However, he left the promises given to him, changed his name and decided to travel to an area that was remote and unknown. Changing his name, moving

Basketball Gender Discrimination

Basketball Gender Discrimination Many studies from past centuries in countless different fields of research have shown that there are rampant increases of gender inequality in many fields. In the field of sports, this not something unheard of, but it has been a common trend in the past games and sports events. Several sociologists have been reported to claim that sport inequality has taken several dimensions such as gender, wealth and social class categories. These are said to have been brought about by cultural and economics differences which are the key players to discrimination in all sort of classification. (Wolff, 1994) Although many people despite sport and games, there is a major role played by both in bridging and alleviate the norm of community cultures that brings social discrimination leading to inequality. While focusing on my favorite hobby basketball, I am first and foremost thrilled to give brief details of its history. Basketball is a sport that started at about two centuries ago. It begun in early December in the year 1891 by a famous man named James Naismith. This was at a time when there was serious search for indoor games intended to keep students occupied. Furthermore, like any other sporting event, it was not only for the keeping of the student occupied but also for the maintenance of proper level of fitness during the winter season in New England. This followed after the search for proper game that was neither tough nor too poorly designed in door plays. During such early times, the event used peach baskets which were replaced in the early twentieth century by metal hoops with blac kboards. The rules which the founders of the game wrote were found in the year 2006 and were basically invented from children’s game named duck and rock. (Wolff, 1994) Basketball game was first played by a group of young men in the young Christian gymnasium in the year 1892. This was founded in London England, which was an institutional organization that was dedicated to using Christian principles into practice to young men. The living conditions for these young men were not safe and were often neglected, thus the beginning of the game was a hallmark of bring change in the sociological arena, as this was a way substituting there life on the streets for prayer and bible study and drawing them into a new social kind of life. However, the first encounter of the composition of the sport participants is of great concern in terms of inequality. Despite the noble ideas of George William for starting such an organization which were quite unusual, and which crossed the inflexible lines that separated all the different social classes of all those lived in the England boundary; the whole community was entirely male dominated. Perhaps, this was as a result of the first intentions for creation of male institution and not an institution for both genders. Thus, the young men’s Christian association was initially composed mostly by males, showing an enormous skewed trend in the men’s side in the institutional composition. Following the interest of some of the enlightened women, there was a great struggle between the basketball leaders of the early period to include females this particular sport. However, this was all in vanity. The only achievement that yielded from such struggles was the abolishment of admitting the only males to the organization and soon or later the association would provide opportunities to all men, women and even children without any regard to racial, religious or nationality back grounds. (Axthelm, 1971 The inclusion of women in the organization was a major advantage to them. This paved way and gave them a chance to in the participation of this today’s world class game. They had opportunities to watch how the game was organized and they even got entertained as they watch the men play. The inclusion of females to actively take part in such a game was a real ordeal. Men were unwilling to help the women group to establish their own club. Therefore, it took a lot of time to establish a women’s team as they lack full support from the expert side of men. It took all the efforts of one of the females to come up with a women’s. This work was under taken by a renowned woman in the history of basketball by the name Senda Bereson. She set on his work to teach women basketball in the year of 1892, which is almost at one year after the men’s play had begun. In her work, she was fascinated by the new sport and the values it could teach. Thus she organized the first wom en’s basketball in the following year. In order to improve the performances of the women play, she used to watch plays performed by smith’s freshmen as they played against sophomores. She was also interested on improving the rules and regulations for the female basketball. Her work of writing new guidelines came into culmination when she published the first women’s basketball guide. This furthered the spreading of the women basketball and lead to improvement of the version of basketball for women. (Bonsor, 2006) Although, the spreading of basketball from young men’s Christian association was one of the major events that saw great removal social barriers in most countries, by enabling the spreading of the game throughout the United States and Canada. But due to some misuse of their initial ideas by some groups in the development and improvement of the game standards, within a few decades, they had to discourage the new sport terming it as rough and rowdy game. The game had turned to be involved in spreading political and economic challenges. Women had started to turn into lesbians during such games. However, their efforts to do away with it were all in vain. Amateur clubs, colleges and professional clubs could quickly fill the void and argument the spread faster than before. Pro –league were formed in the beginning of the twentieth century which included the national basketball league. This was put in place to protect all the players from exploitation and to promote a lesser rou gh game. The parties who were involved were supposed to provide security to men, boy. (Axthelm, 1971) With the effect of the spreading of the game, many institutions also embraced it. By the time it had gone for over five decades, basketball had become a major college sport. This in turn gave birth to the growth of professional basketball. Following the great concerns of different people from all parts of the worlds in the early 20s to 30s, the game had been almost in practice in all the developed and developing countries. Due to its introduction in most countries, the game has formed part in the major competitions that are taking place in the today’s world competitions. This includes Olympic Games and many more others. This as one way of providing opportunities to people to interact, it gave people from different continents, countries and ethnic groups to come together and share experiences and cultural traditions from different backgrounds. From the early researches, it is shown that head’s school played its first women’s inter-institutional game against the Un iversity of California in the year of 1892. From this period, several women clubs were started for basketball events. This lead to increased intercollegiate women’s game. However most of the coaches of that time were men drawn from the different part of the states. Thus, there was disparity in the composition of the bodies which were charged with the responsibilities of organizing, managing and controlling the sport. This perhaps was due to the fact that most men had developed much interest in the event, thus they had an ease of learning the requirements and operation of the game. At the same time most college seemed to encourage the participation of men in the play than any other group. For instances, by the start of the twentieth century, many colleges and universities in the United States began sponsoring men’s sports. These included universities such as university of Chicago, Columbia University, university of Manniseto, U.S. naval academy, university of Utah, Yale University and many more others. This accelerated the disparity in the participation of men to women basketball. Another major reason which might have contributed to this disparity is that, historical, participation of women in sports was discouraged or banned as they were viewed as people with tender masculine who could not tolerate the strenuous stretching activities which are involved in sports and games. (Axthelm, 1971): However, as civilization and education enlighment dawned to most of the people, the altitude towards the basketball sporting changed with time in an amazing manner. In the developed countries where civilization and technology begun, they had formed several folds of women’s basketball committees in the year 1910. These were geared towards the mitigation of girls’ child performances in sports. National and international women’s basketball executive committees were also raised. These could organize women’s basketball competitions in different colleges and universities. In addition, they were in charge of state tournaments and nationals women’s basketball championships hence being mandated with the same powers as men. On the same empowerment, men and women were given the same equality, and this resulted into the application of men rules in the play game. The women’s competitions of 1940s were conducted using the men’s rule hence it is said that women played against men in several championships. (Wolff, 1991) In the recent reports from different broadcasting and news papers, journals and internet sources, it has been reviewed that there is enough supporting bodies for the both men a basketball. These bodies ensures that there enough money to spent on equipments, training, travel and uniforms for males. They are mostly focusing on both the child boy child in schools, so there is more disparity which is being experienced in the present and the near future. To a larger extend, they are committed to ensuring that even cheering opportunities are areas of discrimination. By mixing the cheering squads for both men and women, they can try to alleviate the general phenomenon of favourism. Once the authorities are on their hand, they have recently fired and made reshuffling of coaches in various men and women basketball teams. There are increases in percentages in the admissions of recruits for women to curb the problem of disparity which was created by the old practices and culture by our forefath ers. (Bonsor, 2006) References: Axthelm, P. (1971): The City Game. Wolff, A. (1991):100 Years of Hoops. Wolff, A. (1994): The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia .2nd Ed. Bonsor, K. (2006): Newly found documents shed light on basketballs birth. ESPN.com. Associated Press -Retrieved on 2008-03-7.

Comparing the Narrative Voice in The Storm and Hands Essays -- compari

The Narrative Voice in The Storm and Hands      Ã‚  Ã‚   The application of narrative voice as a devise by which the author influences or manipulates the reader’s response is an ancient method of inducement that is still employed today. Kate Chopin tactfully utilizes narrative voice in the short story, The Storm, to create an empathic reader’s response for a socially unacceptable behavior. Sherwood Anderson, the author of Hands, appropriates a similar technique to manipulate the reader’s response to accept or sympathize with a serious controversial issue that long has plagued humankind from early Biblical times until this present generation. Narrative voice is still employed today and has not lost its persuasive, influential, and manipulative effect over the centuries. Kate Chopin cleverly employs an omniscient narrative approach in relating The Storm, so the facts presented impact and shape the reader’s response to the couples’ adulterous affair. The narrator focuses on the romantic relationship that existed between Alcee and Calixta before her five-year marriage to her husband. The narrator recalls that "in Assumption Alcee had kissed Calixta and kissed her until his senses would well nigh fail, and to save her he would resort to a desperate flight" (Chopin 363). The narrator consciously constructs in the mind of the reader the idea that Alcee and Calixta were not immoral fornicators during their youthful romantic connection, but on the contrary, their moral value and practice more than parallel that of society’s and had been far above reproach. The narrator further validates that "Calixta was an immaculate dove in those days, and she was still inviolate; a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, ... ...pathy for Mr. Bibblebaum’s atypical tendency by focusing on his hands, his nervous emotional state, and the abuse he receives from society. Both authors successfully employ narrative voice in generating empathy and some possible modification in the reader’s response for two issues that cut across popular opinion and moral value. The tactics utilized by both narrators will continue to influence and manipulate reader’s response for centuries to come and has the potential to break down well constructed social barriers.    Work cited Anderson, Sherwood. "Hands." Literature Across Culture. Eds. Sheena Gillepsi, Terzinha Fonseca, Carol A Sanger 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001: 885-889. Chopin, Kate. "The Storm." Literature Across Cultures. Eds. Sheena Gillepie, Terzinha Fonseca, Carol A. Sanger 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001: 885-889.   

Communication and Dialogue

Abstract: In this new era of globalisation wherein people from diverse culture and ethnicity have come together to work in an organisation, dialogue is indeed an important way of communication. Many researches have proved the fact that differences in culture may inculcate a difference in the thinking pattern or stem into differential analysis of a situation. In an organisation where values and growth are related  to each other, differences in opinion may lead to altercation and conflicts if not addressed well.Dialogue, a bidirectional flow of communication where emphasis is laid not only on saying but also on listening and understanding at the same time can be an useful tool in an organisation to resolve inter personal conflicts, conflicts within the department or conflicts between two different departments of the same organisation. The essay will highlight the importance of introduction of dialogue in a multicultural organisation and its use as a problem solving tool in multicultu ral organisation where cultural thinking act as an impediment among them.Also, it will review the role of dialogue in promoting organisational learning. Next it will explore some of the barriers in communication such as â€Å"Silo virus† and need for eliminations of those barriers, ending into a conclusion for the implication of dialogue in a multicultural organisation. Sequential Conversation or Unidirectional Flow of Communication versus Dialogic conversation A conversation is said to be sequential or unidirectional when there is a flow of information from the speaker to the listener (Eisenberg & Goodall, p. 27).This one way communication can be practically seen in classes where student completely rely on teachers lectures, also when managers or the instructor define the protocol of the work to the subordinates or receivers. In other words in a unidirectional or sequential communication listeners are passive and are uninvolved in constructing the ideas of the communication (Eisenberg & Goodall, p. 28)  . Traditionally communication between managers and employee were articulated as straightforward unidirectional flow of delivering management messages to employees and other constituencies (Tourish and Hargie 2009, p. ). However, dialogue provides equal opportunities to all who are involved in the communication. Everyone has the say to voice their opinion and give their feedback either in agreement or in opposition of the core matter. Dialogue in a working definition can be defined as a mindful conversation emphasising on equitable and empathetic transaction of opinions of the participants to create new opportunities for working together to produce new and innovative ideas (Eisenberg & Goodall, p. 40-45) Hence dialogue is a balance between creativity and constraints (Eisenberg & Goodall ,p. 0). Dialogue demands its participants should be able to critically reflect themselves i. e, they should be open to the fact that the perceptions made by them may no t always be accurate. â€Å"What we perceive is often based on our needs, our expectations, our projections, and, most of all, our culturally learned assumptions and categories of thought (Schein 1993,p. 33)†. Participants should be able to suspend the perceptions and feelings for some time to see the outcome of the dialogue (Schein 1993).By suspending the feelings the participants will allow the disagreements to fly off, hence will build mutual understanding and trust on each other. Higher the trust higher will be the effectiveness of the group. Participants will be open to voice their unfearful opinions, and will come up with more innovative and successful solutions. Dialogue as a problem solving tool in a multicultural organisation The definition of dialogue says that there should be equal sharing of perceptions, assumptions, thoughts and experiences to come to an radical conclusion (Schein 1993).Healthy communication connects the employee more strongly with the organisati on by eliminating the sense of isolation and dissatisfaction. Employee who communicate regularly with their managers and co-employees have a higher sense of job engagement than those who are reluctant to voice their opinion. There is a direct relation between the healthy communication, participation of the employees in decision making and growth of the organisation. Dialogue does not only mean that you are heard, but it also signifies that your voice matters in the decisions of the company.It gives a sense of belonging to the employee and burns out stress and discomfort. The organisation with the higher number of contented employee will have higher productivity both in number and innovations. â€Å"The quality of relationships with co-workers is a crucial factor in determining levels of job satisfaction† (Tourish & Hargie 2009, p. 16). Job satisfaction cannot only be guaranteed by successful completion of a task, but it involves many other vital factors too. Today when it is impossible to find an uncultured organisation, learning about the intercultural ommunication is an indispensable necessity (Crossman et al 2011, p. 57). Culture plays an prominent role in structuring human behaviour, ideas and thought process (Wood2011). Differences of thinking may lead to ambiguity at the work place which may end into conflicts. According to Ting-Toomey, the greater the difference between two cultures, the more that conflicts will arise in areas such as historical grievances, cultural world views and beliefs (Crossman et al 2011). Creating Coherence in Multicultural Organisation with dialogue Employees have different personal needs and hence different dimensions for the satisfaction.The organisation should know about the personnel needs of the employee and should work in a way to nurture good relationships among the employees (Tourish & Hargie 2009). Incorporating good communication practices such as regular group meetings, open house discussions or building new ch annels for communication sustains job engagement of the employee. Mangers should have expertise in intercultural communication skills to nurture an environment of tolerance to the ambiguity caused by incompatibility of cultural values and norms.As Brannen & Salk 1999, said working together to give fruitful result can only be achieved by compromising the ambiguity and confusion for quality issues. The practices like   an  open house group discussions  ,thought sharing and dialogues exchange with seniors and colleagues will help in bridging the gap of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Employees who have an access to information, organisation policies, new ventures and developments feel more secure and safe at work. Intercultural communications along with dialogue help in enhancing the process of organisational learning through group interaction.It helps in sharing of cultural ideas, values and beliefs. Cordial and happy relations at work place eliminate stress and burnout c aused by work pressure and thus benefits the employee with good concentration and higher thinking. Socially balanced work culture  breed  employee with better insights and hence result in collaborative thinking and exemplary innovations. However in a real business world where emphasis is laid more towards the successful completion of the task, is it realistic to preach dialogue at every stage of decision making?Is it possible for an organisation to understand the needs of every employee? Will it be correct to say that it  is the responsibility of a manager to inoculate good intercultural communication where the employees are reluctant to shift their values and paradigm? Implementing dialogue can be a laborious process for a manager. It is the Manager who bears the responsibility of accomplishing the targets with in the given time frame. Dialogue can only be successful when employees are ready to take the responsibility to change themselves, else it will only result in wastage of time.Dialogue is easy to preach in a likeminded group sharing similar values but difficult to express with those who are reluctant to change. Say for instance it is easy to teach a budding employee about the virtues of good communication. However,  the same could not be expressed to those highly experienced or talented employees who are reluctant to adapt to new changes. Also, it is difficult to bring employees out of their comfort zone and to speak up expressing their true feelings. Dialogue- the core of organisational learning Dialogue lies at the core of organizational learning, for without dialogue, individuals and groups cannot effectively exchange ideas, nor can they develop shared understanding† (Mazustis & Slawinski 2008, pg 438). Argyris said that there are two different modes of learning, Model 1 and Model II, best be summarized as single or double loop learning. He mentioned in his writing â€Å"Teaching Smart people how to learn†, highly skilled profess ional are good at single loop learning because of their vast experiences and success gained in those experiences.However, Argyris argue that it is difficult for them to admit their mistake,  and hence they adopt a defensive attitude wherein they start blaming others for the failure. Defensive reasoning can block learning. Model I learning behavior persists throughout the organization resulting in to win/lose dynamics in which individual avoid confrontation (Mazustis & Slawinski 2008). On contrast Model II which is based on open dialogue, self-reflection and double loop learning will help in bringing fundamental changes in organizational norms, priorities and behavior (Argyris and Schon1978).It is through dialogue that people share ideas with others. Integration of these ideas with others is only possible when a group has   a  common language and common thought process, which can only be built by dialogue(Mazustis & Slawinski 2008). Shared meaning can lead not only to the trans ference of knowledge, but also to the creation of new knowledge and understanding among participants (Mazustis & Slawinski 2008). Finally, the process get embedded into the organization. This process is what Crossan et al. (1999) refer to as institutionalizing. Dialogue is therefore at the core of the socio-psychological processes of the model of organizational learning (Crossan et al. , 1999)† (Mazustis & Slawinski 2008). Barriers to communication- Silos formation Advancement in technology and increase in complexity of organisation resulted in division of the organisation into different specialised departments or subunits. Employee in one department share same work language, technology and work terminology developing a subculture of its own. Different departments in an organisation work together to complete the task, failure of one may result in failure of others. Organisational effectiveness is therefore dependent on the valid communication across subculture boundaries† (Schein 1993,p. 41). Silo formation and Need to eliminate Silos Fragmentation of organisation into small departments may result in the formation of â€Å"silos† throughout the organisation. Individuals in silos share strong personnel bonds, common interests, abilities, work structure and relational bonds that differentiate them from others. Individuals in a silo interact more to each other than with the outside employees creating an atmosphere of alienation for those who are not part of the silo group.Silos act as a barrier to inter departmental flow of communication resulting in the  creation of isolation and hostility for others who are not  part of the group. Employees hesitate to co-operate with other departments thinking that the objective of their silo is different from that of other department. Interdepartmental competition may prevent the desire to transfer valuable information from one to other department. Communication breakdown can lead to errors and finger p ointing, lack of responsibilities and hence failure of the task or the department itself What is the role of a good manager in an organisation full of silos?Managers should learn to trust his team members and also should show respect their peers. Mutual trust, respect for each other structure and values will help in dissolving silos. Senior should preach the essential values of their organisation and not that of a single department. Organisation based on Hierarchical pyramid structure An organisation based on principals to maintain and respect hierarchical structure, could not support dialogue. Hierarchy do not support the idea of cross questioning your boss or voicing against the idea of your manager, it may lead to serious repercussions for the employee.Time constrain Time is again a vital factor to be considered while promoting dialogue. Every project is designed to be accomplished with in a limited time frame. Listening to every voice of the department may lead to wastage of tim e. Managers should be able to recognise the right time to implement debate and discussion instead of dialogue. Breaching the comfort zone of employee Dialogue demands empathy and tolerance to other and is a time consuming process. In this fast pace society where human beings are already over engaged with priorities it is difficult to maintain patience to listen to others.Highly experienced employee find it difficult to listen to a new employee, they do not want to change their work protocol and hesitate to adapt to new changes. It is difficult to breach the comfort zone of over experienced employees and sometimes they find it insulting too. Defensive Behaviour and lack of trust Individuals may engage into defensive routines where they hesitate to open a dialogue with the seniors fearing that may lead to some serious problems with the co-employees or the manager himself.Also, colleagues working in an organisation may feel competition with their  colleague, and thus, employee consci ously prevent flow of information to others creating a hostile environment for others. Lack of true Feedback Dialogue may be impeded by organisation norms such as the practice of only delivering good news to senior managers, and hiding distressing news. Individuals need  the  information to be able to detect and correct errors, but some organizational norms prevent such information from being discussed (Argyris and Schon, 1978). Baker et al. 2005: 425), for example, conclude that some ‘norms determine what can be said and not said, what and who is heard and not heard, who has  a  voice and who does not have  Ã‚  a  voice   who is in and who is out of the conversation’ (Mazustis & Slawinski 2008). These norms inhibit prevent knowledge from being shared openly across functional silos, divisions and levels. Conclusion Dialogue is no doubt an important tool of communication to bring changes in an organisation and to promote  a  higher degree of organisatio nal learning. Proper implementation of dialogue in an organisation will make employees more responsible to each other.It will also ensure trust, empathy, tolerance and engagement among the employees by creating a safe and secure work environment. Sharing of ideas, discussion about work and group thinking will inculcate high sense creativity and innovations. However, it is difficult to have an idealistic organisation working on the principals of dialogue. It  is a group endeavour and demands time and patience which are difficult to attain in this fast pace society. Human beings are primarily driven by their emotions and it is difficult to suspend feelings and emotions which is the demand to sustain a dialogue.Implications of dialogue are great but is difficult to practice. Books Crossman, J. , Bordia, S. & Mills, C. 2011 Business Communication : for the Global Age, McGraw-Hill, North Ryde, N. S. W. Eisenberg,M. , Goodall,H. L. & Trethewey,A. 2010, Organizational communication : bal ancing creativity and constraint, Boston : Bedford/St. Martin's Cheney,G. (ed. ) 2011, Organizational Communication in an Age of Globalization : Issues, Reflection ; Practices, 2nd edition, Long Grove, Ill. : Waveland Press Cottrell, S. 011, Critical thinking skills : developing effective analysis and argument, Houndmills, Hampshire, UK : Palgrave Macmillan Ferraro, G. P. ; Briody, E. K. 2013, The cultural dimension of global business,7th ed. , Pearson, Boston, pp. 29-65. Hargie,O. ; Tourish,D. (ed). 2009, Auditing organizational communication : a handbook of research, theory and practice ,Imprint East Sussex : New York, NY Walker, R. 2011, Strategic management communication for leaders, Mason, Ohio : South-Western Cengage Learning Wood,J. 2011, Communication mosaics : an introduction to the field of communication,Boston, MA : WadsworthE journals Amy,H. 2008, ‘Leaders as facilitators of individual and organizational learning’ , Leadership ; Organization Development Jour nal, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 212-234 Argyris 1991, ‘Teaching smart people how to learn’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 69,no. 3,pp. 99-100 Argyris, C. and Schon, D. (1978), ‘Organizational Learning: A theory of action perspective’ Bloor,G. 1999, ‘Organisational culture: organisational learning and total quality management’ , Australian Health Review, Vol 22, no 3 Groysberg, B. ; Slind, M. 2012, ‘Leadership is a conversation', Harvard Business Review, 90(6):76-84. Mazutis,D. amp;Slawinski,N. 2008, ‘Leading organizational learning through authentic dialogue’ , Richard Ivey School of Business,The University of Western Ontario, Canada, Vol 39, pp. 437-456 Schein,E. 1993, ‘On dialogue, culture, and organizational learning’ ,Organisational Dynamics, Vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 40-51 Website Forbes, John Kotter, viewed on 26 March 2013, ;http://www. forbes. com/sites/johnkotter/2011/05/03/breaking-down-silos/;. Matthew Moore 2011, viewed 26 March 2013, ;http://www. improvementandinnovation. com/features/article/breaking-down-organisational-silos-why-its-important-collaboration-quality-and-gro/;.