Saturday, August 31, 2019

Globalisation in Terms of Social and Economic Trends

Globalisation is not a single phenomenon. It has become a catch-all concept to describe a range of trends and forces changing the social and economic structures of the world. Globalisation may be defined as ‘becoming or making world-wide†, but it has also been referred to as Westernisation. Globalisation as argued by Professor Ruud Lubbers, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, is considered to have a number of distinct elements to it, which include Economic, Technological, Political, Cultural and Environmental. Economically, greater world integration or globalisation has been greatly encouraged since the Second World War, with the introduction of free trade agreements such as GATT (General Agreement on Tariff†s and Trade). Additionally, regional trade agreements have also been developed, which have included ‘single markets† established by the European Community and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Technologically, the IT revolution has provided a massive improvements in our ability to store and manipulate data using ever more powerful computers. More important however, is the communication abilities of these computers. The Communications Revolution has resulted in the ‘shrinking† of the world. Politically, it was not until the collapse of the former Soviet Block in the late 1980†³s and the general acceptance of the free market (deregulation) and democracy, coupled with the emergence of the ‘Tiger† economies of the Pacific Rim, that the term globalisation has taken on true significance. Culturally, there has been a spreading of Westernisation, or perhaps more accurately Americanisation through the media of films, television and music. Following the Second World War, the USA fearing the rise of communism, actively encouraged and subsidised the world-wide distribution of films effectively advertising (if only subliminally) the benefits of capitalism and the American Dream. As a consequence to the dilution of cultures, France for example has since introduced legislation requiring radio stations to play a minimum of 40% of music originating from or sung in French. Environmental problems are increasingly becoming global problems. Therefore, countries are no longer able to look at environmental issues in isolation. This has been dramatically illustrated for example by the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, the depletion of the ozone layer and acid rain over Scandinavia. Countries now need to act collectively (as per the Rio Conference) for there to be any chance of reversing or just slowing the damage being caused to the environment. Globalisation of the economy has not been based purely on free trade but also on the free movement of capital. This has promoted direct foreign investments from one country into another (e.g. massive Japanese investment into the EU, especially the UK) which has had a strong influence on the globalisation of the national economies. As an economic phenomenon, globalisation has resulted in a shift away from a world of distinct national economies to a global economy in which production is distributed internationally and finance is able to flow freely and instantly between countries. Multinational businesses have vast economic powers, whilst institutional investors and financial gurus such as George Soros are capable of influencing the currency rates, economic policies, and interest rates of individual nation states (e.g. September 1992, the UK was forced to leave the European Exchange Rate Mechanism). The framework of rules within which economic activity takes place is increasingly defined within the international framework of organisations such as the WTO (World Trade Organisation), the IMF (International Monetary Fund), the World Bank, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and G7-8 summits, together with the regional trading blocks such as the European Union and NAFTA. Globalisation is arguably both a cause and a consequence of the information revolution. It is driven by dramatic improvements in telecommunications, exponential increases in computing power coupled with lower costs, and the development of electronic communications and information networks such as the Internet. These communications technologies are helping to overcome the barriers of physical distance. Communities of various types, including NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) which include international interest groups like Amnesty International or Greenpeace, as well as business and labour organisations, now function across national borders. Greenpeace is a prime example: the Shell Brent Spar case illustrated the ability of such internationally organised interest groups to successfully exert commercial and political pressure in multiple countries simultaneously. In turn, social policies affecting individual citizens are becoming more sensitive to international influences, especially when highlighted by the global news media. While globalisation is transferring numerous decisions to the international arena, political and constitutional reforms in many countries involve attempts to decentralise decision-making from central government to more regionally autonomous authorities to cater for a sense of ‘local† identity (e.g. new Labour polices on devolution for Scotland and Wales). These trends appear contradictory, but in practice they are causing the development of new multi-level policy systems. Consequently, borders are becoming increasingly difficult for governments to define and maintain. Therefore, national governments are being forced to redefine their roles, responsibilities and policy relationships. In the same way, multinational companies will find that they will not only have to deal with global trends but also the local laws and customs of their intended markets and manufacturing centres. Globalisation has raised fears that the sovereignty of nation states is being undermined. If sovereignty can be defined as the ability to exercise control without outside interference, then nation states are clearly experiencing diminishing sovereignty. Governments must recognise and work on the assumption that most issues they are required to deal with are affected by or will affect to some extent the international competitiveness of the country. Governments' own responses to globalisation or the search for joint solutions to global problems have further effects upon sovereignty. Participation in international organisations or the adoption of international agreements puts limits on policy options available to governments. This may even require modifications to long-standing domestic policies and practices. Interdependence is narrowing the degree of domestic policy independence. Unilateral action may not be the most effective way to achieve policy goals. For example, the exploitation of resources such as fisheries would inevitably result in the severe depletion, if not destruction, of common stocks (European Common Fisheries Policy) . Many other important policy goals cannot be met by governments acting alone. In combating environmental problems and international crime etc, the interests of individual nations, therefore, may only be protected by collective action. The competition for international investment encouraged by the activities and mobility of multinational enterprises means that most traditional domestic policies such as education and training, taxation, social protection, economic regulation and labour legislation have become international. Even a nation's domestic management policy is a matter of great concern to its trading rivals, because this will ultimately affect a country†s efficiency and consequently its competitiveness. Government policies must increasingly be made more consistent with or competitive against those of their main trading rivals. This was highlighted by Britain†s decision to opt out of the Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty. Monetary and fiscal policy decisions can no longer be taken on the basis of exclusively domestic considerations. Currently more than 10 times the amount of finance needed to support the current volume of world trade, is traded daily on the world currency markets. This means that 90 per cent of that activity could be seen as pure currency speculation. This is far in excess of what central banks can hope to influence through their own interventions, especially in the absence of any joint action. In recent years, the Labour Party in the UK, after four successive election defeats has gradually moved its economic policy broadly in line with that of the current Government. This may be seen as an attempt to gain credibility with the UK electorate but perhaps most importantly, to gain credibility with the International Money Markets which will have the opportunity of voting with their funds! The improvement of communications this century from sailing ship to satellite has contributed directly to the globalisation of the world†s economies and political systems. Technological globalisation of Information Technology has moved across cultural and physical barriers, effectively eliminating the capacity of countries (however draconian) to isolate themselves from the world outside. Despite this, Iran has recently banned the use of satellite television, but control will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve because the information revolution which has also provided e-mail and the Internet has democratised information. It may seem nonsensical for the need to obtain a visa to physically visit someone to whom you are able to talk to electronically on a daily basis. The result is that free speech and civil liberties are becoming increasingly international. Borders will no longer act as boundaries, especially with respect to information (IT has effectively eliminated the capacity of countries to keep out foreign influences, good or bad) and the flow of finance and crime. Therefore, numerous problems can only be tackled in collaboration with other countries. Ultimately, the goal of globalisation is to achieve a world economy reaping the benefits of additional trade and, consequently, mutual dependency (no two countries with a MacDonalds franchise have ever gone to war with each other!), therefore creating more jobs and prosperity for the participating countries. However, some such as Martin Khor, an economist and director of the NGO Third World Network, believe that free trade within a global market will polarise the poorer countries from the richer nations still further. According to some estimates, the industrialised countries, which make up 20% of the GATT membership, will gain 70% of the additional income arising from the implementation of the Uruguay Round of GATT. The globalisation of trade finance and information is perhaps the tip of the globalisation iceberg. The challenge to governments may be made more acute by a host of other internationalisation†s under-way, which include areas such as crime and population movement (economic refugees). Even if it is considered by some to be less than desirable, the increasing globalisation of the world seems unavoidable. In the long term, little may be gained by nation states resisting the impacts of globalisation, which may ultimately prove to be ineffective and counter-productive. To conclude, the ever-improving technology and consequently communications available to businesses, have enabled the creation of a global economy of production and finance, enabling industry to make use of territorial divisions, playing one country or trade-block off against another to maximise subsidies, savings in taxes, avoidance of anti-pollution regulations and guarantees of political stability and favour. With this, a new political structure is emerging with national sovereignty being an ever-looser concept (illustrated by the gradual and continuing integration of individual nation states into the European Union), which is contributing to the emergence of a phenomenon described by Robert Cox as ‘macro-regionalism†. He considers there to be three macro-regions in the making: Europe based on the European Union; an Eastern Asian sphere centred around Japan; and a North American sphere centred around the USA and looking to embrace Latin America. Perhaps the emergence of these macro-regions is part of a natural evolution towards a truly global state?

Friday, August 30, 2019

Jhkk

Culture Vocab Chart Word| Definition| Explain| Example| Language| Set of sounds, combination of sounds, and symbols used for communication. | Form of communication used amongst people. | EnglishFrenchBengali| Standard Language| Variant of language that a country’s people seek to use in schools, media, government, etc. | Used for official government business, education, and mass communications. English in AmericaFrench in FranceEnglish in Canada| Dialects| Local or regional characteristics of language| Has different pronunciation and distinctive grammar ad vocab| South: â€Å"Y'all† North: â€Å"You guys† South: â€Å"Fixin' to† North: â€Å"About to†| Isogloss| Geographic boundary within which linguistic feature occurs| separates regions in which different languages exist| Ossetia -European| Mutual Intelligibility| Ability of two people to understand each other when speaking | Understanding what someone else speaks| Bob understand what Billy says. L anguage families| Group of languages with a shared but fairly distant origin| Languages that came from same root language| Indo European| Sound Shift| Slight change in word across languages within subfamily or thorough language family | Change of language that affect pronunciation| | Proto-Indo-European| Linguistic hypothesis proposing existence of an ancestral Indo European language| Hearth of ancient Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit languages which link modern languages. Scandinavia to North Africa and North America through parts of Asia to Australia| Backward Reconstruction| Tracking of sound shifts and hardening of consonants â€Å"backward† toward original language | Going backward to original language | â€Å"milk† in English, â€Å"melk† in Dutch, â€Å"milche† in German. | Extinct Language| Language without any native speakers| Language not spoken anymore| Latin, Gothic, Hebrew| Deep Reconstruction| Technique using vocabulary of an extinct language to r e-create language that preceded it. Going back to a language’s preceded language| â€Å"milk† in English, â€Å"melk† in Dutch, â€Å"milche† in German| Nostratic| Language believed to be the ancestral language of Proto Indo Europeans| Also for the Kartvelian languages of the southern Caucasus regions| Hungarian, Finnish | Language Divergence| Opposite of language convergence; Process that German linguist August Schleicher suggested| languages are formed when language breaks into dialects due to lack of spatial interaction | French spoken in France is now different from the French spoken in Quebec. Language Convergence| Opposite of language divergence; collapsing of two languages into one| Results from consistent spatial interaction of people with different languages| Balkans where different languages (such as Greek, Albanian, Romania, Bulgarian) all share certain features of grammar| Renfrew Hypothesis| Developed by British scholar Colin Renfrew. Said th at 3 areas in and near first agricultural hearth, Fertile Crescent, gave rise to three language families. | Europe’s Indo European languages, North African and Arabian languages, and languages in present day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Anatolia (Turkey), Western arc of Fertile Crescent, Eastern arc of Fertile Crescent. | Conquest theory| Major theory of how Proto-Indo-European diffused to Europe | Early speakers of Proto-Indo-European spread westward on horseback, and started diffusions of European tongues. | Modern day Ukraine. | Commodification | Process in which something is given monetary value| Good or idea is turned into something that has particular value and can be traded in market economy. | Chicken used to be expensive, and only for special occasions.With battery farming, chicken meat has become a commodity. | Monolingual States| Countries in which one language is spoken| These are countries with only one official language| Japan (Japanese)| Official Lan guage| Language selected often by educated and politically powerful elite| To promote internal cohesion, usually language used in courts and government. | America: EnglishFrance: FrenchMexico: Spanish| Toponym| Place name| Word coined in association with the name of a place. New York = From the Duke of York, Nova Scotia = â€Å"New Scotland†, New Jersey = from the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel| Secularism| Ethical and moral standards should be formulated and adhered to for life on Earth| Not to accommodate prescriptions of a deity and promise of comfortable afterlife| America| Monotheistic Religion| One supreme being is revered as creator and arbiter of all that exists in universe| Is the belief in the existence of one god or in the oneness of God. | Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Polytheistic Religion| Multiple deities are revered as creators and arbiters of all that exists in universe| Belief in more than one god| Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca| Animistic Religion| In animate objects possess souls | Can help or hinder human efforts on Earth| Shintoism, Animism. | Universalizing Religion| Belief that there is one true religion that is universal in scope| Religion that wants to take over world| Islam and Christianity| Ethnic Religion| Religion that is particular to one, culturally distinct group of people. Don’t actively seek converts through missionary work| Judaism, Hinduism| Romance Languages| Languages that lay in areas those were once controlled by the Roman Empire but were not subsequently overwhelmed. | Related languages derived from  Vulgar Latin and forming a subgroup of the  Italic languages  within the  Indo-European  language family. | French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese. Germanic Languages| Languages that reflect expansion of people out of Northern Europe to west and south| Sub-branch of the  Indo-European  language family. | English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish. | Slavic Languages| Languages developed as Slavic people migrated from base in present day Ukraine| Close to 2000 years ago| Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovenian, Bulgarian| Lingua Franca| Tongue spoken in ancient Mediterranean ports that consisted of mixture of Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, and some Arabic. â€Å"Common language†, language used among speakers of different languages for purpose of trade and commerce. | English| Pidgin Language| Parts of two or more languages are combined in simplified structure and vocabulary | Simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. | Name of the Creole language  Tok Pisin  derives from the English words  talk pidgin. Creole Language| Language that began as pidgin language | Later adopted as mother tongue by people in place of mother tongue. | | Cultural Landscape| Visible imprint of human activity and culture on landscape| Imprinted on landscape by the activi ties of various human occupants | Building, forms, and artifacts| Placelessness| Loss of uniqueness of place | One place looks like the next| Association of Manchester with a distinctive style of music and club culture is relatively recent. Intrafaith boundaries| Boundaries within the same faith| A major religion’s boundaries| Sunni & ShiiteCatholic & Protestant| Interfaith boundaries| Boundaries between different religion| Major religions’ boundaries| Muslims & Christians. | Religious fundamentalism| Religious movement whose objectives are to return to the foundations of faith and to influence state policy| A usually  religious  movement or point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles| Protestant  community in the  United States  in the early  20th century| Shari’a laws| System of Islamic law, sometimes called Qu’ranic law. Unlike most Western systems of law that are based on legal precedence, Sharia is based on interpret ation| Women must wear a hijab at all times, or else they will be stoned to death| Jihad| Doctrine within Islam, commonly translated as â€Å"Holy War† | Personal or collective struggle on the part of Muslims to live up to religious standards| defense of religion when attacked with aggressive wars of conquest and expansion| Folk culture| Cultural traits such ad dress mode, dwellings, and tradition| Institutions of usually small, traditional communities. Amish| Popular culture| Cultural traits such as dress, diet, and music that identify| Part of today’s changeable, urban-bases, media-influenced western societies. 2chainz, skinny jeans, Christmas tree| Local culture| Group of people in particular place who see themselves as a collective or community| Share experiences, customs, and traits, work to preserve those traits and customs| Hutterites in North America| Material culture| Art, housing, clothing, sports dances, foods and other similar items| Constructed or created by a group of people| Eating curry, wearing a kimono | Nonmaterial culture| Beliefs, practices, aesthetics, and values of a group of people| Not constructed or created by a group of people| Praying five times a day, French is spoken in France| Hierarchical diffusion | Idea or innovation spreads by passing first among most connected places or people | Leapfrogging of innovations over wide areas, with geographic distance a less important influence | Spread of fashion spreads from level to nest level | Hearth| Area where idea or cultural trait originates| Place of origin| Hearth of corn was from Mexico| Assimilate| People lose originality differentiating traits when they come into contact with another culture | Used to describe immigrant adaption to new places of residence| Mexican teens start acting/dressing more American after they move here. | Custom| Practice routinely followed by a group of people| Another word is tradition| Taking your shoes off before going into a house. | Cultu ral Appropriation| Culture adopts ustoms and knowledge from other cultures | Uses them for their unadoptable in that particular culture| Native American dream catchers adopted by USA and sold in stores| Neolocalism| Seeking out of regional culture and reinvigoration of it | In response to uncertainty of the modern world. | | Ethnic neighborhood| Situated in larger metropolitan city and constructed by a local culture| In which local culture can practice its customs| Little Haiti in Santa Domingo | Hinduism| One of oldest religions in modern world, originating in Indus River Valley| Doesn’t have a single founder, single theology, or agreement on its origins. | | Buddhism| Enlightenment would come through knowledge, no greed, craving, or desire. Complete honesty. Splintered from Hinduism as reaction to strict social hierarchy by Hinduism| | Caste system| Strict social segregation of people| Basis of ancestry and occupation| India’s Hindu society | Shintoism| Religion loca ted in Japan and related to Buddhism| Focuses particularly on nature and ancestor worship| | Taoism| Religion founded Lao Tsu and based on â€Å"Book of the Way† | Proper form of political rule on the oneness of humanity and nature| | Judaism| Roots and teachings of Abraham, uniting his people to worship only one god| Jews worship only one God, and God agrees to protect his chosen people, the Jews| | Diaspora | Forceful or voluntary dispersal of people from homeland to new place | Population dispersal or involuntary relocation| Jews during the Holocaust| Zionism| Movement to unite the Jews of the Diaspora| Establish a national homeland for them in the promised land. | | Sunni| Adherents to largest branch of Islam, believe in value of family and community in solution of life’s problem| Differ from Shiites in accepting the traditions of Muhammad as authoritative. | | Shiite| Also known as Shiahs, represent Persian variation of Islam | Believe in infallibility and divine right to authority of descendants of Ali. | Pilgrimage| Voluntary travel by an adherent to a sacred site| Pay respect or participate in a ritual at the site| Hajj| Hajj| Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca| Birthplace of Muhammad| | Authenticity| Accuracy with which a single stereotypical or typecast conveys| Otherwise dynamics and complex local culture or its customs| | Distance decay| Effects of distance on interaction| Greater the distance the less interaction | Mexican would be closer to American than Russian| Time-space compression| Social and psychological effects of living in a world which t-s convergence has rapidly reached high intensity| Associated with work of David Harvey | | Genocide | systematic killing or extermination of an entire people or nation| Planned elimination of a group of people| Jews during the Holocaust|

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Changing Economies of Asia

Globalization is the process of spreading the people, ideas and goods across the world. It increases the connectivity and interaction between the different cultures, governments and economies in the world. Globalization is used mostly to denote the connectivity of economies in case of free trade, flow of capital, and labor markets in foreign used by corporate o maximize their returns[1]. From the last few years, numbers of MNC’s are increasing which result in increasing of globalization. MNC’s stands for multinational companies, which establish their production house in number of countries. Activities conducted by multinational organizations contribute in the increasing trend of economic globalization. In last 15 years economic integration process is developed at wide level. There is tremendous growth in the three aspects of economic globalization that is trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and the international transfer of knowledge and technology. MNC’s set up their production houses in those countries where there is availability of cheap labor, liberal government policies are there, and where markets can be reached easily[2]. In this paper we discuss the impact of globalization on value chains, and also focus on the other topics which are closely related to this topic. In last we conclude the essay with the conclusion in which we describe the impact in concise way. Before discussing the impact of globalization on value chain, it is necessary that we understand the term value chain, its features defined by porter, and difference between value chain and supply chain. Value chain means activities conducted by corporate that creates value at every step. Process of value chain focuses on separating the useful activities from the waste activities. Activities which are value creating give many advantages to the corporate such as brand image, lower cost of manufacturing product and many more. The concept of value chain is defined by Michael Porter in his book launched in 1980 named as ‘competitive advantage’. According to porter value chain consists primary activities and support activities[3]. Primary activities and support activities are defined below:   There is misconception among the people that value chain and supply chain share similar concept, but there is a difference between supply chain and value chain. Supply chain is a process which interconnects all the activities, which means activities start from the manufacturing of product and ends when the product sold to the final consumer. Whereas, value chain is a process in which company conduct activities which add value to the product. Basically, these two concepts help in enhancing the quality of the products[6]. The basic differences between these two concepts are mention below: It focuses on value addition to the product at every step. Its main objective is to reach customer satisfaction Its aim is to gain competitive advantage. It is originated from management of operations. It is originated from business management. After discussing the definition and features of value chain, now we discuss how globalization has affected the value chains. A new concept was introduced that is global value chains. The economy at global level is structured around the Global Value Chain (GVC) which contributes in the increasing share of international trade, GDP, and employment.   GVCs basically connect the companies, workers and consumers around the world, and also provide chance to companies and workers of developing countries to connect and stand in the global economy. For many countries which have low level of income it is important for their development that they adopt the concept of global value chains, and insert themselves in these chains. GVCs helps in competing in the global market, capture the gains in the terms of national economic development, and it also builds the capability to generate more and better jobs which result in reducing the poverty and unemployment[7]. Now, GVCs become the most important factor for the economic globalization which was supported by the new opportunities which are technical in nature, and advantages of economic specialization. However, it is clear that GVCs play an important role in the development of economies. Current Trade Rules are not supporting the concept of GVCs, therefore new trade rules are required for GVCs. GVCs connect the markets of goods and services, which facilitate the production of goods outside the final firm. These networks based on the unbundling of different steps of the production process. GVCs make the unbundling of task easier, for example electronics/ICT, automotive and garments[8]. Impact of globalization on value chains can be understand with the help of these two terms vertical disintegration and smile curve. Vertical disintegration means that procedure which was followed by one company to cover all the activities related to raw material, administration, production, and end product. The vertical disintegration in global value chain has two important factors in the global economy[9]. Globalization and vertical integration shares a relationship from many years. John McLaren explains that globalization and vertical disintegration is not that much supportive?   The term vertical integration confer a externality which is negative in nature, which results in thinning the markets for inputs and destroy the opportunities in market[10]. On the other hand, the concept of smiling curve in relation o global value chain is used at the level of individual firms, but it was not much used on the level of industry and country. The concept of smile curve was introduced by th e Stan Shih in 1992. He observed that if both the ends of value chain shows the value added to the product, and if this concept was presented in the graph in which Y-axis is denoted for value added and X-axis is denoted for value chain. This graph automatically shapes in smile[11]. In last, we discuss the role of MNCs in outsourcing, cross border trade and trade in intermediate goods. First we discuss the role of MNCs in outsourcing, Outsourcing by MNCs provide competitive advantage and cost benefit to the companies. There are many more benefits which companies grab from the outsourcing such as enhancing the quality of the product, restructuring of product cost, and many more. Many MNCs are used outsourcing as their global strategy because of these benefits. In last few years the concept of outsourcing was growing at large level and it becomes beneficial for developing countries like India, China, Malaysia, etc. but there is disadvantage also such as job losses of the people who are belong to home country of MNCs[12]. Second we discuss the role of MNCs in cross border trade, MNC is an organization that engaged in the foreign direct investment (FDI). MNCs also engaged and control the activities of value adding in number of countries. These companies can be public or private both, structure of these companies generally consists parent companies which was established in the home country and control the subsidiaries which are established in different countries across the world[13]. Usually, MNCs engaged in cross border trade to access the market of different countries and expand the operations of its business. They also make cross border trade to improve the efficiency of production and operations. Companies set their units for production in different countries where cheap labor is easily available[14].   In way of increasing the profits many MNCs adopts the concept of horizontal and vertical integration. For achieving their profitability MNCs set their production or distribution units in other coun tries. Usually, MNCs adopt three strategies to adopt the foreign market and facilitate cross border trade such as they sign agreement with the local units of that country to sell the products of MNCs, MNCs set subsidiaries in the foreign countries under the act of that country, and in last MNCs opens branches in the foreign country which is not legally independent business units[15][16]. In last we conclude, that global value chains contribute at wide level across the world. It plays an important role in the development of economy at global level.   In this paper we discuss the impact of Globalization on the value chain, and other related topics such as definition and concept of value chain, and role of MNCs in the global economy. Value chain means activities conducted by corporate that creates value at every step, and value chain consists of two activities that is primary activity and support activity. In this we discuss the impact of globalization on value chain with help of two factors which are vertical disintegration and smile curve, and in last role of MNC which states that Activities conducted by multinational organizations contribute in the increasing trend of economic globalization. In last 15 years economic integration process is developed at wide level. There is tremendous growth in the three aspects of economic globalization that is trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and the international transfer of knowledge and technology. This paper also states the role of MNCs in outsourcing, and cross border trade which giv e more emphasis on how MNCs grab the foreign market and increase their profitability.   Techtarget. 2016. Globalization. The internet journal of search cio. Http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/globalization.   jà ¶rn kleinert. 2001. The role of multinational enterprises in globalization: an empirical overview. The internet journal of kiel institute. Https://www.ifw-members.ifw-kiel.de/publications/the-role-of-multinational-enterprises-in-globalization-an-empirical-overview/kap1069.pdf.   The economic times. Definition of 'value chain'. The internet journal of economic times. Http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/value-chain.   IFM. Decision support tools. The internet journal of university of cambridge. Http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/value-chain-/.  Ã‚   q stock inventory. 2013. Comparing value chain and supply chain. Http://www.qstockinventory.com/blog/comparing-value-chain-and-supply-chain/.   Gary Gereffi & Karina Fernandez-stark. 2011. Global value chain analysis: a primer. Http://www.cggc.duke.edu/pdfs/2011-05-31_gvc_analysis_a_primer.pdf.   carlos a. Primo braga. 2013. Globalization in the 21st century: The role of global value chains. The internet journal of imd. Http://www.imd.org/research/challenges/tc065-13-globalization-in-the-21st-century-the-role-of-global-value-chains.cfm.   michael g. Jacobides. 2005. Industry change through vertical disintegration: how and why markets emerged in mortgage banking. The internet journal of academy of management journal. Http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.565.6021&rep=rep1&type=pdf.   John McLaren. Globalization and Vertical Structure. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2677849?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.   Ming YE , Bo MENG , and Shang-jin WEI. 2015. Measuring Smile Curves in Global Value Chains. https://rigvc.uibe.edu.cn/docs/20160329210052329340.pdf.   Linked In. 2015. Outsourcing by multinational companies - global corporate strategy. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/outsourcing-multinational-companies-global-corporate-writer-1?trk=pulse-det-nav_art.   Hendrix Mbuckwa. 2016. The role &impact of multinational corporations (MNCS) in Malawi. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-impact-multinational-corporations-mncs-malawi-hendrix-mbukwa.   UNC. Multinational Corporations in the Global Economy.   https://www.unc.edu/~toatley/mncs.pdf. Richard Baldwin. 2013. Misthinking Globalisation: Twentieth-Century Paradigms and Twenty First-Century Challenges. The internet journal of Australian Economic History Review. https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/02/24/the-wto-and-global-supply-chains/.   Supriya Guru. Role of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Foreign Investments. https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/microeconomics/foreign-investment/role-of-multinational-corporations-mncs-in-foreign-investments/38224/.   Net MBA. The value chain. https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/. .com houses experts from all possible disciplines to help students in the best possible manner. Owing to our experts' extensive knowledge in their respective field, we are capable of providing subject-wise quality academic assistance such as marketing assignment help , mechanical engineering assignment help , English assignment help , taxation assignment help , electrical assignment help , etc.    Explain why firms’ marginal cost curves become upward sloping after a certain level of output has been reached. test While for the margina... Question: Discuss about the professional developers comprehend software?    Answer: I have been working in the USA Technologies for nine months now, and it ... 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Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Business Process Reengineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Process Reengineering - Essay Example Failure of the traditional approaches to effectively address the new conditions led to emergence of innovative perspectives on organizational performance and change with BPR being perhaps the most popular among them. Another distinct feature of the business environment in the early 1990s was the dramatic rise in amounts spent by businesses on information technology (IT), and the linkage between IT and BPR soon became the most popular object of research. Some studies published throughout the first half of 1990s estimated "over half of all reengineering efforts are initiated because of a perceived information technology opportunity" (Caldwell, 1994: 50), and pronounced IT to be the key enabler of effective BRP (Weicher et al, 1995). Although the linkage between IT and BPR has been confirmed repeatedly, there is no clarity as to the aspects of this linkage. The variety of opinions and views expressed in the literature is astonishing ranging from denial of the enabling role of IT in BPR to claims that IT is, in fact, the only enabler of BPR. The below overview seeks to summarise the existing conceptions about the relationship between IT and BPR in order to understand the merit of Information Technology as an enabler to Business Process Re-engineering Main Body In 1990, Michael Hammer published an article in the Harvard Business Review, in which he claimed that the major challenge for managers is to obliterate non-value adding work, rather than using technology for automating it (Hammer 1990). The article was perhaps the first attempt to draw attention of the scholarly community to the problem of information technology (IT) role in BPR. Hammer implicitly accused the management of contemporary businesses of the wrong application of IT which has been used mostly for automating existing practices than rather than revising the obsolete non-value adding ones. Hammer (1990) claims that the potential of IT makes it the most essential enabler of BPR in modern environment, but in order to fulfil the enabling function it must be used as a tool to challenge the traditional conceptions of the business processes that had emerged in the past before the advent and expansion the computer and communications technology. This will result in recognition and breaking away "from the outdated rules and fundamental assumptions underlying operations... These rules of work design are based on assumptions about technology, people, and organizational goals that no longer hold" (p.105). The elements of redesign models described in the early BRP literature illustrate why modern IT plays an important role in the reengineering concept. Hammer (1990) identifies the following basic principles of reengineering: (a) Organization around process outcomes, not tasks; (b) Those who use the output of the process must perform the process; (c) Subsume information processing work into the real work that produces the information; (d) Treat geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized; (e) Link parallel activities instead of integrating their results; (f) Put the decision

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Proposal for Smart Phone Application based ordering for Subway Research Paper

Proposal for Smart Phone Application based ordering for Subway Sandwiches - Research Paper Example The report also elaborates on the technical as well as business approaches required to be considered when applying the proposed mechanism along with the likely changes to be witnessed after its implementation. Challenges and the subsequent measures required to be considered have also been addressed in this report along with recommendations and a high-level implementation plan. 2. Background of the Company Subway is an American restaurant chain founded in the year 1965, by Dr. Peter Buck and Fred DeLuca. Today, the restaurant chain is situated in around 98 countries and 34,000 locations all around the world. The company has its regional offices in Brisbane, Miami and Singapore (The Ultimate Software Group Inc., 2000). The products which are offered by this restaurant chain principally fall in the category of submarine sandwiches. It has also been offering pizzas to its customers in certain areas. Subway has been operating for around 46 years and is often ranked as the largest chain of submarine sandwiches in the world. The company has been rewarded with several awards for its superior products and services which are provided to its nationwide and international customers (Doctor's Associates Inc., 2009). 3. Business Problems In today’s highly competitive market scenario, technology and better communication with the target customers have become quite essential for companies to obtain better advantages and growth prospects. However, based on this context, Mr. Van Hout, the technological officer of Subway, stated that with the power of technological assistance, the sales and the profitability of its stores can be increased substantially. Fundamentally, it has been due to its lacuna in incorporating technology in its customer service procedure that the customers have to face problems when placing orders which has been principally associated with the time-consuming delivery process of the organization. Applying the traditional delivery process, the customers ne ed to wait in long queues which in turn tend to hamper their satisfaction level by a large extent affecting the productivity as well as on the reputation of the company (Journalistic Inc., 2013). Hence, incorporating technological innovations such as smart phones to enhance customer relationship in Subway can prove highly beneficial for the company. 4. High level Solution In order to mitigate the restrictions or rather the limitations witnessed by Subway and its customers, incorporation of developed technology application can prove to be highly beneficial. The application can be downloaded by the customers in their smartphones to be used for placing orders in a time-efficient and cost effective manner. Correspondingly, the stores will be equipped with advanced computer systems to receive, interpret as well as analyze the data collected in relation to customers’ requirements for the use of staff members. It is expected that the technology development will minimize the time-con straints in the delivery process rendering greater satisfaction to the customers and thereby rendering competitive advantages to the company so as to increase its revenue growth substantially over the long-run. 5. Benefits of solving the problem With the incorporation of the technology, it is possible for the staffs to take orders and place it in a time-effective way which shall in turn enhance the quality of customer service in Subway and likewise encourage better

Monday, August 26, 2019

Data Model and Data Warehouse Design Architecture & XML Essay - 1

Data Model and Data Warehouse Design Architecture & XML - Essay Example be fully compliant with all the building laws and regulations, the company certifies the application and changes the status of the application to ‘Certified’. After certifying the plans, the company lodges the plans with the relevant Council for approval; the status of the application at this stage is changed to ‘Lodged’. Once the plans are approved by the Council, the status of the application becomes ‘Approved’, indicating that the building work can commence. Upon completion of the building work, the company inspects the building to ensure that the building work has strictly followed the plans. In case if the building work in not found satisfactory, the company gives instructions to the client that must be followed in order to make the building work satisfactory. The company inspects the building until the work is found satisfactory – means any building work can be inspected several number of times. Once all the building work is finaliz ed and found satisfactory by the company, the status of the application changes to ‘Closed’. A single application may cover multiple building works, and each building work may have a different type (which may be residential house, car port, shed, commercial building etc.), and a class (which may be 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3, 4 or 5). The Director of the company is interested to deploy a data warehouse system which can provide analytical views in form of reports, containing data, graphs, and charts, to help the top management in making effective business decisions to increase the productivity, in other words, sales of the company. The company already has a centralized database in which it maintains all the information related to its staff, customers, councils, and applications. This centralized database is a relational database which will represent the information source for the data warehouse in this

Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Plagiarism - Essay Example cies of GCU, a student may be awarded an F grade for the complete course in which he has conducted academic dishonesty or F grade may be assigned to the project or the assignment in which he had conducted the act of plagiarism. If the university wishes, they may remove the student from the course or the student might have to take the course again or credit for a particular course may be deleted, this will result in failure to obtain the degree for which the student has gained education. To avoid issues that are regarded as academic dishonesty, students should refrain from such acts and instead of conducting plagiarism; they should consider options such as proper time management in order to manage educational, family and work life. At GCU, students are provided with policies that clearly state what instances are considered as plagiarism and how can one avoid plagiarism by properly giving credit to others for their work. Plagiarism software’s needed to check plagiarisms are even available so students do not conduct academic

Sunday, August 25, 2019

A portfolio about Mary Walker Phillips(an artist), and discussing the Essay

A portfolio about Mary Walker Phillips(an artist), and discussing the meaning of the work, it's form, its context, its qualities - Essay Example Born in 1923 in Fresno, Phillips began as a traditional knitter in her childhood. But after high school, she got into studying design, and then learned weaving under the guidance of Marianne Strengell and Lola Saarinen at the Cranbrook Academy of Art situated in Michigan. Phillips followed that up with a stint as a weaver under designer Dorothy Liebes in San Francisco, which helped her discover her own potential as a textile designer. Her renown as a textile artist grew as she opened her studio in Fresno, and she had the privilege of working on the textiles for the much-renowned Arizona home of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Phillips eventually finished her graduation by the year 1960, and it took her another three years to do a masters in fine arts, specializing in innovative textiles. But the turning point in her career came from the suggestion of a famous fabric designer and friend Jack Lenor Larsen, who urged her towards artistic expression through knitting. Phillips took up her old hobby once more, but this time she had qualifications in fine arts and innovative textiles, and her perspective had evolved from following pre-existing knitting patterns towards contemporary expression. Philips broke all knitting conventions in order to express herself, using un

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Memo - Essay Example It is during this time that the company was confirmed to have increased its earnings in a profit margin of 50% as compared to 25% in the previous years. As a result, the CEO rewarded me for the contribution I had made for the two years through my hard work and diligence while working with the company, affirming that the company had a tremendous increase in profit during my tenure. Needless to say, this is one of the achievements I am still proud of to date. Moreover, before I came to the U.S from Saudi Arabia I used work with one of the biggest Oil Companies (Saudi Aramco) in the country. My job description was a manager, with the responsibility of overseeing 65 employees out of the total 300 working under my supervision. Consequently, I would like to retaliate that the responsibility of supervising 65 employees particularly in the production department of an Oil company is not easy but requires patience, understanding and motivation of the employees in order to increase productivity and maximize on profit. Finally, I have engaged myself in a number of community services in the last few years since I completed grade school. To begin with, I am a member of ‘Keep it Clean’ initiative which has over a hundred volunteering members who clean recreation parks and public amenities around busy cities in San Diego three or four times a week depending on the weather. Secondly, I belong to a very young youth initiative known as ‘Clear the road and save time’ that began three months ago with the aim of assisting the few traffic personnel present on the roads in easing traffic jams on major roads in Washington D.C. Since it is volunteer work, I ensure that I dedicate two hours of my day to the initiative. Similarly, I have strictly dedicated my free time to assisting lost people and locating their intended destinations. This idea came up after I realized that

Friday, August 23, 2019

LENDER LIABILITY Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

LENDER LIABILITY - Research Proposal Example Thus, it is vital to understand briefly regarding the concept of lender liability. Based on this aspect, the objective of the assignment is to summarize the works of various authors on the area of lender liability. About ten credible sources have been used in order to evaluate the quality of information and relevance on the research subject i.e. lender liability. The author used various secondary sources in order to evaluate lender liability under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). Throughout the research, the author found that possible liability for lenders under CERCLA has lurked in every commercial loan transactions. Schott (1992) also found that due to reluctance of lenders towards foreclosure on mortgages deeds, the very purpose of CERCLA has been disenchanted. Schott (1992) has provided significant information on CERCLA, an Act, which enacted by Congress in order to regulate hazardous waste issues that stemmed from inappropriate, inattentive and irresponsible waste disposal activities. It is worth mentioning that Schott (1992) described various legal cases in order to assess the liability of lender of any property. The author observed that CERCLA has generated uncertainty for lenders with respect to their liability on waste reduction. Hence, the author pointed out the amendment of CERCLA as a way to improve law in the context of lender liability (Schott, 1992). The authors have evaluated Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) for addressing the problem of loan services of the students. The article portrayed that the mortgage lenders are not complying with the process of SCRA while providing loans. Jensen & Leonhardt (2013) recognized the threat of increased loan debt, which highlighted the importance of lenders liability while providing loans to the students. Various secondary sources have been utilized in the article in order to address the challenges of mortgage loans and most

Thursday, August 22, 2019

St. Augustines Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

St. Augustines Political Philosophy Essay St. Augustine is a fourth century philosopher whose groundbreaking philosophy infused Christian doctrine with Neoplatonism. He is famous for being an inimitable Catholic theologian and for his agnostic contributions to Western philosophy. He argues that skeptics have no basis for claiming to know that there is no knowledge. In a proof for existence similar to one later made famous by Rene Descartes, Augustine says, â€Å"[Even] If I am mistaken, I am. † He is the first Western philosopher to promote what has come to be called â€Å"the argument by analogy† against solipsism: there are bodies external to mine that behave as I behave and that appear to be nourished as mine is nourished; so, by analogy, I am justified in believing that these bodies have a similar mental life to mine. Augustine believes reason to be a uniquely human cognitive capacity that comprehends deductive truths and logical necessity. Additionally, Augustine adopts a subjective view of time and says that time is nothing in reality but exists only in the human mind’s apprehension of reality. He believes that time is not infinite because God â€Å"created† it. Augustine tries to reconcile his beliefs about freewill, especially the belief that humans are morally responsible for their actions, with his belief that one’s life is predestined. Though initially optimistic about the ability of humans to behave morally, at the end he is pessimistic, and thinks that original sin makes human moral behavior nearly impossible: if it were not for the rare appearance of an accidental and undeserved Grace of God, humans could not be moral. Augustine’s theological discussion of freewill is relevant to a non-religious discussion regardless of the religious-specific language he uses; one can switch Augustine’s â€Å"omnipotent being† and â€Å"original sin† explanation of predestination for the present day â€Å"biology† explanation of predestination; the latter tendency is apparent in modern slogans such as â€Å"biology is destiny. †

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Oedipus Rex Essay Example for Free

Oedipus Rex Essay ‘Oedipus the King,’ also known as ‘Oedipus Rex’ is one of the three Greek plays about Thebes written by Sophocles. In fact the plays form a trilogy (Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Colonus and Antigone) with the same characters. The plays are sometimes referred to as the ‘Oedipus Plays’ since Oedipus is the main character. Sophocles’ genius lies in the crafting of these plays, and their characters, almost bringing them to life. Throughout the course of ‘Oedipus Rex’ he expresses the power of fate and predestination that leads the characters astray. In fact, it was the stubborn belief in superstitions and prophecies that Sophocles highlights. Both the heroes, Oedipus and Creon are popular tragic heroes of Greek mythology. Oedipus is bright and has profound intellect, but at the same time is quick to make rash decisions without much thought. Creon though is depicted as a man of reason, much more subtle, unlike the brash Oedipus. The play begins with Oedipus ruling Thebes with a firm hand. The people believe him to be their savior because Oedipus is the one who saves them from the curse of the Sphinx, a half female half lion monster, by solving her riddle. King Lauis who ruled before Oedipus had left Thebes for a while under the kingship of Creon. But King Lauis is killed. Meanwhile Creon offers his sister’s hand in marriage to anyone who could rid the city of the Sphinx by solving her riddle. It is Oedipus who is able to solve it, marries Jocosta (Creon’s sister), and gains rule of part of Thebes. From the beginning Oedipus is aware of that there is some curse on him. He learns from an oracle that he is destined to kill his father and mate with his own mother. But it is his over-bearing belief in this curse that eventually results in his fall. At the beginning of the play Oedipus is shown to have great strength of character and will, and is a man of understanding. People have a high regard for him and fear him the same. But the one weakness that lied in Oedipus was his impulsiveness. Throughout the play are numerous instances where Oedipus makes rash decisions, and is quick to jump to conclusions without much thought. His vanity leads him to kill Lauis over a mere brawl. Later when the blind prophet Tiresias warns him not to investigate the murder of Lauis, Oedipus is incensed and argues that Tiresias himself is the murderer. When the prophet reveals the truth, Oedipus is enraged, accusing the old man of corruption. He is bent on believing that Creon wants to seize power until he realizes that Creon himself chooses not to rule even thought he has the right to a third of Thebes. When Jocasta kills herself, Oedipus gouges his eyes with her broaches blinding himself in despair. And when he does learn the truth, he demands his own exile out of shame and disgust. Sophocles portrays Oedipus as a man of honor and dignity, a matter of prime importance to ancient Greeks. He was also a man of great intellect – another feature admired by them. The riddle of the Sphinx was baffling to say the least, but it was only Oedipus who could solve it. What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening? To this Oedipus replies, Man (who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks upright later, and needs a walking stick in old age)[1]. Oedipus, in fact was a typical hero in every sense of the word. He was short-tempered, proud, and stubborn, with unflinching dedication and loyalty. He had a strong conscience, an intelligent mind and passion to do good for his people and his city. But worst of all was his inability to see clearly. Sophocles describes this by using a theme of ‘sight and blindness’ in the play often. Oedipus can see, but remains blind to reality. In contrast, the old prophet can see clearly even though he is blind. Such themes were often a part of Greek mythology. But the theme of blindness has special importance in Oedipus Rex – at times literal, at times metaphorical. Later when Oedipus learns that Jocasta has killed herself, and when he does learn that he fulfilled the prophecy, he blinds himself out of guilt, and anger at not being able to see or think clearly. Oedipus is over-bearing in many ways, and it is his over-bearing sense of self that misleads him so easily. After blinding himself he leaves to spend the rest of his life in exile, with the aid of his daughter Antigone. Creon, Jocosta’s brother, and Oedipus’ relative and friend stands in sharp contrast to Oedipus. In Oedipus Rex Creon plays the role of a calm and controlled man with a mind that reasons. Creon is a close friend of Oedipus, but that too does not keep the headstrong Oedipus from suspecting that Creon wanted to rule Thebes. Creon though claims that he is not interested in ruling Thebes, and that Oedipus is only a king in name, since he has the right to as much of Thebes as Oedious himself. He represents a semblance of diplomacy and stability. In fact, these were the very things lacking in Oedipus. Creon also shows traits of being much more reasonable. An example is when Creon brings news from the oracle and wishes to tell it to Oedipus is person. Oedipus though is insistent that it be told in public, not keeping anything from anyone. One can see various instances where the two heroes are opposing in their approaches, and manner of dealing with situations. While Oedipus can be called childish and haughty, Creon was much more clear-headed and foresighted. But there were some things that the two heroes shared in common. Both had won the hearts of the people, were respected, and loved the city of Thebes. They were also very keen followers of the Greek gods. Since most Greek mythology was built around gods and goddesses, they played a crucial role ion determining the course of the story. In fact the theme of gods and of predestination plays a key role in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus is always wary of his curse told to him by an oracle. He seeks help from Apollo to determine the cause of the plague. Creon too follows the will of the gods. When Oedipus demands to be exiled, Creon waits for approval from the gods before taking any action. It is worth mentioning here that if Oedious Rex and Antigone are compared, one can see that both the kings accuse the old prophet Tiresias of corruption when he tells them that the gods are against them. But there is also a clear difference that follows. While Creon tries to change, and amend his wrongdoings, Oedipus remains ‘blind’ and refuses to acknowledge his mistakes. Eventually, Oedipus is left wandering blind and lonely, while he leaves his daughters in Creon’s care.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Approaches to Treating Depression: An Analysis

Approaches to Treating Depression: An Analysis Stacey Obispo NCU Intervention Program Depression is an issue that will affect 10 percent of the young adults in the United States (Buss, 2012). Possible solutions towards treating depression can be found through an evolutionary perspective. By looking through the lens of evolutionary psychology one can see how the ancient environments different from the ones we have today have developed and molded the structure and functions of our brains. Treating depression through understanding environmental influences and natural selection in shaping brain formation and behaviors can be an effective way towards incorporating an intervention plan to prevent and counter the effects of depression. Theoretical Approach The theoretical basis for the depression intervention program is based on an ethological approach. The role of biology in studying human behavior brought on from Darwin’s theory of natural selection was enforced through ethology (Buss, 2012) The ethological approach for treating depression is one that should be considered because it does not just treat the symptom (such as sadness) it attempts to treat the root of the problem. Using an ethological approach to depression answers the four whys of behavior. The four â€Å"whys† of behavior include: 1) the immediate influences of behavior; 2) the developmental influences of behavior; (life;3) the function of behavior or the â€Å"adaptive purpose† it fulfills, and 4) the evolutionary or phylogenetic origins of behavior (Buss, 2012). The first two â€Å"why† questions examine the causes of behaviors pertain to the processing of internal and external stimuli such as one’s anatomy (Geerts Brune, 2009). Th e second two â€Å"why† questions are referred as the evolutionary causes which address the evolutionary processes that molded the behavior (Geerts Brune, 2009). These questions are important pertaining to depression because with these answers a deeper understanding involving the biological action of behavior or selective advantages regarding a person’s survival and reproductive process can be understood as well as how the origins of the behavior may have come about and evolved. Evolutionary Psychology Darwin’s theory of natural selection composes of three essential ingredients variation, inheritance, and selection. Organisms vary in different ways such as personality, cell structure, defensive ability and etc. The raw materials provided that are essential for evolution to operate is variation (Buss, 2012). Some variations are inherited passed down from parents to offspring down through the generations(Buss,2012). As a result, more offspring results due to the aid of heritable variants for the task of survival or reproduction(Buss 2012). Another way variation applies is through phenotypes. Phenotypes are the physical and biochemical characteristics of an organism as determined by the interaction of its genetic make- up and the environment (Brune et al. ,2012). They are important to understanding how behaviors develop due to environmental factors. Phenotypic variation occurs when an intricate interaction of environment and genotype including epigenetic devices are decisively shaped by experiences of the individual lifespan (Brune et al., 2012). Implementation of an intervention program can be made by looking at how the origins of these traits apply to psychological development of maladaptive traits and the detection and the development and nature of its devices, explain the â€Å"proximate causes†, and evolutionary history and adaptive value (Brune et al, 2012). Treating depression through understanding environmental influences and natural selection in shaping brain formation and behaviors seen through the lens of genetics, environment and psychotherapy is the basis for the intervention program. Genetics and Environment Belsky and Pluess (2009) found that in humans parenting and gene environment interactions can affect ones susceptibility to depression. Individuals may be more likely to develop psychiatric conditions like depression because they carry variations of genes that make them vulnerable. What is even more striking in the research of Belsky and Pluess (2009) is the discovery of variations of genes can predispose an individual into developing depression due to unfavorable environmental conditions such as child abuse an these alleles can also protect and allow enhanced coping from experiencing favorable environmental conditions. So the gene can produce two results; predispose one to a psychiatric condition or enhance coping skills. These results show how genes and environment interplay with each other to get either a favorable or unfavorable result. The results advocate how selection favors flexibility which contributes towards individuals being more exposed to environmental possibilities (Br une et al., 2012). This knowledge is valuable for making interventions to depression because the research has suggested that if one is in a favorable environment can foster positive results such as enhanced coping skills (Belsky Pluess, 2009). Conversely, environmental influences such as poor parenting practices and insecure attachment with parents can predispose one to a psychiatric condition (Belsky Pluess, 2009). With this found knowledge the depression intervention program can be implemented because the genetic and environmental causes have been identified. Intervention Program The depression intervention model will be administered with participants who volunteer for the program. Eligible participants will include individuals who have been identified by California Department of Social Services who are currently encountering a depressive episode or who are living in unfavorable conditions which might provoke the occurrence of depression. Families that have been identified at being high risk for child abuse and neglect will also be invited to partake in the intervention program. Individuals who take part of the intervention will receive help through a clinical psychologist administering Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) which is drawn from Bowlby’s attachment theory. The length of treatment will be 1hour sessions given once weekly over the course of six months. Relating to Evolutionary Psychology Evolutionary concepts are important in understanding mental health issues such as depression. An example of how gene and environment interaction interplay with each other is seen in Bowlby’s attachment theory. Psychological and psychiatric clinical practices have drawn upon Bowlby’s attachment model which state that early social interaction between mother and newborn plays an important role in the social development in life and that abnormal early attachment can predispose the child to psychopathology later in life (Geerts Brune, 2009). Following on the evolutionary concept of Bowlby is CFT. CFT is a form of therapy that teaches patients the importance of phenotypic variation and evolutionary concepts. Gilbert (2009) points out that CFT focuses on distinguishing at least three types of emotion regulation systems: threat and protection systems; drive, resource-seeking and excitement systems; and contentment, soothing and safeness systems. The threat and protection system is the source of most psychopathologies and all living things have a threat detection and protection system (Gilbert, 2009). However environmental factors like early life events (unattached mother) may stimulate an individual’s threat protection system which in turn lead to the development of safety strategies which can operate automatically as a conditioned or conflicting response (Gilbert, 2009). Safety strategies according to Gilbert (2009) can include avoiding interpersonal conflict, seeing one’s self as inferior , and being quick to socially anxious and uncertain. Strategies such as these can increase one’s vulnerability to depression and low self- esteem and depression (Gilbert, 2009). According to Gilbert (2009) the drive system relates to the threat protection system by trying to avoid negativity through thoughts such as â€Å"shoulds†, â€Å"oughts† and â€Å" musts† .Material possessions, and achievement are pursued in order to feel safe and deter the feeling of inferiority and rejection (Gilbert, 2009). However in depression there is decreased activity in this system. The contentment system is related with being happy and not having the need to seek for things(Gilbert,2009). Contentment is the absence of activity in the threat protection system. The contentment system is linked to opiates which regulates happy feelings(Gilbert,2009). Bowlby’s attachment theory is related to contentment systems because a parent touching and soothing a baby has an effect on a baby’s physiology (Gilbert, 2009) According to Gilbert (2009) caring behavior is important because it activates the soothing in the threat and protection system and causes it to not be overstimulated. CFT uses attachment theory to help individuals understand the ecological bases ingrained and communicated through their symptoms and offers reasons for giving up unprofitable behavioral strategies or defenses. Conclusion Treating depression through an ethological approach treats the root of the problem not just the symptom. CFT approaches depression by considering phenotypic variations and informing patients of how these variations are a part of an evolutionary process. A depression intervention program like the one modeled which places emphasis on understanding the roles of genes, environment, and psychotherapy can be an effective tool in combating depression. References Belsky, J., Pluess, M. (2009). Beyond diathesis stress: Differential susceptibility to environmental influences. doi:DOI: 10.1037/a0017376 Brune, M., Belsky, J., Fabrega, H., Feierman, H., Glibert, H., Glantz, K., Polimeni, J. (2012). The crisis of psychiatry- insights and prospectus from evolutionary theory. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3266750/?tool=pubmed#B16 Buss, D. (2012) Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind 4th ed. Prentice Hall Geerts, E., Brune, M. (2009). Ethological approaches to psychiatric disorders: Focus on Depression and schizophrenia. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10[emailprotected]hid=104 Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing compassion -focused therapy. Retrieved from apt.rcpsych.org/content/15/3/199.full

Monday, August 19, 2019

Politics and George Orwell Essays -- George Orwell Politics Political

Politics and George Orwell Works Cited Missing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Books are a medium through which the author can express his views; whether they concern social injustices, current issues, or in Orwell’s case, politics. For centuries writers have weaved their opinions into their work, conveying to the reader exactly what they intended. â€Å"Orwell saw himself as a violent unmasker of published pretentiousness, hypocrisy and self-deceit, telling people what they did not want to hear†¦.† (Crick, 244). Orwell accomplishes this unmasking of these facades through his use of rhetorical strategies to relay his views to the reader. Through his books and essays, George Orwell has found a forum in which he can express his opinions, fusing his political beliefs with a satiric quality all his own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A piece of literature that illustrates his ability to do this with unmatched skill and unrelenting satire is Animal Farm. Jeffrey Meyers said of Orwell’s novel, â€Å"In this fable about a barnyard revolt Orwell created a satire that specifically attacked the consequences of the Russian Revolution while suggesting the reasons for the failure of most revolutionary ideals† (339). In the book, the reader is given a situation in which the animals are fed up with the overindulgent, unappreciative human beings that run their farm. They decide a rebellion would cure their woes and so they revolt. However, they soon realize that the uprising was the easy part. Now they must establish a government with leaders and rules. The pigs are the self-appointed leaders because they are the smartest and cleverest of all the animals. The two pigs with the most power and persuasion are Snowball and Napoleon. The farm begins to run like a democracy, and all the animals ar e satisfied until Napoleon runs Snowball out of the farm with a pack of wild dogs. After the exile of Snowball, the animals on the farm increasingly become oppressed and Napoleon slowly starts to resemble a dictator. Throughout Animal Farm, Orwell’s main weapon of choice is his stinging satire. In fact, the entire book can be viewed as a one hundred page satiric look at politics and human life. Not only do we see humans being overthrown by pigs and chickens but all the animals can talk and some can even read and write. Naming one of the pigs Napoleon is also significant because as Meyers puts it, â€Å"The carefully chosen names are both realistic ... .... His use of satire combined with a headstrong political opinion creates for the reader thoughts and questions that were not there when one opened the pages of a book such as Animal Farm and began the journey chosen for them by Orwell. Orwell is a writer who not only gives the reader entertainment and enjoyment, but is set out to make the reader think and feel what the characters who are being victimized think and feel like. He is on a mission to make the reader ponder the injustices of society and the political regimes that run our countries, our world. George Orwell did not set out to create books that kindly represent everyone, even the tyrants. He set out to create books and literature that may have shocked some readers at first but without a doubt told the truth. Orwell once said, â€Å"Possession of the ‘truth’ is less important than emotional sincerity.† Orwell is unwavering in his commitment to make the masses aware of the injustices, victimizations, a nd corrupt politics. A writer’s only and best weapon is his words; Orwell chooses his words wisely. They can be bitter or sweet, but they always convey truths about the world ignored by many but seen and written about by Orwell.

Gun Control Is Not Crime Control Essay example -- Second Amendment The

Gun Control is not Crime Control Americans are faced with an ever-increasing problem of violence. The streets of America are now a war zone. Teenage gangsters murder one another for drug territory, and innocent victims are caught in the crossfire. However, most recent and most abhorrent, is our children are killing one another. They are killing with extreme prejudice. Our children are killing, exhibiting little or no remorse for lives they have taken. We cannot ignore the carnage our society endures due to the criminal behavior of a minority, obviously lacking the basic moral behavior regarding human life. Nevertheless, we must not be misguided in our efforts to address the problem at hand. To eliminate the right of citizens to own firearms is not a solution. Violent crime is not an issue that has reared its ugly head in the nineties. The prohibition of alcohol was the beginning of what historians considered the most violent time in modern history. Prohibition sparked murderous wars between mob families for the black market alcohol trade. The government in their infinite wisdom made the ownership of fully automatic firearms illegal, as a solution to the increased violence. I do not see any need for anyone to own a machine gun, then, or now. Nevertheless, the ban on the firearms did not curb the violent behavior of the criminal element. The ban created a new black market. It was the repeal of the prohibition of alcohol that ended the massacre. This is a parallel to the drug ...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Macbeths Demise in Shakespeares Macbeth :: essays research papers

â€Å"Macbeth† is an age-old tragedy by, William Shakespeare, that tells the story of the disastrous down fall of Scotland and it’s Kings. The protagonist, Macbeth, starts out as a thriving Thane in Scotland, but ends up destroying his own prosperity as well as Scotland’s. Certain witches who tell people their fate convince Macbeth that he will be King and that his dear friend Banquo’s children will be kings. In an effort to be sure his prophecy is true and with some encouragement from his rash wife, he kills King Duncan, the current king of Scotland. To continue on this path of destruction Macbeth, acts on impulse and has his friend Banquo killed, because he is afraid that he killed Duncan for someone else’s fortune. Throughout the play Macbeth’s degeneration continues until the tragic ending when the country turns against him and seizes his castle. Macbeth’s demise can be attributed to his abandoning his belief in fate for a ne ed to prove his masculinity. Macbeth’s doubt in fate is not realized until later in the play. When he first meets the â€Å"weird sisters† they make prophecies that he finds impossible to be true. â€Å"But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman, and to be king Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor.†(1.3.73-75). Macbeth doesn’t believe this because he knows that the Thane of Cawdor is still alive and that King Duncan’s sons are the heirs to the throne. His need to be masculine has not yet effected his belief in fate. Once Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor he is completely convinced that the predictions of the fate sisters are true â€Å"I chance will have be King, why chance may crown me. Without My Stir†¦Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day†(1.3.145-150). This is the most trust in faith he will ever have. Shortly after Macbeth puts all his trust in fate, Lady Macbeth challenges his masculinity. â€Å" What beast wasn’t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man,† (1.7.49-51). This is Lady Macbeth’s response when Macbeth tries to back out of killing King Duncan. Almost immediately Macbeth’s personality changes, he decides to go ahead with the crime as if that will make him a man. Macbeth's Demise in Shakespeare's Macbeth :: essays research papers â€Å"Macbeth† is an age-old tragedy by, William Shakespeare, that tells the story of the disastrous down fall of Scotland and it’s Kings. The protagonist, Macbeth, starts out as a thriving Thane in Scotland, but ends up destroying his own prosperity as well as Scotland’s. Certain witches who tell people their fate convince Macbeth that he will be King and that his dear friend Banquo’s children will be kings. In an effort to be sure his prophecy is true and with some encouragement from his rash wife, he kills King Duncan, the current king of Scotland. To continue on this path of destruction Macbeth, acts on impulse and has his friend Banquo killed, because he is afraid that he killed Duncan for someone else’s fortune. Throughout the play Macbeth’s degeneration continues until the tragic ending when the country turns against him and seizes his castle. Macbeth’s demise can be attributed to his abandoning his belief in fate for a ne ed to prove his masculinity. Macbeth’s doubt in fate is not realized until later in the play. When he first meets the â€Å"weird sisters† they make prophecies that he finds impossible to be true. â€Å"But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman, and to be king Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor.†(1.3.73-75). Macbeth doesn’t believe this because he knows that the Thane of Cawdor is still alive and that King Duncan’s sons are the heirs to the throne. His need to be masculine has not yet effected his belief in fate. Once Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor he is completely convinced that the predictions of the fate sisters are true â€Å"I chance will have be King, why chance may crown me. Without My Stir†¦Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day†(1.3.145-150). This is the most trust in faith he will ever have. Shortly after Macbeth puts all his trust in fate, Lady Macbeth challenges his masculinity. â€Å" What beast wasn’t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man,† (1.7.49-51). This is Lady Macbeth’s response when Macbeth tries to back out of killing King Duncan. Almost immediately Macbeth’s personality changes, he decides to go ahead with the crime as if that will make him a man.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Television Media Analysis: The Cosby Show

These important interpretations can help individuals cake wise decisions about what they should watch, read, listen to and rely on for Information and entertainment (Barman and Davis). Although many people now rely on sources such as the Internet and smartness for breaking news stories, television still remains a major source for information and entertainment for many Individuals and families. This paper will attempt to presents model for television media analysis using Art Silversmith's keys to media analysis.The TV show that will be analyzed Is regarded as one of the most famous television programs in history, â€Å"The Cowboys Show†. Silversmith's keys for Interpreting media messages as well as critical thinking skills will be incorporated in this selection analysis. In 1939 when television began, blacks were projected as mere servants and simple-minded people. Blacks and whites were certainly depicted as inherently different beings. Early sitcoms in the 1 sass such as Amos n Andy continues with negative portrayals of black people which depicted mostly lazy, loud, uneducated blacks as the stereotype for their race.Then In the sass other sitcoms followed along the same lines such as Sanford and Son and Good Times (Cesareans). The Cowboys Show, which first aired in 1984, was the most popular television program in the nation for four consecutive years and remained a favorite show for a total of seven years. This Important show effectively functioned to change the way Americans would view the roles of race and gender on television forever. The Cowboys Show was a sitcom on NBC about a successful black American family. Cliff, the father, was an obstetrician and his wife Claim was a successful attorney.The story was about their daily lives and challenges of raising five children In a very busy household. The show offered a different theme when compared to all other shows being televised at that time. The Washable family was an upstanding upper-middle class b lack family who offered sharp contrast to other programs that portrayed blacks as stereotypical low- Income, uneducated hustlers (White Racism). Bill Cowboys and script consultant Alvin Postnasal functioned as media communicators as they shared the common purpose of incorporating humor as a means to help project a more positive image of the black American family.They purposefully avoided overt racial issues but chose to SE a softer approach such as referring to the names of black colleges Instead of predominantly white colleges. One of the episodes showed the Washables celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday as they discussed his famous â€Å"l Have a Dream† speech (Cesareans). The use of nationally broadcast television allowed the subtle content of tons snow Into ten majority AT American noses. I Nils post call ruling movement era was a perfect time to provide a more diverse ethnic awareness for the American public. The intended audience for this show included both white a nd black American families.Overt racial issues were avoided in an effort to avoid making the audience uncomfortable. Family values as well as current social issues were common themes on the program. The father, Cliff, also overtly supported his wife's feminist stances on some episodes, which was also not common in the media during that era. This was truly the first family of television for many years. The scripts were constantly screened to make certain that no humor would be demeaning. The show really acted as a catalyst for changing how television portrayed black Americans.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Putting the Service †Profit Chain to Work

PUTTING THE SERVICE – PROFIT CHAIN TO WORK Group – 5 Introduction: Factors that drives profitability Investment in people Leadership Vision – Patina of spirituality, importance of mundane Profitability Technology supporting frontline workers Successful service companies: Banc One, Intuit, Southwest Airlines, Service Master, USAA, Taco Bell, and MCI Compensation linked to performance Recruiting and training practices The Service – Profit Chain †¢ Establishes relationships between profitability, customer loyalty, and employee satisfaction, loyalty and productivity †¢ Measure and management techniquesSupport services and policies Employee loyalty, satisfaction, productivity Value and service Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Profit and growth The Links in the Service-Profit Chain †¢The service profit chain is also defined by a special leadership †¢Examples: Herbert Kelleher – Southwest (Patina of spirituality), William Pollard – ServiceMaster (Teacher-learner managers, servant’s heart), John McCoy- Banc One (Uncommon Partnership, system of support) Customer Loyalty that drives Profitability and Growth 5% increase in customer loyalty can produce profit increases from 25% to 85% †¢ Quality of market share in terms of customer loyalty as important as quantity of share in the market †¢ Example: Banc One †¢ Measures of Customer retention †¢ No. of services used by each customer – depth of relationship †¢ Level of customer satisfaction †¢ XEROX Customer satisfaction Drives Customer Loyalty †¢ Polled 480,000 customers per year †¢ Five point scale – satisfaction(product and service) †¢ Relationships between the scores – actual loyalty differed greatly between 5s and 4s apostles †¢ Terrorists – unhappy customersValue drives Customer Satisfaction †¢ Value – related to the total costs (price and other costs incurr ed) †¢ Example: †¢ Progressive – insurance company – Quick processing and payment to claims – Little policy holder effort – CAT (catastrophe) team Employee Productivity Drives Value †¢ Southwest Airlines †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 7th largest US domestic carrier 86% of employees unionized (total 14,000) Employees can perform several jobs Schedules, routes and company practices to enable speedy boarding and deplaning (15 min. 40% more pilot (70hr/month) and aircraft utilization Fare charges 60-70% lower Customer perceptions of value are very high without additional facilities 14,000 employees – marketing research unit Employee loyalty drives productivity †¢ Study of automobile dealer’s sales personnel †¢ More employee turn over more loss Employee Satisfaction drives Loyalty †¢ Propriety study of a property and casualty insurance company †¢ Southwest – highest reten tion (95%) †¢ USAA – Insurance and financial services providerInternal Quality drives Employee Satisfaction †¢ Working environment †¢ USAA – telephone sales and service representatives †¢ Information system †¢ Training †¢ ServiceMaster †¢ Attitudes of people toward one another †¢ Cleaning and maintenance †¢ Importance to mundane Leadership Underlies the Chain’s Success †¢ Corporate culture centered on service †¢ Willingness and ability to listen †¢ Examples Relating Links in the chain for management Action †¢ Few have links in meaningful way †¢ Examples Property and casualty insurance company †¢ MCI †¢ Taco Bell  » Employee participation  » Periodic round table meetings, interviews Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ PROFIT AND GROWTH †¢ How do we define loyal customers? †¢ Do measurements of customer profitability include profits from referrals? †¢ What pr oportion of business development expenditures and incentives directed to the retention of existing customers?†¢ Why do customers defect? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ CUSTOMER SATISFACTION †¢ Are customer satisfaction data gathered in an objective, consistent, and periodic fashion? Where are the listening posts for obtaining customer feedback in your organization? †¢ How is information concerning customer satisfaction used to solve customer problems? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ EXTERNAL SERVICE VALUE †¢ how do you measure service value? †¢ How is information concerning customers’ perceptions of value shared with those responsible for designing a product or service? †¢ To what extent are measures taken of differences between customers’ perceptions of quality delivered and their expectations before delivery? Do our organization’s efforts to improve external service quality emphasize effective recovery fro m service errors in addition to providing a service right the first time?Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ Employee productivity †¢ How do you measure employee productivity? to what extent do measures of productivity identify changes in the quality as well as the quantity of service produced per unit of input? †¢ Employee loyalty †¢ How do you create employee loyalty? †¢ Employee Satisfaction Is employee satisfaction measured in ways that can be linked to similar measures of customer satisfaction with sufficient frequency and consistency to establish trends for management use? †¢ Are employee selection criteria and methods geared to what customers as well as managers believe are important? †¢ To what extent measures of customer satisfaction, loyalty or the quality and quantity of service output used in recognizing and rewarding? Service – Profit Chain Audit†¢ INTERNAL SERVICE QUALITY Do employees know who their customers are? †¢ Employee satisfaction with technological and personal support? †¢ LEADERSHIP – To what extent – – – – – Energetic, creative vs stately, conservative? Participatory, caring vs removed, elistist? Listening, coaching and teaching? Motivating by mission vs motivating by fear? Leading by means personal values vs institutionalized policies? Time spent developing and maintaining culture? †¢ RELATING MEASURES †¢ what are the most important relationships in company’s service profit chain? .

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Contemporary strategy analysis Essay

2001-2011 was filled with many black swan events (i. e. events that are extremely rare, have a major impact and are unpredicted even if they are rationalised retrospectively) e. g. Sep 11 attack, Lehman Brother collapse, Greece/Iceland bailouts, Arab Spring revolutions, major earthquakes and tsunamis) Rise of BRIC countries creating a multipolar world 2. Sluggish Economic Growth + Increased Competition Economic growth in advanced economies sluggish throughout the medium term governments and household sectors are over-leveraged insufficient productive investment from companies sitting on cash excess capacity in most sectors -> resulting in strong price competition Internationalisation of companies from emerging-market countries e. g. contract manufacturers (OEM) in China and India competing with their customers in final markets. 3. Technology Disruption Digital technology disrupting incumbents (e. g. Netflix replacing Blockbuster) and redrawing industry barriers (e. g. Apple, Nokia, Nintendo, Blackberry now competing in same mobile device market) 4. Social Pressure and Crisis of Capitalism Loss of social legitimacy of companies as a result of a fall-out from the 2008/9 financial crisis – disdain for companies (hypocrisy + greed of bankers, traders, etc) and their leaders (e. g. Occupy Wall Street movement) Rise of alternative forms of business enterprise as better, more sustainable models over limited liability companies – e. g. state-owned firms (China, Brazil) and cooperatives (i. e. businesses mutually owned by consumers or employees). Challenge faced by companies of whether to unilaterally create/stick to its own values (which may become out of step) or reflect the current values and attitudes of society it operates within. Item 2: New Directions in Strategic Thinking 1. Re-orientate Corporate Objectives of Companies Reconcile the need for profit maximisation with a broader societal role (i. e. companies having greater social and environmental responsibilities) Move away from focusing on stock market valuation alone – Management should not focus on profits but what strategic factors that drive profits or create value e. g. customer satisfaction, innovation Best antidote to corporate empire building and CEO hubris is a stronger emphasis on basic principles of strategy analysis. 2. Seeking More Complex Sources of Competitive Advantage Competitive advantages in today’s dynamic world is difficult to sustain due to high rate of technology diffusion + increased competition from emerging market companies who are more cost-effective Developing multiple layers of competitive advantage is now required (e. g. as shown from companies that maintained profitability and market share for years (e. g. Toyota, Wal-Mart), combined with the ability to combine multiple capabilities. 3. Managing Options The portfolio of options of a company e. g. growth options, abandonment options, and flexibility options are increasingly important as sources of value. Therefore option thinking should be adopted into a firm’s strategy: e. g. industry attractiveness should not depend on profit potential, but option potential (e. g. an industry that produces a no of different products, comprises multiple segments, has many strategic groups, utilises a wide variety of alternative technologies) e. g. a resource is attractive if it can be deployed in different businesses and support alternative strategies (e. g. nanotechnology). Dynamic capabilities are important because they generate new options. 4. Understanding Strategic Fit Importance of fitting the strategy of the firm with the firm’s business environment and its resources and capabilities. 2 major concepts regarding linkages within companies: complementarity and complexity Complementarity: the importance of linkages among a firm’s management practices and finding the optimal configuration (e. g. a six-sigma quality program needs to be accompanied by changes in incentives, recruitment policies, product strategy, etc) Complexity: the idea that companies are complex systems whose behaviour results from interaction of a large number of independent agents. This results in unpredictability, self-organisation by a company and a company positioning between inertia, chaos, and evolutionary adaptation Common to both concepts is the contextuality of linkages: Do the benefits from any particular activity depend on which other activities take place? 2 dimensions of this contextuality: contextuality of activities (are management activities and their benefits dependent or independent of each other? ); contextuality of interactions (do activities interact in similar ways across firms) Item 3: Redesigning organisations The challenge of today’s business environment is reconciling multiple dilemmas (e. g. product at low cost, but also innovate), requiring multi-dexterity. Companies are now multi-dimensional structures with organisational capabilities for each business area e. g. quality management processes, social and environmental responsibility, knowledge management, innovation and exploration, etc. 1. Solution to Complexity – Making Organisations Informal, Self-Organising and Permeable Informal Organisation: Rely upon informal rather than formal structures and systems e.g. team-based structures which rely on coordination rather than control. Companies are moving towards project based organisations – temporary cross-functional teams charged with clear objectives (as opposed to permanent functions and continuous operations). Such teams are more able to achieve innovation, adaptability and rapid learning than more traditional structures and avoids issues of over-concentration of power and rigid, inflexible structures (e. g. W. L. Gore, supplier of Gore-Tex boots). This is an example of a consensus-based hierarchy, which emphasises horizontal communication, over an authority-based hierarchy, which emphasises vertical communication. Self-Organisation: Humans (and therefore, companies) have a capacity for self-organisation. Three factors are conductive for self-organisation: identity, information and relationships. Identity is a shared cognition of what the organisation is (what is core, distinctive, and enduring about the character of the company) and an emotional attachment towards what it represents. A strong consensus of identity provides a powerful basis for coordinated action that permits flexibility and responsibility to be reconciled with continuity and stability. Information and communication networks within companies support spontaneous patterns of complex coordination with little or no hierarchal direction Relationships, or informal social networks, allow information to be created and transformed and allows the organisation’s identity to expand and include more stakeholders. The more access people have to one another, the more possibilities there are. 2. Breaking Down Corporate Boundaries There are limits to the range of capabilities that companies can develop internally. Therefore, companies must collaborate in order to access the capabilities of other companies e. g. strategic alliances. Today’s web-based technologies permit much wider networks of collaboration (e. g. use of ICT technologies by P&G and IBM to draw upon ideas and expertise across the globe or the rise of open-source communities that build highly complex products such as Linux). Item 4: Changing Role of Managers The changing conditions and types of organisations require new approaches to management and leadership. Previous era of restructuring and shareholder focus associated with change masters (highly visible, individualistic and often hard-driving management styles e. g. Michael Eisner of Disney, Rupert Murdoch) â€Å"Buck-stop here† peak decision-making role of CEOs may no longer be feasible or desirable for the current era. Instead, it is the role of guiding organisational evolution that is more important nowadays (being a social architect by creating an environment where every employee has the chance to collaborate, innovate and excel). CEOs should be less concerned about decision-making and more concerned about cultivating identity and purpose. Senior managers also require different knowledge and skills nowadays – e. g. self-awareness, self -management, social awareness (empathy) and social skills – i. e. emotional intelligence. They should move away from being administrators and controllers and become entrepreneurs, coaches and team leaders instead. In particular, Rapid evolution requires a combination of both incremental improvement and stimulating radical change (e.g. Sam Palmisano at IBM) Establishing simple rules: the idea that companies can be managed by a few simple rules (boundary rules and â€Å"how-to† rules) with limited managerial direction otherwise (e. g. Cisco) Managing adaptive tension: Create a level of tension that optimises the pace of organisational change and innovation. This is done through imposing demanding performance targets, but ensuring targets are appropriate and ac hievable.