The Nature of God and Man

The Nature of God and Man Utah Valley University Abstract The nature and relationship of God to man has always been human natures more important question. â€Å"As man is, god once was; as god is, man may become. † Lorenzo Snow. I have asked myself this statement many times. What is Gods nature? What is mans nature? And human nature is God's nature; therefore, a study of God’s nature is simultaneously a study of human nature. I will explain this statement and my beliefs about human nature and how it operates. The Nature of God and Man I wasn’t nice to other people.I was always fighting, arguing, name calling with the neighbors, as well as my teachers. I stole from department stores, I lied to my parents and coaches and teachers. I cheated on my homework and tests and my relationships. I hurt others in physical altercations. I would bully my peers verbally. I manipulated people into to doing what I wanted. I used drugs and alcohol illegally, I would drive drunk, a nd I disrespected my elders. I have brought embarrassment and shame to my family. I haven’t always understood mans existence and purpose here in this life.I have come to understand that my purpose, which is part of my God-given human nature, is to become like God. I have realized that very slowly as the result of many mistakes and challenges. Some, maybe most, of the experiences from my which I have learned about my nature—which is also human nature–have been negative, but, a few have been positive. A negative experience from which I learned a great deal was taking my first drink of beer at a party at my brother's apartment when I was sixteen. That drink soon led to my becoming an alcoholic.One of the good choices I made, and there have only been a few, was to leave college–including my athletic dreams. I returned home after my sophomore year at college and spoke with my mother about some of my bad choices. I now go to court appointed counseling for the b ad choices I’ve made. It feels like the last 6 years of my life have been spent cleaning up the wreckage of my past. I have learned that making decisions that violate eternal principles and laws that are irrevocably decreed in heaven bring about personal pain, anguish, and sorrow.That was true for me, and I’m sure it’s true for everyone. I have learned from the bad experiences reported above that they lead to failure and misery. People told me that, but I had to learn it myself. I have since begun to take the necessary steps to make amends and repent of these behaviors. I have entered rehabilitation centers and have met with professionals to clean up my past and to avoid those same behaviors. In other words, I have begun to listen to the God given voice inside of me that has always called me to become like God.I now have a better knowledge of my divine purpose and a greater sense of myself through understanding the nature of God and the nature of man. And what i s this new understanding? God’s nature is human nature. And human nature is God's nature; therefore, a study of God’s nature is simultaneously a study of human nature. Much of my new understanding is based on two of Christian doctrines more popular statements which I have pondered at great length. The first is from the writings of President Lorenzo Snow, â€Å"As man is, god once was; as god is, man may become. The second is that man is created in the image of god (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:18). So, I am going to spend some time discussing God's nature because (as I will show later) it is man's nature too. God was once as I am today, with both good and bad qualities and characteristics. He had flaws and character defects, but God was a man who desired good works and self improvement. I do not profess to know all about God; in fact I know very little. I don’t know what God was like before He became God. God was somewhat like me and He figured out over time w hat mattered most to his progression and happiness.God was intelligent, patient, and meek. Although at times, he also may have been frightened, angry, and alone. God has experienced some of the same, if not all of the same emotions and feeling’s human’s experience. God sinned–possibly even as humans have sinned. God became God by overcoming all his imperfections and discovering true happiness, and God desires to keep us from making some of the same mistakes. And he can do that because our nature and his nature are the same. God gave us commandments to help us to become like him. One of the most important things God learned was the existence of eternal principles.I guess that means that those eternal principles existed before God did. It was through discovering and conforming to those eternal principles that God became who God is now. He learned that these principles have consequences, and when you abide by them you receive joy, happiness, and progress. When you violate them your reward is shame, guilt, and sorrow, and you quit making progress–or become worse. One of the traits of God's nature is the ability to change. Having learned about eternal principles, God continually strove to upgrade himself by conforming to them and increasingly realizing his potential.He continually progressed toward eventual perfection. That is called eternal progression. The need to move toward perfection is an important part of God's nature and of human nature. God wanted to progress and was willing to pay the price for progress, God never gave up. He never quit growing, progressing, challenging himself, stretching his limitations, accepting help from others, receiving input and advice. God was willing to do whatever it took to overcome whatever stood in his way. God understood that it isn’t where he was, but where He wanted to be that counted.God's ability to change and His desire to progress are what eventually made him into God. God also had a body, and that body was both a blessing and the source of many problems for him. It was a blessing because it seems that a spirit can only experience a limited amount, not enough to become perfect. Apparently spirits went as far as they could go as spirits, and without a body, spirits could make no more progress. That happened to God, and so somehow he was given a body. I said above that God kept learning, and one of the things he learned was that he had to control his body.His body was designed with a very basic nature: to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. God learned that his body could not always pursue pleasure. God learned through his own experience that many physical experiences, including sexual gratification must be controlled. He learned that sex is for a man and woman. It brings pleasure into the relationship, brings the couple closer together, and allows room for intimacy and growth and procreation. When this eternal principle is violated, the spirit and the body go out of harmony. Any gratification which harms or interferes with others must be deferred.Any pleasure of the body which compromises eternal principals of ethics and morality must be deferred. These are examples of eternal principles which God learned about his body. God also learned that he could not always avoid pain. How did he learn that? He learned it from the temptations, struggles, disappointments, and failures discussed earlier. God surely felt pain; he probably still feels it. We know that he weeps over lost souls. But even so he doesn't just save them anyway in their lost state. God has learned that he can't, so He has also learned to bear the pain.God learned that the pain of labor and hard work is a tool to strengthen us and teach us valuable lessons. God learned about the pain of loss that comes from a broken heart or the death of a loved one, the pain of separation from the Holy Spirit, the pain of disappointment that may stem from family life and close relationships, the pai n of failure from school or from a goal not accomplished. God learned that while some pain can be avoided, very often pain must be endured. God learned that it is the price he must pay for progress. Another thing which God learned or discovered was the love of others.He discovered that joy comes from thinking about and serving others. At first selfishness probably seemed best to meet his needs, but God eventually discovered that self seeking didn’t really meet his needs. What he discovered was that when a person cares for another person, they care for the person in return, and even if they don’t care for the person in return, there’s a feeling of joy that comes from helping them, and that seems to be another one of those eternal principles. When God discovered how to achieve joy, he immediately experienced love. He wanted to share his knowledge with others.This is like Lehi who upon tasting the fruit of the tree of life (joy), immediately thought to share it wit h others. God's love for others became his work and his glory which is to bring to pass the eternal life of mankind. (see Moses 1:39). If, as President Snow observed, â€Å"As man is, god once was; as god is, man may become,† the description of God’s nature is a description of human nature. The same eternal principles that God discovered apply as well to me and you. The principles exist and if we conform to them we get happiness, and if we don’t, we get misery.At first, it didn’t feel natural, not part of human nature, to conform to eternal principles. God calls our desire to resist change the â€Å"natural man† and the natural man has to learn to conform to those principles. Humans can either learn eternal principles from God by following his commandments, or they will learn those principles the way God did, which was the hard way. I had to learn a great many of them the hard way. I was told on many occasions that the direction my life was headed would lead me to heartache. I have since discovered, the hard way, that those people were right.God shows us those eternal principles in the form of commandments. What God discovered about life he reduced to rules called commandments so simple people can live them. If we live the commandments, we learn and live eternal principles, if we ignore the commandments we are on our own. When Abraham Maslow developed his concept of self-actualization, he chanced upon one of those eternal principles mentioned above. A result of the years which God spent struggling, learning, failing, repenting, etc, was that he learned that he could only be happy when he was realizing his potential to be perfect.It is not an accident that when Maslow set out to study human nature by studying how healthy humans act, he discovered self-actualization. Every human desires to fulfill his potential, to become all he can be. Concluding that the nature of every human being, is to strive and progress to become like Go d. Everything Maslow said about self actualization is true. Maslow called it self-actualization; I call it eternal progression. God purposefully placed each human being here on this earth to receive a body. God discovered that a physical body is necessary in order to have joy. But humans also need to learn to control their physical bodies.God learned that the body cannot always have pleasure and that it must endure some pain. Healthy people learn the same thing. Bodies are a great blessing if they are controlled. Humans can’t have pleasures all the time; they must be controlled. Controlling pleasures is not the same as denying pleasures; we have to learn from God what an appropriate expression of physical pleasure is and what it isn’t. God learned that you can’t avoid all pain. We feel growing pains through emotions that are not always understood by us. There are the pains of labor from working on projects and tasks that might not be very successful.We must endu re the pain of sickness and death that may arrive without notice. These are all the types of discomforts which God understands from his own personal experience. Humans are social beings who instinctively, which means by their nature as humans, need to be with other people and to feel love in order to feel fulfilled and complete. The importance of social needs and friendship are greatly misunderstood. Human’s needs for friendship creates humans own self image; how a human is accepted by peers determines to a large degree their own view of their personal worth.I recall a good example of friendship and how it can influence others for good. I was struggling with some directional decisions. A friend of my brother befriended me at the local gym and after many conversations, he convinced me to play football with him and others. Through his friendship and mentoring I grew to better understand the need for good positive friends. Humans' needs are such that social interaction and love drive us to each other. Humans need love and interaction to give them a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, and a sense of homeostasis.Just like God, most humans learn that loving others works better than selfishness. Humans are created in such a way that human beings need nourishment, constant stimulation through verbal and non verbal communication from other people. During infants’ beginning growth they need constant contact with their parents and others, giving them the opportunity to grow and begin learning. Throughout childhood and into adolescences and on to adulthood, humans need and want other humans in their life to give them a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.Physical embraces are common in all of life’s relationships: for example, in athletics' high-fives and pats on the backside to congratulate one another for a job well done. Sporting teams huddle up before and during, as well as after games, in order to come together and experiences their physica l and emotional state of being. It is customary in many cultures to embrace one another with hugs and kisses upon greeting one another. Man is as God once was, and God is as man may become. In addition, man was and is created in the image and likeness of God.I’ve used these two well known Christian doctrines to argue that investigating God’s nature is the best way to understand human nature. I don’t pretend to say that my ideas are Christian doctrine, but they are what I have come to believe as a result of my own personal struggles and their relationship to those two doctrines. When the day comes that I will be seated across from others, counseling them, I hope to treat them as people who are struggling, just as god may have once struggled. And it will be my job as a counselor to help them see their potential to become gods or goddesses. ? ? ?

The Bank of England and The Chancellor

Never again could the Chancellor conflict with the Bank's recommendation in setting loan fees, as Conservative Chancellors had every so often done (King, 1997). New Labour changed the institutional system in one vital way: it conceded operational control over money related strategy to the recently made Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. Strategy lucidity was planned to impact expansion desires and it was prosperous in accomplishing falling inflation regardless falling joblessness both when the 1997 election. Moreover, New Labour proceeded with the Conservative approach of declaring an inflation target and publicizing the counsel of the Bank of England on the fitting settings for a financial strategy to accomplish the objective.One may expect that the Labour left would not be so fulfilled this was to be sure an issue, as clarified underneath. As (Burnham 2001) has contended, this institutional change tended to the focal issue of â€Å"Old Labour† which had been caught on two sides, â€Å"unfit to meet the exclusive standards of its conventional supporters and exchange association aggressors or persuade budgetary capital of the fidelity of its financial arrangements†. In the money related markets, the government would just lose on the off chance that it looked to go astray from the Bank's recommendation; alternately, the choice to exchange operational control of loan costs to the Bank secured a prompt vote of certainty from the business sectors.This suggested hitting the expa nsion target called for soundness in yield and work around their ‘characteristic' or â€Å"non-quickening inflation† levels. Allocating an inflation focus to a national bank may give off an impression of being especially in the monetarist custom. While monetarists had favoured a â€Å"decreased frame† record of inflation as dictated by cash supply development, New Keynesians received ‘basic' models in which a money-related boost would go through the genuine economy to influence firms' value setting choices. Inflation is demonstrated as the aftereffect of wage value progression caught by Phillips Curves. A few Labour MPs required the Governor's resignation and trade unions likewise participated in reprimanding the larger part of the MPC for keeping interest costs too high.One choice about the formation of the FSA created debate. In this manner interest rates policy and inflation focusing on turned into the focal means for directing the financial cycle. On the off chance that ‘value strength' implied resource cost and in addition consumer value dependability, at that point the national bank should address obvious disequilibria, for example, house value bubbles. One issue with this approach concerned the development of benefit costs. This emerged from Labour's choice to exchange obligation regarding keeping banking supervision from the Bank of England to the FSA. Not long after Labour came to control, the then Governor inferred that activity misfortunes were an adequate cost to pay for checking house value expansion in the south (Wighton and Tighe, 1998). In any case, this contention can be turned on its head: without information of the condition of the monetary markets, the Bank can't appraise the impact of interests rate change (Goodhart and Schoenmaker, 1995). (Peston 2006) displays the two standard contentions at the time regarding why keeping banking supervision should be exchanged, one in view of specialized viability and the other on bureaucratic governmental issues. Surely the Conservative Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, saw the decision between financial approach focuses on a ‘moment arrange' choice (Oliver and Pemberton 2004), an appraisal resounded by (Hall 1993). The specialized contention is that the Bank's money related approach capacity may clash with monetary strength, if, for instance, an ascent in interest rates required for value dependability would put banks or different organizations in financial trouble. If an economic declined lingered, this implied inflation would decrease and loan fees ought to be sliced to empower the economy; on the other hand, if the economy seemed to be overheating, interest rates would go up.

Stakeholders of Marks and Spencer Literature review

Stakeholders of Marks and Spencer - Literature review Example Center of discussion in this paper is the company that has a global reputation in fashion. It has many stakeholders who have helped build a global reputation. The contribution of stakeholders to the welfare of the company is very crucial. The company strives to maintain a high level and effective communication with its stakeholders. Marks and Spencer has both internal and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include the staff, management, owners, and shareholders. Staff and management devote time working for the company in order to earn a source of livelihood. Approximately, the company has 78000 workers. On the other hand, owners stand as internal stakeholders because the company’s profits are a source of income to them. Shareholders provide the company with capital of expansion while anticipating an increased a higher value of their shares as the company continues to make profits. On the other hand, it has stakeholders from the external front who include customers, s uppliers, competitors or substitutes and the public. The customers play a very crucial role as stakeholders. They buy the company’s products to derive a form of utility from them and through this way, the company’s sales increase. Suppliers form the other category of external stakeholders of the company. Through the sale of goods to the company, they gain profits while the company utilizes the supplies in its business. The public forms a larger category of stakeholders because the company’s products create an impact on the welfare of the society. ... Each of the stakeholders exerts a form of pressure that affects the standing of the company. Therefore, the type of communication and relationship that the company maintains with each of the stakeholders affects it. This has necessitated the company to have different forms of communication with each of its stakeholders. Relationship of the Organization with its Stakeholders The founders of Marks and Spencer emphasized on the importance of maintaining an effective and trustworthy relation with its stakeholders at all times. The basis of the relationship is the crucial value of trust. Trust has been the company’s value for the company for a long time. The company’s corporate and social responsibility department concentrates on formulating strategies of trust enhancement. The company strives to stay updated on the expectations of its stakeholders as circumstances change. For example, the emerging need for production and promotion of healthy food products has placed higher expectations from the customers. In addition, the public expects the company to maintain the trust by producing products that present limited adversity to the environment. The company has to maintain its trust with stakeholders at different fronts because the future of the company depends on these stakeholders (L'Etang, and Pieczka, 2006:216-225). In all of its dealings, the company believes strongly in using the right approach to tackle the right things. Marks &Spencer and its Customers Customers form the most important category of stakeholders of any organization. The same applies for Marks and Spencer. According to Davis (2010), the company realizes this important aspect and makes efforts to

Paper for international study classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper for international study classes - Essay Example Before the discovery of oil in the Middle East states, the region had exhibited a hotbed characteristic of religious feuds over the rich Middle East resources and land. The declining of Ottoman Empire, for instance, paved the way for the rise in control of Asian territories by the European imperialists and the colonial powers, which were interested in securing various territorial boundaries. This paper describes the world problems emerging as a result of Asian social, political and economic sabotages and the ways of dealing with these problems. Middle East problems, which are currently reflected in the world systems, as some of the setbacks in the socio-political and economic gains in the world, include terrorism, sectarian violence, political instability, refugee influx and resource conflict (oil). Globalization, per se, is the reason behind the spread of these resources in the world systems; thus the United States, as the super power, has been on the receiving end in the struggle to mitigate all of these Middle East problems. Globalization has been internalized in Arabic as â€Å"awlaama†. It refers to the widespread of ideas throughout the globe. Global ideas include attitudes, customs and institutions, which originated in one part of the world specifically in the Western states. In the Middle East, the decades of globalization have been marked with endless wars, renewed economic independency, and Intrusive U.S. hegemony and continuity terrorism. Globalization has been ushered in the Middle East by war, which has given the Western victors excessive power over the Middle East region and a creation of an underlying violent of anti-globalization struggle (Fawcett 112). Globalization has ideologically strengthened Islamic fundamentalism and youth radicalization through terrorism activities. Due to the ambiguity of globalization, it has additionally resulted into a

Responsibilities of Personal Protection Officers Assignment

Responsibilities of Personal Protection Officers - Assignment Example As a management representative, the personal protection officers decide and manage the type of people that their client is supposed to meet. In addition to managing the client, their major task is to carry out the enforcement and compliance duties through the use of firm but diplomatic skills that do not compromise the general standing of their client within the society (June, 2000).   Personal protection officers are also tasked with making legal judgments that must be in line with the security demands of their clients so that they are seen to be law-abiding citizens. An important responsibility of the personal protection officer is to gather intelligence with regard to the normal operations of the place that his client is likely to visit in order to take a timely action in case of potential danger or harm. This intelligence role by the personal protection manager also involves smoking out any behavior that may be assumed to be criminal in nature, extremist or act of espionage (Ju ne, 2000).  This ensures the absolute safety of the client, which is the core function of a personal protection officer. The rationale for having personal protection officers is informed by the increasing dire situation of the security of every one especially government officials and very important persons and the threats posed by criminals, terrorists and extremists (Nemeth, 2012). In the current world where acts of terrorism have escalated, personal protection officers have been called upon to offer additional security to deal with the sophisticated and complex nature of guaranteeing the security of the clients that they are attached to. Personal protection officers have also become increasingly relevant hence the need to have them as they continue to offer other services, which even though not directly related to security enhance the safety of an

A Question of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Question of Ethics - Essay Example On the other hand, Danny’s mother violated the principle of space and privacy which is important in interpersonal communication and relationships. Danny needed some space, he went out with friends after a very long time and if his mother was getting so anxious then she could have called to check. Also, Danny’s mother had not slept the entire night, so she should not have initiated the conversation and should have waited till a more appropriate time to start the discussion. Both Danny and his mother also commit a face-threatening act which made their arguments more intense. Danny’s mother had no need to taunt Danny about the fact that his parents do not seek rent, feed him for free and so forth because such statements can hurt a person’s emotions, even if they are unintentional. Conversely, Danny should have just tried to understand and appreciate his mother's concern instead of retaliating because it was his negligence in the first place that became the ca use of his mother’s anxiety.

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Project management - Essay Example That is the task of advertising. In order to expand sales and gain profit companies have use advertisement through various means of communication. This economic activity helps to spread the message across the target market for goods or services of the business. At the same time, though advertising can be said to be an element of public relations activities, advertising itself does not always mean public relations. The two concepts, though have much in common, contain many differences as well. Public Relations work for the improvement of company’s image, building public awareness about the company and its activities, as well as effective promotion of certain offers of the company or outstanding features of a product or service. So, public relations refers to â€Å"strategic communication that different types of organizations use for establishing and maintaining symbiotic relationships with relevant publics† (Sriramesh, 2009, p. xxxi). As for advertising, it is currently defined as a communication tool â€Å"directed towards specific target customers in order to carry the message regarding a particular product, service or ideas, meaningfully and persuasively with a view to achieve certain specific objectives such as, to establish brand loyalty, expansion of the existing markets, increased sales volume, etc.† (Kumar & Mittal, 2002, p. 2). ... The country has been admitted to the World Trade Organization (Walters & Samiee, 2003) and, therefore, became an attractive market for many multinational corporations. While the effect of media is suspect of influencing the relationships of different individuals, the targeting of commercial advertising and PR activities toward consumers and strategies employed in order to reach Chinese audience is the primary focus in this study. The fact that media outlets became so widespread in Chinese society serves as the impetus for studying in a more narrow scope the relationship between commercial advertising and PR, and the viewer/consumer in media commercial programming. In addition, the given work aims at analyzing techniques and strategies of advertising agencies used to influence Chinese consumers. Research questions Though Chinese market can be considered relatively new for western companies, it does not experience any lack of attention and is already flooded with foreign companies and, as a result, advertising and PR. However, thought the market is attractive, it has certain peculiarities and unique characteristics that should be considered by entering businesses when trying to become popular in China. Therefore, the given research is trying to clarify the following aspects of public relations and advertising in China: How in particular and to what extent public relations in China differs from advertising and what particular signs make a difference between the two communication activities in the Chinese market. What major communication means, tools and techniques Chinese and multinational companies use in China to effectively deliver the message to the target audience and how effective particular strategies and techniques are.

Impact of Wars on Architecture and Design of New Buildings Essay

Impact of Wars on Architecture and Design of New Buildings - Essay Example It is imperative to note that the history of architecture is a rich arena where valuable models exist that exemplify on past failures, as well as instances where new theoretical models would harness so as to come up with a vibrant structure. Take for example, the works of Herscher (2008) and Livesey (2011) take a closer look at architectural structures subjected to military strikes or have been part of collateral damage. In this synthesis, Herscher and Livesey find that structures that were subjected to military bombardment have divergent resistance to the energy of the bombardment. It is admissible that some structures have withstood direct bombardment as shown in the pictures alongside from the works of Livesey and Herscher. The question is whether this has aided strengthening structures, and construction patterns? This remains to be a quagmire in the minds of many scholars (Schwartz, 2012, Livesey, 2011, Teal, 2011). Neo-rationalism provides a modern-day thought pattern that is in line with modern challenges. Schwartz (2012) talks of the emergence of a breed of architects that have malevolent acts ruining the reputation of the architectural body. A research by Schwartz found that a group of architects have fallen into the habit of designing structures that are substandard or having flaws, although minute, yet imminent to create a weakness in the building. A good case in question is that of The Loos Case as highlighted in the works of Schwartz (2012). It is further noted that, considering historical times and comparing.... The question is whether this has aided strengthening structures, and construction patterns? This remains to be a quagmire in the minds of many scholars (Schwartz, 2012, Livesey, 2011, Teal, 2011). Neo-rationalism provides a modern-day thought pattern that is in line with modern challenges. Schwartz (2012) talks of the emergence of a breed of architects that have malevolent acts ruining the reputation of the architectural body. A research by Schwartz found that a group of architects have fallen into the habit of designing structures that are substandard or having flaws, although minute, yet imminent to create a weakness in the building. A good case in question is that of The Loos Case as highlighted in the works of Schwartz (2012). It is further noted that, considering historical times and comparing it with the current time, it is emergent that the current state of affairs shows an increase in crime levels especially crime inclined towards warchitecture (Schwartz, 2012). Teal (2011) a nd Herscher (2008) make good use of visual aspects by communicating more using these pictures of architectural building; thereby surpassing the information contained in writing. Apparently, it is emergent that utilization of pictures in their work makes the work not only attractive but distinctive to the effect that it propagates information detailing aspects on architecture easily missed in the wording of literature. For example, the works of Teal (2011) highlight the making of a simple to complex structure that makes it possible to see divergent parts of the structure that makes it strong. In the works of Teal, it is amusing to note that, modern structures are fashioned in such a manner that it is made simple,

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance Management - Essay Example 2. Can the culture of an organization be changed to increase performance? Yes, the culture of an organization can be changed to increase performance because in today’s environment, change in the business environment is typical because of the rapid developments of technology. Business has been exposed to different stimuli, like economic crisis, globalization and technological changes. Changes in the organization are imperative because of the external developments and market development. The conditions obtaining in the market dictates for a culture change in the organization for survival reasons. For instance, in high technology firms, technological innovations becomes critical in responding to fast changes, so much so that innovation highly depends on acquiring new knowledge. 3. As a senior leader in an organization what can you do to change the culture and in turn increase performance of the business? To change an organizational culture is a difficult task because it has been entrenched and grown over time. Often times, people and management are too comfortable in it to attempt for a change and only a dramatic or significant event can change this culture like bankruptcy, loss of sales and customers or maybe lives. In starting a cultural change, senior leader should make an assessment, results of which could make one happy or sad. As a senior leader, he should have a keen eye to watch emotions, why they are excited or upset on things that matter. The leader should also be a watchful observer of objects displayed or hang on the walls that may present convictions, and to watch for things that are not there. A senior leader should be curious for things that are not mentioned by employees, but something that is very much important to management like customers. To change an entrenched culture, leader should first of all win the hearts and minds of the people he is working with. This cannot happen in a very short while, but it will take persuasion and patience. First, people should understand why change of culture is necessary, second, leader should know the cost of the change as it will entail shift from present design to a new one, and third, is to find ways how to motivate the people, and last, is to practice the organizational politics. 4. As an HR leader in an organization what can you do to change the culture and in turn increase performance of the business? Since it is inevitable that all things flow from the head, the values of the leader of any organization are reflected in the organization’s culture. In changing the culture of the organization, a leader must be able to communicate the vision of where the organization needs to go, and at this aspect, the leader must be trustworthy. In this context, it is seen that the transformation of the employees is the responsibility of the HR leader in the organization and the duty of the subordinates to receive and implement. Generally, employees are happy when they feel they are tru sted and important in the company. As an HR leader, there is a need to study the company’s personnel structure and find each employee’s strength. In working for a culture change, an HR leader should get

The bank of America Essay Example for Free

The bank of America Essay The bank of America is an institution that offers financial services. It is the largest bank in term of holding institution as far as assets is concerned in the nation. In terms of market capitalization, this bank is the second largest in United States. The four functions of management in this bank which include planning, organizing, controlling and leading in this bank are affected by both external and internal factors in the business environment. The external factors that may be known to affect the management functions of the bank in its business environment include political, sociological, as well as economical factors (Thomas, 2007). The sociological factors include demographic trends and status, personal values and work ethics as well as the general cultures. These factors affect the bank differently especially to the management in defining their ways of accomplishing their work. Since this bank has spread its wings in several countries and opened new branches, the central management of this bank has to understand the unique business environment in these countries to ensure they are competent and thus maximize their profitability (Thomas, 2007). Understanding of these factors helps the management in planning the future of the bank as well as designing services for certain group of the people. Political and economic factors include all the factors necessary such as the competitors as well as the customers. The management of the bank must also study and understand about the political and economic environment in order to have a dynamic and continual relationship (Green, 2003). By studying the bank’s customers, competitors and even the political factors, the management is capable of making effective decisions which can result to high performance of the bank. Internal factors that may affect the bank in its business environment consists organizational resources that are available for the bank to accomplish its objectives. These include the human, physical and financial resources. The role of the management is acquiring and using these resources in the bank effectively and efficiently (Green, 2003). The management in each branch has to compete with other branches or competitors continuously. Since organizational resources are scarce, success of the management depends on utilization of these resources. Globalization is known to be a very important aspect for any business operating in the world market (Kershner, 1990). A company like the bank of America has to be globalized in order to have growth, survival and success in world market. Bank of America demands market in several other parts of the world such as in china, New Delhi, Bangalore among others. This has made this bank to have a big deal of profitability and success. For example, bank of America in the ending fiscal year of 2006 reported an increase in its net profit by 80 percent (Thomas, 2007). The global networking of the Bank of America allows it to have new ideas and plans in order to capture international market. Technology has much dramatic effect and can affect the management of a bank at any time since the changes in business environment can be felt quickly in the firm. As technology can change suddenly, the management has to be in position that can make decisions which can put the bank in flexible position to enable it adapt to changes of technology as it occurs (Hull, Seelig, Showinsky, 1996). Computerization has changed the banking system completely since many bank customers nowadays use credit cards as well as plastic money. Most customers of the bank of America can now deposit their money as well as withdraw in any part of the world. They can even pay their bills as well as open accounts for the new customers through the internet. Accessing account transaction does not need one to physically go to the bank but can now be done through the internet. Technology advancement has contributed to all this which has simplified the whole process of banking.

Nissan revival plan was achieved one year ahead of schedule

Nissan revival plan was achieved one year ahead of schedule In 1999 Nissan had been facing great losses for seven of the past eight years which were now resulting in debts. This was mainly caused by the Japanese business custom of keiretsu investments which left little capital for other investments, like innovations in product designs. This lack of design innovation furthermore caused the Nissan brand to weaken as competitors were producing vehicles more stylish and up to date, reflecting customer demands. To foster a turnaround the Nissan president and CEO Yoshikazu Hanawa formed a mutual beneficial strategic alliance (Global Alliance Agreement) with Renault, allowing both companies to expand in new desirable geographic areas. With his experience in turnarounds Carlos Ghosn seemed to be the obvious choice to lead the Nissan turnaround from both the Renault and Nissan point of view. Evaluation The approach was an overall success in meeting the specific and measurable goal of turning the losses into profits not only on time but 6 month prior to the deadline. The Nissan Revival Plan was achieved one year ahead of schedule and succeeded in reducing their purchasing costs by 20 % which meant that they approximately reached the level of Renault. The large emphasis Ghosn placed on the execution also gave him an edge as this phase is much more demanding in terms of communication, meeting objectives on time and budget, potential conflicts with power resources and resistance to change. The respect Ghosn showed for the Japanese culture was vital for the initiatives to succeed, even though I believe it was a mistake for him not to learn about Japan before coming there as it is very easy unintended to insult people from other cultures if you are not familiar with their specific customs, but it also gave him an edge in being open-minded in perceiving the Japanese and Nissan culture. Coming to Japan he only brought three principles of management with him were to be well received and understood by employees: transparency, execution vs. strategy; improving quality and customer satisfaction and reducing costs. Not just anybody could have managed the Nissan turnaround as well as Ghosn did. For instance, A COO from Japan would not have been able to cut back on keiretsu investments. Because of the Japanese business culture to make these kinds of investments and the Japanese emphasis on cooperation and loyalty, it would have been considered to be a sort of betrayal and ultimately would 3 have harmed the Nissan brand even more. Only an outsider with different cultural background could legitimize such a change. The resistance Ghosn eventually faced when ignoring the almost sacred tradition of promoting by education, age and time within the company would likewise have been much more pronounced if the initiative came from a Japanese COO. Resistance to change Ultimately some sort of resistance was inevitable because of the major structural and cultural changes Nissan was facing with Ghosn as COO. People generally do not resist change, per se. but some underlying causes, like lack of understanding, fear of the unknown or fear of an outcome worse than the present situation.1 In this specific case Ghosn went a long way implementing many changes before meeting actual resistance in form of lack of cooperation among employees caused by the elimination of the old promotion system, allowing younger, less experienced employees to be promoted based on their skills and achievements. This resistance was clearly caused by fear of the unknown and fear of loosing/not gaining status by promotions. Resistance is generally a very important form of feedback and Ghosn chose to view the resistance as an opportunity for experience rather than a limitation.2 1 Dent, E. B. and Goldberg, S. G. (1999). Page 26 2 Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). Page 101 3 Nohria, N., Joyce, W. and Roberson, B.(2003). Page 45 4 Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). Page 100 Ghosn has overcome the actual resistance and prevented potential resistance to the cultural and structural changes in large by clearly communicating all initiatives and objectives to all Nissan employees. Communication had previously been a problem within the company but by creating a matrix structure (combining efficiency and effectiveness) and through consistency between his own actions, thoughts and communication Ghosn was making sure that transparency as well as communication within the organization was improved and afterwards maintained, keeping focus on the strategy.3 Likewise by creating the Cross-Functional Teams, he sought to build engagement and participation and made sure that the employees would have a sense of ownership over the Nissan Revival Plan and motivate communication across departments, stimulate future risk-taking and responsibility as well as regaining confidence in the companys future. Mitigating resistance by involvement and communication are generally very e ffective and will increase employee commitment to execution.4 4 The former lack of accountability and acceptance of responsibility among employees was eliminated by directly assigning responsibility and accountability and encourage people to take risks. This was accomplished in part by monetary rewards and stock options whenever the actions led to increase in operating profits or revenues.5 The previous consensus mentality at Nissan seems to have been: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢If everyone one is responsible then no one is accountable, and nobody gets punished,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- which was affecting risk-taking and slowing decision-making processes across the company. 5 Fu, Dean and Millikin, john P. page C553 Organizational culture As mentioned above, the understanding and respect Ghosn expressed for the Japanese Nissan culture and the fact that he communicated his wish to work through this culture were vital for his acceptance within the organization. He made it clear from the very beginning that he too had a personal stake in the outcome and thereby created a sense of cohesion with the employees. His visibility in the organization from day one and the consistency between his communications and actions was a new but welcome change that made him human in the eyes of the employees. This transparency and consistency together with his explicit promise to respect the culture also helped building a sense trust and thereby employee support for most of Ghosns change initiatives. The Nissan president and CEO, Yoshikazu Hanawa, had a positive attitude towards Ghosn and his experience and abilities in turnarounds, since he explicitly asked Renault to send Ghosn to Nissan to lead the changes. But because Ghosn was a foreigner and not accustomed to the Japanese way of doing business, several industrial business analytics expressed scepticism and concern for this arrangement. It is likely that middle-managers and higher-level-managers have been influenced by these critics and therefore had a negative attitude towards Ghosn as COO, but if they did, they did not make much fuss about it. 5 National culture When you consider the differences between Ghosns leadership style and the Japanese (Nissan) way of doing business, it is actually a bit of an achievement that resistance did not arise earlier and more pronounced than it did. The cultural differences between Ghosn, with his experience in working in organizations with strong corporate cultures, and the Nissan organization, with its weak culture traits, were very pronounced and had great potential to cause some trouble along the way, but it takes two to tango, and one of them has to lead. The initiative of putting together Cross-Functional Teams had great potential for meeting resistance in part because of the Japanese tradition of reaching consensus when making decisions. In addition, if every member of a Cross-Functional Team had to make sure, that their respective departments were supporting every suggestion, then the decision-making process would not only have been slowed severely but would have staled. It is also very likely that the employees at Nissan would have resisted the Cross-Functional Team initiatives because of the Japanese culture of loyalty and cooperation within departments but not necessarily across departments (especially not in troubled times) caused by the weak organizational culture. Early on Ghosn became aware that in order to turn Nissan around, he would have to address some of these cultural issues in order to get to root of the problems and meet the overall goal of creating profits. First and foremost, he would have to communicate and make understood the importance of meeting customer wants and needs (included a radical change in the decision-making processe).6 The management would have to create a shared vision (or long-term plan as opposed to their usual sort-term). Management at Nissan was displaying tunnel vision and was focusing on regaining market share instead of increasing margins and product innovation to meet customer demands.7 The emphasis placed on informal contacts and information, complicated knowledge sharing across the organization, as nothing was written or formally communicated, which also slowed decision-making processes. He would have to overcome these cultural obstacles (underlying problems) before addressing the real problems at Nissan. 6 Nohria, N., Joyce, W. and Roberson, B.(2003). Page 46-47 7 Fu, Dean and Millikin, john P. page C549 6 Luck and timing The timing for these changes was absolutely perfect. Had Ghosn and his Cross-Functional Teams tried to implement the same changes a few years earlier, they would most likely have met great resistance and possible failure. But because of the resent bankruptcy of the major financial house, Yamaichi, and the lack of bailout by the Japanese government, the employees at Nissan began to take their situation seriously and this imposed a sense of urgency among the employees. This sense of urgency helped push changes by making the employees more willing to cooperate and implement the proposed changes as well as taking more risks in order to turn the company around. This willingness for taking risks decreased the previous fear of making decisions (especially faulty decisions) which decreased the need for consensus decision-making , which again increased the speed with which decisions was able to be made. This further fostered motivation for innovative proposals for the product line, which had a positive effect on the Nissan competiveness and on consumer satisfaction. In short, the bankruptcy of Yamaichi was a stroke of luck at the exact right time to help kick-start the major changes at Nissan, especially in the minds of the employees. Looking forward In the next few years (2005) Ghosn will have to return to Renault to take over as CEO (his lifelong dream). The right replacement for his job must ensure continuous growth and success, keeping focus on customer needs and increases in profit as well as to nurture the newly accomplished sense of urgency to keep driving employees towards continuous improvements (Nissan 180). A successor should, besides the above mentioned, be able to create a balance between long-term and short-term objectives to ensure that employees do not fall back into old habits.8 Constantly setting short-term objectives, aligning them with long-term objectives will enhance motivation among Nissan employees as they will see their effort and hard work paying of. 8 Griswold, H. M. and Prenovitz, S. C.(1993). Page 5 9 Krackhardt, D. and Hanson, J. R.(1993). I would recommend Ghosn to use the network analysis9 as a tool for helping him making the best possible decision, ensuring that the person he will choose is trustworthy among employees, accountable and responsible, has influential power. The friendship network is always a good place to start, but he should be sure to mad both the communication network and advice network as well. Perhaps there will be an obvious overlap between the three. 7 Conclusion The Nissan turnaround was a great success in that it met measurable objectives and accomplished to overall strategic goal of increasing profits within the schedule. By approaching the Japanese and corporate Nissan culture with an open mind, Ghosn was able to gain the employees trust. His approach to the cultural differences combined with a great stroke of luck, turned the challenge into and opportunity and he was thereby able to meet the overall goal. In facing the fundamental problems within the organization; lack of clear profit orientation, insufficient focus on customers and too much on competitors, lack of a sense of urgency, no shared vision or common long-term plan, lack of cross-functional, cross-border, cross-cultural lines of work, he had to bend the rules of engagement by changing large parts of the Nissan culture. More specifically, based on the recommendations from the Cross-Functional Teams, he implemented some rather radical changes on the Japanese traditions of doing business, in order to help Nissan get back on track. Even though he was hereby violating his prior commitment to be sensitive to the Nissan culture, he did not experience serious resistance in doing so, because it was ultimately Nissan employees suggesting these changes, he was just executing them. In choosing his Successor Ghosn should map the informal networks within the organization, emphasising on trust, accountability and power to create change. 8 List of literature  · Dent, E. B. and Goldberg, S. G. (1999). Challenging resistance to change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 35(1), 25-41.  · Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Decoding resistance to change.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Harvard Business Review, 87(4), 99-103.  · Fu, Dean and Millikin, john P. (2003) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The Global Leadership of Carlos Ghosn at Nissan,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Thunderbird The American Graduate School of International Management, C546 C556  · Griswold, H. M. and Prenovitz, S. C.(1993).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢How to translate strategy into operational results.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Business Forum, 18(3), 5-9.  · Krackhardt, D. and Hanson, J. R.(1993).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Informal networks: the company behind the chart.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Harvard Business Review, July/August, 104-111.  · Nohria, N., Joyce, W. and Roberson, B.(2003).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢What really works.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Harvard Business Review, 81(7), 42-52.

Industrial Revolution Essay -- History, England, Materialism

During the industrial revolution of England, by engaging in monotonous work, humans became disconnected with nature. By the nineteenth century, when William Wordsworth wrote the sonnet The world is too much with us, the process of industrialization had transformed a worker’s life, leaving no time or place to enjoy or take part in nature. In his Petrarchan sonnet, Wordsworth criticizes humans for losing their hearts to materialism and longs for a world where nature is divine. In the first four lines, the poet angrily addresses the theme of the sonnet which is that the modern age has lost its connection to nature and to everything meaningful. The words â€Å"late and soon† (1) are part of a list that continues in the next line with the phrase â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The line break is for the purpose of the structure of the sonnet. Late and soon refer to the fast pace of the industrial age, and they describe how the past and future are included in the poet’s characterization of mankind. â€Å"Too† (1) and â€Å"soon† (1) have a long vowel â€Å"oo† sound since industrialization, and therefore, exploitation of nature, had been occurring for a long time before Wordsworth wrote this sonnet. Wordsworth wanted to express how â€Å"soon† (1) this exploitation would become known to others by placing the sharp consonant â€Å"n† after the long vowel sound. The caesura in line 1 after the word  "us† (1) gives the reader a chance to feel and reflect upon the weight of the world resting on humanity’s shoulders after the poet’s statement that the world is too fragile for humans to handle. Humanity’s â€Å"powers† (2) have gone to â€Å"waste† (2), which in this context means that they have been used inefficiently. However, other connotations for the word â€Å"waste† (2) are things t... ...ch the narrator responds to her death, is connected to nature but dies before she can attain her own distinct consciousness away from nature. Lucy is connected to nature and exists in a state between the spiritual and human. However, she represents a state of consciousness and exists within the poem as part of the narrator's consciousness. Nature is being portrayed as something almost devine, just as the mythical Greek gods from The world is too much with us were Wordsworth’s favorable alternative to human exploitation of nature. Nevertheless, there is a difference between one being too connected to nature, as Lucy was, and one being nearly disconnected from nature, as humanity was portrayed in The world is too much with us. The only way to be in harmony with nature is to accept nature for what it is – to not to be overly connected with it, but not to exploit it. Industrial Revolution Essay -- History, England, Materialism During the industrial revolution of England, by engaging in monotonous work, humans became disconnected with nature. By the nineteenth century, when William Wordsworth wrote the sonnet The world is too much with us, the process of industrialization had transformed a worker’s life, leaving no time or place to enjoy or take part in nature. In his Petrarchan sonnet, Wordsworth criticizes humans for losing their hearts to materialism and longs for a world where nature is divine. In the first four lines, the poet angrily addresses the theme of the sonnet which is that the modern age has lost its connection to nature and to everything meaningful. The words â€Å"late and soon† (1) are part of a list that continues in the next line with the phrase â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The line break is for the purpose of the structure of the sonnet. Late and soon refer to the fast pace of the industrial age, and they describe how the past and future are included in the poet’s characterization of mankind. â€Å"Too† (1) and â€Å"soon† (1) have a long vowel â€Å"oo† sound since industrialization, and therefore, exploitation of nature, had been occurring for a long time before Wordsworth wrote this sonnet. Wordsworth wanted to express how â€Å"soon† (1) this exploitation would become known to others by placing the sharp consonant â€Å"n† after the long vowel sound. The caesura in line 1 after the word  "us† (1) gives the reader a chance to feel and reflect upon the weight of the world resting on humanity’s shoulders after the poet’s statement that the world is too fragile for humans to handle. Humanity’s â€Å"powers† (2) have gone to â€Å"waste† (2), which in this context means that they have been used inefficiently. However, other connotations for the word â€Å"waste† (2) are things t... ...ch the narrator responds to her death, is connected to nature but dies before she can attain her own distinct consciousness away from nature. Lucy is connected to nature and exists in a state between the spiritual and human. However, she represents a state of consciousness and exists within the poem as part of the narrator's consciousness. Nature is being portrayed as something almost devine, just as the mythical Greek gods from The world is too much with us were Wordsworth’s favorable alternative to human exploitation of nature. Nevertheless, there is a difference between one being too connected to nature, as Lucy was, and one being nearly disconnected from nature, as humanity was portrayed in The world is too much with us. The only way to be in harmony with nature is to accept nature for what it is – to not to be overly connected with it, but not to exploit it.

Hamlets Childish Behaviour and Contempt of Others :: essays research papers

Hamlet identifies with an adolescent of the 1990’s more than he does with the youth of his own time. Hamlet is immature, sarcastic, depressed and takes action during the heat of passion which is very much like the behavior of the youth in the 1990’s. Love, control over action, and the ability to overcome depression are just a few ways to prove maturity. It is obvious Hamlet loves Ophelia in his own way â€Å". . . the celestial and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia . . .† (Hamlet. II, ii, 109- 110), but his way is not mature enough to include trust toward his lover. The trust that Hamlet should have given her was the key of his madness. This madness that Hamlet cannot trust his love with is the same madness that he loses total control over because of his immaturity, it then causes him to do things, such as kill Polonius, that a person that was mature could stop. The madness that Hamlet assumes is understandable but he can never get over the actual death of his father by still wearing black a year later, and the hasty marriage of his mother to Claudius. Compared to Horatio who is calm and cool throughout the play, and Fortinbras who collected an army to fight for his uncle’s land and honor, Hamletâ⠂¬â„¢s maturity level for his time is low, especially for being a prince. Today Hamlet’s age group is more immature than during his own time so he relates to the youth of the 1990’s better than he does with the adolescents of his own time. Sarcasm, and blunt rudeness is often used by Hamlet in order to offend people that, during his time, he should not have offended. Hamlet often used the hasty marriage of his mother to offend Claudius. The first time that Hamlet offends Claudius in the company of another person is when Claudius is supposed to be helping cheer Hamlet up. â€Å"A little more than kin, and less than kind.† (Hamlet. I, ii, 65) is just as rude during Hamlet’s time as almost anything that a person could say today, it just takes a little thinking for the people of today to get what Hamlet means. The second person that Hamlet is openly rude to is Polonius. Hamlet, in front of Claudius and Gertrude, insults Polonius by calling him â€Å". . . a fishmonger.† (Hamlet.

The Brother Rice High School Community :: Christianity Education Essays

The Brother Rice High School Community High School is every Junior High students dream. It is a time in a student’s life where he/she receives a large amount of freedom as well as responsibility. Mom no longer accompanies the teenagers at the movies and one can even drive himself/herself there. Academics are important also because these grades determine if you are college bound material. But, are freedom and academics the only parts of a solid High School career? I myself believe that there is more to High School then freedom and academics. High School is also a time when young adults are entering into society as individuals. They are on their way to adulthood and their education during this time should stretch further than just an academic education. I attended a private high school known as "Brother Rice High School", where I received more than just an academic experience. When some people hear the word "Private" school they think of words such as: "Stuck up," "Rich," or "Snobby," but these are not accurate po rtrayals. One must look inside the doors of the school before making such negative connotations and if you did you would realize that this is not the case. Brother Rice High School is an academic institution that teaches young men academic fundamentals as well as Christian morals and social values. The Christian Brothers of Ireland, followers of Edmund Ignatius Rice, founded the school in 1960. Edmund Rice was bom in 1762. He was educated first at home, then in a 'hedge school', and finally in Kilkenny, Ireland. Mr. Rice married, and became a prosperous merchant and a leader of Catholic activities in the City of Waterford. After the death of Edmund's wife, he had intentions of entering a monastery on the continent, but the Bishop of Waterford encouraged him to stay in Ireland and begin a school for poor boys. The new school greatly effected the youth of Waterford that Edmund soon had requests to open schools in other cities. Pope Pius VII gave papal approval to the Congregation in 1820. Edmund took the name of Brother Ignatius and in 1822 Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice was elected the first Superior General of the new congregation. Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice died on August 29, 1844, at Mount Sion, Waterford. In 1997 Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II.

Does This Milkshake Taste Funny

George Stein, a college student employed for the summer by Eastern Dairy is faced with an ethical dilemma. His co-workers don’t care about proper procedures required in ensuring that the milkshake produced during the shift is hygienic and safe for human consumption. The milkshake that is produced is usually delivered to fast-food restaurants and drive-ins. George had less than a minute to think about his choices and must decide if he is going to remove the filters from the plant's piping and, thus, allow the current production run of milkshake mix to be contaminated with maggots or refuse to remove the filters, and report the maggot problem to management. Removing the filters will save the company’s money, at least in the short run, and allow George's shift to go home on time. George is disturbed, however, by the thought of children drinking those milkshakes. Analysis: The others looked Paul Burnham as direction. He’s goal was completing all of the assigned work before the end of the shift and clean the equipment. He does not care about other things from this. Such as the quality of the final product, the contaminants whether or not mix into the milkshake. Eastern Dairy was lack of quality control and quality management. It over relied on an occasional visit by the inspectors from the county health department for the overall production facility health check. Recommendation: * Create the quality control and quality management system, ensure that the quality of products, stuff behavior and administration are under control. * Design a monitoring situation. The company can set a night superintendent to monitor stuff and quality of production. * Establish a ethical concept and corporate social responsibility to stuff. * Improve the organizational culture.

Argument Essay Thomas Paine Essay

America is the most diverse country in the world and people come here to live the â€Å"American Dream†. Paine’s assertion is still true today that America is a diverse nation, however, the â€Å"the taxes are few† and there being â€Å"nothing to engender riots and tumults† is in fact not true today. America is known as the world’s â€Å"melting pot† for a reason. People want to come to the greatest nation on Earth. Throughout the history of America people have immigrated from a wide variety of war-torn, famine, poverty-stricken nations to come to a country that ensures an opportunity to make something of yourself. It has been a safe haven for people even before it became a country; the puritans escaped religious persecution from England in the 17th century. Then the Irish left a potato famine to come to America. This led to many more countries in the Eastern Hemisphere immigrating here to America. They came because there is no National language, no national religion, no dictatorial government. This is America where everyone is ensured equal inalienable rights, wherever a person is from. But Paine was wrong when he said â€Å"the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged. There is poverty in America and the rich are very privileged. New York City would prove this exactly. There’s the rich: walking the town, head high, looking through the expensive shops and eating at lavish restaurants. And on the other side of the street there is the homeless: head down, looking through trash cans for food, walking down the side walk begging for loose change. This is not the America Thomas Paine envisions. And his statement of a riot free country has never existed. It starts with Shay’s rebellion in the 1880’s, consisting of western Massachusetts farmers rioting over taxation- another thing Paine says will be few; then with the suffrage movement for women in the early 20th century. And a very large one took place in the 1960’s for Civil Rights’ which was led by Dr. Martin Luther King. Even today people protest government decisions such as Gay marriage or abortion, There will always be people who disagree with the government. Thomas Paine’s view of a perfect America will never happen. We are the country that people dream to come to and we are the most diverse.

Employment Law Essay

After viewing the Tutorial, completing the reading, and reviewing the Lecture notes in conjunction with the TCO, answer the following questions relating to ADA expanded by the ADAAA. If such a situation occurred in your workplace and you were the director of human resources: You are Role/Assignment: 1. Would you deem Karina disabled under the ADAAA? If so, what reasonable accommodations would you offer to her? Karina has a medical condition requiring her to take steroids and other medications. This condition led to Karina gaining weight and not able to wear two uniform items, the stockings and heels. These conditions affect her back, circulatory system, and endurance level. Additionally, according to her doctor, Karina must stop wearing the stockings and heels because of her condition. Based on this information, Karina does qualify as â€Å"disabled† even if she does not display symptoms that interfere with her ability to perform her duties. By taking medication, Karina is mitigating (reducing) the effects of her illness. However, her employer cannot consider this information in determining if she has a protected disability under the ADAAA. Karina and her employer should agree on an acceptable resolution that will meet her medical requirements, easily identify her as an employee, and ensure she presents a professional appearance. To accommodate Karina reasonably, the employer could offer her the opportunity to wear lower heeled (or flat) shoes without stockings. Another alternative would be to allow her to wear pants and flat shoes or black tennis shoes. 2. From an ADA policy standpoint, what would your ideal be in terms of an employer ADAAA policy? What would your ideal be as to what the employee (Karina) should be told by the HR department in regards to her rights and obligations pursuant to the ADAAA? From the employer policy perspective, focus on identification of reasonable accommodation requirements under applicable law, application of the legal requirements for this scenario, determinations as to whether reasonable accommodations can be made, and steps that can be taken to make specific accommodations if requested. An ideal ADAAA policy would comply with all federal and state laws concerning individuals with disabilities and respond to government regulations and guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Additionally, the policy will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities concerning application procedures, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation (or benefits), training or other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. Individuals requesting accommodation and can be reasonably accommodated without creating an undue burden or causing a direct threat to workplace safety will be given the same consideration for employment as any other applicant. Candidates that pose a direct threat to the health, safety, and well-being to themselves or others and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation will not be hired. Electronics Are for You will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability to ensure they can perform the essential functions of their positions if doing so does not cause a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace. Furthermore, Electronics Are For You will not reasonably accommodate an individual if the threat cannot be resolved by reasonable accommodation and/or it creates an undue hardship to the organization. Individuals should contact HR with any questions or requests for accommodation. All employees are required to comply with organization safety standards. Current employees posing a direct threat to the health and/or safety to themselves or others will be placed on appropriate leave until a decision can be made regarding their employment situation. Individuals currently using illegal drugs will not receive coverage under the company ADA/ADAAA policy. The HR department is responsible for implementing this policy, including resolution of reasonable accommodation, safety/direct threat and undue hardship issues. Additionally, during recruiting and hiring phases the organization should devote efforts to assess an individual’s qualifications and if they can provide reasonable accommodation. Review training manuals and employee handbooks concerning disabilities to ensure they comply with ADAAA regulations. Under EEOC policy, employers may require employees to wear certain articles of clothing to protect themselves and coworkers (e.g., construction workers are required to wear certain headgear to prevent injury; health care workers wear gloves to prevent transmission of disease from or to patients). On other occasions, employers may impose dress codes to identify themselves more easily to customers or to portray a certain image (e.g., a store requires all sales associates to dress in black). This same policy may also prohibit employees from wearing certain items to promote a certain image (e.g., prohibitions on wearing jeans). If the employee cannot meet the dress code due to disability, the employer may still require compliance if the dress code is job-related and consistent with business necessity. An employer may also require an employee with a disability meet dress standards required by federal law. If an individual with a disability cannot comply with a dress code mandated by federal law, even with a reasonable accommodation, he will not be considered â€Å"qualified.† Electronics Are For You requires their female employees to wear miniskirts, heels, stockings, and sleeveless shirts. Unfortunately, Karina has an illness that makes wearing stockings and heels medically impossible. She is requesting reasonable accommodation based on her doctors diagnosis. Karina and her supervisor should discuss the situation and both come up with a solution to accommodate her needs and properly portray the company’s image. This could include allowing her to wear lower heeled shoes and no stocking, or dress pants and black tennis shoes.

Marketing Audit Analysis of Bmw

Marketing audit analysis of BMW. The marketing audit has certain similarities to a financial audit in that it is a review of your existing marketing activities. Carrying out the marketing audit provides the opportunity to review and appraise your whole marketing activity, enabling you to assess past and present performance as well as to provide the basis for evaluating possible future courses of action. Because the business environment is constantly changing, the marketing audit should be used as a reference tool, with constant updates reflecting changes in the external environment and your own internal business experiences. Internal Marketing Audit Internal auditing, as defined by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), is â€Å"an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. † Independence is established by the organizational and reporting structure. Objectivity is achieved by an appropriate mind-set. The internal audit activity evaluates risk exposures relating to the organization's governance, operations and information systems, in relation to: * Effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Reliability and integrity of financial and operational information. * Safeguarding of assets. * Compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts. Based on the results of the risk assessment, the internal auditors evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of how risks are identified and managed in the above areas. They also assess other aspects such as ethics and values within the organization, performance management, communication of risk and control information within th e organization in order to facilitate a good governance process.

Ethics Harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ethics Harassment - Essay Example In today's world, organisations and workplaces have become extremely diversified and have adopted varied stance s in terms of job processes and the general outlook. What is striking in such a scenario, is the prevalence of organizational or work ethics. Ethics has evolved to become an important aspect fo organizational functioning, since it deals with the self-esteem and the very importance attached to employees in an organisation. Is it but well known, that an employee is the building block of an organisation and the importance attached to ethics in today's organisations are a reflection of the same. In today's workplaces, harassment has become a very repetitive occurrence, with cases being reported every now and then. The various forms of harassment range that come under the purview have increased by the day, with sexual harassment topping the list. The issue came to the fore-front, in the 1970s and ever since, a number of committees, benches and organisations have come into the picture, to outline the relationship between work ethics and harassment. Sexual harassment as an abuse of power has become front-page news in the U.S. business press. Recently, BusinessWeek detailed the sexual harassment endured by salespeople at the U.S. subsidiary of Astra AB, a major Swedish pharmaceutical firm (Maremont 1996). This harassment was perpetrated by people at the highest levels of the organization and salespeople who did not comply found life at the firm extremely difficult. The attention to workplace sexual harassment generally focuses on harassment of employees by others within the same firm. [Insights into Sexual Harassment of Salespeople by Customers: The Role of Gender and Customer Power Leslie M, Fine, C. David Shepherd and Susan L. Josephs] When workplaces become diversified and new parameters of work assessment emerge, it is important to maintain workplace ethics. However, when cases of favourtism and sexual harassment emerge, it certainly goes against what is legally permissive in the ethical nature of actions in workplaces. It becomes difficult when talented individuals are put down, on account of the sexual favours received from other quarters. Besides this, when bosses do harass their subordinates and the like, it goes against moral codes of conduct. Organisational Behaviour is often considered at four different levels. Individual Behaviour, which deals with the single fundamental unit of the organisation, talks about the individualistic perspective. It revolves around an individual's perceptions, actions, notions, temperament and contribution to the organisation. At a higher plane, we have the Group Dynamics, that involves interactions of a group. It is inclusive of team work and team-bonding, while also delving into the nature of interactions, inter-group interactions, departmentalization and the like. An organisation can also be demarcated in terms of the diverse processes and the clubbing of

Heroes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Heroes - Essay Example Moreover, a level of discussion will also be appropriated with regards to what typically defines a hero and what does not. Finally, a discussion of the motives for this level of hero creation and the ultimate societal effects that this has on different groups will also be discussed. Firstly, with regards to the idolization and near canonization that many individuals within our society seem to be labeled with on a more and more frequent basis, one must categorize this into the ultimate need that key shareholders within the process view to exist. For instance, as was the given case with the firefighters of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the nation, the media, and the government were eager to find anyone or anything to idealize as a means of restoring a fundamental faith in the foundations of the nation; so thoroughly shaken by such a hideous act. This type of societal, governmental, and media response to a crisis and the need to quickly find heroes is not a new concept. Although many of the readings that have informed this essay helped to paint the picture for how civil servants and other non-heroes are regularly cited as heroes by the media, the fact of the matter is such a practice of placing titles on individuals merely perform ing their jobs has existed for much longer than just the few brief years since 9/11 (Welch 42). One need look no further than the Doolittle Raiders to see the primal importance that a small band of men sworn to fulfill their duty and perform missions at the behest of commanding officers in a time of war were quickly labeled as heroes in a country that desperately craved such examples at such an abysmally dark period of the United State’s engagement in World War II. What should be realized first and foremost is the fact that our society’s current definition of hero and heroism has

Work and Non-work Balance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Work and Non-work Balance - Essay Example This work has some special features that are different in nature. Though various people see it from contrasting perspectives the basic background of work is similar to that of others. In work there must be one or more activities in exchange for which the workers who perform the completion of the work deserve monetary compensation. This is easily explained from the economic background. It goes without saying that a person has to take into account his or her valuable time and effort in performing work to serve others’ interest. Non work issues can be explained from different perspectives and among them the social context is the most popular. The social perspective focuses on the leisure activities the workers do or like to do, which are beyond the scope of interest of the business or other obligations (Beauregard, 2006). Thus the work and non-work issues continue to attract strong debate. In order to understand the situation between the work and non-work issues one has to have a good grasp of the issues separately. Work comes in various kinds and dimensions. Williams’s (2007) Typology of Work describes work as paid or unpaid and obligatory or voluntary involvement of person for the economic well-being of society; other writers have put emphasis on the declared work and formal employment (Review Eby et al., 2005). However, the concept of work has greatly evolved over the past few years. People are now viewed as more than a corporate resource. But the present issue which has adversely affected not only individuals but whole communities is the work-life balance and its effect upon every aspect of life. This underscores the urgency of identifying the non-work issues (Arnold et al, 1995). Non-work issues are multifaceted, complex and dispersed, but they are simplistically identified as the concerns external to the direct business activity. Parker (2004) describes the non-work issues as the outer part of the actual work life which is very much connected w ith personal life. The leisure period has been stressed on by some writers, while others have described the various leisure-related dimensions outside the scope of work. Relationship between the work and non-work issues are conventional and quite obtrusive in nature. These two issues frequently overlap each other (Kossel, and Colquittand, 2001). There are various relationships between the work and non-work issues and some of them are easily understood. A recent study shows the spillover cost and benefit, neutrality, opposition and compensation benefits denote some of the specific relationships that may be examined by academic researchers. Several non-work issues that have implications on work-related effects include absenteeism, social expectation, frequent or lengthy travel between the home and the workplace (Parker, 1982). An important non-work issue is the family and personal life complexity as a result of or exacerbated by the stress of the work issues. Concluded spill over is a consistent outcome of work in the contemporary economy. Different employees are coping with strategies driven by contrasting labour processes and labour market positions. More family friendly policies involving long hours and a more permeable work life boundary are promoting the work-life balance. Though the work and non-work issues are different in nature they constantly impact upon each other mutually and drastically (Rain et al, 1991). But work environment enables the workers to learn new skills and to know the unknown which helps them to develop their self identity. Simultaneously, the emotional well-being, work satisfaction, leisure period, and the leeway to choose –

Week 3 Conference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 3 Conference - Essay Example rovide constitutional right fully because they do not provide tor the right of the due process of law that has been accorded to all accused persons in the United States. In that, any evidence or testimony from previous trials can be admissible during the trial, which I not the case in the criminal civil courts that means that the tried person is not accorded the right to due process. The courts should allow a structure as that of the civilian court to ensure that all the constitutional rights are upheld. In the case of Exparte Milligan (1866), the court illustrated that the constitution protects the law of the land. It also tried to justify the fact that every person should get a fair trial. Upon Appeal it was held that Milligan should have been tried in a regular court and not a military tribunal as the law protects every person and they are equal. Korematsu had a right of fair treatment as any other American resident but since he was Japanese, the government felt that they had a right to protect their country during war times. Moreover, if they saw him as a threat then they had a right to send him away from his home where he had refused to come out of, as he believed it was his right. The court felt that it was impossible from them to separate the friend from the foe or the royal and the disloyal as Korematsu was from the imperial Japan as all the Japanese were supposed to go to the internment camp and there would be no exceptions (Konkoly,2006, par.3). The court was correct in its holding not to exclude Korematsu from moving from his house to the internment camp as the rest of the Japanese, as they were protecting the security of the whole nation. The exclusion order 9066 at that time that is the 1942 to 1944 was seen as constitution because the courts sided with the government as they were trying to protect the country during the time of war. It was also held that the individual right of Mr. Fred was not as important as the rights of the American people and

Other Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Other - Essay Example The Act necessitates GAO to evaluate the execution of the Act. This report discusses the Act's execution; evaluates NRSROs' performance-related expose; evaluates getting rid of NRSRO orientations from confident SEC rules; appraises the brunt of the Act on antagonism; and provides a scaffold for evaluating substitute models for compensating NRSROs (Sherman, 2011). To tackle the mandate, GAO reviewed SEC rules, assessment supervision, completed assessments, and staff memoranda; scrutinized required NRSRO exposes and market allocate data; and dialogued SEC and NRSRO officials and souk participants (Bangemenn, 2005). The procedure for reviewing NRSRO claims limits SEC staff's aptitude to fully guarantee that interviewees meet the Act's necessities (Bangemenn, 2005). An example of how the current processes used by agencies can be improved is while SEC had recorded 10 of 11 credit ranking agency interviewees as of July 2010, some employee’s memoranda to the Commission abbreviation t heir review of claims described anxieties that were not tackled prior to congregate (Bangemenn, 2005). 2. Analyze the impact of the attention rates on both short -term and long term debt plus how health care organization might best leverage your psychiatry. Illustrate your retort with specific illustrations. The answer to this inquiry lies in the fixed revenue nature of debts and debentures, often referred to jointly simply as "bonds" (Bangemenn, 2005). Without imaginative repackaging of the contemplation of prepaid health tactics, the appearance and timing of the conventional response to the immoderation of the medical institution would almost definitely have been quite diverse (Bangemenn, 2005).When a financier purchases a specified commercial bond, he or she is in fact purchasing a segment of a company's debt (Bangemenn, 2005). This debit is issued with precise details concerning episodic coupon payments, the chief amount of the debt and the instance period until the bond's prime (Bangemenn, 2005). Another notion that is vital for consideration interest rate risk in bonds is that bond values are inversely related to notice rates. When attention rates go up, bond values go down and thus vice versa (Bangemenn, 2005). There is a greater likelihood that interest duty will rise (and thus pessimistically affect a bond's bazaar price) within a longer time epoch than within a petite epoch. Long-term bonds have higher extent than short-term bonds. Because of this, a specified interest rate alter will have greater consequence on long-term bonds in comparison to short-term bonds (Bangemenn, 2005). This notion of duration can be hard to conceptualize, but presently think of it as the span of time that your bond will be pretentious by a notice rate change. For instance, suppose debt interest rates rise nowadays by 0.25% (Bangemenn, 2005). A bond with merely one coupon payment left in anticipation of maturity will be underpaying the loaners by 0.25% for only one coupon c ompensation (Bangemenn, 2005). Short and long terms debts on health care may result to the devastation of the health cares (Sherman, 2011). 3. Discuss the likelihood of a non-for -profit health care association issuing supply and why the management of such an association might want to do this. clarify your rationale. Management of such organizations

Utilization research for congestive heart failure education program Proposal

Utilization for congestive heart failure education program - Research Proposal Example Different intervention strategies have been identified that can help in management and treatment of the CHF. Although different interventional strategies exist, there seems to be increase in readmission, and numbers of CHF continue to go up. This calls for identification and innovation of more suitable intervention strategies that give appropriate results. In this perspective, educational interventional strategies have been identified as the primary strategies that can be used to reduce prevalence of CHF. With education, patients, together with stakeholders involved, are likely to acquire knowledge, skills, tools, and experiences that in long-term are likely to be beneficial in promoting awareness of CHF, hence contributing to management. This research proposal provides for educational interventional strategy and explores the effectiveness of the strategy. In addition, planning, implementation, evaluation, and decision-making processes are evaluated and analyzed, hence their efficacy in contributing to success of educational programs. On overall, for educational programs to promote awareness about CHF, the research proposes for adoption of integrated educational interventional strategy that also facilitates consultation and participation. These aspects make educational interventional strategy appear as the most efficient way of addressing the rising cases of CHF. Utilization Research for Congestive Heart Failure Education Program Background Cases of the heart failing to perform effectively have become more prevalent and pronounced in the modern world. As a result, a medical condition known as heart failure, which is believed to affect many people in USA, has emerged (Heart Failure Society of America, 2011). Heart failure (HF) is today viewed to be an important public health issue that faces the health care system. Heart failure, popularly known as the congestive heart failure (CHF), can be described as a condition where the sufferer is unable to experience sufficient blood flow in the heart, which in turn makes it difficult to meet the physiological needs of the body (Chen and Zieve, 2011). Causes of heart failure are myriad but can be connected to issues of lifestyle and dietary, as well as medications. Although the prevalence of heart failure problems are today more pronounced in the society, it has been observed that majority of people wh o have been affected by the disease are still unaware of the condition (Heart Failure Society of America, 2011). This has largely been associated with lack of knowledge many sufferers have, where symptoms associated with the disease are mistaken for normal signs of advancing in the age (Heart Failure Society of America, 2011). For instance, HF is associated with signs like feeling tired and experiencing frequent short breath, which majority of older patients may think constitutes signs of their advancing age. Therefore, this calls for effective diagnosis, which will help in determining the disease in an individual and subsequently being able to determine the course of treatment and management of the disease. The prevalence of the disease is more pronounced in the modern world, and this has led to accelerated efforts aimed at identifying the best methods that can be used to treat and manage the medical condition. Problem Identification By the

Unit 6 Assessment professionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 6 Assessment professionalism - Essay Example The person simply withdraws from the whole situation or sidesteps it. Compromising refers to when a person looks for a solution that works for both of the parties concerned in the conflict. It is sort of loose- loose situation where both parties cooperate and work together to get a solution. Accommodating means taking in the other party’s concerns more than your own. It has a higher level of cooperation than assertiveness and is a perfect style when the other party is an expert in the situation leading to the conflict. Collaborating is when both parties in conflict work jointly to tackle the situation and come up with the best resolution to the situation. This style has equal levels of cooperation and assertiveness. In most conflict management situations, I prefer the collaborating strategy of conflict management because it comes up with a resolution that is mutually satisfactory to both parties in a situation. This is a win-win situation. Collaborating is still the best style in my opinion especially when it involves a long-term relationship, and it means that the problem will be actually solved. Conflict management means preventing unproductive conflicts in the work place and addressing those conflicts that cannot be prevented (Raines, 2013). Burnout is a condition of emotional, psychological, and bodily fatigue caused by extreme and extended stress. It comes about when a person feels weighed down and incapable to meet regular demands. As the stress builds up, the levels of motivation and productivity reduce. It leads to distrust and indifference. Some of the signs of burn out I would be on the lookout for including frequent fatigue and feeling drained most of the time. This means that the person feels a lack of energy and feels emotionally and physically exhausted. Another sign is that the person has reduced concentration and higher levels of forgetfulness. This later leads to a point where your

Teenage Suicide in the Middle East Essay Example for Free

Teenage Suicide in the Middle East Essay Generally-speaking, from the data available, the teen suicide rate in the Middle East is tremendously low – lower in this region than anywhere in the entire world. Part of this, however, may be due to underreporting. Few nations in the Middle East have actually submitted data to WHO as far as suicide rates are concerned, and those that have are characterized by incredibly low rates. Egypt’s last report to WHO was in 1987: a 0.0 youth suicide rate (15 to 24 year olds), statistically-speaking, with only 3 total suicides (1 male, 2 females). Iran’s last report to WHO came in 1991: a 0.3 youth suicide rate with only 34 total deaths (25 males, 9 females). Jordan reported to WHO in 1979: a 0.0 youth suicide rate, zero total suicides for those between 15 and 24 years old for that entire year. Kuwait’s report is the most recent, as it came to WHO in 2001: a 0.6 youth suicide rate, with 2 total deaths (both males). It’s so intriguing compared to the rest of the globe. If the data that has been submitted is accurate and holds true across the region, it actually wouldn’t be that surprising. The Middle East is one of those difficult-to- decipher regions as far as East or West is concerned. As far as its leaders are concerned, it seems to prefer neither, or at least somewhere in between. Going back to Durkheim, this would be considered a moderate region. Its social integration and regulation are both moderate. Again, as Durkheim said, this would mean low suicide rates; the theory seems to be fit. However, what about the center the Middle East is becoming for radicalism in recent years? It has become a base for religious fundamentalism, led by terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and Hamas. These groups use violence to get their points across and it is beginning to catch the eyes’ of the region’s young people. The terrorists know that teenagers are easiest to recruit – they don’t fully have their lives planned out and many of them become attracted to doing something for a greater cause. These teenagers have grown up learning about violence and how it can be glorified. They have been taught by radicals that being part of a suicide bombing is a noble deed that will gain them everlasting life and the adorned title of ‘martyr.’ The textbooks that children currently use in Afghanistan are filled with violence. The books are â€Å"lavishly illustrated with bombs, landmines, guns, and soldiers and filled with [†¦] jihad and other milita nt Islamic teachings† (Sluzki 3). How ironic it is that these books were given to Afghan schools from the United States, in an attempt to increase children’s interest in waging war against the Soviet Union. Now children read these books and become interested in fighting the United States after hearing the repeated call, often propaganda, from nearby terrorist groups. This is just one example of how â€Å"seeds of violence† as Sluzki put it are being instilled in children’s minds (Sluzki 3). For more instances of violence being portrayed to youth, one need not look further than Palestine. Journalist Kenneth Timmerman wrote a disturbing article about the Palestinian Authority under Yasser Arafat. It was producing music videos, meant to appeal to children and teens, that encouraged the young to become martyrs and kill Israelis. The videos were made out of popular music and aired continuously on television. In one video in particular, a young boy is shown on his way to commit a suicide bombing. He says his goodbyes and sings, â€Å"Mother, do not cry for me.† That very line has appeared in at least three actual suicide notes between May 2001 and December 2002 – those who wrote the notes were between the ages of 14 and 17. This makes it clear that the videos were having an effect on teens. The worst part about the videos is that they glorify the act, make it seem painless, and in every way make it positive, an achievement, a holy and honorable act for the Palestinian people. (Timmerman 35) Another article sheds further light on violence and children in Palestine. According to Eyad Serraj, a psychologist in Gaza, many older children and teenagers view martyrdom in a positive light. Serraj says â€Å"that a poll conducted in the summer of 2003 showed that 36% of 12-year-old boys questioned in Gaza said they believed sacrificing themselves for the Palestinian cause was the best thing they could do with their lives† (Blanche 24). Serraj is not surprised by the find: In their minds, the only model of power and glory is the martyr. Palestinian society glorifies the martyr. They are elevated to the level of saints. In the hopeless and inhuman environment in which they live there is the promise that they will have a better life in heaven †¦ There’s a very big pool of potential martyrs. They’re queuing up, and that happens because hope is diminishing. (Blanche 24) To be fair, not all Middle Easterners are in favor of this trend – using children and teenagers as suicide bombers. Even in Palestine, where the act is being most promoted, it is hearing stern criticism from some. An article elaborates on an incident in March 2004 in which a teen, who was about to commit a suicide bombing, was caught before the act. It has stirred a lot of concern and emotion in Palestine. The 16-year old surrendered at an Israeli checkpoint and was held briefly by Israeli forces. A day later, his mother Tamam Abdo issued a statement: â€Å"No one the age of my son should be used to commit such acts [†¦] Maybe if he was 20, perhaps I could understand. At that age, they know what they are doing.† She said he was nothing more than a misguided teenager. Following the incident, several other Palestinians were interviewed and voiced their anger about the young being used as suicide bombers. Mohammed Zeidal, a college student, said that â€Å"to use someone his age is very, very wrong.† Bassem Eid, head of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, went on the record saying, â€Å"It is really shameful for the Palestinian reputation [†¦] to misuse our children and push them to their death.† This is not to say that all are opposed to such acts – as mentioned earlier, there is support for youth suicide bombings in Palestine –, but it should also be clear that there is some resistance to them as well. (â€Å"Teenagers in Suicide Bombings†) This information about terrorism and suicide bombings is not at all meant to overshadow the earlier data, but it is certainly pertinent in a discussion about teen suicide in the Middle East. Again, it must be reiterated that teen suicide rates are indeed among the lowest in the Middle East of any region in the world – at least according to the data that is available (it is scare for the region). The region serves as a living testament to Durkheim’s theory; it fully supports his belief that more moderately structured societies will have lower suicide rates. Teenage Suicide in East Asia Japan It is not uncommon for Americans to think of Japan as a whole different world. After all, it is on the other side of the globe. The similarities though are striking, thanks to the impact of the Western world. After much resistance, Japan finally opened its nation up for trade with the West in the 1850’s, falling to pressure from the United States. Ever since, Japan has adapted to Western life in many forms. It has seen that for it to compete on the global scale it has little choice but to make changes to its traditional way of life. In the 20th century, Japan blossomed with technological advances and finally put itself on the map. It took up competition with the United States and countries in Europe. This history may not seem relevant, but it is important to understanding the development of teenage suicide in Japan. Ever since being exposed to the West, Japan has felt extreme pressures from the outside world. These pressures have forced its people to fight in an ongoing struggle to be competitive. However, they have also done harm to its people. Japanese teenagers especially grow up being reminded of this need to be the best that they can. Sometimes it can be too much to bare. So why not suicide? Everything can end in one instant. The teen suicide rate in Japan has fluctuated considerably over the course of the last 35 years. According to WHO, the Japanese suicide rate in 1970 for 15 to 19 year olds was 7.8 per 100,000. By 1991, WHO reports that the suicide rate for the very same age group had been cut in half to just 3.8. A 1994 study by Zinn, et al, also alluded to a dropping rate, stating that â€Å"suicide is no longer an honorable act† in Japan (7-11). It adds that â€Å"teenagers (10-19 year olds) made up just over 2% of suicides† in Japan in 1992. However, the most recent reports point to Japan’s suicide rate being on the rise, and that includes teenagers. A BBC News article published in 1999 discounts Zinn’s earlier statement, explaining Japan’s increase in suicides in the mid-to-late 1990’s as a result of its â€Å"deeply ingrained culture that regards suicide as an honourable way to atone for failure and express remorse† (â€Å"World: Asia-Pacific Japan on suicide alert†). The article mentions that from 1997 to 1998 â€Å"junior high school student suicides increased by 40 to 102. At high schools, 220 students took their own lives in 1998, an increase of 51.† Japan’s most recent report to WHO in the year 2000 further supports an increase. The youth suicide rate was reported to have jumped to 11.5, higher than the United States rate of 10.2 for that year. While the most recent data encompasses 19-24 year olds in addition to those 15-19, the increase has been consistent with the rise in other industrialized nations. One particular article of interest, as to explicate possible motives for teen suicide, is â€Å"Bullied to Death in Japan† by Lauren Freedman. The article takes a look at the pressures of teenage boys growing up in Japan in the early to mid 1990’s (recent statistics make it probable that these pressures still hold true today). Bullying is the central focus, something that has become a huge problem in the nation, strikingly similar to what bullying has become in the United States. â€Å"Bullying is an old and widespread problem in Japan,† Freedman writes. Katsuyuki Ogawa, a psychologist in Tokyo, went so far as to say just about everyone will undergo the experience of being bullied. According to Freedman, and many Japanese experts who she refers to in her article, society is to blame. Professor Yaichi Wakai put it very bluntly: â€Å"Japan is a competitive society, and bullying is one distorted phenomenon of that severe competition.† (Freedman 25) Taking this into account and looking again at the history explained earlier, hearing that bullying occurs in Japan is not much of a surprise. The fact that it results in suicide isn’t that shocking either when everything is taken into consideration. So Japan, in fact, isn’t a whole different world. Many Japanese parents are forced to bury their teenagers just as in the United States. Although on the other side of the globe, Japanese instances of teen suicide actually mirror that of America in the ways discussed. China Hong Kong China is immensely different than nearby Japan. It isn’t considered a Western nation. Instead, it is deeply rooted in a tradition and history of its own, which of course has included thinkers like Confucius. It strives for excellence and works together as a people. It has continued along these lines into the new millennium and is widely known for its communist government. In such a place, where the individual isn’t strived for, but rather the collective whole, some may initially think suicide does not exist. But this thinking would be absurd. It is absolutely true that, based on the data available, teenage suicide doesn’t occur in rates as high in China as it does in Western nations, but teenage suicide in China does occur. One of the problems to investigating it is simple: it has not been well documented. The fact that it doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem may attribute to the lack of documentation. It seems that teen suicide in China is sporadic and the cases almost very isolated from each other. In China’s 1999 report to WHO, the nation reported a low 6.9 youth suicide rate – 5.4 for males and 8.6 for females. This comprised 1,541 total deaths in that year, 626 males and 915 females. This is the first occurrence of the female rate being higher, possibly suggesting that the high male rate may be associated with Western nations. The reason for the high female rate in China has not been explained, but it could be due to the fact that males are seen so much more important in Chinese socie ty. The â€Å"one-child† rule in China forces parents to give up their daughters, as they usually want sons. Perhaps, and it is only a theory, many of these girls grow up contemplating suicide and ultimately commit the act. If there was more data available, better sense could be made of these figures. In an article about Chinese suicide ideation, the lack of information is mentioned. â€Å"We could find only one study specifically assessing suicide ideation in a community sample of Chinese young people,† it said. That study, conducted in 1996 by men named Zhang and Jin, compared suicidal thoughts between college students in the United States and China. It found that the idea of suicide between cultures differed in many ways, with religiosity ending up the only definitive reason that both cultures would take suicide into consideration. (Stewart 227-240) This leads to the Hong Kong study, which was published in the article mentioned above. Interesting about Hong Kong is that it has been much more wrapped in Western culture than nearby China. After all, it had been ruled by the British for over a century. Once it began adopting Western ideals, teenage suicide occurred more frequently in Hong Kong. Again, the highest rates of suicide have long been associated with the Western way of life. However, as the study points out, it didn’t experience teen suicides rates quite as high as elsewhere. A probable reason for this is that it held onto at least some of its Asian roots, heavily based on Chinese culture. This makes Hong Kong quite a unique and interesting place when we look at suicide among teenagers. Here is a place that is being tugged by both Western culture and its traditional Eastern culture at the same time. Both influences have remained prevalent, at least to some extent. Even more interesting then – what if we took a look at teenagers in Hong Kong who were born in China, and had emigrated? This is precisely what the â€Å"Suicide Ideation† study addressed. The study took a look at 996 Chinese adolescents living in Hong Kong: 500 male and 496 female. They were asked to complete a survey in school and then conclusions were drawn. A significant difference from the majority of suicides in Western nations was uncovered. It was found that those who were considering suicide were doing so not because of reasons like peer pressure or the media. Instead, and overwhelmingly, the Chinese teenagers said they were doing it because of pressure from their parents. This remained consistent between both males and females too. (Stewart 227-240) Although there are many differences between Japan and China, similar to the former, China strives for excellence among its people. A major difference is Japan does it for the good of the individual where in China i t occurs for the good of society as a whole. Nevertheless, this work ethic, deeply rooted in East Asian tradition, is once again creating pressures. But instead of blaming specific, isolated individuals (as in bullying) for their suicidal thoughts, these Chinese students are pointing to the closest collective item they know and constantly come into contact with – their parents. Their parents, mother and father, are pressuring them to do the best they can for society. They hear it over and over from them. They are not attributing the suicidal thoughts to peers or pressures to be â€Å"cool† for instance, but instead to their elders who they are told to follow in every respect. The difference in their state of mind is significant. (Stewart 227-240) Still, as proven by this study, the thoughts do exist, even among Chinese teenagers – that thought of putting an end to one’s life. Perhaps because they have that support group, that collective society, and are not being singled out by others, is why their actual rates of suicide are low. The thoughts exist among Chinese teens, but it seems fewer actually go t hrough with the action.