Nature of Probability and Statistics Essay

Descriptive statistics consists of the collection, organization, summarization, and presentation of data. Inferential statistics consists of generalizing from samples to populations, performing estimations hypothesis testing, determining relationships among variables, and making predictions. (Probability, Hypothesis testing, relationships between variables, predictions) Probability is the chance of an event occurring. A population consists of all subjects that are being studied. A sample is a group of subjects selected from a population. Variables and Types of Data In order to gain knowledge about seemingly haphazard events, statisticians collect information for variables that describe the events. A variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assume different values. Data are the values that variables can assume. A data set is a collection of data values. Each value in the data set is called a data value or a datum. Random variables have values that are determined by chance. 1 M227 Chapter 1 Nature of Probability and Statistics Qualitative variables can be placed into distinct categories according to some characteristic or attribute. Quantitative variables are numerical in nature and can be ordered or ranked. Quantitative variables can be further classified into two groups. o Discrete variables assume values that can be counted. o Continuous variables can assume all values between any two specific values. (Discuss boundaries: ex. recorded height of 73 has boundary of 72. 5 ? x < 73. 5 ) Levels of Measurement: Variables are classified by how are organized, counted, or measured: Nominal—classifies data into mutually exclusive (nonoverlapping), exhausting categories in which no order or ranking can be imposed on the data. Ordinal—classifies data into categories that can be ranked; however, precise differences between the ranks do not exist. Interval—ranks data, and precise differences between units of measure do exist; however, there is no meaningful zero. Ratio—possesses all the characteristics of interval measurement, and there exists a true zero. Data Collection and Sampling Techniques Surveys are the most common method of collecting data. Three methods of surveying are: o Telephone surveys o Mailed questionnaire surveys o Personal interviews Direct Observations or surveying records Methods to obtain unbiased samples: o Random samples are selected using chance methods or random methods. o Systematic samples are obtained by numbering each subject of the population and then selecting every kth number. o Stratified samples are obtained by dividing the population into groups according to some characteristic that is important to the study, then sampling from each group. Cluster samples are obtained by using intact groups called clusters. Two main ways to classify statistical studies: In an observational study, the researcher merely observes what is happening or what has happened in the past and tries to draw conclusions based on these observations. In an experimental study, the researcher manipulates one of the variables and tries to determine how the manipulation influ ences other variables. 2 M227 Chapter 1 Nature of Probability and Statistics Statistical studies usually include one or more independent variables and one dependent variable. The independent variable in an axperimental study is the one that is being manipulated by the researcher. The independent variable is also called the explanatory variable. The rsultant variable is called the dependent variable or the random outcome. Uses and Misuses of Statistics Detached statistics Implied connections Misleading graphs Faulty survey questions Computers and Calculators In the past, statistical calculations were done with pencil and paper. However, with the advent of calculators, numerical computations became easier. Excel, MINITAB, and the TI-83 graphing calculator can be used to perform statistical computations.

The Concept of Administration and Organization

THE CONCEPT OF ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION A: WHAT IS ADMINISTRATION First definition: â€Å"Administration can be defined as the activities of groups cooperating to accomplish common goals†. There are particular key elements of administration. Cooperative: the word cooperative is the first key element in this definition. Human activity is cooperative if it has the effects that would be absent if the cooperation did not take place. * Group Activity: Administration includes activities of more than one individual. * The term ‘cooperative’ is defined in terms of the results of the human activity.When two men together roll a stone which neither of them could roll alone they are cooperating. * Thus the essence of administration is the utilization of cooperative action for the accomplishment of common goals. * Common goal: the second key element of the above definition is the goal or purpose. * It is the common goal which encourages members to come together. Coopera tion among members is possible when they share a common goal. The idea of goal is central to the concept of administration in the sense that if there was not a goal, the members of the group would not come together and cooperate with each other. Without the formulation of an objective or goal, no one within the group would know what to do and they would not get involved in any activity. * When someone determines the objective and the group is formed, than the group members will start to think about what they can do for the accomplishment of that objective. * Second Definition: In another definition, administration is defined as â€Å"an activity or process mainly concerned with the means for carrying out prescribed ends†. * Here, again in this definition the accomplishment of a specific goal is an important element of the administration. This definition indicates that administration is mainly concerned with the means that are necessary for the accomplishment of pre-determined goals. * It seems that a new element is introduced, that is the concept of means. Means: The means are the ways by which something is done or obtained * A division of labor is necessary among the members of the group to accomplish a common goal. * There is also a need for an authority structure to control and coordinate the activities of the individuals involved. ** Division of labor and authority structure are means (among others) for carrying out prescribed ends. Cooperation and any other method is also a means used in the administration. * Any new definition of administration may introduce some other elements or concepts but in essence they would be concerned with cooperative activity in the accomplishment of desired goals. Third definition: According to Waldo, for example, â€Å"Administration is a type of cooperative human effort that has a huge degree of rationality†. * Any new definition of administration may introduce some other elements or concepts but in essence th ey would be concerned with cooperative activity in the accomplishment of desired goals.Third definition: According to Waldo, for example, â€Å"Administration is a type of cooperative human effort that has a huge degree of rationality†. * Here, ‘rational action’ is introduced as a new element of administration but still cooperation is accepted as a necessary element of administration. * In Waldo’s definition, rational action is defined as actions correctly calculated to realize the given desired goals with minimum loss to the realization of other desired goals. B: What is Organization? ) Amitai Etzioni defines organization as â€Å"social units (or human groupings) deliberately constructed and reconstructed to seek specific goals’. This definition implies that the basic elements of organizations are individuals. Thus the first key element of organization refers to the grouping of individuals. * The second element of organization is that they are in tentionally constructed for accomplishing specific objectives. * The third element is the concept of goals. Organizations are established for the accomplishment of certain goals.

India: A Socialist, Secular and Democratic Country Essay

SOCIALIST The word socialist was added to the Preamble by the 42nd amendment act of 1976, during the Emergency. It implies social and economic equality. Social equality in this context means the absence of discrimination on the grounds only of caste, colour, creed, sex, religion, or language. Under social equality, everyone has equal status and opportunities. Economic equality in this context means that the government will endeavor to make the distribution of wealth more equal and provide a decent standard of living for all. This is in effect emphasizing a commitment towards the formation of a welfare state. India has adopted a mixed economy and the government has framed many laws to achieve the aim. SECULAR The word secular was inserted into the Preamble by the 42nd amendment act of 1976, during the Emergency. It implies equality of all religions and religious tolerance. India, therefore does not have an official state religion. Every person has the right to preach, practice and propagate any religion they choose. The government must not favour or discriminate against any religion. It must treat all religions with equal respect. All citizens, irrespective of their religious beliefs are equal in the eyes of law. No religious instruction is imparted in government or government-aided schools. Nevertheless, general information about all established world religions is imparted as part of the course in Sociology, without giving any importance to any one religion or the others. The content presents the basic/fundamental information with regards to the fundamental beliefs, social values and main practices and fesitivals of each established world religions. The Supreme Court in S.R Bommai v. Union of India held that secularism was an integral part of the basic structure of the constitution. DEMOCRATIC India is a democracy. The people of India elect their governments at all levels (Union, State and local) by a system of universal adult franchise; popularly known as ‘One man.

Fire Safety Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fire Safety Project - Essay Example Every building should have minimum requirements of fire protection measures which help the occupants in a timely escape in the event of fire. The building should have both active and passive fire protection in place to ensure safety. This includes alarms, fire detection and safe escape strategies. Placing fire alarms and fire detections are the minimum requirements for any premises. The premises should have better and sophisticated system in place which will help in performing the following functions such as- Provision of fire alarm detectors can help in providing early warning for the building occupants. Fire alarm detectors help in increasing the occupant’s response time. The warning system helps in making the right decision for the occupants to evacuate or hold position in the building. The provision for fire alarm detectors is an additional fire safety and it depends upon the level of management and the number of occupants in the building. Voice alarm will help increase the speed of the response even if the occupants are not familiar with the building layout. (Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings,2008) It is essential that the fire procedures take priority in the event of fire. Trained staffs should be available to be able to guide the occupants to a safe area. The escape flights should be constructed of materials which have limited combustibility. The escape stair should be broad enough to accommodate and have the capacity to a fit large number of people during an emergency evacuation. The fire safety procedure should also have a preferred method of evacuation for disabled people by horizontal evacuation. Provision of sprinklers is also recommended for hotel buildings. In the event of a fire, all the provisions and procedures are implemented to help in taking corrective course of

Fundamental Principles of Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fundamental Principles of Accounting - Essay Example Principles of accounting dictate that for losses to be incurred, institutions do not meet the breakeven point. The breakeven point ensures a company to pay all the bills while ensuring the business continues running (Wagner & Dittmar, 2006). Financial analysis is also important in the scenario presented by the two cases. Forecasting is clear in the two cases and both companies had a strategy placed on the set objectives. Agents of accounting such as profits, losses, liabilities, expenditure, and other financial statements come in handy in ensuring the success of the set objectives. The ability to access the stability, viability, and the profitability of a company is evident in both cases. The role of decision making in financial assessment is also evident in both cases. This is because it dictates the continuity or discontinuity of the operational department of a business. The cases display proper ability to make purchases of given materials while providing consumers with products. In the long run, the company benefits from the profits, solvency, stability and liquidity of assets (Wagner & Dittmar,

Alternative medical practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alternative medical practice - Essay Example The term has been in vogue since the last decade of last century and since then it has been gaining momentum in different patterns (Ockler, 2007). The overall concept has been to familiarize the concept to the masses, familiarize them to the benefits of overall project and provide them with potential guidelines how they may benefit from the entire idea and concept. The documentary explains number of experiences by the people and their approach and acceptability towards the new trend. The documentary focuses on number of people who has had a history of different kinds of problems in form of allergies and other problems. To the alternative fix pattern, the remedy to the allergy is found and suggested in form of bee pollens which can provide a possible solution to the allergies. The video/ documentary focus on the observation, and experience of the senator Tom Harkin who shares his experience and overall views about the entire idea and tells about the positive impacts of alternative fix against all the heavy dose schemes and medicines which are conventionally and other wise taken up by the patients in cases of allergies and other skin and health related issues. All these measures led to the exploration and development of N.C.C.A.M and over period of time it has gained massive support from all over along with the funds being donated in abundance from all corners. The entire budget stands at over a hundred billion dollars, which is invested into multiple projects such as further research, medical treatments, scientific research and various other alternatives and options which may be useful in helping the people in one way or other and in a more affordable and cheaper way. With less than 15 years under its belt (Peterson & Arcangelo, 2006)), the overall idea and project is going at a highly effective rate and has provided dividends in many forms. It is being estimated that around 20 percent of the hospitals in the

Machiavelli's Understanding of Virtue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Machiavelli's Understanding of Virtue - Essay Example In his work The Prince, Machiavelli suggests that he has authored something of practical value for anyone who understands it, and it will appear that he strives for practical utility rather than abstract or religious notions of goodness or virtue.3 Although tradition and religion equated effective rule by a ruler with upright behaviour and virtue, requiring a ruler to be a good Christian, Machiavelli goes forth to suggest boldly that any ruler who took such advice was staring at ruin. In Machiavelli’s opinion, it is far more important for any ruler to save the state than to worry about vices. Thus, according to Machiavelli, a ruler or a prince should only appear to possess conventional virtues such as liberality, mercy, trustworthiness, and piety.4 Machiavelli states that it is likely that the people will take for granted generosity in a ruler and then proceed to demand generosity. Thus, it is best to avoid generosity because this virtue is likely to force a ruler to burden th e people with taxes to make the ruler unpopular.5 Machiavelli argues against the bad use of mercy by a ruler because it is impossible to keep a people united and prepared for action towards progress without a fear of the ruler.6 In Machiavelli’s opinion, it does not make sense for a wise ruler to keep his word if the consequences of this were to cause the ruler harm because all men are wicked and self-interested creatures who do similarly.7 Thus, Machiavelli argues only for appearances of virtues in a ruler because such appearances serve best, but in reality, a ruler must do that which benefits the ruler most.8 In all his arguments presented in his work The Prince, Machiavelli maintains a focus on the growth of the state, with a ruler or prince having a need for recognising that states grow, or they may end. Thus, although Machiavelli does not dismiss Christian virtues, recognising their appeal and prestige, he urges the ruler to adopt a proper use of traditional virtues. Acc ording to Machiavelli, if times are peaceful and all men virtuous, a ruler can afford the luxury of moral practice, but a ruler should be prepared to cultivate an appearance of virtue while exercising its opposite to ensure that the state will remain secure. Machiavelli maintains in The Prince his stance that a prince or a ruler, especially a new ruler, cannot maintain all things good and virtuous because of a need for maintaining the state by acting against faith, charity, humanity and religion when the situation demands this.9 Thus, it will appear that according to Machiavelli, practical utility and success are far more important than any loyalty to notions of virtue or good. In his work The Prince, Machiavelli observes that the remarkable deeds of Hannibal, involving a tortuous logistical movement of men and elephants over tall and virtually impassable mountains, was cruel but practically necessary for success, and this is what he expects from his prince.10 Machiavelli’

Stress Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stress - Lab Report Example Various risk factors are found to be associated with the job-related stress which may act independently or in amalgamation, including (Risk factors for work-related stress, n.d.)- A. Work Demands- As every individual possesses a limited capacity for work, exceeding these confines may generate job-related stress such as time pressure, getting insufficient time to accomplish tough tasks, greater mental tasks necessitating decision-making or requiring concentration. Monotonous work may generate stress due to unutilized skills or work that demands overtime or taking work home or erratic shift rosters disturbing personal life. B. Low levels of control- Poor control over the situation, lack of autonomy, needless inspection and burdened responsibilities with diminutive authority may generate stress. In some cases individual is also responsible for inadequately managing the work or not accomplishing the task on time due to poor control over the work may generate stress. C. Poor support from supervisors and co-workers- In certain cases the workers may not feel adequate transparency to talk to the supervisors regarding the work issues or the administration is unable to fix the issue may generate stress at work place. ... E. Poorly managed relationships- Co-workers may act as a support or a source of stress. Positive and negative relationship may generate conflict which could serve as an momentum or drive for betterment or it may generate strain. F. Low level of recognition and reward- Appreciation is a way of communication which is an expected of every person who is performing a task, this generates stimulus for diligence. On the contrary, no recognition of the work generates stress and frustration. G. Poorly managed change- Work condition may alter; poor management of uncertainties may generate stress. H. Organizational Justice- Evenhandedness is highly desirable in the organization, this not only generates healthy working environment but also protect the precipitation of stress in individuals. Organizational biases, bullying and harassment may culminate into generation of stress. To promote growth and development of the organization it is essential that both employee and employer work in co-ordinat ion to minimize stress at work-place. The employee must take the responsibility to be physically and mentally well, should avoid snags and negative approaches and by establishing better communication with the management and co-workers (Stress at work: Tips to Reduce and Mange Job and Workplace Stress, n.d.). The employer on the other hand must provide the employees with maximum control over their jobs, maintaining clear communication about important facts, by talking about the goals of the company, customer demands, company's efforts and directives, the supervisors must be able to bring out the best in sub-ordinates, encouraging open discussions and free talks, providing the employees with the freedom to design their job in a

DuPont analysis (Apple vs Samsung ) Research Paper

DuPont analysis (Apple vs Samsung ) - Research Paper Example It is a recognized world brand that has led the process of digital migration in communication and computers. The main products produced by the firm are iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, iTunes, Mac App Store and iCloud. Apple Company primarily trades its shares in the NASDAQ while it’s also listed in other exchanges including mexico and paris. Samsung started as a small business solely owned by a Korean based business man who was mainly involved in export business. The business grew from exporting dried fish vegetables and fruits to manufacturing the products themselves. Years later the firm diversified its product line to electronics. The giant firm then expanded operations opening up branches all over the world while retaining its original brand name Samsung. The firm comprises more than 78 different companies and affiliates in its wide range of products. In the electronics sector, Samsung produces a wide variety including mobile phones, tablets, televisions and home appliances. The firm is worth being a bench mark for Apple Inc due to its experience and achievements in the market. The products of Samsung compete well with Apple products in the market thus the need to compare them. The efficiency of the firm can be measured using the DuPont analysis. DuPont analysis measures assets of their gross book value to produce a higher return on equity. The use of the gross book value is aimed at getting the actual return on equity without accounting for depreciation which artificially reduces the return on equity. Depreciation reduces the return on equity, but is not an actual activity that reduces income, but a value assumed that the asset depreciates by during the course of its usable life. To get the return on equity, the following formula is used: The firm, Apple Inc is currently not performing well when performance is measured using the DuPont identity. Apple Inc has a low return on equity compared to its competitor Samsung. Investors interested

Perceptual Maps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perceptual Maps - Essay Example During the past two decades, the aerospace sector witnessed the proliferation of no-frills airlines which provides transport services at lower cost. Currently, we see the co-existence of huge airlines catering to the upscale market by offering value-added services suited to the market with the aggressive smaller players emphasizing on no-frills product and lower prices. Thus, the perceptual map would have two axes-the vertical measuring the level of service while the horizontal one will denote the quality of service. In the first quadrant which carries players offering high quality service and product, we will put US Airways while no-frills carrier Southwest Airlines will be on the fourth quadrant. The data which will be needed to put up the perceptual map will be from various sources including press releases which highlight the marketing strategy of the industry players, the annual report of the individual carriers, industry reports from research groups, and interviews from industry experts. The documents will allow the researcher to understand the dynamics of the airline industry as well as how the competitors differentiate their offerings from the other players. However, it is also important to realize that the perception of customers about different brands is also essential in generating a correct perceptual map. Because perceptual maps ar

Quality Management Assessment Summary Essay Example for Free

Quality Management Assessment Summary Essay The health care quality management responsibilities are to evaluate care that is provided to patients and make sure that these patients receive quality health services. The quality management helps give understanding and awareness to the organization policies and goals. Having risk management in the organization helps reduce any potential of negative impacts that could be placed on any of the patients’, staff and also the organization itself. In hospitals this is a challenging and complex process which payers and participants require that health organization should engage in efforts to evaluate the validity ensure their relevance in quality. One of the basic concepts of quality management is continuous quality improvement which is forever ongoing effort to enhance improvements or process of approach. Throughout time you will use a cycle step develop with a plan by identifying what needs to be changed and establishing a plan, then you have the action of do which is putting the plan to work by implementing the new changes, the other concept is check use data to analyze results and try to see if it made a difference, lastly is act upon plan. The term is interchangeable also called continual improvement and continuous improvement. Another concept of quality management is called total quality management takes a look at overall quality, the design and development which is what the continuous quality management does. Total quality management job is to make sure that they customer expectations of service are met with high quality. Total quality management are associated with the production requirements, creation of plans, prevention of cost and training preparation of the process put in place. All the names of how they address quality management just depends on the industry which makes the name vary from one organization to the next but all means the same thing. The performance management is different because this is a continuous process of communication and clarifying one’s job responsibilities, priorities, to make sure there is mutual understanding between the supervisor and employee. A performance management encourages development and feedback also fosters teamwork among the employees, resolves performance problems, recognizes quality performance and provides decisions on promotions and pay for performance. The performance improvement is somewhat similar to performance anagement because both descriptions implementing interventions for improvements, identifying the problem, encourage employees, offers feedback about performance, educate about job expectations, and offers incentives for performance. Where I work at the hospital we use quality management and they help by reviewing policies and procedures for the organization and for each department. Monthly meetings with the quality management to make us aware of the feedback they get about the quality of service or if they are educating us on new change. Over the years the hospital sets new goals to achieve and want to eliminate poor performance, unnecessary readmissions that cause a financial burden on the organization, so the new implementation of principles will help everyone make this happen. The hospital would like to offer the patients larger role in their health, treatment and hospital experience. The long term goal is to be an anchor of health in the community that helps improves the access, quality, lower cost, and efficiency. We utilize case managers to evaluate admissions to prevent costliest episodes of care which is that unnecessary readmission; this is a short term goal which will not take long to revise. This is informing this team that they are decision makers and this requires the team to help organize what the appropriate protocol is for unnecessary readmission. Another long term goal is the communication across the board for the continuum of care should be improved and need to be building a foundation to help one another coordinate care. Short term goal the hospital needs to rely in a shared belief in evidence based medicine. If there is a protocol in place but the provider detours and does something that they know will work this is information that will need to be shared and documented, to help quality management review and could possibly make revisions in the protocol. This is a plus if we can see patients benefit from this evidence based medicine, and if it is not reported than this means everyone is doing their own thing and not sharing the information to get everyone on the same page. Past experiences impact decisions making and can be positive result because the avoidance is making same decisions as before. External and Internal influence in marketing, health quality initiatives have a huge impact on the hospital. Influence is through developing the right supportive culture, attracting and keeping the right employees to promote quality, updating an in house quality process and furnishing the right tools to their jobs. Having high quality comes from physicians, nurses, administrators and ancillary staff to give high quality care and have effective improvements in order to be successful. It is everyone job to be a team player and participate in helping the hospital achieve the goals. The right supportive culture reflects good leadership and involvement with the hospital by reporting performance indicators, improvements proofs by results, and also promoting a safe environment for everyone. If you don’t have the right support staff then the hospital will be incompliant facing many fines for violations. Developing effective in house outcomes and cost shows the quality of the hospital. This part of the hospital is trained to facilitate the problem solving process with physicians and other employees. Effective problem solving leads to evidence based on the protocols put in place to enhance efficiencies for instance reduce turnaround time in the emergency room or turn around time for test results. The negative impact of this not being successful is that it could ruin the hospital reputation; word of mouth is why majority of the patients’ come. It is very important that the staff of the hospital has the right tools to do their jobs this allows all staff to give high quality care on daily basis and will help identify problems when they do surface, being that the right tools will not be one of them. Not having the right supplies could cause some safety problems with patient care and environmental which could lead to many lawsuits. All hospitals want to improve the quality of care and patient safety because they are taking on the challenge to move forth. What distinguishes the hospital from others is that addressing the issue is not the only thing that needs to be done but back up what is implemented with concrete actions and research more deeply to identify the root causes, providing a solution and being accountable for it. The fundamental qualities which are important and implemented are data quality assessment, data quality measurements and operation data quality improvements. The data quality assessment is the information needed when treating patients and physicians have been made aware of poor data quality ffects the hospitals operation. By quantifying the gap in the value the practitioner can review and determine a cost effective and also the speed the quality improvements. For instance, when a package that was intended for someone else goes to the wrong address that increases mailing and shipping cost because of the incorrect address. Data quality measurements are the results from the data quality assessment in which the data quality analysts synthesize that information and also concentrate on the elements. This is reported with a scorecard showing units of measures and thresholds for example, with the packing going to the incorrect address this can be defined by using quality validation rules for the each address and the information can be all gathered of all incorrect addresses in the system to show why the increase cost. Operational data quality improvement is used to identify data quality rules and this is approved through data stewardship procedure. Clinical and administrators get assistance from both quality management and risk management to improve clinical practice and organization systems. Risk management and quality management collaboration will improve patient overall care, improving external compliance, shielding the hospital from all other risk. Risk management can ensure a flow of information between staff, departments to get better results on patient care also keeping in mind protecting hospital from any exposure of statutes. The unity of risk management and quality management the hospital will benefit and enhance patient safety and minimize the harm of the patient. There will be less duplication, improve communication, coordination of activities through the organizational policy.

Teleological vs deontological Essay Example for Free

Teleological vs deontological Essay The difference bewtween deontological and teleogical theories is that teleogical theories are the outcome of your actions and deontological is the actions that you perform. Teleological theories are what the consequence or outcome of what your actions do and Kant thinks that this is wrong and that we should act deontologically and act out of duty, not out of compassion. He believes that we should do something, because we have to, not out of compassion or if we think its morally wrong or right, we should just do it. Teleological theories are based on outcome. If you perform a bad act but the outcome of the act is good than it is considered to be a good act. However deontological theories are based on the act itself. Teleological theories. If you do an act that is intended to be good but actually turns out to be bad, its still considered a good act. For example, You and a friend are at school or work place or where ever you go and your friend starts to get bullied, you stick up for your friend but you end up getting into a fight with a bully. You tried to do something good but it also resulted into something bad. The idea was to get the bully to stop bullying and that was the good act; the fight was the bad act and you may get punished for the bad act but its still considered as an overall good act. The decision of punishment or whether or not it was a good act would be how much it helped or benefited the situation. It would have to be questioned of how much it helped the situation, and what was more for seen (what was intended to happen.. if the good has more reason for the bad)

Theories in Comparative Politics

Theories in Comparative Politics Michelle Elaine Mora Take Home Final Exam Section I: Identifications Necessary and Sufficient Conditions Necessary and sufficient conditions are causation conditions that became known as Mills Method.[1] Necessary and sufficient conditions are significant because they allow a scientific/cause/effect way to study politics. A necessary condition is defined as a circumstance where the absence in an event, the event cannot occur. It can also be present in the event, but the event can still not occur. For example, gas has to be present to start a car, but a car could still possibly not start if gas is present. A sufficient condition is defined as if the cause is present, the event must occur. The event could possibly still occur without the cause though. For example, if an alarm goes off in the morning, the person will wake up, put it is possible that the person will wake up regardless of the alarm clock. Necessary and sufficient condition is that the event will occur, if and only if, the cause is present. Social vs. Liberal Market Economy-Social market economy is defined as an economic system in which industry and commerce are run by private enterprise within limits set by the government to ensure equality of opportunity and social and environmental responsibility.[2] Features in a social market economy, are that it has highly coordinated business communities, strong unions, collective bargaining systems for wages, benefits and other workplace rights. A social market economy works in a large welfare state where there are extensive public precision of social welfare and employment protection. Example of a social market economies are Germany and Finland. A liberal market economy is one that is non-market based coordination; it allows for free market without government intervention. Features of a liberal market economy are it is uncoordinated, has a competitive business environment, weak union, utilizes fragment bargaining with labor and capital, and is a residual welfare state. Examples of a liberal market economy is the US and Canada.[3] Social and liberal economies are important because they provide two different ways to approach economy. Dictators Dilemma The dictator’s dilemma is defined as an authoritarian’s ruler’s repression on its citizens creates fear, which then breeds uncertainty about how such support the ruler has. In response, the rulers spend more resources than is ration to co-opt the opposition. The greater the repression, the greater the dilemma.[4] The dictator spends multiple resources on areas where they feel may have some sort of threat to the regime. An example of the dictator’s dilemma is in African authoritarian regimes in the 1960s and 70s, certain areas were lavished with infrastructure for the dictator to gain support. The dictators dilemma is significant because it explains how dictators never truly know how much support they have and helps understand how dictators try and gain/keep support for themselves to remain dictators. Cap and Trade System-The cap and trade systems, which is an incentive based system, is defined as a market based pollution control system in which the government sets an overall limit on how much pollution is acceptable and issues vouchers to pollute, to each company. Then each company is free to trade their vouchers.[5] For example, if one company faces high costs to reduce their pollution levels they can buy more pollution vouchers from other companies that are able to have low pollution levels at a low cost. Critique of the cap and trade system is that there will be a high level of pollution at certain sources. For example, if a company has high pollution vouchers and are located up river, the down river will have a high concentration of pollution. The cap and trade system is significant because it is one of the most successful incentive systems and it keeps pollution low. Four Types of Welfare Policy There are four types of welfare policy: means-testing, universal entitlements, social insurance, and tax expenditures. Means testing is when someone receives assistance because they have fallen below a certain income line. Means testing policy is funded through general taxation. Many know means testing as â€Å"welfare.† Examples of means testing in the US are SNAP and TANF. Universal entitlements benefits that all citizens receive equally. Universal entitlements are funded through general taxation, as everyone benefits from the policy. An example of universal entitlements in the US is education. As education level goes up, poverty goes down, benefiting every tax payer. Social insurance provides benefits to categories of people who have contributed to the public insurance fund. Examples of public insurance are social security, unemployment insurance, and disability. What people pay in, they get out. Tax expenditures are when the government gives th e citizen a tax break and does not collect taxes for a specific reason. Tax breaks are not paid for by direct government spending, rather by not receiving that money at all. It allows for a citizen to have more disposable income. An example of tax expenditures in the US is the earned income tax credit which aims to lower poverty. [6] Welfare policy is significant because it helps the general welfare of the state. Section II: Essays Essay 1- Comparative politics is defined as the study and comparison of domestic politics across countries.[7] Politics is defined as the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group.[8] How we study politics has changed over the years and dramatic changes have occurred within the last fifty years alone. Greek philosopher Aristotle is seen as the first person to study politics as a science, but is politics really a science? In the beginning years, scholars who would study politics and government would study it in the same way as philosophy. Scholars mainly focused on describing the government rather than comparing, making generalizations, or offering solutions to problems within politics. This began to change with Aristotle began to research government. Aristotle began to compare research on existing political systems; he compared one hundred fifty-eight Greek city-states and determined the ideal political system. This was an empirical approach that could be verified and retested, making this the first scientific approach to politics.[9] It wasn’t until Nicolli Machiavelli that that the modern day scientific approach to political research began, 1,800 years after Aristotle’s research. Machiavelli’s approach wished to research different political systems of modern day governments but also to compare them to those of the past. Machiavelli then made generalizations about success and fa ilures of different political systems. Machiavelli work then offered solutions to predecessor’s mistakes. Machiavelli’s work was also empirical.[10] Even though Machiavelli is known as the first modern political scientist it wasn’t until the behavioral revolution in 1950-1960’s that scholars began to create theories and generalizations that could help explain and even predict political activity.[11] Throughout history the way politics is studied has changed dramatically, but is studying politics in a scientific way possible? Is it really science? Simply stated, yes, politics can be studied as a science. One can create a hypothesis, come to conclusions through qualitative or quantitative research, have independent and dependent variables, and make recommendations based on research all by using the same scientific method used in hard sciences such as biology and chemistry. An example of research using the scientific method is â€Å"The Correlates of Nuclear Proliferation: A Quantitative Test,† by Sonali Singh and Christopher R. Way. Researchers Singh and Way’s hypothesis is that there are three different stages on the path to weaponization of nuclear weapons technology. They then created dependent and independent variables (democracy and democratization economic interdependence and liberalization, statues inconsistency/symbolic motivations). The authors then did quantitative testing with statistical methods and came to the conclusion that nuclear weapons proliferation is strongly associated with the level of econo mic development, the external threat environment, lack of great power security guarantees, an low level of integration in the world economy.[12] Through this example, one can see how the scientific method can be applied to political/ comparative research as well. There are some disadvantages to doing political research as a science. For example, it is possible that there is selection bias, there are limited numbers of cases, unable to control variables, unable to make cause/effect relationship, and access to cases is limited. Even though there are disadvantages to studying politics as a science, the advantages of being able to draw conclusions and make recommendations on policy, government systems, etc, it is the most appropriate way to study politics and comparative politics. Essay 2- One of the greatest policy challenges facing is post-colonial states is political sovereignty. Globalization, as it is a form of imperialism, makes this problem harder to solve because of its history within these countries and there current presence or non-presence in some. Globalization is defined as a process whereby extensive and intensive webs of relationships connect people across time and space. In countries such as those in Latin America who lived under Spain when they were colonized then soon after gaining independence were imperialized by the united states have struggled to maintain a democracy and maintain political sovereignty without third world countries trying to step in and create their own forms of government or play big brother to these countries, ultimately leaving them worse off than they were before. Some challenges that these countries face in globalization in post colonialism include such things as setting up their own democracy, creating their own economy, and attempting to prosper in a fast growing third world. They also had conflicts over nation, ethnicity, religion, gender, and equality. The biggest challenge is how these countries keep their political sovereignty without letting globalization affect them. [1] W. R. Clark, M. Golder, and S. N. Golder, Principles of  Comparative Politics.CQ Press, (Washington D.C, 2009), 21. [2] [3] C. A. Drogus, and S. Orvis, Introducing Comparative Politics: Concepts and Cases in  Context, CQ Press, (Washington, DC, 2012) [4] C. A. Drogus, and S. Orvis, Introducing Comparative Politics: Concepts and Cases in  Context, CQ Press, (Washington, DC, 2012) , 373. [5] 583 [6] 543-545 [7] F. H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, W. W. Norton and Company, (New York, 2010), 2. [8]F. H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, W. W. Norton and Company, (New York, 2010), 3. [9] F. H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, W. W. Norton and Company, (New York, 2010), 7-8. [10] F. H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, W. W. Norton and Company, (New York, 2010), 8. [11] F. H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, W. W. Norton and Company, (New York, 2010), 9. [12] Sonali Singh and Christopher Way, The Correlates of Nuclear Proliferation: A Quantitative Test, Dec, 2004, Accessed, May 1, 2014,

The Existence of Evil :: Philosophy Religion Ethics Essays

The Existence of Evil Six years ago a little girl from my church approached me and asked why the devil existed, and why bad things happen. At the moment I was a little perplexed and did not know what to say. All that came to my mind was that humankind needed a scapegoat to blame for the occurrence of unfavorable incidents. Blaming adverse conditions on the devil is the easy and obvious way out of any situation. All one has to do is to say that the devil was the cause of the situation and wash his hands of the entire problem. At twelve years old, I thought that humanity used the devil as a way to elude responsibility and to ignore the consequences of its actions. It was not until last year that I realized the answer to the little girl's question about the existence of evil. In English class last year I read Arthur Miller's play The Crucible as required reading. According to my English teacher, one theme of The Crucible was that having evil in the world is necessary to balance out the goodness. If either entity overpowered the other, they would throw off the entire balance. Beside maintaining balance, evilness helps humanity to appreciate the goodness in the world. Without ugliness, a person cannot enjoy beauty. Without misfortune, a person cannot enjoy fortune. And without evilness, a person cannot enjoy goodness. No one could enjoy goodness in the world, because there would be nothing to compare with it. Concerning religion, if there was no devil in the world to make humanity miserable, then it would not look forward to heaven. There would be no difference between the two, so humankind would not have to question its actions because there would not be any consequences such as heaven or hell. Imagine a world where everything is perfect, and there is no suffering. Natural laws are bent at the hint of harm to humanity. If a plane carrying passengers starts to plummet, gravity ceases and the plane floats down to earth like a feather. Or if a gun is shot at a person, the bullet turns into a marshmallow so it will not harm anyone. In that world there is no pain nor suffering, just existence. The people do not have to adapt to their environment, because the environment adapts to them. I find this version of life frightening, because the people would take everything for granted.

With Life Comes Problems :: psu

With Life Comes Problems 1 In today's world there is nobody who can honestly say that they have absolutely no problems or worries in their life. Everyone has something to deal with and things to get over in their life--that's why it's called life. As long as you're alive, you will constantly have to battle the burdens of life that all people encounter. Some are destroyed by the harships [Hostage 50] and others overcome them. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" she gives a glimpse at the life of one woman who, for a brief time, felt she would have no more problems, but then is shocked in to [into] death by realizing that her problems were not yet gone. The theme of the story is that you are never really free from the troubles of life until you are dead. 2 The conflicts in the story are ones that we all encounter and deal with until the day we die. In the story there is conflict between Louise (woman) and her husband (man). It said that sometimes she loved her husband, but often she did not (par. 14). This says to me that they did not have a good relationship together, and and were probably constantly battling. [Evidence from the story?] Another conflict would be Mrs. Mallard's life vs. Mr. Mallard's death. [?] Because of Mr. Mallard's suppossed [Hostage 50] death, Louise would now live her life happier and for herself (par. 13). Then, when Mr. Mallard came home, Louise was faced with the conflict of choosing between the freedom she would have had or the repression she would now suffer, from her husband, for the rest of her life if she would stay alive. At the end she, in a way, chooses death over repression. The only true way for her to be free was to die. 3 The symbols in "The Story of an Hour" give a look at the good life and rebirth Louise would have had if Mr. Mallard would have actually been dead. The actual word "mallard" refer to a wild duck. [SV -1] The meaning of "duck," other than the animal, is to avoid a blow. Mrs. Mallard was constantly ducking wildly from her husband's blows, whether mental or physical. [Evidence?] The calm after her storm of grief (par.

Free Catch-22 Essays: The Glory of War Disputed :: Catch-22

The Glory of War Disputed in Catch-22 To some people, war is a glorious event. The romanticized perspective that society bases war on is reversed in the book Catch-22. The Vietnam War established the book as an anti-war classic because of the war's paradoxical nature. Heller perceives war as a no win situation. The book elaborates on the sane and the insane ways of the nation. The question is who is to determine the insane? It all comes back to the paradox that 'Catch-22' delivers. The trauma this book illustrates threatens the government's ideal of peace. Heller's Catch-22 is a satire on the murderous insanity of war. The book reveals the reality of war. The sarcasm and structure of this novel is Heller's way to show the actuality of war's despair. The author exemplifies war as trivial; his characters are not fighting the enemy, but they are fighting within themselves. The world has known war ever since the beginning of time, but time has to change if the nation is going to prosper in a positive direction. In Catch-22 most of the sane characters put all of their time and energy into getting home. Yossarian, the main character in the book, was the most determined to stay alive. "The enemy," retorted Yossarian, "is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on" (120). All around him he felt people were trying to kill him. His main fear was everyone, including his troops, were shooting at him. Yossarian informs, "They're trying to kill me" (11). Everywhere he turned he thought people were after him. Even in the dining hall, he sensed the cooks wanted to poison him. With the trauma he went through nobody can blame him for being paranoid. Anything he could do to get out of missions he tried. The go al that he set was to go home alive, and he would do anything to achieve it. Never did he think twice about what duty he had to accomplish for his government. The whole objective in war is for innocent people to die. Not only did Yossarian fight to go home, but also he fought with the guilt he had to encounter for his lack of bravery. Nothing that he faced could stop him from leaving the war. Not only did he have to battle the constant fear of death, he also had to fight the inner trauma that was killing him inside.

The Possible Outcomes of Globalization

Human beings have always been dirty, corrupt, deceitful and horrible. But humans also have some redeeming factors that account for our current state of relative peace, our ability to innovate, the ability for great kindness and to care for other living things. All because each individual person is as different as the last with their own unique experiences and morals and standards that accumulate to our own incredibly different personalities and attitudes. Yet there are those who believe that striping us of the things that makes us†¦ s will be a great improvement on society even when the evidence points elsewhere. There is a very clear disagreement in our society about what we should do and what the benefits of globalization are. ‘Black’ and ‘White’ sides to a very grey issue. Usually people on the right will say that globalization is a good thing, giving you this; Claims increase in diversity and creativity, trade becomes easier and cheaper, goods becom e more accessible and cheaper, and that everyone will be materially richer. Countries are becoming more alike in the sense of offering some more commonly diverse choices. †-Tyler Cowen(supporter of Globalization) The other side to this are people that are decidedly on the left and they will say things like; Homogenization of culture, loss of creativity, total loss of some cultures, people will become easier to control through advertisements, society becomes about working and keeping ‘afloat’ and not living an actual life, creates violence within people try to protect their culture. †Fast food†¦ ecomes a fueling up ritual†¦ but if it social or family values is what you about†¦ then its a disaster. †-Benjamin Barber (advocate against globalization). Although I say most conservatives and most liberals is because some conservatives don’t see it for what is and buy into what the businessman would say and that all cultures would get a b it of every other culture and are fearful of the blending of culture and are against it. Some liberals think that bringing money to the third world countries, and many more reasons.This is not to say that the political spectrum doesn’t play a role but rather a major one, as most people on the right see it for what it is and support it because globalization creates wealth for the multinational corporations and destroys the native peoples culture and making them more focused on work and it becomes a win-win situation. Liberals are fearful of the corporation as once the people are on the bandwagon it’s very easy to keep them on it and the power of the people of those nations falls to the businesses.Another reason for concern on the part of all citizens regardless of political ideologies is the outsourcing of jobs, which we are already seeing the effects of as unemployment â€Å"unemployment rate moving to 9. 5% in the U. S. , the highest level since 1983. The same thing happened around the globe; the unemployment rate surged to record high values. †-London Forex Broadsheet. My opinion is that there are large winnings and some very hard losses to be had.On one side it boosts the local economy and overall wealth of the certain poorer country, and poverty by any measure is a horrible thing to live in. Unfortunately it destroys the culture that has survived for possibly thousands of years â€Å"Just over 38% of global cultures are in danger of extinction or are already extinct†-UNESCO and we lose some of the history that makes the world the way it is, also globalization can destroy the local environment and cause serious physical injury and sickness. †About one half of the forests that covered the Earth are gone.Each year, another 16 million hectares disappear. †-globalchange. umich. edu And the only reason they live in poverty is not because they're useless and lazy but because of the current global economic system we use. So overall I believe that the losses outweigh the possible gains. The driving forces behind globalization is the corporations they first lobby the government to build an airport saying it will bring more tourists and money. afterwards they move in and set up factories (depending on the ethics or pressure put on them by the public) or sweatshops.So the increased tourism brings foreign ideas and technology like: democracy, freedom, wealth, internet, computers, TV’s, etc. After they make some money in a dangerous mine or a low paying factory they buy a TV/Computer and they see what we have and they want it, they see our big houses and big cars and they will save up and buy one. when they do that they adopt our north american culture and they stop going to church because they can get more money working weekends, they dress like we do and act like we do.They want to be like us so they tell their parents that their culture is dumb and look how this new culture brought us out of povert y, and how we don’t have to pick through garbage anymore. Once people think like this and act like this it causes other people to join them, thinking â€Å"Well he has a car a house and nice clothes, why can’t I have that? † So as more people drop their culture and uniqueness the faster it speeds up. The possibilities of an outcome of this en masse shift towards a North American lifestyle are endless, but what is almost certain is the fact that 99. % of the time this will end badly and not just for the humans that live here but the entire planet. So I will propose 3 scenarios that generally cover the possible outcomes at this point in time. Scenario 1) As more and more people get cars, computers, and use more electricity the CO2 emissions increase exponentially and we get to a tipping point in the atmosphere and a cascade/domino effect happens. Methane from the bottom of the ocean is released into the atmosphere and the Earth heats up even more.Then the Amazon b urns heating it even more, etc. etc. and the world fries and after 100000 years the Earth is plunged into an ice age. By the way almost everyone died. Scenario 2) As more and more jobs are outsourced to cheaper labour the North American way of life collapses because there’s no jobs and with no money you can’t buy anything. Then the whole global economic market crashes and burns. World is plunged into WWIII for the remaining resources, nuclear bombs are launched, whole countries become uninhabitable.Billions die. Scenario 3) In a global effort we switch over to renewable resources and solve the global energy crisis and with that we are able to stabilize the economy and regain peace. It is then possible to help and provide electricity to developing countries. There are many proposed solutions to the crisis we are dealing with but just as with many other problems many of the ‘solutions’ prove to be ineffective or even more harmful. So what will it take to hav e a solution that will save us?Unfortunately its too late to have a gradual change that would allow for people to adapt comfortably to the new lifestyle that i am about to propose. We will have to do this quickly and without hesitation because the longer we wait the more painful this will be. In scenario 3 of the last paragraph is what we will have to do as currently many of the wars being fought around the world are about or were started by the need of the black gold, oil, and n order to restore peace we need to switch over to a more renewable way of life especially here in North America. Not only will this reduce the incentive to kill each other over something that will become increasingly obsolete but it will also help calm the people who are angry at the way we live here because of our wastefulness. Also legislation by the government will have to be passed in order to make it harder for corporations to treat people poorly and pay them less, also make them create jobs in their ho me (eg; US, Canada, UK, etc. ) countries.Increased tourism from more money and cheaper bills will help reinforce the local cultures as people usually travel to see the culture. Advertisements will have to be localized and not forcing the American way of life down peoples throats. I believe that this will, if not completely solve this issue, help out greatly. Unfortunately people can’t see what is happening around them and then when they finally realize what has happened its too late, and that is the problem, why we can’t solve this crisis and why we can’t solve many other difficult issues that exist.The fact is that until something catastrophic happens no one will do anything about it, history shows this and as the saying goes History always repeats itself. Globalization will continue to be a problem for a very long time and when the mass population sees what has happened it will be too late. all we can do is support groups in foreign countries that try to susta in the culture and language of their ancestors.

Historical Movie Review: The Patriot Essay

The movie, The Patriot, is the story of a South Carolina plantation owner, Benjamin Martin, who leads a local militia against British troops in the South during the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Martin, who is a widower with six children and a veteran of the French and Indian War, wants nothing to do with the war until a brutal British Colonel, William Tavington, kills one of his sons and takes his eldest son, a member of the Continental Army, prisoner. Martin, who’s character is loosely based on Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, uses guerrilla warfare to cut British supply lines and attack outposts in an attempt to slow General Charles Corwallis from joining British forces in the North. While the primary purpose of the movie is to entertain, it does mostly follow historical events of the early years of the Revolutionary War. However, numerous details within the movie were changed to improve the drama and action. These were most notable in some ways they depicted c olonial society and details surrounding the war itself. First, the movie was not accurate in how it depicted slavery in South Carolina. Benjamin Martin was a small plantation owner and the movie showed him having a group of free black workers. If this was true, he would have probably been the only one in South Carolina. Second, there were few slaves shown on either side of the battles when both sides used slaves as soldiers. One soldier in Martin’s militia said he was offered five schillings a month and freedom after 12 months of service by George Washington. While Washington did consider an incentive for black soldiers, none was every offered (citation). Indians were also left out of the movie altogether when Indians fought on both sides particularly with the British. Finally, the movie has Martin and his family going into a secluded black colony for protection. When they arrive, they are met with open arms. While there were colonies of free black men and women at the time, the likelihood of them welcoming a group of white plantation owners is unlikely. Another societal inaccuracy in the movie was how they changed the dialogue to be more entertaining. In some of the scenes, the characters speak in the King’s English, which would have been common during the period. However, a letter written from Martin’s oldest son to his girlfriend is quite conversational and informal. Perhaps the director thought the emotion in the letter might not be as strong written more formally. Lastly, the movie has a scene where a young woman stands up in church to chastise the men for not supporting the cause for freedom. Women were important members of most colonial churches and some were even allowed to speak from the pulpit (citation). However, such a young women would not likely be allowed to address the congregation and certainly not permitted to speak down to its male members. The director made numerous changes to details regarding the war to make the movie more enjoyable to watch. During a 1775 town hall meeting, Martin said, â€Å"Massachusetts and Virginia are at war, but not South Carolina.† In fact, Massachusetts was at war with the British, but Virginia didn’t join the conflict until 1777 (citation). Battle scenes in the movie show a large contingent of the Continental Army in formal uniforms. However, few members would have had the formal uniform and most would have been dressed in militia uniforms (citation). The battle flags in the movie also were not entirely accurate. A few of the battles show state militia flags which were appropriate, but one flag shown was not even created until years later. Martin’s son is shown mending a flag he saved from a battlefield, which Martin uses in the final battle scene to rally the troops. The flag shown is the Betty Ross flag with thirteen stars in a circle. This flag was not created until 1779 (citation). Another thing inaccurately added to the battle scenes was exploding munitions. These added to the action on the screen, but Lieutenant NameShrapnel would not invent exploding cannon balls until date (citation). The movie also added some drama to how brutal the British troops were to the rebel’s families. While it is recorded that rebels did lose their homes as a price for being disloyal, it was more often done by loyalists within the colonies and not the British (citation). The scene that was most sensationalized was the burning of the church with the congregation locked inside. Had this really occurred during the Revolutionary War, it would be in every history book and would have become a battle cry similar to â€Å"Remember the Alamo!† The absence of loyalist in South Carolina and in the British army is also an oversight. While the movie does show one officer, who is a native South Carolinian, the state was known to be fairly split between rebels and loyalists. Surely there would have been more than one local person among the British troops. Despite being almost three hours long, I thought The Patriot was extremely entertaining. I didn’t find the historical inaccuracies distracting at all and probably wouldn’t have considered them had I not taken this class. Two things that the movie brought to my attention were the number of French and Indian War veterans on both sides of the conflict and how close the battles were fought to people’s homes. The scene where Benjamin Martin puts his children to bed and then goes to the front porch to watch a battle unfold in a nearby field was particularly moving. Overall, I think The Patriot is a decent historical novel.

Mountains, rivers, other features Essay

Mountains in Belgium are: Baraque de Fraiture,Baraque Michel,Botrange. There are many rivers in Belgium such as: The Lys (Leie) in the cities of Bruges and Ghent, The Escaut River (Schelde) in Tournai, Bossuit and Ghent . The Meuse (Maas) and Sambre in the south let you visit Namur also Liege and the Willebroek-Charleroi Canals (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). In northwest of Belgium, there are the coastal lowland, a continuation of the continental shelf lying under the shallow waters of the North Sea. The shore is lined with low sand dunes. Fringing them is a narrow belt of polders, land reclaimed from peat bogs and shallow lakes (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2007). Economy How do most earn a living The Britannica Student Encyclopedia (2007) mentioned that: Daily commuting between homes on the farm and jobs in the city is a common practice in Belgium. Many industrial workers are part-time farmers who have strong family ties in the country. A large number of Belgian workers, called frontaliers, travel each day to jobs in France. This shows that Belgian works in both cities and country. Natural resources. Belgium produces many natural products, such as: coal, natural gas, construction materials, silica sand, carbonates (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Main agricultural products Sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Manufactured Goods engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum(The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Exports Belgium import raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures. Exported products like: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs . Belgium has many Exports partners like Germany 19. 9%, France 17. 2%, Netherlands 11. 8%, UK 8. 6%, US 6. 5% and Italy 5. 2%(The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Currency & Exchange rate The currency for Belgium is Euro, the value of the euro in the range of 1. 20 to 1. 40 US$ (Steinbicker, 2006, p. 155). People and Daily Life Race and Religion The Belgian Population is (10,364,388 ). In Fleming 58%, in Walloon 31%and the rest 11% . Religions in Belgium vary from Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). City Housing Accommodations vary from usual modern Apartment like in Flanders & Wallonia, to farms and castles just like in Brugge , Ferrieres, Liege and Huy (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Clothing With simple words The Britannica Student Encyclopedia (2006) says about the Belgian people: Belgians, especially those in the cities, wear modern Western-style clothes. Men who work in offices are expected to wear suit jackets to work. It is generally acceptable for women to wear slacks to work. The ethnic costumes of the Flemings and Walloons are seldom worn today. On some farms women still wear the traditional dark-colored clothing and white aprons, and men wear the old-fashioned. Holidays Other than the regular Public holidays like: New year’s day, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Labor day(May 1 st),Ascension Day(6th Thursday after Easter),whitsum,whit Monday(7th Monday after Easter), National day(July 21st),assumption(august15th),All Saint’s day(Nov 1 st),Armistice day(Nov 11th) and Christmas day (Steinbicker, 2006, p. 154); there are many crazy festivals held in Belgium like: Ommegang Festival – Brussels Every year in July, the lavish Ommegang procession commemorates the tribute paid to Emperor Charles V and his VIP guests. Richly-colored costumes, horses, embroidered banners, flag throwing and stilt jousting (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). (See Figure 3). Figure 3. Carnival de Binche – Binche For 3 days in February the town of Binche is transported back to the 16th century for this festival. Highlighted by music parades and fireworks, the climax of this event is when the Gilles appear on the Grand Place and throw oranges to the spectators (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Procession of Holy Blood – Bruges This annual event takes place in May and is divided into 4 parts: Old Testament, New Testament, Historical Section, and veneration of the Holy Blood. Since the 12th century the numerous brotherhoods and associations of the city of Bruges venerate and pay homage to the Holy-Blood (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Stavelot (Mid-lent Carnival) – Stavelot This event takes place in March and is highlighted by the Blanc Moussi, which means ‘clad in white. ’ Beginning on Sunday, the Blancs Moussis wander the streets of the town putting up their irreverent posters. In the afternoon they step out from the cortege while staying on their floats and shower the crowds with confetti while flogging them with pork bladders (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Zinneke Parade – Brussels It’s also known as Big Z-Day. It is a street opera of music, choreography, costumes and floats (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US). Ghent Festival – Ghent It is held every year in July. People sing, dance, eat and drink, get together and watch theater. (The Belgian Tourist Office (BTO) in the US).

Comparison of Booker T. Washington’s “Up from Slavery” and Web Dubois’ “The Souls of Black Folk”

Literary Devices in Rhetorical Writing During a time period when slavery had finally come to an end, African Americans still struggled as their opportunities for equality were next to nonexistent. In this time of hardship and unfair treatment, not many of those facing these adversities had the courage to speak out on their beliefs for change; Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois, however, did not possess such fears — both thoroughly articulated their opinions and stood for what they believed was right.Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois shared a few commonalities — both men were highly educated, for example, as well as they both expressed strong opposition against segregation. Washington’s Up from Slavery: An Autobiography and Dubois’ The Souls of Black Folk outline each of these powerful historical figures’ views on segregation and what can be done to end it. Both of these works are excellent examples of rhetorical writing, possessing strong persuas ive arguments.A deeper examination of these texts can be done by a comparison of chapter fourteen of Washington’s work, entitled â€Å"The Atlanta Exposition Address,† and chapter three of Dubois’ The Souls of Black Folk – â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others. † Each of the texts contains persuasive arguments; however, each writer’s separate use of rhetorical strategies alludes to an effective expression of the intended theme. Booker T. Washington’s use of diction throughout â€Å"The Atlanta Exposition Address† reflected his level of education in a way that made him stand out in the African American community.His use of advanced rhetoric in comparison to the majority of the African American population made it easier for him to be noticed and heard. Judging by the text, it is apparent that all three modes of persuasion are present. By mentioning his reform-related accomplishments, Washington often appeals to logos in or der to establish his credibility and prominence as a leader; this appeal enhances his use of ethos, which reflects his desire to advance the African American race as a working class.Washington features an anecdote within the text, which acts as a metaphoric plea for African Americans to realize the opportunities manual labor could potentially hold for them. The phrase â€Å"cast down your buckets where you are† is especially significant in his attempt to glorify common labor, referring to the abundance of resources present in this world (Washington 2).In sections five through seven, Washington repeatedly uses this phrase in the beginning of consecutive sentences, exemplifying anaphora; this literary device reiterates the significance of his words, strengthening his argument as to why freed slaves would benefit from common labor. Another literary device employed in â€Å"The Atlanta Exposition Address† is metonymy, which can be found in the phrase â€Å"separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress,† as well as in â€Å"the organs of religious bodies, joined in the general chorus of condemnation or demands for retraction† (Washington 2,5).This representative â€Å"part-of-a-whole† strategy directly links the subject to the writer’s key points, thus creating a deeper connection and increasing their impact on the audience. A prominent literary device in â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others† is its structure. Dubois organizes the text in a way that maximizes the effectiveness of his message, which was to point out the flaws in Washington’s propositions. He begins by explaining Booker T. Washington’s success, after which he provides background information on African American progress in the 1800s and leads to his own criticism of Washington.By using words such as â€Å"mistakes,† â€Å"shortcomings,† â€Å"bitterness,† and similar ex pressions — â€Å"disappointment of displaced demagogues† and â€Å"spite of narrow minds† –- Dubois creates a negative tone, which mainly reflects his attitude toward Washington himself (Dubois 2). Dubois also employs the use of lists throughout the entire chapter, which are highly effective in convincing the reader to side with the writer. For example, in the text Dubois discusses the African Americans who have higher aspirations than those of Washington, but do not vocalize them; some of these unfulfilled wants are: â€Å"1. the right to vote. / 2. civic equality. [and] 3. the education of youth according to ability (Dubois 5). By repeatedly featuring such lists throughout â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others† Dubois makes a compelling argument that there is much more to strive for than what has already been accomplished by Washington. Literary devices not only make the writer stand out as an individual, but also contribute immensely to the overall message of the text. In Booker T. Washington’s â€Å"The Atlanta Exposition Address,† his use of diction, modes of persuasion, anaphora, and metonymy are what help him establish a sense of authority and respect among his readers.WEB Dubois’ â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others,† on the other hand, features a more complex structure and tone, setting apart his key points and allowing the reader to have a clearer understanding of his position in the argument against Washington. Washington wanted general occupations for African Americans, while Dubois was more concerned with equality; both of these great leaders were interested in the betterment of African Americans’ lives, and their excellent use of literary devices are what helped their writings become memorable pieces of American history.

Business Plan Final Essay Example for Free

Business Plan Final Essay Castle’s Family Restaurant Business Plan: Stage III The purpose of this business plan is to understand the restaurants business and its operations to improve its customer service and its employee relations. The Castle Family Restaurant has eight restaurants that operate under one regional manager that also acts as the Human Resource Manager for the restaurants. The goal is to develop a plan that can decrease the travel time of the regional manager so; that he, Jay Morgan, can save on gas due to high gas prices since each restaurant is located in the northern California area. The objective is to introduce a HRIS application and one vendor that can assist in the developing of the HR department and ease the transitioning of one individual HR manager to multiple employees. There are restaurants with profits in mind and provide the same food and service while the Castle’s Family believes in family, partnerships and developing relationships with one another for a great customer service. Introduction The Castle’s Family Restaurant has eight restaurants in northern California with about 300-340 employees. Most of the employees are part time with about 40% of them full-time. This business plan is to determine strategies that will eliminate the Human Resource position from Jay Morgan, so that he can reduce his travel time to all eight locations and to develop an HR department for the restaurants. In addition, the business plan is to enable Jay Morgan to concentrate on his operation manager duties. The factors that cause many issues to the Castle’s Family restaurant business are having one individual with so many responsibilities. Therefore, hiring an HR manager to schedule, recruit, hire and assist the employees in their needs will help in creating order. In addition, the restaurant must hire an assistant to help in the administration work; it will decrease the amount of  paperwork for the general manager. And each restaurant must have a manager to overseas the employees and the operation of the restaurant. The managers will conduct meetings monthly to provide the sales, revenues and customer services of each restaurant. Managers can communicate through emails, phone calls if they have questions for each other, or have any concerns. A needs assessment must be conducted to determine if an HRIS is needed for the company. In order to have a successful restaurant business every factor must be considered. For example, customer service to the customers is a big factor becau se that is what brings in the revenue. For a restaurant to have a successful business they must have the right food for their customers to enjoy and to assist the customers any way they can. In the last year, there had been some speculation into how the government will help the small restaurants and that the fiscal will prevent any type of savings in when tax time comes around. These HRIS and vendor application that will be stated in this business plan is there to develop and help maintain the restaurant’s H R department and increase growth in the company. We have acquired an HRIS system that will help in developing the HR department to provide easy process for the employees. The Sage HRIS application is an innovative way to ease the transition from traditional HR to a strategic HR. The Sage applications provide variety of options to assist in the HR process. For example, the payroll application should be implemented to help the restaurant establish tax, earnings, and deduction codes to perform critical payroll functions and to modify the system to the restaurant’s needs. This is the first time Castle’s Family Restaurant is developing a HR department, having the right tools to run a department the right way will allow less mistakes to be made; with eight different locations, adding the sage application will help in the transitioning all locations into one. Furthermore, it is critical for a company to have leadership to help establish the employee’s strengths and improve their weaknesses. In addition, the sageâ€⠄¢s time and attendance can help manage the employee’s attendance and work time. The system enables you to collect, analyze, and take control of employee’s attendance and labor data. The  application will help the company in providing perks to employees that always come to work on time. In addition, the performance management application tracks employee’s performance; help identify their critical skills to help the employees in their career development. Furthermore, I have compare and contrast a vendor that would benefit your company. These two vendors provide great services but one match your company’s true values and its missions. The Castle’s Family Restaurant need a vendor that can help in developing long lasting relationship and demonstrates positivity so that individuals can be their best. Furthermore, automation is viable to reduce the need of human errors that can results in more major consequences. Automation errors can occur at any time, the solutions are easy to fix, and automation provide easy data that can be change, delete and edit. The type of HRIS that the Castle Family Restaurant should implement is the Sage application as I have stated before. In order for such application to be developed a vendor must be selected to help in the process. The sage application is a best fit for the company because it has a group of team that can help in assisting in any technical difficulties. When developing new HR department, errors will consist and questions will need to be answered. Therefore, a new training program will need to develop to increase each employee’s skills and performances in the Human Resources Department. The Sage application has the career enhancement training; they have created a system that can help in detecting IT skills, leadership’s skills, etc.; that can benefit your restaurant. The application has an easy to read system. The vendors that I have selected are the ADP and the Rideau Recognition Solutions. The ADP provides all services for domestic international, small or large companies, it does not matter where you operate, and they are there to assist in developing the business. The Rideau Recognition Solutions provide services that inspire employees to succeed to the vendor’s belief. Their expertise is to help their clients build positive relationships with their people to reflect the company’s values and increase customers’ expectations. The Rideau main purpose and their definition of a business are being inspirational and providing inspiration to others. While  ADP is well recognized company that can assist in developing an HR department, and have the tools to performed the job, but because of the deep meaning and relationship that can develop with the Rideau Recognition Solutions and the restaurant being a family company; I believe that the Rideau is the best solution for the Castle’s restaurant. I have recommended that your company, The Castle’s Family Restaurant, to choose the Sage HRIS application and the Rideau Recognition Solution as your vendor. They have the right tools that can establish the restaurant business, and their tools can assist in the development of the HR department. In the restaurant business there will be a lot of risks such as food poising, slip and fall and property damages. Once these types of risks occur this is where the HR department comes in to assist in resolving the situation. This why there should be training when these disadvantages come to light. The sage applications have the proper tools to help decide the professional way to handle such situations. The HRIS application provides professional training to each individual HR employee. While these risks can occur, another problem that cans cause small businesses disadvantage are the fiscal cliff which this year small business operators tax rate has increase by 5 percent. Furthermore, knowing these disadvantages will allow you, the Castle’ Restaurant to prepare yourself as a restaurant. In addition, using these vendors and HRIS system will permit better training; and develop great communication between the HR department and the employees and managers for great customer service. It is important to know the negative factor and a positive factor on owning a small business restaurant and to prepare for any tactics on a professional level. In conclusion, I recommend the Sage as your HRIS application and the Rideau Recognition Solution as your vendor. The Castle’s Family Restaurant has been operating on one person basis, with eight restaurants to oversee. There are many duties to maintain to assure a  smooth business; with such issues that can arise in each restaurant, developing an HR department to oversee these tasks will reduce risks that can occur. I have concluded that the Sage HRIS and Rideau Recognition Solution are the chosen application and vendor for your company to help in the developing your restaurant business. The application and vendor will and can assist you in many different factors and help improve employee communication. References Frumkin, Paul. â€Å"How ‘fiscal cliff’ deal impacts small restaurateurs, franchisees.† Nations’s Restaurant News. Jan 9, 2013. Retrieved on 8/24/2013 < http://nrn.com/latest-headlines/how-fiscal-cliff-deal-impacts-small-restaurateurs-franchisees> Business Plan Final. (2016, Apr 29).

Communication project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Communication project - Essay Example Besides communication, this research also focused on employee relationships within the organization, and required the respondents to state their expectations from both management and colleagues. This paper therefore, will access the exposure level of intercommunication in the business community, and identify with the real impact of the business communication attitudes in 2 Sisters Food Group. Based on the literature review and groups, a self-constructed five-item structured questionnaire became imperative. The questionnaire was prepared to use 5- point Likert scale. Employees and employers expressed a broad range of opinions in the focus groups on the key issues, in discussion. The use of the structured questionnaire was inspired by cost effectiveness and relative convince of the method. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to increase the quality of date and findings, and the respondents were required to show to what measure or extent they agreed with the statements in the scale. The responses ranged from: agreeing strongly, disagreeing strongly. In addition, respondents had to respond to items such as; internal organizational politics can escalate communication barriers within the organization. This was followed by; inadequate skills in English language hinder effective communication in 2 sisters Food Group. The last section dealt much of the demographic fact ors and information of the employees and employers. The questionnaire was subjected to a pilot test to increase its reliability and appropriateness. To minimize the on the above weakness, the questionnaire design should; use a simple language that is easily understood by both parties. In addition, time for completion should be reasonable and one should identify the target population so as to yield useful data for the research (Gillham, 2004). Thank you

Human Resources Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resources Framework - Essay Example This paper seeks to analyze the implications of the Millennial generation on the work place by discussing five key issues that make up the M-Factors. These issues include meaning, great expectations, the need for speed, social networking and collaboration. One of the major trends of M-Factor that is greatly valued by Generation Y is meaning. According to this generation, a job should be both well paying and meaningful. In this regard, Millennials seeks to have security and challenges in their work. Challenges imply the opportunity to develop financially as well as professionally. Similarly, Generation Y expects the employers to provide them with security that encompasses providing them with the strategic direction of the organization (David and Lynne, 2010). To ensure that its young employees are motivated and their work has a meaning, Coca-Cola Company established The Coca-Cola University (CCU) that is focused at providing skills on people leadership, consumer marketing and employees development. In this way, its emerging workforce has remained productive and competitive thus reducing the labour turnover. One of the key aspects that differentiate Millennials from the traditionalists, baby boomers and Generation Xers is their great expectations and strong quest for success in their work. In this regard, they expect instant feedback from their managers to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Due to the great expectations that Millennials possess, they change jobs frequently (Ron, 2008). This implies that managers are under obligation to motivate the young employees by providing them with opportunities to achieve their expectations. To ensure that the expectations of its young employees are attained, Coca-Cola Company under the leadership of Muhtar Kent has embarked on developing programs that promotes well-being of the employees as well as improving the quality of their life. Unlike

Regional Politics (Africa, Middle East or East Asia) Essay

Regional Politics (Africa, Middle East or East Asia) - Essay Example In terms of attitude, consolidating democracy entails the majority believing in democratic procedures that they view as adequate to facilitate governance regardless of major economic issues. Further, the majority inclining to pro-democracy forces consolidates democracy in this sense because of minimal support for other systems of governances. Constitutionally, consolidating democracy involves a process whereby both governmental and anti-governmental forces, ascribe to specific laws or institutions established because of a new democratic process (Mottiar, 2002). On the other hand, a school of thought views democratic consolidation as vague, ethnocentric and teleological in terms of not offering a plausible mechanism of assessing the longevity of the democratization process. The proponents considering the process of consolidating democracy as being vague support their arguments by highlighting on the new democracies as a way of determining whether new democracies can maintain democracy in the form. Further, assessing new democracies assist to gain an understanding of the fallacy related to electroralism because a new democracy embraces an election process. Democracies exists that offer electoral democracy, but denies freedom or rights that accompany the principles of establishing democracies (Friedman, 2011). On another note, Mottiar (2002) states that, certain conditions needs to exist prior to acknowledging the consolidation of democracy. This involves conditions that facilitate the establishment of a free civil society where, autonomous groups or movements can articulate their values and develop associations to enhance their interests. Further, there is a need to promote a political society that is autonomous and ideal for political actors to embrace competition by following the legitimate process in pursuit of public power. The core institutions that need to be streamlined in this sense include the political parties, political leadership, electoral rules, int er-party alliances, legislature and elections. In addition, the dominant political actors within a state and including the government should adhere to the rule of law that purposely protects the freedom of individuals. This rule of law entails embracing constitutionalism as a way of promoting good governance from the state administration and the elected government. State bureaucracy also needs to be in place to achieve democratic consolidation since, state bureaucracy ensures that the citizen’s rights are protected and provided with the basic services. An institutionalized economy is also important for democratic consolidation in the sense that, institutionalized economy facilitates the enactment of policies and establishing institutions ideal for sustaining a mixed economy. As argued by Mottiar (2002), democratic consolidation cannot occur in an environment of commanding economies since, market autonomy and diversity in terms of ownership, is critical in establishing an inde pendent civil society. Conversely, democratic consolidation cannot thrive in an environment that embraces completely free market economy. This is because,

Reading reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Reading reflection - Essay Example Barr’s approach is clear and considerate in relation to the vital requirements of an actor. Chapter 14 of his book, Acting for the Camera, talks about how a person can successfully remember his/her lines in acting by thinking about both their roles and their partners’. It is much easier to think about the scene than remember the lines. Also, when a person considers the roles played by their partners, as well as their partners lines, it will be easier for the individual to remember his/her part in the actor than trying to memorize his/her lines. This might lead to confusion as it has been noted in the past where actors portray lack of full awareness of their roles in acting. According to Barr (83), learning the lines of a scene is a simple process. The author advises actors that they should not, in reality, try to learn the lines since they are not imperative, but they should try and learn the significance of the scenes taking place. According to Barr (84), if an actor only memorizes his/her lines, then they will just be responsive to a cue rather than a stimulus. The harsh truth is that, if the actor only endeavors to learn his lines, then he/she will speak when they appropriate cue words are thrown at him/her, and; hence, lack connection, as well as depth. Connection and depth are the main factors, which draw viewers to a scene. They are able to relate to the scene if the actors show a connection and understanding to the scene (Barr 85). It is extremely a poor for an actor to appear as if they are being forced to act. Lack of understanding of the scenes, as well as the lines, will also portray lack of interest in the entire act. Therefore, when the actors are not connected to the scenes, the audience also will not relate to the acting. Barr stresses on this matter in the entire chapter 14 of his book whereby understanding the scene would lead to understanding the lines. If, hence, the actor relates properly to the stimulus, which causes a verbal

HEALTHY PEOPLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HEALTHY PEOPLE - Essay Example Their subpopulations are culturally distinctive, diverse, and complex; live on nearly 300 locations in the lower 48 states, speaking more than 300 different languages (National Archives 2011). Top issue or problem: Alcohol takes a substantial toll among American Indians. They have a higher rate of alcohol-related death than the general U.S. population (May 1989). In every 100000 population covering both genders of American Indians in the age group of 25-34 years, 62.5 die from accident, 13.7 from homicide, 7.2 from heart disease and 6.4 from liver diseases (Healthy People 2011). A general observation is that alcohol abuse plays a significant role in these problems as it is a major factor in five of the 10 leading causes of mortality for American Indians (IHS, 1992). It is further corroborate by the fact that American Indian men die 2.8 times more frequently than non-Indian men from motor vehicle crashes, 2.7 times more from other accidents, 2.0 times more from suicide, 1.9 times more from homicide, and 6.8 times more frequently from alcoholism (alcohol dependence syndrome, alcoholic psychosis, and chronic liver disease and alcoholic cirrhosis) (May, 1996). For 19, 86 ­1,988, motor vehicle crashes, other accidents, suicide, homicide, and alcoholism caused a total of 5,781 American Indian deaths. 3,656 of these deaths are estimated to have involved alcohol (May 1989).There is the common view that Leland (1976) described in her book  Firewater Myths, that American Indians have an excessive craving for alcohol and to lose control of their behavior when they drink. Interventions that address the social and physical factors that influence alcohol abuse have the potential to prevent unintentional injuries and violence. Although, public health interventions are quite different in scope and application, however, most interventions share a similar path to succes