The Relationship of a Foster Child and the Social Worker

The relationship between a social worker and the children they represent in the foster care system evolves many different emotional connections. Social workers provide counseling and direction to people in crisis. Their clients may vary from the young and older unemployed to young children who are in need of foster homes right on down to the elderly people who have no one to care for them to provide for them or even someone to love them. They try to better the clients by helping them obtain government funds, education, and other treatments if needed. Social workers have many techniques for solving problems. Casework requires meetings with individuals and families. They may counsel young people whose parents have died or families who have lost all their possessions in floods or other disasters. Group work brings together people who have problems in common, such as mothers who are not married. Social workers help them solve those problems through deep conversation and well-planned activities. Community organization work usually has specific goals such as finding jobs for idle high school students and so on. In supporting my thesis I plan to highlight different situations that bring about many different emotions from both the child and the social worker. The reason that so many foster children feel the need to fight for power and control stems from what is for all intents and purposes their trying to live for or through others. The lack of known self drives the attribution of one's own attitudes, feelings, or suppositions to others that blur the boundaries between where a known self would end and others begin. Without personal boundaries the foster children often end up feeling helpless when they relate to others because essentially they aspect everything about how they feel and what they think is taking place in others. The power and control relationships a foster child and a social worker share are self explanatory. The child has been beaten badly by his or her mother. It is in the social workers power to go and remove this child from this abusive situation. This then shows the child that this person is now in control of my life, they are the ones who will save me from being harmed ever again by my mother or anyone else for that matter. Showing the child you as the social worker have the power and the control will allow the child to be able to call you and tell you if anything else may happen in their new foster home or even back at home.

Personnel Management and Organizational Behavior Essay

Four ways to shape employee behavior are: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Positive reinforcement is following a reaction with something enjoyable (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Employees need recognition for exceeding the organization’s standard on job performance. A well-organized reward program will motivate employees to excel the organization’s standard. Example of this are: employee of the month, quarter or year, and recognitions to employees for presenting ideas to improve the organization’s operation. Negative reinforcement is also referred as â€Å"looking busy†. Supervisors should explain the task to the employee, provide necessary resources, and ensure the work is performed to standard. These actions will help eliminate negative reinforcement. Punishment and knowing the organization’s standard are directly related. The organization’s standard, duties and responsibilities of the employees have to be established in order to hold employees accountable for their incorrect behavior. Punishment can be used as the way to unsure employees follows the standard. The different type of punishments have to be included in the workplace policy to ensure the employee knows what could happen if he/she does not follow the standard. Extinction is a behavior not reinforced, causing it to disappear (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Adequate supervision and communication in the workplace are two key elements to assess this behavior and eliminate when is not needed. Managers have to develop ways to shape employee’s behavior in order to improve performance. Shaping the employee’s behavior starts with adopting practice that encourage employees to be responsible, loyal, and committed to an organization’s goal (â€Å"Strategic Planning in the Payroll Department†, 2007). Some of these practices include setting standards, establishing duties and responsibilities, and direct supervision. Discuss the three components of an attitude. The main components of an attitude are: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Cognitive component is a consciously held opinion or belief (Colborn, 2007, p. 68), such as â€Å"sexual harassment is wrong†. Managers should enforce values, high standard, group and cultural behavior awareness to improve the working environment. The affective component is the emotional tone or feeling of an attitude (Colborn, 2007): â€Å"I don’t like Charles, because he harasses his female employees†. Leaders should maintain open communication with their employees to let them express their feelings and emotions. Behavioral component is the intent to behave in a certain way toward something or someone (Robbins & Judge, 2007), such as â€Å"I’m going to avoid Charles because of his improper conduct†. This action could cause problems in the work group and if not handle properly it will set a bad example to the employees. In conclusion leaders should understand the components of an attitude in order to establish means to avoid these in the working environment. Enforcing values, high standards, open communication and continues supervising are key to success. How is bounded rationality related to decision making? Bounded rationality is defined as making decisions by constructing simplified models that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity (Robbins & Judge, 2007, p. 161). This concept used a method where a satisfactory solution is obtained in stade of the optimal solution. This approach is driven by previous experiences, limited information and selecting the first solution that satisfies the constraints. Decision-making process is a detail process to obtain the best solution. During this process all alternatives and courses of action are considered and evaluated completely. This approach consumes time and resources because every alternative has to be evaluated in order to obtain the best solution. In my opinion the decision-making process should be exercise as much as possible in order to obtain the optimum solution to a problem. Leaders should be aware of both approaches and select one based on time, safety concerns, priority of the task, and resources available. What is a quality circle? Quality circle is a work of employees and supervisors, who meet regularly to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions (Robbins & Judge, 2007, p. 237). A successful quality circle should include the following: a comptroller, individual assignment, tentative times, progress report, implementation and performance monitoring. The comptroller will be in charge of conducting the meetings, keeping record of the problems, progress and implementation. Problems should be brainstorm by the group and assigned to the best qualify employee. Each problem should have a tentative time to obtain a solution. During each meeting a progress report is required in order to ensure timely solution of the problem. Implementing the solution and monitoring its performance will ensure employee’s satisfaction and develop credibility to the quality circle. The end statement of the quality circle is to fix problems in the organization.

Comparison Essay: Susan Glaspell’s “the Jury of Her Peers”

Susan Glaspell’s â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers† and Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† are great examples of the use of symbolism in short story literature. â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers† tells the story of a murder investigation that takes place in Dickson County in the 1910’s, in which Minnie Wright is the main suspect. Welty’s piece, on the other hand, is a narration of an old black woman’s long journey to get her sick grandson a Christmas present, a selfless deed on Phoenix’s behalf. In both stories, the use of symbolism is clearly reproduced, in a similar manner, to develop the character and the situation.However, the depth and the complexity of those symbols, provides â€Å"A Worn Path† with a much better content-symbol relationship, which in turn, works better for the plot of the story. A character’s personality and main traits are amongst the most important elements in any literary piece and the use of sy mbolism is an excellent tool toward accomplishing roundness in a character. In â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers†, the bird (a canary) is the symbol used to describe Minnie’s character as â€Å"Real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and – fluttery† (208).This symbol embodies Minnie before she got married and was taken away by her husband to live in total isolation. Although the symbol is well presented in the story, it is done so in a literal way, which takes away from the meaning and interpretation to be given by the reader. The female characters in the story make allusion, in parts of their speech, to this symbol. This can be observed when one of the characters (the sheriff’s wife) says â€Å"She [Minnie] – come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself† (208), which covers in a few words, the meaning of the bird symbol.In contrast, in â€Å"A Worn Path†, the meaning of the symbol proposed to define the main character, is implied rather than literarily presented. Phoenix, which is the protagonist’s name, is also a mythical bird that is characterized by its strength, long life and the ability to rise from its own ashes after it dies. This interpretation, or any other that can be drawn in accordance to different mythologies, is not mentioned in any way along the story. It is implied and can only be deduced through the knowledge of the protagonist’s determination and drive.As she travels â€Å"up through pines† (6) and â€Å"down through oaks† (6), this old lady never even considers giving up and returning home empty handed. Similarly, the situation presented in both stories is also exposed through the use of symbolism. In â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers†, this symbolism is introduced in the form of a cage, which is home to Minnie’s canary but, at the same time, represents her current situation. The symbol in this case is used to show the isolation and confinemen t in which Minnie is living â€Å"down in a hollow†¦ lonesome place† (198). It is a universal symbol and, as such, can be easily interpreted. However, it is not a very deep one; it is does not take much effort for a reader to realize its meaning. In contrast, â€Å"A Worn Path† uses an authorial symbol, which only applies to the context of the story. This in no way means a better way of presenting the situation, but the way the symbol is put in the story does give it a deeper meaning. The paper windmill is, in this context, set to represent Phoenix’s situation.She is a â€Å"very old and small† (1) woman, frail and poor, which is exactly what the paper windmill is used to symbolize, a very fragile and cheap object. This symbolism can also be analyzed from Phoenix’s grandson’s point of view, as to him, it would be a symbol of generosity and kindness. No matter how poor they are, his grandmother spent money and effort to surprise him. As old Phoenix told the nurse in town, â€Å"He going to find hard to believe there such a thing in the world†, such is his perception of his grandmother.As shown before, symbolism is a great tool that, when used properly, can provide a short story with a lot of meaning and depth. It is an excellent way to imply significance to a simple element in a story and to provide a deeper sense of the reality to the reader. Welty’s piece, â€Å"A Worn Path†, achieves a higher level of connotation than Glaspell does in â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers†, where the meaning of the elements used as symbols are either explained within the piece, or too simple to have a deep meaning.Also, the combination of universal and authorial symbols provides â€Å"A Worn Path† with more ideas and conclusions to be drawn from the symbols presented. In conclusion, Welty makes better use of symbolism to accomplish a more complete piece. â€Å"A Worn Path† is an excellent example of the proper use of symbolism to deliver a story that is both deep and interesting. It provides the reader with an attention-grabbing plot as well as, implied ideas that give the reader a better sense of the significance of the symbols used without actually explaining them.WORK CITED Glaspell, Susan. â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers†. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 5th Compact ed. Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2012. 170. Print. Welty, Eudora. â€Å"A Worn Path†. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 5th Compact ed. Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2012. 270. Print. APPENDICES OUTLINE I. Introduction: Thesis statement the use of symbolism is clearly reproduced, in a similar manner, to develop the character and the situation.However, the depth and the complexity of those symbols, provides â€Å"A Worn Path† with a much better content-symbol relationship, which in turn , works better for the plot of the story. II. Body: A. First paragraph * Key idea: use of symbolism to define the protagonist. * â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers† * â€Å"A Worn Path† B. Second paragraph * Key idea: use of symbolism to set the situation in the story. * â€Å"The Jury of Her Peers† * â€Å"A Worn Path† C. Third paragraph * Key idea: Personal opinion on which story uses symbolism best. III. Conclusion The essay is summarized and a conclusion is presented from the points exposed throughout its content.

Performance Measures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Performance Measures - Assignment Example spite encouraging a comparison of income generated to assets used, Caplan (2014) argues that this measurement could encourage focus on short-term as opposed to long term financial performance and deferment of asset replacement. The second measure is residual income, RI. RI refers to the operating income earned by an investment center above the minimum desired return on the assets invested (Needles et al., 2014). This is a dollar amount of profit that remains after the subtraction of the targeted income for an investment center. RI is a significant measure because it enhances goal congruence (Jiambalvo, 2011). This follows the fact that RI encourages managers to invest so as to post higher RI values. Of these two performance measurements, RI would be considered as more important. Whereas both measures determine performance, RI incorporates the rate of return that an organization expects from invested capital (Needles et al., 2014). Thus, any investment with a return exceeding the minimum needed rate of return yields a positive RI. As such, RI measures an important aspect of performance, the level of investment, which ROI omits, making it a more important measure of

Schools of Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Schools of Strategy - Essay Example Also this school makes chief executive officer as the main formulator of the strategy. The planning school of strategy identifies strategy making as a formal process. It calls for a mechanical and systematic process of strategy formulation with no or little creativity. The cognitive school sees strategy making as a mental process and takes input from different concepts of psychology. This school is largely conceptual in nature. The learning school stresses on learning from past experience and therefore sees strategy making as an emergent process. The power school of strategy argues that negotiating between different power holders within the organization is an important part of strategy formulation. The environmental school sees strategy making as a reactive process that is dependent on the external environment. The cultural school of strategy calls for group work in formulation of strategy. The configuration school of strategy sees strategy making as a process of transformation. The different schools of strategy can be grouped into three larger groups (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, & Lampel, 2002). First group is prescriptive in nature and consist of design, planning, and positioning school. This group tells how a strategy should ideally be made. Second group tells how the strategy is made and compromises of entrepreneurial, cognitive, learning, power, cultural, and environmental schools. The last group consists of the configuration school that is both prescriptive and descriptive in nature. Design School of Strategy The design school of strategy argues in favor of consciously controlled thought when it comes to strategy making in order to establish a fit between external opportunities and internal competence (Mintzberg, 2006).... This paper stresses that the position school also puts the job of strategy formulation in the hands of expert. Both the schools do not talk about team work and sharing of information when it comes to development of strategy. Centralized approach in strategy making was the mindset for a long time in management. Knowledge sharing was not considered vital until modern modes of communication were developed. This is why both the positioning school and design school view strategy making coming from a centralized source. Design school assumes that environment is stable and predictable, and there is no uncertainty while the positioning school accepts that market place might change due to competitors and change in demand. But both the schools focus on the economic environment. This report makes a conclusion that the design school and the positioning school are two of the schools of strategy presented in the book. The design school became popular in later part of 1950s and focuses on creative strategy formulation by the leader with the aim of creating a fit between the outside environment and the competence of the firm. The positioning school was founded by Michael Porter and it focuses on strategy formulation as an analytical process. This school argues that finding the right industry for the firm is essential and offer model for choosing an industry. Then this school suggests that firm positions itself in the industry and then chooses a strategy relative to the position of the firm.

Mgt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mgt - Assignment Example Shaving heads is also a form of removing any vestiges of individuality from any of the people so that they are all reduced to defining themselves as their captors do (Zimbardo). The push-ups became an aversive form of punishment because the guards could demand that the prisoners perform even more of them when they felt like it. Push-ups are a form of exercise that is associated with students. It emphasizes the superiority of the ‘coach’ or empowered individual who demands that others partake in it. The guards used push-ups to victimize the prisoners and increase their feelings of helplessness. I do not believe that I would have been able to reject any privileges offered to me in order to maintain prisoner solidarity. It is evident that withdrawing into one’s self in order to find ways of surviving the brutal experience is something that prisoners are constantly thinking about. 5. Most prisoners believed that the subjects selected to be guards were chosen because they were bigger than those who were made prisoners, but actually, there was no difference in the average height of the two groups. What do you think caused this misperception? I believe that the hardships they were being forced to suffer at the hands of the said guards were elevating the status of the guards, as well as their physical capacities, in the prisoners’ estimation. The visitors, most of whom, shockingly, were parents of the incarcerated men, believed what the researchers in the role of guards and wardens informed them about their own sons even when they could see that their sons were not well. Even though the visitors were aware that this was a research study and not a real prison, they still placed more trust in the words of the wardens than what their own eyes were showing them (Zimbardo). Civilians are trained to trust the police, as well as prison wardens in real

Description and definition Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Description and definition - Assignment Example Harte, "In Our Own Hands: A Strategy for Conserving Biological Diversity in California," 1990). c. Watershed Management is a â€Å"process of managing human activities in an area defined by watershed boundaries in order to protect and rehabilitate land and water, and associated aquatic and terrestrial resources, while recognizing the benefits of orderly growth and development† (Watershed Planning Implementation PMC, 1997). A new and exciting hobby that entails hiding and seeking treasures is geocaching. The equipment needed to indulge in this hobby is a GPS devise or a Global Positioning System which is a â€Å"a radio navigation system that allows land, sea, and airborne users to determine their exact location, velocity, and time 24 hours a day, in all weather conditions, anywhere in the world† (GPS Resources, n.d.). The objective of this hobby is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, located outdoors through the GPS devise and to share one’s experiences online, through the worldwide

Risk vs Hagiography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk vs Hagiography - Research Paper Example Plutarch’s account of the â€Å"War of Spartacus† as it was also called is contained within his Life of Crassus, a biography of the noted Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus. Crassus was the one primarily responsible for the defeat of Spartacus’s uprising, and Plutarch’s account is primarily concerned with fitting the episode into the context of Crassus’s life and career. There are some minor differences on matters of fact between the two accounts, but on the whole they represent two very different readings of the same events.Appian’s account begins with an impartiality that might well be taken as sympathy for Spartacus and his cause. He speaks of the desire for freedom that initially motivated Spartacus and seventy fellow slaves to rebel against the gladiatorial school at which they were kept, and adds that Spartacus’s habit of dividing plunder equally among his followers led to him having a great many followers (Appian 217). Much o f the focus is on the official response, which Appian criticizes. He states that the government of Rome did not consider this a war in any real sense, but something more akin to robbery or public disruption (Appian 218). The implication seems to be that this was a short-sighted and ill-considered attitude.Plutarch also offers something resembling sympathy to Spartacus, placing the blame for the uprising on Lentulus Batiatus, the owner of the gladiatorial school, implying that his inhumane management of the school and poor treatment of the gladiators was responsible for the uprising.... Much of the focus is on the official response, which Appian criticizes. He states that the government of Rome did not consider this a war in any real sense, but something more akin to robbery or public disruption (Appian 218). The implication seems to be that this was a short-sighted and ill-considered attitude. Plutarch also offers something resembling sympathy to Spartacus, placing the blame for the uprising on Lentulus Batiatus, the owner of the gladiatorial school, implying that his inhumane management of the school and poor treatment of the gladiators was responsible for the uprising (Plutarch 337). Plutarch’s account, being specifically a military biography, concerns itself with the weapons and tactics employed by the slaves, and how the initial Roman forays against them, led by Clodius and Publius Varinus, were emphatically repulsed (Plutarch 340). Both accounts agree that Spartacus was attempting to reach and cross the Alps, so that he and the other foreign slaves coul d disperse to their countries of origin, escaping the Roman yoke. The fear, however, was that he might change his mind and march on Rome with an army that, at its peak, numbered 70,000. Plutarch’s account focuses much more on Crassus’s maneuvering and decisions regarding the war, including his decimation of a legion that had, in his estimation, shown cowardice (Plutarch 343). Appian deals in broader strokes during this middle portion of the war, and keeps more of the focus on Spartacus’s army and their defensive positioning. The two authors also differ in which parts of Spartacus’s campaign they emphasize. Appian mentions the town of Thurii, which Spartacus took and held (Appian 220), but Plutarch glosses over that part, focusing more on the

Understanding public relations theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Understanding public relations theory - Essay Example Change Management Communication In addition, the role of mass media as an agent of communicating organizational intentions and promotion of interest can also not be ignored by organizations. Overall, the understanding and appreciation of the various approaches, theories and other related concepts of public relations is important in tackling of issues or concerns that may arise from daily operations. In response to this, this paper will examine the role of public relations practice in organizations. For applicability, the paper has identified the issue of change management communication in organizations. This will be examined through a selected article about an organization that is likely to be affected by the subject matter of discussions in this paper. The paper will discuss the components of the article that make it a media issue as well as a public relations issue. The article under examination pertains to Boral Company that operates in the building and construction industry. The company’s new chief execu tive having taken the reign in the top leadership has been tasked with a challenge of ensuring that the company’s financial results improve as a result in an economy downfall that has affected the construction industry in which the company operates in. One of the measures that the chief executive has been compelled to take after a 100 day review is through initiating a 700 job cut program targeting management and back office staff. Even though the move is likely to cost the company a massive 60 million dollars, if successfully implemented it has been projected to result to an annual saving of about 90 million dollars. However, the major issue that arises from this situation is that of how to effectively manage this drastic change especially by communicating the intended purposes and criteria for such changes to the stakeholders of the company that will be largely affected by this decision (Hayes, 2006). Consequently, the main purpose of the following discussions will be to an alyze the contributions that public relations, which can be stated to be constituted of communication with external and internal publics, and communication management, can make in managing organizational change during an employee retrenchment exercise. The framework that will be used to analyze the situation at Boral will be in terms of a dual examination of the issue in terms of being a media as well as a public relations issue. To begin, as a media issue, the organization needs to be prepared to tackle several issues so that the image of the firm remains intact in the eyes of the public. The media plays a major role in shaping opinions and the issue of job cuts proposed by the new chief executive can result into an image backlash if not well handled. It is the job of the public relations professionals and the department in charge of the area affected, in this case the board of governors through the chief executive officer and to some extent the human resources, to learn the facts and information needed, and communicate it to the targeted audiences in a timely and effective manner. The organization's reputation and credibility with external and internal audience is at stake. This is because tackling the issue of job cuts at a time when the economy is hard an issue for the whole nation is a sensitive and important issue. Whatever is communicated internally and externally will remain forever on

What were Peron's economical and political polices and why did they Essay

What were Peron's economical and political polices and why did they fail† - Essay Example d economic steps taken by the Peron’s government and there is a so called de-peronizing process in the country to reverse the damage done by the regime. There were major issues involved on the social, political as well economical scale which are considered as failed steps taken by the regime. This essay will look into the reasons behind the failure of economic as well as political policies initiated by Peron during his two regimes and their overall impact on the Argentinean economy and the Latin America as a whole. The structure of this essay will be in such a way that it will first discuss the political history of Argentine just before the era of Juan Peron followed by the Political rise of Peron and then how and what was done on the economic front which made Peron as one of the charming and progressive leaders of Latin America and finally it was explored as to why the Economic as well as Political reforms undertaken by Peron can be considered as failure. In discussing the Political history of the Argentine, we will be focusing on the period of the first half of the 19th century but before the overtaking of Peron of the Argentine government. This period will be analyzed in order to explore the political thought of Peron’s time when finally achieved the throne of Argentine government for the first time in 1946. The Political history of Argentine remained much of a troubled history as it has witnessed much trouble and instability in its political as well as social arena despite having such great potential. It is largely considered that the political problems of the country was much due to its own people rather than inflicting trouble from external forces.(Watkins,1996)1. Historically, Argentine has remained an oligarchy under one party rule. However due to Oligarchy, there was a widespread opposition to the rule too as it was perceived that the Oligarch was pursuing their own class interests therefore there was a growing dissent within the middle class

Theories of Motivation Essay Example for Free

Theories of Motivation Essay How do these theories of motivation compare and contrast with ideas you read about management in Unit 1 or in MDA 3, e.g., how do they relate to Fordist and Taylorist approaches? Do they relate to these approaches? McGregor management theory involves the idea that there are two types of managers Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X managers assumes that the average human being has an inherit dislike of work and will avoid it if possible. Theory Y managers assumes employees can exercise self-direction, accept responsibility and consider work to be as natural as rest or play. I would consider that Taylor theories fall under theory X. Taylor’s belief that there is no question that the tendency of the average man is toward working slow that soldiering was a result of natural instinct and the value he placed on monetary motivation seems to conform to McGregors Theory X. However Taylor’s theory differs from Theory X in its belief that workers are not fulfilled solely with monetary rewards. With Herzbergs motivation-hygiene theory it classifies the factors needed to motivate people into two categories: hygiene factors and motivating factors, Herzbergs motivators idea corresponds with Maslows Esteem and Self-Actualization needs i.e. they both have the same criteria (recognition, growth, achievement etc).Both theories are influenced by environmental conditions, employee attitudes and as a result, their motivation. But Maslow says that each stage of the 5 must be fully or largely completed before advancing to the next stage however, Herzberg suggested that there were only 2 stages (hygiene and motivators) i nstead of 5. How do the ideas in the reading help you to think about your own management style and ways to manage people in your team or work group? Having reviewed the different theories it is easy to see that there are many different ways to motivate staff. I think motivation is important because even at the most basic level, it costs more to replace staff than to keep them. I also see that I need to use different styles of motivation depending on the member of staff I am dealing with. Staff liked to feel needed and respected and keeping them happy means theyll stay with you for much longer. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs I try to prioritize the needs of employees as a  person will want certain needs to be satisfied before others. The hierarchy of needs will help determine whats motivating an employee, and what needs to be addressed. Looking at Herzberg, I think a lot of the traditional benefits in terms of healthcare, cars and holidays, are much more hygiene factors. They are what people look for when they are making an assessment about the competitiveness of employment from one organization to another. In other words, employees might come to expect benefits that typically fit into a package and therefore may fail to be motivated after a time. What about your own motivations – do any of these ideas and approaches ring especially true in relation to your own experiences? I can probably relate to Herzbergs theory of motivation the most, factors such as company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and salary are no longer motivators to me. The absence of these ‘hygiene factors’ may sometimes create job dissatisfaction, but their presence does not motivate me. In contrast, the motivators that are particularly strong determiners of job satisfaction for me are: achievement, recognition and the work itself. I need any new project to be a sufficient challenge to keep me motivated.

Trinity by Leon Uris Essay Example for Free

Trinity by Leon Uris Essay Over a career spanning five decades, Leon Uris has enjoyed phenomenal popularity, with five of his twelve novels classified as number-one best-sellers by the New York Times. While the shortcomings in his prose, characterization, and political outlook have been well noted, Uris certainly ranks among the more important multicultural writers since World War II. His books explore a number of the defining cultural conflicts of the twentieth century: the Nazis’ attempted extermination of the Jews, the volatile clash between Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East, and the long-running battle between the British and Irish in Ireland, most notably. Millions of readers have learned the history behind these major intercultural conflicts from Uris’s fiction. At its annual dinner in 1978, at which the benediction was given by a Baptist minister from Belfast, the Gold Medal was awarded to Leon Uris, author of Trinity, a best-selling novel on the troubles in Ireland. The imperialist British have drawn Uris’s frequent ire. He levels harsh criticism against the British in Trinity for their self-interested administration and their failure to support Ireland in its infancy. In this book, Uris condemns the British for demeaning and subjugating Irish Catholics. He describes the British presence in Ireland as four centuries of tortured foreign occupation. In Uris’s version of Irish history, Ulster, now the nation of Northern Ireland, was established as a British plantation, a fortress outpost of colonial exploitation peopled with British-descended Ulstermen whose hatred of Irish Catholics smells strangely of Aryan supremacy of Nazi ideology. Trinity is a romantic, sentimental fiction about Irelands fight for independence. It feeds the myth of heroic opposition in the face of impossible odds. It is a paean to blood sacrifice, to the idea that the chosen few who are prepared to take upon themselves the burden of history can themselves make history, that blood sacrifice is a noble and a cleansing thing, that a glorious defeat is a prerequisite to prevailing, that in death there is victory. The novels heroes plan revolution in the face of hopeless odds; they gladly lay down their lives, eager to embrace a defeat that may somehow â€Å"stir the ashes of [the] people into a series of even more glorious defeats† so that â€Å"over the land long dead stirrings† will at last be heard (731). Trinity is bad history but powerful propaganda. It became more powerful still in the stench-ridden wings, where for nights on end the heroic exploits of Long Dan Sweeney and Conor Larkin and Brendan Sean Barrett, who, in their epic pursuit of Irish freedom, had been incarcerated and abused in captivity, who had endured hunger striking itself – â€Å"a silent defiance† became for the prisoners fictional role models with whom they could identify, in- vesting their protest with a political leitmotif that mirrored their own lives. â€Å"No crime a man commits on behalf of his freedom can be as great as the crime committed by those who deny him freedom,† Long Dan Sweeney declares. â€Å"We engage in a fight vulnerable to scathing propaganda, unloved by most of our own people, but God and God alone will eventually decide which side was just in its aspirations and which side was evil.† â€Å"Remember,† he exhorts his fellow revolutionaries, â€Å"the British have nothing in their entire arsenal of imperial might to counter a single man who refuses to be broken. Irish words, Irish self-sacrifice, and ultimately Irish martyrdom are our weapons. We must have the ability to endure pain to such an extent that they lose the ability to inflict it. This and this alone will break them in the end† (466). Fact and fiction reinforced each other. Trinity had its historical counterpoint in 1916, the H-block protest its fictional counterpoint in Trinity. The primitive, repelling circumstances of the H-blocks were often more unimaginable and less real than the imagined circumstances in Trinity. Fantasy fed the heart, and there grew among a number of the blanketmen a belief that a hunger strike would provide the catalytic momentum that would make 1916 come again. This theme of British cultural bigotry is central in Trinity. In the latter, British prejudice extends outward to include the Australians and New Zealanders sacrificed in Ireland has had a troubled history for over 800 years. Leon Uris’ Trinity deals with various aspects of Irish history. Find out about the main events in the history of Ireland and you will understand the present political troubles in modern Ireland. Works Cited Uris, Leon. Trinity. New York: Doubleday, 1976.

Beliefs Or Knowledge That Is Independent Of Culture

Beliefs Or Knowledge That Is Independent Of Culture The prescribed topic assumes that knowledge and beliefs are linked to culture .so what is knowledge?, what are beliefs?, what is culture?.Belief is defined as a principle or idea considered to be true (Websters dictionary, 2004) .By this definition the meaning that I got was belief is a conviction or an opinion without caring whether there is proof or not. So what is knowledge? Knowledge is what one knows, the body of facts accumulated over a period of time (Websters dictionary,2004). What is culture? Culture is appreciation and understanding of the arts, skills of a given people in a given period. Another definition is culture is the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a religious, social or racial group All this definitions led to the question as to how knowledge, belifs and culture are acquired by a person. So how do we acquire knowledge? Knowledge is usually acquired through sensory perception an example being a curios little boy will acquire the knowledge that cactus plants are not meant to be held by the naked hand after he/she touches the plant and feels the pain. Knowledge can also be acquired through logical operations and emotional reactions. This kind of knowledge is caused by biological responses to stimuli, and could be considered not to be dependent of culture an example being facial expressions which are not taught or learned but they are biologically determined. So how is culture acquired? Culture is basically instilled in us when we are born. An example being me as I was born in Kenya and grew up in an Islamic background. So my culture is Islamic and Swahili and we do have our fair share of beliefs. Buddhists consider that knowledge is acquired through direct experience. So how is this experience achieved? Well the Buddhists achieve this experience by meditation opposite to the western traditions, which gives emphasis on a clear expression of thoughts and argument. Buddhists believe that words tend to expose the truth on the other hand, the recognition of Buddhists beliefs and customs for discovering the truth shows dependence of the culture of that knowledge. So are beliefs independent of culture? I will have to say yes on this. ? I will have to say yes on this. People may so no because some beliefs such as you must always wear clothes and shoes when leaving the house well I wont classify that as a belief but a ritual. Most beliefs are usually based on religion and culture. In the case of religion I as a Muslim have many beliefs that are dependent on my religion some of them being I must pray five times a day, the consequence of missing prayer is that we will burn in hell for a very long time. I believe in this theorem although there is no proof of sort but its a belief based on our religion. Beliefs that are based on my culture which is the Swahili culture are numerous. Some make sense and some do not make sense but I have no other choice than to live by these beliefs and follow them no matter what. A belief that I have always been told by my mother and has never ever made sense to me is that we should not clip our nails at night. I dont see how it applies in a real life situation. I usually cut my nails at night and so far so good nothing has happened to me. Another belief that is based on our culture is that we are told not to borrow salt at night. I dont know why it had to be salt but still like I said they do not make any sense to me at all, and we are expected to follow this beliefs although I think they dont make sense. But we do have to follow them, But some beliefs that my culture expects me to follow are somewhat sensible and I do follow them, examples of the sensible beliefs and rituals are like we should respect our parents and follow there each and every comm and, that is a belief that makes sense and I do believe that the people that do not live by this rule are actually bad people. I know there is no evidence that if you do not respect your parents you are going to get punished by the Almighty God but its a belief and in order to believe you dont need evidence or anything. All you need is your mind on whether to decide that you are going to believe in that belief or not. Another belief that I tend to differ with and is totally and purely based on culture is gender equality. I did some asking around and I found out in most of Kenyan tribes as well the Swahili culture tend to believe that men are more superior to women. They claim that man was created first so making them more superior and all that the women in our cultures should do is stay at home and prepare meals and clean the house while men are the bread winners. This is not such a wise belief, men and women are both humans so why should one kind be more superior than the other?, they were all created by the same creator!. With all this said I thing that all of my beliefs are independent of my culture. Some other people like the westerners who have no culture or dont know anything about their culture also have beliefs like the men should take care of their children and women, that is a belief that is common to all cultures in the world and also to those who dont have cultures so on an Americans p oint of view not all of their beliefs are based on the culture because the clearly have or dont know their culture. Community education (sociology), is dependent on the cultural expression of human knowledge that has been repeated again and again. Alfred webwruses was studying in the sociology of culture and he came up with the term kultursoziologe which mean cultural sociology which is a specific branch on sociology which is entirely dependent on culture. Culture is a very significant concept found in many branches of sociology, social stratification in the fields of scientific and social network analysis. Is knowledge based on culture? Well I will have to answer no on this query, knowledge is not entirely independent of culture. People may argue that knowledge such as traditional medicines, herbs are based on culture and some of those herbs that the traditional men used to use are used now by the scientists to make the medicine we consume today and they end up saving lives. History, its the study of past events and the effect on present life. Some of the knowledge in history is independent on culture a good example being the creation theory which one of the three possible theories of the origin of the world is based on culture and religion. In Swahili culture , the Elders have told us to believe in the creation theory and that it is God who created the world in six days and life starts on the seventh day. Knowledge such as this is independent of culture and. I gained this knowledge just by interacting with the elders of the family and they told me all sorts of stories Knowledge such as mathematics in example has no connection whatsoever with culture and such knowledge is not dependent of culture even one bit. Mathematics is purely about numbers and in my case the Swahili culture the elders who are supposed to be the wisest of humans dont even know simple math like one plus one. So are our beliefs and knowledge independent of culture? To some extent YES! Why am I saying yes? Its simply because most beliefs are based on culture and example being me, most of my beliefs are based on my culture although I do have beliefs outside my culture like if I drink plenty water at one go It may react with my body forcing me to throw up so its my belief that we should not drink much water and slowly as well. Knowledge also is somewhat dependent on culture and an example being the community sociology which is a whole branch in sociology that focuses on just culture. I then come up with the answer that both beliefs and knowledge are dependent of culture

I Want to Explore the Dark :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I Want to Explore the Dark The vacuum of space defined by modern particle theory is a strange place indeed. From an unchanging "void" it has become an active arena out of which particles might be created or into which they might be destroyed. Just as light was supposed to excite waves in the aether according to Newton, we now envisage elementary particles to be excitations out of the vacuum state. That vacuum might even be the "source" of all matter in the universe. We may have dispensed with the classical aether of Aristotle and Huygens, but in the process have come to speculate about matters which may seem even more bizarre. Perhaps we have just come full circle. After all, how much closer can we come to the "indefinite" of [the early Greek philosopher] Anaximander? Recall once again his words: the "indefinite". . . . . . is neither water nor any other of the so-called elements, but some different, boundless nature, from which all the heavens arise and the worlds within them; out of those things whence is the generation for existing things, into these again does their destruction take place, according to what must needs be. Anaximander's words now appear prophetically familiar. Although we have come a long way from the cosmogony of Anaximander and the earlier myths of the primeval ocean, and our explanations have become more sophisticated and more scientific, the basic questions driving our inquiries are the same. We are still searching for the fundamental constituents of the matter that we can see and touch, and we still wonder about the origin, nature, and existence of the dominant "stuff" in the universe. As our knowledge of one realm has improved so has our ability to speculate about and probe another.

The Effects of Poverty on the Lives of Children Essay -- Papers Britai

The Effects of Poverty on the Lives of Children Child poverty is common in the United Kingdom, 21% of all children were classified as poor in 1995. One child in three spends at least one year in poverty over his or her lifetime, and for more than 5% of children, poverty lasts 10 years or more. Most poor children are subject to a number of risk factors in addition to low family income; nonetheless, research shows that poverty has selective, but in some cases quite substantial, effects on child and adolescent well-being. Poor children not only experience material deprivation but also are more likely than non poor children to experience a number of undesirable outcomes including poor health and death, failure in school, out of wedlock births, and violent crime. Child poverty can be reduced by a combination of policies, versions of which are currently in place in the United Kingdom, to help families earn more and supplement earned income with other sources of cash (such as Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits). In addition, the effects of poverty can be reduced by programs that provide benefits in the form of goods and services (such as food, housing, and health care) which are vital to children's well-being. Despite the frequently voiced sentiment that few programs work, the United Kingdom has a number of effective programs in place that address the needs of poor children and reduce their numbers, although more can be done. To gather public support, however, interventions to improve conditions for poor children should be consistent with public values that hold society responsible for (a) meeting basic human needs for thos... ...n. Food, shelter, health care, and other necessities are crucial for children's well-being, and extra income can make life more enjoyable. The important question about which there is debate is whether the things that extra money, above a subsistence level of income, would buy make a big difference in child outcomes. The answer to this question is a qualified ?yes.? The qualification reflects the facts that income seems to have a larger, more consistent independent effect on some outcomes (such as school achievement in the early grades) than others (such as teenage childbearing) and that the timing and persistence of poverty are important factors in the size of its impact. These issues are explored further in the ensuing discussion of policies for poor children, which includes recommendations for specific interventions.

History Of Computers :: essays research papers

History of Computers Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The electronic computer has now been used commercially for less than 25 years. It grew out of a search lasting centuries for a more accurate, faster way to perform calculations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Primitive and ancient man used his fingers, shells, beads, sticks, and other objects to keep track of numbers and sums. The development of paper and writing instrumentsmade it easier to record data, but gave little aid in manipulating it. Manual Devices:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A computer is sometimes defined as a system that mechanizes the processing of information. Even a manual device may fall under this definition if they are constructed in such a way that moving them by hand can produce the desired answer. Example: Abacus:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The abacus is the oldest-known mechanical computing aid. Its origin is uncertain. Many countries claim to have invented it. It was used in China as early as the sixth century B.C. and in the mediterranean areain ancient Greek and Roman times. It is still used in many parts of the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The abacus consists of beads strung on rows of wires suspended within a rectangular frame. A common form has a piece of wood dividing the beads, with five beads on one side, and two on the other side of the wood on each wire. Calculating Machines and their Inventors:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the centuries, several mathematical geniuses invented machinesto aid them in their calculations. The machines were never widely used and generally had no direct path to the later development of electronic computers. Example: Pascal:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) a French matematician, invented the first mechanical adding machine at age 19 in 1642. He became tired of adding long columns of figures while helping his father, who had been appointed administrator of Rouen by Cardenal Richelieu. His device had teen toothed wheels and many gears. Rotating wheels developed sums. A carry lever advanced the next wheel to the left one position when a sum exceeded 10. Punched Card Development:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of us are surprised to learn that the punched card industry is almost 200 years old. Furthermore, the first use of punched cards wasn’t for data processing, but rather for process control. Example: Jacquard:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834), a French Weaver, in 1804 developed the first completly automatic loom, controlled by punched cards. Fearing that the machine would produce unemployment, workers attacked and destroyed his machine at Lyon. Aided by Napoleon, Jacquard rebuilt his machine, which os credited with promoting a thriving textile industry in France through the 1800s.

“Changing Our Lives”

After graduating high school, I thought I had all my decisions in place of what I wanted to do with my life. I later found myself letting the choices of my younger days affect what is happening in my life now. I’ve now taken the right steps into getting my life back on track, starting with obtaining the goals that I once motivated myself to achieve after high school.That is why I’ve chosen to further my education beyond a high school diploma to obtain financial growth, my college degree, and successful career opportunities. In the world today, it seems that financial issues are taking their tolls in people’s lives more often than it use to be when everyone thought that their job offered exactly what they wanted. Later they found out that they were not getting the pay needed to support their household with the job that is being maintained with hard work, long hours, and poor benefits.Now after me giving careful consideration as to what I wanted to do in life, I fo und that with the right degree by my side I could benefit so much more in pay options, family support, and not just be in a job working hard but a career where I am actually making a difference one day at a time. With my degree in hand, it not only paves the way for my financial growth, but it helps me be able to show my children how important education can be in the world today.It helps me to feel so much better knowing that I reached my goals, with all the hard work and dedication that came with being a college student. I can truly say that it was not easy day to day trying to keep up with the work, have a job, and raise a family at the same time. But, when I look at the reasons as to why I am doing this all I have to remember is that my family depends on me! Not only does this benefit your family, but it also adds to your list of achievements a long with my high school diploma.I can just imagine when I walk across the stage how great it will feel when I walk away with degree in t he field of study of my choice to success! Once I create so much opportunity for myself with a degree, it will be time to put it to work with getting the job I always wanted. Now, I am the only one who could stop me. There is also now the choice of hours that could put me right where I want to be, and that’s with my family. I would not be constantly working late, missing school programs, lunches, conferences, and more because I made a choice to better myself and my surroundings.Because I chose to get a degree and move into a new line of work of helping others, somebody may actually have a chance of being helped in the ways that I have always imagined giving to someone else. That is now what it is mostly coming to in my heart of how can I put this hard work that I did to work in the most positive way in someone else’s life. I’ve found now that once these achievements are reached, I’m not only inspiring myself, but also my wife and children.Once they see th e hard work that I’ve put in to giving them a better way of life and how it was done, it could make way for their success and family once married and faced with the ways of real adulthood. Some children think that it’s okay just to stop at just a high school diploma because some parents aren’t too interested in furthering past what they have been taught by their parents. So as for me and my family, I’m taking the necessary steps to show my children that education does matter and dreams do come true!

Chik-Fil-a

Chick-fil-A is one of the most successful fast food restaurant establishments in the country. With over 1,300 locations in 37 states in the Southern U. S. , they continue to grow the brand by expanding to new territories (Chick-fil-A Company, 2009, para 1). In 2008 Chick-fil-A has seen a 12. 17 percent sales increase over the chain’s 2007 performance and a same store sale increase of 4. 59 percent (Chick-fil-A Company, 2009, para1). Throughout the years Chick-fil-A has come up with many innovative ideas to continue expanding business and satisfying their loyal customers. One of the ideas was to offer different types of restaurant set-ups to cater to customer’s needs. The different restaurant set-ups include mall/in line, stand-alone, drive-thru only outlets, dwarf houses, Truett’s grills, licensed non-traditional outlets (franchises) and satellite/lunch-counter. After proper research of different geographical locations the writer has decided to buy into a chic-fil-A franchise zoned in the Columbia County, Grovetown area. Executive Summary Chick-fil-A’s mission is â€Å"to be America's best quick-service restaurant at winning and keeping customers† (ChristiaNet, 2009, para 2). We will strive to be the premier fast food franchise of its kind in the North East market with future goals of expanding into our European territories. Our goal is to keep one step ahead of the competition by offering a clean environment, dynamic customer service, and overall quality products and services. Chick -fil-A's purpose statement reveals the heart of the company: â€Å"That we might glorify God by being a faithful steward in all that is entrusted to our care, and that we might have a positive influence on all the people that we might come in contact with† (ChristiaNet, 2009, para 2). We want our customers to experience the highest level of satisfaction there is to offer during their visit at our franchise. We will deliver a quality controlled atmosphere with efficient state-of-the art appliances, and provide extraordinary customer service so that every customer will benefit from our success. Identify the marketing segment for the product and explain why this segment was selected; The location selected to launch the Chik-fil-a franchise will be in Columbia county centrally located in Grovetown. This area was selected because of its potential profitability. Potential profitability is a function of the current market size, its anticipated growth, current and anticipated levels of competition, and customer behavior and expectations (lacobucci, 2010 ). Columbia County’s rapid growth has transformed this county from a rural neighbor of Augusta to the major suburban county in the second largest metropolitan area in Georgia (Columbia County, 2009, para 1). There a re many reasons for their rapid growth – a growing and diversified job market, a premier school system, affordable land, open spaces lending an air of the countryside, and a stable, conservative county government. Columbia County is predominantly residential and includes a highly-skilled workforce. According to Federal census figures released over the past decade, Columbia is the region's fastest growing county. However, there are still some improvements needed for the revolving community. As stated above Grovetown is a city on the move, constantly reinventing itself to appeal to a variety of residents. However, there are improvements needed that would make the Grovetown area more marketable. Currently there aren’t enough eating places in close proximity to residents living west of the county which is considered Grovetown. There is only one Mexican and Chinese restaurant, a McDonald’s, Subway, and KFC in the community. Surrounding areas offer a larger variety of fast food and dining restaurants but the closest Chic-fil-A is about 10 miles away from the Grovetown area. There are currently only six chik-fil-A locations throughout the city of Augusta which is not considered many at all. That is going to give the entrepreneur a huge advantage at start-up that there is not many other chik-fil-A’s close by and throughout the city. Being that Chick-fil-A is America’s number one choice of fast food, the others don’t stand a chance. Discuss the target market and why these customers will be targeted; The target market will include residents living in the Grovetown/Harlem area and also the army base, Ft. Gordon located approximately 2 miles from the Gate 2 Grovetown entrance. Military personnel make up the vast majority of residents living in the Grovetown area. Ft. Gordon also serves as a training base for new soldiers coming into service so there is a large market segment being targeted. Ft. Gordon only has a Blimpe’s, Popeye’s, Burger King, Godfather’s pizza, Chinese, and Huddle House. Based on the current market, Chik-fil-a will have a huge competitive advantage. With sickness rapidly attacking the bodies of young and older adults healthier alternatives are taken into consideration. Exercise with a combination of healthier diets is now a priority of much of America. Chik-fil-a will be one of the healthier alternatives that Grovetown will welcome hole-heartedly. What’s better than to start your morning with a custom cup of coffee and a low calorie breakfast sandwich? Adding the franchise here will attract morning employees heading to work, 3rd shift workers heading home from work, and many customers in between are most likely to choose Chick-fil-A over McDonald’s and Subway on any given day. Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and treats) analysis for the company; SWOT Analysis Chick-fil-A is a unique position of competition. We compete against neighborhood fast food chains such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway. However, there is really no threat against America’s preferred fast food restaurants, Chik-fil-a. Offering numerous low calories, fat free items, Chick-fil-A has the best competitive advantage. The benefits and drawbacks of each of our competitors as compared with the services we offer are hardly a match in quality and price. When it comes to nutrition, McDonald’s falls short of the victory over Chick-fil-A. However, McDonalds wills serve as our most stiff competition. In addition to hamburgers, fries, and soft drinks, McDonalds offer grilled chicken sandwiches, an array of salads, Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfaits, Apple Dippers with Low Fat Caramel Dip, juice, 1% low fat milk, and, at many restaurants, soups (McDonalds Nutrition, 2009, para 5). It has helped McDonalds tremendously; however, Chik-fil-A’s healthier choices are a bit more pleasing to the taste buds. On the other hand, Subway has proven to have a nutritional advantage over Chick-fil-A but the quality of service or product does not add up to exceed it’s customer base. KFC has surely stepped up their competitive edge by comparing their items to its competitor analyzed by its calorie value. If you go to the KFC website it displays the meal choices and calorie values of McDonalds, Subway and Dunkin Donuts against its new grilled chicken meal. Chick-fil-A was not one of the selected fast food components that KFC could compare itself to. Chick-fil-A’s main strategy is to focus on providing a quality controlled tmosphere for the customer with extraordinary customer service while gaining loyal customers. McDonald’s is focusing on growing market share with a disciplined pricing strategy to provide great tasting food at an affordable price (McDonalds Media Center, 2009, para 3). Chick-fil-A understands that the customer drives the business and that most important is to satisfy the customer through superb customer service by offering extensive training to their employees. The writer can attest that competitor’s such as McDonalds, KFC, and Subway can all use improvement in this area. Another competitive edge is our involvement within the community. We will always oblige to be a sponsor for any charitable activities going on in our community. Chick-fil-A and McDonalds are heard more in the media providing programs and sponsorships for their employees and charity events. The residential outlets are continuing to grow tremendously in Columbia County offering Chik-fil-a great opportunities and sponsorship possibilities. Describe the market position for your product and service. A quality that distinguishes chik-fil-A from there fast food competitor’s is it’s commitment to the customer and as a result they have been honored with three Customer service based awards. Product quality is another area that has an effect on the volume of business. If customers are accustomed to receiving quality produced products they are motivated to buy from the supplier because they know what they can expect each time. That is important element in fast food chains. Who wants to drive away from the restaurant with cold food? Complete turn off for the customer and it is sure to leave a bad taste in their mouth for this particular restaurant. In surveys conducted by Marketing and Research Counselors, Inc. Chick-fil-A’s core menu products, including the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets and Chik-fil-A Chick-n-Strips, have consistently ranked number one in their respective categories (Chick-fil-A: Food, 2007). So chik-fil-a will provide the market with products that are favorable by much of America. The â€Å"Eat Mor Chikin† campaign has increased the chain’s sales five-fold. The chain has turned the theme into a fully integ rated marketing program, which includes store point-of-purchase materials, promotions, radio and TV advertising, and clothing and merchandise sales (Chick-fil-A: The Cows, 2007, para 1 ). Chick-fil-A’s marketing presence is here to stay. The company currently has more than 1,380 restaurants in 37 states and Washington, D. C. and enjoyed an aggressive expansion year, opening 80 new restaurants in 2007 (Chick-fil-A Company, 2007, para ). It’s just a matter of time before this company takes its business global and leaves its competitor’s in the wind. Product/Services America loves Chick-fil-A because it can fit into almost any healthy diet through moderation and balanced menu choices. The Chick-fil-A menu offers 10 menu items with 10 or fewer grams of fat. Foods are also cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil which is naturally trans-fat and cholesterol free (Chick-fil-A: Food, 2007). So not only are the â€Å"eat mor chikin† products delicious, but nutritious as well. Chick-fil-A’s current marketing plan is a huge success. Chock-full a sponsors many events including the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern and Big 12 Conferences and Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America sponsorships have introduced new audiences to the brand (Chick-fil-A, 2009, para 6). The company participates in many charities around town and always seen in the community volunteering time and making a difference. For the most part prices do not change within a 12 month period. Products offered coincide with all Chick-fil-A locations, however, services vary. We take pride in offering our customers the best service so we will honor product prices that are currently held at the corporate offices.ReferencesChristiaNet. (2009) Chick-fil-A CEO, S. Truett Cathy. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from http://christiannews.christianet.com/1097585115.htm Columbia County. (2009) Columbia County Georgia General Information . Retrieved December 5, 2009, from http://www.columbiacountyga.gov/ Hoovers Inc. (2009) Chick-fil-A, Inc.- Overveiw. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from http://www.hoovers.com/company/Chick-fil-A_Inc/hrfkki-1.html Iacobucci, D. (2011). Marketing management: 2010 custom edition. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. McDonalds. (2009) McDonalds Media Center . Ret rieved December 9. 2009, from http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat.html McDonalds. (2009) McDonalds Health, Fitness, and Nutrition . Retrieved December 9. 2009, from http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat.html Waiter on the Way. (2009) Chick-fil-a Southwest. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www.waiterontheway.biz/Chick-fil-a%20Southwest

Debtor Appeal of Boston Essay

1. Case name and citation: In re Boston shipyard Corp. , Debtor Appeal of Boston Shipyard Corp. , No. 89-1144 United States court of Appeals, first Circuit. 886 F. 2d 451 Heard June 7, 1989. Decided September 1989 Before CAMPBELL, Chief Judge Reinhardt and Toruella circuit Judges. Its alleged that the ruling in this case was not fair by the fact that the district court that confirmed the bankruptcy of Boston Shipyard Corporation, BSC in favor of the appellee , the US Military Sealift Command, MSC. 2. Key Facts: BSC entered into agreement with MSC to revamp and repair the USNS Mississinewa (a water vessel) at a final pay of $ 4,997,925. Having been not fully aware, it turned out that the contract required much more in expenses than it was originally estimated. On realizing change in the contract specifications; it filed a change authorization order so that the work could be done with the permission of their client MSC. The orders however accumulated at the MSC’s table such that their delayed resolution resulted to a wide financial implication towards BSC. Till August 1985, BSC’s financial condition had worsened a situation that required the contract partner, MSC to make payments. Failure of MSC to pay BSC led to termination of the contract. The pulling out of the contract by BSC Company was based on the fact that the latter company had been declared bankrupt. It’s reported that on October 17th due to failure of MSC to compensate BSC, and was terminated by the government (West’s Federal Reporter, 1990). 3. Legal issues presented before Court: Among the legal issues presented before the court were several factors. That one, BSC as a company pulled out of a contract it had entered into with the US Military Sealift Command, â€Å"MSC†. The second issue was the fact that the latter, (MSC) had declined to make payments to the contractual partner, (Boston Shipyard Corporation, BSC), to cater for the extra expenses that were not budgeted for by the company. The US Military Sealift Command, MSC was â€Å"supposed† to cater for these cost overruns in order for BSC to provide its services. 4. Holding of the court: The US government, on February 25th 1986, through the US Bankruptcy Court, filed a proof of claim of $ 9. 2 million in Reprocurement costs. On the other hand, BSC, objecting to the Proof of Claim, filed a counter Proof of Claim, which was meant to convert the terminated contract into one that could benefit the government. Six months down the line, the bankruptcy court on making first hearing, it passed a judgement that favoured the government on the basis that BSC had without excuse withdrawn from the contract. This was further accepted to at the district court, a decision that BSC appeals to. 5. Reasoning (rationale): That a cardinal change is created or comes to exist in a contract when the contractor finds that he or she is required to execute tasks that are materially different from those that were originally bargained for at the start. Such changes are not subject to rectification, and so the judging on this, the government was in breach (West’s Federal Reporter, 1990). Basing on the fact that this contract was a â€Å"call and inspect† type, which implied that the vessels had to be opened first and scrutinized before establishing the whole cost to be involved in the contract. BSC may not be justified to abandon or pull out of the contract basing on the change orders written to MSC. Delay in the kick off of a contract is expected in any contractual agreement (Magoba Construction Company vs. United States). Talking of the incapability of BSC to deliver its services due to financial incapacity, one may argue that a contractor’s default may be pardoned if the causes seem to be beyond his control (ruling of Southeastern Airways Corporation vs. United States). However, it’s generally understood that as a contractor who makes and accepts bids from the government or any other individual, he should be having enough funds to support the contract. This is subject to change. Justification of the contractors default may be carried out only if the experienced financial problems were caused by factors beyond the company’s control or by the company itself (ruling of the case of National Eastern Corporation vs. United States). BSC also argues that the government’s delay to pay it some amount of money resulted to it being unable to respond to a contract worth $ 6. 5 million. This is not true. Evidence has, right from the beginning that BSC had a thin financial base before the contract was initiated (West’s Federal Reporter, 1990) At the same time, no blame was to be put on MSC for having caused any delay or disruption. Hence, conclusively, BSC’s financial incapacitation deterred the take-off of the contract. A different decision on this would make government contracts quite unworkable, and hence contractors would demand refund, and or financial consideration for any cost overruns. References: West’s Federal Reporter (1990): Cases argued and determined in the United States courts of appeals and Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals, University of California, p. 452

The Different Methods and Styles of Leadership

In a seminal and much-cited article on the subject of lead-ership, Lewin, Lippitt, and White (1939) coined the term demo-cratic-style leadership to refer to a method of managing that involved give and take between leaders, or managers, and the people whose jobs they were guiding. Later identified with group leadership, democratic leadership was valorized vis-a-vis auto-cratic leadership on one side and laissez-faire leadership on the other. One may readily infer the bias in favor of democratic leadership style from the mere naming of the other style terms. The autocratic style of leadership has been linked to the so-called scientific management methods envisioned by Frederick Taylor, who in the early part of the 20th century was influen-tial in devising a strategy of workplace behavior meant to elim-inate uncertainty and chaos in the workplace. The problem was that managers tended to leave employees out of the policy-imple-mentation equation. Supposedly, scientific management would eliminate the adversary relationship between labor and manage-ment. Instead, â€Å"science, the impartial arbiter, would decide† (Kanigel, 1996, p. 45). Yet â€Å"science† inevitably meant top-down, hierarchical management practices: â€Å"Taylor's experts and engineers did the thinking, while you were consigned to mindless doing† (Kanigel, 1996, p. 51). Laissez-faire leadership, as the term implies, fully em-powers the group members. The actual leader recedes, but the group is responsible for its decisions. One trouble with that style is that the leader also withdraws as a resource, unless the group specifically asks for help, and intragroup rivalries and compe-tition can develop that can limit group effectiveness (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939). There may be no shared vision about the group's objective. One may also infer the potential for the tyranny of the majority, a term attributed to Tocque-ville in his 1839 book Democracy in America. That idea also sur-faces in democratic-style management, but a leader changes the anarchic process by guiding the group away from internal power plays and toward unified group objectives. After World War II, influential management philosophy shifted toward ideas of democratic-style leadership with the work of W. Edwards Deming, whose famous Fourteen Points of man-agement included calls for management, not labor, to assume re-sponsibility for quality and for managers to act as leaders who clearly articulated work objectives and supported labor in im-plementing them (Walton, 1986). Yet Deming's management ideas were more wide-ranging than leadership per se, and the style associated with group dynamics is the focus of this research. Democratic-style leadership is consistent with management theory that views workers, or members of the leader's group, as resources rather than as drains or something to be coped with or otherwise got over. Even where some hierarchical struc-tures are in place, communication processes are meant to travel up, down, and laterally within an organization, and management practice diffuses decision-making events â€Å"throughout the organization. Even important decisions involve input from employees at all levels† (Hamiton & Parker, 2001, p. 58). The democratizing influence of such practice implies that communication will be interactive, not simply a matter of transmission of messages (commands) from managers to employees. The implication, too, is that such communication must take place in an environment of openness, honesty, and shared confi-dence (Hamilton & Parker, 2001, p. 58), which tends to yield cooperation and productivity. Because enterprise activity is necessarily collaborative, communication effectiveness is of paramount concern. Openness for leaders involves disclosure (sharing) of information with subordinates plus the reception or feedback from them. The authors of the best-selling One Minute Manager valorize simple, direct, and honest explanation of what is expected by management of workers, together with regular follow-up and evaluation of performance, and a commitment on the part of management to both people and results (Blanchard & Johnson, 1981, p. 8). That is, the more a manager facilitates subordinates' work (p. 19), the more likely the workers as members of the leader's group are to be productive and to produce high-quality work. Leadership that focuses on facilitating rather than defining the details or methods of the work of employees starts with making clear â€Å"what our responsibilities are and what we are being held accountable for† (p. 27). Realism about goals feeds realistic work habits and attention to achievement of those goals. As leaders, managers must both permit and enable disclosure and/or feedback by group members in an environment of psycholo-gical safety (Hamilton & Parker, 2001), which is also a hallmark of democratic systems. Equally, managers must be alert to non-verbal as well as verbal cues that may supply information about a group's performance and attitude. Hamilton and Parker give the (nonverbal) example of the prestige attached to corner offices as having the potential to affect the quality of workplace morale. Time management, too, sends messages about the kind of equality associated with democracy: Being late for meetings may stigmatize employees (Hamilton & Parker, 2001, p. 160) but send the message that some people (for example, managers) who are late when others (for example, secretaries) are on time are en-titled to be so. To be effective, democratic styles of leader-ship lead by example, with leaders asking nothing of subordi-nates that they are not equipped to do themselves.

21st Century Trends in Human Health

21st Century Trends in Human Health Human Health in the 21st Century: Global Trends, Developments and Challenges Ntsebo Immaculate Molapo Introduction The twentieth century saw the introduction of many antimicrobials and antibiotics which have been efficient in reducing the mortality rate from 797 deaths per 100000 people in 1900 to 36 per 100000 in 1980 (Arsmtrong, et al., 1999). Although there is a decline in the twentieth century, there are some sharp spikes in mortality in 1918 which was due to the influenza epidemic. Industrial progress during the second half of twentieth century, with the inherent socio-economic changes, has possibly been the driver to improve hygiene and health in Western countries, notably decreasing poverty-related morbidity and mortality. The health population as a sustainable condition requires protection continuing to ensure (Lastovica & Skirrow, 2000): Environmental clean air, clean water, adequate food, tolerable temperatures, stable climate, and high levels of biodiversity. But econ omic development also presents excessive backfire secondary to massive industrialization that generates a global deterioration of environmental conditions, with negative impact on human health (Nachamkin, Szymanski & Blaser, 2008). The results numerous scientific studies suggest that human activities, mainly the massive use of fuels fossils, have modified the natural composition of air. Air pollution from greenhouse gases produces a surface heating land beyond the natural variability of the climate system, conditioning the so called climate change (Graham et al 1987). Food and Water borne Diseases The bacteria â€Å"Campylobacter† is the second cause of most frequently reported food borne illness. A comprehensive approach to food safety from farm to table is needed to reduce Campylobacteriosis (Graham et al 1987). Farmers, industry, and food inspectors, food vendors, workers in food service and consumers are each critical link in the chain of food safety. This document answer s common questions about Campylobacter, describes how the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is attending the problem of contamination of meat and poultry products with Campylobacter and offers guidelines for food handling to prevent bacteria like Campylobacter cause disease (Marshall et al 1985). Salmonella is also a bacterium which is widespread in the intestines of birds, reptiles and mammals (Marshall et al 1985). It can spread to humans through a variety of different foods of animal origin. The disease causing â€Å"Salmonellosis† include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. In people with impaired immune systems underlying health or weakened, it can invade the bloodstream and cause infections that endanger life (Friedman, 2000). E. coli O157: H7 is bacterial pathogen that has a reservoir in cattle and other similar animals. The human disease occurs after consumption of food or water that has been contaminate d with microscopic amounts of cow faeces, causing, often a severe and bloody diarrhoea and cramps painful abdominal, without much fever. In 3% to 5% of cases, you may receive a complication called haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) several weeks after the initial symptoms. This severe complication includes temporary anaemia, heavy bleeding and kidney failure (Friedman, 2000). Campylobacter: Sources of disease and risk factors Sources and incidence of disease differ, sometimes greatly, between developed and developing countries. Transmission from person to person is considered rare in developed countries. By contrast, in developing countries human carriers may have a greater role in the transmission of infection function. In general, it is thought that chickens, poultry and other foods are the most likely sources of infection in developed countries. Number of cases notified beings Human per 100 000 inhabitants caused by Campylobacter jejuni / coli. The data presented are the data avail able to the drafting group until June 2006 (Blaser et al 2008).

Lenovos Retail Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Lenovos Retail Supply Chain - Essay Example The paper tells that Lenovo is an individual-technology firm that is worth approximately twenty-one billion dollars and the second biggest dealer of personal computers. The company’s head offices are in Beijing, China while a second head office is in Morrisville in the United States. Six Sigma is a collection of techniques as well as implements that assist in the improvement of elements which was established by Motorola and embraced as a business strategy for General Electric in 1995. Computer manufacturers have applied six-sigma for progressive quality enhancement as well as lean manufacturing with the aim of decreasing process wastage so that they can in the best way meet the needs of the customers. The focus of this comprehensive essay is to review Lenovo’s retail supply chain as well as logistics operations as well as the effect on costs and consumer experiences for the retail customers. Initially, Lenovo’s supply chain was not properly incorporated partially for the reason that it had been developed from a union between two firms that did not have the same characteristics. The company had different distributors in various regions of the globe, with varying customer bases and operating under different models. The initial supply chain was also not created to deal with the volumes that the company started attaining and this made deliveries arrive at their destinations late. The company embraced Workout, which is a group based improvement approach that was initially developed by General Electrics, whereby, all the core decision makers on a difficult issue converge in a room and remain there until they find a solution. In some cases, the productivity of the manufacturing line was able to be doubled as a result of this.

Classic film research Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classic film research - Movie Review Example My least favorite character will also be discussed. The character’s performance will be analyzed giving reasons for choosing the character as the least favourite. Finally, the essay will have a conclusion. Overview of the film The film is about a troubled man, George, who feels the need to commit suicide due to the troubles he has been encountering in his life. His friends and family from being concerned, offer prayers that eventually reach heaven and thus an angel, Henry, is challenged to save George in exchange of him earning wings. George lived his life being selfless. He gave up his wishes and ambitions in life for other people. However, his kindness did not reap him much since he faced a number of challenges in his life. For example, his father died, and his brother did not keep the agreement they made concerning what would happen after his brother graduates (James 53). George loses the hearing on his left ear while trying to save his younger brother. This cost him an opp ortunity to enlist when World War II erupts (James 63). Georges Company also fails when his uncle, Billy, loses a lot of money from the company on his way to the bank on Christmas Eve. These frustrations are the main reason that lead to George deciding to commit suicide and that’s when Henry, the guardian angel appears to him before he commits suicide. Henry has been given a challenge of ensuring George does not commit suicide, and thus he has appeared to start on a journey of achieving this. George’s life turns around (James 77). From the film, it can be deduced that the film makers had an intention of teaching the audience a lesson. The film revolves around a number of themes. Selflessness is a virtue that the film makers were trying to bring out. George was a selfless person. He gave up many of his dreams for his family and friends and asked for nothing in return. This is what a selfless person would do; give up one’s ambition for the good of others. There is no place in the film that portrays George taking advantage of others including his family and friends for his own benefit. Love is also another theme that comes out from the film. Georges family and friends saw what he was going through, and because of the love they had for him, they took the time to pray for him. Patience is another virtue portrayed in the film. Though George almost gave up the last minute, he practiced patience in most part of his life. He went through so much, but he kept trying. Taking initiative was another teaching that the film makers tried to bring out. The guardian angel, Henry, took the initiative of coming to earth jus when George needed him the most and was determined to make sure he saved George (James 140. Through these themes, the film makers were able to achieve the intentions they planned to teach the audience about life. They used the various characters life experience, attitude, and behavior to teach the audience about issues in life. For example , George’s life experience taught the audience about being patient. That life is not always smooth. It also achieved in teaching the audience that selflessness pays. That it’s important to be good to other, because through George always being there for his family and friends they were able to love and are for him when he needed them (James). Other characters like the guardian ange

If stem cell research must rely only on derivation of tissue from a Term Paper - 1

If stem cell research must rely only on derivation of tissue from a vibrant fetus, is harvesting those cells in any way immoral, illegal or unethical - Term Paper Example It is impossible to reconcile these positions due to distinctly opposing views inherent in medical science versus varying views and interpretations of ethics and morality. A typical day-5 human embryo consists of 200-250 cells, most of which comprise the trophoblast, which is the outermost layer of the blastocyst. HESCs are harvested from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, which consists of 30-34 cells. The derivation of HESC cultures requires the removal of the trophoblast. This process of disaggregating the blastocysts cells eliminates its potential for further development. Opponents of HESC research argue that the research is morally impermissible because it involves the unjust killing of innocent human beings. (Siegel par. 2). Moral and ethical debates have raged since the idea of stem cell research first crossed scientists’ minds. One simplistic argument against opposition to the research centers upon abortion fetuses from which many of the cells are gathered. The moral rational is that in the event of an abortion at least some good for the whole of humanity can come of it. Reading into this position, one can make a case that the apologist him or herself is admitting abortion is unethical, highlighting the complexity of the argument. Besides, they might say, research cannot be done on adult stem cells because they don’t share the same aspects as those from an embryo. The good of the research outweighs the bad of the methods. The end justifies the means, since embryonic stem cell research can help find cures for, or prevent diseases including Cancer and Parkinson’s but also Alzheimer’s, Heart disease, Stroke, Diabetes, birth defects, spinal cord injuries, organ damage and trans plant rejection. Medical researchers insist embryonic stem cells are needed because they alone are able to reproduce any other

A Consulting Opportunity in Any Area of Commercial Essay

A Consulting Opportunity in Any Area of Commercial - Essay Example The researcher states that organizations invest in business aspects that would profess in terms of sales. In this sense, businesses invest in such research during emergencies. It is vital to highlight that sales projection would best occur at all periods of a business. In the traditional context, revenue projections and cash flows are viewed as the key controls for managing a business. However, the sales forecast is a vital management of other figures to business. It becomes a critical point of initiating ventures in an existing business. In sales forecasting, consultancy would achieve a different route since it relies on accurate data. This creates a necessity for having a consultancy system that calculates data for a given piece of advice. For established businesses, the consultancy project would help in identifying prior years’ figures that are vital for drafting a sales forecast. This considers the sales’ growth expectations. On the other hand, small businesses woul d necessitate scenarios of studying the industry. This would relate to a compilation of consumers’ profiles and understand the existing and the expected competition. In the end, the consultancy would help in striking the sense of making sales’ projections. It also aims at heralding sales forecasting as a less cryptic endeavor. This is a time series methodology of establishing a sales’ projection according to a manifesting pattern from the earlier period sales. Another method relates to the regression analysis method. This method also utilizes historical sales as a basis for predicting future sales. In this sense, the forecaster strives to foster a relationship between the sales and the independent variables. Autonomous variables encompass the GDP and population. In simple regression analysis, forecasting involves the use of one independent variable. Conversely, multiple regression analysis would entail the employment of two or more independent variables.

Do you agree that the decision in Radmacher v Granatino 'is as far as Essay

Do you agree that the decision in Radmacher v Granatino 'is as far as the courts can go' without there being legislative cha - Essay Example Sometimes pertained to as an â€Å"antenuptial agreement†, a pre-nuptial agreement is actually â€Å"a contract made betwen two individuals before their marriage to each other†2. Basically, a pre-nuptial contract contains all information or details with regards to the couple’s preferred financial or property settlement in case a divorce would occur in the future. Legally speaking, a pre-nuptial contract will only take into effect after the couple has entered a marriage. This study will closely examine the case of Radmacher v Granatino3. To give the readers a clear idea with regards to this topic, a summary of the case Radmacher v Granatino will first be provided in details. As part of the study conclusion, this study will purposely explain and discuss the most obvious reasons why I strongly agree to the idea that the decision made in the case of Radmacher v Granatino ‘is as far as the courts can go’ followed by discussing whether or not it will be a good thing for the family law in England and Wales to change as suggested will be answered in details. General Information About The Case of Radmacher v Granatino The case of Radmacher v Granatino is a good example wherein the couple agreed to enter into a pre-nuptial agreement

Conceptual Design Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conceptual Design - Coursework Example Lateral stability in the building is achieved by the use of a framed structure as shown in figure 3. A frame structure makes the building become capable of evenly directing all the loads of the foundation without causing stress at one point of the building more than the other. The foamed structure is such that the slab is placed on top of the beams which form the walls. The total force is from the upper rooms of the story is thus efficiently transferred downwards. Notably, the slab is also constructed by spanning it along the shorter side so as to increase length stability. This technique has the advantage of reducing the total number of beams and columns that are needed in the construction of the building and at the same time while maintaining a stable structure. Each beam is scanned at a length of 4 meters. This is cheaper and very affordable in terms of the bars used. Any design is only viable once tests done on it can prove its authenticity and applicability. Testing for the feas ibility of the member positions used in the design can be done by the use of preliminary sizing exercise for the main structural elements of the building. As shown in figure 6 and 7, the desired measurements for the slab, beam and wall are 150, 300 and 200 respectively. The column is designed with an approximate size of 300 rising up to about 4000.Often conceptual analysis is a precise procedure which has most of the details embedded in the diagrams used in the explanation.

Report nokia company from 2003 -2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report nokia company from 2003 -2008 - Essay Example Importance is given to teamwork and mutual respect (Nokia-b, 2010). In the beginning of 2008 the company announced a new â€Å"company structure†. It aims at aligning the opportunities in the company with future growth prospects. Nokia also plans to increase the efficiency of the working ways across the company. According to the Articles of the company and Finnish Companies Act the management and control of the company is divided between the company shareholders, the Board of Directors,, President and Group Executive Board headed by the CEO. The Board gives decisions relating to the activities of the Group including crucial investment decisions, approval of plans and divestments. The Group Executive Board of the company is in charge of managing company operations (Nokia-c, 2010). The competitors of the company are LM Ericsson Telephone Company, Motorola Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Nokia has the highest market capitalization out of all the above mentioned competitors. In terms of sales the company ranks first among its competitors. Nokia has operations across China, Finland, India and Germany. In these countries the company offers Networks Technology. Nokia offers â€Å"mobile devices and technology† services in China, Brazil, Great Britain, Finland, India, Hungary, Mexico, South Korea and Romania (Nokia-d, 2010). The devices unit of the company is in charge of managing and developing its mobile services portfolio. Nokia Siemens Network offers fixed network infrastructure, wireless, networks and communications service platforms and professional services to service providers and operators. NAVTEQ is a major provider of â€Å"digital map data† for mobile navigation devices, internet based applications and business & government solutions. The map data of NAVTEQ is a significant part of the map services of Nokia which provide downloadable maps and voice-based navigation (Nokia-f, 2009). The vision of the company is based on the