Fanons Decolonization

Introduction Many countries used violence to end colonial rule. Fanon (37) is a celebrated political radical, who supported the use of violence to end colonial aggression. His works mainly centered on understanding the psychopathology that most colonial powers used to demean their subjects. His book (Wretched of the Earth) was his most celebrated work, as it explored the violent nature of nationalistic movements.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Fanon’s Decolonization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He said, â€Å"National liberation, national renaissance, the restoration of nationhood to the people, commonwealth: whatever may be the headings used or the new formulas introduced, decolonization is always a violent phenomenon† (Fanon 35). In the book, Fanon (36) said colonization resulted in the creation of two polarized societies. One society comprised of the colonizers, while the other society compr ised of the colonized. To affirm this statement, he said, â€Å"Decolonization is the meeting of two forces, opposed to each other by their very nature, which in fact owe their originality to that sort of sub-stantification which results from and is nourished by the situation of the colonies† (Fanon 36) Fanon (236) believed that most colonial powers perceived their subjects as inferior people. They therefore justified their oppressive rule, as a way for bringing â€Å"light† to â€Å"dark† and uninformed people. The oppressive nature of colonial rule shows that the practice was a self-destructive concept because it undermined its subjects through harassment, intimidation, and exploitation. Through the same lens of analysis, Wretched of the Earth explores the influences of race, class, and culture on the colonial domination of vulnerable societies. A key hallmark of the teachings of Fanon (35) was the support for violence, as a way to end colonial dominance. From this assertion, Fanon (35) said, â€Å"National liberation, national Renaissance, the restoration of nationhood to the people, commonwealth, and whatever headings, or the new formulas, introduced in anti-colonialism, decolonization is always a violent phenomenon† (Fanon 35). Through this assertion, Fanon (35) justified violent means to end colonial aggression because he believed colonialism did not improve the lives of the colonized people. This paper argues that the support for violence during the ouster of colonial rule influenced national liberation movements in many parts of the world.Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Particularly, this paper pays a close attention to the Algerian national liberation movement as a product of violent campaigns against colonialism. Algerian Case Many historians understand the call for violent means to end colonial aggression from a his torical point of view. Many comparisons show the existence of these principles in Algeria’s colonial history. Algeria’s colonial history demonstrates the use of violence to end colonialism because Fanon (309) supported the country’s nationalist movement. While some researchers criticize violence as a means for ending colonial aggression, Sefa and Simmons (96) question why some people judge the support for violence when French colonialists also used violence to colonize Algeria. This question informs why some researchers supported violence, as the only way for countries to resist colonial oppression (Sefa and Simmons 96). Unlike other colonial resistance movements that have used violence, as a way to stop colonial dominance, the Algerian anti-colonial movement presents an interesting support for violence because it not only opposes undesirable aspects of colonial governance, but also any ideas that were beneficial to the country as well. Algerians detested all as pects of colonialism because they understood that the costs of adopting partial colonial ideals were too high to their sovereignty (Hoppe and Nicholls 20). For example, they never adopted the French language because it would bind them to the linguistic framework of colonial ideologies. They also detested technology because they perceived its adoption as a way of embracing colonial ideas. Therefore, Algerians believed technological gadgets, like radios and television, symbolized French colonial rule. Through this view, when Frantz (cited in Hoppe and Nicholls 20) wrote about the Algerian colonial revolution, he regarded French-speaking radio anchors as colonialists speaking to other colonialists. Besides the sideline repulsion of colonial influences in Algeria, violence largely underpinned the anti-colonialism sentiments of the National Liberation Front (NLF) army (Algeria’s antagonist movement in the anti-colonial war).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on F anon’s Decolonization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fanon (309) supported the principles of this movement, as the army engaged in guerilla warfare and terrorism (among other acts of violence) to eliminate colonial dominance in Algeria (Algeria’s long walk to freedom was characterized by a civil war to stem out colonial dominance). Through the conviction and commitment to violence, as the most effective way to defeat colonial dominance, the NLF united warring factions of the national liberation movement to create one formidable force to fight the French. The violence that characterized the anti-colonial movement led to widespread human deaths. For example, some historical excerpts say French forces killed about 70,000 Muslim people (notable massacres occurred in Oran and Philippevile) (Horne 42). Historians also report similar human deaths in France, where French forces killed about 4,300 people in the Algerian-related anti-colonial revolts of the time. Unconfirmed literatures also say the NLF killed about 30,000-150,000 pro-French Muslims in Algeria (Horne 21). From the widespread human deaths that characterized Algeria’s anti-colonialism movement, it is correct to say violence was a key strategy in the struggle for independence of the North African country. Fanon (41) justifies such violence and human destruction as important in restoring the dignity of the colonized people. He says, â€Å"To wreck the colonial world is henceforward a mental picture of action which is very clear, very easy to understand and which may be assumed by each one of the individuals which constitute the people† (Fanon 40-41). Through this statement, Fanon (41) believes that anti-colonial violence should not give an opportunity for warring parties to maintain communications after war. Instead, he suggests that after ousting colonial rule, former colonies should destroy and â€Å"bury† colonial force s (Fanon 41). Such ideas explain why some people considered Fanon (132) as a political radical. His views were undemocratic and left no opportunity for compromise between natives and colonialists. Although some of his ideas have eroded in today’s diplomatic society, it is difficult to oppose the view that his ideas informed the Algerian liberation movement.Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The sheer adoption of anti-colonial sentiments in Algeria elevated the North African country to be the epitome of anti-colonialism in North Africa and the Sub-Saharan region. Indeed, the anti-colonialism sentiments in Algeria motivated other countries in North Africa (like Tunisia and Morocco) to resist colonial aggression through violent means. Algeria’s success in overcoming colonial aggression largely represents the efficacy of violence in the movement. Certainly, through the successful resistance of colonial control in Algeria, the North African protectorate influenced other countries in the Sub-Saharan region to embrace anti-colonialism movements by creating armed resistance groups as well. Hoppe and Nicholls say, â€Å"Throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and across the Sahara itself, the domino effect is unmistakable as Algeria became the pole of anti-colonial struggle in the second half of the 1950s† (117). Conclusion Based on the principles underlying the use of vio lence as the best way for eliminating colonial rule, it is correct to say Fanon (96) used revolutionary principles to articulate the global nature of anti-colonialism. Broadly, this view shows that he successfully explained the nature and purpose of colonial struggles. A deeper analysis of his principles shows that he was able to derive a common purpose of anti-colonialism. Through Algeria’s struggles against colonial rule, Fanon (96) also popularized the abstract principles of anti-colonialism, beyond Algeria to other parts of the world. Evidence of the adoption and growth of anti-colonialism in North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrates this principle. His accounts of the use of violence to stem out colonial aggression also show that the author’s ideas were philosophical because they did not come from an empirical understanding of colonial aggression and anti-colonialism. Most of the justifications for violence come from the understanding that most people shoul d use violence to stop violence. It is important to understand the contextual understanding of the support for violence here because it existed at a time when countries rarely respected diplomacy. Moreover, unlike today, there was a serious attitudinal divide between white supremacists and other races. Equality was a rarely understood concept among the colonialists because they believed their subjects were inferior to them. This background provided little room for negotiation and compromise. The same background informs the support for violence against the colonialists because it was the only way for the colonized people to redeem themselves. Moreover, people thought it was unjustified for the colonialists to impose their rule on a group of people who did not welcome them in the first place. Fanon (164) maintained this view, even when most colonial powers perceived their subjects as â€Å"stupid† people. Overall, he did not see the benefit of colonialism, as it did not improve the lives of the colonized people. Evidence of violent anti-colonial movements in Algeria and Sub-Saharan Africa shows how his principles informed many anti-colonial revolts in Africa. Works Cited Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth, Broadway, NY: Grove Press, 1965. Print. Hoppe, Elizabeth, and T. Nicholls. Fanon and the Decolonization of  Philosophy, London, UK: Lexington Books, 2010. Print. Horne, Alistair. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962, London, UK: Pan Macmillan, 2012. Print. Sefa , Georgea, and M. Simmons. Fanon Education: Thinking Through  Pedagogical Possibilities, New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2010. Print. 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The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss Essays

The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss Essays The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss Paper The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss Paper Abstract This paper analyzes the organizational structure and design of the world’s largest brand-name apparel marketers, Levi Strauss Company. The concepts of hierarchy, change management, and employee involvement applications will be discussed, along with the organization’s environment and competitive strategies. The premise of this paper is the accomplishment of this organizational mode Levi Strauss for change and the ultimate success of the company’s transformation. Levi Strauss and Company was founded in 1853 and since has become a household name in the trouser industry. They are the world’s largest producer of brand-name clothing and the second largest maker of jeans in the United States. Levi Strauss started the tradition of being an apparel innovator and today, the company still upholds the commitment to offering products that are right for every generation. Levi Strauss mission statement is to seek to reflect the voices of the communities where they have a business presence and make a difference by addressing tough social issues and empowering people to solve their own problems and those of their communities The values of Levi Strauss and Company are the foundation of the company. It is what defines them and sets them apart from the competition, sets the vision for the future, the business strategies and the decisions that are made. The four core values are empathy, originality, integrity, and courage. When they talk of empathy, they are walking in other people’s shoes. Their success comes from listening to what consumers want and meeting their needs of the consumers, retail customers, shareholders and employees. The company’s long-standing traditions of community involvement and employee volunteerism continue today which contribute to their commercial success. Authenticity and innovation is what makes Levi’s an original. The jeans have been worn by generations who incorporated them into their own sense of style. The ethical conduct and social responsibility illustrates the integrity that the company holds for always doing the right thing. The commercial success maintains the company’s beliefs and behaviors which motivates customers trust and loyalty. And lastly, the company has the courage to always stands up for what they believe in, whether it is challenging accepted practices or conventional perception. Their ultimate goal for Levi Strauss is making the company more competitive by implementing a number of business turnaround strategies and by changing the process of how they develop, deliver, and market the products. The organization markets their products under the leading brand names such as Levi’s, Dockers, and Signature. These are the most widely recognized brands in the apparel industry. The company’s organizational level analysis begins with their strategy. The corporate citizenship states a strong belief in the company which can shape society through civic engagement and community involvement, responsible labor and workplace practices, charity, ethical conduct, and environmental awareness. The four core values of the company’s mission statement of empathy, originality, integrity and courage sum up the long-term purpose of the company’s goal Levi Strauss for successful strategy and transformation. Levi Strauss developed and implemented a sourcing program in 1991 that incorporates value in working with stakeholders for improvement of working conditions in factories that produce their products, and a Levi Strauss in the communities where these are located at. They were able to gather valuable information and maximize positive effects by working with other companies and key stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations, local governments and trade unions. Other memberships and working groups that this organization is a part of are The Business for Social Responsibility, American Apparel and Footwear Association, and The U. S. Council for International Business. Information technology assisted the organization by obtaining a sharper customer focus and helping management make better decisions. Levi Strauss was able to acquire detailed knowledge and understanding of their customer base, which in turn, provided products which brought back interest in the Levi’s brand. With the Information Technology revolution, Levi’s Jeans even designed a jean with a docking station in the pocket to place one’s IPOD. Last year, they a Levi Strauss produced a mobile phone with a range of denim cases to choose from. The ideas of merging fashion and technology came from customer feedback and satisfaction. The Levi Strauss and Company Technology Center has eighty employees and is responsible for the research and development, design, engineering and manufacture of specialized sewing equipment for Levi Strauss plants. In 1999, they purchased MK Manufacturing Software which managed centralized purchasing operations for the United States and Canada factories and to support the manufacturing and inventory of the machines used to make Levi Jeans. In the company’s ransformation and structural change, they have managed to modify the entire process of how they develop, deliver and market their products by making their products more innovative and appealing to customers. They expanded the licensing programs so they can offer more product ranges; and they a Levi Strauss improved the economics of brands for the customers. Lastly, they improved the operational efficiency by implementing new business planning and performance mode Levi Strauss that clarifies roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. The end result was steady sales and profitability for the company. The main focus of the company’s human resource management is conducting activities designed to fit cultural differences and career development of employees. The employees must attend classes that teach the company’s objectives, values and ethics, and a Levi Strauss how to understand the lifestyle and background of people. The company a Levi Strauss expresses concern for the employee’s work and family life by helping them balance their responsibilities. The company’s corporate culture purpose is ethical conduct and a strong commitment to social responsibility. The company developed an Aspiration Statement which specified their commitment to communication and ethical management practices. Those that followed and abided by it received recognition and empowerment. They value the diversity of employee’s backgrounds, experience and knowledge, and welcome the ethnic, cultural, and lifestyles of the communities where the employees live and work. Levi Strauss installed self managed teams which increase performance, improve the quality of the products, and promote originality level Levi Strauss. The organizational system refers to the members in making team decisions, which in turn, increase effectiveness, sense of responsibility and ownership of the work. T. Gary Roger is the Chairman of the Board. John Anderson is the President and CEO. And Hans Ploos van Amstel is the Chief Financial Officer. The organization knows they still have work to be done in order to stay on top and continue to be the most worn line of clothing in the world. Their value-driven competitiveness and major transformations has definitely set the standard in becoming a successful company. The biggest challenge and uncertainty is the massive change in the world, and what customers want. Customers are becoming more demanding and suppliers are abundant. The company is in the process of remaking Levi’s for the 21st century. They set targets for the new design and implementation. They are researching what the organization should look like and what the customers expect. By listening carefully to not only the consumers, by the employees themselves, the work and concepts will be built to everyone’s satisfaction. Levi Strauss: Product Life Cycle Levi Strauss has gone discount. We see this change in distributors such as Wal-mart, Kmart and JCPenny. This is indication that Levi is in the decline stage of the product life cycle. At this point there is a downturn in the market. For example more innovative products are introduced or consumer tastes have changed. There is intense price-cutting and many more products are withdrawn from the market. Profits can be improved by reducing marketing spend and cost cutting. Efficient Vs. Learning Levi Strauss has a Horizontal structure. This dominant structure consists of the following: ? Shared tasks, empowerment ? Relaxed hierarchy, few rules Horizontal, face-to-face communication ? Many teams and task forces ? Decentralized decision making This type of structure as we will further discuss is functional with cross functional team integers is decentralized but lacks stability, efficiency, control and reliability. Intervention Strategy: Levi Strauss Company Change of an organization structure and ability to adapt occurs when three elements are in place simultaneously: (1) dissatisfaction with the present situation, (2) a compelling vision of how the change will create a better future; (3) first steps for reaching the vision. If any of these elements is missing or collectively they are less powerful than the resistance to the change, then change will not take place. Thus the first part of an intervention focuses on creating a common database and the foundation for the dissatisfaction. Following that, the intervention moves to creating a future that is far more desirable than that which caused the dissatisfaction. It ends with participants developing and implementing steps that are necessary for moving the organization and themselves forward. We chose to focus on a large group intervention process facilitated by outside consultant OD practitioners. Reason for this is to dismantle the group think and develop strategic ideas that would be innovative and effective. Desired Outcomes: ?Prepare, Practice and Participant in the change process ? Gain a better understanding of the business, customers, what we sell, and whose needs the products meets ? Levi Strauss vision are effectively communicated ?Renew individual Levi Strauss and organization spirit Begin thinking globally, internally and externally The goal of this intervention is to elicit feedback and input from all members of the organization, develop an effective annual plan based on the proposed long range plan. It should be designed to accommodate full and part-time members and administers to a one-day event which should include over 95 percent participation. This would allow all members to engage in whole system conversations since many employees come from different parts of the system. Implementation of change management activities Perhaps the primary means to directly implement change is for the leaders to forcefully create a sense of urgency. Many organization fail at change management because of lack of communication, failure to define objectives, project management problems, technical issue and inexperience in scope and complexity. Levi has emphasized quality, being socially responsible, and hiring the most talented people the firm can recruit. The value of each individual, the effective leadership of work groups and the success of enterprise has been the emphasis at Levi Strauss since founded. However like any other organizations, Levi has had its problems. Being slow to adopt to new fashion trends, Levi is struggling with generation gap problem. In 2003, Levi closed it last U. S plant and decided to focus on manufacturing outside because of the cheaper cost of labor (www. levistrauss. com). Levi has attempted to attract 14-17 year olds without turning off older people and as Levi plotted along fashion shifts occurred and passed Levi. As result many young people will not wear Levi and many hardly know about the brand at all. These are problems that create uncertainty in the organization leading management to rethinks it position and develop new strategy to remain competitive. We decided to have an effective change management strategy Levi could implement an Open Space intervention. Open space is a large-group process that helps participants focus energy on issues or opportunities of interest, and collectively design appropriate courses of action. Although it works with as few as 8 participants, Open Space is considered a large-group intervention because it works equally well with hundreds of participants. This simple, but very powerful framework creates the right conditions for Levi Strauss management team and provides a dynamic process of discussion and cooperation. Every single participant who contributes with his knowledge and experience influences the end result. Because participants in an Open Space Conference all participate actively, and talk to others regardless of function or background, creates a high level of employee involvement, commitment among participants and much networking across boundaries, usually resulting in a much deeper understanding of the issues as stake well as new ideas about the way forward. Levi Strauss Competitive Strategy-Using Michael Porter’s Five Forces A competitive assessment consists of an analysis using Porter’s Five Forces of Competition. The Five Forces of competition shape every industry and every market. The Five Forces Model is based on microeconomics, and is an extension of the SWOT analysis. This model is an important tool for analyzing organizations’ industry structure and strategy. Michael E. Porter identified five competitive forces that determine the intensity of competition and the attractiveness of any industry. Porter’s model is based on the insight that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats in an organizations external environment. The model accounts for supply and demand, complementary products and substitutes, volume and cost production, and market structure. We will analyze the industry using Porter’s model. The five forces of competition are illustrated below: Threat of New Entrants Competitive Rivalry Between Existing Players Bargaining Power of Customers Threat of Substitutes Bargaining Power of Suppliers The collective strength of these five forces determines the ability of a firm to gain market share in the apparel industry. Once an analysis has been conducted, managers can search for options to influence these forces in the interest of the organization. In the apparel industry, an organizations’ main objective is to reduce competitive forces. In detail, the five forces are illustrated in the following paragraphs (www. valuebasedmanagement. net). New Entrants Porters indicates new entrants pose a threat due to increases level capacity afforded. For example, suppliers could drive prices down and cut into profits. We have noticed this with Levi’s joint ventures with Wal-mart and JcPenny. More importantly the chance of new comers entering to market depends upon two variables, the barriers to entry and probability. The barriers for apparel industry includes economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements, switching costs, accessibility of distribution channels and competing firms which includes learning curves and location. Rivalry The intensity of rivalry among existing competitors depends upon the level of saturation within the industry. For example, for one organization to gain market share they must take it from a competitors, the level of rivalry that exist is high, often resulting in retaliation and price wars. Rivalry may stem from a variety of source which has numerous and equally balanced competitors, slow industry growth, high fixed or storage costs and overproduction and high exit barriers. Bargaining Power of the Customer Historically, the bargaining power of apparel retailers went unchallenged. Fortunately, globalization of the free world and the increased availability of foreign products have increased the bargaining power of the customer. In the appeal industry, consumer markets and foreign competition forces prices down. Thus, the bargaining power of consumer market determines how much pressure it can impose on margins and volumes. Customers a Levi Strauss possess a credible backward integration threat resulting in the purchase from a rival/foreign company. However, due to worldwide economic strain it’s becoming more difficult for Levi to maintain its selling power and to remain economically diverse overall, customers do not have much buying power, as they never purchase in large volume. Here are some ways Levi Strauss can reduce the bargaining power of customers: ? Partnering ?Supply chain management ?Increase loyalty ?Increase incentives and value ?Move purchase decision away from price Threat of Substitutes The treat substitute of competition occurs if multiple products are found to perform the same function. Levi must recognize the customer is no longer bound to one product or rely of customer loyalty. They must consider price, availability and quality to avoid loss of market share. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Materials, production, operation cost and capital are necessary for any production process. For example, suppliers comprise all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. Levi Strauss buyer/supplier relationship is crucial to attain growth in the apparel/retail market. Normally, the strength of a supplier affects an industry’s profitability, and they can exert a major influence on a firm’s goods and services. However, the suppliers bargaining power in the apparel industry is very low. The apparel retail supply business is quite fragmented. Many suppliers relies one or two distributors to buy a majority of their products. If decided to switch suppliers, it would be devastating to the previous supplier’s business. As a result, suppliers are extremely susceptible to the demands and requirements of the apparel manufacture. SWOT Analysis This was a SWOT provided for Levis Strauss acquired off the web and was most useful. Levi Strauss as the conclusion we thought SWOT was the best way to conclude with the Competitive assessment of Levi Strauss Company. The analysis will present Levi Strauss’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strength Strong Brand Image Good Distribution Market Leader in Western Europe Good market position and partnership Efficient human resource management Weaknesses Quality Retail sales network is too big and inefficient Niche demand Multi-brand strategy and full range market presence is cost-intensive Opportunities Better acceptance of Levi Strauss Brand The strong market position in China is a guarantee for prosperous future Partnership with Mal-mart Threats Lower Priced Asian apparel The stock price evaluations, unattractiveness of the old economy Decline Stage of life cycle Competitive Strategy Critique First, environmental uncertainty means that managers do not have sufficient information about environmental factors to understand and predict environmental needs and changes. (Environment here refers to more than the physical environment, such as pollution or hurricanes. It a Levi Strauss involves the economic, sociocultural, technological, legal phenomenon that affects the operation of the business (www. soi. org). Companies have to make an effort to adapt to the rapid changes in the environment. The environment creates uncertainty for managers, who must respond by designing the organization to respond to adapt to the environment. Managers use several strategies to counter environmental uncertainty. They may use boundary spanners to link and coordinate the organization with key elements in the environment. Boundary spanners detect and process information about changes in the environment, and then they represent the organizations interest to the environment. They help to synchronize the activities of the organization to therapid changes in the environment. Some of their roles include scanning the technological horizon to detect any changes, sourcing information on competitors and getting feedback from suppliers and customers. Another strategy is the use of interorganizational partnerships where separate businesses make a collaborative approach to riding the wave of changes that stem from environmental uncertainty. Instead of going in all out competition, businesses now form alliances, sharing information through networks to ensure that they all have more information about the environment than if they had collected info on their own we see this with Levi’s positioning in Wal-Mart stores. Structural Form of Levi Strauss Company Levis Strauss led the way of flatter hierarchies, cultural diversity, empowerment, quality and globalization. Levis chosen structural form of nonhierarchical organizations have many advantages over their competitives that use conventional methods. For example, experience and expertise are often shared; creativity and new ideas are fostered, tested and discussed. These organizations are more cohesive and collaborate; empowerment is a key feature; and it can be highly supportive of multiple stakeholders in global environments. However, the chosen structure is more likely to have higher Group think’. Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking or the herd mentality can prevail; implementing decisions can be difficult since flatter organizations serve multiple constituencies and stakeholders; and many flatter organizations are team-based organizations, often geographically dispersed and electronically networked. Levi Strauss: Diagnosing the organization’s culture Culture is perhaps the most important characteristics in an organization. The first step in cultural analysis is describing the culture of the organization. Levi Strauss Company is often describing as being parentalistics. The framework is considered Clan culture, for example the figure below provides the framework matrix of four type’s cultures of which we based our analogy. Flexibility and Discretion ClanAdhocrachy Internal Focus and IntegrationExternal Focus and Differentiation HierarchyMarket Stability and Control The Hierarchy Culture key values center on maintaining efficient, reliable, fast, smooth-flowing production, for example many fast food organization fall within the section. The Market Culture core values are competitiveness and productivity. We see Market Cultures generally in manufacturing companies such as general electric. The Adhocracy Culture is temporary characterized by a dynamic, entrepreneurial and creative workplace. For example military, NASA would be considered part of this section. Levi Strauss currently has a Clan Culture. The Clan Culture is like an extended family where shared values and goals, cohesion, participation, individuality, and a sense of togetherness exist within the Levi Strauss organization. The primary strategic implication of a culture should be a source of competitive advantage to the organization (www. coachingandmentoring. com). Critique: Levi Strauss Organization Environment Adaption The rapidity and volume of changes have resulted in less lead time for management to analyze changes in their organizations external environment and to formulate appropriate strategies. In addition, the risks and uncertainty involved in implementing a particular strategy or set of strategies have intensified. In summary, the turbulence in the apparel industry from the change in customers taste and the circumstances that lead to external environment challenges has an effect on the decision makers and how they effectively anticipate changing conditions. Recommendations It is recommended that employees be made aware of the competitive position of the industry in relation to its competitors; competitive related information must be fed to all staff regularly. Management and employees need to be sensitive to customer needs, trends and what the competition is doing. This should create a sense of discomfort within the organization and make members of the organization aware that things always change and that there is always rivalry in the apparel industry competing for customers. Senior management need to reduce the levels of complacency by continually speaking of changes in the industry and that the absence of a visible crisis should not create comfort in the minds of employees. The leadership of Levi Strauss needs to inspire employees, acting with honesty and integrity. It is recommended that a planned and coordinated change management intervention be developed to focus on strategic change. Middle management needs to also be involved in these initiatives with trust existing between all levels of management, which is visibly noticed by all employees. It is strongly recommended that the organization formulate a vision for the change process during the planning phase. Employees need to understand what the business look and feel like after the change process. It is recommended that management formulate and communicate the master plan for the business. A specific vision and mission needs to be created and communicated. The gap between the current state and future state needs to be highlighted. It is recommended that any future communications relating to the alignment project include the vision for the change and the strategic significance. Communications should enhance the driving forces for change and reduce all retraining forces. Senior management needs to review their communications plan and strategies and need to measure the effectiveness. The communications plan needs to include the context of the change taking place. Future change interventions need to be honest, open and take into account the audience by being simple and straightforward. Communications need to be frequent and need to motivate more employees to participate in the process by creating enthusiasm. Reference: Cameron, K (2007) Diagnosing and Changing Organization Culture, Retrieved June 5, 2008, www. coachingandmentoring. com Lima Tony, (2006), Five Forces Model Porter, Retrieved June 2008, www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_porter_five_forces. html N. A, Levi Strauss Company Fact Sheet, Retrieved June 2, 2008, www. valuebasedmanagement. net/Downloads/CompanyFactSheet. pdf

Emarketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emarketing - Essay Example In addition, e-commerce is generally associated with buying and selling via internet or conducting transactions that technically involves the use of a computer (network) and then transactions that needed ownership or rights to use the goods and service for the internet. This industry seems to be growing. This is because as based on the International Data Corp (IDC) the estimated value of the global e-commerce in 2000 was roughly towards the US $350.38 billion. These figures are projected to climb up every yea, and it did, by 2004, the IDC rose by 10%. This shows that the market place is now being shifted towards the use of computer, internet. There is a huge market via Internet. But in order to understand this better, here are the basic concepts in e-commerce. There are some of the basic concepts of e-commerce that applies to understanding the difference of the relationship formation and maintenance in the market space and also in the market place. The E-commerce generally used a huge scope of technologies in order to provide the needs of its market wherever they may be. The relationship of e-commerce to its market place is to be able to provide both pre and p

Legal and Regulatory Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal and Regulatory Environment - Essay Example Mongo offered Quinn to work for their subsidiary company in Saudi Arabia. Quinn signed a form of contract that provided for a ‘Recital of International Employment Conditions,’ which guaranteed him that, if his performance would be found satisfactory, he would proceed for the job until the Mongo advised with an accompaniment of a four week written notice that his services were no longer needed (Human Resources in the Legal and Regulatory Framework, 466-505). The legal issues in this case include whether the contract between Quinn and SAMCO was legitimate ab initio, whether there existed a separate employment contract between Quinn and SAMCO and whether Quinn was a SAMCO employee, whether SAMCO erred in failing to integrate the likely interference by the government over the contract it made with Quinn, though the Royal Commission had managed to establish contractual mandate to alter at its own discretion personnel employed by SAMCO, bearing the fact that the government of Saudi Arabia is characterized with forms of employment discrimination such as age, and whether Mongo bears any responsibilities over SAMCO’s actions in another jurisdiction. The US legislation on Discrimination in Employment Act protects the populace above 40 from age prejudice (Metzger). Under this legislation, an employee has to prove that ‘he or she was within the cosseted age cohort, was qualified for the position at issue, suffered an adverse employment action, and was replaced by a sufficiently younger person.’ As a judge, if the plaintiff can prove these four elements, then a legal case suffices to stand trial. Did Hammer and Mongo act ethically? Would you have acted differently? Be sure to support your response with reference to ethical theories. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) ‘protects persons forty years or older from discrimination based on age. The legislation proscribes age favoritism in providing employees benefits and establishes minimum standards for waiver of one’s rights under the ADEA.’ It prohibits age discrimination in employment with respect to individuals aged forty years or older. In 1991, Congress amended Title VII to protect U.S. citizens employed in a foreign country by a U.S. employer. The Enforcement Guidance on Application of Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act provides that for a nationality of an entity to be determined by the entity’s place of incorporation, the principal place of business, contacts within the United States, the nationality of dominant shareholders and/or those holding voting control, and the nationality and location of management have to be taken into account (Lindemann, 2003, p. 9). Section 109 of the Title VII provides that â€Å"it shall not be unlawful,† under either Title VII or the ADA, for an employer to act in violation of either statute if compliance would cause the employer to violate the law of the foreign c ountry in which the employee’s workplace is located (Jerry). For example, an employer may be permitted to deny employment to women in a country that prohibits women from working, even though this practice violates Title VII. Hammer told Quinn that Quinn would have a problem as his grey hair showed that he was ‘over fifty,’ and people over fifty were ‘regarded with suspicion’

1. (MT) plz see the imformation which I had uploaded) Essay

1. (MT) plz see the imformation which I had uploaded) - Essay Example The theory does not explain why a person believes and opts for a certain action and how and what things influence these beliefs and motivates him to behave the way he does. On the other hand, the theory mentions clearly that characteristics of the choice situation will decide which individual beliefs become foremost and how different motivations influence in deciding his behaviour. The scope of theory does not, however, include the study of the procedure in which the individual examines the circumstances and his perception offsets his established beliefs (AMA, 2004). A prevalent brand community called â€Å"Club Ducati† initiated the trend. The passionate admirers of Ducati bikes make up this group. Ducati’s fans can avail membership of two different clubs: the main Ducati Owners Club (DOC) and individual Ducati Clubs. The DOC operates under the parent company and includes all bike owners; collection of customer data is its main function. The club doesn’t arrange for any particular social activities, but members can have only occasional discounts and other promotions for Ducati products (Cova et al, 2007). Yet, it is the customers who set up the Ducati Clubs locally all over the city. These types of clubs exist in most Italian provinces and are also seen in other parts of the world. In total, we have forty clubs in Italy and those outside Italy exceed 70. Moto GP, the international racing circuit relates plenty of success stories about the performance of Ducati bikes and the number of its owners has been on the increase since. In each Ducati club, the members usually range from forty to more than six hundred. The management is headed by a Club president, who leads a team of few friends willing to develop activities for the group members’ interests. Some of these activities include: meetings for motorcyclists, fundraising events, shows for charity, socializing

Perceptions Of Risk And Travel Intentions Tourism Essay

Perceptions Of Risk And Travel Intentions Tourism Essay Despite its resilience, tourism is also seen as a fragile industry as it is vulnerable towards various attacks and crises events, such as wars, incidents of terrorism, outbreak of diseases, political instability, and so on. Boniface and Cooper (2005) noticed that in recent years, the global tourism industry has suffered an increasing number of serious disasters and crises. The impact of globalization of the tourism market means that events occurring in one part of the world can have a significant impact on other parts of the world. Tourism is an important economic sector for many countries. However, as the tourism industry is highly prone to risk from external factors and pressures in the operating environment, planners in charge of tourism have to develop strategies to manage the impact of crises and disasters so as to protect society in general and tourism business in particular. Against this background, this chapter offers a better understanding of the type of travel risks, touris ts perceptions of travel risks, the impact of perceptions of risk on travellers travel intentions and travel risks associated with Thailand. TRAVEL RISKS Risk is defined as the uncertainty a person would face when they cannot foresee the consequences of a decision made (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000). It has become an important factor when it comes to considering global tourism because safety, calm and peace are the fundamentals in attracting potential tourists to a destination (Sonmez, 1998). Travel risk is defined as the possibility of meeting a danger while engaging in travel (Fischhoff et al. 1984) or the consciousness of security and awareness of the likelihood of damage during travel (Wogalter et al. 1999). Tourists will experience travel risk during the process of consuming and purchasing travel services (Tsaur et al. 1997). Perceived travel risk is often referred to travellers perception of negative results of buying travel products (Murray 1991; Dowling and Staelin 1994; Zeithaml and Bitner 2003) or the unclear travel decision outcome (MacCrimmons and Wehrung 1986). Perceptions of travel risk vary according to different types of travel risk (Reisinger and Mavondo 2005). In the tourism literature, there are several types of travel risk listed out by tourism scholars such as cultural risk, equipment or functional risk, crime risk, health risk, financial risk, physical risk, natural disaster risk, psychological risk, political risk, social risk, terrorism risk and time risk (Reisinger and Mavondo 2006a, 2006b). Reisinger and Mavondo (2006a, 2006b) offer definitions of these various risks: Cultural risk: refers to the possibility of facing cultural misunderstanding, difficulties in communicating with foreigners, inability to adjust to the life and living standards in the foreign land. Equipment or functional risk: is the likelihood of equipment, mechanical, organizational problems that may occur during travel or at a destination (accommodation, attractions and transportation). Roehl and Fesenmaier (1992) found out from their research result that the respondents mentioned equipment risk as the highest perceived risk factor among the others. Crime risk: refers to the possibility of victim being robbed or becoming the subject of a murder or rape. Health risk: is the possibility of getting sick and unwell while travelling or at a destination. It was stated by Richter (2003) that health organisation such as World Health Organization (WHO) was not successful in performing its original duty of reporting and preventing the outbreak of new and serious disease. However, there is an increasing number of individuals awareness towards the seriousness of heath risk they may face while travelling abroad. Health diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the Asia-Pacific region and Mad Cow Disease in Europe have caused a significant impact towards travel flows (Richter, 2003). Financial risk: refers to the possibility of travellers not being able to obtain value for money, lost or waste money if the expectation for the trip is not fulfilled. In tourism, price was a major demand factor. Hsieh et al. (1994) found that both non-package and package tourists have the common view of getting the value for the amount that they have paid for their vacation. Physical risk: refers to the possibility of getting injured physically; it includes danger and injury that are harmful to health (accidents). It was also defined as the possibility that there is a probability that ones health will be exposed to risk, sickness and injury due to the factors like weather, law and hygiene problems found during the tour (Tsuar, Tzeng and Wang, 1997). Natural disaster risk: refers to the possibility of being affected by a natural disaster event such as eruptions of volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, floods, tsunamis, wildfires and droughts. Psychological risk: imply that there may be a possibility of damaging self-image as the travel experience may not reflect the tourists personality or self-image. Political risk: means that tourists may get involved in the political chaos of the destination being visited. Social risk: refers to the possibility of disapproval from friends, associates or family with regards to the vacation choices. Tourist may suffer a lower social and personal status or emerge as being unfashionable. Also, as according to Reimer (1990), he argued that the style of vacation such as the number of places visited, distance travelled, regularity of travelling and destinations unusual nature may impress a travellers peers. Or that with the existence of peer pressure, it can act as a strong motivation for people to purchase upscale trips. Terrorism risk: relates to the possibility of being caught in a terrorist act, for example hijacked plane, biochemical attack or bomb explosion. Time risk: refers to the possibility of wasting too much time on travel experience, as the tourist waste time doing unnecessary stuff or that the product did not perform on time. Perceptions of Risk and Travel IntentionS One of the factors affecting a tourists decision-making process is perception of risk. In this sense, it acts as a deciding factor (Freyer and Schroder, 2007, p. 136), and has significant impact on tourism demand. For example, studies have illustrated that perceptions of high risk in a destination are associated with a decrease in the demand of tourism (Prideaux and Laws, 2007; Sonmez, Apostolopoulos and Tarlow, 1999). This could be due to the fact that tourists buying behaviour is influenced by destination image and that with the freedom to choose from a wide range of destinations, most tourists are not likely to travel to places associated with risks (Pechlaner et al. 2007, p. 158). Destination image affects not only the travel decision of potential travellers but also acts as an influential factor towards the perceptions and holiday activities of tourists at a particular location. Therefore, when a destination is linked to negative images, there will be a probability that the tour ists will choose a safer substitute destination (Freyer and Schroder, 2007, p. 136; Gurtner, 2007, p. 82). It is useful to understand how individuals are influenced by perceived risk while making the decision. In general, perceptions of individuals may be affected by external factors that are a problem for local tourism business and destination management to influence (Kozak, Crotts and Law, 2007). There are uncontrollable factors such as natural disasters (Faulkner and Vikulov, 2001; Huang and Min, 2002; Huan et al. 2004), outbreaks of diseases (MacLaurin, 2004) and terrorism attacks. These types of factors may cause a lasting effect in the perceptions of tourists when they happen. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of these incidents and disasters so as to foresee the potential impacts they have on the industry and to control their consequences. Recognizing human basic needs for safety and security is needed to make potential tourists feel safe prior or during their trips. However, it is unfortunate to know that safety and security problems are often destination depende nt (Kozak, Crotts and Law, 2007). Sonmez and Graefe (1998b) identified two types of decision makers, risk averse individuals and risk seekers. Risk averse decision makers would prefer to choose a destination of lower risk and are willing to forgo some expected return in order to reduce differences in possible outcomes. On the other hand, risk seekers are likely to show less concern regarding safety factors towards the choice of destination and are most willing to sacrifice some expected return. Clearly, information about the factors influencing perceptions of risk would allow tourism and destination managers to develop a better understanding of what may potentially scare off tourism market segments as well as what they can do to attract them (Dolnicar, 2007, p. 107). Reisinger and Mavondo (2006) stated that each and every individual perceive and react to travel risk differently. It is said that tourists perceptions towards travel risk differ depending on gender (Darley and Smith 1995; Loker-Murphy and Pearce 1995; Carr 2001; Lepp and Gibson 2003). However, Sonmez and Graefe (1998) argued that there is no relationship between gender and travel risk whereas Mattila et al. (2001) identify some gender differences in health risk behaviour during travel period. It is also said that females have restrictions in their choice of travel due to their gender (Lynch and Atkins, 1998). This could be due to the fact that females generally perceive higher travel risks than men. For example, women are more concerned about food and health related risks and that experienced male travellers are less likely to change their travel plans when it comes to facing potential terrorism, natural disaster and health related risks (Kozak et al. 2007). In addition, other than g ender, personality might be influential on individuals perception of travel risk as well (Carr, 2001). Tourists perceptions of travel risk also differ depending on age as younger tourists tend to perceive higher travel risk than older tourists. This also means that travel-related risk actually declines as individuals grow older (Gibson and Yiannakis, 2002). It is said that older individuals can be more or less risk averse than young individuals depending on their wide personal and observational learning experiences, experimentations and abstract conceptualisation. However, Sonmez and Graefe (1998b) argued that there is no relationship between age and travel risk. In this case, the relationship between age and perception of travel risk remains unclear. Reisinger and Movondo (2006a, 2006b) argue that, different nationalities and cultures are differentiating factors with respect to perceptions of travel risk. Bontempo et al. (1997) found that risk perception of tourists from western countries differs significantly from that of Chinese tourists. Kozak et al. (2007) used Hofstedes (2010) concept of Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) theory to observe international perceptions of related travel risk in terms of ambiguity and uncertainty; it shows the residents comfort level in terms of low, medium and high risk avoidance. Travellers from high UAI cultures, tend to perceive higher risks when compared to travellers from low UAI cultures (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005). Typically, travellers coming from high UAI (risk-avoiding) cultures do not feel at ease in environment listed as unstructured, risky and unclear as they feel threatened by the ambiguous and unknown. Whereas tourists coming from low UAI (risk-tolerant) cultures are typically more comf ortable with environments involving uncertainty and risk. Low UAI countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and China tend to be more sensitive towards terrorist attack, infectious disease and natural disaster risks (Kozak et al. 2007). Travellers from high UAI countries, such as Germany, perceive higher travel risks and anxiety as compared to Singaporean tourists (Reisinger and Movondo, 2006a). With anxiety, there will be a significant impact on travel intention and perceptions of safety (Reisinger and Movondo, 2005). Past experiences and familiarity with a destination are also factors that affect tourists perceptions of travel risks. Tourists who are more experienced in travelling may perceive lower risks, due to the confidence in the destination gained from previous positive visits (Sonmez and Graefe, 1998b; Lepp and Gibson, 2003; Kozak et al. 2007). However, if the last visit to the destination turns out to be negative, it may cause potential tourists to be nervous about future options. Also, individuals who have travelled to the destination before are more likely to return to the place as they are familiar with the location and that increases their sense of safety in the destination. Relevant research also indicates that tourists who travel with friends/family/partner (collectivists) perceive lower travel risk than tourists who travel alone (individualists). Travel activities involving group activities help act as a cushion against potential risks whereas travelling alone expose individuals to numerous potential risks (Weber and Hsee, 1998). Lastly, tourists perception of travel risk differs according to their education background as well (Sonmez and Graefe, 1998). Better educated tourists are better informed and aware of real travel risks through information obtained from reliable sources. They do not engage, therefore, in misunderstanding of the real situation, hence perceiving lower risks than lower-educated tourists (Laver et al. 2001). Also, according to Park and Reisinger (2010), high income tourists perceive a lower influence of travel risks than low income tourists. It could be due to the availability of finances that lead to a lower concern in travel risks as they have the money to sacrifice if there is a need to pay for damages. It is important to understand the importance of safety and security concerns of potential travellers over a destination, as according to Buttle and Bok (1996) travellers are generally affected by their own perception of risk while making travel decisions. For example, it is highly possible that when travellers perceive higher potential risks as compared to the benefits they might acquire from travelling to a destination, there will be a tendency of cancelling the trip to the destination. This is clearly supported by Sonmez and Graefe (1998a), who state that there is a high probability that tourists would avoid travelling to a destination if they associate the destination with the existence of high levels of risk. As judging from past incidents, there was an indication of an increasing demand in cancellation of trips or holiday plans just right after the attack of 9/11 (Chen and Noriega, 2004; Floyd et al. 2004; Kingsbury and Brunn, 2004). SINGAPOREAN TOURISTS AND RISK PERCEPTIONS As a small country with limited choices of entertainment and natural sceneries for the locals to enjoy, many Singaporeans tend to find the opportunity to travel out of Singapore (Lim and Lui, 2009). There has been an increase in the total number of Singaporeans travelling outbound. With the data extracted from Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA, 2009), it indicates an increase of 804,234 outbound Singapore residents in year 2008 to 6,828,362 as compared to 6,024,128 in 2007. It was also reported that there are an increasing trend among Singaporeans within the age range of 18 to 65 years old to travel to nearby countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and Hong Kong (Lim and Lui, 2009). This could be due to the living lifestyle of Singapore residents as employed Singaporeans generally earn a decent amount of income, and fresh universities graduates receive a good starting pay from their first official job. Which shows a society that is willing to spend on leisu re and recreational activities as travel is considered as part of their lifestyle. According to Lim and Lui (2009) findings, wide spread of swine flu in America and Mexico did stirred up fear among Singaporeans who are intending to travel within Asia Pacific. However, it was not confirmed or known if any risk or crisis would affect Singaporeans plans towards international travelling. ABOUT THAILAND AND TRAVEL RISKS The discussion now turns to Thailand, the research context of this study. Thailand is a country the economy of which depends heavily on its tourism industry. Tourism is the major export service of Thailand, actually accounting to about 6-7 percent of the countrys national Gross Domestic Product (EIU ViewsWire, 2003). From a tourism perspective, over the years Thailand has been branded as a friendly, exotic, exciting and natural destination. It is considered to be a popular travel destination among tourists as it is considered to be a hospitable country towards visitors as well as a country rich in cultural heritage, historical tourist destinations and natural attractions (Koumelis 2004; National Identity Board, 2000). Tourists generally have many choices on attractions and activities in Thailand as there is a wide selection such as: the beautiful beaches located in the South, rainforests and mountains in the North, huge shopping malls or market located in the city, etc. According to Rogers (2003, p. 276), the most important factor attracting tourists would have to be the value for money. Staying in Thailand is cheap because of the availability of cheap accommodation and food. Engaging in activities does not cost much, which is why the destination attracts many young tourists as it is affordable. Thus, with a combination of all these favorable factors, Thailand emerges as an attractive tourism destination. However, according to Campiranon, K. (2008), there has been a rise in the number of the occurrence of crises events in Thailand has caused worries regarding their impact on the image of the country. For example, towards the end of 2004, disasters such as the Tsunami, SARS epidemic, bird flu or avian flu had caused a significant drop in international arrivals to the country. In addition, the serious worldwide recession emerging in mid 2008, caused a decrease in the desire of tourists to travel. Furthermore, Thailand was suffering from political instability crises, whereby the Suvarnabhumi Airport was closed down on 26 November 2008 by the yellow shirt or Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters, which mainly consists of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class who are the opposition of the former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies. On 11 April 2009, Thailand was assigned to hold the East Asia Summit in Pattaya, but this resulted in an attack by the Red shirt mob, which mainly consists by a large proportion of rural-based and working-class Thais who are the supporters of Thaksin and his policies. This caused the significant delay of the summit and the evacuation of world leaders to safety. Following the cancellation of the East Asian summit was the uprising of violent riots and the declaration of emergency by the prime minister the very next day. The graph below illustrates the international tourist arrivals to Thailand between years 2007 to 2010. Source: www.ThaiWebsites.com According to the data extracted from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT, 2010), there have been a decrease in international arrivals from 3.64 million in the first quarter to 2.96 million in the second quarter of 2009. As compared to the previous first two quarters of 2007 and 2008, the figures appeared to be lower. However, despite all the serious commotions that had happen in April, tourism arrivals increased towards the end of 2009. In the last quarter of 2009, it was reported to have a higher arrival rate as compared to 2007 and 2008. It was then brought forward to the first quarter of 2010, whereby there was a significant increase in tourist arrivals. However, just when hopes of returning to healthy levels of industry growth were up, serious demonstrations held by the Red shirts during the month of April negatively affected tourist arrivals in the second quarter of 2010. From here, we can see that with the negative factors affecting Thailands tourism, the influence of it act ually seems to last just a few months each time it happen, and that tourists will resume their interest in Thailand as their selected tourist destination thereafter (ThaiWebsites, 2010). CONCLUSIONS Following the analysis presented in this chapter, the main conclusion is that a negative destination image leads to negative tourists perceptions of risk. This in turn affects tourists intention to visit the destination if there are other options to choose. Also of particular relevance to this study is the conclusion that tourists perceptions of risk is associated with factors such as socio-demographic variables (e.g. age, gender), previous travel experience, travel party size, education level and nationality. Travelling has been part of Singaporeans lifestyle as Singapore lacks the leisure activities and natural sceneries to entertain the locals in long run. Therefore, travelling to nearby countries like Thailand is an attractive destination choice as it is affordable and suitable for short holiday trips. There is however, no known data on how Singaporeans are affected by risk or crisis towards their holiday planning. In recent years, Thailand has been vulnerable towards risks such as the outbreak of diseases, natural disasters as well as political instability. Visitor arrivals were seen to have decreased during the occurrence of crises events, and various businesses were affected as a result. Thus, this study aims to study the following three researched question: Singaporeans have a low perception of risk with regards to travel to Thailand. Socio-demographic has a positive relationship with the perceptions of risk. Intention to travel has a positive relationship with the perception of risk.

Electrical :: essays research papers

Bailiff: All rise, the honorable Judge James Means presiding over the case of Brown vs. Rowe. You may be seated. Judge: This is the case of a one Darius Brown versus Jason Rowe in a matter dealing with the harmful effects of Electrocovulusive Therapy. Councilmen, your opening statements please. Prosecutor: Electroconvulsive Therapy, also known as ECT, is an appalling, not to mention, harmful practice used in mental treatment. This practice is not safe and it does not improve the patient’s condition. My client, having experienced these treatments will testify against this unethical practice. Brandie: Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. My client Psychiatrist Rowe is being put on ‘[ trial for his practices of ECT. ECT has been incorporated for many years. It is one of the safest medical procedures involving regular anesthesia and its effectiveness has been proven beyond doubt. Judge: Prosecution, you may call your witness. Prosecutor: Your Honor, I call Darius Brown to the stand. Judge: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you god? Darius: I do. Prosecutor: Isn’t it true that you had to undergo treatments of ECT? Darius: Yes and it was bad. They shocked me and I started shaking. Prosecutor: Were there any adverse effects after you received ECT? Darius: Yes, its brain damaging. I often have trouble remembering and sometimes I get headaches. Prosecutor: So what you’re saying is, that ECT is harmful? Darius: Yes Brandie: Objection, Prosecutor is leading the witness! Judge: Sustained, the jury will disregard Mr. Brown’s last statement. Prosecutor: Did ECT improve your medical condition? Darius: Yes, but only to a small extent and only after altering my brain. Prosecutor: Thank you, Sir. Judge: Your witness, Ms. Cohen. Brandie: Mr. Brown, didn’t you just testify that your condition was improved? Darius: Yes Brandie: So how can you argue that it is not effective? As with any medication or surgical procedure, sure ECT has adverse effects. What is your major complaint? Darius: I can’t remember†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦oh, yes it’s memory disturbance. Brandie: So everything is fine? You can breathe, comprehend, and function normally. Perhaps even better than before your treatments. The only problem is a little memory complications? Nothing major right? Darius: I guess you could say that. Brandie: No further questions, your Honor. Judge: You may step down. The defense may call its witness. Brandie: Your Honor, I call Dr. Rowe to the stand. Judge: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?

Huck Finn as a Round Character Essay

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn several characters are introduced. Some of them are round characters who are talked a lot about and are described in detail. Others are flat characters who don’t change throughout the novel. Huck Finn is an example of a round character because in the beginning we meet him as a young boy who is growing up in Hannibal, Missouri getting â€Å"sivilized† by two sisters. He spends most of his time teaming up with his friend Tom, against Miss Watson’s slave, Jim. After running away and faking his own death we see Huck start to make his own decisions and become friends with Jim when they run into each other on Jackson Island. As a reader you see him mature, become more of a rebel and take risks, and grow friendships. â€Å"To live with fear and not be afraid is the greatest sign of maturity.† If this quote by Edward Weeks is true then Huck Finn is the greatest example of maturity. While traveling down the Mississipp i River Huck shows maturity when he runs into two strangers and he allows them to travel with him and Jim. From the start Huck knew the two men were troublemakers who seemed to be no good, but he still took them in. Not long after the duke and the king lie to Huck and Jim and although Huck realized it he did not say anything. ‘But I never said nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it’s the best way; then you don’t have no quarrels, and don’t get into no trouble†¦I hadn’t no objections, ‘long as it would keep peace in the family.’ (Twain 116-125) Huck also shows his maturity when the duke and the king steal from the Wilks family. Huck tries to help the family by stealing their money back from them and hiding it in the coffin. Instead of him letting the con men steal and possibly benefiting from it, Huck did what he knew was right. In this novel Tom Sawyer seems to bring out the rebellious side of Huck Finn. He never wants to go without and adventure. To keep Tom satisfied Huck and Tom go along with him and steal a variety of items from Aunt Sally: spoons, candles, sheet, shirt, etc. For a boy Huck’s age to fake his death is a big risk . From that point on Huck continues to take risks with faking who he is with and what he is doing. After escaping and running into Jim, Huck has a huge decision to make of whether to turn him in, or stay by his side. He decided to write a letter to Miss Watson, but never ended up sending it to her. From that point on Huck shows how loyal he is to his friendship. When Tom Sawyer shows back up in the novel Huck winds himself up into unnecessary trouble. That is when Huck’s loyalty to Jim is tested. Tom never sees Jim as a human being so for Huck to start to think of him as more than just a slave and stand up for him and continue to never leave his side is an example of being a great friend. For a young boy who is traveling down the Mississippi River with just himself and a runaway slave Huck shows huge acts of kindness and loyalty while at the same time going against the rules of society. As Mark Twain’s Huck Finn said, â€Å"What’s the use you learning to do rig ht, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same (Twain 91)?† Although he never became the â€Å"sivilized† boy Miss Watson would have liked for him to be you notice Huck maturing, having a rebellious side, and making a great friendship.

Your Complete Guide to the Best Customer Service Jobs

Your Complete Guide to the Best Customer Service Jobs Pop quiz! Customer service is not a job for: (A) the faint of heart(B) impatient people(C) people who hate other people(D) all of the aboveThe answer is definitely D. In customer service, you help other people like it’s your job, because it is your job. Whether that includes helping customers with a particular product, fielding questions and complaints with a pleasant smile, or listening to people rant and rave about a product you didn’t sell them and didn’t create, it’s a role that requires a ton of people skills and diplomacy. You’re often a front-line brand ambassador for your company. In the best of times, you might earn loyal customers for your company. When things go wrong, you might end up a viral cautionary tale of customer service gone wild. So remember: not for the faint of heart (or patience).What Do Customer Service Professionals Do?Customer services representatives (also known as customer care representatives) can be found in any custom er-facing industry. That includes retail, hospitality, healthcare, or any service industry. These professionals are the friendly faces and voices who are ready to help Their tasks might include:Receiving customers or answering phone callsCoordinating customer ordersEvaluating problems or issues and determining the next stepsTroubleshooting issues, give advice or informationEnsuring a good customer experienceReceiving customer feedbackInvestigating issuesMaintaining detailed client or customer recordsEscalating issues when necessaryCoordinating follow-up outreach to customersInteracting with customers in person or via phone, online chat, fax, or social mediaGiving information about a store, company, or productGenerating sales leadsProcessing payments or refunds as necessaryBuilding customer and brand relationshipsMeeting sales targets and goalsFollowing company protocols for customer careExamples of common customer service jobs include:Client Services ManagerClient Services Specialis tClient Services CoordinatorClient Services RepresentativeCustomer Service AssociateCustomer Service CoordinatorCustomer Service ManagerCustomer Service SupervisorCustomer Service/Care RepresentativeCustomer Support AssociateCustomer Support ManagerCustomer Support SpecialistFront Desk AgentFront Desk AssociateFront Desk ManagerFront Desk ReceptionistHelp Desk AssociateHelp Desk SupportHelp Desk TechnicianReceptionistRetail AssociateRetail Sales AssociateSales AssistantSales CoordinatorTechnical Support EngineerTechnical Support RepresentativesIt’s important to note that this is not your typical 9-to-5 job. Depending on the industry or company, you may be working odd or overnight shifts, including holidays and weekends.What Does the Customer Service Career Path Look Like?In the past, customer service was often looked upon as an entry-level job, or a career dead end, but that is no longer the case (if it ever really was). Many customer service careers start in the aforemention ed entry-level job (customer service rep, or any associate-level job), but with experience in the field, a person can go on to become a coordinator, manager, supervisor, or executive).As we become a more consumer-driven culture, and one where a customer can be blasting a poor experience over social media within seconds, that means that the customer service industry is growing and becoming more sophisticated by the day. Customer service representatives are not just for placating customers- they may be troubleshooting complicated issues, using advanced technical skills, and using a variety of different communication platforms to connect with customers.The data obsession that drives so many other industries has taken root in the customer service field as well, with metrics, reporting, and customer data management becoming more complex in the pursuit of generating sales and creating lasting, positive relationships with customers.What Skills Do Customer Service Professionals Have?Remembe r when I mentioned â€Å"people skills†? These are among the most essential skills for a fulfilling and productive career in customer service. Here’s the rundown of the skills you’ll need (or should build) if you’re looking for a job in the field.Communication SkillsYou’ll be communicating with all sorts of people. Happy customers with questions, unhappy customers with problems, people who have very few communication skills themselves, people with language barriers, people who just want to talk to someone†¦you name it, you might encounter it as a customer service professional. If you’re one of those people who can have a conversation with anyone and everyone you meet, great! You’ve got a good starting point.Your communication skills shouldn’t just be customer-facing, though. You may need to explain complicated issues or problems to other teams within your company, and will likely need to be able to communicate brand-specif ic messaging as well. Your written skills should be strong as well, because so much customer service happens online these days, either via email, online chats, or social media.PatienceIf you’re a tech-savvy person who has tried to help someone who’s, uh, less tech-savvy with a complicated computer issue, then you know that being the one with all the knowledge comes with great responsibility- namely, not getting frustrated or yelling if the person doesn’t necessarily get what you’re putting down. Being able to stay calm and walk through things as many times as necessary is an essential skill for customer service.Organizational SkillsCustomer service reps may need to do a lot of juggling, especially during busy times of the year (for example, holidays). Being able to keep customer information straight and make sure you’re logging everything accurately is key. Chaotic or frenzied customer service is usually lousy customer service.Attention to DetailBe cause customer service actions can have consequences with customers, companies like to make sure that their customer service reps and contacts have an eagle eye for small details. Whether it’s making sure an order is being processed correctly, or ensuring that someone’s insurance information is accurate, you’ll want to be able to demonstrate ninja-level attention to detail.What Education Do Customer Service Professionals Need?This is a field that you can get into without a degree. Most customer service jobs, especially entry-level ones, require a high school diploma or equivalent, and rely heavily on candidates who demonstrate the kinds of skills outlined above. There is typically on-the-job training, since every industry and every company have their own customer service needs, processes, and policies. There’s no one-size-fits-all training or certification that customer service professionals can undergo.How Much Do Customer Service Professionals Make?The salary can vary according to experience level, but here are some sample median salaries for customer service professionals, per PayScale and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Customer Service Representative: $32,300Customer Service Associate: $36,680Customer Service Specialist: $40,121Customer Service Supervisor: $47,938Customer Service Manager: $54,066What is the Outlook for Customer Service Professionals?The outlook is strong! This is a field that is definitely growing- again, the emphasis on a consumer society means there will always need to be consumer support professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field will grow 10% faster than average by 2024.If you’re thinking about breaking into this field, or wondering where you can go next after your first opportunity, working in customer service can be a solid growth choice for your career. And if you’re not necessarily interested in making it your career base, the skills you use and build a s a customer service representative are ones that you can successfully take to many other industries.

Art Expression Essays - Visual Arts, Painting, Art History

Art Expression Essays - Visual Arts, Painting, Art History Art Expression Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the artist's culture. As man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed. Our tour definitely showed the drastic changes in different cultures' art. Each culture and era presents very distinct characteristics. Through time and experimentation, we have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our art. Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the torso, and profile of the head. Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god Horus, a bird, is found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the artists. The emphasis was on the patron. Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the Egyptians'. Unlike Egyptians, the Greeks refined their techniques. Greeks used marble to construct their sculptures. It was considered more valuable and beautiful than any material available. They softened the lines of the body. Greek sculptors slowly perfected every contour in the human figure. Greek people viewed the human body as something beautiful and so they depicted nude men. Women were eventually nude but only when there was a reason, they needed to be bathing or something where they would be naked. They people that are sculpted are always young and their bodies are still idealized. The Greeks invented contrapposto, the relaxed natural stance of a sculpture. A figure that is standing in contrapposto becomes a sculpture in the round, meaning that the emphasis is not only on a frontal view but also from all angles. The Hellenistic Period emerged as the Romans began to produce some of the finest art in history. This new revolutionary style was incredible. Figures weren't confined to the unnatural or boring positions they had for centuries. All body parts were in perfect proportion. These statues came alive as their limbs reached out into space. Vacant stares evolved into human emotions, which were easily recognized on their faces. I think this renaissance portrayed the way people were thinking. They were exploring philosophy, religion, and politics. This was a time for rebirth. Christian art was introduced during the middle of the second century. In many cases the only difference between Christian art and Hellenistic art is the religious subject matter. After a slow start the Christians introduced something new, the mosaic. Mosaics became a favorite medium for decorating churches. Man was viewed in religious scenes due to the spread of Christianity. Byzantine and medieval art was very representative. The artists' ability to produce lifelike figures had regressed. The emphasis was not on man anymore. Their art was made to glorify God. The fifteenth century marked the arrival of the Renaissance. Artists have finally recaptured the amazing detail and realism that the Greeks and Romans perfected. Artists pushed the

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Geography - Essay Example The religious aspect does not play a big part, despite members of each side being Islamic, Christian, or other religious beliefs. It is a war between the Arab and non-Arab groups. The conflict in the Sudan has been raging for years. The Afro-Arab factions along with the Sudenese government to conquer a new rebel groups in Dafar called Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) which are made up of non-Arab Muslims. Both factions are black. The Sudanese government which is Arab has been targeting non-Arabic Africans for years. However when the SLM and JEM started fighting back the bloodshed intensified. The Sudanese government has not entered into the fight directly, but has funded the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed is considered a terrorist group in the West. Accusations of genocide have been directed at the Janjaweed. Due to the Sudanese government support of the Janjaweed, not much has been done to rectify the situation. The skirmishes and killing continue despite peace treaties and ongoing talks. Arabic Muslims believe that non-Arabic Africans is inferior to them. They believe that all ‘black’ non-Arabic Africans should be slaves. This history goes back to Arabic Muslims selling non-Arabic Muslims and non-Muslims to slave traders. Although the Arabic faction of the Sudan is lighter than the non-Arabic faction, both are still black. The Arabic faction does not see the darker non-Arabic as the same color or race. The darker Africans are inferior and meant to be slaves. As mentioned before religion does not play a big factor in this conflict. Going back to the slave trade days, the non-Arabic people were sold into slavery even if they were Muslim. Alex Hailey’s ancestor in Roots was a devout Muslim. However due to the color of his skin, Kunta Kinte was captured and sold to slave traders. He did not understand why men the same color as him could sell a brother into

Comparison between Boeing 737-800 and Embraer ERJ-170LR Research Paper

Comparison between Boeing 737-800 and Embraer ERJ-170LR - Research Paper Example Presently, just the -700, -800, as well as -900ER, are assembled, as neither the -600 nor the -900 was well-liked. Its main competition is the Airbus A320 family. The Embraer E-Jet family, on the other hand, is a series of narrow-range and medium-range double-engine jet airliners manufactured by Brazilian airline corporation, Embraer (Endres, 2009). Initially introduced at the Paris Air Exhibition, in 1999, and going into production, in 2002, the airplane series has been a business success (Norris & Wagner, 2011). The aircraft is utilized both by regional and mainline airlines all over the global. From December 31st, 2012, there was an accumulation of 185 firm orders for the E-Jets, 908 units and 580 options delivered. On September 13th, 2013, a celebration was held at the Embraer plant in Sà £o Josà © dos Campos to celebrate the release of the 1,000th E-jet family airplane. The E-175 was released in an American Eagle Airlines colored with a unique "1,000th E-Jet" label over the ca bin windows (Endres, 2009). This paper will compare between Boeing 737-800 and Embraer ERJ-170LR of Boeing Commercial Airlines and Embraer, respectively. The 737-800 is an expanded edition of the 737-700, and substitutes the 737-400. It also sealed the gap left by the choice to cease the MD-80 and MD-90 (McDonnell Douglas) after Boeings unification with MD. The 737−800 was first introduced by Hapag-Lloyd Flug (at the moment TUI fly). The model also seeks to swap the market section.